Summary:

CLASS: PETER – 1 Peter 5
Elders and Young Men  

Link to Questions

Sermon: Michael Dale: Giving As Worship

Questions for 1 Peter 5 class

1. (yes or no) Did Peter say that he was an elder? 1 Peter 5:1  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. An elder should not shepherd the flock of Christians (a) eagerly, (b) voluntarily, (c) as a lord, or (d) being an example. 1 Peter 5:2-3 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. How should the younger men treat the elders? 1 Peter 5:5 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What is the reward to the humble?
   What should a Christian do with his anxiety? 1 Peter 5:6-7  ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. The devil is likened to __________________. 1 Peter 5:8 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
6. What will be the result of faithful suffering? 1 Peter 5:9-10
   ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
7. Jonah is classified as an Old Testament book of ___________. See Lesson 166 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

We are in first Peter chapter five, run a, take a moment or two and discuss a few details from chapter four. Um, as we get into this closing chapter of, uh, this letter of first Peter, let’s begin with a word of prayer, our gracious and battlefield father in heaven. We bow before your throne grateful for the day that you’ve given to us and the life that you’ve blessed us with.

Grateful for all that you do for us on a daily basis, we pray that you watch over us and care for us, that you be with those that are traveling. And those that are separated from us, we pray that you help us to strive daily, to live acceptably in your sight and to walk the path of righteousness before you, Lord, we pray that you be with those who are struggling because of illness.

Those that we know that are dealing with COVID and with other illnesses, but also, and especially those that are dealing with longterm and terminal illnesses, we pray that you comfort them, give them strength, help them to endure through difficult times. Lord, we pray that you forgive us when we sin and fall short of your glory and seek the, your forgiveness and repent of those things.

All this, we pray in Jesus name. Amen. Peter, As he’s drawing these thoughts to a close we’ve said over and over again, his message to them revolves around because God, because God did this, you should do this first Peter chapter one, verse 16, be ye Holy for I am. Holy says the Lord because God is Holy be Holy because Jesus suffered.

That’s the end of chapter two. You also suffer, not suffer for wrongdoing, but suffer for right, doing, for doing good and do so willingly. But then he says in verse 15 of chapter four, but let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busy body and other people’s matters. Yet. If anyone suffers as a Christian,

let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter, Peter, as I think we mentioned on Wednesday and the other apostles had direct experience with this, we have recorded there in the beginning of acts a I think it’s chapter four, where they’re brought in and they’re arrested and they’re beaten. And then they’re released. And when they’re released they’re they glorify God because they got out right Now.

The text says they glorify God because they were counted worthy to suffer for his name, their glorying wasn’t in, we got home there. Goring was in, we were found worthy to suffer for Christ. Okay. So when he says yet, if anyone suffers as a Christian, he’s not talking subjectively, he’s not talking, eh, you know, theoretically,

he’s talking from experience and he’s telling them, you need to have this attitude. Then he’s Dez for the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God. And if it begins with us first, what will the end of those who do not are? And what will be the end? We read all the words that works better. What will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?

This passage, if we scroll back up and we go back to verse 12, the context here is based upon my research, my study, and, and, and this is an agreement with many other commentators is this passage is in a context of the destruction of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Jewish nation that was coming. Okay. Jesus warned in Matthew chapter 24 and Mark chapter 13 in Luke chapter 21 that this destruction was coming and Jesus gave the signs that would be coming in advance of that destruction because they had showed him the,

the, the apostles had showed him the temple and showed him the stones of the temple and the glory of the temple. And Jesus said, there won’t be one stone left upon another. Now Peter’s immediate audience. His primary audience are Jewish Christians, many of whom in 80 65, when this is believed to have been written around that time are still in Jerusalem.

Now, what did Jesus tell his disciples about that destruction that was coming? What did he tell them to do? When they saw the signs take place?<inaudible> Flee. Get out, don’t go. If you’re up on the rooftop, don’t go back down into the house. When you see these come to pass you go. Now we don’t have a scriptural record of those events,

but we do have a historical one. And that is what Josephus recorded. Josephus recorded that the Roman empire came down and they came up to and besieged Jerusalem. And then for a period of time, they withdrew and according to Josephus every Christian in the city of Jerusalem, during that withdrawal left the city. And when that had occurred, after that short withdrawal,

the Roman empire came back in full force. They overtook the city and they decimated it. But Josephus records that not a single Christian died in the attack of Jerusalem. Now, Josephus is not a Christian. Josephus was a Jew. He was not even very favorable towards the Christians, but he’s writing a history for the Roman empire for Rome. And he’s recording these events and he’s they got out and they got out because Jesus told them exactly what to expect.

Now, when I said all of that, not to get back into chapter four, but to bring us to this, because he just said for the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God, he’s talking about suffering. He’s talking about a judgment. That’s coming against Israel against Jerusalem, and this the things that are going to take place.

And he says, it’s going to be difficult for you when he says for the time has come for judgment to get at the house of God. And if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now, if the righteous one is scarcely save, where will the ungodly in the center appear?

When he draws forward that quotation from the old Testament, he’s not talking about hearing the word of God, acting upon it. By faith, that faith producing repentance, being obedient to the gospel, having your sins washed away, being covered by the blood of Christ and having that blood of Christ continually cleanse you from your sins. As you walk in the light,

that’s not scarcely, will the righteous be saved. That is not what that passage is talking about. The context here is the destruction of Jerusalem. He said, when you get out and by the way, the word scarcely there means difficult when he’s warning them of the, this destruction, that’s coming. The judgment here, it’s not the day of judgment.

The judgment is the judgment upon Israel, the judgment upon the Jewish people, the judgment upon a nation that had departed from God. And Jesus said that their time was up now who left the city, the righteous Christians who heard what Jesus warned about and were saved from that judgment by obeying it. But it wasn’t without cost. It wasn’t without difficulty. It’s not as though they had all their possessions all packed up,

ready to go. And the moment that the Roman empire showed up, and then they withdrew, they just go grabbed all their possessions and they are no Jesus told them. You’re not even going to have time for that. You’re going to be out in the field. And you’re going to hear the word that the, that there’s a way out and you better take it.

And those who have children and mothers that have children, they’re going to be in a hard situation. And those who are pregnant are going to be a hard situation. Why? Because they’re going to be fleeing from an army while pregnant with difficulty, the righteous will be saved, but why were they going to be saved? That’s where it connects back to a reasoning from the lesser,

the salvation, from a judgment, a destruction of a city and a destruction of a nation to the greater, they were going to be saved from this destruction, this earthly destruction and this earthly war by hearing the word of God, Jesus, and doing what he said and that reasoning from the lesser to the greater, when you do that in this life,

you’ll be saved from the judgment he warned you about. And therefore, when you do that, ultimately in your spiritual life as well, you’ll get the same result. Okay? So he’s bringing them forward through this, this destruction, this judgment is coming. We’ve been warning you about it. We’ve talked about it. We’ve told you it’s going to happen and it’s nice.

It’s at hand. So be ready for it. But there’s a greater and more important judgment to also be concerned about. And that’s the judgment when, uh, you know, everything will be burned up. And he’ll talk about that in second, Peter. Okay. So then he says, therefore, drawing a conclusion. Let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to him in doing good as to a faithful creator.

You’re a Jew in Jerusalem, but you’re a Jew by, by a birth, but you’re a Christian and you’ve gone through trials and persecutions in Jerusalem, but you’ve stayed there. You continue to make your life there. Things have been hard, but you’ve gotten through it. And then the Roman empire shows up your home, your land, everything you have is there and you have to trust God enough to decide.

I’m not going to rely on the defenses of this. I’m not going to rely on these walls. I’m not going to rely upon our ability to stand in the past. I’m not going to rely on the possibility that there’s going to be a truce, a treaty or anything else. I’m leaving with what I have in my hand and what I have on my back.

And I’m leaving and I’m never coming back. Therefore, let those who suffer according to will of God commit their souls to him. God, if I leave everything I’ve ever known, if I leave everything that I I’ve ever I’ve created, I’ve built my life. Everything that we have, our home is here. You see this hurricane comes and you wee it.

It’s on the news. Every single time. There’s these people, they will not leave their sandbag in their house. They’re all the shoreline. They’re not moving. They’re not leaving. And inevitably, at some point, some of them don’t make it, but they decided that that, that place, that location, that stuff was more important than their life.

Peter says, no, you put your hands or your life, your soul in the hand of God and his, he carries you through the trials, the difficulties, the things that refine you and bring out the best in you as he does this. Then ultimately when you’re called upon to let go of everything you have in this life for your life, you do it.

And he is still faithful to you. So then we kind of have a shift, but we’re not done. We’re not done talking about suffering. Okay. We’re, we’re shifting to inside the congregation inside. How do you, how do you interact with one another? He’s going to now write to elders as an elder. Peter, by all indications of scripture was not only an apostle,

but also an elder in the church. And notice what we read the elders who are among you. I exhort I who Elm a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed. This almost feels like the beginning of a new letter that, you know, kind of like it’s, it’s it’s page one,

line one, I Peter writing. But, but Peter wants to address an issue. He doesn’t go into a description of people who are doing it wrong, but it’s one of these statements that says, if everybody’s doing it right, this, this wouldn’t be necessary, either that, or it’s just a warning, but he’s, this is an exhortation to you who are elders.

And this exhortation is about their relationship to the congregation, as well as their relationship to Christ. He says, I’m a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ. He begins in the intertwines in this whole discussion of suffering. The fact that he witnessed the sufferings of Christ when Jesus was there in the garden, as he was preparing to be betrayed and handed over to the Jews,

three disciples were taken with him from the edge of the garden, into the middle of the garden. Who were they? Peter, James and John. And then he left them there and he went a little further and prayed. And the Bible describes him being in agony. And he comes back to the three. And what were they doing? They were sleeping.

He says, couldn’t you watch with me for one hour. Now you go back and you read through the text and you read it carefully. And the likelihood is they’d been up for probably 24 hours or more at this point, they’re exhausted. But he says, watch and pray that you’d be led not into temptation. And then he goes back and he prays again for another hour.

And he comes back and they’re doing what sleeping. Peter says I was there, but he wasn’t just there. Then he was also there. When the soldiers came, who would drew his sword and attempted to defend his Lord, Peter, what did he end up doing with his sword? Making a mistake. He cut off Malcolm, had his ear. And what did Jesus do?

Put it back on. I don’t know if any of you have ever had an accident with a blade of any sort, but don’t, you just wish that you could just, just reverse that. And just, just, just put that back on gut. I’ve got a friend who’s missing a couple of fingers because of an accident with a blade. He,

I bet he wishes. He could just have put them back on, but Jesus did. Peter was there. Peter was there when Jesus told him, put your sword away, Peter. And he did. And Peter was there in the courtyard of the high priest when they put him on trial. And Peter was there at the cross when they hung him on it,

he says, I witnessed his suffering. And he says, I am a partaker of the glory to be revealed all throughout this book. Peter writes to them, trying to get them to realize that suffering in this life is not the end. It’s the beginning. It is here for a purpose to prepare us for glory to come as Jesus suffered. Remember Jesus in John chapter 17 at the beginning of that prayer said glorify me now with the glory that I had with you from the beginning,

he said, the hour is calm for me to glorify you, but God return me to the glory I had. So Jesus went through suffering to the glory on the other side. And Peter says, I’m a witness of the suffering and a partaker in that glory. But you only achieve that. If you suffer to any Christian who goes through life and they’ve never suffered for being a Christian,

something’s wrong because Jesus made it clear. They hated me the world. And they’ll hate you too. Sometimes I think we tone down our Christianity so that we don’t bother people. They should be bothered. Oh, not, not annoyed, not, not, you know, uh, you’re always thinking you’re better. No, they should be bothered by their own unrighteousness.

Ultimately it was the chief priests and the elders and the Pharisees and the scribes and the Sadducees own sins that caused them to hate Christ because he kept showing how they were hypocrites. He kept showing the difference between someone who was truly righteous and someone who just wanted to play righteous. So then he says, shepherd, the flock. Now remember he’s writing to these elders.

