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(yes or no) Did Elisha know the day that God was to take Elijah? Did the sons of the prophets at Bethel and Jericho know the day Elijah was going to be taken by God? 2· Kings 2:3,5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The number of times which Elijah begged Elisha not to follow him was (a) one, (b) two, (c) three, or (d) four. 1 Kings 2:2, 4, 6 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
How did Elijah and Elisha cross the Jordan on dry land? 2 Kings 2:8 When did Elisha repeat the act? 2 Kings 2:14 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
For what gift did Elisha ask of Elijah before Elijah was taken? How would Elisha know if his request had been granted? 2 Kings 2:9-10 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
How was Elijah taken up to heaven? 2 Kings 2:1, 11 What dropped from Elijah as he went up? 2 Kings 2:14 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What did Elisha do to purify the waters of Jericho? 2 Kings 2:21-22 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
When Elisha was going to Bethel, what happened to the young lads from the city who mocked him, calling him a “baldhead”? 2 Kings 2:23-24 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
<inaudible> It is good to see faces in this room. And it’s good to see all of you personally, but it’s good to just see faces in this room. Uh, no, it, I am so glad that everyone is back. Uh, today, everyone that is back today, we are, uh, looking forward to today’s lesson as well as a worship today.
And for those who are still at home, we are thinking about you and missing you and, uh, understand all of the reasons why you are still at home, but, uh, you’re in our prayers. And we’re glad that, uh, those who are here are able to be here. We’re going to be in second Kings chapter one in our class this morning,
second Kings chapter one, We’ve been studying Alijah and we are, is as second Kings begins. We’re approaching the end of Elijah’s life. Uh, now bear in mind that the book of Kings is how it would have originally been known. It was not the first Kings and second Kings, the way we think of it today, uh, Kings was a single book.
Chronicles was a single book. Samuel was a single book, but at that day in time, they would have been broken into separate scrolls because of their length. And so as a result of that over time, they just took on the names of here’s first Kings and second Kings. Uh, but we’re in second Kings. And to give you a frame of reference in the old Testament history and the other books,
if you were to go through the remainder of second Kings, you would be able to study the time periods of every major and minor prophet inside this, uh, one historical book. So the history of this book expands from the point of the life of Elijah all the way through all of the major and minor prophets, except had guy Zachariah and Malakai the last three books of the old Testament.
Okay. Those three, uh, minor prophets fall outside the time period of second Kings, but every other major and minor prophet, uh, you know, uh, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel Hosea, Joel Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, all of those are inside the time period of this one book. Okay. So that gives you some idea,
not only of the amount of time it covers in this book, but also the amount of the old Testament, prophetic books that are all in here for this is the history and those are the prophecies of this time period. Okay. Uh, so that’s important to kind of give you a frame of reference that Alijah becomes the beginning of the prophets. Okay.
That’s something that we’ve mentioned before, and that’s why Alijah stands in the new Testament as a representation of the profits, but Elijah’s ministry Elijah’s prophecy really is the foundational prophecies that will lead to the prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel. All of these others are going to work off of a foundation of the work of aligned Jew in confronting a nation that has completely departed from God.
And that’s what Alijah did in the Northern kingdom of Israel. He confronted the portion of the nation that had completely departed from God. And so many of the profits that would follow him would carry on that work both to the Northern kingdom and the Southern kingdom, because eventually the Southern kingdom would follow the same path as they had more wicked Kings coming time and time and time again.
Now there would be restorations in the Southern kingdom, the restoration of Josiah, the restoration of Hezekiah and others. But by and large, even in the Southern kingdom, the majority of the Kings were not good Kings. They didn’t follow God. They didn’t lead the people in righteousness and they implemented idolatry. So we begin in chapter one of second Kings and we read Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of a Hab,
who is Moab in relationship to Israel,<inaudible> Tennessee. That is correct. So by way of a map, they’re in the Southeast portion, uh, below Israel on the Southeast side of the dead sea, and you had something else, Incestuous relationship, Correct? They are related distantly, very distantly at this point to Israel. Uh, they were part of the descendants of lot Ammon and Moab were the descendants of lot through,
uh, the incestuous relationship he had with his daughters after, uh, the, uh, cities of, um, Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. So these are descendants of lot. They’re kin folk to Israel, but most of the time they didn’t get along. Most of the time they treated one another as enemies, as opposed to anything else. So MOLAB is going to rebel against Israel because they had been brought under tribute by a Hab and by the Kings of the North.
So interestingly, they’re not under tribute to Judah, they’re under tribute to Israel because during this time, during the time of a habit, seems as though Israel had more of an influence on the surrounding area. The North did, then the South did. So Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab. Now, a Isaiah Fell through the lattice of his upper room in some area and was injured.
Who’s a has IO,<inaudible> The son of a hub. If you remember the end of, of first Kings, a has Aja reigns in a Hampstead notice chapter 22, verse 51, a Zion, the son of Abraham became King over Israel in some area in the 17th year of Jehoshaphat King of Judah and rain two years over Israel, he did evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the ways of his father in the way of his mother.
And in the way of Jeroboam the son of ni bat who made Israel to sin for he served bale and worshiped him and provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger, according to all that his father had done. So there’s an interesting statement here that generally, when there’s an evil King and then an evil son follows the evil King, it will be stated that the evil son followed in the steps of his father.
Yet we already know the predominant influence in the house of Ahab and Jezebel is an Ahab. And so here you have kind of a unique notation. He followed in the steps of his father and his mother in committing evil. And Jeroboam. So throughout this history, we’ve always been tracking back to Jeroboam the, the one thing you need to kind of capture as you read through first and second Kings is how many times God blames Jeroboam for starting it Step back and think of it.
Because when he’s, when God says he followed in the steps of he’s laying guilt on the person who started it, because it was Jeroboam who came in and changed the worship. It was Jeroboam who set up the calves that Dan and bear she, but it was Jeroboam who changed the priesthood. It was Jeroboam who changed everything about what they were doing and caused Israel to sin and led them down this path.
Now, Jaron Boehm didn’t do the evil that Ahab did. Jeroboam didn’t put the profits of God to death and have blood running in the streets because these people worshiped God Jeroboam didn’t do that, but he opened the door. He put the people on the path to this place. And so time and time and time again, his name is remind is God is reminding us.
This is the one, this is the King Who started it in the same way when someone does good. You’re constantly reminded of whom, Especially in the Southern kingdom, David You’re constantly reminded of David. He walked in the ways of David, his father. Why? Because David’s influence on the nation to turn them from the lifestyle of Saul, to following the Lord in decision making and in determinations,
where he would inquire of the Lord, he would do what’s right. He wasn’t perfect. He, by all means he was not impeccable, but this constant direction and drive in Israel and Judah to do what God said Is the contrast from Jeroboam who said, I’ll take what God’s going to give me the throne, but I’m not going to do what he said.
Okay. So, Hey, as IAH fell through the lattice of his upper room in some area and was injured. So he sent messengers and said to them go inquire of bale. Zeba the God of Ektron. Whether I shall recover a recover from this injury, where is Ektron? It’s a city<inaudible> Okay. So Akron is one of those coastal cities of the lands of the Philistines.
That was the location of one of the primary gods of the Philistines. You might remember that when the tab or net or sorry, when the, um, when the Ark of the covenant was taken by the Philistines during the days of, uh, Eli, who was a judge before Samuel Eli sons took the Ark of the covenant out to do battle against the Philistines because they thought if we take the Ark of the covenant and we’ll win,
and then the arc of the covenant was captured and the sons of Eli were killed and the Philistines took the Ark Mack, and they put it in the house of their God here in Akron Until all sorts of bad things happen. And God made it clear. You might have an idol, but I’m God. And so the people removed it from there. Well,
now here’s a King in Israel going this bad things happen to me going choir of the gods of the Philistines, whether or not I’ll recover, go to the house of this temple or of this idol and find out whether or not I will recover from this injury. God’s not going To let that one stand here is Israel. Here are the descendants who came out of Egypt,
of those who were, were passed through the red sea of those who saw the 10 plagues, those who experienced all of this and were given this land. And now they’re going to go inquire of the gods of the Philistines, whether or not they’re King Is going to recover. So notice what happens now, therefore the says, uh, Oh, excuse me.
Now, they’re uh, uh, verse three I’m to I’m skipping a verse. Then I knew something wasn’t right. But the angel of the Lord said to align to the Tishbite. Now this is one of those times that you get this reminder aligns as a prophet and Elijah doesn’t go unless Elijah sent, okay, well, the prophet’s job, their tasks were not to just roam all over talking all the time.
Their job was to be a messenger. Their job was to go when God said, go and to speak when God said speak. So the angel Lord tells aligned to the Tishbite arise, go up and meet the messengers of the King of some area and say to them, is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of bill Z bub,
the God of<inaudible>. Um, so I was just, just curious. Just want to find out, I just, just wondering, is it because there’s no God in Israel, Is this the problem? Are you missing a God? Now think about all the idols they have. The bale worship has come in. The worship have asked her office, come in.
All of these things are taking place. It’s not even the question. Are you missing Jehovah? It’s the question of, is there no God in Israel at all, Because that draws forward. The very idea of what Paul said to those in Athens, when he said, look at this, you have a God on every corner, but there’s only one that I want to tell you about.
It’s this one where you have the image made to the unknown God who you ignorantly worship him. I’ll declare to you because they could have gone to every street corner and inquired. If they were in the King’s position as to whether or not they would be recovered. And guess what? There wasn’t a single street corner with a single idle that could have given them an answer.
There was no God in Athens Because the only God that exists, they had ignored. So this question draws forward. Two things. Number one, they’re inquiring from the law, the wrong location and number They’re gods that they already have are worthless Because if the gods of bale and the gods of Aster off, if those gods could have answered the inquiry, he wouldn’t have sent messengers to the gods of Ektron.<inaudible> He sending messengers because the gods of his dad and the gods of his mom can’t answer him.
So his mentality is I’m going to go send to another God. Elijah shows up and says, wait a minute, isn’t there a God in Israel. So then notice what happens. Thus, as the Lord, you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone, but you shall surely die. So Elijah depart it. Now, remember going back to first Kings chapter 19,
I think it is. God told Ahab when Ahab did not destroy the King of Syria, when God did not. When God put that King’s life in his hand, as the prophet illustrated it and said, if this person escapes your life becomes forfeit for this prisoner and a have made a deal. Instead, Ahab let the King of Syria go. And then God said,
now your life is going to be forfeit. And the life of your people is going to be forfeit, a Hab humbled himself, as a result of that. And God said, the catastrophe, the calamity is not going to come on. You. It’s going to come on your descendants. Okay? So here we are in the life of a Habs descendant,
two years in injury happens and God’s message to his eye is you’re not getting up out of that bed. You’re going to die right there. So, Hey, Hosea is told this and his messengers are told this verse five, when the messengers returned to him, he said to them, why are you come back? Hey, has Zion knows how long it takes to get to the land of the Philistines?
And it’s clear. They didn’t make it out of Israel. Why? Because Elijah intercepted them and gave them the answer. They were looking for. Notice what they reply. So they said to him, a man came up to meet us and said to us, go return to the King who sent you and say to him, thus says the Lord. Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire a bill,
Z bub, the God of Ektron. Therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die. Then he said to them, what kind of man was it? Who came up to meet you and told you these words? Just like John, the Baptist Elijah had a recognizable appearance. Okay. Elijah was one that you knew when Elijah was around Elijah didn’t look like everybody else.
And so when ASI hears the message and hears who it’s from Jehovah, His first question is, what do you look like? This guy who came up to you, okay, This person who gave you this message, this, this one who declared to you, this message from Jehovah, what did he look like? Cause you better believe a Hazai and knew what Elijah looked like.
There’s a good chance. A Hosea was there at Mount Carmel. When the 400 prophets of bale were defeated by God. There’s a good chance that a Hosea witnessed many times it Elijah coming before his father, What did he look like? So they answered him a hairy man wearing a leather belt around his waist. And he said, It is Elijah. The Tishbite You remember when a hub saw Elijah after the three years of no rain and Elijah’s coming to him or Elijah’s there.
And he comes to Elijah and he says, is that you? Oh, enemy of Israel. Oh, troublemaker of Israel.<inaudible> His son had gained his own biases. His son had followed in the path of a Hab in believing that Elijah was the problem. And you See it as he addresses Alijah. But notice what else occurs? He said it is Alijah.
The Tishbite. Then the King sent to him, a captain of 50 with his 50 men. Who did he send to the God of Ektron?<inaudible> Messengers. Did he send the captain with 50 men? He send are, send an army. No. Okay. Not an army, not a platoon, not a division, not a squad. No.
He sent messengers Because he wanted information. Well, when he sends someone to Alijah, he doesn’t send messenger. He sent soldiers and the intent is going to be clear. A has, did not like the message. And a Hazara wants Elijah brought by force. So notice what happens. Uh, then The King sent the captain of 50 and his 50 men.
So he went up to him and there, he was sitting on the top of a Hill and he spoke to him, man of God, the King has said, come down. So aligned. You answered and said to the captain of 50. If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your 50 men Here in second Kings chapter one,
God. Yeah. Through Alijah confronts this captain and his men With the reality of their situation, they are using the reference, Oh man of God. As if you claim to be A man of God, But their authority comes from a King And God is going to make it clear through align Jah. You have missed who has authority in this land go all the way back to the time of Samuel in your mind.
When Samuel is told by Israel, we want a King And Samuel is disappointed, distraught, upset, because he believes they’ve rejected him as the judge in Israel. And God says, no, they’ve not rejected. You they’ve rejected me. And I’m going to give them a King. And then all of these bad things that they’re not expecting are going to come as a result of them having a King.
But ultimately here’s the point that’s being made The King. Isn’t the authority in the land, in the land. The prophet is the prophet speaks on behalf of the real King. But these men, these soldiers were the military power of the King who thought he was really in charge. And so a has IO wants to show he’s in charge. A has IO wants to prove that he can take a lie TJ’s life.
If he wants to remember what pilot asked Jesus, do you not know that I have the power to crucify you? Or I have the power to let you go. Here’s a governor. Who’s got the same misconception that his Aja had. He thought he was in charge. He, he had, he had the audacity to believe. He actually had a say And God’s going to make it clear you don’t,
God’s Going to make it clear. Hey, as Aja, you’re not in charge. You want to send from my messenger. You should ask. Yeah, Because he’s mine, not yours. He’s in charge, not you. And this is the dramatic shift that you see take place. When Kings were faithful, like David, God would work with the King.
The King would inquire of the Lord. And God would tell the King what to do. Moving forward from Alijah that ceases by and large, there is not a time throughout the remainder of the old Testament, where the King operates without a prophet. It becomes the prophet who is in charge. And the King is simply supposed to do the profits bidding because God is using the profit as his declaration,
all throughout the remainder of the minor prophets and the major prophets. All throughout that time, you’re going to find Isaiah going to Hezekiah, Isaiah, going to other Kings and telling them you need to do this. Jeremiah will go to the Kings and tell them, you need to do this. The others will go to the Kings. You need to do this.
And the Kings were responsible to follow it. Who gives the orders? The answer is the person who’s in charge And the profits were supposed to be the ones giving the orders, not the Kings. The Kings were supposed to follow the orders. So what you have here, when, because some people get into this and they’ll go, wow, this is terrible.
This is terrible. Elijah’s just some mean grouchy old man, prophet who who’s killing people left and right. No, he’s not. Yeah, Because remember the statement. If I’m a man of God, That’s an important statement because that statement declares. I don’t take my own actions. I do what God says. And the fact that the fire will come down from heaven,
declares that wasn’t Elijah’s decision. It was God’s the fire didn’t come out of Elijah. I mean, this isn’t star Wars where fire starts coming out of his fingertips. No, the fire comes from where Heaven. It’s God’s decision and it’s God’s choice. And Elijah’s declaring. I don’t make my own choices. I didn’t tell your King that he’s never getting up again.
God did. Okay. So notice what happens. So Elijah answered and said to the captain of 50, if I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you. And your 50 men and fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his 50 men. Then he that’s the King sent to him, another captain of 50 with his 50 men.
And he answered and said to him, man of God, thus has the King said, come down quickly. So Elijah answered and said to them, if I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your 50 men. And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him. And his 50. Again,
he, the King sent a third captain of 50 with his 50 men As captain. Ain’t no dummy. This captain knows he is. The third in line Did die. And he’s going to act accordingly. Notice what happens again. He sent a third captain of 50 with his 50 men. And the third captain of 50 went up and came and noticed the action and fell on his knees before Elijah.
Why is the captain there King’s orders. But who does the captain know is really in charge God and Elijah, because you don’t kneel before someone who’s not in charge. Just think about it all through history. What is it that you do when you walk in before someone thinking about it? Historically, when you walk in, before someone who’s in charge like a Monarch or a King,
You bow, you kneel. Why? Because it is a recognition of who’s in charge. The captain might be present before Alijah because his superior told him to be, But he knows his superior. Isn’t superior to Elijah. And here’s what you’re getting this, this, this whole event is supposed to direct our minds to who is in charge in Israel. And it’s not the one on the throne.
It’s the one who speaks for God, God. He fell down on his knees before Elijah and pleaded with him and said to him, man of God, notice the difference. Please let my life and the life of these 50 servants of yours be precious in your sight. As we go through this, you’ll notice the intent of the first two captains. Notice what happens.
Look, fire has come down from heaven and burned up the first two captains of fifties and their fifties, but let my life now be precious in your sight. And the angel of the Lord said to Elijah, go down with him. Do not. So the rest of that phrase, be afraid of him.<inaudible> Read between the lines here. Wow.
God had already told Elijah what the first two captains of fifties orders were.<inaudible> Maybe we should do it this way. Yeah. You remember John, the Baptist who in the new Testament stands for Elijah. Remember? They were told Elijah is going to come again before the Messiah. And Jesus said in Matthew chapter 17, after Moses and Elijah’s meet with him on the Mount,
he tells the disciples. John was the Elijah who was coming. How did John die?<inaudible> He was beheaded by Herod<inaudible> Because he was imprisoned by Herod. When he told Herod something Herod didn’t want to hear<inaudible>. And these men were sent to go get Alijah. And the indication in the text by this statement from the angel Lord is these men were sent most likely to bring back just one appendage of Elijah.
Hey, Hosea did not want to have a conversation with Elijah. A Hosea wanted Elijah dead, And that’s why he didn’t send messengers. He could have had a conversation with Elijah. Anytime he wanted to send a messenger, Elijah would come to him. You send 50 men, 50 soldiers and a captain. You want him dead. First two came to kill him.
The second two came to kill him. The third one, the angel Lord said, you can go with him because he won’t take your life. So then notice go down with him, do not be afraid of him. So he arose and went down with him to the King. Then he said to him, Elijah to the King, thus says the Lord,
because you have sent messengers to inquire avails Z, Z bub. The God of Ektron. Is it because there is no God in his real to inquire of his word. Therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die. So EY has Aja died according to the word of the Lord, which Elijah had spoken because he had no son,
Joe Horam became King and his place in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat King of Judah. Now here’s one of those times you’re going to find it a couple of times in the book of Kings, where you have two different Kings with the same name raining at the same time, the Joe Horam in the North is not the Jaguar I’m in the South,
but they’re both known as Jarrod. Now we all know multiple Peters. Tom’s John’s it. That’s just the way it goes. Sometimes you got two Kings on two Thrones, same name, that’s the case here, but I want to make one last point. And then we’ll conclude, uh, well, let me read verse 18. Now the rest of the acts of a Messiah,
which he did, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? So a ham lives, rains commits evil, Jessebelle commits evil, and a Hab will die. Jessebelle will die. Uh, ASI will reign in their stead, but the end of the, the lineage ends there, that lineage and, and I don’t,
I I’ve lost track. How many different lineages of Kings in the North we’ve lost already? I mean Jeroboam and his lineage has gone. And I there’s, there’s been, I think, five already, if not six. So now we’re back to a new lineage, a new line of Kings in the North, but here’s the point I wanted to make turn over to Ezekiel chapter 18.<inaudible> Zeke you’ll at chapter 18.
And if you’ve got a marker, put it there or put a finger there and also turn to Exodus chapter 20<inaudible> Chapter 18. The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, what do you mean when you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel saying so here’s Israel’s proverb. Here’s the saying of the time, okay. The fathers have eaten sour grapes and the children’s teeth are set on edge.
What’s that proper mean? It means we You’d never hear this in our world today. We are suffering because of the sins of our ancestors. We’re not doing anything wrong, but God’s causing us to suffer because of their sins. They ate the sour grapes, but the children of them are getting the effect of the sour grapes. So if you eat a sour,
grape, your teeth are set on edge. That, that feeling when of sourness, the parents ate the sour thing, but the children are getting the effect, okay? They’re saying, God, you’re not being just, you’re not being righteous because you’re doing something to us because of what our parents did. God’s gonna make that abundantly clear that that’s not true.
Notice. As I live says, the Lord, God, you shall no longer use this proverb in Israel, behold, all souls are mine. The soul of the father, as well as the soul of the son is mine. The soul who sins Shall die. Yeah. But if a man is just and does what is lawful and right, if he has not eaten on the mountains,
nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel nor defiled his neighbor’s wife nor approached a woman during her impurity. If he has not oppressed anyone, but has restored the debtor, his pledge has robbed. No one by violence has, but has given his bread to the hungry and covered the naked with clothing. If he has not exacted,
usury nor taken any increase, but as withdrawn his hand from iniquity and executed, true judgment between man and man, if he has walked in my statutes and kept my judgments, faithfully, he is just, he shall surely live. The declaration is we’re suffering because of the sins of our father. God says, no. If you were living the way I commanded you,
you wouldn’t be suffering. Not all, but because you’re living like your fathers, your suffering, like your fathers, ASI rained for two years, God told Ahab you’re going to commit an iniquity. And you did. You sinned against me and now your children are going to suffer. The fate that came from your sin. Some might say, well, that’s not fair.
It’s not fair that he has. I had died because Ahab sin, Oh, wait a minute, go to Exodus. Chapter 20 God just said in Ezekiel chapter 18, the soul that sins, it will die. The soul that is just before me, who lives according to the commandments and does what’s right. He’ll live. In other words, your fate,
isn’t determined by your father, unless you follow your father’s path. Exodus chapter 20 in the 10 commandments we read in verse three, you shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourselves a carved image, any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
You shall not bow down to them nor serve them for I the Lord, your God, M a jealous God visiting. And notice this phrase, the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations. Now, if we stop right there sounds like there’s a little bit of a contradiction between the law and Ezekiel, Because God says I’m going to take the iniquity of the first generation.
And I’m going to bring the judgment of that first generation, not just on the first generation, but the second and the third and the fourth generation. But that’s not the entire statement Of those who hate me. ZQ late teen and Exodus. Chapter 20 are the explanation for second Kings chapter one, because generation after generation, after generation of people who hated Jehovah were reaping the reward of their choices.
Oh, if they had repented, if a is, I had come to the throne and said, we’ve been living wrong, we’ve been doing it wrong. We’ve got to stop following these idols. We can’t follow in the path of my father and my mother. We’ve got to repent. We’ve got to turn around and guess who would have stayed on the throne guess who would meet dead?
He was dead because he didn’t repent. He continued in his father’s and mother’s sin. And God said, I’ll judge the one who sins. And if the generation that follows him comes in, the SA does the same thing. I’ll judge him too. And him too, as long as they keep committing the sin, until they repent, let’s go through the questions real quick.
And then we’ll close. Why was King a Hosea, Ahab son, sick Or injured?<inaudible> Fell. Fell through the lattice work from his upper room. When King ASIO was sick. He sent messengers to a Elijah, the prophet of God, or be bale. Zeba the God of Ektron to find out if he would get well be yes or no.
Did Elijah prophesied that King a Hazara would get well, Nope. Number four, the appearance of Alijah did not include a hairy garment. B a leather girdle warn about his waist or see wooden sandals. See number five. When King eight has Aja sent the captain of 50 men to align Joe, what was the meaning of the fire? Which consumed them.
Elijah was a man of God Showed that Elijah was a man of God. Why was the third captain? And his group of 50 sent by King ASI to Elijah not burned up<inaudible> Okay. Because he fell before him and sought for him to consider their lives precious or the, the converse of the previous one. They recognized he was a man of God.
So the main difference is they actually acted as though he was a man of God when the others didn’t why, sorry, number seven. Why did King a Hosea, the son of a Hab die? Because he saw it or inquired after a false God. All right. We are going to be dismissed. Um, just a, just a reminder observed social distancing,
stay six feet apart. Talk, get to see each other again. But, uh, also while you’re in the back, before you come back to your seats, get your, um, communion and your bread and the cup, uh, and place the contribution in the contribution baskets either now or as you leave. Uh, so be we will not have anyone going through the auditorium,
passing the plates or anything like that. So go ahead and take it, um, bring those things, those items to your seat, and just put them in the little trays that are in front of you, uh, for the time that is appropriate. Thank you for your attention.<inaudible><inaudible> Good morning. Welcome to the Collierville Sunday morning worship service.
It is so great to be back and to see each and every one of you here, you have no idea how much I missed each and every one of you and meeting here on Sunday morning to worship our God for those users that are watching us via live stream. It is great to have each and every one of you joining us and worshiping God this morning.
And if you are calling in it is great also that you are able to call in to worship with us, to praise our God announcements this morning. Please continue to remember our sick Ridell and Dorothy Wilson Jones Springer. Joan is suffering some migraines. Please keep Sylvia in our thoughts and prayers. She is with us this morning. She’s regaining her strength from her strokes that she had,
but continue to pray for her as always, uh, I’ve been asked to announce about the Collierville cares and the ladies Thursday, ladies, Bible class, those will not resume yet when we decide that they will be, uh, we will resume them. We’ll let everybody know that they will start meeting again, but for right now, there’s not a date or anything on that.
So keep that in mind that those two events will not happen as well as our second service. We are not planning on having a second service on Sunday, yet a symphony to the coats, art family, and the loss of their friend, Becky bind them. And also, uh, Lanelle Bowers. Who’s a friend of the Mosers her husband passed away from a heart attack this past Wednesday.
So please keep those folks in families, in your thoughts and prayers. At this time, the loss of loved ones. There’s a gospel meeting I at to get while church of Christ that starts today with Ray Peters. There’s a flyer out there on the back table, in the foyer that has the details on it. And that goes through Wednesday. And also we were brought in a flyer this morning from Tommy and Diana O’Neill.
That has a nationwide gospel meeting. That is a calling gospel meeting. It is five days a week. We already missed the first week of it. Cause we didn’t, weren’t aware of it yet, but it is going on every week in the month of June. And I have a flyer out there on the back table with who’s speaking each day, Monday through Friday,
it is at 9:00 PM and it has a call in and highlights. This week is Gary Collie will be on there Tuesday. And then on Thursday, BJ Clark from the Memphis school of preaching will be on there. And the next Sunday I’ll put out the flyer for the following week and the Sunday after that, I’ll put out the flyer for the last week,
but it is Monday through Friday. It is a call in conference call type thing only, but it is a nationwide Bible study. A Memphis school of preaching graduation is on the 21st. That’s two weeks from today. Eric Richardson, as you know, will be graduating that day. Uh, next Sunday we plan on Eric plans on preaching for us. So please,
if you can be here for that, because I don’t know what anybody else thinks, but I think he does an awesome job of preaching. Just like Aaron always does, but if you can be here next Sunday for that, that’ll be his last Sunday that he preaches for us. And the last day that him and his family will be with us worshiping and studying here will be on Wednesday evening,
the 17th of June for Bible study, because I said his graduation is on the 21st of June. The reception there at the forest Hill, uh, church of Christ is from three to four. The natural graduation ceremony is at five o’clock that afternoon. The pantry item for the choke Potter’s children home for the month of June is dryer sheets. And I do believe that is all of our announcements for today.
Our service this morning, Tim Boswell be leading our song service. Jay Shaffer we’ll have our opening prayer communion prayers will be Tommy O’Neil sermons going to be Aaron Cozort and closing prayer will be Terry Sanderson. Thank you.<inaudible> Good morning. Our first song this morning is going to be song number four, song number four. Walls would be on the screen To God be the glory.
Great things he has done so loved.<inaudible> man.<inaudible> uh, life gang that, Oh man. Oh man. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Rachel Wise. Oh, I’m too though.<inaudible><inaudible> right things here. Hi<inaudible> Oh,<inaudible><inaudible> uh, God the violent stuff and uh<inaudible> Oh man, man. And,
uh,<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> three angel boys. Oh, to the father through Jesus stop.<inaudible> yeah.<inaudible> hi,<inaudible> Gray things. He has taught us gray things. He hi John. Hi John Gray.<inaudible> but<inaudible> hi here. And Greg Werribee, uh, Wanda rod transport when jeans, ah, sweet CE<inaudible> Let the people read. Nice.
Uh, um, to the father, Jean<inaudible>, the dog glory gray things he had. Mmm. Our next song this morning is going to be song number nine 24 nine two four. Yeah.<inaudible> I’m with, Uh, one It’s funny ma<inaudible> Uh, uh, uh huh. Well, I mean, Uh, uh, yeah, That’s me.
Mmm<inaudible> Uh, uh,<inaudible> Hi, Uh, like<inaudible> Josh. Mmm<inaudible> Nah,<inaudible> My so, huh.<inaudible> Blah talk too. The hers. Uh, it can<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible>. Mmm, Okay. Aye. Uh huh. Just Uh, uh, Yeah, no, ah, ah, ah, well<inaudible>, Uh, con yeah,
yeah.<inaudible> with And, uh, Uh, no, ma’am<inaudible> Uh, Hi, Uh, hi, Uh, Josh, Um, uh,<inaudible> side<inaudible><inaudible>, Uh, Um, a nine. Yay. Ah, I<inaudible>. She is<inaudible>. Mmm. Hi. Um, Mmm, like<inaudible> Yeah, Yeah.<inaudible><inaudible> Well,
uh, um, uh,<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> The mass<inaudible><inaudible>. Mmm, Okay. Hi. Mmm. Uh, uh, I’m sure. Hi, um, uh, uh, uh, um, uh,<inaudible><inaudible> Hurry back. Yeah. Uh, I don’t know To be, Uh, yeah, uh, I, uh,<inaudible> Uh,
Okay. Mmm.<inaudible> Like, uh, Well now have our opening prayer, Almighty God, our father hallowed be thy name, Whether it is with humble hearts, we come before your throne and this hour acknowledging you as our creator and the creator of this universe. We’re so very thankful father that you saw fit to create us in your image. And we’re so very grateful that you provided through your son a way of our redemption from our sins,
that if we follow your words, we have that hope one day of an eternal life with you, We realized the tremendous sacrifice that you have made for that redemption and sending your son to this world to die a horrible death for, for the perpetuation of our sins. It is for those sins that we pray now that As we repent of them, we know that you were faithful to forgive them.
And we returned to them no more. We’re mindful also of the congregation that meets here. We’re so very grateful to once again, be able to assemble, to study a portion of your word, to sing songs of praise and to worship you. We’re also mindful of those among our number that have been sick, especially Sylvia with her strokes. We’re thankful for her return for Joan sprayer and her being able to be home and no longer plagued as heavily with the pneumonia that she once had.
And for those others that are suffering daily from the normal pains that they have acquired through a lifetime, bless each of them. And if it would be that wheel healed them and returned them to their normal state of health. We’re also mindful of those that have lost loved ones. Recently, we pray that you will comfort them as only you can. We’re mindful also father,
the turmoil that’s going on in this country. We pray that cooler heads will prevail that you bless our leadership with the wisdom to do what you would have us to do. And once again, we will be able to enjoy a reasonable measure of peace. As we go through the further exercise of this service, we pray that our worship to you will be in spirit and truth,
and we’ll be as sweet saver. We ask all these things in your son’s precious name, amen. They prepare our minds for the Lord’s supper this morning, we’re going to sing song one seven, six, 176. We’ll sing the first and second versus, and then we’ll sing the chorus and then we’ll sing the third verse. And the course, if you’re following along in the book,
that’s the way it’s written. If you’re following along in the screen, that’s the way we have it on there.<inaudible> no scene two. Uh, my<inaudible> him for, from your side to walk up on mass casualties, uh, and to being, um, uh, ah, of God, your gifts<inaudible> Yay. Chris AF a side<inaudible> Hey,
mass<inaudible><inaudible> man name. Uh, Right. And sack magnifies the, um, uh, Uh,<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> I love<inaudible><inaudible> Oh, wash me. And<inaudible> my Jesus Christ. Uh, um, uh, Uh, I was, Uh, I should have a guy, but you ha<inaudible> Me too.<inaudible> Uh, Staff and,
And<inaudible> uh, uh, Uh huh. Uh ma’am uh,<inaudible> Sweet.<inaudible><inaudible> I love, uh,<inaudible><inaudible> uh,<inaudible> A wash me<inaudible> As per Ash. Uh, My jeez, uh, it’s Christ, uh, Mmm. Uh,<inaudible><inaudible> Near the 11th chapter first Corinthians first 26, Paul wrote to the Corinthians and he told them that as often as they ate this bread and drink of this cup,
that they were doing it to show the death of their Lord. Today, we have that same opportunity. He’d have this bread and drink of this cup, just, just ATM. Would you bow with me Or heavenly father? We thank you for this bread. We thank you that we have this opportunity to partake of it. We pray as we protect this bread,
that we might keep the name of our Lord in reverence and with the respect for the sacrifice he made for each one of us. As soon as the name we pray, amen.<inaudible> Our heavenly father. We continue our thanks for this cup that represents the blood of our savior. We pray that as we partake of it, we would do so in a humble and thankful manner.
This we ask in Christ our Savior’s name, amen<inaudible> But hell with me, our heavenly father, we thank you for all of the material blessings that you bestow upon us. We thank you for each and every daily blessing, the blessing of life itself, As we prepared to return them to the, a part of that, that we have been blessed with.
We pray that we would do so with a cheerful heart, we pray that these fonts might be used to glorify your name and to spread that word throughout the whole world this way, asking Christ our savior tonight. Hey man,<inaudible>, If you would like you can Mark the invitation song and the hymnal as song number seven 49, 749, but it will be on the screen.
Our next song was warning. However, will be book only, and it will be song number 664. So if you would please pull out your books, turn to song number six, six, four, and stand for the song before the sermon.<inaudible> We’ll sing all five verses. Hey<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Amen.<inaudible> Oh man. Mine<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> was<inaudible> Tech My hands<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Pause.
Uh<inaudible><inaudible> Yeah.<inaudible> I mean,<inaudible> Done Mia. A four. Hm<inaudible> My boy.<inaudible> Me.<inaudible><inaudible> for my And say<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> for ’em<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> my<inaudible>. No, God, I wait.<inaudible><inaudible> And<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> shout<inaudible><inaudible> My, uh, by law. Aye.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> well,
The, Mmm<inaudible> Me. Oh, fine.<inaudible> Please be seated again. The invitation song will be someone number seven, nine, four that’s 794. Good morning. No, let’s try that again. Good morning. Okay. All right. It is good to see each and every one of you here and especially good to see each and every one of you here.
Uh, I know many of you have expressed. You’ve been seeing me, hopefully not in your dreams or your nightmares, but you have been seeing me, but I have not been seeing you. And it is good to see you take your Bibles if you will, and open them to Psalm 25. Just a note to say how much I appreciate it,
Tommy Laster. Okay. Even though he’s not here this morning, that’s part of why I’m saying it. Uh, he’s not here this morning. And, uh, for those of you, who’ve never sat in the sound booth and seen everything that he does during a service, especially now, and all the things that we’ve done during the Corona virus. Um,
he does a lot and when he’s not here, he is missed. So, uh, uh, I appreciate everything Tommy does. He, he works hard, works diligently in that. And, uh, I am grateful for his service, even though it is certainly something that’s, you know, as it were, uh, not seen by everybody. Uh,
even though we see the results of it behind us, Psalm 25 is a song that the words from the King James version unto thee O Lord, do I lift up my soul? Oh my God, I trust in you. Yay. Let me not be ashamed. Let not my enemies. Triumph over me is a song we find in our song book.
It’s a song we’ve sung many times before And yet this song and the verses that follow after it, not all of them are in the song. Look though, uh, at least the first six verses should be, uh, our, our songbook, I believe has a shorter version of it, but this song expresses an emotion. It expresses a desire from this song writer,
this desire that the Lord be in charge of his life notice as he begins. And I’m going to read it from the new King James to you. Oh Lord, I lift up my soul. If I were to walk up to you this morning and hand you a blank sheet of paper, nothing written on it one way or the other, just a regular sheet of paper.
And I walk up to you and say, I’m entrusting this to you. I want you to take care of it. I’m going to hold you accountable for it. But I’m entrusting this sheet of paper to you. Would you consider that a weighty requirement? Would you, would you consider that something? I mean, there’s nothing mysterious about the page. It’s just one out of 500 in Hareem.
It’s just a piece of paper. There’s nothing important written written on it. There’s no value to it. It’s just a piece of paper. Would you consider a weighty responsibility in guarding the sheet of paper? No, because it doesn’t have any real value, But the Psalm is writer is saying, God, I’m lifting up my soul and placing it in your hands.
As if to say, God I am, and this is what he’s going to follow with. Trusting you with me. When you give something to someone, when you entrust someone with something, let’s say it’s a bank. You go into a bank, you go in there and you get a safety box. They give you a key. They go through their procedures.
They validate all the necessary information. You walk into a safe, you walk in with a key. You unlock that safety deposit box. You walk back out. Now, why is the safe there? Why not just a cardboard box in the lobby? Because you’re in trusting them with something. You wouldn’t put it in a safety deposit box. You wouldn’t put it behind lock and key.
You wouldn’t put it in a paid storage location. If it wasn’t worth something, you’re entrusting them with guarding something that’s valuable.<inaudible> Psalm. This writer says unto you a Lord. Do I lift up my soul? Jesus said, if a man were to gain the entire world and lose one single item, Everything he gained would have been worthless. And what was that one?
Single item, his soul, The most precious item you and I possess. The most precious thing we will ever possess is our own soul. And the Psalmist writer says, I’m giving it to you, God,<inaudible> To the, or to you. Oh Lord. I lift up my soul. Oh my God. I trust in you. Let’s go back to the illustration of the object that we’ve placed in the safety deposit box.
Which one are you more likely to trust the bank with the safety deposit box, with the box? They’re in a safe, with a great big door that closes that guards that keep everybody out in alarm system to alert someone. If somebody is tampering with something or Okay. Joe and his storage utility location down the street now, not, not this Joe.
This is the second time I’ve used Joe in an illustration lately. I need to find the different Fred and his storage location down the street. Now he’s got great locks. Yeah, But it’s just a storage building now. Which one are you going to trust? More? Fred who by the way, has key to every door And his storage location or the bank with a safety deposit box.
Well, most likely, unless some people are very paranoid and happened to know Fred real well, they’re going to trust the bank more because the bank is prepared for what might happen. Yeah. Here God is being, is being spoken to and the Solomon’s writer says I’m lifting up my soul because God, I trust in you. I can rely on you.
I know that you have seen What might come And you’re prepared for it. Yeah. But he goes on to say, let me not be ashamed. Let not my enemies triumph over me. The Psalmus writer when he places is trusting, God does. So knowing there’s a possibility of risk there In the world of finances, the majority of the world of finances is built upon two things,
interest and risk. The more risk, the more interest they charge. Yeah. Because the riskier, the investment is the more likely it is that you will lose what you’ve invested. Therefore the higher interest rate to guarantee you get paid back. Yeah. In this environment, the Psalm is writer is not considering God or risk. He’s considering his circumstances a risk because he has enemies.
He says, let me not be ashamed. Don’t allow an outcome. God, where I’ve trusted you. And I get a shamed as a result, I get a negative result. But instead protect me or allow me to triumph over my enemy. Yes. That you and I may go well. Okay. Uh, You know, as, as this Psalm of David is being written,
David had enemies inside the kingdom, outside the kingdom. He had people around him who ate from his own table who betrayed him. He’s got a different life than I do. Maybe he does. Maybe he doesn’t Turn to Romans chapter seven, Romans chapter seven.<inaudible> Paul in writing to the church at Rome makes it clear That they have enemies And their enemies are within.
Yeah. If you go to the previous chapters in the latter chapters of Romans, you’ll find the enemies are also without They’ve got enemies outside and inside their enemies on the inside are themselves. All of Romans chapter seven is written to declare that not only did people sin going in the previous chapters, not only did they fall short of the glory of God, chapter six or chapter three,
not only is the wages of sin death, but then chapter seven declares to us. Even if you wanted to quit sinning you, won’t Not that you won’t live in sin. You won’t do that if you’re a Christian, but you won’t end up getting to a point where you never sin. Okay. Paul makes it clear. Even when I don’t want to do what I know I shouldn’t do.
Sometimes I do it anyway. I sin and fall short of the glory of God. But then he says this verse 24, all Regine man that I am, who will deliver me deliver. When do you need deliverance? It’s when you’re in danger, You need deliverance. You need safety. You need rescue. That’s what that word there is. When you are in danger.
And he declares, Oh, wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death. Who are you in danger from The Psalm is writer writes and desires to not be ashamed because of those enemies that he has. But Paul writes and reminds us that sometimes we are our enemy. He says, verse 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ,
our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God. But with the flesh, the law of sin, there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ. Jesus who do not walk according to the flesh. But according to the spirit, We need to understand that the Psalmus writer’s expression of trusting God in spite of,
and because of his enemies, trusting God’s deliverance from his enemies is the same expression we ought to have concerning ourselves and our sin. God, I pray that through Jesus Christ and his blood and his sacrifice and your grace, that you’ll deliver me from my faults and the one who seeks to destroy me. Peter writes concerning Satan As a roaring lion, walking about seeking whom he may devour because there was a time when Jesus told Satan or told Peter that Satan desired to sift him as wheat,
Satan’s active, Satan desires your fall. And sometimes you are your own worst enemy. So the Salmas writer going back to Psalm 25 says to you, Oh Lord, I lift up my soul. I’m going to entrust to you all my God. I trust in you. Let me not be ashamed. Don’t allow me to fall. Don’t allow me to be,
to succumb to the evil. Don’t allow me to succumb to my enemies, but instead let not my enemies triumph over me. Indeed. Let no one who waits on you. Be ashamed. Let those be ashamed. Who deal treacherously without. Cause When we place ourselves in the hands of God, when we put our soul in his hand, we need to recognize something.
We’re no longer in control in our lesson this morning and Bible class, we noticed the problem of a Hosea and his soldiers who thought they were in control and they weren’t. And yet here, the Psalm is writer says, let none be ashamed who wait on you.<inaudible> There are a few things in this life that annoying me as much as going to a doctor’s office at a scheduled time and waiting for three hours.
And I know I’ve experienced it far less than some who are sitting in this room. I don’t understand it. I can’t possibly comprehend how someone can be so bad at scheduling. Then they can set an appointed time and then be three hours late while they’re still in their own office. But if you’re the person sitting there for three hours, why are you still there?
The answer is because they have something you need that you can’t get without them. Whether that’s a diagnosis or a prescription, or just a scheduled time, you need a doctor or you wouldn’t be there. They have something you need. And as a result, you are waiting on them.<inaudible> Let none who wait on you. Now that idea of wait in this passage is a little bit different,
but there’s an aspect of reliance. You wait on someone who provides When a mother bird goes out and flies around to find food. And those young baby birds are sitting in their nest. What are they doing? They’re waiting on provision From the one who’s their provider. They’re reliant upon the one who can provide because they can’t provide for themselves. And so here you have the Psalmus writer expressing I’m entrusting something to you.
God, I trust in you. I know I won’t be ashamed. I know you can try it over my enemies and I will allow you. I will wait on you. I will rely on you to provide for me<inaudible> But he says in the midst of your provision, In the midst of you overcoming my enemies, Make sure that those who deal treacherously without cause are dealt with,
Because we all know that there are people in this world who, without any cause without any reasonable cause or justification or legal purpose will do harm to others. Sometimes they will do it only for their own gain or their own greed. So the Psalmus writer says, God, I’m in a fix. I’m in a, I’m in a place where I can’t deliver myself.
My enemies will overcome me, but I’m going to put my soul in your hand. I’m going to trust in you. I know I won’t be ashamed. Don’t allow me to be ashamed, Lao me, to overcome my enemies, provide for me. And while you’re at it, deal with my enemies.<inaudible> This expression begins Okay? With this heartfelt pleading and heartfelt handing over of one’s life.
But it’s not an expression that comes without a recognition of what’s required. You see, because we’re not coming to a bargaining table with the Lord. We’re not coming to a negotiation with the Lord where we say, God, I want you to do this, this, this, this, and this. And then I’m going to do this, this, this and this.
No, that’s not the way this works. The terms have already been set. We can come to the bargaining table and we can accept the terms Or we can accept the results of not accepting the terms. And the Psalmus writer knows this. That is why he says, I’m placing this my soul in your hands. I’m trusting you. And then he says in verse show,
verse four, shown me your ways. Oh Lord. Because the Psalmus writer knows It’s not enough To just trust in God. It’s not sufficient to just say, I’m going to Let God take control of the situation. It’s Not enough to simply declare God. I’m going to wait on you and trust you. And I know you will deliver me Though. There are many who live and operate their spiritual lives.
Exactly that way. They live their spiritual lives day in and day out with no concern for God, until there’s a problem. There’s a bad diagnosis or there’s an illness or there’s an injury or there’s this or there’s that. And then it comes time. Oh, I need to get with the Lord. No, That’s not the Psalmus writer. Psalmus writer says,
God, I trust you. God. I’m delivering my soul into your hand. And God in return shown me The way you want me to live. Show me your ways. Oh Lord, teach me your paths. God, if I’m going to entrust my soul to you, if I’m going to place my life in your hands, if I’m going to wait on you for deliverance,
I need you to tell me the journey Direction to go. I need you to instruct me in the proper way to live so that I am in accordance with your will. Matthew chapter seven, Jesus, We’ll say this in Matthew chapter seven, beginning of verse seven ask, and it will be given you seek and you will find knock and it will be opened Or what man is there from among you.
Who, if he has a son asks for bread, We’ll give him a stone. Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children? How much more will your father who is in heaven? Give good things to those who ask him, Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you do also to them for this as the law and the profits.
Jesus said, if you need something, if you want something, if you’re seeking something, ask it from the Lord, ask it from your father. Because even you evil and imperfect people. When your child comes to you and ask something from you, you don’t turn around and do evil to him. You do good to him. How much more so your God,
your father in heaven, who is perfectly good. How much more so will he do for you? And yet isn’t it interesting. He then turns that back on them and says, now if you want good done to you, do good to others. Yeah. And then he follows it up with verse 13. It’s not enough just to ask from God what you want.
It’s not enough just to plead for gone for what you’re seeking. And it’s not enough just to do good to others. He tells them there’s a path they have to walk. Enter by the narrow gate. Four wide is the gate. And broad is the way that leads to destruction. And there are many who go in by it because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads To life.
And there are few who find it, But where are false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly, they are Raven. As wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from fizzles even so every good tree bears forth, good fruit, but a banned tree bears, bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear good fruit nor can a banned tree bear.
Good. Uh, a good tree cannot bear bad fruit nor can a band tree bear. Good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits, you shall know them.<inaudible> Jesus just said, ask for what you need. What does the Psalmus writer do? 20 chapter 25 verses one through four,
one through three. He asks for what he needs. And then he says, you do good to others. The end of verse three, he talks about those who deal treacherously without. Cause if he was dealing treacherously without cause to others, he would have condemned himself. So he’s already enacted in his life. What he desires to see from others to be done good too.
And then he says, show me your ways. Jesus says, Ask for what you want, do good to others. As you desire for them to do good to you and then follow The path of God. But he warns us. It’s not easy. It’s straight. That means difficult. It’s narrow. It’s hard. And few there will be who go in that path Because there’s profits.
Because there are those who will tell you, you don’t need to do that. You don’t need to live that way. There are those who will say when they see you living that way, that’s just ridiculous. That’s a antiquated. I can’t believe you do what that book says. But Jesus said in verse 21, not everyone who says to me, Lord,
Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven. But he who does the will of my father in heaven. Show me your ways. Oh Lord, teach me your Paths. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, cast out demons in your name and done many wonders in your name. And then I will declare to them.
I never knew you depart from me. You who practice lawlessness. God says You might claim to be servants of mine. You might claim to be following me, But you’re not living. According to my word. You’re not living according to my law. And Jesus concludes what we have termed the sermon on the Mount with this. Therefore, whoever hears these things of mine,
remember Solomon’s writer said, show me your ways, teach me your paths. So here, these people are there in the presence of Christ. They’re in the presence of Jesus. And they’ve heard his ways and they’ve heard about his path now, what will they do with it? He says, therefore, whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them, I will like in him to a wise man who built his house on the rock and the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat on that house.
And it did not fall Four. It was founded on the rock. Wait just a minute. What are the Psalms writers say, God, I’m giving you my soul. I’m trusting you. Let me not Be at shamed. Let not the bad things fall on me. That would come. If I were directing my own life, Jesus said, this person heard my teachings and did my teachings obeyed my voice.
And when the hard times came, he wasn’t ashamed. He didn’t suffer catastrophe Because he did what I said. But he goes on to say, but everyone who hears these sayings of and does not do Them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat on that house and it fell.
God deliver me. God, I’m trusting you. God, show me your paths. God teach me your ways. And then you’re taught the ways and shown the paths and you don’t follow them. The end result is that for which you ask, you will not find that for which you seek, you will not gain that for which you knock will not be open to you because the prereq was it of having those things you chose not to do.<inaudible> We are those who choose to follow God.
We are those who choose to rely on him. We are those who choose to trust in him that we will not be ashamed, that we will not stand condemned. Romans chapter eight, verse one, because we’ve been obedient to him. Oh, not because we called on his name. Not because we just said, Lord Lord. And when trouble sometimes came,
we said, well, I’m going to do what God says now, But when good times come, we forget he exists.<inaudible> I want to thank you. I know of a lot of congregations through the last few months where a lot of elders and a lot of congregations and a lot of men have struggled coming to the realization that they have members who,
when there was an opportunity to do nothing, did nothing. And when there was an opportunity to, again, begin doing something, continued doing nothing. They weren’t dedicated to the path of righteousness beforehand. They weren’t dedicated when it came time to come back either. And one of the things that makes me love this congregation so much Is your willingness to step up,
work, labor serve and obey God, whether it’s Convenient or not. Okay? Whether it’s easy or not, whether it’s difficult or not, Because it’s more important to you. Then you thank you. Jesus made it clear That if we don’t follow the path, The goal we seek ultimately will not be available to us. He also made it clear that God gets to determine the path and God gets to determine the entrance.
So the question is, how did God determine that we could enter into that kingdom? Because that’s where Jesus started. He said, enter in the kingdom. You enter into the kingdom by hearing the word of God and believing that Jesus Christ is the son of God because it’s his kingdom. Jesus came to build his kingdom, Matthew chapter 16, verse 18,
and his kingdom and his church have been established and they will not fall. And the Gates of hell will not prevail against them. And the keys to the church and the kingdom have been opened. And the apostles gave entrance to that kingdom in acts chapter two, when they told those people who had sin repent and be baptized for the remission of your sins,
Enter the kingdom, hear the word of God and believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God. Repent of your sins. Confess the name of Christ, Romans chapter 10, and be immersed in water for the remission of those sins. If you haven’t done that, the opportunity to do that is available today. Okay. But if you’re one who entered the kingdom and then saw that narrow path and decided the wide one seemed a little easier,
Come back, repent, turn around and come home. We will pray with you and for you, if you have need of the invitation, why not come now as we stand and as we sing,<inaudible> On to the, uh,<inaudible> Do I lift up my eyes? Mmm. Oh my God. Uh, Hi.<inaudible><inaudible> Oh, let me not being here.
Shame my piano. I mean, let’s try, uh, Oh Yeah. Nah, nah.<inaudible> On the beach.<inaudible> Yeah, none that<inaudible> On NABI<inaudible> Oh my Hi Dan.<inaudible> Oh, let me not be ashamed, but I know in my era now, I mean cry off of a<inaudible> Remembered. Uh huh. Nah. Since my<inaudible> Remember,
Uh, No sins of mine<inaudible> Oh my God.<inaudible> I trusted<inaudible> Oh, let me not be a shame. But my enemy is Toraja of a, Before a closing prayer, we’re going to sing song number four, five, zero 450. Yeah. For me by ball, start off gladness Scully me to cheer though on Andra<inaudible> no storm can.
Hi.<inaudible> seek and save the lost<inaudible> Holy message. I Nick light shout guy, me and a narrow<inaudible> mass, blah, and love come by name.<inaudible> when my heart hands bro. And when CNN grieve, ah, failed my soul<inaudible> gave me the precious where it’s by Jesus spoke and hauled out face to show by save knee. Give me the Bible.
Holy message. A shining light shall guide me and a narrow away crease, uptime promise and come by me<inaudible> Oh my staff saying<inaudible> she showed me the<inaudible> shall Bryce and that lamb follow a path up. Peace can show<inaudible> Holy message. A shining light child guy, me and a narrow<inaudible> mass. And I’ve come by and yay.<inaudible> yeah,
me<inaudible> or hold up that school and a five year up and gray. Show me a Lark from hat and shiny portal.<inaudible> Harley message. I need a lie child guide me and a narrow and Hey Perris, uptime, mass, and come by to kill my child.<inaudible> Yay. That was probably a father in heaven. We thank thee for this day and the opportunity we’ve had come,
we have had to come together to be with each other and to praise on nine. We thank you so much for the blessings that you give us each day. And we often forget that if it weren’t for you, we would have nothing. We pray that you would be with those that are sick and unable to be with us today. We thank you for the technology that we have in this day to put it over the air,
to them, to where they can enjoy hearing that word. We pray that you would be with our country. In this time, we pray that we can one day live in peace. We thank you for those that are pray that you would be with those that have lost love lungs. And we pray that you would comfort them. We pray that you would go with us now,
as we depart and keep us safe to, we met again in Christ name, we pray. Amen.
Good evening. We welcome to the Collierville live stream. This Is Hopefully going to be our last live stream without going back to normal, we plan on going back to normal, starting Sunday, we will have a morning Bible class morning worship, and then we will have Wednesday Bible class starting and starting Sunday. So we are excited about that and get everybody back back here and back to normal somewhat.
So we miss everyone tonight. We will start with a couple songs while I have a prayer, and then we’ll have our class to start out with. We will sing stand up for Jesus six 48. Stand up, stand up for jeez, uh<inaudible> uh,<inaudible> uh, uh, uh,<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> a conflict and<inaudible><inaudible> Ye that I’m in a fam uh,
yeah, it’s done. Um, but<inaudible><inaudible> and street strict. Uh,<inaudible> stand up, stand up for Jesus. Uh, Shrive will not be, uh, there’s a noise a bat or the<inaudible> to, and that all of, uh, uh, uh, GRA uh, yeah,<inaudible><inaudible>, uh, King, uh, Laurie<inaudible> That will sing number.
Let the beauty of Jesus be seen seven 22. Let the beauty of Jesus be seen. Let the beauty of Jesus peace.<inaudible> All this wonderful passion and<inaudible><inaudible> Oh, my bean ran fine. Uh, but Gene’s a speech<inaudible> And, um, has been so, uh,<inaudible><inaudible> Through<inaudible><inaudible> well, John and Rayvon<inaudible>, uh,
but Jesus be seen, eh, On, uh, John, uh, uh, mornings<inaudible>, uh,<inaudible> An example and jeans and<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> uh, uh, yeah, Jesus<inaudible> Let us pray. Our father in heaven. Great. And powerful is your name. We are thankful for you. We’re thankful for another day that we have to sing present to you to study from your word.
We are thankful for what you do for us each day. We were reminded of your love and care. As we go through each day, we pray that you be with our country at this time, pray that you be with our leaders, the decisions they have to make and pray that they look to you for strength. For, for wisdom. We pray that you be with the unrest that’s in our country at this time and pray that people will look at what they’re doing and the things that are going on,
and they’ll look to you and your word. We pray that we can be shining lights in our communities and help to spread your name and a life. That is great with being a Christian. We thank you so much for your blessings. Watch over those that are sick, that we’ve know of, that are on our minds and be with them and pray that they get better.
Better soon. Thank you so much for all you do for us in Jesus name. We do pray. Amen. Good evening. Glad to have all of you with us, both those who are present here this evening, and those who are with us online, uh, I want to apologize. We’re having a little bit of an issue between, uh,
the computer that does the PowerPoint and the computer that does the web stream, and they’re not talking to each other. So, uh, I guess they said it’s June, we’re gonna just have problems. So, uh, we’re gonna leave it at that and not blame it on anybody, especially myself. Uh, but we will, uh, hopefully get that fixed.
At some point we’ll be back with, with the slides and the PowerPoint on Sunday, first Kings chapter 21, we’re going to go through the questions. We, we covered chapter 21 in our study last week. Uh, and we’re going to start with the questions from chapter 21 tonight. And then we will go into chapter 22 and cover chapter 22 and it’s questions as well,
just to kind of make everyone aware. As far as the plans for Bible bowl, we are not going to play into having a Bible over any of the material that we’ve covered in this period of time. Uh, during the coronavirus, once all of our services go back to normal and our Bible classes start back to normal, we’ll pick up with that point and make that the beginning of the next Bible bowl or,
or the next quarter, whenever that material starts. Uh, so, so we’ll get further information on that. Uh, these lessons are online and they are on the website. If you’d like to have a copy of them, if you’ve missed some of them and you like to have a copy of them as a CD or a DVD, just let us know.
We’ll certainly be happy to get those to you, just so you can go through the material in first Kings chapter 21, question one, this is from less than one 83 in first Kings chapter 21, verse four. How did a have feel when they bought off would not sell him his vineyard by the palace? Of course we studied last week that, uh,
Ahab desired this vineyard that was there next to his palace. He sought it from neighbors and they refused. And When he reviewed, refused a have felt Solon and displeased, and he went and laid on his bed. First Kings chapter 21, verse seven, question two, who told Ahab that she would get the vineyard of neighbors for a Hab. The answer to that is Jessebelle first Kings chapter 21,
verses eight through 15. What deceitful manner to Jessebelle use to acquire name boss vineyard for a Hab. She first told the elders of the city to have a feast in Naples, uh, uh, recognition. And then they were to get false witnesses to come and bear testimony against name off. And as a result, he would be killed, described question four,
a Habs death as told to him by aligned to the prophet first Kings 21 verse 19 in verse 21, he said that dog, uh, Elijah said that dogs would lick up his blood in the place where neighbors died or where they looked up the blood of neighbor. First Kings chapter 21, verse 23, question five. What did Alijah tell a Hab about Jessa Bell’s death?
Elijah said that dogs would eat Jessebelle bell by the wall of Jezreel. It’s kind of interesting. You might remember just a few chapters back. Jazz bell was basically making a vowel that she would die. If Elijah wasn’t killed by the time the sun went down, well, this years have passed from that time until now. And yet Jezza bell is the one who would end up dead,
uh, and would be eaten by the dogs there by the wall of Jezreel questions. Six first Kings chapter 21, verse 25, who caused a ham to be so evil. The answer of course is Jessebelle. And then first Kings chapter 21, verse 29, after a Hab humbled himself before God, what did God say concerning his prophecies against a ham first Kings chapter 21 verse 29 says that calamity would come in the days of his son and not in his days because I,
uh, a Hab humbled himself. Alright, first Kings chapter 22, first Kings chapter 22. Now three years passed without war between Syria and Israel, then it happened, or then it came to pass in the third year that Jehoshaphat, the King of Judah went down to visit the King of Israel. And the King of Israel said to his servants, do you know that Ray moth in Giliad is ours,
but we hesitate to take it out of the hand of the King of Syria. This is an interesting discussion that’s going on here. An interesting statement by Ahab here is the King of Judah Jehoshaphat, and he is a younger King and relationship to a house by way of age. He will also ultimately end up marrying the daughter of a Hab and Jesse rebel.
And that will spell a great deal of trouble for the Southern kingdom of Judah. But Jehoshaphat is here. He is a meeting with the King of Israel meeting with a ham, and Ahab says, you know, we’ve been hesitant to go up against and to recapture Raim off Gilliad. Now that’s an interesting statement because every time that Israel had done battle with Syria,
if you go back to the proceeding chapter, God had delivered them, But all of those actions were defensive actions. And so a Hab says, you know, Josh, we we’ve been, we’ve been hesitant to do this. Um, just, just because of the situation and, and he’s leading with this, he’s, he’s basically trying to get Josh fed to say,
well, I’ll help you. I’ll come to your I’ll join forces with you. And we’ll go back. And we’ll recapture this almost that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Well, Syria was no friend to the Southern kingdom of Judah any more than it was a friend to the Northern kingdom of Israel. And so a have wants Jehoshaphat to come in and verse four.
So he said to Jehoshaphat, will you go with me to fight at Ramos Gilliad, Josh fat said to the King of Israel, I am, as you are my people as your people, my horses as your horses, This is not going to be a wise decision by Jehoshaphat. He is not going to make the right choice here. He should have decided that he wanted to know what the Lord had to say before he committed to going with Ahab.
Jehoshaphat’s will want to know what the Lord has to say, but he will commit himself first. There’s a good lesson there for us when we’re making decisions. When we’re entertaining a path in life, when we’re deciding how to move forward in business, in our homes, in every aspect of our lives, we need to go to God first and counselor. Second,
we need to agree with others who want us to do something after we’ve Sought the counsel of the Lord and his word first. And Jehoshaphat’s going to do that in the wrong order. So many times in the life of David, you remember, as we went through the study of David, we would read where David would be faced with a decision would be faced with an enemy would be faced with a problem.
And his first response was to inquire the Lord and Yehoshua fat needed to learn the lesson of his ancestor, David. But unfortunately in this instant, he instance, he did not. So he says, first, my people are, as your people, I’m with you. My horses are, as your horses will go with you. Also, Jehoshaphat’s said to the King of Israel,
please in choir for the word of the Lord today, perhaps this is naive itty on Jehoshaphat’s part. Maybe he is of the perspective that if he commits himself to a hub, but then a hub inquires of the Lord and the Lord says, don’t go. That may be a how won’t actually go. But the reality is, if that was his perspective,
if that was his belief, it was a fault perspective there. That was not based in reality because, Hey, how was not going to allow the Lord to determine his choice, but yet Josh fat says, Hey, look, we need to inquire about the Lord before we go and do this. Then the King of Israel gathered the prophets together about 400 men and said to them,
shall I go against Ramos, Gilliad to fight? Or shall I refrain? So they said, go up for the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the King. Josh fat wants to know what the Lord has to say. So Ahab gathers together 400 prophets. Now we’re not specifically told in this text where these profits of bail or these profits of Astor off that remained that weren’t killed at Mount Carmel are these profits that have come along since the prophets of bale were killed.
We don’t know, but there is a clear indication in the text that these aren’t profits of Jehovah. If you’ll notice, at least in your English versions, most likely what you will have is every time the Lord wa a translation is given in reference to these 400 profits. It is used with a capital L, but it’s not all capitals. It’s not the word from the Hebrew language Yahweh.
It is not Jehovah. This is a Lord. This is the Lord in the sense of the one who they claim to be serving, but it’s not Jehovah. And the text is making that clear. The text, the writer here in first Kings is giving you a separation between them. And obviously the story we’ll give you one too. So they say,
uh, or the King of Israel Ahab says, shall I go up against Ramos, Gilliad to fight? Now, if you were these profits, You’ve got a couple of options. Number one, you can tell I have what he wants to hear, and they’re going to do that, but you’ve also got precedents behind it because every time Syria has recently been in battle with Israel,
the Lord’s delivered them. The first time that Ben hate ed came against, uh, uh, a held there in Samaria, God delivered Israel. The second time when they came back the next spring, and they did battle again, God delivered Israel. So why not sure the Lord is going to deliver you a third time? The Lord’s going to bring about success.
And Jehoshaphat said, is there not still a prophet of the Lord? And notice the difference there of y’all way of Jehovah? Is there not still a prophet of the Lord here that we may inquire of him? I appreciate these 400 profits that you’ve brought before us and their opinions. And they’re speaking on behalf of whomever. It is they represent. But,
um, uh, what about, what about Jehovah? Is there not a representative, a prophet still in the land who could inquire of him? Josh Fett knows the difference. Jehoshaphat is well aware of the idolatry in the land and the fact that a Habs not serving the Lord and that these profits are not speaking for the Lord. And Josh fat said,
is there not still a prophet of the Lord here that we may inquire of him? So the King of Israel said to Jehoshaphat’s, there is still one man Mackay. I, the son of in-law by whom we may inquire of the Lord, but I hate him because he does not prophesize good concerning me. But evil Ahab says, yes, there’s one<inaudible>.
But I hate that guy. He never says anything good about me. Every prophecy he ever makes is evil. It’s doom. It’s bad news. Never a good word out of him. Now it’s interesting here. This is the first time we’ve been introduced to this prophet. We’ve read about Elijah. We’ve read about profits that are not good. Their names are not given,
but this is the first words that we’ve heard about this prophet. And yet he has a history with Ahab. He has been prophesizing for some time. We don’t know the, we don’t know the history, but it does give us an indication. Elijah was not the only prophet active in Israel, even with close proximity and access to the King. So this prophet is one who has prophesied before and Ahab.
Didn’t like it. As a matter of fact, we’re going to find out a Hab knows exactly where this prophet is located and how to get ahold of him. And we’ll see those details in a moment. But Jehoshaphat’s response is let not the King say such things Jehoshaphat’s will rebuke a Hab for his statements. Not in, in my mind here, not because of the prophet,
not because he’s speaking against someone, that’s, that’s supposedly a profit, but because that would be the same as speaking against the Lord. This is a rebuke against the one who the prophet represents being spoken of that way. Now verse nine says then the King of Israel called an officer and said, bring my kid. The son of Imola quickly, the King of Israel and Josh fat,
the King of Judah having put on their robes, sat each on his throne and a threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria and all the prophets prophesied before them. So here they are. They’re out at the Gates. They’re there at a threshing floor. They’re probably a undercover. And the other people are around them. There’s enough room for people,
400 prophets to be coming before them and prophesying. And they’re there in their kingly robes and all of this great pomp and circumstances going on verse 11. Now, Rosetta KPI, the son, or Zedekiah the son of a Chine, a chin. Anna had made horns of iron for himself. And he said, thus says the Lord. Now notice there,
the Jehovah, he’s going to try and stand up and represent Jehovah here says, thus says the Lord with these, that being the horns, you shall Gore the Syrians until they are destroyed. Now. Isn’t it interesting that just in the previous chapter a have had every opportunity to destroy the Syrians. Ahab had the King of Syria boxed in and close surrounded,
and God had even told him, put this King to death. And yet here we are three years later and he’s still dealing with Syria. Why? Because he didn’t do what God said to begin with. When you don’t obey the Lord, when you don’t do what you have been commanded, you will reap the consequences year after year, after year, going forward for the choices you didn’t make,
right? The first time. And that’s what Ahab’s dealing with. So Zed Zedekiah comes and says, you’re going to Gore, uh, the King of Syria and the Syrians. And they are going to be destroyed before you and all the prophets prophesied. So saying go up to Ramos, Gilliad and prosper for the Lord will deliver you into the King’s hand.
Then the messenger who had gone to call my kid, spoke to him and said, now, listen, the words of the prophets with one accord, encourage the King. Please let your word be like the word of one of them and speak, encouragement. The representative of a house that goes to get my K. I says to him, before he comes to the King,
as you might imagine often happened, you know, you’re, you’re going to be brought before a King. You’re going to stand in front of a King more than one King. As a matter of fact, there’s a visiting King. There’s a, there’s a visiting head of state here. Let’s not embarrass the King. Okay? Let’s not do what you normally do.
Let’s say something encouraging. All the other prophets are telling him to go up. Just say something encouraging for once Mike AI, My K I said, as the Lord lives, whatever the Lord says to me that I will speak. We need to be careful in our own lives. Not to give deference to people who have stature, who have prominence, who have a place in this life and give deference to them over deference,
to speaking the word of the Lord, The apostles and prophets of the new Testament. So often we read about them praying for both<inaudible> So that when they stood before governors and Kings and judges and magistrates, when they stood before those who were judging them and had held their lives in their hand, that they would speak boldly, the word of truth. We need to be settled in our minds,
and we need to be settled in our lives. That when we stand before people of prominence, when we stand before them, just the same way we stand before anybody else that we’re going to speak God’s word and say what the Lord says and not just go along to get along. My kid says, I’m going to say whatever the Lord puts in my mouth And nothing else.
So then he came to the King verse 15, and the King said to him, my KPI, shall we go to war against Ramos Gilliad? Or shall we refrain? And he answered him, go and prosper for the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the King. Sounds good. Right? He did what he was asked. They asked him,
say something encouraging, but there’s, um, there’s some sarcasm here, I think. And they have knows it. Even if the sarcasm wasn’t audible. I mean, if John<inaudible> had been sitting there and was sitting there and he, he might not have caught what my KPI was doing, but Ahab knew immediately Because my kid had a history of this watch a Habs response.
So the King said to him, how many times shall I make you swear that you tell me nothing? But the truth in the name of the Lord, Apparently sarcasm was a prominent tool for this prophet. There’s a history between Ahab and my KPI of my KPI coming and telling a, have exactly what he wanted to hear. And they have having to tell him now,
stop it and tell me the truth. Tell me what the Lord actually said. And so McKay. I will verse 17. Then he said, I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains as sheep that have no shepherd. And the Lord said, these have no master, let each return to his house in peace. God says, I saw Israel and they were scattered sheep.
Don’t get scattered. When a shepherd is present to do his work, They’re not all over the field. All over the mountain side, when a shepherd is present, well, the shepherd There represents the King. So the only reason the people are scattered is the King is dead. Notice. What he says is he continues on and the King of Israel said to Jehoshaphat,
did I not tell you? He would prophesied would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. Then my K I said, therefore, hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne and all the hosts of heaven standing by on his right hand and on his left. And the Lord said, who will persuade Ahab to go up?
That he may fall at moth. Ghillean now remember Chapter 21 sets the foundation of this. You read this statement outside the context of chapter 21. And you miss the fact that the death sentence of Ahab has already been pronounced. God has already found him guilty of not doing what God commanded him to do, of being one who didn’t follow through with his responsibilities of not being penitent toward the Lord and not obeying the Lord.
And as a result, God has already told him your life Is forfeit. As judge, the sentence has all ready, been passed. Now we’re just bringing about the result as if the judge were to say, this man is condemned to death. And then he goes, and he sits on death row. And he finally goes to be put to death.
And he finally is put to death. There’s a time period that transpires well that’s, what’s been happening. A has been a dead man walking All this time, But here my KPI, Dick livers, this discourse about how this transpires And notice what happens. He says, I saw the Lord sitting on his throne first and foremost, notice that a hat might be sitting on his throne and Jehoshaphat might be sitting on his throne,
but there’s a Lord. Who’s sitting on his throne and all the choices these two Kings might make. We’ll never overrule the decisions God has made. They have no power By comparison to the Lord, but then consider as well that the hosts of heaven are present. And here are all the hosts of heaven. And, and God’s going to say, uh,
Uh, here he says, I saw the Lord sitting on the throne and all the hosts of heaven standing by him and on the right hand. And the Lord said, who will persuade Ahab to go up, that he may fall at Ramos Gilliad. So one spoke in this manner and another spoke in that manner that is submitting ideas. How are we going to do this?
Now is some of this parabolic is some of this just illustration, uh, or, or vision of, of how these things would have transpired or did these literal, is this a literal categorization and history of events in heaven? I don’t know. This is just what my KPI was given to speak, but the indication is it’s, it’s literal. Okay.
That’s what the text is indicating from what my kid is saying. And so here we go. He says one spoken, another spoke. Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord and said, I will persuade him. The Lord said to him, in what way? So he said, I will go out and be aligned spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.
And the Lord said, you shall persuade him and also prevail, go out and do so One comes forward and he says, I know how to do it. I’ll get his profits to tell him what he wants to hear. I’ll get his profits to tell him he’ll be fine. He can go up and he’ll be successful. Now some might get to two arguing that,
well, God shouldn’t cause people to lie. God’s never caused anyone to do what they weren’t already willing to do. God has instructed us many times to do what’s right, and we’ve done it. But God will allow a person and even allow circumstances to influence a person to do evil. If they’re already disposed to do evil, There’s a reality here that these profits were false profits,
and God’s going to use their evil to bring about his end. So then he says, you shall persuade him and also prevail go out and do so therefore, look, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these profits of yours. And the Lord has declared disaster against you. McCain says you have a choice, a helm. You have a choice who you’re going to,
uh, who you’re going to follow because God is going to tell you in advance. Okay? Now notice this, God put this lying spirit in the mouth of the prophets. They told them that these lions, but God didn’t let him just be deceived and go about not knowing. God then told the secret. It’s like the magician who does the magic trick.
But then before the reveal, he says, Oh, by the way, wait, wait, wait, let me show you how I did it. And he shows him how he did it. Then he does the reveal. Well, is there any lying man? No, God says, by the way, I, uh, I told all your profits to say this,
that may have been actually the first time they did what God said, but they, here they are. They’ve delivered this lie to you. And Oh, by the way, here’s the truth. And now, you know, now you know that they weren’t telling you what will actually come to pass. Now you have a choice. Ahab. You decide who you’re going to follow me or those profits.
So then Zeta KPI stands up in protest. Zedekiah the son of Shanaya or a cane, huh? Went near and struck, McKay I on the cheek and said, which way did the spirit from the Lord go for me to speak to you. He’s indignant. This couldn’t possibly be true. This couldn’t have happened. Matter of fact, if you claim,
you know what the spirit of the Lord is doing, why don’t you tell me as he hits him, which direction he went, when he left me and went to your house, went into you Mackay. I said, indeed, you shall see on that day, when you go into an inner chamber to hide. So the King of Israel said, take my KPI and return him to,
and the governor of the city and to Joe Ash, the King son, and say, this says, or thus says the King, put this fellow in prison and feed him with bread of affliction and water of affliction. Until I come in peace. The indication there of return Is he was probably in prison already. When he was went, when he was sent for and gathered to come to the King,
he was probably in prison. And now he’s being sent right back because they have, didn’t like his message this time, any better than he did the last time. So, Hey, how will send my kid to prison? And he will not send him there peacefully just to go sit in prison. He will send him with affliction. But my kid said,
if you ever return in peace, the Lord is not spoken by me. And he said, take heed. All you people he’s warning the people. This isn’t just a Hab he’s warning. Everybody present the Lord spoken and Ahab will not live through this confrontation Verse 29. So the King of Israel and Jehoshaphat, the King of Judah went up to Ramos Gilliad.
And the King of Israel said to Jay Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself and go into battle. But you put on your robes. So the King of Israel disguised himself and went into battle. Hey, how Wiley’s not going to obey the word of the Lord. He’s not going to hear the words of the Lord, but he will just kind of maybe seek to hedge his bets just a little bit.
He’s not going to go into battle in, in all his kingly apparel or pro you know, announcing that he’s the King. He’s going to decide disguise himself, look like a regular soldier, but he’s going to encourage you hush. At night, you go out there and you look like the King. And so Josh will, so they will go into battle.
The King of Syria had commanded the 32 captains of his chariot saying fight with no one smaller. Great, but only with the King of Israel. He says to these captains, as you go into battle, you find the King of Israel. Now, here we are. We have the King of Syria whose, whose brother’s now with Ahab, right? He’s the King in the last chapter that Ahab allowed to live.
He’s the one that they said, we’re, we’re like kinfolk. And yet the King of Sirius says, you find the King of Israel and you don’t even mess with anybody else. You drive through the battle until you find him and you kill him three years. That’s how it long how long it took before that Alliance disintegrated. So the King of Israel sin,
or as King of sends out his men to go and to kill the King of Israel. So it was when the captains of the cherry at verse 32 saw Jehoshaphat’s that they said, surely it is the King of Israel. Therefore they turned the sign to fight against him and VAT cried out that being, he, he, he ran scared as it was.
And it happened when the captains of the chariot saw that it was not the King of Israel that they turned back from pursuing him. Now a certain man drew a bow at random and struck the King of Israel between the joints of his armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot turned around and take me out of the battle for, I am wounded.
The battle increased that day. And the King was propped up in his chariot, facing the Syrians and died at evening. The blood ran out from the wound onto the floor of the chariot. Thus, as the sun was going down, a shout went throughout the army, saying every man to his city and every man to his own country. So the King died and was brought to Samaria and they buried the King in some area.
Ahab dies in battle, Not from the 32 captains of the chariots of the Syrian army, but a regular Archer at random shoots off an arrow, lets one fly in it kills, Hey, Hab, He’s propped up there in his chariot and he will die at evening. He will bleed out From his wound And as Israel scattered across the countryside. Yeah,
In disarray like sheep without a shepherd, Finally, the people will say to one another, let’s Go home And they’ll return to their own house In defeat. So the King died and was brought to some area and they buried the King in some area. Then someone washed the chariot at the pool of some area And the dogs licked up his blood while the harlots bathed,
according to the word of the Lord, which he had spoken now the rest of the acts of a habit, all that he did the ivory house, which he built and all the cities that he built are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. So Ahab rested with his fathers, then a Hosea, his son reigned in his place.
Jehoshaphat, the son of A’s of EISA had become King over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab King of Israel. Jehoshaphat was 35 years old when he became King and he reigned 25 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was as a boy and the daughter of shield high. And he walked in all the ways of his father EISA he did not turn aside from them doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord.
Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away for the people, offered sacrifices and burn incense on the high places. Also Jehoshaphat made peace with the King of Israel. Now the rest of the acts of jihad fat, the Mike that he showed and how he made war are not, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah and the rest of the perverted persons who remained in the days of his father?
EISA he banished from the land. There was then no King in Edam, only a deputy of the King. Josh fat made merchant ships to go to Ofer for gold, but they never sailed for the ships were wrecked at easy. And Gaber then a Hosea. The son of a Hab said to Josh fat, let my servants go with your servants in the ships.
But Jehoshaphat fat would not. And Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with his father, with his father’s in the city of David, his father then Jehovah from his son, rained in his place. A Hosea, the son of Abraham became King over Israel in some area in the 17th year of Josh fat King of Judah and rain two years over Israel,
he did evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother. And in the way of Jeroboam the son of knee bat who made Israel sin for he served bale and worshiped him and provoked the Lord, God of Israel to anger. According to all that his father had done Two years, Two years is all that the son of a hobble reign,
because remember God said, because you humbled yourself at the end of chapter 21, I’m not going to bring about the calamity in your day. I’m going to bring it about in the day of your son. And God would an Ahab son would rain for only two years before he will die. That concludes first Kings Study of first Kings is of bountiful study.
It’s a very useful one. I’ve been joyed going through it with you. Let’s go through the questions. And then we’ll conclude When Jehoshaphat King of Judah question one and Ahab King of Israel decided to go to war together against Syria to recapture the city of Ramos Gilliad. What were the words of the 400 prophets of Israel? Their word was according chapter 22,
verse six, go up for the Lord will deliver you. What of McCain? The prophet of God. He described Israel as sheep without a shepherd because Ahab would be killed. According to my KPI, the prophet of God. Why did the 400 prophets of Israel speak bad advice verses 19 through 23, the Lord put a lying spirit in their mouth. Question three.
What did Ahab King of Israel do to my KPI for his prophecy, a rewarded him B sent him away. C put him in prison or D had him killed the answer is C put him in prison. Why did they have King of Israel? Disguise himself? When going to battle with Jehoshaphat at Ramos Gilliad Answer from, from the appearance of the text is to confuse Syria about who was King,
how was a Hab King of Israel killed? He was killed by a random Archer from Syria. What happened to his blood? His blood was licked up there by the pool in some area. Interesting point by the way, same place by all indications where the blood of a name off was licked up according to the prophecy of Elijah. But what’s going on while they’re cleaning out the chariot of the King and washing the blood out of the chariot.
Here are the harlots bathing. They’re not morning. They’re not worried about a Hub’s death at all. They have no thought for the King. Who’s dead, whose blood is being washed out right there by where they’re bathing. No concern. There’s a point I think there Nobody’s missing Ahab when he’s gone. Well then notice did Jehoshaphat King of Judah walk in the ways of God according to verse 43?
Yes, he did. Verse 44 while Jehoshaphat was King of Judah. Was there peace or war between Judah and Israel? There was peace. All right. Those are the questions. Appreciate your time and your attention during the study. Uh, we’re going to ask Eric to come and lead another song, and then we’ll be led in a closing prayer. Here we are.
But strain Pilgrim. Here we are. But strain pilgrims Five 37. We<inaudible>. Hey, Pilgrim Sierra path is often<inaudible> when we were seeing this West side, him John<inaudible> Name and June’s rise soon wellbeing. Our home.<inaudible> this smile of the blessed<inaudible>. Uh, is he a feet, uh, often weary on the Hills at thrown our way<inaudible> uh,
Oh, it’s within a, I say John, The roll lean rev. The shiny man June’s arise wellbeing.<inaudible> this smile.<inaudible> a long, Uh huh.<inaudible> fearful. Uh, the pilgrims<inaudible> but<inaudible> man. He was a sweet man. Uh<inaudible> boom. That’s shiny mansions rise soon Welby.<inaudible> the smile of a bus, a giver,
a long yay. Uh, Our gracious father in heaven, giver of life maker and creator of all that is and all that ever will be thank you for the day that you’ve granted to us. The breath of life that is within our bodies and the health that we have to be able to see another day, we pray for those that are going through difficulties illnesses.
At this time, we pray for those that are enduring through hardships that are caused by others. We pray for those that are enduring hardship because of sin. We pray that those in this world, in our local community here in Collierville and throughout the world will open your word. We’ll study. The truth will come to understand what your word is, telling them.
They might be obedient to you and find blessings, not only in this life, but in eternity. We pray for those who are dealing with illnesses and longterm difficulties in their lives. We pray that you give them comfort and strength to endure through the hard days. And may they always remain faithful to you until this life is over knowing that there is rest and hope and peace laying up and waiting for them.
If they’ve been faithful to you, we pray for the leaders of this country, leaders of our nation leaders, of our towns and our cities through the hardship that has come in the past months and the hardship that is still here, that they make wise choices and do what is right out of right heart. May they seek the wisdom that is in your word for how to pursue peace and encourage righteousness.
Pray for the leaders throughout the world, in every country that they might make decisions that will lead toward open doors of opportunity for the gospel to be spread. And the truth to be heard. We ask that you give us boldness to speak no matter who we stand before that we always determined to speak the truth, to speak it in love, but to speak it boldly,
say what your word says. We pray that we might be forgiven when we fall short of your glory and are willing to repent of those things and that your grace will continue to cover us through the blood of Christ, which washes away our sins. All this, we pray in Jesus name. Amen.
Hello,<inaudible><inaudible> Good morning. And welcome to the Collierville church of Christ virtual service. It is indeed a beautiful day and a beautiful day to worship our Lord. We have a few announcements that I would like to make before we start. First of all, um, Need to be aware that, uh, we will have a meeting Monday night, June 1st at six 30 here at the building with all the men to discuss the reopening of our services and our church.
So jot that down and make sure that you make yourself free for that time. The, uh, sick of our congregation. We need to remember Joan Springer. She suffering from pneumonia. Also Sylvia pass. She had a stoke stroke a couple of weeks ago and is doing well at home. And Joan Springer also seems to be doing some better Need to remember Ruby bread.
She is back home. She’s cancer free and cards can be mailed to her home address. And that is on the bulletin if you’ll pick that up, but, um, I can read it to you. It’s eight 24 West main st. Clinton, Illinois, six one seven two seven. The Potter’s children’s home item for the month of June is dryer sheets,
and you can drop them off and put them on the cart here by the four year Marissa Porter. That’s Jackie Ross’s brother has bone cancer and Corona virus. We need to keep him in our prayers. Eddie’s friend, Vicky Bayham, who is battling stage four. Lung cancer is now in hospice care and her mailing address is also on this. Mmm Mmm.
The sheet. So be sure and pick up one of those some before you go, that’s all the announcements. There are this morning, but I want to go over the order of service. Michael Dale will be leading our singing this morning and, uh, he also will have the hopening prayer. Eric Halvorson will be conducting the communion service. Aaron Cozort will be bringing the message and I will have the closing prayer.
Thank you for tuning in And thank you for being here.<inaudible> Psalm before our opening prayer will be number 736 to Christ. Be true to Christ. Be true To Christ<inaudible><inaudible> Uh, um,<inaudible> the conquest? Uh,<inaudible> To<inaudible><inaudible> Fuck He. Well<inaudible> And, uh,<inaudible> to<inaudible> To Christ.<inaudible> be true. He needs<inaudible> to stand,
uh, against, uh<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> to<inaudible><inaudible> Fuck He, well go away.<inaudible> And uh,<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> To Christ.<inaudible> be true. And no,<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> the<inaudible> To<inaudible><inaudible> Oh boy. He well go<inaudible> And uh,<inaudible><inaudible> through to<inaudible><inaudible> Please bow with me, Our great and glorious father in heaven.
How awesome you, we thank you for this time that we have to come together and sing songs of praise to you and lift up our voices in prayer and know that we are heard. We ask that you be with all of those who are mentioned in our announcements with their sickness and what their families, while they are dealing with the sicknesses of their loved ones.
We ask that you be with those that are at home and you keep them safe and keep us safe here at the worship. And we thank you so much for the Avenue that you’ve given us to be able to continue worshiping in such a time as this. We thank you so much for all of your many blessings Lord in your son’s name. Amen. A song to prepare our minds for the Lord’s supper will be years I spent in vanity Years,
I spent in vanity Years, I spent in van NTEN PRA right?<inaudible> my Lord was<inaudible> no knowing what it was for me. He died on<inaudible>. I’m sorry. No mercy. There was great. And grace was free, Paul God. And there was more to apply to me. Nah, my burden. So found the Liberty. Uh<inaudible> By God’s word at last,
my sin and<inaudible> to my guilty. So then pouring turn to<inaudible>.<inaudible> See. There was great. And grace was free. Oh God. And there was more to PLA Me. Nah, my bird and found Liberty. Uh<inaudible><inaudible> No I’ve game to Jesus. Everything. Hey nah, I gladly own him as my King. Nah, my rap shirts all can’t know me seeing a<inaudible><inaudible> No,
see there was great. And grace was free<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> uh<inaudible><inaudible> Oh, love that drew<inaudible> Oh, the grace that brought it to him, man. Oh the my team golf that God dance man. Uh<inaudible> No. See there was great. And grace was very, Oh God. And there was more to apply to me. Nah,
my burden<inaudible> uh<inaudible><inaudible> The apostle Paul in his letter to the Corinthians reminds the Corinthian church and us that we are to, as we assemble on the first day of the week, remember the ultimate sacrifice that God and his son Jesus did for us the center here on earth. And that was to give his life for us. Let us go to our God and prayer.
God, we come to you at this time, thanking you for sending your son Jesus here on earth to live amongst us and to teach us the ways that we need to live to be a Christian. But most importantly, for sacrificing your son on that cool cross at Calvary. And as we take this bread, which represents his body that hung on that cross for us,
let us do it in a manner that is pleasing to you. We do this through your son, Jesus name, Amen God, our father in heaven, as we prepare to take this fruit of the vine represents your son’s blood. That was shed for our sins. Help us to remember what that truly means that your son Jesus was sacrificed and he shed his blood blood that washes away.
The sins that man has. And man creates. We ask that we do this in a loving memory of your son and we are so thankful that your son did this for us. We pray this through your son’s name. Amen. We’d also like to take this opportunity at this time to give back as we’ve been blessed, God, our father in heaven,
we come to you thanking you for each and everything you do for each and every one of us. Every day as we live here on this earth, we know that everything comes from you and it is because of you that we have what we have. And as we prepare to give back a portion of what we’ve been so truly and ritually blessed with, we ask that you help each and every one of us do it with a cheerful heart.
We also ask that you help the men of the congregation here in Collierville make thoughtful, mindful decisions on how to use these funds that are given in your name to better the spread of the, your word and help the lost souls in this world to hear your word so that they have the same opportunity we do. And that is one day. Join you in heaven.
We pray this through your son, Jesus name. Amen.<inaudible> The song before the lesson will be the way of the cross. The way of the cross, I must needs go home by the way of the cross. There’s no other way, but<inaudible> Uh,<inaudible> side of the gate. A lie<inaudible> cross the way of the cross need<inaudible> No,<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> I must needs go on.
And uh, blah, sprinkles went, Hey, save yours.<inaudible> If a climb to the Heights up where the all is at home with Uh huh<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> and it’s sweet to know<inaudible><inaudible> No,<inaudible><inaudible> Then<inaudible> to walk and nah,<inaudible> For my Lords. It’s calm. And I seek my home<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> It is sweet.<inaudible><inaudible> No,
The cross the, Oh, Whoa.<inaudible><inaudible> Always a remembrance or a reminder to myself to check and see if I turned it off or turned it on my way, the microphone, but it’s good to have some with us. Who’ve not been able to get out lately and be with us again. It is always good to have everyone who’s able to join us both in person and remotely.
And we appreciate your presence. Your time spent in worship with those who are, who you are assembled with and the time that you spent in spend in study with us, We began last week with a study about real Christians. We need in this world. Real Christians, Real Christians can be defined in many different ways, but in, in the study from last week and this week we’re defining it in six ways.
Real Christians are those who begin with real communication. We noticed last week that real Christians begin and end their Christianity with the word of God as the sole and single foundation for the truth that they follow. God’s word is truth. Jesus said in John chapter 17 in verse 17, sanctify them by thy truth. Thy word is truth. And he’s speaking to the father,
Jesus declared the truth to be the word of. And so everything that makes a person, a Christian, everything that’s determined in their life by being a Christian is based upon the foundation of the word of God. Real Christians begin with real communication about a real savior who really lived and declared a real truth on how a person can be saved. And we need real Christians and we need that communication again today.
But after we considered the idea of communication, then we noticed first John chapter one, and we noticed, uh, going into first Thessalonians chapter one, the idea of real choices, the choices that make an impact, the choices that determine our eternal destiny, the choices that determine what we will be and how we will live, what we will strive for in what we will do.
Matthew chapter 16, verse 28 G or verse 26, Jesus made it clear that a person can choose whether or not they will have eternity with the father or whether or not they will seek to gain the world. But they generally speaking cannot do both. What will a person have if he gains the entire world and loses his own soul. But then we also thirdly,
spoke concerning real consequences because if we are to be real Christians, we understand there are real consequences to the choices that we make. There are consequences that come when we make the wrong choice, when a person sins and fall short of the glory of God, we notice that that person is in danger of the judgment that person has sin. And that person is standing condemned before God.
And if they do not change, they will stand before God stand before Christ in judgment condemned. And they will stand as one who will not have eternity in heaven as their home, because they did not make the right choice and choices have consequences. But we also noticed that if a person makes the right choice, there are still consequences to be considered. And that is where we’re going to pick up in our study.
Uh, today, as we notice this idea of a mid success and disaster, Okay, We need real Christians. Anyone who has seen the news of the last three or four days knows There’s success. And there’s disaster in this country Just yesterday, NASA and space X for the first time in a decade, launched men from this continent into space. And they did it not on a space shuttle,
but on a rocket that will be reused that landed safely and, and the rocket portion will, will go up again. And it is the first space travel by a human that has been on a, a rocket that was created, designed and owned by a private company and not a government. All of these things happen yesterday Right now. That’s that rocket,
if it hasn’t arrived already, I don’t. I forgot the arrival time that it was estimated for, with the space station, but that rocket is in outer space right now, headed towards the space station to dock. And to continue that mission, It was a success. I know people personally who traveled down to Florida to see it go up At the same time as that rocket yeah.
Carries people from this country into outer space, to look into the science and study different things that can only be studied outside this atmosphere and things that could be studied here, but are, but change when the atmosphere changes or when you’re outside of gravity, all of those things are being done. And yet at the exact same time in 30 plus cities around our country,
riots and protests, looting burning of buildings, burning of vehicles, all of it’s going on at the exact same time And amidst the success and disaster in our world today, we need real Christians. We need Christians that not only understand truth, not only understand choices, not only understand consequences, but we need Christians who understand the need for critical thinking. As we consider what God would have us to be as Christians,
God wants people who think critically about their world, about what he has told them, because we know this is true because God based our salvation on communication. And if you have communication without critical thought, without the ability to understand and truly examine what it is that God has said, you don’t have communication. If you take someone who says, I want to be told what to do,
but I don’t want to think about it. I don’t want to dwell on it. I don’t want to put it in my heart and mind those people. Aren’t Christians. If you have someone who says, I just want to be spoonfed, everything I need to know. And I don’t want to have to give any effort into what it is. I’ve been told those people.
Aren’t Christians. Christians are those who begin with the communication, but go on to critical thought concerning that communication. Let’s go to Luke chapter 14, Luke chapter 14, Jesus speaks to the multitudes. We’re going to begin in verse 26. He has spoken to them through concerning the great pair or the parable of the great supper. Beginning in verse 15, going down through verse 24,
he has talked about humility. He has talked about their frame of mind, but in verse 26, he begins to talk about what it is, what Rick is required in order to be his disciple. And that’s what a Christian is. A disciple is one or excuse me, a Christian is one who is a disciple, a follower, a person who walks in the steps of Jesus Christ.
And he begins. If anyone comes to me, verse 26 and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters. Yes. And his own life. Also, he cannot be my disciple Notice. First and foremost, the Jesus put an exclusionary system in place. If you will not do what he has told you to do,
you are excluded from what he brought and offered to humanity. Jesus said, if you will not do this, if anyone comes to me and does not do this, they’re excluded from the benefits. He gave people a choice. He gave people the opportunity to think critically about what he was saying and critically about what he was offering. Intel told them that they have to choose to hate,
to love less. Is that word there to hate and love lash. That which belongs to this world In contrast to the next Something I want us to grasp here is sometimes people have a hard time with this passenger. They say, well, I don’t hate my father. I don’t hate my mother. I don’t, I don’t hate my brother. Yeah.
They’re misunderstanding what Jesus is saying. Jesus is placing things that belong to this world and he’s placing those in front of us and asking us, is this what you love? Is this what matters to you most? Because that, which you love is that what matters to you? Most Jesus said in Matthew chapter six, that a person cannot hold to money.
And God, at the same time, either he’s going to have to let go of one of them because he can’t hold onto both of them. And so Jesus here says, here is a father. Well guess what? In this life, that person is your father. But in the same way, in which God speaks marriage and speaks concerning the angels.
How that in heaven, that family relationship of husband and wife no longer exists. It’s an earthly relationship. The same is also true concerning the rest of these relationships. While we still will have an association with one another while we will still have a connection to one another. The relationship that comes by a husband and wife, giving birth to a child and therefore being their mother and father is not the same in eternity.
These are things that pertain to this life. And Jesus says, if you’re going to hold on to, if you’re going to love, if you’re going to not be willing to forsake your father, your mother, your brother, your sister, your wife, your friend, And instead serve me. You cannot be my disciple. Now that takes some critical thinking.
That takes some examination in our hearts and minds to say, am I willing to do that? But he goes on to say this And whoever does not bear his name Cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Jesus makes it clear that there is that consequence that we talked about in the previous point, there is a consequence that comes when someone decides to put him on in baptism.
When someone decides to become part of the family of God. When someone decides to become a brother of Christ, when someone decides to be obedient to the gospel, they choose to pick up Cross. Now this statement was made in a time where even his own disciples are sitting there and they’re not grasping the meaning. They’re not getting the full picture. Jesus hasn’t hung on a cross yet.
Jesus, hasn’t gone to the cross yet. And Peter, even that very night will declare to Jesus. It’s not going to happen the way you say it will. And Jesus will say, get behind me, Satan. The cross was an image. They knew they understood. And they had seen people on them Cross, but they had not yet seen their Lord on the cross.
Jesus said, if a man will not bear his name Cross, He cannot be my disciple. So notice first and foremost, that Jesus sets in contrast This life and eternity. And he says, if you want to be my disciple, you’re going to have to choose. If you’re going to be a Christian, you have to choose eternity Over this life.
We need Christians that are critically or who think critically concerning that, which is eternally focused. But then if you begin in verse 28 and go down through verse 33, you’ll notice that they need to think with a focus on eternity, with truth. As the standard many will say, I’m focused on eternity. I’m living for God. I want to do what’s right.
I don’t want to be what God wants me to be. I don’t want thinking every day about living for God, living for Jesus, but they spend no time at all. Examining the truth. They spend no time at all. Examining what it is that God actually said. The Jesus actually said they want to live for their version of Jesus. Their version of God,
their version of the truth, but not the truth itself. Notice Jesus is for which of you intending to build a tower does not sit down first and count the cost. Whether he has enough to finish it less after he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish it all who see it begin to mock him saying this man began to build and was not able to finish or what King going to make war against.
Another King does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with 10,000 to meet him who comes against him with 20,000 or ELs while the other is still a great way off. He sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that. He has cannot be my disciple. Say Aaron, where where’s the,
where’s the standard of truth here. I’m confused. This is a parable about counting the cost. This is a parable about the odds against you. When you determined to be a disciple of Christ. Yes it is. But what standard do you use to examine what it will cost? See, this is the thing. When someone sets out to build a great house,
he might set out to build a tower or a great house and he can go examine what it’s going to cost because somebody has already built it. Somebody has come before him, who’s built a tower, who’s built a house and he can go talk to that individual and he can go talk to those builders. And he can say, what’s the rate going to be?
How much of the material is going to be, how much is this going to cost me? He has a standard by which to gauge his cost. The King who has 10,000 soldiers Who has seen his soldiers, who has trained his soldiers, who has examined his soldiers and tested his soldiers and knows their value, knows their training can then evaluate by looking at that other army of 20,000.
Do I have the power to go up against that army? It involves critical thinking. It involves examination and involves thinking about God’s word. What did God say? It would cost. Now Here in this passage, Jesus says, if you’re not willing to forsake everything and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. That’s good as an encapsulated thought. But if we go throughout the old and new Testament,
we can begin to see what it costs. Other people. We can see what it costs. Abraham. It cost him his home, his nation, his family, and all those places that he had dwelled in his life until he was 75 years old. And he departed and went into another country. It costs, uh, Daniel being willing to stand up and say,
I’ll die instead of forsaking your law. God I’ll die, but I will not desecrate myself. I will not go against the law. I will not file myself. I will do what God has told me to do. He looked at his life and said, if this is what’s forfeit to be obedient to God, then that’s what I have to give.
When we think critically about the word of God, we examine that. Jesus said, If you are not willing to forsake everything, You can’t be my disciple. Yeah. And yet Jesus never asked of us what he didn’t do Because Jesus left his home in heaven. Jesus left his place with God. Jesus lowered himself below angels and took on flesh and lived and died So that you and I might have salvation.
And do you not think that he first counted the cost Before he made that choice, But then consider as well in verses 34 35. Okay. Then when it comes to critical thinking and real Christians, Those Christians have to make an impact. Those Christians have to have an influence. Verse 34, Jesus says salt is good, but if the salt has lost its flavor,
how shall it be seasoned? Okay. And this statement that follows it Okay. Is interesting because I think we generally take the, the Matthew version of this quotation In this, in, in the sermon, on the Mount and maybe ignore this version. It is there it is neither verse 35 fit for the land nor for the dung Hill. But men throw it out.
He who has ears to hear, let him hear Jesus said this salt, that’s lost. Its savor, lost its value, lost its active property Either to season that, which is all that, which is his food or to preserve that, which might decay salt. This lost its capacity to function. He says, it’s not even affecting on the dung Hill.
You couldn’t even throw it on the refuse. And it had an impact on that. That’s how little it has value. Jesus says it’s worthless. It won’t affect anything. And a Christian who has no influence who will not affect anything is only that way because he’s not forsaken. Oh, Here’s the reality. When someone does what Jesus describes in the previous verses when he first sakes and loves less father,
mother, brother, sister, wife, husband, when he is willing to go through and count the cost before he takes on this task of being a disciple of Christ. When he does those things, he will not be without influence. He will stand in stuck such stark contrast to the world that he will always leave an impact. It is the individual who wants to be the disciple of Christ,
but doesn’t want to change. Doesn’t want to live. The life of a Christian does not want to bear his cross. That will never have an impact because while he may claim to be a disciple of Christ, he looks just like the world And lives just like the world. Now it’s interesting that here in the end of this chapter, as we have the chapter divisions in our English Bibles,
Jesus ends with he that hath an ear to hear, let him hear In all of this. Jesus encapsulates it right back to the standard of truth. And is it not interesting then in chapter 15 in verse one, then all the tax collectors and sinners drew near to hear him, Jesus told them you better count the cost. You better examine what you value in this life.
And you better be willing to cast it aside for eternity. And those who were the teachers weren’t interested. And those who were the righteous men weren’t interested. And those who were of the schools and those who were of the lawyers and those who were of the priests, weren’t interested<inaudible> But the publicans and the sinners, They said, wait a minute, I don’t have anything worth keeping because I’ve ruined my life.
They understood need, they understood loss. They understood what they didn’t have. And they understood that eternity Was something to be valued. The scribes, the Pharisees, they looked at what Jesus said and they despised it. And they despised the people who would hear him. We need Christians who are real Christians who think critically about eternity, who think critically about truth,
who think critically about having an influence, but then consider as well. Real Christians are people with real character. Now they may not start out that way. I want to make that abundantly clear that sometimes Christians start out very different than the way they end up. And they’re supposed to even a person who seems like a good person, the way the world views it.
A good person becomes a Christian. And if they are serious and they think critically about their life, they’re going to change. You don’t have a person who walks around in sin for years and decades, who immediately having walked out of the waters of baptism and says, well, I can guess I can go back to exactly the way I was not. If he’s counted the cost,
not if he’s examined eternity, not if he knows what it means to be a Christian, because he’s just laid a completely new standard on his shoulders to live in accordance with God’s will. But here were these individuals who were sinners. Here are these individuals who were tax collectors. Here are these individuals who were cheaters and liars and thieves. And they’re going to become people who have real character.
And they’re going to be those kinds of people because they’re Christians. Now we’re going to go to an old Testament passage. We’re going to examine this idea from an old Testament foundation, because in Psalm 15, the question is asked by the Psalmist who can abide in the house of the Lord. Now this question is asked speaking concerning the tabernacle speaking concerning the dwelling place of God speaking concerning the,
uh, the fellowship of God under the old Testament. But the answer hasn’t changed. If you go and take these things that we read of here, you can find every single one of them in the new Testament. They’re encapsulated though, right here in Psalm 15 in verse one Lord who may abide in your tabernacle. So here’s the, here’s the premise of the discussion in this Psalm,
in this song who gets to dwell with God Who may dwell in your Holy Hill, verse two. He who walks and works righteousness and speaks the truth in his heart. As the Psalmus writer begins notice he talks about the morals of an individual, the morals that make up the character of a person here. This person is one who walks uprightly. This is the idea of one who held himself upright,
who stands erect because he is not bowed down by sin. He’s not bowed down by shame. He’s not cowering because he’s doing evil. He’s not in the shadows because he’s doing wrong and seeking the life and the blood and the wealth of others. He’s standing upright. He who walks up rightly Okay, And works righteousness. It’s not enough to be one.
Who’s going to dwell with God. It’s not enough to just not do evil. Okay? It’s not enough to just not be out in the streets. Rioting last night and stealing and, and, and taking what belongs to others and burning down what belongs to others. It’s not enough to just not do that. Conversely, you have to work righteousness. There’s not just the things that we’re not supposed to be doing.
There’s the things that we are supposed to be doing, But he goes on and he says, he speaks the truth. This goes straight back to that idea of real Christians begin with real communication. That truth, that belongs to the word of God. He speaks it, but he begins notice in his heart. There are sadly those who speak the truth And yet don’t believe it.
Yeah. They speak the truth all day long, because maybe that’s where their paycheck comes from. They speak the truth because they want others to do something. You know, Jesus said concerning the Pharisees that they were, those who the people should listen to and do what they said. But his condemnation was that they would lay heavy burdens on the people, but wouldn’t use one little pinky to lift those burdens themselves.
