02-23-2020 – Sunday PM Worship

In Sermons by Aaron Cozort

Okay, Good afternoon. Welcome back to one 30 after an afternoon worship service and uh, good to see all of you back. Francis and Gladys and Janet. We went to the Piccadilly and it was a man at the door asked me if I came from Kirby Pines.

Really did, that’s not none of my joke. Yeah. Before he came from Korea, Japan. But he had as many elderly ladies as I did with him. But anyway, nothing any better than a good laugh. Uh, Rodale and Dorothy are still having their problems. Julia cases is at home under hospice care. John spraying are still recovering from her,

uh, Bronchitis, brawn, bronchial pneumonia and get it out. And Beverly is still having problems with the bread, blood pressure. Betty Lou is going to have surgery on her other hand tomorrow. Um, but Dale’s are all out sick. The richest isn’t drunk out of town. He’s preaching at Ripley. Tyrell cares. We’ll meet tomorrow at seven Coleman Avenue.

Sip Saturday the 29th. You need know anything about that? Eddie kosher. You’re going to be teaching a class over there. Oh, the rush mowers. A steel in Guyana. Martha failed and uh, bruised up a little bit, but she also has a mass on her kidney, one of her kidneys and is going to be back home to see about that.

On March the sixth, or Rebecca’s grandfather fell and broke a hip and he lives out in piss some binder. If you need a can for the donation thing, a coin can for a Potter’s children home. There’s some on the table in the office by the office and that’s about all of that. Uh, Joe was going to lead singing this afternoon. Eric Harrison has an opening prayer.

Aaron<inaudible>, um, sermon and Marie going to have the closing prayer Firsthand would be number 912.<inaudible> hearts are lonely and<inaudible>.<inaudible> sorry, Jane’s on since. Bang.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> glory. Jesus says bam, man.<inaudible> Cash YourCare on jeans on us today.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> James. And since bam ran<inaudible> Burns on it to that cow.

Well, I agree.<inaudible> burns.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Prob also the savior can say, Hey, pray hard. I can<inaudible><inaudible> hello tree. Jesus said fat<inaudible><inaudible> well reap.<inaudible><inaudible> Jesus says fat rain. Our next song will be in her 542. You need to use your book number 542 after this song will be leaded and opening prayer.

Somebody would, I don’t know if somebody was trying to get in the back door. He said blot. Okay, well they might just be reading a schedule. I just saw them. I thought they might want to come in. Number five 42.<inaudible> argue heavy, hard and down at two GS two GS. Are you grieving? Oh, jaws.

Depart it down at two GS. Dalit two GS. Two GS. A T as a friend. You have no, uh, there’s such a friend or brother Dan that jeez, Tears flow down your cheeks. Sunbed down at two GS. Sat down at two GS. Have you since that two man’s eyes are hid down at two GS, Dan, two GS.

A sign that to Jesus. He has a friend. You have no, uh, there’s such a friend or brother down at two GS. Yeah, yeah. Fair. Uh, gathering clouds of sorrow down into jeez, uh, salad to uh, are you a John? What will be tomorrow?<inaudible> jeez, Dan Entergy’s a salad. Jeez. Uh,

he has a friend. You have a, there’s such a friend or brother. Tell that to. Jeez.<inaudible> God, our father in heaven. We come to you at this time thanking you for another opportunity to assemble here this afternoon and sing songs. Praise your name and most importantly, study another portion of your word. And as brother Aaron brings that portion of word of your word to us,

we ask that you help each and every one of us to fully understand the meaning of your word. So we may apply it to our lives and live as better servants of yours here on earth. And also Lord, help us to have the strength and the courage to take your word and share it with those who have yet to hear your word or those who have heard it and fell away so we may bring them back to you.

Back to your fold. Lord, we want to thank you for those that have had improving health because we know we neglect every now and then to thank you for the small things and we thank you for that. But Lord, they’re also many amongst us. They’re struggling with various health issues and we ask that you wrap your loving arms around those their family members and their caretakers and providers.

And if it be your will, restore them to a measure health at each one. So desires we ask that you forgive us when we fall short and we pray all this in your son. Jesus’ name. Amen. 841 this will be the song before the lesson. 841 Hi Mia, my savior. Hi me and I hope<inaudible> Oh, let me see.<inaudible> hi.

Hi. The Oh bless. And sang<inaudible> us.<inaudible> safely on Lord West.<inaudible>. Hi Mowen. This arm is Rae Jang or lies tribe.<inaudible><inaudible> Oh, let me fly to<inaudible>. Hi there. Hi. Name. Oh, bless him. Saying hi. Name us.<inaudible> say fleeing on Lord with<inaudible>. Hi. May when my heart is breaking with suede<inaudible> uh,

uh, for cancer long days. Aye. Aye. Oh, blessed and safe. Yeah. Hi man. Uh,<inaudible> safely. All along with<inaudible> Our song of encouragement being number 911, it will be on the overhead number 911.<inaudible>. Good afternoon. Take your Bibles if you will, and open them to the book of Galatians. We continue our study in Galatians.

We are coming near the end of the book. We’re going to pick up in Galatians chapter five, beginning in verse 16 this afternoon. Yeah. Did want to make mention of a couple of, uh, announcements just to put them in your memory. Once again, uh, on the 29th, there is a ladies day happening at the Coleman Avenue church of Christ.

And uh, there will be four different ladies, speaking of which my wife is one of them. And, uh, every, all of the ladies are invited, uh, to be there that that is posted on the, on the board. So see that, um, on the board for the details. But then also this Thursday night, uh,

Jonathan Burns from Pulaski, Tennessee and uh, our brother-in-law more nice to fondness will be speaking at Coleman Avenue for their lectureships. So be sure if you have time Thursday evening to make it out there. The first lesson begins at six 30. They have two lessons back to back and then a fellowship meal afterwards. You know, I know you will enjoy it if you can make it out for that.

Galatians chapter five, Paul has been writing to this church about the law, About the law and faith about those who were seeking to bind them under the old law, the law of Moses trying to bind them under a law that had no sufficient sacrifice, that had no sufficient reconciliation with God and that left them cursed by the law. And yet Paul says they have Liberty in chapter five,

verse one, he says, stand fast in the Liberty by which Christ has made us free. He says to the Christians, you’re free. You have Liberty. You are no longer under the yoke of bondage. You are none, no longer under the yoke of sin because in Christ you have found salvation. Galatians chapter three and in verse 27 we read verse 26 for you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither slave nor free. There is neither male nor female for you are all one in Christ and if you are Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise. He says, you have Liberty, you are free,

you are in Christ and you have an inheritance and you have all of that without circumcision, without the law, without the bondage of the law of Moses and without becoming a Jew. Yeah. Then he says in verse seven of chapter five you ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? There was a time he says, when you were running,

well, there was a time when you were, if this was compared to a race, you were doing well, you were running, you were striving for perfection, and yet now you have turned a side. You have departed to another gospel, which is not another, but there are some who would pervert the gospel of Christ. He says, I have confidence in you though.

Verse 10 Okay In the Lord that you will have no other mind, and I brethren, verse 11 if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross had seat has seized. I could wish that those who trouble you were even cut off themselves, but then he says, verse 14 for all the law is fulfilled in one word,

even in this, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Paul summarizes the law utilizing that second commandment, which Jesus recognized in the book of John when he said that the second greatest commandment is like under this, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Paul says, this is the fulfillment of the law. He’s already said that the law was put in place because of sin.

The law was put in place because they were not living the way they ought and now he says, if you desire to fulfill the law, you don’t do it by circumcision. You don’t do it by becoming a Jew. When you’re a Gentile, you do it by loving your neighbor as yourself, But in contrast, verse 15 if you bite and the vowel or one another,

beware lest you be consumed by one another. Their relationships with one another were fundamental to their Christianity, their relationships to one another were fundamental to their Liberty and their freedom that they have in Christ. They needed to treat one another with love instead of as animals as there were those who were doing that very thing. He says, then in verse 16 I say,

then walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the loss of the flesh. Paul lays down this ordinance. Paul lays down this, this reality for them. If you walk after the spirit, the walking after the spirit is not the Holy spirit guides you every step of the way in. You. Imagine there’s a voice in your head telling you what to do.

That’s not what walking in the spirit is walking in the spirit is one who walks according to the revelation of the word of God, one who walks in agreement with the spirit in the same way that walking in the light. First John chapter one verses six through nine verses six through 10 is a one who hears the word of God and sees the light of God through his revelation and is obedient to that truth.

The one who sees what God has said and does it is the one who walks in the light. It is also the one who walks in the spirit, but he says, if you do these things, you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Peter would say that if you fulfill, if you do those things which are called the Christian graces,

if you don’t do those things, you will never fall. Now, Peter, that’s a, that’s a very maybe boastful statement. Some might say it too, to say that if I do these things and continue in them, I will never fall. Then I will never sin and turn away from God. It’s not boastful to say that it’s not over arrogant or arrogant to say that because what Paul or excuse me,

what Peter is saying is if you have these attitudes connected with these actions, you won’t depart because you will give sin, no place in your life. And so Paul will tell them, you walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. And he’ll go on to enumerate those. He says, for the flesh, lust against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh,

and these are contrary to one another so that you do not do the things that you wish. Paul said, there was a time you ran well, but someone’s hindering you. And now Paul says that the spirit is contrary to the flesh. The flesh is contrary to the spirit, and because you’re allowing the flesh to take over in your life, you aren’t doing the things you wish to do.

You aren’t walking after the spirit. You aren’t fulfilling the desires of the spirit. You aren’t serving God as you ought because you’re allowing the flesh to win the battle in your life. Grace is a reality and grace most certainly covers our sins and the blood of Christ continually us from our sins and we know that we have sins again. First John chapter one verses seven through 10 Okay,

But grace doesn’t promote sin. Grace doesn’t allow us to continue in sin. Grace teaches us that denying ungodliness, we ought to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, grace tells us to correct sin and if we refuse to correct sin in our lives, if we refuse to turn away from sin in our lives, grace ceases to cover sin.

No, Because we have refused to walk after the spirit. Verse 18 but if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law. He has set these things in contrast throughout this entire time, he’s tied the law to the flesh. He’s tied the law to the things that are carnal. He’s tied the law to the things which cannot save you.

He is tied the spirit to faith and obedience. He says, if you walk by the spirit, you’re no longer under the law. Now, that in no way means if you walk in the spirit, there are no laws that pertain to your life. That’s not at all what Paul says. The context of this statement is 100% the law of Moses,

the law of circumcision, the law of the flesh. So then he says, if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident. Paul says, these things are obvious and yet he’s repeating them. These things were obvious and yet he’ll repeat them to the church. At Corinth, these things are obvious,

but he’s going to repeat them to the church at Ephesus and to the church at Colossi. These things are obvious and yet Christians are still continuing to participate in these activities and Paul’s is, these are evident. The works of the flesh are evident, which are adult tree that is having a spouse that belongs to or having relations was one who belongs to someone else,

is the spouse of someone else for an occasion that is illicit sexual activity. Both inside, both with one who is a married or one who is not. You have a number of other things that relate to that. These first four all have a connection to sexual sins. The third one being uncleanness, the fourth one being lasciviousness or as the new King James translates to lewdness.

It’s not just the act itself, it’s all these things that lead up to this act. It is the sexual activity and the sexual perversion of the world that is around this. Paul says, if you’re a Christian, you’re not participating in these things. You’re not walking after these paths. You’re not living these kind of lives. These things don’t describe a Christian And yet it is sad that many Christians will argue for participation in just these kinds of activities.

They’ll say, God doesn’t care. There’s no log in. See, do I can do this? It’s my body and many such arguments and yet Paul will make it clear. These are the works of the flesh and they have no part in the life of a Christian. He’ll go on in verse 20 insight, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies.

If you follow after idols, and by the way he’s called a, that which is desiring to have what belongs to someone else. Covetousness. He’s called that idolatry already, Sorcery following after things that are, that are magic or or wizardry or things like that. Believing in these things which are not true in these powers and evil forces that are not real hatred and contentions and jealousy.

Notice how he’s already talked about them biting and devouring one another. Well, where do those things come from? One hating another, one being contentious with another one being jealous or envious of another Outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions. Dissensions and heresies envies, murders, drunkenness, revelries and the like. Paul wants us also to realize this is not an exhaustive list.

The works of the flesh don’t end here, but anything that pertains or is like these things. Okay. Falls under the same condemnation. Yeah, Of which I tell you beforehand. He says, just as I told you in time past the those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Paul doesn’t want any confusion. He’s not saying,

you know what? I’m not really in favor of the these things. He’s not saying, I don’t think these are good ideas. Paul is not saying this is a generally bad idea. Paul says you participate in these things and you involve your life in these things and you will not inherit the kingdom of God. Okay. You cannot continue in these endeavors in these activities and these attitudes and be faithful to the Lord.

No, And so Paul says, those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. And that is just as true for a Christian. As a non Christian, We cannot be those who have our lives described by these type of things. Let me say something about degrees. There are those who will argue for degrees of some of these things.

They will argue for a degree of lasciviousness. You know, as long as it doesn’t go too far, it’s okay. So long as I’m just asking per acting provocatively and dancing and involved in these types of things. But it doesn’t go too far. It’ll be okay. And the such lie, well, you know, I just drink a little bit.

I don’t get drunk. I don’t get slobbering drunk like these other people do. I just drink a little bit. Well, let’s use those two ideas with some of these others. You know, I’m just, I just to involve myself in a little bit of jealousy. I just have a little bit of selfish ambition. I just want to keep in my life a little bit of adult tree.

No, we wouldn’t hold on to those things. We wouldn’t agree with those things. We wouldn’t say that that is a person who’s walking after the spirit. We would say now that is clearly a person who wants to still fulfill the lust of the flesh and they are not giving up the loss of the flesh to serve the spirit, but instead are entangling themselves again in the flesh which brought them to sin,

but then he says verse 22 but the fruit of the spirit, it some have made the point and I think it’s an interesting and a valid point that there are the works plural of the flesh, but there is the fruit singular of the spirit. These things aren’t multiple things. These things are one thing. This is the result of a Christian life. This is the growth of a Christian life.

This is the growth of maturity of what it means to be in Christ and dedicate oneself to the mind of Christ and the life of Christ. These are the attitudes that we must follow after the fruit of the spirit is love and joy, peace and long suffering, kindness, goodness and faithfulness, gentleness, self control against such things. There is no law,

Okay? All of these things that were mentioned to vote beforehand, there are many laws you could go throughout the old Testament and throughout scripture and throughout the prophets and through how the time of Christ alive on this earth and you can read over and over and over and over again where God said, do not do these things. Yeah. You can also go through the old Testament and through the law and through the prophets and through the the the books of wisdom and through the life of Christ and you can read over and over where God pleads with people.

Do these, These things Love one another, have peace with one another, be long suffering with one another. Bring about goodness towards one another. Gentleness and self control.<inaudible> We take these verses and we ought to go back up to verse 14 and remember the context of these statements. To fulfill the law is to love your neighbor as yourself And to be obedient to God is to have these characteristics in your life and fill your life with these characteristics so that when you interact with one another,

you automatically do these things Instead of the prior list of the works of the flesh. He says, those who are Christ, verse 24 have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. They, the people who belong to Christ don’t argue for a little bit of the passions and desires of the flesh. They don’t try to do to mitigate into rationalize just a little bit of participating in these things.

They have crucified to them. They put them on the cross, They’ve killed them in their lives. They’ve looked at these things and said, I won’t participate in these things and I won’t even look like I’m participating in these things. I won’t be involved in these things in any shader degree Because I’m not that person anymore that’s dead in my life, But instead we remind ourselves.

Galatians chapter two and in verse 20 Paul said, I have been crucified with Christ. These things are dead in their lives Because they are dead. If they’re like Paul. Paul says, I’m not alive anymore, but Christ is alive in me. Christ wouldn’t be doing these things. Christ wouldn’t be involved in these things. Therefore I won’t be either. He says in verse 24 those who are Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

If we live in the spirit, let us also walk in the spirit. When we teach our children, when we raise our children, when we admonish our grandchildren, and when we speak to the generations around us, may we promote those things that are good? May we show them those things that have real value. May we produce in their lives the word or the the the fruit of the spirit and not the works of the flesh.

May we seek to drive their lives and put a point their lives towards the spirit of God and not the fulfillment of the flesh. Then he says, verse 26 let us not become conceited provoking one another, envying one another. Paul says, don’t be self centered. Don’t focus on yourself. Don’t be conceited about yourself. Don’t envy what someone else has above all of these other things are in addition to all of these other things that the works of the flesh.

He says do not be self centered When you are one who is conceited. When you hold up and are prideful about yourself, your focus is on yourself. When you are provoking one another, it’s because of your self interest. When you are envying over one another, it is because of yourself. Injurous Paul says that the self in you is supposed to be dead.

The self in you is supposed to be put aside the self in you is supposed to be Christ. Then he says, verse verse one of chapter six, brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourselves less, you also be tempted. Here’s a brother in Christ who’s involved in the works of the flesh.

He’s fallen under the temptation in the snare row. Some of these things and our attitude toward him is not to cast him aside. Our attitude toward him is not to shun him. Our attitude toward him is not to say, Oh look, that terrible brother over there. He says, instead bear his burdens. Restore him, bring about a restoration in his life,

but notice what he says. He says, you who are spiritual restore such a one. Mm. There is in this passage a hearkening back to Matthew chapter seven in Matthew chapter seven Jesus says, judge, not that GB not judged for with what judgment. You judge it. You shall be judged and with what measure you mean it shall be measured to you.

Again, He says, there’s one who stands there looking at a man who has a speck in his eye and says, let me get the speck out of your eye. While he’s got a long sticking out of his own, we must not be those who are unrighteous judges of others, failures and sins while being ignorant and oblivious to our own. And so Paul’s admonition here is you first be spiritual.

You first walk after the spirit. You first set your life in order before you try to set someone else’s life in order. Now, this is not to then say as some might take it, well, you’ll never be perfect, so you can’t say anything to me. That’s not what Paul is saying. You can be imperfect and follow after the spirit.

You can be in perfect and walk in the spirit, but you can’t be living for the flesh and walk out For the spirit. And if you are living after walking after the spirit, if you are living has gone, is commanded to you. If you have put to death yourself and allowed Christ to live in you, then you have a responsibility to your Brethren to restore them when they fall because of sin.

But then he also mentions their attitude not only must you first meet the qualification of being spiritual, but you must restore them in a spirit of meekness, in the spirit of gentleness, Paul does not want them to attack. Remember the previous admonition is, do not bite. Do not devour one another. Do not do these things to one another that are violence instead,

Love one another, And so they are to restore such a one in the spirit of weakness and then they’re also to be self reflective. Not only do they need to be spiritual and meet the qualification to restore one, not only do they need to have the right attitude when they restore one, but they need to be self reflective when restoring one that they’re not pulled into The same sentence,

the same temptation That they’re not pulled into the sin, that they’ve just brought someone else out of. They need to watch themselves. Then he says, verse two, bear one another’s burdens. And So fulfill the law of Christ. Now wait just a minute. And all of the book of Galatians we’ve heard over and over again that we’ve got faith versus the law.

