There are many subjects in Scripture that are spoken about throughout Scripture that describe how we are to live that t just the ways that we are to live in the ways we aren’t toe live.

But there’s a word in that is used throughout Scripture that I believe is probably one of the most recognizable terms.

Four. Obedience to God. It is the term righteous. The term righteous has as its very root the word right.

It is the lifestyle of one who lives in a way that is right, that is in accordance with God’s word,

but in anything that we do in.

It is good to be home and it is good to see each and every one of you. We’re glad for your presence, especially for our visitors. We are glad that you are with us today and we hope you will come back and be with us every opportunity you have. It’s father’s day. So to all of the fathers in the audience this morning,

happy father’s day, being a father, something I’ve been doing for about nine years now, Okay. And most days I feel as inadequate now as I felt nine years ago Because being a father is something that comes with a great and awesome responsibility. Individual once said, No, The least close to the quotation, a King realizing his incompetence can delegate or abdicate,

but a father can not. We are to be those fathers. Alright? Who as the passage was just read, train our children, bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. And it’s not an easy task. It’s not a task for the faint of heart. It’s a task for those who are willing to endure through difficulties, heartache,

struggles, good times and bad. It’s not a task to be taken lightly, but it is a task that is worth doing.<inaudible> And the individual once said, it’s much easier to become a father than to be one and such is certainly true. So I want to notice a number of examples in scripture this morning concerning fathers that we read about in scripture and Allen want to notice their example.

I want to notice their lives and then ask ourselves as fathers, but of course this applies in many areas to mothers, to Christians, to grandparents, What defines us as we view these fathers and to the fathers in the audience. What defines your fatherhood? We’re going to begin in Genesis chapter three Genesis chapter three we read concerning a man and his wife,

the very first man and the very first wife, the very first father of the very first family. We read concerning Adam and Eve that they were told in Genesis chapter two in Genesis chapter one to be obedient to the commandments of they were given a single Command of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, do not eat. They were given a responsibility to 10 and to keep the garden.

By all indications, they fulfilled that responsibility. And yet we find in Genesis chapter three and the occasion where the serpent, the tempter comes to Eve and temps her to eat. He shows her the fruit, he shows her the value of the fruit, he shows her the benefit of the fruit and she is deceived. We’re told, Well, we don’t want to focus on even,

we don’t want to focus on the serpent. We want to focus on Adam. Genesis chapter three in verse six we read. So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes and then a tree to be desirable to make one wise she took of its fruit and ate. And notice this last phrase she also gave to her husband with her and he ate.

If you take the entirety of what scripture says about this event and you bring it all together and you examine it, I believe, at least it’s my judgment that if you examine it closely, you will find that while the serpent, Tim’s Eve, and while all of these events that we read in the first five verses transpire, Adam is present For all of it.

Believe the scriptures indicate that Adam is there when all of this is happening And we see in this example and also in another passage we’ll get to in a minute in a minute in Genesis chapter three that the defining feature of Adam’s fatherhood, Okay Of Adam’s life is a failure to lead, A failure To place God before family. Turn to Genesis chapter three verse nine you’ll notice,

and then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, where are you? So he said, I heard your voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked and I hid myself. And he said, who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat? Then the man said,

the woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree and I ate. One of the very first things you recognize about fathers is this. They have an awesome responsibility. They have a great and a significant responsibility in raising their children and in leading their family because God has placed the husband at the head of the household. He has placed the husband in the role of being that leader and in spite of what our society says,

in spite of what our culture wants to do to the home, the reality is God made it that way. And in Genesis chapter three, we find the very first father for the very first time turning over the responsibility of leading the home to the wife. He says, the woman that you gave me, she gave it to me and I ate. It’s her fault,

not mine. But the reality is it was his responsibility. It was his responsibility to lead his home, his family, his wife in righteous behavior, and he failed to do so. We read over in first Timothy chapter two first Timothy chapter two and in verse 14 as Paul discusses certain things concerning husbands and wives, men and women, he says, uh,

notice if I can get in first Timothy chapter two instead of second Timothy. First Timothy chapter two and in verse 14 we read verse 13 for Adam was formed first, then Eve and Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived fell into transgression. Notice here that when the serpent came and beguiled Eve deceived Eve and showed her these things, that Adam wasn’t deceived.

Adam was fully cognizant of the consequences and the rightness and the wrongness of the decision. And he made it anyway. And the indication seems to be he made it because she made it. Yeah, He chose to do what she did because she did it. And we are to be those as fathers who are willing to stand up, who are willing to say within our own homes,

within our own families and within our own lives, we will do what’s right. So many times families and individuals and children have been led astray by influences around them. Because the father won’t stand up. He won’t stand up and be a father. He won’t stand up and say, no, this is what God has said for us to do and this is what we will do.

Why is it that that immodesty and and and pervasive, uh, sexual behavior is the way that it is in our country and in our culture. There is no greater responsibility laid at anyone’s feet for that problem than fathers, fathers who will not lead their families in the right path. Fathers who will not be obedient to scripture and fathers who will not say to their family,

to their wives and to their children, no, we’re going to serve the Lord. When the children of Israel came To the edge of the promised land, Okay, Many people disobeyed God, but the group of people that are held directly responsible for that disobedience is the men. Why? Because God told them to lead this in no way devalues a woman or devalues her role.

Instead, it is a responsibility and it is a role that God has given in the home, in the life, in the family to the male. It is so sad and it is so unfortunate that there are so many homes where the man has walked away from his responsibility. Too many times that walking away is while he is still in the household, he’s walking away.