They would speak the truth, but they wouldn’t practice it. This person begins by speaking the truth in his heart. But he goes on. He who does not backbite with his tongue nor does evil to his neighbor nor he takes, nor does he take a reproach up against his neighbor. This is an individual who looks at this evil. He looks at gossip and he says,
I’m not doing that. He looks at backbiting. He says, I’m not going to participate in that. He looks at one who takes up a reproach against his neighbor. And the idea here is he’s bearing false witness. He’s willing to stand up and lie against someone. Even though he knows it’s not true. That’s the kind of person God says, you’re not going to abide with me.
You’re not going to dwell on my house. But then in verses verse four, we have this individual who will bind with God has real character because he has a criteria. Not only for his morals, that is this book. He sets a criteria. He sets a standard and he lives by it. But he has a criteria for his influences, Not here,
meaning his influence on others. But those, he surrounds himself with those. He brings into his inner circle. Those, he listens to those. He wants to hear from when he’s making a decision, when he’s deciding a path forward, those he vets, he examines these individuals, whether or not they’re worthy of his attention. Notice in verse four in whose eyes a vile person is despised.
But he honors those who fear the Lord, Someone who says, you know what? I need somebody around me who says, yes. When I say, I want to do something. Now, if he has a counselor, who’s near him, who always says yes, when he wants to do something, is that person speaking the truth? No, he can’t be because none of us are right.
A hundred percent of the time. None of us are right all of the time. So if we want a yes, man, who always says, yes, we want a liar in our presence. If we want someone who tells us what we want to hear, instead of telling us the truth, we want a liar in our presence. And we honor that person with closeness and fellowship with us.
So many leaders, so many Kings, so many examples in the old Testament are found to be those who surrounded themselves with false prophets, surrounded themselves with evil counselors, surrounded themselves with people who told them what they wanted to hear, because they were only interested in themselves. But if we’re the kind of person God wants us to be, if we’re the kind of person who will bind with him,
we’re the kind of person who looks at a person like that and despises it. We’re looking kind of person who looks at one who does evil. And we despise the evil that they do. We don’t bring them close to us. Now that’s to be set in contrast and in view of, we’re also not to become the scribes and the Pharisees, the scribes to the Pharisees looked at an individual who was evil.
And they said, we despise the evil. That person does that. Person’s a sinner. We won’t go near them. We won’t eat with them. We won’t talk to them. We won’t teach them. We won’t help them. They are evil. Yeah. That wasn’t, Jesus’s consideration. There’s a contrast said here between the one who is willing to hear the word of God,
whose life is on the wrong path, but they’re willing to repent. And one who is in grained in that evil, and you’re not trying to help them out of it. You’re trying to stick with them in their evil. We are to be a contrast. That is the second part, but he honors those who fear the Lord. But then notice in verse the end of verse four,
and in verse five, there’s a third criteria for one who has real character. And that is his criteria for decision making. And this one’s not an easy pill to swallow. This is one that as, as human beings, as those who are very naturally somewhat self centered and focused on ourselves, this one’s not easy. As a matter of fact, I think this is one of the hardest commandments in all of scripture,
especially in the realm of business Because the Holy spirit inspires the Psalmus to write he who swears to his own hurt and does not change. What’s that mean? That means someone who, for instance, in a business transaction says, here’s the price of an item. Okay. And they make an agreement with someone that that’s going to be the price of the item.
And then they walk next door and have a conversation with someone and someone next door off For them twice. The amount of money. Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, wait, wait, wait, wait, um, let, let me go back over to this guy right over here. And we’ll we’ll renegotiate because now the D the price is double. No,
no, no. That’s not the kind of person who abides in the house of God. The one who dwells in the house and presence of God, the one who has fellowship with God is the one who swears To his own hurt and doesn’t change. He said, well, wait a minute, I’m going to lose money. I’m going to lose money on this deal.
The price has changed. The situation has changed. We need to renegotiate. I know The one who swears to his own hurt and does not change. Okay. You’d tell someone you’re going to do something. You tell someone you’re going to give them something. And then the situation changes And you don’t pull it back. Even if it hurts you to do it because your care and your concern is for the other person above yourself,
Your care. And your concern is your relationship to God above yourself. You know, remember Jesus spoke about people who would swear by the temple, But then they’d swear by the gold in the temple. And they’d consider the swearing by the gold of the temple to be of importance Than the swearing by the temple itself. And if you swore by the gold of the temple,
you were more bound to that promise than if you Just war by the temple. And Jesus said, let your yes. Be yes. And your no be no. He who does not put his out his money at your usery, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent command. In the old Testament law That among the Israelites, they were supposed to one who had much was to lend to one who had Little and was in need.
Okay. But there was a command and there was a strict regulation. You don’t charge them interest. Now in our financial society today, you’d have a hard time trying to find someone who’s going to take that deal. Wait a minute. I’m going to lend you money at no interest. Now contrast. Now you can see advertisements up one side and down the other for 0% interest right now.
Well, read the fine print. What does it say every day? You’ve got the loan. We’re calculating the interest, and if you don’t pay it off by that date, all the interest from day one till now gets hammered on you all at once. It’s not really a 0% interest loan. It’s a 0% interest loan if you pay it off in time,
But the interest is still being calculated. The commandment under the old Testament law for one Israelite to another is you land to one who has need, because they have need, and you don’t charge them extra. You lend because God has blessed. You see the person who does not put out his money at usury is one who knows it’s not his money. It’s God’s.
And he’s just the steward of it, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. So a real Christian is one who has, is one who thinks critically about God’s word and what it’s going to cost him to be a disciple of Christ, but also one who has a criteria for his morals, for his influence, for all of these other things,
but then consider as well. A six. Then finally, real Christian has real confidence. A real Christian is one who, because of the communication from God has real confidence, assurance and hope for eternity turned to Hebrews chapter 12 and Hebrews chapter 12. The Hebrew writer is writing in contrast to the Day and time of the Israelites. When they came out of Egypt,
when they came to Mount Sinai, and he’s going to set a contrast between the Israelites at Mount Sinai, as God spoke to them, notice the central focus of communication. God has delivered a message, and we’re going to see the Hebrew writer summarize their reaction verse 18 for you have not come to the mountain that may be touched. And that burned with fire and to blackness and darkness and Tempest and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words.
So that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore. He draws a picture of Mount Sinai. Remember at the very beginning, when they approached Mount Sinai, God said, no one goes on the mountain. No one comes up Moses alone, you come up to me. But all the people, anyone touches the mountain,
they will die. And then God began. And in Exodus chapter 19 to speak to the people of Israel directly, and they saw the thunderings. They are, they heard the thunderings. They saw the lightning, they saw the fire. They saw the mountain, turned to Ash. They saw all of these things and they heard the voice of God. And they went to Moses and said,
make it stop. We are too afraid for God to be in our presence, to speak to us directly. You go up on the mountain, you get his word and you bring it back to us. And the Hebrew writer says we’re not Okay At the mountain Where we stand to hear God. And we see the thunder and, or hear the thunder and see the lightening and see all of these things and see the fire.
We’re not in that position. He says, verse 24, they could not endure what was commanded. And if so much, as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow. And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, I am exceedingly afraid and trembling. Even Moses was afraid, but you have come to the Mount Zion And to the city of the living,
God, the heavenly Jerusalem to an innumerable company of angels, Okay? He says, you’re not coming to that earthly mountain of Sinai. You’re coming to Zion. You’re coming to the place of the kingdom. You’re coming to the spiritual mountain of God. He says to a general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven to God, the judge of all,
to the spirits of just men made perfect to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant and to the blood of the sprinkling that speaks better things than that. Of Abel. He says, you’ve come to a place to a mountain where their salvation, where there’s the sprinkling of the blood of Christ. You go back to chapter 10 and you’ll find the offering of Christ created the new and living way through the watery grave of baptism.
And that sprinkling, that purification that comes from a spiritual sprinkling of the blood of Christ over our sins, using the old Testament representation of the day of atonement. He says, you come to that place. You come to that kingdom. And when he goes on to say, see that you do not refuse him, who speaks for, if they did not escape,
who refused him, who spoke on earth much more? Shall we not escape? If we turn away from him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth. But now he has promised saying yet, once more, I shake not only the earth, but also heaven. Now this yet once more indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken and of the things that are made,
that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. What are the things that cannot be shaken, Eternal things. This is a contrast, just like Jesus’s statements. This is a contrast of this life versus the next, the things that cannot be shaken aren’t made with men’s hands. And they aren’t made out of this rock and dust and earth and universe. They are spiritual in nature.
He says, therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom, which cannot be shaken, let us have grace by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear for our God is a consuming fire. Hebrew writer makes it clear that there’s hope there. Salvation. There’s grace. This is all been given by God. And it cannot be shaken. It cannot be destroyed.
It’s not like the kingdom that the old Testament Israelites received that then they gave up because they went back against God and God took it away and gone destroyed it. It’s not like that kingdom. It’s a kingdom that will never fall, But he says we still have to serve him. And then you go over to first Peter chapter one and connect the sprinkling of Hebrews 12 with a sprinkling here.
Because in first Peter chapter one in verse two, he speaks concerning these Christians and Peter writes. They are elect according to the foreknowledge of God, the father in sanctification of the spirit for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. We’ve got the second category of people here. We’ve got Christians and he says, blessed, be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who according to his abundant mercy has been gotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Christ from the dead. He says you were once dead. You’ve been born again. And you’ve been born again to a hope, That real communication that came from God, the same God who spoke at Mount Sinai, the same God who is a consuming fire.
That real communication brought a message of hope. Okay? And he says to an inheritance, incorruptible and undefiled that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God, through faith for salvation, ready to be revealed. At the last time in this, you greatly rejoice though. Now for a little while, if need be,
you have been grieved by various trials that the genuineness of your faith being much more precious than gold. That perishes though it is tested by fire may be found to praise honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love though, you do not see him yet. Believing you rejoice with joy, inexpressible, and full of glory,
receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls. We have real confidence as Christians, because we know there’s a kingdom that’s not been made with men’s hands. There’s a kingdom that we’re a part of. And we’re citizens of that is not a vis world and will never fall. And inside that kingdom is grace and salvation. And inside that grace and salvation,
we have a living hope on inheritance that cannot be taken away. Okay? And ultimately inside that kingdom, through the sprinkling of the blood of Christ, through the washing of water to wash away our sins, first Peter chapter three, verse 21, we have the salvation of our souls.<inaudible> Amidst the successes and disasters in the world. Today. We need real Christians.
We need Christians who have a foundation of truth, whose choices are choices, determined by God whose consequences they understand whose critical thinking causes them to examine what they face and move forward with God and serve him only Whose character cannot be shaken, cannot be disassembled by the world and its temptations. But instead they set a criteria for their morals, their influences for their choices.
And then they live knowing they have a confidence that this life is what’s most important, but they have a hope of blessedness of boldness to enter into eternity saved by the blood of Christ. If that’s not the kind of Christian you are, whether you’re here in this audience or somewhere else, listening to this message. If that’s not the kind of Christian you are,
You can change that today. If you are looking at your life and saying the disasters that occurred last night, pale in comparison to the sins, I’ve committed. That doesn’t matter because Christ offers you salvation and redemption and hope, but it’s only available through the word of God. It’s only available when the terms and conditions set upon that salvation offered by Christ are met,
and it’s only available when a person does what God says and stops doing what they say. You’re outside the body of Christ. You enter into the body of Christ. You enter into salvation. You receive that sprinkling of blood. Having heard the word by believing that Jesus Christ is the son of God by repenting of your sins, Romans chapter 10, confessing the name of Christ.
As Paul stated in that passage and being immersed in water for the remission of your sins. Being buried to rise up, to walk in newness of life, Romans chapter six, and then you begin walking the path of righteousness. You begin living the life we’ve talked about. Let me warn you. You better count the cost first because there is a cost for being a disciple of Christ.
If you’re outside the body of Christ, or if you’re a member of the body of Christ and you’ve turned away from him. If you’ve gone back to the world, if you’ve let go of that hope or you’ve changed your priorities, why not come home? If you have need of the invitation, the invitation is open here and now the invitation is open.
Every hour of every day, you can contact us. You can come and meet with us. You have need of the invitation. The invitation is open to you to be obedient to Christ. We appreciate your time and your attention. Now I’m going to turn the services back over to Michael<inaudible>. Before our closing prayer will be lift him up, lift him up.
Oh. To reach a mass is man up every day.<inaudible> An answer. Jesus gave a fuck. And by being lifted up from the earth, well, None<inaudible> Lift him. Uh, I have Tim Sterling speaks from it.<inaudible><inaudible> Mmm.<inaudible> from the, uh, well, Man<inaudible> Oh, the Whoa. There’s hungry for the being<inaudible><inaudible> up on them too.<inaudible><inaudible> daddy said.
Mmm. Oh man.<inaudible> Lift him.<inaudible><inaudible> Silly speak Stromae. Nah<inaudible>. And by being lifted up from the earth. Well<inaudible> Man.<inaudible> Lift him up. I live as a Christian<inaudible><inaudible> Then. And man, well gladly follow him. Who wants to have a<inaudible> Man?<inaudible> They have Tim, Uh, Lift him Speak Stromae.
Nah.<inaudible> Mmm. By being Lyft did, uh, from the, uh, well, Man,<inaudible> Let us pray. Heavenly father we’re indeed grateful for this privilege. We’ve had to assemble to study a portion of your word that Aaron has so eloquent, eloquently presented to us, help us to truly be the Christians that he has outlined for us.
As we prepare to depart, we’re mindful of those that were mentioned that were sick. We pray that you will grant them a speedy and complete recovery. Be with those that have lost loved ones, comfort them. As only you can, as we depart or mindful of our sins, we pray that you will forgive them as we truly repent and turn from him.
Bring us all back at the next appointed time. Last each of us, according to her several needs this, we pray in your son Jesus’s name. Amen.
<inaudible>, We are appreciative of the presence of any everyone, especially those on the stream, as a result of the rain and a few other things we’re running a little behind. So thank you for your patience as we still things up and going, uh, as with previous weeks, the questions for tonight’s lesson are on the website. Um, and so hopefully,
well, I say that and I just tested it and that’s not working. So we’ll have the questions up afterwards. Uh, and we’ll work through that. Uh, we are going to begin with a song, so, uh, we’re going to sing, stand up, stand up for Jesus, and then we’ll have prayer and begin our class period. Stand up,
stand up, or Jeez, uh,<inaudible> live<inaudible> uh, yeah. Uh,<inaudible> No Prob<inaudible> his army. Ah, he, the<inaudible> squished for Christ his lawn and Stand up, stand up. Pose.<inaudible><inaudible> Oh boy.<inaudible><inaudible> Yay.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> drives with<inaudible> and Strang to strengthen up.<inaudible> Stand up, stand up,
pose. Jeez, uh, Stan in his strength<inaudible> flush we’ll fax you<inaudible> trust your<inaudible> And watching on too<inaudible> Duty calls all day been wanting Stand up, stand up. Jeez. Uh, the strive will not be long this day. The<inaudible> To him that<inaudible>, Uh,<inaudible><inaudible> He with the King? Sorry, shall rainy.<inaudible> Let’s begin with a prayer and then we’ll begin our class.<inaudible> Our gracious heavenly father.
We bound before your throne grateful for the day that you’ve given to us for the life that you’ve granted, the opportunities that we have to serve you. We’re thankful for the rain. The provides nourishment to the ground provides life to this earth. We’re thankful for all of the many blessings that we do not appreciate and do not thank you for on a regular enough basis.
We’re thank you for we thank you for our homes, our families, our loved ones who are safe and doing well. And in good health, we are mindful of those who are struggling with their health or having health issues. We pray for them to return to their health and be back in their desired condition. We’re also mindful of those who are struggling and terminal illnesses.
We pray that you will give them strength to cope and to endure each and every day and that you will be with them and comfort them as they seek that comfort from you, pray that you be with their families and their loved ones and their church families, as they strive to help them and labor with them and encourage them and serve them. We pray for the congregation here at Collierville for all that,
her, for all her works and for all her labors, that they may be blessed by you, that they may grow and prosper and bring fruit into your kingdom. We’ll pray and are mindful of missionaries throughout the world and missionaries throughout this country, we pray that they have opened doors of opportunity and that they remained faithful and are bountifully blessed as they serve you.
Pray this time of study, that the things that we study will encourage us focus our hearts and our minds on your word and help us to become better Christians and better people to understand your working in history and to understand your plan for eternity. All this, we pray in Jesus name, Amen. Our study this evening continues in Kings. We are in first Kings Chapter.
Oh, I’m in second Kings. No wonder it didn’t look familiar. We are in first Kings chapter 21 and our, uh, study this again, is dealing with the reign of a Hab. It is dealing with a hub as the King, over the Northern kingdom of Israel. And of course, during a Habs rain, we have the situation with,
uh, Jessebelle being his wife, a Hab doing that, which he was evil in the sight of God. And so we’re dealing with the repercussions in the SA, uh, the Northern kingdom of Israel of having such a wicked King. We’re dealing with the repercussions of having one who does not stand up to those around him who are doing exceedingly evil things.
And instead is one who will choose a path that looks good for himself instead of serving the Lord, uh, in the last chapter in chapter 20, as we were discussing the, the things and the events of chapter 20, we noticed that God had given deliverance for Israel. Uh, the King of the Syrians had come against Israel and Ben, Hey,
dad had surrounded the city of Samaria and had surrounded, uh, a house and had given him an ultimatum and basically terms of, of tribute and subservience to Ben. Hey, Ned and Ahab had given in, he had agreed to those terms, except when he agreed to the terms, then Ben, Hey, dad came back and changed the terms. And so at that point,
a Hab said, I cannot do this. I cannot agree to the new terms and God would end up delivering the Northern kingdom of Israel. But through the prophet, he will make it clear Ahab. I’m not doing this because of you. I’m not doing this because you deserve to saved or Israel deserves to be saved. I’m doing this so that Syria might know that I am the Lord.
And that you might know that I am the Lord. A Hab was not deserving of what God did for him. Israel was not deserving of what God did for them. And yet God did it because he was the Lord. And because it would declare not only in Israel, that he’s the Lord, the same way he did there during the contest, uh,
at, um, Mount Carmel, with the prophets of bale and the prov and Elijah. But also it would declare this to the nations, around them, to the Syrians that he is the Lord. Now, after that defeat and after that route and the, the, um, running away of the forces of Syria, then in the spring, the next year,
God told Abraham in the spring of the next year, Ben hate ads coming back. He’s going to return you better strengthen your cities. You better be prepared. And so it seems as though Ahab heeds the warning, he’s ready for Ben. Hey dad, when Ben, Hey, dad returns. But the description of Israel’s forces versus Ben, Hey, dad’s forces.
When they go out to meet one another, because they don’t, they don’t besiege the cities. They, it’s not a surprise attack. They’re waiting on them. They’re expecting them. So they meet in the Plains because Ben Hayden’s advisor said, listen, they’re gone is the God of the mountains. We can defeat them in the mountains there, God will defeat us.
So we’ve got to go to the Plains where their God can’t help them not understanding who the Lord was. And so, as a result of that, Israel meets Ben, Hey, dad’s forces in the plane, but the description of Israel versus Ben, Hey, dad’s forces is that Israel is like a small number and the forces of Syria we’re covering the plane Surrounding them entirely.
And yet God defeats Syria again. But in this, God had given Ben, Hey dad, into the hand of a Hab, We find out in the end of chapter 20, as we read the concluding verses the prophet said, verse 42, because you have let slip out of your hand, a man whom I appointed to utter destruction. Therefore your life shall go for his life and your,
for his people, God intended a Hab to be his instrument of judgment against the evil King of Syria, But a rehab cut a deal. Instead I know probably in your life, you’ve turned on the television and you’ve watched, uh, a crime show or a police show where the da has red handed, a bad criminal and cut a deal. And nobody can understand why,
why would you cut a deal with this heinous criminal? God said, here’s the King of Syria. Here’s this one. Now remember back in chapter 18 or chapter 19, God told Elijah, you go anoint the next King of Syria, Okay? God sent his prophet to go anoint the next King because God was getting rid of this King. God had appointed his end,
But a hub didn’t follow through. You may remember a time. Go, go back in your old Testament history to a previous King. God told Saul, you go to the ambula kites and you do battle against the Amalekite and you don’t take any of them alive. You don’t allow any of them to survive. You don’t take any cattle. You don’t take any livestock.
You completely wipe them off the face of the earth because I’m bringing judgment upon them for their sins. So Saul goes out to battle. Saul goes to me, he’s the Amalekite. He comes back from the Amalekite Samuel. The prophet goes out to meet Saul. And as Samuel arrives to meet Saul, Saul says I’ve done what the Lord told me to do.
Samuel says, what’s the bleeding of the sheep that I hear and the lowering of the oxygen. Well, the people wanted to keep those, to bring them back to sacrifice to your God. And then Samuel sees, or, or Saul brings out the King of the AMA guides. He hadn’t obeyed. He had kept the King of the Amalekite it’s alive and brought him back.
Samuel will take the life of the King of the Amalekite, but Samuel makes a point there in that passage in first Samuel chapter 15, that God wants obedience more than worship And to hearken than the fat of lambs. And that rebellion is as the sin witchcraft, Samuel makes it clear when you don’t obey what God said, you can worship all you want.
You can praise God, all you want, but if you won’t obey him, You are rebellious and you might as well be practicing witchcraft. Well, here’s a Hab God put the King of Syria in his hand to bring about judgment. God, by all indications had instructed him what to do. And instead A Hab cut a deal. So God says to Ahab through his prophet,
your life is going for the life of the King of Syria. You have brought your own judgment on your head. Now chapter 21 begins and it came to pass after these things that nave off the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel next to the play next to the palace of Ahab King of Samaria. So Ahab spoke to Naval saying, give me your vineyard,
that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near next to my house. And for it, I will give you a vineyard better than it, or if it seems good to you, I will give you it’s worth in money. Ahab sees this vineyard that he desires. Some people they’re they’re planners, they’re they’re idea. People. They see something go,
you know what? That’d be the perfect piece of property right there. I would just love to have, you know, my garden would just go just so nice right there. And In some nations, Some monarchies, The King gets whatever the King wants. Right? Well, you know, Ahab’s, Ahab’s maybe trying to be a good King. Um,
and at least to some degree, so they have goes to Neval. He doesn’t just take his vineyard. He doesn’t, uh, bring it in by eminent domain. As we would say, in our terms today, he goes to neighbor off and he says, I want to buy your vineyard from you Either. I can give you a better vineyard than this one,
or I can pay you money, whichever you desire. Now something’s interesting here. That’s significant inverse too, Because a how, Yeah. Has the opinion That the quality of the vineyard is determined based upon Maybe the fruit it produces or the soil that it has, or the substance of the vineyard, or maybe even the size, Hey, Habs perspective is I am going to evaluate these two things and I put a value on this one because it’s close to me.
It’s what I want, but I’ll give you a substantively better vineyard. If you’ll give me the one that I want, Notice a Habs valuation of the vineyard. It’s either got a value equating to money or a value equating to this other vineyard, which he declares to be better. Now, all we have is they haves word that it was actually better.
We don’t know. Uh, but we’ll, we’ll just take that at face value. Here’s the problem. A hub Has reduced the value God placed on the vineyard to being of complete no, or completely no consequence. As far as they have is concerned what God said, doesn’t matter what God declared in the law or declared through the inheritance and the giving of the inheritance into the families that didn’t even come into play.
It was a complete non-issue. What mattered to him is this is what I want. And I’ll get it by either buying it or trading something of better substantive value. But here’s the problem when we run into Yeah. When we begin to value things in this life, Okay? Based upon their monetary worth, instead of their eternal worth, Something that is of little value,
monetarily may have great value. Eternally notice neighbor, boss, response, reply to a rehab, but Neval said verse three, the Lord for bid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers to you. Neval said that as long as my Lord’s alive, God forbid that I do this thing. Why? Because according to the law, Moses declared God declaring through Moses that the Israelites were not to sell their inheritance.
Now there was the situation and there was the possibility of a situation where one is, or a light would become a bond slave to another. Maybe he had debts. He couldn’t pay. And his land would perhaps be sold to pay his debts. But on the 50th year, every 50th year, the year of Jubilee, according to the law, if they were keeping the law,
the year of Jubilee was the year of release. Every 50th year, every piece of land went back to its original family inheritance. So whatever family, even if that family had been sold into slavery to another Israel aligned or had become a bond servant to them, they were made free. And if they had property, their property was released back into their hand.<inaudible> Neighbor off comes,
or excuse me, Ahab comes to neighbors and says, let me have your vineyard. I’ll trade it for a different vineyard. Neval says, no, that doesn’t work. That’s not my inheritance. This is my family’s inheritance. I cannot sell you this land. It doesn’t matter if it’s for money. It doesn’t matter if it’s a trade for other lands,
I cannot give you this land. It’s not mine to give. And there’s our lesson about obedience. Nabeel’s perspective is I’m a steward. I don’t get to choose. I don’t get to determine whether or not I obey God’s commands. God already commanded it because God already commanded it. I’m going to do it because God commanded it. That’s not going to sit well with Ahab.
That’s not the life. And the, the, the, the character and attitude of Ahab. So neighbor both said, God forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to use. So Ahab went into his house, Solon and displeased because of the word, which name off the Jezreelite. It is Jezreelite had spoken to him for. He had said,
I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid down on his bed and turned away his face and would eat no food. When Ahab is told by name off, no, I won’t give you the land. You can’t have the land of my, of my father’s inheritance. You cannot take possession of this land. He goes back into his palace,
lays down on his bed and his Solon and displeased, uh, basically acts like a child. He throws a little pity party and lays down on his bed because he can’t have what he wants In this. You get a picture of a Habs character. Why would a King marry a woman like bell? Well, you can see in this where, which person,
the strong personality is in this family. If opposites attract, and this is the character of Ahab, you can imagine the character of Jezza bell. So notice what happens. But jazz rebel, his wife came to him and said to him, why is your spirit so Solan that you eat no food? And he said to her, because I spoke to name off the Jezreelite and said to him,
give me your vineyard for money or else. If it pleases you, I will give you another vineyard for it. And he answered, I will not give you my vineyard. Then Jesse Bell, his wife said to him, you now exercise authority over Israel. Look at the rebuke. Let’s look at the statement, jazz rebels, like aren’t you King, How can he hold it back from you Use the power.
You have take it by force. It’s yours. You’re the King<inaudible> There’s a event back in the life of David. We discussed a number of months ago Where the arc of the covenant comes back into, comes into Jerusalem and is placed there in the tabernacle that David had prepared for it. And David is the art comes into the city as it’s retrieved and makes it back successfully.
It didn’t the first time He’s jumping with joy and he’s in plain clothes and he’s humbling himself before the people. He’s not acting like a King And Michael, the daughter of Saul Rebukes him for it.<inaudible> And David’s reply is I will be humbled before my God.<inaudible> The perspective of Michael is you’re a King. You need to act like a King.
The perspective of David is I’m a servant of God. I need to act like a servant of God. The perspective of jazz, a belly is your King. You have absolute authority in the land. You take what you want. And the attitude of they have is I didn’t have what I want.<inaudible> Then Jess Bell’s wife Said, you now exercise authority over Israel,
arise, eat food and let your heart be cheerful. I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. And she wrote letters in a halves name, seal them with his seal and sent the letters to the elders and the Nobles who were dwelling in the city with nave off. She wrote in the letter saying proclaim a fast and seat. They boss with high honor among the people and seat two men scoundrels before him to bear,
witness against him saying, you have blasphemed God and the King. Then take him out and stone him that he may die.<inaudible> Jesse rebel, who knows no law and no rule, but her own, Who would seek to take the life of God’s profits will now invoke God’s name In her plot to kill neighbors off<inaudible>. And as willing accomplices, she’ll get the elders of the city.
They’re in a Jezreel to go along with her.<inaudible> To me, you see here just a little glimpse forward into the life of Christ. Think about the motivation of the Sanhedrin, the motivation of the chief priests and the elders. This person has to die. Why did Jesus have to die To, to utilize or to paraphrase the words of one of the Sanhedrin?
It’s better. That one man die than the whole nation<inaudible>. But the real reason was they couldn’t get what they wanted so long as Jesus was alive, they would be declared for what they really were so long as Jesus taught the people, their power, their influence was something that was being checked. And if they could get rid of him, if they could kill him,
they’d have their power back. They’d have what they want. And so Jezza bell will enact this decree. She will, you of course use a Habs name. She will use a Hab seal. She will write it as a decree from the King, but here’s where we need to be clear. Ahab’s held guilty for it. Jessica Bell did it, but she was under the rule of a Hab,
As husbands, as fathers, as head of a house. Ultimately we’re responsible For what the people in our house do. We’re responsible for the actions of those in our house. Yeah. And Ahab was responsible for the actions of Jezza bell because he allowed it to happen. There’s a reason why, when you read in the new Testament, concerning elders, that they’re described as those who are worthy of double honor,
because they must give an account for the souls of others. They’re held accountable for the actions of those around them. Those who are members of that body. So Jezza Bella. And actually the plan, the elders will go along with it. So the men of his city, the elders and Nobles who were inhabitants of his city did as Jezza bell had sent them.
And as it was written in the letters which she had sent them, they proclaimed a fast and seated neighbor with high honor among the people. And two men’s scoundrels came in and sat before him in the scoundrels witnessed against him. Uh, Winston witnessed against him against, off in the presence of the people saying neighbor off has blast themed God and the King.
Then they took him outside the city and stoned him with stones so that he died. Isn’t it kind of strange the, the reaction and the animosity of a people. Who’s no longer following the Lord. Who’s no longer obeying his commandments who have allowed the profits of bail on the profits of Ashcroft to just destroy the land with their idolatry will now stone a man.
Okay. Because he blasphemed, God. Don’t see. I think that’s just a little bit strange. Oh, but there was that second part. Yeah. He blasts themed God and the King. See, now you’re touching something that actually matters to the people You’re touching the authority of the King. Yeah. So these people in indignation take neighbors who here they are,
you know, putting him in a position of honor a position of praise. And now they’re taking him out to be stoned. It came to pass. When Jezza bell heard that name off had been stoned and was dead that Jessebelle said to Ahab arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give to you for money for<inaudible> is not alive but dead.
So it was when they have heard that nave auth was dead, that they have got up and went down to possession of the vineyard of Naboth. The Jezreelite Having brought about the demise of name off having, uh, taken his life Jessebelle comes in and she says, all right, I have get off. I, I did your dirty work for you.
I got you. I got you. What you want? Nave auth is dead by the way I have doesn’t protest. Okay. Hey, have does it go on? You kill me? No. And he’s like, I ain’t gonna get my vineyard now because what was important to Ahab was Ahab. Hey, have at the very beginning, wanted something and was willing to spend money or trade to get it,
but he didn’t have that offer accepted. And then he was a willing to allow someone else to do evil, to get it and all throughout the entire thing. The only thing Ahab is interested in is himself. Selfishness Bring so much evil into this world, But Ahab’s only concern was himself. He wasn’t concerned about neighbors off. Even though neighbors was one of his subjects,
one of his servants, one of his people, he was only concerned with himself. Then now I want to point out over this last, these last two chapters, Elijah kind of went away. All I just gaped down. He went to Mount Sinai. Then God told Elijah, you go back through Syria and then you go annoying Elijah and go anoint the next King of,
of Israel. And then during the events with Syria, we don’t read about Elijah. We don’t have the name of the prophet who spoke to Ahab, but it’s no indication that it was aligned to, But now here’s Elijah. He’s back then the word of the Lord came to Elijah. The Tishbite saying arise, go down to meet a ham King of Israel who lives in some area.
There he is in the vineyard of name, off where he has gone down to take possession of it. You shall speak to him saying, thus says the Lord have you murdered and also taken possession. And you shall speak to him saying, thus says the Lord in the place where dogs lick the blood of name off dog shall lick your blood, even yours.
So Ahab said to Elijah, have you found me? Oh my enemy. And he, I have found you because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the Lord. God gives the message to Elijah. Here’s what you’re going to say to Ahab. You’re going to tell a hub in the same place where those wicked people in this city took name off and dumped his body unceremoniously.
They didn’t bury him. They didn’t give him a proper burial. They didn’t take this upstanding citizen who actually loved the Lord and obeyed his commands at give him a dignified barrel. No, they threw his body out For the dogs to consume. And God through Alijah is tells Ahab. You’re going to have the same fate And in the exact same place. So Lija comes to Ahab and AMZ says,
Oh, here, here he is again. Have you found me? Oh my enemy. There’s another place in scripture. Do I become your enemy? Because I tell you the truth. That’s the entire reason why Elijah was the enemy of Ahab is because Elijah spoke the truth. So Elijah says behold, Uh, he says, I have found you because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the Lord.
Behold, I will bring calamity on you. I will take away your posterity. And I will cut off from Ahab. Every male in Israel, both bond and free. I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of knee bent. And like the house of Beja the son of a hijab because of the provocation, which with which you have provoked me to anger and made Israel sin and concerning.
Jessebelle the Lord also spoke, saying the dong shall eat. Jessebelle by the wall of Jezreel. Wait a minute. What city was it that all this happened in? Oh, it was jazz real As though if you picture the palace, remember neighbor’s vineyard was right there near the palace, a have wanted the vineyard because it was right next to his house.
And God says, Ahab, you’re going to die right here. And Jezza bell is going to die right here Because of the wickedness you two have done. So notice what he says. He says, the dog shall eat. Whoever belongs to Ahab and dies in the city. And the birds of the air shall eat. Whoever dies in the field, this is the same proclamation that was made against the descendants of,
uh, of Jeroboam this, the same declaration that was made against the descendants of basic. God says, you’re going to have the same thing happened to you the same way it happened to them because every single one of you were given a chance. Every single one of you were given an opportunity to obey and you didn’t do it instead. You caused more and more and more sin to come upon my people.
But there was no one verse 25, like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the Lord because Jessebelle, he, his wife stirred him up and he behaved very in Bo abominably in following idols, according to all that, the Amorites had done whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. So it was when they have heard the,
those words that he tore his clothes and put sack cloth on his body and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went about mourning. And the word of the Lord came to Elijah. The Tishbite saying, see how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me. I will not bring the calamity in his days. In the days of his son,
I will bring the calamity on his house For once They have kind of gets it right For once a Hab responds the way he should have. Now, he’s not going to entirely turn back. He’s not going to turn back on his back on idolatry. And as a result of that, he’s not going to get the restitution of his throne. He will get the delay of the condemnation,
But not in regards to his life and not in regards to jazzy bells, just in regards to his descendants. So all of these things are going to occur. The throne is going to be taken from him and is going to be taken in the following chapters as they have will die in battle in chapter 22<inaudible> Weakness. Weakness is a description of a Hab,
Oh, he could do battle. But you remember when the city was surrounded, who went out first, The young rulers, and only when the people of Syria were running away, did they have come out from behind the walls? And here a hat gets turned down and he goes and pouts in his bed. And then when a bell gives him the vineyard,
he doesn’t care a thing about the person whose life was taken to get it. He just has his vineyard. Hey, have, as the Bible describes, it sold him self. How many times do we sell ourselves? How many times do we give ourselves over to iniquity and to sin? Because it’s what we want. Or because we’re just not willing to be strong enough to saying no,
It takes strength to deny yourself. It takes strength to tell yourself, no, It takes a determination of mind to say, just because I want something or just because my body tells me I want something or desire something or hunger for something doesn’t mean I need it. And doesn’t mean it’s mine to have, But we have a society that loves to promote,
take what you want, do whatever you want, fulfill your desires.<inaudible> That’s not compatible with God’s word or with God’s laws. We need to be those who learn the lessons of Ahab, Who are warned by the lessons of women. Like Jessebelle, Oh, it’s not just women who have that kind of influence. But when a woman like Jessebelle exists,
there’s a reason why Jezza Bell’s name comes up so many times, even in the new Testament, all the way into the book of revelation, Jezza Bell’s name keeps coming up. Why? Because she, her influence in her wickedness and her strong personality encouraged so much evil. And even one of the churches in the book of revelation is described as those who were giving in and allowing that wicked Jessebelle to have influence over them,
They were being weak, like a Hab. They weren’t standing up. They weren’t saying no. We need to be those who learn these lessons who are encouraged by them and stand strong as a result of them. Now we will go through the questions. As I mentioned, we’ll post them, also put them in the front lobby, but we’ll go through the questions next week,
uh, as, and review those before we get into it, since we don’t have them out for tonight, uh, we’re going to have one more song and then we’re going to conclude with a prayer to Christ. Be true To who cries<inaudible> true is. Mmm<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> To Christ long beach. True. He will go with you And how You are yours Conflicts through to cries the Lord beat To cry.<inaudible> Lamb Be true.
He needs Bray ball<inaudible> To Stan<inaudible> by frowns on<inaudible> To<inaudible> True. Fuck. He will go away. Uh, And have you all yours Conflicts through to cry the Lord be<inaudible> To cry.<inaudible> true. And no balls.<inaudible> Yo<inaudible> To CrowdRise the lawn bead Four, he will go away<inaudible> And hell<inaudible><inaudible> to<inaudible> To who cries<inaudible> Be true.
And he will be yours. And the fan ding and pro tag<inaudible> try on and to Chrysler long beach. Oh boy. Well go away.<inaudible><inaudible> New York conflicts Through to<inaudible> beach.<inaudible> Let’s close with a word of prayer. Our gracious father in heaven. We are admonished in heart and mind To remember the need for strength, to remember the need to stand up against evil,
to remember the need, to say no to temptation and to wickedness and to weak, wicked into individuals who will come to us with the ability to turn misfortune into fortune, through evil deeds. We pray for those who may be in the midst of temptation in their own lives. They will choose to be strong that they will true choose to be like neighbors and to choose to do what’s right,
no matter who comes to them and encourages them to turn their back and disobeyed God, We pray that you watch over this nation. She struggles with so many evils and so much wickedness inside her, but yet there is great light. And there are so many who are doing good. We pray for the deeds and the works of congregations of your people throughout this great country that their light shine brightly in the dimness and the darkness of the sin of this nation.
We pray for those who make choices every single day to do good. Even when faced with temptation, we pray for those who sorrow for those who are lost because of the evil deeds of others. We ask that you be with those who are sick. Those, especially from our own number, we pray that you’d be with Sylvia and others that are recovering from health issues.
Pray that you watch over us care for us, protect us, give us your grace and your mercy, your kindness as you do each and every day. Forgive us. When we sin and fall short of your glory, all this, we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
<inaudible> The student. Yeah. Then, uh, that, Uh, I am, Ah, Me<inaudible> No, that<inaudible> The, And uh, That, Uh, um, Uh, Uh,<inaudible> that,<inaudible> the, uh, Mmm<inaudible> Nah,<inaudible><inaudible>, Uh,<inaudible> the String then I see, Let us pray. Almighty God,
our father in heaven, hallowed be thy name, father. It is with humble hearts. We come before your throne this hour, acknowledging you as our creator and the creator of this entire universe. And we realize father with our feeble minds, that we cannot begin to comprehend how magnificent your intellect truly is, but we give you all our praise and glory.
We’re so very grateful that you chose to send your son to this earth. That gives us the possibility of a home forever with you. We’re grateful for this congregation, that assembles here in Collierville and all the many attributes that come along with it. We’re mindful also of the number of people that are suffering at this time, especially within our congregation. And those mentioned here in the announcements,
we pray for them a speedy recovery. If it be thy will, and those that have lost loved ones, we pray that you comfort them as only you can, where mindful also father of the turmoil it is in this country, the divisions we pray for unity, and that you allow us the opportunity and the wisdom and the knowledge to correct these problems.
We pray, especially for our president, that he will have the wisdom to continue to draw this country together, to solve the many problems and grant him the strength and the health to accomplish these things. As we go through the further exercise of this meeting, we ask that you bless it, that all things will be done in your will. That all will be to your grace and glory.
It’s in his name that we pray amen To prepare our minds for the Lord’s supper. We will be singing when surveyed the wondrous cross. When I survey the wondrous cross And I serve, Hey<inaudible> Yes. On which the prin, uh, Sorry. Uh huh. Ma hi, rich. Yay. Uh, I can, um, uh,<inaudible><inaudible> Mmm,
uh huh. Uh huh. Oh,<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Say, Hey man. Uh, dad, uh, CRA nice. Ah, Uh huh. Oh the then dang. Uh, Sure Me<inaudible> Uh, I sacrifice a nice<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Uh huh. See<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Okay. Mmm<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> and<inaudible> Me. Oh, thorns come<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Mmm<inaudible><inaudible> Uh,
Nah.<inaudible> uh, for two years.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> So<inaudible> Uh,<inaudible> uh,<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible>. We are commanded that as we assemble at the first of each week to celebrate the ultimate sacrifice that God did in sending his son Jesus to live here on earth to teach us, but most importantly die for us the center. So join me in prayer.
As we go to our Lord, God, our father in heaven, we come to you at this time, thanking you for having sent your son Jesus here on earth to live with us and teach us. But most importantly, to sacrifice his body for us, the centers, as we prepare to take this bread, which resembles his body, which hung on that cruel cross at Calvary,
help us to remember exactly the pain and suffering that he endured for us. The center, we pray this through your son, Jesus name. Amen. Let us continue in prayer. God. As we prepared to take this fruit of the vine, which represents Jesus’ blood, the blood that he shed for us in our sins, help us to remember exactly that,
that it was shed his blood for us, the center here on earth. So we may have that opportunity to one day live with you and glory in heaven. We pray this through your son, Jesus name, Amen. This time we’re going to take an opportunity to give back. As we each have been blessed God, our father in heaven, we come to you once again,
thanking you for all that you do. We truly do realize that each and everything we have comes through you from you. And if it weren’t for you, we would have nothing now as each and every one of us prepares to give back a portion of what we’ve been so greatly blessed with. We ask that you help each and every one of us do with cheerful hearts.
We ask also let you help the men of the congregation be thoughtful and mindful of your works and deeds that need to be done on this earth here. As we plan how to spend these fruits that are given back to you, we pray this through your son, Jesus name. Amen.<inaudible> The song before the lesson will be break thou the bread of life break thou the bread of life.<inaudible><inaudible> Dan Lord<inaudible> Uh,
uh,<inaudible> bees.<inaudible> I see<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> um,<inaudible> the thing<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> uh, uh, dad, uh, bruh.<inaudible><inaudible> Did see this. Oh,<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> uh, find my peace<inaudible> Oh,<inaudible> Good morning to those present to those absent and yet present and assembled with, uh, those in their own houses.
We appreciate your presence. We appreciate your time, your energy, your effort, your diligence to the Lord and your service to him. Do you want to make mention of one additional announcement that was sent to us? Uh, and that is, um, that ms. Gladys has gone to Huntsville, Alabama with her son until tomorrow night. So we just wanted to make people aware of that in case you call her and she doesn’t answer,
uh, nothing’s wrong. Don’t don’t uh, think that there’s an issue there. Uh, she is in Alabama for, for right now. Take your Bibles if you will. And let’s begin in first, John first, John chapter one Is where we’re going to jump off this morning. The focus of our lesson is entitled. Real Christians want to utilize this word real,
both this Sunday and next Sunday, as we examine the idea of real Christians. Now we’re not going to approach this from the perspective of what is necessary in order to become a Christian. I want us to focus on what are the things that make a real Christian? What are the things that a real Christian actually cares about and actually does. So we’re going to notice this through a series of points as we go through this,
but we’re going to begin in first, John chapter one, with this fundamental thing, you cannot be a real Christian. You cannot be what the new Testament talks about. If you do not comprehend, appreciate and live your life based around real communication. This idea of real communication is to say that what is stated, that, which we speak about that,
which is the foundation of Christianity, is that, which is true. We do not base our lives and our faith, our whole Bonnie eternity on fables on myths, on things that are not real. The foundation of all Christianity is truth and facts and reality. First John chapter one, we begin in verse one and we read this, that, which was from the beginning,
Which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and our hands have handled concerning the word of life. John uses the beginning of his first writing. That is the book of John John chapter one. He uses that as the foundation for his writing of first John, because in John chapter, one he begins with in the beginning was the word and the word was with God.
And the word was God. And he goes through a discourse concerning who Jesus really was. Jesus was deity Jesus existed before anything else was created. Jesus was the one who did the creating Jesus is God, But not only is Jesus. God, Jesus became or took on flesh John chapter one, verse 14. And so John begins this letter of first John with this declaration,
that, which was from the beginning, that which was declared from the outset, the message, which we have told you, and we have repeated to you. And you have believed that, which was from the beginning was that, which we touched that, which we laid our hands upon that, which we looked upon, that which we have handled and seen and heard and witnessed to personally.
And that is the existence of Jesus Christ and his walking this earth, The foundation of all Christianity and the foundation of every real Christian is this singular fact. Jesus was a real person. And Jesus really is God. And Jesus really did come to this earth and walk. This earth was born of a Virgin and died on a cross. He had a mother Who,
while he was hanging on that cross, he looked down at this apostle John and looked down at his mother, Mary and told John she’s in your hands. Now<inaudible> John says, We know The truth. We were there, But he goes on in verse Two, the life was manifested this life. Speaking of Christ, the life was manifested and we have seen and bear witness and declare to you that eternal life,
which was with the father was manifested to us. John says, we didn’t just see him live. We didn’t just see him walk the earth. We didn’t just touch him with our hands and hear his voice and witness him being present. But then we saw him raised from the grave. Then we saw him ascend up into heaven. We saw eternal life inaction Recognize the fact that no one else had done that before.
No one else had ever witnessed eternal life in action. Someone who had gone to the grave and then resurrected and never died again. That’s why the Hebrew writer calls Jesus Christ, the firstborn from the dead, because he was the first one, not the first one ever raised up from the dead. The first one to raise up from the dead, never to die again.
Yeah. They witnessed eternal life that it was manifested in their presence. That which was with the father and was manifested to us that which we have seen and heard. We declare there’s your communication to you that you also may have fellowship with us. And truly our fellowship is with the father and with his son, Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full Foundation of every real Christian begins with real communication.
A real message that came from God declared through the power of the Holy spirit, through the apostles, to us in this book That we might know the truth and that we might believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God. If you don’t have that foundation, You’re not a real Christian. Jesus said, except you believe that I am. He, that is the one who is self existing deity in the flesh,
except you believe that I am, he, you shall die in your sins. Now, the second thing that makes up a real Christian goes beyond communication. It goes to choices. Real Christians Make real substantive choices. Every single person who has ever put Christ on in baptism has made a choice. They have made a choice that should have determined the direction of their life.
Beginning at that day. And every day they would walk the earth moving forward. No First Thessalonians chapter one First Thessalonians chapter one, Paul writes to these Christians at Tesla and ICA. It is believed by many commentators, many scholars that first Thessalonians may have been the very first of pistol written in the new Testament. We certainly know that the, the, uh,
stop in vessel Annika was one of the early stops and that this church was one of the early churches in Paul seems to have written this letter very close to the time that he left there. We begin reading in verse two. We give thanks to God, always for you, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith,
your labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord, Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and father knowing beloved brethren, your election by God, Okay. Paul begins as he and these others are writing to these Christians and they’re going to speak to them about a mint by many different things. He writes to them sent and says, we have been praying for you.
And we are thankful every time we are mindful of you in our prayers, because we know your work. We know that you didn’t take in the gospel and then do nothing with it. We know you didn’t accept that communication and then do nothing. We know your choices. We know the decisions that you’ve made, how you’ve determined to work, how you’ve determined to have faith,
how you’ve determined to labor, how you have determined to love, how you have determined to stand up under or be patient in the trials of life and how you have determined to hope. But then he goes on to say, verse five for our gospel. There’s that communication again, did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy spirit.
And in much assurance, as you know, what kind of men we were among you for your sake, and you became followers of us and of the Lord. Notice the choice. These Christians made known as what these at Thessaloniki determined to do. They determined when they heard the gospel and when they obeyed it, they said, we a pattern to follow.
We have an example before our eyes in Paul and those who were present with him and with the Lord, and we are going to follow them. We are going to walk in their steps. We are going to pattern ourselves after their lives and we are going to serve God. One of the greatest assets, a novice or a babe in Christ or a young Christian can have Is a close companion,
who is a faithful member of the body of Christ, a Christian who has already determined years before that they’re going to live their lives. The way the new Testament actually describes that they’re going to serve others. As Jesus talked about that, they’re going to teach others. As Jesus talked about, they’re going to live their lives with every decision and every choice and every path focused on eternity as the ultimate goal,
Young Christians need to learn and need to see that example. So they can pattern their life after someone who’s already doing it. Right? But always being reminded just as Paul did with those at Corinth. When he told those at Corinth, you follow me as I follow Christ, always being reminded that they don’t follow any man. They might step in those steps that have been tried before them by faithful Christians,
but they always follow the Lord. And if ever those paths, diverged, if ever those paths of that one, who they followed for so many years, who was a Christian and a faithful Christian, when they became a Christian and they followed them and they’ve patterned their life after them, if ever those paths, diverged and the Lord’s going one way, and this person’s going another way,
they’re going to follow the Lord. But he goes on to say this. He says, and you became followers of us and of the Lord having received the word in much affliction with joy of the Holy spirit that you, so that you became examples of all in Macedonia and Acadia who believe from, for, from you. The word of the Lord has sounded forth not only in Macedonia and a K a,
but also in every place, your faith toward God has gone out so that We do not need to say anything. These Christians in Thesla Nika took the communication. They made the choice, and then they didn’t just live that choice privately. They didn’t just enact that work in their home. They didn’t just determine to be Christians in their own private settings. They determined they were not only going to be Christians in public,
but they were going to teach others to do the same. And so those Christians went out into Macedonia and they converted more people and more people followed them. And they went into Acadia and they converted more people in more people follow them. And their influence kept growing Because they made a choice because they made a choice that they would never turn back And they would obey the gospel And they would teach others as well.
But then consider real Christians are made up not only through real communication, not only of real choices, but also those who come<inaudible> and fully realize real consequences. We are living in a day and in a time, Which is probably very similar to the rest of the days and the rest of the time that’s come before us and will come after us where people by and large reject the idea of consequences,
They don’t want to correct someone. They don’t want to allow anyone to suffer for bad choices. They don’t want others to have any consequences. And they certainly don’t want to raise their children in such a way where those children suffer consequences for wrongdoing. And this is just supposed to be normal. But the reality is based upon the real communication that we have from God.
And the real choices we make as Christians, real conflict Quinces are absolutely necessary. Both consequences when we don’t do what’s right And consequences. When we do consider Matthew chapter 16, Matthew chapter 16, Jesus talks about choices. He talks about choices that will have Consequences, but he sums that up in a passage that most of us I believe are, are intimately familiar with in Matthew chapter 16 in verse 28,
when he’s spoken about the son of man returning, he says, assuredly, that word carries the substance to say you the listener, the one who was present the disciples as well, who were hearing this from Jesus could rest their assurance on this fact. And it was rock solid. They could know beyond a shadow of a doubt. This communication was true.
He says, assuredly. I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death until they see the son of man coming in his kingdom. Jesus said, here’s what you can know to those who were present in that day, the kingdom’s coming. And there are some of you who are going to be standing here. There are some of you who will not taste death,
who will not see the end of their life till that kingdom comes Mark chapter nine, verse one, that parallel reference to this Jesus said, and it will come with power, But you go back to verse 26 and notice the context in which he tells these people, the kingdom’s coming. And some of you, the disciples are going to be present. When it comes.
He says in verse 26, for what profit is it to a man. If he gains the whole world and loses his own soul, Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? The reality is this. There are consequences to the choices that we make based upon the communication that we’ve heard, that the choices that we then determined to make,
have consequences, and those consequences are tied up. In this reality, the kingdom has come. There are not people walking around this earth who are more than 2000 years old, still alive waiting for the kingdom to show up. The kingdom is already here. The kingdom came in, acts chapter two. The kingdom was established when Jesus Christ went to his death was resurrected again and established his reign.
He sat down at the right hand of God. He is reigning. He is the lamb who was dead and who is alive. He is the one who is worthy. He is the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the eye Elm, the alpha and the Omega. He is all of those things. And he reigns now. But right before Jesus talked about the kingdom coming,
he made it clear that people make a choice. When they determined to choose riches, when they determined to choose anything in this life over eternity, they make a choice that loses them Any eternity. They lose in eternity because they didn’t determine to lose. Here. You say, well, wait a minute aired. Are you saying there can’t be rich Christians?
No, I’m not saying that. Are you saying there can’t be successful people who are Christians? No, I’m not saying that. What are you saying that I’m saying every single, rich Christian, every single Christian who’s successful in business or in money has something that’s far more important to them than business or money And that’s eternity. And Luke chapter 14, Jesus said,
So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has Can not Be my disciple. Jesus said, here is an impossibility. If you will not forsake everything, if you will not take everything, every substance and everything in his life, every sin and every person that you know, and place them beneath me, You cannot be my disciple, But then consider as well.
As I mentioned before, there’s not just real consequences for one who chooses not to be obedient to God, there are certainly consequences for one who chooses not to obey the Lord first Thessalonians, uh, again, Paul, or excuse me, second Thessalonians. Paul writes to these brethren and says in verses seven through nine of chapter one, he says, there are those who will not obey God who will not obey the gospel and will suffer eternal punishment as a result.
That’s just the reality of the matter. But in Hebrews chapter 10, we learn there are also consequences for the right choice. There’s not only real consequences as Christians. When we make the wrong choice. When we determine not to obey God, there are real consequences. When we determine to obey God, Hebrews chapter 10, The Hebrew writer has written to these Christians about a new and a living way.
That’s the salvation that Christ has provided by going into eternity and being the sacrifice one time for all humanity, that new and living way through the waters of baptism, rising up to walk and news of life. Having been washed spiritually from your sins, being a new creature, That new and living way is available to every individual who will here, who will believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God will repent of their sins and confess his name and be immersed in water,
buried in water for the remission of their sins. That way is available, but it has consequences. Jesus told those who would hear him to count the cost before they chose to be as discipled. He illustrated it with a man who was preparing to build a great building. And he went to go build the building, but he first counted whether or not he had enough money to complete the building project,
the King who had 10,000 soldiers and was going out to face another army of 20,000, who first examined, could he, with 10,000 defeat the army with 20,000, Jesus told people, you count the cost before you decide to become my disciples. Cool, Because there are consequences to that choice. Hebrews chapter 10, not only discusses those who sin, willfully verse 26,
who turned their back on God, but go down to verse 31. He says it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living. God, that’s talking about those who are disobedient, but then he says, but recall, recall the former days in which after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with suffering. Partly while you were made a spectacle,
both by reproaches and tribulations. And partly while you became companions of those who were so treated, he says, do you remember that after you were eliminated after you became Christians after you were enlightened by God, because you heard the truth and came to know what it meant to be walking in the light, to be obedient to God. He says, after that happened,
everything didn’t turn out well for you. Things didn’t suddenly start going your way. He said, you endured a great fight of afflictions. And then you endured with those who also were struggling. He goes on in verse 34. He says for you had compassion on me in my chains and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven,
therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. The Hebrew Writer, as he writes to these Christians, he says, there are consequences to your choices and there is suffering that you’re going to endure. But you remember you used to endure it joyfully. You use to go through that pain, that anguish, that suffering and that struggle of being a Christian joyfully,
because you remembered Eternity, You focused on your eternal goals and your eternal reward. You stayed faithful, But in verse 36, he says for you have need of endurance. So then after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise for yet a little while. And he who is coming will come And will not. Terry. Now the just shall live by faith.
But if anyone draws back, my soul has no pleasure in him. Then verse 39. But we, one of the things I love about the book of Hebrews is the Hebrew writer never divined himself all from these Christians, these Christians that are thinking about going back to the law of Moses, these Christians that are thinking about turning themselves back to their old ways.
These Christians that are thinking about turning their back on Christ, and this writer never separates himself from them All throughout the book, we need to do this. We need to do this. We need to hold fast. We need to take charge of these things. We need to do this and that, but verse 39, he says, but we are not those who draw back to perdition,
but of those who believe to the saving of the soul,<inaudible> The next week. We’ll talk about the real character of a Christian, But understand this. Every Christian knows there are real consequences. There are real consequences to unfaithfulness. There is a fearful thing called falling into the hands of a living God, Because he will bring justice and vengeance on those who do not obey,
who reject him and serve and love. Only themselves. There are consequences to being faithful to. There are consequences to being one who is a Christian, because this life’s not going to be easy. And you will have to forsake things that you would have accepted. Otherwise you will have to make choices that hurt you instead of help you, Because that’s what a Christian does.
How do I know You skip over just a chapter to chapter 12 verses one and two in the same conversation. The Hebrew writer says it was with joy that our Lord and savior went to the cross. He went to the cross and suffered for us because there are consequences for doing what’s right. And he suffered them for us. If you’re outside of the body of Christ today,
don’t stay that way. There is truth. And it’s right here. If a man tells you, what’s here is wrong. He’s got 3,500 years worth of truth. He’s got to reject before he can hold that position.<inaudible> But if man tells you what here is, right, and then tells you to do something different than what’s right here. He doesn’t really believe what he said because he doesn’t hold to the truth of the communication.
If you’re going to be a Christian and I encourage you to be one, You’re going to have to choose that this book and this book alone is going to guide your life into eternity because he turned it he’s coming. Whether you’re ready for it or not. What are you doing today to become ready for eternity? If you’re outside the body of Christ, you need to be immersed in water for the remission of your sins.
Having repented of your sins, having confessed, his name, having believed that Jesus Christ is the son of God. And you need to rise up added to the body of Christ added to the kingdom that we read about next chapter to add it to the church. And then you need to live faithful until this life is over. You need to live faithful,
no matter the cost, you need to be prepared for that real communication to drive your real choices in view of real consequences. But if you’re a member of the body of Christ, and maybe you got started with that communication, and you got started with those real choices, and then you’ve drifted away. Don’t forget there are real consequences. But if you’re a faithful member of the body of Christ,
don’t ever be dissuaded from the reality, there are real consequences for right choices. There is real suffering in this life. There is the necessity of forsaking, what this life has to offer for what the next life has to offer. And so be like those that the Hebrew writer wrote to and says, we’re not going to draw back. We’re not going to turn around.
We’re not going to go anywhere, but towards Christ, We appreciate your time, your attention and your focus this morning. If you have need of entering into the body of Christ, if you have need of encouragement or exhortation or a better understanding of the truth, we’d be happy to help feel free to reach out to us online or offline through our phone.
However you would like to. We thank you for your time.<inaudible> The song before our closing prayer will be number 749. The battle belongs to the Lord 749. Yeah. In heaven, the<inaudible> a battle being long series. No, No weapons. That’s fashioned against us was Dan the battle being longs to the Lord and we, sorry. Oh,
no power and string to them. We see sorry, power and string to the<inaudible>. When the power of darkness comes in like a FLA the battle being longs too, though,<inaudible> He was raised up a standard, the power of his blah and the battle being longs to the Lord. And we seeing glory. Oh no. Hello and string to the Lord.
We see, sorry. Oh, power and drink too though.<inaudible> When yo man, I mean he presses in har do not fear the battle being long.<inaudible> Take courage. My, you already damn shun his knee here. The bad time have been long. So you’re the Lord. And we seen glory, Oh, power and string to the Lord.
We seen glory O Hauer and string to the<inaudible>.<inaudible> Let us pray. Our gracious father in heaven. We bow before you at this time, humbled and grateful for all that you do for us on a daily basis. Mindful of all those who have endured hardship and suffering throughout the entire world. We know the suffering that is in this world is ultimately a result of sin.
And we pray that we do all that we can each and every day to push back against the effects of sin, to push back against the effects of disease and destruction, to bring comfort and hope, joy and eternal values to this world. We pray for all those who are missionaries, who are throughout the world, who are teaching and struggling, maybe in many,
much more difficult places than here in this country. But we also pray for those in leadership in this country, we pray that they might make choices that open up greater avenues of teaching and instruction and evangelism. Instead of closing them down, we pray for wisdom from every leader in every nation. They might look to your word for that wisdom, understand it,
and be obedient to it themselves. We ask that you be with those who are traveling, especially with ms. Gladys when she comes home and with the Richardsons, as they’re up in Missouri, pray that each and every one will come home safely. All this we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Hello. Okay.<inaudible> Good evening everybody. Our first song this evening will be number 700 at 16. Sing to me of heaven. Sing to me of heaven, singing To me a hair. Then seeing that along up. He’s from the ties that bind me. It will bring release, burdens will be lifted that are pressing. So showers of gray blessing on my heart.<inaudible> to me having led me funny dream of it’s golden glory.
It’s pro league<inaudible> Seeing to me when shadows up<inaudible> Oh seeing to me, I’ve haven’t Swedish a song, um,<inaudible> Sing to me of heaven as I walk. I’m dreaming of the comrades that song long. Um,<inaudible> And<inaudible> the wrong. They are happy.<inaudible> sweet. So Seeing to me led me funny. Dream of its golden glory of its<inaudible><inaudible> Seeing to me when shadows<inaudible> Ball seeing to me of heaven,
sweetest song, um,<inaudible> Seeing to me of heaven and the<inaudible> with the<inaudible>. When my heart is weary, when a day is long seeing to me, I haven’t seen sweet<inaudible> Seeing to me<inaudible> dream. Oh man, it’s gold and glory a bit. It’s really gleam seeing to me when shadows<inaudible> Awe seeing to me.<inaudible> um,
No. Please bow with me for our opening prayer, Our great and awesome father in heaven. How Holy you are. We humbly bow before you this evening and we thank you for this time that we have to study your word and sing songs of praise to you here in the building and online. And we thank you so much for the opportunity of technology that we have to be able to bring your word and fellowship to those that are unable to be here at this time.
Lord, in heaven, we thank you for all of your many blessings and your son’s name. Amen. Yeah. Our song before our class this evening will be number 744 God’s family, God’s family. We’re part of the family That’s Been born. Yay. Part of the family whose love knows no<inaudible> For Jesus has saved us and made us<inaudible>. No,
we were part of the fam. No, it’s on its way.<inaudible> And sometimes we laugh together. Sometimes we<inaudible>. Sometimes we share tear gas, the<inaudible>. Yes. Sometimes we dream together.<inaudible><inaudible> When we all get to, Uh huh. God’s fam. When a brother means<inaudible> We all it<inaudible> When he’s pastor the, uh,
the<inaudible><inaudible> ah,<inaudible><inaudible> Together and big tree through his precious<inaudible>. And um, times we laugh together. Uh, sometimes we<inaudible> Sometimes we share tear gas. Uh,<inaudible> Uh, Sometimes we dream together. Uh, uh, Oh man. Well<inaudible> Well, when we all get to, Uh huh. God’s family<inaudible> And those,
um, go beef<inaudible> Well, all me<inaudible> Just inside the<inaudible> as we enter<inaudible> There’ll be numb<inaudible> Oh, Jesus.<inaudible> So you go there for a day. God damn. And sometimes we laugh together.<inaudible> Sometimes we<inaudible> Sometimes we share the<inaudible><inaudible> Sometimes we dream to get the<inaudible><inaudible> When we all get to, Uh huh.
God’s fam.<inaudible> It’s good to have everyone who is present both online and in person. We appreciate your presence greatly. And we’re looking forward to this study of first Kings chapter 21st Kings. Chapter 20 is going to be our study. This, uh, this evening. Remember to turn my phone on silent. So we get started. Um, the questions for tonight study as,
uh, previously has been mentioned are in the front lobby if you want to come by and pick a set up later. Uh, but they are also on the front page of the website. Uh, if you’ll look, there’s a button there that says a lesson, one 82 questions and you can click on that and those will download. You can get them now or at a later time.
It’s, we’ve been going through this study and we’ve been noticing, uh, the Kings in the Northern kingdom predominantly during the last few lessons and their interactions with Alijah, we’ve been noticing the interactions of not just them with Elijah, but at times we, we read about other prophets and their interactions with the Kings as well. And this is going to be one of the fundamental aspects of the old Testament in this time period.
And that is the relationship of a King to God’s prophets. When a King listens to the profits of God, obeys the prophets of God, does what the prophets of God tell him to do, which is of course in line and in uh, conjunction with obeying the law, that King prospers that kingdom and that rain goes well. It doesn’t mean they never have problems.
It doesn’t mean that everything’s flawless. It means that by and large they are working in accordance with the will of God and God is blessing them for doing so. We’re introduced to Ahab back in chapter 16 the end of that chapter as a King who does more wickedness than all the Kings who came before him. We were introduced to his father Omri as a King who did more wickedness than all the Kings who had come before him.
Okay? A hub is going to be one of those Kings that will stand at the pinnacle of evil in the Northern kingdom of Israel, and yet even a Hab will be used by the Lord to achieve the will of God. This is one of those chapters, chapter 20, where we’re going to find God using an evil King to accomplish judgment upon a more evil people.
So that’s what we’re going to be introduced to here in chapter 20 you know, you remember in chapter 19, let’s, let’s kind of gather in the details from the end of the chapter. God tells Elijah when Elijah is in despair, when Elijah is asking God, just kill me, put me out of my misery. I’ve done all of these things and now the people are trying to kill me.
So God just end my life. God is a series of events will get, uh, Alijah to stop focusing on Elijah and start focusing on God. Then God will tell Elijah to get up and go back to work. He will do so by telling him you go to Syria and notice what he says beginning in verse 15 of chapter 19 the Lord said to him,
that is Elijah, go return your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, anoint hazy L as King over Syria. That command is the leading idea between behind what comes in chapter 20 God tells Alijah, I’m not just the God of Israel and I’m not just the God of Judah. I’m not just the God of the descendants of Abraham.
I’m Jehovah, and because I am I am sovereign over every nation. Daniel made this point to Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel made the point that God puts in power whoever he will Because ultimately Kings are not in charge. Presidents are not in charge. Rulers are not in charge. Tyrants are not in charge. Despots are not in charge. God is in charge And so God sends his prophet to Damascus,
to Syria to anoint the next King of Syria And notice what we read and you shall anoint J Hugh, the son of Nim, Shai as King over Israel. God is not just going to set forward the events that will bring about the destruction of Syria and, or at least the, the change of the King. But he’s also going to bring about the destruction of Ahab Because in everything that proceeded in everything that God did and demonstrated how he was the Lord,
a Hab, still a loud rebel to seek to take the life of Elijah, God is going to bring his judgment on a Hab for a Habs wickedness. And then notice also God tells him, and you shall anoint Alijah the son of Shay fat as a of Abel may Hola as and he shall or excuse me, you shall anoint him as prophet in your place.
So Elijah is going and he is doing these things. So chapter 20 begins now, Ben. Hey Dan, the King of Syria gathered all his forces together. 32 Kings were with him. Bear in mind This day in time, we’re still in a time period where sometimes there were Kings over individual cities. There were Kings over smaller regions than there were Kings over whole nations.
Uh, and so what mixture of Kings we have here among the Syrians, I don’t know, but he’s got 32 Kings that are subservient to him that come with him in battle. So Ben, Hey, dad comes with the Syrians. He gathered all of his forces together. 32 Kings were with him, with horses and chariots, and he went up and besieged some area and made war against it.
Then he sent messengers into the city to Ahab, King of Israel and said to him, thus says, Ben, Hey dad, your silver and your gold are mine. Your loveliest wives and children are mine. And the King of Israel answered and said, my Lord, Oh King. Just as you say, I and all that I have are yours.
Okay. So Ben, Hey, dad comes into Israel. He comes to Syria, He surrounds the city, besieged the city And sends an ultimatum. He says, everything that you have by way of gold, everything that you have by way of silver, all of your best wives, all of your best children, they belong to me. You’re going to hand them over to me and I’ll leave.
Then notice, uh, a rehab is going to say, as you say, we’ll, we’ll do exactly what you say. We will meet the terms of your offer. Then the messengers came back and said, thus speaks Ben. Hey, dad’s saying, indeed I have sent to you saying you shall deliver to me or silver and your gold, your wives and your children.
But I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time and they shall search your house and the houses of your servants. And it shall be that whatever is pleasant in your eyes, they will put in their hands and take it. Ben, Hey, dad comes with this superior force. He surrounds some Marriott. He besieged as the city. And he says,
I’m not only gonna take your silver and your gold. I’m not only going to take your loveliest wives and your children. I’m going to send my servants in and they’re going to take whatever they want. I mean, these are just the, these are just the terms for me. Now I’m sending my servants and they’re going to take whatever they want on top of that.
So the King of Israel called all the elders of the land and said, notice please and see how this man seeks trouble for. He sent to me for my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold. And I did not deny him. And all the elders and all the people said to him, do not listen or consent. Therefore,
he said to the messengers of Ben, Hey dad, tell my Lord the King, all that you send for to your servant the first time I will do, but this thing I cannot do. And the messengers departed and brought back word to him. Then Ben Hayden sent to him and said, the gods do so to me. And more also if even,
or if enough dust is left of some area for a handful for each of the people who follow me. Hey Brings together the elders of Israel And he says, I was willing to do this to this limit, But now he has acted in bad faith. When he sent his first terms and we agreed to him, now he sent back a revised set of terms,
What am I supposed to do? He says, I can’t do this, that he asks and so they send back to Ben, Hey dad, and they let Ben, Hey dad, no. If you had stayed with the first offer, we would have done it, but this thing we cannot do, we cannot allow you to come in. You step back and think about what’s being stated here.
If it’s we’ll send it out to you. Then they still have their walls up. They still have their protection. They can maintain their security. They married. Even if a battle arises, they might even be able to remain standing and be victorious in some form or fashion, but if they led the man, the soldiers, the servants of Ben, Hey dad in,
they’ve lost all leverage. They’ve lost all possibility of maintaining their security because the force is overwhelming and so they will not allow them in. They would have sent the money, the gold, the things out, but they won’t allow them in, in, and Ben, Hey, dad says, if there’s enough dust for my men to come in and pick up off the ground of some area when I’m finished with it,
then if there’s, if there’s not that much desolation, then this is going to happen to me too. Ben, Hey, dad says you’ve sealed your fate. Men, Hey, daddy is going to make it clear that the city will be completely destroyed because he wasn’t agreed to. Side note, just a, just a lesson to throw in here. When you make an offer And you make a,
an arrangement, make the offer you want the first time because the reality is the first time it was accepted and I, you know, I’ve learned this lesson over the years. Uh, you make an offer and after you make the offer, you said that out and somebody says yes to it. You start thinking, well, maybe I didn’t ask for enough.
Maybe I should ask for a little bit more. He, he answered yes to quickly my mate. Maybe I could get a little bit more out of this. And, and so you make another offer and it’s worth a worse offer than the first one. And the other person goes, well, wait a minute. I agreed to the first one. Now you’re changing the deal,
Ben. Hey, dad changed the deal. Uh, and as a result, uh, the King of Israel, Ahab will tell him no. So the King, verse 11 answered and said, tell him, let not the one who puts on his armor boast like the one who takes it off. It’s an interesting analogy, interesting phrase. Let not the one who puts on the armor boast like the one who takes it off.
What’s, what’s that mean? What they have is saying is let the person who actually finishes what they go out to do be the one boasting, not the one who hasn’t even started to do what they claim they will do. He’s essentially telling Ben, Hey dad, you proved to me that you can bring about the destruction of some area. Don’t just talk like you’ve got the ability to destroy us.
Why don’t you go ahead and put on your armor. And when you take it off, then you can start boasting. You’re boasting a little too early. The battle hasn’t even started yet. Okay. So that’s, that’s the analogy that’s made here. And it happened when Ben hate adverse, well heard this message as he and the Kings were drinking at the command post that he said to his servants,
get ready and they got ready to attack the city. And suddenly a prophet approached Ahab, King of Israel saying, thus says the Lord. Have you seen all this great multitude? I love it when God asks questions that make people go, Uh, yeah, because that’s one of these questions. Here’s the messengers going back between the, the, the people besieging some area,
this great massive people, 32 Kings and all their armies and all their horses and all their chariots that are surrounding the city. And the city’s blocked off. And here comes a prophet who walks up to the King and says, have you noticed this multitude around your city? How have you noticed these people outside the wall? He says, thus says the Lord.
Have you seen all this great multitude, behold, I will deliver it into your hand today and you shall know that I am the Lord in Egypt. Time and time and time again, 10 times. As a matter of fact, God would make the point to Pharaoh because Pharaoh asked at the very beginning, who is the Lord that I should obey him?
And 10 times with 10 separate plagues, God makes it clear who he is, that he alone is the Lord, that he alone is God. And now God’s having to make the same point to Ahab. Now you would think since just a short time ago, there was a contest between Alijah and the prophets of bail and the prophets of bail cried out and cried out and cried out and cried out and cut themselves and bled and did everything they could to get bailed to send down fire from heaven.
And he never could. You would think that they have been present for that whole thing and then hearing Alijah say it’s going to rain and then getting back to his home just as the rain begins. You would think after three years of no rain and then God bringing the rain back then that they have would know who the Lord is. But guess what? Some of us learn very slowly.
And Ahab is one of those people. A house may have known who Jehovah was, a Hab may have known who the Lord was, but he certainly wasn’t acting like it. He certainly wasn’t behaving as if he knew who the Lord was because he wasn’t obeying him. And so God sends a prophet to a Hab and he says, do you see all this,
these, this multitude around your city? I’m going to defeat them. And then you’ll know that I’m the Lord. Verse third or verse 14 so Ahab said, by whom? Hey have, wants to know the terms and conditions of this agreement too. He wants to know who is it according to the prophet that’s going to accomplish this deed, this going out and destroying this great army.
Ahab wants to stay inside his walls by whom? And he said, thus says the Lord by the young leaders of the provinces. Then he said, who will set the battle in order? And he answered you. Hey, have wants to know who’s going out to do the fighting. The prophet says, the young princes are young leaders of the provinces and who’s in charge.
You are a hub. You are. And so then he mustered verse 15 the young leaders of the provinces and there were 232 and after them he mustered all the people, all the children of Israel, 7,000<inaudible>. How many people were there that God said hadn’t bowed the need to bail?<inaudible> Anybody want to guess? 7,000 front row right here. 7,000 There’s 232 of these young leaders of the provinces and Ahab gets them and then he gets 7,000 from among the nation of Israel and they go out to fight 32 Kings And all their men<inaudible> So they went out at noon.
Now you would think if you’re going to attack a force that’s superior to you, if you’re going to destroy and overcome a support of force that’s superior to you, you might want to use some tactics. You might want to make sure that you go in the dead of night. Uh, you think of, think of a, the examples from the book of judges,
maybe, maybe a tackle when they’re not ready. Nope. Broad daylight noon. Here comes this force of 7,000, 233 men and they’re going to come against this multitude of Syria. So they come at noon and uh, meanwhile Ben Hayden and the 32 Kings helping him, we’re getting drunk at the command post. The young leaders of the provinces went out first and Ben Haight ad set sent out a patrol and they told him saying,
men are coming out of some area. So he said if they have come out for peace, take them alive. And if they have come out for war, take them alive. Then these young leaders of the provinces went out of the city with the army, which followed them and each one killed his man. So the Syrians fled and the, and Israel pursued them.
And Ben, Hey dad, the King of Syria escaped on a horse with the Calvary. Then the King of Israel went out and attacked the horses and chariots and kill the Syrians with a great slaughter. I want you to notice the progression of events. Here come the 232 young leaders that God says they’re the ones who are going to do this. They come out of Samaria first.
It’s a small force. It’s so small that the King who’s at noon still are just starting to get drunk with all of his other Kings. They’re in the command post goes, it’s no big deal. Go send some people and if they’re there to be, to come in peace, not, not negotiate, getting peace, take them alive. They become captives.
If they’ve come out for a war, there’s such a small forest, no big deal. Take them alive anyway, But behind the 232 coming out of the Gates of some area are 7,000 okay. And when the 230 to meet the force and kill all the opposing men that come after them, and then the army comes out of Symeria and they kill all that,
come after them. Then the force of Ben hate at is routed, But you notice it’s then when the force is routed that the King leaves some area. A Hab is not coming out outside the city until the Syria or the Syrians are leaving. Yeah, so King of Israel went out and attacked the horses and chariots and killed the Syrians with a gray slaughter and the prophet came to the King and said to him,
go strengthen yourself. Take note and see what you should do. Four in the spring of the year, the King of Samaria will come up against. Okay. Prophet comes to the King, comes day Ahab after the battle is over and he says, don’t let your guard down. You go out among your nation and you strengthen it. You make preparations because Syria is not done.
Just because they fled this time doesn’t mean they’re not coming back. As a matter of fact, they’re going to come back and they’re going to come back in the spring. Okay, so Ahab’s been forewarned. Now, it may seem a little strange. Why in the world is God. In the previous chapter, anointing the replacement for a Hab and in this chapter,
saving a house. God’s making a point. God is doing what sometimes parents and leaders, bosses do. They know what’s going to happen when the person doesn’t Oh Bay, but they’re giving that person the choice to obey or not. God has already set in motion the replacement for a rehab, but he hasn’t said when it’s going to happen, But he’s giving a have the opportunity to repent.
He’s giving a have the opportunity to acknowledge who he is and to change by saving him instead of hurting him by helping him instead of punishing him. He’s giving him one last chance. You and I, as we go through life, we’re given chances. We’re given opportunities, opportunities to repent, opportunities to change, opportunities to do good opportunities to do what we ought to.
We need to learn from Ahab because he had not only a successful moment where God helped him, but he had the opportunity to acknowledge who the Lord was and to change his direction. Question is, did he do it? Let’s go back to the passage. Verse 23 then the Syrian are then the servants of the King of Sarah. Sirius said to him,
their gods are the gods of the Hills. Therefore they were stronger than we, but if we fight against them in the plane, surely we will be stronger than they. So do this thing, dismissed the Kings, each from his position and put captains in their places. The problem is You got the big wigs. The big wigs have come out and they don’t have any taste for battle.
You there these, these Kings, they don’t know what they’re doing. They’re inexperienced. You need captains. You need soldiers leading this army and their God in Israel, the God of Israel, he’s the God of the Hills. You see a King, we’ve got to fight him somewhere else. We went to the wrong spot. We did battle in the wrong place.
We don’t need to be up there in the Hills. We need to be down in the Plains because their God can help them there. This is the mentality of idols. This is the mentality of idolatrous people, that their God is the God of this or that, that the God of thunder or the God of lightning or the God of the sea or the,
this is idolatry. God’s made it clear, I’m Jehovah, I’m the Lord. I’m the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I’m the God of land and sea of mountain and Valley, And he’s going to make that abundantly clear. So then notice they said replace the Kings with captains, then we will fight against them in the plane. Surely we will be stronger than they.
And he listened to their voice and did so. So it was in the spring of the year that Ben, Hey dad mustered the Syrians and went up to APEC to fight against Israel, and the children of Israel were mustered and given provisions and they went against them. Now, the children of Israel encamped before them, like two flocks of goats, while the Syrians filled the countryside.
If you were to look at this battle from above, you’d see two little specks over here that were the army of Israel and you’d see a great swath of people over here. And that’s the army of the Syrians. So it was her, uh, verse 27, uh, is what we just read. Verse 28 then a man of God came and spoke to the King of Israel.
Now notice some differences. Number one, God already told him Syria was coming back. Number two, they met not being surrounded or besieged in the city, but they met out and they came out to do battle. They had provisions, they were ready for war, but they were abundantly outnumbered. So the prophet comes to a Hab King of Israel and said,
thus says the Lord, because the Syrians have said, the Lord is God of the Hills, but he is not God of the valleys. Therefore, I will deliver all this multitude into your hand and you shall know that I am the Lord Ahab. You haven’t quite learned your lesson yet, but I’m not saving you because of you. Okay? I’m not delivering you because of who you are.
I’m delivering you and I am defeating this people because they need to learn the lesson. But I’m not the God of the Hills and I’m not the God of the valleys. I am the Lord. But Ahab, you need to learn the lesson that I am the Lord. And they encamped opposite each other for seven days. So it was on the seventh day,
the battle was joined and the children of Israel, uh, killed 100,000 foot soldiers of the Syrians in one day. Okay. But the rest fled to APEC into the city. Then a wall fell on 27,000 of the men who were left and Ben, Hey, dad fled and went into the city, into an inner chamber. Okay. Israel comes and they come in to this battle after seven days and they defeat the army of the Syrians and kill a hundred thousand foot soldiers in a day.
Just a massive slaughter. And then the Syrians go and escape to APEC and as they’re there, yeah. Oh, wall collapses probably what you have going on there, by the way, it’s not just like, Oh, Hey everybody, let’s stand under this wall and it’s not built real well and we’ll just just stand here and Oh look, 27,000 of us died.
The likelihood is these walls were walls that were intended to be stood upon to be gathered upon, to do battle upon, and so you had a large part of the army that has come into the city and gone up on to the wall. Some are below it, some are behind it, some are on top of it, and the falls. As a result,
27,000 men die. So now the King, because if the wall falls by the way, that means the walls breached, okay? Now that the walls breached, their protection from Israel is gone because the wall has fallen. The wall has been breached. Now Ben, Hey, dad goes into the inner sanctuary, okay, or the inner chamber, verse 31 then his servant said to him,
look, now we have heard that the King of the house of Israel are merciful Kings. Please let us put sack cloth around our waist and ropes around our heads and go out to the King of Israel. Perhaps he will spare your life. So they wore sack cloth around their waist and put ropes around their heads and came to the King of Israel and said,
your servant Ben. Hey dad and says, please let me live. And he said, is he still alive? He is my brother who said that Hey Hab did They come out to Ahab And they say, let Ben, Hey dad live And a Hab accepts their offer. Now the men were watching closely to see whether any sign of mercy would come from him and they quickly grasped at this word and said,
your brother Ben. Hey dad. So he said, go bring him. Then bed. Hey dad came out to him and he had him come up into the chariot. So Ben, Hey dad said to him, the city’s which my father took from your father, I will restore and you may set up a marketplaces for yourselves in Damascus as my father did in some area.
Then Ahab said, I will send you away with this treaty. So he made a treaty with him and sent him away. Seems like everything’s turned out pretty good, right? It seems like the, they were victorious as a result of being victorious. The treaty was reached. Ben, Hey down, realizes he needed to have peace with Israel instead of war.
And now two nations at peace Sounds pretty good. Unless of course that wasn’t what God wanted Ahab to do. What you don’t read here, Okay, Is where a Hab stopped to question the prophet. What does the Lord desire for me to do? And there’s two passages that come to mind. They both say similar things. One’s in Jeremiah, one’s in Proverbs.
The lay that seems right unto a man is the way of death. Okay? We need to be careful that we don’t just do what seems right, But do what is right. This sounded good. This seemed right. It wasn’t. Notice what we read. Verse 35 now a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his neighbor, by the word of the Lord,
strike me please. Now he’s being polite. He said, please. But before that he said by the word of the Lord, see, there’s something important here and that is when a prophet speaks and he is a prophet, when a prophet speaks and he speaks according to the word of the Lord, it doesn’t have to make sense. It doesn’t have to be what you want to do.
It doesn’t have to be what you think you should do. It is the word of the Lord and you’re supposed to do it. That’s what Israel was told. That’s what God had told him. That’s what God had said all the way along. Trust me and obey me. So here comes this prophet and he says, I’m telling you the word of the Lord.
Strike me, please.<inaudible> Then notice what happened. The man refused to strike him. Then he the prophet said to him, the man, because you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord, Shirley, as soon as you depart from me, Elian, she’ll kill you. You say, well, wait a minute. That’s a really harsh punishment.
I mean, here comes this prophet, he says, strike me. And the man refuses to strike another person, a prophet. I don’t, I don’t go around hitting profits.<inaudible> And yet as a result of it, he’s going to lose his life. Yes.<inaudible> Now how do we understand this? How do we make sense of what’s here?
When God tells you to do something, You don’t say, I politely refuse. I don’t think that’s the best idea. You do what God says. Do we not remember a, uh, Abraham when God told Abraham, you take that son of yours, your only begotten son and you take him up on that mountain and you sacrifice him to me. And what is Abraham do say?
God, I appreciate the offer. I thank you for all your consideration. And by the way, I really appreciate this son you’ve given me, but I just don’t think that’s the right choice. No. Abraham does exactly what he’s told And it’s God who stops Abraham’s hand. So the man, as soon as he left a lion found him and killed him and he found another man and said,
strike me, please. So the man struck him inflicting a wound. Then the prophet departed and waited for the King by the road and disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes. Now as the King passed by, he cried out to the King and said, your servant went out in the midst of the battle and there a man came over and brought a man to me and said,
guard this man, if by any means he is missing your life, shall be for his life and or else you shall pay a talent of silver while your servant was busy here and there, he was gone. Then the King of Israel said to him, so shall your judgment be you yourself have decided it. The man with the injury standing by the road waiting for the King to come by.
He tells him, he shouts out to him and he says, here’s what happened. Somebody came to me And he came to me and he gave me a prisoner to take care of and I was supposed to take care of him, but I had other duties. I had other things I had to do. I had things that were important to do, and so I was going here there and doing what I was supposed to be doing and then I looked and the prisoner was gone,
but when the man gave me the prisoner, he said to me, if you don’t keep this prisoner, your life is forfeit instead<inaudible> And as a seemingly regular King would do, he says, well, sounds to me like you for announced your own judgment. You’re going to get exactly what you said. You’re going to die because you didn’t guard the prisoner.
Someone was turned over into your hands and you let him go.<inaudible> Verse 41 and he, the prophet hastened to take the bandage away from his eyes and the King recognized him as one of the prophets. Then he said to him, thus says the Lord, because you have let slip out of your hand, a man whom I, that is the Lord appointed to utter destruction.
Therefore your life shall go for his life and your people for his people. So the King of Israel went to his house, Solon and displeased and came to Samaria. God sends his prophet to Ahab to make the point. You had one job, You had one responsibility, Ahab, you were supposed to exact my judgment, not yours. My judgment on summary on Syria and on its people and you didn’t do it.
You let them get away with a treaty. You let them leave A Hab. You were never in charge, But you didn’t do what I commanded. You didn’t do what I told you to. You didn’t seek my instructions, And as a result, your life is forfeit and your people’s lives will be forfeit. If you think forward to the end of the life of Ahab,
how does he die? He dies in battle As his people are defeated. They died Because he didn’t do his job. We also need to learn the lesson here that sometimes we get a little busy going here and there and as the profit illustrates focusing on everything but the most important thing And we lose what’s most important And sometimes we lose our own lives and the lives of those around us because we fail to do what’s most important instead of failing to do what’s most abundant.
Let’s go through the questions. Question number one, yes or no. Did the Syrian troops attack a Hab first? This is the first battle who came out and attacked first<inaudible> Israel did. Remember the 232 came out and when they were and serious man were told to take them alive. And what did the 232 do? They killed everyone. Their own man.
Okay. Israel attacked first. Yeah, Because God told them to. Uh, what were the Syrians doing in their temporary shelters when they have attack? They were drinking. Getting drunk, yes or no. Number three was Ben. Hey, Dan, King of Syria killed in battle with a Hab. No, Not in. Not in the first battle.
And not in the second battle. No, he was not. Why did question number four, why did this or why did I keep wanting to say us? Syrians. Why did the Syrians want to fight Israel on the plane rather than in the mountains?<inaudible> Not because the plane will be bigger. They thought that God was the God of what? The Hills.
God of the mountains. So they said, we’ll fight them in the plane because then their God can’t help them. They’re at number five. Question number five. At the turn of the year when the Syrians returned to Ahab for battle, who had the larger number of troops, the Syrians or the Israelites? The Syrians, Uh, question six, who guided a hub in his battles with the Syrians?<inaudible> Who guided Ahab?
God did All right. Question seven. First Kings chapter 20, verse 42, the prophet told Ahab that his punishment for letting the Syrian King escape would be His own life and The life of the people. Okay. Thank you for your attention. And we’re going to have another song. Oh my. Uh, I’m, I’m being reminded, uh, everyone who may or may not have seen the email,
uh, Sylvia is home. Um, she did end up having two strokes, one on Thursday and another one on Saturday. Uh, but Sylvia is home, uh, talk to her today and she said, I’m not doing anything other than sitting in this chair because my daughter said I’m not allowed to do anything other than sit in this chair. Uh,
so she did say if you wanted to call you, you would be welcome to call because she said, I’m not doing anything other than sitting in this chair. So, uh, keep Sylvia in your prayers. Um, hopefully she continues to do better and, uh, has no continuing issues and, um, be with all those who have been mentioned in previous weeks that are dealing with<inaudible>,
those who, um, uh, have been injured as well as those dealing with other, uh, longterm illnesses as well. So we’re going to have a closing song and a closing prayer. Thank you for your attention.<inaudible> Our closing song will be number 738. Take the name of Jesus with you. Take the name of Jesus with you. Take The name of Jesus with you.
Child of sorrow and<inaudible>. Well, joy and comfort gave you take it then where you<inaudible> Precious. Yay.<inaudible><inaudible> Uh, Precious<inaudible>, No house.<inaudible><inaudible> take the name of Jesus<inaudible> Uh, as a shim from every<inaudible> If temptations around you.<inaudible> Breed that Holy name and<inaudible> Precious. Yay. Oh, house<inaudible> Oh,<inaudible><inaudible> Precious A house.<inaudible> Oh<inaudible> Yeah.
Oh, the precious name. Huh?<inaudible> Us, uh, thrills our souls with<inaudible> When his loving arms reach<inaudible> Us and his sons aren’t tongues. Oh, sorry.<inaudible><inaudible> Oh<inaudible> Oh.<inaudible><inaudible> Yes.<inaudible> Oh, house<inaudible> Oh.<inaudible> Uh, Let us pray. A father in heaven, great and powerful is your name.
We are thankful for you and we were reminded each day of how you care for us. And you take a, and you love us and, and always bless us each day we pray that you be with those that we have mentioned and that are not feeling well and not doing well. I may have lost loved ones and pray that you bring, give them comfort.
We’re thankful that Sylvia’s home and pray that you’d be with her and, and she will get better soon. We thank you for your word that we can go to and to study, to look at examples like Ahab and learn from his mistakes that he made, the things that he chose to do. And we pray that we will strive to always trust you and what you say and to follow your word.
We thank you always for what you bless us with each day. Be with us as we go through the rest of this week. And Jesus. Amen.
<inaudible><inaudible> Good morning. Welcome to the Collierville church of Christ Sunday morning streaming live stream service. We do have a few with us here this morning. It’s great to see each and every one of you. Glad that you were able to venture out. And for those of you that were unable to make it out this morning, we truly understand that you are staying home to be safe.
It’s unprecedented times that we’re living in, but we know that our good Lord above and we’ll take care of each and every one of us. I have several announcements this morning and they are in no particular order, so bear with me as I get through these. I was joking with Aaron before us. I think I got everything from the start to finish the service today with these announcements.
We want to, uh, congratulate the Kali and Gil’s Bach family in the birth of a new great granddaughter, Eliza Jane. She was born on Friday. The Potter’s Chilton home pantry item for the month of may is bottled water Beverley price. Her father passed away this past week on Thursday. I do believe it was Marvin. Man, there will be a private funeral service for uh,
Marvin man. This week. Uh, our sick Ruby Brad has stage four neuro, uh, blastoma which has stems, uh, doing some STEM cell surgery for that. She is back home, so please keep, uh, Ruby in her prayers. Joan Springer is still dealing with pneumonia, so please keep her in your prayers. Janell Grizzard who is Janet Jones,
his oldest daughter was diagnosed with liver cancer, so please keep Janell and Janet and that entire family and your thoughts and prayers. They’re going to need all the thoughts and prayers that they can get at this time as they work on dealing with what a course of action the medical professionals are going to deal with for her. Paul Montgomery deletes his dad is at home recovering from his ankle surgery and getting better.
Roger Wright, who is a preacher in Indiana, has been diagnosed with cancer, so please keep Roger and his family and your thoughts and prayers. Josh Howe, who was a preacher in Oklahoma, was in a bad car accident. He has 16 broken ribs, so please keep him your thoughts and prayers. Sylvia pass, as most of you probably know from the email that went out earlier this week,
had a stroke, a mini stroke. She did suffer a second stroke yesterday and she’ll, she is back in the hospital. So please keep Sylvia and her entire family and your thoughts and prayers. Uh, Susan MacDonald’s father Tom Boyett, who is a minister for the Pennington ban church of Christ in Nashville, passed away this past Wednesday. Susan and Adam McDonnell used to be members here at Colleyville church.
Christ. So we ask that you please keep each and every one of these and your thoughts and prayers as we go through our week. And again, welcome to our Sunday morning service. Thank you.<inaudible><inaudible> And uh, as we dream, we see, uh, Uh, Uh, Uh, He And uh, nah, fuck me.<inaudible> Right.
Well, a dad, man.<inaudible> Uh, My one Bri chain, um,<inaudible> Uh huh. Mmm<inaudible>. He, As we prepare to partake in the celebration of the death of our Lord Jesus Christ, let each and every one of us go to our father in prayer. God, our father in heaven. We come to you at this time thanking you for having sent your son,
Jesus, to live here on earth, to teach us and show us the way that we should live as Christians. But most importantly, we thank you for sacrificing your son. And as we prepare to partake of this bread which represents his body, help each and every one of us remember what he truly sacrificed as he hung on that cruel cross at Calvary.
We pray this in your son, Jesus’ name. Amen.<inaudible> Let us continue in prayer. God, our father in heaven. As we prepare to partake of this fruit of the vine which represents the blood that Jesus said shed for us so that our sins may be washed away. Help us to remember and concentrate and think on that fact of what he truly did for us and that was sacrifice his life so that we may one day have an opportunity to live with you in eternity.
We pray this through your son, Jesus name. Amen.<inaudible> Separate and apart. We are commanded in the Bible to give back, so let us pray. God, our father in heaven. We know everything comes from you and through you. And at this time was we prepared to give back a portion of what we’ve been blessed with. We ask that you help each and every one of us do it with true,
truly cheerful hearts, and that you help the men of this congregation make wise decisions on how these monies should be used to better the spread of your word and your kingdom here on earth. We pray all this in your son. Jesus’ name. Amen.<inaudible> The song before our lesson will be number 450. Give me the Bible. Give me the Bible.
Give me the Bible star of gladness. Gleam me into cheer though.<inaudible> no. Post Ken. Hi dad. Read and speak. Small beam mean since Jesus came to seek and save the us gave me the Holy message. Uh, I need, uh, in light show guide me in a narrow way. Hey,<inaudible> to notch out.<inaudible><inaudible> my heart is bro hook and when’s,
and then grieve. Half filled my soul with<inaudible> gave me the precious words by Jesus. Oh God. Oh God. Face to face. I save your knee. Give me the BA ball. Holy message. Uh, I need, uh, I light shout God, Me and a narrow, Hey Priests, Dan<inaudible><inaudible> to nine sharp<inaudible> Any turn off?<inaudible> Gave me the<inaudible> Or<inaudible><inaudible> by the up<inaudible> from heaven shining.
Oh or Sean, The glory gilding. Jordan<inaudible> Give me the<inaudible> Holy message. A name<inaudible> Me and a narrow Priests. Dan<inaudible>. No. And uh, I’ve come ah, I need to catch up The news. Annie, turn off.<inaudible><inaudible> Good morning. It’s good to see everyone. We’ve got a few here, which is great.
And uh, I’m going to try to figure Out how to preach this direction in this direction. So hopefully I can do that. It was good to see everyone here this morning and, and good to have you that are watching online and we can’t wait until we have everyone back together. I want us to think about what it would be like to receive a letter.
And this letter is not no ordinary letter, but this letter has written in it the good and bad things that you have done in your life. Imagine receiving that type of letter that knew everything, knew every detail, it gave you encouragement, but it also told you what you needed to work on. That’s what the letters to the seven churches of Asia was like.
Our Lord wrote these letters to them. There were some condemnation and there were some commendation for the things that they had done. And it’s interesting what we can learn from these letters. We know as Hebrews chapter four and verse 12 through 13 States for the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing division of soul and spirit and of joints and Morrow and his discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
And there is no creature hidden from his side. But all things are naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. God knows everything. God knew these congregations. He knew what they needed and what things that they had done. And it’s interesting. If you look at the first part, go to revelation. Chapter two is where we’re going to be this morning.
Revelation chapter two and three be noticed the beginning of every letter. For example, look at verse revelation two one 32 says the two, the angel of the church of Ephesus write these things, says he who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden golden lampstands. I know your works. That phrase is used repeated every two EV in every letter.
I know that works. Think about that statement to someone that’s living right. That’s a great thing to hear, right? You know most people may not know the things that you do. It may not be seen, but God knows and that’s a great thing to hear those words. I know that works, but for someone that’s not living right, for someone that’s thinking that people don’t know what I’m doing,
God knows it’s a scary thing. That’s what it would be like to receive this letter from our Lord this morning. I want to look at some lessons that we can learn from the seven churches of Asia. The first one we can learn is that we should remember our first love. Let’s look at the first congregation. This is emphasis. We already read verse one let’s start in verse two.
It says, I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil and you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not and have found them liars and you have persevered and have patience and have labored for my namesake and have not become weary. This is a congregation that the Lord starts out with a commendation.
He’s saying, you guys have done great works. He lists seven things that they had done. They were great. They were a congregation strong against false doctrine. They tested those who said they were apostles. They tested them by seeing if they were not. They were a congregation continuing to labor for the Lord, but there was another thing. Look at the next verse.
Verse four. Nevertheless, I have this against you that you have left your first love. This congregation. If you read in the book of Ephesians, they were strong for the Lord. They had a great love for the Lord, but they had lost that first love. They had done many works. They continue to labor for the Lord, but their heart was not in it.
They did not have the love that they should. Think about it in a husband and wife situation, you have a husband and wife who feel that they need to keep that marriage together, whether it be for kids, their children, or the obligation to stay together, but they don’t truly love one another. We can do works. We can do go through the motions of life,
go attend to services and and do good things for other people, but if we do not have love, it’s not worth anything. That’s what Paul tells us. Go to first Corinthians chapter 13 First Corinthians chapter 13 in verse one through three Paul speaking here says, no, I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not love. I have become sounding brass or a Chang lean symbol,
and though I have a gift, the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains but have not love, I am nothing. Paul was able to speak any language. He was able to, Hey, I had the faith to move mountains, but yet if he did not have the truly have love,
It was worth nothing. Look at verse three and though I was still all my goods to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned but have not love it profits me. Nothing. You’re saying that if I give, if I give my my wealth to others and help those that are not led, that are less fortunate, I’ve done all of these great things,
but if I don’t have love, it’s not worth anything. What if I give my life up for the Lord but I don’t have love? That’s worth nothing. Matthew chapter 22 verse 37 through 39 it tells us that I shall love the Lord thy God with all their heart. With all his soul. Follow your mind. And with all our strength, our first love is Christ is his God.
If we do not have that love, we not love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We’re just going through the motions. We’re just attending services, doing things for others just because we feel like we’re obligated to do that. We have to do that. We should have a true love for the Lord. So you get back to that point,
go back to revelation chapter two so you get back to that point. Look at verse five remember therefore from where you have fallen, repent and do the first worse or else I will come quickly and remove your lampstand from its place. Unless you repent. Go back to rekindle that love you have for the Lord. If we have lost that first love, we need to study his word.
Look at what Christ has done for us and have that true love. So the first thing we can learn is that we should remember our first love. But then the next thing is that we learn in revelation chapter two verse eight through 11 we learned from the church at Smyrna. Now Smyrna, we learned that no matter the status we have in this life,
we are rich in Christ. Smyrna was one of those congregations that didn’t receive any condemnation at all. They were a congregation working hard, striving for the Lord, and we can learn from them that we are, we have a live rich in Christ. Yo read with me, verse eight into the angel of the church in Smyrna, write these things, says the first and the last who was dead and came to life.
I know your works, tribulation and poverty, but you are rich. And I know the blasts, mini blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not but are a synagogue of Satan. The Jews troubled the Christians wherever they went. And in Smyrna, this was a place where the Jews worked hard to make the lives of Christians miserable. Even to the point where Jesus says here that they are a synagogue of Satan and they were persecuted day in and day out.
And not only that, they were in poverty, they had nothing. We don’t know what caused that. It could be the fact that they were not able to sell their goods. They don’t not work, be able to provide for their families like they needed, but they were in strict, they were in terrible poverty, but yet, notice what Jesus says they were in poverty.
But you are rich. These men though they were greatly persecuted as these people and as Christians in this congregation, though they were greatly persecuted and though they were very poor physically, they were the richest men in the world because they were Christians. They had a great blessings, great blessings, spiritual blessings. Look at second Corinthians, Second Corinthians chapter six Paul is talking here in verse four but notice what Paul says,
but in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God and in much patience and tribulations and needs and distresses in stripes and imprisonments and two mullets and labors and sleeplessness in fastings by purity, by knowledge, by long suffering, by kindness, by the Holy spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God. By the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left by honor and dishonor by evil report and good report as deceivers and yet true as a known and yet well known as dying and behold,
we live as chastened and yet not killed as sorrowful. Ye always rejoice as poor, yet making many rich as having nothing and yet zesting all things. Paula understood that the things in this life meant nothing because the gospel made them rich. Spiritually. Think about those riches. Go over just another chapter or chapter eight in verse nine Paul States again for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich. Ephesians chapter one in verse three blessed be the Lord. Let’s be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings and heavenly places in Christ. No matter what status in life we have rich or poor,
we are rich because we are Christians. We have great eternal blessings. We learned that from the congregation at Smyrna and that was an encouragement to them. Go back to chapter two, One of the most famous verses that we use a lot in verse 10 but in the context they were dealing with great persecution and what is, look at this occurring moment for them.
Verse 10 do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer, and Dee, the devil is about to throw some of you in a prison that you may be tested and you will have tribulation 10 days, 10 days means complete. They’re going to have great tribulation and persecution they’re going to deal with, but notice be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life.
They were going to receive a great, great blessing. Eternal life. We are rich and in Christ, so we’ll know. Not only do we learn the no matter the status we have in this life, we are rich in Christ, but notice next that in a world of sin we can still be a shining light. Let’s look at Pergamum chapter two starting in verse 12 says into the angel of the church in Paramus writes these things,
say, says he who has a sharp twoedged sword. I know your works and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is, and you hold fast to my name. It did not deny my faith. Even in the days when Antipas was my faithful martyr who was killed among you where Satan dwells. Now, Pergamon was a congregation that received a commendation and a condemnation.
The condemnation was the fact that they, they did not deal with those that were holding to false doctrine, that were teaching false doctrine. And Jesus tells them they need to fix that. But he starts out by telling them, you have a great, you have endured a great amount of persecution there. Now, Pergamum was an area, it was a set up on a very high Hill and in Pergamum there was tons and tons of different temples and worshiping the different idols.
This city was given over to idolatry. There was the, uh, Pergamum was the first place to have a temple dedicated to emperor Augustus. So they had emperor worship in Pergamum on top of the Hill and the edge of the cliff where you could see down through the Valley there was a temple of Zeus and it was known as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
At that time was this massive building that was shaped like a seat. Jesus was referring to that temple that they saw that they could see from all over this Valley at temple of Zeus, Satan’s seat. Even with all of that evil that was going on with them. I imagine the practices and the wickedness that was going on, it would make today in our community seemed like nothing but yet they still had a shining light.
Go to Matthew chapter five and Jesus his sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter five notice what Jesus says in verse 13 Matthew chapter five verse 13 through 16 you are a salt of the earth, but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is in good for nothing to be thrown out and trampled under foot of men. Ye you are the light of the world.
A city is set on a Hill that cannot be hid. Think about that. A city that’s set on a Hill that cannot be hid. What was one thing in Pergamum that was set upon the Hill that could not be here, that could be seen from all around? That was the temple to Zeus. Yet Jesus says, you are the lie of the world.
They were that shining light in Pergamum. They endured great persecution and continue to stand by the name of the Lord. They endured persecution and proclaim the Lord Jesus instead of Lord Caesar. You know, do we think about, do we think sin is so rampant in our society? Is today that we think there’s no way that the gospel can reach certain people’s hearts?