We’ve got grace versus the law. We’ve got the sacrifice of Christ versus the law. And now here Paul turns around and says, fulfill the law of Christ. Paul, are you telling us we’re still under a law? Yes he is. We’re no longer under the law of the flesh. We’re no longer under the law of Moses were no longer under the old law.

We’re no longer under the law that separated you in Denton were under the law. Christ, excuse me. And in Christ we have Liberty, we have freedom, We have Liberty, do what is Right and we have freedom to obey God and freedom to do what is right. And we have freedom from the bondage of the law and the freedom from the bondage of sin because we’re covered by a sacrifice that is sufficient.

And the grace of God cleanses us from our sins through the blood of Christ. But it doesn’t mean we’re not under law. We’re under the law of Christ and we fulfill that law by serving one another by bearing one another’s burdens, by living the life of Christ in our lives. What does our life look like today? Does it look more like the works of the flesh When we’re not sitting in these pews,

when we’re not meeting with other saints, do, does our life look a whole lot more like the world than it does Christ or are we fulfilling the law of Christ? Are we self centered? Are we focused on ourselves? Are we looking at others saying, I wish I had what they have? Are we Living the life of Christ? Are we seeing others who are struggling with burdens and struggling with difficulties and saying,

you know what, they need to get their act together, Or are we living the life of Christ? Are we fulfilling the law of Christ? Are we loving our neighbor As ourself? Are we bearing one another’s burdens and are we restoring those overtaken in a fault? Okay, We need to be living the lives of Christians. We need to be serving one another.

We need to love One another and we need to put to death sin in our lives and the desires and the passions of the flesh. There are things that are good and there are things that are not, and the things that are not are evident. And when someone is desiring those things, they’ll make any arguments To justify those desires. But when that person allows the mind of Christ to have influence in their lives,

they’ll stop arguing for those things. We need to set our mind and our affection on things that are above and not on things that are on the earth. If you’re outside of the body of Christ this evening, You enter into the body of Christ. Just as we read in Galatians chapter three verse 27 by being baptized into Christ. But if you’re a member of the body of Christ and you’ve given your life over to the works of the flesh,

given them over, given your life over to the passions of the flesh, there may not be a person here who knows about it, but you do. And Christ does. And as we discuss this morning, Christ is the judge and he will judge us based upon our deeds, our actions, and our heart. If you have need of being restored,

if you’ve brought shame and reproach upon the church, you can be restored. If you have sin in your life that is private, you need to pray and ask God for forgiveness. If you have need of the invitation, why not come as we stand? And as we sing Christ, you’re broke. And LA<inaudible><inaudible> man called, uh, Yeah.

And Yeah.<inaudible> bring him here every<inaudible><inaudible> What ever troubles you. Oh, bring and<inaudible> Ring him.<inaudible> I har he went, ran the, uh, I<inaudible> Rang ham. You’re aware in a Ray safe<inaudible> weep out your binding tears.<inaudible> this pie, Right? Uh,<inaudible> uh, uh, uh, breast savior of a saw.

Oh my friend as crass, uh,<inaudible> and, uh, Tim life wouldn’t be dark out.<inaudible> With fam morning Greg’s and have a<inaudible>. Please be seated. Those that did not have an opportunity earlier in the day to protect the Lord’s supper. If you would please raise your hand. And we will see that your sire, That’s about Oh God,

our father in heaven, as we now to the cross of Calvary where our savior died for the sins of mankind. We pray that those that partake of this bread, which represents his body might do so in a manner pleasing and Jesus we pray. Amen. Father in heaven, it is so grateful of us and thankful of us that your son was willing to sacrifice his life for us.

We’re mindful of that death and his blood being shared there on the cross. We pray as this fruit of the vine which represents that blood is those that partake might do so in a way pleasing and Jesus we pray. Amen. Oh, they’re in heaven. We’re grateful for your love and for this day that we’ve been able to come and worship you. We’re thankful father for the many blessings that we has been bestowed upon us.

And as we reflect on those blessings, father, we pray that we’re good stewards of them and that we purpose in our hearts to give a portion of that to you, that we might continue the work here and trying to reach those that are lost and also trying to help those that are in need. And Jesus, we pray. Amen. It’s certainly been blessed today by two good lessons from God’s word in our Bible study.

Together we hope that everyone has been encouraged and uh, we hope everyone will. We’ll be looking forward to coming together on Wednesday night and studying from God’s word and trying to live lives that are pleasing to God and that we glorify him. Our closing him would be number hundred 35 after which we will be led in a prayer if you would be standing<inaudible> that I tried dreaming seas with China.

Mang man<inaudible> teach my heart that uh,<inaudible> uh, I would try my a with aim. Oh my cat.<inaudible><inaudible> nine years passed and uh,<inaudible> I would sing die service long meaning God, I promise work that my, ah, Hey labors<inaudible> I am dine and uh, there’s, Oh with me, Our God and our father.

We’re thankful for this first day of the week and we live in a country where we can assemble worship tea without being molested by civil authorities. We’re thankful we’ve had this opportunity to father, to read potions. I word off of prayers and to deeds, sing hymns and take of the Lord supper. Help us to remember that this is a blessing that everyone doesn’t have,

but those that are Christians could and should participate in this worship. We ask father, that you be with those that are anticipating surgery this week and you to be with those that are going to minister to them and pray that you will guide them, pray that you will restore them back to their health. Father, if it’d be their wheel, we asked for forgiveness of our sins.

He thinks we ask in Christ’s name. Amen.

02-23-2020 – Sunday AM Class and Worship

In Bible Classes Videos, Sermons by Aaron Cozort

It helps if you turn it on. I, how about that? Oh, right. We are in first Kings chapter eight.<inaudible> Our text this morning is going to deal with the consecration of the temple and the initial uh, feast that, that will go along with the opening of the temple. So we’ll deal with that in a few moments. I,

I’ll just tell you right now, we may or may not get all the way through this chapter. Uh, we, we might continue a little bit of this on Wednesday. Um, there’s a lot here and there’s a lot of other passages in scripture that connect back to this. And so seeing this particular chapter in its full biblical view and all the different things that that touch on it,

um, we, we may take an extra class period to do that and fold to, uh, the, you know, to other classes together. Um, as far as two other lessons together to, to, uh, still hit our quarter, um, with the other classes. But we’ll get into that in a moment. Let’s begin with a word of prayer.

Gracious father in heaven. We humbly bow before you grateful for this day for the life and the opportunity that we have to serve you and the blessings you shower upon us on a daily basis. We pray for those who have been struggling with illnesses, difficulties. We pray for those who are dealing with chronic issues and chronic pains. We pray for those who have lost loved ones in recent months.

We pray for those who are struggling with just the day to day difficulties of life in all these areas. We pray that you will comfort those individuals and give them strength, help them to remain strong and steadfast and faithful to you above everything else and help them to seek your strength instead of relying upon their own. We pray that you be with us as we go through this period of study and this period of worship this morning may all that we do be in accordance with your will and right in your sight.

We pray for the missionaries that work throughout the world and we pray that you give them strength and a willingness to speak and boldness to proclaim your gospel and a willingness to go to places and to do things where others might not. And we pray that as they are sound in the faith and sound and faithful to you that you will bless them with fruitful opportunities and bless their labors.

We pray for the work here at Collierville and we pray for the congregation. May she always be sound in the faith instead fast proclaiming your word constant day in and day out. All this we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.<inaudible> First Kings chapter eight We read in chapter eight verse one now Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes,

the chief fathers of the children of Israel to King Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the Ark of the covenant of the Lord from the city of David, which is Zion. Therefore all the men of Israel assembled with King Solomon at the feast in the month of<inaudible>, which is the seventh month. So you tell me what feast this is<inaudible> Give you a clue.

Leviticus 23 verses 33 and 34<inaudible> East of Tabernacles. Okay. The seventh month there was the feast of Tabernacles where Israel was to come together and they were to dwell in Tabernacles. Tabernacles is another word for what? Tents. They were to dwell in tins. It’s kind of, I don’t know, a musing to me that it’s the feast of dwelling in tents where they moved the Ark of the covenant and God’s house out of a tent and into a permanent structure.

But that that’s when it happened. Uh, but it’s in the seventh month and it’s during this feast that Solomon calls all the elders of Israel, all the leaders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes, and he calls them together to bring what into this new temple, the Ark, the Ark, and all of the pieces from the tabernacle were brought together into the temple.

Now, have we ever had any miss steps while transporting the Ark before? Yes, we have. And they’re going to do it right this time. They’re going to do it the right way. Um, let’s notice here in verse three, so all the elders of Israel came and the priest took up the Ark. Oh look, you do it God’s way.

It works perfect every time. Uh, there’s just one more reminder that we need to keep having. We need to keep reminding ourselves of, it’s the way Peter said, I will not be negligent to always puts you in remembrance of these things. When you do it God’s way, it works. You may not get the result you imagined, but you’ll get the result God wanted.

You’ll get what God intended. And it’s that pattern. It’s that mentality. It’s that perspective that says, listen, do it God’s way and you’ll do it right. Do it your way and you’re bound to end up doing it wrong. And so the priest took up the Ark. Then they brought the Ark of the Lord, the tabernacle of meeting, and all the Holy furnishings that were in the tabernacle.

The priests and the Levis brought them up. It’s interesting, they don’t just bring the contents of the tabernacle. They bring the tabernacle as well. I mean this is a mobile structure and the temple is of massive size by comparison to the tabernacle, so they just as it were, fold up the tabernacle and bring it with them. They did everything that they were supposed to do as if they were transporting the tabernacle in the days of Exodus when they were moving from place to place,

the correct people, the Levites group did their job. They took their responsibility and they transported the articles that were in the tabernacle, the tabernacle itself and the arc of the covenant to the temple. Then they uh, excuse me, verse five, also King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled with him were with him before the Ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be counted or numbered for multitude.

There is going to be a numbering of sacrifices later on in the chapter, but at this point I think that that was one portion of it and then there’s more indicated here even than that number and that number is significant when we get down to it. But there’s so many sacrifices going on. There is so much that is being offered in the consecration of the temple that it’s numerable,

okay. Going back for a moment in your mind to the requirement buying God back in the book of Exodus, when they came out of Egypt, he said, for every family, for every first born, there was a sacrifice required, okay? And that sacrifice, if the family had enough to do, had enough wealth, had enough possessions, was what to redeem the firstborn,

A kid of, of the flock, okay. And if they didn’t have enough, then there were alternatives that they could offer as well, including, uh, I think it was a dove or, or something like that. So here you have this responsibility as part of the consecration that occurred in Egypt as they’re leaving. And that was to be done,

uh, as part of their regular, uh, worship. Here you have essentially Solomon supplying what’s needed for the whole nation to do this. Again, this is really what you’re getting in this picture here is you have this consecration of not just the tabernacle, but of the nation to faithful service to God. Then the priest brought in the Ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place,

into the inner sanctuary of the temple, to the most Holy place under the wings of the cherubim. Now remember we talked about the chair of him the other week, uh, how, how large was their wingspan From one side to the other? There were two cherubim, one on one side and one on the other. They had wings going forward and wings going back and the back wings touched the walls on either side and the front wings touched each other in the middle.

And so the arc of the covenant comes into the middle underneath the two forward facing wings. Okay, so just so you can imagine that in your mind, uh, for the chair boom, spread their two wings over the place of the arch. And the cherubim overshadowed the arc and it’s polls. The polls extended so that the ends of the polls could be seen from the Holy place in front of the inner sanctuary,

but they could not be seen from outside and they are there to this day. Okay. So at the time of this writing, and we don’t necessarily, I think have a real good picture of who wrote the book of first and second Kings, but at the point in which this is being written, this, the temple is still there. The, the arc is still there.

These things are still there. That gives us some clue by the way, uh, that w of when it’s not written, it’s not written in the time of the Babylonian empire. It’s not written after the exile because by the way, the arc of the covenant doesn’t go to Babylon. But that’s another discussion for another time. But when this is being written,

he says it’s still there and this is still the case. So it’s interesting you think about the polls that they use to carry the Ark. The polls would go through what? On the Ark? The rings. So the priests carry in the arc and of course they’re carrying it through the veil, the veil that separated the Holy place where the priest came in on a daily basis to do the things that they were supposed to do in the Holy place.

But then the most Holy place, only the high priest went in and he went in. How many times a year? Once on the day of atonement. Does anybody remember what month the day of atonement in? So let me look that up. Second. I don’t remember off the top of my head. That’s why I’m asking you. So while somebody is looking that up,

the priest would, the high priest would go in through the veil into the most Holy place. But what they’re telling you here is the way they situated the arc of the covenant. The poles for transporting the Ark were left in the rings. Think maybe this might have been a, Hey, let’s not make this mistake again. Put the poles there. So we always know how to transport this thing.

Uh, but it’s put in there and the polls, the end of the polls are sticking through the veil. What does that tell these priests day in and day out when they go into the Holy place but aren’t allowed to go into the most Holy place? Well, it means they better stop. But it, if the polls are there, what else is there?

The Ark. Okay, it’s this, it’s this reminder. Every time they go into the Holy place, it’s still there. Nothing’s happened to it because they only get to go in once a year and only the high priest gets to go in. So let’s say somebody comes into the temple, breaks in and steals it, they wouldn’t know till the next day of atonement that it’s missing.<inaudible> I’m just saying,

I think there’s this, this, they go, Hey, if we leave the poles sticking out through the veil, it’s this reminder. It’s there. And, and what was on top of the arc? The cherubims, but what was between the cherubims, the mercy? See there’s this, there’s this connection, this reminder that God’s mercy comes from God’s throne,

comes from God’s presence and fills the lives of these people. And so this connection, they can’t go in and see it, but they can see those poles. They can know it’s there. 10th day of the what, seventh month. Oh, I was right. So, not only do we have, by the way, the feast of Tabernacles going on in the seventh month,

we also have the day of atonement. So all of this, even though it’s not spelled out, they don’t say, Oh, by the way, we’re doing the feast of Tabernacles. And Oh, by the way, it’s the day of atonement, and I’ll spell it all out in first Kings. But if you go connect this to the other passages,

you’re supposed to catch up on that. Hey, by the way, it’s the day of atonement when all of these sacrifices for all of the people are made, and when the high priest goes in through the veil, and that’s the day the temple is opened. Okay? Yes. So that is a, it’s an important point when even going back to the days of the tabernacle,

when it was time to transport the tabernacle, when they would go from place to place, those who had the responsibilities of transporting it were allowed to go in. But there was a procedure there. There were things that had to be done by the priests. And then the, the, I think it was the Kohathites were the ones responsible for transporting the articles of the temple and such.

And so there was a procedure they were to go through when it was moved and that’s how it gets in there is that they’re following that procedure now, but once it’s there, once the veil is shut, once all of it’s done, then it’s the high priest once a year that’s allowed to go in. What about speeding? You know, That’s a good question.

I don’t know that we ever read about it, but I guess my assumption is there’s probably some sort. Yeah. And what’d they do with all the blood? That’s going to be an interesting one by the time we get through this, um, to, to, to just a mental image to go, Hmm. I wonder how they did this. There was another comment.

Yeah, That is correct. That is correct. We’re going to see the prayer, the presence of God, God’s presence manifested in the Holy place and that is going to occur after the arc is placed there. So, um, this is part of the reason why we’re not getting through this chapter all today. So just, just FYI. Uh, so the priest brought in the Arctic covenant of the Lord to its place,

into the inner sanctuary of the temple, to the most Holy place under the wings of the chairman for the chairman, spread their two wings over the place of the arch. And the cherubim overshadowed the arc and its poles and the poles extended so that the ends of the polls could be seen from the Holy place in front of the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen from outside.

And they are there. To this day, nothing was in the Ark except the two tablets of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel when they came out of the land of Egypt. Now what was originally in the Ark? The the bowl of manna. Okay. Aaron’s rod that budded and the tabernacle or the tables of stones,

Tabernacles with the tables of stone. What’s there and how Errands Rod’s gone. So’s the bowl of man. The only thing that remains are the tables of stone. Now, what happened to the other things Eight? The answer is we don’t know. Uh, just like, you know, that rabbit, we’re not going to chase. We don’t know where the arc is either.

Um, it never went to Babylon. It’s not among the things listed is going to Babylon. But what happened to it before Babylon came into Jerusalem? We have no idea<inaudible> Uh, could, could be, could be, uh, that, that is the reminder that this had gone to the Philistines. The Philistines had it for a time, then it had gone to,

uh, was obeyed ITAM and, and these other places, um, before it came back. Did something occur then we know the Philistines tried to open it, uh, because many of them died when that occurred. So, um, we, we don’t know all the details. We do know that as of this point, this is what’s still in the Ark.

Uh, nothing was in the Ark except the two tablets of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb. When the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel when they came out of the land of Egypt, and it came to pass when the priest came out of the Holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord so that the priest could not continue ministering because of the cloud,

for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord. So as they come in, they bring the Ark in, they place it in, they come and they’re continuing to offer the sacrifices. They’re continuing to do the work of priests in the Holy place. But God’s presence comes in to the temple. And as a result of that, they have to stop.

Basically all of them have to leave this, this cloud, as it is described, descends over the temple and into the temple. And everyone inside goes out. They can no longer continue to operate in the temple. And this was a continual reminder, the presence of God. And you’ll this, by the way, if you go back into Exodus, you’ll see the same thing occurring at the tabernacle.

Uh, in the days of of Moses, God, again, placing his stamp of approval on this, saying, this is part of my covenant. I will dwell with my people. I will be here and now it’s also important to realize what’s going to be said by Solomon and that Solomon and all the people recognize. Just because we have this manifestation of God’s presence here doesn’t mean that God dwells in places made with hands.

Okay, so Solomon makes this statement. Verse 12, then Solomon spoke, the Lord said he would dwell in the dark cloud. I have surely built you an exalted house and they place for you to dwell in forever. So Solomon makes this statement. He says, this is a place for God’s presence. This is a place for God to dwell. This is a,

and the connection here is to the covenant, to the promise. Notice the connection, the verses before it, nothing was there except the TA, the tables of stone that Moses put there. And he put them there. When, when God made a covenant with Israel, which you’re seeing is these verses are getting your mind to go to the covenant. God’s presence is to remind you of the covenant.