He’s turned his back on his responsibility, and yet he’s still in the home. He’s still reaping all of the benefits of being married. He’s still reaping all the benefits of being the head of the household, and yet he’s not serving his family. It is also sad when husbands and fathers truly physically walk away from their responsibility. They fall into a failure to lead,

but let’s notice Genesis chapter six to the flip side to the contrast of of a father who fails to lead. We find in Genesis chapter six a father who is faithful in Genesis chapter six beginning in verse eight we read concerning Noah, but Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Noah is one who stands out among his generation, who stands out among the people of his day as one who said,

I won’t live like the world. I won’t live like all those who are around me who are living in sin, who only think of evil continually, I will live faithful to God. We are told that he found grace in the eyes of the Lord, but you’ve noticed verse nine this is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations.

Noah walked with God. There are only a few people in all of scripture of which it is said that they walked with God. It is a statement which declares the sheer effort of their righteousness and faithfulness to God. Say, I won’t depart from you. I won’t turn away from you. I will walk with you and Oh that we would have more fathers.

Okay. Of whom it might be said, they walk with God, Can two walk together unless they be agreed. Here’s the thing that we can know. God’s not changing. God’s not moving. Hebrews chapter 13 verses six through eight declares to us clearly that God is not moving and departing or changing from his course. It is only mankind that we’ll choose to depart.

We are to be those fathers who decide that we will be faithful. If you turn to Hebrews chapter 11 Hebrews chapter 11 we read a little bit more about Noah here in this hall of faith as it’s been described. Hebrews chapter 11 verse seven says, by faith, Noah being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear. Notice first and foremost,

Noah’s relationship to the Lord know his relationship to the Lord was one of reverence of godly fear, not one who was afraid of God and terrified of God to immobility and the inability to be able to serve him instead, one who feared God am there for Oh babe God, He was moved with godly fear and notice it says prepared in art for the saving of his household by which he condemn the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

Turn over to second Peter chapter two second Peter chapter two and in verse five we read this<inaudible> Before God. Verse four did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell, delivered them into the chains of darkness to be reserved for judgment and did not spare the ancient world, but save Noah one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness,

bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly. Here we read concerning Noah, that he was one who was righteous, that he was one who, who brought about the salvation of his house. But if you notice as you bring these two commandments or these two passages together, you find a number of things. Number one, Noah received a command.

Noah was addressed by God and was warn of the destruction to come and he received a command. But notice secondly, not only did Noah receive a command, he obeyed the command and he obeyed it faithfully for the long term. There are those who will say, there are fathers who have said, I will obey God, and they’ll do so for a time.

They’ll do so for a few weeks or a few months or a few years, but then they get interested in something else. Then they want to go their own way. They want to do their own thing. Noah was told by God, you build an arc and for a hundred years, Noah was faithful in that service.<inaudible> So many fathers walk away from their homes and they will claim.

They will say, I just got tired of it. I was bored, So I left to go do something else. Noah was one who feared God. He received a command. He’ll bade the command and he preached righteousness. Now it would be one thing if Noah was like the Pharisees and Noah was one who preached righteousness but lived something else. Number one,

he wouldn’t have found grace in the eyes of the Lord. He wouldn’t have saved his family, but his preaching would have been ineffective. You say, well, Aaron, I, I’ve, I’ve read the passage and he only saved his family. How can you imagine he was an effective preacher if he only saved his family? We have unfortunately many preachers who haven’t saved their own family.

He was an effective preacher of righteousness for he held his own family, remained faithful in spite of the onslaught of the world around them. Noah was a faithful father. Adam was a failure to lead. But another example comes from the book of Genesis in Genesis chapter 14 Genesis chapter 14 we read concerning lot, lot is the nephew of Abraham. He is one who would depart from the land of Abraham,

Peyton room with Abraham. He will travel with him. He will journey with him. He will go with him in this pilgrimage and he will be faithful with Abraham by all indications. He was a righteous man, But he was a fading father. He was one who began strong and as long as he was with Abraham in all the time that he spent with Abraham,

he remained strong by all indications of scripture. But there comes a time when Abraham and lot are too prosperous. Their wealth is too much. Their flocks in their herds are too many in their herdsmen are fighting over the land. And so as a result of this lot and Abraham, we’ll part ways, they will go opposite directions. They will remain at peace with one another,

but they will depart one another and it seems as though in that departure lot will lose much of the influence on the direction of his life because he will choose to camp toward Sodom in the well water planes of Sodom. He will make his home, he will make his abode and he will remain there for a time. But as we read through Genesis 13 in Genesis 14 in Genesis 18 and 19 we find that over a period of time,

lot goes from being outside Saddam being having his tent pitch towards Saddam to slowly but surely being in Saddam, A city that was wicked, a city that was known for its tremendous wickedness. Genesis chapter 13 verses 10 through 13 we find in this decision making about which direction they will go. That lot chose a path of prosperity. He chose a direction that appeared to bring blessing and wealth and by all indications it did.

How many fathers have sacrificed their homes and their families For prosperity, for wealth, for comfort, And a lot would do exactly that. He may not have done it intentionally and most fathers don’t. But slowly and surely his family will end up in Sodom. Genesis chapter 14 verse 12 and in second Peter chapter two verses seven through nine we read concerning lot that the lifestyle of those in Sodom and the sin of Sodom,

vexed lot’s soul, Just not enough to leave, Just not enough to depart and to take his family with him. And in Genesis chapter 19 we read the sad conclusion about lots life as a father. And Genesis chapter 19 when the two angels had appeared and had come to Sodom and the destruction was guaranteed and was assured and was promised. We read in verse 12 then the men said the lot,

have you, anyone else here, son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in this city, take them out of this place for what we will destroy this place because of the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the Lord. And the Lord has sent us to destroy it so lot went out and spoke to his sons in law who hadn’t married his daughters and said,

get up. Get out of this place for the Lord will destroy this city, but to his sons in law, he seemed to Be joking. Yeah, And here we see the fading of his influence as a father. There probably would have been a time where lat could have said to his children, it’s time to go. We’ve got to get out.