A lot of times we think, well, things are just getting so bad. I don’t see how anybody would receive the gospel. Cool. Do we not understand the power of the gospel? Romans chapter one verse 16 for I’m not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is a power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
The gospel has great power, but notice was we started out reading Hebrews chapter four verse 12 through 13 the word of God pierces every, Yeah, They may reject, they may accept it, but it reaches every. So yeah, We learn from program. No matter what is going on in our communities, we can still be a shining light. Next,
we can learn from the next congregation in verse 18 Revelation chapter two in verse 18 notice Thyratira we learn we should never reach a point where we level off in our Christianity. Look with verse 18 it says, until the angel of the church in thyre tire, right these things says the son of God who has eyes like a flame of fire and his feet like fine brass.
I know your works, love service, faith and your patients and as for your works, the last are more than the first. Here again, another congregation like Pergamum, they received commendations starting out, but there was also condemnation but we’re going to look at the commendation. The condemnation was they had a woman that was like Jessebelle. Her name was not bell.
But if we are member Jaz a bell in the old Testament, in the Northern kingdom, the queen of the Northern kingdom, what Eagle, Eagle, evil and wicked thing she was doing. This woman was seducing people to do terrible and moral things and they needed to deal with her and they hadn’t. But he starts out by saying, you are a congregation that you’re worse.
The last are more than the first. Think about when we become a Christian, we have great zeal, don’t we? We have that fire. I’m a Christian. I look what I have found. We have that great zeal and fire this that helps us to be excited and to tell others about our Christianity and the things that we have. W we’ve just learned.
But after a time, a lot of times that fire kind of dwindles down the honeymoon’s over in a sense. And over time our Christianity can level off if we’re not careful. But notice this congregation didn’t, they had a fire that was greater than it was at the beginning. Their works were increasing, increasing in the Lord incur in, in it loves that.
And tells them he he’s glad that they are doing that. When we become a Christian, we have to continue to grow in our desire and love for the Lord. Go to fests. First Thessalonians, First Thessalonians chapter four the Fessel and Aikins were a congregation that were full of love. They were known throughout Macedonia, how their love, their great works,
their faith, and Paul heard of their faith. He had not spent much time with them. But notice what it says in verse nine but concerning brotherly love, you have no need that I should write to you. For you, yourselves are taught by God to love one another and indeed you do so toward all brethren who are in Macedonia. But we urge you,
brethren, that you increase more and more, that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, to work with your own hands as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside and that you may lack nothing. They had great brotherly love. They had displayed that, but Paul tells them, don’t stop,
don’t level off. Don’t stay right there, but increase your love. Continue to go forward and increase that love. Think about this. Take a look at your life and ask the question. This is a question I should ask myself. Have I increased in my zeal for the Lord since I became a Christian? Have I leveled off? If we have,
we need to make that change to continue to grow and to do more worse and to love the Lord even more. We learn from Thyratira that we should never reach a point where we level off in our Christianity. Now let’s go to chapter three of revelation. We learn another thing. This is the church at Sardis. Now, Sardis has a great rich history,
but read the first part here. It says into the angel of the church in Sardis writes these things. Say he who has seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your works, that you have a name, that you are alive, but you are dead. Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die for.
I have not found your works perfect before God. Remember therefore how you received and heard, hold fast and repent. Therefore, if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. We learned from Sardis that we need to always be ready. Sardis has a really interesting history,
so artists was very arrogant. They thought that they would never be conquered. They were almost, they were pretty much on a mountain. The city was built around with the walls, right on the edges of the cliff, so there was a hole. It was really difficult to try to get into that city and conquer them. They thought they were in there.
Nobody had ever conquered, but Cyrus the Persian King of Persia and five 49 was standing outside this city with his army surrounding it and they were trying to figure out how to get in. One night, one of the soldiers on the wall dropped his helmet over the wall and they watched him come down a goat path to get his helmet and go right back up that night.
They let a band of soldiers right up that path. That was unguarded cause they were not watching and conquered the city. Jesus used head example to tell them, you’re not ready. You’re not watching. You think everything’s fine. You’re not prepared. Just like in their history, they were not prepared. We need to be ready. They were a dying church.
Notice they were not dead yet, but they were close. Their light. Their candlestick was dim, but they could revive themselves. They could come back, but they needed to prepare, be prepared, be ready. Second Peter, chapter three in verse 10 and first Thessalonians five and verse two says the same thing, that he is going to come as a thief in the night just as he says here,
they needed to be ready just like us. We need to be prepared for the Lord to come. We don’t know when he, when he will come back. We need to always be ready in revel. In verse four revelation three says you have a few names even in Sardis who had not defiled their garments and they shall walk with me in white for they are worthy.
There were still a few that followed God there in that congregation and they could help to recharge them, to get them back on track. So we learn we need to always be ready. Next we can learn. Verse seven from the church at Philadelphia, that strength of a congregation is not in its numbers. Look at verse seven and to the angel of the church in Philadelphia,
write these things, says he who is Holy, he who is true. He who has the key of David. He who opens and no one shuts and shuts and no one opens. I know your works. See I have set before you an open door and no one can shut it for you. Have a little strength. Have kept my word and have done not have not denied my name.
Philadelphia was the second congregation. They never received a common, common condemnation. They were living right and they received encouragement. They were a congregation that was little and strength. Notice what it said, they’re a little in strength. They were small in numbers, but yet they were doing great works. How many times a day we hear that we’re just too small.
We just can’t do a lot. Had Jesus commends them for how much they had been doing because they were small in numbers, but that small number had great string. They were doing a lot. Think about what they could do. Notice that the Lord said that I opened a door onto you. Philadelphia was in the borders of other regions and they were kind of the hub of the spreading of Greek culture.
There was an open door to the Greek culture to all these areas around them and yet they could use that opportunity, that open door to spread the gospel, which they did. Did. How many doors are open to us in this congregation? Think about the things that are going on in this pandemic. People are online more. They can see these videos,
we can show them these live streams. We can send them other videos from PTP, other different areas to help encourage them. People are thinking about God. We can use that open door to spread the gospel. Think about Paul and cloth and Sceptre four and Colossians chapter four. Notice in verse two and three it says continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant and all in it with Thanksgiving.
Meanwhile, praying also for us that God will open to us a door for the word to speak, the mystery of Christ for which I am also in chains. Paul is in prison. He is in chains. He is not able to leave yet. He prays that that he can have an open door If you would think that’s an obstacle. I mean if there’s an obstacle in front of us,
Paul had an obstacle Stickle he was in prison. He couldn’t leave yet. He wanted an open door, which he did. He wrote several letters from the prison. We can do the same. We can take and grab a hold of our opportunities that come before us. The last one we’ll notice. Go back to revelation chapter three Not only do we see that the strength of a congregation is not,
it’s an in its numbers, but we need to learn to be careful not to get stuck in a rut. Lay out of see as the last congregation that’s looked at here and look at verse 14 it says into the angel of the church, to the church, to the angel of the church of the layout of CDNs writes these things, say the amen.
The faithful and the true witness is the beginning of the creation of God. I know your works. That’s you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish that you were cold or hot, so then because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth because you say I am rich. I become wealthy and have need of nothing and do not and do not know that you are wretched,
miserable, poor, blind and naked. They were a congregation that was blind to what was going on to what their true state was. The city of Laodicea was in a Valley called the likeness Valley. You have higher Opolis on one side and you had Pergamon on the other side and in higher Opolis there was hot water Springs that would feed a river that would go towards later layout of SIA and the water was hot when it left there,
but when it got to lay out to sea, it was lukewarm. Jesus used that example of that Luke warm water to describe them. They were a very rich city. They were probably one of the richest cities and during that time had medicine. They dealt in a lot of medicine, had an eye SAF that they would sell. There was a black wool of the sheep that were in the Valley that they would make expensive garments and sell.
They were comfortable in their wealth. They were comfortable in their state. They didn’t think they needed to do anything. They were stuck in a rut. That’s what lukewarm means to be stuck in a rut. Can a congregation reach a point where they seem like they don’t care to grow? There’s a lot of congregations in the world today that they’re comfortable where they’re at.
Their numbers keep dropping, but they’re comfortable. They say, we don’t need to do any more. We’re fine. We don’t. We don’t need to increase. We don’t need to evangelize. We don’t need to work out in the community at all. That’s where this congregation was at. And Jesus said, I want to spew you out of my mouth because they were lukewarm.
They let their wealth make them feel comfortable that they didn’t need to do anymore. And we can easily get into that rut. And we need to be careful of that. We need to learn from the example of a layout of CDNs to not get stuck in that kind of rut. So this morning we have learned many valuable lessons. There’s so much information in the seven churches of Asia.
I wish we could cover, but we learn one thing, valuable thing from each one of these congregations. We learned that we should not forget our first love, which is Christ, and that we should not just go through these motions, do not just feel like what we need to do these things because we’re obligated to, but have a true love for God and a true love to do his work.
We learned that no matter what happens in this life, physically, we are richer than we can ever imagine spiritually because we’re in Christ, that we’ve learned that through the world though the world around us seems wicked. We can still make a difference by shining our lights throughout the world and throughout our communities. We learned that we should not reach a point where we think we have made it,
but yet we should always continue to grow and to do good works. We learned that we need to make sure that we are ready because we don’t know when the Lord will come. Though our congregation is small here, we can do a lot of great things, can’t we? There’s a lot of open doors for us and then last we learned that we need to make sure we do not get stuck in a rut,
but always continue to grow. It’s interesting how Christ ended each one of these letters. He started each letter by saying, I know VI works, but he ends each letter with this phrase. He who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches. They had a choice. They could listen, they could listen to this letter,
they could hear it and obey it and change what they were doing or they could reject it. The choice was there and the choice is ours. As we read these examples of these congregations, each one of each congregation today can fit somewhere in these seven examples. Are we going to listen? Are we going to learn from what we read? I pray that we do and I pray.
If you are not a Christian that you will think about your salvation, where you’re at. As we read, the Lord will come as a thief in the night. A thief does not tell you. He does not call you before and say, Hey, I’m coming tonight at nine o’clock he comes when you want to expect, when you don’t expect him,
the Lord will come back and we don’t expect and we may die. Something may happen to us and if we’re not ready, we’re not going to be in heaven. Where are you at? Have you made that choice to put on Christ and baptism to be forgiven of your sins? That only happens through following his plan of salvation. To hear the word and to believe it,
to repent, to have true repentance, have a change of mind and a change of action. Acts chapter three in verse 19 to confess that Jesus Christ is the son of God. Romans chapter 10 verse 10 and to be baptized, to have your sins washed away, it’s acts chapter two in verse 38 tells us, have you done that? If not,
don’t put it off. Contact us, contact Erin or Ryan, we will study more with you and we will work with you. Or if you’ve listened this morning and you fit one of these categories that needs to have some changes or pray that you make those changes today. And don’t wait. Thank you for your attention and for your time this morning.<inaudible> Song before our closing prayer will be number 454 rock of ages,
rock of ages. Okay. Rock<inaudible> On me. Nah.<inaudible> Nice. Then the<inaudible> from<inaudible> side, which<inaudible> be a sin. Uh, duh.<inaudible> Cleanse me from<inaudible>. Not<inaudible>. My hands can fulfill the laws.<inaudible><inaudible> no good mind.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> did not. Oh No ma’am.<inaudible> then<inaudible> Nothing.<inaudible><inaudible> Sam please.<inaudible> No cross<inaudible> Naked the farm<inaudible> a plus to the far gray.
Hey, a lie to a fountain.<inaudible> wash Me.<inaudible> Alright.<inaudible><inaudible> Let us pray. Gracious father in heaven, we come before you at this time. Grateful for the day that you’ve given to us. Grateful for the opportunity that we have to worship you. We pray that our worship is in spirit and in truth. We are mindful of those who have lost loved ones in recent days and we know there are so many that have lost loved ones as a result of the Corona virus and other illnesses.
We pray that you will be with them and give them comfort and may they seek that comfort through your word. So we go through our lives. May we daily strive to put you first, to look for opportunities to serve, to do good to others, to be kind to others, to speak in a way that uplifts and edifies instead of tearing down.
We thank you for the lesson that we have heard this morning lesson concerning how we should live as Christians and operate and function as a church. We pray that we might implement these things to a greater degree and to a better manner in our own daily walks and in the body of Christ here in Collierville. We pray for the church here and we pray for the church throughout the world that it may be a strong light and encouragement and a hard time,
but that it will also be ready to be a strong light in the days to come. We know there are many things that we do not understand and will not fully comprehend for years. The impact of some choices that will be made in the coming days and months in this nation and in others, but we pray that we might always focus on the primary goal and that is reaching heaven and taking as many with us as we can.
Lord, we ask that you forgive us when we sin and fall short of your glory. Help us daily to strive to walk in the light as you were in the light. All this we pray in Jesus name. Amen.
<inaudible> one, two. Testing. One, two. Testing. One, two. Good evening. Can you hear me?
Yep, we got it. All right. Good evening. Welcome to the live stream or of our Bible class at the Collierville church of Christ.
We are glad that you can be with us tonight online. And, uh, we were going to start out this evening.
We’ll have a song opening prayer and then we’ll have class and then a closing song. If you have any announcements,
any prayer requests, please send a text to Aaron or I or Tommy and, uh, we will get it on our,
at the end of the livestream this evening. We will start singing our first song, the night be let the lower lights be burning.
Let the lower lights be burning. Yeah. Bradley AB father’s mercy. See for ’em is<inaudible>, but to a<inaudible><inaudible> uh,<inaudible><inaudible> sin a cross.<inaudible><inaudible> yeah,
man.<inaudible><inaudible> the a bang.<inaudible><inaudible> for the lights. Uh, um, uh,<inaudible> uh,
uh,<inaudible><inaudible> Cindy<inaudible> cross.<inaudible><inaudible> you man, harass you.<inaudible><inaudible> I see.<inaudible> the,
so pause.<inaudible> yeah.<inaudible> sure. Uh,<inaudible> uh,<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Cindy<inaudible> a cross<inaudible> so<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> let us pray our father in heaven,
we are thankful for you and your blessings and your love that you can care you have for us. We were reminded each day of how you watch over us and you protect us and take care of us.
We are thankful for the opportunity to come to you in prayer with the things that are on our minds.
Be with those that are struggling with illness at this time that are stuck at home because of this virus and be with them,
comfort them and pray that we can be an encouragement to you. We are thankful that we can still do what we are doing with our live stream,
with the technology that we have today and we are thankful that we can still study your word even though we are far away from each other.
We pray that you be with those that are dealing with a loss of loved ones, be with the Cooper family and comfort them and pray that you watch over them through this hard time.
Thank you so much for what Christ has done and his sacrifice and his love and care for us to come to this earth and to die and to be on the cross where we should have been.
We pray that we strive each day to shine our lights throughout the world, especially during a time where people are more focused on spiritual things,
that we can be that shining light to them. We pray that you continue to be with us as we go through our study here this evening.
As you, we do pray. Amen.<inaudible> I was joking with Tommy and Eric earlier as to whether or not I should have my iPad up here that had a clock on it so I’d know what time it was when I went 50 minutes.
And uh, they, they both indicated I should actually, uh, just allow them to ring the bell.
Uh, and so we’ll see if you hear a bell ring and you, you’ll know they decided I went too long.
We are in first Kings chapter 19. In our studies this evening as we continue with our series of studies on the life of aligned ship,
uh, uh, Elijah’s life and, and the record of his life as is found here in first Kings,
uh, beginning in chapter 17. As he comes on the scene, chapter 18, you have the confrontation between him and the 450 prophets of bale.
You find the, the rain returns to the land of, um, the Northern kingdom of Israel. After three years where it hasn’t rained,
there’s been no Dew on the ground. The economy’s destroyed the, uh, the, the plant life and,
and the harvest and, and the agriculture is destroyed. People have died. I mean, all of this is in desolation.
And then you have the confrontation on the top of Mount Carmel. God establishes with clarity that he is the Lord,
that he alone is the Lord. That bale has no power whatsoever, that the profits of bail are completely fault and they will die at the end of,
uh, the encounter with Alijah. The people and Alijah will put them to death. And we noticed that,
that it was in complete accordance with the law of Moses in Deuteronomy chapter 13 tells us that one who seeks to draw Israel away from the Lord,
one who makes a prophecy and that prophecy doesn’t come to pass, one who claims to represent another God and it’s not Jehovah.
That individual was to be put to death. And so the enactment of the execution of these individuals was in accordance with the law,
whether or not the King was willing to go along with it or not. Now it’s interesting to know that Ahab’s present and he doesn’t stop it,
but I don’t think he would have succeeded in stopping it had he tried then, uh, when the confrontation is over,
Elijah tells a Hab. Do you hear the sound? The sound of the rain? And he tells a house to go and to go home and he will,
Elijah will go up to Mount Carmel and he will pray for, and each time that he prays, he’ll send his servant to go look out into over the ocean and sea or the over the sea divine out.
Whether or not there are any clouds. First time, nothing. Second time, nothing. Third time,
fourth time, fifth time, six times, nothing. Seventh time the servant comes back and says, I see a small plowed or rising out of the sea.
That’s when Alijah sends his servant to go tell a Hab. You better get home now because the rain is coming.
And then Elijah through the power of the Lord will arrive at Jezreel before a Hab will, even though Ahab will be on a chariot and Elijah will be on foot.
That’s where we pick up in chapter 19 in chapter 19 we find the prophet who scaled the mountain of mountain Carmel will be decimated into the Valley of despair and we’ll confront God at Mount Sinai.
And there are some incredibly powerful lessons to be found here in first Kings chapter 19 but there are also many things that are misinterpreted and and miss taught from these verses.
So we’ll try and cover some of those as we go along. Chapter 19 verse one and Ahab told Jezebel all that aligned you had done also how he had executed the prophets with the sword.
Then Jessebelle sent a messenger to align. Just saying, so let the gods do to me. And more.
Also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time,
Ahab comes home and he tells Jezza bell. Um, you know, those 450 prophets of bale that came probably came with you from,
from uh, uh, Sidon from your father. Uh, those profits that, that came to, to Israel,
um, they’re all dead now. How did they die? A logic killed them. And so jazzy Bell’s response being the,
the thoughtful and, and con, uh, you know, very self conscious person that she was decided to send a messenger to Elijah saying you’re dying before the day’s out.
But just like her prophet whose prophecies were wrong, so was hers and her Val that she made before her God was as good as the profits statements that came from bail.
And that is, it wasn’t kept either. Elijah though will flee. Verse three, we read. And when he saw that he arose and ran for his life and went to bear Sheba,
which belongs to Judah and left his servant there. So Elijah leaves Jezreel, he goes across the border into the Southern kingdom of Israel,
the Southern kingdom of Judah, and arrives at, um, bear Sheba and then leaves his servant, the one who he sent to Ahab to tell him to go home.
The one who he sent to look out at the sea, the servant who’s been with him all this time,
he leaves him at that place. Um, some have questioned, and I think it’s because perhaps Josephus who,
who suggests that this servant is actually the son of the widow, uh, from chapter 18. Um,
or do you mean chapter 17? Uh, I don’t know that there’s any evidence to suggest that one way or another,
it’s simply just simply stated that Elijah has a servant. And so he leaves his servant behind there in Judah and continues on himself.
He goes, another day’s journey, verse four into the wilderness and came and sat down under a Juniper tree and he prayed that he might die and said,
it is enough now, Lord, take my life, or I am no better than my fathers. Alijah has just confronted 450 prophets of bale.
He has just confronted a how and now because of the animosity and the threat of one woman, Elijah has fled the land and sat down under a tree and asked God to take his life.
Now we find two other occasions, uh, that I know of for certain where prophets ask God to be done with them,
uh, to, to, to take their lives. One of them comes in the book of numbers.
Uh, if my memory serves me correctly, it’s numbers. Chapter 11, where Moses has, has just had it up to here with Israel and with their complaining and with their constant lust and desire for more and not being satisfied with what God has given them.
And they’re just growing this towards God and towards Moses. And he finally says, God, will you just kill me?
The second one is Jeremiah in Jeremiah chapter 20 verses 14 through 18 in that passage where Jeremiah talks about his desire to to stop prophesizing because the Lord is mighty and the Lord is awesome and the Lord is going to do all of this.
But in the meantime, Elijah is receiving such scorn and receiving such mistreatment at the hand of Israel. No one believes in which by the way,
the Lord told him at the beginning, no one would, but no one believes him in all of this.
He’s going through. He just said, God, could you just just kill me? The three things that you see that connect these three different profits and this expression that comes from them is frustration,
frustration and discouragement at the inability of the person, the mouthpiece, the prophet, to change the hearts and minds of the people.
And one of the things that you and I have to think about and you and I have to deal with on a regular basis,
is what do we do? How do we react when people don’t believe what God’s word says? Okay,
what is our reaction? What is our response? When we tell people and tell people and tell people and tell people and tell people and they simply won’t obey.
They won’t look at God’s word. They won’t change their life. They won’t return to him. They won’t repent and stop living in sin.
All of this is the real problem in Elijah’s mindset. Elijah’s running from his life, from the threat of Jezza rebel,
but aligned, just not falling down under the tree in despair because of the threat of jazz rebel and Elijah doesn’t really want to die.
If Elijah had wanted to die, he could have stayed there with jazz rebel and Jessebelle would have taken care of that for him.
She’d have been more than happy to remove his head from his shoulders. The problem isn’t Jesse Bell and the problem isn’t that he really wants to die.
The problem is discouragement. The problem is that Elijah, his focus has gotten into the wrong place and you and I,
as we go through our lives, we have to be careful that we don’t begin to put the focus in the wrong place aligned.
GIA just had one of the most victorious circumstances of his entire prophetic life and his despair comes when it didn’t turn out the way he thought it would.
Now we don’t have recorded here exactly what Elijah, his perspective was on how he fought this confrontation with the prophets of bale and and it wrote,
remember he also sent for the profits of Ashraf though they didn’t come. He there. There’s no indication of a clear indication of what he thought would happen as a result,
but he did confront the people and say, it’s time for you to choose. It’s time for you to decide if you’re going to worship bail or if you’re going to worship Jehovah.
That’s what the whole confrontation was about. Not the profits but the people, but now you find the influence of the leadership of the people specifically Jezza Bella Ahab is enough to turn back the tide against the people’s decision.
It is very hard to convince a multitude of people to repent when their leaders won’t. One of the things that you see over in the book of Jonah is when Jonah is sent to Nineveh,
it’s very interesting to point out and to notice that Jonah goes into the city of Nineveh and even though he’s reluctant to go,
he doesn’t want to go. He doesn’t want them to be saved. He goes in and he preaches the message that if in eight days they don’t repent,
they’ll be destroyed. And we read that their repentance was from the least all the way up to the greatest of them,
the entire spectrum of the people from greatest to least and everywhere in between, repented but not so in Israel.
A Hab witnessed the confrontation between the prophets of bale and Alijah and a halves perspective on Elijah has still not changed.
Hey, how has conf has seen this confrontation between the Lord and between bale and the Lord has proven that he is God and yet a Hab still tells Jesse Bell and still allows Jezza to threaten Elijah’s life.
The discouragement comes when we think we’re going to have success and then we don’t. But part of the problem is that definition of success and that’s where God is going to set a Lija correct.
Uh, straight. He is going to set Alijah straight on the definition of success. So Elijah says,
just kill me now. Uh, allow me to die, take my life or I am no better than my fathers.
Somewhere in aligned to his mind, he has a standard, he has a standard to compare himself to.
Um, maybe this is the standard of success that Elijah’s looking for. Maybe this is the indication that we have because Elijah’s saying all the prophets who came before me didn’t turn Israel around and I thought I was going to be different.
I fought, they were going to listen to me. I fought that the nation was going to repent and I’m no better than my fathers.
So I have what value am I? Okay. So perhaps that is what he is saying here. Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree,
suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, arise and eat. Then he looked and there by his head was a cake baked on coals and a jar of water.
So he ate and drank and lay down again. And the angel of the Lord came the second time and touched him and said,
arise and eat because the journey is too great for you. One of the factors that comes into discouragement is often exhaustion.
When you are exhausted, you don’t think straight. When you are exhausted, you begin to think about things differently than when you’re rested.
And the fact that Elijah wakes up is a woken by an angel eats and then goes back to sleep is a woken again,
eats it is an indication he is exhausted from fleeing the Northern kingdom of Israel. And from all of the events that have transpired,
uh, how long has it been since he ran from Mount Carmel all the way to Jezreel? We have no idea of,
but probably not very long. So all of this is taking place and Alijah is depleted by way of his,
his health, his resources, his energy, and, and now he’s still going, uh, or he’s about to be.
So the angel wakes him up and says, the journey is long and it is too great for you.
So he arose and ate and drank, and he went in the strength of that food, 40 days and 40 nights.
As far as Horeb, the mountain of God, Elijah leaves the Northern kingdom of Israel and he doesn’t go to Jerusalem.
He doesn’t go to the temple. He bypasses Judah completely and goes to Mount Sinai. Did God tell him to go there?
We don’t read that he did specifically, but the angel knows where he’s going. The angel knows where he’s headed and the angel says,
you’re not getting there on your resources. You’re not getting there on what you have prepared. You need more.
And so God provides for Elijah and Elijah goes in the strength 40 days, 40 nights as he goes to Horeb or Mount Sinai,
the mountain of God. And there he went into a cave and spent the night in that place. And behold,
the word of the Lord came to him and he, that is the Lord said to him, Elijah,
what are you doing here Elijah? Sometimes when we begin to attempt to escape our problems, we’re confronted with someone.
In this case, it’s the Lord with Alijah saying, what are you doing here? Why are you fleeing Elijah?
Why are you running away? The Northern kingdom of Israel is waiting on you. My people are up there.
You have just had this victorious event over the profits of bale. Elijah. What are you doing here?
But this is also for Elijah was sake. Not just because you know. Maybe the Lord doesn’t know why he’s there.
No, the Lord knows God wants a Lija to know why he’s there. What are you doing here,
Elijah and Elijah’s response and it’s interesting. We’re going to read this response twice verbatim word for word. Elijah’s fought through this.
Elijah knows why he’s there. Elijah knows why he’s, I mean you think about this. He’s been traveling for 40 plus days.
He left the land of Israel that day and he has stopped only to sleep and to eat and he’s come all the way to Mount Sinai.
He knows. He’s thought through. He’s all of this travel time to think about why isn’t he where he’s supposed to be?
You know kids do that right there. They’re not where they’re supposed to be and you go, child,
why are you here? And you see the wheels and their minds start turning is they conjure up an answer or they immediately respond with an answer,
which is when you know they’ve fought through why they’re where they’re not supposed to be you. They’ve actually given some thought to this.
All right, what’s my answer going to be when that asks why I’m here? Because here is not where I was told to be.
God told Elijah to go to Ahab. God said it’s time for the rain to come back. God told Elijah that it was time to confront the province of bale.
God didn’t tell Alijah to flee and so God wants a lie. Just explanation for why Elijah is at Mount Sinai.
So he said, verse 10 I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts, for the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant,
torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone them left and they seek to take my life in the midst of discouragement,
in the midst of despair, we often internalize and look at ourselves and focus on ourselves and lose perspective on reality.
Now, had Elijah been zealous for the Lord? Yes, he had had Israel torn down the altars of God.
Yes, they had had Israel killed the prophets of the Lord. Yes, they had all of the facts in that part of the statement were true,
but the conclusion that Elijah had come to because of those facts was blatantly false, but Elijah was only looking at Elijah.
Were there those in Israel’s seeking to take his life? Yes, there were, but was he the only one left and did Elijah?
No, he wasn’t the only one left. Some might think, and some might even say without stepping back and thinking about it,
well, Elijah has just come to the conclusion he’s the only one faithful Lord. No, this isn’t even true and Elijah knows it.
How do I know that? Turn back. Chapter 18 chapter 18 Alijah meets up with Obadiah, Obadiah the one who has hidden a hundred of the profits of,
of, of the Lord to save them from Jessebelle. He meets up with Obadiah and tells Obadiah, go tell,
Hey, have to meet me. Oh, but I have reveals to him and and apparently believes him to have already known that Obadiah saved the a hundred prophets of the Lord and that Obadiah is fear of the Lord from his youth.
If Obadiah is faithful and you have to assume the servant of aligners is faithful to then we know the statement from Alijah is an overstatement of the reality that Alijah knows to be true.
But when someone is in despair and when someone is, is discouraged, an overstatement of the truth is often what you’ll get because they feel like they’re the only ones.
They feel like I’m the only one doing anything. I’m the only one saving anybody. I’m the only one teaching anybody.
We’ve never heard a preacher say anything like that at a congregation. Have we? I’m the only one.
Rarely true. We need to be thinking about ourselves in view of God. And heres where God is going to confront Elijah.
Then he that is the Lord said, go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord. And behold the Lord passed by and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord.
But the Lord was not in the wind, but after the wind and earthquake. But the Lord was not in the earthquake.
Uh, and after the earthquake, a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. No where we get to where the Lord was.
What are the shared elements of these things? Shared elements. These are powerful. I mean, you’ve got,
you’ve got a wind that’s breaking rocks in pieces. This is, this is not, this is not,
you know, your casual nice summer breeze coming off the ocean. This is a wind that’s shattering the rocks and the mountains.
And if that wind was an impactful and dramatic and powerful enough, then you’ve got the, uh, the earthquake that comes.
And if the earthquake wasn’t enough, you’ve got fire that comes. But God’s not in the dramatic nor the powerful forces that are exhibited here.
Now, this is not to say God doesn’t use dramatic events, or God doesn’t do dramatic things, or God doesn’t show his power,
his greatness, his might go back to the plagues. Go back to the confrontation on Mount Carmel. All of these things are extremely powerful exhibits of God’s presence,
but God’s focusing on the profit. Now God’s teaching the profit, not the people. And the prophet needs to learn something important.
So then we read the remainder, uh, verse, well then after the earthquake, a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire and after the fire,
a still small voice. So it was when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave.
Suddenly a voice came to him and said, what are you doing here, Elijah? After all the powerful exhibit of God’s power,
majesty mite, and all of them, the presence of the Lord is not there. Yeah. Finally,
the presence of the Lord exhibited not with great power, not with great mind, but in a quiet voice.
This is not to imply, and this is not to proclaim it because this is the only time this occurs,
this way that we should be expecting to hear God in a still small voice or that anyone who claims they heard God in a still small voice actually did that.
That’s not what we’re supposed to learn here.<inaudible> God’s making a point about profits. God’s making a point about his influence and the way he works because all throughout Israel’s history there have been dramatic events and there’s been dramatic turns of events and there’s been dramatic things and none of those dramatic things have caused Israel to be faithful.
They crossed over the red sea and there was great rejoicing and not long after that they were complaining. They were saying,
you brought us into the wilderness to kill us and then God would provide them food from heaven and not later.
Not long after that, they’d be complaining that God brought them in the wilderness to kill them because they were tired of the dry bread.
And then God would provide water from a rock miraculously. Here’s water enough to to, to, to provide water for millions of people and all of their cattle.
And not long later they’re complaining again. The dramatic and powerful events that Israel would see would never turn their hearts to God.
But the quiet teaching and instruction of a prophet would now with Israel always repent. No often Israel would reject to the prophet,
but the message always conveyed God’s presence and fulfilled God’s purpose. You see, Elijah was successful when Alijah trusted the Lord and spoke his word Alijah was not successful when Alijah decided what the results of that were supposed to be.
That’s when Elijah became discouraged, when the results he wanted weren’t the results he got. So then notice what we read.
God again, says, what are you doing here, Elijah? And he said, I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts because the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant,
torn down the uh, your altars killed and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left and they seek to take my life.
Then the Lord said to him, go return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus and when you arrive annoying hazy L as King over Syria,
you notice there’s no dialogue back and forth between the Lord about Elijah’s perspective. None at all. God sets Alijah straight by telling Elijah,
get back to work. Your problem, okay is that you are focused on you, so I’m going to give you something to do.
I remind myself so many times of my self and my brothers growing up. Invariably we’d be home and this would happen a lot during the summer because we weren’t doing school.
We would come to mom and be like, Hey, we’re bored, so pitiful. We’re bored. Can we do this?
Can we watch TV? Can we, can we, we’re bored. Mom’s response was always 100% of the time.
If you’re bored, I can find something for you to do. Suddenly, we weren’t bored anymore. We could find something to do that didn’t involve chores and so we would go about our business.
But the problem was we had lost perspective. See, all the things that we chose to do after that moment in time were available to us to begin with.
All of those things were things we could have been doing, but we were too focused on us to see the opportunities to see the things that needed to be done.
God redirects Elijah’s focus back to work, back to Elijah’s purpose, because Alijah needed to remember that his job wasn’t determining success.
His job was doing the work, and that’s where you and I have to be. That’s where you and I have to get to in our hearts and minds in our Christian lives,
is determining our job is not to be the judges of success or failure. Our job is to be doing the work.
Okay, so then God says you go and on your way back. He doesn’t argue with Elijah that there’s somebody trying to kill him.
He doesn’t argue with Elijah that he might die. None of that’s under discussion. He just says you’re going back and on your way,
you’re going to Damascus. And by the way, this is going to set up our dis, our discussion of chapter 20 when he says go to go your way to the wilderness of Damascus.
And when you arrive, anoint hazy L as King over Syria. Also you shall anoint J Hugh, the son of Nimkee as King over Israel and Alicia,
this unashamed font of Abel may uh, may Hola as you shall you shall anoint as prophet in your place.
It shall be that whoever escapes the sort of hazy L J who with kit will kill and whoever escapes the sort of Jay who Elijah will kill.
Yet I ever reserved 7,000 in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to bale and every mouth that has not kissed him.
God says Elijah, you go and anoint the next King in Syria and then you go and anoint the next King in Israel.
By the way, just a reminder here from the Lord, he is not the Lord of one nation.
He is not the God of Israel. He is Jehovah. He is sovereign. When Jesus stands before pilot and says,
pilot, you could have no power except that we’re given you from above is the same point here. God says there’s a new King in Syria.
Go anoint him. Uh, just as it would be with David. When Samuel anoints David, it would be years before he ever comes to the throne,
but that didn’t matter. God said there’s the next King, because God is sovereign, not just in Israel,
but in Syria and every other nation as well. And God’s profits are sovereign in those nations. So God sends Elijah to go to Damascus and anoint the next King.
God sends Elijah to go annoys the next King of Israel. And God CEDS says to Elijah, you need help.
And so he sends him to Alicia. Uh, but he also reminds them, by the way, your statement was an overstatement.
I have 7,000 in Israel who haven’t bowed the knee to bail. I know who belongs to me. So then verse 19 so he departed from there and found a light of the sun or shade fat.
Who was plowing with 12 yoke of oxen before him and he was with the 12th then Elijah passed by and through his mantle on him and he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said,
please let me kiss my father and my mother and then I will follow you. And he said to him,
go back again for what have I done to you? So Elijah turned back from him and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh using the oxens equipment and gave it to the people and they ate.
Then he arose and followed Elijah and became his servant. Elijah. The next prophet will be essentially told in in a similar way as what Jesus came to his disciples and said,
come follow me. Elijah will do it with his mantel. He will take his mantle and he will put it on Alicia.
As Elijah’s plowing the field, and Alicia knows what it means, it means I just became somebody disciple.
I just became a disciple of Elijah. I just became someone who walks in the steps of, follows them day in and day out and learns their ways.
Moses had Joshua. Jesus had the 12. Elijah had Alicia, okay. And it would seem as though part of the largest problem was he needed a companion who could endure the hard times with him.
You might remember that Paul always took someone else with him. There are a few times where Paul was alone,
but almost always, Paul has surrounded himself with helpers and Elijah needs the same thing. So they will depart.
And after Alicia makes this offering and provides for the people, he will become the servant of Elijah. Okay,
let’s go through the questions and then we’ll close. Uh, when Jezza bell threatened to kill Elijah for slaying the 450 prophets of bale,
what did Aligna do? Okay. Of course, he fled the land. He ran for his life.
Why did Elijah beg gone to let him die? The specific quotation is, I am not better than my fathers.
Question number three, when Elijah was standing on Mount Horeb or Mount Sinai, God appeared to him in a great strong wind,
be an earthquake. See a gentle whisper, whisper or D a fire. The answer is C. Number four.
Elijah told God that he alone be he his servant. See he has and his family, or D only the tribe of GAD had not forsaken God’s covenant.
According to verse 14 he alone had not forsaken God’s covenant. Number five, God a let Elijah die as he wished or B gave Elijah work to do.
He gave a Lija work to do. B, question number six who in Israel did God tell Elijah that he would not destroy?
The answer is 7,000 who he had reserved, who had not bowed to bail. Number seven, what was Alijah doing or excuse me,
what was the light show doing when Elijah went to him? He was plowing with 12 yoke of oxen.
What did Alicia want to do before following Alijah? The answer is kiss his father and his mother. By the way,
there’s no indication that he did go back to his father’s house. Instead, he took and sacrificed the oxen and followed Elijah,
and you may remember a time when Jesus was spoken to by an individual who said, let me be your disciple.
And Jesus said, you may. But he said, let me first go and bury my father. And Jesus said,
you can’t turn back. Once you begin this walk of discipleship, you can’t turn back and Elijah is going to learn the same lesson.
And Alicia, unlike the individual in the book of Luke, is going to make the right choice. All right,
we’re going to be, uh, we’re going to have a closing song and then a closing prayer. Again,
a reminder, if you have any announcements that need to be made, uh, go ahead and send those to me.
I do know, um, if he’s, if he’s still, um, struggling through it, but,
uh, uh, Beverly’s father is not doing well and they don’t expect him to live much longer if he’s even made it this long as of when I talked to her last night.
So, uh, keep Beverly pricing your prayers and the entire family as they go through this. It’s,
it’s very hard. Of course they can’t be there. They were able to go in and see him,
uh, one last time, but uh, keep Beverly and her family in your prayers.<inaudible> we will close with our last song and then Aaron will lead us in closing.
Prayer ought to be like the, Oh, it’s been like<inaudible> uh, this is<inaudible> gladly, uh,
for, uh, all of us. She is a fan.<inaudible><inaudible> Oh, to me<inaudible> read.
Uh,<inaudible> a man. A swing. A scar man.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Oh, to me<inaudible> loving<inaudible><inaudible> uh,
being uh, uh, uh,<inaudible><inaudible> uh huh. Oh, you mean like the to me like the lesson read?
to me.<inaudible> me now to receive a no, any, Oh, that I am and have,
I am<inaudible><inaudible> ah, ah, Shami. Oh. To me, I, the odd to me,
uh, like the<inaudible> uh, beer as<inaudible>. I’m in a suite, a scum and I fall on a us stabbed.
I know.<inaudible> deep on my<inaudible> let us pray. Our gracious father in heaven, we bow before you at this time,
grateful for the day that you’ve given to us and the life that we have been granted. Mindful of those who are struggling because of sorrow,
lost, loved ones and difficulties in life. We know that so many of us at times will go through despair like Elijah went through.
We pray that we will be mindful of the lessons of Elijah and the lessons many other times in scripture to remember to hold on to you,
to always serve you and to never give up. Help us to take each day the way that it comes to do good to those who are around us.
Provide for those who were in need and serve you faithfully in spirit and in truth. May we always worship and praise you acceptably and will you always please forgive us when we sin and fall short of your glory.
Allow us to be granted your continued grace and mercy. Give us your peace that we might when this life is over,
have that hope that you have promised to all those who love your appearing. Lord, we pray that you’d be with those who are struggling in foreign mission fields and in many other places throughout the world.
Pray that you watch over them as well. And all this. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.<inaudible>.
<inaudible>. Good morning. We want to welcome you to our Collierville, the Chuck Colleyville church of Christ live stream this morning.
We are glad you can be with us. We have a few here this morning, so that’s great.
We are slowly getting back together. Um, but if you’re at home, we are praying for you and pray that you stay safe.
One as a for announcements this morning. We need to remember Ruby. Brad, she’s at home and uh,
we pray that continue that she can get, stay getting better. Joan Springer has got pneumonia. Uh,
we need to remember Marvin man, this is Beverly’s dad. He is dealing with pneumonia and is now at home on hospice care.
So we need to remember him and our prayers. Uh, Delisa his dad, Paul Montgomery, he has been recovering from surgery on his injury and his ankle and knee,
but it hurts this morning that he’s going to be coming home today. So that’s good news. So continue to remember him.
Uh, Tina Lance, she’s a nurse and wife of the preacher in Chalmette, Louisiana. She is recovering from the Corona virus and so is Russell client and his wife Tracy.
If you have any more announcements, go ahead and text Aaron or I and we will announce them at the end of our service this morning.
To start out with, we will sing number five seven eight<inaudible> number 578. We’ll have our opening prayer after this and then we’ll have,
uh, Aaron will lead us. So the Lord’s supper and Michael will preach this morning and we’re five,
seven, eight. We will go all rough. Uh, King of Kings. We will car, uh,
uh,<inaudible>. We welcome our a five<inaudible> who is a great<inaudible><inaudible> and majesty. We well<inaudible> um,
we were amp and or a just us. We were worship him.<inaudible> he has on a uh,<inaudible>.
He is on a<inaudible>. He is on a, uh, uh, you know, I have a S a brace dude.
We<inaudible> uh,<inaudible> uh, King of Kings, uh,<inaudible>, uh, uh,<inaudible><inaudible> who is a great uh huh.
Let us pray. A father in heaven, great and powerful is your name. We are thankful for you and how you bless us each day.
We are thankful for your care and your love and concern for us through this time we were reminded of reminded of your love for us and your care for us.
We pray as we go throughout our lives that we will strive to glorify you and all that. We do pray that you’ll be with us as we go through our worship this morning.
Pray that we will worship you in spirit and in truth. We are thankful for all that you do for us each day and we’re thankful for the opportunity that we can come to you in prayer.
We pray that you be with those that are on our than our minds with Ruby, Brad, Joan and Marvin as he is dealing with pneumonia and at home with on hospice.
We pray that you’d be with Paul Montgomery and pray that we’re glad to hear that he’s coming home today and pray that you continue to be with him as he recovers.
Be with Tina and Russell and Tracy as they’re recovering from the Corona virus and many others that are dealing with this virus and pray that a,
they will be able to get better soon. We pray that you watch over our country and our leaders as they make decisions and pray that they make wise decisions and look to you for guidance.
Thank you so much for all you bless us with and GSM new pray. Amen. To prepare our minds for the Lord’s supper,
we’ll see. Number 361 three 61 nailed to the cross. There was one who was willing to, ah,
that, that<inaudible> the mind and, uh, uh, to the cross.<inaudible><inaudible> all the ans,
um, uh, four<inaudible><inaudible> doc Ross<inaudible><inaudible>. Uh, she was with and<inaudible> uh,<inaudible><inaudible> jeez.<inaudible><inaudible> money<inaudible> and with him<inaudible> he is and<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> who?
A colleague<inaudible> my, uh, uh, it’s, Hmm. Uh, there’s okay. Uh,<inaudible> I know.
Mmm. Yeah. Free form.<inaudible> Mmm. Eh, to the<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Oh,
a G U a well and<inaudible> uh, boy<inaudible> uh, jeez, uh, GRA us buddy<inaudible> nice.
And with him.<inaudible> aye. Going to my same, uh,<inaudible> I will<inaudible> for the<inaudible><inaudible> with the um,
uh,<inaudible> uh, uh, yeah. In my heart and my eyes and uh, and eh.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Oh,
wow. A judge. He was willing, uh, well<inaudible> uh, jeez.<inaudible> buddy<inaudible> and with him,
uh,<inaudible> as we prepare our minds for the Lord supper, take your Bibles if you will, and open them to first Corinthians chapter 11.<inaudible> as Paul is writing concerning the Lord’s supper and concerning the assembly of the saints in Corinth,
he says in first Corinthians chapter 11, beginning in verse 23 for I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you,
that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which he was betrayed took bread. And when he had given things,
he broke it and said, take, eat. This is my body, which is broken for you.
Do this in remembrance of me in the same manner. He also took the cup after supper saying, this cup is the new covenant in my blood.
This do as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup,
you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. Let us pray. Our gracious father in heaven, we bow before you grateful for the opportunity that we have to have the salvation that is offered through the death and the sacrifice of your son.
We thank you for the sacrifice that was made for us that paid a debt we could never pay that bore the sins of many on the cross.
We’re mindful at this time of that body that was broken for us and we pray that as we partake of this emblem we do so in a way that is acceptable to you with a heart and with a mind that has considered these things and remembers Christ and that sacrifice that was made.
All this we pray in Jesus name. Amen.<inaudible> let us pray. Gracious father in heaven. We come before your throne.
Again, mindful of the occasion in the upper room where Christ with his disciples established and instituted the Lord’s supper,
remembering his command to continue on a weekly basis to remember what he has done for us and what he would do in going to the cross.
We know the value of the blood of Christ because it is the only thing that could purchase our redemption and could purchase the church,
the assembly, the body of Christ. We pray that as we partake of this emblem of that blood that we will do as we have been commanded.
And remember as we ought, we pray that all this is done in accordance with your will in Jesus name.
Amen.<inaudible> at this time, we also remember that we have been commanded to lay by in store to give as we have been prospered.
And we encourage each and every one to do that. Uh, remind you that there are opportunities to do that by dropping that contribution off here at the building or giving online.
Let me take a moment and remind us that we give in many ways, we give monetarily as we’ve been commanded,
but we also give in service and in helping others and doing good to others. We give of our time.
We give of our heart. We give of our life. Encourage you in this time where many of us are separated from those whom we love.
Okay. To not only give as we have been commanded on the first day of the week, but to remember day in and day out that it is more blessing to give than to receive and to look for opportunities to give to others,
to help others, and to contribute to uh, that and, and individuals around us in our daily lives.
There will be many in the coming days and months and years who will be effected on a longterm basis by the things that the world is undergoing right now.
And we need to be mindful of that and help where we can. Having said that, take a moment if you will,
and turn to second Corinthians chapter eight. Second Corinthians chapter eight in verse one we read. Moreover, brethren,
we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia that in a great trial of affliction,
the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in riches of their liberality. For I bear witness that according to their ability,
yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, imploring us with much urgency that we should receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.
And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and then to us by the will of God.
So we urge Titus that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you as well.
But as you abound in everything, in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us,
see that you abound in this grace also let us pray for the offering. Our gracious father in heaven.
We have been granted and given so much in this life, but we remind ourselves and we remember that we are stewards of what belongs to you.
We pray that we will be mindful of the stewardship that we have, that we will be mindful of those around us,
and that we will be mindful of our brethren. We will be mindful of the needs of the church and the needs of spreading the gospel.
That we will look for opportunities throughout our lives and throughout our days to do good. But we pray that that which is given back as you have commanded,
is done in a willing heart and with a cheerful heart and in accordance with your will. This we pray in Jesus name.
Amen. Before the lesson, we’ll sing number 300. I think it’s 300 or 679, 679 TIS so sweet to trust in Jesus.
Six, seven, nine. Yes.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> on his ass, bro.<inaudible> uh, uh,
I said, uh, jeez. Uh, she’s, uh, uh, watch Ross and<inaudible>. Oh,
A us. Oh fuck Ray, which us and I am so glad to see<inaudible> had a, I know that a walk with me,
we’re hoping and jeez, uh, shit, uh, uh, trust and uh,<inaudible> and uh,
jeez, uh, geez, geez gray or a dam.<inaudible> and we’ll have a sermon by Michael<inaudible>.
Good morning everybody sermon this morning will be on the process of prayer taken from Nehemiah chapter one. Let’s read Nehemiah chapter one verses one through 11.
Yeah. The words of Nehemiah, the son of hack Aliah. It came to pass in the month of Chis live in the 20th century.
20th year as I was in Shushan, the Citadel that Hannah and I, one of my brother and came with me from Judah and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped,
who had survived the captivity and concerning Jerusalem. And they said to me, the survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach.
The wall of Jerusalem has also broken down and its Gates are burned with fire. So it was when I heard these words that I sat down and wept and mourned for many days.
I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven and I said, I pray Lord God of heaven.
Oh great and awesome God. You who keep your covenant and mercy with those who love you and observe your commandments.
Please let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, that you may hear the prayer of your servant,
which I pray before you. Now day and night for the children of Israel, your servants and confess the sins of the children of Israel,
which we have sinned against you. Both my father’s house and I have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments,
the statutes, nor the ordinances which you commanded your servant Moses. Remember I prayed the word, the word that you commanded your servant Moses saying,
if you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations. But if you were returned to me and keep my commandments and do them,
though, some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for my name.
Now, these are your servants and your people whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand.
Oh Lord, I pray. Please let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant and to the prayer of your servants who desire to fear your name and let your servant prosper.
This day I pray and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. People often ask, how are we supposed to pray?
I remember when I was teaching my son how to pray. He asked me, how do we do this?
And I said, let’s just begin by talking to God. Tell him what’s on your heart. Although prayer can be that simple,
we know that there’s actually more to it and first Timothy chapter two verses one through four Paul tells us that there are different kinds of prayer.
First Timothy chapter two verses one through four. Therefore, I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers,
intercessions, and giving of things be made for all men, for Kings and all who are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God,
our savior who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. The goal of every Christian then should be to learn how to pray in a manner that is acceptable to God.
Jesus, his disciples showed us this and Luke chapter 11 and verse one read with me, Luke chapter 11 and verse one now it came to pass as he was praying in a certain place when he,
when he ceased that one of his disciples said to him, Lord, teach us to pray. As John also taught his disciples,
not only did Jesus, his disciples asked that we’re supposed to know how to pray, but we can also see through this passage that even John’s disciples were asking how to pray.
Jesus gives them the model prayer and the continuing verses verses two through four of Luke chapter 11 so he said to them,
when you pray, say our father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us day by day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us and do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.
Jesus didn’t tell them to say this specific prayer, but he gave them a formula of how to pray like Jesus.
I think that Nehemiah gives us a great example of how we’re supposed to pray. Nehemiah went through a process of prayer that has great application in our prayer life.
As Christians today we are to show concern about the problem that is at hand. We are to have a conviction about God’s character.
We are to have a confession of sins, con, a confidence in God’s promises and we are supposed to ask God for a commitment to get involved.
First, let’s talk about concern about this problem we need to show a concern for our brother in Nehemiah shows a concern by demanding answers about his fellow Jews in Jerusalem.
Nehemiah chapter one and verse two, Nehemiah one two that that Hannah and I, one of my brother and came with me with men from Judah and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped,
who had survived the captivity and concerning Jerusalem, he was doing what the exiles were instructed to do. And Jeremiah chapter 51 in verse 50 Jeremiah chapter 51 and verse 50<inaudible> 51 50 you who have escaped the sword,
get away, do not stand, still. Remember the Lord of far off and let Jerusalem come to your mind.
We need to know about and show concern for our brethren. Philippians chapter two in verse four, Philippians two and verse four let each of you look out not only for his own interest,
but also for the interest of others. We show concern so we can bear each other’s burdens in a time of struggle.
Galatians chapter six and verse two. Galatians chapter six and verse two bear one another’s burdens and so fulfilled the law of Christ.
We need to mourn for the problems of our brethren. To mourn is to express grief or sorrow according to Strong’s dictionary.
It is a lament or to be well, which is to show a great sorrow. Nehemiah mourn greatly for the tribulations of his fellow Jews.
Nehemiah chapter one in verse four read with me again Nehemiah chapter one and verse four so it was when I heard these words that I sat down and wept and mourned for many days.
I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven this morning can be compared to when Jesus cried out in painful tears when he observed the hard hearts of those in Jerusalem.
Luke 1941 Luke chapter 19 and verse 41<inaudible>. Now as he drew near, he saw the city and wept over it.
We need to pray for the situation at hand. Nehemiah mourned as he more Nehemiah mourned. As he mourned,
he began to pray for his fellow Jews. Nehemiah chapter one in verse four we read of how he prayed for his fellow Jews while he wept and mourned,
we are to pray for our brother and as Paul did Ephesians chapter six and verse 18 Ephesians six 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit,
being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints<inaudible>. Another example of Paul’s unceasing prayer for our brother in Christ is found in second Timothy chapter one in verse three second Timothy chapter one in verse three I think God whom I serve with a pure conscience as my forefathers did and without ceasing.
I remember you in my prayers night and day, how amazing it is to know that someone is praying for you every single night and every single day.
As we pray, we are always to remember to give reverence to God. We do this by giving a conviction about God’s character.
God deserves to be honored, revered, and feared because of who he is. Nehemiah calls him a great and awesome God.
Nehemiah chapter one and verse five Nehemiah chapter one verse five and I said, I prayed, Lord God of heaven.
Oh great and awesome God, you who keep your covenant and mercy with those who love you and observe your commandments.
We also see Daniel calling the Lord a great and awesome God and Daniel chapter nine and verse four Daniel nine and verse four and I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession and said,
Oh Lord, great and awesome God who keeps his covenant and mercy with those who love him and with those who keep his commandments,
Jesus and his example of prayer teaches us to give, to give honor and reverence to the father. Matthew chapter six verse nine is a good example shown by Christ.
Matthew chapter six and verse nine in this manner, therefore, pray our father in heaven, hallowed how Holy be your name.
The this, the example of honoring the father in prayer is reiterated again and Luke chapter 11 in verse two by the Christ.
Now once we have exalted and reverence God, we must humble ourselves before him and put forth a confession of sin.
We must confess to the Lord that we have sinned. Nehemiah confesses for all of Israel and for himself.
Nehemiah chapter one in verse six Nehemiah one six please let your ear be attentive and your eyes open that you may hear the prayer of your servant,
which I pray before you. Now day and night for the children of Israel, your servants and confess the sins of the children of Israel,
which we have sinned against you. Both my father’s house and I have sinned. Daniel also confesses for himself and the people of Israel.
As an example. Daniel chapter nine in verse 20 Daniel chapter nine and verse 20<inaudible> now, while I was speaking,
praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people, Israel and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the Holy mountain of my God as rhe confessed the sins of the people while weeping as a chapter 10 and verse one as rhe 10 and verse one now,
while as well was praying and while he was confessing, weeping, and bowing down before the house of God,
a very large assembly of men, women, and children gathered to him from Israel for the people wept very bitterly.
Once we have exalted and reverence God, we must, we must confess specific sins to the Lord. Nehemiah listed specific sins to the Lord.
Nehemiah chapter one and verse seven Nehemiah one and verse seven so it’s not enough just to confess that you have sinned.
You must confess your specific sentence. We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments,
the statutes, nor the ordinances which you commanded your servant Moses. Daniel shows us the same list and Daniel chapter nine and verse five as he prays for the people’s specific sins.
Daniel chapter nine and verse five we have sinned and committed iniquity. We have done wickedly and rebelled even by departing from your precepts and your judgments.
We confess, why do we confess? We confess to find mercy and forgiveness and if we confess our sins,
we have mercy. Proverbs chapter 28 and verse 13 book of Proverbs chapter 28 and verse 13 he who covers his sins will not prosper but whose but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.
If we confess our sins, we are forgiven. Psalm 32 and verse five the 32nd Psalm and verse five I acknowledged my sin to you and my iniquity I have not hidden.
I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord and you forgave the iniquity of my sin and only if we confess our sins can we be forgiven.
We find this in first John chapter one in verse nine first John chapter one and verse nine the inspired writer writes,
if we confess our sins, he is faithful. And just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Once we have reverence the Lord and humbly and humbly confess our sins, we are to show that we have confidence in his promises.
We need to know that the Lord will keep his promises to us. The Lord made a promise to the children of Israel.
Turn with me to do to Ranomi chapter 30 in verses one through five. Deuteronomy chapter 30 verses one through five.
Now it shall come to pass when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you,
and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God drives you and you return to the Lord your God and obey his voice according to all that I command you today,
you and your children with all your heart and with all your soul that the Lord your God will bring you back from captivity and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where the Lord your God has scattered you.
If any of you are driven out of the foot to the farthest parts under heaven. From there, the Lord your God will gather you and from there he will bring you.
Then the Lord your God will bring you to the land which your fathers possessed and you shall possess it.
He will prosper you and multiply you more than your father’s. Nehemiah showed great confidence in this promise that God made by reiterating it to him and his prayer.
Nehemiah chapter one verses eight through 10 Nehemiah chapter one verses eight through 10 many asks, why do we quote prayer quotes scripture while we’re praying?
Nehemiah quotes scripture while he’s praying. Yeah. Remember I pray the word that you commanded your servant Moses saying,
if you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations. But if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them though,
some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, you know, we’ll gather them from there and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for my name.
Now, these are your servants and your people whom you have redeemed your great power and yours by your strong hand.
Joshua shows us his confidence in the promises of the Lord being fulfilled. Joshua chapter 23 verses 14 and 15 Joshua 2314 and 15 yeah,
behold this day I am going the way of all the earth and you know in your hearts and in your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you all have come to pass for you.
Not one word of them has failed. Therefore it shall come to pass that as all the good things I’ve come upon you,
which the Lord your God promised you. So the Lord will bring upon you all harmful things until he has destroyed you from this good land,
which the Lord your God has given you. Yeah. God will fulfill the promises he makes us if we have confidence enough to do as he commands,
the devil will flee if we submit to God. James chapter four verse seven James four and verse seven therefore,
submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. If we pray, we will have peace.
Philippians chapter four and verse seven Philippians four and verse seven and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
If we believe in our baptize, we will be saved. Mark 1615 and 16 if we walk in his ways,
we will be cleansed. First. John chapter one and verse seven first John one seven but if we walk in the light as he is in the light,
we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ, his son cleanses us from all sin.
Now that we know to reverence the Lord, humbly make a confession of our sins to him and let him know that we have complete confidence,
that he will keep his promises. We must humbly ask him for a commitment to get involved. We must ask God for help.
Nehemiah asked the Lord to get involved. Nehemiah chapter one and verse 11 Nehemiah one and verse 11 Oh Lord,
I pray. Please let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant and to the prayer of your servants who desire to fear your name and let your servant prosper.
This day I pray and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. Yeah. Jesus tells us to ask God for his help.
Matthew chapter seven verses seven and eight Matthew seven seven and eight ask and it will be given to you.
Seek and you will find knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives and he who seeks,
finds and to him who knocks, it will be opened. Jesus himself in his example of prayer gives us an example of what we are to ask for Matthew chapter six verses 11 through 13 Matthew six 11 through 13 give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors and 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.
We must know the Lord answers our prayers. We have to know it. We are told that we can have this confidence by John and first John chapter five verses 14 and 15 first John chapter five verses 14 and 15 now,
this is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us and if we know that he hears us,
whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of him. We must abide in Christ to have this confidence.
John chapter 15 verses seven and 16 John 15 seven and 16 I’d read the whole thing but it’s a lot so I’m just going to stick to seven and 16 if you abide in me and my words abide in you,
you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you and then down in verse 16 you did not choose me,
but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain that whatever you ask the father in my name,
he may give you. Let us consider that there is a lot more to prayer than we thought. It can be as simple as just talking to God,
but it involves so much more than we think. So we turn to Nehemiah and Jesus who gave us great examples of how to pray.
We need to pray with a concern about the problem at hand, like the concern we’re dealing with right now with the coven.
We need to make a conviction about God’s character. We need to humbly make a confession of our sins broad and specific.
We need to have confidence in God’s promises and we need to humbly ask God for a commitment to get involved.
We must pray first Thessalonians five 17. I will leave you with pray without ceasing. If you have problems in your prayer life and you have questions that you’d like to ask or if you have questions about anything else to do with your salvation,
you can contact us online. Or if you know the number of Eric or I or Erin, we’ll all be here for you.
Thank you.<inaudible> want to thank uh, Michael for that great lesson about prayer. Something we definitely need to be reminded of.
And Nehemiah is a great example of prayer for sure. I want to say, uh, happy mother’s day to the mothers out there.
I forgot to say that as beginning. That’s not a terrible thing to do is forget to say that,
but a happy mother’s day to those that are watching. We’ll have our closing song and then we’ll have a closing prayer by Aaron.
I did not receive any more announcements from anyone. So we will sing number 494, 494 Oh, happy day four,
nine four Oh hat.<inaudible> uh,<inaudible> uh, well<inaudible> and<inaudible>. Uh,<inaudible> uh,<inaudible> when jeans my lesson<inaudible> Hey,
it’s uh,<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> uh,<inaudible> uh,<inaudible> when, jeez<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Oh, happy on a C is my bass to him.<inaudible> a little a juice.
Well, that, um, it’s uh, well let’s do that.<inaudible> uh,<inaudible> uh,<inaudible> when,
jeez, uh,<inaudible> I’m a sinner.<inaudible> Hey, what’s up to watch<inaudible><inaudible> bread a day.
Uh,<inaudible> uh,<inaudible> when James<inaudible> I’m a sinner, eh?<inaudible> I am. I am and he is,
uh, he drew. Ah, I followed on John, uh, uh, uh, Steve, uh,
uh,<inaudible> uh,<inaudible> when jeans<inaudible> my sins.<inaudible> it’s uh, uh, to watch and pray.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> ah,<inaudible> uh,<inaudible> Oh geez.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> before we pray,
um, let me make mention and remind everyone that we will have a live stream of Bible class on Wednesday night.
And uh, if you do have any needs throughout the week, feel free to reach out to us.
I appreciate all of the work that Paula and many others continue to do, uh, throughout the week.
Also a reminder that we will reconsider, uh, the men will reconvene and reconsider, you know, where we’re at at the end of this month.
Uh, uh, uh, I think actually June 1st is the plan for that. So, uh, we’ll be looking forward to that.
And also as was mentioned at the beginning, we do have a few folks here. Uh, if you feel comfortable getting out there,
certainly more than enough views available, you can uh, come and gather with us and, and we take necessary precautions and social distancing and uh,
that sort of thing. So if you would like to join us, you can, uh, but we definitely understand the concern and encourage all those who have a concern to uh,
to stay home until such time as we’re all, um, uh, beyond that concern. Let us pray.
A gracious father in heaven, we bow before you at this time humbled by the reminder of the power of prayer,
the necessity of prayer and the benefits of prayer. We thank you for the Avenue of prayer to be able to communicate our needs,
our desires, our wants and truly our things giving above all to you for all that you do for us on a daily basis.
We thank you for those in this congregation who love you, who love the souls of every individual that is lost,
that support works of evangelism and edification throughout the world. We are mindful of missionaries throughout the world that are striving to reach the lost and we are mindful of our efforts to reach the lost here in Collierville.
We pray that all that we have done this morning will be acceptable to you and we pray that its value will continue throughout time.
We might take the things that we have learned here today, apply them in our lives and use them for weeks and years to come.
We might spread the gospel that we might teach others to pray and that we might be better each and every day and more faithful to you,
but that also we might remember and be reminded that when we sin and when we fall short of your glory,
if we are Christians and if we have submitted to you that we have an Avenue of forgiveness and the opportunity for the blood of Christ to cleanse us of our sins.
We are thankful this day for all that you have done for us and for all that you will continue to do for us on a daily basis.
While this life continues to exist, we are mindful of those that are struggling with their health and we pray that if it is your will,
that they will return to their full and desired help. We are mindful at this time of many throughout the world that are struggling with,
uh, depression and mental struggles as a result of, uh, this disease. And we pray that they might find,
uh, the help that they need, the strength that they need, the comfort that they need, and that through the trials and difficulties of this life,
they will become stronger, more enduring, and more patient and more faithful to you. We ask that you forgive us when we sin and fall short of your glory.
May we always strive on a daily basis to serve you acceptably. All this we pray in Jesus name.
No. All of the things that you have going on in your life that you are doing well, you are staying healthy and that all is well with your family. We are in first Kings chapter 18 this evening. First Kings chapter 18, uh, for our members and for anyone else who’s following along with us. There are questions, uh, in a PDF that are available on our website. We’ll go over those at the end of our class. So if you go to the front page of our website,
you’ll find a link to download the questions for this evening, uh, for our local members. If you would like to come by and pick up, uh, one of the questions sheets, they will be in the lobby, uh, both from this lesson and the previous lessons we’ve covered to this point. Uh, there’ll be stacks of those in the lobby. You can come by and pick those up, uh, at your convenience. First Kings chapter 17 introduces us to align you and we mentioned that last week that Alijah is probably the most prominent of the old Testament prophets.
Once you moved into the era of the Kings, Alijah is one who stands as a representative of the prophets throughout the old Testament. Elijah is the one who was prophesied, would come before the Messiah came to the earth. And as a result of all of those things, Alijah is seen very prominently both in old and new Testament passages. But in chapter 18, we find probably the most well known event of Alijah his life except perhaps how Elijah left the earth because in L in first Kings chapter 18, we will find the confrontation between Alijah and the 450 prophets of bale that occurs at Mount Carmel.
But some things that we find out before then, remember in chapter 17, as we studied last week, that Alijah comes on the scene. And the very first thing we hear from Elijah is Alijah tells King Ahab the King of the Northern kingdom of Israel, the Northern 10 tribes, he tells a helm there will not be any rain nor do on the ground in Israel until he says though. And having delivered that message from the Lord through, uh, to the King Ahab. He then turns around as it were and leaves and God tells him to go to this Brook,
the Brook Cherith and to there, and God provides both the water from the Brook to give him water and the Ravens of the air bring him bread and meat. When the water at the Brook dries up, God sends him to Sidon, sends him to the city of Zara Fest and sends him to a widow who according to God, God had commanded to provide for him there. And so Elijah will go to this widow. He will dwell with this widow and her son all throughout the remainder of the drought.
It is at this point that chapter 18 begins, but I want to say this about chapter 17 before we leave it behind in our discussion. One of the things that I’ve failed to make mention of this last week that we see in this account of Alijah being sent to this woman who was not in Israel, Israelite, she was not a descendant of Abraham. She was potentially not even at least exclusively a believer in Jehovah as being God. She would later understand who Jehovah was and the truth of what Elijah said.
We find that out at the end of verse or the at the end of verse 24 and chapter 17 but we get this. We get this clear perspective and understanding as we’ve pointed out time and time again, as we’ve seen throughout the old and the new Testament, God is not a God of a single nation. Jehovah is not the God of Israel. Jehovah is not the God of Judah. Jehovah is not the God of America or any other nation. Jehovah is God of gods and Lord of Lords, King of Kings,
the almighty. He is God of heaven and earth and there is no other God. And so what you see in chapter 17 is a clear picture that God doesn’t just care for Israel. The, it may be the case that the old Testament focuses on Abraham and his descendants and those through whom the Messiah comes, but it focuses on them, not because God has a special attachment to them over every other people, but because they were the lineage through whom the Messiah would come. The focus of scripture on Israel has very little to do with Israel and has everything to do with the salvation of all humanity because it wasn’t Israel that sinned and brought death into the world in the garden.
It was humanity and it was that humanity that God would send his son Christ to save. Jesus didn’t come to be the exclusive savior of Israel. He came to be the savior of all mankind. And so here in passages like this, you glimpse God’s provision, God’s acting on behalf of even those who are not Israelites chapter 18 verse one and it came to pass after many days that the word of the Lord came to Alijah in the third year saying, go present yourself to Ahab and I will send rain on the earth.
Now, you might remember that Alijah said it wasn’t going to rain again until he said so, but Elijah is just simply a prophet. This was not a statement to say that Alijah was now in charge of what the Lord was doing. No, not at all. Elijah is the spokesperson. Alijah is the go between. Aligna is the messenger and now the one who’s really in charge says, okay Elijah, it’s time for the message to go out. Alijah it’s time for you to go to Ahab because I’m going to send rain again.
But God did this act. God brought forth this drought and this famine and all of the things that that came with having no rain for three years. He did it for a reason. He did it to establish two things. Number one, bail is not God. You might remember how many times in the book of Exodus we studied and read concerning God telling Pharaoh that the objective was for him to realize and for Egypt to realize, and for everyone who hears about the plagues, I realize that God is the Lord and there is no other beside him.
And so the objective in all of this is to prove bail is not God. If bail was God, then why didn’t bail bring the rain? Why didn’t bail bring back that which this nation needed? But that, uh, that lesson and that, that focus, because it’s going to be brought to a head here in this chapter, he says, I will send rain on the earth. So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab and there was a severe famine in some area, in a Hab called who was in charge of his house.
Now, Obadiah feared the Lord greatly. This is one of those moments where you have a parent theoretical statement, uh, by those who are, are writing this down, say, Hey, uh, you need to know this about Obadiah. There’s something that is important to the plot line to the story. A Hab goes to Obadiah. And by the way, there’s, there’s no indication, at least unless I have completely missed it, that the Obadiah here is the writer of the book of Obadiah. Uh,
the, the, the two events and the two people are separated by time. So not the same person. This Obadiah is one who is a servant in the house of Ahab. He is the overseer of the house of Ahab. And so much like if you think back to the time of Joseph and Joseph was put over Potiphar’s house, this is the same idea here. A house has a nation he’s ruling over, but he has his own personal house, his own personal effects, his own personal business as it were probably his own business doings.
And as a result of that, that is Obadiah’s position. He comes to Obadiah and he says, we got to think about our flocks and our herds. Notice a called Obadiah, who was in charge of his house. Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly for. So it was when Jessebelle massacre the prophets of the Lord that Obadiah, uh, had taken 100 profits and hidden them 50 to a cave and had fed them with bread and water. And Ahab said to Obadiah, go into the land, to all the Springs of water,
to all the Brooks. Perhaps we may find grants to keep the horses and mules alive so that we will not have to kill any livestock. Okay, so Ahab’s desire here is for himself and Obadiah to go out and to search throughout the land and to find water because of the drought, because of the things that are going on. Because where there’s water, there’s plant life, they need food for the animals. They need water for the animals, and so they’re seeking to preserve them. They’re seeking to not have to slaughter them just to get through this drought.
But in the midst of this, as we’re introduced to Obadiah, we find out something about this man. We find out that he is one who defied the queen. Now, did he defy the queen publicly or secretly? Well, every indication is that defied the queen. Secretly the queen Jezza bell would bring about a massacre of the prophets of the Lord. Now here’s something important to realize is as we’re introduced to align Jah, and as we’re going through this old Testament history, even though we’re not reading about prophet after prophet,
certainly not hundreds of profits in the Northern kingdom of Israel, they were there in order for Obadiah to have hidden a hundred prophets of the Lord. There had to event at least a hundred prophets of the Lord and Elijah’s not in that number. So something that we need to be careful that we don’t do is that we don’t jump to assumptions as if, okay, we hear about one prophet doing this. He was the only one. Uh, there will be a point later on in, in our discussion of Elijah where Elijah will claim to be the only one and God will make it clear he’s not,
but yet with a hundred plus profits of the Lord active and working and laboring and teaching and instructing and counseling and rebuking with all of those men in the Northern kingdom of Israel, notice what was still true. The nation still departed from the Lord. The nations still turned its back on God. The nation still refused to repent, and the King and the kingdom went further and further and further down a path of destruction to the point at which now Ahab comes to the throne. And you remember at the end of chapter 16,
we read, Ahab did more evil than all those who had come before him. Well, there’s no indication that Jeroboam,
even though he built the golden cows, and even though many left the Northern came to them and went down to the Southern kingdom because of the changes that Jeroboam made,
there’s no indication that Jeroboam ever set forth his goals to destroy the profits of God. Yeah, there’s no indication that the blood of the profits was ever running in the street because of Jeroboam.
But for Jezza bell, Oh, that’s a whole nother story. Jezza bells set out, not just to introduce male worship into the Northern kingdom of Israel.
She set out not only to take and to turn the Northern kingdom of Israel from a nation that still had some tenuous grasp of the Lord to a nation that would kill and execute and massacre the profits of the Lord.
But Obadiah here, the chief individual, the highest individual in the house of a Hab Obadiah feared the Lord.
Obadiah hid a hundred of these profits and then fed them with bread and water. Obadiah is certainly one to be commended in all of this.
And yet it’s interesting because Obadiah still retains his position in the house of Ahab. He seemingly as one as one who fears the Lord is not worshiping bail,
is not serving the idols. And yet he’s there and he’s active within the house of Ahab. And I think there’s some lessons for us there about the ability to do good even when we don’t always have the ability to shout it from the rooftops.
Now is it important to stand up for the truth? Yes, it is. It is important to speak the truth.
Yes it is, but there is an appropriate way, time and place to do such things. Uh,
and sometimes we’re in situations as for instance, Daniel would have found himself in standing before Nebuchadnezzar or as a Nehemiah would have found himself in standing before Xerxes,
uh, situations where you don’t have the Liberty to say everything you’d like to say, but you still have the responsibility to do everything you can do.
And so we learned some lessons there, hopefully in our country and in our day and in our lives.
There are lessons that may be we won’t ever have to fully realize, but maybe we will. Maybe a time will come where even we will have to decide whether we can open our mouths and say anything and loo and forfeit our lives or whether we must simply act in secret.
So Obadiah will hide the profits and as Jessebelle seeks to massacre the profits of the Lord, and Ahab will come to Obadiah and he’ll say,
we’ve got to go find water. We’ve got to go provide for these animals where we’re going to have to kill them.
So then we read a verse six. So they divided the land between them to explore it. A Hab went one way by himself,
and Obadiah went another way by himself. Now, as Obadiah was on his way, suddenly Elijah met him and he recognized him and fell on his face and said,
is that you? My Lord Elijah, it’s been three years since anyone in Israel has seen Alijah three years where you can imagine the,
the questions, the stories, the front page news, the man who says there won’t be any more rain disappears.
Where did he go? What happened to him? Did he die? Is he alive? You can imagine the headlines as it were going through the,
the, the people discussing this, what happened to Alijah. We’re gonna find out in a moment that Ahab really wanted to know what happened to Elijah,
but Obadiah having saved these hundred profits from being killed by Jezza. Bill is out on this mission sent by Ahab and he sees Alijah and he doesn’t just question is that you?
He recognized him. He fell on his face and said, is that you? My Lord Elijah. This man not only has fear of the Lord,
he has a great respect for Elijah as the prophet of the Lord. Very much in contrast to his master a Hab.
But notice he answered and said, it is Ivor. Say, go. Tell your master Elijah is here.<inaudible> now,
before we go any further might stop and think, well, this is going to be interesting. Let’s see,
let’s see how Ahab responds. But before we get to how Ahab responds, it’s very interesting to see how old the dire response Elijah shows up before Obadiah and he says,
go tell Ahab Elijah is here and notice the response of Obadiah. So he, Obadiah said, how have I sinned that you are delivering your servant into the hand of Ahab to kill me?
Imagine how many times in Obadiah’s life as one who feared the Lord as one who saved these prophets as one who’s in the house of Ahab,
probably day in and day out seeing Jaza bell. How many times do you think Obadiah is on the razor edge of a knife thinking,
I’m going to die if I make the wrong choice or the wrong statement? And yet he’s still being faithful to the Lord.
He’s still fearing the Lord. He’s still acting on behalf of the Lord. And now he says, what have I done?
However I sinned, what I do to deserve this, Elijah, how have I sinned that now you’re going to send me to Ahab and he’s going to kill me?
Notice his reasoning here as the Lord your God lives. There is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to hunt for you.
And when they said he is not here, he took an oath from the kingdom or nation that they could not find you.
And now you say, go tell your master Elijah is here and it shall come to pass as soon as I am gone from you that the spirit of the Lord will carry you to a place I do not know.
So when I go and tell a Hab and he cannot find you, he will kill me. But I you’re serving a fear of the Lord from my youth.
Obadiah is afraid because perhaps now Elijah has a reputation. I mean there you’ve got to think through this as,
as the potentials, if a have is searching this diligently for Elijah, how many different Elijah spottings do you think had been reported over the last three years?
Hey, Hey, I’ve saw, I’ve seen Elijah goes, tell a ham, he’s here, he’s here.
And they have send somebody and there’s nobody there and the L, it’s not Alijah. It’s somebody else.
How many times do you think maybe that’s happened and what do you think the reaction has been by Ahab to the person who says,
I found Elijah? Well, I think you get a glimpse of it right here because Obadiah says, you’re going to disappear.
The spirit of the Lord is going to take you away and Ahab is going to kill me. But he also says something about his history.
He says, and I have feared the Lord from my youth. We need more men like Obadiah. We need more young men who decide when they’re young.
I’m going to do what the Lord says, and it doesn’t matter what it costs, I’m going to do with the Lord says,
and it doesn’t matter the danger that puts me in. I’m going to do what the Lord says. It doesn’t matter who my master is on this earth.
I’m going to do with the Lord says, no matter what the nation around me does, we need more Obadiah’s.
We need many, many more Obadiah’s but Obadiah says, Elijah, if I go tell a Hab that you’re here and then I come back and you’re gone because the spirit of Lord has whisked you away,
it’s going to be my life. Verse 13 he says, was it not reported to my Lord? What I did when Jessebelle killed the prophets of the Lord?
How I hid 100 men of the Lord’s prophets, 50 to a cave and fed them with bread and water?
Elijah, didn’t you hear what I did? Why are you putting my life in danger? When couldn’t you think about me for a moment here?
Now you say, go, tell your master Elijah’s here he will kill me. Then Alijah said, and notice the change when Elijah first shows up to Obadiah,
Alijah says, go tell a Hab. I’m here, and Obadiah’s reaction is to argue with Elijah and be concerned about himself,
but notice the drastic shift right here. Then Elijah said, as the Lord of hosts lives before whom I stand,
I will surely present myself to him today. That is to Ahab. So Obadiah went as soon as Obadiah knows,
it’s not just Elijah determining to CA Hab, but it’s the Lord now. Obadiah will go now. Obadiah turns and leaves and goes to Ahab to carry the message.
So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him and Ahab went to meet Elijah. Then it happened when Ahab saw Elijah,
that Ahab said to him, is that you? Oh, troubler of Israel. Ahab wants to know,
uh, Elijah that you the one who’s caused all of this, the one who’s brought destitution to our nation,
the the one who’s brought this drought, the one who’s brought this famine, the one who’s destroyed us is that you,
Elijah. And just imagine, imagine, I mean, here we are in the middle of a pandemic.
Imagine if the world tomorrow saw on the front page of every website on the front line of, of every headline story.
Here’s the person who caused the pandemic. Here’s his name, here’s his address. Here’s his date of birth.
Here’s all the information needed to know about them. Here’s the guy responsible. That’s what they have saying.
Hey, have saying all of this is because of you. Alijah but Elijah’s not going to let a Hab get away with that.
Elijah not going to allow that one to stand. He says, is that you? Oh, troubler of Israel.
And he answered, I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and have followed the bales.
Now therefore send and gather all Israel to me on Mount Carmel, the 450 prophets of bale and the 400 prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezza Bell’s table.
It may be that there’s a famine in the land. It may be that there’s a drought in the land.
It may be that people are dying, but not the prophets of Asherah. Yeah, not the profits of bail.
They’re well fed. They’re taken care of. They’re sheltered by the King and by Jezza bell. And so Alijah tells the King,
you go get all Israel. Now it’s been three years. Everyone knows they’re waiting on Alijah. I mean,
there’s no doubt. Everyone in Israel knows what Elijah said three years ago. Everyone’s clear. Alijah is the one who can change this.
So if a Hab sends out word to the nation, Elijah’s going to be at Mount Carmel and Elijah said to come,
you better believe everybody showing up. Yeah. This, this isn’t a question of, well I don’t know.
I’m not sure I’m going to get out. No, everybody’s going to be there and Ahab will respond and do exactly as stated.
Why? Because they have needs his nation back. A Hab needs rain. It doesn’t matter how great Ahab’s control is of the nation or how powerful he wants to be in the midst of a famine in the midst of a drought.
He is powerless. So he’s going to act. He’s going to do what he’s told by Elijah because he needs the rain to come back.
So Ahab’s going to send all and send for all the children of Israel. Verse 20 and gathered the prophets together on mountain Carmel and Elijah came to all the people and said,
how long will you falter between two opinions if the Lord is gone, follow him. But if bail follow him.
But the people answered him. Not a word. Alijah does not confront Ahab when all the people are gathered because Ahab is not the important person in this story.
A hub is not the discussion or the focus of Jehovah or Elijah. Their mission is Israel. Their desire is to return Israel to Jehovah.
Three years they’ve undergone a drought and a famine and the destruction of their nation. Three years they’ve received the curses that Moses told them they’d receive when they turned away from the Lord.
Leviticus chapter 26 for three years and now Elijah shows up and says, Israel clock’s ticking. It’s time for you to decide.
It’s time for you to determine who you’re going to follow because you can’t follow both. This passage ought to remind us of what Jesus said in Matthew chapter six Jesus said,
man cannot serve two masters for either he will hold to the one and despise the other or he will love the one and hate the other.
You cannot serve God and money. You can’t serve Jehovah and bale either. You can’t serve yourself and Jehovah either.
You can serve one or the other and the one who you decide to serve as a, as Elijah says,
you follow him, whichever one you believe is the one who really exists, you follow him. And so there will be a contest because when he confronts the people,
now they could have made a choice right there. They were just confronted with a choice. They were confronted as a people.
Could you get the rain to come back? How many times did you cry out to bail? All of these things were just implied in this statement.
Did bail help you? Could bale overcome the word of the prophet of the Lord for three years? No.
So they had a choice right here. Same as in Joshua chapter 24 verse 15 when Josh was his choose you this day,
who you will serve whether the gods of Egypt or the gods were the other side of the river that your father served.
But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. So Israel then had a choice and Israel now has a choice,
but their response is dead. Stone silence. Book of Mark. Jesus is confronted by the Pharisees with a man on the Sabbath who has a withered hand,
and they bring this man to Jesus because they want to see if he’ll heal him on the Sabbath because their philosophy is if he heals him on the Sabbath,
he performed work. If he performs work, we have some way to indict him on breaking the law.
And Jesus knows what they’re doing. Yeah, they bring the man with the withered hand to Jesus. They show him this man’s got a withered hand.
Let’s see what Jesus does. Let’s see if Jesus will heal him. Okay? And Jesus asks the question he looked about on them and ask the question,
is it better to do good or to do evil on the Sabbath? And they answered him, not a word.
And we read in that text and Jesus looked upon them with anger for the hardness of their hearts. Here’s Israel.
How many people had they seen die from the famine? How many of their loved ones died from the lack of rain and the lack of water and the things that were going on?
How many of the profits of the Lord had they seen killed by Jezza bell and all of this. They should have known Jehovah’s God.
When Elijah comes back and offers them a choice and opportunity to repent, they’re silent and so aligned just speaks again.
He says, then Elijah said to the people, verse 22 I alone am left a prophet of the Lord,
but bales, profits are 450 men. Therefore, let them give us two bowls and let them choose one bull for themselves.
Cut it in pieces and lay it on the wood, but put on, put no fire under it and I will prepare the other bowl and lay it on the wood,
but put no fire under it. Then you call on the name of the Lord of your gods. Now notice this statement is to the people he talks about what the prophets of bail will do.
They will do this, those third person. Yeah, you will do this because that’s your God. That’s your God bale over.
There you go. Call upon bail. Go find out if he’s listening. Now as we get into this,
we’re going to find the prophets of bail being the active participants. But Elijah’s telling the people, this is not,
Hey, let’s see which profits or the profits of of the true God, and you all stand over here and be be the audience.
No, he’s confronting them. He’s telling them, you go do this. That’s your God. So notice what he says.
He says, then you call on the name of your gods and I will call on the name of the Lord.
And the God who answers by fire, he is God. So all the people answered and said it is well-spoken.
Now, Elijah said to the profits of mail, choose one bowl for yourselves and prepare it first for you are many,
and call on the name of your God, but put no fire under it. So they took the bull,
which was given them, and they prepared it and called on the name of bale from morning even until noon saying,
Oh, bail here us. But there was no voice, no one answered. Then they leaped about the alter,
which they had made. And so it was at noon that aligned. You mocked them and said, cry aloud for he is a God.
Either he is meditating or he is busy or he is on a journey or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.
You’re not crying loud enough, cry louder. Maybe he can’t hear you. So they cried aloud and cut themselves as was their custom with knives and lances until the blood gushed out on them.<inaudible> when you realize the things that people will do when they are desperate for a belief,
without evidence, when they’re desperate to retain their power, their influence and their authority, when they’re crazed by evil,
these people are cutting themselves. We’re not talking about slicing through the top layer of skin. They’re cutting themselves and the blood is gushing from them and this was normal<inaudible> and when midday was passed,
they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. But there was no voice, no one answered,
no one paid attention. Then Elijah said to all the people come near to me. So all the people came near to him and he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down.
Alijah hasn’t come to Mount Carmel by sheer accident. Elijah hasn’t come to mountain Carmel for no reason. There was an altar of the Lord there.
There was a time in the past where that Alder meant and something, but it didn’t anymore. Not to this people,
they had allowed it to be broken down. They had allowed it to come into disrepair. They had allowed it to be ignored.
But notice what’s happened. The more the profits of bail kept trying, the more the people stopped believing because they were faced with a situation they couldn’t solve.
And so you can just imagine Israel’s becoming dis, you know, unsettled. They’re becoming restless, they’re getting tired of this is gone on all day and they’re tired of the,
of the things that the profits of Baylor doing and it doesn’t accomplish anything. So Elijah tells them, come near,
pay attention. And he said, or then Elijah took 12 stones according to the number of the tribes of the son of Jacob,
to whom the word of the Lord had come saying Israel shall be your name. Then with the stones,
he built an altar in the name of the Lord and he made a trench around the altar, large enough to hold to she is of seed and he put the wood in order,
cut the bulls in pieces and laid it on the wood and said, fill four water pots with water and pour it on the burn off Erbert sacrifice and yes,
on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood. Then he said, do it a second time and they did it a second time and he said,
do it a third time. And they did it a third time. So the water ran all around the altar and he also filled the trenches with water.
Elijah is taking what very well might be the most precious substance in the entire nation at this point in time.
And he’s pouring it out on the ground. He’s pouring it out on the altar, he’s taking it and he’s getting the people to give the water to pour on the altar.
And you’ve gotta be looking at the people thinking, what? What’s he doing? This is water. It hasn’t rained in three years and he’s pouring water on the altar.
He pours water on it the first time, the second time, the third time, and then he fills the trough around it.
It came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice that Elijah the prophet came near and said,
Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel and I am your servant and that I have done all these things at your word.
Again, the clarification at the beginning, Elijah says, there’s not going to be any rain until I say so.
And that’s probably how the people heard it. It’s a lie just stopping this. But now Elijah wants it to be clear the same way Joseph made it clear to Pharaoh the same way Daniel made it clear to Nebuchadnezzar,
this isn’t me. This is God. Okay, so Elijah wants it to be clear that everything he’s said and everything he’s done to this point has been at the word of the Lord.
And notice what we read. He says, hear me. Oh Lord, hear me that this people may know that you are the Lord gone and that you have turned their hearts back to you again.
Heres the point of the entire three years to tell Israel, it’s time to repent. It’s time to turn back.
Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice and the wood and the stones and the dust and it licked up the water that was in the trench went.
Now, when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and they said, the Lord,
he is gone. The Lord, he is God. Elijah’s made his point. Elijah proved his case.
No one doubted it, and Elijah said to them, seize the profits of bale. Let do not let one of them escape.
So they seized them and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Keshawn and executed them there. And some would immediately go,
wait a minute, that’s not right. You can’t just kill people. This is murder. No, it’s not because there’s still a law in Israel.
Deuteronomy chapter 13 beginning in verse six going through verse 10 the law says, if any man will come you to Israel and will tell you to depart from the Lord and serve other gods,
he forfeited his life. He was to be stoned with stones and those who were closest to him were to cast the first stone.
They were tried and found guilty because they prophesied and what they prophesied didn’t come to pass and they led people away from Jehovah.
This is an act of judicial justice against 450 prophets who had disobeyed the law of God and the law of their nation.
Then Elijah said to Ahab, verse 41 go up, eat and drink for there is a sound of the abundance of rain.
Elijah says they have as it were. Do you hear that? Do you hear that? A lot of a Hab.
The rain’s coming and Ahab went to eat and drink, so Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel.
Then he bound down on the ground and put his face between his knees and he said to his servant,
go up. Now look toward the sea. So he went up and looked and said, there is nothing.
And seven times he said, go again. Alijah goes to the top of Mount Carmel and he bows himself down.
Now who’s he bowing down to? What do you think he’s bowing down to? He’s bowing down to the only one who’s really in charge because even though Alijah said it’s going to be a,
my word that the rain comes, Elijah knows he’s not in charge, and Elijah is humbly being the intercessor between Israel and their God and praying for rain.
And there’s a point to be made here just because the Lord said, I’m going to send rain. Doesn’t mean Elijah was going to get four,
get it the first time he asked. So Elijah bows down and then Elijah sends his servant, go look at the sea serve server,
comes back and there’s nothing bows down again, says to the servant, go again. He bough the servant goes,
comes back. There’s nothing seven more times. And then finally we read, then it came to pass the seventh time that he said,
there is a cloud as small as a man’s hand rising out of the sea. So he said, go up,
say to Ahab, prepare your chariot and go down before the rain stops you is this tiny little cloud.
Uh, I see it. It’s, it’s, it’s rising up out of the sea. I mean,
here’s the mountain Carmel. It’s right on the edge of the Mediterranean sea and he’s looking out over the sea and he sees this cloud just,
it’s just a small little cloud. The Lord’s not contained in the size of the cloud. Immediately Elijah sends his servant to go tell a Hab.
You better go now. You better get on your chariot and go, or the rain will stop you.
So then notice it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind and there was a heavy rain.
So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel. Then the hand of the Lord came upon a Lija and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel Elijah outruns.
The chariot of the King of Israel, the power of the Lord. I had Alijah me day habit home.
What do you think the look on a Hub’s face was? I don’t have any idea, but in my mind here,
he’s just witnessed the 450 prophets of bale die and now it’s raining. And here’s the man who he called the troubler of Israel who told him,
no, the problem’s not me. It’s you probably wasn’t a really happy sight to see Alijah standing there when he came home.
Yet Elijah was right where God wanted him to be. All right, let’s go through the questions and then we’ll close.
First Kings chapter 18 verse one question number one, Elijah told Abraham that there would be a drought. How long did the drought last?
Answer is three years. Question number two. This is a multipart question. Yes or no. Did Jezza bell destroy all the prophets of God?
The answer is no. Explain. Uh, Obadiah hid a hundred of the prophets of God. 50 in a two caves.
Describe Obadiah as a youth. He is one who feared the Lord from his youth. Why did, and the question number three,
why did Elijah tell him that Ahab himself had caused the drought in Israel? He told him because he and his father’s house had followed the question number four on Mount Carmel aligned just said,
the people were trying to follow bale as God and Jehovah as God. How did Elijah prove that God is really God?
Of course, the answer to that is the test of sending fire from heaven to light the sacrifice. Uh,
and here on question number five, I think I know what the correct answer is, but I’ll be honest with you.
You may, you, you may look at it and think this is another one of those where the answer is D or E all the above.
But we’ll go through this. Um, on Mount Carmel when the 450 prophets were trying to get their God bale to put fire on their alter,
they did not a pray reverently B cry with loud voices. C leap on the alter or D cut themselves.
Um, now if I, as I read the text, and maybe it’s a difference in the versions,
whether the, where the question came from, but the new King James says they leaped around the alter.
So I chose C, but you may say, well, it way, my version reason, they did all of these things.
Uh, cause at the first they just pray that that veil will, uh, uh, bring fire upon the alter.
And then they begin to cry out and then they begin to leap around and then they begin to cut themselves.
Um, so as we’ve entered into, for those who are local here and know sometimes we run into questions,
they’ll go, well, the answer is they did. They did all those things. There’s none of them.
They didn’t do. So, um, you just let me know what you think about question number five later on number six,
what did Elijah do to the 450 prophets of bale? According to verse 40 of chapter 18, he executed them.
Uh, in correspondence with Deuteronomy chapter 13 verses six through 10, what did Elijah warn a ham to do?
Because of the approaching heavy rain? He warned him to prepare his chariot and to go home. That’s first Kings chapter 18,
verse 44. Specifically, the reference in verse 44 is to prepare his chariot. The implication is to return to Jezreel.
Okay, well that is our study of first Kings chapter 18. Uh, Michael is going to lead us in a closing song and then Eric is going to lead us in a closing prayer.
We appreciate your time, your attention, and our prayers are with you at this time as well. Thank you for your attention.
We all do. Good morning. Welcome to our the Collierville church of Christ live stream. We are glad that you are with us this morning online and uh,
definitely still be glad when we’re back together soon, but I’m glad we’re still able to do our worship this morning,
this way for announcements. We need to remember Ruby. Brad, she is back at home but continue to be with her.
I’m sure they have a long uh, battle still ahead of them. Uh, pray to be with uh,
Sandy and I’m guessing she’s getting better. I’m hoping that she’s getting better and uh, pray the watch over her and also Francis as she’s helping her and,
and help me take care of her. Be watched over the both of them. Uh, let’s remember Joan Springer and pneumonia.
She has pneumonia, Tina Lance and Russell Klein and his wife Tracy as they’re recovering from the Corona virus. That is all the announcements I have this morning.
If there is any more, you can definitely text Aaron or I and let us know and we will mention them at the end of us live stream this morning.
But to start us out, we’ll start with number five, four zero number five, four zero Oh four,
faith that will not shrink. Five four, zero Oh four, that well, not shrink though. Brass by every uh,
uh, well naturally well, uh, uh, bring uh, Annie, uh,<inaudible> that uh,
um, uh, uh, plane being at uh,<inaudible> uh,<inaudible> of grief or pain.<inaudible><inaudible> uh,
faith that shines right and clear.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> thick as this and then<inaudible><inaudible> uh, ha,
uh, uh, Annie let us pray our father in heaven. We are grateful for you. We are grateful for what you do for us each day.
We know that you take care of us and you are always watching over us. We pray at this time that you be with those that are on our minds,
that are sick, that are struggling with this virus and struggling with many other ailments. Watch over Sandy and pray that she will recover soon and be a Francis as she is helping her and taking care of her and,
and be with them both. We pray that you’d be with Joan and Springer. She has dealing with pneumonia and pray that she can get better soon.
I pray that you watch over the mini those dealing with this coronavirus and pray that you be with our country.
We’ll be with our leaders as they make decisions, as we move forward, that they’ll make the right decisions and pray that they will look to you for guidance.
We are thankful that we can come to you when we have struggles and in our life and things on our minds.
We are thankful to be Christians, to be on our way to heaven. We pray that we strive each day to serve you and all that we do.
And do you assembly. Do pray. Amen. To prepare our minds for the Lord’s supper, we’ll sing number three,
one five.<inaudible>. When I survey the wondrous cross three, 15,<inaudible> and uh,<inaudible> on which,
uh,<inaudible>, uh,<inaudible><inaudible>, uh, uh, uh, uh, and pork amps and all,
uh, uh huh. And full it it lawn, uh, hood<inaudible> say, then, uh,
uh, uh, for a nice, uh, yeah.<inaudible> the things that, you know, I mean,
I sack riff a nice and to eh, uh, see<inaudible><inaudible> I saw borrow, uh, uh,
um, me go, huh. Uh,<inaudible><inaudible> who wore thorns?<inaudible><inaudible> uh, Oh.
Uh, uh, or a, uh,<inaudible><inaudible> a four.<inaudible><inaudible>. Uh, so,
uh,<inaudible>, uh,<inaudible> Jesus’ name, uh, uh, uh, we take this time on the first day of the week as we have been commanded to focus on the sacrifice of Christ made as a song mentioned.
Think about the love that Jesus had to come to this earth to deal, to go through all that he did.
And that night, the mocking the scourging, the crown of thorns being put on his head to mock him and then slammed into his forehead,
his head, he did all of that. He could’ve stopped it, but he didn’t. We take this time to think and remember about what Jesus had done for us as bread as he commanded,
represents his body and the fruit of the vine which represents his blood. And we take those emblems to remember what that sacrifice,
what that sacrifice means to us. So at this time, let us partake of the brightest, pray for the bread,
a father in heaven. We are thankful for you and what you do for us. We’re especially thankful for Christ and that sacrifice that he made.
We pray as we partake of this, this bread which represents his body, that we will think about the love that he had for us and what he went through on that night and that day.
And you say we do pray. Amen.<inaudible> let us pray. I fall in heaven. As we continue,
we were reminded of Christ’s love for us. We are reminded of his sacrifice. And as we partake this through the vine which represents his blood,
we pray that we will focus on what the sacrifice means to us and how that because of what Christ did,
we can be in him with you some day and you seem to pray. Amen.<inaudible> we also take this time to give back a portion that we’ve received this week.
Let us pray. Our father in heaven, we are reminded every day if you’re care for us and how we are able to take care of our families and to live our lives as we need to.
We know that you take care of our needs and we were thankful for that. At this time. We pray,
we pray that we will give back with cheerful heart, a portion we’ve received this week and pray that it can be used to spread your word in this world into the weekend,
be the examples and get your message out to our communities and uh, pray that you will continue to be able to send all the way to and simply pray.
Amen.<inaudible> before the sermon this morning, we will sing number five, three eight, 538. My hope is built on nothing less.
Five 38. My hope is built on nothing less Angie and size spot. And we were a juice,
uh, and a tourist, uh, sweetness for him, but<inaudible> on Jesus’ name on crisis.<inaudible><inaudible> and Oh,
the ground<inaudible> and<inaudible> is a lovely face. Uh, he arrests on is a unchanging grace in every high.
And again, my Hanker horns with on crisis.<inaudible><inaudible> uh, the grind<inaudible><inaudible> his own affairs.
Yeah, it is, uh,<inaudible> the mean weight all around my soul. Yeah. Way.<inaudible> my hope and say on crisis.<inaudible><inaudible> Oh,
the ground.<inaudible><inaudible> now we’re here.<inaudible> my apologies to all of those who were watching the video.
Uh, and who didn’t have the slides for the song during that last song. That was my fault.<inaudible>.
There’s a substance in this world that the ancient Egyptians, if you translate their, their hieroglyphs at least by way of the research that I’ve found called the metal from heaven or the stone from the heavens and it was iron.
The ability and the recognition of what iron could do, change the face of the world because iron had the strength that other metals didn’t and was able to provide a military with the ability to conquer other nations and truly iron and metals like it that we know more about in our modern day have a place in history that is a determining place.
Well, what I want to do in our lesson this morning is I want to notice some lessons that come from biblical discussion of this metal called iron.
No, because there are some interesting places, especially in the old Testament where this substance and what it meant in the ancient world shows up.
We’re going to begin in Deuteronomy chapter four Deuteronomy chapter four. We read here concerning the events that are going on.
Of course, this is the last year of the wilderness wandering Moses and the people of Israel are there on the East side of the Jordan and in Deuteronomy chapter four beginning in verse 20 we read this,
but the Lord has taken you and brought you out of and notice the phrase, the iron furnace out of Egypt to be his people and inheritance as you are this day.
Furthermore, the Lord was angry with me for your sakes, and swore that I would not cross over the Jordan and that I would not enter the good land,
which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, but I must die in this land. I must not cross over the Jordan,
but you shall cross over and possess that good land. Take heed to yourselves lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God,
which he made with you and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which the Lord your God has forbidden you.
Moses speaks to this second generation of Israelites. He speaks to these who were either children when they came out of Egypt or had not even been born yet,
and he says, God brought your parents. God brought your people out of, and he describes it,
the iron furnace. We can think of another time when a fiery furnace is described and that’s in the Babylonian empire where Nebuchadnezzar has built a furnace to hold anyone who refuses to obey.
The commandment has been sent forth to all those who are present. When you hear the music, you fall down and worship this image that I have created,
and of course we are familiar with the story. At least we should be. How Hannah and I as Ryan Michelle refuse to bow down.
So the music was played and all the leaders, all the governors, all the people who were present fell down and worship the image except these three Jews who stood there and refuse to bow.
Nebuchadnezzar was incredibly angry when he heard that these three governors refused to balance. So he brings them a form and says,
I’m going to give you another opportunity. When you hear the music, you bow down and the music played and they didn’t bow,
and Nebuchadnezzar wants them to know that he has the ability to take their life. He has the ability to throw them in a fiery furnace and their response is,
you can do paraphrasing here. You can do whatever you want. Yeah, but we have a God in heaven.
We believe in the true God of heaven and he can save us if he chooses to. Now, here’s an interesting connection between these two,
not just the use of a furnace, but here you have a situation where these Israelites were tested. They were tested to see whether or not they would be faithful.
Hannah and I, as Riley, as Ryan and Michelle came through that test with flying colors because they were thrown in the furnace and then they were removed from the furnace because the furnace didn’t touch them.
It didn’t singe their hair. They didn’t even have the smell of smoke on them when they came out and yet it killed the soldiers that threw them in.
They were tried, they were tested and they were found to be those who were faithful. Yeah. But Moses describes to these Israelites in Deuteronomy chapter four about the Israelites that came out of the iron furnace of Egypt and they came out of the iron furnace of Egypt.
They came out of this place, they hadn’t been tested. They’ve been tried, and by and large,
they had failed. And yet because of the covenant made with Abraham and because of the faithfulness of Abraham,
Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and those who had gone before, they were brought out into a new land.
And Moses is going to warn them, don’t you build images to other gods and fall down and worship them?
Now, I want you to notice a comparison that’s made here in verse 24 because in verse 20 he says,
the Lord took you or brought you out of the iron furnace. But in verse 24 he says, for the Lord,
your God is a consuming fire. Moses wants Israel to know, right? Your people pass through the iron furnace of Egypt and they came out the other side.
But if you turn your back on God, if you worship idols, if you turn against him, your God is a consuming fire in,
you won’t come out the other side. Turn over to the book of Hebrews. Hebrews chapter 10 this same idea is brought forward concerning Christians.
Yeah. The Hebrew writer is writing to these Christians and he wants them to know they have a better path into eternity.
There’s a new and a living way that has been created by the blood of Christ that they need to hold fast.
They need to hold fast. The profession of hold. They need to be those who consider one another and stir up one another to love and good works.
They need to be those who do not forsake the assembling of themselves together as the manner of some is.
He encourages them to remind and reminds them of all of these things and then warned them about turning back.
He says in verse 26 of Hebrews chapter 10 for if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth,
there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.
What is it that Moses said about the Lord? He said, the Lord, your God is a consuming fire.
The Hebrew writer says, do you not understand that the one who turns his back on God, the one who walks on the the the blood of Christ,
that’s verse 29 where you get to that in a moment. He says, do you not understand? There’s a fiery indignation waiting for the one who does that?
He goes on in verse 2128 anyone who has rejected Moses’s law dies without mercy. On the testimony of two or three witnesses of how much worse punishment do you suppose will he be thought worthy?
Who has trampled the son of God under foot counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing and insulted the spirit of grace.
Yes. And notice this statement for we know him who said, vengeance is mine, I will repay,
says the Lord, and again, the Lord will judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
The Hebrew writer writes to these Christians and says, do you remember what the law said? Do you remember the punishment that came upon those who had two or three witnesses that testified against them?
Do you remember the cost of turning your back on God under the old ball and now he’s provided a new,
a better living way? And you’re thinking of going back. Do you not remember? This is the God who said vengeance is mine.
I will repay. But then thing back to Deuteronomy four you came out of an iron furnace, you pass through the other side,
you survived it. God brought you through it. But if you turn your back, God will be the consuming fire that devours you.
He’s talking about, have you experienced, have you been tested enough to say, I will not turn back.
Okay. And you pick up here in Hebrews chapter 10 and you read verse 32 he says, but recall,
recall the former days in which after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings, partly while you were made a spectacle,
both by reproaches and tribulations and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated. He says,
do you remember when you first became a Christian? Do you remember the hardships that you endured? Imagine this as Moses speaking to the second generations,
and do you remember seeing your parents? Do you remember seeing them at Mount Sinai? Do you remember seeing them during the plagues and the things that occurred in the wilderness because they refuse to obey?
Have you learned their lesson? Will you choose to be faithful? So the Hebrew writer reminds these Christians about the time when they were faithful.
He says there in verse 34 for you had compassion on me and my chains and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods,
knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. Therefore do not cast away your confidence,
which has great reward for you. Have need of endurance so that after you have done the will of God,
you may receive the promise. Hebrew writer writes to these Christians and he says, I know you can do this.
You bore with me when I needed your help and you sent money to me. You allowed yourself to be plundered for my benefit and for others benefit who were suffering.