He said, you elders shepherd the flock. Now that command that instruction, that exhortation does not come without context because a shepherd not only feeds the sheep, a shepherd not only cares for the sheep, a shepherd not only carries the sheep when the sheep is lame or when the sheep is weak, the shepherd also protects the sheep. The shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

You remember Jesus said that the difference between a shepherd and a hireling was a hireling fleas. When danger comes the shepherd doesn’t Jesus and Peter are instructing these elders. You shepherd the flock of God. You feed them. You care for them. You protect them. You help them. You nurture them and you suffer for them if you must. But he goes on to say,

shepherd, the volume of God, which is among you serving as overseers, not by compulsion, but willingly, not for dishonest gain buddy yearly. He sets these things. These two areas in contrast one another, he says, don’t do it because somebody forces you to don’t do it because someone said, you’ve got to do this because no one else will don’t even do it because no one else will do it because it needs to be done.

Do it. He says willingly out of a desire to serve. Now, this is one of the things that we need to be careful about is because he uses the word overseers. And in our modern use of that word is an overseers kind of like the boss. You know, you go to a job site and there’s somebody, who’s the boss. And they walk around and make sure everybody’s doing their job.

There’s an aspect of that here in this word, where they oversee the work being done by others. That part’s true. But sometimes we mix in the mentality that the overseers, the guy who sits in a comfy chair and does nothing while he oversees people who do the real work. And that’s not an elder, an elder is the one who is laboring in front of others who is leading them.

Now, Peter would right. Or excuse me, the apostles would, would speak in acts chapter six, about there being things that they shouldn’t as the apostles at the time, spend their time doing. He said, it’s not useful for us to be serving tables instead of preaching the gospel. There’s many different jobs that need to be done, but he said,

this is a good work. Go find people who can do it. We need to find appropriate work. We need to find the right work for the right person, but there’s work to be done from elders all the way down to regular members there’s work to be done. But he says, you are ultimately responsible for the work being done. You’re the shepherd and you’re the overseer.

But he also says not for dishonest gain, but eagerly. This is there. There’s a number of passages that bring this out. But this is one of them where we get a clear picture that the first century church would pay their elders. We don’t do that very often. Now. I don’t know why we really ought to. If we looked at the value,

I mean, we just sat down and looked at the value of a full time minister to a congregation versus full time elders. I can tell you which one’s more valuable to the elders and they also have a greater responsibility. And so when we it in times and not saying it’s a requirement, but saying the new Testament makes it clear. It’s an option.

When we expect someone who is an elder, who’s in a position in their life who is able to lead and is qualified to lead, but they’re struggling to deal with the day to day details of a job, a family pay, you know, all the things to sustain their own living. There’s a very limited amount of time they can spend focusing on the,

and so it is one of those things that the new Testament makes clear that there are elders that number one, by being an elder, they’re worthy of it, the laborer is worthy of his hire and that’s speaking concerning elders. He also makes it clear though, that that shouldn’t be the motivation he’s writing to these elders. And he says, don’t, you dare take this position for money.

Not don’t be paid for it, but don’t do it for that reason. Do it eagerly, do it willingly, do it because you love the congregation. But then he goes on to say this nor as being Lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. Here’s one of those passages where there are times where people will come and they’ll,

they’ll try and shift this meaning because they don’t agree with what the elders chose to do. They’ll say, well, the elders aren’t supposed to tell us what to do. They’re not supposed to Lord over us. That’s not what this passage means. This passage is saying, do not Lord over them in self interest, do not make decisions for the congregation because that decision’s best for you.

Instead be an example to them. If a congregation begins to make decisions that that are incorrect, or maybe they want to do something that is in contrast or contradiction to the word of God, what are elders supposed to do, supposed to do? Are they supposed to say, well, I don’t have any authority to tell you you can’t. No, they’re not.

They’re supposed to act like shepherds. When, when a shepherd sees a sheep walking towards the cliff with his head down eating and grazing grass, what’s the shepherd supposed to do? Save the sheep, yank him out of danger and put it back on the right path. It is absolutely the end, the authority of elders to determine a direction for the congregation and to mandate one so long as that direction falls within what is scriptural.

But here’s what they’re not to do. They’re not to set a direction for the congregation that ultimately only serves themselves. There is exactly what Jesus accused, the scribes and the Pharisees and the high priests of doing. He said, you go out and proselytize. These Gentiles to them, children of the devil. You consume widow’s houses. You go, just go through Matthew 23,

over and over and over again. Whoa, Whoa, Whoa unto you. Because they were self focused. Peter says, elders, don’t you do that. But instead he says, be examples to the flock. And now we’re going to switch from their relationship to the church or to the church among them, the Christians, among them to their relationship to Christ,

which goes straight back to be because God he says, and when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. So as he tells them to do this and tells them what not to do, tells them how to do it and how not to do it. He reminds them they’re someone over you. They might be the shepherds in the congregation,

but there’s someone else who’s over them and it’s Christ. And he says, he’s going to appear and he’s going to appear. And when you’ve been faithful, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. But there’s a little implication there. What if they’re not faithful? How many times did Jesus illustrate? What happens when a vineyard owner or a Lord or a King goes and leaves his vineyard in the hands of husbandman.

And then he comes back and finds. They’ve been on faithful every time there’s judgment. And yet every time he comes back and they’ve been faithful, what is their reward? So by mentioning the reward, he implies the judgment upon those who are unfaithful. Then verse five, he says, likewise, you younger people submit yourselves to your elders. Yes. All of you be submissive to one another and be clothed with humility for God,

resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. As a younger person, I’m going to freely admit, there are times where it’s hard to submit to elders. It’s hard to submit to those who were over you because sometimes in the back of your brain, you’re going well, but I wouldn’t do it that way. And yet Peter says submit. But then he adds on to that.

All of you submit to one another, because what he’s getting us back to is get your self out of the discussion and start serving one another. You submit to one another because you’re willing to serve the other one. Peter was also there. When his Lord removed his outer garment and strapped the clothing of a servant on and washed their feet. He reminds them,

God resists the proud and the person who decides this is the way to do it. And there’s no other way to do it. And the elders have decided to do it wrong. So I’m not going to do what they say. Just back that up. Pride, pride, pride, pride. Peter says humility, humility, humility. And this comes from the apostle who by all indications of scripture struggled the most with pride.

He was always the first one to speak. He was the one who was always out there. He was, let me walk on the water. Let me come to you. Let Peter struggled in this area. And as an elder, Peter says, younger people submit to your elders. So then he says, therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God,

that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon him for, he cares for you. This brings together the entire congregation. The elders are to do this, the members, or to do this, the younger, to do this, the older or to do this, all of them are to rely on God because he cares for you.

But then he says, be sober. Be vigilant. In this context is Peter is writing to them and he’s encouraging them to be mindful of their actions towards one another. He also warns them. You have an enemy. He says, be sober, be vigilant because your adversary, the devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour be sober means be mindful,

be alert, be awake. Be vigilant means, be ready, be ready for battle because you have an enemy. And it’s Satan. Peter was the one who Jesus told him that Satan desired to sift him as wheat Christ made it clear to Peter that Satan had his eye on Peter. I have my own opinion as to why that is, but, but,

and I’ll share it with you and you can give me your opinion. If you disagree with me, I think Satan knew if he could get Peter, he could get every one of the apostles. I firmly believe if he could turn Peter, he could get Judas and not get any of the others. But if he could get Peter, he could get them,

all people with influence and people with a personality that was like Peters was where people followed them. And people agreed with them. They’re people who have to be very aware, because if they get led astray, they’ll never go by themselves. Others will always go with them. And so he says he is a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. When does the lion roar,

as there are, as they are pouncing, all you, you watch all the, all the animal videos they sneak up to their prey. The roar is what happens is they’re attacking the prey. So he says, be sober, be vigilant. If you’re sober, if you’re vigilant, you see Satan approaching before he starts roaring, before he starts attacking.

But then he says, resist him steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world, but may the God of all grace who called us to his eternal glory be, or by Christ Jesus. After you have suffered a while, perfect establish, strengthen, and settle you to him. Be the glory and dominion forever and ever.

Amen. Uh, one of these days, I’m going to do a sermon on those four words, perfect establish, strengthen, and settle. You put those four words in your mind and draw together. All this discussion about suffering all the discussion back to his description of it, refining you as fire and put those four words in that context and see how all this discussion summarize is summarized in those four words.

But then he says by Sylvania is our faithful brother. As I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying, that this is the true grace of God in which you stand. He told them to be steadfast in the faith, in resisting Satan. And he told them continue to stand in the grace of God. He then says she who is in Babylon elect together with you,

greets you. And so does Mark my son many believe. And I think they’re probably right, that this letter was written from Babylon, from Babylon was not the great magnificent place. It was the days of debit Cadenza, but it still existed. So from Babylon, greet one another with a kiss of love, peace to you, all who are in Christ.

Jesus. Amen. Let’s go through the questions. Question number one. Yes or no. Did Peter say that he was an elder? Yes. Question two. An elder should not shepherd the flock of Christians, a eagerly be voluntarily. See as a Lord or D being an example. See, as a Lord, how should the younger men treat the elders submit themselves?

What is the reward to the humble? God will lift them up. What should a Christian do with his anxiety? Alright, rely on God. The devil is likened to roaring lion. What will be the results of faithful suffering crown glory? Um, hold on to spit out a crown of glory or eternal glory either. Either one of those would be acceptable.

There a crown of glory goes back to the previous verses, but a right there as eternal glory, Jonah is classified as an old Testament book of, I think I heard it prophecy. Minor prophet. Yes. Okay. Thank you for your attention. We will be dismissed until the worship hour<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible>. It’s good to see all of your social distancing this morning,

all spread out like we’re supposed to be. It’s good to see everybody here this morning here at the Chi. Well church, her Christ Sunday morning service. If we have any visitors, we’d appreciate it. If you take one of the yellow cards and fill it out. So we’d have a record of your attendance. Uh, if you need to, I think everybody,

I don’t see any visual. So everybody knows to pick up your Lord’s supper and put your donation in the back. So, uh, that’s taken care of, remember our sick Rodale and Dorothy Wilson and, um, Jones. Springer is still on able to be with us, Pam, still not with us because of her back problem. Sylvia’s here this morning.

Good to see her where she is still having back pain. And she will have an MRI Friday, the nationwide gospel meeting flyers on the table. If you participate in it every night, um, You got a card that will be put on the boat on the board back there this morning from the Richardson’s. It says thank you all for the wonderful card and gift you sent us home with.

There’s definitely a hole in our heart from leaving such a great group of people. We’re thankful that we’re able to spend our time at Memphis school of preaching with you. Thank you for letting us be a part of your family. We’re your home now and settled in to our funny farm. We brought pigs home this week and hoped to add some chickens and Guinea soon.

We love y’all and miss you, uh, Eric Holly, Cassie, and Matt and we’ll. And I know we miss them this month, our monthly meeting, a thank you card from the Lewis and Martha Rushmore Lewis road. Thank you for a little lending us, Rebecca for the summer. Your gift of $200 permits us to work daily with literature and make plans for distribution overseas.

We are scheduled to go to Asian countries in October, and that card has to be signed. There’s hot on the table in the foyer man. We’ll meet Monday, July the 27th at six 30 and a sound later be Aaron Cozort, uh, Joe Case and lead singing. Lord supper, Tommy O’Neil and Michael will have the sermon today and Eric Howard and we’ll have a closing prayer.

Thank you. Number one, 147 will be our first song. Number 147. All of the songs should be honest. The slides this morning seeing all four verses I stand amazed in the<inaudible> Jesus<inaudible> and one, uh, how he could, uh, me<inaudible><inaudible> wonderful. And my song<inaudible> wonderful is my SAIC. For me, for me,

it was in the God. Then he pray not my will, but he had no tears for his own grave. MAs sweat drops of blood form. Uh<inaudible> and my song<inaudible> is my Savior’s for me.<inaudible> came from<inaudible> to come put him in those or Ross he bought for my soul that a wonderful land. My song<inaudible> wonderful is my save yours for me.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> wonderful.