God said, I’ll dwell with you if you’d well with me, but if you cease dwelling with me, if you see following my laws. Isn’t that interesting? The covenant was connected to the tablets of stone and written on the stones were what? The 10 commandments foundation of the law. God said, the law is the fundamental connection between my presence here and you and as long as you continue in my law,

out continued dwelling with you, but you leave off the law and my presence will be gone from you. So notice verse 14 then the King turned around and blessed the whole assembly of Israel while all the assembly of Israel was standing. And he said, blessed be the Lord God of Israel who spoke with his mouth to my father, David and with his hand has fulfilled its saying since the day that I brought my people Israel out of Egypt,

I have chosen no city from any tribe of Israel in which to build a house that my name might be there, but I chose David to be over my people Israel. Now it was in the heart of my father, David, to build a temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel. But the Lord said to my father, David, whereas it was in your heart to build a temple for my name,

you well that it was in your heart, kind of hear, uh, a little bit additional information here from Solomon. You know, God told David, you’re not building the temple, but I’ll make a covenant with you and your son who comes from you. We’ll build a temple. But what Solomon includes in here is, but God wasn’t angry with David that he wanted to build the temple.

God said, you do well to have this perspective, to have this idea, uh, this was a, this was a positive thing and yet it needed to be done God’s way and not David’s way. Nevertheless, verse 19, you shall not build the temple, but your son who will come from your body. He shall build the temple for my name.

So the Lord has fulfilled his word, which he spoke. And I have filled the position of my father David and too, and sit on the throne of Israel as the Lord promised. And I have built a temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel. And there I have made a place for the arc which is in which is the covenant of the Lord,

which he made with our fathers when he brought them out of the land of Egypt. Solomon blesses the people and he stands before them and he reminds them why all of this has happened. How long has it taken to do this? Let’s go back to all the way back to second Samuel chapter seven when David initially had the idea, this has been a generation incoming,

th th Solomon would probably have still been a child when this idea initially came forth. And so, uh, you, you have all of this being leading up to what God is going to promise, what God is going to do, what God has done. And now Solomon says, and the Lord has done what he said, this is going to be one more example of what God says he’ll do.

He will do. Okay. We need to be reminded that these things happen and they happen according to God’s plan and they happen according to God’s timeframe. God doesn’t allow someone else to come in and you serve his authority, you serve his plan. But he also doesn’t allow someone else to get in the way of him fulfilling his plan. It’s this reminder that we get from,

from the book of Esther where Mordecai says to Esther, listen, you can go in and you can stand before the King and you can save your people and you can make sure that the King knows. But if you, you could rest assured God’s going to save his people anyway, But your house won’t be safe. So this constant reminder that God’s going to do what God has said he will do and God’s going to fulfill what he has promised.

Yes, absolutely. Absolutely. Um, so Just for clarification, cause my brain started thinking about this as I was talking, I said that Solomon probably was a child when God made the covenant of David. No, Solomon wasn’t born yet because second Samuel chapter seven happens before second Samuel chapter 11, where David committed adultery with Bathsheba. So Solomon wasn’t born yet.

That’s how long a time it’s been, uh, from the time that, uh, before Solomon was even born, until this is fulfilled. Now verse 22. Thanks. Let me step back and say one more thing. Yeah. God made a promise to David. You’re going to have a son and the son that I choose is going to be on the throne and the son that I choose is going to be the one who builds the temple.

Absalom was not that son at a Nijah was not that son. Solomon had not even been born and yet God said, I’m choosing Your son is going to continue your throne and I will make a covenant with him and he will build my temple. And Solomon here stands 11 years into his reign and says, God did what God promised before. I was even born and it is a recognition that it wasn’t all about Solomon,

it was all about God. We need to be reminded of that as well, so just carries back this connection all the way back to Abraham. God promised you’re going to have a son and I’m going to do this and I’m going to be with him and I’m going to be with his descendants before Abraham ever had a child, God did the same thing with David before Solomon was born.

Then Solomon stood verse 22 before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands towards heaven and he said, Lord God of Israel. There is no God in heaven above or on earth below like you who keep your covenant and mercy with your servants who walk before you with all their heart. You kept what you promised your servant David,

my father. You have both spoken with your mouth and fulfilled it with your hand as it is this day. Solomon says that God fulfilled this. God did this with his hand. The God just Make the temple. Who was God’s hand to do it? Solomon and the people. There’s this, there’s this reminder that Solomon gives here and that is that God has purposes and God has his will and God has the things that God wants done and God has the promises that he’s going to fulfill and sometimes we’re a part of that,

But the glory doesn’t go to us. The glory doesn’t go to Solomon. The glory doesn’t go to the people. The glory goes back to God because it was God who was doing it. But notice also that Solomon makes it clear. The presence of God is connected to the heart of the people. Go back to verse 23 Lord God of Israel. There is no God in heaven above or on earth below like you who keep your covenant and mercy with your servants who want before you with all their hearts.

Jesus has asked what’s the greatest command? No, And it seems as though Solomon already knew what it was To love the Lord thy God with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my strength, with all my mind. And Jesus said the same thing because both of them read the book of Deuteronomy. Both of them knew what Moses had said in the book of Deuteronomy about serving the Lord and God says,

you are. Solomon says concerning Lord, you’ll keep your covenant. You’ll keep your promise. You’ll walk with your people if they walk with you because that’s what you’ve told them. Then we verse 25 therefore, Lord God of Israel, now keep what you promised your servant David, my father saying, you shall not fail to have a man sit before me on the throne of Israel.

Only if your sons take heed to their way that they walked before me as you have walked before me. Not only is the relationship of the people with God contingent upon their hearts, but the relationship of the throne to David’s family was contingent upon their deeds contingent upon their actions and they’re keeping the law. It’s going to be, It’s going to be very sad to see where Solomon is in the 11th year of his reign,

where he goes in the years thereafter because he doesn’t do this. He does all of this work and does all of this to accomplish this great deed and then lets his heart Go And lets it follow after everything else. Now I pray, Oh God of Israel, verse 26 let your word come true, which you have spoken to your servant David, my father,

but will God indeed dwell on the earth. Behold, heaven in the heavens of heavens cannot contain you. How much less? This temple, which I have built Solomon’s not disillusioned about this, Solomon is not believing that, Oh, I built this great structure in this grand thing and encompassed it with gold and done all of these things. Therefore, now God dwells in this house in contrast to everywhere else.

Solomon says, heavens and the heavens of heavens cannot contain your presence. I am not confused about your presence being here. Is your presence here? Yes. Does that mean it’s not somewhere else? No. So Solomon understands that God is dwelling with his people, but that does not mean that God is not still God. But then also he says verse 28 yet regard the prayer of your servant and his supplication.

Oh Lord my God, and listen to the cry and the prayer which your servant is praying before you today, that your eyes may be open toward this temple night and day toward the place of which you said, my name shall be there. That you may hear the prayer which your servant makes toward this place, and you may hear the simplification of your servant and of your people Israel,

when they pray toward this place here in heaven, your dwelling place. And when you hear, forgive, Solomon makes clear that this temple is simply a representation of God’s true dwelling place in heaven.<inaudible> What is the church? According to first Kings chapter or sorry, first Chronicles chapter three in first Chronicles, chapter six<inaudible> First Corinthians. There we go.

Corinthians, I’m I messed you up on the Chronicles there. First Corinthians chapter three in chapter six, The temple. Paul writes to the Corinthians and he says, your body, If you look at the context of the two passages, one of them is the congregation and one of them is the Christians. You are the temple of God. One passage says,

if you’re the temple of God, you better not be joined to a harlot. That’s an individual relationship with God. The other one speaks concerning the church being the temple of God. God hasn’t left heaven. God isn’t missing from heaven. If someone is, and I know I’m speaking in earthly terms about spiritual legs, but if someone in heaven goes to look for God,

he’s still there. That doesn’t mean he’s not in the church. That doesn’t mean he’s not in you and me. It didn’t mean he wasn’t in the temple. But what Solomon wants these people to recognize and what he’s asking God to do is when this people turns their heart back towards the covenant, because what is it that’s there? What is it that’s housed inside this temple?

What is it that connects the people to God and his presence? It’s the covenant. So every thing that you read here when he re when he makes this statement about the people praying towards the temple and he says, when they pray towards this temple and this occurs and they ask for forgiveness, forgive them, but it’s not the temple that is the significant part of that.

It’s what’s in side. It’s what is of real consequence and value. All the things that the temple is is this external wrapping around two things, laying in a box, The law, and so he says when they turn their hearts back to you and when they pray towards this temple, you forgive. Now draw that forward because in Jeremiah chapter 31 or 32 I think it’s 32 verses 32 through 38 or 32 through 36 Jeremiah says that there was coming a time prophesying on behalf of God where I will write my law on their hearts.<inaudible> And first Corinthians chapter three and first Corinthians chapter six says that the church is the temple of God.

We don’t need to go about building any temples for God. Today we are supposed to live as temples of God. Today we are to act as if God’s law has written inside the deepest Portions of our heart. Yeah. And we are to live in relationship to him and dwell with him so that he can dwell with us. John chapter 17 Jesus is praying in the upper room and he says that he desires that those who are following him be one with God,

the father as he is one with God the father. And they achieve that by believing in him and by hearing the words that he delivered to the apostles. Yeah. The words that God had delivered to him In all of this, in everything that’s made up in the life of Israel and in the relationship with Israel and the covenant of Israel with God, the foundation of it all Was words,

Communication And it relationship built upon a law. Yeah. And a promise And a covenant. And when Israel remembered that They were faithful to God, When they were conscious of the law and when they were conscious of the word of God and when they were conscious of the relationship with God, they were faithful to God. Thank God, dwelled with them. And God blessed them and they served him.

But when they lost track of the importance of the law, when they lost track of the importance of the words, when they lost track of the importance of the covenant, they lost their connection to God. Turn to Jeremiah chapter seven real quick. We’ll close with this and the questions. Um, and then we’ll pick up here on Wednesday night. Jeremiah chapter seven,

Beginning in verse one, here’s what Solomon never wanted to happen, but it happened anyway. Here’s what God never wanted them to do, but they did it anyway. Jeremiah chapter seven, verse one, the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying, stand in the gate of the Lord’s house. What’s Lord’s house? The temple. He says, go stand in the gate of the temple and proclaim there this word and say here the word of the Lord.

All you of Judah who enter in at these Gates to worship the Lord. Alright, so Jeremiah is supposed to go, he’s supposed to stand in the gate of the temple. He is supposed to cry out to everyone who’s coming in and out of the temple. And here’s what he’s to say. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel,

amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Do not trust in these lying words saying so. Here’s the proclamation of the liars, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are these. God says, don’t you trust in the temple? Don’t you trust in those who say,

look, we’ve got the temple. Look, we’ve got the temple. Look, we’ve got the temple. Verse four, do not trust in these lying words saying the Lord or the temple of the Lord, the tumble of Lord the tumble Lord are these four. If you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if you thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor,

if you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, or walk after other gods to your hurt, then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers for ever and ever. Behold you trust in lying words that cannot profit. Will you steal murder,

committed adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to bail and walk after other gods whom you do not know and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name and say, we are delivered to do all these abominations<inaudible> Over in your margin. If you write notes in your Bible, Right? Romans chapter six verse one Shall we continue in sin that Grace May abound?

Let it never be so God for bid. That’s the same mentality they had right here. They were stealing, lying, robbing, killing, and then going into the temple and saying, We can do all of these things because God is with us And yet this is the same passage you read on that Jesus uses to accuse the scribes and the Pharisees and the money changers and those in the temple in his day saying,

you’ve turned my house into identities. The temple was never intended to be the important thing. It was always intended to remind them of the important thing, which was their heart and their actions. Let’s go through the questions. We’ll just go through the ones. Actually, we’ll just go through number one and number two, since that’s as far as we’ve made it,

those whom Solomon called to assemble when the Ark of God was brought God’s new house did not include the elders, the heads of the tribes, uh, the leaders of the fathers of the house, uh, or seen any of the fathers of the household or D, all the people, the, all the people. Uh, when Solomon had the Ark of God moved to God’s new house,

who carried the Ark, the priests. And what part of God’s house was the art placed Most Holy place. Why? Or excuse me, what was contained inside the Ark of God? Tables of stone. Why did the priest have to leave the house of the Lord after placing the Ark of God inside the most Holy place? Wow. Because the presence of God or the cloud filled the house.

Who originated the idea number three of building a permanent house for God. David. Okay. So we’ll pick up there and go through the remainder of the questions and the remainder of the chapter on Wednesday night. Thank you for your attention. You are dismissed.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Man, it kind of looks like the old man used to say he looked like last year.

His burden. It’s just, just all scattered out and not many there. Good to see everybody this morning. We do have a lot of people out, but it is good to see those of you that are here and we welcome all our visitors. If we have any, I don’t see any, but if you are here and I can’t see, we appreciate you fill out a card.

Uh, We need to remember our sick Rodale and Dorothy. Um, Julia occasion is now in a hospice care. Is there a note out there about where she is or whenever she’s at home but in hospice care and uh, John Springer is still at home recovering from her pneumonia. Beverly Price is a pill out. She’s having some blood pressure problems. The Richardsons are in Ripley,

Mississippi today. I think it was Mississippi think so. Anyway, they in Ripley, uh, he’s preaching there today. The Dales are all out sick and uh, Betty Lou is going to have her other hand operated on tomorrow and it is bothering her much smaller than the other one was. So they going to try to fix that one. Carville cares.

We’ll meet two, uh, tomorrow night at seven Coleman Avenue. Ladies day was sad. It will be Saturday the 29th. Uh, we need to remember the Rushmore’s are still in Ghana, but Martha fail and uh, kinda bruised up from that and she found out she has a mass on a kidney. They will see about that on March the sixth when they get back,

it’d probably be back before the sixth, but anyway, that’s when she going to see about our kidney. And uh, Rebecca’s grandfather fell and broke his hip, but they are unable to do a surgery right now because of some other health problems. They need to fix this. If you need a Cohen can from Potter’s children home there, uh, on a table in the,

by the office there and that’s all around Schick and the people that are out, uh, gear Carla will lead singing this morning. Uh, I’ll have the opening prayer. Aaron cohort, the sermon and Jay Shafir will have the closing prayer. Thank you. First song had number one Oh eight one Oh eight the Lord is in his Holy temple. A temple is a dwelling place of a God and of course Christians are the dwelling place of God now.

Okay.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Tim<inaudible><inaudible> the earth. Keep silence be for<inaudible> key.<inaudible> Key Long. He saw Lawrence B four<inaudible> Number 671 will be the next song. Pure In the heart. Oh God. Hell me.<inaudible> Ma. Hey. Hi D boy Martin Lawrence. Oh, today<inaudible> Watch that. All my words would be gone.

Guide me with cow. So sweet.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> me too.<inaudible><inaudible> in the hall. Oh God. Help me.<inaudible> Teach me to do well. Most log<inaudible> Big doll, my friend and God that me with the buy side.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> me too.<inaudible><inaudible> in hoard or God help me.<inaudible><inaudible> one day.<inaudible> Hey me prom.

See grandson Ray and doll my soul With an<inaudible>.<inaudible> Oh, me too.<inaudible> That was probably a father who art in heaven. We thank you for this first day of the week, an opportunity to have to come together as your children to sang songs of praise to the end to worship you the only true and living God. We pray that you would be with us today and give us wisdom to understand the things that we are to study today so they might help us to become stronger Christians and to be more faithful today.

We pray that you would be with our number that are sick today, that, that are unable to be with us. We pray that you would be with them and comfort them and be with those that attack Karen for them. We pray that you’d be with those that are in nursing homes and other health care places. We pray that you would comfort them and,

and uh, be with them and the people that are caring for them. We pray that you would be with those that are traveling. We pray that you would, uh, give them safe journey to where they go and to come back so they can be back with us. We pray that you would be with the ladies rock country during this time, that they may say they’re wrong and turn to them for guidance.

We pray that you would be with the teachers here at Chi will, that they will always treat, teach the truth, and and have a long service in your kingdom. Pray that you would be with us through the further exercise of this day. Keep us safe. Forgive us when we do wrong. Christ name we pray. Amen. Number 382 will be the next song to prepare our minds for the Lord’s supper.

Why did my savior come to<inaudible> And to the arm bull go, Whoa. Why did he use the lower lip? B calls, he law me.<inaudible> He lost hope. He’s<inaudible> He<inaudible> Me.<inaudible> He gave his precious life for me for me. B calls he law.<inaudible> Why did he drink the beer?<inaudible> Oh, saw roll pain.<inaudible> Well on the cross,

bill lifted<inaudible> B calls. He lost me.<inaudible> He Me<inaudible> Yeah.<inaudible> Me.<inaudible> He gave his precious life for me, for me. The calls he law<inaudible> To Jesus comes us seeing it<inaudible> and then two Glor rig<inaudible> And reign with him through and listen<inaudible> B calls. He lost me.<inaudible> He<inaudible> Me.<inaudible> Yeah.<inaudible> Me.<inaudible> He gave this precious life for me for me.

B, cause he lost me.<inaudible><inaudible> Would you bow with me? Our heavenly father, we truly thank you for Christ, our savior and his willingness to die far. So we thank you for this bread which does represent Christ’s body. We pray that as we do so we would do so in a manner that’s pleasing and acceptable thee and do so with a thankful heart.

These saints we ask in Christ’s name. Amen.<inaudible> Okay.<inaudible> Well, our heavenly father, we continue our thanks for this fruit of the vine, which does represents the blood of our savior that will shed for our sins. Pray that each one of us might do so with a thankful heart. The sinks we ask in Christ’s name. Amen.<inaudible> That’s bow.

Oh God, our father in heaven. We are truly grateful for all the blessings that you sow bountifully given to us. We pray, father, that we’re good stewards of those blessings and that we have purposed in our hearts today to give a portion of that back to the we pray, father, that the church here will use those funds wisely and try to have the needy and to spread the borders of the kingdom.

Not only here, but throughout the world. Bless us in our giving and we pray. We’re giving with a cheerful heart in Jesus name. Amen.<inaudible> Number 797 number 797 Lord, we come before the die feet. We humbly bow, Oh, do not our suit deuce. Dang Shaw. We see the Lord in vain jaw. We seek the Lord in verse Lord on the hour salt deep in comm a Sean.

Now Dee say and bill our hearts with by rich gray. He’s dude our knit to sing to our lips to sing by<inaudible> in died. Oh no audited way. Now we see the here we say, Lord, we know not how to go. Deal law, blessing dog, be stole to law. Blessing be stall. Whoa. Grind that whole movie.

Seek and find the uh, God’s Preme leak on<inaudible> dog app. Do you three<inaudible> Oh Ori Georgeson the leart also read yours in the<inaudible>. Our invitation song will be number 374 374<inaudible><inaudible> Good morning. Take your Bibles if you will, And open them to the book of John. Jesus came To seek and to save that which was lost.