You can go through it too. You can be faithful, but you turn over to chapter 12 as he continues this concentrated discussion about faithfulness and continues to tell these Christians,
you can get through this. He comes to chapter 12 he talks about the those who were present at the Mount uses the old old Testament and the the situations there as an example,
but he says in verse 25 of Hebrews chapter 12 see that you do not refuse him who speaks for if they did not escape who refused him,
who spoke on earth much more shall we not escape if we turn away from him who speaks from heaven,
whose voice then shook the earth? But now he has promised saying yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also heaven.
The reference here, the discussion about the one who spoke on earth is a reference to Exodus chapter 19 where God there at the Mount spoke to that first generation and they heard his voice and they heard it as if it were thunderings and lightenings and all of these things.
They heard it and they were afraid and ultimately that generation never saw the promised land because they did not obey.
They were consumed. He says, if that first generation that heard his voice on the earth was consumed,
how much more do you think could happen to us having heard his voice from heaven having had his son come down to this earth to die for us?
How much more do you think we might go through? He says, now this yet once more indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken as of things that are made that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.
He’s talking about the old Testament and the old law and the law, Moses and the Jewish society and all of these things that were being done away with to bring in the kingdom and the law of Christ.
He says, therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear for our God is a consuming fire.
So the first thing that we see is we enter into this discussion about iron and some lessons from iron is that while we go through this life and we might pass through the difficulties and the struggles and the trials and even the persecution that comes with being faithful to God in this life,
we better make it through. We better determine we will never turn back because the punishment that comes in the next life,
well cause anything we suffer in this life to pale in comparison because old Testament and new Testament alike agree on this thing.
Our God is a consuming fire and our God will consume his adversaries. The question for you and I is,
are we his ally or his adversary? Jesus said, you are my friends. If you do whatsoever,
I command you. It’s up to us to choose, but then consider a second lesson. This one comes from Deuteronomy chapter eight Deuteronomy chapter eight we kind of see this idea of iron flipped on its head in,
in the past, the iron furnace of Egypt was was a symbol of destruction. It was a symbol of torment.
It was a symbol of of their demise and their persecution. Think about those furnaces. They must have used to make bricks to build the great structures of Egypt.
They were familiar with those furnaces. They meant something to them, but as Moses is now going to turn to talking to them about the land,
the inheritance, the promised land that they’re going to receive. Notice what he says in Deuteronomy chapter eight and verse eight verse seven beginning for the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land,
a land of Brooks, of water, of fountains and Springs that flow out of valleys and Hills, a land of wheat and barley of vines and fig trees and pomegranates,
a land of olive oil and honey. Now you read all of this and it sounds like this is great.
God’s bringing us into a land that’s prepared. As a matter of fact, Moses is going to tell them that you’re going to raise,
you’re going to receive cities you didn’t build. You’re going to harvest vineyards, you didn’t plant. You’re going to receive the sustenance from the land that you did.
Nothing to put there, but he goes on beyond this list of things that are naturally going to be provided for them.
And he says this, a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity in which you will lack nothing.
A land whose stones are iron and out of whose Hills you can dig copper<inaudible>. Moses tells Israel,
God’s putting you in a land with untapped resources. God’s putting you in a land where when you put forth the effort to take those resources out of the ground,
when you put forth the effort to cultivate those resources and turn them into something useful, you will realize that God is not just giving you what is already there.
He’s giving you resources in abundance that came can be come something useful for you. Now, step back and think about our lives.
Yeah. How many times do we find that the resources we need the resources to evangelize the resources, to teach the resources to do what we need to in a local congregation.
The resources to make our homes what they ought to be the resources to, to guide a family into righteousness are all resources we already have except maybe we’re not using them.
It’s interesting in this time of a pandemic that we’re going through right now, how people have changed their views on resources.
They have just even right now we’re utilizing an internet connection and we’re utilizing a stream and we’re utilizing a broadcasting method and churches all over the world are utilizing this and they weren’t.
Many of them weren’t utilizing it four months ago. They had a resource. It was sitting there and it was being ignored because it wasn’t being utilized.
It wasn’t seen as valuable. You go through and you walk over land day in and day out and if you don’t realize maybe there’s in in their case a vein of iron in that land,
you walk over that land and you see nothing useful. Maybe that land won’t grow anything. Maybe that land you’ve tried to plant those crops.
You’ve tried to plant the barley and the vineyards and all those things and it dies year in and year out and you think this land is worthless,
but you dig a little bit underneath the surface. You find a completely different set of resources. There are lessons for us to be learning about utilizing resources,
utilizing what God has put there and not ignoring it because it’s not the resource we were looking for so many times we overlook and we bypass potential value because it wasn’t the thing we were looking for.
We need to step back and look at our spiritual lives. We need to step back and look at our home lives.
We need to step back and look at our congregations and we need to evaluate what resources are we ignoring because they don’t look like the resource that I need right now.
But then consider Deuteronomy chapter 28 yeah, Deuteronomy chapter 28 is a passage that we alluded to, at least it’s,
it’s a parallel reference to the first generation, a passage that we alluded to a few weeks ago as we discussed the drought during the days of Elijah and Deuteronomy chapter 28,
the curses that were presented to Israel if they turned their back on God are re presented to the second generation.
And in Deuteronomy chapter 28, verse 22, we read the Lord will strike you with consumption, with fear within,
uh, with inflammation, with severe burning fever, with the sword, with scorching, and with mildew.
They shall pursue you until you perish. And your heavens, which are over your head shall be bronze and the earth which is under you shall B iron.
Now here, God’s not talking about untapped resources. God’s not talking about potential use. God’s saying when you turn your back on me,
when you turn away from me and begin to do evil, I’m going to turn your resources into worthlessness.
I’m going to take that resource, which is your ground, which is your soil and the things that you’re able to grow from it that gives you food and plenty and sustenance,
and I’m going to turn it as hard as iron because I’m going to withhold the rain. We look at what is important to us and we go day in and day out and say,
you know what, I’ve, I’ve got to work for a living. I’ve got to provide for my family.
I’ve got to do this, and I’ve got to that and sometimes we get our priorities backwards. Sometimes we get so focused on what we have to have right now to continue living that we forget the priority of putting God in the proper place.
Israel never turned their back on God. When God was the priority, Israel always turned their back on God.
When God stopped being the priority and they started to become the priority. I’ve known Christians who have said their excuse for working on Sundays instead of assembling with the saints is,
well, somebody’s got to pay the bills. Do you know what that says that says, I can’t trust God enough to prioritize him over my sustenance.
How many times could it have been true that the reason they could never manage to pay the bills it was because God was making sure they never did.
Now you say, Whoa, Aaron, I mean, are we talking about God’s miraculously Holy? No,
I’m talking about what you, so you also reap and he who sows sparingly reaps sparingly. One of the things that the new Testament teaches is if you want to sow or if you want to reap bountifully,
you sow bountifully and the reaping will be in view of the sewing. Someone who doesn’t assemble, someone who doesn’t put gone for someone who prioritizes their stuff over God,
do you think they give the way they ought? Okay. Do you think they’re giving back to God as he’s prospered them?
It’s doubtful. We need to look at our lives and we need to examine how many times we’ve decided to set our personal desires in the place of God’s commandments.
Jesus said, seek ye first the kingdom of heaven and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.
Jesus said, God’s in control whether you like it or not and he will bless you or he will withhold from you based upon whether or not you will see Kim or not.
Now this is coming from an individual who said to one who said, I’m going to be your disciple.
I’m going to follow after you. He said, I have no place to lay my head. Foxes have holes.
Birds of the air have NES. I have nowhere to lay my head and yet there was never a time where Jesus accused God,
the father of not providing for him. Sometimes it is our view of provision that is messed up our view of necessity.
There’s desolation that comes from disobedience. The analogy of the old Testament prophets was that Israel was working day in and day out to get money to put it in the bags that had holes in the bottom of it.
And that’s exactly how some people’s financial lives work today and yet they don’t have time to prioritize God. But then consider Deuteronomy chapter 33 Deuteronomy chapter 33 we have another reference to iron and this is in verses 24 and 25 and of Asher,
he said, Asher is most blessed of sons. Let him be favored by his brothers and let him dip his foot in oil.
Your sandals shall be iron and bronze as your days, so shall your strength be. This is a statement that may not readily connect with us during the Roman age.
The sandals that the soldiers wore would have metal spikes on them. Okay, you’re familiar with this. We’ve all seen the football players dig their cleats,
the spikes in the bottom of their cleats into the ground so they won’t be moved. And God is saying concerning Asher is he speaks prophetically through Moses concerning the future.
He says, Asher, your sandals will be as if they’re of iron. Your strength will be as your days.
You will stand and you will not be moved. You know, there’s an analogy in the new Testament made concerning sandals and Ephesians chapter six as Paul there is writing to the church at Ephesus and he’s telling them about the whole armor of God.
He says that we are to have our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel. It’s not just the idea that we have our feet,
you know, with our sandals on and we’re ready to walk, but we’re ready to stand. We’re ready to not be moved.
We’re ready to be pushed against and give no ground because we’re prepared. We’re prepared by the gospel to go into the fire,
to go into the furnace, to go into the difficulties of life and not turn back.<inaudible> God said concerning ancient Asher that they would be able to stand if they were faithful.
If they were his servants, they would be able to stand and no one would push them back. One last and final lesson from iron comes in.
Judges, chapter four judges chapter four, reminding ourselves that the time of the judges was a time of exceeding unfaithfulness,
where there was a progression of unfaithfulness generation after generation after generation in judges chapter four verse one when he hood was dead,
the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord sold them into the hand of J Ben King of Canaan who reigned in Hazel or the commander of his army was Cicero,
who dwelt in, uh, Harris. Chef Hagley yum. And the children of Israel cried out to the Lord for Jabon had 900 chariots of fire.
And for 20 years he harshly oppressed the children of Israel. Part of the reason why the Egyptians called iron the metal from heaven.
It’s because of the Egyptians. We’re ones who heavily utilized the chariot and they heavily utilized this armor and battled,
but that gave them victory over others. Yeah. But in chapter four and in verse four we read now Deborah a prophetess,
the wife of Lapidoth was judging Israel at that time and she would sit under the Palm tree of Deborah between a ref AAM,
or excuse me, before between Ramo and Bethel in the mountains of Ephraim, and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.
Then she sent and called for Bayrock, the son of a benewin from K dash in NAFTA. Lion said to him,
has not the Lord God of Israel commanded. Go and deploy your troops at mountain Tabor. Take with you 10,000 men of the sons of NAFTA lie and of the sons of<inaudible> and against you.
I will deploy Cicero, the commander of<inaudible> army with his chariots and his multitude at the river kind of Sean and I will deliver them into your hand.
Here’s the cry that comes up from Israel for 20 years. God deliver us from Cicero, deliver us from this army with 900 chariots of iron.
Deliver us from this people who we cannot overcome because of the strength of their military might. So as Deborah is judging,
she commands Bay rack to come prepare his forces 10,000 from one drive and 10,000 from another. And to go to this place and to be ready because God is going to deploy Cicero.
God is going to bring these 900 chariots of iron. God is going to bring this multitude of men that belong to the Canaanites and he’s going to put them in battlement and he’s going to destroy them for Israel.
May Iraq will determine that he’s not going. He’s not going unless Deborah comes to. So Deborah will declare that the victory will co it will go into the hands of a woman,
that the glory that would have been Bay racks will not belong to him. But instead Cicero would be put to death by the hands of a woman and he will.
But I want you to notice this. When we turn against God, when we become unfaithful, and when we strive,
strive to solve our problems from an earthly perspective, using earthly resources, we will find ourselves defeated by someone who’s stronger in earthly mind than us.
But when we rely on God, when we rely on the Lord, it doesn’t matter how many chariots of iron a nation has.
It doesn’t matter how many modern terms, tanks, bombs, or airplanes a nation has because in all of history,
no matter how hard nations have tried, they’ve never been victorious against the one thing they can never destroy.
The sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, and God has laid waste to nation after nation after nation that believed they could stop God.
You and I know that if we’re going to be faithful, we have to pass through the furnace. We have to continue to be faithful in spite of hardship.
We have to choose to be faithful even when things aren’t going our way. We have to look for the resources God has put in our place and in our hand and we’ve ignored and we have to remember that when difficulty arises and when the enemies of God rise up and they do,
we don’t rely upon our own resources for deliverance, but we rely upon the Lord. If you’re one who’s outside the body of Christ,
you are in a condition. The the Ephesians writer describes as an enemy of God. He says, you’re an alien,
separated from the Commonwealth of Israel. You are an enemy of Jehovah and if you leave this life in that state,
you have nothing to look forward to except for the consuming fire of the Lord and our God is a consuming fire.
God doesn’t desire for you to serve him out of fear. God doesn’t desire you to serve him because you’re terrified of him.
God desires to bless you and provide for you and do good to you and heal you from this day through eternity because God made you and he desires to have fellowship with you and you have become separated from him by sin,
but that sin can be washed away. Just yesterday I was out in front and back of my house and I was pressure washing and it’s amazing the color of the cement outside my house.
I had no idea what color it was because it had been so overlaid with the grime and the grit of time.
It didn’t look like it’s real self. You may become, have become accustomed to how you look right now spiritually,
but that doesn’t mean that’s how you’re supposed to look. That doesn’t mean that’s how God wants you to look.
God wants you to be washed. God wants you to look like your real self. God wants you to be sanctified by the blood of Christ and you can do that by being obedient to the gospel,
hearing the word of God and believing that Jesus Christ is the son of God, confessing the name of Jesus Christ.
Having repented of your sins changed your mind about the way you’re going to live and determined to serve the Lord,
and you can be buried in a watery grave of baptism and die to sin. And when you rise up out of the water,
if you had filled on your flesh, it might still be there. And unlike all the hours I spent pressure washing the other day,
when you come up out of water, you’ll come up a new creature as clean and as pure as the day you entered into this earth.
If you’re not in that state today, contact us. Allow us to help you understand the truth and be obedient to the gospel.
We thank you for your time, your attention, and we pray for your continued faithfulness and the difficulties that face us right now.<inaudible> again,
we thank you for being with us this morning. I did not receive any messages of any more announcements.
So we will close with our song and a closing prayer by Aaron. We’ll close with number 396 no,
not one, three, nine, six. There’s not a friend like<inaudible>. Geez. Uh, no,
nah, nah.<inaudible> no. Uh, jeez. Uh, no, but a us or a cause.
Hey God.<inaudible> uh, there’s not a friend the low. Holy geez. Uh, no. Ah,
new a friend. Like, yeah, man. So, uh, and Oh, no, no,
nah. And yeah. No friendliness. Um, meek and lowly. No, no, nah. Jeez.<inaudible><inaudible> Hey<inaudible><inaudible> uh,
there’s not a friend like, uh, well only, geez. Uh, no, no, nah,
there’s not an a that he is NA ni WRA. No, no, nah, no night. So dark mud is,
uh, and cheer. Uh,<inaudible> no, jeez, us, ah, uh, goals. Hey,
well, God’s day is, uh, there’s not a<inaudible>. Jeez. Uh, no, uh,
yeah. Let us pray. Gracious, heavenly father, we come before you at this time grateful for the day that you’ve blessed us with,
for the life that you’ve given to us and the health that we have. We’re mindful of those that have undergone difficulties,
undergone, uh, struggles because of the recent pandemic. We pray for those nations that are just now beginning to feel the effects of this disease and we pray that they might have the support and the strength and the ability to deal with it.
Laura, we are mindful of those who have lost loved ones as a result of this disease or any other in recent days and months.
We know that they sorrow the loss of those who they’re separated from and we ask that you will give them comfort and strength in this time of sorrow.
We pray for those who are in the medical field and are dealing with the brunt of the difficulties that are going on right now.
We pray that you give them comfort and peace and sound mind to be able to do the things that they need to do most especially God.
We pray that people will be open to the word of God, that they will be open to hearing the truth,
that their mind will be turned away from physical things to spiritual matters. We pray for every evangelist effort that goes forth throughout the world,
that as they remain faithful to you, they might always be bountiful and fruitful in your kingdom. All this we pray in Jesus name.
<inaudible><inaudible> testing. One, two. Testing. One, two. Testing one, two. Yeah. Test. Test. This is only a test<inaudible> and a song to start us off this evening will be number 480.
Bless it. Assurance for the, those of you that have a book at home, it’s four, eight zero.
Bless it. Assurance. Bless it.<inaudible> Jesus’s ma. Oh.<inaudible><inaudible> purchase of God. Born of his speech.
Washington is blah nurses. Mice.<inaudible> this is mine. Praising my savior Jane Long.<inaudible><inaudible> this is mine.
Praising mice. Save your all that day.<inaudible> perfect.<inaudible> perfect visions.<inaudible><inaudible> angels Z sending,
bringing from up.<inaudible> uh, goes up. See whispers, uh, nurses, mice.<inaudible> this is my<inaudible>.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> this is mine.<inaudible> praising.
Nice.<inaudible><inaudible> perfect. Nah, John<inaudible> a and mice.<inaudible> I’m happy and just watching and waiting,
looking up.<inaudible> filled with his<inaudible> is lost in his, uh, this is my<inaudible>. This is mine.<inaudible> praising mice.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> this is mine.<inaudible> praising.
Nice.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> yeah, please bow with me for our opening prayer. Yeah. Our father in heaven,
how awesome you are. We thank you so much for this time that we have to come together as a church and worship you.
Whether it be here at the building or home online, we know that all of our hearts are in the right place and we ask that you look down upon our worship as a sweet savor to you.
Lord, we thank you so much for the blessings that you’ve given us to be able to do the things that we need to do during this trying time and we asked during this trying time that you be with all of those who are suffering illness and use this time for us to reach out to them and plant a seed and help them to come to you.
Lord, all those that are in the church that are ailing at this time, whether it be from this virus or any other element,
we ask that you be with them and get them through the situation that they’re going through. Thank you again,
Lord, for all the many blessings you’ve given us and your son’s name. Amen. Yeah. The song before our lesson will be number 742 bless.
Count your blessings. Seven 40 to count your blessings when upon lifespan as you are 10th is when you are discouraged thinking,
uh,<inaudible> count your many blessings. Name them one by one and it will surprise you. Uh,
the Lord hath de and count your blessings. Name them one by one. Come down to your blessing.
See what God ha, uh,<inaudible> name them one by one. Count your man. He blessing.
See why God uh, uh huh. Oh, are you a burden with a load of<inaudible>? Does the cross seem heavy?
You are called to count your many blessings. Every job well and you will be singing as the days go.
Ah.<inaudible> blessings. Name them one by one.<inaudible> blessing. See why God ha ah,<inaudible> name them one by one.<inaudible> count German blessing.
See why God uh, uh, so, um, man, the conflict where the great or small do not be discouraged.
God is<inaudible> count Jim man, he blessings angels. Well, uh, and hoping comfort. Give you two.<inaudible> your blessings.
Name them one by one. Count your blessing. See why God ha, uh,<inaudible> name them one by one and count Germany blessing.
See why God, uh,<inaudible><inaudible> Kings chapter 17. So we’ll be continuing with our study in first Kings as we go through the lesson this evening.<inaudible> the questions,
uh, for the lesson are at least should be linked in, uh, the Facebook feed and the comment and then uh,
I’m going to attempt to also make sure they get here on the homepage of the website as well. Um,
we’ll, we’ll deal with those as we get towards the end of the lesson, but they will be available if you don’t get a chance to get them,
uh, during class, then we will make sure they’re up on the website. Uh, after the classes over in first Kings chapter 17,
we are introduced to one of the most significant prophets in the old Testament. How do we know he is as significant as,
as that claim makes him out to be? Because of the all the people in all of old Testament history that are present in order to see Christ there at the Mount of transfiguration,
you have only two. You don’t have Abraham. You don’t have Noah. You don’t have Joseph or Jacob.
You don’t have Isaac. You don’t have David. You don’t have Solomon. You don’t have job. You have Moses and Elijah here.
You have in the presence of Christ there in Matthew chapter 17 there in the Mount of transfiguration. You have in his presence two individuals who represent two very specific things.
You have one who represents and embodies via law. Moses stands there on the Mount of transfiguration with Christ and carries with him as it were in his own self,
the law. How many times do you read Jesus saying, did have you not read what Moses wrote?
Have you not read and goes on to quote the law. When Jesus was tempted by Satan, he did not bring out of him of his own self,
out of his own proclamation or even out of his future teachings. He did not bring out a response to push back against sin from himself.
In that sense from his physical life or his life on this earth. Instead, he quoted the law.
He quoted Moses. So Moses stands there on the Mount of transfiguration with Jesus and with him is the image,
okay? The representation of the law. But it’s not just Moses. We read that Moses and Elijah are present.
Now, why aligned yah? Elijah is there. And again, some of this is is, is,
um, trying to glean into the passage, Ryan gleaned from the passage what’s there for us, what’s there to,
to be understood. What’s, what’s not stated. Okay? But Elijah stands as the representative of the profits throughout the remainder of the old Testament and throughout the new Testament,
Elijah’s name comes up. Alijah is referenced. You remember when Jesus in Matthew chapter 16, asked the disciples,
who do men say that I am? And they replied that they believe that some believed he was Moses,
some believed he was Elijah, some, one of the other prophets. Elijah was one of those prophets who comes to mind and is the one who really stands as the focal point and the,
the beginning of the profits that would carry them forward to the end of the old Testament history. Add into that Elijah was the one that was prophesied would return before the coming of the Christ.
It is again in Matthew chapter 17 and in the record of the Mount of transfiguration where the disciples questioned Jesus about Elijah because they want to know,
we thought Elijah was going to come before the Christ and Jesus will make it clear that the Elijah that was prophesied was John the Baptist.
So Alijah is now introduced in first Kings chapter 17 and we find him coming on the scene. No background.
Uh, we, we know that he is from the region of Gilliad in chapter 17 verse one. But no family history,
no lineage, no tribe. Just here’s a Lija. It’s chapter 17 verse one and a reminder, by the way from last week,
chapter 16 us that uh, armory, the father of a Hab who came to the throne in the Northern kingdom of Israel,
did more evil than all the Kings who were before him, did more evil than Jeroboam, did, more evil than Jeroboam.
Son did more evil than the individual who killed Jeroboam and took the throne, did more evil than all of them.
But then Omri lives reigns and dies and Ahab, his son comes to the throne and he does more evil than Henri.
He does more evil than all the Kings who came before him. He takes it to a whole nother level.
And on top of that he marries Jessebelle. And so here we have, okay, this introduction to Ahab,
this introduction to his evil, this introduction that even includes the rebuilding of Jericho to say this people has gone so far from God that they have dismissed even the curses that were placed on a city that when it was rebuilt,
the person who rebuilt it would kill their own children. They would lose their own children as the cost for rebuilding this city.
This is how far Israel has departed from God. Yeah, and so in chapter 17 verse one we read and Alijah the Tishbite of the inhabitants of Gilead said to Ahab as the Lord God of Israel lives before whom I stand.
There shall not be dune or rain these years except at my word. As Elijah comes on the scene,
he enters on the scene. We don’t have his background. He’s, he’s a Tish bite. That’s probably a family name.
He’s from the region of Gilliad, but it’s interesting, the original language there indicates that he is one of the soldiers of Gilliad indicating that perhaps while he may have been from the region,
the city of Gilead, that perhaps he is not even an Israelite. Yeah, he comes on the scene and the very first proclamation out of his mouth,
no introductory thoughts, no introductory statements, a hub. It’s not going to rain until I say so.<inaudible> this is fulfillment of what God told Israel would occur when they began to follow after idols.
God told Israel, Leviticus chapter 26 and other places that when you begin to follow after the idols that I destroyed the Canaanites for worshiping.
When you begin to serve the idols that I said, this people is going to be annihilated off the face of the planet because they follow after this wickedness.
When you do what they did, you’re going to receive what they got. And one of the things,
one of the curses there, the Mount of blessing and cursing, one of the curses that God pronounces is the heavens will turn the bronze and the earth will turn to iron and you will have no rain.
I will destroy your crops. I will destroy your productivity. I will destroy your economy because realize that the majority of this culture is agrarian.
If they can’t grow food, they don’t have any money. If they can’t grow food, they can’t feed the livestock.
If they can’t feed the livestock, they can’t sell the livestock. So they have no food and they have no money.
So Elijah comes to the King and he says, no rain, no rain, except by my word,
and Alijah will be the one who stands as the voice of the Lord. Now when it comes time for that rain to occur,
it’s going to be the word of God. It’s going to be God saying, okay, it’s time God sending a line,
jump back to a rehab. And it’s going to be the case that Elijah will pray to God, that the rain returns and God will grant it.
But Elijah says, except at my word, then the word of the Lord came to him saying, get away from here and turn eastward,
hide by the Brook. Cherith which flows into the Jordan. Uh, some have suggested that this, uh,
Brook Cherith is on the edge of the Jordan Valley, uh, North of the Jabbok river on the East side of the Jordan.
Uh, whether it is or not, I’m not a hundred percent certain, but some have suggested that is the case and it will be that you shall drink from the Brook.
And I have commanded the Ravens to feed you there. So Elijah’s told you leave you get away because God knows that they have is going to be coming for Elijah and God knows there’s not going to be any rain and God is going to provide for Elijah.
So during this period of time, Alijah will escape from uh, a house he will as a result of being there by the Brook and being provided for by God.
He will not need to go into a marketplace. He will not need to go into a city. He’ll not need to go into a public place and there therefore,
he essentially goes off the grid. He becomes unfindable even though he’s still right there within the land. And we’ll find out in chapter 18 that Ahab has been looking for him everywhere because he knows Alijah just the connection terrain.
If he can find the lie Jah, he can get Alijah he thinks to either start the rain back again,
command it to rain again or kill him and he thinks maybe perhaps that will achieve the same goal. So he went and did according to the word of the Lord,
verse five for he went and stayed by the, by the Brook Cherith which flows into the Jordan. The Ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening and he drank from the Brook.
So the Ravens are coming day in, day out, morning and evening and bringing him what he needs.
God is taking care of Elijah and aligned JEA is going to be one who recognizes that care recognizes that Providence and relies upon God.
Now you and I perhaps are familiar with the events that will occur after chapter 18 there at the end of chapter 18,
the beginning of chapter 19 when Elijah’s victorious over the prophets of bale. And we’ll get into that, uh,
in the coming studies. But he’s victorious. And then because as Jessebelle seeks his life, he turns and runs and he goes into a period of despair and he believes these the only faithful one left and all of this.
But here at the beginning, he’s, we get this picture of him relying on the Lord. No want to point out something here because there’s a lesson built into this,
that subtle, but it’s here. Elijah goes and obeys the voice of God. There’s, there’s no question that it was God’s command to deliver the message to Ahab that there would be no rain.
He takes his life in his own hands to go before a King to tell him it’s not going to rain until I say so.
And then he having obeyed God in doing that, departs to a place where God tells him to go.
Elijah is one who obeys in the little details. He does exactly according to the word of the Lord.
He doesn’t question the Lord. He doesn’t go. You know what? I think even though I’ve been here,
I’ve been here, I’ve been here a few days, I’ve been here a few weeks, however long there.
I think I’m just going to go into the city. I’m going to look around. I’m going to see how things are going.
No, the indication is that Elijah obeys the Lord to the letter. He goes and he stays and he waits and God provides you and I need to have the same attitude towards the word of God.
When God says do this, it shouldn’t be a question in our minds, well, how serious was it the Lord?
What did he really mean that we had to do that all the time? Elijah’s perspective and attitude towards God’s word is what God says I will do and we need to live that in our own lives happened after a while that the Brook verse seven dried up because there had been no rain in the land so alive.
Just their Elijah’s by the Brooke. He gets his water from a Brook, he gets his meat and his bread from the Ravens<inaudible> and then the Brook dries up.
Well, you can live a decent amount of time without food. You can’t live very long at all without liquid,
without water. But why is the Brook drying up? I mean, this isn’t a normal circumstance. You don’t just have Brooks that just dry up an Oh,
unless there’s been no rain here. You might be one. If, if you think back about Israelite history and how many times the Israelites as they came out of Egypt would see God provide for them.
And then when the thing that God provided goes away, they complain that God’s trying to kill them. You can think about the occasion where Jonah goes and preaches to the city of Nineveh and then they repent and Jonah goes outside the city and sits down under the gourd and there the gourd gives him shade from the sun and then the Gore dies and he complains to the Lord and he’s angry because the gourd is dead and yet he wasn’t angry at all about the possibility of the death of all of the city of Nineveh.
Here you have a situation where it would be very easy for Elijah’s say, well, wait a minute.
What am I going to do now? Lord, you told me not to let it rain. You told me to tell this to Ahab and now here I am and I have no water.
But you see no indication of that kind of attitude from Elijah. And you see as well, not only the faith of Elijah,
but you see God’s continued provision. So then in verse eight, the word of the Lord came to him saying,
arise, go to Zara fifth, which belongs to Sidon Sidon, North of the Northern kingdom of Israel.
So the likelihood is that Alijah will Trek up to the, on the East side of the Jordan above the sea of Galilee and go over to the region of Sidon.
Uh, go to Zara fifth, which belongs to Sidon and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.
Now, at the point at which this statement is made, the point at which that, uh, Elijah is told you,
leave. God says, I’ve commanded this to take place. I’ve commanded a woman to provide for you.
But when we get there, when we get to Xero fifth, when Aline Alijah arrives at this woman’s house,
is there any indication this woman knows that, that a prophet of the Lord is coming? No. The fact that God says I’ve commanded it doesn’t mean that that commandment Ben has been delivered yet Elijah brings with him the commandment.
He’s the prophet. So aligned you goes to Zara fifth he arose verse 10 and went to Xero fifth and when he came to the gate of the city,
indeed a woman was there gathering sticks and he called to her and said, please bring me a little water in a cup that I may drink.
How interesting. He’s left the Brook chair of, he’s left to a land of Israel. He’s gone up to Sidon,
and now there’s water. But that doesn’t mean that there’s abundance. It doesn’t mean that this land is untouched by the drought.
As a matter of fact, pretty much the opposite. While there may have been water, maybe this was a city that was fed by an underground spring or something like that.
The reality is the city is in desperate, a desperate state, and this widow is in a desperate state and this widow is preparing to have her last meal with her son,
and then they’re going to starve to death because they have no food. So Elijah comes to the Gates of the city.
He finds the woman, they’re gathering sticks. He tells her, please bring me water in a cup that I may drink,
and she was going to, and as she was going to get it, he called to her and said,
please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand. Can you remember another time where a prophet of God goes to a city and tells a woman to do something for him?
And her immediate reaction is, why are you asking me for this? Is the attitude of the Israelites towards those non Israelites the way that it was in Elijah’s day?
Is it the same as the way it was in Jesus’s day? I don’t know. Maybe they hadn’t quite developed the mentality yet that said,
we’re better than everybody else, but in this case, Elijah comes to a woman and asked her for something and she immediately responds.
She immediately goes to get it. You see a picture of hospitality here you see a picture of a person who immediately strives to do for others even when she doesn’t have enough to do for herself.
So she goes immediately and gets him water, but then as she’s going, he says and bring with you a morsel of bread that I may eat.
So she said, verse 12 as the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin and a little oil in a jar and see,
I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son,
that we may eat it and die. Elijah asked for a morsel of bread and a cup of water and the woman says,
you see me picking up these sticks? Do you see what I’m doing here? I’m doing this because I don’t have a morsel of bread to give you.
I’m gathering sticks to take the little bit of flour that I have and a little bit of oil that I have and bring them together as a final meal and then we’re going to starve to death.
I don’t have anything for you, but the reality is this woman’s resources aren’t the same as God’s resources.
What this woman has pales in comparison to what God can do for her and it’s the same for you and me all.
I don’t expect to go home and find when I opened the bin of flour at home that it never goes empty.
I don’t expect that the bank account when I check it to just keep on refilling itself if I don’t go work,
that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about what Paul wrote in Ephesians chapter three when Paul told the church,
there are the end of Ephesians chapter three that is able to do far and abundantly more than we can ask or think<inaudible> if we don’t live that way.
If we don’t trust that, then our faith is lacking. When Jesus was on a boat and he was there in the midst of the sea of Galilee and he was asleep in the back of the boat and a storm was raging and the disciples come and wake him up and they say,
master, we perish.<inaudible> Jesus says they have little faith because they thought that their biggest resource was their own ability and their biggest resource was asleep in the back of the boat.
Finally, when they gave up on themselves, they turned to him and the lesson that you and I need to remember is we better be relying on God long before we give up on ourselves.
That’s going to be the lesson Elijah learns later on is that God’s been doing far more than Alijah ever imagined.
Elijah just could only see Alijah his part in it. So the woman says, I have nothing. Elijah says,
do not fear. Go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first and bring it to me and afterward.
Make some for yourself and your son for thus says the Lord God of Israel, the bin of flour shall not be used up,
nor shall the jar of oil run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth. I’ve said this before and it’s because I firmly believe it’s true.
The woman doesn’t go to the bin of flour and suddenly it’s full. She doesn’t go to the jar of oil and suddenly it’s overflowing.
She doesn’t go back the next day and it’s full and there’s abundance. The way I understand the texture Reed is every day she goes and takes everything that’s left.
She takes everything that’s left and she makes what she has as if it’s the last that she has and she goes back again and there’s more and she takes all that’s left and she goes back again and there’s more and she takes all that she has and she goes back again and there’s more.
This is the same principle that we find when the Israelites are leaving Egypt and they are hungry and they cry out to the Lord and the Lord gives them manna.
God says, you’re only allowed to have allowed to have enough for one day. You can’t take any supplies for tomorrow.
You can’t take more than your allotted amount. You can eat more than your portion. You take what you have,
you have your portion, you eat it, and you don’t take any for tomorrow because it won’t last.
If you take some for tomorrow, it will spoil before tomorrow arrives. And every day you get up trusting that there will be provisions waiting for you.
And that’s what happens for this woman every day the provision is there and so the Lord provides for her.
The Lord provides for her son. The Lord provides for Elijah. Then she went away, verse 15,
and did according to the word of Elijah, and she and her and her household ate for many days.
They were sustained through this difficult time. And it wasn’t by her resources. It wasn’t because she used the flower that she had an abundance of oil to go make cakes and sell them and provide for no,
it was a continual daily reliance on God. So then the bin of flour, verse 16 was not used up nor did the jar of oil run dry according to the word of the Lord,
which he spoke by Elijah. Couple of things that are important. Number one, you go back to the beginning when Elijah comes to her and she knows he’s not sidonian,
she knows who his God is. She said at the very beginning, um, verse 12, as the Lord,
that’s the word, Jehovah, as Jehovah, your God lives. This woman knows something about Alijah. This woman knows something about Israel.
They, this woman knows they serve Jehovah. Now, whether or not she trusts in Jehovah and believes that Jehovah is the one and only God and all of that,
I, I, I don’t know yet, but I think we’re going to see the growth in this woman as a Gentile,
as a non Israelite in her understanding of who God is. But it’s made clear to her that it’s Jehovah who declares this.
This is the command being delivered. The Lord said, I’ve commanded this woman to do this for you and right here he does.
And right here he gives her the resources. She goes back to one other point that we need to make and that is God never commands us to do what he doesn’t give us the resources to do.
Sometimes we’re too busy looking at our resources to see his, God says to this woman, you provide for my servant Elijah.
And then he gives her the resources to do it. But then notice this now it happened after these things and that the son of the woman who owned the house became sick and his sickness was so serious that it was,
there was no breath left in him. So she went to Alijah says, what have I to do with you?
Oh man of God. Lija what have I to do with you here? You’ve lived in my house.
I doubt she paid him rent or she charged him rent. You’ve lived in my house. You stayed under my roof.
You’ve been here with me all these many days and yet you couldn’t stop my son from dying. Yeah.
You’ve brought into this house abundance and life and you have prolonged our lives. When we thought we were going to die and the food is not run out,
the flowers not run out. The oil’s not run out and yet you couldn’t keep my son from dying.
If you’re like me, this reminds you of of a different passage. If you turn over to the book of John,
you’ll be reminded that I think it’s Martha says to Jesus, Lord, if you had been here concerning Lazarus,
her brother, he would not have died. Jesus waited until he died. It almost makes you wonder if Elijah’s gone out of the house and he hasn’t come back yet because the child was alive.
Maybe, maybe not. But she comes to Elijah and she says, what have I to do with you?
Oh man of God. Have you come to bring my sin to remembrance and to kill my son? What sin is she talking about?
What sin is it that she is focusing on to say, this is a judgment against me? Is it idolatry?
Is it perhaps that she was under the sway of the side? Odeon King who worshiped bale and his daughter who was a servant of bail and a culture that was serving idols?
Is that the sin? Maybe. Maybe not, but I think there’s a good chance because now she knows who’s God.
Now she knows who the one and living God is. But notice she says, what have I to do with you?
Oh man of God, have you come to bring my sin to remembrance and to kill my son. And he said to her,
give me your son. So he took him out of her arms and carried him to the upper room where he was staying and laid him on his own bed.
Then he cried out to the Lord and said, Oh Lord, my God, have you also brought tragedy on the widow with whom I lodge by killing her son.
The blame has gone from Alijah to the Lord God. Why have you done this? God, why have you caused this to happen?
And yet with Elijah, it is this expectation that not only did God have control of the situation, but God had a resolution to the situation and he stretched himself out on the child three times and cried out to the Lord and said,
Oh Lord my God, I pray. Let this child soul come back to him. How many times do you think Elijah was going to be willing to do that until the child came back to life?
He did it three times. I think he stopped when the child came back to life. It’s not like there’s a prescription in the law when a child dies and he wasn’t supposed to die yet.
Cry out to the Lord and lay on him three times. Elijah is seeking the Lord to do something and he’s persisting until the Lord does.
Jesus reminds the disciples as he teaches the disciples about the woman who could not receive justice from the judge,
and so she went back again and back again and back again until he tired of her and gave her the justice that she sought.
Jesus makes the analogy to God and the analogy to prayer and makes the point that persistence matters. Not that God doesn’t care,
not that God is, is blind to our thoughts and our prayers, but that our heartfelt persistence makes a difference to the Lord.
So Elijah does it time and time and time again. Then the Lord heard the voice of Elijah and the soul of the child came back to him and he revived and Alijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the house and gave him to his mother and Alijah said,
see your son lives. Then the woman said to Elijah, now by this I know that you are a man of God,
and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is the truth. What greater testimony could you find in all scripture then for one who’s not in Israelite,
not of the covenant of Abraham, not of the children of Israel, not of the descendants of Moses or Aaron or David,
to see what Elijah did to hand her son over to him and to allow him to take her son,
and then he brings him back alive and for her to say, now I know. Now I know you’re a man of God,
and now I know that every word you said about the Lord is true. You might think, well,
that’s just logical. It’s just logical that she sees that, that she recognizes that, that she admits to that,
that that’s just something to be dismissed. No, it’s not. What did the Jews declare about Jesus after he raised Lazarus from the dead,
they saw Lazarus. They saw the tomb. They waited outside with Mary and Martha for four days, and when Jesus leis raised Lazarus from the dead,
they said, we have to kill him.<inaudible> we need to not. Okay. Be ignorant of what sin does to someone’s heart.
It is for that reason in I think it’s Matthew chapter 11 if my memory serves me correctly or it’s Mark chapter 11 it’s one or the other where Jesus cries out against the cities of Israel because he says,
if these deeds that had been done here were seen in Sodom and Gomorrah, they would have repented. They were not so hard hearted.
They were not so set against God. They were not so established against rely against admitting what God was doing,
that they would have repented. And he says they will rise up in judgment against you because you saw these deeds and did not believe.
Let’s not fool ourselves into believing that just because this woman saw a miracle. Just because this woman’s son came to life,
men, it was a foregone conclusion that she was going to change and obey the Lord because many didn’t.
Let’s go through the questions. Question number one, uh, from chapter 17, verse one aligned to the prophet told Ahab,
King of Israel that there would be neither blank nor blank until he spoke Dew nor rain. There would be neither do nor rain.
Chapter 17 verses two and three, after telling Ahab of the drought, why did Elijah hide? Uh,
because the Lord told him to. Um, now we’re going to find out in chapter 18 that a have was seeking his life.
But the reason why he hid was because that’s what the Lord told him to do. Verse four, and verse six,
while Elijah was hiding from Ahab, what did he eat? What did he drink? He drank water from the Brook Cherith and he ate the meat and the bread that was brought by the Ravens.
Uh, number four, what was the widow’s reply to Elijah when he asked for bread? She replied that she had enough flour and enough oil left for one more meal and that her and her son were going to eat it and then die.
Describe Elijah’s instruction to the widow. He told her, make uh, in, in summary form. Make mine first and then there would be plenty.
Number five, what was Elijah’s promise to the widow concerning her flour and oil? And verse 14, the flower would never run out and the jar of oil would never run dry.
Number six, whom did the widow whose flour and oil never ran out blame for the death of her son.
She blamed Elijah. What did Elijah do when he begged God to return life to the son of the widow?
Question seven, he fell down on top of, or relayed himself, stretched himself out on top of the child three times and cried out to the Lord to bring the child back to life.
Appreciate your presence. And your time. Um, just a, an update on a personal note, uh,
for those, I know there are many who have been wondering where we’re at on the house. Uh,
the negotiations on the house fell through, so, uh, were nowhere on the house. Uh, we’re just gonna keep looking.
Uh, but we appreciate your thoughts and prayers and everyone who’s asked, uh, your thoughts and your concern and your prayers have been greatly appreciated.
Uh, we hope you’re doing well and we’re going to have another song and then a closing prayer and we appreciate your time and your presence this evening song before our closing prayer will be farther along.
If you have a song book at home, it’s 753 farther along tempted<inaudible> me too.<inaudible> why it should the,
no, I saw the day. Well, they’re all, uh, living. Ah, ah, ah,
never<inaudible> and uh,<inaudible> for the well, no. Ah, ah, it falls.<inaudible><inaudible> Dan.
So JIRA my<inaudible><inaudible> well done.<inaudible> dammit. Uh, by and ah,<inaudible><inaudible> uh,
being sir. Hey, if you<inaudible> labor and<inaudible> toss up. Oh, well then same as<inaudible> as we sweep through the beautiful Oh yeah.
Uh,<inaudible> no, uh, yeah. It’s fun.<inaudible> and a Stan<inaudible>. So JIRA<inaudible><inaudible> us<inaudible> well<inaudible><inaudible> uh huh<inaudible> jeez,
us coming and, Oh sorry. When he comes from, um, his home and uh, us<inaudible> then we me damn man.
Uh, and uh,<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> fuck.<inaudible><inaudible> no, uh, yeah. Father<inaudible>,
Dan JIRA,<inaudible> and uh, uh, SHA well<inaudible> Oh<inaudible> uh huh<inaudible>. Let us pray.
Father in heaven. Great and powerful is your name. We are thankful for you. We are thankful for what you bless us with each day.
We are thankful to be able to live stream tonight. This study. We are thankful for technology and,
and the ability to do this and pray that as we continue forward that we will be able to get back together soon and be in one place.
We pray that you watch over those that are struggling at this time with, uh, different sicknesses, um,
things that are, uh, those that are dealing with this coronavirus and, and pray that they will be able to get better soon.
We pray that you’d be with Francis and Sandy and, and pray that Sandy will be able to get better soon and back to a better health.
Thank you so much for what you do for us and watching over us each day. We are thankful for your word that we can go in to dig into and to learn your will for us.
We pray that we strive each day to be examples, to dig into your word and to, to know your will and you say we do pray.
<inaudible> testing. One, two, three.<inaudible>. Good morning. Welcome to our live feed at the Collierville church of Christ.
Uh, for announcements this morning we want to notice that the pantry item for this month is bottled water.
Um, we had some good news that Ruby Brad is at home, so when you continue to pray for her,
we need to continue to watch over our pray for Francis and Sandy, which is her daughter, uh,
dealing with the Sandy’s, uh, recovering from her broken leg. So we need to continue to keep both of them in our prayers.
Joan Springer is dealing with pneumonia. Pray for her. Tina Lance, she’s a nurse and wife of the preacher in Chalmette,
Louisiana. She is recovering from Corona virus. Uh, Ginny Anderson’s aunt Rosie is doing well after having the Corona virus,
so that is good news. Um, Russell Klein and his wife Tracy, he is the preacher at Madisonville church of Christ and Kentucky.
Uh, they both are recovering from the Corona virus. If you have any prayer requests or any announcements,
you can go ahead and post them or send Aaron I a text and we will mention those at the end of our live stream today.
We are thankful you’re with us and we definitely miss everyone and we are definitely ready to be back together.
Hopefully that will happen soon. To start out this morning, we will sing number seven zero one seven zero one.
And that is my Jesus. I love the seven zero one. My God. Geez. Uh, the uh,<inaudible> uh huh.
Four. The uh, uh, Lee’s uh, uh, uh huh. Hm<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> my eyes.<inaudible> uh,
uh, eh.<inaudible> the my<inaudible><inaudible> uh, the baby<inaudible> has<inaudible> and<inaudible> just my<inaudible> ah,
yeah<inaudible> ah, uh,<inaudible> to a degree.<inaudible> uh,<inaudible> uh, uh, my<inaudible><inaudible> uh,
and<inaudible> Jones. Uh,<inaudible>. Yeah. And, and uh, yeah. Uh, uh,<inaudible> the<inaudible><inaudible> so,
uh huh. Uh huh<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> uh,<inaudible> uh, uh, the, my<inaudible><inaudible> we’ll have our opening prayer father in heaven.
Great and powerful is your name. We are thankful for you. What you do for us each day.
We are reminded of your love and care and concern for us and we are put at ease knowing that you are there watching over us and taking care of us each day.
We pray that you be with those that are on our minds, those that we’ve mentioned this morning. We’re thankful that Ruby Brad is home and pray that she continues to get better.
We pray that you be with Sandy and she is recovering from her broken leg from her fall and be with her that she will recover soon and be with Francis as she watches over her and and be with them both.
We pray that you’d be a Joan as she’s dealing with pneumonia, be with Tina and Ann and Rosie and Russell and Tracy as they are dealing with coronavirus and as they are recovering from that and pray that they will get back to a full state of health.
We pray that you watch over our country at this time is with our leaders that are making decisions and our federal government or state government,
city governments and and throughout the world. We pray that you watch over them and pray that they will make wise decisions as we move forward and pray that they look to you for what?
For guidance and to make the right decisions. We pray as we go through this worship this morning, that we will focus on you and focus on what Christ has done for us.
And we pray that you continue to be with us and all we do and you seem to do pray.
Amen. Our next song, prepare our minds for the Lord’s supper. We’ll be number 383, three,
eight, three. Jesus, keep me near the cross.<inaudible> the cross, the rock<inaudible> for it.
Uh, he, you mean stream Filos from<inaudible>. Yeah.<inaudible> uh, uh, yeah.<inaudible><inaudible> or a SPI on duh.
The<inaudible> for us. A trampoline. So a van<inaudible> yeah.<inaudible> okay.<inaudible> on ane so shit,
it’s me names me.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> uh,<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> fun. We’re a SPI on the<inaudible> uh,<inaudible> GRA bring it scenes.
Beef form me, uh, me, uh, from day to day.<inaudible> awesome. Me and uh,<inaudible> me my glory.<inaudible> have a<inaudible> right<inaudible> fund or a speeding on a,
uh, we take this time on Sundays as God has commanded us to partake of the Lord’s supper, to be reminded of the sacrifice that Christ made.
As we go through this time. We pray that we look to the cross, look at what Christ did,
that sacrifice that was planned before the world began, knowing that he was going to have to come and that he was going to have to die because of our sin and be that perfect sacrifice as Hebrews tells us their blood to the blood of bull and go bulls and goats was not good enough.
There had to be that perfect sacrifice, that unspotted sacrifice. And that was Christ. If we did not have his sacrifice,
if he had not done that for us, we would have no chance of going to heaven at all,
no opportunity. But we do because of his sacrifice. And at this time we think about what he did.
We focus on his, on his sacrifice. And as we protect you, this blood, uh, this,
uh, bread which ever since his body and the fruit of the vine, which represents his blood, uh,
prayer. We, we focus on him. Let us pray our father in heaven. We are thankful for you and your love for us.
We are thankful for what Christ has done and giving his life for us. It should have been us.
It should have been us on that cross, not him, but he did it for us because he loves us and we pray as we go through this time as we partake of this bread which represents his body,
that we will focus on him and what he has done for us. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.<inaudible> let us pray.
Father in heaven, as we continue at this time, we were reminded of where we were at one time where we were lost without any,
uh, without any way of getting to heaven. Without, with, without that sacrifice that Christ made.
And we look at where we’re at today and how we have that hope we have, we know that we can go to heaven because of his sacrifice.
We pray as we partake of this for the vine, which since his blood that we will think about what it means to us and pray that we partake of an unworthy manner into you and Jesus.
Somebody pray. Amen.<inaudible> at this time we also have the opportunity to give back, which we received and we’ve talked about how there’s opportunities.
I know we’re not together at this time, but there’s still, um, there’s ways online, the website to give or to drop by the building.
But we, we know that God still takes care of us and we know that God has blessed us.
So at this time, let’s give back a portion we received. Let us pray our father in heaven.
We are thankful for you and your blessings. Each day we were reminded how much you bless us and we reminded that you take care of us every day and we are thankful for what you do for us and we’re thankful for taking care of us.
We pray as we give back a portion where you receive this week that we’ll give back with a cheerful heart and pray that it continue to be used in this congregation to spread your word throughout this community and pray that you watch over the,
that make the choices, make the decisions on that. And in Jesus name we pray. Amen.<inaudible> we will see number 611 before the sermon number 611 heavenly sunlight.
Well, walk<inaudible><inaudible> Jesus<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> I am rich<inaudible> shadows around me, shadows,
uh, uh, me. Never can see, uh, Samuel rank, uh,<inaudible> ever. I’m walking new is a heavenly<inaudible> uh,<inaudible><inaudible> ah,
yeah, I am rich.<inaudible> Jesus is my time.<inaudible> Barresi my way to match June’s up.<inaudible><inaudible> walk in and see,
uh, sunlight.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> I am rejoicing. Singing is pray is a Jesus<inaudible>. Now.
Aaron<inaudible>, I don’t know how else to say this, but this doesn’t feel normal yet and I’m glad I look forward to the day when you and I are here together and for all those who may not be a part of our congregation locally,
I pray for the time when you can again assemble together with your local congregations. Though I want you to know you are welcome here and we’re,
we’re grateful and glad that you’ve been able to join us today. Seeing seeing is for many of us,
fundamental to our very existence. There’s never been a time where we couldn’t see. There’s never been a time where we weren’t able to simply open our eyes and look around us.
Now, some of us may have reached an age where our eyesight is beginning to diminish. Some of us may have reached a point where we look at things and they’re not as clear as they used to be,
but for the majority of us, the majority of humanity, okay, we take our eyesight for granted.
We don’t imagine the possibility that one day we wake up and we open our eyes and we still don’t see<inaudible>.
But what will you see? The question I want us to focus on in our study this morning is what will you see in Matthew chapter five Jesus is beginning what we have termed the sermon on the Mount and in Matthew chapter five he says,
blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn,
for they shall be comforted. Bless it are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall,
and I want you to notice that future tense for they shall see God. Jesus said, predicated upon one being willing to obey God,
one being pure and hard, one setting their heart, their life and their their entire existence into the hands of God.
They will see God. You and I can look around us and we can see the reality of God in Oh so many ways.
We could turn over to Psalm 19 and we could read through that Psalm and the beginning of that Psalm talks about the universe and everything around us showing us the existence of God.
And we can read about God’s laws and his commandments declaring to us the existence of God. And we can read about how those two things combined.
The revelation of the world around us and the revelation of God’s word to us is sweeter than honey in the honeycomb is the Psalmus writer writes there,
but that’s seeing the reality and the evidence of God. That’s not the same as seeing God. There was a time when Moses was there on the Mount Sinai and he was there and there was a time before he was in the presence of God and before he saw the backside of God.
And then there was a time after that and then there was that time and everything that Moses knew for all those years before that for all of those decades that he had lived,
he knew there was a God. He knew about him. He knew what he had said. He saw the university created and then he saw him and it wasn’t the same thing.
And so Jesus says, blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. And the question for you is,
what will you see turn to the book of job, the old Testament. This patriarch endured a great deal.
He went through a a great deal of, of difficulty, a great deal of of hardship and pain and loss and Joe declares in job chapter 19 verse 25 for I know that my Redeemer lives and he shall stand at last on the earth.
Joe looked forward in the midst of his struggle in the midst of his demise, in the midst of all of the pain and the anguish that he had going on around him,
and then the midst of his friends turning against him and declaring him to be a center that he wasn’t.
He said, I know there’s one who will buy me back and I know one day my Redeemer will stand on this earth,
but he goes on to say in verse 25 he shall stand at last on the earth and after my skin is destroyed this,
I know that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself and my eyes shall be hold and not another how my heart yearns within me.
Joe was not perfect in all that. He said Joe was not flawless in all that he did and we read the conclusion of that in the end of the book of Joe where job’s seeks repentance and and brings about repentance and seeks forgiveness,
but Gelb says, I know who my Redeemer is. Joe knew who he offered sacrifices to in job chapter one and two as he served as the patriarch and the intercessor for his family,
Joe knew who his Redeemer was. Joe knew that he had faults. Joe knew that he had sins,
but he knew that he was faithful and Jobe said, I know there’s coming in day where I will be.
Hold him with my eyes. And why is that job? Because Joe knew something about himself and he tried to convince his friends of it.
Joe knew something about his faithfulness. Joe knew that he was pure in heart. So Jesus says it is possible for one who is pure in heart and it is true that for one who is pure in heart,
they will see God and job’s said all the way in those centuries. Before that point, I know I will see God and job longed for the day when his life and all of its pain was over so he could see God,
but then consider another passage in Isaiah chapter six we see another aspect of this because in order to be pure in heart,
in order to be faithful and to be righteous before God, it requires not just a desire to do good.
It requires not just a desire to be pleasing to God, but it requires that one hears and obeys and this enters as well into this discussion of site and what you see in Isaiah chapter six God calls for someone to send to his people.
God desires to have a profit that he will send down and declare a message to Israel and we read in verse eight also,
I heard the voice of the Lord saying, whom shall I send and who will go for us? Then I said,
that’s Isaiah. Then I said, here am I send me, and he said, go and tell this people keep on hearing but do not understand.
Keep on seeing but do not perceive. Here’s God’s message to Israel through his prophet, as he sends the prophet out on this mission,
as he, as he sends him with this commission, he says, you go out and you tell people that they won’t hear you go out and you tell people that they’ll see and they won’t understand.
He goes on to say, make the heart of this people Dole and their ears heavy and shut their eyes less.
They see with their eyes and hear where their ears and understand with their hearts and return and be healed.
God knows something about Israel’s heart when God gives this commission to Isaiah to go forth and to prophesy and to teach and to tell these people God’s words,
he knows the people will not listen. Yeah. And that the more that Isaiah tells them and the more that Isaiah preaches to them,
and the more than Isaiah declares to them, the less they will listen. Yeah. And the more that Isaiah shows them what’s coming in,
the more that Isaiah declares to them of what will be, the less they will understand. And God says it’s because their heart is wrong.
Ultimately the reason why an individual sees and doesn’t understand, hears, and doesn’t perceive is because that individual’s heart is unwilling to listen and to see the truth.<inaudible> and so in this view and in this question of what will you see,
there is the predicated question, the premise of what do you see now? Not just what will you see in the future,
not just will you see God, not just will you be one who has a pure heart that will see God,
but what do you see now? Is your heart open to the truth? Is your heart willing to see and to perceive and to understand what God is saying to you now?
Because if not, notice the end of what God said concerning Israel. They won’t see with their eyes.
They won’t hear where their ears, they won’t understand with their heart because they won’t return and be healed.
God says, I’ve offered them redemption. You go back to Isaiah chapter one and in verse 18 Isaiah pleads with Israel on behalf of God to reason together to cleanse their hands of the sin that they had to have them wa have themselves washed and wearing white robes washed in the blood and reason with them there God about righteousness,
about holiness, about redemption, and they would not. It’s not as though God’s not doing his part.
It’s not as though God hasn’t offered it to them. It’s not as though God hasn’t placed it before them and said,
here, I will do this for you, but instead they have looked at that offering. They have looked at that option of redemption.
They have looked at what God has presented and they have rejected it whole heartedly. Now, this passage has an interesting connection because if you turn to Matthew chapter 13 Jesus references this passage in Isaiah.
Yeah. In Matthew chapter 13 beginning in verse 10 the disciples come to Jesus because in Matthew 13 in Matthew’s record,
Jesus begins to teach in parables. He begins to use these earthly stories with heavenly meanings. He begins to use these throw besides as the word parable means where he’s putting down a lesson and they’re supposed to understand the spirit application and some of them do and some of them don’t.
And so the disciples come to him in verse 10 and they say, why didn’t you speak to them in parables?
Jesus, what’s the reason? Now you’ve got to get a little bit of the background here. Jesus is the rabbi.
Jesus is the teacher. The disciples are those who walk behind him. The disciples are those who are supposed to be watching his every move and learning how to do what he does.
They’re in training. They are the disciples who follow after the teacher so they can become teachers. Yeah.
And so they’re asking him, why are you teaching this way? And Jesus responds, he answered and said to them,
because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given for whoever has to him or will be given.
And he will have abundance. But whoever does not have even what he has will be taken away from him.
Therefore, I speak to them in parables because seeing they do not see and hearing, they do not hear nor do they understand.
Does that sound like Isaiah? And then he follows it up with this and in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled which says hearing you will hear and shall not understand.
Seeing you will see and not perceive for the hearts of this. People have grown Dole. Their ears are hard of hearing and their eyes are they have closed Les.
They should see with their eyes and hear with their ears less. They should understand with their hearts and turn so that I should heal them.
Then he says, verse 16 but blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear for a surely.
I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desire to see what you see and did not see it and to hear what you hear and did not hear it.
Jesus declares to these disciples that they are privileged. They are privileged in their time to live. In that moment to have their hearts being willing to hear,
being willing to see, being willing to obey and to witness what prophets and righteous men for centuries had desired.
To see the fulfillment of the Redeemer on this earth, the fulfillment of what job’s spoke about when he saw that day,
when his Redeemer would stand on the earth. And here these disciples are, they’re doing it. They’re seeing it and their understanding,
they’re hearing and obeying, but the people generally speaking, not all of them. Some of them would hear and obey,
some of them would understand, but of them, the vast majority of them would not. The vast majority of them would turn away from Christ preferring what was normal,
preferring what they’d always had, preferring what they had always done instead of allowing their heart, okay, and their eyes and their ears to bring about their redemption.
Now notice something else in Isaiah and Matthew. Jesus makes it clear that these individuals whose heart is dull,
whose heart is unwilling to hear the word of God and obey it, he says, these people are sick.
These people are damaged. These people, the English word we’d use is, are handicapped, but they’re handicapped by choice.
It’s not as though these people were born unable to hear. It’s not as though these people were born unable to see.
Notice what he said, verse 15 for their hearts, for the hearts of this, people have grown dull.
Their ears are hard of hearing and their eyes notice this phrase, they have closed. They are willfully handicapped as though they go about their day with their hand over their eyes,
refusing to take it away. They’ve got their hands in their ears and they’re refusing to pull their fingers out of their ears.
They don’t want to hear they’re doing everything they can to avoid the truth that they’re broken and that they’re lost and that they need redemption.
So what will you see begins first with what do you see? I want to take you to one more passage before we move forward in this.
And that deals with a man who saw and woodsy turn to John chapter eight in John chapter eight Jesus speaks concerning Jesus has declared to this people that the the truth is available to them.
And the truth would set them free and the Jews rejected the premise that they needed to be set free and Jesus declared to them that they were of their father the devil.
He was a liar from the beginning and they had followed in his steps and in verse 48 then the Jews answered and said to him,
do we not say rightly that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?<inaudible> they go so far as to say you’re not even a Jew.
You go into the Samaritans land and you go into some area and you interact with those people. You aren’t even a Jew and make it even worse.
You’re not even a Jew and you have a demon or you wouldn’t say such things. Jesus replies to them,
I do not have a demon, but I honor my father and you dishonor me. I do not seek my own glory.
There is one who seeks and judges most assuredly. I say to you, if anyone keeps my word,
he shall never see death. Then the Jews said to him, now we know that you have a demon.
Abraham is dead and the prophets, and you say, if anyone keeps my word, he shall never taste death.
Are you greater than our father Abraham, who is dead and the prophets are dead? Who do you make yourself out to be?
They said, you must be a lunatic. You must be insane. You must be possessed. Okay.
To think that you have more power than Abraham, to think that you’re better than Abraham, to think that you’re higher than all the profits that have come before you.
Who do you think you are? But Jesus responds to them. If I honor myself, my honor is nothing.
It is my father who honors me, of whom you say that he is yours, God, yet you have not known him,
but I know him. And if I say I do not know him, I shall be a liar like you.
But I do know him and keep his word. Your father Abraham, and notice this phrase, your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day and he saw it and was glad.
Jesus says that Abraham living before Isaac, before Jacob, before Joseph, before Moses, before Israel, before the nation existed,
he said, Abraham saw my day and he rejoiced. Now they’re going to question that. They’re not going to see the possibility of that they’re going to see and not perceive.
They’re going to hear and not understand. Then the Jews said to him, you have not. You are not yet 50 years old,
and have you seen Abraham? Jesus said to them, most assuredly, I say to you before Abraham was,
I am in Abraham’s day, according to Hebrews chapter 11 Abraham by faith went out to a land he didn’t know,
and Abraham sojourned looking for a city whose builder and foundation was God, and as he so journey looking for a city,
looking for a home, he testified concerning himself that he was just a Sojourner on this earth, but he looked for a city that belonged to God.
Jesus says, concerning Abraham that he found what he was looking for. Jesus said concerning Abraham, he saw what he wanted to see.
He saw my day. He solved the Redeemer. You might wonder, well, how did, how did Abraham see the Redeemer?
Okay, you’re a member. There was a day when Abraham came face to face with the cost of sin.
God told Abraham, you take your son of promise, you take your only begotten, you take the one who I promised to you,
and you take him up to that mountain and you put him on that altar and you sacrifice. Yeah.
And Abraham went through with every single step. Abraham saw what had to be done. He saw what God commanded.
He saw that he didn’t understand it, but he would do it anyway because he trusted in his God.
And so he took his son and he took those servants and they went to the Mount. And as they prepared to go up to the mountain to worship,
he left the two servants behind. And he and the boy traveled on and they went up and the boy asked him,
where’s the sacrifice? And Abraham replied, the Lord will provide. And so he took his son and he bound his son,
and he put him on the Alderney prepared to take his son’s life. He prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice for the sin because this child was innocent.
This child had done no wrong. This child didn’t deserve to die, but he was dying because of someone else and God’s stayed his hand.
And I firmly believe in that day, Abraham saw Jesus’s day hadn’t rejoiced because Abraham came face to face with the cost of sin and the price of redemption and God said,
you don’t have to sacrifice your son. I’ll sacrifice mine. But one more passage on seeding. Turn to the book of revelation.
Revelation chapter 22 the very last book and the very last chapter of our English Bibles as John is seeing a vision and glimpsing,
a vision of the church in a glorified state, in a home with God had full fellowship with the Lord.
We read verse chapter 22 verse one and he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal proceeding from the throne of God and from the lamb in the middle of its street and on either side of the river was the tree of life which bore 12 fruits.
Each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations and there shall be no more curse,
but the throne of God and of the lamb shall be in it and his servants shall serve him. Now wait a minute,
before we go any further, what did we just read in Isaiah six we read less minds. These people see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and be healed.
And Jesus said in Matthew chapter 13 less they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and their hearts stopped being goal and they be healed.
And we have this picture of the presence of God where the nations, not just Israel, the nations,
not just the Jews, the nations come continually before the presence of God and the tree of life heals them day after day after day.
And this picture is presented of this continual renewal of this continual healing. And then the very next verse,
they shall see his face and his name shall be on their foreheads. If you go back into the book of revelation,
the idea of the name on the forehead is who do you belong to? Who’s serving are you? Are you the servant of Satan?
Are you the servant of God? These people belong to the Lord. These people have been bought with a price.
These people have been washed in the blood of the lamb and have been redeemed from the one who died for them and stands as there Redeemer,
the one who’s worthy. These people come continually from every nation and they come to the presence of God to find healing and to see what do you have?
You have a group of people whose hearts have been obedient to the Lord. You have a group of people who recognize their need for their God.
You have a group of people who’ve been willing to hear and not only hear but obey and not only obey,
but some even have died for the testimony of their Lord. And these are the faithful. These are the ones God has said.
You may see my face and you may be in my presence, so what will you see? What have you prepared your heart to do?
Is your heart open and willing to hear the truth of God’s word or is it closed? Is it shut down by man’s doctrines?
Is it shut down to the truth of the word of God because we’re too busy? Isn’t it shut down to the word of God because we’re too set in our ways?
Has the word of God declared to you through the the reading of scripture that you need to change and yet you say,
you know what, I’m fine where I am. God will accept it. Well, I just don’t think that’s what the scripture actually says.
As a matter of fact, I know it’s not what it says and I challenge anyone who would have that perspective to find one passage in all of scripture that says any such thing.
God commands all men everywhere to repent. Have you done that? Have you heard the word of God and believed that Jesus Christ is the son of God?
Those in Jesus’s day when Jesus was speaking to them concerning Abraham refused, do you believe that he was who he claimed to be?
They refuse to believe that he was the son of God. They refused to believe that he was deity in the flesh,
but yet Jesus said before Abraham was I am. I existed before he was ever born. Do you believe that Jesus Christ is a son of God and are you willing to change your life based upon his word?
Are you willing to open your ears and to open your eyes and to open your heart to be obedient to the gospel?
Because the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. Romans chapter one verse 16 and the gospel is the message of Christ to declare to all men everywhere that they must repent and they must confess his name,
and they must be immersed in water for the remission of their sins to rise up, to walk in newness of life,
and then they must continue faithful unto death. Have you done that? Are you ready to do that today?
If you haven’t done it, you have any need that we can help you fulfill. If you have a need to be obedient to the gospel and you’re not certain,
and maybe we’ve said things that you’re not sure about, please reach out to us because one day I hope you will see God.<inaudible> well,
thank Aaron for the great lesson and we hope that you can be with us again next week as we study some more into worship our God.
We will close with number 736 number 736 to Christ beach room to who? Christ<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> and Paul<inaudible>.
Uh,<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> so you cry.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> two years, uh,
against, uh, uh, uh, sin<inaudible><inaudible> bitch<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Blitzer, Grice<inaudible> so who cries?<inaudible><inaudible>,
eh,<inaudible> uh, horse. Hey Dan, your fights<inaudible> uh, uh, uh,<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> to cry.<inaudible><inaudible> let us bow our gracious father in heaven.
We come before your throne. Grateful for the day that you’ve given to us. Grateful for all of your many blessings.
We’re grateful for all that you do for us on a daily basis. We thank you for your provision.
We thank you for your blessings. We thank you most of all for your redemption through your son who died on the cross for our sins.
We thank you for the home in heaven that awaits those who are faithful and the crown of life that awaits those who love his appearing.
We pray that you watch over us as we go throughout this week. Help us to remain faithful but also to remain positive and upbeat and encouraged by all of the many good things around us.
Help us to think on those things which are true and righteous and Holy and pure and of good report.
Help us to daily be faithful in service to you and encouraging those who are around us and uplifting those who are weak.
We pray for those who are spreading the gospel throughout the world. May they have safety and may they speak boldly.
Your word. We ask that you forgive us when we sin and fall short of your glory. Bring us back the next appointed time.
All this we pray in Jesus name. Amen. I do want to make mention that Wednesday night there will be a stream available at our normal Bible study time at 7:00 PM.
And Beijing King of Israel came up against Judah and built Ramo that he might let none go out or come in to EISA King of Judah. So she comes to the throne in the Northern kingdom of Israel and somehow Bay HSA blocks the pathway, the Kings highway of people coming in to Jerusalem and people coming in to Judah, they can now no longer go that trade route and go through to Judah. Bayshore has closed off that entrance. Verse 18 then EISA took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the house of the Lord and the treasuries of the King’s house and deliver them into the hand of his servants.
And King EISA sent them to Ben. Hey dad, the son of Tavern, rim tab, rim on the King, or excuse me, the son of hezie on King of Syria who dwelled in Damascus saying, let there be a treaty between you and me. And there was between as there was between my father and your father. See, I have sent you a present of silver and gold. Come and break your treaty with basic King of Israel so that he will withdraw from me. So Ben, Hey dad,
King heated King EISA and sent the captains of his army against the, against the captains of Israel. He attacked I, John, Dan, Abel, Beth maker and general, and all the land of NAFTA lie. Now, it happened when Beja heard it, that he stopped building Ramer and remained in Tirzah. Then King EISA made a proclamation throughout all Judah. None was exempted, and they took away the stones and timber of Ramer, which patient had used for building with and with them. King EISA built Gava of Benjamin and Misbah,
the rest of the acts of AYSO, all his mind and all that he did, and the cities which he built, are they not written in the book of Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. But in the time of his old age, he was diseased in his feet. So EISA rested with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, his father. Then Jehoshaphat, his son reigned in his place. Okay, so EISA in his valiance against the armies of the Ethiopians. This army of a million people relies upon the Lord.
But we’ll find out if we go and read the record in Chronicles, that when it came to the problems of the Northern kingdom of Israel, when it came to the problems of Bayshore in the Northern kingdom, EISA didn’t rely on the Lord. Yeah. Instead, he takes the treasuries of the house of the Lord and the things that he had dedicated to the Lord and things his father had dedicated to the Lord, and he sends them to Syria. God will rebuke him for not trusting in the Lord. Now,
he doesn’t depart from the Lord. He’s not taken from the throne. But in this area, in the record and Chronicles, God says, you should have trusted me. You shouldn’t have gone to Syria for your salvation. You should have come to me. And there’s a lesson there for us. There’s a lesson about when we rely on the Lord, when we rely on God, and instead of looking and seeing with our eyes and seeing the problems and seeing the solution being physical, we need to learn that the solution should be spiritual,
that the solution is first to trust God. When we’re looking at our lives and we’re looking at the situations we endure and the things that are coming before us, we need to remember the solution begins every time with the Lord and therefore our faithfulness needs to be a part of that and our assurance and our hope and our peace of mind needs to be a part of that as well. Okay, so that was the reign of EISA. Verse 25 the first Kings 15 now day NEDA, the son of Jeroboam,
became King over Israel in the second year of EISA, King of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. Remember what God told Jeroboam? God told Jeroboam when Jeroboam son was sick and when Jeroboam sent his wife to come to find out what would happen to his son and to try and get his son to be healed.
God told Jeroboam, this child of yours, this child of yours will go to his grave, he will die and he will go to his grave in peace.
But no other child of yours will go to his grave in peace. The ones that die outside the city will be eaten by the birds.
The ones that Dianne inside the city will be eaten by the dogs. None of Jeroboam children would go to their grave.
Peace. Save that one who died as a child. So Nadab comes to the throne for 20 years of bones.
Bones Nate have comes to the throne in the second year of EISA and he rains for two years. Verse 26 says he did evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the way of his father and in his sins by which he made Israel sin.
Then Beijing, the son of a hijab of the house of his, a car conspired him and Bayshore killed him at GitHub,
which belonged to the Philistines while Nadab and all Israel later siege to give a phone. So, uh,
nailed down and his armies are besieging a city, the city of<inaudible>. And they’re there, and while they’re besieging the city,
while they’re encamped around the city, this one, uh, Bayshore comes and kills the King. He kills the King to assume the throne.
So it, and so it was verse 29 when he became King that he killed all the house of Jeroboam.
He did not leave to Jeroboam. Anyone that breathed until he had destroyed him according to the word of the Lord,
which he had spoken by a servant, a hijab, the Shiloh night because of the sins of Jeroboam,
which he had sin and by which he had made Israel sin because of his provocation with which he had provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger.
This is God’s judgment on Jeroboam and his house. Remember a hijab, the Shilah night, the prophet comes to Jeroboam during the days of Solomon and says,
Jeroboam, God is going to take away 10 of the nations of Israel. He’s going to give them to you.
He’s going to put them in your hand, and if you will be faithful, if you will be faithful to God as David was faithful to the Lord.
Then your name and your throne and your lineage will be as a shirt in Israel, as David’s Jeroboam had a choice.
He had a choice whether or not to be faithful. He had a choice whether or not to be obedient and he chose not to,
and the Turnitin of a lineage that will be continuing a lineage that will be faithful to the Lord, a lineage that will go on generation after generation in Israel.
The alternative to that was Jarrow. Boams house was completely destroyed. Beja comes to the throne and he doesn’t just take out nae dab.
He finds everyone from Jeremy balms house and kills them all. Now the rest of the acts of Nadab and all that he did are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel and there was war between EISA and Beja,
King of Israel all their days. In the third year of EISA King of Judah base you, the son of a Hijah became King over all Israel in Tirzah and rained 24 years.
He did evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the ways of Jeroboam and in his sin by which he made Israel sin.
Then the word of the Lord came to J Hugh, the son of Hannah, and I against basis saying,
in as much as I lifted you out of the dust and made you ruler over my people Israel, and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have made my people Israel sin to provoke me to anger with their sins,
surely I will take away the prosperity or the posterity of Beja and the posterity of his house and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam,
the son of ni, bat, what are we reading here? We’re reading that God told us<inaudible> that he would give him the throne.
Gone told Neisha that you will receive the throne and you can be faithful to me. But what did they should do instead?
Basic takes the throne and instead of being faithful to the Lord, does exactly what Jeroboam did and follows in the exact same path and steps as Jeroboam.
And so now beiges house is going to be destroyed the same way Jera balms was. Notice Jay who will be told these things,
and verse four we read the same pronouncement against spacious house. The dogs shall eat whoever belongs to Beijing and dies in the city and the birds of the air shall eat whoever dies in the fields.
Now the rest of the acts of base show what he did and his mind are they not written in the books of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.
So Beja rested with his fathers and was buried in Tirzah. Then Isla is on, rained in this place and also the word of the Lord came by the prophet J Hugh,
the son of Hannah nigh against Beja and his house because of all the evil that he did in the sight of the Lord in provoking him to anger with the work of his hand in being like the house of Jeroboam and because he killed them.
Notice one of the punishments of VEISHA will be there resulting from him killing the house of Jeroboam in the 26th year of EISA King of Judah.
Isla, the son of VEISHA becomes King over Israel and rain two years in Tirzah now his servants, Emory commander of half his chariots conspired against him as he was in Tirzah drinking himself drunk in the house of ours.
So, uh, ILA, the son of VEISHA comes to the throne. ILA is here in this city and in this house and he is drinking himself drunk.
And then during this time, this one Zimride will come in. He is con, he is the commander of half the chariots of the army of uh,
of ILA and he comes in and kills ILA notice. Zimriyah went in verse 10 and struck him and killed him in the 27th year of EISA,
King of Judah and reign in his place. Then it came to pass when he began to reign. As soon as he was seated on his throne that he killed all the household of Beja,
he did not leave him one male, neither of his relatives, nor of his friends. So here<inaudible> the commander of the of half the chariots comes in,
finds Isla in the house, drinking himself drunk and will kill him and immediately moves to take the throne and to kill off every male of the house of Beja.
And he not only kills off every male of the house of Beijing, he kills off every male of the relatives of Maisha.
You’re going to find out that he does this very quickly. This was a quick execution. Notice how we know that,
uh, for all the sins, verse 13 of Batian, the sins of Isla, his son by which they had sin and my,
which they had made Israel sin and provoking the Lord God of Israel to anger with their idols. Now the rest of the acts of Isla and all that he did are they not written in the books of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.
And the 27th year of EISA King of Judah, Zimmer had rained in Tirzah seven days, not seven years,
not even seven months, not seven weeks, one week, seven days. Zimmer had rained seven days and the people were in camp against GitHub,
which belonged to the Philistines. Now the people who were in camp heard it and heard it said, Zimride has conspired and also killed the King.
So all Israel made Omri the commander of the army King over Israel that day in the camp, Zim Marie will accomplish killing ILA and will accomplish taking the throne.
But what Zemurray didn’t plan on is all of Israel being encamped against<inaudible>. They decide to make someone else King.
And so they make all Murray the commander of the army King instead. Then Omri at verse 17 and Israel with him went up from Gibson and they besieged Tirzah.
And it happened when Zimriyah saw that the city was taken, that he went into the Citadel of the King’s house and burned the King’s house down upon himself with fire and died because of the sins which he had committed in doing evil in the sight of the Lord and walking in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin,
which he had committed to make Israel sin. Now the rest of the acts of Zimride and the trees and he committed,
are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? Then the two people are,
then the people of Israel were divided into two parts. Half of the people followed Timney, the son of guy NEF to make him King and half followed Henri.
But the people who followed Omri prevailed over the people who followed the son of ganache. So Tiffany died and Henri reign and the 31st year of EISA,
King of Judah Omri became King over Israel and reign. 12 years, six years, he reigned in Tizard or Tirzah and he bought the Hill of some area from shimmer,
the two town with four two talents of silver. Then he built on the Hill and called the name of the city,
which he built some area after the name of shimmer owner of the Hill. So Omri will come to the throne.
He was previously the commander, the army, and he will unite by force the nation of the Northern kingdom of Israel.
And eventually after some years he will move the capital city from Tirzah to this new city. He has built some area.
Henri did evil in the eyes of the Lord and did worse than all who were before him. For he walked in all the ways of Jeroboam,
the son of Nebat, and in his sin by which he made Israel sin provoking the Lord God of Israel to eye to anger with their idols.
Now the rest of the acts of Omri, which he did, and the mind that he showed, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel,
so SA, so Omri reigned with arrested with his fathers and was buried in some area. Then Ahab,
his son reigned in his place. Omri we’ll take the throne after Zimriyah will kill the King ILA, go back to Doris or go back to HERSA,
go into the Citadel of the King’s house, but then all Israel and Henri come against him and as they enter the city,
he burns the palace down on top of himself. He rains for one week, Omri will come to the throne.
He will unite the nation by force. He will move the capital to some area, but he will do more wicked,
more evil than all the Kings who were before him. But don’t worry because his son’s coming to the throne after him.
Yeah. And a Hab will do more evil than even Omri did. Notice what occurs during the reign of Ahab.
In the 38th year of EISA King of Judah, a have the son of Omri became King over Israel and Ahab,
the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria. 22 years. Now, Ahab, the son of Omri,
did evil in the sight of the Lord more than all who were before him. And it came to pass as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam,
the son of Nebat that he took, his wife Jessebelle, the daughter of<inaudible>, King of the<inaudible>,
and he went and served bale and him. Then he set up an altar for bail in the temple of bail,
which he had built in some area and they have made a wooden image. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the Kings who were before him.
In his days, Heil of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation with uh, Aberam, his firstborn and with his youngest son<inaudible>.
He set up its Gates according to the word of the Lord, which he had spoken through Joshua, the son of nun Ahab comes to the throne and the wickedness of his father was nothing.
And the wickedness of the one who proceeded him was nothing. And the wickedness of Jeroboam before them was nothing by comparison to the wickedness of Ahab and his willingness to bring Jessebelle into his kingdom.
His willingness to marry the daughter of this ETH bale, this worshiper of bale of the King of side one of the<inaudible>.
And there was a time that Seiden was, was a partner and an ally to Solomon. There’s a time when those entire and Sidon were those who knew of the Lord,
but not now. Not now. They’re being rained by, reigned over by someone who is a worshiper of bale and whose daughter worships bale and Aster off and will seek to kill all the profits of the Lord in Israel and they help.
We’ll let her, okay. He will allow her to bring much wickedness into his nation, into an among God’s people,
and he will join her in that evil. It’s a lesson to be learned and a reminder to be had.
You’re the head of a house when you’re the head of a nation, when you’re the head of anything,
the buck stops with you and Hey, have was held accountable for everything that Jesse Bell did that was evil because he didn’t stop it and instead joined in it.
Go through the questions very quickly for chapter 15 and 16 question number one comes from verses three of chapter 15 why did God allow by Jim to rule over Judah even though he was sinful?
The answer is because of the faithfulness of David. Question two yes or no. Were there Wars between Israel and Judah after the kingdom was divided?
Answer is yes. There were Wars continually between the Northern kingdom of Israel and the Southern kingdom of Judah.
Question three did the prophet J Hugh prophesize a good or be bad for Bayshore, King of Israel? He prophesied B bad things.
Why? The question then is why. How did Zimmer’s acts against beiges household fulfill the prophecy of JMU?
The answer is because Batiuk continued the answer to the question of why is because Beja continued in the sins of Jeroboam instead of returning to the Lord and because Beja killed all the house of Jeroboam,
Zimriyah acts against Bayshore fulfilled the prophecy of J Hugh in that all of basis house was killed just as Beijing had done to Jeremy balms.
House question four. What was the sin of Beja and Isla, his son, both Kings of Israel,
so that so provoked God. The answer is there. Idolatry. Question five a have King of Israel married blank,
a worshiper of bale? Of course the answer there is bell. And then question six, why did heils firstborn child dying when he laid the foundation to rebuild Jericho and the youngest die when he set up the Gates?
You go back to Joshua chapter six verse 26 you will remember that God said that the city of Jericho was never to be rebuilt,
and that the one who did rebuild it, his first born would die on the day that they laid the foundations and his youngest child would die on the day that they hung the Gates of the city.
And so here in the wickedness of Ahab’s reign in the wickedness of this nation under the influence of Ahab and Jezebel,
there is one who decides it’s worth it. It’s worth it to lose my firstborn and my last born child to rebuild this city that God said not to build.
And so Heil will rebuild the city of Jericho. And then question seven, how many books are there in the old Testament?
Of course there are 39 thank you for joining us in this study of first Kings chapter 15 and 16 we hope that you’re doing well and staying safe.
We love each and every one of you have a great day.
We’re going to continue our study in first Kings. We will pick up with the questions from chapter 13 that I forgot to record the, uh, we’re going to continue our study in first Kings. We will pick up with the questions from chapter 13 that I forgot to record the, uh, the questions and the review for that, uh, previous weeks. So we’ll cover that and then we’ll go into chapter 15 and 16 of first Kings. Uh, in our study for today in first Kings chapter thirteens questions,
question number one, what would be the fate of Jeroboam according to the prophet of God from Judah. If you look at first Kings chapter 13, verses two and three, we read, then he cried out against the Alder by the word of the Lord and said, Oh, altar altar thus says the Lord. Behold a child, Josiah by name shall be born to the house of David and on you. He shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you and men’s bones shall be burned on you.
And he gave us in the same thing. This is the sign which the Lord has spoken. Surely the altar shall split apart and the ashes on it shall be poured out. And then also verse five, the altar also was split apart and the ashes poured out from the alter according to the sign, which the men and of God had given word of the Lord. So the fate of Jeroboam is that eventually, uh, his house would come to an end and that the alters that he had been, that he had built would be destroyed after the priests of those alders were burned upon them.
What was the sign which proved the prophet’s words? Uh, when Jeroboam reached out his hand, or excuse me, the sign, uh, was the altar splitting apart. In addition to that, when Jeroboam reached out his hand to tell them to arrest him, that is the prophet. Uh, his hand was unable to be drawn back in, uh, first Kings chapter 13, verses seven through nine. Then the King said to the man of God, come home with me and refresh yourself and I will give you a reward.
But the man of God said to the King, if you were to give me half your house, I would not go in with you, nor would I eat bread nor drink water in this place. For so was commanded me by the word of the Lord saying, you shall not eat bread nor drink water nor returned by the same way you came. So question two, why would the prophet of God not eat and drink with Jeroboam? Of course the answer is because God had told him not to. Question three comes from verse 11 and verse 18 of chapter 13 verse 11 we read now an old prophet dwelt in Bethel and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel.
They also told their father the words which he had spoken to the King. Verse 18 he said to him, I too am a prophet. This is the old prophet speaking to the young prophet. I too am a prophet as you are. And an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord saying, bring him back with you to your house. That he may eat bread and drink water. He was lying to him. The man from Bethel who lied to the prophet from Judah was a a prophet,
be a King, see a judge or D, a priest. The answer of course is a, he was a prophet. Question number four comes from verse 15 and then also from verse 18 describe the line which the prophet from Bethel told the prophet from Judah. The prophet from Bethel told the prophet from Judah that an angel had appeared to him and told him to come to his house. Even though the young prophet from Judah said that he was not supposed to remain in Israel nor eat in Israel. Question five,
what did the Lord say would be the punishment of the prophet from Judah for not obeying in verses 20 through 22. Now, it happened as they sat at the table that the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back and he crying to him, cried out to the man of God who came from Judah saying, thus says the Lord, because you have disobeyed the word of the Lord and have not kept the commandment, which the Lord your God commanded you, but you came back,
ate bread and drank water in the place, which the Lord said to you, eat no bread and drink. No water your car.
We’re going to continue our study in first Kings. We will pick up with the questions from chapter 13 that I forgot to record the,
uh, the questions and the review for that, uh, previous weeks. So we’ll cover that and then we’ll go into chapter 15 and 16 of first Kings.
Uh, in our study for today in first Kings chapter thirteens questions. Question number one, what would be the fate of Jeroboam according to the prophet of God?
From Judah. If you look at first Kings chapter 13 verses two and three, we read, then he cried out against the altar by the word of the Lord and said,
Oh, alter. Alter thus says the Lord. Behold, a child, Josiah by name shall be born to the house of David and on you.
He shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you and men’s bones shall be burned on you.
And he gave us in the same thing. This is the sign which the Lord has spoken. Surely the altar shall split apart and the ashes on it shall be poured out.
And then also verse five, the altar also was split apart. And the ashes poured out from the alter according to the sign,
which the men man of God had given word of the Lord. So the fate of Jeroboam is that eventually,
uh, his house would come to an end and the altars that he had been that he had built would be destroyed after the priests of those alders were burned upon them.
What was the sign which proved the prophet’s words? Uh, when Jeroboam reached out his hand, or excuse me,
the sign was the altar splitting apart. In addition to that, when Jeroboam reached out his hand to tell them to arrest him,
that is the prophet. Uh, his hand was unable to be drawn back in, uh, first Kings chapter 13,
verses seven through nine. Then the King said to the man of God, come home with me and refresh yourself and I will give you a reward.
But the man of God said to the King, if you were to give me half your house, I would not go in with you,
nor would I eat bread nor drink water in this place. For SOA was commanded me by the word of the Lord saying,
you shall not eat bread nor drink water nor returned by the same way you came. So question two,
why would the prophet of God not eat and drink with Jeroboam? Of course the answer is because God had told him not to.
Question three comes from verse 11 and verse 18 of chapter 13 verse 11 we read now an old prophet dwelt in Bethel and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel.
They also told their father the words which he had spoken to the King. Verse 18 he said to him,
I too am a prophet. This is the old prophet speaking to the young prophet. I too am a prophet as you are,
and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord saying, bring him back with you to your house,
that he may eat bread and drink water. He was lying to him. The man from Bethel who lied to the prophet from Judah was a a prophet,
be a King. See a judge or D, a priest. Answer of course is a, he was a prophet.
Question number four comes from verse 15 and then also from verse 18 describe the line which the prophet from Bethel told the prophet from Judah.
The prophet from Bethel told the prophet from Judah that an angel had appeared to him and told him to come to his house.
Even though the young prophet from Judah said that he was not supposed to remain in Israel nor eat in Israel.
Question five what did the Lord say would be the punishment of the prophet from Judah for not obeying in verses 20 through 22 now it happened as they sat at the table that the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back and he cried to him,
cried out to the man of God who came from Judah saying thus says the Lord, because you have disobeyed the word of the Lord and have not kept the commandment,
which the Lord your God commanded you. But you came back, ate bread and drank water in the place,
which the Lord said to you, eat no bread and drink no water. Your corpse shall not come to the tomb of your.
So what did the Lord say? The punishment would be for the prophet who disobeyed. He would die and not return to the grave of his father.
He would die before returning home. Question six. What did the prophet from Jew, or excuse me,
how did the profit from Judah die? Who buried him and where? Verse 24 of chapter 13 says,
when he was gone, a lion met him on the road and killed him, and his corpse was thrown on the road and the donkey stood by it.
The lion also stood by the corpse. So a lion comes, meets him on the way, attacks him and kills him,
but he doesn’t eat him and doesn’t attack the donkey. Just simply attacks the prophet. But then also verse 28 then he went and found his corpse thrown on the road.
That is the prophet from Bethel, goes and finds the young prophets corpse thrown, thrown on the road and the donkey and the lion standing by the corpse,
the lion, and not eaten the corpse nor torn the donkey. And verse 30 then he laid the corpse in his own tomb and they mourned over him saying,
alas, my brother. So how did the prophet from Judah die? He was killed by a lion who buried him,
the prophet from Bethel. And where the profit from Bethel buried him in his own tomb. Then question seven,
what did the prophet of Bethel say concerning the prophecies against the altar in Bethel and against the high places which the prophet of Judah had made beginning in verse 32 for the saying,
which he cried out by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel and against all the shrines on the high places which are in the cities of Samaria will surely come to pass.
So the prophet from Bethel said that everything which the prophet from Judah had said would come to pass. So those were the questions from chapter 13 now into chapter 15 in chapter 15 and 16 we have Israel and Judah at war with one another.
Notice chapter 15 beginning a chapter 15 verse one in the 18th year of the of King Jeroboam, the son of Nebat,
uh, bine Jim became King over Judah. Now something important to realize and that is that you will read the book of Kings and you’ll read the corresponding chapters and passages in the book of Chronicles and names will not always be identical.
Sometimes this is because one will reference a King by a different name. Sometimes it’s just simply a spelling that is different.
And bear in mind that all in Hebrew, not all the same in the alphabet exists. Uh, there,
there are no vowels in the Hebrew, alphabet, alphabet. So there’s some differences in some times over the years,
different names were spelled differently. So, uh, by Jim here is the son of Rehoboam. He is going to come to the throne in the 18th year of Jeroboam,
but in Chronicles, he will, his name will be recognized as Abijah. And so just keep that in mind because Jeroboam also has a son who comes to the throne named Abijah.
So don’t, don’t get them confused. The one that comes to the throne in the Southern kingdom of Judah,
whose name in first Kings is a bijum, comes to the throne in the 18th year of Jeroboam. So that’s who we’re talking about.
We’re talking about the King in the Southern kingdom of Judah right now, a buying gym became King over Judah.
He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Maaco, the granddaughter of abs. Sholom. Now,
here’s another name that is spelled differently in Kings versus Chronicles, at least in modern English translations in Chronicles.
It records that this is the granddaughter of alum, the son of David. And so here we have,
uh, uh, buying gym raining and Rehoboam at some point Mary’s the granddaughter of Absalom. And this is the mother of a buying gym.
He walked in all the sins of his father, verse three, which he had done before him. His heart was not loyal to the Lord,
his God, as was the heart of his father, David. So Rehoboam comes to the throne and then he dies in a bijum.
His son reigns in his stead and a bijum rains for three years and he does evil the same way Rehoboam did.
Remember, Rehoboam continued to follow after idols. Rehoboam allowed the idolatry in Judah cut to continue and continued building up the high places in Judah.
Nevertheless, verse four for David’s sake, the Lord has gone, gave him a lamp in, in Jerusalem by setting up his son after him and by establishing Jerusalem.
Because David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and had not turned aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.
So here we have a statement concerning Judah and the lineage of David Solomon departed from the Lord. Rehoboam his son continued down that path and departed further from the Lord of buying Jim.
His son reigns in his stead for three years and continues further down this path of turning away from the Lord.
And the writer of Kings wants us to know that had it not been for the faithfulness of David, had it not been for David’s willingness to obey God and his willingness to remain faithful to the Lord.
Not perfectly, not sinlessly, but continually except for the one matter with Uriah the Hittite word, David turned his heart away from the Lord,
but then repented said in all of this, the only reason that the lamp of David’s house, the throne in Judah remained with David’s family was David’s faithfulness.
Truly it is. It is incapable of being calculated. How much good is lasting generation after generation after generation as a result of one faithful generation,
one faithful man leads two generations of blessings to those who come after him, even if they didn’t obey the Lord.
So then notice what else there was war verse six, between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.
Now the rest of the acts of abide, Jim and all that he did, are they not written in the book of Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?
And there was war between a by Jim and Jeroboam. So there’s war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam and the 18th year of Jera bones,
rein Rehoboam, son of buying. Joan comes to the throne and there continues to be war with Jeroboam for the three years of abide Jim’s rain.
So we’ll bind him, rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. Then EISA,
his son reigned in his place. We just mentioned that because of the faithfulness of David, the lamp of the lineage of David and the throne of David wasn’t removed in spite of Solomon’s disobedience,
in spite of Rhea bones, disobedience in spite of a byte, Jim’s disobedience, yet the throne continued in the lineage of David.
And finally we get to EISA. Now the record of ACEs life and his reign in Judah is more complete in the book of Chronicles.
It will record details that Kings doesn’t, but here’s what you need to know. EISA is a good King.
EISA walks in the path of David, his father. Notice what we read about ASAP. In the 20th year of Jeroboam,
King of Judah EISA became King over Judah and he reigned 41 years in Jerusalem. His grandmother’s name was makeup.
The granddaughter of Absalom. EISA did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as did his father David.
So EISA is going to be set in contrast to rehabilitate them and to AB bijum. He is going to live a different life.
Now he’s going to come to the throne in the 20th year of Jeroboam, but Jeroboam is only going rain 20 years.
So his overlapping with the reign of Jeroboam is going to be very small, very minor, very small.
Verse 12 reads. And he banished the perverted persons from the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.
Also, he removed makeup from his grandmother, from being queen mother because she had made an obscene image of Asherah and EISA cut down her obscene image and burned it by the Brook.
Kidron. So one of the things that we mentioned in a previous class was that as the people in Israel and Judah departed into idolatry,
some of the things that came back with those idolatrous images and with those, that idolatry that had been put out of the land was this sin,
this inequity of sexual intercourse as a religious act. And that’s what this idea of perverted perf persons references here,
those who involve themselves in sexual immorality as a religious act. And so, uh, EISA comes in and he cast these people out of the land.
He drives them out, he destroys them and gets rid of them, and then even goes so far as to take make-a his grandmother,
the wife of Rehoboam, and remove her as queen mother. She is still there. She’s present. She’s been present through the rain of a Rehoboam.
She’s been present through the rain of a bind gym and now she’s being removed the cause of her idolatry.
You might remember a time in the past where we talked about, I think it’s Deuteronomy chapter 13 where Moses gives the commandments to Israel concerning who teaches Israel to follow idolatry.
One who pulls them away and commands them to, to follow after another God besides Jehovah. And Moses made it clear that if it was even a member of their own family,
if you were in Israelite and one from your own house, your brother or your sister or your mother or your father was the one who was telling people to follow after idols,
then your responsibility was to cast the first stone. Your responsibility was to not hide them away, to not keep it secret,
to not keep them safe, but instead to make it public and make it known and be part of the judgment.
It seems like EISA actually follows this command when it comes to make, uh, his grandmother. So he removes her and he removes the image that she made.
The image was cut down and burned at the Brook Kidron, verse 13, but the hind places were not removed.
Nevertheless, ACE, his heart was loyal to the Lord all his days. So AC doesn’t clean up everything that was wrong.
AC is not able to restore Judah to its original faithfulness to the Lord in completeness, but EISA will remain faithful.
Something that I wanted to point out, uh, here concerning EISA is, is from second Chronicles. So if you will turn over to second Chronicles,
I think, I think it’s chapter 14, uh, where we read about EISA and that is one of the events during ACEs reign in chapter 14 verse two,
we read EISA did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God for he removed the altars of the foreign gods in the high places,
broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images. Now something to note here, according to the Chronicle writer,
is that he did remove some of the high places, but he was not able to remove all of the high places.
Uh, he commanded Judah to seek the Lord of their Lord God of their fathers and to observe the law and the commandment.
He not only restored Judah back to following the Lord, but he restored Judah back to the law and to the commandments of God.
He also removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah. And the kingdom was quiet under him and he built for to find cities in Judah for the land.
Had rest. He had no Wars in though those years because the Lord had given him rest. Therefore,
he said to Judah, let us build these cities and make walls around them and Gates and bars while the land is yet before us because we have saw the Lord our God.
We have sought him and he has given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered. Go back again to Leviticus chapter 26 and to Deuteronomy in the beginning of the those that book,
and you remember God said, if you’re faithful to me, I’ll give you peace. If you’re faithful to me,
I’ll give you prosperity. If you turn your back on me, I’ll bring destruction. I’ll withhold the land from you.
I’ll bring enemies against you. And so God’s doing exactly what he said he would do. And EISA knows that.
And so AC uses this opportunity to continue to build up the land and to rebuild the land because of all that suffered.
Verse eight and EISA had an army of 300,000 from Judah who carried shields and Spears and from Benjamin, 280,000 men who carried shields.
And drew bows. All these were mighty men of Valor. So he has an army of 580,000 men.
And here of these men, these men are his men of Valor. Some of them are, are swordsmen,
some of them are archers. Uh, but then we read verse nine, then zero, the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and 300 chariots.
And he came to Mersa. And so EISA went out against him and they set the troops in battle array in the Valley of,
uh, Zarephath, excuse me, Zelpha at Marisha and EISA cried out to the Lord his God and said,
Lord, it is nothing for you to help whether many, whether with many or with those who have no power,
help us. Oh Lord, our God for we rest on you and in your name, we go against this multitude.
Oh Lord, you are our God. Do not let man prevail against you. Here’s EISA. There’s an army of a million men knocking at his Southern border.
There is an army, the like of which in modern times you and I have never seen assembled, and they’re at the door.
They’re at the border of Judah and they’re coming. And so EISA prepares his men and he prepares his army and he goes out and sets himself in array against this army that is almost double the size of his army.
And what is ACE ado? EISA doesn’t fret EISA doesn’t worry. EISA doesn’t go in his tent and cry EISA praise to God.
Okay? EISA knows that the numbers don’t matter when it comes to the Lord. EISA knows that. It doesn’t matter how big the army is,
if the Lord decides to be on his side, if the Lord helps him, then victory is assured.
But he also knows this. If the Lord doesn’t help him, does he sues for peace before the battle comes?
ACE is facing this predicament, but ACE is not ready to become a subject of this King from Africa.
That you be perfectly joined together. Additionally, in the same judgment, if Paul’s plea to the troubled Corinthian church was realistic, then it must also have been actually possible. Why would he have made such a plate if it were not both realistic and possible in spite of their differences? Paul wanted the Corinthian questions to be United, but not in some sort of all inclusive big tent. Ignore your differences kind of way, but in these key areas, what they spoke in the first place must be in agreement,
the phrase to speak, the same thing had political overtones of warring factions that came to a reconciliation in spite of their warring factions in the church at Corinth, namely differences about the Lord’s supper, about the resurrection, about moral issues, and more in spite of that, Paul wanted them to be on the same page doctrine light. Next, Paul decried their divisions later in the first chapter, it appears that they chose sides, each following various leaders and in the process splintered the precious unity that God and his spirit desire.
Ephesians four one teaches that we must all endeavor to keep the unity of the spirit. In the bond of peace that demands a constant focus on oneness and not on division. The term for division by the way is schismatic split division, the word pictures, the destruction of unity through force and was used of a tear and a garment or political factions engaged in a struggle for power. So far in our broadcast today we have looked at two of the four admonitions or pleas that Paul makes for unity in the church at Corinth.
First that they all speak the same thing and second that there be no divisions among them in our next broadcast. We will continue at this point and noticed number three and number four third but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and number four that you be perfectly joined together in the same judgment. We hope that you can join us as we study God’s word together at that time. What’s the quickest way to reach us? That simple call our toll free number one eight five five I G H six nine eight eight to request free Bible study courses to ask a question or do make a comment.
The number is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Just leave your and we will follow up as quickly as we can. That number again is one eight five five I G H six nine eight eight or if you prefer +1 855-444-6988<inaudible>. Thank you for listening to our broadcast today. We hope first that it glorified God, but second, we hope that it edified you listen to it again if you need to or to other lessons in this series by going to the media tab and our site,
international gospel hour doctor<inaudible><inaudible> hello there. Today is July 15 and this is your daily lift problem. The gospel broadcasting network honor thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God give a fee. Exodus 20 at verse 12 the first four of the 10 commandments were God word. This is the first. That is men word and Ephesians six two Paul appealed to this old Testament passage describing it as the first commandment with promise. It has always been God’s will that one honor his parents respect and care for them to rebel the games.
The righteous instruction of parents is to rebel against God in old Testament times. Children who were rebellious toward their parents were stoned to death and cotton triste as one honored his parents. His days would be long upon the land and may God bless you and have a great day. In our prior two lessons, we have supplied proof that the being referred to as the angel of the Lord is divine. He is God. We also know that Jesus is divine. He is God. Notice Isaiah 40 verses three through five and John chapter one that concludes the more concrete portion of this study.
Today we will attempt to connect these two points by hypothesizing that the angel of the Lord is in fact the preincarnated Christ. In other words, the second person of the Godhead or the being we know today as Jesus Christ was revealed to mankind in the old Testament as the angel of the Lord in Exodus 23 verses 20 and following God while speaking with Moses, note chapter 20 verse 22 declared quote, behold, I send an angel before you to keep you in the way and to you into the place which I have prepared.
Be aware of him and obey his voice. Do not provoke him for he will not pardon your transgressions, for my name is in him, but if you indeed obey his voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. The point I want to stress here is that the angel of the Lord is distinct from God, the father whom I believe to be speaking to Moses. Yet we observed in prior lessons that the angel is deity or divine.
So based on my present understanding of the Godhead, no. Our lessons from April 13th and 14th 2005 if the angel of the Lord is divine, he must be one of the three persons of the Godhead. Either God, the father, God the son, or God the Holy spirit as we commonly refer to them. If we remove the first option, the more likely choice that remains is that the angel of the Lord is the being we know today as Jesus Christ in a different physical form. Of course, it seems unlikely that the Holy spirit would assume the form of an angel.
Since nowhere else in the scriptures is he stated to have taken on a physical form. The same cannot be said regarding the second person of the Godhead. There was one other argument worth mentioning on this subject. We noted previously in Exodus 1419 and the angel of God who went before the camp of Israel moved and went behind them and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. However, exit is 13 verse 21 States that it was the Lord himself who did this. Furthermore, Paul wrote in first Corinthians 10 verses one through four.
Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea and all ate the same spiritual food and all drank the same spiritual drink for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them and that rock was Christ. Here Jesus has identified as the spiritual rock that followed the Israelites during their long journey from Egypt into the promised land. Speculation of bounds as to what exactly is meant by this phrase.
Some believe this refers to a literal rock from heaven that rolled behind the Israel lights and provided water as they journeyed. Others, including myself, are more inclined to accept a less literal perspective here. In either case, Christ miraculously provided water and hen stability like a rock for the Israel lights on at least two occasions. He was undeniably there with them though in what sins? It is impossible to know for sure. Perhaps there is a connection between the spiritual rock that followed them and the angel of the Lord who seemed to move with the pillar of cloud and fire.
Therefore, in closing, I believe that the angel of the Lord of the old Testament is the preincarnated Christ. I believe that the second person of the Godhead was active during those 4,000 years between the creation and his birth as Jesus of Nazareth. Note also John five or 17 let me leave you with this disclaimer. However, due to the difficulty of this subject and the fact that there was some unavoidable speculation in my argument, I am not dogmatic regarding this subject. I can see how others may be less willing to connect the identity of the angel of the Lord to the preincarnated incarnate Christ.
It is certainly not a significant point of doctrine are their way or the scriptures would have been clearer on the matter. Nevertheless, it does make for an interesting study from God’s word.<inaudible><inaudible>,<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible>. Thank you for listening to Collierville Christian radio. You are invited to the Collierville church of Christ at five 75 Shelton road in Collierville, Tennessee. Following the new Testament pattern for the church that Christ established, visit our website for more information. Call your Ville coc.org now the most of a minute correcting the mistake,
a woman said that while cleaning out some old boxes in her attic, she came across to an antique book of crochet patterns. It was special because from that book about lace edges on handkerchiefs and dollies for chairs, her grandmother had taught more than crochet lessons. Her grandmother insisted that she must never let a mistake go by without correction, no matter how perfect the rest of the piece looked, and even if it was 12 or 14 rows back to she had one rip out all destined, one stitches down to the Mustang to correct it and start again.