And my song,<inaudible> my joy through the<inaudible> of his love for me.<inaudible> wonderful. And my song<inaudible> wonderful is my same yours for me. Our next song before our opening prayer will be number 709, 709. How sweet, how heavenly sing all five verses. Um, Sweet. How has the, is the side when those that love the<inaudible>,

uh, the ESPYs, the Lyda and so forth. Uh, when he, she can feel his bruh the side and with him bear up.<inaudible> when saw rough flow from eye to eye and joy from heart to, uh, when free from, and we score and pride, uh, which is all up, up each can, his brother’s fan wings,

I dance and show a brother, uh, when, uh, then won the, uh, full stream through and every book, um, laws, when you, yes, we need. And here is the man, every action<inaudible>, uh, is the golden chain that binds the happy souls. Uh, um, and he he’s and<inaudible> is buzz up glow with,

uh, Bow, Oh God, our father in heaven, we truly are thankful into the, for the privilege that we’ve had today to come and worship you. We’re so thankful, dear God, for your love for us. And the love that was shown through your blesses son, when he came and died upon the cross of Calvary, giving his life and shedding his blood for us father,

we’re so grateful for your word that we’re able to study together as we have this morning. And we’re so thankful for the lessons that we learned from it that might strengthen our faith and cause us to be better servants in the kingdom and be more mindful of one another. And especially of those that are outside the body of Christ father, we pray that you strengthen this each day as we continue to study and encourage each other.

We’re so thankful for the family of God that meets here and for every member of her and help us to continue to love each other. As you have loved us father, we’re grateful for our visitors today, and we pray that you be with them and bless them for having come this morning. We pray that you be with Michael as he delivers your word today to us and pray that we might gain much from the study that he brings forth to us.

Father. We’re mindful of Eddie and the boys, as they will be traveling home tomorrow, we pray for their safety. Pray. You bless them and be so grateful for them being back with us father, we are also mindful of the Richardson family and pray that you continue to bless them. And the work they’re doing there at home, we pray much,

much comes from them because they give much. And we pray that you bless those that are able to hear them and be with them. Their father we’re mindful of those that are in other lands, teaching and preaching your word. And we pray your special blessings to be the DePalma’s and the rush mowers. We pray that we’ll always continue to encourage them as we have that privilege and opportunity where mindful father of those that are not able to come today.

And we pray that you bless them and let them know that we’re thinking about them. And we love him. And we do miss him. We pray father for those that are having physical problems, that we might always be attentive to their needs and try to lift them up in some form or fashion. We pray for those father that are under the care of Potter.

And we pray for the orphans and the unwed mothers. There, we pray father that we might continue to encourage them as we have that privilege and opportunity and support that the efforts that are being used there to teach those young people, the gospel of Jesus Christ and that they continue to come to belief of your word and be obedient to it and become children of yours.

Father bless us in our efforts here at Collierville. We pray. We continue to try to do your will and be good example before others in this community that we might say or do something that might bring them to an understanding of your wheel. And they want to be obedient to it. That’s us in our worship today. And we pray it would be acceptable.

We’re thankful for Aaron as he directs us in our song service, bless him and watch over him in Jesus name. We pray amen song before the Lord supper will be number 344, 344. We’ll sing all three verses and then the chorus low in the grave. He lay<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> uh, dad G she sees us my<inaudible> G she sees,

uh, smile save, uh, he<inaudible>, uh, eh, she sees, uh,<inaudible> uh, from the grave. He Rose with a mighty try on for his falls. He, uh, Rosa Victor from<inaudible>. We have the opportunity to just time to eat of this bread and drink this cup. To remember the death of our savior,

who willingly gave his life for our sins. Would you bow with me, our heavenly father? We thank you so much for Christ our savior. We thank you for this bread, which does represents his body then was hung on a cross for our sins. As we partake of this bread, dear God would pray that each one of us would think of the agony that Christ suffered for each of us,

because of the love has for us. He sings. We ask in his name, amen, What’s your problem with me, Heavenly father. We continue with our thanks for this fruit of the vine, which just represents the blood of Christ that was shed for each of us as weeper. Take of it, help each one of us to do it. So with truly thankful heart,

we pray that this might be acceptable under the, this we ask in Christ’s name, amen With me, Our heavenly father. We thank you for all blessings that we receive daily. We thank you for the mains that we have to provide a living par sales in our family. We know that we truly are blessed in this country, dear God, We pray as we return under the a part of that,

that you have blessed us with, that we would do so with a cheerful, happy heart, pray that these funds would be used to spread your word throughout the world. This way, asking Christ name. Amen. If you would like to, you may Mark number 936 number 936. This will be the song of invitation after Michael’s lesson. Lord, I’m coming home before the lesson,

we’ll sing number 376. If you would let us all stand as we sing this song, number 376, if you will stand and then remain standing for the scripture reading to follow, he paid a debt 376. He paid dad. He did not. Oh, hi dad. I could not, Hey, I needed some lawn to wash my<inaudible>. Now I see being a brand new song,

amazing Grise<inaudible> that I could never, eh, he pain<inaudible> cleanse my soul and send me free. I’m glad that jeez, us did all my<inaudible>. I now can see being a brand new song. Amazing Greg<inaudible> man. I could never, eh, one day he’s calm being back home me to live with him eternally. Won’t it big Laurie to see him on that.

Eh, I then will see being a brand news song. Amazing Greg<inaudible> that I could never, eh, Scripture reading this morning will come from second Corinthians chapter nine, second Corinthians chapter nine and in verse seven, read. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not ragingly or of necessity for God loves a cheerful giver. Please be seated.

Good morning, everybody. This and being able to be back today. It’s nice to be in the building, worshiping with everybody in person. It’s totally different. You still worship the Lord, but it’s much better when you get to be in the presence of all of your brother and this morning, I know, uh, it’s been a while since I’ve been up here,

but I’ve been working on the five acts of worship putting together good sermon series. And this morning, I want to speak to all of you about a giving attitude. We’re going to be reading first from second Corinthians, chapter nine, verses six through eight, second Corinthians nine, six through eight. But this I say he, which so is sparingly shall reap also sparingly.

And he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bound to flee every man, according as he has purposes in his heart. So let him give not grudgingly or of necessity for God. Loveth a cheerful giver and God is able to make all grace abound toward you. That ye always having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work as Christians. We are commanded to give and not just give,

but give with the right attitude. Do you remember being a child? I know. So for some of us that may be a little harder, but remember back to the days of being a child, how happy it was that we got to do anything with our parents, our mother would say, let’s clean the house and you’re rushing around looking for the vacuum or the cleaning supplies you were.

You’re just so excited about this. And your father says, I need you to come, help me work on the car. And you’re out there holding a wrench before he even has a chance to get changed into his car, working clothes. Your parents tell you here’s your money for God. And you could not wait for the collection plate to come by.

So you could give every cent. Your parents gave you without hesitation, somewhere along the way we lose that innocence. And it becomes almost a chore to give our hard earned money to God. As a child, helping our mother to clean taught us to keep a clean, tidy house. As we got older, helping our father to work on the car,

taught us simple things like at least being able to change a tire or air filter or something of that sort as a, as a man, myself, helping my father help me to know how to rebuild an entire car. So our godly parents teach us in all things that we should go and the way that we should go when we grow Proverbs 22 and verse six,

read with me, Proverbs chapter 22 and verse six,<inaudible> Train up a child in the way he should go. And when he is old, he will not depart from it. As a child being taught by our parents to give all we had should have carried over in like manner to our adulthood as cleaning and working on a vehicle. We need to remember as adults that everything is the Lords,

Deuteronomy chapter 10 and verse 14. Read with me Deuteronomy chapter 10 and verse 14, Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord’s thy God, the earth also. And all that they’re in is everything is the Lords as children. We understand that we need to give to God happily. We as adults, that every possession on the earth is the Lords Psalm one Oh four 24,

Psalm one Oh four 24<inaudible> Oh Lord. How manifold are thy works and wisdom has thou made them all the earth is full of VI riches. All throughout the old Testament. We see how God commands his children to sacrifice from the wealthy to the poor. He gives commands as written in the book of Leviticus. The Lord even commands a specific amount of the income from the children of Israel.

Let’s read of this Leviticus, 27, 30 through 34 Leviticus, 27, 33 34. And all the tie that the land, the tie there’s a 10th, whether of the seed or the land or of the fruit of the tree is the Lord’s. It is Holy unto the Lord. And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tides, he shall add there,

there to the fifth part thereof and concerning the tie of that, the herd or the flog even have whatsoever. Passeth under the rod. The 10th shall be Holy unto the Lord. He says, not search, whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it. And if he changed it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be Holy.

It shall not be redeemed. These are commandments, which the Lord commanded Moses for the children of Israel and Mount Sinai. They didn’t just give a 10th of what they made every month of what they made every week. They gave a 10th of everything they owned. Every time they gave, some of us may be thinking, well, that’s the old Testament,

right? But as Christians, we are commanded to give and not just give, but give with the right attitude. We must give bound to flee. We must give purposefully and we must give cheerfully first, let us take a look at giving to flee. What does the word bound to flee mean to you? Think about it for a second bound to flee.

I use dictionary.com because it gives us the most modern definition of things. dictionary.com bound to flee means liberal and be stowing gifts, favors or bounties generous. According to Vine’s dictionary bound to flee literally means with blessings. That is that blessings may accrue. So if we put the definition from vines and from dictionary.com together, to have a greater understanding, we understand that bound to flee is to liberally bestow blessings.

So that blessings may be bestowed upon us. We are told if we want to receive many blessings, we must so many blessings turn with me to second Corinthians chapter nine in verse six, Paul through inspiration uses an example of a farmer sowing and reaping to make it easier for the people of the day to understand second Corinthians chapter nine and verse six<inaudible>. But this I say he which so if sparingly shall reap also sparingly and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

This passage does not imply that if you give more money, you will receive more money for your own personal use, but that in sewing or giving bound to flee, you will be blessed. I think of an old time farmer out there and just pinching some off and sprinkling it out versus the farmer who had grabbed handfuls and just toss it everywhere. The more seeds you have out there,

the more bound to fall your crop is going to be. If you’re a sparse with your seed, then you’re barely going to get any crop back. So what does the context teach us about this bountiful sowing? If we look at the context, Paul is not just asking about spiritual blah, not just talking about spiritual blessings, but speaking to the Corinthian church about monetary blessings.

Look at second Corinthians chapter nine, verse five, right above the verse. We just read second Corinthians nine and verse five. Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren that they would go before you and make up beforehand your bounty, where a ye had noticed before that the same might be ready as a matter of bounty. And not as of covetousness,

sewing bounds of flee will give us all sufficiency or what we need to survive spiritually and physically look with me in the fall in verse eight of second Corinthians chapter nine, and God is able to make all grace abound toward you. That she always having all sufficiency in all things. We still bound to flee not only to survive, but so we can help others continue reading in verse eight with me,

we’ll start back at that. Ye always having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work, all the good works that we can do to help others. This is one of the reasons why we give bounds of flee. Where do we get the seed to sow bountifully? God has given us everything that we need. Let’s turn to second Peter chapter and verse three second,

Peter chapter one and verse three.<inaudible> According as his divine power hath given unto us, all things that pertain with unto life and godliness through the knowledge of him that have called us to the glory and virtue. He’s given us everything that we need. God provides all that we need. Let’s read what Jesus says about this topic. Matthew six 25 through 34,

Matthew chapter six verses 25 through 34.<inaudible> Jesus says, therefore I say unto you take no thought for your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor yet for your body. What you shall put on is not the life more than meat and the body more than Raymond behold, the fowls of the air for they sow not neither do they reap nor gather into barns yet your heavenly father feeds them.

Are you not much more than they, he takes care of the birds of the sky. Of course, he’s going to take care of us, which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature and why take he thought for Raymond consider the lilies of the field, how they grow? They toil not neither do they spin. And yet I see in to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed.

Like one of these wherefore, if God, so clothes, the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven. Shall he not much more clothe you? Oh, ye of little faith. Therefore take no thought saying what shall we eat or what shall we drink or wherewithal, shall we be closed for after all these things,

do the Gentiles seek for your heavenly father, Noah that he have need of all these things that ye have need of all these things, but seek ye first, the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you take therefore no thought for tomorrow, for tomorrow shall take thought for the things of itself sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

God gives us everything we need to so bound to flee and to reap bound, to flee. We know that he will provide for us. We must be careful not to. So expecting a financial return though, our reward is not in the flesh, but in the spirit, Galatians chapter six, verses seven through nine, Galatians six verses seven through nine,

the inspired writer, the inspired writer, Paul writes be not deceived. God is not mocked for whatsoever. A man soweth that shall he also reap for he that psoas to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption. But he that so us to the spirit shall of the spirit reap everlasting life and let us not be weary in well doing for in due season,

we shall reap. If we faint not, we will reap the benefits of our spiritual sewing. We cannot serve two masters. Jesus tells us in Luke chapter 16 and verse 13, Luke 16 and verse 13. We are servants. All of us, Christians and no servant can serve two masters for either. He will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other.