Jesus came And preached a message To a people. His message was not for that people alone, For when he left this earth, he left instructions for his disciples to take that message to Jerusalem, Judea, Sumeria, to the most part of the earth. But Jesus preached a message of a coming kingdom. Jesus preached that the kingdom of heaven was at hand And Jesus proclaimed and said to his disciples that he would set up his kingdom,

the kingdom that Daniel chapter two verse 44 was prophesied about, that it would never be destroyed. The kingdom of God. Okay, And that he would build his church and the Gates of hell would not prevail against it. He preached all of these things. He said, all of these things, he came for this reason and yet as Jesus preached, there are topics and there are subjects that Jesus preached about differently than anyone else And specifically differently than anyone previous to him.

It was interesting that the people, the Jews would respond to Jesus’s preaching and they would say, no man ever spake as this man speaks for. He spoke with authority And Jesus preached about topics that were important And most assuredly, all of the things that he preached were true. It is for those reasons that I want to spend this morning looking at a topic that Jesus preached about more than any other preacher in scripture.

There are many who will believe and will hold and who will will proclaim that this subject is one which should not be preached, Should not be discussed, and frankly according to their is not accurate. And yet it’s interesting that Jesus preached about it more than any other preacher in all of scripture, old and new Testament. We begin in John chapter nine Yeah,

John chapter nine and verse 35 through verse 39 we read this. They answered and said to him, Abraham is our father. Jesus said to them, I’m in John chapter eight excuse me, John chapter nine verses 35 through 39 Jesus heard that they cast him out and when he found them, he said to him, do you believe in the son of God?

He answered and said, who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him? Jesus said to him, you have both seen him and it is he who is talking with you. The context to this event is Jesus will heal a man who is lame. The man will be questioned by the Jews as to who healed him and he will proclaim that he does not know and then his parents will be brought in and they will be questioned and they will say if he’s of age,

ask him and ultimately it will be determined that it is Jesus who healed him and the man will be cast out. He will be sent out of the congregation, pull it out of the temple. Jesus will then find him, and this is the discussion that ensues. He says, do you believe in the son of God? And he says, who is he that I may believe in him?

You have both seen him. Jesus said, and it is he who is talking with you. And he said, Lord, I believe, and he worshiped him. Then verse 39 four and Jesus said, for judgment I have come into this world. Yeah, Jesus said that he came into this world for a singular purpose. Now we’ve already mentioned Jesus said he came to seek and to save the loss.

That’s true, but in view of that mission to see and save a loss, the question must then be asked, save them from what Jesus says here in John chapter nine verse 39 for this reason, I came into the world that those who do not see may see, and those who see may be made blind. He says, for one reason, I came into the world and it is for judgment.

Okay, Jesus makes clear and Jesus proclaims with clarity. There is a judgment that is coming And if there is a judgment and if there is a need to save people from that judgment to seek and to save those who are lost, there must then be a consequence when the judgment comes, which leads us into this discussion of the topic that Jesus preached about more than any other preacher in scripture,

And that’s hell yeah. There are preachers today standing in pulpits today who will not preach On hell. Yeah. There are preachers today and pulpits today who will preach on hell in a way that is not correct and will say things about it that are not Correct. Well, what I want to do this morning is notice five reasons why Jesus preached on hell more than any other preacher in scripture,

And it begins here in John chapter nine it begins with this statement, John. Jesus said here in John chapter nine it is for this reason that he came into the world for judgment. Jesus preached on hell more than any other preacher in scripture because he knew it was the reason he came, The existence of hell, the consequence of judgment, the results of sin,

where the reason why Jesus came into this earth. Turn to Romans chapter five Paul will write concerning this situation in Romans chapter five beginning in verse six for when we were still without strength in due time, Christ died for the ungodly, for scarcely for a righteous man will one die. Yet perhaps for a good man, someone would even dare to die, but God demonstrated his love towards us in that while we were still sinners,

Christ died for us much more than having now been justified by his blood. We shall be saved from wrath through him. Jesus said, I came to seek and to save that which was lost. Jesus said, I came because of judgment. He, Jesus said that he came to reconcile us to God. Paul makes it clear that it is only through his sacrifice that we are saved from Raph.

What RAF? If God is a God of love, as some proclaim, if God is one who would not be angry with man, if God is one who will accept anything that we do, if God is one who justifies man air regardless of their actions, then why in the world would Jesus leave heaven to come to earth, to save men from the wrath of God and the judgment of God.

But notice in John chapter nine Jesus doesn’t say that he came to save men from judgment. That’s an important point. He came for judgment And that is because Jesus is the judge turned to John chapter 12 John chapter 12 Beginning of verse seven now my soul is troubled and what shall I say? Father save me from this hour, but for this purpose I came to this hour.

Father, glorify your name. Then a voice came from heaven saying, I have both glorified it and will glorify it again. Therefore, the people who stood by and heard it said that it was fun that it had thundered. Others said, an angel has spoken to him. Jesus answered and said, this voice did not come because of me, but for your sake now is the judgment of this world.

Now the ruler of this world will be cast out. Jesus came for judgment. Jesus came to bring about judgment. Jesus came as judge and Jesus came because this world was being ruled and is still under the influence of the ruler of this world who would be judged. It is important to understand the D the the reality of the fact that Jesus came not to preach.

Everyone will get to be happy forever. Jesus came to declare judgment and a separation. He came as he said, to bring a sword and not peace. Jesus came and he preached concerning judgment and consequences and wrath and hell because it was the reason he came. But consider secondly, he preached concerning hell more than any other preacher in scripture because he has power over it.

Turn to John chapter five John chapter five and in verse 22 we begin reading as Jesus here is speaking to the Jews. Verse 22 for the father, judges no one but has committed all judgment to the son. Jesus said for judgment, I came into this world and Jesus said that the judgment had been delivered into his hand. It had been committed to him.

He’s the judge. He’s the judge who will determine whether or not a person will be saved from wrath or receive wrath. But then notice verse 23 for the father, judges no one but has committed all judgment to the son that all should honor the son just as they honor the father. He who does not honor the son does not honor the father who sent him most assuredly.

I say to you, he who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death unto life. Consider the judgment that Jesus proclaims. It is a judgment that brings about death or a deliverance from death to life. Verse 25 most of surely I say to you, the hour is coming and now he is when the dead will hear the voice of the son of God and those who hear will live for as the father has life in himself.

So he has granted the son to have life in himself. The judgment that Jesus will deliver will either deliver one from death and bring them to live. We’ll give them new life or What’s the other option? Notice what he says. Verse 27 Okay To me, verse 28 do not Marvel at this. For the hour is coming, which all who were in the graves will hear his voice and come forth.

Those who have done good to the resurrection of life and those who have done evil to the resurrection of damnation. Notice Jesus doesn’t say those who have died, those who receive God’s wrath will just go out of existence and they’ll be never more. Jesus says, all who are in the gray will hear my voice. All who are in the grave will rise up.

Those who have done good and to everlasting life and those who have done evil unto everlasting damnation. Jesus said that he was the one who had power over hell and power over judgment. Matthew chapter eight, Matthew chapter eight and in verse 29<inaudible> When he had come to the other side, verse 28 to the country of the, uh, uh, gurgle scenes there he met him to demon possessed men coming out of the tombs exceedingly fear so that no one could pass that way.

And suddenly they cried out saying, what have we to do with you, Jesus, you son of God. Have you come here to torment us before our time? There is a torment. There is a judgment, there is wrath that is coming upon those demons that are spoken of here. And they knew it And they knew who had the authority over it.

Jesus preached about hell more than any other preacher in scripture because it was the reason he came. Jesus preached about hell more than any other preacher in scripture because he had the power over it. But consider thirdly that it was because it was intended for someone else. Okay? Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. Jesus came to reconcile. Man,

Jesus died when we were worthy of it because hell was intended for someone else. Turn to Matthew chapter 25 Nearing the end of Jesus’s life in the last week of his life as he is there in Jerusalem. Jesus speaks concerning when the son of man, verse 31 comes in his glory and all the Holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory.

All the nations will be gathered before him and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd divines his sheep from the goats. But if you go down to verse 41 then he will say to those who are were on the left hand, depart from me, you cursed into the everlasting fire. But notice this final statement prepared for the devil and his angels.

The wrath that is coming, the judgment that is coming, the separation that is coming, the separation of those who will have everlasting life, to those who will have everlasting condemnation, and those who have everlasting condemnation will be separated into the same place of judgment as Satan himself. Because Jesus came to defeat the ruler of this world. Satan. Jesus came to separate those into judge those who have allegiance to Satan.

Jesus says, if you’re his messenger, if you’re his partner, if you’re on his side, if you have allegiance to him, you’ll face the same judgment he faces. Jesus came And Jesus preached about hell more than any other preacher in scripture because Jesus knew hell was intended for someone else. It was intended for Satan, and yet he also knew that there were those who had given themselves over to serve Satan.

So again, we remind ourselves of Romans chapter five that while we were yet sinners, Okay, Those who had given ourselves over to Satan Christ died for us. Jesus is not the judge who sits on the throne, who desires with unrighteous judgment to condemn those who he doesn’t lie. Jesus is the judge who sits on the throne who also became the sacrifice to die for those who didn’t like him.

Number four Jesus preached about hell more than any other preacher in scripture because Jesus knows what it costs To avoid it. Avoiding hell doesn’t come without its cost and sometimes those costs are significant. Jesus in the sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter five Begins in verse 21 He says, you have heard that it was said of those of old to those of old you shall not murder and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.

But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother, without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment and whoever says to his brother, rakish shall be in danger of the council, but whoever says you fool shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the alter and remember that your brother has something against you,

leave your gift there before the altar and go your way. First, be reconciled to your brother and then come and offer your gift. Agree with your adversary quickly. While you are on the way with him less your adversary deliver you over to the judge and the judge hand you over to the officer and you be thrown into prison. Surely I say to you,

you will by no means get out of there until you have paid the last penny. Jesus is using the law and Jesus is using the ordinances of the law and the commands of the law in the physical sense to reason towards the greater issue. Verse 27 he says, you have heard that it was said to those of old you shall not commit adultery, but I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish than for your whole body to be cast into hell and if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off, cast it from you for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish than for your whole body to be tasked into hell.

Jesus is trying to get them to realize there is a consequence for sin. There is a consequence for sin against one another. There is a consequence for one who does wrong to another and then does not restore what he has done wrong. He says, you can offer your sacrifices all you want but they won’t be accepted because you haven’t reconciled with your brother first.

But he also considers that the judgment in this world looks forward to a judgment in the world to come and he tells them now what about your heart? If your heart is not right, if your heart is turned away to loss, if your heart is turned away to adultery, if your heart is turned away from God, then you have a judgment that is coming.

Jesus knew what it would cost to avoid hell. Jesus said, if your eye offends you pluck it out. It’s better to lose a member of your body than to be cast into hell. Jesus isn’t talking about their physical eye. Jesus is talking about their heart. Jesus is talking about their allegiance to sin. Jesus is talking about them allowing their lives to pull them into sin and he is trying to get them to realize whatever you have to get rid of,

no matter the cost, whatever you have to get rid of to hell, It is worth it. Jesus preached about hell, Torment, condemnation, judgment, Consequences of allegiance to sin and Satan more than any other preacher because number five Jesus actually knew How wonderful heaven really was And he didn’t want any one to go to hell. Instead, John chapter 17 Beginning in verse 17 Jesus says,

sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, I have sent them the disciples into the world and for their sakes, I sanctify myself that they also may be sanctified by the truth. I do not pray for these alone, but for those who will believe me through their word, that they all may be one as you father are in me and I in you,

that they also may be one in us that the world may believe that you sent me and the glory which you gave me. I have given them that they may be one just as we are one I in them and you and me, that they may be perfect in one and that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me.

Yeah. Father, I desire that they also whom you gave me maybe with me where I M They may behold my glory, which you have given me for you loved me before the foundation of the world. Jesus prayed Before he left the upper room. Okay. That those who believe on the word of the disciples, those who believe that he was sent from the father,

those who would hear the message And obey it Would be unified, reconciled to God through Christ, And then when this life is over, they could be with him where he is. Jesus knows the glory of heaven And because he knew the glory of heaven, he preached concerning the destruction of hell, And if Jesus preached about it, then most certainly we should as well.

It was Jesus who spoke concerning the rich man who fared sumptuously every day, who had everything, his heart desire and thought. His life was going great until his life was over, and it was Jesus who preached concerning the man who was a beggar, who was covered in sores, who had the dogs to come and to lick his sores, who desire just a morsel of crumb from the rich man’s table And had no solace from the pains of this world.

Yeah. When the poor man died, he was carried by angels into Abraham’s bosom. He was carried to a place of peace. He was carried to a place of rest to await the judgment and the rich man died. And he wasn’t. Not because he was rich, but because he wasn’t rich toward God Because he wasn’t faithful and obedient because he was full of himself and thought only of himself.

Yeah, Because his allegiance was to himself instead of to God, and so he was put into Tarman and he was Put into torment and he desired to be removed from torment, and he couldn’t. He desired one drop of water that he might have the torment relieved just in some small way, and he couldn’t. He desired for someone to come back and to tell his brothers not to live the way he lived So they could avoid that torment.

Good. Abraham would tell him they have Moses and the prophets. Let them hear them. If they won’t hear them, they won’t hear someone come back from the grave. Jesus spoke about hell because Jesus knows what it really is and knows it can be avoided. Jesus came to help you avoid it, but it’s up to you the same way it was up to the rich man.

If you’re here this morning and you’re outside the body of Christ, you’re outside of the place where salvation is found. If you’re outside of the church, you’re outside of the place that Jesus came and died for, to purchase with his own blood. If you’re outside of the body of Christ, you’re outside of the place that God adds those who are saved from their sins and are washed from their sins and placed into a place of inheritance in everlasting life.

How do you get into the body of Christ? How do you get into the church of Christ? You get into it a simple way. You hear word of God and believe what was proclaimed. You believe that Jesus Christ is a son of God because except you believe that I am. He you will die in your sins. He says, you repent of those sins You repent of following after Satan and sin and turning back to serve God.

Yeah, Confess the name of Christ and allegiance to him and you are immersed in water for the remission of your sins, buried with him to rise up in newness of life so that you do not Face the second death and the destruction of hell, and then you live faithful until death that you may receive a crown of life. If you haven’t begun that journey today,

why not? If you have begun that journey and you’ve gotten off that path off that straight, hard and narrow path onto a broad path that leads to destruction, where many will go in where Jesus says, many will find that destruction because it’s easy. Why not repent? Why not be restored? Why not get back on the right path? The path that leads to salvation?

If you’re outside the body of Christ this morning, if you’re a member of the body of Christ and you’ve turned your back on him, why not come home? If you have need of the invitation, it is made available to you now for any reason why not come now as we stand and as we sing Be Draw mine yours<inaudible><inaudible> That blood lose all their<inaudible><inaudible> Lose all their guilty<inaudible> Lose all their<inaudible> and says nurse blondes<inaudible> That would lose all their guilties.<inaudible> Dude<inaudible> blood shower whole nerve Boogaloos it’s Oh<inaudible> the ransom church job God be safe too soon.

No. Be slaves to sin.<inaudible> We say to say it.<inaudible><inaudible> no runs from church or God be safe too soon.<inaudible> her sins by faith. I saw the stream flowing wounds up. Claw<inaudible> being blood has been my theme.<inaudible> doorway<inaudible><inaudible> And beat two Lord Dawn Reedy mean blood has been my theme.<inaudible><inaudible> Number seven 11 number seven one one.

And after this we will have our closing prayer. Blessed Be<inaudible> Barnes,<inaudible> Cruz, John law<inaudible> law to the O O Oh the four hour. All those throw home we put rock or done hers.<inaudible> teams or warn our call home put side<inaudible>. We share our music to all woes our mutual bird<inaudible>, her and Alton bore reach all the<inaudible>,

both sing to Heavenly father. We’re indeed grateful for this privilege that we’ve had to assemble and worship you and peace this day. We pray that our worship do you has been in spirit and truth and a sweet savor. As we prepare to depart, we’re mindful of those of our number that are suffering from illnesses. We pray that your healing hands may be put upon them.

Bless each of us according to our several needs. Forgive our sins as we repent and turn from them And go with us. Guide us in your footsteps each day of our lives. It’s in Jesus’ name that we pray<inaudible>.

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3 Ways We Should Walk – Admonition 304

In Admonition Podcast by Web Administrator

Eph 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
Eph 5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
Eph 5:15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,

And now, Admonition, brought to you by the Collierville Church of Christ. 

How should we walk? That’s a question we’ve discussed before, but Paul mentions three ways in Ephesians, Chapter five that we should walk.

Number one, he says, Walk in love because Christ loved you. Number two, he says, Walk as children of light, living the way God would have you. 

And number three, he says, Walk, circumspectly, verse 15, Not as fools, but as wise. How are you walking today? 

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

Subscribe to Admonition on Youtube: 
Subscribe on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3syE1ogS5LPeEsnAfgnYrg?sub_confirmation=1
Sign up for a daily devotional by Email: https://cozort.org/free
Leave a comment for the host of Admonition: https://cozort.org/contact

Watch more of Aaron’s videos about Salvation, the Gospel, the good news, the gospel message salvation, and in-depth studies of the books of the Bible by visiting https://cozort.org, and Collierville church of Christ.  

This video is a production of Collierville Christian Radio, the Collierville church of Christ, and the Gospel Broadcasting Network. 

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

The Collierville church of Christ meets on Sundays morning and afternoon at 575 Shelton Road, Collierville, TN 38017.
To learn more about the Collierville church of Christ, visit colliervillecoc.org

Not currently a subscriber to Admonition?  Sign up for this daily video devotional by Email: www.colliervillecoc.org/daily or www.cozort.org/free.

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Say No – Admonition 303

In Admonition Podcast by Web Administrator

Ephesians 5:7 – Therefore do not be partakers with them.

Transcript:
What should you do when people try and convince you to live in a way that’s not right for a Christian?  To live in a way that’s against the word of God? What should you do?

Paul says in Ephesians Chapter five, Verse seven, Therefore, do not be partakers with them. Say, no, when someone tempts you to go against the word of God,

Say, no, and live the life of a Christian.
I hope the light of God is in you, today. For more from the Collierville Church of Christ, visit www.colliervillecoc.org. 

Subscribe to Admonition on Youtube: 
Subscribe on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3syE1ogS5LPeEsnAfgnYrg?sub_confirmation=1
Sign up for a daily devotional by Email: https://cozort.org/free
Leave a comment for the host of Admonition: https://cozort.org/contact

Watch more of Aaron’s videos about Salvation, the Gospel, the good news, the gospel message salvation, and in-depth studies of the books of the Bible by visiting https://cozort.org, and Collierville church of Christ.  

This video is a production of Collierville Christian Radio, the Collierville church of Christ, and the Gospel Broadcasting Network. 