Testing one. Sometimes we need this lesson in lasting the longer one lift. The more people we associate with. For some reasons, there are mistakes made in relationships in the form of quarrels and disagreements, even to the point of falling out with a close friend. When this happens, we need to go back and rip up all the niceties and cover up times we put top of that mistake and start a new in Matthew five verse 23 and 24 Jesus teaches us to do our best to correct our mistakes with our fellow man.
Before we go on with the pattern of our lives, this has been a production of the Collierville church of Christ. To learn more about the Collierville church of Christ, visit us on the web at call your Villa COC. Not org. The most of the men. It was written by Glenn Colley. Your host is Aaron CoSort. Wow.<inaudible> he is<inaudible><inaudible>. He welcome to the apologetics press hour.<inaudible> yes. Testing. Testing, testing. One, two, three, four, five,
six, seven, eight, nine, 10, nine eight seven six five four three, two, one. That’s how you did radio checks.<inaudible> is it not working? Testing one, two, three, Nope. Yup. There it is. Nope. Nope. There it is. There it is. Still working. Oh yeah. Yeah. This is the, uh, only the second. Yeah. Take your time. I’ve ever preached for years in the gospels. Taking the gospel there as it stands and there one does find somethings that do not seem to be very wise.
Dan Barker wrote an article titled by Jesus and in this article he asked this question, why is Jesus so special? It would be more reasonable and productive to emulate real flesh and blood human beings who have contributed to humanity, mothers who have given birth, scientists who have alleviated suffering social reformers who have fought injustice then to worship a character of such dubious qualities as Jesus and then in an essay that appeared on the website evil bible.com one enemy of Christ wrote this. Dear believer, I refuse to accept Jesus as my personal savior for his behavior and teachings often expose one who should be escaped with microphone,
please. Allegedly you can go to the Bible itself. You can go to the gospel accounts, Matt testing. Luke, you’re just trying to look pretty those and allegedly it should cause you to believe that Jesus should not be followed, that Jesus is not divine, that Jesus was not perfect, that Jesus made turned it on yet and committed various sins for good idea, alleged that Jesus was rude, that he was disrespectful. So you can see well then, and we can see when Jesus was at the wedding in Cana of Galilee where there was a depletion of wine,
Mary said to Jesus, they have no wine. Jesus then responded to his mother saying this, you ready? He said, woman, what does your concern have to do with me? My hour has not yet. What is your concern has to do with me? Richard Dawkins commented on this in his book, the God delusion in 2006 and he stayed at Jesus’ family values. It has to be admitted. We’re not such as one might wish to focus on. He was short to the point of brusqueness with his own mother,
Richard Dawkins, probably one of, if not the most famous atheist in the world, uh, in the early 20th 21st century, has something to say about Jesus being rude and impolite to his own mother. Dennis McKinsey had a lot to say about this and his various writings. He said about Matthew 15 four he said in Matthew 15 four he, Jesus told people to honor by father and my mother, yet he was one allegedly. He was one of the first to ignore his own Maxim by saying to his mother and John two four woman,
what have I done? And then he said in his book the encyclopedia biblical errancy as I was quoting from earlier on, page 44 now on page one 34 he said, imagine someone talking to his own mother in such a disrespectful manner and addressing her by such an impersonal noun. As woman talk about an insulin offspring, Jesus allegedly needs to practice some parental respect. What do you think about that? What do you think about Jesus calling his own mother? Woman? No. If you Hayden, if you were to call your mother woman after she told you to take out the trash and you said,
woman, what does that have to do with me? Well, you know, that would sound very rude and in 21st century America, would it not? Wouldn’t it sound rude? Say to respond to your mother with the word woman and then say, you know, I’m not prepared to do that. I’m not willing to do that. It’s not my time to do that. Well, admittedly, in 21st century America, using an English word in America separated from Jesus by about 2000 years. Yes, it sounds rude,
but what critics of Christ seem to forget or totally ignore is that Jesus was speaking in a different country at a different time, in a different language, among a different people, a different culture. The fact of the matter is the Bible itself reveals that Jesus was not rude. How do I know that? Because of how he used this word elsewhere. X morning in the gospel accounts. For example, when complementing the Syrophoenician moments in Matthew chapter 15 verse 28 he said, woman, great is your faith.
Now see, saying that in a disrespectful way. Wow. How great is your faith? Well that that wouldn’t sound, that wouldn’t make any sense. They used it when affectionately addressing Mary Magdalene after his resurrection. John chapter 20 verse 15 woman, why are you waiting? And when speaking to his disconsolate mother, one last time from the cross, John 19 verse 26 he said, woman, behold your son. Are we to suppose, are we to assume the worst about Jesus? That he was on the cross dying for the sins of the world?
He sees his own mother there who gave birth to him, who uh, was standing there at the cross of Jesus, no doubt in terrible emotional pain. And he says, woman, behold your son talking about the disciple that Jesus. Look, it’s obvious when you look at the other<inaudible> testing, one, two<inaudible>, disrespectful mother, they can assume that they can make that charge because it may sound disrespectful in 21st century America, but that doesn’t mean that it was disrespectful 2000 years ago. In fact,
it’s the very opposite when you see how this word is used elsewhere in scripture, but some have charged with Jesus, okay, he, he was disrespectful. But if we can’t convince you Christians that, that he was disrespectful, maybe, maybe we can convince you. Maybe you should believe. In fact, they would say you, you certainly should believe that Jesus was all mixed up. He was a liar or he at least contradicted himself when he made these statements. And John chapter five and verse 31 if I bear witness of myself,
Jesus said, my witness is not true. What did he mean my witness is not true. And and how would he be able to say that? Truthfully, when, and John chapter eight and verse 14 he said to his enemies who were testing him, he said, even if I bear witness of myself, my witness is true, and so it’s been pointed out by skeptics for many years now. Jesus was mixed up. He was contradictory, he was a liar, he did not present valid testimony.
He said, my witness is not true, and then he said, my witness is true. Now granted on the surface, it sounds like those are two contradictory statements on the surface, but aren’t there a lot of things that we may look at on the surface that are not contradictory? When you dig deeper and finding out the sense in which those things were being said, you recall, and I believe it was our third lesson in this series on, is the Bible reliable? We talked about how things can only be a contradiction if we’re talking about the same person,
place or thing at the same time, and in the same sense now consider these phrases. We won the game, we lost the game. Are those contradictory statements? Again on the surface it might sound like a contradictory statement. It may be that most of the time, if those two statements were talked about and you’re referring to the same game at the same time, you may suppose you may assume, yes, that must be a contradictory statement. How could both of these be true? They could both be true if you’re making those statements in different senses.
For example, in 1,990 some of you may be old enough to remember this college football game, Missouri and Colorado played a college football game and with 30 seconds left to go in the game, Missouri was up 31 to 27 Colorado had the ball first and goal at the Missouri three yard line, first and gold guys, so what did they do? Well on first down, if I remember correctly, they spike the ball to stop the clock on first down. Then on second down they ran the ball but failed to score on third down.
If I remember correctly, they ran the ball again and I get this on fourth down. They spike the ball to stop the clock with two seconds left on fourth. Now then on fifth down they ran the ball for a touchdown. They ran the ball for a touchdown on fifth. Now according to the referees, Colorado won the game 33 to 31 but did they really win the game? I imagine if you were a Missouri fan and if you are a Missouri fan that alleged defeat still eats you up because there is a sense in which Missouri won that game.
That ball should have been Missouri’s on the goal line or right there at the goal line at the, the one foot line or one yard line with two seconds left, all they would have had to do was run out the clock. The game was there. They would have won the game. If I remember correctly, Colorado went on that year to share, uh, the national championship. Well, did they win that game or did they lose that game? Could you imagine how some of the the Missouri players must’ve felt and how maybe later as they were having children,
they talked about that game with Colorado in 1990 and they told their children we won that game. But they may also in a different setting, we lost that game. Now can they be telling the truth if they made those two statements that sound different and are different but can both be true? Will you see they can both be true depending on the sense in which you are making those statements. So let’s go back to John chapter five now and John chapter eight and let’s see how these statements were being used by Jesus.
Now in John chapter five verse 31 Jesus made the statement, if I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. What was Jesus doing here in John chapter five was he saying that I just, uh, I cannot present valid testimony. Not at all. The fact of the matter is, Jesus here was recognizing a well known law of his day. Think about Deuteronomy 19 verse 15 which says, one witness shall not rise against a man. Concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits by the mouth of two or three witnesses,
the matter shall be established. Deuteronomy chapter 17 verse six whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses. He shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness. You see, there is a well understood law. My understanding was it wasn’t not, it was not only among the Jews, but also among the Greeks and the Romans, that you had to have more than just one witness to testify of something, especially something that is very important, like a murder or something very important like Jesus claiming to be the Messiah,
the son of God. So what was Jesus claiming here in John chapter five and verse 31 that his testimony would not be valid if he was the only one to testify on his behalf. And so what he does in the remaining part of John chapter five is he gives us a list of those who did testify on behalf of who he was. He said, says in verse 33, John, he bore witness to the truth that Jesus Christ is the son of God. Verse 36 he said that the very works that I do bear witness of me in verse 37 he said,
the father testifies of, Mayer has testified in may, verse 39 he says the scriptures, um, he says, these are they which testify of me. And then he specifically mentions the writings of Moses in verse 46 and how Moses wrote about him. So John chapter five, he saying, my witnesses not true, and he’s using that phrase in recognition of the well known law of his day, that it must be backed up by other witnesses, at least one other witness. So then when you turn over to John chapter eight,
you read Jesus making the statement, my witness is true. Well, how could that be true in view of the well understood laws of the day regarding the need to have two or three witnesses? Well, notice verse 13 the Pharisees therefore said to him, you bear witness of yourself. Your witness is not true.
And then Jesus responds by saying, even if I bear witness of myself, my witness is true. You see what I believe Jesus is saying here is that,
listen, I’m telling the truth. Regardless of what the law says, which I’ve already recognized, I am telling the truth,
I am not lying. My witness is true and then just to go the extra mile later here in John chapter five excuse me,
John chapter eight verse 16 he says, my judgment is true for I am not alone but I am with the father who sent me and so he goes the extra mile and saying,
Hey, by the way, the father also testifies with me. So there is a sense in which Jesus statements are true.
Testing one, two, three testing one, two, three<inaudible> are you going to use this? Okay.<inaudible> just to make sure Tommy is video going out on the,
on the computer on the right hand side. Okay.<inaudible> we want to welcome everyone to the worship services of the call your bill church of Christ.
We are still separated from one another and sad that that is true but understandable and we pray that everyone is doing well and remain safe during this time.
Um, where our thoughts and our prayers are with all of you and we look forward to not too many days from now all assembling together.
Once again, a few announcements as we begin, uh, just to make folks aware of the announcements that there are,
uh, if you don’t currently get, uh, the bulletin by email I think almost does. Um,
but if you don’t and you use email, let us know and we’ll certainly add you to the list.
You could call me or call Paula, uh, also during the service this morning. If there are any special prayer requests that you uh,
would like to have mentioned at the closing prayer texts, those, um, to my cell phone during the service and we will make sure that those get mentioned during our announcements and our closing prayer at the end.
Um, pantry items for this month is disposable silverware for, uh, Potter’s children’s house. The men’s business meeting for today has been canceled.
Um, and we will notify people concerning the date for the may men’s business meeting. If there are any details that need to be handled between now and then,
please contact Eric Halvorson and, uh, we will make sure that those issues get handled. Please keep Ruby Brad in your prayers.
Continue to do that. And um, her address for cards or things like that, uh, is in the bulletin this week.
So if you, uh, need that, that is available there. Keep Joan Springer and your, your thoughts and prayers dealing with her pneumonia.
Uh, Tina Lance is a nurse and the wife of a preacher friend of mine down in Chalmette, Louisiana and,
uh, she has been diagnosed positive with Corona virus. The last update that I had concerning her is that she is feeling better,
um, and doing well right now. So keep Tina Lance in your prayers. Uh, Jenny Sanderson’s,
aunt Rosie has Corona virus as well. Russell Klein and his wife, he’s the preacher in the matters that the Madisonville church of Christ in Madisonville,
Kentucky. He and his wife both have been diagnosed with Corona virus. Um, Paul, uh, Paula’s cousin Vester Williamson.
Um, has a form of cancer that I’m not going to attempt to try and pronounce, um, and is scheduled to have mouth surgery on Thursday.
Um, Rebecca’s brother Raymond and, uh, crystal Rushmore both have strep and process possible bronchitis. So keep Rebecca’s family in your prayers as well.
And then just all of the ongoing, um, medical issues and, and folks that we know that are dealing with chronic issues,
keep them in your prayers as we go through this period of time. Remember to contact people, remember to call people.
We’ve got a lot of people stuck at home. Um, and uh, so just stay in touch with folks we know you already do and we appreciate that.
We ask that you continue to do that. Uh, this morning, uh, I will be leading singing and,
uh, doing the opening prayer as well as the Lord’s supper. Eric Richardson will be preaching this morning and we’ll have the closing prayer.
Let’s begin with our worship<inaudible>. Our first song is number two. We praise thee. Oh God.<inaudible> seeing all five verses.
We praise the for the son of<inaudible>.<inaudible> is now gone. Bob<inaudible>, Laurie<inaudible>. Hallelujah.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> we praise thee for the spirit of blah.<inaudible><inaudible> hallelujah.
Laurie. Hello then, huh?<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> all glory and praise the lamb man was laying, Lou has born,
has Quinn’s every stain. Hallelujah. Line the glory.<inaudible> the glory rave<inaudible> yay. Oh, glory and praise to God of all grace who has bought us and song sang a way<inaudible> Laurie<inaudible> the line,
the glory. Uh, and I’ve uh, uh, and fairly tight with<inaudible> with uh, from uh,
uh,<inaudible> Laurie man nine, the glory rave,<inaudible> and<inaudible> our gracious heavenly father. We come before your grateful for the day that you have given to us for the life that you have granted to us for the opportunities that we have to serve you.
We are mindful at this time of many who are separated from their families enduring hardship and difficulties, sorrow,
pain, and we are mindful of all those who are dealing with this virus. We especially pray for those who are medical workers and doctors,
emergency personnel who have borne the brunt of this virus and its consequences. Pray that you be with those who we have mentioned in the our announcements that are positive in their diagnosis.
We pray that they will come through well and that they will recover fully from this virus. We pray for nations all over the world as they as well battle this illness and we pray for especially poorer nations that will struggle increasingly because of this virus.
And we pray that there will be opportunities to aid them and help them and that they will put assigned the struggles and the Wars and the mistreatment of humanity,
uh, that is in, under going in that those countries and we pray that they will come together to help one another and to serve one another.
And that missionaries might be safe and might be protected at this time. They might also be able to help those who are in need.
We pray that you will be with us as we go throughout this service. May all that we do and say be in accordance with your will.
All this we ask in Jesus’ name, amen. Tommy, if you will put up the slide with the number because I didn’t,
I didn’t bring my list down here. Hallelujah. What a savior number 395. Hallelujah. What a savior.
After this song, we will, uh, partake of the Lord’s supper, man. No saw role<inaudible> Oh God.<inaudible> Ruth and uh,<inaudible><inaudible> hi one.<inaudible> yeah.
Bearing shame. Golfing.<inaudible> condom. Geez. Good.<inaudible> with his blonde, huh? One<inaudible> guilty.
Uh, uh,<inaudible> we<inaudible> was, I see. Oh, uh, tone. Uh, can it be a lane?
What<inaudible> lifted? Was he to a guy? Yeah, it is<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> NA<inaudible><inaudible> hi.<inaudible> what?<inaudible>.<inaudible> when he comes,
uh,<inaudible><inaudible> Oh, is right home breathing. Yeah. Then news is song. We’ll sing.
Huh? One<inaudible><inaudible> as we prepare our minds to focus on the Lord’s supper, I wanted to begin with a reading from Isaiah chapter 53,
who has believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord been revealed for he has, he shall grow up before him as a tender plant and as a root out of dry ground.
He has no form or comeliness and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
He is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and we hid as it were our faces from him.
He was despised and we not esteem him. Surely he has born our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities.
The chastisement of for our peace was upon him and by his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray.
We have turned everyone to his own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and he was afflicted. Yeti opened not his mouth. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before its shearers is silent.
So he opened not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment and who will declare his generation for he was cut off from the land of the living for the transgressions of my people.
He was stricken and they made his grave with the wicked, but with the rich at his death because he had done no violence nor was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him. He has put him to grief. When you make his soul an offering for sin,
he shall see his seed. He shall prolong his days and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
We shall see. He shall see the labor of his soul and be satisfied by his knowledge. My righteous servant shall justify many for he shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoil with the strong because he poured out his soul unto death and he was numbered with the transgressors and he bore the sin of many and made intercession for transgressors.
Let us pray as we prepared to partake of the bread. Our great and merciful father in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
We are grateful at this time on this day to remember the sacrifice of your son on the cross for our sins and we’re mindful of this time of his body that was broken for us and we are mindful of this emblem that we were commanded by him to partake of on the first day of every.
And we pray that as we partake of this emblem, we will take our minds back to that cross and to that sacrifice on behalf of us.
For truly, he was numbered with the transgressors and yet he bore the sin of all of us as one who was innocent.
All this we pray in Jesus name, amen.<inaudible> as we prepare our minds to partake of the cup,
let us pray. Our gracious father in heaven, we bound before you once again thanking you for this sacrifice for these emblems,
for this emblem which reminds us of his blood that was shed for many, for the blood that brings about our redemption and cleanses us from the sin and iniquity in this life.
We thank you for the sacrifice that was placed on that cross for us. And we pray that as we partake of this emblem,
we might do so in a manner that is pleasing to you. In Jesus name. Amen.<inaudible> on this day and at this time,
we also have the opportunity to give, to give back as we have been prospered. First Corinthians chapter 16,
verses one and two teaches us that giving is not only a part of a Christian’s life in general to give of their time to give of their abilities and their talents,
but also to give of their money, to promote the work of the church, to increase the borders of the kingdom,
but also to provide for those who are in need. Paul wrote to the church at Corinth to do this on a weekly basis,
just the same way that we find in acts chapter 20 that they were to gather together to break bread,
to observe the Lord’s supper, to pray together, and to worship together on a weekly basis. So we have the opportunity now to give back.
Uh, as we have mentioned before for our members, uh, you can bring a check by the building on Sunday morning and uh,
make um your giving done that way. You can also go on the website, call your Ville, coc.org/give and give that way.
But remember in this time there may be many opportunities as well to give, to help those around you.
And if you know of special needs around you, someone who is in particular need at this time, please let the church know.
We may not be able to do everything, but we can certainly do something. So, uh, just be mindful of that during this time and make us aware when there are needs.
Pray that you will take time at this time to give. We’ll have a prayer for that offering. Laura,
we are mindful of this time of all of your many blessings in a time of difficulty and a time where it is true that many have lost their jobs and many have needs that they did not have a month ago.
We pray that at the same time we remember that everything belongs to you. That Paul reminded us as his mindset was in Philippians chapter four that whether he had much or whether he had nothing,
that his mindset was always to be content in what he had. We pray that we will be able to help those who are in name and do good to those who are in need at this time.
And we pray that we might give with a cheerful heart. And so we ask your blessings upon all the offerings and all the giving that is done this day.
In Jesus name. Amen.<inaudible> well, now have one more song before the sermon. I know the Lord will find a way.
Number 523 seeing all three versus, I know the Lord will find a way. Four. I know the one will find a way forward.
Yeah. If I walk<inaudible> Shung wrong.<inaudible> I know.<inaudible> we’ll find out.<inaudible> form<inaudible> the Lord.
Go preach to all the Lord.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> if I walk<inaudible><inaudible> wrong and to the wrong guy,
I know.<inaudible> we’ll find them.<inaudible> four. Whoa.<inaudible> to hear him say who? Uh,
Whoa.<inaudible> to hear him.<inaudible> well, uh,<inaudible><inaudible> Sean though wrong and do the wrong line.
Whoa.<inaudible> to hear him.<inaudible> well, no. Well good morning. It’s a nice stormy morning.
I like stormy weather but it’s a good day to be inside. I want to say thank you. I’m glad that we are.
Even though we’re not together, we’re still able to um, use technology to be together in a sense.
I’m glad that Tommy’s here and Aaron’s here and we’re still able to get together, but I’ll tell you,
we definitely miss each one of you and we are definitely looking forward to a day that we are back to there in one place.
This morning, topic of my lesson is what is essential, what is essential. Now a lot of people can think of some things that are essential right now,
but I want us to think about how life right now just really has slowed down. Tommy and I were talking about this last Sunday and the fact that this rat race of going here and there and back and forth has really is gone right now for most people,
things have slowed down. I know for the NGOs and the tech world like Aaron, they’re still busy and it’s probably busier than ever at this time with a lot of technical things being done right now since we’re all at home,
but things have slowed down. We’re not running our children to this game, to that game. We’re not going to this event,
that event, that gathering, we’re at home and we have time to think about what is truly essential in our life.
Now, if you think about the government and you think about businesses, our mayors of our cities, our governors,
they’ve had to really sit down and think about during this, this time what is essential. They’ve made lists.
They’ve decided that certain businesses are essential, that they need to stay open before us for eating. I grocery store,
some restaurants, things like that that are essential, that need to stay open. But for us, we also think about what is essential.
Each of us could probably make a list of what is important to us, but this morning I want to focus on some key essential things that we can find in the scriptures that the should be essential at all times,
not just a time where we’re isolated at home, but also in the rest of our life. And I want to start with looking at an example.
When I was thinking about an exhibit, cool example of a family that’s isolated. I thought about Genesis chapter seven go to Genesis chapter seven and notice verse one we have Noah and his family.
Verse one it says, then the Lord said to Noah, come to the Ark, you and all your household,
because I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation. Go down to verse four for after seven more days,
I will cause it to rain on the earth, 40 days and 40 nights and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made.
Now notice verse seven. So Noah with his sons, his wife and his sons wives went into the arc because of the waters of the flood.
This is a family that was isolated. They were in the art together. Eight souls were saved and the arc.
Think about what was going through their minds. This had it. They had a time to think about what was truly essential.
We noticed that they were there in the arc for a year. In 10 days, we think a month or few weeks and our on our home is a long time,
but in Genesis seven verse 11 it tells us when they go in and chapter eight and verse 14 when they come out,
it was a year and 10 days. That was a long time to be isolated. They had time to focus on what was essential and I want to look at some things this morning,
starting with family. Family is essential. Many times with this busy world that we are in, we get focused on our jobs on this event,
that thing, sports, this and that. Many you can, you can just fill the blanks there.
But there’s so many things that pull us from different directions and sometimes we forget about our family. Yup.
Um, our family is, I think with Noah, we don’t know what they did in the arc,
but we do know what he was like before. I think he definitely looked at his family as essential.
Some people would say, well, Moses or that Noah, not Moses, Noah, he’s preached for 120 years and he didn’t save anybody but his family.
And they would say, well, that’s not a success. It is. His family was there with him in the Ark.
If he looked at his family as he looked at his family as essential because he saved them. If his family was essential outside the arc,
I’m sure they were also in the Ark. And with that, the first thing that we notice about what is essential in our life is our spouse.
Our spouse can sometimes we can forget about them. We have too busy with other things. We forget about how important our spouse is in our life.
Notice. Genesis chapter two in verse four says, therefore shall a man leave his father and mother and shall cleave unto his wife and they shall be one flesh.
Not two separate people, but United helping one another supporting one another. Caring for one another. Think about what it was like to be in this arc and this,
this situation with all of this stuff going on around them for a year and a half, Noah needed his spouse,
his wife needed him, they helped one another supported one another. They were their support group. We need our spouse.
We are one United together in helping one another. We noticed that during this time. That would be a great time to focus on building that relationship.
Go with me to Ephesians chapter five<inaudible> Ephesians chapter starting in verse 25 we have the example of the husband and wife as Christ being the husband and the church being the bride of Christ.
Notice verse 25 husbands speaking to the husbands. Love your wives just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for her that he might sanctify and cleanse her with a washing of water by the word that he might present her to himself,
a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be Holy and without blemish.
So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife, loves himself for no one ever hated his own flesh,
but nourishes and cherishes it. Just as the Lord does a church for we are members of his body and of his flesh and of his bones.
For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh.
This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless, let each one of you in particular so love his own wife has himself and a lot the life wife see that she respects her husband.
We noticed that the relationship should be like between a husband and wife and how that there to be one there to be joined together to love one another and we see the example of Christ.
Notice what Christ was to his bride. He had SA sacrificial love. He gave his life for her,
for the church. He had a purifying love. This type of love is where we can be pure.
We can be presented to God pure without sin and an enduring love. The church is made up of people,
isn’t it? People aren’t perfect, but God is long suffering towards us. I think about that in a husband and wife situation.
The husband is to love, cherish, care for his wife, protect and provide for her, for his family that love that he has to have for her.
It’s a purifying love. That purifying love is they work together to study God’s word, to keep themselves pure.
The husband is to be the spiritual leader in the home and he and him and his wife spend time together studying God’s word,
keeping themselves pure, keeping themselves on track, following God’s word, and it’s an enduring love. Now we’re spending more time together.
Sometimes we’re going to get on each other’s nerves. Sometimes things are going to happen, but we’re not perfect are we?
Therefore, our love endures. Those things. This, this, this love is more than just a romantic love,
but it’s a committed love. Christ MiFID, his love for us. It’s just like for the why for the husband is a committed love that in the last part of that section that Paul tells us,
the wife needs to shown they are loved. They need to be told, their loves. The husband needs to be reverenced and respected.
This time that we have two more time together in our homes as if we’re isolated, we need to spend that time building that relationship.
Sometimes we can be torn apart and just slowly a little bit at a time because we’re so busy with other things in life,
we don’t focus on that relationship. We don’t focus on how much we need one another. We should build that relationship.
Notice with me. First Peter, first Peter chapter three and verse seven first Peter three verse seven it says,
husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding. This is talking about the husband’s willing with his wife,
giving honor to the wife as to the weaker vessel. Notice this and as being heirs to gather of the grace of life that your prayers be not hindered.
Notice the husband and wife are joined together on the with the same goal. They are working together to get to heaven to inherit the same reward.
Many times we may not focus on that. We’re not focused on the fact that we’re working together to get to heaven.
Our spouse is essential and we do not need to forget about that. What about our children? Children have a responsibility.
Also, children is, I know my children can quote Ephesians six one through three. We want them to know this.
Children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise.
Now, children are home more now. They’re not in school. They’re going to have to work on obedience.
They’re gonna have to work on respecting and honoring their parents. Why? Well, this is to help him to understand that instruction in life will help them later on.
They have to learn these principles now or later on in life. I tell my children many times, no matter how old you are,
there’s always someone you’re going to submit to. There’s always someone that you have to show respect to, no matter if it’s a parent,
when you’re younger or a boss later on down the road. But guess what? We always submit to God.
We need to learn to have respect when we’re younger so that when we’re older, we have already instilled that characteristic in our life.
During this time, we need to focus as children to those that are children that are listening need to focus on obedience.
I’m thinking about children. What about as parents? Sometimes we don’t focus enough on the things, the responsibilities that we have.
Fathers, I’m speaking to fathers at this point, as myself as a father, fathers have the responsibility to focus on the spiritual needs of their children.
Ephesians chapter six in verse four says, fathers provoke not your children or wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
As a father, we have the responsibility to be the spiritual leader in the home. That means that we are making sure that they are learning the word,
that they are showing their crock correct respect for God and understand his word and understand who God is. Notice with me,
go back to Deuteronomy. The Israelites, um, took great responsibility in doing this and Moses in his speech to them.
And Deuteronomy chapter six. Notice what he says. Deuteronomy chapter six, verse four through nine. Here,
O Israel, the Lord our God. The Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.
First. Notice the parent is to put this in their heart. There’s to be there to be ones that love God,
that put him first in their life with all their heart, soul, and strength. But notice what they are to do next.
You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them. When you sit in your house,
when you walk. By the way, when you lie down and when you rise up, you shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
You shall write them in the doorpost of your house and on your Gates. Every aspect of the father’s life,
and this is also talking to the mothers there to be focused on teaching their children about God using the opportunities that you have to show and to teach about to teach them about God.
One thing that always goes away when we’re busy, especially as fathers is the Bible study at home. How important is that study to be sitting down with your family,
with your children, reading God’s word, teaching them God’s word. This is something that always goes out the door.
When we have games going on, when we have this going on, that going on, it seems to always go by the wayside,
but right now we’re isolated at home or in the life is not like a rat race. We have more time to sit down and focus on this study of God’s word,
but this should not be just now, but it should be throughout the rest of our life. Think about how important it is for children to see their parents in God’s word,
studying, showing that they love God and our children and enjoy it. They love learning about the different stories and the different things in the Bible.
They love that and they soak it in. Let’s not put it to the side, but not only do we have a responsibility to care for their spiritual needs,
but notice in Deuteronomy six four through nine again, if you read this, you notice that the children are with the parents quite a bit.
Both parents were to focus on teaching them life skills. During this time, a son would spend time with his father learning the trade of his father.
The daughter would spend time with the mother learning how to do the things that she did. Many times we’re so busy in life,
we don’t focus on teaching our children life skills, how to cook, to clean, to work on a vehicle,
a change, a tire. I know this last couple of weeks I’ve been working on a truck and Matt’s been helping me and he’s enjoyed it.
He’s learned now what many of the tools are so when I say go get me this, he knows what it is.
They enjoy that. That is going to help them later on in life. We have a responsibility to teach them life skills,
but sometimes those things go to the side. I know I’ve spent a lot of time talking about the family this morning,
but I think this is extremely important because the way the family goes so does the nation and many times the family gets put to the side because of our jobs,
because of fun things in life that we want to do and we put the family to the side. Let’s not forget how essential our families are.
What about food and clothing? Now you’re telling me I, well, I understand food and clothing are important.
I needed. I needed to have clothes on every day and I need to have food. I understand that.
Think about Noah. Here he is here with his family in the arc for a year and 10 days.
Did they have everything they needed? I’m sure they did. We see them come out of the arc healthy and get in a good condition.
God took care of them. That’s the important thing to notice here. It’s not the fact that food and clothing are essential cause we know that,
but it’s our focus on who is taking care of us. God is go to Matthew chapter six Matthew chapter six look at verse 25 Matthew six it’s 25 therefore,
I say to you, do not worry about your life. What you shall eat or what you shall drink,
nor about your body. What you shall put on it is not life more than food and body more than clothing.
Verse 28 so why do you worry about clothes, clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow.
They neither toil nor smell. Ben. Okay, verse 31 therefore do not worry saying, what shall we eat or what shall we drink or what shall we shall wear?
But notice verse 33 God says, but seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.
When we are focused on God, when we put God first in our life, he takes care of those essential needs.
Food and clothing are important. We know that, but we also may forget about the fact that God is the one taking care of us,
that God is watching out for us. Noah probably understood that even more when he was in that arc.
We’re in this time of isolation where food is disappearing off of shelves. We go to the grocery store and there’s a limited amount of food.
There’s a limited amount of toilets, paper. There’s a limited amount of different things and we’re worried about are we going to have food or do we need to stock up,
but yet we’re all still here, aren’t we? God’s taking care of us. We put him first.
He’s going to take care of us. Let’s not forget about how blessed we are. That’d be Christians say have our food and our clothing taken care of.
What about prayer? Prayer. Lots of times when we are busy seems to go to the side. Now we may sit down to eat food and we’ll think,
okay, I need to say a prayer, but how important is prayer? Think about Noah and his family in that arc.
You think, think about the noises they heard, how all of the ground was shaking, this the water was pouring down and coming up out of the grounds.
Maybe hearing the screen of people scratching upon the side of the arc. What do you think they did?
Probably weren’t prayer with God when times are hard, when we’re in an isolation, when there’s worry about what could happen,
we need to pray. See, prayer was an essential part of many Bible characters. Think about Daniel.
We’re talking to a, we’re reading a Daniel with the children at home and Daniel spends a lot of time in prayer.
Every time something happens, he praise the God and even when he was told he cannot pray to someone to pray to God and he only had to pray to the King,
he went home and still pray three times a day. Why? Because he knew it was essential and he had made that a part of his life already.
Daniel was a praying man. What about Paul, but how many times Paul wrote letters to the different congregations and he would say,
I’m praying for you. I’m thinking about you. I think God, every day for you, he would pray for their persecution.
The struggles they were going through, Paul was in prayer a lot. What about Jesus? How many examples do we have of our Lord praying to God go off by himself into the garden?
It was known that that’s why Judas could find Jesus in Gardner guest symphony because he knew that was the place that Jesus went to pray.
Prayer was essential to them and when life gets busy, we seem to think we’ve seem to forget about prayer,
but prayer works. James chapter five in verse 16 says, the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man.
Availeth much prayer works as a person that has been in a situation where you need prayer. You know it works.
God hears our prayer. First Thessalonians five verse 17 says, to pray without ceasing. This doesn’t mean that we’re in a constant prayer every minute of the day,
but it’s the idea of when things are well, when things are going good, we pray to God when things are bad,
we pray to God. We need to have prayers, essential aspect of our life. Look at Philippians chapter four we looked at Philippians four um,
a couple of weeks ago, but notice verse six and seven says, be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving,
let your request be made known to God. Don’t be worried. Take those worries and put them on the shoulders of God.
Pray to him when things are good, when things are bad, but notice verse seven and the peace of God which passed surpasses all understanding will guard you.
Guard your hearts and minds through Jesus. Think about that piece. When things are tough, when we have worries,
think about this time. Some people, many people are worried about what could happen. The stress that that comes from that take your cares and lay him upon his shoulders.
Pray to God. That brings us peace. Great peace. Prayer is extremely essential. What about our church family?
There’s some things that we can’t do right now. We can’t be together on Sunday morning. We can’t be together in one place on Wednesday because of the regulations and things that are going on and the scare of the virus.
There’s some things that we miss, don’t we? Some things we don’t know how important they are until they’re gone and our church family is one of those things.
Think about Noah. Do you think he cared to be with people of like faith? I don’t think he would have spent 120 years preaching to people to change their lives if he didn’t want to have people of like faith with him on that boat with him.
Our church family is important. Why? First Thessalonians chapter five in verse 11 it says, wherefore comfort yourselves together and Edify one another even as also you do.
They were a people that edified and built each other up. Paul tells them to continue to do that.
Notice what our brother can do for us and times are hard when when things are good in our life,
they help comfort us and build us up. I know we can still call one another. We can still text so we can still send cards,
but that face to face is something that’s missed that time together. You can’t. You can’t replace that.
Our church family is essential to us. In Deuteronomy chapter three in verse 28 Moses was told he could not go into that promised land and he was told that Joshua was,
Joshua was going to lead the Israelites into the promised land. And what did God tell Moses to strengthen and encourage Joshua why he needed it?
Joshua was getting ready to go through a time where it was hard for him. He needed encouragement. He needed Moses to encourage him.
We have times where we need encouragement. HomeAway, we need strengthened by our brethren and that’s what they do.
Do we truly miss our brother? Think about that. Do we truly miss our brethren? If we don’t,
maybe there’s a ch a priority in our life. It’s not there. Maybe the church has not as a true a priority too for us.
We should miss our brethren. We should want to be together. Think about how much midweek Bible study is important.
It’s hard to go a long period of time without that encouragement and strength and it shows how important those times that we are together are important to us and in essential to us.
Our family is essential. What about the next one? Evangelism or you think evangelism. We’re stuck in our homes.
We can’t go out and door knock. We can’t go out and meet people in the store as much and people don’t want to be around you,
but evangelism is important. Think about Noah. He thought evangelism was essential, didn’t he? He spent a hundred years preaching to a people that didn’t listen and while he was in that boat probably listening to scratches and the screams of people on the outside that were lost.
I’m sure he wished they could be saved in this time of turmoil. I looked last night. I didn’t look this morning,
but there was over 20,000 people have died in America as of last night. Over 20,000 people from this virus that is 21 people that more than likely are not going to heaven.
They’re lost. When times like this and tragedies, things that are going on, it should make us think how important evangelism is.
Making sure talk to every person we can and teach them. Think about Jesus and John chapter four verse 35 as the Samaritans were coming out of the city,
Jesus looked upon him. He told his disciples, he says, the fields are white unto harvest. They’re ready.
There is many people desiring to find the truth. They’re widened to harvest. When Jesus fed the 5,000 Mark chapter six and verse 34 Jesus looked upon them as sheep having no shepherd.
Jesus had compassion on them and what did he do? He taught them Jesus had compassion on those that were blocked.
EAD do we? God wants all to be saved. Thing about in second Peter chapter three in verse nine second Peter three in verse nine says,
the Lord is not Slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness but as long suffering to us,
we’re not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. And first Timothy chapter two in verse four says,
who will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth? God wants everyone to be saved.
We need to do our part. We have the command to go. Matthew chapter 28 verse 18 through 20 Mark chapter 16 verse 15 and 16 we have the command to go to.
How do we go? Especially at this time, how can we evangelize? Well, we can call someone,
we can text someone. We can use social media, we can share videos. We can share the lesson today.
Share the lessons that Erin has done the last few weeks that he has done over the past few years.
Share videos. Who knows someone that needs to hear this, send it to them, send them material.
There’s the possibilities are endless, but we need to realize evangelism is essential. Many times evangelism is put to the side because we’re busy with our life and we hear about it on a Sunday here and there,
we hear about how we need to evangelize, but in a time of crisis and a time where people are slowed down,
we think about how important evangelism truly is, but there’s one more that I want to look at and this is the most important one.
It’s our own personal salvation, but Noah and his family, when they were on the Ark, we’re thankful that they were saved.
The question for us today is, are you saved? Many times people put thinking about their eternal salvation to the side.
They’re too busy to think about that. I’m not worried about that. That’s something I’ll do later down the road,
but then when there’s a crisis, when there’s people that are possibly losing their lives. Excellent, thanks.
Where am I going? Where am I going to go when I die? You know, in Philippians chapter four with to this in verse seven just a few minutes ago,
there’s a peace that passes all understanding. Think about the peace that it brings, a person to know where they’re going to know that they are on the way to heaven.
Doesn’t matter what could happen. This virus could get me, I could leave right now and drive on the road and get hit and killed.
It doesn’t matter because I know where I’m going. What great peace that brings a person. There’s many people that are scared to die right now,
but yet we can have peace knowing where we’re going. We don’t know what tomorrow holds at all. Look at James four verse 13 through 14 says,
go to now ye that say today or tomorrow we will go into a such a city and continue. There are a year and buy and sell and get gained,
whereas you know not. What shall be on the Morrow for what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
Our life here earth is just but a short time a vapor. It comes, it shows and then it goes away.
But think about this. That short period of time determines where our eternity is. We have to make the decision,
make the choice to obey Christ in that period of time. In first Peter chapter one verse 24 it says,
all flesh is grass. Grass comes up in the spring and the winter it dies. It goes Brown.
It doesn’t. It’s it’s only for a short period of time. We do not know what tomorrow may bring,
but look at Philippians chapter one look at the example of Paul. Philippians one verse 21 Paul says, for to me to live as Christ and to die is gain.
Paula said to die is gain. Look at verse 22 but if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit for my labor.
Yet what I shall choose, I cannot tell for I am hard pressed between the two. Having a desire to depart and be with Christ,
which is far better. Paul understood that when he died that he knew where he was going was a greater place.
Do you know where your eternal home is and times that we are busy? We don’t think about our eternal salvation,
but it is the most important thing we can think about. Most essential thing. Ask you a few questions as we finish today.
Have you taken for granted your family and your responsibilities to them? Have you let this life get in the way and now you look back and you focus and you look,
look at your life now. As things have slowed down, you say, I should have spent more time with my family.
I should have been showing them God’s word, teaching them God’s word, showing them life skills, doing the things and treating my wife the way I should have my spouse.
Have we taken for granted how greatly God blesses us each day by chance? Have we forgotten about how important our prayer lives are?
Have we not missed our church family? Do we need to reexamine our priorities in life? To know that the church is important and that our brethren are important and essential in our life.
Or have we forgotten about our need to command that command to evangelize? Great. Now is a great time to look at what is essential to write it down,
put it on a piece of paper, put it in our minds and not forget it because when we get back to normal,
we need to realize we have to make sure that those non-essential things, those things that are, we’re not as important as we thought.
Do not get in the way of what truly is essential. Our families, our spouses, our children,
our priorities in life, prayer, God, Fanjul, ism, our church family. Let’s not forget about that,
but I left one out. Have we took for granted our eternal salvation? What must I do to be saved?
Romans chapter 10 verse 17 says, hear the gospel. Hear that plan of salvation. Know that you can be saved through the gospel.
And Mark chapter 16 verse 15 and 16 tells us that we are to believe that through the gospel and through Christ we can be saved.
John chapter 14 verse six and acts chapter three, verse 19 that we are to repent of your sins and turn to God.
And Romans chapter 10 verses nine through 10. It’s to confess that Jesus Christ is the son of God and to be baptized,
having our sins washed away. Acts chapter two and verse 38 have you done that? If you haven’t,
don’t put it off. The most essential thing you can do is to make sure that you know where you’re going to know that your eternal home is in heaven.
Don’t put it off. If you need to study, contact us. Let us know. If you have questions about salvation,
let us know. Please don’t put it off at any time. Talk to us or maybe you have put these essential things to the sock.
Make the decision today to focus on these essential things and don’t let those non-essential things get in the way anymore.
Thank you for your time this morning. We will have one more song and then uh, Eric will lead us in a closing prayer.
Um, I have not received any additional announcements other than one. I will go ahead and mention it now.
Um, we will have this coming Wednesday. We will have a similar stream, a similar broadcast to this mornings,
uh, available for Bible classes. And we’ll have the, um, we’ll have the phone call available as well.
So those who might want to participate in a Wednesday night Bible, uh, we will have that available this Wednesday night.
Uh, I tried to make preparations for that this last Wednesday, but, uh, sometimes even technology fails me.
So, uh, it, it didn’t work and, and was what it was. Uh, let’s sing this song.
Jesus paid it all and then we’ll be led in the closing prayer. Uh, Hey, he save yours.<inaudible><inaudible> it is child swatch and Bray find him nine.
All in Jesus pain to him I sin had left, uh, grim sons.<inaudible> he<inaudible> wine as Lauren a win.
Indeed. I have a nine, nine, uh, I know Dan change the law.<inaudible> ah,
uh, uh,<inaudible><inaudible> to him. I<inaudible><inaudible> had left, uh, grub sons<inaudible> Hey<inaudible>.
Yeah. Wide as<inaudible>. Ah, man.<inaudible> for the<inaudible><inaudible> him complete, ah,<inaudible> trophies.
Um, all nah, Jesus three Jesus paid it<inaudible> to him I<inaudible> HUD left a grim son<inaudible><inaudible> wine as no.
Let us pray. A father in heaven, great and powerful as your name. We are thankful for you and your care and your love for us especially this time we we know that you care for us and you love us and you take care of us each day.
We pray as we go through this week and as we continue forward we pray that we focus on what is essential and what is important to our spiritual lives and our physical lives and to focus on them.
We pray that we will always strive to put you first in our life to shine our lights throughout the world and to be that example that you would want us to be.
We pray that you continue to be with those that are dealing with this virus at this time and pray that they will be able to get better soon and pray that things will be back to normal quickly.
We pray for those that are at home that are struggling at this time, and pray that you watch over them and give them comfort.
We thank you for all you bless us with. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
<inaudible>. Good morning. We have a few announcements this morning. I want to say good morning to everyone that is watching. We are still in our quarantine time, but uh, we thankfully we can still listen to one another or hear this live stream online because of technology. So it’s great. The announcements we have this morning is we need to remember Ruby Brad, she has stage four, uh, neuroblastoma and remember her, we need to remember Joan Springer, Louis Rushmore, Dawn Robertson and Evelyn Apple.
She is recovering from a mild heart attack. And then unfortunately this morning we heard that Rebecca Rushmore’s grandfather has passed away. We also have a few cards here to read. This is thank you all for the beautiful card and for your prayers during this difficult time. This is from Mary Dino’s so thankful for that. And this card here says, dear church family, we appreciate every expression of love and concern during Julia’s illness and passing the calls. Cars and especially the prayers meant so much. The floral arrangement at the,
her service was beautiful. Thank you for all your kindness and Christian Love the Joe Case and family. And Carolyn the start this morning, we will scene number 851 eight five one.<inaudible> trying to get our technology here organized. I had something going on back with my computer. 851 we’ll start with, I’m glad.<inaudible> uh, hello.<inaudible> to a home on God. So last show, show a fly, eh, uh,<inaudible> uh, hello.<inaudible> Oh, Alan Lou. Yeah. Uh,<inaudible> when sh a dose of this life Agra,
uh, hello. Like a boot from breads and bars. Epsilon uh,<inaudible><inaudible> uh,<inaudible> uh, hello. Hello. When I had blue. Yeah, I am uh, uh, just a few<inaudible> hello to a<inaudible> and uh, uh,<inaudible> uh, for the IO. Ah, yeah, I and uh,<inaudible> what’s that word? Prayer. My father in heaven. We are thankful for you. We are thankful for what you do for us each day. We are thankful at this time as we can.
We can come to you in prayer and we are reminded of your care and your love for us, especially through this hard time our country is going through. We know that those that are following you, that you take care of them and we see that in our life every day and we are thankful and love you for that at this time. As we come to you in prayer, we want to remember Rebecca’s family at this time. The Rushmore family is, they’re struggling with the loss of Rebecca’s grandfather and pray that they look to you for guidance and comfort and pray that you watch over their family.
Be with the many others that, that are on our minds that are needed for your help. Be with our country and those that are struggling with this virus and pray that things will be able to get back to normal soon and be with our leaders of our country, our president, our congressmen, and the healthcare workers, the many people that are working day in and day out through this time that you watch over them and guide them and be with them. Thank you so much for always loving us and taking care of us and Jesus.
Semi-new pray. Amen. To repair. So the Lord’s supper, we’ll sing number four, seven number 47. Holy, Holy, Holy, Holy.<inaudible> LA God a see<inaudible><inaudible> a song shallower. A nice dude. Oh, Holly hall.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> I see. Okay. Yeah.<inaudible> uh, bill, uh, Steve, no. Oh, Hallie. Ah.<inaudible> uh, the cat seeing that down there. Golden crowns around the crest.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> and uh,<inaudible><inaudible> Oh,<inaudible> eh,
nah.<inaudible> the<inaudible> I uh,<inaudible> nah.<inaudible> Mmm.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> the<inaudible><inaudible> uh, love and Pew<inaudible> Oh,<inaudible><inaudible> um, a see, Oh.<inaudible><inaudible> I see. Oh, Holy, Holy<inaudible><inaudible> four aye. I see. Yeah.<inaudible><inaudible> I want to read from Isaiah chapter 53 this morning as we think about the sacrifice that our Lord made. Isaiah 53, I don’t want to start in verse four. Isaiah 53 and verse four, surely he has born our griefs and has carried our sorrows,
yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon him. And by his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray.
We have turned everyone to his own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before it sheers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment and who will declare his generation for he was cut off from the land of the living for the transgressions of my people.
He was stricken and they made his grave with the wicked, but with the rich at his death because he had done no violence nor was any deceit found in his mouth.
When we think about that sacrifice that Christ made, he did not have to do it. We should have been the ones on that cross,
not Christ. He never had any deceit in his mouth. He never sinned. Yet we have sin and we think about that sacrifice.
Think about how we should have been there on that cross, not him and how he had such a great love for us to come down to earth,
to live as a man, to be tempted like us and to die on the cross for us and we think about that sacrifice as we go through and partake of the the loaf which represents his body,
the fruit of the vine which represents his blood. Let us think about where we were and what Christ’s sacrifice means to us and how that we have that hope of eternal life through him.
Let us pray. A father in heaven, we are thankful for you. We are thankful for. We’re thankful for his love,
his sacrifice, all that he went through. He did not have to do, but he did because he loves us and as we partake of this loaf which represents his body,
we pray that we think about what it means to us and how that we have that hope of eternal life because of him and Jesus.
Somebody pray. Amen.<inaudible> let us pray for the fruit of the vine as we continue for our father in heaven.
As we continue at this time, we were reminded of Christ and his love and his care for us.
We are thankful for his love and going through that pain, that suffering of being on the cross being beaten,
all that he did for us. We know that we should have been there. We should have been the one on the cross,
not him. As we partake of this through the vine which represents his blood, we pray that we think about his sacrifice and we think about what it means to us and then we pray that we get partake of it and worthy manner to you and do you seem to pray man<inaudible> at this time we’ll have a prayer for the offering.
Thinking about what Christ or what God has blessed us with this week. Let us pray. A father in heaven,
we are always thankful for you and we’re reminded during this time where many of us are not at work.
Many have are struggling through this hard time that you still take care of us and you watch over us and we know that you constantly care for us and we pray as we have prosper this week,
that we give back a portion of that and we give back with a cheerful heart. And Jesus said,
we do pray. Amen.<inaudible> before a lesson, we’ll sing number 385<inaudible> or three 95 follow me.
395<inaudible> I traveled down a long road and no one seems to, uh, the burden on my who married a black ass man.
Me too. To this, uh, I have complaints, jeez. Uh,<inaudible> and then I heard him say,
so tin<inaudible> my<inaudible> uh, up on the Calvary road cross me. I came so heavy, I fab Burnie and be faithful,
wary Pilgrim the morning. I can see, just lift your cross and follow<inaudible><inaudible> uh, he works for jeans,
a S a yacht and a stance. Eh, I sacrificed a lot of things to walk the<inaudible>.
I gave a fame and fortune. I’m worth a lot.<inaudible> and then I hear him gently saying,<inaudible> I let the<inaudible> my hands<inaudible> button,
make a journey with and save my time. So lift your cross and follow<inaudible><inaudible> Oh Jesus. If I die up on a four,
um, um, eh,<inaudible> eh, no greater love Atmore man. And for a friend’s suit,
uh, these, uh, the<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> I place him<inaudible> then just a cup of water is all that,
uh,<inaudible> but if my dad’s<inaudible> and uh, I go rec, uh, let’s say my cross and follow<inaudible><inaudible> now we are in<inaudible>.<inaudible> sure.<inaudible> I want to begin by thanking you for joining with us this morning.
We are attempting some, some new things even as we continue to press forward through the technological means that we have to reach people.
Uh, through a conversation I had with someone this Mo, uh, this last week we realized that there were those who were in need of,
uh, additional aid through technology because of being hearing impaired. And so that’s the reason for having the caption scrolling on the screen.
Now want to mention that those are automated. That’s a computer transcribing those and so they are a little bit behind the actual words that we’re saying and they will not always be perfect,
especially during the singing. So during the singing time, the words were on the screen. Try your best to ignore what’s happening at the bottom of the screen.<inaudible> three years in first Kings chapter 18 and in verse one we read that three years had gone by in the Northern kingdom of Israel since the last time that it rained.
We read in first Kings chapter 18 and it came to pass after many days that the word of the Lord came to align Jah in the third year saying,
go present yourself to Ahab and I will send rain on the earth. God says, it’s time. Enough time has transpired,
Elijah, the point has been made. Now you go to Ahab and we’re going to go back where you get the backstory of all of this.
We’re going to see why we’re at this point, but God tells his prophet, you go show yourself to the King.
You go present yourself before the King and he will have learned the lesson. Because for three years there was no Dew,
there was no rain in all the land of the Northern kingdom of Israel. Let’s go back to first Kings chapter 16 and let’s see a little bit about why this is the case.
We begin in first Kings chapter 16 beginning of verse 29 with a word that we’ve all heard far too many times recently unprecedented in Israel.
At that time, there was an unprecedented situation. Notice what we read in first Kings chapter 16 verse 29 in the 38th year of EISA,
King of Judah a ham, the son of Omri came, became King over Israel and Ahab, the son of Omri reigned over Israel in some area.
22 years. Now, Ahab, the son of Omri, did evil in the sight of the Lord.
And notice this phrase more than all who? So Joshua, okay. God told Israel after Jericho was destroyed,
after God leveled that city and tore down its walls and all that was part of Jericho remained there as a,
uh, as that which belonged to the Lord as the first fruits of the land. God said, if someone comes and rebuilds this city,
okay, they’ll lose their firstborn and they’ll lose their last born child because this doesn’t belong to you anymore.
And because of the wickedness that was here in this place, and yet knowing that condemnation Aberam, we’ll build it anyway.
You’re seeing a picture of one who says, what is here and what is in this place and the gain and the profit I can get from this is more important to than my own children.
And the word of the Lord didn’t matter at all. Unprecedented evil in the days of Ahab. But then as you go into chapter 17,
you’ll also notice that there is desolation and preservation in the first seven verses of chapter 17 we see the beginning of the events that we just mentioned in chapter 18,
we have our first introduction to the prophet of God, Elijah, chapter 17 verse one. Elijah, the Tishbite of the inhabitants of Gilead said to Abraham as the Lord God of Israel lives before whom I stand.
There shall not be do nor rain these years except at my word. Here comes the prophet Alijah some interesting background to Elijah and it’s interesting because there’s so little background to Elijah.
He’s known as aligned to the Tisch bike. He’s known as one who came from the region of uh,
of Gilliad. And yet there’s a good indication in the original language because of the wording here doesn’t translate well that the literal wording in the original language says the Sojourner of the sojourners of Gilliad.
It’s describing Elijah as one who is perhaps not even an Israelite. We’ll see some more details as we go into this text as to what might be another indication of that.
There’s a, there’s a chance that it aligns you, isn’t even from the nation of Israel. And yet,
here’s what he is. He is the prophet of God. He is the spokesperson for the Lord and he is going to declare the word of the Lord.
He comes on the scene as it were just out of nowhere. He comes on the scene out of nowhere and says a ham.
There will be no Dew. There will be no rain until I say so. Now, wait just a minute.
Don’t you think that’s a little bit haughty? Don’t you think that that’s just a little bit audacious for a prophet to say,
I’m going to control the rain? Oh no, not at all. Because remember, he’s not just speaking his words,
he’s speaking the Lord’s words, and where is it that God had already told Israel? When you turn away from me,
when you begin serving idols, when you go after the sins of the people of this land and I destroyed them for those sins I’m going to do to you what I did to them.
Turn to Deuteronomy chapter 28 in Deuteronomy chapter 28 before Israel ever even came into the land, God told Israel this was going to happen.
Deuteronomy chapter 28 and in verse 15 but it shall come to pass. Don’t notice that. Don’t mistake that they had a choice,
but God knew what they would choose. God knew this was going to come about. Eventually they would persist in sin until they went this far,
but it shall come to pass if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all his commandments and his statutes,
which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you, cursed you shall be in the city and cursed you shall be in the country.
It doesn’t matter if you’re rural, doesn’t matter if you’re in the city, you’re going to fall under this curse.
Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bull cursed shall be the fruit of your body and the produce of your land,
the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks, cursed shall you be when you come in and cursed shall you be.
When you go out, the Lord will send on you, cursing, confusion, and rebuke in you in all that you set your hand to do,
until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly. Because of the wickedness of your doings in which you have forsaken me,
the Lord will make the plague cling to you until he has consumed you from the land which you are going to possess.
The Lord will strike you with consul consumption, with fever, with inflammation, with sir severe burning fever,
and with the sword, with scorching and with mildew, and they shall pursue you until you perish. Now notice this next phrase and your heaven,
okay, which are over your head shall be bronze and the earth which is under you shall be iron.
The Lord will change the rain of your land to powder and does from the heaven. It shall come down on you until you are destroyed.
God said, when you turn your back on me and when you depart into this sin and this wickedness and this iniquity that I’ve destroyed,
the people of came in for here’s what’s coming. There’s coming a day when the rain will stop. There’s coming a day when the sky will be like bronze.
It won’t allow the rain. It will not bring any Dew. There will be nothing to saturate the ground and that ground that you have that remember this is the land flowing with milk and honey.
This is the land of bounty. This is the land that the spies went into and they brought back uh,
clusters of grapes so large that it took two men to carry them and God says, I’m going to turn your ground in the iron.
Go ahead, try and plow iron. Go ahead, try and plow the land when God keeps the rain from falling for three years.
When Elijah speaks to Ahab, when Alijah comes on the scene, this is Deuteronomy 28 coming about. This isn’t the words of Elijah.
These aren’t the words of a prophet who’s too big for his own, for his own message. No,
this is God saying, I warned you and I told you and now you’re going to get exactly what I said.
But then we go back to chapter 17. We read verse two then the word of the Lord came to him.
That is came to Alijah saying, get away from here and turn eastward and hide by the Brook Cherith which flows into the Jordan and it will be that you shall drink from the Rook and I have commanded the Ravens to feed you there.
So he went and did according to the word of the Lord, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith which flows into the Jordan.
Okay, so God tells a aligned you, you now need to leave. He knows what a Hamm’s reaction is going to be.
Just think about this. A Solomon who was nothing like a Hab in his sins and his iniquity, yet he was imperfect and yet he sin when God said,
I’m going to take your thrown away and I’m going to give it to Jeroboam, Solomon salt, the life of Jeroboam.
When Saul was told that I’m going to take the kingdom from you and I’m going to give it to David,
and David is going to be the one who’s going to take the throne, David’s life would be threatened.
How much more do you think the life of a prophet who says to the King, there’s not going to be any more rain.
There’s not going to be any more do until I say so. His life was in jeopardy. He was being sought after and God said,
you escape. You go to this book and and you quite literally, you go off the map, you go off the grid,
you’re not going to go into to buy food in a marketplace. You’re not going to go in to buy something to drink in a marketplace.
You’re not. You’re going to go away and no one will know where you’ve gone. But I’m going to preserve you.
I’m going to provide for you. And so in this time where there is no rain, as this begins to take place within the nation is the nation begins to dissolve into a place that can grow.
No food that has no rain, where the rivers begin to dry up, Alijah is safe. And now it might be tempting to say,
well, wait a minute. Alijah needs to be out there converting the nation. Elijah needs to be changing the hearts and the minds of the people.
No. Elijah needs to be right where the Lord told him to be. There will be a time for the people to hear the message,
but the people aren’t ready for the message yet the people have not yet learned their lesson. It would be as if to say that we need to go out and we need to go into Egypt after plague five and just go out of the land.
No, God wasn’t done yet. God’s not done with this nation. It’s not time for preaching. It’s time for learning and they’re still learning through suffering.
And so Elijah goes to the Brook and he remains there, but then notice what happens as you would expect desolation from no rain doesn’t just affect the cities all.
They might be hit first because they may not have the water supply that some rural places do, but it doesn’t just affect the cities.
It begins to move out and pretty soon the rivers dry up to notice what happens after. And it happened verse seven after a while that the Brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land,
then the word of the Lord came to him saying, arise, go to Zara fifth which belongs to Sidon and dwell there.
See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you. Okay, so we see the desolation and the preservation of the Lord in verses one through seven.
But then notice we find Providence. Now, sometimes we use this word Providence and new Testament reference to mean God working through natural means to provide for his people.
And I think that’s an accurate sense in which God works today. That’s not what I’m using it here for.
I am using it here to indicate God, providing for bringing supply out of nothing God’s Providence given to aligned you.
Chapter 17 verse eight God tells Elijah of all the places you need to go Alijah of all the places you might go to escape to,
you’re going to the country of Jezza bell. You’re going to the land where this wicked woman came from because there’s a Gentile there who’s going to provide for you.
So he goes into the land of the<inaudible>, he goes to Xero fifth and he finds there a widow.
So he arose and went to Xero fifth verse 10 and when he came to the gate of the city,
indeed a woman was there gathering sticks and he called to her and said, please bring me a little water in a cup that I may drink.
And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.
So he goes to this place and he asked for something that he could not have gotten any longer at the Brook,
a cup of water. Okay. He asked for a provision that in much of Israel would have been something impossible to do,
just get me a drink. And so she goes, because you’ll notice she at the time has that ability.
She has water. By the way, Sidon is up, up near the Mediterranean sea. There’s going to be access to some water and some things there that would not have been available in the Northern kingdom of Israel.
Once the rivers dried up, once the rain continued to to or or ceased, and that problem continued.
So as she goes to get him water, he says and bring me food, bring me a morsel of bread.
As she was going to get it, he called her and said, please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.
So she said, as the Lord, you’re gone lives. I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin and a little oil in a jar and see I am gathering a couple of sticks.
Then I may go in and prepare it for myself and for my son that we may eat it and die.
The famine, the cause of the lack of rain didn’t just affect the Northern kingdom of Israel. It affected the regions around them.
And here’s this woman in a city of the<inaudible>. She says, I’m on my last meal. Yeah,
I’m going to take the last little bit we have and I’m going to prepare it for me and my son and we’re going to eat it and then we’re going to be out of food and we don’t have the ability to get anymore.
There’s desperation and there’s resignation. The realization that this is it. After this, we’re going to starve to death.
And again, we’re given a picture of Elijah saying, just do what the Lord says. Notice what happens.
Elijah said to her, verse 13 do not fear. Go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first and bring it to me and afterward.
Make some for yourself and your son. For thus as the Lord God of Israel, the bin of flour shall not be used up,
nor shall the jar of oil run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth. You have Providence given to supply this woman’s needs.
If she puts the Lord first, notice something. As we go back just a few verses, she already knows who the Lord is.
She is already familiar with Jehovah, the God of Israel. Yeah. You might go back in your mind to a time when those cities of tire and Scion were closely aligned with Solomon back during his reign and they knew who the Lord was and they had heard about who Jehovah was and there were some who even worship Jehovah and here’s this woman.
She knows who the God of Israel is. She may not be fully cognizant and fully understanding who he is and that he is the only God,
but she knows who he is and she said, as your God lives, I’m out of food. I have one meal left and then we’re going to die.
But Elijah tells her, no, you go provide for me first you said God’s word above your own beliefs,
your own opinions, your own thoughts on the matter and we’ll see if God provides for you because here’s what he’s going to do.
Now, if you step back and think about this for just a moment, you would think you know what the best solution to this is?
God just gives her three year supply all at once. I mean just think about it. How much easier is that all at once?
Here comes everything that she needs, it’s there in the house, and suddenly instead of just a morsel of bread left in the bowl and just a little oil left in the jar,
now it’s full. It’s overflowing and it’s constantly there and it’s abundance. Well, you know what we do with abundance?
Pretty soon with abundance, we forget where it came from, and yet in the scarcity of every day,
the the text indicates she would go and she’d get all that remained and she’d make that day’s bread. And then the next day she’d go back to the bowl and back to the jar and she’d get all that remained and she’d make that day’s bread.
And the next day and the next day, and the next day, all that remained and every day trusting in God that the next day’s food would be there.
There’s a lesson there that Jesus talks about. You remember when Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, he said to his disciples,
to pray to God, give us this day our daily bread. God says you don’t trust in your ability to provide.
Jesus says, you don’t trust that you’re going to know where your next meal comes from. You trust that God will give it to you if you’re faithful to him.
So then notice what we read. She went away, verse 15 and did according to the word of Elijah and she and he and her household ate for many days.
The bin of flour was not used up nor did the jar of oil run dry according to the word of the Lord,
which he spoke by Elijah. Now it happened after these things that the son of the woman who owned the house became sick and his sickness was so serious that there was no breath left in him.
So she said to Alijah, what have I to do with you? Oh man of God. Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to kill my son?
What Cindy thinks she’s talking about. I’m not certain what it is, but I think there might be some indication,
there might be some aspect of this text that reminds us. There was a point in time where she wasn’t serving the Lord and that was a time of the past and now she knows who’s providing for her every single day.
But now this provision of food is still there, but what’s most precious to her? Her son has died and she doesn’t know where to turn to or who to blame other than herself and her sins.
She said, why are my sins being brought to my remembrance this way? But she lays it at the feet of Elijah’s is what have I to do with you.
Oh man of God. But then notice what occurs. He said to her, give me your son,
and he took him out of her arms and carried him to the upper room where he was staying and laid him on his own bed.
Then he cried out to the Lord and said, Oh Lord, my God, have you also brought tragedy on the widow with whom I lodged by killing her son and he stretched himself out on the child three times and cried out to the Lord and said,
Oh Lord my God, I pray. Let this child soul come back to him. Then the Lord heard the voice of Elijah and the soul of the child came back to him and he revived and Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room to into the housing,
gave him to his mother and Elijah said, see your son lives. Yeah, Elijah, just like the woman is without recourse.
He has no way to just bring the child back to life, but he can plead with the one who does.
He can trust in God to do this and God hears him. I don’t want to leave the indication that when we trust in God,
miracles are going to happen as they did here. What I do want us to understand is the new Testament teaches very clearly the effectual,
fervent prayer of a righteous man changes things. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much and we can trust in that.
But then consider this verse 24 then the woman said to Elijah, now buying this, I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is the truth.
You think maybe there’s some thought in her mind. The rain’s never coming back. You think maybe there’s some thought in her mind that maybe this man who’s living upstairs in my house doesn’t really have the ability to speak and have the rain begin again.
But when her child comes back to her alive, when the child who was dead is alive again, she says,
I know your words are the truth. So it’s just interesting. We proceed right from that to, okay Elijah,
it’s time to go. Chapter 18 verse one it came to pass after many days that the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year saying,
go present yourself to Ahab and I will send rain on the earth. So Alijah went to present himself to Ahab and there was a severe famine in some area.
Whole big surprise. There’s no water, there’s no food. And so verse three and have called Obadiah who was in charge of his house.
Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly for. So it was while Jezza bell massacred the prophets of the Lord that Obadiah had taken 100 profits,
hidden them 50 to a cave and fed them with bread and water in a time where there’s no provisions in that time where there’s no rain.
This man who’s close to the King, who’s in his very house is hiding profits of the Lord and feeding them and giving them something to drink.
By the way, you see here, one of the indications of the evil that was unprecedented because here we find that Obadiah is hiding the prophets of the Lord because Jessebelle wasn’t just an idolatry.
She wanted the profits of the Lord dead. She wanted Jehovah wiped off the map in Israel. She wanted bale and her idols to be the only gods in Israel.
So where Jeroboam had set up aisles for Israel to worship and they still believed in Jehovah. Jessebelle said,
no, no, no, no. We’re getting rid of this. We’re getting rid of these profits.
We’re killing them. But think about what you just read. Yeah. In the Northern kingdom of Israel,
that’s turned away from the Lord that is not following God and hasn’t been for generations. There are still hundreds of prophets of the Lord,
hundreds of prophets of the Lord, but the people are refusing to hear them. They might be preaching,
they might be teaching, they might be proclaiming the word of the Lord, but the people are following after idols.
Sometimes we need to remember that all the preaching and all the teaching that a person might do might avail very little outside of a few personal relationships because the people’s hearts are so set on sin,
and yet that’s no reason for those who are faithful to the Lord to stop preaching. That’s no reason for those who were faithful,
Lord to turn about and turn away from the Lord. That’s every reason to remain faithful, even in the face of persecution.
So Albany hides these profits and so it was, excuse me in verse five and Ahab said to Obadiah,
go into the land, to all the Springs of water to the all the Brooks, perhaps we may find grass to keep the horses and mules alive so that we will not have to kill any livestock.
The famine is so great, the, the grass has run out. All of the planes are dry,
they’re desert there, there’s nothing left. It’s landline iron. And he says, we’ve got to go to the underground sources of water.
We’ve got to find someplace in the land of Israel where they’re still grass growing so we can feed these livestock.
Yeah. So he sends over, die out. Obadiah goes one way and Abraham goes, the other,
verse six they divided the land between them to explore it. A have went one way by himself in Obadiah went another way by himself.
Now as Obadiah was on his way, suddenly Alijah met him and he recognized him and fell on his face and said,
is that you? My Lord Elijah? And he answered him. It is. I go tell your master Alijah is here.
And so he said, have I or how have I sin that you are delivering your servant into the hand of Ahab to kill me as the Lord your God lives.
There is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to hunt for you. And when they said he is not here,
he took an oath from the kingdom or nation that they could not find you. A Hab hasn’t just sought out his land.
He’s been sending out messengers, searchers to go to the nations around them and told those Kings, you better swear to me.
You ma, you better swear to me that aligned just not in your land and you can’t find them or else that’s how bad a Hab wants Elijah.
Well then notice, so he said, uh, or verse 10 as the Lord your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my master is not sent someone to hunt for you.
And when they said he is not here, he took an oath from the kingdom or a nation that they could not find you.
And now you say, go tell your master Elijah’s here. Oh, but I was like, wait,
what have I done? Why are you going to get me killed this way? And it shall come to pass.
Verse 12 as soon as I am gone from you that the spirit of the Lord will carry you to a place I do not know,
and when I go and tell it, Hey Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me.
But I your servant, the fear of the Lord from my youth, Obadiah is afraid that he’s going to leave Elijah.
He’s going to go tell a how that aligns his bag, and he’s going to bring a hound to Elijah and then Elijah is going to be gone and Ahab’s going to kill him.
Was it not reported? Verse 13 to my Lord, what I did when Jess bell killed the prophets of the Lord,
how I hid 100 men of the Lord’s profits, 52 a and fed them with bread and water, and now you say,
go. Tell your master Elijah is here. He will kill me. Then Elijah said, as the Lord of hosts lives before whom I stand,
I will surely present myself to him today. So Obadiah went to meet a ham and told him and Ahab went to meet Elijah.
Then it happened when they have saw Elijah that Abraham said to him, is that you? Oh, troubler of Israel.
A ham sees Elijah for the first time in three years, and a halves only conclusion over three years of famine,
three years of desolation, three years of a destroyed nation and a destroyed economy. Three years of struggle,
scrounging just to find enough food that Elijah’s the problem. But Elijah’s not the problem. Elijah’s not the troubler of Israel.
Hey, have believes that he is, but the reality is a Hab is the troubler of Israel, a have and his wife and wickedness and their deeds and their idolatry and their sins.
They’re the trouble are in Israel. But how often is it true that we look at the solution and we call it the problem.
We look at the solution. We look at the one who’s telling us the truth, and we accused them of being the problem.
That’s how sin deceives us and the believing that we are not the one who’s the problem. So then Elijah responds,
he answered, I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and have followed the bales.
Now therefore sending gather all Israel to me on mountain caramel, the 450 prophets of bale and the 400 prophets of Asherah who eat at Joseph Bell’s table.
Now we don’t have time because of the events, uh, that are recorded here to go into detail on what occurs.
But we’ll summarize it to say this. Elijah tells a, have you bring me the prophets of bale and the prophets of Asherah.
You bring them to Mount Carmel and we’ll find out who the real God is. Then Jezza bell won’t allow the profits of Asheboro to go,
but a Hab will bring the profits of bale and they will come and there will be a contest set up to find out who’s the real God.
And Elijah will allow the prophets of bale to go first and they’ll cry out to bail the God of,
of lightening, the God of storms, the God of thunder, and they’ll cry out to bail too,
to bring a bout a storm to bring about this sacrifice turning into a burning sacrifice. They’re allowed to set up the sacrifice.
They’re allowed to do everything, but they can’t bring the fire. That’s gotta be bales job. They cry out and they cry out and they cry out to no avail.
Finally, it’s Elijah’s turn, and Elijah takes not only the sacrifice and puts it on the alter, but then he begins to pour water on the alter.
That precious substance water, he’s pouring water, water that people can drink. He’s pouring it on the alter and he’s pouring it on the ground and he fills the trawl for around in the moat around the altar.
He’s pouring water on it.<inaudible> and then fire comes from heaven and lights that sacrifice as nothing else could have.
We pick up here in the text and notice we find verse 37 okay, hear me. Oh Lord,
hear me that this people may know that you are the Lord gone and the you have turned their hearts to you again.
As a result of the things that will occur. The profits of V of will be destroyed. Verse 38 then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice and the wood and the stones and the dust and it licked up the water that was in the trench.
Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and they said, the Lord, he is gone.
The Lord, he is God and Elijah said to them, seize the profits of bale. Do not let one of them has hae escape.
So they seized them and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Keshawn and executed them there. Then Alijah said they have go up,
eat and drink for there is the sound of abundance of rain. Elijah tells Ahab you go home, you go back to your place,
you leave this place and you go home because of the rain coming. The people have been reminded who God is.
So do you hear it? Do you hear the sound of the rain? Elijah says to Ahab, it’s coming.
Notice what occurs. So I have went up to eat and drink and Elijah went up to the top of mountain car of caramel.
Then he bound down on the ground and put his face between his knees and said to his servant, go up.
Now look toward the sea. So he went up and looked and said, there is nothing. And seven times he said,
go again. Elijah goes and he bows himself down and he sends his servant to go look at the sea.
First time, nothing. Second time, nothing. Third time, fourth time, fifth time, six time,
seven time. Nothing. Sky’s still bronze. But then we read. Then it came to pass the seventh time that he said there is a cloud,
a small as small as a man’s hand rising out of the sea. So he said, go up,
say day, have, prepare your chariot and go down before the rain stops you. Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black and with clouds and when and there was a heavy rain.
So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel. Then the hand of the Lord came upon Elijah and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
Three years, three years in an agrarian culture, okay? Where the majority of the jobs and the plenty and the land are in the prosperity came from the land.
Three years of no rain and then all of a sudden it comes back. We need to learn that when God says something will happen,
it will happen. When God says, when you turn away from me, I’ll destroy you. That’s exactly what will occur.
When God says, when you turn your back on me, you will be judged. That’s exactly what will occur and when God says,
if you return to me, if you come back, if you repent, if you are willing to be one who is humbled and returned to the Lord,
I’ll forgive you. Okay, I’ll bring you back. I will wipe your sin away and remember it no more.
We need to learn that what he says is true. Three years, not a drop of rain, but when God said it was time and when the people had learned through suffering that Jehovah is the Lord God brought back the rain in your life.
Are you in a place of desolation and despair because of sin? Are you separated from God and an alien from hope because of iniquity?
Because if you are, there’s hope. If you are, there is salvation. There is preservation. There is that which is provided by the Lord.
You can become a Christian. Now what I want you want us to be clear about is a Christian is not one who will undergo no suffering in this life,
although they’ll certainly suffer and Elijah wood, but in the end they serve the Lord who is the true and living God.
If you’re outside the body of Christ, you enter into the body of Christ by old obeying the plan of salvation set forth in the new Testament.
The steps are simple. You hear the gospel because the gospel produces faith. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God and the gospel is the power of God to salvation.
That faith being produced in your life by the word of God brings them out a belief and an acknowledging,
a recognition and an understanding and an obedience of the fact that Jesus Christ is son of God. Except you believe that I am he,
Jesus said, you’ll die in your sins, John eight verse 24 well then you have to repent. It wasn’t enough for Israel to just decide,
you know what? That’s fine. We’ll just continue to serve bail and Jehovah. No, that wasn’t gonna work.
Something had to change and the people had to put away the sin and the iniquity in their lives and that included the destruction of the profits of bail.
We have to repent. We have to change our mind and bring about a change of action. Acts chapter two verses 37 and 38 where Peter told those people who had put to death the son of God.
You have to repent. We also have to confess Christ as Lord and savior. Romans chapter 10 verses nine and 10 speaks of confession leading up to salvation.
Then we have to be buried in water. We have to die. We have to die to ourselves in a burial,
in a grave of water, to rise up, to walk in newness of life because it is in that grave of water that we come into contact with the blood of Christ that cleanses us of all sins and we rise up out of baptism.
Newness of life. Are you like the Northern kingdom of Israel suffering in desolation and iniquity and sin that you could never get yourself out of even if you tried?
Because if so, there’s hope and salvation brings that hope because God is faithful to his words of judgment and he’s faithful to his words of redemption.
Where do you stand today? If you’re one who likes some in the nation of Israel, had followed the Lord before and have turned away to sin,
you can come back. If you’re a Christian who’s turned your back on God, you can come home,
you can repent and you can pray and you can be forgiven. If you have need of any of those things,
contact us. We’ll be happy to study with you. We’d be happy to help you learn what the new Testament says about salvation,
because it’s not what most of the world says. Okay. We’d be happy to help you begin a relationship with the Lord,
your God in newness of life through baptism. If you have need of any of those things, let us know.
We thank you for your time and we thank you for your attention.<inaudible> thank Aaron for that sermon this morning,
and we thank each one of you for being with us this morning and worshiping with us. We pray that we get to see everybody soon back together in one place,
but, uh, we are glad that you’re with us this morning. We will close with number 869,
869 and then we’ll have a closing prayer. Eight, six, nine.<inaudible><inaudible> join in us with weed,
uh, and uh, uh,<inaudible><inaudible>,<inaudible><inaudible> beautiful city, uh, uh, that,
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Uh, I uh, mute if a, if, uh, uh, when, uh, Jean upwards first city,
uh, uh,<inaudible>, uh, uh,<inaudible>, uh,<inaudible> yours were marching through away man,
yours ground too fat<inaudible>, uh,<inaudible>, uh, uh, Munich<inaudible> beautiful city, uh,
uh, let us pray. Our gracious father in heaven, we bow before you at this time grateful for the day that you’ve given to us for the life that we have and the that we have.
And we’re mindful of those who are struggling with the crown of Iris and with many, many other illnesses and diseases and things going on in this world.
Mindful of, uh, Riley and pray that uh, she just has a simple fever and that she will recover quickly.
We pray for all those who are dealing with the loss of loved ones. Pray for the Rushmore family.
Pray that you give them comfort and strength through your word. Help us to daily walk before you in spirit and in truth serving you each and every day.
Forgive us when we sin and fall short of your glory and help us to remain faithful walking in the light throughout our days.
Pray for this congregation here in Collierville, and we pray for the church throughout the world. May doors of opportunity throughout this time be available to us to teach the gospel,
to reach those who never before have fought about being obedient to the gospel and being obedient to a God who is alive and is great.
1Ki 14:1 ¶ At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam became sick. 2 And Jeroboam said to his wife, “Please arise, and disguise yourself, that they may not recognize you as the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh. Indeed, Ahijah the prophet is there, who told me that I would be king over this people. 3 “Also take with you ten loaves, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and go to him; he will tell you what will become of the child.” 4 And Jeroboam’s wife did so; she arose and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahijah. But Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were glazed by reason of his age. 5 Now the LORD had said to Ahijah, “Here is the wife of Jeroboam, coming to ask you something about her son, for he is sick. Thus and thus you shall say to her; for it will be, when she comes in, that she will pretend to be another woman.” 6 And so it was, when Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps as she came through the door, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why do you pretend to be another person? For I have been sent to you with bad news. 7 ¶ “Go, tell Jeroboam, ‘Thus says the LORD God of Israel: “Because I exalted you from among the people, and made you ruler over My people Israel, 8 “and tore the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it to you; and yet you have not been as My servant David, who kept My commandments and who followed Me with all his heart, to do only what was right in My eyes; 9 “but you have done more evil than all who were before you, for you have gone and made for yourself other gods and molded images to provoke Me to anger, and have cast Me behind your back- 10 “therefore behold! I will bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam every male in Israel, bond and free; I will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as one takes away refuse until it is all gone. 11 “The dogs shall eat whoever belongs to Jeroboam and dies in the city, and the birds of the air shall eat whoever dies in the field; for the LORD has spoken!”‘ 12 “Arise therefore, go to your own house. When your feet enter the city, the child shall die. 13 “And all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he is the only one of Jeroboam who shall come to the grave, because in him there is found something good toward the LORD God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam. 14 “Moreover the LORD will raise up for Himself a king over Israel who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam; this is the day. What? Even now! 15 “For the LORD will strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water. He will uproot Israel from this good land which He gave to their fathers, and will scatter them beyond the River, because they have made their wooden images, provoking the LORD to anger. 16 “And He will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who sinned and who made Israel sin.” 17 Then Jeroboam’s wife arose and departed, and came to Tirzah. When she came to the threshold of the house, the child died. 18 And they buried him; and all Israel mourned for him, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke through His servant Ahijah the prophet. 19 Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he made war and how he reigned, indeed they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. 20 The period that Jeroboam reigned was twenty-two years. So he rested with his fathers. Then Nadab his son reigned in his place. 21 ¶ And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king. He reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there. His mother’s name was Naamah, an Ammonitess. 22 Now Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked Him to jealousy with their sins which they committed, more than all that their fathers had done. 23 For they also built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and wooden images on every high hill and under every green tree. 24 And there were also perverted persons in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. 25 It happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. 26 And he took away the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king’s house; he took away everything. He also took away all the gold shields which Solomon had made. 27 Then King Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place, and committed them to the hands of the captains of the guard, who guarded the doorway of the king’s house. 28 And whenever the king entered the house of the LORD, the guards carried them, then brought them back into the guardroom. 29 Now the rest of the acts of Rehoboam, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 30 And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days. 31 So Rehoboam rested with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. His mother’s name was Naamah, an Ammonitess. Then Abijam his son reigned in his place.
I want to begin in our lesson this morning, focusing on the greatness of God we need to comprehend. And we need to understand that God is great. God has, from the beginning of time before Adam and Eve ever existed when this world was brought together in this universe was created by him. God has had a plan. He has had a plan for eternity. He has had a plan for our lives, for the church. For his son. Revelation, Chapter 13 in Verse eight tells us that the sacrifice of the lamb was determined before the foundation of the world.
And so, in the midst of heightened concern worldwide pandemic, we need to remember that God is in control. He has always been in control. He was in control on December 30th and he is in control today. But at the same time, there’s some some wonderful lessons that we can glean from the events going on around us, and I will make it clear now that we’re not going to have week after week of Coronavirus sermons. But we’re going to take the opportunity today to focus our minds on some current issues.
Some current matters so that we might focus our minds more directly on some eternal matters. But as we consider this situation that the world finds itself in, we consider the reality that this Novel Coronavirus, by the way, it’s called Novel because it just received its name. It’s the end area. It’s it’s or in a with sequenced and as a result it was given a name, and that’s why they call it Novel as opposed to just Coronavirus. This Coronavirus that we’re dealing with in the world right now effects humans,
we believe, based upon the information that has on the research that has been done on it. That probably came to us like a number of other viruses in recent decades from the animal population. And this virus has transferred from animals to humans, but it’s somewhat more dangerous than some of the others that are like it because it actually transfers human to human. Ah, number of diseases just a few years ago came about on the scenes, but they only transferred from animal to human, and so they had much less of a spread.
It’s a concern. It’s a real thing, but let me get back to the greatness of God. This virus only exists because it abides by the laws of nature. It infects the human body, it infects the cells. But those cells continuing to exist and those laws of nature exists because God put them there. No human being has been able to replicate a system like God created in nature and in biology. And it is certainly evidence of the fact that evolution is just simply not a viable option for how we got here.
But I want to spend just a few moments looking at some details. This was an article from The New York Times. It has some of the basic details about how the Coronavirus hijacks our cells. Now, this is not a deviation off into something other than the sermon–there’s a reason why I want to go through this.
But notice, first and foremost, the virus that causes Covid-19 is currently spreading around the world. At least six other types of Coronavirus are known to infect humans,
with some causing the common cold to causing outbreaks, SARS and murders. Those both happened in recent years. The stars are receiving the Coronavirus is named after the crown like spikes that protrude from its surface. The virus is enveloped in a bubble of oily lipid molecules, which fall apart upon contact with soap. That’s part of the reason why they’ve been telling you time and time again. Wash your hands because so counter acts the or interacts with the molecule and breaks it down. The virus enters a vulnerable cell.
That’s how you get infected. The virus enters the body through the nose. The mouth of the eyes then attaches to a cell in the airway that produce a protein called Ace to. The virus is believed to have originated in bats where it may have attached to a similar protein releasing viral or in a The virus infects the sell by fusing it’s oily membrane, or it’s oily membrane with the membrane of the cell. Once inside, the Coronavirus releases a snippet of genetic material called or in a You may be familiar with DNA.
This is slight variation on that concept. Then it begins hijacking the cell. The virus genome is less than 30,000 genetic letters, long ours, that is, the human genome is over three billion This is a in, in terms of complexity, a very simple piece of biology. And yet look at the impact that it has made on our world. If you can’t find the greatness of God in that simple detail, here we have a world, a world of seven billion people with a complex genetic code of over three billion letters,
and were impacted to this degree by a 30,000 letter long genetic virus. And yet the infected cell reads the RNA and begins making proteins that will keep the immune system at bay and help assemble new copies of the virus. So notice what happens when the virus infects the cell. It starts combating the immune system it wants to push back. It wants to keep the immune system from coming and destroying it. Because God put a system in place to deal with this kind of issue, anybody’s kill bacteria and do not work against her.
Antibiotics. Excuse me, kill bacteria and do not work against viruses. But researchers are testing, and I viral drugs that might disrupt viral proteins and stop the infection. Now the making process of a viral protein. As the infection progresses, the machinery of the cell, once a person is infected, begins to churn out new spikes and other proteins that will form or copies the crossfire. So once it gets in, once the virus enters you and your infected, then it begins to reproduce and it begins to infect more and more cells.
Stay with me. There’s a reason we’re going through all of this. Then it begins assembling new copies. New copies of the virus are assembled and carried to the outer edges of the cell. Then the infection begins to spread. Each infected cell can release millions of copies of the virus before the cell finally breaks down and dies. That’s just the first cell. The virus may infect nearby cells and end up in droplets that escape the lungs. The immune response Most Covid-19 infections calls a fever as the immune system fights to clear the virus.
In severe cases, the immune system can overreact and start attacking lung cells. Notice. There’s an interesting reality that it’s the immune system overreacting that can actually lead to people dying. The lungs become obstructed with fluid and dying cells, making it difficult to breathe. A small percentage of infections can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome and possibly death, then leaving the body coughing and sneezing can expel virus laden droplets on the nearby people on surfaces where the virus can remain infectious for several hours to several days. Have you even heard a number from one epidemiologist as long as possibly 24 days,
UH, where someone could be infected, not know they’re infected and be spreading this? The CDC recommends that people diagnosed with Covid-19 where master reduced the release of virus health care workers and others who care for infected people, should wear mass as well. There’s a possible vaccine they’re working on. A future vaccine could help the body produce antibodies that target SARS Cove dash to virus and that virus and prevent it from infecting human cells. The flu vaccine works in a similar way, but anybody’s generated from a flu vaccine do not protect against Corona buyers how soap works,
and this is the last slide in this regard. So destroys the virus when the water, shunning tales of the soap molecules wedge themselves into the lipid membranes and pried apart the best way to avoid getting infected with the Coronavirus is toe.
Wash your hands with soap. Avoid touching your face. Keep your distance from sick people on regularly. Clean frequently.
Use service is now went through all of that to give us some some background information about the virus. Now let’s talk about some principles of Scripture that you might have observed from the current events and from the world around us.
Number one is that quarantine works. First Corinthians Chapter five verses five through six as Paul is writing to the church in Corinth about the sin that they had in their midst.
Here is one who’s in their midst, who has his father’s wife, who is committing sin, is committing I committing adultery and Paul says,
You take that one and you deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
What he’s saying is, you’re going to withdraw from him, you’re going to push him out of the assembly and out of the congregation.
You’re going to deliver him, as it were to say, because his soul is the thing ultimately in jeopardy,
he says, You’re glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little 11 Elevens, the whole love thing about the infecting process,
how that a little bit of the virus gets into a single cell. But then it begins to fill out and duplicate itself.
Levin works inbred much the same way, and sin works in a congregation much the same way, Paul says.
But notice also that hand washing goes a long way. There’s another principle of Scripture James, Chapter four in verse,
a. James writes, drawn near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands.
Think of the analogy there. He’s not talking literally. He’s not talking about their hands or filthy or covered in in in in sin,
literally in a physical sense, but instead that their actions, their deeds, need to be purified, he says.
Cleanse your hands. You centers and purify your hearts, you double minded. But then consider also that cleansing is necessary.
There’s a principle from Scripture is we think about the church in Ephesians. Chapter five. Paul writes to the husbands,
and he says, 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 that he might present her to himself a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing,
but that she should be holy and without blemish. Paul writes to the church. It ethicists and says what Christ did on the cross was done to purify two clans to wash the church from seeing.
But also consider that sometimes, if you remember, as we discussed about the immune system’s reaction to the virus and how the immune system sometimes begins attacking the body itself,
like the lungs. Sometimes the attempt at removing infection destroys more than the disease. Matthew Chapter 13 Jesus gives a parable about a man who has a field.
The vineyard owner center, the one who owns the field, sends his workers out and so seed in the field.
But then his enemy comes in the night and so bad seed in the field. So as the harvest begins,
as the plants begin to sprout up, they noticed the workers noticed that there’s wheat in the field, which is supposed to be.
But there’s also tears. And so the workers come to the field owner. And they say, Should we go about and pull the tears up and Jesus in this parable,
speaking for the field, owner says, No, you let them remain. You let them remain because in the process of pulling out the tears,
you might mistakenly pull out Lou eat. This idea is something that the Scripture utilizes that sometimes in certain situations there’s sin within the church within the body of Christ that needs to be extracted.
But it’s not clearly identifiable. But, he says, on the final day on the final day, the angels will bring forth the wheat and the tears,
and there will be a separation, and God will judge in a discerning way. But then consider another principle of Scripture,
and that is a person cured will stay untouched by the virus, while the and and I buy. Bodies remain as the body starts to fight off the virus.
For those who have an immune system that can do so, and for those who don’t have complications, the body will produce its own antibodies.
It will begin to clear itself of this virus, and as long as those antibodies exist within a person,
that person cannot but come re infected with the virus. But those anybody’s exist in a person oily for so long.
The body does not continue to create them after the virus is gone. So there’s a period of time the person is,
as it were, invulnerable to the virus. But there comes a time if they don’t keep that invulnerability up,
they don’t keep those antibodies within their body within their blood. Then eventually they will become susceptible to the virus again.
The one who ministers to others to be cured can become infected himself. Paul writes in first Corinthians Chapter nine,
Verse 27 about the need for a minister to Buffett himself, the need for him to keep himself in check,
because while he might be seeking to save the souls of others, he could lose focus on himself and become one who is also infected with sin.
But then notice. Lastly, in this regard, God had a cure for the Coronavirus before Eve was taken from Adam’s rib because God put within an our immune system and within humanity by his design,
a way to counter act, not one virus. If we bet if we make a vaccine, and I’m sure we will.
The medical industry will get a vaccine for for Covad, 19 out on the market within another year or so.
And if they do, that vaccine will do a wonderful job, most likely at dealing with one virus.
Just like the flu vaccine won’t cure the Coronavirus. The Coronavirus vaccine won’t cure the flu. And yet God put in place a kn immune system inside humanity that actively fights against these type of diseases without ever knowing in advance,
as it were, what disease might come. But Coronavirus is not the contagion that changed the world.
We all feel a cz, though. Ah, lot has changed from just a few weeks ago when everything seemed to be normal in our country and a few months ago when everything seemed to be normal in the world.
But the Coronavirus is not the contagion that changed the world. Sin is from the beginning of time,
when Adam and Eve were in the garden and when Eve gave way to Satan and his temptation and sin and Adam sinned following with her and sin was brought upon humanity.
Sin and death entered this world, and there are some things about the worst contagion the world’s ever seen,
that we need to be mindful of it this time. Because while the physical situation in the immediate situation of this virus is difficult to deal with and is demanding much from us,
it is by far the most important thing that we need to be focusing on. Consider the contagion that changed the world.
Sin has a 100% infection, right? Save one individual that is Jesus Christ, the only one who has reached the age of accountability,
who has not faced and confronted and lost the battle of infection to sin. Sin has, ah 100% infection rate and consider as well that sin is global.
We didn’t have to wait for sin to become a pandemic. It already waas yesterday and the day before,
in December 30th and January of last year. Sin was already worldwide, and the problem and the infection is ongoing.
But then consider as well that sin, if untreated, has a 100% death rate. Roman’s chapter cigs says the wages of sin,
his death, but the gift of God is eternal life. Romans have your three, Verse 23 says,
for all live, sinned and come short of the glory of God. Sin, if untreated, is fatal every single time.
But while that’s the worst contagion that’s ever come upon humanity, the good news is there is a cure.
Let’s turn to cautions Chapter one, Colossians, Chapter one. We’re going to begin in verse 14 and as I was talking with Eric and with Tommy a little while ago,
I made mention to them that when when you sit down and start looking at Scripture in view of this idea of a contagion or or a virus or an illness,
it’s amazing how much Scripture there is that center of around Caen as an illness as a sickness as a contagion that kills us.
But I just want to notice. Colossians Chapter one, Colossians, Chapter one and in verse 14 we read in whom that is in Christ.
We have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness, the remission of scenes. Consider that the cure must be administered the cure for one who has this contagion of seeing one who has fallen short of the glory of God.
One who has been infected by this disease that will kill them can have a cure administered. But that administration is,
And there seeming that cure is the blood of Christ, in whom we have verse 14 redemption. Where does our redemption come from?
Where does our washing our cleansing, our forgiveness are removal of the sin of or the stain of sin come from It comes from the blood of Jesus Christ.
So notice first and foremost that the cure must be administered and that cure is the blood. But then consider as well that the cure is living while it is the blood of Christ that was shed on the cross for our sins that blood And that person who said that blood is not in a grave that one who produced the cure is not dead.
He is alive. Colossians, Chapter one, verses 15 through 20 focuses on this one Great idea. And this idea is what I want us to see throughout this entire lesson.
And that is the greatness of God and Christ. Notice what Paul moves from this idea of the blood idea of redemption into verse 15.
He is, that is Christ. Is the image of the invisible gone? The first born over all creation.
That is to say that he is the ruler. That is to say that God has made him preeminent God.
God has placed him as authority over all, Jesus said as he rose and was with the disciples. Matthew,
Chapter 28 Verse 18. All authority has been given unto me in heaven and on Earth. And so he said,
we read in verse 16 4 by him. All things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth,
visible and invisible, whether Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or powers, all things were created through him and for him noticed that the one who has the cure,
the one who can bring about forgiveness, the one who brought about our redemption through the cross is the one who created us,
the one who’s instilled within our own bodies you and it is astounding. If you go look at the Johns Hopkins University stamps that are online,
it’s astounding to look at the recovery rate about those people in the quantity of people who have contracted this illness and have recovered from it.
But consider that the one who created us also knew he would sin and also brought us the cure. Verse 17.
And he is before all things. And in him all things consist And he is the head of the body of the church.
We’re gonna talk about the church just a little bit more later. Who is the beginning? The first born from the dead that in all things he might have the pre Eminence.
He’s the firstborn of the creation. That is to say he is pre eminent. Above creation is the first born from the dead.
That is to say he has preeminence over death. All things air within his authority. All things air within his purview.
And so he is the one prepared to deal with the problem. Verse 19 for it, please. The father that in him all the fullness should Well,
it pleased the father that in Christ the fullness of the godhead, the fullness of deity would dwell in him.
And yet he would take on human flesh. He would come to suffer as we do. There’s one idea I want you to hold onto in all the midst of the difficulties that we have going on in this world with this current disease going on in this world.
I want you to think about one thing. Jesus Christ really came. Jesus Christ really took on flesh and everything I read about in my Bible indicates to me that while Jesus had walked while Jesus walked this earth Jesus,
if he were here today in his body could have contracted the Coronavirus. We don’t read anything about the body of Christ,
the physical fleshly body that Jesus walked around in That contradicts that idea. When Jesus continued day in, day out,
teaching the people Jesus became tired when Jesus underwent stress and difficulty there in the garden before he was going to the cross,
Jesus had to be aided by angels that he might have the strength to continue on. When Jesus went into the wilderness and fasted for 40 days,
he went there and he was hungry. His body worked just like ours. The creator took on flesh that he might be tempted like as we are Hebrew,
Schefter four. Yet without sin, the one contagion that Jesus never contracted. The one thing that Jesus was never going to come ill with was sin because Jesus came not to give in to that temptation.
But to defeat that enemy, then consider as well that the cure must be maintained in us. Just as we discussed the idea of the antibodies before notice Verse 20 and by him to reconcile all things to himself that is the father reconcile all things to himself through Christ by him.
Whether things on Earth are things in heaven having made peace through the blood of the cross. And you who wants were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works.
Yet now he has reconciled this contagion of sin. Hey is wiped away. He has reconciled you to himself.
He is righteous and he cannot have fellowship with on righteousness. He has taken you from a place of sand.
He has washed you clean and he has brought you to himself. Those of us practicing social distancing right now would really like to go back to being able to be near people.
God has a way to take sin out of the picture. God has a way to take you from being a far off to being brought nigh by the blood of Christ.
But then consider Verse 21 you who were once who once were aliens and enemies in your mind by Wicked.
Worse yet now he is reconciled, he says, Here’s your past situation. You were once dead in sin.
You were once separated from God. But now he’s reconciled to you in the body of his flesh, through death,
to present you holy and blameless and above reproach in his sight and noticed that verse 23 1st word If if,
If indeed you continue in the faith, here’s the problem with sin. If someone is cured from sin by the blood of Christ and they begin walking down that path of righteousness and then they stop walking in the light if they get off the path of righteousness if they cease to be faithful to him than the blood of Christ ceases to cleanse the Mohsen,
you see, we are impervious to sin. That is, the blood of Christ continually cleanses are since it is our immune system to sin and wipes out that infection time and again.
First John, Chapter one tells us until we depart from the light and when we depart from the light,
the infection comes on full force. Notice what we read. If you continue in the faith, grounded instead fast and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel,
which you heard which was preached. Every creature under heaven of which I, Paul became a minister. Cure must be maintained in us on a daily basis on a weekly basis on a yearly basis from now until we depart from this life and we will at some point depart from this life.
Some of us. It may come in a freak accident. Some of us may get out on the road and not make it home.
Some of us may just simply lay down one night, not wake up the next morning. Some of us,
it’s sad to think about, may become susceptible to this virus, and it might take our lives. But here’s what I know.
For everyone who leaves this life, Hebrews Chapter nine is still true, and when this life is over,
the judgment still awaits us. So the real question is not. What is your situation in view of the Coronavirus?
But what is your situation in view of sin? Because that’s the one that really matters. But then consider as well that the cure must be passed on to defeat the pandemic.
This contagion is worldwide. This contagion is global. And the only way the cure gets administered is if someone passes it on.
Look at Verse 29. Paul writes the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations but now has been revealed to his saints.
To them, God will to make known. What are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the gentiles,
which is Christ in you the hope of Lori him We preach warning, Everyman and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
To this end, I also labor striving according to his working which workers in me mightily, Paul says,
I’m active. I’m on the front lines. I’m out there preaching and teaching the gospel because it is the only thing that will fight back this epidemic.
It is the only thing that will present you clean and holy and right and perfect in Christ Jesus. So then consider as well versus 24 25 to cure requires sacrifice from the cured population.
The coming days and weeks in this country are going to be difficult. There are going to be people we all know who end up with this virus.
Lord willing, it won’t be any of us, but it might be. The question, though, is for those especially of the younger population,
who will contract the virus, who will recover from the virus. What will they do then? They’re now impervious to the virus there.
Now those who cannot become infected again. What will they do? Will they begin helping others? Will they begin taking Matthew Chapter 25 seriously and aiding those who were sick and those who are in need and those who are destitute?
Or will they go on as if they can just focus on themselves again? But for you and I,
the epidemic of sin, the worst contagion that we’ve ever fought, we continue to fight day in and day out.
And will those who have been cured by the blood of Christ realized the infection going on around them? Or will we continue to ignore sin?
Cautions Chapter one, Verse 24 Paul writes. I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, Paul says.
I’m suffering for you, church it colossi. I’m suffering for you and Philip in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ for the sake of his body,
which is the church, Paul says. I undergo what I am being put through. The suffering that I have,
the things that I’m enduring for the body of Christ the church, verse 25 of which I became a minister,
a servant according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you to fulfill the word of God.
Gospel calls upon us to teach and to preach the gospel to every creature. The gospel calls upon us to spread the cure to counter act the disease.
Jesus also calls upon us to take up our cross and follow him. Maybe the lesson of this virus is here to remind us that we’re not taking the real problem in this world seriously and that we’re not doing enough.
But then consider finally, that the cure has treatment centers just like will be the case All over this world.
There are places to go to find treatment for the Coronavirus. Ultimately there will be but for sin there has been for 2000 years.
Ephesians, Chapter three, Paul would write to the church and Emphasis and Ephesians, Chapter three Beginning in verse eight,
we read to me who am less than the least of all the saints. This Grace was given that I should preach among the gentiles,
the unser chewable riches of Christ and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God,
who created all things through Jesus Christ to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known.
Baeza Church Paul says that the many sighted wisdom of God is made visible by the body of Christ by the Church of Christ.
Notice what he says that it might be made known by the church to the Principalities, into the powers and heavenly places according to the eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus,
our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in him. Therefore, I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you,
which is your glory. For this reason, I bow my knees to the father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
from whom the whole family in heaven and Earth is named that he would grant you according to the riches of his lorry,
to be strengthened with might, through his spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith that you,
being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints. What is the with the length,
the death and height to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to him, who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us To him be glory in the church by Christ,
Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Treatment centers air open. This building that we’re in right now is not the church.
The people are the church, and we stand ready to respond to the epidemic of sin. We stand ready to bring about in the lives of those around us.
The cure, The cure for sin begins with hearing the gospel. It is that message which Paul said he was suffering to preach to them the Gentiles.
And it was that message that put them in contact with the blood of Christ because once they heard it,
they would believe it. They would believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God and they would repent of their sins.
They would recognize there’s a problem in my life. There’s an infection in my life and it’s sin and it’s destroying me and it will kill me.
And then they would change. They would repent of those sins, and they would confess the name of Christ as Lord and savior,
and then they would be immersed in water. Is it any surprise that God uses the visual of a washing a burial in water to bring about a spiritually cleansing?
Peter writes that the washing that we ing undergo when were baptized when we’re immersed in water for the remission of our sins is not to cleanse the filth of the flesh,
but it is the answer of a good conscience toward God. And it does also now save us First Peter,
Chapter three, verse 21. So if you want to be saved from the biggest epidemic that humanity’s ever faced,
it’s not the Coronavirus, and it’s not any other virus we’re going to see in our lifetime. It’s the virus we’ve seen our entire lifetime.
It’s sin and baptism puts you in contact with the blood of Christ, and the blood of Christ washes away that sin.
And then once you’ve been regenerated once you’ve been washed. Once you’ve been cleaned. Once you’ve been raised upto walk in newness of life.
A new person no longer filled with the infection, a new person all seeing washed away. You can walk in the light as he is in the light,
and the blood of Jesus Christ continues to cleanse you from all sin. Let’s go back to the epidemic for just a moment more,
You see, because sin is overcome by washing, we’ve been told, how many times wash your hands,
wash your hands, wash your hands. Yet, James said, wash your hands and cleanse your hearts.
Sin is overcome by washing and baptism. Sin is curable. Sin is the worst contagion in the world.
We do not have enough people sharing the cure. You’re hearing me this morning. You know the cure.
Share it with someone who needs it. Because the world is filled with people infected with sin. You’re a member of the body of Christ and you’ve become wayward.
You can repent of those sins and return. If you were once washed and clean and you the virus was gone and then you went back into the world and soiled yourself once again you can come home if you’re outside the body of Christ and you hear this lesson contact this.
We will study with you. We will help you become free of the worst contagion that has 100% death rate you have need of the Lord’s salvation.
It is available to you by the Gospel and were available to you at any time. Thank you for your attention.
This morning. We will now have a closing song in a closing prayer.