You cannot serve both God and mammon. Mammon is wealth or money. You can’t serve both. You’re either a servant of God or you’re a servant of your wallet. If we try to hang on to our money, it will bring much sorrow. Let’s read first Timothy six, nine and ten first Timothy chapter six, verses nine and 10. But they, that will be rich,

fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lust, which drown men in destruction and perdition for the love of money is the root of all evil, which while some coveted after they have earned from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. When I think of giving bounds of flee, I think of the poor widow that Luke wrote about in his gospel account in Luke chapter 21 verses one through four,

let’s read that account, Luke 21, one through four, Luke chapter 21 verses one through four. And he looked up and saw the Richmond casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting and feathered two mites. That’s less than a penny today. And he said of a truth. I say unto you that this poor widow has cast in more than they all for all these have of their abundance cast and cast in unto the offerings of God.

But she out of her opinion, which is her poverty have cast in all the living that she had. She did not give bountifully because she gave a lot of money like the wealthy men did, but she gave bound to flee because from her heart, she gave every little piece of copper that she had. We do not just give bound to flee, but we must give purposefully.

Now, what does purposefully mean to give with purpose? Right? dictionary.com States. It is to set as an aim intention or goal for oneself Strong’s dictionary States. It is to choose for oneself before another things or by implication to purpose or intend before we give we are to purpose or have an intention on what we are giving in our heart. Second Corinthians chapter nine and verse seven.

Let’s go back to second Corinthians chapter nine, and we’ll read the first part of first seven, second Corinthians nine, seven, every man, according as he has purposes in his heart. So let him give. So as we have put in our mind, this is what we’re going to give. Then we make sure that we give it. We are not to give feeling like we are being robbed.

As Paul through inspiration writes, our giving is not to be of necessity. Let’s continue reading verse seven of second Corinthians chapter nine, not grudgingly or of necessity for God. Loveth a cheerful giver. We don’t begrudge the money. We don’t shake as we put that check or that cash into the, into the offering plate. We do it because we’re happy about it.

We are to give willingly and with joy, let’s go back and look at what David said about this first Corinthians or first Chronicles, 29 17 first Chronicles, chapter 29 and verse 17. I know also my God that thou try us to the heart and has pleasure and uprightness as for me and the uprightness of mine heart, I have willingly willingly offered all these things.

And now have I seen with joy thy people which are present here to offer willingly unto thee? We don’t give because we’re commanded to, we give because we are willing. We want to, because we want to, we are to give from a willing mind, second Corinthians chapter eight and verse 12. Look with me in second Corinthians chapter eight and verse 12 for if there be first a willing mind.

It is accepted according to that, a man hath and not according to that, he has not, we don’t need to worry about, I can’t give everything I want to give. It’s accepted that we give from what we have our giving is not just another bill that we must, it is to further the work of the Lord. We don’t set this up like an automatic payment.

This is not something that we have to do, although it is commanded. It’s something that we should want to do. We give because we want to not because we have to. When I think of giving purposefully, I think of the Macedonians as Paul wrote about them. Let’s read of the Macedonian. Second Corinthians chapter eight, verses one through four, just a little bit further up on the chapter that we’re in.

Currently. Second Corinthians eight, one through four<inaudible> Moreover brethren. We do you to wit of the grace of God, bestowed on the churches of Macedonia. How that in great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality for, to their power. I bear record yea and beyond their power. They were willing of themselves praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift and take upon us.

The fellowship of the ministering of the saints. The Macedonians had purpose to help the Christians in Jerusalem and nothing was going to keep them from giving what they had purposed nothing, not hardships. They were going through, not their poverty. The Macedonians did not just so show us how to give purposely, but in this instance, they also showed us, we must give cheerfully.

What does cheerfully actually mean? dictionary.com States that cheerfully means to be full of cheer in good spirits, Hardy or in grudging, according to Strong’s dictionary and the Greek cheerful as actually the word hilarious where we get the word hilarious from laughter. You’re supposed to give with great laughter in your body. It is to be cheerful or glad, prompt or willing as having acted wisely.

And now being glad in heart, our giving should bring us to great gladness of heart. Like the Macedonians let’s read again, verses one and two here of chapter eight, moreover brethren. We do you to wit of the grace of God, bestowed on the churches of Macedonia. How that in a great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy in their affliction,

they had an abundance of joy and in their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. I just, I love this occasion of the Macedonians. They, they let nothing hold them back and they did everything they could to, to bring forth as much as they possibly could to help the suffering brethren. There should be no hesitation in our giving. The Macedonians begged to give let’s read verses three through five,

again of second Corinthians chapter eight, four to their power. I bear record yea and beyond their power were willing of themselves praying us with much intrigued that we would receive the gift and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering of the scenes and this, they did not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord and unto us by the will of God.

The children of Israel are another good example of this type of giving. At least sometimes in their path, they gave so much that they were forced to stop. Let’s look at this example, we’re given an Exodus chapter 36 verses one through seven Exodus, chapter 36 verses one through seven, Then rot Bezalel and a Holy app. And every wise hearted man and whom the Lord put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary.

According to all that, the Lord had commanded and Moses called Bezaleel and a Holy ad and every wise hearted man and whose heart, the Lord had put wisdom. Even everyone who’s heart stirred him up to come onto the work to do it. And they received of Moses, all the offering, which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary to make it with all.

And they brought yet unto him free offerings. Every morning, they were giving to help build the tabernacle and also just giving free offerings. All the wise men that rot all the work of the sanctuary came every man from his work, which they made. And they spake unto Moses saying the people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the Lord commanded to make.

And Moses gave commandment and they cause it to be proclaimed throughout the camp saying, let neither man, nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing. They had to restrain them from giving more for the work of the Lord for the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it and too much,

they had too much already and they were still bringing more and more and more. They couldn’t stop them from bringing to the Lord to make sure that the work of the Lord was fulfilled. If we give cheerfully, we will be blessed. The blessings of giving with a cheerful heart are unfathomable. Let’s go back to second Corinthians chapter nine and verse eight, second Corinthians chapter nine and verse eight.

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you. That G always having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work, no matter how hard we try, we will never be able to outgive God, turn with me to Ephesians chapter three, verses 20 and 21, Ephesians chapter three, verses 20 and 21. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding,

abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh within us, unto him, be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world, without end. Amen. How can we ever I’ll give the sacrifice of the Christ. God will take care of the cheerful giver. Let’s see Philippians chapter four and verse 19, Philippians four 19.

But my God shall supply all your need. According to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus, everything we need, he’s going to supply. We don’t need to worry. When we put our offering that we have decided to give in our hearts. If we’re going to be able to pay that next bill, or if we’re going to be able to buy groceries for our family,

that is not what we put our minds on. When we’re giving to the Lord as Christians, we are commanded to give and not just give, but give with a right attitude. We must always remember to give bound to flee. That is to give our blessings liberally. We must always remember to give purpose purposefully that one always twists my tongue up purposefully.

That is to give, as we have intended to give, not just what we have decided to give at the moment. We must always remember to give cheerfully. That is to be happy to give, because we know all that has been given us by Christ. Let us always remember that it is more blessed to give than to receive acts chapter 20 verse 35.

Let us go back to that mentality we had as a child, when our parents gave us the money that we wanted to give so badly for the offering for Christ said, barely I say unto you, except you be converted and become as little children. You shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven, Matthew 18 three to be converted and become like little children who must first hear the word of faith.

Romans 10, 17. We must believe that Jesus is the Christ. John eight 24. And we must repent of our sins. Luke 13, one through three. We must confess that Jesus is the Christ before men openly Matthew 10 32. We must be immersed in the water for the forgiveness of sins, acts 2216, and we must live faithful unto death.

First, John one, six and seven. We are to walk in the light as he is in the light. So we can have fellowship with one another revelation, two 10. If we do this, we will receive a crown of righteousness. If all, if you are ready to follow this simple plan of salvation, the waters of baptism have been prepared.

If you need the prayers of the, we are here for you because the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man of Ellis, much James five 16, whatever your need, please come forward as we stand in scene. Uh<inaudible> uh<inaudible> to, um, uh, uh,<inaudible> also<inaudible>. Uh<inaudible> so I<inaudible>, I<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Oh,

uh, uh, um, uh<inaudible>. Oh, I am<inaudible> uh<inaudible> uh,<inaudible> also<inaudible><inaudible> Oh,<inaudible> uh<inaudible>. Oh, so my<inaudible> my, uh, is<inaudible> my strength. My<inaudible> also<inaudible><inaudible> Oh,<inaudible> uh, uh<inaudible>. Oh, so I want to thank Michael for that lesson this morning and appreciate all those who served within the worship this morning,

take your songbooks and turn the number 77, number 77, gonna sing all three verses of this song. And then we will be led in our closing prayer. Remember to observe social distancing and wave that everyone speak from a distance, but it is good to see each and every one of you here this morning, and we appreciate your presence. Number 77.

Well, we love you. We, uh, ship and, uh,<inaudible>,<inaudible> all the, uh,<inaudible> jeez, uh, sweet of you. We, and, uh, you<inaudible> all the, uh,<inaudible> and all the, uh,<inaudible> Please bow with me. Our father in heaven. We come to you at this time,

thanking you for another opportunity to build, to assemble here this morning, sing songs, praise your great name, but most importantly, hear another portion of your word. God, we ask that you help each and every one of us take the message that was brought to us by brother Michael this morning and apply it to our lives and share it with those around us.

So we may better serve you here on earth. God, we also know that there’s many amongst our brother and sisters here that are suffering from various illnesses and ailments. And we ask that you wrap your loving arms around them and their families, and reach out to the physicians and the care providers for these individuals. And if it be your will restore them to a measure their health,

that they may one day again, assemble with us to worship your great name. We know Lord also that we each and every one of us fall short of your glory from time to time. And when we do, we ask that you forgive us of our shortcomings and pick us back up again. Now, as we prepare to depart this facility, we ask that you guide garden direct each and every one of us until we return at the next appointed time.

We pray this through your son, Jesus name. Amen.

Class: 1 Peter 3

Sermon: Zechariah 3: The Filthy High Priest

Automated Transcript

Good morning. We are in first Peter chapter three. It’s good to see everybody this morning for anybody asks. Yes, she is coming back now for those who haven’t asked me and might be looking for an update update and those on the stream as well. Um, Eddie sisters hip is not progressing from the surgery as quickly as they hoped. So she still is not what’s called load bearing on it,

which means she still can’t drive. So, um, Eddie’s hanging around for another week to help out with her grandmother because somebody probably Eddie’s dad is going to have to go back with her oldest sister back to her apartment where she can start getting ready for school, but somebody to drive her around because obviously with coronavirus, she can’t is not going to have a bunch of other people drive her around.

So of all things playing together into, well, it’s just gonna go be another week, But, uh, um, keep, keep Eddie and the boys in your prayers. They’re doing well. Uh, talk with them often video chat with them. It’s nice to have the technology to do that nowadays. So first Peter chapter three, we’ll begin with a word of prayer.

Our gracious father in heaven, we bow before your throne grateful for its blessings, grateful for all that you do for us on a daily basis, grateful for the time and the opportunity that we have to assemble together, mindful and grateful of that opportunity. In times like these, we pray for those who are not able because of health, reasons or health concerns,

to be able to assemble with us. We pray that your blessings and your hand be upon them, pray that you watch over us. As we go through this time of study and time of worship, may the sacrifice of praise that we offer to you, be acceptable in your sight, may all that we do and say, be that which is in accordance with your will.

We ask that you forgive us when we sin and fall short of your glory, help us to strive to realize when we do wrong and to repent of those things, help us to strive daily, to grow the borders of your kingdom, through opportunities that are placed in front of us in front of us. Every day we ask that you watch over us and protect us all this.