The Lord’s going to destroy the city and his influence would have been such that they would have listened, but by this point sin had crept in so greatly that they thought he was joking And they ignored him. They ignored his warning. They ignore the consequences. They ignored the judgment And they died. Fathers, be careful that your influence through your choices and through those you’re surrounding yourself with isn’t fading in the lives of your children.

That when you speak, when you teach them, when you speak of God’s word to them, they listen. Genesis chapter 19 verse 30 we read Len lot went up out of Xolair and dwelt in the mountains and his two daughters were with him for he was afraid to dwell, Enzo R and he was, and he and his two daughters weld in a cave and we will read the remainder of that passage and find out that not only had lot’s influence faded,

so had his righteous judgment and his decision making for his daughters will get him drunk and we’ll get him to produce seed through them and his morality will fade as well. Lot was one Who was a fading father. Adam was one who was a failing, a failure as a father when it came to leadership. Noah was a faithful father, but I want to notice one last example.

Turn to Joshua chapter 24 Joshua chapter 24 we find a fixed father, a father who would not be moved In Joshua chapter one we read in verse nine where the Lord says to Joshua, be strong and of good courage. He encourages Joshua. You obey the commandments of the Lord. You don’t depart from them to the right hand or to the left. You remain faithful to the law.

You remain faithful to the commandments and I will give you prosperity and good and good wherever you go. Just simply obey, just simply be faithful. And in Joshua chapter 24 as Joshua stands before the people as his life and leadership is coming to a close, he says, verse 14 now, therefore fear the Lord. Serve him in sincerity and in truth,

and put away the gods which your father served on the other side of the river. And then Egypt serve the Lord. Notice first and foremost, he calls upon them. He calls upon that generation, those Israelites to change from their father’s behavior. He says, don’t live the way your fathers did. Don’t worship the idols, your father’s worship. Do not pursue the path that they chose.

You decide to live different. And here’s the message to every father who is here. It doesn’t matter what your father was. It doesn’t matter what your father was when he was alive or when he was present or when he was in your home, or when you were growing up. You don’t have to follow his path if it wasn’t a path of righteousness.

No parent sets an unchangeable course for their children. When it comes to the obedience of God, They might set them on the wrong path, but it is up to every individual to correct that path, to serve the Lord. But he says, now serve him in sincerity and truth. Then he says, serve the Lord. Verse 14 and if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord,

choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served was you’re on the other side of the river or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you’d well, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. So the people answered and said far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods for the Lord.

Our God is he who brought us and our fathers out up out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage, who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we win. And among all the people through whom we passed, and the Lord drove out from before us, all the people, including the Amorites who dwelled in the land,

we will serve the Lord for he is our God. But Joshua said to the people, you cannot serve the Lord, for he is a Holy God. He is a jealous God. He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you after he has done you good.

And the people said to Joshua, no, but we will serve the Lord. Joshua puts before the my choice. He says, choose you this day. Make a determination. Determine the path that you will Lead your lives and your children and your families on choose. Will you serve the Lord or not? And when they say yes, we will serve the Lord.

And yes, we fear the Lord. He will tell them, you better understand what you’re saying Because if you claim to serve the Lord but then turn back to these other gods, he will bring you judgment. He will destroy you from this land as quickly as he destroyed those who were in it before you. So we see Joshua a fixed father, one who said,

I will serve the Lord and so will my family. We need more fathers like that. We need more fathers that not only know enough to make that statement but believe it and we’ll do it for the long term. We’ll remain faithful throughout their lives. Proverbs chapter 22 verse six says, train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old,

he will not depart from it. Here’s something I know about fathers. Sons will always remember what their fathers did and what their fathers said. They will know if their father lived something other than what he said. They will know if a father lives one way but tells him to do something else. It is so sad when you hear individuals, and I’ve heard it many times in my life where fathers or or grown men or old men will look to youngsters and say,

don’t live your life the way I did. Now, that may be good advice based upon how they had lived their lives, but it’s the wrong advice. The advice isn’t don’t live the way I live. The advice is live the way God commands you. Why is it so important to have the fathers that God says we ought to have? I do believe a little bit of it comes down to this.

When God decided how he would describe himself, He described himself as a father. When Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, he began with our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy may. We need fathers who we can look to, who are pictures of God, whose example we see through and see the Lord whose works we can follow after and serve the Lord and whose deeds match their lives and their words and their teaching.

We need more fathers like Noah and Joshua and many others in scripture. Sometimes we’re not that fathers. And when we’re not that we need to be the kind of fathers who repent. We need to be the kind of fathers who say, I’ve done wrong and corrected. One last example of a father in scripture is Cornelius. Cornelius was one who was striving to do what was right.

He was striving to be obedient to God to the best of his knowledge and the best of his understanding. He was one who was doing good and one who was praying, but it wasn’t enough. And God told Cornelius to send to Joppa to one Peter who would come and tell him what he needed to do. And you know, when Peter arrived and Peter saw what was happening there in Cornelius’s house,

and when Peter declared to them the gospel, that would save them the gospel of Jesus Christ. Cornelius didn’t say, you know what? But that’s not what my father did. That’s not how my father lived. That’s not what my father did. And if it was good enough for him, it’s good enough for me. No. Cornelius was the head of his household,

and we read that Cornelius and all of his house were converted. They heard the word of God. They heard concerning Jesus the Christ, and they were baptized for the remission of their sins that same hour. Why? Because Cornelius was a father who could admit when he was doing it wrong and was willing to hear the word of God to correct his life.

Are you that kind of father today? Are you that kind of husband? Are you that kind of man for the women in the audience? Are you that kind of wife, that kind of spouse, that kind of mother, that kind of woman, one who will hear the word of God and obey it? If you have need of the invitation, the invitation is open,

why not come forward as we stand and as we sing.

and so in the garden of guests emanate three times, According to Matthew, 26 Jesus in Extreme Sorrow in Agony, prayed under the father. He prayed because that’s what the father wanted him to do. He often done prayed. The frequency of it, of course, needs to be like we do. We don’t need to be like that cowboy who had his prayer, that he’d pray the same prayer every night. And finally he got tired of saying it.