<inaudible>. Good afternoon. Welcome to the Collierville church Christ Sunday afternoon service. It’s good to see each and every one of you and it’s great to see our visitors here in SAFT noon. Thank you for coming this afternoon to worship God, uh, our sick list. Uh, Rudel Wilson, please keep him your thoughts and prayers. Dorothy is able to make it out this afternoon to join us. So that is great to see. Dorothy, Betty Lou Hanks is a recovering from her carpal tunnel surgery and like I said this morning,
her and lucky are still working to find a neurologist to see if they can’t get some further testing and further insight into what’s still causing her continued problems with their carpal tunnel that she’s having. Joan Springer is home from the hospital, but she has to go for a daily infusion every day at around 11 o’clock. So that’s why Marie was not here this morning and I do not see Marie here yet this afternoon, but we might see him yet afternoon. But please keep Joan and your thoughts and prayers. Marvin man,
Beverly’s father. His health is kind of up and down depending on what they have done for them and what they do for them. So please continue to pray for him. He is scheduled for another treatment for his cancer on the 23rd so please continue to pray for him. Beverly herself. She’s still working with her heart rate and her blood pressure issues. She has some good days and some bad days. So please continue to pray for Beverly. Uh, remember to keep the entire case and family in your thoughts and prayers as they uh,
continue to work through the loss of their sister Julia on other uh, announcements here at the cares will not meet tomorrow night. The area wide Bible bowl for next Saturday as of everything we know right now is still on the schedule and if that changes we will let everyone know as soon as possible. But right now that is next Saturday at 4:00 PM. And if we have that, we need as many of the people here that we can possibly get to come out and support the kids in that endeavor. On that area wide Bible ball,
a ladies Bible class will be suspended until further notice than that’s due to the Corona virus and the concerns there with the people that do attend that because there’s susceptible at their age for being a more likely candidate for the Corona virus. So the decision has been made to suspend it ladies Bible class until further notice and then the men. As soon as second service is over today we will meet to discuss the Corona virus and our services and gathering schedule for here for the Collierville church of Christ and the decision that we make this afternoon that will be put out to everybody as soon as possible.
So a song’s service this afternoon, song leader B, Eric Richardson, opening prayer will be Joe caisson sermon is Aaron coats, art and closing prayer is Tommy Lasser. Thank you<inaudible>. Good afternoon number 291 please use your book. 291, two nine one a great position. Yeah.<inaudible> Oh, man. A voice. Uh, jeez. Uh,<inaudible> song.<inaudible> song. Jeez. Jeez. Uh,<inaudible> hi. Nappie leave Angie’s us<inaudible> I love, uh, name. Uh, jeez.
Uh,<inaudible><inaudible> jeez. Uh, jeez. Uh, Hey.<inaudible> uh, geez. Who else sing, uh, around the throne of his name? A name? Uh, jeez. Uh,<inaudible> uh, jeez. Uh, jeez. Uh, number 666, 666. Ah,<inaudible> and it’s, uh, to me, but I LA<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> man.<inaudible><inaudible> near bus.<inaudible> said Coreg mean, uh, to, so my, the, or, uh, grey.
Steve. Uh huh<inaudible>.<inaudible> God with us that fast. So, and my well, uh, Stan, it’s, I mean<inaudible><inaudible> yeah. Uh huh<inaudible>.<inaudible> near bus.<inaudible><inaudible> uh, Oh, the up. Yeah.<inaudible> that’d be for a throne. Uh, uh, when I need you in prayer and with the, Oh my God.<inaudible><inaudible> sure.
I mean,<inaudible> near bus.<inaudible><inaudible> uh, Jerome, uh, uh, near blast.<inaudible><inaudible> uh,<inaudible> uh,
I can, uh, no to like Ross, uh, naira hoes. I see. Okay.<inaudible> IRS<inaudible><inaudible> you were all mean<inaudible><inaudible> yeah.
Uh huh. Jerome<inaudible> newer blast to the opera.<inaudible> uh, right. Dear God, our father in heaven,
we truly are thankful for the privilege that we have to come together this afternoon. We’re thankful, dear father,
that you loved us so much that your son came and died on the cross of Calvary. We’re so grateful for that sacrifice that was made and we pray father,
that would not take that lightly in our lives, that we strive to do our very best to serve and glorify you.
That we might bring honor and glory to your name. Father, we’re mindful of those that are not part of the kingdom of heaven.
We pray father that as we as good stewards of the church and those that are striving to reach out to the lost in this area,
that we are conscious of those that are not members of the body of Christ that we’re willing to give of ourselves and the abilities that we have to share the gospel with them in this area.
We’re thankful father for the Bible and for your word that it can direct our steps and we pray father,
that we look to them daily, that we are are drawn closer to you and closer to one another.
Dear God with our mind for those that are having problems with various illnesses and we pray that you be with Holly and the children as they travel back to check on her mother.
We pray father that the doctors and nurses might be able to attend to her and try to relieve her of her health issue.
We pray father, that you be with uh, Beverly’s they add and the ones that are tending to him pray you’ll be with lucky and Betty Lou especially be with Betty Lee.
She continues to have problems with her hands. We pray that they might do something that might relieve her of that pain.
How so? Be with Joan as she’s having these infusions each day that they might help relieve her of the problems with the pneumonia that it might not return.
Again, we pray father that you bless them and watch over them. We pray father that you always help us each day to remember one another and we’re so grateful and thankful for the church here and for the members of her that that love and care about each other so much and we pray that we not ever take that lightly,
that we’d be grateful for it and continue to do that. Be that blessing to one another here. Father,
we are mindful of those that are teaching and preaching your word and other lands, the DePalma’s and Rushmore’s.
We pray that you be with them and bless them and keep them safe and watch over them. Help us to be an encouragement to them and try to help them in whatever way we can bother.
We’re mindful of our widows and probably that we might always be attentive to their needs. Where mindful father Potter children’s home and the orphans there help us always to reach out to them and help encourage them.
And those that are shut ins. Father, help us not forget about them, but encourage them as we have the opportunity.
Father, be with us this afternoon as we look to another portion of your word that we might have attentive hearts and minds to listen to those things that are presented to us,
that we let them become a part of our lives and want to be a better person. We pray that we will always remain faithful to you.
That when this life is over with me, I might have that home in heaven. And Jesus, we pray.
Amen.<inaudible> we’re 639, six, three, nine. Rescue the perishing care for that. Uh,
he snatched<inaudible> from sin and a gray<inaudible> Jesus says mercy for jeez.<inaudible><inaudible> with Amgen. Me,
he will<inaudible> jeez. Smells<inaudible> nah, and a human. Uh,<inaudible><inaudible> to<inaudible>. Uh,<inaudible> jeez us his mercy for,
jeez. If I ask you the parish, she knit amens and Sheree<inaudible>, bro. Uh, Matt to the narrow way.
Hey, shot Lee went to the<inaudible>, uh,<inaudible> for that. Jeez. Serious mercy for jeez.<inaudible> our invitation song be number 904 nine zero four.
Okay, good afternoon. Take your Bibles if you will, and open them to the book of second Chronicles.
Second Chronicles rolling to begin around chapter 11 and our study this this afternoon, wanting to take the moment,
take a moment in our study this afternoon to consider the life of rehabilitation. Now someone might say, well,
Erin, Erin, uh, we, we just studied Ray bone this morning. Why, why do we need to study him again?
Well, the answer is because the majority of the acts of Rehoboam, the majority of the life of Rehoboam,
uh, are not in our study on Sunday morning because they’re not in the book of Kings. And,
uh, our study and the material that we’re going through, we’ll focus on the book of Kings, but the remainder of the actual,
you’ll read this in chapter 12. The remainder of the acts of Rehoboam were recorded in the book of Chronicles and wanting to notice some interesting tidbits here because there are some details in the recording in Chronicles that actually shed light on a number of very specific things throughout the rest of the old Testament history as well as some important lessons to be learned and gleaned from this passage.
So we’re going to begin in second Chronicles chapter 11 and notice the reign of Rehoboam. Now in chapter 10,
you have the revolt of Jeroboam. We’ve discussed that to some detail or to some small detail. We’ll discuss it more at another time.
But in chapter 11, we read now when Rhea Bolton came to Jerusalem, he assembled, uh, from the house of Judah and Benjamin,
180,000 chosen men who were warriors to fight against Israel that he might the kingdom to reimburse them. We read this morning in class that Rehoboam gathered this army together and as will also be recorded here,
they will receive word from the man of God to disperse. But notice something significant here. Rehoboam gathers these men together,
not just to go to war, but he gathers them together to restore the kingdom. He, in his mind,
will accomplish by power and by might what he could not accomplish through force of will. And so Rehoboam will bring together this army.
He will bring together these hundred and 80,000 men to go to battle against their brethren, okay. And unfortunately,
so many times even in the world today, we have brothers fighting against brothers. We have men fighting with one another and doing damage to one another who are supposed to be brethren.
And sadly, even within the body of Christ, we have those who fight and do devour one another.
And yet they claim to be brethren. We read in verse two, but the word of the Lord came to shimmy I the son,
the man of God saying, speak to Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, King of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah.
And Benjamin saying, thus says the Lord, you shall not go up or fight against your brethren. Let every man returned to his house for this thing is from me.
Therefore they obeyed the words of the Lord and turned back from attacking Jeroboam. God sends word to Rehoboam.
God sends word to the army. You’re not to go to battle. He sends word by this prophet,
by this man of God as he is described here to go into tell them you will not go to battle against your brethren.
Yeah, but notice here that the reason why they would not go to battle, the reason why they were not to take this action was not because there was not a legal right.
It was not because the authority of the King wasn’t sufficient over the army. It was not because they wouldn’t have won.
It was because God had done this thing. There’s a principle laid in this passage that what God does,
man has no business on doing. God said, this is buying judgment. God said, this is my action and you have no business doing anything that opposes my action.
Now had the nation wanted to restore itself, they had the opportunity. Had the nation wanted to fix the problem and bring the entirety of the nation back together.
They could have done it, but not this way. Yeah. They couldn’t by force of mite, they couldn’t,
by power of military. They could not through their own volition bring about a restoration without God. But there’s an interesting point here in this perspective of God having done this and separated this nation,
and that is that the nation will never be restored until, yeah, the nation will never be restored until the end of the Babylonian captivity.
Now, some would suggest that the only ones who ever came back from captivity after the days of the Babylonian captivity were those from the tribe of Judah.
But the reality is that’s not the case. What you might remember is that in the, uh, 700 BC,
uh, century, the Assyrian army came in and defeated the Northern 10 tribes of Israel. They didn’t kill everybody that was there.
What they did and what the Assyrians would do is they would come in and they would conquer people and then they would disperse them far and wide and they would remove them from their land and then they’d take other peoples and place them in that land.
The idea being that if a people was not in their home land, if a people was removed from their Homeland,
their motivation to fight against the Assyrians and to war against them would be diminished because they wouldn’t be at home.
They wouldn’t be protecting their home, they wouldn’t have the motivation of freedom in their own home. And so a Syria would come and they would destroy and kill many of those in the Northern kingdom.
But some number of those people were scattered throughout the Assyrian nation. Well, after the Assyrian empire had come to power and come to glory and then began to diminish,
the Babylonians began to rise. No. And in the 600 BC point in time, the Babylonians grew to power and they came against the and they overtook the entire Assyrian empire.
And when you begin to read and you begin to delve more deeply into the return from captivity, what you will find is there is a good indication that there were those from every tribe of Israel that would ultimately make it back to Israel.
And they would again, now they be known as Jews. From that point forward, they would be known as those who had part in Judah.
But from that point forward, there would have been a restoration of the nation of Israel from that moment forward,
there weren’t two kingdoms. There was one. And what is it that was corrected? What is it that changed during that Babylonian captivity and after the Assyrian defeat of the Northern kingdom?
What changed in the nation to bring about restoration? After all of these hundreds of years, idolatry was gone.
Babylonian captivity and the Assyrian captivity removed idolatry from the Israelite culture and it removed them from worshiping idols. Now,
were they sinless? No. Were they perfect? No. Did they have many, many other problems?
Deal to deal with? Yes. Read the minor prophets for that. But the reality is, God said you will not be one nation until the primary issue in your nation is restored.
And that was idolatry. But go on in verse five. So Rhea boned Welton Jerusalem and built cities for defense in Judah.
What? He’s building cities for defense. But why would he be building cities for defense in Judah? Warned their already defensive cities.
Didn’t David build defensive cities? Well, he did, but he didn’t build any of them on the border between Israel and Judah.
These new defensive cities are to defend against their brethren in Israel. So he begins to build defensive cities.
He built Bethlehem ITAM to Koa, Beth Xer, Zaka, Adullam, GAF, Marsha Ziff, Zuora at,
uh, age, Alon and Hebrew, which are in Judah and Benjamin fortified cities. And he fortified the strongholds and put captains in them and stores of food or oil and wine.
And in every city he put shields and Spears. And he made them very strong having Judah and Benjamin on every,
on his side. So he’s got Judah, he’s got Benjamin, and he begins to strengthen his nation.
It’s now much smaller. It’s a smaller population. It’s a smaller army. He no longer has Eve freedom in the North to be able to help protect him from what comes from the North.
And so now he begins to fortify himself and he puts defenses in the city who puts Spears and shields in the cities and from all their territories.
The priests and the Levis who were in all Israel took their stand with him. An interesting detail that is recorded alone here is that the Levi needs in all Israel speaking concerning the Northern tribes.
When Jeroboam departs from the law, when Jeroboam departs from worshiping according to God’s commandments, when Jeroboam sets up the idols in Dan and bear Shiva,
and when Jeroboam replaces the priesthood of Aaron with anyone in the Northern kingdom of Israel who wants to be a priest,
the Levi rights stand with Rehoboam. You might remember that the Levi’s did not have a single land section.
That was their inheritance. The Levi’s had cities within all the different Israelite tribes and so these Levi’s are scattered throughout the entire nation and they’re standing with Rehoboam.
Beginning of verse 14 we read for the Levis, left their common lands in their possessions and came to Judah and Jerusalem for Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them from serving as priest to the Lord.
Now let’s not get the egg and the chicken in the wrong order. The, the Levis didn’t leave leaving Jeroboam,
defying new priests. Jeroboam bone rejected them as priests and replaced them and then they departed. So the Levis left.
They went down to Jerusalem and Judea and or Judah, and they departed from their cities. They, as it were,
walked out on Israel to stand with Rehoboam and to stand with the Lord because of the departures of Jeroboam.
Then verse 15 he appointed for himself priests for the high places, for the demons and the calf idols which he had made.
Jeroboam will continue his progression into idolatry. He will continue down this path, not only with the golden calves,
but also with demon worship. And the Levis left those from all the tribes of Israel, such as set their heart to seek the law.
The Lord God of Israel came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord God of their fathers. So the Levi’s,
it’s that left. There’s an indication that not all, not a hundred percent of the population, but what category of them,
what group of Levi’s left the Northern 10 tribes and came down to the Southern two tribes? And the answer is those who set their face to seek the Lord,
those who were still faithful in their heart to seeking the Lord departed from their brethren. They departed from the Northern 10 tribes because the Northern 10 tribes departed from the Lord.
Now is there a lesson here for us? I think there is. There are those who face difficulties at times there are Christians who face difficulties because at times they find themselves in a congregation that is departing from the truth.
They find themselves in a predicament where they’re facing a congregation and they’re part of a congregation that is the partying from God and beginning to teach error.
And it is often the question in the discussion of when is enough enough, when is it that a person should leave in some maybe might have the mindset,
well you should just stay there. You should just stay in fight. You should be a voice for good.
And to a degree that’s true, but there’s a line. That line is not always clearly defined, but there’s a line where someone has to say,
you’ve departed and I can’t go with you. And so the Levi’s make that declaration as it were. They say,
you’ve departed from the Lord, you’re sacrificing to these idols, you’re doing these things and we can not abide by this.
Yes, and so they move from their homes and their inheritance and their location and they leave because serving the Lord was more important than their inheritance.
There’s a lesson that we need to learn about being willing to sacrifice for faithfulness to the Lord, so they strengthened the the kingdom of Judah and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong for three years because they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.
As the influx of Levis comes down into the Southern tribes. Now bear in mind, Solomon wasn’t always faithful to the Lord Solomon and build the temples in Jerusalem.
Solomon had set up the high places. Rehoboam hasn’t removed them. Rehoboam hasn’t taken these temples to these idols out.
Rehoboam has continued in the practices of his father, but for three years, the influence of these Levi’s is so strong.
How many of them are there? We’re not told, but it’s the, and almost the entire tribe.
There were already some that were in Judah. The Levites that were there already were, were there, but almost the re,
the entirety of the tribe comes down and their influence changes the direction of Judah. For three years, for three years,
Judah returns to faithfulness for three years. Judah is made strong for three years. They shift the balance of power toward serving the Lord,
but the wickedness that was a part of Rehoboam was strong enough that he eventually won out. Then Rehoboam took for himself as wife.
May her laugh, the daughter of moth, the son of David, and of Abba hail, the daughter of Aliah,
the son of Jesse, and she bore him children jus sham, Mariah and Zima or Zhihan. After he took her,
after her, he took make-a, the granddaughter of Absalom, and she bore him Abijah, uh, Thai,
Zaza and Shalimar. Now Rehoboam loved makeup, the granddaughter of Absalom more than all his wives and his concubines four,
he took 18 wives and 60 concubines and the God, 28 sons and 60 daughters. One of the problems you have with Rehoboam is the same problem Solomon had.
And the same problem David had. He didn’t follow the law. He did not return to the law and the commandments of Moses to observe that the Kings had been commanded not to multiply unto themselves wives.
And so he as well will continue in this sin of his fathers. But notice in chapter 12 it came to pass when Rehoboam had established the kingdom and had strengthened himself,
that he first took the law of the Lord and all Israel along with him. This influx of the Levi’s strengthened Rehoboam for three years.
It brought strength to the nation for three years and they were serving the Lord for three years. But when he became strong,
when everything was going well, when he realized that that he was going to be fine and the nation was going to continue,
even though the Northern 10 tribes had left, he forced hook the Lord with 1200, uh sorry in,
in verse two. And it happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam that shack King of Egypt came up against Jerusalem because he had transgressed against the Lord.
In Solomon’s day, Solomon is going to find out, God tells Jeroboam, I’m taking the Northern 10 tribes away from you because you have departed from me and instead of correcting his situation,
Solomon seeks to kill Jeroboam. Now his son is on the throne and the 10 tribes are taken away and for a little bit of time he follows the Lord and the nation follows the Lord,
but now he’s departing from the Lord. He’s for sagging Lord and God is going to send a nation against him.
God is going to send the Egyptians up to bring judgment on Rehoboam and on the nation of Israel because all Israel along with him for Sug the Lord.
Then notice in verse three with 12,000 chariots or shooting be 1200 chariots, 60,000 horsemen and people without number who came with him out of Egypt,
the lube them and the<inaudible> and the Ethiopians. He took the fortified cities of Judah and came to Jerusalem.
Then shimmy IAH, the prophet came to Rhea balm and the leaders of Judah who were gathered together in Jerusalem because of shack and said to them,
thus says the Lord, you have forsaken me and therefore I also have left you in the hand of shack.
So the leaders of Israel and the King humbled themselves and they said, the Lord is righteous. God sends his prophet to them.
He sends his profit to them because they’re all huddled in Jerusalem. These were probably leaders that normally would have been throughout the land,
but Egypt’s been coming in 40 cities have already fallen and Egypt is still coming in. They’re huddled inside the walls of Jerusalem and the prophet of God comes to them and says,
this is the Lord. This is the doing of God because you have departed from me. I am bringing shisha back against you,
but it’s an interesting statement that we read there. He says there in verse five you have forsaken me.
Therefore, I have also left you<inaudible> over in second Timothy chapter two Paul writes to the young preacher Timothy,
and he says to him in second Timothy chapter two around verse 13<inaudible> actually let’s go back to verse 10 verse 10 therefore,
I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
This is a faithful saying for if we died with him, we shall also live with him. If we endure,
we shall also reign with him. If we deny him, he will also deny us. If we are faithless,
he remains faithful. He cannot deny himself. Remind them of these things. Paul tells Timothy, you remind the church these things are true.
He says, remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord, not to strive about words to no profit to the ruin of the hearers.
Timothy, you remind your brethren, you remind your congregation, the Lord will be faithful if you’re faithless.
Now, someone might look at that and say, Oh, that’s great. The Lord’s going to be on my side.
Doesn’t matter what I do. No, no, no, no. That’s not what Paul means. Yeah.
Paul means the exact opposite. The Lord will be faithful to his word if you are faithless to him,
okay? And you go back into the old Testament and you go back into those principles of what a person sows,
that will he also reap. You go into those laws and those statements and those testimonies in those blessings and cursings that God gave Israel where God said,
if you depart from me, this is what’s going to happen to you. And what Paul is telling Timothy is the Lord’s faithful to his word.
If you depart from him, judgment will come. And so when God sends his prophet to Rehoboam and to the leaders in Judah,
he sends it to them and says, I’m taking my hands off. I’m leaving you alone. Wishes.
Shack. I’m not going to protect you this time. I’m not going to defend the city. I’m not going to fight your battles for you because I made you a promise when you were faithful me,
I go out and fight before you. When you are faithful to me, I would destroy your enemies for you,
but now you get to stand on your own. Good luck. As it were, have fun. Shear shack was,
or they were no competition for shisha ex army and they knew it, which is why 40 cities had already fallen,
and so God says, you’re on your own, and they declare in verse six the Lord is righteous.
Now they’re not saying with this phrase, the Lord is Holy. It’s not what righteous means. Here,
the idea of righteous is the Lord has judged and his declaration is justified. The Lord is justified and right in this judgment.
In other words, they’re acknowledging, yes, we have departed and forsaken the Lord. Now when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves,
the word of the Lord came to shimmy. I saying they have humbled themselves, therefore I will not destroy them,
but I will grant them some deliverance. Emphasis on some. He says, I will grant them some deliverance.
My rash shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of shack. Nevertheless, they will be his servants.
Sorry about that. I have a tickle in my throat. Nevertheless, they will be his servants that they may distinguish my service from the service of the kingdoms of the nations.
God says, I’m going to let them be brought into subjugation. I’m going to let my people be brought into tribute.
I’m going to allow shisha to dominate over them so that they learn that they can either choose between serving me or they can learn what it’s like to serve other nations.
They can find out what it’s like to be under the thumb of a King, like shake shack or they can serve me and they’re going to learn by experience.
So shisha King of Egypt came up against her Islam and took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the King’s house.
So he took everything. He also carried away the gold shield, which Solomon had made. Then King Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place and committed them to the hands of the captains of the guard who guarded the doorway to the King’s house.
And whenever the King entered the house of the Lord, the guards would go and bring them out. Then he would take,
then they would take them back into the guard. When he humbled himself, verse 12 the wrath of the Lord turned from him so as not to destroy him completely and the things also went well in Judah.
Shisha comes in and God as shish act by all indications is around the city, maybe in, in siege around Jerusalem.
God sends the prophet in and says, you’re going to be destroyed. I’m not going to defend against you.
They humble themselves. They admit we forsaken the Lord. They repent of their wrongdoing, but God says,
you’re still going to experience the pain of being under the thumb of shack, and so she, Shaq is not kept from entering Jerusalem.
He comes in, he comes into the city because he goes into the house of the Lord and he removes all the gold.
He removes all the shields that Solomon made. He removes all the gold out of the house of the King,
but he doesn’t completely annihilate the nation. Step back and think about what we studied. Concerning the abundance of gold and silver in the nation of Israel in the time of Solomon and then one fail swoop,
it’s all gone. It’s all gone. There was so much gold that they had that they had beaten it into shields,
that they kept in the temple and it’s all gone. Oh, by the way, is there any irony that can be found in the fact that when Israel left Egypt,
they took all of Egypt’s treasures with them and now when they depart from the Lord, Egypt just came and got them all back.<inaudible> God says,
you’ll find out what the difference is between being faithful to me and serving yourself. Then King Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem and rained.
Now Rehoboam was 41 years old when he became King and he reigned 17 years in Jerusalem. Just the thought there.
How long did Solomon reign? 40 years. And Rehoboam was alive for all of it. He was 41 when he came to the throne.
He witnessed the time when his father was faithful and he witnessed the time when he wasn’t. But notice what else we read.
He became, uh, he reigned 17 years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel to put his name there.
His mother’s name was Naima and AMA Natus. And he did evil because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord.
Here’s the conclusion. The con the Chronicles writer gives us, here’s what he says was the problem with Rehoboam before Rehoboam came to the throne is when the problem started.
Rio Boehm didn’t go bad, and when he got to the throne, Rehoboam became evil because he neglected to prepare himself to serve God.
Now, it doesn’t say that he neglected to learn how to lead the nation. It doesn’t say that he neglected to study,
uh, what his father wrote about how to make decisions or wisdom or understanding, but he pro did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord.
There’s an accusation here against Solomon. There’s an accusation against every parent who prepares their child for an occupation and a job and a career,
and not to seek the Lord. We need to be those who are diligent to teach our children to seek God.
The acts of Rehoboam, verse 15 first and last, are they not written in the book of shimmy?
I the prophet and of this year concerning genealogies, and there were Wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days.
So Rehoboam rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of David than Abijah. His son reigned in his place.
The Chronicles of the life of Rehoboam tell a telling tale about a nation that just wouldn’t stay faithful and Israel would begin their journey into the depths of sin in the rain of Rehoboam by departing from the Lord.
It would be staved off for a time because of God’s judgment, but there’s that one last lesson. It is with judgment that God quite often restores the hearts of men.
We need to not be afraid of pain. We need to not be afraid of God’s judgment at times coming upon maybe even our own nation because the reality is when times are hard,
when judgment comes, when persecution is on top of us, it is then there is an option tunity to change the hearts and minds of men.
God does it time and time and time again with Israel in the old Testament, and it is ultimately when the nation is demolished as a nation,
that out of that is rebirthed a remnant faithful to the Lord. We need to learn the lessons of the old Testament and we need to make sure that we always remain faithful to the Lord.
If you’re here this afternoon and you’re a member of the body of Christ and you’ve departed from God like Judah did,
God will accept your repentance as well, but not as long as you’re insisting on being in charge. God made it clear to Judah,
you are not in charge. I am, and if you think that you’re in charge, I’ll put someone else in charge to show you you’re not in charge.
God said, I’m in control and you need to be faithful to me. We are those who need to be faithful to him.
Even today, if you’re a member of the body of Christ and you’ve departed from the truth, why not come home?
Why not repent of that sin? Repent, humble yourself before the Lord and pray for his forgiveness because he will forgive.
He’ll forgive a person, he’ll forgive a family. He’ll forgive a congregation and he’ll forgive a nation, but not if they don’t humble themselves before him.
If you’re outside the body of Christ, you can enter into the body of Christ by hearing the word of God and believing that Jesus Christ is the son of God.
By confessing the name of Christ and being immersed in water for the remission of your sins. You can do that today if you have need of the invitation,
the invitation of God is open. He wants you to be faithful to him. Will you do that today?
If you have needed the invitation, why not come as we stand and as we sing?<inaudible> Oh,
are you a, yeah. Uh, and uh, so cleansing<inaudible> Oh yeah.<inaudible> they wide ass.
No. Oh, are you a stint?<inaudible> thank Aaron for that lesson. Is there anyone here that needs partake of the Lord’s supper?
Okay, let’s please be seated. Yeah, let us pray. Father in heaven at this time, as we take our minds back to the scene of the cross where Christ shed his blood for our sins and gave his body for us,
for us, and instead of us being there, we pray that we think about what he did, that sacrifice.
And as we partake of this fruit, this loaf which represents his body, that those things will be on our mind as you said,
we pray. Amen. Let us pray. Father in heaven, we thank you for your love. We thank you for Christ’s love and his willingness to to go to the cross instead of us and for us.
And we pray that you be with the ones we’re taking this fruit vine, which represents his blood. We’ll think about what it means to them and what Christ went,
went through and did somebody pray? Man, let us pray. Father in heaven. We thank you so much for your blessings.
We know that everything we have is from you, and we know that with of being in you and being a,
being a Christian, that you have blessed us and you continue to bless us. Each day. We pray that we give back a portion we received with a cheerful,
cheerful heart. And at the money we use to spread your word throughout this community and throughout the world.
In Jesus name, we pray. Thank everyone for making their way out today to worship God. And we encourage everyone to come back to see on Wednesday,
seven o’clock, a member of the men need to get together afterwards. So please stick around for that for short.
If there’s nothing else, let us stand for closing. Song number 650 number 650 Oh con’s ringing. You know,<inaudible> saying,
uh,<inaudible> uh, though.<inaudible><inaudible> yeah.<inaudible><inaudible> Oh, let us not grow weary in though a bla sin.
Uh huh. Uh,<inaudible><inaudible> uh, sin, uh,<inaudible> God bless.<inaudible> uh,<inaudible> gospel.
Let him for ever God our father in heaven. We come to you this time, thanking you for another opportunity to assemble here and sing songs of praise instead of another portion of your word.
And God, we ask you to help each and every one of us be diligent in our faith, to you and our service to you as we proceed amongst our everyday lives here on earth.
And God, we are so thankful that you sent your son Jesus, to live amongst us and teach us and provide us with your word.
So we would have a true life to live by and faithful service to you. We ask God that as we prepare to do part here in Garth,
separate ways that you stay with each and every one of us, those that are traveling, we ask that you be with them and uh,
provide them secure to their destination and returned to here so that they can assemble with us again to worship you.
We know that we occasionally fall short and we ask when we do fall short, that you help us see our airways and forgive us of our sins.
We pray all this through you son Jesus’ name. Amen.
<inaudible> no, I’m not. Is it turned on? Okay. There we go. How’s everybody doing this morning? Good. Raise your hand if you have the Corona virus. Do we just didn’t need to know then don’t raise your hand. Oh yeah. Yeah. And so is everybody else. They all think you have it. You and Holly are the, you know, we are in first Kings chapter 12 this morning. No, in all seriousness. Um, we’re going to be leaving the back doors open for,
uh, to the auditorium, uh, throughout service today and probably for the next couple of weeks just for the, uh, sake of people not having the hit the hit the bar and utilize that just one more surface that people don’t have to all communally touch. Um, and uh, so there, there that some other changes will be, it would be analysis as we go along. Just again, just especially for our folks who have inherently compromised immune systems and such, we do not want to put anyone in excess danger,
uh, while the same time we do take joy in coming together and fellowshipping together. Um, and so take any precautions you need. And don’t be offended by anybody who doesn’t shake your hand or uh, in any way, you know, come into physical contact. Um, so utilize all those precautions. Washing is great. Say what? W Oh, well, uh, thank you. Thank you. I I tacked was never one of my a, I got an F in tact at school. So,
uh, alright. We are in first Kings chapter 12. Let’s begin with a word of prayer. Our gracious father in heaven, we bow before you at this time. Mindful of all of your many blessings, conscious of all of the worries and difficulties and struggles that exist throughout this world. And yet at the same time, in all of the system of life and wellbeing and health that you have created within each and every human, we know that while that system does not always work perfectly, it is far beyond what humanity can even imagine creating and being able to manufacture.
We’re so grateful for all that you do for us on a daily basis. And we, while we do not understand your protection and your Providence, yet we understand that your power is Supreme. We thank you for this time of study and we thank you for the word and the revelation that you have granted to us to be able to hear and to understand your will for humanity. We pray also that we are always mindful that we need to cast our cares upon you and seek first the kingdom and live righteously before you in all things,
while at the same time learning the lessons that you would have us to learn and being reasonable and thoughtful about our own existence and loving one another as we love ourselves. All this we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen. First Kings chapter 12 we proceed from the reign of Solomon to his son, Rehoboam. Now, what was different about the reign of Rehoboam or or the transition? Let me say that the transition from Solomon to Rehoboam. What was different about that transition then? The transition from David to Solomon?
Well, so Rehoboam is his son. Rehoboam will be the one who comes in the lineage of Solomon. Jeroboam is the one who in chapter 11 was told, you’ll receive the, the Northern 10 tribes, but what? What was the different about David to Solomon vs Solomon to Rehoboam? There’s a couple of things, uh, well smoother until the kingdom falls apart. Solomon. Okay. There, there seems to be a significant difference in Solomons instruction of Rehoboam to be King versus what we read. You know,
David with Solomon gave instructions before he died, do this, do this, do this, you know, keep the Lord’s commandments and all of that. Uh, we don’t read that of Solomon to Rehoboam. Now we have the entire book of Proverbs, which to some degree seems to be that, but with Solomon departing from the Lord in the latter years of his life, uh, or starting your 20 of his reign, much of Rehoboam, his life growing up, most likely would have been spent with his father worshiping idols.
Okay, but where do we read that? The Lord said Rehoboam would be the next King. We don’t is Rehoboam by all indications of scripture. The first born son of Solomon. Matter of fact, he’s the only son we read of, of Solomon. We don’t read of Solomon having another son. We read of him having children, but we don’t read of any other sons. Now what you see in Solomon to Rehoboam, and we discussed this some back with David, is you see the typical mentality of a King,
hands off the throne to his eldest son, that there’s an inheritance as it were or a lineage that the oldest son will become the next King, but in Israel, is there any precedent for that? Not at all. Was Solomon the oldest son of David? No, not anywhere close to the oldest son of David and yet God chose Solomon to be the next King. Did God choose Rehoboam to be the next King? There’s no indication of that whatsoever. What does God choose will to have happened during the reign of Rehoboam?<inaudible> he God will decree,
will declare that during the reign of the son of Solomon, 10 of the 12 tribes would be removed out of their lineage and out of that King ship. There’s an interesting reality in that we’re in chapter 12 we’re going to read about division in the kingdom. We’re going to read about a division amongst the people, and this is one of those places in scripture where we see<inaudible> actions that are taking place by people that may or may not have been right or just or authorized. That is the devising of the kingdom,
bringing about the will of God. Yeah. Are there any other places in the old Testament where we see actions by people that may or may not have in them, in and of themselves been right actions, still bringing about God’s will?<inaudible> yes. Give me some examples because there’s, there’s plenty of them. There’s lots of them. Joseph’s life is full of them. When, when the his brothers sell him into slavery, was that action justified? Was it right in and of itself? Did God use it for his will?
Yes, he did. What about Babylon destroying the Southern tribe? Southern nation of Judah. God is going to in turn tell Babylon you’re going to be judged because of how you’ve done this. And that’s the whole book of Habakkuk. And yet God says, this is my judgment on you. Uh, Syria, Northern kingdom of Israel. Uh, there’s there frankly, there, there are a lot of other actions that we see where Daniel, absolutely you have a situation there where you have evil being taken place against Judah.
And yet it brings a bound, an influence in Babylon with Daniel Hannah and I as Ryan Michelle that never would have existed in Babylon had that not transpired, had those young Jew, that young generation not been removed out of Israel and taken into captivity. Any other examples that come to mind? Sure. Cyrus coming to the throne, uh, in captivity. So, so there are many times where we read in scripture about events taking place at the choice of humans with a decision making process that may or may not have been righteous with actions that may or may not have been righteous.
And yet God is going to use it for his ultimate no. And his will or his judgment, the dividing of the nations is going to be a judgment on whom Solomon and David’s lineage and why. Okay. Because they disobeyed the Lord. They Solomon didn’t walk in David’s path and in righteousness with the Lord and they went after idols. Now you mentioned that not knowing if, well, I wouldn’t necessarily equate those two because what the decree from the Lord is that is that David’s lineage would continue on the throne,
but it says in verse 36 and under his son, I will get one tribe. Okay, so, so if Solomon only has one son, then it’s by default. If Solomon only has one son, and again, we only ever read about one son of Solomon, if we, if there is only one son, then yes by default for the lineage to continue and the throne to continue, it will go through Rehoboam. But what, what I wanted to bring out is it is a marked contrast to God saying this is my King.
Because remember at an idea comes up and tries to take the throne even though he knows the Lord has declared that Solomon will be the next King, and this was always supposed to be the case. The Lord ultimately was supposed to be the King and the Lord said, I’ll put on the throne who I determined will be the King. And in this you’re seeing a difference. You’re seeing a transition from them and allegiance to God and following the Lord and his direction as to who would be King and how that King would act,
and whether or not he would lead the nation in righteousness to following their own path. Because remember, it’s not just Solomon who’s participating in an idolatry. Now Solomon may have been building the altar, Solomon may have been building the temples to the other gods, but it’s not just Solomon who’s participating. The entire nation has led themselves into idolatry. And some of this is actually bringing forward some of the things that had already occurred in the book of judges. Now, I know we haven’t studied judges lightly, but some of the idolatry and some of the divisions and some of the things in the judges are coming back to life here in first Kings.
Okay, so first Kings chapter 12 verse one and Rhea Boehm went to check him for all Israel had gone to shake him to make him King. I point out what I’ve just said because who made Rehoboam King<inaudible>? Well, according to the verse, the nation did, who anointed David as King Samuel did, who anointed Solomon as King<inaudible> I think it was Nathan. It was prophet of the Lord together with the pre the high priest. Those two actions are God choosing the King? Is this God choosing the King?
No, it’s not. Okay. That’s why I’m saying pay attention to the contrast. Not so much that it just occurs, but that we don’t read about God’s choice. We read about their choice. Okay. So Rehoboam goes to, uh, be anointed King by or to be made King by all Israel in check. Um, so it happened when Jeroboam, the son of Nebat heard it. He was still in Egypt for, he had fled from the presence of King Solomon and had been dwelling in Egypt that they sent and called him.
Then Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel came and spoke to Ray Boehm saying, your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lightened the burdensome service of your father and his heavy yoke, which he put on us and we will serve you. So they go to check him to make Rehoboam King. And all Israel goes to do this, but not everybody’s in agreement. This is, this is a negotiated agreement because what they want out of his kingship is a change in the policies of his father. They want the taxation and the burden that had been laid upon the people to be lightened to be eased.
Now, in the early days of Solomon and throughout the majority of Solomon’s reign were the people prosperous<inaudible>. What did we read about silver in the nation of Israel? During the time of reign of Solomon, it was counted as nothing because it was as abundant as stones. So during a time of great prosperity, as you might expect, taxation kind of grows with prosperity. Yeah. Well now what’s happened in the latter portions of Solomon’s reign, all these other jobs. Okay, you’ve got not only the expenditures of all of the building projects,
but what, what begin to, what began to happen at the end of his reign, opposition. Remember the beginning of Solomon’s reign was peaceful. He didn’t have Wars, he didn’t have fighting. But as the, as he turned away from God, we read at the end of chapter, I think it was the end of chapter 10 or 11 that God began to bring up adversaries against Solomon. When you begin to have Wars, you begin to generally decrease commerce because it’s not always safe to go to Israel.
All of these things start falling apart. So as the wealth in the nation decreases, what they’re saying is the taxation hasn’t, so we’re less prosperous, but the taxation is still high. Ease our burden. That’s the plea from the, shall we call it opposition party. Jeroboam is leading this against Rehoboam and saying, we need to negotiate this settlement. We need to make sure that, that we’re on the right terms in order for you to be King. So then notice, so he said to them,
depart for three days, then come back to me and the people departed. Then King REIA Boehm consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, and he said, how do you advise me to answer these people? And they spoke to him saying, if you will be a servant to these people today and serve them and answer them and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants for forever.<inaudible> the people come to rebel and they say, Rehoboam, notice interestingly,
they didn’t say remove the burden. They didn’t say make it zero. Remove all taxes. They didn’t say that. They said ease the burden, decrease the burden and we will serve you. And there’s a, there’s a valid point. Good point here in uh, the responsive Rehoboam. Cause Rehoboam says, give me some time to think about it. When someone comes and requests something of us. When someone comes to us and says there’s a problem and that problem needs to be addressed, we shouldn’t always just react.
There shouldn’t always just be a knee jerk reaction to a problem. There should be thought. There should be time and contemplation to make a good choice. Some Rehoboam asked for time and they give it to him. He says, give me three days. And so they allow three days for an answer. But then Rehoboam gathers together his father’s counselors. And in gathering together his father’s counselors, he asked them what he should do and their response kind of summed up is what<inaudible> ease off of them, but what kind of word do they use?<inaudible> be a servant,
serve the people and then they will serve you. What kind of cane did God express? Israel should have<inaudible> adjust. King is the Cardinal law in the old Testament. If I could use such a phrase to describe it, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all my heart, with all thy soul, with all eyestrain law in mind, and thou shalt make sure that King gets served with all of what everyone has or thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. The advice coming from the older and wise men is serve them the way you want to be served.
You lead by example and they will return that attitude. One of the things that was a, uh, controversy between David and his wife, Michael, the daughter of Saul, was when David brought the Ark of the covenant back to Jerusalem and went before the people in just a plain Lynn, any foot. In other words, just a plain lending cloak and danced before the people and sang with the people in praise gone and jumped about as if he were just a normal everyday guy. Michael was ashamed of him because he wasn’t acting like a King because he wasn’t behaving or appearing before the people like a King.
He was acting like a common person and David expressed that he would be humble before the Lord. David maintained an attitude at least earlier on in his life and I think throughout his life with some deviation that while he was a King, he was really a just a shepherd. He was just a lowly man whom God had brought to greatness. Yeah, Rehoboam was born in the lap of luxury. Rehoboam was born into a house of riches and greatness and excess.
Go look at what it took to feed Solomon’s house, hold every month it was excess. And now Solomon comes to the throne.
And Solomon’s perspective is not that of a shepherd Solomon or sorry, Rhea balms. Perspective is not that of a servant or a lowly person.
He comes to the throne as the rightful heir. So the throne and much like his uncles who attempted to take the throne,
he had an attitude of he deserved the throat bone. We’ll listen to the elders, but then in verse eight we read,
but he rejected the advice which the elders had given him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him,
who stood before him. I want to make note of something and that is this Rehoboam did not hear the advice of the elders and then go get a second opinion and side with the second opinion.
Rehoboam her the advice of the elders and said, no, not doing that. You said serve the people not happening and therefore went and sought other advice.
The rejection to the elders’ advice was outright rejection, immediate rejection, not weighing the choices. There was no serving the people that was not going to be his path forward.
So then notice what he gets by way of advice from those who had stood before him. He said to them,
what advice do you give? How should we answer this? People who have spoken to me saying, lighten the yolk which your father put on us.
Then the young man, young men who had grown up with him, spoke to him saying, thus you shall say,
you should speak to this. People who have spoken to you saying, your father made our yoke heavy,
but you make it lighter on us. Thus you shall say to them, my little fingers shall be thicker than my father’s waist and now whereas my father put a heavy on you,
I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges<inaudible> the advice of the younger men,
the advice of the peers of Rehoboam is don’t be their servant, be their ruler. Don’t come before them with humility.
Come before them with ultimate might and show your authority and let them know what’s going to happen to them if they dared across you.<inaudible> same way.
Remember over in first Peter chapter five what God says about elders. Turn to first Peter chapter five<inaudible> the elders who are among you.
I exhort I who am a fellow elder and they witness of the sufferings of Christ and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed.
Shepherd the flock of God, which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion, but willingly.
Not for dishonest gain, but eagerly not as being Lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.
Yeah, and when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.<inaudible> that’s the advice Rehoboam should have listened to.
Rehoboam. Don’t be their overlord. Don’t be their ruler, be their shepherd. But the only reason that happens in the church with elders,
the only context in which first Peter chapter five is given is because you have a shepherd over you. Rhea Boams choice to choose to be a harsh and authoritarian ruler was a rejection of God’s authority,
not just of the people’s wishes, because it was Rhea bone. It was Rehoboam his determination. He was ultimately in charge,
not God was ultimately in charge because if he had followed the law, he would have said, well,
what does the law say? If he was worried about the law, he would have said, is there a prophet of the Lord somewhere here?
He wouldn’t have called the elders. He wouldn’t have called the younger ones. Hey, that said, where’s a profit?
W where’s, where are the priests? Let me inquire of the Lord, what I should do. Does he do that?
No. The lesson he doesn’t learn from his father is the exact lesson we read about on Wednesday night.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. But fools despise wisdom and instruction. He was a fool and he was a fool who determined that his authority would be Supreme when it never was and he will lose the majority of the kingdom.
So notice what occurs, uh, the verse 12. So Jeroboam and all the people came to rebar on the third day as the King had directed saying,
come back to me the third day. Then the King answered the people roughly and rejected the advice which the elders had given him.
And he spoke to them concerning the advice of the young men saying, my father made your yoke heavy,
but I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges.
So the King did not listen to the people for the turn of events was from the Lord that he might fulfill his word,
which the Lord had spoken by a Hijra, the Shiloh Knight to Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. Now,
when all Israel saw that the King did not listen to them, the people answered the King saying, what share have we in David?
We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse to your tents. O Israel. Now see to your own house.
Oh, David, the people’s response is, well, who made you King over us? What inheritance do we have in Judah or in David or in your throne?
If this is the way want to treat us, then you can see us as we go because we’re gone and so they will the part.
But again, all right, let’s step back to where we started. Here are the actions of Rehoboam.
Are Rehoboam, is actions justified? No. Are they right? No. Are they according to the law?
No. Did they bring about God’s will? Yes. His will was judgment on them for departing from him.
But see, here’s this. Here’s this whole cycle. What if reablement said, you know what I realized my father had had had aired.
He was wrong. We need to return to the Lord. Allow me to shepherd Israel back to God.
That was a choice that was available to him. God didn’t make it where he couldn’t make that choice,
but God knew the kind of person he was and he wasn’t going to make that choice. So then let’s notice the remainder of the chapter.
But Rio bone reigned over the children of Israel who dwelled in the cities of Judah. Then King Rehoboam sent an ad Ram who was in charge of the revenue,
but all Israel stoned him with stones and he died. Therefore, King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste to flee to Jerusalem.
So Israel had been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. Now it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come back,
they sent for him and called him to the congregation and made him King over all Israel. There was none who followed the house of David,
but the tribe of Judah only. And when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah with the tribe of Benjamin,
180,000 chosen men who were warriors to fight against the house of Israel that he might restore the kingdom to rebel and the son of Solomon.
So by the way, this is one of those verses that kind of gives you a hint that Benjamin has kind of been absolved into Judah because they say Judah alone stayed with Rehoboam,
yet Judah and Benjamin prepare for war. Okay. So that, that’s just kind of the transition that has occurred here.
Um, but the word of the Lord came to shimmy Aja or shim AI, the man of God saying,
speak to Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, King of Judah, to all the house of Judah and Benjamin,
and to the rest of the people saying, thus says the Lord, you shall not go up nor fight against your brother in the children of Israel.
Let every man returned to his house for this thing is from me. Therefore, they obeyed the word of the Lord and turn back according to the word of the Lord.
God says, wake up, call. You’re not in charge here. Go home. Do not go to war against your brethren.
I determined that this would happen. And so they returned home one of the few times that the word of the Lord comes through the man of God and they actually listen.
Then Jeroboam built Shekem in the mountains of Ephraim and dwelt there and also he went out from there and built Pennywell and Jeroboam said in his heart,
now the kingdom may return to the house of David. If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem,
then the heart of this people will turn back to their Lord, Rehoboam King of Judah, and they will kill me and go back to REIA bone King of Judah.
Therefore, the King asked advice, uh, the therefore the King asked advice made two calves of gold and said to the people,
it is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt.
And he set up one in Bethel and the other in Dan. Now this thing became a sin for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan,
he made shrines on the high places and made priests from every class of people who were not of the sons of Levi Jeroboam ordained to feast on the 15th day of the eighth month,
which is by the way, one month after when it was supposed to be the day of atonement, uh,
like the feast that was in Judah and offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did at Bethel sacrificing to the calves that he had made.
And that Bethel, he installed the priests of the high places which he had made. So he made offerings on the altar,
which he had made it Bethel on the 15th day of the eighth month in the month in which he advised or devised in his own heart and he ordained a feast for the children of Israel and offered sacrifices on the altar and burned incense.
We will go into more of those details at a later point, but let’s go through the questions. Under what conditions did the people of Israel say they would follow Rehoboam,
Solomon’s son,<inaudible> if you ease their burden or lighten their load. Rehoboam followed the council of a,
the elders who had served as father or be the young men who had grown up with him, be the young men.
Number three Rehoboam said he would make the yolk of the people a heavy or be light. Hey, heavy number four,
Rehoboam Solomon’s son reigned only over the tribe of Judah according to verse 17. But of course we know Benjamin is also involved.
Ray Jeroboam ruled over all the tribes except Judah. Why did Rehoboam, the son of Solomon and the warriors from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin not attack Israel as planned?
The Lord sent the man of God to them and told them to go home. Mmm. Y uh,
sorry. That’s the same one. Uh, number seven, to encourage worship, Jeroboam did not a place the golden calf at Bethel and at Dan B make priests other than the sons of Levi C Institute of feast or D,
send the people to the temple of Jerusalem.<inaudible> D did not send them to the temple at Jerusalem.
Okay. Thank you for your attention. Our time has expired.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> good morning.
Welcome to the carnival church Christ Sunday morning services. It is really great to see each and everyone of you here this morning and we have several visitors with us and we are so glad that you chose to come worship God with us here at Colleyville church.
Christ this morning they have several announcements. Uh, first we’ll uh, go through our sick. Please remember a root,
Ellen, Dorothy Wilson. They continue to struggle with their chronic problems, so keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
Betty Lou is still working on recovering from her carpal tunnel syndrome. I did talk to a lucky yesterday afternoon and he said they are still working on getting in to see a neurologist to try to pinpoint exactly what else can be done to help her with her issues there.
Uh, Joan Springer is home from the hospital, but she will start, matter of fact, it starts today already 11 o’clock every day.
She has a daily infusion. So Marie will not be able to be here this morning because he has to take her in for a daily infusion to help with her pneumonia problems.
And we are praying that that will get her back on the right road, right track so that she can come back and worship and live a good life again.
Marvin, man, Beverly’s father, he’s kind of up and down depending on what they do for him.
Beverly is, Sandy gave him an iron shot the other day and then he’s feeling really good and he is scheduled for another treatment on the 23rd.
So he’s kind of comes and goes up and down. So please continue to pray for Marvin. Beverly herself is still working through her,
uh, heart rate and her blood pressure issues has her good days and her bad days and she is here today.
So that’s great to see Beverly, uh, continue to remember to pray for a case and family and the loss of her sister Julia.
Other announcements, uh, talking with Joel. Kyle cares will not meet tomorrow night. Uh, you know,
you, everybody that meets in a fellowship hall does some cards and stuff like that and any cards that don’t get done,
Joe and Becky would probably take care of them at home this week. The area wide Bible ball that’s scheduled for this coming Saturday at four o’clock to our knowledge is still on the schedule.
If that changes we will let everybody know cause right now we have not heard anything on that but we will reach out and try to find out what the status is if we were planning on holding that area.
Why Bible bowl with the other two congregations next Saturday I have a thank you card. It’s from Charles Webster says to the Colleyville church.
I would like to thank each and every one of you for your calls cards, texts during his recent uh,
accident and recovery. He appreciates each and every one of us. Thanks Charles Webster. I’ll put this up on a bulletin board out there after I get done here.
The man this afternoon after second service, we plan on meeting cause we need to discuss what path we need to take as a congregation as far as our services,
our Bible study and et cetera due to the Corona virus or the Colvin 19, whichever one you want to consider that.
So please men, if you are available after a second service today, we plan on meeting and whatever decisions are made for the congregation by the man,
we will get that to each and every one of you just as soon as we possibly can. Okay.
Uh, talking with Ava and my wife because my wife was scheduled to start teaching the ladies ladies Bible class for the next book,
the book of judges, they have decided because of the personnel that come to that class are susceptible older,
have a different various issues and stuff. They are going to suspend that class until further notice until we get past the Corona virus thing.
So ladies, Bible class will not meet until further notice. Uh, Ava and Cheryl are probably going to get together.
They’re talking about possibility of doing up some questions and having them available each Sunday morning here for those that did come to that class for the different books that they were planning on studying.
So more to come on that, but they will not be meeting, uh, today’s service or this morning service song service will be led by Aaron coats,
art opening prayer. BJ Shafir sermon is Eric Richardson and I have the closing prayer. Thank you.<inaudible>.
Good morning. Take your songbooks if you will, and open them to number 483, 483 is it for me?<inaudible> is it for me dear save<inaudible> Oh,<inaudible> walk and I bought<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> and um,
we uh, or is it for me? Hi. Welcome gracious.<inaudible> for me.<inaudible> for me.
So four loves and all say my reading, Hema walk and<inaudible> and magnify and Brazy and love the uh,<inaudible> Oh,
save your precious. Save. My art is a knife.<inaudible> I bless the eye.<inaudible> the um,
the I long tomb, he read all, say my reading, uh, walk and<inaudible> and magnify and Bray busy and love the uh,<inaudible> Oh,
be with the fall.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> praise the and love the, uh,<inaudible> say my reading<inaudible> and magnify and Bray Z.
Um, I love the, uh, uh, will now be led in our opening prayer.<inaudible><inaudible> almighty God,
our father in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Father, it is with humble hearts. We come before your throne this hour acknowledging you as our creator,
the creator of the entire universe. And we realized as part of your creation, we cannot begin to realize the true magnificence of your intellect.<inaudible> we do realize though,
father, that you have a special spot in your heart for us as humans, that you have blessed us with a soul.
And if we cultivate and maintain that relationship with you, that we, we will have someday that home with you and heaven.
We’re so very grateful that you provided that pathway through your son. That if we would follow in his footsteps,
we have that hope. We’re also grateful for that pattern of life that you have provided through his word.
The congregation was established here in Collierville. We pray for it that we will always adhere very closely and we will do everything within our power to make it a possibility that we have that home with you.
We realized father that we are, we can symbol creatures at times and we often deviate from that pathway and we pray for your forgiveness as we repent and turn from him.
We know also father that we are challenged at this present time with the virus that is spreading throughout the country.
We pray for our leadership that you’ll grant them the wisdom too. Okay. Make this as minimally invasive as possible.
That we will, once again, they restored to our country’s good health. We’re mindful of members here that are sick.
We pray for them, they speedy recovery. We’re grateful for those that have returned to her a number and we’re also mindful of those that have lost loved ones recently.
The case and family, we pray that you will comfort them as only you can. We’re also mindful of many of our younger people that are going to be at home now.
Re pray with this, uh, adjusted schedule that everyone is enduring, that everyone will go about this in a peaceful manner,
that no harm may come to anyone. We’re also mindful of the teachers and health workers and the people that are subjected to this virus.
That all will be well as we go through the further exercise of this worship service. We pray that our worship do.
You will be in spirit and truth and a sweet savor. It’s in your son’s name. We pray.
Amen. Yeah. Our next song will be number 315. We’ll use this as a song to prepare our mind for the Lord’s supper.
315 when<inaudible><inaudible> Oh, on which the<inaudible> Laurie<inaudible><inaudible> um,<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> uh,<inaudible> uh,<inaudible> same things.
Ah.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> is a yay.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> so<inaudible><inaudible> to log.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> right.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> uh,<inaudible> two hours.<inaudible><inaudible> uh,
the, uh, the same man’s my eyes. Uh, uh, uh, Oh.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> our father who art in heaven.
We thank me for this first day of the week and the opportunity to, we have to gather around that table.
We thanked me for this. Loaf was dressed as Christian represents the body that was broken on the cross that we might have forgiveness of our sin.
We pray as we take it. We examine our hearts and do an amount of pleasing and I cite in Christ name we pray.
Amen.<inaudible> let us pray. Heavenly father, we’re thankful there’s fruit of the van represents Jesus’ blood that was shed on the cross for the sins of man can for having a fall.
You have to forgive us of our sins. Amen. This concludes the lower supper. We’ll use this time as a convenient time to give back because we’ve been blessed.
Let us pray. Our father who art in heaven, we thank you for this day with 90 for the many blessings of life that you give us each day.
We thank thee for the means we have earning a living to support our families and this congregation here in climb.
We pray that this will be used wisely and do to further that kingdom and crashed name we pray. Amen.<inaudible> next song will be number 469 469 faith is the victory.<inaudible> Christian soldiers rise and press<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> the victory.<inaudible> don’t worry that over comes his band.<inaudible> gone.
We tread<inaudible><inaudible> a victory. Fang is a victory. Oh God. Dory<inaudible> on every hand enough.
Oh, we find drawn up and dread<inaudible> be left behind and<inaudible> truth all good. Uh, me a shout.<inaudible><inaudible> there’s a victory.<inaudible> there’s a victory.<inaudible> don’t worry over<inaudible> though to him.<inaudible> why Ray man shall be IM me for the angels.
He shall know his name and fast and had a man on word from the Hills of line.<inaudible><inaudible> well,
vanquish.<inaudible> it’s gone. Green name.<inaudible> there’s a victory. Hey, there’s a victory. Oh,
Dory. That over comes up song before the scripture reading and the sermon will be number 400 9,490 it is well with my soul when he is like,
it is. Well,<inaudible> mice. My<inaudible> uh,<inaudible> uh, my<inaudible> in port<inaudible><inaudible> yes.<inaudible> no raise a lot,
right?<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> with my eyes.<inaudible> yay. Well,<inaudible> mice. Mmm. Hey,
it’s uh, eh when uh, yay shall be a night no.<inaudible> rolling.<inaudible> okay.<inaudible> the<inaudible><inaudible> so yay.
Mice as when my eyes<inaudible><inaudible> uh, yeah, it is my song long. If you will,
please stand for the scripture reading scripture. Reading will come from Philippians chapter four, Philippians chapter four, and in verse four,
as soon as I can get to Philippians, Philippians chapter four, and in verse four, rejoice in the Lord always again,
I say rejoice. The invitation song will be number 922, 922 and now, Eric, you may be seated.
Good morning. So good to see each one of you here this morning. The topic that I’ve chose for this morning is worry and it’s interesting.
The song that we just sang, it is well with my soul. If you know the history of that song,
the man that wrote it had just lost his son in a fire and I think his wife also and then not a day later heard that his daughter had drowned in the ocean.
He sat down and wrote that song. It as well with my soul. There was a study done not long ago that found that 75% of adults in America say that they deal with medium to high levels of stress every day.
I also found that 45% of adults say that they worry every day. Worry and stress can overcome us.
We all are going to have stresses in our life. We’re all going to have worries, but there is a point where it can overcome us and take over our life.
I think that this topic is relevant. I mean the thing about today with what’s going on with the Corona virus,
but I think it’s also pertinent to our life. No matter what the day is. We all, I know myself,
I struggle with worry and I needed this study and I pray that as we go through studying about worry this morning that it will help you also,
and this morning I want to go to Philippians chapter four and in Philippians four Paul wrote to the Philippians about this subject of worry and we’re going to notice four things.
We’re going to know. We’re going to notice the reason for joy, the reason for worry, the recipe for a change,
a transformed mind, and the reward of a transformed mine. Go with me to Philippians four and verse four we’re going to notice the reason for joy.
Paul wrote, rejoice in the Lord always again, I will say rejoice. Think about Paul situation of where he’s at.
He’s in prison at this time. He writes to the Philippians and thinking about Paul and his life, he had many things to cause him to worry and distress,
but yet he wrote and said, rejoice in the Lord always. And again, I say rejoice. Think about the world that the Philippians lived in.
The ruler at this time was Nero. Nero was killing Christians for no reason. He drugged them to prisons.
He killed them with not him. And thinking twice about it, he lit his gardens with Christians. Yeah,
Paul, in all of those things going on in his life, all of the things going on the in the life of the Philippians,
he could write to them and say, rejoice in the Lord always. And again, I say rejoice.
Now the word rejoice means to be exceedingly glad to be cheerful. And Paul uses that phrase twice. He says,
rejoice and rejoice this for emphasis. He says, you have reason to rejoice. Christians. Why? Notice the phrase in the Lord,
and if you look that phrase up in the new Testament is found 44 times in the Lord. I want to notice a few of those that show us why Paul could rejoice in the Lord.
In first Corinthians chapter one in verse 31 let’s start there, and first Corinthians chapter one and verse 31 Paul writing to the Corinthians said in verse 31 let’s start in verse 30 it says,
but of him, you are in Christ Jesus who became for us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption,
that as it is written, he who glories, let him glory in the Lord. We have reason as Christians to glory in the Lord.
Go to chapter 15 now in verse 58 first Corinthians 1558<inaudible> notice Paul says, therefore my beloved brethren,
be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
Paul said, I know, I know that the things that I’ve done, the work that is being done in the,
in the brotherhood, it was not in vain because it’s in the Lord worked as being done in other places.
It has some meaning, but it has greater meaning. Knowing that it is in the Lord. Paul says,
labor is not in vain in the Lord. Fijian chapter one and verse 15 Ephesians one in first 15 Paul States Fu fusions one verse 15 therefore,
I also, if I’ve heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,
go to Phillip. Ephesians chapter six now in verse 10 Ephesians six and verse 10 says, finally my brethren,
be strong in the Lord and in the power of his mind we find strength in the Lord. If you go to first Thessalonians three verse eight assists to stand fast in the Lord and second Thessalonians three and verse four,
confidence in the Lord. We could go on and on. There is so many words to describe what it means to be in the Lord.
You put all of these things together. Paul shows us that we have great reason to rejoice in the Lord because they’re in the Lord.
We find strength. We are called, we are in the Lord. We are redeemed. We can find strength and confidence in the Lord.
Therefore, Paul writes and tells them to rejoice in the Lord. Always, and again I say rejoice,
but notice Paul gives us another reason to rejoice. Go back to Philippians four and look at verse five Philippians four verse five it says,
let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Think about that statement. The Lord is at hand when something is at hand,
it’s right there. Paul knew with being in the Lord that the Lord was right there at all times when he needed him.
When he was worrying, when things were tough, he knew that he could go to God, right then the Lord is at hand.
Matthew chapter 28 and verse 20 Jesus said, and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
Paul could rejoice knowing the Lord was at hand. He was near. Paul found many reasons to rejoice in the Lord.
He told the Philippians to have that same joy, but Paul understood that we do have worries. We do have anxieties and we have stress.
Notice what Paul says next, the reason for worry, verse six six B, be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving.
Let your request be made known to God. That phrase in the first part, it says, be anxious for nothing.
It means to be anxious about having a distracting care. It’s the idea of being pulled in different directions,
distracting. It’s the idea of one that is this over here, causes of stress and worry. This over here causes stress and worry that over there all these different things pull us all these different directions to cause us to be overcome to get down.
It’s interesting this word, how it’s used. I want to look at a couple places. Go to Matthew chapter six Matthew chapter six and look at verse 25<inaudible>.
Matthew six 25 therefore I say to you, do not worry. There’s our word. 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 and body more than clothing.
Look at verse 28 so why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow.
They neither toil nor spin. God tells us, why do you worry the word, the word word here is being pulled in different directions,
being overcome, worried about the necessities of life and Jesus tells him in verse 33 but Siki first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all of these things shall be added unto you.
Well, we are in the Lord. We have no reason to worry about the necessities of life because God’s going to take care of us,
but yet a person can become overcome with anxiety over these things. Jesus says, remember who you are.
Go to Luke chapter 10 another example of this word. Use Luke chapter 10 we know this account. This is the account of Mary and Martha,
and I want to start in verse 38 Luke 10 38 says, now it happened as they went, that he entered in a certain village and a certain woman named Martha welcomed him into her house and she had a sister called Mary who also said at Jesus’ feet and heard his word,
but Martha was distracted with much serving and she approached him and said, Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?
Therefore, tell her to help me. Notice what Jesus says. Verse 41 and Jesus answered and said to her,
Martha, Martha, you are worried. Here’s our word and troubled about many things, but one thing is needed.
And Mary had chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her. Mary chose to sit down at the feet of Jesus and listen,
but Martha, Jesus says was troubled about many things. She was worried about many things she wanted to make sure was perfect from the food to the preparations to the looking at who knows the different things in her home.
She wanted to make sure everything was perfect and look what happened. It overcome her. She became anxious and worried.
Jesus says, don’t worry, you are worried. Over many things. Martha, Mary has chosen the good part.
There’s our word describes what it, what it means to be anxious for nothing. A very similar word is used in Matthew 13 in verse 22 Matthew 13 and verse 22 when it’s talking about the parable of the sower.
And look at verse 22 it says, now he who receives seed among the thorns is he who hears the word and the cares.
There’s our word of this world in the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and he becomes unfruitful is the one where the seed is planted in that soil who grows up,
but yet the cares of this life, the anxieties, the troubles of this world choke them and they die.
The plant dies. Sometimes the cares, the troubles of this world, the anxieties of this world can choke us.
And Luke chapter 21 one more. Just place to look. Luke 21 and verse 34 Luke 2134 but take heed to yourselves less your hearts.
Be weighted down with carousing drunkenness and cares. There’s our word of this life and that day come on you unexpectedly.
Anxieties and troubles can cause us to not focus on what is important in life and that is preparing for the Lord to come back.
Each one of these verses paint a picture of a person who is constantly distracted with worry to the point that it pulls them away from the joy that they should have.
Therefore, Paul says this, go back to Philippians four six says, be anxious for nothing. Don’t let those cares of this world.
Do not let those worries trouble you and gets you down. Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving,
let your request be made known to God. One of the beautiful things, the most amazing things we have with being in the Lord for being a Christian is that the Lord is at hand and we can go to him in prayer.
Paul tells us to take those things to him, but I want to notice something else about that. When we think about everything,
everything in the context means the worries. It means the bad things, but there’s also another context here.
There’s the good things. There’s the things that we should rejoicing. I want us to think if we look at our lives and we focus on the fact that when we look at how we pray,
if we only go to God in prayer when things are bad, maybe our focus in life is not right.
That means that maybe we’re focused only on the negative things we should be going to God in the good things.
Also thanking him for the joys that we have in the Lord. Therefore, notice Paul tells us, even though that might happen if we find ourselves in that situation where our focus on life is not on the positive,
but always on the negative. Notice there’s a recipe. There’s a recipe for a transformed mind. Look at verse seven Philippians four verse seven it says,
in the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. We want that peace.
We want that peace that we can have in our life. When those worries come on us, that we can put it on someone else,
put it on the Lord, but how do we have that piece? We have to have that transform mind.
That recipe is found in verse eight but be anxious or verse eight says, finally brethren, whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are noble whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report. If there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy,
meditate on these things. The new King James says, think on these things. We need to change our focus.
We need to think on the positive things, not the negative. When we focus on the positive things,
our outlook on life changes. Look what Paul tells us to focus on. The first one is on true things,
truth. This word means free from to see not false things. Think about the world around us and how much false information is out there.
We have this information. We don’t know if it’s true, this information, if we don’t know it’s true and what does it do?
A person can the consumed with that. Well, I don’t know if he’s really telling the truth but it really worries me and this over here,
it might cause me to work. I don’t know if they’re telling the truth and what does it do?
It consumes us. It causes us to worry and to be anxious. We need to focus on what is true and what is the one thing that we know is always going to be true.
So word of God, God is always true. Let us focus on the true things. Focus on God,
not the false information that’s around us. The next one’s whatsoever things is noble or honest. The word here means to be honorable,
worthy of respect. We need to focus our minds on things that will bring us respect, not shame.
The opposite of being honest here is self pleasing, arrogant and ungodly. When we have a mind that’s arrogant or on godly or self pleasing,
it’s going to cause us many stresses in our life. It’s going to cause us worry and anxiety because we’re focused on me,
but gee, Paul tells us here to focus on honorable things, worthy things. The next word says focus on,
he tells us to whatsoever things are just, this is the word righteous. This is our dealings with one another.
We need to make sure that we’re focused on treating others the way they should be treated and other word that could be used here is integrity.
Now integrity is knowing what is right. Knowing what to do is right and doing that in all aspects of our life.
Think about that. If we live a life of integrity, we’re always thinking on trying to be honest and just and righteous in all of our dealings.
We’re not going to have to look back and worry about what we’ve done. We’re not going to worry about,
maybe we treated this person wrong, they’re go to find out. But yet we can walk our life with integrity,
focused on what is honest and just think on these things whatsoever. Things are pure. The word pure means to be clean,
morally right? Well, we do not have pure thoughts in our life. Make a really bring a lot of stress and worries into our minds.
The opposite. Appear as deceitful, dirty, profane, wicked. We need to put those things out of our minds.
Put the wicked thoughts out of our minds, the dirty, deceitful things and focus on pure, clean things.
Cause when we do that, it transforms our life. When we are focused on profane, wicked things,
it brings us great mental stress and anxiety whatsoever. Things are lovely. This is me. This means loving,
showing love. It’s interesting, this word means to, and it’s another word, it’s a compound word,
a phileo love. Love that we should have for our brethren to love, to be friendly. When we focus our minds on pleasing others to doing what’s best for our brethren,
it’s going to change our life. Having true love for others will help us to not think the negatives about them.
Sometimes we can get ourselves caught in that thinking the negatives of the other person, but we’re focused on the positive things about them and we’re focused on praising and focus on pleasing them and doing what we can for them.
It will change our lives. It will transform our minds whatsoever. Things are of good report. This means living our life,
knowing that we focus on positive things and then I get a bad report of focusing on the negative whatsoever things or virtue and virtue.
Virtue is moral excellence that is focusing our life on being morally upright and all things moral excellence. Our character is to be morally excellent.
And then the last one, praise. This is the idea of praising others. We focus on praising our brethren,
praising others for the good things that they’ve done. We don’t focus on the negative things. We don’t have time to focus on the negative things because we’re focused on praising them.
Paul tells us, take all of these things, make them a part of our life, and we do that.
We’re not going to be focused on the negative. We’re not going to have time to focus on the negative because we’re focus is going to be on the positive things.
What is true? What is honest, what is clean, what is pure? All of those things will help transform our minds and when we do that,
it’s amazing. Paul tells us there’s a reward for a transformed mind. Look at verse nine the things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me,
these do in the God of peace will be with you. Paul tells them, look at my life.
Look what I look where I’m at. I’m in prison yet I can write to you with joy the things that I’ve gone through.
I still have joy because I’m in the Lord. Paul says, and other place be imitators of me as I am of Christ.
Paul tells them to have that same joy in their life. Notice the reward that we have and we do this.
The last part of that verse and the God of peace will be with you when you put God of fill in the blank.
What does that mean Supreme, the mass most amazing, the best peace we can ever have. What is that piece?
Verse seven Paul already told us that verse seven in the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
It’s a peace that passes all understanding. That means that I cannot stand up here and describe to you how great this piece is.
You have to know it. You have to have it in your life. You, when you have that piece,
you will know it and you’ll be hard to explain. Think about Matthew chapter 11 verse 28 when Jesus says,
come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy Laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly and hearts and you shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Think about the peace that comes when those worries are on us.
When that stress in life is there, we can take that stress and that worry and lay it on the shoulders of Christ.
Take it off of our hearts and lay it on him. Then we have true peace. What a great reward.
What a great reward it is to have a transformed mind. Notice what else Paul tells us. Look at verse 10 but I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now it’s your last care for me has flourished again though you surely did care,
but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in regard to need for. I have learned in whatsoever state I am to be content.
I know how to be a base and I know how to abound every where and in all things. I have learned both to be full and to be hungry,
both to abound and to suffer need. Another reward we have is that we can have contentment. The word contentment there has the idea of being independent of outer circumstances.
Think about Paul. Paul says in whatsoever state, I am, I have learned to be content. Think about all the States that Paul was in in second Corinthians chapter 11 you start in verse 23 and you read about what Paul had went through.
He was shipwrecked, he was beaten. He was stoned. He was, uh, he was, uh,
whipped 39 save one. He was thrown in prison. Yet Paul can write to them and say in whatsoever state,
I am, I have learned to beacon tent. That’s amazing. Whatsoever state Paul was, and he learned to be content.
And Paul, notice he tells us he had to learn it. It’s not something we’re just going to have.
I myself know that I need to learn. I struggle with contentment and I don’t feel like I’m alone in that.
We may think, well, if I just, this could happen in my life, I would be better if this would just change.
That would be better. I all of these things, Paul could have done it. He could have said,
well, if I just wasn’t in prison, I would be happy. I would be content. If I just would not got beat yesterday,
I would be happy. Yeah. Paul says, and whatsoever stayed on him. I have learned to be content.
I think about Isaiah. We looked at Isaiah this week in class or this last week, and Isaiah 51 Isaiah,
he knows what’s going on. He knows what’s going to happen is coming. He’s going to be going into captivity.
These captors are going to come in. They’re going to destroy Jerusalem, and he prays to God with these worries and these stresses and God in a way he responds to him.
Paraphrasing here, he says, Isaiah, who is in control of the captors? God is Isaiah, who is the one putting you into captivity?
Putting the people in a captivity. God is Isaiah who is in control of everything God is so Isaiah,
why are you worried that same things could be asked to us today? Who’s in control of this world?
God is who’s in control of our country. God is who’s in control of everything God is. So why do we worry guys?
Brethren, we are in the Lord and when we are in the Lord, we have reason to joy.
We have reason to not to be overcome with anxiety, with worry. Notice, while Paul sums this up,
back in Philippians chapter four and verse 13 Paul States I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me in the context.
Paul’s talking about stress. He’s talking about worries. He’s talking about those things that happen in their lives.
Yeah. Paul could say when those things happen, when the suffering comes, when those anxieties come, that worry and that stress,
you can look to God. You can look to Christ who strengthens you. Isn’t that amazing? Isn’t that a great blessing to know that we can look to the Lord for strength and we know that since we are in the Lord,
we will make it through God’s there with us. But to have that joy, to have that joy,
you have to be in the Lord. If you’re not in the Lord this morning, you don’t have this joy.
You don’t have God right there at hand. You don’t have the peace that comes with being in the Lord and you do not have contentment that is only found in the Lord.
Ephesians one and verse three it says, bless me, the godfather of our Lord Jesus Christ who had blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places.
Notice the play. Yes in Christ. We have to be in the Lord to have these blessings. And if you’re not,
don’t put it off. I know that we have worries and stresses in our life and sometimes they can get to the point where they just overcome our life,
but we if you, if you are in the Lord, you can take that load and put it on him and that piece that comes passes all understanding,
but to be in the Lord, you have to follow his plan of salvation. Jesus said that he is the way,
the truth, the life. No man going to the father but by him. John 14 in verse six you have to hear the message.
Romans chapter 10 and verse 17 you have to believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God. Mark chapter 16 verse 15 and 16 you have to repent of your sins.
Acts chapter three and verse 19 to confess that Jesus Christ is the son of God. Romans chapter 10 verse nine and 10 and to be baptized into Christ,
Romans six verse three through four when we do that, we have our sins washed away. Acts two in verse 38 and then he says in acts two in verse 47 that you are added to his church.
You are in the Lord. You have that peace. You have that joy. You have that contentment of being in the Lord.
If you’re not a Christian, don’t put it off. Do it today. Or maybe you have wandered away.
Maybe you have those worries and anxieties in your life and you need to get back to the Lord. Don’t put it off.
Today is that day to come back. We will pray with you and we will help you, encourage you.
Whatever your name may be, please do it now as we stand and as we sing<inaudible> or child<inaudible> watch and<inaudible> find it.
Me.<inaudible> Jesus paid it to him. I owe. Okay.<inaudible> I had left a grim sons.<inaudible> he was white as<inaudible>.<inaudible> indeed.
Uh huh. Uh, I, uh, and uh, Dan<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Oh God.<inaudible> jeez.
Paid at home.<inaudible> to him. I, Oh.<inaudible> had left a Crimson<inaudible> yay. Wide as<inaudible> and<inaudible> for the<inaudible>.
Nice. And in him come<inaudible> ah,<inaudible> my trophies.<inaudible><inaudible> jeez.<inaudible> Jesus paid it all to him.
I<inaudible> had left a grim. Grimson<inaudible><inaudible> wide. As we do appreciate each and every one of your presence,
we are grateful to have you, especially all of our visitors. Uh, we do want to remind you to be back,
uh, this afternoon at one 30 as well as for the men, the reminder of the meeting after services this afternoon.
Uh, be, be mindful of that as well. Song before our closing prayer will be number 711.
Appreciate that lesson, Eric. That was a wonderful job. Seven one one bless. Be the tie.<inaudible><inaudible> the<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> me<inaudible> we<inaudible> ah,<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> as we share our<inaudible> ah,<inaudible> uh,
ah.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> when, uh, uh,<inaudible> ma, we shall see.<inaudible><inaudible> Oh two.
Yeah. Well now be led in our closing prayer. God, our father in heaven. We come to you at this time,
thanking you for another opportunity to assemble here this morning to sing songs of praise to your great name, but most importantly,
study another portion of your word. And God, we ask that you help each and every one of us because it’s our human nature to worry and distress over things that brother Eric told us we should not stress over because that’s what you told us in the Bible and in your words.
So help each and every one of us to lay our worries and our stresses at your feet and help us to overcome them and have faith in you each and every day that you will take care of each and every one of us.
Okay? Lord, we know that each of us have an opportunity from time to time to fall short of your glory,
and we ask that you forgive us when we do fall short and Lord, as we prepared to part here,
we ask that you go with each and every one of us to guide, guard, and protect us.
We pray all this through your son Jesus name. Amen.
Lesson
175 – AHIJAH -1 Kings 12 – Rehoboam King of Judah; Jeroboam King of Israel –
Questions:
Under what
conditions did the people of Israel say they would follow Rehoboam, Solomon’s
son? 1 Kings 12:4
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Rehoboam followed
the counsel of (a) the elders who had served his father or (b) the young men
who had grown up with him. 1 Kings 12:8, 13-14
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Rehoboam said he
would make the yoke of the people (a) heavy or (b) light. 1 Kings 12:14
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Rehoboam,
Solomon’s son, reigned only over the tribe of _____ . 1 Kings 12:17
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Jeroboam ruled
over all the tribes except ______ . 1 Kings 12:20
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Why did Rehoboam,
the son of Solomon, and the warriors from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin not
attack Israel as planned? 1 Kings 12:21-24
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
To encourage
worship Jeroboam did not (a) place a golden calf at Bethel and at Dan, (b) make
priests other than the sons of Levi, (c) institute a feast, or (d) send the
people to the temple at Jerusalem. 1 Kings 12:26-33
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Watch more of Aaron’s videos about Salvation, the Gospel, the good news, the gospel message salvation, and in-depth studies of the books of the Bible by visiting https://cozort.org, and Collierville church of Christ.
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.
To learn more about the Collierville church of Christ, visit colliervillecoc.org
Ephesians 5:23 – For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.
Transcript:
Who’s the head of your home?
There’s a lot of people of society who don’t like that question, and they certainly don’t like the Bible’s answer.
But in Ephesians Chapter five, Verse 23 we read, For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Husband, are you the head of your home? Wife, are you submitting to your husband?
Ephesians 5:24 – Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
Transcript:
Does your church submit to Christ?
In Ephesians Chapter five, Verse 24 we read, Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Paul says that the church is to submit to Christ.
When you look at your church, are you seeing things where, they’re saying, I know that’s what Christ said, I know that’s what the Bible says, but that’s not what you have to do? Is your church submitting to Christ?
Ephesians 5:21 – Submitting to one another in the fear of God.
Transcript:
How should a Christian live? He should live in a way that’s kind.
He should live in a way that’s forgiving. He should live in a way that’s loving. He should live in a way that’s sacrificing.
All of these things, Paul says in Ephesians chapter five, but he should also live in a way that is submissive.
Paul says in Ephesians chapter five, verse 21, Submitting to one another, those are Christians, to one another, in the fear of God. Humble yourself before your brethren and submit to one another.
Ephesians 5:23 – For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.
Transcript:
Who’s the head of your home?
There’s a lot of people of society who don’t like that question, and they certainly don’t like the Bible’s answer.
But in Ephesians Chapter five, Verse 23 we read, For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Husband, are you the head of your home? Wife, are you submitting to your husband?
For more from the Collierville Church of Christ, visit www.colliervillecoc.org.
Watch more of Aaron’s videos about Salvation, the Gospel, the good news, the gospel message salvation, and in-depth studies of the books of the Bible by visiting https://cozort.org, and Collierville church of Christ.
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.
To learn more about the Collierville church of Christ, visit colliervillecoc.org
Watch more of Aaron’s videos about Salvation, the Gospel, the good news, the gospel message salvation, and in-depth studies of the books of the Bible by visiting https://cozort.org, and Collierville church of Christ.
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.
To learn more about the Collierville church of Christ, visit colliervillecoc.org
Ephesians 5:19 – Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord
Transcript:
What should we do in song? What should we do when we’re singing? Paul says. We are to be speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody and our heart to the Lord.
But then he says this, we are to be giving thanks always for all things to God, the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. When you’re singing, may I encourage you, sing songs of thanksgiving.
Ephesians 5:19 – Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord
Transcript:
What should we do in song? What should we do when we’re singing? Paul says. We are to be speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody and our heart to the Lord.
But then he says this, we are to be giving thanks always for all things to God, the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. When you’re singing, may I encourage you, sing songs of thanksgiving.
For more from the Collierville Church of Christ, visit www.colliervillecoc.org.
Watch more of Aaron’s videos about Salvation, the Gospel, the good news, the gospel message salvation, and in-depth studies of the books of the Bible by visiting https://cozort.org, and Collierville church of Christ.
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.
To learn more about the Collierville church of Christ, visit colliervillecoc.org
Ephesians 5:15-16 – See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Transcript:
See then… What?
Paul says, See then… See then that you walk circumspectly. Paul says. Think about how you spend your time. Think about what you’re doing. Walk, circumspectly, redeeming the time. How are you living today and are you redeeming the time God’s given you on this earth?
Ephesians 5:13-14 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.” Transcript: When people live in a way that’s evil, and when they do things that they want to keep secret, what should you do if you’re observing this? You want to bring the light of Christ into the situation.
We read in Ephesians chapter five, Verse 13. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore, he says, awake, you who sleep arise from the dead and Christ will give you light.
Wake up! Live is a Christian! Shine the light of Christ.
I hope the light of God is in you, today. For more from the Collierville Church of Christ, visit www.colliervillecoc.org.
Watch more of Aaron’s videos about Salvation, the Gospel, the good news, the gospel message salvation, and in-depth studies of the books of the Bible by visiting https://cozort.org, and Collierville church of Christ.
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. To learn more about the Collierville church of Christ, visit colliervillecoc.org
Watch more of Aaron’s videos about Salvation, the Gospel, the good news, the gospel message salvation, and in-depth studies of the books of the Bible by visiting https://cozort.org, and Collierville church of Christ.
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.
To learn more about the Collierville church of Christ, visit colliervillecoc.org
What did God say concerning prayer? 1 Kings 9:3
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
When God spoke to Solomon, how long did he say he would
establish the throne of Solomon over Israel? 1 Kings 9:4-5
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Under what conditions did God tell Solomon that he would
allow the house of God to become “a heap of ruins”? 1 Kings 9:6-8 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(yes or no) Was Hiram, king of Tyre, pleased with Solomon’s
gift of twenty cities? 1 Kings 9:10-13 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Solomon did not use forced laborers to build (a) a museum,
(b) God’s house,
(c) himself a house, or (d) the walls of Jerusalem. 1 Kings 9:15
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Solomon did not have (a) chariots, (b) horses, (c) camels,
or (d) ships.
1 Kings 9:19, 26 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Solomon made slaves of the (a) sons of Israel or (b) the
people of the land not totally conquered. 1 Kings 9:20-22
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Ephesians 5:13-14 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”
Transcript:
When people live in a way that’s evil, and when they do things that they want to keep secret, what should you do if you’re observing this? You want to bring the light of Christ into the situation.
We read in Ephesians chapter five, Verse 13. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore, he says, awake, you who sleep arise from the dead and Christ will give you light.
Wake up! Live is a Christian! Shine the light of Christ.
I hope the light of God is in you, today. For more from the Collierville Church of Christ, visit www.colliervillecoc.org.
Watch more of Aaron’s videos about Salvation, the Gospel, the good news, the gospel message salvation, and in-depth studies of the books of the Bible by visiting https://cozort.org, and Collierville church of Christ.
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.
To learn more about the Collierville church of Christ, visit colliervillecoc.org
Ephesians 5:11-12 – And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.
Transcript: When people live in a way where they want to keep the things that they’re doing a secret, that’s a good indicator that you don’t need to be around them. In Ephesians, chapter five, verse 11, Paul says, And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. There are people doing things in secret that Christians have no business being involved in. Stay away from them.
I hope the light of God is in you, today. For more from the Collierville Church of Christ, visit www.colliervillecoc.org.
Ephesians 5:11 – And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
Transcript: Have you ever heard the phrase when you were growing up: Don’t tell Mom?
I know myself and my brothers, we sometimes said that. We didn’t want one of the other brothers to rat us out.
But, Paul says that we ought to live differently than that. Paul says, in Ephesians chapter five, verse 11, And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
When someone’s doing something that’s truly wrong, shine light on it, speak the truth and expose error.
I hope the light of God is in you, today. For more from the Collierville Church of Christ, visit www.colliervillecoc.org.
Okay. Okay. Yeah. How is everyone doing this evening? Good. Doing well, doing well. We are in first Kings chapter eight again this evening. We noticed at the beginning of this chapter on Sunday and I mentioned then that we weren’t going to get finished with it and we didn’t, we didn’t get any more clubs. Uh, but this,
this is one of the, Um, one of those Key chapters in scripture that very much connects the law to the events of the latter portion of the old Testament, uh, the times of the Kings, the times of the divided nation of Israel, even the times of exile and captivity there. And we’ll see this as we go through. We’re going to not only look back at some of the specific references to the law that’s,
that are here in chapter eight, but we’ll also look forward to a few of the occasions where this passage in view of the law is also, um, referred to or, or at least the concepts there are carried forward. So it’s a, it’s really a fundamental chapter, uh, in the old Testament and kind of one of those that you should just kind of keep track of in your mind that,
that there’s a lot here that’s very important. Let’s begin with a word of prayer. Gracious father in heaven, We come before you, grateful for the day, for the blessings, for the health that we have to assemble together Or mindful of many places throughout the world because of illness and difficulties and disease may not be able to assemble together. We pray that you will be with individuals who are in those countries dealing with virus that is becoming a problem in this world and we pray that they will have safety and health and we pray for the Christians in those regions.
We pray for the missionaries that are throughout the world, that they are also those who remain healthy during this time of uh, difficulty and they are able to continue to travel and continue to reach lost souls and perhaps even have additional doors open to them through this difficulty at times. Lord, we pray that you will be with us as we go through this evening and as we go through this study,
may the things that we read reinforce your word in our heart and our mind. May we learn the things that you would have us to learn and may we put them in our hearts that we might not turn against you, that we might not sin against you, but that we might also know how to return to you and repent when we’ve done wrong. All this we pray in Jesus name.
Amen. Beginning of chapter eight they begin to do what? Dedicate the house of the Lord the so the temple has been built by Solomon and and the people of Israel. It has been finished. They bring up the tabernacle and all of the items that were in the tabernacle to the temple and it is during the seventh month. It is during the feast of the seven month,
seventh month, which was the feast of Tabernacles connected to the feast of Tabernacles was the day of atonement. And so they come to this day that the temple is being consecrated and all these things are going to transpire and they begin offering sacrifices. They begin to go through this consecration process and Solomon will stand up and he will begin to speak. And then around verse 22,
Solomon will begin to pray from verse 22 down through verse 61 is Solomon’s prayer. Um, someone is stated and, and I didn’t count the verses to validate it, but somebody stated this is the longest prayer we have recorded in the old Testament. Um, but it’s certainly uh, fairly lengthy whether it’s the longest one or not. So verse 22 is where we’re going to pick up.
Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven. And he said, Lord God of Israel, there is no gun in heaven above or on earth below. Like you who keep your covenant and mercy with your servants who walk before you with all their hearts. But question, What is the correct posture of prayer?<inaudible> That’s a trick question.<inaudible> Because the answer is a humble heart.
There is no physical posture of prayer that has ever been dictated in old or new Testament. There are many examples of postures of prayer. Um Hmm. This would be one that you probably would very rarely see, But there’s nothing wrong with this one. Uh, here is Solomon and instead of a, I don’t know if he, his head is bowed or not,
but I know where his hands are. His hands are raised up. But you know, there’s an interesting connection there Because when Moses is leading the children of Israel through the wilderness to Mount Sinai and they are attacked and there’s a battle going on and Joshua and the people are fighting and in battle, as long as Moses’s hands were in what position? Israel was winning,
right? Raised. Yeah. But whenever they went down, what happened? They were losing When the, his Ray hands were raised, God was fighting on their behalf. When his hands went down, God wasn’t, They were being defeated. And so eventually because of exhaustion, Moses can’t hold his hands up anymore. So what do they do?<inaudible> All right.
They have him sit down and Aaron and her on either side hold up his hands. Not that there’s anything magical about holding up hands is there. That’s simply what God did in that occasion. We don’t read about it ever again. We don’t read about that being anything other than one thing that occurred and just what it was. Make that point to say God has made it clear that prayer is important.
God has made it clear that prayer in private and public settings is important. Paul will write to Timothy if my memory serves me correctly. First Timothy chapter two and he will make the statement concerning men who are Christians that his desire is that men pray everywhere lifting up. Holy hands. No, I think the emphasis is rightfully placed in that passage, not on the position of the hands,
but on the condition of the hands. The position of the hands lifted up is much less significant than the condition of the hands being Holy<inaudible>. So I say all of this just simply to draw our minds back to, we have traditions of how we do things, but just because someone doesn’t necessarily do it the way we’ve always done it, as long as they do it in an in accordance with scripture and in not in opposition to scripture,
what they’re doing isn’t wrong. So you ever see someone lead a and their hands are lifted up? Don’t think, Oh, I don’t know that guy’s liberal. Don’t think that because that guy may have just read the scripture and said, you know what? This is how a public prayer was led. So I’m going to lead it that way. Oh,
by the way, I actually have, I know someone who grew up doing that because he had read it in the scripture and then was told by someone who was even a preacher to stop doing it because he was causing a problem.<inaudible> Absolutely. So now let’s draw that back to Jesus. His example of the Pharisee and the sinner. Jesus says, here comes this Pharisee and he prays before God and he prays loudly and he talks about everything that he’s done on behalf of the Lord.
And Jesus says his prayer goes nowhere. And yet here’s the sinner who smokes his breast and and recognizes his own sinfulness and Jesus says his prayers heard. So all of this is again simply to remind us, we should look in scripture for examples of how things are done. We should examine those examples, we should learn from them and we should also learn to apply what Jesus and the new Testament has said and not said.
And we should give Liberty where the Bible gives Liberty While also making sure we speak where the Bible speaks. So he says, Lord God of Israel, there is no God in heaven above or on earth below like you who keep your covenant and mercy with your servants who walked before you with all their heart. Here is going to be the concept that is going to carry throughout this whole prayer.
You God, Okay, We’ll maintain your covenant, your promise and your relationship with your people upon a condition. And that is that they will follow you with their whole heart. Okay? He says, you have kept your promise, uh, or she kept what you promised your servant David, my father. You have both spoken with your mouth and fulfilled it with your hand as it is this day.
Therefore, Lord God of Israel now keep you. Keep what you promised your father, your servant David, my father saying, you shall not fail to have a man sit before me on the throne of Israel. Only if your sons take heed to their way that they want before me. As you have walked before me. Question, would there be a time Where the lineage of David stop sitting on the throne of Israel?
Yes, there would. When they went away in the Babylonian captivity, from that moment forward to the day of Christ, there would not be a son of David on a throne in Israel. Four, seven or 600 plus years, no descendant of David would sit on a throne in Israel because no descendant of David would meet the criteria necessary. And because the ones who had come before that lost that right.
And God said no more because they weren’t following after David their father. They weren’t serving the Lord. They weren’t faithful to him. God’s promises were conditional And yet ultimately the fulfillment of second Samuel seven and God’s covenant with David would be his seed. Christ who would sit on a throne And that Peter mentions in acts chapter two but then we read and now I pray,
verse 26 Oh God of Israel. Let your word come true, which you have spoken to your servant David, my father, but will God and indeed dwell on the earth. Behold heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain you. How much less? This temple, which I have built, Solomon, builds this grand structure significantly larger than the tabernacle overlaid with gold made with the greatest and finest craftsmanship that was available made with the Cedars of Lebanon and made with these massive stones.
Never was a was a hammer heard in the, in the whole vicinity of the temple because it was all carved out at the quarry and then brought in built And Solomon gets to the consecration day and says, Oh, by the way, This temple can’t contain you. So sorry to burst any bubbles. If you thought God dwelt in the house, made with hands,
he doesn’t. But turn to Isaiah chapter 66<inaudible> Isaiah chapter 66 and in verse one Isaiah writes, as he closes out his prophecy, thus says the Lord, heaven is my throne and earth is my footstool. Oh, okay. So so God doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands. God would manifest his presence, but God’s real dwelling places is heaven.
But keep reading. Isaiah 66 in verse one he says, and earth is my footstool. Where is the house that you will build me? And where is the rest is the place of my rest? Verse two for all those things my hand has made, God says, what are you going to build for me? Where’s the temple you’re going to build And whose stuff are you going to use?
Because I built everything you have. I made everything that you see. So how are you going to build a temple for me? Well then he says this, and all those things exist as the Lord. But on this one, will I look On him who is poor and have a contract spirit? And who trembles at my word? God says, you won’t build a temple for me to dwell in.
You won’t contain me. But I’ll tell you who I’ll abide with. Not the person who walks in my Gates of my temple in Jerusalem, but the person whose heart is willing to submit to me. So what Solomon says here is you’ll dwell with Israel so long as they will dwell with you. And Isaiah is saying the same thing centuries later. But then notice we read verse 28 yet regard the prayer of your servant and his suffocation.
Oh Lord my God. And listen to the cry and the prayer which your servant is praying before you today. Solomon just requests and reiterate. Lord, hear us in this prayer, that your eyes may be open toward this temple night and day toward the place of which you said, my name shall be there. That you may hear the prayer which your servants make toward this place.
And you may and may you hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place here in heaven, your dwelling place. And when you hear, forgive, God had said, I will put my name here. And Solomon says, Lord, if you’re going to put your name here, then will you. You keep your eyes on this place.
You keep eyes on it day and night. And when you hear the prayer of Israel coming toward this place, being prayed toward this location and you hear the supplication of Israel, hear it, and forgive Daniel chapter six We made mention of this that we didn’t, I don’t think we actually turned over and looked at it. Daniel chapter six Verse 10 now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed,
that is the law that said, you can’t pray to anyone other than Darius. He went home and in his upper room with his windows opened towards Jerusalem. He knelt down on his knees three times that day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom. Since early days<inaudible> He knelt down and prayed. Ah, so there’s yours.
There’s another posture, one sanding up with arms raised, one kneeling now, but he kneels down with what?<inaudible>. Humble heart. But a window open window open facing where Jerusalem, by all indications, he’s in Babylon, Maybe Susa, depending upon the time. So he’s not in Israel, buddies praying back towards, Well not the temple. Why wasn’t he praying toward the temple there?
There wasn’t a Dumble, But where was the place where God had said he’d put his name Cause it wasn’t about a physical temple. And so Daniel still prayed toward that place. But then also Nehemiah chapter one Over in the Mio<inaudible>. We read in Nehemiah chapter one in verse five and I said, I pray Lord God of heaven. Oh great. And awesome.
Gone. You who keep your covenant and mercy with those who love you and observe your commandments. Please let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, that you may hear the prayer of your servant, which I pray before you now they in night for the children of Israel, your servants and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which they have sinned against you.
Both my father’s house and I have sinned. We have acted corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances would you commanded your servant Moses. Remember, I pray the word that you commanded your servant Moses saying, if you are unfaithful, I will you among the nations. But if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them though,
some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet will I gather them from there and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for my name Here. Nehemiah is after centuries of the existence of the nation of Israel from the time of Solomon, after 70 years in Babylonian captivity and after additional times where Niamh time where Nehemiah is still there working in the palace of the King and there are those back in Jerusalem and they’re struggling and he still rehearses this prayer and its connection back to the law.<inaudible> That’s why I say this is one of those fundamental chapters of the old Testament because here you find two individuals centuries later coming right back to this In their own prayers.
Verse 30 and you may hear your supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when you pray or when they pray toward this place here in heaven, your dwelling place and when you hear forgive, when anyone sins against his neighbor and is forced to take an oath and comes and takes an oath before your altar in the temple, then here in heaven and act and judge your servants condemning the wicked,
bringing his way on his head and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness. This references back to Exodus chapter 22 verses eight through 11. And basically what the law said is if you have someone who is accused of stealing or destroying something that belonged to another Israelite, that is light would bring that accusation against them. And that individual who had been accused would be broad and would be forced to make an oath if they claim they were innocent,
they would be brought to make an oath before God claiming they’re at the temple and the altar. I didn’t do this, I didn’t damage this person stuff or this person’s family member or steal what they claim. And what Solomon is saying is, Lord, when this occurs, when someone is brought before you to make an oath, you act, you judge,
you determine whether he’s righteous or unrighteous and you act accordingly.<inaudible> You know, it’s almost as if Solomon thought after all of these years and after all of these changes and after, uh, you know, all the things that have transpired since the days of Moses, it’s almost like Solomon thought that intended for his law to still be the same hundreds of years later.
Like he gave a law and he didn’t tended it to not change. Oh, I guess that’s because he did. He intended to give a law and it not change unless he changed it. You know, there are people who will not treat the Bible that way and will not treat the new Testament that way. All I know, that’s what they said back then,
but<inaudible> We just live in a different world now. You know, Solomon, Solomon’s environment was quite a bit different from Moses’s. Moses never saw the promised land and not one day At least by way of stepping foot in it. Moses Dwell and Sojourn for 40 years, Solomon’s living in extravagance, And yet none of it changed the law Or God’s expectation for them to keep it When your people,
verse 33 when your people, Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have, they have sinned against you and when they turn back to you and confess your name and pray and make supplication to you in this temple, then here in heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which you gave to their fathers. That’s Deuteronomy chapter 28 verse 25 Deuteronomy chapter 30 verses one through three that Solomon is referencing then here in heaven and forgive the sins of your people Israel,
and bring them back to the land which you gave their fathers. When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you and when they pray toward this, this place and confess your name and turn from their sin because you afflicted them, then here in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people, Israel, that you may teach them the good way in which they should walk and send rain on your land,
which you have given to your people as an inheritance. That’s Deuteronomy chapter 28 verse 23 Deuteronomy chapter 28 verses 2122 and 27 And all, almost every single one of these is also in Leviticus chapter 26 Because that was the giving of it to the first generation that was wicked and died in the wilderness and Deuteronomy 28 and 29 and 30 is the giving of it to the second generation.
Solomon’s not inventing any new requests here. Solomon’s dedicating this temple and saying, God, will you please keep the same promises made centuries ago for this people now that you made for that people then will you still keep your covenant and when this people sins, the one thing that I think is very interesting about this is Solomon had the wisdom to know it wasn’t a question of if Not a single time in all of this.
Does he say if your people does this? Yeah. You know, back in Deuteronomy and back in Leviticus there’s, there’s very much that verbiage. If you do this, if you turn away, if you do that, Solomon is the, the, the, the wisest man. He’s been given understanding and judgment buying God and he doesn’t say, if He says,
when Solomon knows this is coming, Maybe he knows it’s coming because maybe Solomon thought, you know what? God wouldn’t have given the law if that wasn’t going to happen. God knew it was going to happen, so we gave the law telling you exactly what was going to happen when you did it. Or maybe Solomon was a student of the history of Israel up to this point.
Maybe Solomon knew what had happened in the time of the judges knew what had happened in the time of Eli knew what had happened in the time of Saul knew what had happened in the first generation of those who left Egypt. You think, Oh yeah. And so Solomon says, when your people does this, Remember and forgive. But you’ll notice also in this,
that every single time Solomon makes it clear that the condition for forgiveness Is repentance. There’s no plea by Solomon God, will you just ignore the sin? God? Will you just overlook the wrongdoing? Gone? Will you? Will you just took, take these things and put them away and act as if it never happened? No. When you see the repentance and when they turn to you in supplication,
then Forgive me, And that’s one of the lessons we need to learn from this passage. That’s one of the lessons we didn’t need to learn from the old Testament is not only are God’s promises always contingent upon obedience, but God’s forgiveness is always contingent upon repentance. No repentance, no forgiveness, okay. But then notice he goes on Verse 37 when there is famine in the land,
pestilence or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, when their enemy BCGs them in the land of their cities, whatever plague or whatever sickness there is, whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone or by all your people. Israel, when each one knows the plague of his own heart and spreads out his hands toward this temple, then here in heaven,
your dwelling place and forgive and act and give to everyone according to all his ways whose heart you know for you alone. Know the hearts of all the sons of men that they may fear you all the days of that, that they live in the land which you gave to their fathers. I think it’s kind of interesting. This phrase that he uses here Talks about the plagues.
He, he uses a reference back to Egypt because God had said, if I bring you out, Okay And I bring you into this land and then you turn your heart back to sin, I’m going to do to you what I did to Egypt. And Solomon says, so when Israel does what you told them not to do, and then notice this phrase,
He says, Uh, There in verse 37, he says, when their enemy besieged as them in the land of their cities, whatever plague or whatever sickness there is, whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone or by all your people, when each one knows the plague of his own Heart,<inaudible> Like Israel was going to be able to see the plague around them and see the enemies overcome busing them and see the destruction and look inwardly and say,
this is My fault. They’re not going to look at those enemies standing outside their Gates and saying, you know what? It’s this people’s fault. They’re attacking us. No, they’re going to look in inward and say,<inaudible> God told us it would happen And it’s our heart. That’s the problem.<inaudible> Moreover, Like has happened a number of times throughout the old Testament as we’ve been studying the lessons of the old Testament.
God never intended Israel To stand alone. God never intended Israel to be a sheltered, huddled group of people who didn’t have any interaction with those around them and didn’t have any influence on the Gentiles and didn’t have any presence among the Gentiles and just live in their little land until the Messiah came. That’s not what God intended. Verse 41 moreover, concerning a foreigner who is not of your people Israel,
but as comb from a far country for your name’s sake, that is the Lord’s names sake. For they will hear of your great name and your strong hand and your outstretched arm when he comes and prays toward this temple here in heaven, your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you that all peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you as do your people Israel and that they may know that this temple which I have built is called by your name.
Solomon says when the foreigner comes because he’s heard about you Lord, and when he’s heard about your outstretched arm, what? What did God through Moses tell Israel over and over and over again that he was going to do to Egypt and why he was going to bring about these plagues. And it was for one singular purpose. That is that Egypt and Israel and all the nations throughout the earth would know what that I alone am the Lord.
And so Solomon says, when a foreigner comes because he’s heard about you because he knows about your outstretched arm because he knows what you’ve done for this people and what you’ve done in this place. And when he prays here, There was grace for the foreigner, the non Israelite even under the old Testament. But then notice verse 44 when your people go out to battle against your enemy or their enemy,
wherever you send them, and when they prayed to, uh, to the Lord toward this city, which you have chosen, and the temple which I have built for your name, then here in heaven, their prayer and their supplication and maintain their cause. In other words, fight on their behalf. When they sin against you for there is no one who does not sin.
You could just jot down there a first John chapter one verse seven and eight because John says the exact same thing. Let him who says he has no sin or he who says He has no sin is a liar and deceives himself For there is no one who does not see it and you become angry with them and deliver them to the enemy and they take them captive to the land of the enemy far or near.
Yet when they come to themselves in the land, when they were carried, kept it and repent and make supplication to you in the land of those who took them captive saying we have sinned and done wrong, have committed wickedness and when they return to you with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies, who led them away captive and prayed to you toward this their land which you gave to their fathers,
the city which you have chosen and the temple where I’ve built for which I have built for your name. Then here in heaven, your dwelling place, their prayer and their supplication and maintain their cause. Turn very quickly to Jeremiah chapter 29 Is kind of interesting, um, without going too far down, uh, down a rabbit hole here That Let me say this in a way that maybe isn’t going to get me in trouble.
So I’ll, I’ll couch it in in a, uh, in a qualification I, I very much understand, appreciate and M no way diminishing Diagnosed mental illness. Okay. But Solomon makes it clear that the worst mental illness Is sin Because he knows what he just said. He said, when the people sin and they do this and they’re carried away and then they go into a foreign land,
they’ve been conquered. They’ve been so the praised by sin, they’ve been so overwrought with sin that he says, and then they finally come to them selves As if they were insane and outside their own mind Because they couldn’t see what sin was doing to them. The worst mental illness that exists And frankly, the cause of many mental illnesses that do it yeah,
exists Is sin Because people will allow sin to control their every action Until they can’t even understand what they’re doing. And finally sometime later having an endured. All of this being carried away being brought into this foreign land. He says they finally wake up And They were the problem all along. But notice Jeremiah chapter 29 he says, thus says the Lord of hosts,
the God of Israel, do not let your profits, your diviners who are in your midst deceive you nor listened to your dreams which you which you cause to be dreamed for. They prophesy falsely to you. In my name I have not sent them, says the Lord. So Jeremiah is prophesying and the Lord is speaking through Jeremiah and Jeremiah through or the Lord through Jeremiah says,
You have deceived yourselves, even your profits who dream dreams are causing themselves to dream dreams. And their message didn’t come from me. I didn’t send them, but then he goes on. He says, for thus says the Lord. Verse 10 after 70 years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform my good word toward you and cause you to return to this place for I know the thoughts that I think toward you says the Lord.
Thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you a future and a hope, then you will call upon me and go and pray to me and I will listen to you. I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I’ve driven.
You says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away. Cap. Yeah. Here’s Jeremiah. Centuries later, Telling them before they go into captivity, but they won’t listen. Oh, you’re going into captivity. Oh, you’re going to Babylon. Even though your profits tell you you’re not going. They yell peace,
peace. When there is no peace. You’re going to Babylon And you’re not going to be there for a short time. Oh, I know. There’s other province saying, Oh, we’ll go to Babylon, but it’s just going to be short time. He says, no, it’ll be 70 years, But at the end of that time, When you pray and when you repent,
I’ll bring you back Back to first Kings chapter eight<inaudible> What verse did I leave off? Verse verse 51 or 50 and verse 50 and forgive your people who have sinned against you in all their transgressions which they have transgressed against you and grant them compassion before those who took them captive, that they may have compassion on them for they are your people and your inheritance whom you brought out of Egypt,
out of the iron furnace, that your eyes may be opened to the supplication of your servant and the supplication of your people, Israel, to listen to them whenever they call to you, for you separated them from among all the peoples of the earth to be your inheritance as you spoke by your servant Moses when you brought our fathers out of Egypt. Oh Lord God.
Solomon concludes his prayer with a reminder. God, yeah, You chose us. You gave us an inheritance. We are your people. And if there’s not a connection between that and a Christian, I don’t know what it is. Turn to first Peter chapter two second Peter chapter one many other passages that talk about our inheritance and our relationship with God. And so all of these things as well are a lesson for us When we can’t figure out why things aren’t going well,
when we can’t figure out why the church isn’t doing what it should be or why their struggles or why there’s problems. Maybe it’s time to look inward. Maybe the problem isn’t somebody else. Maybe we’re the problem. And that’s the reminder of first Kings chapter eight and so it was for 54 when Solomon had finished praying all this prayer and supplication to the Lord that he arose from before the altar of the Lord,
from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to the heaven, up to heaven. Oh, so there, there, there’s this full posture. He’s down on his knees, but his hands are up. Then he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice saying, blessed be the Lord who has given rest to his people. Israel.
According to all that he promised, there has not failed one word of all his good promise which he promised through his servant Moses. May the Lord are gone be with us as he was with our fathers. May he not leave us nor forsake us. Then he may incline our hearts to himself to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments,
which he commanded our fathers. And may these words of mine which I have made supplication before the Lord be near the Lord our God day and night, that he may maintain the cause of his servant and call and the cause of his people. Israel as each day may require that all the people of the earth may know that the Lord has gone. There is no other.
Let your heart therefore be loyal to the Lord, our God to walk in his statutes and keep his commandments as it as at this day. So Solomon concludes his prayer. And then exhorts the people obey the Lord, be faithful to him, And yet who will lead them away from God? Solomon. Well, Solomon will build up the high places. Solomon will build the temples for the idols in Jerusalem.
Solomon the one who prays this eloquent prayer will be the one who will fail to guard his own Hard. Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. So then verses 62 through 66 then the King and all Israel with him offered sacrifices before the Lord. And Solomon offered a sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered to the Lord 22,000 bowls and 120,000 sheep.
So the King and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of the Lord. On the same day that King consecrated the middle of the court that was in front of the house of the Lord. For there, he offered burnt offerings, grain offerings in the fat of the peace offerings because the bronze altar wa that was before the Lord was too small to receive the burn offerings,
the grain offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings. So basically day one, as they Institute the temple, they have to actually make the offering somewhere other than the place where they built to make the offerings. Because the place they built to make the offerings wasn’t big enough for the offerings they built on the day they consecrated it. So I, you know,
I guess it was kind of like technology today you buy it and day one it’s out of date. It’s not large enough as kind of the way it was with the altar. Uh, so they do it in the middle of the court. Uh, at that time Solomon held a feast and all Israel with him, a great assembly from the entrance of Haymoth to the Brook of Egypt before the Lord our God,
seven days and seven more days, 14 days. On the eighth day he sent the people away and they blessed the King and went to their tents. Joyful and glad of heart for all the good that the Lord had done for his servant David and for the Israel. His people. Question four, we did the first three on Sunday. What promise that God had promised David.
Did Solomon pray to God to keep, Hey, let me go back there real quick. Think specifically is that there would not fail to be a descendant of David sitting on the throne. That that’s I believe with the specific question is looking for by way of an answer. Um, question five, what did Solomon do after the Ark of God was placed in God’s house?
He prayed. Yeah. Uh, what position did Solomon take when he prayed to God? Kneeling with his hands lifted up way or did he pray that an Israelite prayer be directed Toward the temple? Question six. How did Solomon define repentance? Okay, so when they sin, when they come to themselves, they repent, make supplication And return. Um,
Those are kind of the fundamental things there. Something like that will be acceptable. Uh, specifically the idea of turning their hearts back, Right? They have a contract. Heart question seven, yes or no? Did Solomon say that the house he had built could contain God? No. All right. Thank you for your attention. You are dismissed.<inaudible> Good evening.
Good to see everybody here tonight and sheerly winter night. I guess there’s things I want. It doesn’t sound like it to main, but anyway, Oh Yeah. Bearish is with us tonight. Cartel. Which one’s vicious? Which one’s not You to pick ADI cause she’s bossing them kids around or something. But anyway, good to have y’all with us. Uh,
Rodale and Darth are still on the sick list. Julia Case is still in hospice care. Joan Springer are still recovering from her Bronco pneumonia, the Rushmore family. Oh, They’re still in Ghana. I thought I come Monday, But Martha fail I guess why she was over there and uh, she does have a mass on her kidney and um, we’ll be seeing about that on March the sixth.
And Lewis, his father, cliff Rushmore fell and broke his hip last week and uh, he’s still got some problems if they got straightened out before they operate on that. Well, we need to remember the Rushmore family. I guess the day off I was still sick. Right? We’re 600. They lose doing a lot better on, uh, after her surgery she had on her hand Monday and Don Robinson has stripped throat All of our sick.
Uh, they went out, uh, Beverly, Beverly’s back with us. She’s been out. Oh wow. Blood pressure. She back Ladies Bible class. We’ll meet tomorrow if it doesn’t snow Big like fair where the friend people, But anyway, they’ll meet tomorrow at 10 o’clock in the fellowship hall. Coleman Avenue, ladies day Saturday at eight 30. Oh Yeah.
Richardson a song later. Yeah. Promotional and Terry weekly. We’ll have the closing prayer. 569 I’ll add to the prayer list. Cassidy is going to be flying out in the morning with my parents to Homer, Alaska for a week. They are doing a campaign up there. So remember her, she’s excited for sure. First time. Remember her 569<inaudible> uh,<inaudible> uh,
Jesus<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Uh, Ooh. And I reached Chris C voice as well. Cough voice and that’s when I call<inaudible>.<inaudible> No, Jesus is a<inaudible>.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible>. So<inaudible> No Marketing handles the page number nine zero four, 900. And Matthew chapter 16, Jesus says beginning in verse 24, if anyone desires to come after me,
let him deny himself. Take up his cross and follow me While we often discuss the need and the requirement to hear and to believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God and to repent of one’s sins, that you can’t stay in the same lifestyle that you lived in before you were a Christian. You have to conform and be, be transformed to God’s way of living.
One of the things that I think we often don’t spend enough time on Is confession. Jesus said, if you want to be my disciple, you have to take up your cross and follow me. In the first century, for one to confess the name of a King, for one to proclaim allegiance to a King, it demanded that as one who followed that King,
they would do anything that King required up to and including losing their life on behalf of that. Okay? Jesus says, if anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself. You say, well, why would someone lose their life for a King? Why would they plead allegiance to a King? W we have a very Set way of thinking.
In America. We, we like freedom and we like democracy and we, we are not big fans of monarchies. We don’t think that way.<inaudible> But that’s not the kind of relationship Jesus has with his citizens. Christianity is not a democracy. It is a monarchy and there is one King. And if you will be his citizen, you will have to deny yourself.
Take up his cross and follow him for whoever desires to save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for my sake will find it for what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul or what will a man give in exchange for his soul, for the son of man will come and the glory of his father with his angels,
and then he will reward each according to his works. There’s a need for us to remind people, You don’t make the decision to become a Christian lightly. And when you make that commitment, You’re not going to walk away from it. And if you do, It won’t be without consequence. But for the one who chooses To lose his life for Christ’s sake,
to die to himself, to live to Christ, to confess Christ. Jesus says, when I come, there’s a reward that comes with me. Paul would write as he was nearing the end of his life, He says, I’m about to be poured out as a drink offering. I fought the good fight. I finished the course. I’ve kept the faith.
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness and not for me only, but for everyone that loves his appearing. You love the appearing of the one you’ve pled allegiance to. If you’re here this evening, you’re outside the body of Christ. You do have to confess Christ, but you also have to die. You have to be immersed in water buried with Christ to rise again so that he lives instead of you.
You’re outside the body of Christ. You don’t have to stay there. You can change that tonight if you’re a member of the body of Christ and maybe you’ve become a little democratic in your Christianity, You can’t stay that way. You have to be on the cross and he has to be alive in you. If you have need of repentance, if you have need of prayers for sin or for any other reason,
Ephesians 5:10 …finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.
Transcript: Is God okay with whatever you want to do? What I mean by that is, are there things that are acceptable and unacceptable before God? Well, yes, there certainly are.
In Ephesians, chapter five, we read about the things in verse six for which God brings His wrath upon the sons of disobedience.
But then we read in verse 10 that we ought to be finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.
We need to be looking in our lives and in God’s word for what is acceptable to God and then implementing that in our lives today.
I hope the light of God is in you, today. For more from the Collierville Church of Christ, visit www.colliervillecoc.org.
Ephesians 5:9 for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth
Transcript:
In all the things that God says about how we are to live, remember that He gives us things that help us. Think about how your life would change if you filled your life with these things.
The things called the fruit of the spirit. They’re called goodness and righteousness. They’re called truth, Ephesians chapter five, verse nine.
If you filled your life with goodness and righteousness and truth, would your life be better than it is today?
I hope the light of God is in you, today. 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. To learn more about the Collierville church of Christ, visit colliervillecoc.org
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Okay, Good afternoon. Welcome back to one 30 after an afternoon worship service and uh, good to see all of you back. Francis and Gladys and Janet. We went to the Piccadilly and it was a man at the door asked me if I came from Kirby Pines.
Really did, that’s not none of my joke. Yeah. Before he came from Korea, Japan. But he had as many elderly ladies as I did with him. But anyway, nothing any better than a good laugh. Uh, Rodale and Dorothy are still having their problems. Julia cases is at home under hospice care. John spraying are still recovering from her,
uh, Bronchitis, brawn, bronchial pneumonia and get it out. And Beverly is still having problems with the bread, blood pressure. Betty Lou is going to have surgery on her other hand tomorrow. Um, but Dale’s are all out sick. The richest isn’t drunk out of town. He’s preaching at Ripley. Tyrell cares. We’ll meet tomorrow at seven Coleman Avenue.
Sip Saturday the 29th. You need know anything about that? Eddie kosher. You’re going to be teaching a class over there. Oh, the rush mowers. A steel in Guyana. Martha failed and uh, bruised up a little bit, but she also has a mass on her kidney, one of her kidneys and is going to be back home to see about that.
On March the sixth, or Rebecca’s grandfather fell and broke a hip and he lives out in piss some binder. If you need a can for the donation thing, a coin can for a Potter’s children home. There’s some on the table in the office by the office and that’s about all of that. Uh, Joe was going to lead singing this afternoon. Eric Harrison has an opening prayer.
Aaron<inaudible>, um, sermon and Marie going to have the closing prayer Firsthand would be number 912.<inaudible> hearts are lonely and<inaudible>.<inaudible> sorry, Jane’s on since. Bang.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> glory. Jesus says bam, man.<inaudible> Cash YourCare on jeans on us today.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> James. And since bam ran<inaudible> Burns on it to that cow.
Well, I agree.<inaudible> burns.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Prob also the savior can say, Hey, pray hard. I can<inaudible><inaudible> hello tree. Jesus said fat<inaudible><inaudible> well reap.<inaudible><inaudible> Jesus says fat rain. Our next song will be in her 542. You need to use your book number 542 after this song will be leaded and opening prayer.
Somebody would, I don’t know if somebody was trying to get in the back door. He said blot. Okay, well they might just be reading a schedule. I just saw them. I thought they might want to come in. Number five 42.<inaudible> argue heavy, hard and down at two GS two GS. Are you grieving? Oh, jaws.
Depart it down at two GS. Dalit two GS. Two GS. A T as a friend. You have no, uh, there’s such a friend or brother Dan that jeez, Tears flow down your cheeks. Sunbed down at two GS. Sat down at two GS. Have you since that two man’s eyes are hid down at two GS, Dan, two GS.
A sign that to Jesus. He has a friend. You have no, uh, there’s such a friend or brother down at two GS. Yeah, yeah. Fair. Uh, gathering clouds of sorrow down into jeez, uh, salad to uh, are you a John? What will be tomorrow?<inaudible> jeez, Dan Entergy’s a salad. Jeez. Uh,
he has a friend. You have a, there’s such a friend or brother. Tell that to. Jeez.<inaudible> God, our father in heaven. We come to you at this time thanking you for another opportunity to assemble here this afternoon and sing songs. Praise your name and most importantly, study another portion of your word. And as brother Aaron brings that portion of word of your word to us,
we ask that you help each and every one of us to fully understand the meaning of your word. So we may apply it to our lives and live as better servants of yours here on earth. And also Lord, help us to have the strength and the courage to take your word and share it with those who have yet to hear your word or those who have heard it and fell away so we may bring them back to you.
Back to your fold. Lord, we want to thank you for those that have had improving health because we know we neglect every now and then to thank you for the small things and we thank you for that. But Lord, they’re also many amongst us. They’re struggling with various health issues and we ask that you wrap your loving arms around those their family members and their caretakers and providers.
And if it be your will, restore them to a measure health at each one. So desires we ask that you forgive us when we fall short and we pray all this in your son. Jesus’ name. Amen. 841 this will be the song before the lesson. 841 Hi Mia, my savior. Hi me and I hope<inaudible> Oh, let me see.<inaudible> hi.
Hi. The Oh bless. And sang<inaudible> us.<inaudible> safely on Lord West.<inaudible>. Hi Mowen. This arm is Rae Jang or lies tribe.<inaudible><inaudible> Oh, let me fly to<inaudible>. Hi there. Hi. Name. Oh, bless him. Saying hi. Name us.<inaudible> say fleeing on Lord with<inaudible>. Hi. May when my heart is breaking with suede<inaudible> uh,
uh, for cancer long days. Aye. Aye. Oh, blessed and safe. Yeah. Hi man. Uh,<inaudible> safely. All along with<inaudible> Our song of encouragement being number 911, it will be on the overhead number 911.<inaudible>. Good afternoon. Take your Bibles if you will, and open them to the book of Galatians. We continue our study in Galatians.
We are coming near the end of the book. We’re going to pick up in Galatians chapter five, beginning in verse 16 this afternoon. Yeah. Did want to make mention of a couple of, uh, announcements just to put them in your memory. Once again, uh, on the 29th, there is a ladies day happening at the Coleman Avenue church of Christ.
And uh, there will be four different ladies, speaking of which my wife is one of them. And, uh, every, all of the ladies are invited, uh, to be there that that is posted on the, on the board. So see that, um, on the board for the details. But then also this Thursday night, uh,
Jonathan Burns from Pulaski, Tennessee and uh, our brother-in-law more nice to fondness will be speaking at Coleman Avenue for their lectureships. So be sure if you have time Thursday evening to make it out there. The first lesson begins at six 30. They have two lessons back to back and then a fellowship meal afterwards. You know, I know you will enjoy it if you can make it out for that.
Galatians chapter five, Paul has been writing to this church about the law, About the law and faith about those who were seeking to bind them under the old law, the law of Moses trying to bind them under a law that had no sufficient sacrifice, that had no sufficient reconciliation with God and that left them cursed by the law. And yet Paul says they have Liberty in chapter five,
verse one, he says, stand fast in the Liberty by which Christ has made us free. He says to the Christians, you’re free. You have Liberty. You are no longer under the yoke of bondage. You are none, no longer under the yoke of sin because in Christ you have found salvation. Galatians chapter three and in verse 27 we read verse 26 for you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
For as many of you as were baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither slave nor free. There is neither male nor female for you are all one in Christ and if you are Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise. He says, you have Liberty, you are free,
you are in Christ and you have an inheritance and you have all of that without circumcision, without the law, without the bondage of the law of Moses and without becoming a Jew. Yeah. Then he says in verse seven of chapter five you ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? There was a time he says, when you were running,
well, there was a time when you were, if this was compared to a race, you were doing well, you were running, you were striving for perfection, and yet now you have turned a side. You have departed to another gospel, which is not another, but there are some who would pervert the gospel of Christ. He says, I have confidence in you though.
Verse 10 Okay In the Lord that you will have no other mind, and I brethren, verse 11 if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross had seat has seized. I could wish that those who trouble you were even cut off themselves, but then he says, verse 14 for all the law is fulfilled in one word,
even in this, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Paul summarizes the law utilizing that second commandment, which Jesus recognized in the book of John when he said that the second greatest commandment is like under this, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Paul says, this is the fulfillment of the law. He’s already said that the law was put in place because of sin.
The law was put in place because they were not living the way they ought and now he says, if you desire to fulfill the law, you don’t do it by circumcision. You don’t do it by becoming a Jew. When you’re a Gentile, you do it by loving your neighbor as yourself, But in contrast, verse 15 if you bite and the vowel or one another,
beware lest you be consumed by one another. Their relationships with one another were fundamental to their Christianity, their relationships to one another were fundamental to their Liberty and their freedom that they have in Christ. They needed to treat one another with love instead of as animals as there were those who were doing that very thing. He says, then in verse 16 I say,
then walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the loss of the flesh. Paul lays down this ordinance. Paul lays down this, this reality for them. If you walk after the spirit, the walking after the spirit is not the Holy spirit guides you every step of the way in. You. Imagine there’s a voice in your head telling you what to do.
That’s not what walking in the spirit is walking in the spirit is one who walks according to the revelation of the word of God, one who walks in agreement with the spirit in the same way that walking in the light. First John chapter one verses six through nine verses six through 10 is a one who hears the word of God and sees the light of God through his revelation and is obedient to that truth.
The one who sees what God has said and does it is the one who walks in the light. It is also the one who walks in the spirit, but he says, if you do these things, you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Peter would say that if you fulfill, if you do those things which are called the Christian graces,
if you don’t do those things, you will never fall. Now, Peter, that’s a, that’s a very maybe boastful statement. Some might say it too, to say that if I do these things and continue in them, I will never fall. Then I will never sin and turn away from God. It’s not boastful to say that it’s not over arrogant or arrogant to say that because what Paul or excuse me,
what Peter is saying is if you have these attitudes connected with these actions, you won’t depart because you will give sin, no place in your life. And so Paul will tell them, you walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. And he’ll go on to enumerate those. He says, for the flesh, lust against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh,
and these are contrary to one another so that you do not do the things that you wish. Paul said, there was a time you ran well, but someone’s hindering you. And now Paul says that the spirit is contrary to the flesh. The flesh is contrary to the spirit, and because you’re allowing the flesh to take over in your life, you aren’t doing the things you wish to do.
You aren’t walking after the spirit. You aren’t fulfilling the desires of the spirit. You aren’t serving God as you ought because you’re allowing the flesh to win the battle in your life. Grace is a reality and grace most certainly covers our sins and the blood of Christ continually us from our sins and we know that we have sins again. First John chapter one verses seven through 10 Okay,
But grace doesn’t promote sin. Grace doesn’t allow us to continue in sin. Grace teaches us that denying ungodliness, we ought to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, grace tells us to correct sin and if we refuse to correct sin in our lives, if we refuse to turn away from sin in our lives, grace ceases to cover sin.
No, Because we have refused to walk after the spirit. Verse 18 but if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law. He has set these things in contrast throughout this entire time, he’s tied the law to the flesh. He’s tied the law to the things that are carnal. He’s tied the law to the things which cannot save you.
He is tied the spirit to faith and obedience. He says, if you walk by the spirit, you’re no longer under the law. Now, that in no way means if you walk in the spirit, there are no laws that pertain to your life. That’s not at all what Paul says. The context of this statement is 100% the law of Moses,
the law of circumcision, the law of the flesh. So then he says, if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident. Paul says, these things are obvious and yet he’s repeating them. These things were obvious and yet he’ll repeat them to the church. At Corinth, these things are obvious,
but he’s going to repeat them to the church at Ephesus and to the church at Colossi. These things are obvious and yet Christians are still continuing to participate in these activities and Paul’s is, these are evident. The works of the flesh are evident, which are adult tree that is having a spouse that belongs to or having relations was one who belongs to someone else,
is the spouse of someone else for an occasion that is illicit sexual activity. Both inside, both with one who is a married or one who is not. You have a number of other things that relate to that. These first four all have a connection to sexual sins. The third one being uncleanness, the fourth one being lasciviousness or as the new King James translates to lewdness.
It’s not just the act itself, it’s all these things that lead up to this act. It is the sexual activity and the sexual perversion of the world that is around this. Paul says, if you’re a Christian, you’re not participating in these things. You’re not walking after these paths. You’re not living these kind of lives. These things don’t describe a Christian And yet it is sad that many Christians will argue for participation in just these kinds of activities.
They’ll say, God doesn’t care. There’s no log in. See, do I can do this? It’s my body and many such arguments and yet Paul will make it clear. These are the works of the flesh and they have no part in the life of a Christian. He’ll go on in verse 20 insight, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies.
If you follow after idols, and by the way he’s called a, that which is desiring to have what belongs to someone else. Covetousness. He’s called that idolatry already, Sorcery following after things that are, that are magic or or wizardry or things like that. Believing in these things which are not true in these powers and evil forces that are not real hatred and contentions and jealousy.
Notice how he’s already talked about them biting and devouring one another. Well, where do those things come from? One hating another, one being contentious with another one being jealous or envious of another Outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions. Dissensions and heresies envies, murders, drunkenness, revelries and the like. Paul wants us also to realize this is not an exhaustive list.
The works of the flesh don’t end here, but anything that pertains or is like these things. Okay. Falls under the same condemnation. Yeah, Of which I tell you beforehand. He says, just as I told you in time past the those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Paul doesn’t want any confusion. He’s not saying,
you know what? I’m not really in favor of the these things. He’s not saying, I don’t think these are good ideas. Paul is not saying this is a generally bad idea. Paul says you participate in these things and you involve your life in these things and you will not inherit the kingdom of God. Okay. You cannot continue in these endeavors in these activities and these attitudes and be faithful to the Lord.
No, And so Paul says, those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. And that is just as true for a Christian. As a non Christian, We cannot be those who have our lives described by these type of things. Let me say something about degrees. There are those who will argue for degrees of some of these things.
They will argue for a degree of lasciviousness. You know, as long as it doesn’t go too far, it’s okay. So long as I’m just asking per acting provocatively and dancing and involved in these types of things. But it doesn’t go too far. It’ll be okay. And the such lie, well, you know, I just drink a little bit.
I don’t get drunk. I don’t get slobbering drunk like these other people do. I just drink a little bit. Well, let’s use those two ideas with some of these others. You know, I’m just, I just to involve myself in a little bit of jealousy. I just have a little bit of selfish ambition. I just want to keep in my life a little bit of adult tree.
No, we wouldn’t hold on to those things. We wouldn’t agree with those things. We wouldn’t say that that is a person who’s walking after the spirit. We would say now that is clearly a person who wants to still fulfill the lust of the flesh and they are not giving up the loss of the flesh to serve the spirit, but instead are entangling themselves again in the flesh which brought them to sin,
but then he says verse 22 but the fruit of the spirit, it some have made the point and I think it’s an interesting and a valid point that there are the works plural of the flesh, but there is the fruit singular of the spirit. These things aren’t multiple things. These things are one thing. This is the result of a Christian life. This is the growth of a Christian life.
This is the growth of maturity of what it means to be in Christ and dedicate oneself to the mind of Christ and the life of Christ. These are the attitudes that we must follow after the fruit of the spirit is love and joy, peace and long suffering, kindness, goodness and faithfulness, gentleness, self control against such things. There is no law,
Okay? All of these things that were mentioned to vote beforehand, there are many laws you could go throughout the old Testament and throughout scripture and throughout the prophets and through how the time of Christ alive on this earth and you can read over and over and over and over again where God said, do not do these things. Yeah. You can also go through the old Testament and through the law and through the prophets and through the the the books of wisdom and through the life of Christ and you can read over and over where God pleads with people.
Do these, These things Love one another, have peace with one another, be long suffering with one another. Bring about goodness towards one another. Gentleness and self control.<inaudible> We take these verses and we ought to go back up to verse 14 and remember the context of these statements. To fulfill the law is to love your neighbor as yourself And to be obedient to God is to have these characteristics in your life and fill your life with these characteristics so that when you interact with one another,
you automatically do these things Instead of the prior list of the works of the flesh. He says, those who are Christ, verse 24 have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. They, the people who belong to Christ don’t argue for a little bit of the passions and desires of the flesh. They don’t try to do to mitigate into rationalize just a little bit of participating in these things.
They have crucified to them. They put them on the cross, They’ve killed them in their lives. They’ve looked at these things and said, I won’t participate in these things and I won’t even look like I’m participating in these things. I won’t be involved in these things in any shader degree Because I’m not that person anymore that’s dead in my life, But instead we remind ourselves.
Galatians chapter two and in verse 20 Paul said, I have been crucified with Christ. These things are dead in their lives Because they are dead. If they’re like Paul. Paul says, I’m not alive anymore, but Christ is alive in me. Christ wouldn’t be doing these things. Christ wouldn’t be involved in these things. Therefore I won’t be either. He says in verse 24 those who are Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
If we live in the spirit, let us also walk in the spirit. When we teach our children, when we raise our children, when we admonish our grandchildren, and when we speak to the generations around us, may we promote those things that are good? May we show them those things that have real value. May we produce in their lives the word or the the the fruit of the spirit and not the works of the flesh.
May we seek to drive their lives and put a point their lives towards the spirit of God and not the fulfillment of the flesh. Then he says, verse 26 let us not become conceited provoking one another, envying one another. Paul says, don’t be self centered. Don’t focus on yourself. Don’t be conceited about yourself. Don’t envy what someone else has above all of these other things are in addition to all of these other things that the works of the flesh.
He says do not be self centered When you are one who is conceited. When you hold up and are prideful about yourself, your focus is on yourself. When you are provoking one another, it’s because of your self interest. When you are envying over one another, it is because of yourself. Injurous Paul says that the self in you is supposed to be dead.
The self in you is supposed to be put aside the self in you is supposed to be Christ. Then he says, verse verse one of chapter six, brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourselves less, you also be tempted. Here’s a brother in Christ who’s involved in the works of the flesh.
He’s fallen under the temptation in the snare row. Some of these things and our attitude toward him is not to cast him aside. Our attitude toward him is not to shun him. Our attitude toward him is not to say, Oh look, that terrible brother over there. He says, instead bear his burdens. Restore him, bring about a restoration in his life,
but notice what he says. He says, you who are spiritual restore such a one. Mm. There is in this passage a hearkening back to Matthew chapter seven in Matthew chapter seven Jesus says, judge, not that GB not judged for with what judgment. You judge it. You shall be judged and with what measure you mean it shall be measured to you.
Again, He says, there’s one who stands there looking at a man who has a speck in his eye and says, let me get the speck out of your eye. While he’s got a long sticking out of his own, we must not be those who are unrighteous judges of others, failures and sins while being ignorant and oblivious to our own. And so Paul’s admonition here is you first be spiritual.
You first walk after the spirit. You first set your life in order before you try to set someone else’s life in order. Now, this is not to then say as some might take it, well, you’ll never be perfect, so you can’t say anything to me. That’s not what Paul is saying. You can be imperfect and follow after the spirit.
You can be in perfect and walk in the spirit, but you can’t be living for the flesh and walk out For the spirit. And if you are living after walking after the spirit, if you are living has gone, is commanded to you. If you have put to death yourself and allowed Christ to live in you, then you have a responsibility to your Brethren to restore them when they fall because of sin.
But then he also mentions their attitude not only must you first meet the qualification of being spiritual, but you must restore them in a spirit of meekness, in the spirit of gentleness, Paul does not want them to attack. Remember the previous admonition is, do not bite. Do not devour one another. Do not do these things to one another that are violence instead,
Love one another, And so they are to restore such a one in the spirit of weakness and then they’re also to be self reflective. Not only do they need to be spiritual and meet the qualification to restore one, not only do they need to have the right attitude when they restore one, but they need to be self reflective when restoring one that they’re not pulled into The same sentence,
the same temptation That they’re not pulled into the sin, that they’ve just brought someone else out of. They need to watch themselves. Then he says, verse two, bear one another’s burdens. And So fulfill the law of Christ. Now wait just a minute. And all of the book of Galatians we’ve heard over and over again that we’ve got faith versus the law.
We’ve got grace versus the law. We’ve got the sacrifice of Christ versus the law. And now here Paul turns around and says, fulfill the law of Christ. Paul, are you telling us we’re still under a law? Yes he is. We’re no longer under the law of the flesh. We’re no longer under the law of Moses were no longer under the old law.
We’re no longer under the law that separated you in Denton were under the law. Christ, excuse me. And in Christ we have Liberty, we have freedom, We have Liberty, do what is Right and we have freedom to obey God and freedom to do what is right. And we have freedom from the bondage of the law and the freedom from the bondage of sin because we’re covered by a sacrifice that is sufficient.
And the grace of God cleanses us from our sins through the blood of Christ. But it doesn’t mean we’re not under law. We’re under the law of Christ and we fulfill that law by serving one another by bearing one another’s burdens, by living the life of Christ in our lives. What does our life look like today? Does it look more like the works of the flesh When we’re not sitting in these pews,
when we’re not meeting with other saints, do, does our life look a whole lot more like the world than it does Christ or are we fulfilling the law of Christ? Are we self centered? Are we focused on ourselves? Are we looking at others saying, I wish I had what they have? Are we Living the life of Christ? Are we seeing others who are struggling with burdens and struggling with difficulties and saying,
you know what, they need to get their act together, Or are we living the life of Christ? Are we fulfilling the law of Christ? Are we loving our neighbor As ourself? Are we bearing one another’s burdens and are we restoring those overtaken in a fault? Okay, We need to be living the lives of Christians. We need to be serving one another.
We need to love One another and we need to put to death sin in our lives and the desires and the passions of the flesh. There are things that are good and there are things that are not, and the things that are not are evident. And when someone is desiring those things, they’ll make any arguments To justify those desires. But when that person allows the mind of Christ to have influence in their lives,
they’ll stop arguing for those things. We need to set our mind and our affection on things that are above and not on things that are on the earth. If you’re outside of the body of Christ this evening, You enter into the body of Christ. Just as we read in Galatians chapter three verse 27 by being baptized into Christ. But if you’re a member of the body of Christ and you’ve given your life over to the works of the flesh,
given them over, given your life over to the passions of the flesh, there may not be a person here who knows about it, but you do. And Christ does. And as we discuss this morning, Christ is the judge and he will judge us based upon our deeds, our actions, and our heart. If you have need of being restored,
if you’ve brought shame and reproach upon the church, you can be restored. If you have sin in your life that is private, you need to pray and ask God for forgiveness. If you have need of the invitation, why not come as we stand? And as we sing Christ, you’re broke. And LA<inaudible><inaudible> man called, uh, Yeah.
And Yeah.<inaudible> bring him here every<inaudible><inaudible> What ever troubles you. Oh, bring and<inaudible> Ring him.<inaudible> I har he went, ran the, uh, I<inaudible> Rang ham. You’re aware in a Ray safe<inaudible> weep out your binding tears.<inaudible> this pie, Right? Uh,<inaudible> uh, uh, uh, breast savior of a saw.
Oh my friend as crass, uh,<inaudible> and, uh, Tim life wouldn’t be dark out.<inaudible> With fam morning Greg’s and have a<inaudible>. Please be seated. Those that did not have an opportunity earlier in the day to protect the Lord’s supper. If you would please raise your hand. And we will see that your sire, That’s about Oh God,
our father in heaven, as we now to the cross of Calvary where our savior died for the sins of mankind. We pray that those that partake of this bread, which represents his body might do so in a manner pleasing and Jesus we pray. Amen. Father in heaven, it is so grateful of us and thankful of us that your son was willing to sacrifice his life for us.
We’re mindful of that death and his blood being shared there on the cross. We pray as this fruit of the vine which represents that blood is those that partake might do so in a way pleasing and Jesus we pray. Amen. Oh, they’re in heaven. We’re grateful for your love and for this day that we’ve been able to come and worship you. We’re thankful father for the many blessings that we has been bestowed upon us.
And as we reflect on those blessings, father, we pray that we’re good stewards of them and that we purpose in our hearts to give a portion of that to you, that we might continue the work here and trying to reach those that are lost and also trying to help those that are in need. And Jesus, we pray. Amen. It’s certainly been blessed today by two good lessons from God’s word in our Bible study.
Together we hope that everyone has been encouraged and uh, we hope everyone will. We’ll be looking forward to coming together on Wednesday night and studying from God’s word and trying to live lives that are pleasing to God and that we glorify him. Our closing him would be number hundred 35 after which we will be led in a prayer if you would be standing<inaudible> that I tried dreaming seas with China.
Mang man<inaudible> teach my heart that uh,<inaudible> uh, I would try my a with aim. Oh my cat.<inaudible><inaudible> nine years passed and uh,<inaudible> I would sing die service long meaning God, I promise work that my, ah, Hey labors<inaudible> I am dine and uh, there’s, Oh with me, Our God and our father.
We’re thankful for this first day of the week and we live in a country where we can assemble worship tea without being molested by civil authorities. We’re thankful we’ve had this opportunity to father, to read potions. I word off of prayers and to deeds, sing hymns and take of the Lord supper. Help us to remember that this is a blessing that everyone doesn’t have,
but those that are Christians could and should participate in this worship. We ask father, that you be with those that are anticipating surgery this week and you to be with those that are going to minister to them and pray that you will guide them, pray that you will restore them back to their health. Father, if it’d be their wheel, we asked for forgiveness of our sins.
It helps if you turn it on. I, how about that? Oh, right. We are in first Kings chapter eight.<inaudible> Our text this morning is going to deal with the consecration of the temple and the initial uh, feast that, that will go along with the opening of the temple. So we’ll deal with that in a few moments. I,
I’ll just tell you right now, we may or may not get all the way through this chapter. Uh, we, we might continue a little bit of this on Wednesday. Um, there’s a lot here and there’s a lot of other passages in scripture that connect back to this. And so seeing this particular chapter in its full biblical view and all the different things that that touch on it,
um, we, we may take an extra class period to do that and fold to, uh, the, you know, to other classes together. Um, as far as two other lessons together to, to, uh, still hit our quarter, um, with the other classes. But we’ll get into that in a moment. Let’s begin with a word of prayer.
Gracious father in heaven. We humbly bow before you grateful for this day for the life and the opportunity that we have to serve you and the blessings you shower upon us on a daily basis. We pray for those who have been struggling with illnesses, difficulties. We pray for those who are dealing with chronic issues and chronic pains. We pray for those who have lost loved ones in recent months.
We pray for those who are struggling with just the day to day difficulties of life in all these areas. We pray that you will comfort those individuals and give them strength, help them to remain strong and steadfast and faithful to you above everything else and help them to seek your strength instead of relying upon their own. We pray that you be with us as we go through this period of study and this period of worship this morning may all that we do be in accordance with your will and right in your sight.
We pray for the missionaries that work throughout the world and we pray that you give them strength and a willingness to speak and boldness to proclaim your gospel and a willingness to go to places and to do things where others might not. And we pray that as they are sound in the faith and sound and faithful to you that you will bless them with fruitful opportunities and bless their labors.
We pray for the work here at Collierville and we pray for the congregation. May she always be sound in the faith instead fast proclaiming your word constant day in and day out. All this we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.<inaudible> First Kings chapter eight We read in chapter eight verse one now Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes,
the chief fathers of the children of Israel to King Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the Ark of the covenant of the Lord from the city of David, which is Zion. Therefore all the men of Israel assembled with King Solomon at the feast in the month of<inaudible>, which is the seventh month. So you tell me what feast this is<inaudible> Give you a clue.
Leviticus 23 verses 33 and 34<inaudible> East of Tabernacles. Okay. The seventh month there was the feast of Tabernacles where Israel was to come together and they were to dwell in Tabernacles. Tabernacles is another word for what? Tents. They were to dwell in tins. It’s kind of, I don’t know, a musing to me that it’s the feast of dwelling in tents where they moved the Ark of the covenant and God’s house out of a tent and into a permanent structure.
But that that’s when it happened. Uh, but it’s in the seventh month and it’s during this feast that Solomon calls all the elders of Israel, all the leaders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes, and he calls them together to bring what into this new temple, the Ark, the Ark, and all of the pieces from the tabernacle were brought together into the temple.
Now, have we ever had any miss steps while transporting the Ark before? Yes, we have. And they’re going to do it right this time. They’re going to do it the right way. Um, let’s notice here in verse three, so all the elders of Israel came and the priest took up the Ark. Oh look, you do it God’s way.
It works perfect every time. Uh, there’s just one more reminder that we need to keep having. We need to keep reminding ourselves of, it’s the way Peter said, I will not be negligent to always puts you in remembrance of these things. When you do it God’s way, it works. You may not get the result you imagined, but you’ll get the result God wanted.
You’ll get what God intended. And it’s that pattern. It’s that mentality. It’s that perspective that says, listen, do it God’s way and you’ll do it right. Do it your way and you’re bound to end up doing it wrong. And so the priest took up the Ark. Then they brought the Ark of the Lord, the tabernacle of meeting, and all the Holy furnishings that were in the tabernacle.
The priests and the Levis brought them up. It’s interesting, they don’t just bring the contents of the tabernacle. They bring the tabernacle as well. I mean this is a mobile structure and the temple is of massive size by comparison to the tabernacle, so they just as it were, fold up the tabernacle and bring it with them. They did everything that they were supposed to do as if they were transporting the tabernacle in the days of Exodus when they were moving from place to place,
the correct people, the Levites group did their job. They took their responsibility and they transported the articles that were in the tabernacle, the tabernacle itself and the arc of the covenant to the temple. Then they uh, excuse me, verse five, also King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled with him were with him before the Ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be counted or numbered for multitude.
There is going to be a numbering of sacrifices later on in the chapter, but at this point I think that that was one portion of it and then there’s more indicated here even than that number and that number is significant when we get down to it. But there’s so many sacrifices going on. There is so much that is being offered in the consecration of the temple that it’s numerable,
okay. Going back for a moment in your mind to the requirement buying God back in the book of Exodus, when they came out of Egypt, he said, for every family, for every first born, there was a sacrifice required, okay? And that sacrifice, if the family had enough to do, had enough wealth, had enough possessions, was what to redeem the firstborn,
A kid of, of the flock, okay. And if they didn’t have enough, then there were alternatives that they could offer as well, including, uh, I think it was a dove or, or something like that. So here you have this responsibility as part of the consecration that occurred in Egypt as they’re leaving. And that was to be done,
uh, as part of their regular, uh, worship. Here you have essentially Solomon supplying what’s needed for the whole nation to do this. Again, this is really what you’re getting in this picture here is you have this consecration of not just the tabernacle, but of the nation to faithful service to God. Then the priest brought in the Ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place,
into the inner sanctuary of the temple, to the most Holy place under the wings of the cherubim. Now remember we talked about the chair of him the other week, uh, how, how large was their wingspan From one side to the other? There were two cherubim, one on one side and one on the other. They had wings going forward and wings going back and the back wings touched the walls on either side and the front wings touched each other in the middle.
And so the arc of the covenant comes into the middle underneath the two forward facing wings. Okay, so just so you can imagine that in your mind, uh, for the chair boom, spread their two wings over the place of the arch. And the cherubim overshadowed the arc and it’s polls. The polls extended so that the ends of the polls could be seen from the Holy place in front of the inner sanctuary,
but they could not be seen from outside and they are there to this day. Okay. So at the time of this writing, and we don’t necessarily, I think have a real good picture of who wrote the book of first and second Kings, but at the point in which this is being written, this, the temple is still there. The, the arc is still there.
These things are still there. That gives us some clue by the way, uh, that w of when it’s not written, it’s not written in the time of the Babylonian empire. It’s not written after the exile because by the way, the arc of the covenant doesn’t go to Babylon. But that’s another discussion for another time. But when this is being written,
he says it’s still there and this is still the case. So it’s interesting you think about the polls that they use to carry the Ark. The polls would go through what? On the Ark? The rings. So the priests carry in the arc and of course they’re carrying it through the veil, the veil that separated the Holy place where the priest came in on a daily basis to do the things that they were supposed to do in the Holy place.
But then the most Holy place, only the high priest went in and he went in. How many times a year? Once on the day of atonement. Does anybody remember what month the day of atonement in? So let me look that up. Second. I don’t remember off the top of my head. That’s why I’m asking you. So while somebody is looking that up,
the priest would, the high priest would go in through the veil into the most Holy place. But what they’re telling you here is the way they situated the arc of the covenant. The poles for transporting the Ark were left in the rings. Think maybe this might have been a, Hey, let’s not make this mistake again. Put the poles there. So we always know how to transport this thing.
Uh, but it’s put in there and the polls, the end of the polls are sticking through the veil. What does that tell these priests day in and day out when they go into the Holy place but aren’t allowed to go into the most Holy place? Well, it means they better stop. But it, if the polls are there, what else is there?
The Ark. Okay, it’s this, it’s this reminder. Every time they go into the Holy place, it’s still there. Nothing’s happened to it because they only get to go in once a year and only the high priest gets to go in. So let’s say somebody comes into the temple, breaks in and steals it, they wouldn’t know till the next day of atonement that it’s missing.<inaudible> I’m just saying,
I think there’s this, this, they go, Hey, if we leave the poles sticking out through the veil, it’s this reminder. It’s there. And, and what was on top of the arc? The cherubims, but what was between the cherubims, the mercy? See there’s this, there’s this connection, this reminder that God’s mercy comes from God’s throne,
comes from God’s presence and fills the lives of these people. And so this connection, they can’t go in and see it, but they can see those poles. They can know it’s there. 10th day of the what, seventh month. Oh, I was right. So, not only do we have, by the way, the feast of Tabernacles going on in the seventh month,
we also have the day of atonement. So all of this, even though it’s not spelled out, they don’t say, Oh, by the way, we’re doing the feast of Tabernacles. And Oh, by the way, it’s the day of atonement, and I’ll spell it all out in first Kings. But if you go connect this to the other passages,
you’re supposed to catch up on that. Hey, by the way, it’s the day of atonement when all of these sacrifices for all of the people are made, and when the high priest goes in through the veil, and that’s the day the temple is opened. Okay? Yes. So that is a, it’s an important point when even going back to the days of the tabernacle,
when it was time to transport the tabernacle, when they would go from place to place, those who had the responsibilities of transporting it were allowed to go in. But there was a procedure there. There were things that had to be done by the priests. And then the, the, I think it was the Kohathites were the ones responsible for transporting the articles of the temple and such.
And so there was a procedure they were to go through when it was moved and that’s how it gets in there is that they’re following that procedure now, but once it’s there, once the veil is shut, once all of it’s done, then it’s the high priest once a year that’s allowed to go in. What about speeding? You know, That’s a good question.
I don’t know that we ever read about it, but I guess my assumption is there’s probably some sort. Yeah. And what’d they do with all the blood? That’s going to be an interesting one by the time we get through this, um, to, to, to just a mental image to go, Hmm. I wonder how they did this. There was another comment.
Yeah, That is correct. That is correct. We’re going to see the prayer, the presence of God, God’s presence manifested in the Holy place and that is going to occur after the arc is placed there. So, um, this is part of the reason why we’re not getting through this chapter all today. So just, just FYI. Uh, so the priest brought in the Arctic covenant of the Lord to its place,
into the inner sanctuary of the temple, to the most Holy place under the wings of the chairman for the chairman, spread their two wings over the place of the arch. And the cherubim overshadowed the arc and its poles and the poles extended so that the ends of the polls could be seen from the Holy place in front of the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen from outside.
And they are there. To this day, nothing was in the Ark except the two tablets of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel when they came out of the land of Egypt. Now what was originally in the Ark? The the bowl of manna. Okay. Aaron’s rod that budded and the tabernacle or the tables of stones,
Tabernacles with the tables of stone. What’s there and how Errands Rod’s gone. So’s the bowl of man. The only thing that remains are the tables of stone. Now, what happened to the other things Eight? The answer is we don’t know. Uh, just like, you know, that rabbit, we’re not going to chase. We don’t know where the arc is either.
Um, it never went to Babylon. It’s not among the things listed is going to Babylon. But what happened to it before Babylon came into Jerusalem? We have no idea<inaudible> Uh, could, could be, could be, uh, that, that is the reminder that this had gone to the Philistines. The Philistines had it for a time, then it had gone to,
uh, was obeyed ITAM and, and these other places, um, before it came back. Did something occur then we know the Philistines tried to open it, uh, because many of them died when that occurred. So, um, we, we don’t know all the details. We do know that as of this point, this is what’s still in the Ark.
Uh, nothing was in the Ark except the two tablets of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb. When the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel when they came out of the land of Egypt, and it came to pass when the priest came out of the Holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord so that the priest could not continue ministering because of the cloud,
for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord. So as they come in, they bring the Ark in, they place it in, they come and they’re continuing to offer the sacrifices. They’re continuing to do the work of priests in the Holy place. But God’s presence comes in to the temple. And as a result of that, they have to stop.
Basically all of them have to leave this, this cloud, as it is described, descends over the temple and into the temple. And everyone inside goes out. They can no longer continue to operate in the temple. And this was a continual reminder, the presence of God. And you’ll this, by the way, if you go back into Exodus, you’ll see the same thing occurring at the tabernacle.
Uh, in the days of of Moses, God, again, placing his stamp of approval on this, saying, this is part of my covenant. I will dwell with my people. I will be here and now it’s also important to realize what’s going to be said by Solomon and that Solomon and all the people recognize. Just because we have this manifestation of God’s presence here doesn’t mean that God dwells in places made with hands.
Okay, so Solomon makes this statement. Verse 12, then Solomon spoke, the Lord said he would dwell in the dark cloud. I have surely built you an exalted house and they place for you to dwell in forever. So Solomon makes this statement. He says, this is a place for God’s presence. This is a place for God to dwell. This is a,
and the connection here is to the covenant, to the promise. Notice the connection, the verses before it, nothing was there except the TA, the tables of stone that Moses put there. And he put them there. When, when God made a covenant with Israel, which you’re seeing is these verses are getting your mind to go to the covenant. God’s presence is to remind you of the covenant.
God said, I’ll dwell with you if you’d well with me, but if you cease dwelling with me, if you see following my laws. Isn’t that interesting? The covenant was connected to the tablets of stone and written on the stones were what? The 10 commandments foundation of the law. God said, the law is the fundamental connection between my presence here and you and as long as you continue in my law,
out continued dwelling with you, but you leave off the law and my presence will be gone from you. So notice verse 14 then the King turned around and blessed the whole assembly of Israel while all the assembly of Israel was standing. And he said, blessed be the Lord God of Israel who spoke with his mouth to my father, David and with his hand has fulfilled its saying since the day that I brought my people Israel out of Egypt,
I have chosen no city from any tribe of Israel in which to build a house that my name might be there, but I chose David to be over my people Israel. Now it was in the heart of my father, David, to build a temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel. But the Lord said to my father, David, whereas it was in your heart to build a temple for my name,
you well that it was in your heart, kind of hear, uh, a little bit additional information here from Solomon. You know, God told David, you’re not building the temple, but I’ll make a covenant with you and your son who comes from you. We’ll build a temple. But what Solomon includes in here is, but God wasn’t angry with David that he wanted to build the temple.
God said, you do well to have this perspective, to have this idea, uh, this was a, this was a positive thing and yet it needed to be done God’s way and not David’s way. Nevertheless, verse 19, you shall not build the temple, but your son who will come from your body. He shall build the temple for my name.
So the Lord has fulfilled his word, which he spoke. And I have filled the position of my father David and too, and sit on the throne of Israel as the Lord promised. And I have built a temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel. And there I have made a place for the arc which is in which is the covenant of the Lord,
which he made with our fathers when he brought them out of the land of Egypt. Solomon blesses the people and he stands before them and he reminds them why all of this has happened. How long has it taken to do this? Let’s go back to all the way back to second Samuel chapter seven when David initially had the idea, this has been a generation incoming,
th th Solomon would probably have still been a child when this idea initially came forth. And so, uh, you, you have all of this being leading up to what God is going to promise, what God is going to do, what God has done. And now Solomon says, and the Lord has done what he said, this is going to be one more example of what God says he’ll do.
He will do. Okay. We need to be reminded that these things happen and they happen according to God’s plan and they happen according to God’s timeframe. God doesn’t allow someone else to come in and you serve his authority, you serve his plan. But he also doesn’t allow someone else to get in the way of him fulfilling his plan. It’s this reminder that we get from,
from the book of Esther where Mordecai says to Esther, listen, you can go in and you can stand before the King and you can save your people and you can make sure that the King knows. But if you, you could rest assured God’s going to save his people anyway, But your house won’t be safe. So this constant reminder that God’s going to do what God has said he will do and God’s going to fulfill what he has promised.
Yes, absolutely. Absolutely. Um, so Just for clarification, cause my brain started thinking about this as I was talking, I said that Solomon probably was a child when God made the covenant of David. No, Solomon wasn’t born yet because second Samuel chapter seven happens before second Samuel chapter 11, where David committed adultery with Bathsheba. So Solomon wasn’t born yet.
That’s how long a time it’s been, uh, from the time that, uh, before Solomon was even born, until this is fulfilled. Now verse 22. Thanks. Let me step back and say one more thing. Yeah. God made a promise to David. You’re going to have a son and the son that I choose is going to be on the throne and the son that I choose is going to be the one who builds the temple.
Absalom was not that son at a Nijah was not that son. Solomon had not even been born and yet God said, I’m choosing Your son is going to continue your throne and I will make a covenant with him and he will build my temple. And Solomon here stands 11 years into his reign and says, God did what God promised before. I was even born and it is a recognition that it wasn’t all about Solomon,
it was all about God. We need to be reminded of that as well, so just carries back this connection all the way back to Abraham. God promised you’re going to have a son and I’m going to do this and I’m going to be with him and I’m going to be with his descendants before Abraham ever had a child, God did the same thing with David before Solomon was born.
Then Solomon stood verse 22 before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands towards heaven and he said, Lord God of Israel. There is no God in heaven above or on earth below like you who keep your covenant and mercy with your servants who walk before you with all their heart. You kept what you promised your servant David,
my father. You have both spoken with your mouth and fulfilled it with your hand as it is this day. Solomon says that God fulfilled this. God did this with his hand. The God just Make the temple. Who was God’s hand to do it? Solomon and the people. There’s this, there’s this reminder that Solomon gives here and that is that God has purposes and God has his will and God has the things that God wants done and God has the promises that he’s going to fulfill and sometimes we’re a part of that,
But the glory doesn’t go to us. The glory doesn’t go to Solomon. The glory doesn’t go to the people. The glory goes back to God because it was God who was doing it. But notice also that Solomon makes it clear. The presence of God is connected to the heart of the people. Go back to verse 23 Lord God of Israel. There is no God in heaven above or on earth below like you who keep your covenant and mercy with your servants who want before you with all their hearts.
Jesus has asked what’s the greatest command? No, And it seems as though Solomon already knew what it was To love the Lord thy God with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my strength, with all my mind. And Jesus said the same thing because both of them read the book of Deuteronomy. Both of them knew what Moses had said in the book of Deuteronomy about serving the Lord and God says,
you are. Solomon says concerning Lord, you’ll keep your covenant. You’ll keep your promise. You’ll walk with your people if they walk with you because that’s what you’ve told them. Then we verse 25 therefore, Lord God of Israel, now keep what you promised your servant David, my father saying, you shall not fail to have a man sit before me on the throne of Israel.
Only if your sons take heed to their way that they walked before me as you have walked before me. Not only is the relationship of the people with God contingent upon their hearts, but the relationship of the throne to David’s family was contingent upon their deeds contingent upon their actions and they’re keeping the law. It’s going to be, It’s going to be very sad to see where Solomon is in the 11th year of his reign,
where he goes in the years thereafter because he doesn’t do this. He does all of this work and does all of this to accomplish this great deed and then lets his heart Go And lets it follow after everything else. Now I pray, Oh God of Israel, verse 26 let your word come true, which you have spoken to your servant David, my father,
but will God indeed dwell on the earth. Behold, heaven in the heavens of heavens cannot contain you. How much less? This temple, which I have built Solomon’s not disillusioned about this, Solomon is not believing that, Oh, I built this great structure in this grand thing and encompassed it with gold and done all of these things. Therefore, now God dwells in this house in contrast to everywhere else.
Solomon says, heavens and the heavens of heavens cannot contain your presence. I am not confused about your presence being here. Is your presence here? Yes. Does that mean it’s not somewhere else? No. So Solomon understands that God is dwelling with his people, but that does not mean that God is not still God. But then also he says verse 28 yet regard the prayer of your servant and his supplication.
Oh Lord my God, and listen to the cry and the prayer which your servant is praying before you today, that your eyes may be open toward this temple night and day toward the place of which you said, my name shall be there. That you may hear the prayer which your servant makes toward this place, and you may hear the simplification of your servant and of your people Israel,
when they pray toward this place here in heaven, your dwelling place. And when you hear, forgive, Solomon makes clear that this temple is simply a representation of God’s true dwelling place in heaven.<inaudible> What is the church? According to first Kings chapter or sorry, first Chronicles chapter three in first Chronicles, chapter six<inaudible> First Corinthians. There we go.
Corinthians, I’m I messed you up on the Chronicles there. First Corinthians chapter three in chapter six, The temple. Paul writes to the Corinthians and he says, your body, If you look at the context of the two passages, one of them is the congregation and one of them is the Christians. You are the temple of God. One passage says,
if you’re the temple of God, you better not be joined to a harlot. That’s an individual relationship with God. The other one speaks concerning the church being the temple of God. God hasn’t left heaven. God isn’t missing from heaven. If someone is, and I know I’m speaking in earthly terms about spiritual legs, but if someone in heaven goes to look for God,
he’s still there. That doesn’t mean he’s not in the church. That doesn’t mean he’s not in you and me. It didn’t mean he wasn’t in the temple. But what Solomon wants these people to recognize and what he’s asking God to do is when this people turns their heart back towards the covenant, because what is it that’s there? What is it that’s housed inside this temple?
What is it that connects the people to God and his presence? It’s the covenant. So every thing that you read here when he re when he makes this statement about the people praying towards the temple and he says, when they pray towards this temple and this occurs and they ask for forgiveness, forgive them, but it’s not the temple that is the significant part of that.
It’s what’s in side. It’s what is of real consequence and value. All the things that the temple is is this external wrapping around two things, laying in a box, The law, and so he says when they turn their hearts back to you and when they pray towards this temple, you forgive. Now draw that forward because in Jeremiah chapter 31 or 32 I think it’s 32 verses 32 through 38 or 32 through 36 Jeremiah says that there was coming a time prophesying on behalf of God where I will write my law on their hearts.<inaudible> And first Corinthians chapter three and first Corinthians chapter six says that the church is the temple of God.
We don’t need to go about building any temples for God. Today we are supposed to live as temples of God. Today we are to act as if God’s law has written inside the deepest Portions of our heart. Yeah. And we are to live in relationship to him and dwell with him so that he can dwell with us. John chapter 17 Jesus is praying in the upper room and he says that he desires that those who are following him be one with God,
the father as he is one with God the father. And they achieve that by believing in him and by hearing the words that he delivered to the apostles. Yeah. The words that God had delivered to him In all of this, in everything that’s made up in the life of Israel and in the relationship with Israel and the covenant of Israel with God, the foundation of it all Was words,
Communication And it relationship built upon a law. Yeah. And a promise And a covenant. And when Israel remembered that They were faithful to God, When they were conscious of the law and when they were conscious of the word of God and when they were conscious of the relationship with God, they were faithful to God. Thank God, dwelled with them. And God blessed them and they served him.
But when they lost track of the importance of the law, when they lost track of the importance of the words, when they lost track of the importance of the covenant, they lost their connection to God. Turn to Jeremiah chapter seven real quick. We’ll close with this and the questions. Um, and then we’ll pick up here on Wednesday night. Jeremiah chapter seven,
Beginning in verse one, here’s what Solomon never wanted to happen, but it happened anyway. Here’s what God never wanted them to do, but they did it anyway. Jeremiah chapter seven, verse one, the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying, stand in the gate of the Lord’s house. What’s Lord’s house? The temple. He says, go stand in the gate of the temple and proclaim there this word and say here the word of the Lord.
All you of Judah who enter in at these Gates to worship the Lord. Alright, so Jeremiah is supposed to go, he’s supposed to stand in the gate of the temple. He is supposed to cry out to everyone who’s coming in and out of the temple. And here’s what he’s to say. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel,
amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Do not trust in these lying words saying so. Here’s the proclamation of the liars, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are these. God says, don’t you trust in the temple? Don’t you trust in those who say,
look, we’ve got the temple. Look, we’ve got the temple. Look, we’ve got the temple. Verse four, do not trust in these lying words saying the Lord or the temple of the Lord, the tumble of Lord the tumble Lord are these four. If you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if you thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor,
if you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, or walk after other gods to your hurt, then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers for ever and ever. Behold you trust in lying words that cannot profit. Will you steal murder,
committed adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to bail and walk after other gods whom you do not know and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name and say, we are delivered to do all these abominations<inaudible> Over in your margin. If you write notes in your Bible, Right? Romans chapter six verse one Shall we continue in sin that Grace May abound?
Let it never be so God for bid. That’s the same mentality they had right here. They were stealing, lying, robbing, killing, and then going into the temple and saying, We can do all of these things because God is with us And yet this is the same passage you read on that Jesus uses to accuse the scribes and the Pharisees and the money changers and those in the temple in his day saying,
you’ve turned my house into identities. The temple was never intended to be the important thing. It was always intended to remind them of the important thing, which was their heart and their actions. Let’s go through the questions. We’ll just go through the ones. Actually, we’ll just go through number one and number two, since that’s as far as we’ve made it,
those whom Solomon called to assemble when the Ark of God was brought God’s new house did not include the elders, the heads of the tribes, uh, the leaders of the fathers of the house, uh, or seen any of the fathers of the household or D, all the people, the, all the people. Uh, when Solomon had the Ark of God moved to God’s new house,
who carried the Ark, the priests. And what part of God’s house was the art placed Most Holy place. Why? Or excuse me, what was contained inside the Ark of God? Tables of stone. Why did the priest have to leave the house of the Lord after placing the Ark of God inside the most Holy place? Wow. Because the presence of God or the cloud filled the house.
Who originated the idea number three of building a permanent house for God. David. Okay. So we’ll pick up there and go through the remainder of the questions and the remainder of the chapter on Wednesday night. Thank you for your attention. You are dismissed.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Man, it kind of looks like the old man used to say he looked like last year.
His burden. It’s just, just all scattered out and not many there. Good to see everybody this morning. We do have a lot of people out, but it is good to see those of you that are here and we welcome all our visitors. If we have any, I don’t see any, but if you are here and I can’t see, we appreciate you fill out a card.
Uh, We need to remember our sick Rodale and Dorothy. Um, Julia occasion is now in a hospice care. Is there a note out there about where she is or whenever she’s at home but in hospice care and uh, John Springer is still at home recovering from her pneumonia. Beverly Price is a pill out. She’s having some blood pressure problems. The Richardsons are in Ripley,
Mississippi today. I think it was Mississippi think so. Anyway, they in Ripley, uh, he’s preaching there today. The Dales are all out sick and uh, Betty Lou is going to have her other hand operated on tomorrow and it is bothering her much smaller than the other one was. So they going to try to fix that one. Carville cares.
We’ll meet two, uh, tomorrow night at seven Coleman Avenue. Ladies day was sad. It will be Saturday the 29th. Uh, we need to remember the Rushmore’s are still in Ghana, but Martha fail and uh, kinda bruised up from that and she found out she has a mass on a kidney. They will see about that on March the sixth when they get back,
it’d probably be back before the sixth, but anyway, that’s when she going to see about our kidney. And uh, Rebecca’s grandfather fell and broke his hip, but they are unable to do a surgery right now because of some other health problems. They need to fix this. If you need a Cohen can from Potter’s children home there, uh, on a table in the,
by the office there and that’s all around Schick and the people that are out, uh, gear Carla will lead singing this morning. Uh, I’ll have the opening prayer. Aaron cohort, the sermon and Jay Shafir will have the closing prayer. Thank you. First song had number one Oh eight one Oh eight the Lord is in his Holy temple. A temple is a dwelling place of a God and of course Christians are the dwelling place of God now.
Okay.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Tim<inaudible><inaudible> the earth. Keep silence be for<inaudible> key.<inaudible> Key Long. He saw Lawrence B four<inaudible> Number 671 will be the next song. Pure In the heart. Oh God. Hell me.<inaudible> Ma. Hey. Hi D boy Martin Lawrence. Oh, today<inaudible> Watch that. All my words would be gone.
Guide me with cow. So sweet.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> me too.<inaudible><inaudible> in the hall. Oh God. Help me.<inaudible> Teach me to do well. Most log<inaudible> Big doll, my friend and God that me with the buy side.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> me too.<inaudible><inaudible> in hoard or God help me.<inaudible><inaudible> one day.<inaudible> Hey me prom.
See grandson Ray and doll my soul With an<inaudible>.<inaudible> Oh, me too.<inaudible> That was probably a father who art in heaven. We thank you for this first day of the week, an opportunity to have to come together as your children to sang songs of praise to the end to worship you the only true and living God. We pray that you would be with us today and give us wisdom to understand the things that we are to study today so they might help us to become stronger Christians and to be more faithful today.
We pray that you would be with our number that are sick today, that, that are unable to be with us. We pray that you would be with them and comfort them and be with those that attack Karen for them. We pray that you’d be with those that are in nursing homes and other health care places. We pray that you would comfort them and,
and uh, be with them and the people that are caring for them. We pray that you would be with those that are traveling. We pray that you would, uh, give them safe journey to where they go and to come back so they can be back with us. We pray that you would be with the ladies rock country during this time, that they may say they’re wrong and turn to them for guidance.
We pray that you would be with the teachers here at Chi will, that they will always treat, teach the truth, and and have a long service in your kingdom. Pray that you would be with us through the further exercise of this day. Keep us safe. Forgive us when we do wrong. Christ name we pray. Amen. Number 382 will be the next song to prepare our minds for the Lord’s supper.
Why did my savior come to<inaudible> And to the arm bull go, Whoa. Why did he use the lower lip? B calls, he law me.<inaudible> He lost hope. He’s<inaudible> He<inaudible> Me.<inaudible> He gave his precious life for me for me. B calls he law.<inaudible> Why did he drink the beer?<inaudible> Oh, saw roll pain.<inaudible> Well on the cross,
bill lifted<inaudible> B calls. He lost me.<inaudible> He Me<inaudible> Yeah.<inaudible> Me.<inaudible> He gave his precious life for me, for me. The calls he law<inaudible> To Jesus comes us seeing it<inaudible> and then two Glor rig<inaudible> And reign with him through and listen<inaudible> B calls. He lost me.<inaudible> He<inaudible> Me.<inaudible> Yeah.<inaudible> Me.<inaudible> He gave this precious life for me for me.
B, cause he lost me.<inaudible><inaudible> Would you bow with me? Our heavenly father, we truly thank you for Christ, our savior and his willingness to die far. So we thank you for this bread which does represent Christ’s body. We pray that as we do so we would do so in a manner that’s pleasing and acceptable thee and do so with a thankful heart.
These saints we ask in Christ’s name. Amen.<inaudible> Okay.<inaudible> Well, our heavenly father, we continue our thanks for this fruit of the vine, which does represents the blood of our savior that will shed for our sins. Pray that each one of us might do so with a thankful heart. The sinks we ask in Christ’s name. Amen.<inaudible> That’s bow.
Oh God, our father in heaven. We are truly grateful for all the blessings that you sow bountifully given to us. We pray, father, that we’re good stewards of those blessings and that we have purposed in our hearts today to give a portion of that back to the we pray, father, that the church here will use those funds wisely and try to have the needy and to spread the borders of the kingdom.
Not only here, but throughout the world. Bless us in our giving and we pray. We’re giving with a cheerful heart in Jesus name. Amen.<inaudible> Number 797 number 797 Lord, we come before the die feet. We humbly bow, Oh, do not our suit deuce. Dang Shaw. We see the Lord in vain jaw. We seek the Lord in verse Lord on the hour salt deep in comm a Sean.
Now Dee say and bill our hearts with by rich gray. He’s dude our knit to sing to our lips to sing by<inaudible> in died. Oh no audited way. Now we see the here we say, Lord, we know not how to go. Deal law, blessing dog, be stole to law. Blessing be stall. Whoa. Grind that whole movie.
Seek and find the uh, God’s Preme leak on<inaudible> dog app. Do you three<inaudible> Oh Ori Georgeson the leart also read yours in the<inaudible>. Our invitation song will be number 374 374<inaudible><inaudible> Good morning. Take your Bibles if you will, And open them to the book of John. Jesus came To seek and to save that which was lost.
Jesus came And preached a message To a people. His message was not for that people alone, For when he left this earth, he left instructions for his disciples to take that message to Jerusalem, Judea, Sumeria, to the most part of the earth. But Jesus preached a message of a coming kingdom. Jesus preached that the kingdom of heaven was at hand And Jesus proclaimed and said to his disciples that he would set up his kingdom,
the kingdom that Daniel chapter two verse 44 was prophesied about, that it would never be destroyed. The kingdom of God. Okay, And that he would build his church and the Gates of hell would not prevail against it. He preached all of these things. He said, all of these things, he came for this reason and yet as Jesus preached, there are topics and there are subjects that Jesus preached about differently than anyone else And specifically differently than anyone previous to him.
It was interesting that the people, the Jews would respond to Jesus’s preaching and they would say, no man ever spake as this man speaks for. He spoke with authority And Jesus preached about topics that were important And most assuredly, all of the things that he preached were true. It is for those reasons that I want to spend this morning looking at a topic that Jesus preached about more than any other preacher in scripture.
There are many who will believe and will hold and who will will proclaim that this subject is one which should not be preached, Should not be discussed, and frankly according to their is not accurate. And yet it’s interesting that Jesus preached about it more than any other preacher in all of scripture, old and new Testament. We begin in John chapter nine Yeah,
John chapter nine and verse 35 through verse 39 we read this. They answered and said to him, Abraham is our father. Jesus said to them, I’m in John chapter eight excuse me, John chapter nine verses 35 through 39 Jesus heard that they cast him out and when he found them, he said to him, do you believe in the son of God?
He answered and said, who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him? Jesus said to him, you have both seen him and it is he who is talking with you. The context to this event is Jesus will heal a man who is lame. The man will be questioned by the Jews as to who healed him and he will proclaim that he does not know and then his parents will be brought in and they will be questioned and they will say if he’s of age,
ask him and ultimately it will be determined that it is Jesus who healed him and the man will be cast out. He will be sent out of the congregation, pull it out of the temple. Jesus will then find him, and this is the discussion that ensues. He says, do you believe in the son of God? And he says, who is he that I may believe in him?
You have both seen him. Jesus said, and it is he who is talking with you. And he said, Lord, I believe, and he worshiped him. Then verse 39 four and Jesus said, for judgment I have come into this world. Yeah, Jesus said that he came into this world for a singular purpose. Now we’ve already mentioned Jesus said he came to seek and to save the loss.
That’s true, but in view of that mission to see and save a loss, the question must then be asked, save them from what Jesus says here in John chapter nine verse 39 for this reason, I came into the world that those who do not see may see, and those who see may be made blind. He says, for one reason, I came into the world and it is for judgment.
Okay, Jesus makes clear and Jesus proclaims with clarity. There is a judgment that is coming And if there is a judgment and if there is a need to save people from that judgment to seek and to save those who are lost, there must then be a consequence when the judgment comes, which leads us into this discussion of the topic that Jesus preached about more than any other preacher in scripture,
And that’s hell yeah. There are preachers today standing in pulpits today who will not preach On hell. Yeah. There are preachers today and pulpits today who will preach on hell in a way that is not correct and will say things about it that are not Correct. Well, what I want to do this morning is notice five reasons why Jesus preached on hell more than any other preacher in scripture,
And it begins here in John chapter nine it begins with this statement, John. Jesus said here in John chapter nine it is for this reason that he came into the world for judgment. Jesus preached on hell more than any other preacher in scripture because he knew it was the reason he came, The existence of hell, the consequence of judgment, the results of sin,
where the reason why Jesus came into this earth. Turn to Romans chapter five Paul will write concerning this situation in Romans chapter five beginning in verse six for when we were still without strength in due time, Christ died for the ungodly, for scarcely for a righteous man will one die. Yet perhaps for a good man, someone would even dare to die, but God demonstrated his love towards us in that while we were still sinners,
Christ died for us much more than having now been justified by his blood. We shall be saved from wrath through him. Jesus said, I came to seek and to save that which was lost. Jesus said, I came because of judgment. He, Jesus said that he came to reconcile us to God. Paul makes it clear that it is only through his sacrifice that we are saved from Raph.
What RAF? If God is a God of love, as some proclaim, if God is one who would not be angry with man, if God is one who will accept anything that we do, if God is one who justifies man air regardless of their actions, then why in the world would Jesus leave heaven to come to earth, to save men from the wrath of God and the judgment of God.
But notice in John chapter nine Jesus doesn’t say that he came to save men from judgment. That’s an important point. He came for judgment And that is because Jesus is the judge turned to John chapter 12 John chapter 12 Beginning of verse seven now my soul is troubled and what shall I say? Father save me from this hour, but for this purpose I came to this hour.
Father, glorify your name. Then a voice came from heaven saying, I have both glorified it and will glorify it again. Therefore, the people who stood by and heard it said that it was fun that it had thundered. Others said, an angel has spoken to him. Jesus answered and said, this voice did not come because of me, but for your sake now is the judgment of this world.
Now the ruler of this world will be cast out. Jesus came for judgment. Jesus came to bring about judgment. Jesus came as judge and Jesus came because this world was being ruled and is still under the influence of the ruler of this world who would be judged. It is important to understand the D the the reality of the fact that Jesus came not to preach.
Everyone will get to be happy forever. Jesus came to declare judgment and a separation. He came as he said, to bring a sword and not peace. Jesus came and he preached concerning judgment and consequences and wrath and hell because it was the reason he came. But consider secondly, he preached concerning hell more than any other preacher in scripture because he has power over it.
Turn to John chapter five John chapter five and in verse 22 we begin reading as Jesus here is speaking to the Jews. Verse 22 for the father, judges no one but has committed all judgment to the son. Jesus said for judgment, I came into this world and Jesus said that the judgment had been delivered into his hand. It had been committed to him.
He’s the judge. He’s the judge who will determine whether or not a person will be saved from wrath or receive wrath. But then notice verse 23 for the father, judges no one but has committed all judgment to the son that all should honor the son just as they honor the father. He who does not honor the son does not honor the father who sent him most assuredly.
I say to you, he who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death unto life. Consider the judgment that Jesus proclaims. It is a judgment that brings about death or a deliverance from death to life. Verse 25 most of surely I say to you, the hour is coming and now he is when the dead will hear the voice of the son of God and those who hear will live for as the father has life in himself.
So he has granted the son to have life in himself. The judgment that Jesus will deliver will either deliver one from death and bring them to live. We’ll give them new life or What’s the other option? Notice what he says. Verse 27 Okay To me, verse 28 do not Marvel at this. For the hour is coming, which all who were in the graves will hear his voice and come forth.
Those who have done good to the resurrection of life and those who have done evil to the resurrection of damnation. Notice Jesus doesn’t say those who have died, those who receive God’s wrath will just go out of existence and they’ll be never more. Jesus says, all who are in the gray will hear my voice. All who are in the grave will rise up.
Those who have done good and to everlasting life and those who have done evil unto everlasting damnation. Jesus said that he was the one who had power over hell and power over judgment. Matthew chapter eight, Matthew chapter eight and in verse 29<inaudible> When he had come to the other side, verse 28 to the country of the, uh, uh, gurgle scenes there he met him to demon possessed men coming out of the tombs exceedingly fear so that no one could pass that way.
And suddenly they cried out saying, what have we to do with you, Jesus, you son of God. Have you come here to torment us before our time? There is a torment. There is a judgment, there is wrath that is coming upon those demons that are spoken of here. And they knew it And they knew who had the authority over it.
Jesus preached about hell more than any other preacher in scripture because it was the reason he came. Jesus preached about hell more than any other preacher in scripture because he had the power over it. But consider thirdly that it was because it was intended for someone else. Okay? Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. Jesus came to reconcile. Man,
Jesus died when we were worthy of it because hell was intended for someone else. Turn to Matthew chapter 25 Nearing the end of Jesus’s life in the last week of his life as he is there in Jerusalem. Jesus speaks concerning when the son of man, verse 31 comes in his glory and all the Holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory.
All the nations will be gathered before him and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd divines his sheep from the goats. But if you go down to verse 41 then he will say to those who are were on the left hand, depart from me, you cursed into the everlasting fire. But notice this final statement prepared for the devil and his angels.
The wrath that is coming, the judgment that is coming, the separation that is coming, the separation of those who will have everlasting life, to those who will have everlasting condemnation, and those who have everlasting condemnation will be separated into the same place of judgment as Satan himself. Because Jesus came to defeat the ruler of this world. Satan. Jesus came to separate those into judge those who have allegiance to Satan.
Jesus says, if you’re his messenger, if you’re his partner, if you’re on his side, if you have allegiance to him, you’ll face the same judgment he faces. Jesus came And Jesus preached about hell more than any other preacher in scripture because Jesus knew hell was intended for someone else. It was intended for Satan, and yet he also knew that there were those who had given themselves over to serve Satan.
So again, we remind ourselves of Romans chapter five that while we were yet sinners, Okay, Those who had given ourselves over to Satan Christ died for us. Jesus is not the judge who sits on the throne, who desires with unrighteous judgment to condemn those who he doesn’t lie. Jesus is the judge who sits on the throne who also became the sacrifice to die for those who didn’t like him.
Number four Jesus preached about hell more than any other preacher in scripture because Jesus knows what it costs To avoid it. Avoiding hell doesn’t come without its cost and sometimes those costs are significant. Jesus in the sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter five Begins in verse 21 He says, you have heard that it was said of those of old to those of old you shall not murder and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.
But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother, without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment and whoever says to his brother, rakish shall be in danger of the council, but whoever says you fool shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the alter and remember that your brother has something against you,
leave your gift there before the altar and go your way. First, be reconciled to your brother and then come and offer your gift. Agree with your adversary quickly. While you are on the way with him less your adversary deliver you over to the judge and the judge hand you over to the officer and you be thrown into prison. Surely I say to you,
you will by no means get out of there until you have paid the last penny. Jesus is using the law and Jesus is using the ordinances of the law and the commands of the law in the physical sense to reason towards the greater issue. Verse 27 he says, you have heard that it was said to those of old you shall not commit adultery, but I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish than for your whole body to be cast into hell and if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off, cast it from you for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish than for your whole body to be tasked into hell.
Jesus is trying to get them to realize there is a consequence for sin. There is a consequence for sin against one another. There is a consequence for one who does wrong to another and then does not restore what he has done wrong. He says, you can offer your sacrifices all you want but they won’t be accepted because you haven’t reconciled with your brother first.
But he also considers that the judgment in this world looks forward to a judgment in the world to come and he tells them now what about your heart? If your heart is not right, if your heart is turned away to loss, if your heart is turned away to adultery, if your heart is turned away from God, then you have a judgment that is coming.
Jesus knew what it would cost to avoid hell. Jesus said, if your eye offends you pluck it out. It’s better to lose a member of your body than to be cast into hell. Jesus isn’t talking about their physical eye. Jesus is talking about their heart. Jesus is talking about their allegiance to sin. Jesus is talking about them allowing their lives to pull them into sin and he is trying to get them to realize whatever you have to get rid of,
no matter the cost, whatever you have to get rid of to hell, It is worth it. Jesus preached about hell, Torment, condemnation, judgment, Consequences of allegiance to sin and Satan more than any other preacher because number five Jesus actually knew How wonderful heaven really was And he didn’t want any one to go to hell. Instead, John chapter 17 Beginning in verse 17 Jesus says,
sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, I have sent them the disciples into the world and for their sakes, I sanctify myself that they also may be sanctified by the truth. I do not pray for these alone, but for those who will believe me through their word, that they all may be one as you father are in me and I in you,
that they also may be one in us that the world may believe that you sent me and the glory which you gave me. I have given them that they may be one just as we are one I in them and you and me, that they may be perfect in one and that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me.
Yeah. Father, I desire that they also whom you gave me maybe with me where I M They may behold my glory, which you have given me for you loved me before the foundation of the world. Jesus prayed Before he left the upper room. Okay. That those who believe on the word of the disciples, those who believe that he was sent from the father,
those who would hear the message And obey it Would be unified, reconciled to God through Christ, And then when this life is over, they could be with him where he is. Jesus knows the glory of heaven And because he knew the glory of heaven, he preached concerning the destruction of hell, And if Jesus preached about it, then most certainly we should as well.
It was Jesus who spoke concerning the rich man who fared sumptuously every day, who had everything, his heart desire and thought. His life was going great until his life was over, and it was Jesus who preached concerning the man who was a beggar, who was covered in sores, who had the dogs to come and to lick his sores, who desire just a morsel of crumb from the rich man’s table And had no solace from the pains of this world.
Yeah. When the poor man died, he was carried by angels into Abraham’s bosom. He was carried to a place of peace. He was carried to a place of rest to await the judgment and the rich man died. And he wasn’t. Not because he was rich, but because he wasn’t rich toward God Because he wasn’t faithful and obedient because he was full of himself and thought only of himself.
Yeah, Because his allegiance was to himself instead of to God, and so he was put into Tarman and he was Put into torment and he desired to be removed from torment, and he couldn’t. He desired one drop of water that he might have the torment relieved just in some small way, and he couldn’t. He desired for someone to come back and to tell his brothers not to live the way he lived So they could avoid that torment.
Good. Abraham would tell him they have Moses and the prophets. Let them hear them. If they won’t hear them, they won’t hear someone come back from the grave. Jesus spoke about hell because Jesus knows what it really is and knows it can be avoided. Jesus came to help you avoid it, but it’s up to you the same way it was up to the rich man.
If you’re here this morning and you’re outside the body of Christ, you’re outside of the place where salvation is found. If you’re outside of the church, you’re outside of the place that Jesus came and died for, to purchase with his own blood. If you’re outside of the body of Christ, you’re outside of the place that God adds those who are saved from their sins and are washed from their sins and placed into a place of inheritance in everlasting life.
How do you get into the body of Christ? How do you get into the church of Christ? You get into it a simple way. You hear word of God and believe what was proclaimed. You believe that Jesus Christ is a son of God because except you believe that I am. He you will die in your sins. He says, you repent of those sins You repent of following after Satan and sin and turning back to serve God.
Yeah, Confess the name of Christ and allegiance to him and you are immersed in water for the remission of your sins, buried with him to rise up in newness of life so that you do not Face the second death and the destruction of hell, and then you live faithful until death that you may receive a crown of life. If you haven’t begun that journey today,
why not? If you have begun that journey and you’ve gotten off that path off that straight, hard and narrow path onto a broad path that leads to destruction, where many will go in where Jesus says, many will find that destruction because it’s easy. Why not repent? Why not be restored? Why not get back on the right path? The path that leads to salvation?
If you’re outside the body of Christ this morning, if you’re a member of the body of Christ and you’ve turned your back on him, why not come home? If you have need of the invitation, it is made available to you now for any reason why not come now as we stand and as we sing Be Draw mine yours<inaudible><inaudible> That blood lose all their<inaudible><inaudible> Lose all their guilty<inaudible> Lose all their<inaudible> and says nurse blondes<inaudible> That would lose all their guilties.<inaudible> Dude<inaudible> blood shower whole nerve Boogaloos it’s Oh<inaudible> the ransom church job God be safe too soon.
No. Be slaves to sin.<inaudible> We say to say it.<inaudible><inaudible> no runs from church or God be safe too soon.<inaudible> her sins by faith. I saw the stream flowing wounds up. Claw<inaudible> being blood has been my theme.<inaudible> doorway<inaudible><inaudible> And beat two Lord Dawn Reedy mean blood has been my theme.<inaudible><inaudible> Number seven 11 number seven one one.
And after this we will have our closing prayer. Blessed Be<inaudible> Barnes,<inaudible> Cruz, John law<inaudible> law to the O O Oh the four hour. All those throw home we put rock or done hers.<inaudible> teams or warn our call home put side<inaudible>. We share our music to all woes our mutual bird<inaudible>, her and Alton bore reach all the<inaudible>,
both sing to Heavenly father. We’re indeed grateful for this privilege that we’ve had to assemble and worship you and peace this day. We pray that our worship do you has been in spirit and truth and a sweet savor. As we prepare to depart, we’re mindful of those of our number that are suffering from illnesses. We pray that your healing hands may be put upon them.
Bless each of us according to our several needs. Forgive our sins as we repent and turn from them And go with us. Guide us in your footsteps each day of our lives. It’s in Jesus’ name that we pray<inaudible>.
Eph 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. Eph 5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light Eph 5:15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,
And now, Admonition, brought to you by the Collierville Church of Christ.
How should we walk? That’s a question we’ve discussed before, but Paul mentions three ways in Ephesians, Chapter five that we should walk.
Number one, he says, Walk in love because Christ loved you. Number two, he says, Walk as children of light, living the way God would have you.
And number three, he says, Walk, circumspectly, verse 15, Not as fools, but as wise. How are you walking today?
For more from the Collierville Church of Christ, visit Colliervillecoc.org.
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Watch more of Aaron’s videos about Salvation, the Gospel, the good news, the gospel message salvation, and in-depth studies of the books of the Bible by visiting https://cozort.org, and Collierville church of Christ.
This video is a production of Collierville Christian Radio, the Collierville church of Christ, and the Gospel Broadcasting Network.
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. To learn more about the Collierville church of Christ, visit colliervillecoc.org
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Ephesians 5:7 – Therefore do not be partakers with them.
Transcript: What should you do when people try and convince you to live in a way that’s not right for a Christian? To live in a way that’s against the word of God? What should you do?
Paul says in Ephesians Chapter five, Verse seven, Therefore, do not be partakers with them. Say, no, when someone tempts you to go against the word of God,
Say, no, and live the life of a Christian. I hope the light of God is in you, today. For more from the Collierville Church of Christ, visit www.colliervillecoc.org.
Subscribe to Admonition on Youtube: Subscribe on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3syE1ogS5LPeEsnAfgnYrg?sub_confirmation=1 Sign up for a daily devotional by Email: https://cozort.org/free Leave a comment for the host of Admonition: https://cozort.org/contact
Watch more of Aaron’s videos about Salvation, the Gospel, the good news, the gospel message salvation, and in-depth studies of the books of the Bible by visiting https://cozort.org, and Collierville church of Christ.
This video is a production of Collierville Christian Radio, the Collierville church of Christ, and the Gospel Broadcasting Network.
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. To learn more about the Collierville church of Christ, visit colliervillecoc.org
Not currently a subscriber to Admonition? Sign up for this daily video devotional by Email: www.colliervillecoc.org/daily or www.cozort.org/free.
Good evening. We are in first Kings chapter seven<inaudible>. Let’s begin with a word of prayer. Our merciful father in heaven, we bow before you. Grateful for this day for the life that we have and the joy that we have,
the recognition that we have, that you exist and that you were creation has been placed here. Now we might be a part of it, but we might bring honor and glory to you. We know that you are worthy to be praised and we are so grateful that that you have revealed yourself in your word, that it’s proven itself to be true over and over and over again.
We pray that you will be with those who are dealing with illnesses, difficulties, sicknesses. We pray that they might be returned to their health, pray that those who are dealing with the loss of loved ones might be comforted. We pray for those who were waiting on diagnosis and and different issues to be discovered and understood that they might have some comfort as well.
We pray for missionaries that are abroad, that they might be safe in their travels safe in their labors, but most especially that they’d be bold in their speech and sound in the faith. We pray for boldness here at home as well and we pray that we might always focus on serving you above self. All this we pray in Jesus name. Amen. We began on Sunday noticing the constructing of the temple and the elements of the temple that were used in that construction.
So we have Solomon who’s on the throne. He begins building the temple in what year of his reign? Third year it takes the first year to do what? To lay the foundation. Uh, it’s going to be interesting that Solomon will, will take a year to lay the foundation. And yet we will find, we will find, if I can get my words out,
uh, over in the book of Haggai guy that the, when the children of Israel return from Babylonian captivity, they again returned to build the temple and it takes them a lot longer to lay the foundation on it. Does anybody remember how long it took them? Does it state it? And it’s either in hat guy or it’s in a, in Ezra,
but I think it’s in hat guy. So in the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by Haggai, the prophet to his rebel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jozadak, the high priest saying, thus speaks the Lord of hosts saying this,
people says the time has not come. The time that the Lord’s house should be built. Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai, the prophet saying, is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses and this temple to lie in ruins now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, consider your ways. So they are in the second year of the righteous in uh,
the sixth month at that point. And then they begin to build. They, they actually, the book of hat guys, one of those unique prophets in the old Testament, he was one of them. They actually listened to that. That was actually pretty rare, the old Testament where they actually would listen to the prophet of the Lord. Um, that had something to do with the leadership they had.
But if you go back and look, my memory serves me correctly from the time they initially went to Israel to build the temple, they went Israel, they ran into issues. And, and you’ll, if I’m, if I’m incorrect about this, I’m sure one of you’s going to find it and, and prove me incorrect. But it took them 16 years to actually lay the foundation for the temple.
Not because they were building the entire time, but because they got started, they got stopped and they never finished until 16 years later, which is by the way, why when Nehemiah comes and, and uh, or am I getting that right when Nehemiah comes and gets the work going again when Haggai is there as well. So, uh, Solomon taking a year to do it,
it’s not a big, big surprise, but also recognize this. You remember that? Uh, I think it is again in Nehemiah that we read about when the people who had seen the first temple who were alive at that time to see the first temple and saw it saw, saw the second temple foundation be laid, they knew there was going to be no comparison.
We’re going to let till we’re wait until all of the Amber alerts get finished going off here. Yeah. It’s an Amber alert. So When they saw the foundation late, those who were old enough to have remembered the, the temple of Solomon, they wept because of there was no comparison, uh, between what they knew they would build and what Solomon had built.
So we begin in chapter seven and verse one, but Solomon took 13 years to build his own house. Now how many years did he take to build the temple? It took seven years to build it and another year to lay the foundation. So a total of eight. It was finished in the 11th year of his reign, but Solomon took 13 years to build his own house.
So he finished all his house. He also built the house of the forest of Lebanon. His length was 100 cubits, it’s width, 50 cubits and its height. 30 cubits with four rows of Cedar pillars and Cedar beams on the pillars. And it was paneled with Cedar above the beams that were on 40, uh, excuse me, 45 pillars, 15 to a row.
There were windows with beveled frames in three rows and window. Uh, And the window was opposite window in three tiers and all the doorways and doorposts had rectangular frames and the window was opposite window in three tiers. He also made the hall of pillars. Its length was 50 cubits, its width, 30 cubits and the front of them was a Portico with pillars and a canopy was in front of them.
Then he made a hall for the throne and the hall of judgment where he might judge and it was paneled with Cedar from floor to ceiling. And the house where he dwelled had another court inside the hall of like workmanship. Solomon also made a house like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter whom he had taken as wife. So here in the beginning of chapter seven we have an iteration of different building events that Solomon goes through.
He, he builds the temple and then he builds his house and then he builds this structure and that structure. And finally we read, he also built a house for who? For Pharaoh’s daughter. Why is Pharaoh’s daughter in the land? Because that’s his wife. Um, I don’t know if any of y’all have ever done something special for your wife, but uh,
Solomon did, he built her a house that wasn’t his house. I mean he spent 13 years building his house. Now, I don’t know. This may be one of those situations, you know, they say there are some spouses that can stay married until they build a house together and that experience is so disruptive in a marriage that maybe that’s, you know,
who knows. Maybe when she was, he was done with that project, she said, all right, and now you’re building mine because I didn’t like what you did with you know, the other one, who knows. Um, but he’s going to build this house for her. One of the things that you’re actually going to see this leading into in Solomon is going to,
as he marries more wives and as those wives bring his heart away from God, he is going to begin to build places, high places for their idols. And this is just the beginning of the departure from God. But then notice all these were of costly stone cut to size. Trim was saw, trimmed with saws inside and out from the foundation to the eaves and also on the outside to the great court.
These were expressions of prosperity. These weren’t, you take the stones that you find in the quarry and you’ve used them the best that you can and you make the best structure that she can get by with cause it’s all you got. These were expert craftsman ship hewn out stones. Uh, now I don’t know what kind of saws we’re talking about since these are saws being used to cut stone,
but we’re dealing with people who knew what they were doing and they made these structures and they did so in an extravagant way. The foundation was of costly stones, large stones, some 10 cubits and some eight cubits. Somebody give me a rough idea of how large a cubit was. 18 to 21 inches on average, 18 inches times 10. How large is this stone?<inaudible> 18 feet in length.
Some, you know, just 16. These are massive. These are no small things. So then notice And above were costly stones hewn to size. And Cedar wood at the great court was enclosed with three rows of human stones and a row of Cedar beams. So we’re the inner court of the house of the Lord and the vestibule of the temple. Now King Solomon sent and brought who Ram from tire.
Now I think there’s a difference in the King James version and the new King James here that in the spelling of the name, um, I believe the King James says, Hiram, H I R a M and R questions. Since I come from the King James version, they also state Hiram. The new King James is spelled it H. U. R.
A. M. A. So, uh, verse 13 now King Solomon sent and brought who room from tire. He was the son of a widow from the tribe of NAFTA lie. And his father was a man of tire of bronze worker. He was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill in working with all kinds of bronze work. So he came to King Solomon and did all his work.
Solomon looks for someone to do the inner workings of the temple, the bronze work. This is a specialized skill, quite obviously, especially as we begin reading through it. You’re going to see that this person’s no ordinary bronze worker. Uh, this man is, is truly skilled at, at this work as an art. Um, and so he’s going to bring this individual,
but this individual is half what? Half Jew? Half Gentile. He’s, he’s from the tribe of, uh, from what tribe? NAFTA lie, but his father is from what location? Tire. So it was mother’s from NAFTA Lai, his father’s from tire, but tire. Remember as the, the nation, the city nation that uh, they had received help from the King in building in the Cedars for the temple and for all of these other things.
And so they’ve got a good relationship with this nation. And so here’s this individual. He’s half Jew and he comes to do this work for Solomon. So we’re going to begin reading about the bronze work that was done, uh, in the temple and in other places. He was the son of a, um, I already read that verse. Verse 15,
he cast two pillars of bronze, each one 18 cubits high and a line of 12 cubits measured the circumference of each. These aren’t small things are they? That they had these massive pillars that were made. Uh, he then he made two capitals of cast bronze to set on the top of the pillars. The height of the one Capitol was five cubits.
The height of the other capital was five cubits. He made a lattice work with Reese of chain work for the capitals were on top of the pillars, seven chains for one capital and seven for the other capital. So he made the pillars in two rows of pomegranates above the network, all around to cover the capitals that were on top and thus he did for all he does,
he did for the other capital, the capitals that were on top of the pillars in the hall. We’re in the shape of Lilly’s four cubits. The capitals on the two pillars also had pomegranates above by the convex surface, which was next to the network and there were 200 such pomegranates in rows on each of the capitals all around. Then he set up the pillars by the vestibule of the temple.
He set up the pillar on the right and called its name Joshin and set up the pillar on the left and called its name. Boaz, the tops of the pillars were in the shape of lilies, so the work of the pillars was finished and he made the sea of cast bronze, 10 cubits from one brim to the other. It was completely round.
Its height was five cubits and a line of 30 cubits measured its circumference. What’s, what’s this sea that we’re talking about? What was it used for? It was used for the priests. Okay. It was used for the ceremony, ceremonial cleansing of the priests as they were making the offerings as they were preparing to go up into the alter to make the offerings where they were preparing to go into the Holy place to make the offerings.
These were having to do with the procedures and the offerings and the consecrations of the priest. What is the, if you take the type apology of the tabernacle and the worship and the old Testament forward to the new Testament, what was the consecration of the priests? A type of, in the new Testament, what’s the anti type Baptism? If you put the type ology together between the old Testament,
the new Testament, you go forward to the book of Hebrews and you will find that the Holy place is representative of the church. You could not enter the church until you passed through the water. And so there was a typology there between the consecration of the priests and that also this, the idea of making one wholly, uh, consecrated, uh, between that and entering the temple or the tabernacle.
Yeah, you do the math on this. This is, um, this is no a small swimming pool. Uh, this is no kiddie pool out in the yard. This thing was massive. But what, what I enjoy reading about is what was underneath it. Cause this thing was, this was thing was raised up. This, this wasn’t ground level.
You didn’t just walk down into it. You had to go up into it. No. Notice what we read. Um, verse 24, uh, below its brim were ornamental buds in circling it all around 10 to a cubit all the way around the sea. The ornamental bloods were cast in two rows when it was cast. It stood on 12 oxen.
So the sea stood on 12 oxen, three looking toward the North three looking toward the West three looking toward the South three looking toward the East. The sea was set upon them and all their back parts pointed inward. So you’ll get the picture here. If you were looking at it, no matter which way you walked around it, there would have been three oxen facing out North,
South, East and West. Uh, Verse 26, it was a hand breadth thick and it’s brim was shaped like the brim of a cup like a Lily blossom. It contained 2000 BAS. Uh, that was their measurement there for the liquid. He also made 10 carts of bronze. Four cubits was the length of each cart, four cubits it’s with and three cubits,
its height. And this was the design of the car. They had panels and the panels were between frames on the panels that were between frames where lions, oxen, and cherubim. And on the frames was a pedestal. On top. Below the lions and oxygen were Reese of plated work. Every cart had four bronze wheels and axles of bronze. And it’s four feet had supports under the labor where casts or excuse me,
were supports of cast bronze beside each reef. It’s opening inside the crown at the top was one cubit in diameter and the opening was round shaped like a pedestal one and a half cubits in, uh, in outside diameter and also on the opening were engravings but the panels were square, not round under the panels were four wheels and the axles of the wheels were joined to the cart.
The height of a wheel was one and a half cubits. The word Winship of the wheels was like the workmanship of a chariot wheel. Their actual pins, their rims, their spokes and their hubs were all cast bronze and there were four supports at the four corners of each cart. It supports were part of the card itself and on top of the cart at the height of half a cubit,
it was perfectly round. And on the top of the cart it’s flanges and its panels were of the same casting on the plates of its flanges and on its panels he engraved cherubim, lions and Palm trees. Whenever there was a clear space on each with Reese all around. Thus he made the 10 cards. All of them were of the same mold, one measure and one shape.
Then he made 10 lab labors of bronze. Each labor contained 40 bags and each labor was four cubits on each of the 10 cards was a labor and he put five carts on the right side of the house and five carts on the left side of the house. He set the C on the right side of the house towards the Southeast. Harum made the Lavers in the shovels and the bowls,
so Hyrum finished doing all the work that he was to do for King Solomon for the house of the Lord. The two pillars, the two bull shaped capitals that were on top of the two pillars, the two networks covering the two bull shaped capitals, which were on top of the pillars, 400 pomegranates for the two networks, two rows of pomegranates for each network to cover the two bull shaped capitals that were on top of the pillars,
the 10 cards, the 10 labors on the carts, one C and 12 oxen under the sea, the pots, the shovels in the bowls, all these articles which hear him made for King Solomon for the house of the Lord, where of burnished bronze and the plain of Jordan that King had them cast in clay molds between succuss and Zara. Zara tan and Solomon did not weigh all the articles because there was so many.
The weight of the bronze was not determined, so there’s so much bronze going in to these structures and into these things that they just said, yeah, we’re not going weigh it. It’s, it’s, it’s, it’s too much. The best way. W, w it’s kind of like when they were gathering the corn in Egypt in the years of plenty.
And they started initially counting how much was coming in and they left off counting because they said, okay, uh, we’re done with this, this, this, there’s too much here. Uh, much the same thing here. Solomon did not weigh all the articles because there were so many, the way that the bronze was not determined, the Solomon had all the furnishings made for the house of the Lord,
the alter of gold and the table of gold on which was the showbread, the lampstands of pure gold, five on the right side, and five on the left in front of the inner sanctuary with the flowers in the lamps and the WIC trimmers of gold, the basins, the tremors, the bowls, the Le ladles, and the censors of pure gold and the hinges of gold,
both for the doors of the inner room, the most Holy place, and for the doors of the main hall of the temple. So all the work that King Solomon had done for the house of the Lord was finished. And Solomon brought in the things which his father David had dedicated the silver and the gold and the furnishings. He put them in the treasuries of the house of the Lord.
So we’ve got a lot of detail here, got a lot of specifics. We’ve got a lot of interesting pieces that by the way are useful to help us get a picture in our minds of what this was, what it looked like all these centuries later. We can kind of maybe if not to perfection, but we can get an idea of the size and the scale and the massiveness of all of these things that were created and the detail,
the care and the concern. This wasn’t haphazard, this wasn’t sloppy, this, this was a immaculate work and they found someone who was excellent and skilled and knowledgeable and wise to do it, which by the way also hearkens back to the old Testament in the book of Exodus, that there were workers who were given that wisdom to be able to do those things.
But in all of this, in all of this, we can easily lose track of the thing that was important. And the point that God will make over and over and over again. It struck me as Eric was preaching about Jonah on Sunday. Somebody turn over and read Jonah chapter two, but getting about verse five through verse 10, uh, round verse five,
wherever it makes sense to start The is compass me about even to the soul, the depth close me roundabout. The weeds were wrapped about my head down to the bottoms of the mountains. The earth parse was about me forever, brought up my life and corruption fainted within me, heard the Lord and my prayer came in unto me for blind vanities per I will pay that Joan is there and the fish.
Yeah, Jonah was told to go to Nineveh and to preach. It goes the other direction. It struck me as we were reading that on Sunday as Eric was presenting the lesson that Jonah says, his prayer Went up Into where the Holy temple of God. And do you think for one moment he thought and he was saying or he was describing that it went into this golden cased temple in Jerusalem.
No. Here we are in Jonah’s day and Jonah knows the truth, the truth that’s been stated time and time again in old and new Testament. God doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands. The temple and the tabernacle were to be a symbol of God’s presence with Israel. God’s statement that he would dwell with them, that he would be in their midst,
that he would be with them so long as they would be with him. And when you went to the tabernacle, when you went to the tent, when all Israel had brought it, had had, had gotten their inheritance, they had built their own houses, they had built their own barns. David has built Jerusalem. The walls were set around Jerusalem.
David’s living in a panel house. When you go to the tabernacle and it’s Justin Old tent, There’s nothing special about it. There’s nothing magnificent about it. There’s nothing praiseworthy about it except one thing. God’s presence was there. And when you went to the temple a few years later, when Israel’s gone and the parted from God and God’s presence is no longer in the temple,
there were many praise worthy things to say about the temple, but it was missing the one thing that mattered. God’s presence wasn’t there. When we look at the old Testament and when we see the lessons from the old Testament, we see this great work and we see this magnificent wisdom and we see this, this intricate effort and we see this grand vision of building something for God.
But we also see the, the person who had the grand vision of building something for God, eventually lost track on building something for God and started building something for himself. And when he got done building something for God, he went on and build more things for him self and the people who saw this great temple and worshiped in this great temple and saw these magnets,
magnificent things, saw this thing and praise gone and consecrated it to God and and had a desire for this to be the house of God And failed to appreciate that the house of God was the heart of men. Jesus said when he went into the temple, You have taken a house of prayer. You’ve turned it into a den of thieves, and yet Jesus said that this house was to be a house of prayer for all nations,
And yet you will see even that they will take the temple and they’ll section out, Oh, this is where the Gentiles can be. Gentiles can’t have any part in this place or this place or this place. They can’t come. No. Well, here’s the court for the women court, for the women’s out here, the court for the men’s in here court for the Gentiles out here court for the Jews in here.
They turned it into a place of separation. God intended his tabernacle to be a place of unity, a place where people came together to praise him and not themselves. We need to be careful that we don’t turn Valiant efforts at building something for God into magnificent expressions of our own grander because we’ve done it far too many times in the church. We need to learn the lessons from Solomon Of the things that he did right and all do.
We need to learn the lessons of the things he did wrong because we need to walk into the courts of God’s house with humility and with recognition of who he is. But I will say this, of all the things that you see in the temple, all the things that you see in the artwork of the temple and the creation of this structure, one of the things that you get that carries forward long after the temple is destroyed is the picture of this place in view of the eternal throne of God.
The throne of God and the presence of God in the prophets carries much of the imagery from the temple. When a Z keel sees the vision of the one who’s on the chariot of fire there in Ezekiel chapter one, and in other chapters, and you see the wheels and you see the BESE looking each direction. All a lot of these pieces of imagery come from the temple<inaudible>,
But God wants us to know there’s a spiritual, it’s significance that’s far greater than the physical one. And that’s true also, when you get into the book of revelation, let’s go through the questions. Question number one more time was used in building a Solomon’s house or be God’s house, a Solomon’s house. For whom did Solomon build a special house? Pharaoh’s daughter?
Yes or no? Were saws used during the time of Solomon? Yes, they were, uh, um, question for a man of tire skilled in working with bronze, who worked for Solomon in building the temple was a Ethan B, Hiram C Cal Cole or D Darda B Hiram or who? Ram in the new King James. Uh, number five,
not included among the ornaments of the temple, which Solomon build was a pomegranates be oxen, C roses or deed Wheels. See roses. Okay. Uh, number six, high remain utensils for God’s house out of blank. Brass. Bronze. Yeah. The furniture placed in the house of God was made of Gold. Yeah. What did Solomon do with the things his father had dedicated,
Put them among the treasuries of the house of the Lord. One last thing that I wanted to mention just in that particular verse, and that is this, Solomon had respect for The efforts and the labors and the things that had come before him, even though he was in a different position, even though he had much more wealth to work with and had a time of peace that his father didn’t have,
he did not diminish what his father Had done. He had respect for it and he treated it with respect and I think that’s worthy of note and something of value there. Okay. Comments or questions? Yep. Alright. Thank you for your attention. Good evening. Good to see everybody here this evening and Oh,
Good crowd tonight. We still have a few out. Once we got on our sick list or usual ones, pretty much Darth and Riverdale, Julia Case and Jones spraying are still at home and Joe, you got your medicine adjusted. Nope. Anyway, they might still be working on that. Beverly Price is having some blood pressure problems. Your son knew, I didn’t know what was wrong but here this week tonight,
his blood pressure problem. Eric Habersham is still at home recovering from the flu and thanks. He might go to work tomorrow, may O’Neil, he sent Diana to get his report and she comes home and says, and nothing wrong with him so he can’t get out of all those honey do’s he’d been putting off. It’s good to know there’s nothing wrong with him.