We pray in Jesus name. Amen. Okay. First Peter chapter three, in the end of chapter two, Peter is writing about the example of Christ. He quotes In verse 22 from Isaiah chapter 53. Of course, that passage there in Isaiah speaking concerning the lamb, that was slain speaking concerning the suffering servant speaking concerning the one who God gave our punishment to him when he didn’t deserve it.

And Peter uses this passage and uses this context to remind these Christians, you will suffer. Remember Paul wrote to Timothy and he told Timothy that all who live godly in Christ, Jesus will what will suffer persecution, The will Not tolerate. And I’m speaking in a global sense, not always in individual sentences, but the world by and large does not tolerate righteousness.

Why is that guilt on their part for not doing what’s right? Why was Jesus rejected? John says in John chapter one that the light came in the world and the world did not receive him. He came unto his own and his own did not receive him. Why? Because the light showed what their darkness, the, their deeds were evil. Their deeds were being done in darkness.

And when you introduce light, so this happens every once in a while you, uh, move a piece of furniture, you haven’t moved in a while. What do you find underneath and behind the piece of furniture you haven’t moved in a while? No telling that’s right. Does for sure. Now most likely that area back there behind, you know, a cabinet or,

or a dresser or a piano or a whatever, something, maybe even something on wheels, but it doesn’t get moved all the time. That area is likely to be cleaned. If you know it’s dirty, but because it’s behind something, it’s not the place that gets, it’s not the middle of the floor. It’s not the kitchen floor. It’s not the,

you know, the counter next to the sink. It’s not the place you clean all the time. Why? Because light’s not on it because it’s not right there. It’s not prominent. And that’s what the description is of these people’s deeds. They did them in the darkness. So they weren’t observable question scribes, Pharisees, and chief priests. When they decided to kill Jesus,

when they decided to pay Judas 30 pieces of silver to betray his master, think they did that in the public temple out where everybody could hear. Now, the things that are done today in making decisions that are in the interest of a few and not in the interest of many and yet are often claimed to be for the benefit of all. You think they’re done in the public square done at night around here?

Yeah. Why is that? Oh, I don’t think these people are sitting in a room with no lights on trying to make their deeds be done literally in the dark. They’re trying to hide what they’re doing. So that being said, Peter says your master, the one who remember he’s writing to these people, and he’s already said the one who you love,

who you never saw, the one who you obey, but you never even came in contact with. He suffered and notice what he says. He says, who committed no sin nor was deceit found in his mouth who, when he was reviled, did not revile in return. When he suffered, he did not threaten, but committed him self to him who judges righteously,

couple of things. Number one, we sing a song 10,000 angels. The whole premise of that song is right here. He could have called. It comes from the statement concerning that Jesus made the pilot. If I chose to, I could have 10 legions of angels, but my kingdom is not of this world. Jesus suffered a fate. He didn’t deserve you.

And I, we go through life and sometimes we suffer at the hands of individuals who we didn’t do anything to, but they have chosen to take their anger, their rage, their whatever, out on us. But are we in our lives entirely faultless? No, we live in a world of sin and we have become part of that world of sin.

Because at some point in time, we have sin and fallen short of the glory of God. So to say that we have suffered, maybe not in that one time instance because of our own sin, but to say we have suffered because we live in a world where we included in that world do sin is to recognize that we don’t always get what we deserve.

Sometimes we get mercy when we should have gotten judgment. And sometimes we get, uh, people’s anger and animosity when we ought to get kindness. But the reality is we’ve done the same thing to somebody else for this world that wants to go head long into someone, did something wrong to me or my parent or my brother or my whatever in the past.

Therefore you owe me something. The problem with that is, has that person who believes they’re owed something, ever done something wrong to somebody else. And the answer is always, yes, the only person who was always owed and who never owed is the one who went to the cross for us. So Peter says in all of this, when you look at that person and you look at how he suffered and did not take the action,

he had the authority and the power and the ability to take in return. Then Peter says, now, you know how to suffer. Notice what he says. He says who, when he reviled, he did not revile in return. When me, when he was reviled, he did not revile in return. When he suffered, he did not threaten,

but committed himself to him who judges, righteously, who himself bore our sins in his own body. On the tree that we having died to sins might live for righteousness. By those stripes you were healed for. You were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the shepherd and overseer of your souls. The context of chapter three begins back in verse 13 of chapter two,

Peter says submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake. And then in chapter two, verse 18, he says, servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear for verse 21 for, to this, you were called because Christ also suffered you. When, when Peter tells a servant, by the way, that’s a slave in the context,

that’s what the Greek word is. Bond servant. When he tells a slave, you obey your master because Christ submitted himself to someone who was not worthy to be called his master cry, submitted himself to the judgment and to the punishment of, and pilot was nobody in comparison to Christ yet Christ didn’t stand up and say, you can’t touch me. You’re not worthy.

You’re a sinner. And I’m righteous. No Christ suffered being an example for us to tell Christians, to tell his servants you live, where I put you. That’s not to say that S a slave who’s given the opportunity to become free. Can’t take that opportunity. It is to say that one who knows what their status is in life ought to be a Christian first and everything else.

Second. So he’s going to talk about servants first, because he’s just finished talking about honoring the King and our relegation to being under the law that we live under, the ordinances we live under. So he says, first of all, Christians submit to the ordinances, submit to the law. Secondly, honor, the King, thirdly, servants honor your masters.

Now chapter three, verse one wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands that even if they do not obey the word, they without a word may be one by the conduct of their wives. If we come to this passage and when we ignore the rest of it, we’re, we’re going to miss something here because Peter is talking to wives and he’s talking to them in a historical context and a cultural context where wives were considered property.

They were above slaves, but not very far. Now, imagine you’re a Christian wife with an<inaudible> Christian, a pagan husband, and he considers you nothing more than property. He considers you nothing of inherent value. Maybe you’re one wife of many, and Peter still says, submit yourself to your husband. Even if some do not obey the word. Here’s the question.

If I’m a Christian and I’m married a non-Christian, do I still have to obey that husband that I have that spouse that I have because he’s not a Christian. And by the way, this is the same question that Peter, or excuse me, Paul answers in first Corinthians chapter seven, where he, yes, but he says, Peter says, in this context,

do it again. We’re we’re always reminding ourselves as we talk about submission. As we talk about obedience, as we talk about being under the law of the land, we’re always reminding ourselves, never, is there an excuse to countermand or go against or transgressed the laws of God to obey any man, doesn’t matter if it’s a King. And if it does,

it doesn’t matter. If it’s a government, it doesn’t matter if it’s a master in it doesn’t matter. If it’s a husband. If they tell you to do something, God tells you not to who wins God every time. So the context is not obey your husband over God. The context is always obey God first. And because you obey God, obey your husband.

He goes on to say that even if they do not obey the word, they, without a word may be one by the conduct of their wives. He said there is an opportunity placed in the hands of a spouse, specifically in this context of wife, who’s now a Christian who now doesn’t look at her husband the same way she did before. Peter’s going to talk about those in the world who become angry at Christians because they don’t go to the same level of excess.

They don’t go to the same level of debauchery. They don’t entertain and participate in sin the way the world does. And it makes the world angry at them. Now imagine a pagan husband who his wife used to involve herself in his paganism. And now she won’t. Now she won’t do the things she used to do. And he looks at that as though she’s judging him.

She’s not happy with him. He’s not doing what she’s doing. She, this is creating a barrier. But what if that spouse in every other area goes from being, I’m my own person. And I’m going to participate in these things with you too. I’m going to submit to you as I submit to God. Now, suddenly this husband who no longer has a partner in all of these things that he’s doing that are wrong,

has for the first time ever a real wife. I think sometimes those of us who roll up in the church or maybe have, have been in families that have are stable families. And, and even if they’re not Christians, those who have families that have been striving to put godly principles in action in their lives, those of us who have done that their entire lives.

And that’s been our, our little bubble that we’ve grown up in, sometimes fail to realize what a lot of the rest of the world goes through at home. And when you come in contact with that, or when you’ve lived through that, it changes you. But when you suddenly have one person in that household acting like a Christian, acting like someone who no longer looks out for themselves first,

but someone who looks out for the best interest of someone else, because they serve a God who paid a debt for them, they could never pay the whole relationship changes. And so Peter says, wives, you have an opportunity. When you have an unbelieving husband, you have an opportunity without telling him anything about the doc, the, the doctrine, without telling him anything about the gospel,

without telling him anything about Jesus, you have an opportunity to win his soul through your conduct at home. He goes on to say, when they observe your chaste conduct, accompanied by fear, do not let your adornment be merely outward, arranging the hair, wearing gold or putting on fine apparel. Rather let it be the hidden person of the heart with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit,

which is very presh precious in the sight of God. The formula that Peter puts here for a wife to when her husband is her inward person displayed in her outward person. So he says for in this manner in former times, the Holy women who trusted in God, also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands. As Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord whose daughters you are,

if you do good and are not afraid with any terror, what did they, what do they have to be afraid of this? Isn’t a statement you and I would probably make about husbands and wives and spouses at home. Why is the statement about fear terror here in Jewish society? And we’re not talking about Jewish society here, but in Jewish society, the chief priests and Pharisees Sadducees,

one of them, I think it was the Pharisees came to Jesus, Matthew chapter 19 verse one and said, is it law for a lawful, for a man to put away his wife for any cause now this is the group of people who grew up and lived under the law of Moses who are coming to Jesus and saying, can I get rid of my wife for any reason I want to now you and I,

we we’ve become pretty well accustomed in our society to people getting rid of their spouses for any reason we want to. But we also live in a society where if a woman is not married, she’s not looked down upon and she can go provide for herself and she can own property and she can own land and she can have a job. And she she’s got a lot of opportunities that they didn’t have a woman who was put away because the husband no longer had any interest in her was a woman who was destitute,

unless she found another husband. Why do you think Paul wrote to Timothy and said, here are the qualifications for a woman to come under the support or be supported by the church financially. Because if she was of an age and older age and had, had lived her life, she wasn’t likely finding another husband. And so she became very much like nail me in the book of Ruth who needed someone to provide for her because there was no opportunity for her to provide for herself.

Now, take yourself out of a context where God’s written laws and given them through Moses and put yourself in Rome. And if the Jews had a mentality of, I can get rid of my wife and put her out on the street for any cause what do you think the Roman empire would have let them do to their wives? Sell them? Yeah. You know what I’m done with this wife need a slave,

but Peter says, spouse, wife, you don’t do this out of fear and terror. You do this out of submission to God. So he says, you can be the daughters of Sarah. When you’re willing to look at this opportunity as an opportunity to bring and bring your husband, or in that idea, save your husband. You don’t do it out of fear and terror do it out of hope.

But then he says, husbands, likewise dwell with them with understanding giving honor to the life as to the weaker vessel and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered. We could spend the entire class period on this, just like we could have spent the entire class period on the first seven verses we won’t. But notice the very first thing that Peter places here,

by the way, something that’s interesting and worth pointing out. Number one is we know Peter was married. We know also he is an elder. Peter is not writing as sometimes. I think people interpret Paul’s writings go. Paul was single. Paul wrote all this stuff about marriage who listens to single men about marriage, who does, but Peter’s not. And one of the things Paul reveals to us about Peter is that Peter’s wife after the church was established and he began to go out into other places beyond Jerusalem.

Peter’s wife traveled with him and it’s this man who says dwell with her in understanding there’s a culture, a cultural mindset among some husbands that says you do what I say, because I say it and that’s not biblical. Now, ultimately there is a role in the household where that person is ultimately accountable and that person does ultimately have to make a decision if there’s not consensus.

And ultimately that person ought to be that husband submitting to the Lord and saying, God gets to make the decision and I get to enact it. But the very first thing that Peter tells these Christian husbands to do is get to a point of understanding with their spouses so that they are partners in submitting to Christ and not opponents. He goes on to say that they are to give honor.

First thing he says is put them on the same level with you and be understanding, communicate with one another. And the second thing is now you lift them up. Our society has done so much damage to the female gender, but it’s because the world and humanism has taught our society has taught people in our culture that having the same thing, someone else has means that you get everything they get.