He just wrote it down, and he would read it to the Lord every night. And then after a while,

he got tired of reading it, so just acted upon the wall behind his bed, said Lord. Read it for yourself.

Well, that’s about as much respect to some half for God and their father, who is in heaven.

But, you know, if we had the proper attitude toward God, we’ll find time to pray, even if it was at a stop light.

While we’re waiting for it to change the colors, pray without ceasing first. That’s one in 5 17 We always be ready to commune with our God.

Jesus had time to be about the father’s business, he had time to be baptized. He had time to worship.

You got time to pray. Are we crash like or to be likely? Then we just sing that or to be like the yes we did.

You had time to teach others. Also, how many have we taught this year? How many friends and neighbors and perhaps family members?

If we had enough interest to say, look less studied the Bible together, you know, it’s important for us to teach others also,

Christ was the greatest teacher in the world, and he used every opportunity. He was just like what he said.

Good morning. It is good to see each one of you here this morning. Our topic this afternoon or this morning, not this afternoon. Get my time’s right. This morning is going to be the character of a Christian. When we think about the word character, we think about a person’s personality, nature, disposition or makeup. When we think about character,

it’s like thinking about when we see something happen, somebody does and we’re in disbelief. We may say that is not in their character to do that, meaning it’s not in something normally that we would think that they would do. It’s not normal for them to do that. When a person, we ha we know that person’s character. We expect some characteristics from that person.

I have some those characteristics. When we think about a Christian, there are things that are within the character of a person that they will do and they will not do. When I was preaching at Stanton, Tennessee is not very far from here. Several months ago when we were in the foyer of the building. There is a sheets on the wall that were painted by sister Elkins and one of them caught my eye.

One of them was titled how to spot a Christian. The picture identified eight things that would help you spot a Christian. The first one was looking out for others, a friendly smile, helping hands, concerned and caring, willing to go the extra mile shares, good news, ready to listen. And the last one was full of good thoughts. Now I like that picture because it that those are characteristics that we would think of a Christian.

They are someone that is, has good thoughts, they’re caring, they’re loving, they share the good news that those characteristics, most people would say that person’s a Christian. When we think about a Christian, it is one that has a person, has moral qualities that are distinctive to a Christian. In our text this morning. In first Timothy chapter four in verse 16 Paul told Timothy,

let no man despise I use but be down. An example of the believers in word and conversation and charity and spirit and faith and impurity. Paul was charging Timothy to be an example. Every time I read this passage I think of a billboard. We as Christians are billboards for the church. We show what a Christian is. We show what it’s like to be in the church.

Paul is telling Timothy and your day to day life you need to be an example in all of these things. What is that? What is that characteristic of a Christian that we should follow? Go with me to first. First Peter, first Peter chapter two and verse 21 first Peter two 21 four even here on to where you called because Christ also suffered for us.

Leaving us an example that you should follow in his steps. Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. Who when he was reviled, reviled, not again. When he suffered, he threatened not but committed himself to him that judges righteously, who is the perfect example of the character that we should have. The characteristics is Jesus. He is that example.

He left us an example that we should follow being Christ like that’s what it means to be a Christian. We are Christ like when you think about the character of a Christian, the example of character is Christ. This morning we’re going to spend some time in third John and we’re going to look at three examples of characteristics that we can learn from. Two of them emulate Christ character.

One of them does not. The first one is Gaius. Go with me to third John one. Don’t ask me what chapter it’s emoji always says, don’t ask me what chapter, verse one chapter one verse one third. John. It says, the elder into the wall, beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth, beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health even as thy soul prospereth for I rejoice greatly when the brother and came and testified of the truth that is in thee.

Even as thou walk us in the truth, I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth be loved Val dust faithfully whatsoever that dust to the brethren and to strangers which have borne witness of vie charity before the church whom if they’ll bring forward on their journey after a godly soar, thou shall do well because that for his name’s sake,

they went forth taking nothing of the Gentiles. We therefore ought to receive such that we might be fellow helpers to the truth. John writes this letter to Gaius. He writes to him, and we don’t know who this guy is, is there several mentions of the same name in the in the new Testament, but it doesn’t matter who he is. What matters is John wrote to him and calls him his beloved.

Well, beloved, this indicates he was someone that John respected and admired very much. Why? Because of his Example. It was mentioned in verse two beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health even as thy soul. Prospereth Gaius was one that had spiritual, great spiritual prosperity. When we think about prosperity, sometimes we think of of money.

We say, well, he’s a, he has a abundant amount of money, but here it’s related to the spiritual things. He was spiritually prospering. He had wisdom, he had knowledge, he had many things. I mean, you could go to the Christian graces and second Peter chapter one these things were characteristics of Gaius. Some think that he was pouring health and financially was struggling,

which would you know would not be surprising during this time with all the persecution that was going on, but yet he did not let those things get him down. He did not let those things affect his soul because he had great spiritual prosperity. How do we know that? Well. Verse three it says, for our rejoice greatly when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee,

even as our walk us in the truth, he walked in the truth. What does that mean? Well, first John chapter one in verse seven four if we walk in the light as he is in light, we have fellowship with one another in the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin by walking in the truth, by walking in truth, he was walking with Christ.

He was in the light, but not only was he in the light, the word there is mean walking presently active, but he had the truth in him. Psalm one 1911 I word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee. It’s hard to, it’s easier to get through temptations when the word of God is in our hearts And that is exactly what guys was like.

He had the word of truth in his heart and he walked it every day. He also had a character of hospitality. Look at verse five it says, beloved, thou does faithfully whatsoever without Dewesse. To the brethren and to strangers. He was one who had hospitality. He did it faithfully, which means to show or execute. Not only did he say,

if you need anything, I can, I’m there for you. But he did it. He was known to be a man that did what he said. That’s what it means to be faithful. You know, many times we tell people, if you ever need anything, I’m there for you. Just let me know, but are we really there for them?