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

The Collierville church of Christ meets on Sundays morning and afternoon at 575 Shelton Road, Collierville, TN 38017.
To learn more about the Collierville church of Christ, visit colliervillecoc.org

Not currently a subscriber to Admonition?  Sign up for this daily video devotional by Email: www.colliervillecoc.org/daily or www.cozort.org/free.

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1 Kings 7

In 1 Kings, Bible Classes Videos, Live Streams by Aaron Cozort

Good evening. We are in first Kings chapter seven<inaudible>. Let’s begin with a word of prayer. Our merciful father in heaven, we bow before you. Grateful for this day for the life that we have and the joy that we have,

the recognition that we have, that you exist and that you were creation has been placed here. Now we might be a part of it, but we might bring honor and glory to you. We know that you are worthy to be praised and we are so grateful that that you have revealed yourself in your word, that it’s proven itself to be true over and over and over again.

We pray that you will be with those who are dealing with illnesses, difficulties, sicknesses. We pray that they might be returned to their health, pray that those who are dealing with the loss of loved ones might be comforted. We pray for those who were waiting on diagnosis and and different issues to be discovered and understood that they might have some comfort as well.

We pray for missionaries that are abroad, that they might be safe in their travels safe in their labors, but most especially that they’d be bold in their speech and sound in the faith. We pray for boldness here at home as well and we pray that we might always focus on serving you above self. All this we pray in Jesus name. Amen. We began on Sunday noticing the constructing of the temple and the elements of the temple that were used in that construction.

So we have Solomon who’s on the throne. He begins building the temple in what year of his reign? Third year it takes the first year to do what? To lay the foundation. Uh, it’s going to be interesting that Solomon will, will take a year to lay the foundation. And yet we will find, we will find, if I can get my words out,

uh, over in the book of Haggai guy that the, when the children of Israel return from Babylonian captivity, they again returned to build the temple and it takes them a lot longer to lay the foundation on it. Does anybody remember how long it took them? Does it state it? And it’s either in hat guy or it’s in a, in Ezra,

but I think it’s in hat guy. So in the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by Haggai, the prophet to his rebel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jozadak, the high priest saying, thus speaks the Lord of hosts saying this,

people says the time has not come. The time that the Lord’s house should be built. Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai, the prophet saying, is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses and this temple to lie in ruins now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, consider your ways. So they are in the second year of the righteous in uh,

the sixth month at that point. And then they begin to build. They, they actually, the book of hat guys, one of those unique prophets in the old Testament, he was one of them. They actually listened to that. That was actually pretty rare, the old Testament where they actually would listen to the prophet of the Lord. Um, that had something to do with the leadership they had.

But if you go back and look, my memory serves me correctly from the time they initially went to Israel to build the temple, they went Israel, they ran into issues. And, and you’ll, if I’m, if I’m incorrect about this, I’m sure one of you’s going to find it and, and prove me incorrect. But it took them 16 years to actually lay the foundation for the temple.

Not because they were building the entire time, but because they got started, they got stopped and they never finished until 16 years later, which is by the way, why when Nehemiah comes and, and uh, or am I getting that right when Nehemiah comes and gets the work going again when Haggai is there as well. So, uh, Solomon taking a year to do it,

it’s not a big, big surprise, but also recognize this. You remember that? Uh, I think it is again in Nehemiah that we read about when the people who had seen the first temple who were alive at that time to see the first temple and saw it saw, saw the second temple foundation be laid, they knew there was going to be no comparison.

We’re going to let till we’re wait until all of the Amber alerts get finished going off here. Yeah. It’s an Amber alert. So When they saw the foundation late, those who were old enough to have remembered the, the temple of Solomon, they wept because of there was no comparison, uh, between what they knew they would build and what Solomon had built.

So we begin in chapter seven and verse one, but Solomon took 13 years to build his own house. Now how many years did he take to build the temple? It took seven years to build it and another year to lay the foundation. So a total of eight. It was finished in the 11th year of his reign, but Solomon took 13 years to build his own house.

So he finished all his house. He also built the house of the forest of Lebanon. His length was 100 cubits, it’s width, 50 cubits and its height. 30 cubits with four rows of Cedar pillars and Cedar beams on the pillars. And it was paneled with Cedar above the beams that were on 40, uh, excuse me, 45 pillars, 15 to a row.

There were windows with beveled frames in three rows and window. Uh, And the window was opposite window in three tiers and all the doorways and doorposts had rectangular frames and the window was opposite window in three tiers. He also made the hall of pillars. Its length was 50 cubits, its width, 30 cubits and the front of them was a Portico with pillars and a canopy was in front of them.

Then he made a hall for the throne and the hall of judgment where he might judge and it was paneled with Cedar from floor to ceiling. And the house where he dwelled had another court inside the hall of like workmanship. Solomon also made a house like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter whom he had taken as wife. So here in the beginning of chapter seven we have an iteration of different building events that Solomon goes through.

He, he builds the temple and then he builds his house and then he builds this structure and that structure. And finally we read, he also built a house for who? For Pharaoh’s daughter. Why is Pharaoh’s daughter in the land? Because that’s his wife. Um, I don’t know if any of y’all have ever done something special for your wife, but uh,

Solomon did, he built her a house that wasn’t his house. I mean he spent 13 years building his house. Now, I don’t know. This may be one of those situations, you know, they say there are some spouses that can stay married until they build a house together and that experience is so disruptive in a marriage that maybe that’s, you know,

who knows. Maybe when she was, he was done with that project, she said, all right, and now you’re building mine because I didn’t like what you did with you know, the other one, who knows. Um, but he’s going to build this house for her. One of the things that you’re actually going to see this leading into in Solomon is going to,

as he marries more wives and as those wives bring his heart away from God, he is going to begin to build places, high places for their idols. And this is just the beginning of the departure from God. But then notice all these were of costly stone cut to size. Trim was saw, trimmed with saws inside and out from the foundation to the eaves and also on the outside to the great court.

These were expressions of prosperity. These weren’t, you take the stones that you find in the quarry and you’ve used them the best that you can and you make the best structure that she can get by with cause it’s all you got. These were expert craftsman ship hewn out stones. Uh, now I don’t know what kind of saws we’re talking about since these are saws being used to cut stone,

but we’re dealing with people who knew what they were doing and they made these structures and they did so in an extravagant way. The foundation was of costly stones, large stones, some 10 cubits and some eight cubits. Somebody give me a rough idea of how large a cubit was. 18 to 21 inches on average, 18 inches times 10. How large is this stone?<inaudible> 18 feet in length.

Some, you know, just 16. These are massive. These are no small things. So then notice And above were costly stones hewn to size. And Cedar wood at the great court was enclosed with three rows of human stones and a row of Cedar beams. So we’re the inner court of the house of the Lord and the vestibule of the temple. Now King Solomon sent and brought who Ram from tire.

Now I think there’s a difference in the King James version and the new King James here that in the spelling of the name, um, I believe the King James says, Hiram, H I R a M and R questions. Since I come from the King James version, they also state Hiram. The new King James is spelled it H. U. R.

A. M. A. So, uh, verse 13 now King Solomon sent and brought who room from tire. He was the son of a widow from the tribe of NAFTA lie. And his father was a man of tire of bronze worker. He was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill in working with all kinds of bronze work. So he came to King Solomon and did all his work.

Solomon looks for someone to do the inner workings of the temple, the bronze work. This is a specialized skill, quite obviously, especially as we begin reading through it. You’re going to see that this person’s no ordinary bronze worker. Uh, this man is, is truly skilled at, at this work as an art. Um, and so he’s going to bring this individual,

but this individual is half what? Half Jew? Half Gentile. He’s, he’s from the tribe of, uh, from what tribe? NAFTA lie, but his father is from what location? Tire. So it was mother’s from NAFTA Lai, his father’s from tire, but tire. Remember as the, the nation, the city nation that uh, they had received help from the King in building in the Cedars for the temple and for all of these other things.

And so they’ve got a good relationship with this nation. And so here’s this individual. He’s half Jew and he comes to do this work for Solomon. So we’re going to begin reading about the bronze work that was done, uh, in the temple and in other places. He was the son of a, um, I already read that verse. Verse 15,

he cast two pillars of bronze, each one 18 cubits high and a line of 12 cubits measured the circumference of each. These aren’t small things are they? That they had these massive pillars that were made. Uh, he then he made two capitals of cast bronze to set on the top of the pillars. The height of the one Capitol was five cubits.

The height of the other capital was five cubits. He made a lattice work with Reese of chain work for the capitals were on top of the pillars, seven chains for one capital and seven for the other capital. So he made the pillars in two rows of pomegranates above the network, all around to cover the capitals that were on top and thus he did for all he does,

he did for the other capital, the capitals that were on top of the pillars in the hall. We’re in the shape of Lilly’s four cubits. The capitals on the two pillars also had pomegranates above by the convex surface, which was next to the network and there were 200 such pomegranates in rows on each of the capitals all around. Then he set up the pillars by the vestibule of the temple.

He set up the pillar on the right and called its name Joshin and set up the pillar on the left and called its name. Boaz, the tops of the pillars were in the shape of lilies, so the work of the pillars was finished and he made the sea of cast bronze, 10 cubits from one brim to the other. It was completely round.

Its height was five cubits and a line of 30 cubits measured its circumference. What’s, what’s this sea that we’re talking about? What was it used for? It was used for the priests. Okay. It was used for the ceremony, ceremonial cleansing of the priests as they were making the offerings as they were preparing to go up into the alter to make the offerings where they were preparing to go into the Holy place to make the offerings.

These were having to do with the procedures and the offerings and the consecrations of the priest. What is the, if you take the type apology of the tabernacle and the worship and the old Testament forward to the new Testament, what was the consecration of the priests? A type of, in the new Testament, what’s the anti type Baptism? If you put the type ology together between the old Testament,

the new Testament, you go forward to the book of Hebrews and you will find that the Holy place is representative of the church. You could not enter the church until you passed through the water. And so there was a typology there between the consecration of the priests and that also this, the idea of making one wholly, uh, consecrated, uh, between that and entering the temple or the tabernacle.

Yeah, you do the math on this. This is, um, this is no a small swimming pool. Uh, this is no kiddie pool out in the yard. This thing was massive. But what, what I enjoy reading about is what was underneath it. Cause this thing was, this was thing was raised up. This, this wasn’t ground level.

You didn’t just walk down into it. You had to go up into it. No. Notice what we read. Um, verse 24, uh, below its brim were ornamental buds in circling it all around 10 to a cubit all the way around the sea. The ornamental bloods were cast in two rows when it was cast. It stood on 12 oxen.

So the sea stood on 12 oxen, three looking toward the North three looking toward the West three looking toward the South three looking toward the East. The sea was set upon them and all their back parts pointed inward. So you’ll get the picture here. If you were looking at it, no matter which way you walked around it, there would have been three oxen facing out North,

South, East and West. Uh, Verse 26, it was a hand breadth thick and it’s brim was shaped like the brim of a cup like a Lily blossom. It contained 2000 BAS. Uh, that was their measurement there for the liquid. He also made 10 carts of bronze. Four cubits was the length of each cart, four cubits it’s with and three cubits,

its height. And this was the design of the car. They had panels and the panels were between frames on the panels that were between frames where lions, oxen, and cherubim. And on the frames was a pedestal. On top. Below the lions and oxygen were Reese of plated work. Every cart had four bronze wheels and axles of bronze. And it’s four feet had supports under the labor where casts or excuse me,

were supports of cast bronze beside each reef. It’s opening inside the crown at the top was one cubit in diameter and the opening was round shaped like a pedestal one and a half cubits in, uh, in outside diameter and also on the opening were engravings but the panels were square, not round under the panels were four wheels and the axles of the wheels were joined to the cart.

The height of a wheel was one and a half cubits. The word Winship of the wheels was like the workmanship of a chariot wheel. Their actual pins, their rims, their spokes and their hubs were all cast bronze and there were four supports at the four corners of each cart. It supports were part of the card itself and on top of the cart at the height of half a cubit,

it was perfectly round. And on the top of the cart it’s flanges and its panels were of the same casting on the plates of its flanges and on its panels he engraved cherubim, lions and Palm trees. Whenever there was a clear space on each with Reese all around. Thus he made the 10 cards. All of them were of the same mold, one measure and one shape.

Then he made 10 lab labors of bronze. Each labor contained 40 bags and each labor was four cubits on each of the 10 cards was a labor and he put five carts on the right side of the house and five carts on the left side of the house. He set the C on the right side of the house towards the Southeast. Harum made the Lavers in the shovels and the bowls,

so Hyrum finished doing all the work that he was to do for King Solomon for the house of the Lord. The two pillars, the two bull shaped capitals that were on top of the two pillars, the two networks covering the two bull shaped capitals, which were on top of the pillars, 400 pomegranates for the two networks, two rows of pomegranates for each network to cover the two bull shaped capitals that were on top of the pillars,

the 10 cards, the 10 labors on the carts, one C and 12 oxen under the sea, the pots, the shovels in the bowls, all these articles which hear him made for King Solomon for the house of the Lord, where of burnished bronze and the plain of Jordan that King had them cast in clay molds between succuss and Zara. Zara tan and Solomon did not weigh all the articles because there was so many.

The weight of the bronze was not determined, so there’s so much bronze going in to these structures and into these things that they just said, yeah, we’re not going weigh it. It’s, it’s, it’s, it’s too much. The best way. W, w it’s kind of like when they were gathering the corn in Egypt in the years of plenty.

And they started initially counting how much was coming in and they left off counting because they said, okay, uh, we’re done with this, this, this, there’s too much here. Uh, much the same thing here. Solomon did not weigh all the articles because there were so many, the way that the bronze was not determined, the Solomon had all the furnishings made for the house of the Lord,

the alter of gold and the table of gold on which was the showbread, the lampstands of pure gold, five on the right side, and five on the left in front of the inner sanctuary with the flowers in the lamps and the WIC trimmers of gold, the basins, the tremors, the bowls, the Le ladles, and the censors of pure gold and the hinges of gold,

both for the doors of the inner room, the most Holy place, and for the doors of the main hall of the temple. So all the work that King Solomon had done for the house of the Lord was finished. And Solomon brought in the things which his father David had dedicated the silver and the gold and the furnishings. He put them in the treasuries of the house of the Lord.

So we’ve got a lot of detail here, got a lot of specifics. We’ve got a lot of interesting pieces that by the way are useful to help us get a picture in our minds of what this was, what it looked like all these centuries later. We can kind of maybe if not to perfection, but we can get an idea of the size and the scale and the massiveness of all of these things that were created and the detail,

the care and the concern. This wasn’t haphazard, this wasn’t sloppy, this, this was a immaculate work and they found someone who was excellent and skilled and knowledgeable and wise to do it, which by the way also hearkens back to the old Testament in the book of Exodus, that there were workers who were given that wisdom to be able to do those things.

But in all of this, in all of this, we can easily lose track of the thing that was important. And the point that God will make over and over and over again. It struck me as Eric was preaching about Jonah on Sunday. Somebody turn over and read Jonah chapter two, but getting about verse five through verse 10, uh, round verse five,

wherever it makes sense to start The is compass me about even to the soul, the depth close me roundabout. The weeds were wrapped about my head down to the bottoms of the mountains. The earth parse was about me forever, brought up my life and corruption fainted within me, heard the Lord and my prayer came in unto me for blind vanities per I will pay that Joan is there and the fish.

Yeah, Jonah was told to go to Nineveh and to preach. It goes the other direction. It struck me as we were reading that on Sunday as Eric was presenting the lesson that Jonah says, his prayer Went up Into where the Holy temple of God. And do you think for one moment he thought and he was saying or he was describing that it went into this golden cased temple in Jerusalem.

No. Here we are in Jonah’s day and Jonah knows the truth, the truth that’s been stated time and time again in old and new Testament. God doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands. The temple and the tabernacle were to be a symbol of God’s presence with Israel. God’s statement that he would dwell with them, that he would be in their midst,

that he would be with them so long as they would be with him. And when you went to the tabernacle, when you went to the tent, when all Israel had brought it, had had, had gotten their inheritance, they had built their own houses, they had built their own barns. David has built Jerusalem. The walls were set around Jerusalem.

David’s living in a panel house. When you go to the tabernacle and it’s Justin Old tent, There’s nothing special about it. There’s nothing magnificent about it. There’s nothing praiseworthy about it except one thing. God’s presence was there. And when you went to the temple a few years later, when Israel’s gone and the parted from God and God’s presence is no longer in the temple,

there were many praise worthy things to say about the temple, but it was missing the one thing that mattered. God’s presence wasn’t there. When we look at the old Testament and when we see the lessons from the old Testament, we see this great work and we see this magnificent wisdom and we see this, this intricate effort and we see this grand vision of building something for God.

But we also see the, the person who had the grand vision of building something for God, eventually lost track on building something for God and started building something for himself. And when he got done building something for God, he went on and build more things for him self and the people who saw this great temple and worshiped in this great temple and saw these magnets,

magnificent things, saw this thing and praise gone and consecrated it to God and and had a desire for this to be the house of God And failed to appreciate that the house of God was the heart of men. Jesus said when he went into the temple, You have taken a house of prayer. You’ve turned it into a den of thieves, and yet Jesus said that this house was to be a house of prayer for all nations,

And yet you will see even that they will take the temple and they’ll section out, Oh, this is where the Gentiles can be. Gentiles can’t have any part in this place or this place or this place. They can’t come. No. Well, here’s the court for the women court, for the women’s out here, the court for the men’s in here court for the Gentiles out here court for the Jews in here.

They turned it into a place of separation. God intended his tabernacle to be a place of unity, a place where people came together to praise him and not themselves. We need to be careful that we don’t turn Valiant efforts at building something for God into magnificent expressions of our own grander because we’ve done it far too many times in the church. We need to learn the lessons from Solomon Of the things that he did right and all do.

We need to learn the lessons of the things he did wrong because we need to walk into the courts of God’s house with humility and with recognition of who he is. But I will say this, of all the things that you see in the temple, all the things that you see in the artwork of the temple and the creation of this structure, one of the things that you get that carries forward long after the temple is destroyed is the picture of this place in view of the eternal throne of God.

The throne of God and the presence of God in the prophets carries much of the imagery from the temple. When a Z keel sees the vision of the one who’s on the chariot of fire there in Ezekiel chapter one, and in other chapters, and you see the wheels and you see the BESE looking each direction. All a lot of these pieces of imagery come from the temple<inaudible>,

But God wants us to know there’s a spiritual, it’s significance that’s far greater than the physical one. And that’s true also, when you get into the book of revelation, let’s go through the questions. Question number one more time was used in building a Solomon’s house or be God’s house, a Solomon’s house. For whom did Solomon build a special house? Pharaoh’s daughter?