And it’s not true. There are so many passages of scripture where men are commanded to lift up and praise their wives. I challenge you go through the Bible and find how many passages of scripture tell wives to do that. To husbands, they’re told to submit to them. They’re told to honor them in that form, but there’s not the same description. God puts a special place on women and a special value on women.

And Jesus did too. And who was it? That was constantly with Jesus, supporting him and helping him beyond the 12 apostles women. They were predominantly the strongest allies Jesus had in this life. And who came to his grave on Sunday morning women, the Bible in no passage, anywhere, denigrates women, it always places a great deal of value on them all the way through scripture.

And when we, as a society, allow ourselves to be deceived into saying, we need to treat each other exactly the same. That’s not a value proposition for women. That’s degrading them, but he goes on to say, finally, all of you, he’s taught to those who are under a law, which is all of them in some form or fashion,

they’re all live under some sort of ordinance of men. He’s taught to servants. He’s taught to husband two wives. He’s talked to husbands now says everybody, all of you be of one mind having compassion for one another love as brothers, be tender hearted, be courteous, not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this,

that you may inherit a blessing for now, he’s going to go back into the old Testament. He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking to seat, let him turn away from evil and do good. Let him seek peace and pursue it for the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are open to their prayers.

But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. Peter says, you want to, you, you want to have this peace. You want to pursue righteousness and peace and, and unity. Then you be of one mind. Now again, does that mean, all right? Let’s everybody get together and let’s talk about what we want our society and our world to be like,

and let’s make a decision on how we’re going to act. No, it doesn’t. We’re going to be of one mind under whose law gods. We’re going to be of one mind because we’ve all decided to take ourselves and put ourselves over here and submit to God. And that’s how we become of one mind. That’s how we become unified in action and,

and goal and purpose and motivation. That is how we look at slights against ourselves or people doing wrong to us or reviling us. And don’t throw it back in their face. But instead bless them. That’s a challenge. I’ll be honest. Uh, somebody gets up in my face and they’re angry and they’re mad and they’re frustrated. And they’re saying things,

they shouldn’t be saying it is a real challenge because I’ll, I’ll, I’ll give you my first reaction. It tends to be sarcasm. Doesn’t generally turn out all that. Well, I tried it with my brothers growing up, just saying by and large, that was when I got hit. My mother would say, Aaron, you do realize it is your mouth.

That gets you in trouble. Most of the time. Yes, mom, I do. I don’t tend to be the anger in exchange for anger. I generally turn it into sarcasm and, and, uh, that doesn’t go all that well either. Yes it is. Yes, it is. It is very difficult. When someone sees the world one way and someone sees the world another way,

and one party is blaming another party for something that didn’t even happen when either one of them were alive. And then the challenge to us as Christians is bless them. And that’s not the Southern version of, well, bless your soul. That that’s not that, that sarcasm. Okay. That is sarcasm wrapped in, in sweet Southern draw. That is not the blessing we’re talking about.

Okay. So he goes on to say, and who is he? Who will harm you? If you become followers of what is good. Okay. As, as, as, as he encapsulates this in pursue peace, do good. Be at harmony with one another, do right to one another be of one mind. And when someone does something wrong to you,

bless them in return, he then asked the question and who then is going to do harm to you if you become followers of what’s good. But even if you should suffer for righteous and Sancuso. So what, what Peter did is he left the rest of the explanation off. He said, who’s going to do harm to you. If you follow righteousness,

the answer is from somebody over here in the crowd. Somebody is this narrow he’ll kill us. But to this guy down the street, who’s not a Christian. Who’s just an ordinary Joe who respects people who respect others and despises those who mistreat others. Is he going to do wrong and harm to those who are living righteously? Who, when they’re reviled blessing,

return none. No, no, no. That person is going to look at these people and go, you don’t deserve that. What was the description in acts chapter two, the end of acts chapter two, the church has been established. Day of Pentecost is over the church, begins assembling together. They follow the Apostle’s doctrine. They continue in the Apostle’s doctrine and prayers and,

and breaking a bread. They do all of this and what’s the description of their relationship to the people around them. They had all things in common among the Christians, but what was their P their relationship to the Jewish society go back to acts chapter two. So continuing daily, verse 46, and with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house,

they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people that didn’t stay that way forever. Because the mood of crowds change. When you get over to acts chapter 12 and pilot or not pilot, uh, Herod sees that the Jews like it when he takes the head off of James, he goes and arrest Peter.

It’s not going to stay that way forever. But at that point in time, the Christians were in one accord. The Christians were in unity with one another. The Christians were doing what was right. And the people saw them doing good. And the people weren’t angry with them, reviling them doing harm to them. They had favor with them. So he says here,

verse 14. But even if you should suffer for righteousness sake, you are blessed and do not be afraid of their threats nor be troubled, but sanctify the Lord, God in your hearts and always be ready to give a defense to anyone. Or does he mean to everyone who asks you a reason to the hope that is in you with meekness and fear,

having a good conscience that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed for it is better. If it is the will of God to suffer for doing good, then for doing evil for Christ also suffered once for sins. The, just for the unjust that he might bring us to God being put to death in the flesh,

but made alive by the spirit, by whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison who formerly were disobedient when once the divine long suffering waited in the days of Noah while the Ark was being prepared in which a few that is eight souls were saved through water. There is also an anti type, which now saves us baptism, not the removal of the filth of the flesh,

but the answer of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers, having been made subject to him. We’ll bring, we’ll come to this on Wednesday and bring some of this forward because you need to see verse 15 together with verse 13 together with verse 21,

going into chapter four, verse one. Okay. So we’ll get into that on Wednesday. Let’s go through the questions. How might women, when they’re disobedient husbands to the faith, their chase conversation, or manner of life, how our husbands to treat their wives understanding honor. Um, and, and, and another answer, and we even get into this,

but as fellow heirs, fellow heirs of God, what is a person supposed to do instead of returning evil for evil or insult for insult bless yes or no. Is a person blessed if he must suffer for the sake of righteousness? Yes. What should a Christian be ready to do? If someone should ask him concerning his faith, be ready to give a correct answer.

We’re going to go into that more, like I said on Wednesday, because there’s more to that passage than most of us give credit to it. It’s, it’s a, it’s a great passage to tell us, to be ready to explain why we believe what we believe, but it’s more than a passage on apologetics. I think I just gotta say it’s a whole lot more than a passage on apologetics.

How many times did Jesus Christ died for sins once and where is Jesus now? The right hand of God? Why does baptism save individuals? Okay. Because, well, let me do it from the passage because it is an answer of a good conscience and is connected to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Okay. Because it connects an obedient person to the resurrection.

That’s, that’s the passage right there. Uh, and the answer there. Okay. Thank you for your attention. We went a little long, but I appreciate your patience, your dismiss<inaudible><inaudible> good morning. Welcome to The Collierville church Christ Sunday morning worship service. It’s great to see each and every one of you and to our visitors. We are so glad that you chose to come worship God with us here this morning.

It’s Collierville the church of Christ visitors. If you don’t mind, if you would please take an opportunity to fill out a visitor’s card and drop it into collection a basket at the back so that we have record of your attendance. Also, uh, for those that are visiting with us for the Lord’s supper, we have the, uh, bread and the fruit of the vine and cups at the back of the church.

If you did not get that, when you first come in, please take an opportunity before the Lord’s supper to go back there and get that for yourselves announcements. Please remember our sick Rodel and Dorothy Wilson, Joan sprayer. They’re all still working with their chronic problems. So please keep all them. And your thoughts and prayers. Janie Marlin is dealing with a sinus infection.

Terry, Sanderson’s not sick, but he’s still waiting for his COVID-19 test results. He has not got those back yet. Pam chafing is having back problems and she will have an MRI on her back. This Wednesday, Sylvia pass is also having back problems. Mary Joe Todaro that’s Jenny sister-in-law is at home now and will begin treatments for colon cancer soon. And then a former member here.

Tom Allen has been diagnosed with stage four pack pantry, pancreatic cancer. Sorry, that’s a tough one to get out this morning. Please keep all these in your thoughts and prayers each and every day. Our other announcements, the nationwide gospel meeting, the call in is still going on for the entire month of July. The flyers are out there on the table and the four for this week and next week with the speakers for each night for that.

And then for the men today, immediately following service, we’ll have our July men’s business meetings. So please, uh, go into the fellowship hall as soon as we’re done with worship service this morning. So we can get that meeting going our service this morning. Our song leader will be Jacob Wallace. I have the opening prayer. Lord supper will be Jay Schaefer.

Sermon will be Aaron coats, art and closing prayer will be Joe casing. Thank you. Good evening or morning rather. How about that? Uh, Over 47. Holy, Holy, Holy, Holy, Holy, Holy Lord. God almighty. Uh, and, uh,<inaudible> a song. Shout to the Holy Holy Holy<inaudible><inaudible> three.<inaudible> he?

All the Holy Holy<inaudible> the casting down their crowns up around the crystal sea chair, a<inaudible> holding down B for the<inaudible> and a<inaudible> shall be whole the Holy Holy<inaudible> all day workshop, pray sign, name, and a time sky and see, Holy Holy, Holy<inaudible> it.<inaudible> it. Let us pray. God, our father in heaven,

we come to you at this time, thanking you for the opportunity to assemble here this morning and sing songs of praise, your great name, but most importantly, study another portion of your word. God, there are many amongst us that are dealing with various illnesses. We listed some of them, but we know there are many others. And we asked that if it be your will,

you provide them to return to a measure of their health, that they so desire so that they may come and assemble with us to worship your great name. God, we also ask that you look upon the leaders of this nation and the leaders of each nation in this world. And we pray that they will look to you for guidance on what to do in this day and age,

because there’s much turmoil going on in our country and in this world. And we pray that if it be your, will you help them to make the right decisions so that each and every one of us may come to a point where we truly understand that you are the one that is in charge and that we respect and honor you each and every day to make a better world to live In.

And as we prepare to, uh, study a portion of your word, we ask that you help each and every one of us open our hearts and our minds so that we may take the message that Aaron is going to bring to us this morning and apply it to our lives. So we may be become better servants of yours here on earth. We pray this all in your son.

jesus’ name. Amen. I saw him the foot Lord separate will be number 337. Number three, three seven, Man. Um, saw<inaudible> name for the son of God who came Ru<inaudible> claim. Holla what a savior, uh, bearing shame and scoffing and my place<inaudible> sealed my pod with his blood.<inaudible> when he comes out, Claudia skiing,

all his ride, some home to bring then a new, this song. We’ll sing holla<inaudible>. We now come to a very special time in our service, where we remember our savior, Jesus, who made the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. So as we go to God in prayer, help us each to displace all of our world, our thoughts,

our minds, and focus upon that cross and the sacrifice that he made. Heavenly father we’re indeed grateful for this privilege. We, as Christians have to assemble about this table to remember your son’s sacrifice for ours sins, help us to do so in a way that will be fitting in proper in your side. As we partake of this, which represents his body,

may we do so as we should in Jesus name, we pray amen and alike, man or father were mindful of the great sacrifice that your son made. And as we partake of this spirit of the vine, which represents the blood, and that was shed for the remission of our sins, help us to do so in a proper way, since his name that we pray,

amen, which concludes the Lord’s supper. We now find this a convenient time to lay by in store, as we’ve been blessed father, we’re so grateful for the many material blessings that we have to enjoy. You have blessed us far more than our needs truly are we thank you father for those blessings and help us always to remember that we’re merely stewards. So these things that all these gifts come from,

you help us to cheerfully return a portion of that, which is yours in Jesus name. We pray. Amen. Next song of worship would be number five Oh eight or 508. A wonderful Oh, wonderful savior is Jesus. My Lord, a wonderful savior to me. He hide it’s my soul in a cleft of dog, wherever this up slasher. I see he hide as my soul and Nicholas after the rock that shadows a dry thirsty land,

he hide is my life in the, and covers me that with his high sun and covers me there with his ah, Oh, wonderful savior on is Jesus. My Lord. He takes my burden away. He holds me up and I shall not be. He gave with me strength as my day. He hide. If I saw then the cleft of the rock that shadows a dry thirsty,

and he hide if my life in the tops of his love and covers me with his hand and covers me there with his hands when close to his brightness, transports it. I rise to me. Two men clouds up the sky, his perfect salvation, his wonderful shouts with the millions on, ah, hi. Hey, hi, that’s by Saul in the club of the rock that shadows are dry,

thirsty. He hide if my life in the cups of Islam and carvers me that with his high and covers me. There is, uh, the song for our lesson today will be number four 90 number four, nine zero. It is well with my son When<inaudible>, uh, 10. And, uh, my way when I was like sea billows,

roll wa uh, my Lord thou has taught me to say,<inaudible><inaudible>, Uh, With my soul. So<inaudible> say<inaudible> that<inaudible> stage and<inaudible> is, uh, with my soul. So is<inaudible> my<inaudible>, uh, the<inaudible> my son<inaudible>, but, uh,<inaudible> cross and<inaudible> praise<inaudible> is, uh, with my soul.