Are we just saying that in James chapter two in verse 16 James chapter two and verse 16 it’s, here’s the picture of one when we’re talking about faith and works here, verse 16 it says in one of you saying to them, depart in peace, be warmed and fill. Not withstanding, you give them not those things which are needful to the body.

What does it prophet, he was a man that didn’t just say be warmed and filled and go on. He was a man that he said, be warmed to fill any, helped him. Verse 17 through 20 talks about faith with works. He was a man that had action. He executed what he said. He was hospitable to everyone that needed it.

First, he showed hostility to the brethren as Galatians chapter six and verse 10 tells us to do good unto men, especially those of the household of faith. He helped those on his in the congregation, his brethren, but also strangers that we talked about this morning. The idea of a stranger, someone that we don’t know, it’s someone that would stay possibly one night and go on.

He was hospitable to everyone. That’s kind of dangerous during that time to be housing people. He didn’t know. You know, during that time they did have letters of commendation that went along with them that would let people know that Paul talks about in first and second Corinthians to let them know who they were and where they were from. But during that time it was,

there was not very many places to stay and for a Christian to stay somewhere and an end, it was not a very good place to be because of the sin that was going on. And so he was one that accepted people into his home. And not only that, he was accepting those that John sent. We’re going to see later someone else did not do that,

but Gaius was, he was hospitable. He showed love and care for others. That’s exactly what we should be in our lives. Matthew chapter 25 Matthew chapter 25 and verse 34 says, then shall the King Sante them on his right hand come. He blessed them. My father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was an hungered and you gave me meat.

I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you took me in naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came into me then shall the righteous answer him saying, Lord, when saw wee and hungered and fed thee or thirsty and gave the drink and when so we the a stranger and took the in or naked and clothed or when saw we the sick or in prison and came onto the and the King shall answer.

And say unto them, verily I say unto you, in so much as you have done it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, you have done it unto me. This district’s highest a hundred percent he was one that took care of strangers, of his brethren, And that is exactly what we should do today. This character that when we were talking about the character of a Christian,

this is the characteristic that we should have being hospitable, but also he had love. Verse six of of third John, it says, which have borne witness of thy charity before the church whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly soar, thou shall do well. The word charity, there is a GAAP to love the word of God. It means benevolence,

kindness, affection, Goodwill. This is the love that we are to have for one another that we should have for our fellow men, a God, a love. This is the love talked about in first John chapter three first John chapter three in verse 16 it says, hereby perceive we the love of God because he had laid down his life for us.

And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren, but whoso half those world’s good and see if his brother have need and shut it up. His bowels of compassion from him. How dwelleth the love of God in him. We are to have a God, a love for one another, and for those that are strangers, and that’s exactly what Gaius did.

He had a love for one another, But not only that, he had a charity before the church, before the church that showed, he had an example. He was setting forth an example to those that were around him that they also emulated. We should learn from this example of Gaius and have in our lives spiritual prosperity, hospitality, and charity for brethren and strangers alike.

What about our second example? Our second example is not so good of an example. This is Diane atrophies. Go back to chapter three or a third John and look at verse nine third John, verse nine I wrote unto the church, but Dodger fees who love to have the preeminence among them received us not. He was a man who had an he this,

this man was a Christian. We have to remember that he was a Christian and yet he was showing characteristics, not of a Christian. It says he had the pre love to have the preeminence among everyone. The word preeminence means to be fond of being first. That is ambitious of distinction. He loved to be first. He loved to be the one that was recognized for everything that was going on.

He was the, he loved to be the one that was in control. That was the atrophies. This description would be a person who is always looking to be noticed and everything. He does this description, but it would be the one that has the characteristics of selfishness, smooth, proud, and even having an intimidating attitude. The intimidating attitude of things should go my way.

You should listen to me. I know what’s going on, what we should do. That was characteristics of him. God hates this characteristic. God does not want us to have this preeminence among one another. Look at Matthew chapter 18 Matthew chapter 18 and verse four Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as a little child. The same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

James four 10 also tells us to be humble. God wants us to be humble, not proud, not arrogant, not wanting to be first all the time, not want to be recognized and everything but humble who is a perfect example of humbleness. Christ and Philippians chapter two he humbled himself to a servant. CDAI atrophies was not a servant and I can,

you can tell that in his actions, he was not a servant. He was out for people to serve him. Preeminence is not always a bad thing because, and go to code with me to cloth. In chapter one there is only one that is to have preeminence collage. In chapter one in verse 18 it says, and he is the head of the boy.

Who is it talking about Simon Christ. Go up to verse 13 it says, who had delivered us from the power of darkness? Now translate us into the kingdom of his dear son. That’s the nearest pronoun or nearest now, so that’s son is talking about Jesus. Go back to verse 18 and he the son is the head of the body, the church who is the beginning,

the firstborn form, the dead that in all things he might have the preeminence. There was only one and that’s Christ who has preeminence. Got your fees, love to be praised and loved to have control but he also did something else. Verse 10 go back to third verse 10 says, wherefore if I come, I will remember his deeds, which he does.

Think about that a second. We’ve talked about Paul in second Corinthians when he said, I’m coming and I’m going to deal with you. That’s a bad thing. John is an apostle. Paul is an apostle. Paul told the Corinthians, I’m going to come to the Judaizers. He’s telling them I’m coming with a rod of correction. That is a scary thing.

You do not want to mess with an apostle, and John here is saying the same thing. Wherefore, if I come be in John, I will remember his deeds, which he does pratting against us with malicious words and not content there. With neither death he received himself receive the brethren and for bidding them that would and cast them out of the church.