Yes or no? Were saws used during the time of Solomon? Yes, they were, uh, um, question for a man of tire skilled in working with bronze, who worked for Solomon in building the temple was a Ethan B, Hiram C Cal Cole or D Darda B Hiram or who? Ram in the new King James. Uh, number five,

not included among the ornaments of the temple, which Solomon build was a pomegranates be oxen, C roses or deed Wheels. See roses. Okay. Uh, number six, high remain utensils for God’s house out of blank. Brass. Bronze. Yeah. The furniture placed in the house of God was made of Gold. Yeah. What did Solomon do with the things his father had dedicated,

Put them among the treasuries of the house of the Lord. One last thing that I wanted to mention just in that particular verse, and that is this, Solomon had respect for The efforts and the labors and the things that had come before him, even though he was in a different position, even though he had much more wealth to work with and had a time of peace that his father didn’t have,

he did not diminish what his father Had done. He had respect for it and he treated it with respect and I think that’s worthy of note and something of value there. Okay. Comments or questions? Yep. Alright. Thank you for your attention. Good evening. Good to see everybody here this evening and Oh,

Good crowd tonight. We still have a few out. Once we got on our sick list or usual ones, pretty much Darth and Riverdale, Julia Case and Jones spraying are still at home and Joe, you got your medicine adjusted. Nope. Anyway, they might still be working on that. Beverly Price is having some blood pressure problems. Your son knew, I didn’t know what was wrong but here this week tonight,

his blood pressure problem. Eric Habersham is still at home recovering from the flu and thanks. He might go to work tomorrow, may O’Neil, he sent Diana to get his report and she comes home and says, and nothing wrong with him so he can’t get out of all those honey do’s he’d been putting off. It’s good to know there’s nothing wrong with him.

I don’t believe out of center down there myself.<inaudible> Janet Jones is at home. She’s having blood pressure problems also and Rebecca still got the either or flu, whatever. She got ladies Bible class will be tomorrow at 10:00 AM and over here in the classroom for rush mowers are still in Ghana. We need to remember. Aaron would like to meet with the man briefly after Bible study.<inaudible> Here at college,

going to lead singing here at Richardson. The Bushnell and Aaron cohort has a closing prayer.<inaudible><inaudible> Evening. Is it on? Yep. We are studying this quarter in Isaiah and we came across this passage a day. I thought it was very interesting. Isaiah chapter 42 Isaiah 42 starting in verse one talks about the servant of Loris is a prophecy of Christ.

In verse one it says, behold my servant who I am, uphold my elect one in whom I sold the lights. I have put my spirit upon him. He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. He will not cry out nor raise his voice, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruise Reed, he will not break a smoke in flax.

He will not quit. He will bring forth the justice for truth. He will not fail nor be discouraged till he has this has established justice in the earth and the coast land shall wait for his law. There’s a lot of things we can learn about Christ in this passage. We don’t have time for tonight to look at, but this is a scribing Christ and it’s describing,

it talks about a bruise. Read a bruised Reed. It’s not broken, but yet it’s at that point. If you lean against that Reed or if you push on that read, what’s going to happen? It’s going to break. It’s almost to that breaking point that says the smoking flax, this would be a candle that’s about to go out and starting to smoke and if it’s not helped,

it’s going to go out. It describes a point where it’s a desperation. There is nothing else that can be done. This prophecy is fulfilled in Matthew chapter 12 Matthew 1215 through 21 Jesus just got done, uh, healing the withered man’s hand. He goes, the Pharisees are angry, of course, and he leaves. The multitudes follow him and he fell and he heals them.

He described his scribes there. It says that it’s a fulfillment of this prophecy. He healed those that probably at their wit’s end, there was nothing else they could do. They, they would not been healed for what they, what the ailment that they had. But think about us today. It’s interesting just before that in Matthew chapter 11 and verse 28 through 30 Jesus said,

come unto me all you that are lay that labor and are heavy Laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon me and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and you shall find wrists unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. The labor. There is a person that is at that point,

there’s nothing else they can do. It’s they’re weak. They’re like that read. That’s about to break that flax. That’s about to go out. This is talking about sin. When we’re outside of Christ, we can’t save ourselves. Romans six 23 we need Christ. Christ can heal us of that state. It says we can find rest and to our souls.

The only way we can find that rest is in Christ. John 14 verse six Jesus says, he is the way, the truth, the life. No man cometh unto the father, but by him we can find that rest in Christ. We have to put him on in baptism. We have to put in in S S and maybe it would be baptized,

but Amman and baptism as Romans chapter six verse three through four States. Have you done that tonight? Do you need rest from your soul? Has, has sin wore you down to the point where you don’t know what to do? That rest can be found in Christ? If you have not put Christ on a baptism, don’t put it off. Do it tonight or for those that have that are a Christian but have straight away,

we can still find rest in Christ, can’t we? If you have need or prayers or if you’d like to become a Christian, pray that you do it now as we stand and as we sing<inaudible> Oh, Oh, I just pray. Gracious, heavenly father, we bow before you, grateful for the day that you’ve given us, grateful for the time that we have to spend together,

rightful for all that you do for us on a daily basis. We ask that as we depart from this place, you will give a safety pray that you will be with us as we are separated from one another until we return once again to assemble together, sing to pray to worship your name. We pray that you will continue to grant us your grace and your mercy each and every day of our lives.

We ask that you forgive us when we sin and fall short of your glory, and we thank you most especially for your son who died and sacrificed for us all this we pray in Jesus name. Amen.

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You Were Once Darkness – Admonition 302

In Admonition Podcast by Web Administrator

“Ephesians 5:8 – For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
Transcript:
Do you remember what it was like back when you were in the world?
Do you remember what it was like back before you were a Christian? 
In Ephesians, Chapter five, Verse eight, Paul says you were once in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. How much better is it, if you’ve become a Christian, than it used to be?

I hope the light of God is in you, today. For more from the Collierville Church of Christ, visit www.colliervillecoc.org. “

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Watch more of Aaron’s videos about Salvation, the Gospel, the good news, the gospel message salvation, and in-depth studies of the books of the Bible by visiting https://cozort.org, and Collierville church of Christ.  

This video is a production of Collierville Christian Radio, the Collierville church of Christ, and the Gospel Broadcasting Network. 

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

The Collierville church of Christ meets on Sundays morning and afternoon at 575 Shelton Road, Collierville, TN 38017.
To learn more about the Collierville church of Christ, visit colliervillecoc.org

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Done By Them In Secret

In Admonition, Podcasts by Aaron Cozort

Scripture:

Ephesians 5:11-12

Description:

Ephesians 5:9 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.

Transcript:
When people live in a way where they want to keep the things that they’re doing a secret, that’s a good indicator that you don’t need to be around them.
In Ephesians, chapter five, verse 11, Paul says, And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.
There are people doing things in secret that Christians have no business being involved in. Stay away from them.
I hope the light of God is in you, today. For more from the Collierville Church of Christ, visit www.colliervillecoc.org.

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

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What Kind of Words Sway You? – Admonition 301

In Admonition Podcast by Web Administrator

Ephesians 5:6 – Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

Transcript:

What kind of words does a person use when they’re trying to convince you that you can do things God says you shouldn’t do? 

 

Well, Paul says in Ephesians, Chapter five and in Verse six that those kinds of words are empty.

 

He says, Let no one deceive you with empty words For because of these things, the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

 

He says, when someone tries to convince you that you can do things and live in such a way, God has said not to, their words are empty; they have no authority. Are you being swayed with empty words?

 

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

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1 Kings 5-6

In 1 Kings, Bible Classes Videos, Live Streams, Sermons by Aaron Cozort

It’s time for us to begin this morning. It’s good to see everyone here. I know we’ve got at least one that’s out with the flu. Uh, Eric Halverson is home dealing with, uh, that thing that’s going around. And uh, so keep him in your prayers.

Hopefully he will recover quickly. We are in first Kings chapters five and six this morning dealing with the building of the temple and the preparations for it be turning over there w again in a moment. Well, let’s begin with a word of prayer. Our Lord and father in heaven, hallowed be thy name. We are so grateful for all of your many blessings for your tender mercy that has been granted to us for the blessing of life and health that we have to assemble for the opportunity that we have and the freedom that we have in this country to do so without persecution.

We pray that we will continue to daily utilize that freedom to boldly proclaim the truth, no matter what comes and never shy away from the truth because of the influence of evil. We pray that you will help us to learn the lessons that you’ve placed in this text for us to learn to come to a better understanding of your will and to have better appreciation of your presence.

We ask that you forgive us when we sin and fall short of your glory and are willing to repent of those things. We pray for those that are dealing with illnesses and difficulties, pray that they be returned to their desired health and their desired positions. We pray for those who may be traveling, pray that they have a safe travels and reach their destination safely and we pray for those who are doing mission work throughout the world.

May they be able to continue in those labors and may they be fruitful in those labors, whether in edification or in evangelism. Pray that all that they do will be in accordance with your will in Jesus name. Amen. We read in chapter four and verse 30 thus Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt for he was wiser than all men than Ethan the as were height and Heman.

Ciao Cole and Darda the sons of Mount may hole and his fame was in all the surrounding nations. He spoke 3000 Proverbs and his songs were 1005 also he spoke of trees from the Cedar tree of Lebanon even to the hyssop that Springs out of the wall. He spoke also of animals, of birds of creeping things in a fish and the man and men of all nations from all Kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom came to hear the wisdom of Solomon,

Solomon’s fame and his fame concerning his wisdom specifically. Notice this isn’t fame about his great military power. This isn’t fame about the nation of Israel and its grander. This isn’t fame about this vast land that they’re ruling over because let’s face it, Israel even at its largest extent is a small footprint compared to many other nations around them. You think about the size of Egypt?

Do you think about the size of Israel? There’s no comparison, but it was his wisdom that brought from all the Kings and all the nations around them and all the ones who had heard of Solomon and his wisdom to come and to find out if this was true and to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Verse chapter five verse one says, now Hiram King of tire sent his servants to Solomon because he heard that they had anointed him.

King in place of his father for Highroom had always loved David. Now do you remember a King that David heard about who his father had died? And David was one who had been helped by his father. And so when David heard that his father had died, he sent his servants to go and to comfort him. Well, here Highroom does the same thing except Solomon doesn’t treat Hiram servants the way that that other King treated David surface.

The other King listened to his counselors and said, these men are spies. These men are here to spy out the land and the Congress. And so he mistreated them. Solomon won’t do that with high room or with Hiram servants. He will treat them as they were as friends. And uh, the servants of a King who was a friend. But then notice verse,

uh, verse two, then Solomon sent to Hiram saying, you know how my father David could not build a house for the name of the Lord, which his, excuse me, the name of the Lord his God. Because of the Wars which were fought against him on every side until the Lord put his foes under the soles of his feet. But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side.

There is neither adversary nor evil. Occurrence and behold, I propose to build a house for the name of the Lord my God as the Lord spoke to my father, David saying, your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, he shall build the house for my name. Now therefore command that they cut down Cedars for me from Lebanon.

And my servants will be with your servants and I will pay you wages for your servants according to whatever you say for you know, there is none among us who has skills to cut timber like the side donations. So Hiram is the King of tire, tire and Sidon or two cities and, and, and nation cities that were in the North above, uh,

Israel over the coast of the, uh, uh, Mediterranean sea. And so Solomon returns back of message to Hiram. Hiram has sent his servants down. Solomon sends back a message saying, you are aware, and I think this is interesting. This is not a detailed a skip over. He says, you’re aware that my father desired to build the temple,

the house of his God while he was alive, but wasn’t allowed to. David has communicated with Hiram and has discussed this. Now, this may have something to do with the fact you remember we read about all the preparations that David made in advance for the temple and for the things of the temple and how he gathered, uh, timbers. And gathered materials all together so that when Solomon started this project,

he was not going to have to start at zero. These preparations had been made already, so now Solomon is going to communicate with Hiram and said, you know about the situation. You know what was going on. You know why David wasn’t allowed to build the temple, but now I’m ready to build. But you have something. We don’t, not just the timber of tire inside in,

but you have timber workers that we don’t have. They have skills we don’t have. Some have come to these passages and they’ve looked at these, these statements, and I don’t know if they’re correct or incorrect, but they’ve drawn the conclusion that perhaps because of the influence of David and because of the communication of David and relationship of David and Hiram, that perhaps Hiram has been one who as a Gentile has been worshiping the Lord and that seems to make sense that there’s more than just a political Alliance here.

There’s more than just a civil Alliance here, that there is a friendship that went deeper than that. So that Hiram was actually one who worshiped the Lord and recognize the Lord as God because of his relationship with David. That may be the case. That may not be the case. I just know that there are some who have drawn that conclusion, but either way Solomon suggestion is and his request is you send us workers and you send us timber and I’ll pay you whatever.

I’ll pay your servants whatever you require. Okay, so it was when Hiram heard the words of Solomon that he rejoiced sprightly and said, and here’s one of the key verses that they they go to, to to bring forth this idea of higher rooms, recognition of God, blessed be the Lord this day for he has given David A. Wise son over this great people.

Hi room’s response to Solomon’s message is to praise Jehovah. Hiram doesn’t say, well bless be the gods of Tyre and Sidon. He said, blessed be the Lord and that word there is Jehovah. Then room sent to Solomon saying, I have considered the message which you sent me and I will do all you desire concerning the Cedar and Cypress logs. My servant shall bring them down from Lebanon to the sea.

I will float them in rafts by the sea to the place you indicate to me and we’ll have them broken apart there. Then you can take them away and you shall fulfill my desire by giving food for my household. Tires are the Hiram. The King of tire says, I’ll do as you ask, here are the logistics. Here’s what we need to do.

Here’s how it will get done. Here are the things you need to figure out and here’s the cost. So when you look at this, you have two nations working together, you have two Kings working together, they’re bringing together skills that one has that the other doesn’t. And the one thing that Hiram recognizes in this communication is Solomon’s what His wisdom And the rejoicing that Hiram has when he receives the message is not,

Oh look, we’ve got money coming in. Our GDP is going to be better this year. No, that wasn’t it. His recognition and his rejoicing was, David, my friend had a son who came to the throne who was wise instead of a fool. Go over to the book of Proverbs in your mind and think about, uh, not, not just Proverbs,

but Ecclesiastes. Think about the statements that Solomon makes when he considers the wise person who gathers all of these riches, who builds wealth, who does all of these things and is industrious and then dies and leaves it to his son. Who’s a fool. What good was it? He says, what good was it to go do all of this and build all of this?

Ended up delivering it to a son who’s a full Hirem rejoices because David’s son is no fool but is wise and is carrying out the wishes of his father. Also consider this idea that you have a situation quite often where sons reject the choices of their fathers. Son say, you know what, that may have been my father’s plan for me, but I don’t care what my father’s plan was for me.

I’m going to do what I want to do. That wasn’t Solomon Solomon in his wisdom, chose to follow the path of his father. Now he’s not always going to do it perfectly. He’s not always going to do it right and certainly going to be issues. But in this context, that’s part of what you’re seeing. Um, do we know how old Solomon was?

Um,<inaudible> what, what age is he when or do we have, is his age at his death? Um, let me see. Right. It is in the third year that he begins to build. Yeah. Um Hm. Okay. I, I’m not, we know that he reigned 40 years, say same as same as his father. We know that three years into his reign is when he begins to build the temple.

But we also recognize he technically began to reign before David died. So, um, I don’t know that we’re ever told his age when he dies. Um, if it’s not top, yes, yes. I, the impression is as well that he is even from his own statements that he’s a young man coming to the throne, uh, most likely in his twenties,

uh, perhaps even his early twenties. Okay. So then Hiram gave Solomon verse 10 Cedar and Cypress logs according to all his desire. And Solomon gave high room 20,000 cores of wheat as food for his household and 20 cores of pressed oil. Thus Solomon gave to Hiram year by year. So this is an agreement. Solomon, you give me food for my house now.

We talked on Wednesday about what it took to feed Solomon’s household on a monthly basis, probably very similar situation for Hiram. And so Hiram says, listen, you send me food, I’ll send you timber and workers. Okay. So this happened year by year. So the Lord gave Solomon wisdom and he as he had promised, and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon and the two of them made a treaty together.

Then King Solomon raised up a labor force out of all Israel and the labor force was 30,000 men. So he sent them to Lebanon 10,000 a month in shifts. They were one month in Lebanon and two months at home. And uh, Donna Ram was in charge of labor force. Solomon had 70,000 who carried burdens and 80,000 who quarried stone in the mountains besides 3,300 from the chiefs of Solomon’s deputies who supervised the people who labored in the work and the King commanded them to quarry large stones,

costly stones and human stones to lay the foundation of the temple. So Solomon’s builders, high rooms builders and the Gable lights quarry them and they prepared timber and stones to build the temple. So again, we return back to the statement that Samuel made to Israel. You want a King? Well, here’s what you’re going to get with it. You’re going to get a King,

but he’s going to take your sons and your daughters and your best and those who are the most productive and they’re going to work for him. Well, that’s exactly what’s going to occur here as opposed to all of these men being in the fields, being those who were working at home, working on their inheritance, they’re off entire and in the quarries building or preparing to build the temple.

Now there’s also an indication from other passages that some of the EAs are going to be part of the people who were not driven out of the land. There were still Canaanites who were in the land and some of them will be put to the work of building the temple and serving as the, in quite Frank terms, slaves of Israel, but you remember all the way back to the Caribbean nights they give you the nights were those that came to a Joshua and they said,

listen, we’re from a far off land and they addressed as though they’d come on a long journey and they had moldy bread and they came and they said, let us make a treaty with you because we’re from this far off country. Israel makes a treaty with them only to find out they weren’t from a far off country. They were from right there in Israel.

They were part of the people that had been commanded to be put to death and God said, here’s what’s going to happen to you. You’re going to be woodcutters and water bearers for my house. And so they had been put into a position of being bond servants, slaves of Israel, and specifically for the function of the temple and the service of, or the function of the tabernacle at the time and the service thereof.

So there seems to be others as well who have still been in the land who’ve been brought under subjection during David’s reign. These were some who constantly were fighting battles against them and now they’re placed as those who are doing part of this service and part of this labor. But there were certainly those of Israel as well. You see, part of the wisdom of Solomon in what did the Egyptians do with the Israelites when they wanted them to build these great cities and when they were using them as slaves,

they took them and they overworked them and they made it. They said, listen, as long as we keep them working, they’ll be obedient. They’ll be subjugated. But Solomon takes them and he does what, one month working two months off, one month working two months off. He gives them sufficient rest to keep them working and laborous and productive but conscious of their,

their needs and their physical work. I mean this is, this is not going to be easy work. This is going to be hard labor. Uh, and so he will be wise even in his choices in that regards. Chapter six it came to pass in the fourth, excuse me, he came to pass in the 480th year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel in the month of Ziv,

which is the second month that he began to build the house of the Lord. Now the house which King Solomon built for the Lord, its length was 60 cubits, its width 20 and its height 30 cubits. The vestibule in front of the sanctuary of the house was 20 cubits long across the width of the house and the width of the vestibule extended 10 cubits from the front of the house and he made for the house windows with beveled frames against the wall of the temple.