I don’t believe out of center down there myself.<inaudible> Janet Jones is at home. She’s having blood pressure problems also and Rebecca still got the either or flu, whatever. She got ladies Bible class will be tomorrow at 10:00 AM and over here in the classroom for rush mowers are still in Ghana. We need to remember. Aaron would like to meet with the man briefly after Bible study.<inaudible> Here at college,
going to lead singing here at Richardson. The Bushnell and Aaron cohort has a closing prayer.<inaudible><inaudible> Evening. Is it on? Yep. We are studying this quarter in Isaiah and we came across this passage a day. I thought it was very interesting. Isaiah chapter 42 Isaiah 42 starting in verse one talks about the servant of Loris is a prophecy of Christ.
In verse one it says, behold my servant who I am, uphold my elect one in whom I sold the lights. I have put my spirit upon him. He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. He will not cry out nor raise his voice, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruise Reed, he will not break a smoke in flax.
He will not quit. He will bring forth the justice for truth. He will not fail nor be discouraged till he has this has established justice in the earth and the coast land shall wait for his law. There’s a lot of things we can learn about Christ in this passage. We don’t have time for tonight to look at, but this is a scribing Christ and it’s describing,
it talks about a bruise. Read a bruised Reed. It’s not broken, but yet it’s at that point. If you lean against that Reed or if you push on that read, what’s going to happen? It’s going to break. It’s almost to that breaking point that says the smoking flax, this would be a candle that’s about to go out and starting to smoke and if it’s not helped,
it’s going to go out. It describes a point where it’s a desperation. There is nothing else that can be done. This prophecy is fulfilled in Matthew chapter 12 Matthew 1215 through 21 Jesus just got done, uh, healing the withered man’s hand. He goes, the Pharisees are angry, of course, and he leaves. The multitudes follow him and he fell and he heals them.
He described his scribes there. It says that it’s a fulfillment of this prophecy. He healed those that probably at their wit’s end, there was nothing else they could do. They, they would not been healed for what they, what the ailment that they had. But think about us today. It’s interesting just before that in Matthew chapter 11 and verse 28 through 30 Jesus said,
come unto me all you that are lay that labor and are heavy Laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon me and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and you shall find wrists unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. The labor. There is a person that is at that point,
there’s nothing else they can do. It’s they’re weak. They’re like that read. That’s about to break that flax. That’s about to go out. This is talking about sin. When we’re outside of Christ, we can’t save ourselves. Romans six 23 we need Christ. Christ can heal us of that state. It says we can find rest and to our souls.
The only way we can find that rest is in Christ. John 14 verse six Jesus says, he is the way, the truth, the life. No man cometh unto the father, but by him we can find that rest in Christ. We have to put him on in baptism. We have to put in in S S and maybe it would be baptized,
but Amman and baptism as Romans chapter six verse three through four States. Have you done that tonight? Do you need rest from your soul? Has, has sin wore you down to the point where you don’t know what to do? That rest can be found in Christ? If you have not put Christ on a baptism, don’t put it off. Do it tonight or for those that have that are a Christian but have straight away,
we can still find rest in Christ, can’t we? If you have need or prayers or if you’d like to become a Christian, pray that you do it now as we stand and as we sing<inaudible> Oh, Oh, I just pray. Gracious, heavenly father, we bow before you, grateful for the day that you’ve given us, grateful for the time that we have to spend together,
rightful for all that you do for us on a daily basis. We ask that as we depart from this place, you will give a safety pray that you will be with us as we are separated from one another until we return once again to assemble together, sing to pray to worship your name. We pray that you will continue to grant us your grace and your mercy each and every day of our lives.
We ask that you forgive us when we sin and fall short of your glory, and we thank you most especially for your son who died and sacrificed for us all this we pray in Jesus name. Amen.
“Ephesians 5:8 – For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light Transcript: Do you remember what it was like back when you were in the world? Do you remember what it was like back before you were a Christian? In Ephesians, Chapter five, Verse eight, Paul says you were once in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. How much better is it, if you’ve become a Christian, than it used to be?
I hope the light of God is in you, today. 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. To learn more about the Collierville church of Christ, visit colliervillecoc.org
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Ephesians 5:9 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.
Transcript:
When people live in a way where they want to keep the things that they’re doing a secret, that’s a good indicator that you don’t need to be around them.
In Ephesians, chapter five, verse 11, Paul says, And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.
There are people doing things in secret that Christians have no business being involved in. Stay away from them.
I hope the light of God is in you, today. For more from the Collierville Church of Christ, visit www.colliervillecoc.org.
Watch more of Aaron’s videos about Salvation, the Gospel, the good news, the gospel message salvation, and in-depth studies of the books of the Bible by visiting https://cozort.org, and Collierville church of Christ.
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.
To learn more about the Collierville church of Christ, visit colliervillecoc.org
Ephesians 5:6 – Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
Transcript:
What kind of words does a person use when they’re trying to convince you that you can do things God says you shouldn’t do?
Well, Paul says in Ephesians, Chapter five and in Verse six that those kinds of words are empty.
He says, Let no one deceive you with empty words For because of these things, the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
He says, when someone tries to convince you that you can do things and live in such a way, God has said not to, their words are empty; they have no authority. Are you being swayed with empty words?
It’s time for us to begin this morning. It’s good to see everyone here. I know we’ve got at least one that’s out with the flu. Uh, Eric Halverson is home dealing with, uh, that thing that’s going around. And uh, so keep him in your prayers.
Hopefully he will recover quickly. We are in first Kings chapters five and six this morning dealing with the building of the temple and the preparations for it be turning over there w again in a moment. Well, let’s begin with a word of prayer. Our Lord and father in heaven, hallowed be thy name. We are so grateful for all of your many blessings for your tender mercy that has been granted to us for the blessing of life and health that we have to assemble for the opportunity that we have and the freedom that we have in this country to do so without persecution.
We pray that we will continue to daily utilize that freedom to boldly proclaim the truth, no matter what comes and never shy away from the truth because of the influence of evil. We pray that you will help us to learn the lessons that you’ve placed in this text for us to learn to come to a better understanding of your will and to have better appreciation of your presence.
We ask that you forgive us when we sin and fall short of your glory and are willing to repent of those things. We pray for those that are dealing with illnesses and difficulties, pray that they be returned to their desired health and their desired positions. We pray for those who may be traveling, pray that they have a safe travels and reach their destination safely and we pray for those who are doing mission work throughout the world.
May they be able to continue in those labors and may they be fruitful in those labors, whether in edification or in evangelism. Pray that all that they do will be in accordance with your will in Jesus name. Amen. We read in chapter four and verse 30 thus Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt for he was wiser than all men than Ethan the as were height and Heman.
Ciao Cole and Darda the sons of Mount may hole and his fame was in all the surrounding nations. He spoke 3000 Proverbs and his songs were 1005 also he spoke of trees from the Cedar tree of Lebanon even to the hyssop that Springs out of the wall. He spoke also of animals, of birds of creeping things in a fish and the man and men of all nations from all Kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom came to hear the wisdom of Solomon,
Solomon’s fame and his fame concerning his wisdom specifically. Notice this isn’t fame about his great military power. This isn’t fame about the nation of Israel and its grander. This isn’t fame about this vast land that they’re ruling over because let’s face it, Israel even at its largest extent is a small footprint compared to many other nations around them. You think about the size of Egypt?
Do you think about the size of Israel? There’s no comparison, but it was his wisdom that brought from all the Kings and all the nations around them and all the ones who had heard of Solomon and his wisdom to come and to find out if this was true and to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Verse chapter five verse one says, now Hiram King of tire sent his servants to Solomon because he heard that they had anointed him.
King in place of his father for Highroom had always loved David. Now do you remember a King that David heard about who his father had died? And David was one who had been helped by his father. And so when David heard that his father had died, he sent his servants to go and to comfort him. Well, here Highroom does the same thing except Solomon doesn’t treat Hiram servants the way that that other King treated David surface.
The other King listened to his counselors and said, these men are spies. These men are here to spy out the land and the Congress. And so he mistreated them. Solomon won’t do that with high room or with Hiram servants. He will treat them as they were as friends. And uh, the servants of a King who was a friend. But then notice verse,
uh, verse two, then Solomon sent to Hiram saying, you know how my father David could not build a house for the name of the Lord, which his, excuse me, the name of the Lord his God. Because of the Wars which were fought against him on every side until the Lord put his foes under the soles of his feet. But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side.
There is neither adversary nor evil. Occurrence and behold, I propose to build a house for the name of the Lord my God as the Lord spoke to my father, David saying, your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, he shall build the house for my name. Now therefore command that they cut down Cedars for me from Lebanon.
And my servants will be with your servants and I will pay you wages for your servants according to whatever you say for you know, there is none among us who has skills to cut timber like the side donations. So Hiram is the King of tire, tire and Sidon or two cities and, and, and nation cities that were in the North above, uh,
Israel over the coast of the, uh, uh, Mediterranean sea. And so Solomon returns back of message to Hiram. Hiram has sent his servants down. Solomon sends back a message saying, you are aware, and I think this is interesting. This is not a detailed a skip over. He says, you’re aware that my father desired to build the temple,
the house of his God while he was alive, but wasn’t allowed to. David has communicated with Hiram and has discussed this. Now, this may have something to do with the fact you remember we read about all the preparations that David made in advance for the temple and for the things of the temple and how he gathered, uh, timbers. And gathered materials all together so that when Solomon started this project,
he was not going to have to start at zero. These preparations had been made already, so now Solomon is going to communicate with Hiram and said, you know about the situation. You know what was going on. You know why David wasn’t allowed to build the temple, but now I’m ready to build. But you have something. We don’t, not just the timber of tire inside in,
but you have timber workers that we don’t have. They have skills we don’t have. Some have come to these passages and they’ve looked at these, these statements, and I don’t know if they’re correct or incorrect, but they’ve drawn the conclusion that perhaps because of the influence of David and because of the communication of David and relationship of David and Hiram, that perhaps Hiram has been one who as a Gentile has been worshiping the Lord and that seems to make sense that there’s more than just a political Alliance here.
There’s more than just a civil Alliance here, that there is a friendship that went deeper than that. So that Hiram was actually one who worshiped the Lord and recognize the Lord as God because of his relationship with David. That may be the case. That may not be the case. I just know that there are some who have drawn that conclusion, but either way Solomon suggestion is and his request is you send us workers and you send us timber and I’ll pay you whatever.
I’ll pay your servants whatever you require. Okay, so it was when Hiram heard the words of Solomon that he rejoiced sprightly and said, and here’s one of the key verses that they they go to, to to bring forth this idea of higher rooms, recognition of God, blessed be the Lord this day for he has given David A. Wise son over this great people.
Hi room’s response to Solomon’s message is to praise Jehovah. Hiram doesn’t say, well bless be the gods of Tyre and Sidon. He said, blessed be the Lord and that word there is Jehovah. Then room sent to Solomon saying, I have considered the message which you sent me and I will do all you desire concerning the Cedar and Cypress logs. My servant shall bring them down from Lebanon to the sea.
I will float them in rafts by the sea to the place you indicate to me and we’ll have them broken apart there. Then you can take them away and you shall fulfill my desire by giving food for my household. Tires are the Hiram. The King of tire says, I’ll do as you ask, here are the logistics. Here’s what we need to do.
Here’s how it will get done. Here are the things you need to figure out and here’s the cost. So when you look at this, you have two nations working together, you have two Kings working together, they’re bringing together skills that one has that the other doesn’t. And the one thing that Hiram recognizes in this communication is Solomon’s what His wisdom And the rejoicing that Hiram has when he receives the message is not,
Oh look, we’ve got money coming in. Our GDP is going to be better this year. No, that wasn’t it. His recognition and his rejoicing was, David, my friend had a son who came to the throne who was wise instead of a fool. Go over to the book of Proverbs in your mind and think about, uh, not, not just Proverbs,
but Ecclesiastes. Think about the statements that Solomon makes when he considers the wise person who gathers all of these riches, who builds wealth, who does all of these things and is industrious and then dies and leaves it to his son. Who’s a fool. What good was it? He says, what good was it to go do all of this and build all of this?
Ended up delivering it to a son who’s a full Hirem rejoices because David’s son is no fool but is wise and is carrying out the wishes of his father. Also consider this idea that you have a situation quite often where sons reject the choices of their fathers. Son say, you know what, that may have been my father’s plan for me, but I don’t care what my father’s plan was for me.
I’m going to do what I want to do. That wasn’t Solomon Solomon in his wisdom, chose to follow the path of his father. Now he’s not always going to do it perfectly. He’s not always going to do it right and certainly going to be issues. But in this context, that’s part of what you’re seeing. Um, do we know how old Solomon was?
Um,<inaudible> what, what age is he when or do we have, is his age at his death? Um, let me see. Right. It is in the third year that he begins to build. Yeah. Um Hm. Okay. I, I’m not, we know that he reigned 40 years, say same as same as his father. We know that three years into his reign is when he begins to build the temple.
But we also recognize he technically began to reign before David died. So, um, I don’t know that we’re ever told his age when he dies. Um, if it’s not top, yes, yes. I, the impression is as well that he is even from his own statements that he’s a young man coming to the throne, uh, most likely in his twenties,
uh, perhaps even his early twenties. Okay. So then Hiram gave Solomon verse 10 Cedar and Cypress logs according to all his desire. And Solomon gave high room 20,000 cores of wheat as food for his household and 20 cores of pressed oil. Thus Solomon gave to Hiram year by year. So this is an agreement. Solomon, you give me food for my house now.
We talked on Wednesday about what it took to feed Solomon’s household on a monthly basis, probably very similar situation for Hiram. And so Hiram says, listen, you send me food, I’ll send you timber and workers. Okay. So this happened year by year. So the Lord gave Solomon wisdom and he as he had promised, and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon and the two of them made a treaty together.
Then King Solomon raised up a labor force out of all Israel and the labor force was 30,000 men. So he sent them to Lebanon 10,000 a month in shifts. They were one month in Lebanon and two months at home. And uh, Donna Ram was in charge of labor force. Solomon had 70,000 who carried burdens and 80,000 who quarried stone in the mountains besides 3,300 from the chiefs of Solomon’s deputies who supervised the people who labored in the work and the King commanded them to quarry large stones,
costly stones and human stones to lay the foundation of the temple. So Solomon’s builders, high rooms builders and the Gable lights quarry them and they prepared timber and stones to build the temple. So again, we return back to the statement that Samuel made to Israel. You want a King? Well, here’s what you’re going to get with it. You’re going to get a King,
but he’s going to take your sons and your daughters and your best and those who are the most productive and they’re going to work for him. Well, that’s exactly what’s going to occur here as opposed to all of these men being in the fields, being those who were working at home, working on their inheritance, they’re off entire and in the quarries building or preparing to build the temple.
Now there’s also an indication from other passages that some of the EAs are going to be part of the people who were not driven out of the land. There were still Canaanites who were in the land and some of them will be put to the work of building the temple and serving as the, in quite Frank terms, slaves of Israel, but you remember all the way back to the Caribbean nights they give you the nights were those that came to a Joshua and they said,
listen, we’re from a far off land and they addressed as though they’d come on a long journey and they had moldy bread and they came and they said, let us make a treaty with you because we’re from this far off country. Israel makes a treaty with them only to find out they weren’t from a far off country. They were from right there in Israel.
They were part of the people that had been commanded to be put to death and God said, here’s what’s going to happen to you. You’re going to be woodcutters and water bearers for my house. And so they had been put into a position of being bond servants, slaves of Israel, and specifically for the function of the temple and the service of, or the function of the tabernacle at the time and the service thereof.
So there seems to be others as well who have still been in the land who’ve been brought under subjection during David’s reign. These were some who constantly were fighting battles against them and now they’re placed as those who are doing part of this service and part of this labor. But there were certainly those of Israel as well. You see, part of the wisdom of Solomon in what did the Egyptians do with the Israelites when they wanted them to build these great cities and when they were using them as slaves,
they took them and they overworked them and they made it. They said, listen, as long as we keep them working, they’ll be obedient. They’ll be subjugated. But Solomon takes them and he does what, one month working two months off, one month working two months off. He gives them sufficient rest to keep them working and laborous and productive but conscious of their,
their needs and their physical work. I mean this is, this is not going to be easy work. This is going to be hard labor. Uh, and so he will be wise even in his choices in that regards. Chapter six it came to pass in the fourth, excuse me, he came to pass in the 480th year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel in the month of Ziv,
which is the second month that he began to build the house of the Lord. Now the house which King Solomon built for the Lord, its length was 60 cubits, its width 20 and its height 30 cubits. The vestibule in front of the sanctuary of the house was 20 cubits long across the width of the house and the width of the vestibule extended 10 cubits from the front of the house and he made for the house windows with beveled frames against the wall of the temple.
He built chambers all around against the walls of the temple all around the sanctuary and the inner sanctuary. Thus he made side chambers all around it. The lowest chamber was five cubits wide. The middle was six cubits wide. The third was seven cubits wide for he made narrow ledges around the outside of the temple so that the support beams would not be fastened into the walls of the temple and the temple when it was being built was built with FA with stone finished at the quarry so that no hammer or chisel or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built.
This is an interesting detail here because if you remember back to the book of Exodus when they’re building the tabernacle, initially that was one of the requirements. They weren’t to do the work of building the tabernacle and and hewing out the stones or making the poles or beating the the gold into and into its form. They weren’t to do any of that at the tabernacle.
They were to do that out, away from it and bring it to the place where it was to be built and assembled together separately and so Solomon carries that same idea forward into this work, but it’s interesting to consider just exactly what that means. I mean that means they were fashioning these stones, fashioning this structure and and building it all out, carving it out of rock,
quarrying it out and then moving the finished pieces and when they get there with the finished pieces, it all had to fit. I mean, you know, this whole a measure twice cut once philosophy of of carpentry is, is not necessarily the way it’s going to work out with this type of situation. You’ve got to have someone who knows this is exactly the right size in the right dimension in everything before that stone ever moves because no tools are leaving the quarry to go with the stone to get it right on site.
There would be no hammer, no sound of of a, of a chisel, no fixing it when it gets there. It had to be right before it ever left the Cory before it ever went to Jerusalem to be part of the temple. So, uh, it’s also interesting this idea that, um, if you notice it, let’s see here. Mmm.
Verse six, the lowest chamber was five cubits wide. The middle was six cubits wide, the third was seven cubits wide. Four, he made narrow ledges around the outside of the temple so that the support beams would not be fastened into the walls of the temple. So you’ve got these support beams and they’re created in such a way that on the, my impression of what it’s saying is on the inside of the temple,
you wouldn’t see them. They were on the outside. So they, they were fastened in such a way. So because you’re going to read later on that when they put the Cedar and the Cyprus and the wood on the inside, once you went into the temple, once it was finished, you saw no stones. So it was stone on the outside,
but on inside it was completely covered with the wood, uh, from, from the Cedars. And so all of this is done in such a way. It’s constructed in such way designed in such a way to end up looking a certain way. Now, one thing that another individual pointed out in, uh, commenting on this is nowhere in any of these passages do you specifically read that God is giving the instructions.
You, you, you see Solomon’s wisdom, you see the wisdom of others. You see all of that being stated, but unlike the old Testament, uh, or excuse me, unlike the tabernacle where God said, you do this, you do this, you do this, you do this, you make it according to this. And, and every instruction from beginning to end is laid out.
You don’t have the record that that’s how this happened. You do see the wisdom, uh, mentioned and the wisdom of God given to Solomon, but there’s no specific reference anywhere in the old Testament about God said, do it this way. Some of it follows the pattern of the tabernacle. Some of it doesn’t. But here’s the, here’s the detail.
Here’s why I mentioned that. Here’s why it’s significant. Remember the discussion in second Samuel where God tells David after David decides I’m going to build a house for the Lord. He’s, he’s dwelling in a tabernacle and I’m dwelling in a, in a panel in house. God said, at what point did I ask you to build me a house? I have journeyed with this people.
I have sojourned with this people for all of these years and at what point did I ask anyone to build me a house because God is more concerned about the people being aware of his presence than impressed with his house and here’s the detail. That’s interesting. Yes. The temple will be important. Yes. The temple will play a part in the history of Israel,
but Solomon will reign for 40 years. He’ll start building the temple on in the third year. He’ll take seven years to build it. So year 10 of his reign, 10 out of 40 the Temple’s finished<inaudible> Without very much time into his son’s rain. Less than 50 years later, The people will be worshiping in front of idols in Dan and bear Sheba and not coming to the temple at all.
Least 10 out of the 12 tribes. They weren’t impressed with what the temple was supposed to be and they weren’t so impressed with the temple that they chose to go there instead of go to, uh, an idol that was created in Dan and bear Shiva. You know, we get wrong headed about this. I think the same way that maybe David and Solomon were and think I want,
I want the place where we worship to be something that makes an impact. I want people to be impressed when they walk in the door. I want people to have a certain perspective when they want. And a perspective is fine and, and all of those things are okay, but it like Solomon misses the point because whether we worship in a building or under a tree,
what matters is, is God there? What matters is, is his presence there and are we doing it in accordance with his will? And God’s going to make that point to Solomon. This house doesn’t change the central detail. You follow my laws and if you substitute this house for my laws, you’re going to have a problem. Notice what we read.
So the temple was in B, uh, when it was being built, was built with stone finished at the quarry so that no hammer, chisel or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built. The doorway for the middle story was on the right side of the temple. They went up by stairs to the middle story and from the middle to the third.
So there’s three levels. This is a three story building. Uh, the doorway of, I already read that verse line. So he built the temple and finished it and he paneled the temple with beams and boards of Cedar and he built sign chambers against the entire temple. Each five cubits high and they were attached to the temple with Cedar beams. Then the word of the Lord came to Solomon.
Now notice this statement, then the word of the Lord came to Solomon saying concerning this Tembel which you are building. If you walk in my statutes, ex execute my judgments, keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will perform my word with you, which I spoke to your father David. Stake moment and step back and think about that God has just said.
Now this hearkens back to second Samuel chapter seven, God establishing his kingdom, God carrying forward the covenant. All of that’s true, but what part of this commandment was any different than what God had told Israel from the beginning? You keep my laws, you keep my statutes, you keep my commandments, you follow me and walk after me with your whole heart.
What part of that is any different? Now that there’s a temple here? None. Not a bit. And so God is making the point. Solomon, you don’t merit any special favor by building a magnificent house. You merit my favor by following my commandments and my laws and my statutes and guiding this people in right actions and a right heart. And that is where Solomon is going to get off track is the placing of things of things as a higher importance than God’s laws.
Now you come all the way forward to the new Testament in Matthew chapter 24 here are Jesus’s disciples and they, after Jesus has declared that I’m going to destroy this temple and in three days build it again. The disciples are going to, as Jesus is there in the city of Jerusalem, there for the feast of Passover, they’re going to show him the grander of the temple.
Now, this temple, the temple of Herod is nothing by comparison to the temple of Solomon, no comparison whatsoever in grander to the temple of Solomon, and yet they’ll show him the stones and the gold and all the things of the temple, and then Jesus will make it clear, not one stone will be left upon another. And you know what? In 80 70 when Rome came in and destroyed the temple and tore it down and took every stone apart to get all the gold that was in laid in the temple stones,
guess what? Never changed God’s presence among the church because the stone and the building weren’t the point of God’s presence. Those who were faithful to him was the point of God’s presence. Jesus said in John chapter four when he was speaking to the woman at Samarria, the woman who said, you know what? My father say that we all do worship God in this mountain,
and your father say that we ought to worship in Jerusalem. And Jesus says, there’s coming a time where God won’t be determined by who worships were. But whether or not they will worship in spirit and in truth and God will seek such to worship him all the way back here in first Kings chapter six God was seeking for such to worship him in those days,
in spirit and in truth. That’s why God makes this point to Solomon. So then we read verse 13 and I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel. So Solomon built the temple and finished it and he built the inside walls of the temple with Cedar boards from the floor of the temple to the ceiling. He paneled inside with wood and he covered the floor of the temple with planks of Cyprus.
Then he built the 20 cubit room at the rear of the temple from the floor to ceiling with Cedar boards. He built it inside as the inner sanctuary as the most Holy place, and in front of it, the temple sanctuary was 40 cubits long. The inside of the temple was Cedar carved with ornamental buds and open flowers. All with Cedar, there was no stone to be seen,
so the outside was stone. The inside you go inside and you’d never see a stone on the inside because of how it was done inside with the Cedar, and he prepared the inner sanctuary inside the temple to set the arc of the covenant of the Lord there. The inner sanctuary was 20 cubits long, 20 cubits wide, and 20 cubits high. He overlayed it with pure gold and overlay the altar of Cedar.
So Solomon overlayed the inside of the temple with pure gold. He stretched the gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary and overlayed it with gold. The whole temple. He overlaid with gold until he had finished all the temple. Also, he overlaid with gold the entire altar. That was by the inner sanctuary. Inside the inner sanctuary, he made two cherubim of olive wood,
10 each, 10 cubits high. One wing of the chair was five cubits and the other wing of the cherub, five cubits, 10 cubits from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other, and the other cherub was 10 cubits. Both cherubim were of the same size and shape. The height of one cherub was 10 cubits and so was the other cherub.
Then he set the cherubim inside the inner room and they stretched out the wings of the chair boom so that the wing of the one touched one wall and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall and their wings touched each other in the middle of the room. Also, he overlaid the chair boom with gold. Then he carved all the walls of the temple all around both the inner and outer sanctuaries with carved figures of cherubim,
Palm trees and open flowers and the floor of the temple. He overlaid with gold. Both the inner and outer sanctuaries for the entrance of the inner sanctuary was made. He made doors of olive wood and lentils and doorposts were one fifth of the wall. The two doors were of olive wood and he carved on them figures of cherubim, Palm trees and open flowers and overlaid them with gold.
And he spread gold on the cherubim and on the Palm trees for the door of the sanctuary. He also made doorposts of olive wood, one fourth of the wall and the two doors were of Cypress wood. Two panels comprised one folding door and two panels comprised the other folding door. Then he carved chair of them Palm trees and opened flowers on them and overlaid them with gold.
Applied evenly on the carved work and he built the inner court with three rows of human stone and a row of Cedar beams. In the fourth year, the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid in the month of Ziv in the 11th year in the month of bowl, which was the eighth month, the house was finished in all its detail according to all its plans.
So he was seven years in building it. Okay. So it took him a year to lay the foundation. It took them another seven years to complete the building of the temple. And so in in a total of eight years, uh, from the third year to the, uh, 11th year, they complete the temple. Um, now there are more details that are going to be given in the next chapter concerning the cards,
the, the bronze work of the temple. The other details, and we’ll get into that in another class. But all of this is, is important. All of this is useful information, especially as you go throughout the remainder of the old Testament, but it’s of worthy note with all the grander and all the gold and all of this precious things and all of the time and all of the years spent doing it,
it won’t take long and it will be in disrepair. It will be that which is not kept up. It will be that which is not important because it will not be that which directs the hearts of the people toward God. You go over to the book of Ezekiel and you’ll find a Zeke you’ll saying and making it clear through God, making it clear to his ego through a vision that there were priests in the temple,
bowing down to idols in the temple of God. We can get off track so quickly when we start worrying about the physical more than the spiritual. Let’s go through the questions. Why did Solomon say that his father was unable to build a house for God because of the Wars? Uh, around him. W whom did God promise David would build his or God’s house?
His son Solomon. What aid in preparation of building God’s house, did Solomon ask of Hiram, King of tire, Cedar and Cyprus, trees and craftsman who could do the work? A yes or no. Did Solomon use any forced laborers in preparations for building the temple? Yes, he did. Number four stones used for the foundation of God’s house were a cut or B<inaudible>.
Cut. Cut. Okay. Uh, describe the noise of hammers used in building God’s house. None at the location of the temple. Uh, how many stories high did Solomon build God’s house? Three how many years did it take Solomon to build God’s house According to the verse seven? Um, under what conditions did God say he would keep his promises to David and Solomon if they would keep his commandments and walk in his ways.
Was gold used in the construction of God’s house? Just a little bit. Just a little bit. Describe the wingspan of the two cherubim, which Solomon had built for the inner sanctuary. Alright. They touched the walls on both sides. Another would be a total of 20 cubits. Another answer could be 10 cubits each with whichever way you want to describe it.
Five cubits per wing, whatever works. As long as it’s in accordance with the passage, you can, you can go with that. So<inaudible>. Right, right. Well, and that’s part of what I, I was wondering is you get the impression, at least I got the impression that they actually took the logs, came down the sea on the sea and then came inland with them.
Uh, so good question of where, Right, right. Gotcha. It’s a long way to Jerusalem. Uh, of course, you start looking at the size of some of the stones themselves that they quarried out. And I mean, you’re, you’re talking massive stones. Um, So I guess maybe they had some of those leftovers skills from building the pyramids in Egypt,
figuring out how to move those things. So<inaudible> They were smart, smarter than me. Okay. They figured it out. Alright, we’re dismissed. Thank you for your attention.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Good morning. Welcome to the call. You have a church of Christ Sunday morning worship service. Uh,
we’re glad to see everybody. We do have a shortage of people this morning, but most of them own their sick list, so we’ll mention them anyway. We need to remember them all in our prayer. Uh, first of all, I want to mention this card that I got from Janie Marlin. Uh, it says to my church family, I’m truly touched by,
by your thoughts. While I was ill, thank you so much for the prayers, phone calls, food, and all of the lovely cards and fruit basket. And Christian loved Janie Marlin. Oh, I hope I get all these announcements right. There’ve been so many changes on in my handwriting. I probably get some of them wrong, but anyway, we’re going to mention our sick first,
which is pretty long list and some have been added since I got here. Uh, Rodale and Dorothy are still struggling with their health problem. Julia cation is still in Germantown Methodist and Joan Springer’s. It is at home. Marie said she might be doing a little bit better, but she’s still pretty sick recovering from our Bronco pneumonia. Tommy O’Neil is waiting,
uh, results from tests. Uh, he had done this past Thursday and Friday for his blood pressure heart or whatever. They’re checking it out. Gladys Laos came home yesterday morning, but she didn’t feel like coming this morning, but she is going to try to come. I’m going to go get her at, uh, for the one 30 service. Joe caisson is at home,
I guess did adjusting his medication for heart rate and uh, Rebecca Rushmore’s at home with uh, bronchitis and fever and Riley Henson has the flu and Amber has a fever and a possible virus. Eric Halverson has the flu. Oh Krista, Sandra McCall’s daughter is having problems with her blood pressure and also blood pressure problem. Um, Janet Jones stayed at home this morning because hers was elevated this morning.
If I missed anybody, let me know about it cause I’m like, I read everything that was on here, so maybe I didn’t miss anything. Colleyville cares. We’ll meet tomorrow night at seven. And um, Kevin<inaudible> is a guy with Potter’s children home. He’s supposed to be here between services to load up all of the stuff that, uh, the commodities and stuff that we,
uh, give to them. The children’s home every year a ruin. Remember them rush mowers, they’re still in Ghana. And the Bible bowl last night, uh, I forgot to ask Aaron hat went, went good. Good. And ladies a day at Coleman Avenue will be Saturday that February the 29th, Eddie will be one of the speakers if you would like the car carpool.
There’s a list on him, on the bulletin board. Michael Dale will be leading saying, Gary, Kali has the opening prayer and Eric Richardson is doing the sermon And uh, yeah, Erin will have a closing prayer. Okay, I got it right.<inaudible> Our first song this morning will be number seven and more tool invisible. God only wise number seven.<inaudible><inaudible> Oh my nah.
Greek name. We pray. Hey, rusty nun. Hey SNI and silent<inaudible> no more wanting, no wasting.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> no clouds. Which amount of goodness. Two alive<inaudible> to<inaudible> the true life.<inaudible> We<inaudible> as leaves on that Three<inaudible> parish.<inaudible> Gray<inaudible><inaudible> Oh, praise. We<inaudible> To see<inaudible><inaudible> uh, hi.
Uh, Our heavenly father, we come before they was praise and Thanksgiving. We come before thee expressing to the our gratitude, our indebtedness that can never be paid for the great blessings that are so richly bestowed upon us. Father, we thank thee for the daily blessings that we receive. We’re especially thankful on this Lord’s day, that the memories of our Savior’s resurrection and for his death and suffering on the cross for our sins.
And we’re thankful that we can approach the knowing that that face is toward us and the thigh eyes being on us, that the eyes heard our prayer. Father, we’re so grateful for that love. We’re grateful for the continues to drink and blessings that we’ve received. We asked you to continue to be mindful of us and care for us and help us father bless those who are in need about us,
especially the sick, those who are widows and those who are orphans in their affliction and father help us to do good unto all men, but especially those of the household of faith. We’re thankful for those who stand to preach thy word and may they do so faithfully only as the articles while to keep us in that care through this day and throughout all of our lives.
We look forward to the time when we can gather around that throne to sing, die precious forever and forever and we’re so grateful for those promises and the hope that we have. And father, we pray that continued blessings not only upon ourselves but those about us who are in need. In Jesus’ precious name. We pray The song to prepare our minds for the Lord’s supper will be number 376 he paid a debt.
Number three, seven, six. He paid a dad. He did not<inaudible> dad. I could not pay. I needed someone to wash my sins.<inaudible> And I see being a brand new song, amazing grace all day long. Christ Jesus paid yeah. That uh, I can never<inaudible> He paid that<inaudible> Calvary. He cleanse my soul and set me free.
I’m glad that, jeez us all<inaudible><inaudible> I know I can see a brand news song. Amazing grace all day long. Christ Jesus paid that I can have a<inaudible> One day he’s coming back for me to live with me. Turned Ali wanted me glory to see him on that<inaudible> I then well see a brand news song, amazing grace all day long.
Christ Jesus paid the dad, uh, never<inaudible><inaudible> Set aside this time of our worship to spend in remembrance as Jesus commanded that we might remember the death and the sacrifice that he made on the cross for us. Let us pray. Gracious father in heaven. We bow before your throne coming with praise and honor and glory. The one who was sacrificed on our behalf.
We pray that this bread, this emblem of his Bonnie, which was broken for us might be taken in a manner that which is pleasing to you all. This we pray in Jesus name,<inaudible> spray, Gracious father. As we continue our prayer to you and remembrance of and his sacrifice, we’re mindful of the blood that was shed on our behalf and we thank you for that sacrifice and that redeeming blood that paid the price for us that we could never pay.
We pray that as we partake of this emblem, may we do so in a way and in a manner that is pleasing to you all this we pray in Jesus name, amen.<inaudible> As a spray, we’re thankful father for that the living that you provided for us, we are thankful that taken care of us. It was food, clothing, and shelter.
All these years, pray that we have purpose in our heart. To give back to the portion of what you’ve given to us. These things that we asked you to Christ’s name. Amen.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Let’s turn to song number 650 send the light. 650 There’s a car comes ringing. Oh, they’re restless waves.<inaudible> Sin, Right? There are souls to rescue.
There are so hard to say.<inaudible> Sin, Right? Send them<inaudible> The gospel lie<inaudible> From Shaw.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> The gospel. I learned it.<inaudible> Four of ’em<inaudible> We have heard the Macedonian car two day session<inaudible> Sin<inaudible> And a golden offering at the cross. We lay sin<inaudible> Sin<inaudible> The blessing gospel lie<inaudible> From Shaw.<inaudible> Send them<inaudible><inaudible> Four<inaudible> Let us pray that Grace May everywhere about sin.<inaudible> Sin And Christ like spirit.
Every Werribee sin<inaudible> Sin, Right? Sin<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> From shore<inaudible> Them Right. The blessing gospel lie<inaudible> Four<inaudible> No, no, it’s not grow weary in the work of<inaudible> Sin, Right? Let us gather Jew crown sin<inaudible> Sin<inaudible><inaudible> From shore<inaudible> Sin<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Four<inaudible>. If you’d like to Mark the song of invitation,
it’ll be number 948 it will be on the screen so you don’t have to Margaret. But if you are one of those people that like to, you can, um, if you would, let’s turn to song number 38 before the lesson. Awesome God. And if you’re able that stand at this time please. Number 38. Oh God isn’t us God.
He reigns from heaven above, with<inaudible>. Ah, God isn’t in us. Um, ah, ah, As in us God<inaudible> From heaven above with<inaudible> And love a God isn’t a us. Um, ah, ah, God isn’t a us. Um, ah, ah.<inaudible><inaudible> The scripture reading will be taken from the book of Jonah chapter one verses one through three.
Jonah one one through three. Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah, the son of a Mai Tai saying, arise, go to Nineveh, the great city and cry out against it for their wickedness has come up before me. But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish.
He paid so he paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. You may be seated. Good afternoon or good morning, I guess. Not afternoon yet, getting close. Good morning. We’re going to be spending some time in the book of Jonah this morning. Jonah is a book that we know very well.
We’ve learned a lot of times from a young age. We heard about Jonah in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights, but this morning I want to focus on the time that the path that Jonah took from verse one to chapter three and we’re going to focus on what Jonah did. We’re going to talk about the path of Jonah. Look at verse one Jonah chapter one verse one it says,
now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah. The son of Amittai saying, arise, go to Nineveh, that great city and cry against it for their wickedness is come up before me. Jonah was from the Northern tribe of Israel. He was, he grew up in the area just South of the sea of Galilee. This would be about 50 years before the Northern kingdom was destroyed.
When Jonah is riding that at this time, and God had told him to go to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was the capital of a Syria. Syria at this time was one of the, there was the, the power, the great power of the day. They were conquering nation after nation and they were also oppressing the Northern kingdom. A series a series had been taken and now Sumeria is being,
or the Northern kingdom. Israel is being oppressed by a Syria. Uh, Syria was a wicked people. God says here, but they were also a very brutal, people look at it from Jonah’s eyes in his life. He was seeing his fam, possibly family, friends, those that he knew being carried away into captivity by the Assyrians. They were a small people,
but they ruled by brutality. Some of the worst things you could ever imagine. Someone do this. Syrians did it. They were known for their brutality and for their torture. The mention of the Assyrians brought fear into people’s minds. They ruled by fear and God told Jonah, go to them. I want you to go to Nineveh and preach to them.
Cry out repentance, repent, repent of what they have done. That would be hard for us to imagine, but it would be similar to God telling us today to go to the epicenter of the headquarters of ISIS and stand up in front of them and yell that they need to repent. What would happen? There’s a good chance we lose our head, wouldn’t we?
Jonah was told to go there and to preach to them. At that moment, Jonah had a choice to make. What is he going to listen to what God said or was he going to choose a different path? We can be faced with similar, maybe not this type of command, but choice that we have to make in our life. They may be difficult.
What choice do we make? What a Jonah choose? Look at verse three but Jonah Rose up to flee and to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He chose not to go to Nineveh. He chose to let fear take hold of him and he chose to run away from God from the far as he could. I think a couple of weeks ago and Wednesday we talked about Tarsus.
Its harshest is in Spain. The distance from where Jono was to Nineveh was about 500 miles, about three or four days journey as it talked about, but harshest was 2,500 miles as the Crow flies away, Spain and France, that area where Tarsus was, was to believe, to be at that day, the farthest away the edge of the earth. In a sense,
he was trying to get as far away from God that he could, but can we get away from God? We can’t hide. Psalm one 39 in verse seven the Psalmist says, where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? We cannot hide from God. We may think that we can. We may think that the choices we make,
nobody will know. But God does. This is the same thing that had him and Eve made. What did, what did? What did they do in Genesis chapter three first thing that they send. What do they do? They went and hid. They thought they could hide from God, but they couldn’t. Jonah made a choice. Instead of going the direction God told him he went the complete opposite direction.
He had to make a choice. And James chapter one and verse 12 through 14 says, let no man say when he is tempted, he was tempted of God. For God cannot be tempted with evil. Neither tempt he any man, but man is T when he is tempted as drawn away of his own lust and enticed, and when loss have conceived that bring it for sin and sin.
When it is finished, bringing forth death, sin, that pathway to sin starts in our hearts. It starts with that first choice. Jonah made that choice to go away from God towards sin, towards a path that led far away from God. He made that choice, but notice will happen next. Look at verse three but Jonah Rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord and went down to Joppa and he found a ship going to Tarsus.
He tried to get as far away from God as he could and he chose, I’m going to, he said, I’m going to go as far as way as I can, but as he goes down there, he finds a ship going to Tarshish. Think about that. Their ships from Rome, their ships from Alexandria, different all across the Mediterranean, but there was a ship that took him a far away as he could go.
The opportunity was there ready and waiting for him. The opportunity to get as far away from God as he could. He thought when we choose to go to make that choice to go away from God, there’s always going to be opportunities waiting and upon waiting for us to sin, they’re always there. Go with me for an example. Go to Proverbs, Proverbs chapter eight Proverbs chapter eight in the book of Proverbs,
we have the simple man. He’s like a man on a fence. He doesn’t know which direction he wants to go yet he could go this way or that. But notice verse one Proverbs eight verse one says, death, not wisdom, cry and understanding. Put forth her voice. She stand it in the top of the high places. By the way,
in the places of the path she cryeth at the Gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in of the doors as Tim Sipple man is coming into the city, wisdom is there crying. I’m here. Come to me. This is personified. Wisdom is personified here choose me. Choose wisdom, but notice there’s another one crying out in a sense.
Go to chapter seven look at verse five that they may keep the from the strange woman from the stranger with flatter with her words for out the window of mine house. I look through my casement and be held among the simple ones. I discern among the use a young man void of understanding, passing through the street near her corner and he went the way to her house and the Twilight in the evening and the black and dark.
Night and behold there met him, a woman with the attire of a harlot and susceptible of heart. She is loud and stubborn for her fee to buy if not in her house. She isn’t now is she without now in the streets in life to wait at every corner. So she caught him and kissed him with an impudent face, said unto him, I have peace offerings with me this day.
Have I paid my vows? Therefore came I for to meet the diligently to seek thy face and I have found the notice the difference. Sin is personified here. Wisdom was crying at the Gates and she’s on top of the house, top yet sin and was in that dark alley in a dark, the dark time of day, just waiting, not yelling out and crying like wisdom,
but just there. The opportunity was there for him to just walk by the opportunities for us when we choose to turn away from God, are there everywhere? Just turn on the TV, pull out your phone for a drunk. Someone that’s has a problem with drinking. The bar’s always right down the road. The opportunity’s there. If we make that choice to go that direction.
Jonah had a choice. When he got to Joppa, there was all those ships. He could’ve stopped right then and said, Nope, I’m not doing this, and he could have went home or going back towards Nineveh. That ship that was going to Tarshish would have sailed off without him on it, but he made that choice to seize that opportunity. There is always an opportunity waiting for us if we choose.
There was a choice that Jonah made. The opportunity was there waiting. He chose it, but notice what else happened back in Jonah chapter one verse three but Jonah Rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord and went down to Joppa and he found a ship going to Tarshish, so he paid the fare there of that ship. That fare to get on that ship was not free.
It costs him sin cost us, it cost him financially. You can imagine Jono walking down the street, fiddling in his pockets, pulling out the money and going, I have just enough I can pay to get on that ship. It cost him. It also costs him physically when he was in that belly of that fish for three days and he was spit back out.
Do you think a person that is in a wet environment for three days with complete darkness is not going to have some physical problems at that point? He did. He also heard himself spiritually sin cost him physically, spiritually, and financially. Sin is not free. It will cost us. Think about our health today. The choices that we make to follow a path of sin can affect us,
whether it be smoking or drinking or whatever the case may be. They can cost us physically. Think about the cost that it has towards others. Think about that drunk driver who chose to get in that car and to drive down the road and not only hurt himself, but possibly kill another person. It costs him. Think about what it does to families that are destroyed because of sinful choices that we can make.
Think about financially, if someone smokes a pack a day, it can cost almost $2,000 a year. A person that is an average drunk will spend $3,400 a year drinking. It is said that the average gambler who is addicted to gambling can have a debt of up to $55,000 sin costs us financially. Think about the medical costs, maybe the court cases, the things that we have to pay for when we choose a path of sin.
Jonah paid that cost financially, spiritually and physically. Proverbs chapter seven that simple man who made that choice that we read in Proverbs seven look at verse 19 says, for the Goodman is not at home. He has gone a long journey. He have taken a bag of money with him and we’ll come home at the day appointed with her much fair speech. She caused him to yield with the flattering of her lips.
She forced him. He’d go with after her straight away as an ox go with to the slaughter or as a fool to the correction of the stocks till a dart strike through his liver as a bird hastening to the snare and know if not that it is for his life. He thought he would be fine. The husband came home and he was killed. That dart went into his liver.
He lost his life for his choice. Romans chapter six in verse 23 it says, for the wages of sin is death, sin can cost us spiritually. First Corinthians chapter six verse nine through 10 tells us that those that are in that lifestyle choose to stay in, that lifestyle will not inherit the kingdom of God. So there was a choice. The opportunity was there,
it cost him. But notice next what happened to Jonah. Continue reading verse the rest of verse three says, so he paid the fare thereof and went down into it to go with him unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea and there was a mighty Tempest in the sea so that the ship was like to be broken.
Then the Mariners were afraid and cried every man into his God and cast forth the wares that were in the ship in the sea to lighten it of them. Here, he gets on this boat and here they are out in the sea and God sends a storm and these men are afraid. They’re crying out to their gods, which is not doing anything. They’re starting to throw what they’re weighed,
their wares over the edge talk about sin affecting others. They thought they were going to lose their life. This storm was terrible, but where was Jonah? The rest of the verse. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship and he lay and was fast asleep. Fast asleep means he was unaware of anything going on. He was in a deep sleep.
He was comfortable. He thought he was fine. When we choose that path, it can get to the point where we harden our hearts to the truth. We may be deceived thinking that we’re fine. That’s exactly what happened to Jonah. He was comfortable. He was asleep. Fast asleep, nothing bothering him. Go to Hebrews chapter three Hebrews chapter three in verse 13 says,
but exhort one another daily while it is called today. Les, any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Sin can harden our hearts. Why? Because it’s deceitful. If you don’t think it’s the CVL turn on the TV, Hollywood makes sin look like it’s great, it’s glamorous, it’s an amazing life, but yet it brings death. It brings trouble and pain and sorrow in our life.
It’s the seat full. It can make it look like we’re fine and we can harden our hearts to what’s the to reality. That’s why the Hebrew writer here says to exhort one another daily. It’s our responsibility to look out for one another because we can be in this state. Jonah was in this state. He had hardened himself to what he had done.
He was comfortable and where he was. Sin also does not show the real consequences. In John chapter 12 verses 39 through 40 it describes a state of being comfortable. Those that are blinded to the truth, they’ve closed their eyes. They did not. Here go to second Thessalonians second festival, Ionian chapter two second Thessalonians two starting in verse eight and then shall that wicked be revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.
Even him who’s coming in or coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and line wonders and with all the seat fullness of unrighteousness and them that perish because they receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved and for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lie that they all might be damned who believe not the truth,
but have pleasure in unrighteousness. When a person chooses to harden their hearts, God will let them go. God’s not going to stop them from believing that lie being deceived. Think about Pharaoh. We always say, well, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. Why would he do that? But if you read the rest of that text, guess who else hardened Pharaoh’s heart.
Moses did. Aaron hardened Pharaoh’s heart. The Israelites hardened Pharaoh’s heart.<inaudible> hardened Pharaoh’s heart. The magicians, the astrologers, those he trusted in hardened his heart. Why? Because he rejected the truth. He did not want to hear the message he closed his ears has blinded his eyes to the truth. This can be a state that we reach. We have to be careful.
There is possibly a hardening that comes going down that path that Jonah chose. Jonah chose made the wrong choice. He sees that opportunity that laid there for him. It cost him. He hardened his heart, but guess what? He woke up. He spent three days, eight Canadians. He tells him, cast me into the sea. He, he goes into the sea.
God sends us great fish, swallows him up for the three days he has time to think about his state. He has reached rock bottom. He has three days to think about where he was at. And notice Jonah chapter two now Jonah chapter two says, then Jonah prayed unto the Lord, has got out of the fish’s belly and said, I cried by reason of my affliction unto the Lord and he heard me out of the belly of hell,
cried I and thou hurt us. My voice for thou had had us cast me into the deep in the midst of the seas and the floods compassed me about all the high belows and I ways passed over me. Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight. Yet. I will look again toward thy Holy temple. The waters compassed me about even to the eyes into the soul.
The depth closed me around about the weeds were wrapped around my head, about my head. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains. The earth with her bars was about me forever. Yeah, it has brought up my life from the corruption. Oh Lord my God. When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord and my prayer came in unto the,
into the nine Holy temple. They that observe lying vanities, forsake their own mercy, but I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of Thanksgiving. I will pay that I have vowed salvation is of the Lord and the Lord speak into the fish and it vomited out. Jonah upon the dry land, Jonah hit rock bottom, but he remembered God. He repented of what he had done.
God showed him mercy when he was given that second chance. He got off the path he was on and went back to the path that he should have been on towards God. Look at chapter three verse one and the word of the Lord came unto Jonah. The second time. Arise. Go on to Nineveh, that great city and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.
God tells him again, do what I say. What’d he say in verse three? So Jonah arose and went into Nineveh according to the word of the Lord. Now known as well was a great, explicit, exceedingly great city, a three days journey. Jonah did exactly what God said. The second time God showed him mercy by the mercy of God,
he was given another chance. Notice Jonah was ready to do it precisely what God commanded him this time. See, God shows us mercy today through the gospel. Go to first Timothy, first Timothy chapter one first Timothy chapter one verse 15 and 16 this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am.
Chief, how be it for this cause I obtain mercy that in me first Jesus Christ, my show forth all long suffering for a pattern to them. What should hear after believe on him? To life ever lasting. Paul found mercy, so can we. God has shown us mercy. We can get back on that path. If we are a Christian,
we can pray for forgiveness of our sins. First John chapter one verse seven through nine. If we are willing to make a change, God is there waiting for our repentance to be back in favor with him. In Matthew chapter seven and verse 13 and 14 there are two paths. There’s the Broadway and there is a narrow way. Jonah chose a path towards the Broadway.
He made a choice. He was faced with a tough command. He was faced with that temptation to either go or not. He chose not to. As he went down that path, the opportunity, he wanted to flee from God as far as he could and that opportunity was there waiting on him. It cost him financially. It costs him physically and it costs him spiritually because of what he had done and he hardened his heart to the truth.
But notice there’s another path that path towards God. If we can make that choice instead of turning away from God but turning towards God and guess what? When we make that right choice, there’s an opportunity waiting on us. That opportunity is salvation. If we hear, believe, repent, confess and be baptized, we can be added to the church. We can be on that path going to heaven,
but it’s going to cost us. It’s going to cost us physically. It’s going to cost us financially. Why? Cause when we deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow him, we give our all to him. We give our life to God. We are not serving ourselves a choice as we want to make, but we choose to do what God wants us to do.
It’s going to cost us financially because we realize the money that we have is not ours, but it’s God’s the choices that we make our what God wants us to do. And when we do that instead of being hardened to sin, we have horse in and we try our best to stay away from it. And therefore, because of the mercy and grace of God,
we can be in him with him someday. What path are you on this morning? Are you on the path that Jonah took? Are you on a path towards heaven? You can make that choice this morning to put Christ on in baptism. Don’t put it off or maybe you have fallen off that path. You can get right back on. All it takes is praying to God to forgive you and to change your life,
to turn back towards him. If you need help this morning, we will pray for you. We will help you and encourage you if you would like to become a Christian. Today is the day to do that. I pray that you come forward as we stand and as we sing the<inaudible><inaudible> Uh huh. Well, Hey son to him. Hey son.
So Gladden<inaudible><inaudible> well come to, I am resolved to go to the same, you know<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> he is a true one. He Is that just one. He had<inaudible><inaudible> Uh huh. Hey son to him. Hey son.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> I am resolved to<inaudible>.<inaudible> He is<inaudible> Yeah.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Hey son to him.
Hey son. So Gladden<inaudible> Ah, that’s great. Hi. Yes. Uh, well come to<inaudible> I am resolved to and the King John, the being the pass ups<inaudible> Friends may oppose me. Maybe he to me.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Hey son to him. Hey son. So Gladden<inaudible> Jeez. Ah, that’s great. Ah, yes.
Uh, well come to The song for our closing prayer will be number 979, nine, seven, nine. I am a poor wayfaring stranger. You’ll need your book for this one, cause they didn’t have it in the slides.<inaudible> number 979 I am up<inaudible> Wayfair green street. Well traveling<inaudible> This<inaudible><inaudible> Yeah, there’s no<inaudible><inaudible> Uh,
And a drive<inaudible> To which<inaudible> I’m going To see my wife.<inaudible> Um, wait. No on too.<inaudible> I’m an<inaudible>. No, uh, George, uh, uh, uh, ni<inaudible> I mean of a<inaudible> Uh, I’ll soon be free from every try or My bodies and the, and uh,<inaudible> A drop.<inaudible> Dean.
Uh, you Oh, And then<inaudible> My Grade we<inaudible> I’m gone To see my save. Yeah. To seeing, Hey<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> uh, uh, I’m a knee<inaudible> Oh, uh, Let us pray. Bother of mercies. We come before you. Grateful for this day. Grateful for the opportunity to hear your word proclaimed, to stand in your presence and to boldly come before your throne prayer.
Thankful for the opportunity to use the fruit of our lips to offer up praise to you and grateful for the time of remembrance of your son and his sacrifice on the cross for us. Thankful to give back and to give that others might be provided for and that your word might be preached. We pray that as we depart from this assembly, we might carry with us the lessons that we have learned and the faith and knowledge that we have grown in that we might grow in grace and understanding in favor with you.
We ask that you help us in hard times and forgive us when we sin all this. We pray in Jesus name.
<inaudible><inaudible> Good afternoon and welcome back to that afternoon. Worship service is good to see everybody here. We’re going to get these announcements done. You see some stern around back here after a while. I guess if the man from Potter’s ever shows up, we’ll load that stuff. But he spoke to be about two hours from here at five o’clock to preach,
so he better hurry up. Oh, I own our sick list. We still got Dorothy and Rodale Wilson, uh, Julia locations still in Germantown Methodist. Um, Joan’s praying are still at home recovering from Bronco pneumonia. Uh, Tommy O’Neil still waiting on some results for some tests that he had this past week. Gladys is home. She’s back with us this afternoon.
Oh, Good to see her out. Joe cations seemed to have his medicine adjusted and feeling little better. Rebecca’s at home. BRECHO Rushmore’s at home with bronchitis and fever. Riley and Amber both are sick with the, probably the flu. I said Ryder has the flu and hammered. It’s just possible virus. Oh, Eric Halverson has the flu and Christa,
which is, uh, saying his daughter is having problem with her blood pressure. That’s all of our sick that I have on the list. Uh, Tyrell cares. We’ll meet tomorrow night at seven. Oh, Well, I’ve already talked about the potters, man. He’s supposed to be here now. Oh, Louis and Martha are still in. Diana.
Need to remember them. And uh, they had a good time at the Bible bowl out at cold water dish. Pash shit yesterday, I guess. Coleman Avenue, ladies day, February the 29th and Eddie will be one of the speakers and if you’d like to ride with somebody or carpool, there’s a list on the board out there. Song later, Eric Richardson,
opening prayer. Terry Sanderson sermon, Michael Dale. And we will not have the five minute DeVos today since he’s doing a sermon and Tommy O’Neil will have the closing prayer. Good afternoon. Just wanted to say that the Bible did go real well yesterday. There was about, I think 18 or 20 kids involved and the Bible bowl. So really good deal. And we’re going to plan on having it here on the 21st of March.
We’ll start out with number 868 Six zero. Hap, Uh,<inaudible> uh,<inaudible>. Yeah. Uh,<inaudible> Uh, Yay.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Oh, Uh, Uh, Yay.<inaudible> Oh.<inaudible> We’ll wait. Yeah.<inaudible><inaudible> Uh, uh,<inaudible> Uh, uh,<inaudible> Oh.<inaudible> I long died.<inaudible> Yeah.<inaudible> Boy.
Yeah.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Braces up.<inaudible> Oh.<inaudible> Uh,<inaudible> Uh,<inaudible> Uh,<inaudible><inaudible> Number 852 where you will have to use your book on this one please. Number 852 when the roll is called up yonder. Eight five, two. When the<inaudible> they’re over on the, uh, there’s no Raul, it’s called up<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Oh no.
Brian and cloudless morning when the daddy and grass shall rise and the glory<inaudible> there too. They’re on me on the sky and<inaudible> when<inaudible><inaudible> when<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> uh,<inaudible> then when all of life is over and work on earth, there’s no role. It’s called beyond<inaudible>. When<inaudible> when It’s called up<inaudible>. When<inaudible> when a role is called<inaudible> For all the Gordon we liked he for this day and the opportunity we have to come together and study that word and sang songs of praise unto thee.
We find today for Jesus, it was willing to come to this earth and live the example that we’re to follow, that we might have everlasting life with day in heaven. We pray that you would remember all of the ones that we’ve mentioned today and uh, that are are sick and then the hospitals recovering from illnesses. I pray that you’d be with them and those that are taking care of them.
We pray that you would be with the Aaron and Eric and Michael as they work here with us. We pray that you were strengthened them and give them wisdom to teach the things that will help us to become stronger Christians. We pray that you would be with the leaders of our country, be with those that are defending our country, that we might have freedom to worship here like we do.
We pray that you would forgive us when we do wrong and keep us safe too. We meet again in Christ, man. We pray. Amen. Number 853 eight five three<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> seeing ants<inaudible> Wow. We walk NA GRA pathway.<inaudible><inaudible> When we are, Yeah. You have a<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> When we are Uh, Yeah to uh,<inaudible><inaudible> Boy.<inaudible><inaudible> Hm.
If you’d like to Mark your hymnals or invitation song, we are 924, nine two. I’m like, Good afternoon everybody. Thank you for this opportunity to get up here and give you a full length sermon for once. I’m excited and extremely nervous at the same time. Today I want to talk to you about the attitude we are to have as Christians the be attitude.
Turn with me if you will, to Matthew chapter five verses one through 12 Matthew chapter five verses one through 12 and seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain and when he was set, his disciples came unto him and he opened his mouth and taught them saying, blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn,
for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake, rejoice and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Here we have the right attitude to be blessed in the eyes of God as stated by Christ himself.
I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh. I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Galatians two 20 since it is the divine will of heaven for man to live by faith, it is then of the utmost importance that we understand and develop this kind of faith in our daily Christian living.
This is exactly where the beatitudes can have the greatest influence and subsequent impact on every one of us. If as Christians, we desire to be the blessed, to be the blessed of God, we are to strive to have the right attitude and everything that we do. We are to be poor in spirit. We are to mourn. We are to be meek.
We are to hunger and thirst for righteousness. We are to be merciful. We are to be pure in heart. We are to be peacemakers and we are going to have to withstand persecution for righteousness sake. Let us take a closer look at the attitudes we are to have according to Christ to be truly blessed as Christians. First we are to be poor in spirit.
What does it mean to be poor in spirit? This is to have a self emptying conviction, the knowledge that before God we are void of everything we are to transform our minds. Romans chapter 12 verses one and two Romans 12 one and two I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, Holy, acceptable unto God,
which is your reasonable service and be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. To be poor in spirit is also to have a contract and humble spirit. Isaiah 57 15 the book of Isaiah chapter 57 and verse 15 for thus Seth, the high and lofty one that inhabited the eternity,
whose name is Holy. I dwell in the high and Holy place with him also, that is of a contract and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contract ones, but why are we to be poor in spirit? We are to be poor in spirit, to gain the kingdom of heaven as we read in Matthew chapter five in verse three the poor in spirit are enriched with the fullness of Christ,
which is the kingdom in substance. We have the hope of eternal life if we are pouring spirit. Titus chapter one and verse two book of Titus chapter one in verse two and hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie promised before the world began by coming to an understanding that without God are nothing. We have the hope of eternal life. We are also to mourn,
but what is this morning that he’s talking about? This is a sincere morning or lament over our sins. We are to mourn our sins to the point of repentance. Second Corinthians chapter seven verses nine and ten second Corinthians seven verses nine and 10 now I rejoice not that you were made sorry, but that you sorrow to repentance for you remain sorry after a godly manner that you might receive damaged by us and nothing for godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation,
not to be repented of, but the sorrow of the world. Work with death. How are we blessed by morning? It’s confusing that we can be blessed by morning, but we shall be comforted. Matthew five four stated, Jesus stated to us in Matthew five four this comfort is only found in the Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew 1128 through 30 Matthew chapter 11 verses 28 through 30 come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy Laden and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and you shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. It brings us to our next point. We are to be meek as Christians. Now, meekness is not weakness as a lot of us think meekness is to have strength,
but to have that said strength under the control of God. Titus chapter three verses one through seven does a great job of explaining this to us. Titus chapter three verses one through seven put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, to speak evil of no man to be no brawlers but gentle,
showing all meekness unto all men. For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, dizzy, deceived, serving diverse Les and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But after that, the kindness and love of God, our savior toward man appeared not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy,
he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy ghost, which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ, our savior. That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.<inaudible> The Meat, the meek shall inherit the earth. We will inherit everything as the meek. Revelation 21 and verse seven revelation 21 verse seven he that overcometh shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my son.
We also find another example of this in first Corinthians chapter three verses 20 through 23 first Corinthians three 20 through 23 and again the Lord Noah, the thoughts of the whys that they are vain, therefore let no man glory in men for all things are yours, whether Paul or a Polish or Cethis or the world or life or death or things present or things to come.
All are yours and are Christ and Christ is God’s. Next we are to hunger and thirst for righteousness. What does it mean to hunger and thirst for righteousness? How are we supposed to hunger physically and thirst physically for something that is spiritual to hunger will make a person urine and seek for what will make him full? What are we to hunger for? Let’s ask Jesus.
Turn to John chapter six 47 through 51 John chapter six verses 47 through 51 verily, verily I say unto you, he that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven that a man may eat thereof and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven.
If any man eat this bread, he shall live forever. And the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. Later Peter confesses that his words are life to thirst, is going to drive a person to not give up until they their thirst is quenched. I imagine the man walking through the desert and one of those movies and he’s lips are all chapped and his face is all burned and he sees that water off in the distance and he’s not gonna stop until he gets to that water.
But what are we supposed to thirst for? And we’re supposed to thirst for that physical water. And John chapter four, the story of Jesus at the well with a Samaritan woman and he sits down. Not only is he talking to a woman, but he’s talking to a Samaritan woman. He tells her everything about her life and then she goes back into the town and tells everybody,
this man has told me everything about my life, but we want. What we want to focus on in this story is the verse in John chapter four in verse 14 John chapter four and verse 14 but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst, but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
We are to make every effort to seek what is righteous and to put it at the center of our lives. Psalm 11 and verse seven Psalm 11 and verse seven for the righteous Lord loveth righteousness, his countenance death. Behold the upright to hunger as if starving and to thirst 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 and verse 22 Matthew chapter 10 in verse 22 and he shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake, but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. Jesus assures is that this and John chapter eight verses 31 and 32 John eight 31 and 32 then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him.
If you continue in my word then are you my disciples? Indeed, and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. We will be free. We will never thirst or hunger again. Revelation seven 16 and 17 revelation seven 16 and 17 I know I’m using a lot of scripture, but I want you to see what God says about all of this stuff.
Revelation seven 16 and 17 they shall hunger no more. Neither thirst anymore. Neither shall the sunlight on them, nor any heat for the lamb, which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. How beautiful, how beautiful that will be when we get to be there.
We are to be merciful as Christians, but how are we to be merciful? Forgiveness. We must forgive to receive forgiveness. Matthew six 14 through 15 Matthew six 14 through 15 for if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you, but if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your father forgive your trespasses. Peter asks the Christ how often we are to forgive.
In turn, Jesus tells him the parable of the unforgiving debtor. Let’s read it. Matthew 1822 through 25 Matthew 1822 through 35 Jesus said unto him, I say not unto thee until seven times, but until 70 times seven therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain King which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon one was brought unto him,
which owed him 10,000 talents. This is a lot of money back then. For as much as he had not to pay his Lord commanded him to be sold and his wife and children and all that he had and payment to be made, the servant therefore fell down and worshiped him saying, Lord, have patience with me and I will pay the all. Then the Lord of that servant was moved with compassion and loosed him and forgave him the debt.
But the same sir. So if we forgive, if we ask, forgiveness will be forgiven. But if we continue, the same servant went out and found one of his fellow servants, which owed him a hundred pens and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat saying, pay me that. They’ll always, and his fellow servant fell down at his feet and besought him saying,
have patience with me and I will pay the all. And he would not, but went and cast him into prison until he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were very sorry and came and told unto their Lord all that was done. Then his Lord, after that he had called him, said unto him,
Oh thou wicked servant. I forgave the all that debt because thou desire it’s me, showed it’s not that also have compassion on my fellow servant even as I had pity on thee and his Lord was wroth and delivered him to the tormentors till he should pay all that was do unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly father do also unto you if he from your hearts,
forgive not everyone, his brother, their trespasses. We have to forgive. To be forgiven. We must be pure in heart as Christians. To be pure in heart is not a facade. It is a reflection of the image of God, like into the cornea of one’s eye to project God into our hearts. Matthew 15 seven through nine Matthew chapter 15 seven through nine you hypocrites.
Well did OSI has prophesied of you saying this, people draw nigh unto me with their mouth and honor with me, with their lips, but their heart is far from me. But in vain, do they worship me? Teaching for doctrines the commandments of men, we must be on the inside. What we proclaim to be on the outside. First John one six and seven first John chapter one verses six and seven if we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness,
we lie and do not the truth, but if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ, his son cleanses us from all sin. We know that no man can see God, which is the promise of being pure in heart. We shall see God. Let us look at an example of this in Exodus chapter 33 in verse 20 no man can see God.
No man can see God. Exodus 33 and verse 20 and he said, thou canst not see my face. For there shall no man see me and live. But our reward if we are pure in heart is to see God in his true form. First John chapter three and verse two first John three and verse two but he loved. Now are we the sons of God?
And it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him. For we shall see him as he is. Now we are to be peacemakers as Christians as well. What is a peacemaker? It is one that is led by the spirit of God. Romans eight 14 Romans chapter eight and verse 14 for as many as are led by the spirit of God,
they are the sons of God. A peacemaker is also one who loves their enemies. John chapter six and Luke chapter six and verse 35 Luke six 35 but love your enemies and do good and Linde hoping for nothing again and your reward shall be great and you shall be the children of the highest. For he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil we will be called the children of God.
We will be the children of the father in heaven. Matthew five 43 through 45 Matthew five 43 through 45 yeah, I’ve heard that it has been said, thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, love your enemies. Bless them that curse you. Do good to them that hates you and you and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you.
That you may be the children of your father, which is in heaven. For he may get his son to rise on the evil and on the good and send us rain on the just and the unjust. We are to be happy in our sufferings for Christ. Oh, sorry. We are to be the sons of God. First John three one and two first John chapter three verses one and two behold what manner of love the father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God,
therefore the world no with us, not because it knew him, not beloved. Now, are we the sons of God? And it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him. For he, we shall see him as he is. Finally, we are going to have to withstand persecution for righteousness sake.
If we live godly lives, we will be persecuted. Not might be not. Maybe we will be persecuted. Second Timothy three 12 second Timothy chapter three in verse 12 yay and all that will Le yay and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. We are blessed because of this persecution. Matthew chapter five and verse 11 because of persecution,
we are blessed, blessed because of persecution. Matthew chapter five and verse 11 blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely. For my sake, we are to be happy in our sufferings for Christ. Happy in our sufferings. First Peter three 14 we suffer and we’re happy. First Peter three 14 but and if you suffer for righteousness sake,
happy are ye and be not afraid of their terror. Neither be troubled. We have because of this persecution and equal inheritance with Christ. Romans eight 16 through 17 Romans chapter eight verses 16 and 17 the spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God and if children then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if so,
be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together and because of our suffering, we have a hope in heaven. Matthew 25 34 Matthew chapter 25 and verse 34 then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, come he blessed of my father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world to have a humble spirit,
to mourn our sins with a godly sorrow, to have strength and to give it under control to God, to truly forgive those that have wronged us in any way, to truly praise the Lord on the inside and on the, to let ourselves be led by the spirit of God and to withstand all persecution with gladness in your heart. This is the attitude we are to have as a Christian to receive the eternal reward.
Heaven rejoice and be glad for your reward in heaven is great. Matthew five 12, are you assured of your place in heaven? If you wish to have this blessed assurance, the waters of baptism already, I know many of us are already saved, so perhaps you are struggling and need the prayers of the church to give you, strengthen your faith, to have the attitude the Lord requires of you.
Whatever your need, please come forward as we stand and sing. Uh,<inaudible><inaudible> uh,<inaudible> Uh, the<inaudible> Two<inaudible><inaudible> Uh huh. Yeah.<inaudible><inaudible> Wait, Uh,<inaudible> so, um,<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Uh huh. Joe<inaudible><inaudible> uh, uh, uh,<inaudible> uh, Nah, too big.<inaudible><inaudible> Mmm.
Uh, ah. Is there anyone here that not had the opportunity to take the Lord’s supper? Please be seated. Let us pray. Our father in heaven as we go through this time, we think about what Christ has done and the sacrifice that he made to pray. The Buick, the ones that were taken this low for sure represents his body. They’ll think about what he went through and the suffering,
the pain and what it means to them and Jesus, we do pray. Amen. Right. Father in heaven, we again, we are thankful for the love that you have for us and the love that Christ had and given his life for us that we can be in him with you some day if we will bear your will. We pray as the ones,
we’re taking this through the vine which represents his blood. Think about that sacrifice that he made and and what what it means to them and you, me pray man, right fall in heaven. We again are always thankful for what you do for us. We, we know that everything that we have comes from you. We know that what we have is yours and we pray as we give back to you at this time that we give back with the cheer,
cheerful hearts, pray they be at the man in the car engaged and that they will use it to spread your word through this area and throughout the world. And Jason, you pray. You man, thank Michael for his lesson this afternoon. It was a good job. We will meet back at seven o’clock on Wednesday. I’ll forget that and I think there’s nothing else.
We will close with number 887 and please stand after the song. We’ll have our closing prayer first verse of 887 When the truck<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> John and I’m on<inaudible> and I’m on it.<inaudible><inaudible> a and M or an N<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Bear with me, her heavenly father, we thank you for this day. We thank you for the opportunity and privilege we’ve had to gather today as your children to study the word and sing songs of prices to you for heavenly father.
We thank you for the freedom that we enjoy in this country that allows us to live our lives, daily lives, striving to do that. Will we pray that all countries might someday have this freedom? Our heavenly father, we pray for each of the six mentioned here today. We pray that if it be the wheel, they might in joy their health once more.
We’re so thankful for those that have been sick and are able to be back with us or heavenly father. Ask it. You go with us as we leave this building, strengthen each one of us that in our daily lives, all that we say and do will bring glory and honor to that great night. These things we ask in Christ’s name, amen.
Ephesians 5:11 – And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
Transcript:
Have you ever heard the phrase when you were growing up: Don’t tell Mom?
I know myself and my brothers, we sometimes said that. We didn’t want one of the other brothers to rat us out.
But, Paul says that we ought to live differently than that. Paul says, in Ephesians chapter five, verse 11, And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
When someone’s doing something that’s truly wrong, shine light on it, speak the truth and expose error.
I hope the light of God is in you, today. For more from the Collierville Church of Christ, visit www.colliervillecoc.org.
Watch more of Aaron’s videos about Salvation, the Gospel, the good news, the gospel message salvation, and in-depth studies of the books of the Bible by visiting https://cozort.org, and Collierville church of Christ.
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.
To learn more about the Collierville church of Christ, visit colliervillecoc.org
Ephesians 5:3-4 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
Transcript:
Is there anything wrong with telling jokes that are coarse or crass?
Is there anything wrong with saying something that it’s funny, right? Paul writes the Church at Ephesus and he says,
Neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor coarse jesting. Those are not to be the things that come out of a Christian’s mouth, but rather giving of thanks.
Speak those things that lift people up to God instead of taking them down to hell.
Watch more of Aaron’s videos about Salvation, the Gospel, the good news, the gospel message salvation, and in-depth studies of the books of the Bible by visiting https://cozort.org, and Collierville church of Christ.
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.
To learn more about the Collierville church of Christ, visit colliervillecoc.org
One of the most challenging texts in all Scripture is Luke 14:25-33. As Luke records it, Jesus has been in the house of one of the Pharisees. He has chastised the attendee’s lack of humility and has admonished the host concerning inviting those who cannot do anything for the host in return. He then gave a parable describing how those invited to God’s feast would not be allowed to partake but would be replaced by those brought in from the streets, the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind.
He then turns to the multitude and challenges them:
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.”
His illustration of the challenge is two-fold:
1. A man who intends to build a tower will first count the cost to see whether he has enough to finish it.
2. A king who discerns if he can win the battle against his enemy when he is outnumbered two-to-one.
And Jesus concludes with this statement, “So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be my disciple.”
There is a cross for each of us to bear. Will we forsake our cross? As Christians, we make this commitment to carry our cross until death above all other obligations.
Is that a challenge you are willing to take, or will you forsake your cross?
Ephesians 5:5-6 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
Transcript:
For what things does God’s wrath come upon men?
We read in Ephesians chapter five: For this, you know that no fornicator, unclean person nor covetous man who is an idolater has any inheritance in the kingdom of God and Christ.
Let no one deceive you with empty words. For because of these things, the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
Are these things that will bring God’s wrath upon you in your life? If so, change them and repent today.
Ephesians 5:10 …finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.
Transcript:
Is God okay with whatever you want to do? What I mean by that is, are there things that are acceptable and unacceptable before God? Well, yes, there certainly are.
In Ephesians, chapter five, we read about the things in verse six for which God brings His wrath upon the sons of disobedience.
But then we read in verse 10 that we ought to be finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.
We need to be looking in our lives and in God’s word for what is acceptable to God and then implementing that in our lives today.
I hope the light of God is in you, today. For more from the Collierville Church of Christ, visit www.colliervillecoc.org.
Watch more of Aaron’s videos about Salvation, the Gospel, the good news, the gospel message salvation, and in-depth studies of the books of the Bible by visiting https://cozort.org, and Collierville church of Christ.
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.
To learn more about the Collierville church of Christ, visit colliervillecoc.org
Ephesians 5:3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;
Transcript:
What things are fitting for a Saint to be doing? That is, in what way will a sanctified person, who’s righteous before God, live? He will live in a way that is good and kind, caring, imitating God in his relationships with others.
But he won’t live a life filled with covetousness. He won’t live a life filled with desiring what belongs to someone else.
Ephesians 5:9 for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth
Transcript:
In all the things that God says about how we are to live, remember that He gives us things that help us. Think about how your life would change if you filled your life with these things.
The things called the fruit of the spirit. They’re called goodness and righteousness. They’re called truth, Ephesians chapter five, verse nine.
If you filled your life with goodness and righteousness and truth, would your life be better than it is today?
I hope the light of God is in you, today. For more from the Collierville Church of Christ, visit www.colliervillecoc.org.
Watch more of Aaron’s videos about Salvation, the Gospel, the good news, the gospel message salvation, and in-depth studies of the books of the Bible by visiting https://cozort.org, and Collierville church of Christ.
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.
To learn more about the Collierville church of Christ, visit colliervillecoc.org
it’s about time for us to begin, so we’ll go ahead and get started. Okay.<inaudible> I hope everyone is doing well. Uh, keep Joe in your prayers. We’ll get more details on his condition, um, soon, but, uh, at during the the, but uh, keep him in your prayers and all the others who are dealing with health issues or difficulties at this time.
Um, I know they will appreciate that. Let’s, uh, let’s begin with a word of prayer. Gracious father in heaven, we bow before you at this time. Great. Grateful for this day that you’ve given to us for the life that you’ve blessed us with and the opportunities that we have to serve you. We’re grateful for all that you do for us on a daily basis.
The rain that nourishes the ground and the sun that provides life to this earth. We pray that you be with those that are struggling, especially those dealing with illnesses at this time. Mindful especially if Joe, uh, at this time as well pray that all will will be well and they’ll figure out what’s going on. Pray that you watch over all those that are dealing with difficulties and illnesses,
pray that they recover and come back to their full desired health. We pray that you be with us as we go throughout this night. May we remain safe. We pray for the elections that are coming up in this period and later on this year as well, that the path that you would choose for this country will be the path that we will go down and that we will remember always to speak boldly the word of truth.
No matter who is in office, no matter what comes in this world or in this nation around us. All this we pray in Jesus name. Amen. We are in first Kings chapter four<inaudible> In the life of Solomon willing to see his life recorded As history. Uh, there won’t be nearly as many of the details of his life as there were of David’s life.
And yet we have many of the things which Solomon wrote the whole book of Proverbs, Mo, or at least the majority of the book of Proverbs originated with Solomon. The book of Ecclesiastes is originated with Solomon. So we have a number of, of the writings that would come from Solomon and we have accounts of his kingdom and his reign and those things are are important.
We just don’t have the breadth of detail of individual events that we have within the life of David. But what we are going to begin to see in chapter four are the beginnings of choices made that will lead to the division of the kingdom. And these are areas where you, if you pay attention, you’ll notice what the, the writer is, is leading you to.
And as far as the coming chapters and the things that will happen after Solomon’s reign is finished. Verse one. So King Solomon was King over all Israel. And these were his officials as Ariah, the son of say, doc, the priest, uh, um, Eli whole riff and, uh, Hijah the sons of shisha scribes Jehoshaphat’s the son of a highlighted the recorder benign,
the son of Jehoiada over the army doc and Abiathar the priests. It’s interesting here that both Zadar and Abiathar are still mentioned, even though, uh, it seems as though Abiathar is no longer serving in the function of the priest. He is still listed as one of the priests. Uh, though that primary function has been taken over by ZETAC, um,
based upon Abiathar is choosing to, uh, support at a Ninja instead of Solomon a high Shar over the household and add, uh, uh, Adoniram the son of Abda over the labor force. That particular reference is going to be interesting because while we will read, or we read in second Samuel about David making preparations for the temple, he assembled, uh,
things that would be needed in building the temple. And we read about David building the city of Jerusalem out and building, beginning to build the wall of Jerusalem. Um, and we read about all of those things. What we never read is about the people who were doing the work and we never read about the force of people or how that all worked out as far as having people come and do labor and build these things,
whether it was the people of Jerusalem who were living there that were doing it, we don’t know. But under Solomon, we’re going to see a change. We’re going to see the conscripting of a force of workers for from the nation for building these things that Solomon would build. Uh, so you have a Adoniram who will be over the labor force and Solomon had 12 governors over all Israel who provided food for the King and his household.
Each one made provision for one month of the year. So here’s where the Kings are coming from. They’re coming from different places throughout the kingdom. Uh, as a result of the actions of these governors, these governors are providing one month of the year provisions for the King’s household. Uh, the picture I get of this is this is the beginning of levying tribute and taxes from within the nation.
Um, so others may get a different idea of what’s going on here. But that’s what I’m seeing. That that’s, that’s what I get out of this is because you remember, you come forward to the time of Rehoboam and the people say to rehabilitate them, lighten our load. Your fathers laid heavy taxes on us. He did all of these things make it easier and the people will love you and the people will support you.
And Rehoboam would return to them with the wisdom of his age and the people who grew up with him and say, the load that my father put on you will be like my pinky. And so here you have an indication of some of this, at least in my judgment, where these governors are bringing the supplies, are bringing this tribute as it were,
and supplying the needs of the house of Solomon. Um, Solomon had 12 governors over all Israel who provided food for the King and his household. Each one made provisions for one month of the year. These are their names. Ben Hur in the mountains of Ephraim. Then, uh, Decker in Macaisa or McKay’s Schaumburg. Kim Beth Shemesh, Ilan, Beth Hanan,
Beth, or excuse me, Ben, he said in a Rudolph to him belonged Succo and all the land of heifer. Ben a bene down in all the regions of door. He and TAFE fath the daughter of Solomon, he had TAFE fath, the daughter of Solomon as wife Benet, the son of a lot, uh, excuse me, uh, highlighted in Teaneck Maketto and all best Shan,
which is beside Xero tan below Jezreel from best Sheehan to Abel may. Hola as far as the other side of jock Niamh, Ben gibber in Ray moth Gilead to him belong the towns of Jair, the son of Manasseh in Gilliad to him also belong the region of our gum in Beijing, 60 large cities with walls, Bronx gate, bronze gate bars, a Benadette or excuse me,
a hint, dab the son of<inaudible> in<inaudible>. Hi, Matt says in NAFTA lie, he also took Bassam math, the daughter of Solomon as wife Bina, the son of who shy in Asher and a loft. Jehoshaphat’s, the son of<inaudible> in his a car shimmy. I the son of ILA in Benjamin Gaber, the son of you, Ryan in the land of Gilead in the country of Sai Hong,
King of the Amorites and of Augur, King of Batian. He was the only governor who was in the land. Okay, so you’ve got these governors spread out there providing for the needs of the, the food for the King’s family. Um, so this is kind of an interesting point because when you look at, uh, the old Testament law, where did the Levis receive or where did the priests receive their provisions?
Okay. From the alter, from the sacrifices, from all the people throughout all the land they provided for the priests. Well, now you’re seeing Solomon Institute a provision for the King and for the Kings house where the King’s house would receive things from all the land through the function and the work of these governors. So then notice verse 20, Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand by the sea in multitude eating and drinking and rejoicing.
What was the state of Israel and Judah at the time? They were peaceful, they were happy, they were rejoicing, and they were prosperous. There this, this is a picture, this idea of eating and drinking and rejoicing. This is a picture of prosperity. This isn’t a picture of famine. This isn’t a picture of toil. This is a picture of prosperity.
Part of that prosperity came number one because they had peace from the being constantly in conflict, a conflict with the Philistines and with other nations around them, but also because the nation was receiving what from all the nations around them tribute. So the nation is receiving tribute from all the nations around them. They’re in a time of prosperity. They’re in a time of rejoicing,
but you know what often comes with that? His poor choices, the diligence of the past. When times were hard, when things were difficult, when reliance upon God was in necessity just because they were in so much danger and so much struggle. Now things are easier now. It’s a time of prosperity. Now it’s a time of rejoicing and now they begin to fail.
They begin to forget. They begin to not do what God has said. We saw this cycle in the book of judges. Anytime you study the book of judges, you’re going to see that they get deliverance that time there’s a time of peace and then they turn right back to sin and right back into the progression. Okay, you’re going to see that type of thing begin again in Israel during the reign of Solomon.
But what you have right now is you have a time of prosperity. You have a time of peace, which God said would occur during the reign of Solomon, but during a time of peace you also have to recognize the, because you have peace and especially if you have peace and prosperity at the same time doesn’t mean you deserve what you have. Yeah.
There’s a mentality that comes with prosperity and this is a struggle we have in America that says if we’re prosperous, it’s because we deserve it and if we’ve become unprosperous is because somebody took something we deserve to have and that’s not the picture of scripture. That’s not the picture of what gun says a nation goes through. God says, when you follow after me speaking to Israel,
when you follow after me, when you follow my law, when you do what I command you, then I will make your way prosperous. But if you turn from me, if you do this, if you do this, then you will receive these other things. And so Israel is hitting a high point. Israel is hitting a prosperity time. Israel is hitting time with peace and Israel is going to begin to make choices that will lead to the destruction of the nation.
Notice what we begin reading. Verse 21 so Solomon reigned over all the kingdoms from the river to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and serve Solomon all the days of his life. Now there is one thing that ought to be mentioned and that is that when you look at this description of the land that Solomon rained over,
it is a complete picture of all the promised inheritance that God promised to Abraham. In addition to everything that had occurred in the days of Joshua, where you really, you have the statement, God delivered everything that he had promised. God fulfilled what he had promised to give Israel. Here you have that full picture because God also told them it will take time to drive these people out to conquer the entire land.
And I’m not going to give it to you all at once because then the land will be overtaken with, with beasts and such. He says, so it’s going to take time to drive out all of these nations. By the time you get to the time of Solomon, you see, David has completed that task. There are those who claim today who are of a pre-millennial persuasion that Israel never received the full inheritance.
Israel never received the promise that had been made to Abraham, and that promise is still to be fulfilled someday in the future in physical Israel. Uh, and that’s just simply not true. First Kings chapter four, verse 21 makes it clear. Solomon reigned over this land. Here was the extent of it and it was the full extent that was promised to Abraham and so this inheritance and that part of the promise,
you can check it off. It’s done. What Israel does after this point is begins to lose what God has given them. They begin to lose it because they stop following him. Okay? Verse 22 now Solomon’s provisions for one day. Now here, this will give you a picture of when you know when they say the King’s household that the governor’s provided for the King’s household.
That’s not like, Hey, we’ve got a family of five over here that needs a table and something to eat. Okay? Now the provision for one day was 30 cores of fine flour, 60 cores of meal, 10 fatted oxen, 20 oxen from the pastures and 100 sheep besides Deere, Gazelles, Robux and fatted. Foul one day, One day.
That’s one day’s meal or meals for the King’s house. Four he had dominion over all the region on this side of the river, from Tibbs, even to gazer, namely over all the Kings on this side of the river. And he had peace on every side all around him. So not only does Israel have their inheritance, not only is all of the land subjugated to them,
and do they have, have they received their inheritance, but also then nations around them are paying tribute. They’re at peace, they’re there. Rain Solomon is reigning over them and everything is going smoothly. Okay. So yeah, 240 bushels of flour, uh, is, is a, is a measurement there. So, um, you know, I,
I didn’t watch it, but I saw an advertisement for a video on YouTube. You know, how in the world do they prepare enough food on a cruise ship for however many, you know, 3,500 people who are all on a cruise all at one time. What’s that food prep process to be able to feed that many people every day? Well, this is far more than that.
Okay. So you’re, you’re dealing with a massive undertaking just to provide for the needs of the household of Solomon. Now, uh, also very in mind, I mean, there comes to, there comes a point where there’s how many wives and how many concubines<inaudible> 700 wives, 300 concubines plus whatever children come along, plus servants, maid servants and,
and such. I mean, you’re talking about, I mean, I grew up in a town of 6,000 people in Eastern Kentucky. You’re talking about the whole town you’re talking about all downtown is nothing but, but Solomon and his family. Okay. Uh, so the notice verse 25, and Judah and Israel dwelt safely, each man under his vine and his fig tree from Dan,
as far as bear, Sheba, all the days of Solomon, there’s this, there was this goal. They said, give us a King. They wanted a King because they wanted to be near like the nations around them. They wanted a King because they wanted someone to go out and fight their battles. They wanted a King because they wanted to feel safe.
And for about 40 years, they got what they wanted. But you’ll see just as God said, it’s going to come at a price God through Samuel told them, you’re going to get what you ask for. You’re going to get a King, but he’s going to take your best men. He’s gonna take your best sons. He’s gonna take your best daughters.
He’s going to take this, he’s going to take that. You’re going to pay him tribute. All of these things are going to Curt. And they all did. Yes. Uh, even in Josh<inaudible>, Correct. Correct. They had the inheritance divisions though those divisions, it was still their responsibility to the people out who were still within those divisions.
And an example of that is the city of Jerusalem that was part of somebodies inheritance, but they hadn’t taken it yet until David, uh, told Joe AB go take it. Um, I had thought of a point I wanted to make right before you mentioned that and I don’t remember it. It, it’ll come back to me. Oh, I remember what it is.
Interesting contrast. When you go back and look and read about Moses, one of the declarations of Moses in the book of Deuteronomy is to the nation of Israel. I’ve taken nothing from you. Moses makes the declaration at the end of his life, all of these things have occurred. All of this is transpire, but I have taken nothing from you, Israel in all the 40 years that I led you.
I never received tribute. You never paid me. You never knew, never supplied my beads. I took nothing from you. And you contrast that with the political and national structure of a King. And bear in mind, Rehoboam is going to say what my father required of you will be nothing by comparison to what I require. We need to learn the lessons.
And by the way, there’s a reason why the framers of this country spent so much time talking about the old Testament because you see the political structures and you see the judicial structures and they, you see, they learn the lessons in a lot of areas about what’s a bad idea when it comes to government. And they learned it from the old Testament. Okay.
So, uh, verse 25, and Judah and Israel dwells safely, each man under his mind in his fig tree from Dan as far as bear sheep. But all the days of Solomon, Solomon had 40,000 stalls of horses for his chariots and 12,000 horsemen. These and these governors, each man and his month providing food for King Solomon and for all who came to King Solomon’s table,
there was no lack in their supply. They also brought barley and straw to the proper place for the horses and steeds each man according to his charge. And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding and largeness of heart, like the sand on the seashore. So the governors are supplying this food, this, these supplies, not only to the house of Solomon,
but also to the stables of Solomon. And Solomon will have this very large number of horses. He’ll have 40,000 stalls of horses for his chariots. I mean, I don’t know how many horses per chariot, but one to two to I know sometimes in, in ancient times they even had four horses for a chariot, depending upon what it was. But,
uh, you know, you’re, you’re talking minimum there. If we just do the math on a maximum number of horses for a chariot, you’re talking 10,000 chariots. Oh no, wait a minute. What did God said to Israel in the law about getting horses and chariots and multiplying military power to themselves? What did God said?<inaudible> They would lose their dependence on God and they would begin to think that they were something significant.
You know, you’re, you remember back to when David conquered the army that had all these chariots and what did they do to the horses? They hamstrung them not to where they couldn’t live anymore, but to where they couldn’t be used as military forces anymore because God had said, you don’t do that. But now Solomon is going to begin to do exactly that and the reliance on God is going to wane.
The reliance on God is going to disappear and they’re going to say, we are strong. We are mighty. We are powerful. We have this great military, therefore we don’t need God. Solomon, uh, will have wisdom, exceedingly great understanding. Now we noticed, uh, on, I think it was on Sunday, that this pus, this specific area where he had wisdom and understanding was in judgment,
was in judicial matters, was in leading the nation. Uh, it’s not going to be in every choice. It’s not going to be in and certainly many moral choices that he will make, uh, but it will be in his judgment. Thus, Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt. He was four.
He was wiser than all men from Ethan. The Ezra thought, the Ezra and he men Che Cole and Darda, the sons of may hole. And his fame was in all of the surrounding nations. So if you were to put the Solomon up against the Wiseman of Egypt, they wouldn’t stand a chance. If you were to put him up against the wise men of the people of the East,
they wouldn’t stand a chance. If you put them up against these three that are mentioned here, they wouldn’t have stood a chance because his wisdom originated with God. Then notice verse 32, he spoke 3000 Proverbs and his songs were 1005. Uh, now you will find in the book of Psalms, there are some Psalms that by indications of, of tradition originated with Solomon.
Uh, not all of the Psalms that are in the Psalms are from David. Not even all of them come from David’s time period. Uh, some of them come from after the Babylonian captivity, but there are some in there from Solomon as well. Um, also he spoke of trees from the Cedar tree of Lebanon, even to the hyssop that Springs out of the wall.
He spoke also of animals, of birds of creeping things and the fish and men of all nations from all the Kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom came to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Uh, one of the things you kind of get here is a picture of someone who’s interested in science as well. He doesn’t just, uh, you know,
write about and speak about humanity, but he studies and speaks about nature and the things around him. So that’s kind of the picture that you’re getting there. So all the people from, from all the nations and from the Kings of all the earth send messengers or come themselves to come into here. Solomon’s wisdom Course that coming to really hear the wisdom of a man<inaudible> I mean they may think they are,
but is that what they’re actually hearing? No, they’re hearing the wisdom of God. There’s a, there’s a time there for us to just step back and go, wait a minute.<inaudible> While we’re not Solomon, we don’t have that wisdom miraculously. What is that telling us about what we can do with this book? What is that telling us about what we should do with this book?
Nations have literally set the foundations of their countries on this book. You can go read all of the latest Harvard law review you want to and you won’t find more wisdom than you find right here. If people would apply this book, if people would learn these lessons, if people would open the book of Proverbs and read everything that this wisest man, whoever lived by way of judicial matters spoke,
and then they would apply that to their lives. Think of how much better their lives would be, but too often what we do is neglect this book. We need to make a hard choice. We’ll turn to friends, we’ll turn to family, we’ll ask opinions, and we’ll never open this book. We want to set a path for our lives. We want to know which direction we should go in life.
We want to choose a spouse. We want to choose this and that. We’ll choose. We’ll talk to everybody else, but we’ll not open this book. A lot of them don’t understand it, but a lot of them don’t try. You know, one of the things Solomon writes in Proverbs to his son is give diligence to understand these things. Many people want to open up that book and go,
you know what? Let me just read a few verses and then I’ll understand it. No, you won’t. You’ve got to give yourself to it. You’ve got to spend time with Paul would write to Timothy study, give diligence to show yourself approved under God, a Workman that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. These things that are in here take time and yes,
we ought to speak to others and we ought to gain wisdom and we ought to seek the instruction and knowledge of those around us, but we ought to test it against what’s in this book and when the knowledge and wisdom and instruction from around us conflicts with what’s in this book, we ought to reject that wisdom or that knowledge or that instruction and stick with this book because the man who had more wisdom than anybody else who Kings came and sought after his wisdom wasn’t speaking from himself.
He was speaking from the one who wrote this book. We need to learn that lesson above all the lessons that we learned from Solomon is that it wasn’t Solomon. Solomon wasn’t anything other than a spokesperson for God. He just happened to be one people would listen to because he was rich. He was powerful. He had might, he had influence and he had peace,
but he didn’t have the wisdom of God separate from God. And when we begin to reject God, we begin to lose the one thing that is most valuable in guarding and guiding our lives. Let’s go through the questions real quick.<inaudible> Question number one, during the reign of Solomon, the people of Judah and Israel are described as being as numerous as Sand of the sea.
By the way, was that also one of the promises God made to Abraham stars of heaven, sand to the sea? You’re seeing the picture of this covenant and of this promise being fulfilled. The people of Judah and Israel are described as a joyful, be unconcerned, see, rebellious or Dee sorrowful during the reign of Solomon. Hey, joyful. Question three,
describe the borders of Solomon’s kingdom. Okay. From the river, uh, indication is the river. There is the river Euphrates up in the North, down to the land of the Philistines, down to the land of Egypt. Uh, the rain, um, of Solomon is described as a time of a war or B, peace, peace. Compare Solomon’s wisdom with others.
Of his time Wiser than all men. It would be one except the Lancer excelled beyond the wise men of the East. And the West would be another answer. Say what? Yours is the shortest that is correct. That’s, that’s great. Mine might be right. And yours might be no, no either. Either one of those will be fine during the Bible.
No comparison. Well that there’s no comparison to that answer and the other. So Number six, Solomon spoke 3000 blank and saying 1005 songs, Proverbs or number seven, did people of other nations respect the wisdom of Solomon? Yes, they did. Okay. Any comments or questions before we close? Yeah, I was under the impression. Well, and that’s one of the things that when you read these,
this portion, you’re not necessarily getting the picture that this is all happening at the beginning of his reign as far as the governors and you know, one of them ends up being married to one of his daughters that may not have been, you know, in, in the timeline that may just be dropped in here as here’s one of the governors. And Oh by the way,
he ends up married to one of the daughters of Solomon. So I, I’m not sure about the actual timeframe of the events we’re reading in chapter four. If they’re all, you know, here’s the picture, one point in time, state of the nation or if it’s more a picture across the 40 years of the nation. Uh, and these governors being those who are simultaneous with Solomon during his reign,
uh, cause obviously 20 years later, if he’s had daughters, they would be a marrying age, um, you know, 20 years into his reign or something like that. So, I don’t know if, like I said, if this is a chapter that’s a snapshot, everything at one point in time or more a picture across across the whole time so that would explain it and the other comments,
questions if not, you are dismissed until the devotional. Thank you for your attention.<inaudible> Good evening. Good to see everybody out tonight. Mmm, we got a good many on our sick list tonight and got some too. They had to it. I think Rodale and Arthur are still in the same situation. The is still pretty weak from her bronc or pneumonia.
Okay. Is it home?<inaudible> is still in Germantown. Methodist. Don Robinson’s brother has been diagnosed with incurable lung disease. Tommy O’Neil is going to have some more heart tests and uh, tomorrow and a stress test Friday at his loud are still in the Jewish home, but she will be coming home Saturday. No thing on Gladys. Uh, her daughter called today and talked to Jenny for a while and you know,
she has a fib and I think she said she’d go, had to have the same thing done. Janie, and I can’t even say the word, but we all know what ma’am, Gladys put her daughter. Did I not say her daughter? I’ll go make me forget half of what I’m going to read down here or let it get cold enough. I can’t read.
Um, so is in the hospital tonight. Blood PR blood, not his blood pressure. I don’t heart rate. We got blood pressure here but he’s in the hospital to Germantown Methodist and um, they don’t want any gestures or phone calls right now. Ashley Richardson had her procedure today. They didn’t have to do any surgery. They stuck a needle in that thing on deck and uh,
got a biopsy that way. So a good surgery, ladies Bible class will not meet tomorrow. Saturday at 4:00 PM the children will be participating in an area wide Bible bowl at cold water. And if you would like to go there as a are pooled on the bulletin board, he’d remember the rush mower there in Guyana and the tax letter that we put out,
I’m going to take the blame for it cause I didn’t look it over good. It has the year 2020 on it. There’s supposed to be eight, two. You can bring them to me and I’ll Mark it out. Anyway, all of that, we will get that correct.
Ephesians 5:2, 8, 15 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma… For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light… See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise…
Transcript:
How should we walk? That’s a question we’ve discussed before, but Paul mentions three ways in Ephesians, Chapter five that we should walk.
Number one, he says, Walk in love because Christ loved you. Number two, he says, Walk as children of light, living the way God would have you.
And number three, he says, Walk, circumspectly, verse 15, Not as fools, but as wise. How are you walking today?
I hope the light of God is in you, today. For more from the Collierville Church of Christ, visit www.colliervillecoc.org.
Watch more of Aaron’s videos about Salvation, the Gospel, the good news, the gospel message salvation, and in-depth studies of the books of the Bible by visiting https://cozort.org, and Collierville church of Christ.
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.
To learn more about the Collierville church of Christ, visit colliervillecoc.org
Ephesians 5:7 – Therefore do not be partakers with them.
Transcript:
What should you do when people try and convince you to live in a way that’s not right for a Christian? To live in a way that’s against the word of God? What should you do?
Paul says in Ephesians Chapter five, Verse seven, Therefore, do not be partakers with them. Say, no, when someone tempts you to go against the word of God,
Say, no, and live the life of a Christian.
I hope the light of God is in you, today. For more from the Collierville Church of Christ, visit www.colliervillecoc.org.
Watch more of Aaron’s videos about Salvation, the Gospel, the good news, the gospel message salvation, and in-depth studies of the books of the Bible by visiting https://cozort.org, and Collierville church of Christ.
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.
To learn more about the Collierville church of Christ, visit colliervillecoc.org
Ephesians 5:8 – For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
Transcript:
Do you remember what it was like back when you were in the world?
Do you remember what it was like back before you were a Christian?
In Ephesians, Chapter five, Verse eight, Paul says you were once in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. How much better is it, if you’ve become a Christian, than it used to be?
I hope the light of God is in you, today. For more from the Collierville Church of Christ, visit www.colliervillecoc.org.
Watch more of Aaron’s videos about Salvation, the Gospel, the good news, the gospel message salvation, and in-depth studies of the books of the Bible by visiting https://cozort.org, and Collierville church of Christ.
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.
To learn more about the Collierville church of Christ, visit colliervillecoc.org
What act of worshipping God, not commanded, did Solomon
perform?
1 Kings 3:3 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What was Solomon’s answer, when God asked him to choose a
gift?
As a result of his answer, what did God give him? 1 Kings 3:9-14 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Solomon said (a) David, (b) the people, (c) the high priest,
or (d) God had made him king. 1 Kings 3:7 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
After Solomon became king, he told God that he was (a) a
little child,
(b) a young man, (c) a mature man, or (d) an aged man. 1 Kings 3:7 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Describe the dispute between the two women who came to
Solomon for judgment. What was Solomon’s judgment in this case? 1 Kings 3:16-27
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What was the effect on Israel of Solomon’s judgement on the
dispute between the two women? 1 Kings 3:28 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The book of Acts is in the New Testament division of __ .
See Lesson 161. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Ephesians 5:6 – Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
Transcript:
What kind of words does a person use when they’re trying to convince you that you can do things God says you shouldn’t do?
Well, Paul says in Ephesians, Chapter five and in Verse six that those kinds of words are empty.
He says, Let no one deceive you with empty words For because of these things, the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
He says, when someone tries to convince you that you can do things and live in such a way, God has said not to, their words are empty; they have no authority. Are you being swayed with empty words?
For more from the Collierville Church of Christ, visit www.colliervillecoc.org.
Watch more of Aaron’s videos about Salvation, the Gospel, the good news, the gospel message salvation, and in-depth studies of the books of the Bible by visiting https://cozort.org, and Collierville church of Christ.
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.
To learn more about the Collierville church of Christ, visit colliervillecoc.org
Ephesians 5:3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;
Transcript:
What things in our lives are not fitting for sanctified people, or as the New Testament refers to them, saints?
One thing that’s not fitting for a saint is committing fornication. Committing fornication is having sexual interactions with someone who you have no right to be with because you’re not married to them.
We ought to keep our lives pure and holy before God. And fornication has no part in the life of a Christian.
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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. To learn more about the Collierville church of Christ, visit colliervillecoc.org
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Ephesians 5:3-4 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
Transcript:
Is there anything wrong with telling jokes that are coarse or crass?
Is there anything wrong with saying something that it’s funny, right? Paul writes the Church at Ephesus and he says,
Neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor coarse jesting. Those are not to be the things that come out of a Christian’s mouth, but rather giving of thanks.
Speak those things that lift people up to God instead of taking them down to hell.
For more from the Collierville Church of Christ, visit www.colliervillecoc.org.
Watch more of Aaron’s videos about Salvation, the Gospel, the good news, the gospel message salvation, and in-depth studies of the books of the Bible by visiting https://cozort.org, and Collierville church of Christ.
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.
To learn more about the Collierville church of Christ, visit colliervillecoc.org
Ephesians 5:5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Transcript:
Do you have an inheritance? I hope you do. I hope you have an inheritance that matters above all riches and all earthly possessions, and that’s an inheritance with Christ.
For we read this verse five of Ephesians five, For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Ephesians 5:5-6 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
Transcript:
For what things does God’s wrath come upon men?
We read in Ephesians chapter five: For this, you know that no fornicator, unclean person nor covetous man who is an idolater has any inheritance in the kingdom of God and Christ.
Let no one deceive you with empty words. For because of these things, the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
Are these things that will bring God’s wrath upon you in your life? If so, change them and repent today.
For more from the Collierville Church of Christ, visit www.colliervillecoc.org.
Watch more of Aaron’s videos about Salvation, the Gospel, the good news, the gospel message salvation, and in-depth studies of the books of the Bible by visiting https://cozort.org, and Collierville church of Christ.
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.
To learn more about the Collierville church of Christ, visit colliervillecoc.org
Ephesians 5:1-5 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Transcript: And now, Admonition, brought to you by the Collierville Church of Christ.
When you consider how to imitate God because Paul says in Ephesians, chapter five, verse one to be imitators of God as dear children.
When you consider how to imitate God, here are some things you don’t do. You do not commit fornication. Verse three. You do not allow covetousness and unclean this in your life. You do not do those things which are not fitting for a Christian to do.
Are you living as an imitator of God today?
For more from the Collierville Church of Christ, visit Colliervillecoc.org.
Ephesians 5:3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;
Transcript:
What things are fitting for a Saint to be doing? That is, in what way will a sanctified person, who’s righteous before God, live? He will live in a way that is good and kind, caring, imitating God in his relationships with others.
But he won’t live a life filled with covetousness. He won’t live a life filled with desiring what belongs to someone else.
For more from the Collierville Church of Christ, visit www.colliervillecoc.org.
Watch more of Aaron’s videos about Salvation, the Gospel, the good news, the gospel message salvation, and in-depth studies of the books of the Bible by visiting https://cozort.org, and Collierville church of Christ.
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.
To learn more about the Collierville church of Christ, visit colliervillecoc.org