The atrophies was one who was speaking with malicious words. The word pratting here means to utter nonsense, to accuse one falsely indicating that he was speaking evil and false words against John. In the missionaries that John sent, the men that John sent to them, This was, this is the same word, similar to the same word that Paul talks about in first Timothy chapter five in verse 13 it’s the word tattlers.

It’s to gossip. It’s the talk behind talk evil of someone else. See, Dodge fees was working behind the scenes to destroy God. John’s character and the men that were there. He was talking malicious words, false things, very similar to what the Judaizers were doing and that’s what the atrophies was doing. Those that are predators. Praters are in contrast to those that have wisdom.

Go to Proverbs chapter 10 Proverbs chapter 10 in verse eight The wise and heart rule received commandments, but a prating fool shall fall. Verse 10 he that Winkle with the eye cause a sorrow but a parading fool shall fall. He may thought he had wisdom. He may thought he knew everything but he didn’t. He didn’t have wisdom. He was a fool.

We need to be careful ourselves to make sure that we do not try to have the premise to try not to, to think that we Can talk others down In James chapter one in verse 26 it’s interesting. It talks about if there are any be any, if there be any among you. Okay. That seemed to be religious and bridal with not his tongue but deceived his own heart.

His religion is vain. If a person is talking behind the scenes, gossiping, others, tearing others down, their religion is vain. That’s exactly what Diane atrophies was. It was fake. He didn’t have your religion because verse 27 says pure religion and undefiled before God and the father is this. To visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction and to keep oneself on spotted from the world.

He did not keep himself unspotted from the world. We need to be careful the things that we say. How would it seem if we’re out into in the world, out in the community and we’re talking bad about others? Is that a characteristic that people would think of a Christian? Are they going to say, well that person’s a Christian or are they going to say,

I thought he was a Christian. I’ve heard that before about others. I thought he was a Christian. What do you say in that situation? That’s tough. The atrophies was not acting like a Christian should be. He didn’t not have the character of a Christian. Let us make sure not to have the characteristic shown by Dodger fees, not having hospitality,

wanting always to be first in can can in control and speaking evil of those doing good. Let’s not be like him. Well, let’s look at the last example. This is a good example. Demetrius, go back to third. John in verse 12 says, Demetrius have good rapport of all men and other truth itself. Yea and we also bear record and he know that our record is true.

It’s just a short verse. Most of the time we skip over Demetrius, we don’t really think about him, but he was a good example. He was a, he is an example of having a great rapport among other men. Now, interesting. It does not say among the brethren, what’s it say among all men. He was someone that was known not only in a church of having a,

having a good character, but he was known of those that around him in the community and he had a good report of that. What does it mean to have a good report? We’ll go with me to ask chapter 10 Acts chapter 10 and verse 22 the whole chapter of acts 10 is talking about Cornelius and the first in verse 22 of chapter 10 it States and they said,

Cornelius, the Centurion, a just man one that fear of God and of good report among all the nations of the Jews was warned from God by all by and Holy angel to sin for the into the on house and to hear words of thee. It is spoken about Cornelius. So he was a man of good report. Well, what were those things that showed he a good report or consistent of his good report?

Go back to verse one chapter 10 says, and there was a certain man in Cesarea called Cornelius, and since Tyrian of the band called the Italian band, a devout man and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people and prayed to God all the way. Here we have an example of a man that has a good rapport.

What did he have? He was one that fear God. People knew that they knew. He feared God. He was one, not only fear God, but showed leadership in his house. His family also feared God. He showed leadership. He was one that was benevolent by giving money to the people. Remember Cornelius, he is not a Jew. He is a part of the Roman Roman army.

He’s a Roman Centurion, but he’s giving much arms to the people. He’s benevolent, he’s caring, he’s loving. People. Know that about him. He prayed to God always, which showed people He had a love for them and that it showed and it showed though that he had a love for God. These are all characteristics of a Christian. Now,

Cornelius wasn’t a Christian at this point, was he? But by the end of the chapter was he? He was. He heard the truth and he became a Christian. Do you think these characteristics stopped after he became a Christian? I would think they would amplified. He would have continued to increase and this good report. See, these are all things that we need to have in our life as Christians,

be known of others of fearing God. Be benevolent, caring where people know that we love them and praying to God always and an ISS talked about is having a good report also in acts 22 and verse 12 but, but another thing about having a good report means we are working hard to be honest. Have an honest walk among all men. In first Timothy chapter three in verse seven it talks about how an elder is supposed to have good report of those that are out.

They’re the same thing. They have to have these characteristics. To have a good report means to work hard. Walk honestly fearing God being a leader in our home, leaving a God living a godly life and giving to others that need, that is what it means to have a good report. He was one that did not have to praise himself. It said back in verse 12 Demetrius had good half good report of all men and of the truth.

Yay. And we also bear record. We bear record and ye know that our record is true. His actions showed and people praised him for that. Did he act like Diotrephes and sit back and go, come on somebody, pray, please praise me for what I’ve done. He was looking, the atrophies was looking for praise, but Demetrius, he didn’t.

Proverbs chapter 27 Proverbs chapter 27 and verse two, let another man praise thee and not dine own mouth a stranger and not thine own lips save. When we, when we are doing good works, people will notice. But is that why we do things now? But that’s what happens and that’s what was going on with Demetrius. People praised him for his good works and I got all the way back to John.

Let us have the characteristics that Demetrius had by striving to live honestly with all men so that we also have a good report. Which characteristics do we have in our Christian walk? Are we like Gaius who is hospitable, had a great love for the brethren and strangers and one that had great spiritual prosperity? Are we like the Archer feasts and that we are selfish and proud and we want to have control over everything and recognition for everything.

Or maybe we refuse to be hospitable and maybe speak evil of others or are we like Demetrius who had a good report among all brethren? Hopefully we are like Gaius and Demetrius. When we were out doing our day to day business, can people spot us as a Christian by our characteristics? Can people look at us and go, that’s a Christian, I know he’s a Christian Or do they not know?