He built chambers all around against the walls of the temple all around the sanctuary and the inner sanctuary. Thus he made side chambers all around it. The lowest chamber was five cubits wide. The middle was six cubits wide. The third was seven cubits wide for he made narrow ledges around the outside of the temple so that the support beams would not be fastened into the walls of the temple and the temple when it was being built was built with FA with stone finished at the quarry so that no hammer or chisel or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built.

This is an interesting detail here because if you remember back to the book of Exodus when they’re building the tabernacle, initially that was one of the requirements. They weren’t to do the work of building the tabernacle and and hewing out the stones or making the poles or beating the the gold into and into its form. They weren’t to do any of that at the tabernacle.

They were to do that out, away from it and bring it to the place where it was to be built and assembled together separately and so Solomon carries that same idea forward into this work, but it’s interesting to consider just exactly what that means. I mean that means they were fashioning these stones, fashioning this structure and and building it all out, carving it out of rock,

quarrying it out and then moving the finished pieces and when they get there with the finished pieces, it all had to fit. I mean, you know, this whole a measure twice cut once philosophy of of carpentry is, is not necessarily the way it’s going to work out with this type of situation. You’ve got to have someone who knows this is exactly the right size in the right dimension in everything before that stone ever moves because no tools are leaving the quarry to go with the stone to get it right on site.

There would be no hammer, no sound of of a, of a chisel, no fixing it when it gets there. It had to be right before it ever left the Cory before it ever went to Jerusalem to be part of the temple. So, uh, it’s also interesting this idea that, um, if you notice it, let’s see here. Mmm.

Verse six, the lowest chamber was five cubits wide. The middle was six cubits wide, the third was seven cubits wide. Four, he made narrow ledges around the outside of the temple so that the support beams would not be fastened into the walls of the temple. So you’ve got these support beams and they’re created in such a way that on the, my impression of what it’s saying is on the inside of the temple,

you wouldn’t see them. They were on the outside. So they, they were fastened in such a way. So because you’re going to read later on that when they put the Cedar and the Cyprus and the wood on the inside, once you went into the temple, once it was finished, you saw no stones. So it was stone on the outside,

but on inside it was completely covered with the wood, uh, from, from the Cedars. And so all of this is done in such a way. It’s constructed in such way designed in such a way to end up looking a certain way. Now, one thing that another individual pointed out in, uh, commenting on this is nowhere in any of these passages do you specifically read that God is giving the instructions.

You, you, you see Solomon’s wisdom, you see the wisdom of others. You see all of that being stated, but unlike the old Testament, uh, or excuse me, unlike the tabernacle where God said, you do this, you do this, you do this, you do this, you make it according to this. And, and every instruction from beginning to end is laid out.

You don’t have the record that that’s how this happened. You do see the wisdom, uh, mentioned and the wisdom of God given to Solomon, but there’s no specific reference anywhere in the old Testament about God said, do it this way. Some of it follows the pattern of the tabernacle. Some of it doesn’t. But here’s the, here’s the detail.

Here’s why I mentioned that. Here’s why it’s significant. Remember the discussion in second Samuel where God tells David after David decides I’m going to build a house for the Lord. He’s, he’s dwelling in a tabernacle and I’m dwelling in a, in a panel in house. God said, at what point did I ask you to build me a house? I have journeyed with this people.

I have sojourned with this people for all of these years and at what point did I ask anyone to build me a house because God is more concerned about the people being aware of his presence than impressed with his house and here’s the detail. That’s interesting. Yes. The temple will be important. Yes. The temple will play a part in the history of Israel,

but Solomon will reign for 40 years. He’ll start building the temple on in the third year. He’ll take seven years to build it. So year 10 of his reign, 10 out of 40 the Temple’s finished<inaudible> Without very much time into his son’s rain. Less than 50 years later, The people will be worshiping in front of idols in Dan and bear Sheba and not coming to the temple at all.

Least 10 out of the 12 tribes. They weren’t impressed with what the temple was supposed to be and they weren’t so impressed with the temple that they chose to go there instead of go to, uh, an idol that was created in Dan and bear Shiva. You know, we get wrong headed about this. I think the same way that maybe David and Solomon were and think I want,

I want the place where we worship to be something that makes an impact. I want people to be impressed when they walk in the door. I want people to have a certain perspective when they want. And a perspective is fine and, and all of those things are okay, but it like Solomon misses the point because whether we worship in a building or under a tree,

what matters is, is God there? What matters is, is his presence there and are we doing it in accordance with his will? And God’s going to make that point to Solomon. This house doesn’t change the central detail. You follow my laws and if you substitute this house for my laws, you’re going to have a problem. Notice what we read.

So the temple was in B, uh, when it was being built, was built with stone finished at the quarry so that no hammer, chisel or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built. The doorway for the middle story was on the right side of the temple. They went up by stairs to the middle story and from the middle to the third.

So there’s three levels. This is a three story building. Uh, the doorway of, I already read that verse line. So he built the temple and finished it and he paneled the temple with beams and boards of Cedar and he built sign chambers against the entire temple. Each five cubits high and they were attached to the temple with Cedar beams. Then the word of the Lord came to Solomon.

Now notice this statement, then the word of the Lord came to Solomon saying concerning this Tembel which you are building. If you walk in my statutes, ex execute my judgments, keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will perform my word with you, which I spoke to your father David. Stake moment and step back and think about that God has just said.

Now this hearkens back to second Samuel chapter seven, God establishing his kingdom, God carrying forward the covenant. All of that’s true, but what part of this commandment was any different than what God had told Israel from the beginning? You keep my laws, you keep my statutes, you keep my commandments, you follow me and walk after me with your whole heart.

What part of that is any different? Now that there’s a temple here? None. Not a bit. And so God is making the point. Solomon, you don’t merit any special favor by building a magnificent house. You merit my favor by following my commandments and my laws and my statutes and guiding this people in right actions and a right heart. And that is where Solomon is going to get off track is the placing of things of things as a higher importance than God’s laws.

Now you come all the way forward to the new Testament in Matthew chapter 24 here are Jesus’s disciples and they, after Jesus has declared that I’m going to destroy this temple and in three days build it again. The disciples are going to, as Jesus is there in the city of Jerusalem, there for the feast of Passover, they’re going to show him the grander of the temple.

Now, this temple, the temple of Herod is nothing by comparison to the temple of Solomon, no comparison whatsoever in grander to the temple of Solomon, and yet they’ll show him the stones and the gold and all the things of the temple, and then Jesus will make it clear, not one stone will be left upon another. And you know what? In 80 70 when Rome came in and destroyed the temple and tore it down and took every stone apart to get all the gold that was in laid in the temple stones,

guess what? Never changed God’s presence among the church because the stone and the building weren’t the point of God’s presence. Those who were faithful to him was the point of God’s presence. Jesus said in John chapter four when he was speaking to the woman at Samarria, the woman who said, you know what? My father say that we all do worship God in this mountain,

and your father say that we ought to worship in Jerusalem. And Jesus says, there’s coming a time where God won’t be determined by who worships were. But whether or not they will worship in spirit and in truth and God will seek such to worship him all the way back here in first Kings chapter six God was seeking for such to worship him in those days,

in spirit and in truth. That’s why God makes this point to Solomon. So then we read verse 13 and I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel. So Solomon built the temple and finished it and he built the inside walls of the temple with Cedar boards from the floor of the temple to the ceiling. He paneled inside with wood and he covered the floor of the temple with planks of Cyprus.

Then he built the 20 cubit room at the rear of the temple from the floor to ceiling with Cedar boards. He built it inside as the inner sanctuary as the most Holy place, and in front of it, the temple sanctuary was 40 cubits long. The inside of the temple was Cedar carved with ornamental buds and open flowers. All with Cedar, there was no stone to be seen,

so the outside was stone. The inside you go inside and you’d never see a stone on the inside because of how it was done inside with the Cedar, and he prepared the inner sanctuary inside the temple to set the arc of the covenant of the Lord there. The inner sanctuary was 20 cubits long, 20 cubits wide, and 20 cubits high. He overlayed it with pure gold and overlay the altar of Cedar.

So Solomon overlayed the inside of the temple with pure gold. He stretched the gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary and overlayed it with gold. The whole temple. He overlaid with gold until he had finished all the temple. Also, he overlaid with gold the entire altar. That was by the inner sanctuary. Inside the inner sanctuary, he made two cherubim of olive wood,

10 each, 10 cubits high. One wing of the chair was five cubits and the other wing of the cherub, five cubits, 10 cubits from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other, and the other cherub was 10 cubits. Both cherubim were of the same size and shape. The height of one cherub was 10 cubits and so was the other cherub.

Then he set the cherubim inside the inner room and they stretched out the wings of the chair boom so that the wing of the one touched one wall and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall and their wings touched each other in the middle of the room. Also, he overlaid the chair boom with gold. Then he carved all the walls of the temple all around both the inner and outer sanctuaries with carved figures of cherubim,

Palm trees and open flowers and the floor of the temple. He overlaid with gold. Both the inner and outer sanctuaries for the entrance of the inner sanctuary was made. He made doors of olive wood and lentils and doorposts were one fifth of the wall. The two doors were of olive wood and he carved on them figures of cherubim, Palm trees and open flowers and overlaid them with gold.

And he spread gold on the cherubim and on the Palm trees for the door of the sanctuary. He also made doorposts of olive wood, one fourth of the wall and the two doors were of Cypress wood. Two panels comprised one folding door and two panels comprised the other folding door. Then he carved chair of them Palm trees and opened flowers on them and overlaid them with gold.

Applied evenly on the carved work and he built the inner court with three rows of human stone and a row of Cedar beams. In the fourth year, the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid in the month of Ziv in the 11th year in the month of bowl, which was the eighth month, the house was finished in all its detail according to all its plans.

So he was seven years in building it. Okay. So it took him a year to lay the foundation. It took them another seven years to complete the building of the temple. And so in in a total of eight years, uh, from the third year to the, uh, 11th year, they complete the temple. Um, now there are more details that are going to be given in the next chapter concerning the cards,

the, the bronze work of the temple. The other details, and we’ll get into that in another class. But all of this is, is important. All of this is useful information, especially as you go throughout the remainder of the old Testament, but it’s of worthy note with all the grander and all the gold and all of this precious things and all of the time and all of the years spent doing it,

it won’t take long and it will be in disrepair. It will be that which is not kept up. It will be that which is not important because it will not be that which directs the hearts of the people toward God. You go over to the book of Ezekiel and you’ll find a Zeke you’ll saying and making it clear through God, making it clear to his ego through a vision that there were priests in the temple,

bowing down to idols in the temple of God. We can get off track so quickly when we start worrying about the physical more than the spiritual. Let’s go through the questions. Why did Solomon say that his father was unable to build a house for God because of the Wars? Uh, around him. W whom did God promise David would build his or God’s house?

His son Solomon. What aid in preparation of building God’s house, did Solomon ask of Hiram, King of tire, Cedar and Cyprus, trees and craftsman who could do the work? A yes or no. Did Solomon use any forced laborers in preparations for building the temple? Yes, he did. Number four stones used for the foundation of God’s house were a cut or B<inaudible>.

Cut. Cut. Okay. Uh, describe the noise of hammers used in building God’s house. None at the location of the temple. Uh, how many stories high did Solomon build God’s house? Three how many years did it take Solomon to build God’s house According to the verse seven? Um, under what conditions did God say he would keep his promises to David and Solomon if they would keep his commandments and walk in his ways.

Was gold used in the construction of God’s house? Just a little bit. Just a little bit. Describe the wingspan of the two cherubim, which Solomon had built for the inner sanctuary. Alright. They touched the walls on both sides. Another would be a total of 20 cubits. Another answer could be 10 cubits each with whichever way you want to describe it.

Five cubits per wing, whatever works. As long as it’s in accordance with the passage, you can, you can go with that. So<inaudible>. Right, right. Well, and that’s part of what I, I was wondering is you get the impression, at least I got the impression that they actually took the logs, came down the sea on the sea and then came inland with them.

Uh, so good question of where, Right, right. Gotcha. It’s a long way to Jerusalem. Uh, of course, you start looking at the size of some of the stones themselves that they quarried out. And I mean, you’re, you’re talking massive stones. Um, So I guess maybe they had some of those leftovers skills from building the pyramids in Egypt,

figuring out how to move those things. So<inaudible> They were smart, smarter than me. Okay. They figured it out. Alright, we’re dismissed. Thank you for your attention.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Good morning. Welcome to the call. You have a church of Christ Sunday morning worship service. Uh,

we’re glad to see everybody. We do have a shortage of people this morning, but most of them own their sick list, so we’ll mention them anyway. We need to remember them all in our prayer. Uh, first of all, I want to mention this card that I got from Janie Marlin. Uh, it says to my church family, I’m truly touched by,

by your thoughts. While I was ill, thank you so much for the prayers, phone calls, food, and all of the lovely cards and fruit basket. And Christian loved Janie Marlin. Oh, I hope I get all these announcements right. There’ve been so many changes on in my handwriting. I probably get some of them wrong, but anyway, we’re going to mention our sick first,

which is pretty long list and some have been added since I got here. Uh, Rodale and Dorothy are still struggling with their health problem. Julia cation is still in Germantown Methodist and Joan Springer’s. It is at home. Marie said she might be doing a little bit better, but she’s still pretty sick recovering from our Bronco pneumonia. Tommy O’Neil is waiting,

uh, results from tests. Uh, he had done this past Thursday and Friday for his blood pressure heart or whatever. They’re checking it out. Gladys Laos came home yesterday morning, but she didn’t feel like coming this morning, but she is going to try to come. I’m going to go get her at, uh, for the one 30 service. Joe caisson is at home,

I guess did adjusting his medication for heart rate and uh, Rebecca Rushmore’s at home with uh, bronchitis and fever and Riley Henson has the flu and Amber has a fever and a possible virus. Eric Halverson has the flu. Oh Krista, Sandra McCall’s daughter is having problems with her blood pressure and also blood pressure problem. Um, Janet Jones stayed at home this morning because hers was elevated this morning.

If I missed anybody, let me know about it cause I’m like, I read everything that was on here, so maybe I didn’t miss anything. Colleyville cares. We’ll meet tomorrow night at seven. And um, Kevin<inaudible> is a guy with Potter’s children home. He’s supposed to be here between services to load up all of the stuff that, uh, the commodities and stuff that we,

uh, give to them. The children’s home every year a ruin. Remember them rush mowers, they’re still in Ghana. And the Bible bowl last night, uh, I forgot to ask Aaron hat went, went good. Good. And ladies a day at Coleman Avenue will be Saturday that February the 29th, Eddie will be one of the speakers if you would like the car carpool.

There’s a list on him, on the bulletin board. Michael Dale will be leading saying, Gary, Kali has the opening prayer and Eric Richardson is doing the sermon And uh, yeah, Erin will have a closing prayer. Okay, I got it right.<inaudible> Our first song this morning will be number seven and more tool invisible. God only wise number seven.<inaudible><inaudible> Oh my nah.

Greek name. We pray. Hey, rusty nun. Hey SNI and silent<inaudible> no more wanting, no wasting.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> no clouds. Which amount of goodness. Two alive<inaudible> to<inaudible> the true life.<inaudible> We<inaudible> as leaves on that Three<inaudible> parish.<inaudible> Gray<inaudible><inaudible> Oh, praise. We<inaudible> To see<inaudible><inaudible> uh, hi.

Uh, Our heavenly father, we come before they was praise and Thanksgiving. We come before thee expressing to the our gratitude, our indebtedness that can never be paid for the great blessings that are so richly bestowed upon us. Father, we thank thee for the daily blessings that we receive. We’re especially thankful on this Lord’s day, that the memories of our Savior’s resurrection and for his death and suffering on the cross for our sins.

And we’re thankful that we can approach the knowing that that face is toward us and the thigh eyes being on us, that the eyes heard our prayer. Father, we’re so grateful for that love. We’re grateful for the continues to drink and blessings that we’ve received. We asked you to continue to be mindful of us and care for us and help us father bless those who are in need about us,

especially the sick, those who are widows and those who are orphans in their affliction and father help us to do good unto all men, but especially those of the household of faith. We’re thankful for those who stand to preach thy word and may they do so faithfully only as the articles while to keep us in that care through this day and throughout all of our lives.

We look forward to the time when we can gather around that throne to sing, die precious forever and forever and we’re so grateful for those promises and the hope that we have. And father, we pray that continued blessings not only upon ourselves but those about us who are in need. In Jesus’ precious name. We pray The song to prepare our minds for the Lord’s supper will be number 376 he paid a debt.

Number three, seven, six. He paid a dad. He did not<inaudible> dad. I could not pay. I needed someone to wash my sins.<inaudible> And I see being a brand new song, amazing grace all day long. Christ Jesus paid yeah. That uh, I can never<inaudible> He paid that<inaudible> Calvary. He cleanse my soul and set me free.

I’m glad that, jeez us all<inaudible><inaudible> I know I can see a brand news song. Amazing grace all day long. Christ Jesus paid that I can have a<inaudible> One day he’s coming back for me to live with me. Turned Ali wanted me glory to see him on that<inaudible> I then well see a brand news song, amazing grace all day long.

Christ Jesus paid the dad, uh, never<inaudible><inaudible> Set aside this time of our worship to spend in remembrance as Jesus commanded that we might remember the death and the sacrifice that he made on the cross for us. Let us pray. Gracious father in heaven. We bow before your throne coming with praise and honor and glory. The one who was sacrificed on our behalf.

We pray that this bread, this emblem of his Bonnie, which was broken for us might be taken in a manner that which is pleasing to you all. This we pray in Jesus name,<inaudible> spray, Gracious father. As we continue our prayer to you and remembrance of and his sacrifice, we’re mindful of the blood that was shed on our behalf and we thank you for that sacrifice and that redeeming blood that paid the price for us that we could never pay.

We pray that as we partake of this emblem, may we do so in a way and in a manner that is pleasing to you all this we pray in Jesus name, amen.<inaudible> As a spray, we’re thankful father for that the living that you provided for us, we are thankful that taken care of us. It was food, clothing, and shelter.

All these years, pray that we have purpose in our heart. To give back to the portion of what you’ve given to us. These things that we asked you to Christ’s name. Amen.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Let’s turn to song number 650 send the light. 650 There’s a car comes ringing. Oh, they’re restless waves.<inaudible> Sin, Right? There are souls to rescue.