So<inaudible> and Lord haste the day when, uh,<inaudible> uh, the speed roll back, uh, uh, scroll. So the<inaudible> shall resound and the Lord<inaudible><inaudible>, uh, with my soul. So<inaudible> Good morning. Take your Bibles if you will. And open them to Zechariah Zechariah chapter three is where we will take our lesson from this morning.

Want to say thank you to Jacob and Becky for being with us this morning, and especially for Jacob leading singing on very short notice, we appreciate that greatly good to have the stacks back with us and, uh, glad that, uh, uh, we’ve been able to, to see them once again and appreciate their presence. Appreciate all those who are joining us online and aren’t able to get out,

are those joining us through the phone call as well as we’ve been going through this study of Zechariah, we’ve mentioned multiple times, this is a bridge book and like any bridge that was designed properly, it gets you from one place to another. It connects to locations and Zechariah is that book in the old Testament. Of course, if you recognize, as you’re turning a few pages,

you’re going to realize you’re, you’re almost at the end of the old Testament and it’s not placed there by accident. It’s not just, just happenstance that is there because these events are transpiring shortly before that 400 years of silence that comes in between the old Testament and the new, but Zechariah is prophesying at a time. And to a people that are struggling,

they are struggling with their own insignificance. He said, well, wait a minute, air XY recall when I go back and look at the old Testament and I go back and read the numbers from Nehemiah and from Ezra, there were, there were 40,000 plus people who went back to Jerusalem, try try putting 40,000 people in this room. It’s not going to work.

That’s not insignificant. It is in view of the world was watching some news coverage just this week, concerning the plans for the NFL opening up there, they’re seasoned and what different stadiums are doing. And, and the state, I think it’s the station where the Jacksonville Jaguars play is limiting their capacity to 15,000 people now for you and I going through day to day lives.

If we went to any place, I had 15,000 people at the same place. The same time we’d be going, where’s the door. But for people who go to NFL football games, they know that is a, an almost nonexistent crowd for stadiums seat, a hundred thousand people. That means you are 15% full. And when you’re in the bottom of that stadium stadium looking up and you only have 15,000 people there,

it looks empty. Now compare 42,000 to the world. God told Israel through Isaiah and Jeremiah through a Z keel, that I’m bringing my people back to Jerusalem and I’m going to bring my remnant back and I’m going to put them there. And I’m going to put my name there. Now, the last time God said, I’m going to put my name in this place.

And I’m going to build my house in this place was when Solomon was raining at the height, the very pinnacle of Israelite history. And God said, I’m going to put my name in this place, in this location, in this house. And I am going to dwell with my people and I will bless them. And they will dwell with me. And that occurred when they were at the height of their power militarily,

when they were at the height of their expansion by way of land, when they were at the height of their riches. And now they are 42,000 people with only about 15,000 of them dwelling in Jerusalem and the rest around the area. A city that was once a population of hundreds of thousands of people is now 15. And it has no walls. It has no fortification.

It has no army. God said, I am going to be in your midst. And I’m going to be a fire around you as if that were your wall. Then chapter three opens. And another vision occurs. As I’ve mentioned before, Zechariah is a vision book. It is a picture book. You are supposed to read the words and not just read them.

You are supposed to imagine this happening in your mind. Just the same way. The book of revelation is we’ll get into revelation. A few of the connections in our lesson this morning, but chapter three opens up. Then he showed me Joshua, the high who’s the he here. Okay? It is the angel of the Lord. Zechariah is having this vision and he’s being escorted through these visions by the angel of the Lord,

the angel, the Lord comes and says, here’s the next vision? And he shows him Joshua. Now Joshua here is Jeshua with an E in the book of Ezra. Okay? It’s not Joshua of the book of Joshua. It’s Joshua, the high priest, the son of Jehovah deck, the one who is a descendant of Zeta doc, who was placed as the high priest and the high priest lineage by Solomon.

You remember that in Solomon’s day, as Solomon was coming to power Jehoiada, who was the high priest and, uh, others backed, uh, the other son of David to come to the throne. And as a result of that, Solomon removed him as the high priest and put Zadar in his place. Okay. ZETAC is still from the lineage of Aaron.

He’s still rightfully able to be high priest, but this high priest come through D Z docks lineage. So Zechariah says, then he showed me Joshua, the high priest standing before the angel Lord. And Satan’s standing at his right hand to oppose him. Now, the word Satan here is not doesn’t carry with it. The same connotation that using the word Satan in the new Testament,

okay. In the new Testament, you’ve got a lot clearer picture of this individual who opposed God and who is the enemy of God and Christ, but that’s not really the connotation here. Now, was this a picture of Satan? Was this a visualization? Like the book of job opens up with, maybe it is, but it’s not really demanded here by the word.

The word is adversary. And literally what you have here is Zechariah in the original language going, I saw the adversary and he was being adversarial or accusing him. So you really have a wording, a language that goes, I saw the one who was the adversary or the one who was Satan. And he was Satanist him in a verb sense. Okay.

It doesn’t really translate well, but what you have is you have an accuser. Why is there an accuser of the high priest? Joshua has come back, was the rebel.<inaudible> the governor. Joshua is the high priest. There’s no King. And these two men, one of them leading the, and one of them leading the religion are struggling. They’re struggling with a people that is downcast.

They’re struggling with a people that has become disheartened. They’re struggling with a people that sees their own insignificance. And they’re struggling with the people. Who’s wondering, is it really worth being here? So now in chapter three, we see Joshua and he has one standing by him who is accusing him. And the Lord said to Satan, the accuser, the Lord rebuke you,

Satan, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you. Is this not a brand plucked from the fire? The accuser comes with Joshua. Imagine in your mind a court scene, you’ve got the one who comes. Who’s the defendant. And you’ve got the one who comes. Who’s the accuser. They come before the judge, they’re standing there. Here’s the high priest.

And he’s there. Here’s the accuser. And he’s there. And the accuser makes the accusation. Now we’re not told what the accusation is yet, but it’s going to be implied. In a moment. The accuser says, this is the accusation against this individual. And the defendant stands there silent. But the Lord, as the judge speaks from the bench,

the Lord says to the accuser, you be silent. My rebuke on you as if here’s the lawyer who is the accuser. And the judge hits, hits the gavel down and says, you be silent. You sit down. God’s not going to accept the accusation. God’s not going to tolerate the accuser. He is going to rebuke him. And then he describes the defendants.

He describes Joshua. Now, bear in mind here. Joshua is a high priest. The function of a high priest is to be the mediator to be the go between between the people and God. He represents the nation in such, at this time, he represents the remnant that is in Jerusalem and ultimately the entire nation that’s scattered over the face of the earth.

Joshua doesn’t stand by himself. When Joshua stands there, he stands there as the representative for the entire nation. And the accuser is accusing Joshua. And when the Lord says, is this not a brand plucked from the fire? It is a description, not just of Joshua. It is a description of Israel as if you were to take a brand and you were to put it in a fire and it begins to get hot and it begins to glow and you pluck it out of the fire.

And now it is on fire. And that is real. You look at that and you go, that’s insignificant. That’s not important. They’re not going to make a change. And God says, do you see what I’ve done? What happens if you take a brand, you wrap it up in cloth, wrap it up in, in other things. And then you put it in the fire.

What happens to all of the substance? That’s around it. That’s not the brand. It burns up. It burns away. And when you pull that brand out, the only thing left is the thing that really matters. God has a remnant of 42,000 people representing a nation. That’s scattered all over the face of the planet. And the accuser is accusing this group.

And God says, no, I put them here. I caused them to be in this condition because I know who they are. But then notice what we’ve got. We’ve got the description of Joshua and representative of the people of the brand plucked out of the fire. Now, Joshua, here’s the description. This lets us in on the accusation. As if you’re walking through this as a picture,

a series of images, you see the accusation, you know, there’s an accusation. Don’t know why. Now you get the picture of Joshua. Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and was standing before the angel. Here’s the high priest. He’s the one. If you go back to the book of Leviticus, he’s the one who was to be garbed in the priestly apparel.

He’s the one who was to wear the white robes. He was the one who was supposed to have the blue trim on. He was the one who was supposed to wear the breast plate with the stones and the gyms representing the 12 tribes. He was the one who was supposed to be on the day of atonement immaculate. Matter of fact, the very part of the whole process for preparing for the day of atonement was that he was to go into that brazen labor.

And he was to wash. And after having washed his entire body, he was to be garbed in the priestly apparel. And he stands in the vision clothed in rags, in filthy garments. And we’re supposed to understand this because he’s clothed in the sin of Israel, Leviticus, chapter 16, go back there. If you will, Leviticus chapter 16, we read in verse one.

Now the Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered profane fire before the Lord and died. And the Lord said to Moses, tell Aaron, your brother, not to come at just any time into the Holy place inside the veil, before the mercy seat, which is on the arc, lest he die for,

I will appear in the cloud, above the mercy seat. Thus, thus Aaron shall come into the Holy place with the blood of a young bull as a sin offering and of a Ram as a burnt offering, he shall put the Holy linen tunic and the linen trousers on his body. He shall be girded with a linen sash and with a linen turbine,

he shall be a tired. These are the Holy garments. God says, Aaron, don’t you come into my most Holy place dressed. However you want. You come in, dressed in Holy consecrated, set apart for a purpose garments. And you come in with the blood of an offering and a burnt sacrifice. And he shall take from the congregation of the children of Israel,

verse five, two kids with a goat as a sin offering. And one Ram as a burn offering and notice verse six, Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering, which is for himself and make atonement for himself and for his house. On the day of atonement. One time a year, the high priest would enter Into the most Holy place with two sacrifices,

one for him, which had to come first because he couldn’t represent the people before God. If he was clothed in his own sin and Zechariah pictures, Joshua still clothed in his own sin. And now, you know what the accusation is. The accuser is looking at Joshua’s filthy clothes and saying, that’s the high priest. That’s the representative of this ragtag group of people.

That’s your representative. That’s your mediator. God rebukes the accuser. But now watch what God does to Joshua. You go back to Zechariah, chapter three and chapter three. Then he answered and spoke to those who stood before him saying, take away the filthy garments from him and to him. He said, see, I have removed your iniquity. Now we know exactly what the garments represented,

the sin of Joshua and the people he says, I have removed your iniquity from you. And I will clothe you with rich robes. Take your Bibles, follow me through a few passages because we need to get this point. Ephesians chapter four, Fijian chapter four, verse 17 says this. I say therefore, and testify in the Lord that you should no longer walk.

As the rest of the Gentiles. Walk in the futility of their mind, having their understanding, darkened being alienated from the life of God. Notice here’s the picture of the Gentiles. They are separated from God. They act in futility. They are alienated from the presence of God. Now here’s a man in filthy clothes. Here’s a man who represents the people and they are covered in their iniquity and they’re covered in their sin.

And the accuser says, this man has no right to stand before God. He says they’re being alienated from their life of God because of the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their hearts, who being past feeling have given themselves over to lewdness to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you Christians have not. So learned Christ. If indeed you have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus that you put off concerning your former conduct,

the old man, which grows corrupt, according to the deceitful lust by the renewing in the spirit of your mind, and that you pull it on the new man, which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Paul said, you do realize Christians that once you walked among the Gentiles and you were covered in decay and filth and your own Nick witty,

but God has closed you in holiness and righteousness. Turn over the book of revelation. This imagery is carried straight in to the book of revelation, revelation chapter seven, revelation chapter seven. And in verse 14, actually, let’s go back. Let’s go back a few verses diverse nine. After these things, I looked and behold a great multitude, which no one could number of all nations tribes,

peoples and tongues standing before the throne. And before the lamb and notice how they’re arrayed clothed with white robes, with Palm branches in their hands and crying out with a loud voice, saying salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the lamb, all the angels stood around the throne in the elders of the four living creatures and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God saying amen,

blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen. Then one of the elders answered saying to me, who are these arrayed in white robes? And where did they come from? John’s being asked this, remember here’s, here’s the visions again. Now it’s John and the vision and the elder is asking him,

who are these people? Who’s this multitude that’s come from every nation and every tribe all over the world and they’ve come together to praise God. And they’re all arrayed in white. And I said to him, sir, you know, that’s the answer you give. When you want the person who asked you to answer the question for you. So you don’t get it wrong.