Unfortunately, a lot of times in the in the church, most people don’t know we need to have the characteristics of Christ As a Christian. We are a Christ like he left us the perfect example, perfect example that we should strive to emulate. We’re not perfect Romans three 23 but we can strive to be like Christ and our everyday walk. Where are you at today?

Have you not being living the life that Christ would want us to live? Today’s the day to make that change, to decide that I going to live like Christ from now on, today is the day to make that change Or maybe you might need the prayers of the congregation. Maybe you need help. We are here for you, Or maybe you haven’t even put Christ on in baptism yet to go to heaven.

We have to be in Christ. Where are you at? Today is the day of salvation. Today is the day to be in Christ. Don’t put it off. Do it now as we stand.

Tonight. I want to go to first Peter chapter one the opening of Peter’s letter. He makes some statements here that I want to look at. First Peter chapter one we’re going to read verse one and two says, Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ to the stranger scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, Bethania eat, elect according to the fore knowledge of God,

the father, the word elect means chosen to select who is he talking about? Well, he’s talking about those strangers scattered abroad. Those through that are the Christians he’s writing to the Christians, us, those that are scattered abroad, they are the elect. How are they chosen? Says according to the fore knowledge of God, some would like us to think that we are selected before we were born and we have no choice,

but that’s not the case. Go with me to Fijian chapter one. Ephesians chapter one verse four Says, according as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be Holy and without blame before him in love, we are chosen in him before the world foundation of the world. God had a plan before he even created us.

What was that plan? Second Thessalonians, Second Thessalonians chapter two verse 13 but we are bound to give thanks always to God for you brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God half from the beginning chose you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth. Where into he called you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

How did he call us through the gospel? Those that are elect are those that are called through the gospel, but how go back to first Peter chapter two our first Peter chapter one verse two it says, elect according to the foreknowledge of God, the father through sanctification of the spirit. Now Aaron, I always like to talk about the same thing on the same night.

John chapter 17 and verse 17 it says, sanctify them through that truth. I word is truth. The word sanctification here means to be set apart for a special purpose. It says here we are sanctified. We are set apart. Set apart from what? From sin. The spirit sets us apart, separates us from sin. How on to the word on two means.

There’s connection here and to obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus gave that sacrifice. We are sanctified. We are set apart from sin, from the world through the blood of Christ. Revelation chapter one revelation chapter one and verse four verse five and from Jesus Christ who is the faithful witness and the first be gotten to the dead and the Prince of the Kings of the earth unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

we are sanctified. We are set apart by that sacrifice that Christ made for us. How can we be the elect? How can we be elect? What we see here, God, the father had a plan before the world began. We see that the spirit separates us from the world through the blood of Christ unto obedience. We have to obey that plan.

We’re not just selected. We don’t have a choice. We have a choice RI. Hebrews chapter five verse nine says, and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him. We can be the elect. Just as Peter here talked about how he was riding to the elect, we can be that elect through obedience to his plan of salvation.

We, how do we get in contact without blood, which cleanses us through baptism. We have to follow his plan. We have to hear the message. Romans 10 verse 17 we have to believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God. Mark 16 verse 15 and 16 we have to repent of our sins. Acts three 19 we have to confess that Jesus Christ is the son of God.

Romans 10 verses nine and 10 and then we have to be baptized where we come in contact with that blood. We rise up, cleanse a new person, the elect of God. Have you done that tonight? Have you done that? Tonight is a night to put on Christ in baptism. If you have not, tonight is the night to do it.

As we stand and as we.

<inaudible> Good morning. Can we get everything together here in a moment? Take your Bibles if you will, and open them to Luke chapter 22 Luke chapter 22<inaudible> Blood of Christ topic often discussed, often preached on, often studied<inaudible> Maybe perhaps not ever capable of fully being appreciated.<inaudible> Well, this morning and this afternoon, I want us to examine this one idea by his blood<inaudible> In Luke chapter 22 beginning in verse 63 going down through verse 65 we read about Jesus being mopped.

Verse 63 says, now the men who held Jesus mocked him and beat him and having blindfolded him, they struck him on the face and asked him saying, prophesied, who is the one who struck you and many other things. They blasphemously spoke against him. As Jesus is going through the trials leading up to his crucifixion, he will be beaten. He will be mocked.

Mark 15 verse 15 says he would be scourged by the order of pilot. We’re told that that scourging was an examination<inaudible> And during these events, his blood would begin to be shed. Mark chapter 15 verse 16 down through verse 20 we read the crown of Thorns that was placed upon his head. Verse 16 begins with these words. Then the soldiers led him away into the hall called Praetorium and they called together the whole Garrison.

They clothed him with purple. They twisted a crown of thorns and put it on his head and began to salute him. Hail King of the Jews. Then they struck him on the head with a Reed and spat on him and bowing the knee. They worshiped Him, And when they had mocked him, they took the purple off him, pull it on his own clothes on him and led him out To crucify him.

In John chapter 19 verses five and six the people and the chief priests and the leaders and those gathered before pilot would cry out, crucify him, crucify him when given the option, A Barabis, a robber and a murderer Or Jesus Christ being released to them. And in John chapter 19 beginning in verse 14 down through verse 19 we find where pilots We’ll give in to the cries,

He will give in to the calls for the crucifixion of Christ. We read in verse 14 now, it was the preparation day of the Passover and about the sixth hour and he said to the Jews, behold your King. But they cried out away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilot said to them, shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered,

we have no King but Caesar. Then he delivered him to them to be crucified, so they took Jesus and led him away and he bearing his cross went out to a place called the place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew Golgotha where they crucified him and two others with him, one on either side and Jesus in the center. Now pilot wrote a title and put it on the cross and the writing was Jesus of Nazareth,

the King Of the Jews. Just a few verses down from that. We read in verses 23 and 24 where the soul Parted his garments. They cast lots for them As was prophesied would take place in the old Testament. And in John chapter verse 26 we’re told that all of this Was witnessed by his mother Following that in verses 30 through 37 we have recorded Jesus’ statement.