There are so hard to say.<inaudible> Sin, Right? Send them<inaudible> The gospel lie<inaudible> From Shaw.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> The gospel. I learned it.<inaudible> Four of ’em<inaudible> We have heard the Macedonian car two day session<inaudible> Sin<inaudible> And a golden offering at the cross. We lay sin<inaudible> Sin<inaudible> The blessing gospel lie<inaudible> From Shaw.<inaudible> Send them<inaudible><inaudible> Four<inaudible> Let us pray that Grace May everywhere about sin.<inaudible> Sin And Christ like spirit.

Every Werribee sin<inaudible> Sin, Right? Sin<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> From shore<inaudible> Them Right. The blessing gospel lie<inaudible> Four<inaudible> No, no, it’s not grow weary in the work of<inaudible> Sin, Right? Let us gather Jew crown sin<inaudible> Sin<inaudible><inaudible> From shore<inaudible> Sin<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Four<inaudible>. If you’d like to Mark the song of invitation,

it’ll be number 948 it will be on the screen so you don’t have to Margaret. But if you are one of those people that like to, you can, um, if you would, let’s turn to song number 38 before the lesson. Awesome God. And if you’re able that stand at this time please. Number 38. Oh God isn’t us God.

He reigns from heaven above, with<inaudible>. Ah, God isn’t in us. Um, ah, ah, As in us God<inaudible> From heaven above with<inaudible> And love a God isn’t a us. Um, ah, ah, God isn’t a us. Um, ah, ah.<inaudible><inaudible> The scripture reading will be taken from the book of Jonah chapter one verses one through three.

Jonah one one through three. Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah, the son of a Mai Tai saying, arise, go to Nineveh, the great city and cry out against it for their wickedness has come up before me. But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish.

He paid so he paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. You may be seated. Good afternoon or good morning, I guess. Not afternoon yet, getting close. Good morning. We’re going to be spending some time in the book of Jonah this morning. Jonah is a book that we know very well.

We’ve learned a lot of times from a young age. We heard about Jonah in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights, but this morning I want to focus on the time that the path that Jonah took from verse one to chapter three and we’re going to focus on what Jonah did. We’re going to talk about the path of Jonah. Look at verse one Jonah chapter one verse one it says,

now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah. The son of Amittai saying, arise, go to Nineveh, that great city and cry against it for their wickedness is come up before me. Jonah was from the Northern tribe of Israel. He was, he grew up in the area just South of the sea of Galilee. This would be about 50 years before the Northern kingdom was destroyed.

When Jonah is riding that at this time, and God had told him to go to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was the capital of a Syria. Syria at this time was one of the, there was the, the power, the great power of the day. They were conquering nation after nation and they were also oppressing the Northern kingdom. A series a series had been taken and now Sumeria is being,

or the Northern kingdom. Israel is being oppressed by a Syria. Uh, Syria was a wicked people. God says here, but they were also a very brutal, people look at it from Jonah’s eyes in his life. He was seeing his fam, possibly family, friends, those that he knew being carried away into captivity by the Assyrians. They were a small people,

but they ruled by brutality. Some of the worst things you could ever imagine. Someone do this. Syrians did it. They were known for their brutality and for their torture. The mention of the Assyrians brought fear into people’s minds. They ruled by fear and God told Jonah, go to them. I want you to go to Nineveh and preach to them.

Cry out repentance, repent, repent of what they have done. That would be hard for us to imagine, but it would be similar to God telling us today to go to the epicenter of the headquarters of ISIS and stand up in front of them and yell that they need to repent. What would happen? There’s a good chance we lose our head, wouldn’t we?

Jonah was told to go there and to preach to them. At that moment, Jonah had a choice to make. What is he going to listen to what God said or was he going to choose a different path? We can be faced with similar, maybe not this type of command, but choice that we have to make in our life. They may be difficult.

What choice do we make? What a Jonah choose? Look at verse three but Jonah Rose up to flee and to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He chose not to go to Nineveh. He chose to let fear take hold of him and he chose to run away from God from the far as he could. I think a couple of weeks ago and Wednesday we talked about Tarsus.

Its harshest is in Spain. The distance from where Jono was to Nineveh was about 500 miles, about three or four days journey as it talked about, but harshest was 2,500 miles as the Crow flies away, Spain and France, that area where Tarsus was, was to believe, to be at that day, the farthest away the edge of the earth. In a sense,

he was trying to get as far away from God that he could, but can we get away from God? We can’t hide. Psalm one 39 in verse seven the Psalmist says, where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? We cannot hide from God. We may think that we can. We may think that the choices we make,

nobody will know. But God does. This is the same thing that had him and Eve made. What did, what did? What did they do in Genesis chapter three first thing that they send. What do they do? They went and hid. They thought they could hide from God, but they couldn’t. Jonah made a choice. Instead of going the direction God told him he went the complete opposite direction.

He had to make a choice. And James chapter one and verse 12 through 14 says, let no man say when he is tempted, he was tempted of God. For God cannot be tempted with evil. Neither tempt he any man, but man is T when he is tempted as drawn away of his own lust and enticed, and when loss have conceived that bring it for sin and sin.

When it is finished, bringing forth death, sin, that pathway to sin starts in our hearts. It starts with that first choice. Jonah made that choice to go away from God towards sin, towards a path that led far away from God. He made that choice, but notice will happen next. Look at verse three but Jonah Rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord and went down to Joppa and he found a ship going to Tarsus.

He tried to get as far away from God as he could and he chose, I’m going to, he said, I’m going to go as far as way as I can, but as he goes down there, he finds a ship going to Tarshish. Think about that. Their ships from Rome, their ships from Alexandria, different all across the Mediterranean, but there was a ship that took him a far away as he could go.

The opportunity was there ready and waiting for him. The opportunity to get as far away from God as he could. He thought when we choose to go to make that choice to go away from God, there’s always going to be opportunities waiting and upon waiting for us to sin, they’re always there. Go with me for an example. Go to Proverbs, Proverbs chapter eight Proverbs chapter eight in the book of Proverbs,

we have the simple man. He’s like a man on a fence. He doesn’t know which direction he wants to go yet he could go this way or that. But notice verse one Proverbs eight verse one says, death, not wisdom, cry and understanding. Put forth her voice. She stand it in the top of the high places. By the way,

in the places of the path she cryeth at the Gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in of the doors as Tim Sipple man is coming into the city, wisdom is there crying. I’m here. Come to me. This is personified. Wisdom is personified here choose me. Choose wisdom, but notice there’s another one crying out in a sense.

Go to chapter seven look at verse five that they may keep the from the strange woman from the stranger with flatter with her words for out the window of mine house. I look through my casement and be held among the simple ones. I discern among the use a young man void of understanding, passing through the street near her corner and he went the way to her house and the Twilight in the evening and the black and dark.

Night and behold there met him, a woman with the attire of a harlot and susceptible of heart. She is loud and stubborn for her fee to buy if not in her house. She isn’t now is she without now in the streets in life to wait at every corner. So she caught him and kissed him with an impudent face, said unto him, I have peace offerings with me this day.

Have I paid my vows? Therefore came I for to meet the diligently to seek thy face and I have found the notice the difference. Sin is personified here. Wisdom was crying at the Gates and she’s on top of the house, top yet sin and was in that dark alley in a dark, the dark time of day, just waiting, not yelling out and crying like wisdom,

but just there. The opportunity was there for him to just walk by the opportunities for us when we choose to turn away from God, are there everywhere? Just turn on the TV, pull out your phone for a drunk. Someone that’s has a problem with drinking. The bar’s always right down the road. The opportunity’s there. If we make that choice to go that direction.

Jonah had a choice. When he got to Joppa, there was all those ships. He could’ve stopped right then and said, Nope, I’m not doing this, and he could have went home or going back towards Nineveh. That ship that was going to Tarshish would have sailed off without him on it, but he made that choice to seize that opportunity. There is always an opportunity waiting for us if we choose.

There was a choice that Jonah made. The opportunity was there waiting. He chose it, but notice what else happened back in Jonah chapter one verse three but Jonah Rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord and went down to Joppa and he found a ship going to Tarshish, so he paid the fare there of that ship. That fare to get on that ship was not free.

It costs him sin cost us, it cost him financially. You can imagine Jono walking down the street, fiddling in his pockets, pulling out the money and going, I have just enough I can pay to get on that ship. It cost him. It also costs him physically when he was in that belly of that fish for three days and he was spit back out.

Do you think a person that is in a wet environment for three days with complete darkness is not going to have some physical problems at that point? He did. He also heard himself spiritually sin cost him physically, spiritually, and financially. Sin is not free. It will cost us. Think about our health today. The choices that we make to follow a path of sin can affect us,

whether it be smoking or drinking or whatever the case may be. They can cost us physically. Think about the cost that it has towards others. Think about that drunk driver who chose to get in that car and to drive down the road and not only hurt himself, but possibly kill another person. It costs him. Think about what it does to families that are destroyed because of sinful choices that we can make.

Think about financially, if someone smokes a pack a day, it can cost almost $2,000 a year. A person that is an average drunk will spend $3,400 a year drinking. It is said that the average gambler who is addicted to gambling can have a debt of up to $55,000 sin costs us financially. Think about the medical costs, maybe the court cases, the things that we have to pay for when we choose a path of sin.

Jonah paid that cost financially, spiritually and physically. Proverbs chapter seven that simple man who made that choice that we read in Proverbs seven look at verse 19 says, for the Goodman is not at home. He has gone a long journey. He have taken a bag of money with him and we’ll come home at the day appointed with her much fair speech. She caused him to yield with the flattering of her lips.

She forced him. He’d go with after her straight away as an ox go with to the slaughter or as a fool to the correction of the stocks till a dart strike through his liver as a bird hastening to the snare and know if not that it is for his life. He thought he would be fine. The husband came home and he was killed. That dart went into his liver.

He lost his life for his choice. Romans chapter six in verse 23 it says, for the wages of sin is death, sin can cost us spiritually. First Corinthians chapter six verse nine through 10 tells us that those that are in that lifestyle choose to stay in, that lifestyle will not inherit the kingdom of God. So there was a choice. The opportunity was there,

it cost him. But notice next what happened to Jonah. Continue reading verse the rest of verse three says, so he paid the fare thereof and went down into it to go with him unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea and there was a mighty Tempest in the sea so that the ship was like to be broken.

Then the Mariners were afraid and cried every man into his God and cast forth the wares that were in the ship in the sea to lighten it of them. Here, he gets on this boat and here they are out in the sea and God sends a storm and these men are afraid. They’re crying out to their gods, which is not doing anything. They’re starting to throw what they’re weighed,

their wares over the edge talk about sin affecting others. They thought they were going to lose their life. This storm was terrible, but where was Jonah? The rest of the verse. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship and he lay and was fast asleep. Fast asleep means he was unaware of anything going on. He was in a deep sleep.

He was comfortable. He thought he was fine. When we choose that path, it can get to the point where we harden our hearts to the truth. We may be deceived thinking that we’re fine. That’s exactly what happened to Jonah. He was comfortable. He was asleep. Fast asleep, nothing bothering him. Go to Hebrews chapter three Hebrews chapter three in verse 13 says,

but exhort one another daily while it is called today. Les, any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Sin can harden our hearts. Why? Because it’s deceitful. If you don’t think it’s the CVL turn on the TV, Hollywood makes sin look like it’s great, it’s glamorous, it’s an amazing life, but yet it brings death. It brings trouble and pain and sorrow in our life.

It’s the seat full. It can make it look like we’re fine and we can harden our hearts to what’s the to reality. That’s why the Hebrew writer here says to exhort one another daily. It’s our responsibility to look out for one another because we can be in this state. Jonah was in this state. He had hardened himself to what he had done.

He was comfortable and where he was. Sin also does not show the real consequences. In John chapter 12 verses 39 through 40 it describes a state of being comfortable. Those that are blinded to the truth, they’ve closed their eyes. They did not. Here go to second Thessalonians second festival, Ionian chapter two second Thessalonians two starting in verse eight and then shall that wicked be revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.

Even him who’s coming in or coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and line wonders and with all the seat fullness of unrighteousness and them that perish because they receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved and for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lie that they all might be damned who believe not the truth,

but have pleasure in unrighteousness. When a person chooses to harden their hearts, God will let them go. God’s not going to stop them from believing that lie being deceived. Think about Pharaoh. We always say, well, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. Why would he do that? But if you read the rest of that text, guess who else hardened Pharaoh’s heart.

Moses did. Aaron hardened Pharaoh’s heart. The Israelites hardened Pharaoh’s heart.<inaudible> hardened Pharaoh’s heart. The magicians, the astrologers, those he trusted in hardened his heart. Why? Because he rejected the truth. He did not want to hear the message he closed his ears has blinded his eyes to the truth. This can be a state that we reach. We have to be careful.

There is possibly a hardening that comes going down that path that Jonah chose. Jonah chose made the wrong choice. He sees that opportunity that laid there for him. It cost him. He hardened his heart, but guess what? He woke up. He spent three days, eight Canadians. He tells him, cast me into the sea. He, he goes into the sea.

God sends us great fish, swallows him up for the three days he has time to think about his state. He has reached rock bottom. He has three days to think about where he was at. And notice Jonah chapter two now Jonah chapter two says, then Jonah prayed unto the Lord, has got out of the fish’s belly and said, I cried by reason of my affliction unto the Lord and he heard me out of the belly of hell,

cried I and thou hurt us. My voice for thou had had us cast me into the deep in the midst of the seas and the floods compassed me about all the high belows and I ways passed over me. Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight. Yet. I will look again toward thy Holy temple. The waters compassed me about even to the eyes into the soul.

The depth closed me around about the weeds were wrapped around my head, about my head. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains. The earth with her bars was about me forever. Yeah, it has brought up my life from the corruption. Oh Lord my God. When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord and my prayer came in unto the,

into the nine Holy temple. They that observe lying vanities, forsake their own mercy, but I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of Thanksgiving. I will pay that I have vowed salvation is of the Lord and the Lord speak into the fish and it vomited out. Jonah upon the dry land, Jonah hit rock bottom, but he remembered God. He repented of what he had done.

God showed him mercy when he was given that second chance. He got off the path he was on and went back to the path that he should have been on towards God. Look at chapter three verse one and the word of the Lord came unto Jonah. The second time. Arise. Go on to Nineveh, that great city and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.

God tells him again, do what I say. What’d he say in verse three? So Jonah arose and went into Nineveh according to the word of the Lord. Now known as well was a great, explicit, exceedingly great city, a three days journey. Jonah did exactly what God said. The second time God showed him mercy by the mercy of God,

he was given another chance. Notice Jonah was ready to do it precisely what God commanded him this time. See, God shows us mercy today through the gospel. Go to first Timothy, first Timothy chapter one first Timothy chapter one verse 15 and 16 this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am.

Chief, how be it for this cause I obtain mercy that in me first Jesus Christ, my show forth all long suffering for a pattern to them. What should hear after believe on him? To life ever lasting. Paul found mercy, so can we. God has shown us mercy. We can get back on that path. If we are a Christian,

we can pray for forgiveness of our sins. First John chapter one verse seven through nine. If we are willing to make a change, God is there waiting for our repentance to be back in favor with him. In Matthew chapter seven and verse 13 and 14 there are two paths. There’s the Broadway and there is a narrow way. Jonah chose a path towards the Broadway.

He made a choice. He was faced with a tough command. He was faced with that temptation to either go or not. He chose not to. As he went down that path, the opportunity, he wanted to flee from God as far as he could and that opportunity was there waiting on him. It cost him financially. It costs him physically and it costs him spiritually because of what he had done and he hardened his heart to the truth.

But notice there’s another path that path towards God. If we can make that choice instead of turning away from God but turning towards God and guess what? When we make that right choice, there’s an opportunity waiting on us. That opportunity is salvation. If we hear, believe, repent, confess and be baptized, we can be added to the church. We can be on that path going to heaven,

but it’s going to cost us. It’s going to cost us physically. It’s going to cost us financially. Why? Cause when we deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow him, we give our all to him. We give our life to God. We are not serving ourselves a choice as we want to make, but we choose to do what God wants us to do.

It’s going to cost us financially because we realize the money that we have is not ours, but it’s God’s the choices that we make our what God wants us to do. And when we do that instead of being hardened to sin, we have horse in and we try our best to stay away from it. And therefore, because of the mercy and grace of God,

we can be in him with him someday. What path are you on this morning? Are you on the path that Jonah took? Are you on a path towards heaven? You can make that choice this morning to put Christ on in baptism. Don’t put it off or maybe you have fallen off that path. You can get right back on. All it takes is praying to God to forgive you and to change your life,

to turn back towards him. If you need help this morning, we will pray for you. We will help you and encourage you if you would like to become a Christian. Today is the day to do that. I pray that you come forward as we stand and as we sing the<inaudible><inaudible> Uh huh. Well, Hey son to him. Hey son.

So Gladden<inaudible><inaudible> well come to, I am resolved to go to the same, you know<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> he is a true one. He Is that just one. He had<inaudible><inaudible> Uh huh. Hey son to him. Hey son.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> I am resolved to<inaudible>.<inaudible> He is<inaudible> Yeah.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Hey son to him.

Hey son. So Gladden<inaudible> Ah, that’s great. Hi. Yes. Uh, well come to<inaudible> I am resolved to and the King John, the being the pass ups<inaudible> Friends may oppose me. Maybe he to me.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Hey son to him. Hey son. So Gladden<inaudible> Jeez. Ah, that’s great. Ah, yes.

Uh, well come to The song for our closing prayer will be number 979, nine, seven, nine. I am a poor wayfaring stranger. You’ll need your book for this one, cause they didn’t have it in the slides.<inaudible> number 979 I am up<inaudible> Wayfair green street. Well traveling<inaudible> This<inaudible><inaudible> Yeah, there’s no<inaudible><inaudible> Uh,

And a drive<inaudible> To which<inaudible> I’m going To see my wife.<inaudible> Um, wait. No on too.<inaudible> I’m an<inaudible>. No, uh, George, uh, uh, uh, ni<inaudible> I mean of a<inaudible> Uh, I’ll soon be free from every try or My bodies and the, and uh,<inaudible> A drop.<inaudible> Dean.

Uh, you Oh, And then<inaudible> My Grade we<inaudible> I’m gone To see my save. Yeah. To seeing, Hey<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> uh, uh, I’m a knee<inaudible> Oh, uh, Let us pray. Bother of mercies. We come before you. Grateful for this day. Grateful for the opportunity to hear your word proclaimed, to stand in your presence and to boldly come before your throne prayer.

Thankful for the opportunity to use the fruit of our lips to offer up praise to you and grateful for the time of remembrance of your son and his sacrifice on the cross for us. Thankful to give back and to give that others might be provided for and that your word might be preached. We pray that as we depart from this assembly, we might carry with us the lessons that we have learned and the faith and knowledge that we have grown in that we might grow in grace and understanding in favor with you.

We ask that you help us in hard times and forgive us when we sin all this. We pray in Jesus name.