The elder says, who are these? And John says, sir, you know who they are. So he said to me, these are the ones who come out of the great tribulation and washed their robes and made them white. But he doesn’t. And there does, he, he said, they’ve washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb.

They didn’t just change clothes. They purified their clothes and themselves by the blood of Christ. It’s called atonement. It’s called consecration. They were made Holy go to revelation. 16 revelation, chapter 16, Jesus says behold, verse 15, behold, I am coming as a thief. Bless it. As he who watches and keeps his garments lest he walked naked and they see his shame.

The picture of Joshua is a man standing ashamed, but not once God replaces his garments. God close him in holiness revelation, chapter 19 revelation chapter 19 verse seven, let us be glad and rejoice and give him glory for the marriage of the lamb has come. And his wife has made herself ready. By the way, the wife’s the church and to her,

it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, right, bless it. Or those who are called to the marriage, supper of the lamb. And he said to me, these are the true sayings of God. The church is represented in this same way,

clothed in righteousness. So go back to Zechariah. Chapter three, we’ve seen the imagery go forward. We come back and God says, I’ve taken your iniquity away, Joshua. And when God takes away the iniquity of the high priest, the high priest represents who the people, God says you 42,000, who are here as a remnant. I’ve taken away your iniquity,

But the remnant didn’t stand by themselves. They represented somebody else. The people, the people still in captivity, the people in Babylon, the people who were no longer in Israel and God is taking their iniquity away too. And I said, verse five, this seems to be Zechariah. So they close the high priest in clean garments. They’ve removed his iniquity,

but then Zechariah says, let them put a clean turban on his head. Now, if you paid attention, as we were reading in Leviticus, chapter 16, you remember that was one of the articles of clothing for the high priest. As if Zechariah Zechariah is standing there and he’s saying, Whoa, he’s not done. You finish. You make sure he looks like the high priest he is.

And they put the clothes on him. And the angel of the Lord stood by then the angel of the Lord and Monish, Joshua saying. So now the angel, the one who’s guiding Zechariah turns to Joshua and says, thus says the Lord of hosts. If you will walk in my ways, if you will keep my command, then you shall also judge my house.

Then you shall also judge my house and likewise have charge of my courts. And I will give you places to walk among these who stand here. God tells Joshua you, you will judge my people. You remember back in the old Testament, back in Exodus, Moses was judging the people. But as the priesthood came to be, one of the functions of the priesthood was to become the judges.

That’s part of the function they had. They were to judge the people in matters that were too hard for the judges. They took over Moses’s role. But then eventually it went to the King. God says it’s being put back where it belongs. Judging is going to occur in the priesthood, not with the rebel, not with the governor, not with a King because the priest stands as the representative of God.

But it is first and foremost necessary that the priest act like it. There’s a warning here to Joshua about a corrupt priesthood, because that’s what they had had. God tells Joshua much, like he told the other Joshua way back in Joshua chapter one. When Joshua takes over for Moses, God tells Joshua in that book, you walk after my paths, you do not turn to the right hand or the left.

You obey my commandments. And then I will prosper you wherever you go. God tells this Joshua a S uh, probably a millennia later, almost at this point, you walk after my path, you keep my commandments, you follow my instructions. And then I will give you places to walk among these who stand here. You will no longer stand as one covered in filth and iniquity and the sin of the people and the sin of yourself.

You will stand as one who can walk among angels because you’re Holy. Then verse eight says, hero Joshua, the high priest, you and your companions, who sit before you for, they are a wonderous sign for behold. And here’s the bridge because all of these events are happening there. They’re happening now, they’re in the old Testament, but now God looks forward.

He says, for behold, I am bringing forth my servant, the branch God tells Joshua you and your companions. You are a sign of something to come. You are a representative of a priest. Who’s my servant, the branch, the term branch shares imagery and prophecy from Jeremiah chapter 23 and chapter 33 in Isaiah chapter 11, where God says this sprout that comes up,

Israel is going to be wiped away, but there’s going to be a sprout that comes up and that’s going to be mine. And it looks towards Christ. And he says, my servant is coming. And you stand here as a representative, as a four runner to him for behold, the stone that I have laid before Joshua upon the stone are seven eyes behold,

I will engrave it’s inscription. This is God speaking. And God says to Joshua, I put a stone in front of you. There’s debate about what this is because elsewhere, the, the, the Messiah who’s coming is described as the, the stone of stumbling, the rock of offense, the bedrock, the foundation. And yet there are other things we we’ve got to keep it in its context.

What are they building in the context they’re building the temple. Joshua<inaudible> are building the temple and God hands them. The stone they’re building the temple that everybody thinks is insignificant. By comparison to the world. There are people that’s insignificant by comparison to the world. They don’t have power. They don’t have mining. God says, you have me and you have holiness.

And I’ve given you the stone and get over to chapter four and put this together, which we’ll do on the next Sunday or the Sunday. After, depending on how things go, we’re going to put together what stone this is, but here’s what you need to know about it. And chapter three, it’s a stone. That’s inscribed by God. Is there another time where we remember a stone being inscribed by God,

the very first stone that had the 10 commandments on it, that Moses went up into the Mount and received from the Lord. The second version, Moses inscribed, the first version, God inscribed, and now gone gives to Joshua A. Stone. And he is inscribed upon it. But not only is there an inscription upon it, there are seven eyes in it. Seven go into the book of revelation.

And here in Zechariah, seven is a number of perfection. It represents God, what’s God saying, Joshua, here’s the stone. And you look at it and there’s seven eyes. God is fully aware of everything that’s going on. He’s watching those seven eyes are to represent the eye of the Lord. And it’s not his knowledge of the actions in this world,

but where’s it watching from? Who did he give it to the high priest? God says, I’m going to dwell with you. And I’m going to put my name here and your going to be my brand plucked from the fire and your going to be my people and You, Josh. We’re going to be my high priest. And I will observe all the world from here in your midst.

He says, I have laid the stone before Joshua upon the stone or seven eyes behold, I will engrave its inscription says the Lord of hosts. And I will remove the iniquity of that land. In one day. In that day, says the Lord of hosts. Every one will invite his neighbor under his vine and under his fig tree. There’s more here than we might imagine because there was a day when John the Baptist,

who was the forerunner of Christ, saw Christ in the crowd and shouted behold, the lamb of God, which taken away the sin of the world. And two of John’s disciples who were with him at that time, went after Christ. But one of them before going went and found his brother, Peter and another one went and found Philip. He went and found Phillip,

who was sitting under a fig tree and broad it to Jesus. And Jesus said, a man, a Jew in whom is no guile. And Philip asked Jesus, how do you know me? And Jesus said, I saw you. I saw you when you were under the fig tree. And Philip immediately believed that he was the Messiah. She tells you what?

No one saw him under the fig tree in person, but Jesus saw him. And Jesus told him you believe, because I tell you, I saw you under a fig tree. You’ll see greater deeds than this. I’m telling you. Zechariah is the bridge book. Jesus Christ. The servant of God had come into the world and Jesus saw everything, not just fill up under the fig tree,

but the hearts and the thoughts of man that they thought they had hidden away. And no one would know, God knew Christ knew. And yet he, as one who was never clothed in filthy rags, one who could stand before God, without shame, without guile, without guilt took our sins upon himself and went to the cross and died for you and me.

We have a great high priest who cannot be untouched with the feelings of our infirmity, but was in all points, tempted like as we are yet without sin. And because we have such a high priest, Hebrews chapter four verse 16 says we may boldly come before the throne of grace to find help in time of need. Are you in a time of need?

Because Israel was Israel was in a time where they saw themselves as nothing but insignificant. There were probably knowing human nature. Those Israelites among that remnant, that looked at Joshua and Zerubbabel and said, we need to get some different leaders around here. These people aren’t cutting it. Josh was the wrong person. We need a different high priests. We need to replace.

We need it. And God says, no, this is my man. This is my high priest. And he’s no longer closed in iniquity, but he’s clothed in righteousness. And my presence is with him. And he represents my servant, who is coming the Messiah. What’s your relationship to God this morning. Are you clothed in your own filthy rags?

Are you a high priest clothed in sin? First, Peter chapter two, we just studied it on Wednesday night, told us that all Christians are high priests, all Christians, excuse me, our priests Christ as the high priest. And we all have a responsibility to offer a spiritual sacrifice our lives. What is your sacrifice? And how are you clothed?

Are you clothed as a priest? Are you clothed in iniquity? Because God is willing to wash you from your sins, whether you’re outside the body of Christ and you need to wash your garments in the blood of the lamb for the very first time, or you are a member of the body of Christ and you’ve soiled your garments. As those in the book of revelation said,

were told they had done among the churches, and God said, you need to wash and you need to be come clean. If you’re in either one of those two situations this morning, don’t stay there because you too can stand before God clothed in the blood of the lamb. If you’re outside of the body of Christ this morning, if you’re away word member of the body of Christ this morning,

if you were represented before God, by only your sin, why not change that? If we can help in any way, why not come as we stand? And as we sing No long, good things that are no blur. The<inaudible> Oh, well, Hey son to him. Hey son.<inaudible> jeez, uh, scrape this high. Yes.

I will come to the, I am resolved to go to the savior levy.<inaudible> he is the true one. He is the, just one. He had the<inaudible>. Oh, well, Hey son to him. Hey son. So<inaudible> hi. Yes. Uh, I will come to the, I am resolved to, and, uh, the King Dom<inaudible> fans may oppose me.

Foes may be set me<inaudible> well, Hey son to him. Hey<inaudible> hi. Yes. I will come to the, um, our closing song. This morning will be number eight Oh nine. Number eight zero nine, Lord dismisses with thy blessing. We’ll sing both verses of this song.<inaudible> dismiss us with<inaudible>.<inaudible><inaudible> try. I am fin Reedy being gray.

This is not the version. I thought it was. That’s my apology to you. I apologize. Um, let’s do number eight Oh eight abide with me. I’m sorry. It won’t be on the screen. I apologize for that different version of what I had in the book. Abide with me. Number eight Oh eight, abide with me fast falsity.<inaudible> the nasty Ben’s Lord with me.

Uh, when, uh, the, uh,<inaudible><inaudible> the helpless. So, uh, ride with me.<inaudible> shine through the glue, uh, and point me to the<inaudible>, uh, my money breaks and, uh, Spain, shadows flee and life and death. Oh, Lord abide with me please. Oh God. Our father In heaven,

we truly are grateful. And to the, for the love that has been shown to each and every one of us, we’re so thankful, dear God, that we’re your children. And then we’re able to come here and worship in the spirit and in truth, we’re so mindful. Dear father of the blood of your son, that was shed for us,

that we might have our sins cleansed. We pray father that we are robed in the righteousness of our savior, and they were trying to serve and glorify you with our lives and trying to reach others with the gospel of Jesus Christ father. We pray for those that are healed among our congregation and ask that you be with them and they might receive the help that they need to regain their strength and health.

We’re grateful father for our visitors today. And we pray that we might draw closer together with one another, be able to encourage each other as she would have us to in this life. We pray father that we always keep our eyes upon thee. And upon that home with the in heaven that we might have, if we’re righteous and faithful to you, father,

we pray that you be with us as we’re about to leave this building, help us to always be mindful of those outside your body. That we’re willing to give of ourselves to try to share your word with them, that they too might come to know your will and want to be a children of yours. We’re so thankful for Aaron and his family. We pray that you give his family a safe trip back home to,

to him. We’re grateful for his ability to teach and preach your word. And we pray that you bless him and help us to always be mindful of that word that he so eloquently delivered today, dismiss us and bless us in Jesus name. We pray. Amen.