It is finished. They will come by sometime later. And because the Time is approaching for the day of preparation, they will begin to break the knees of those on the cross so they will die faster And they come to Jesus. And again in fulfillment of prophecy, if you go back to Exodus chapter 12 and other passages as Christ is the Passover lamb and no bone of the Passover,

lamb was to be broken, they will come to Jesus and they will find he is all ready dead. But one of the soldiers will take his spear and we’ll Pierce his side And out will flow blood and water. Verse 34 And so it is that on the cross The blood of Christ was shed. But the question I want to examine this morning is Why?

What did the shedding of the blood of Christ accomplish? We’re going to notice a number of different things and one we’re going to save for this afternoon simply because its scope is too large to fit into the lesson this morning. Let’s begin. Matthew chapter 26 verse 28 we find the first reason, Matthew chapter 26 and in verse 28 before going to the cross,

notice we find here Jesus saying this as he is instituting the Lord’s supper, he says, verse 28 for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. Jesus says that one of the reasons why his blood would be shed, one of the reasons he would go to the cross and allow himself to go through all of this is because his blood would be shed for the remission of sins.

Romans chapter three verse 23 says that all have fallen short of the glory of God. All right have sinned. First John tells us that sin is the transgression of the law, and Romans chapter six verse 23 says, the wages of sin, the that which someone is worthy of having committed sin is death. So this morning, if you are in the situation of still having your sins,

your still your sins still remaining on you. If you go to God, if you stand before him in judgment, then you will stand before him and the witness that will witness to him concerning your life will be your sins. But the blood of Christ was shed for the remission, the washing away, the taking back Of sin. We look forward to first Peter chapter two.

First Peter chapter two is Peter is beginning his letter to the first century church. He says to the elect, according to the foreknowledge of God, the father in sanctification of the spirit for obedience. And here’s an interesting phrase, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, grace to you and peace be multiplied. Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who according to his abundant mercy has been gotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance, incorruptible and undefiled. And that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. Now, Peter says that there’s a sprinkling that occurs and why sprinkling,

what’s the connection and why? The reference to sprinkling with the blood. I would tell you this morning that it is not because of any ordinance for salvation that comes together with the sprinkling physically speaking of an individual. It’s not why. Turn over to Hebrews chapter 10 and Hebrews chapter 10 the connection is made and we will discuss this more this afternoon, But in Hebrews chapter 10 we read beginning in verse 19 therefore having boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he consecrated for us through the veil that is his flesh and having a high priest over the house of God.

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts. Here’s what sprinkled. By the way. Here’s the part of us that is sprinkled with the blood of Christ, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. It is in baptism. That is in the context here, the pure water,

it is in baptism that we come into contact with the sprinkling of the blood. The sprinkling of the blood is a picture. It is a picture of something that the Jews were intimately familiar with And that is the atoning sacrifice of the lamb, the atoning sacrifice of a lamb that was taken on the day of the Toman and the priest would take the his hands and he would dip his hands into the blood of that sacrifice and it would be sprinkled upon the people Indicating their atonement from their sins.

Revelation chapter one, revelation chapter one beginning in verse four as John begins this concluding letter to the new Testament, we read John to the seven churches which are in Asia, grace to you and peace from God, or excuse me, from him who he is and who was and who is to come and from the seven spirits who are before his throne and from Jesus Christ,

the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and the ruler over the Kings of the earth to him who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood. Behold, he is coming with the clouds and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of him even so, amen.

I am the alpha. This is Christ speaking. Now I am the alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. Who says the Lord who is and who was and who is to come the almighty<inaudible> By his blood. We have the remission of sins. We have the cleansing of sins. First John chapter one first John chapter one verse seven says,

but if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ, his son cleanses us from all sin. The action there in the original language in the Greek is an action that keeps on happening. He cleanses us continually by his blood. The remission of sins is the first reason we see for Christ blood being shed.

But now let’s connect that to another idea. Colossians chapter one Colossians chapter one and in verse 14<inaudible> Paul says, in whom? In Christ, the son of his love, verse 13 in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. Oh, so now you see the forgiveness, the remission of sins, the taking away of sins connected to another thing that happens through his blood And that is redemption.

We are redeemed to God, redeemed to God by his blood. The word redeemed has the idea carries with it. The idea of bought back<inaudible>. You step back into the book of Hosea and the book of Hosea. The old Testament prophet was told by God to marry a wife of whoredom and she will be one who will commit adultery against him. She will leave him,

she will go away into that sin and iniquity and adultery. And it’s a picture of Israel departing from God. And then God tells Hosea, you go buy her back To show Israel what I’ve done in redeeming them.<inaudible> In Christ blood we have redemption, We are redeemed again. We are bought back, brought back to God. Turn to Ephesians chapter one Fiji’s chapter one and in verse seven we read in him we have redemption through his blood,

the forgiveness of sins according to the riches Of his grace. Yeah, By his blood we have redemption. But you go to chapter two and in verse 13 of the book of Ephesians, you read this, but now in Christ Jesus who want you, who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. That redemption makes it possible in being bought back in,

being redeemed to the father, to again, have a close relationship with him, not to be cast out, not to be far from his presence, not to be judged and separated, but to be brought NY To again, have a relationship with him by the blood of Jesus Christ. But we again returned to first Peter chapter one in first Peter chapter one beginning in verse 17 we noticed this and if you call on the father who without partiality judges according to each one’s work,

conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear, knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver and gold. You weren’t bought back with money. You weren’t bought back from sin and from corruption and from a Nick Woody and from judgment with gold or silver or any such thing From your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers. But with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

We are forgiven. We have our sins remitted by the blood. We are redeemed. We have been bought with a price. And the price was his blood turned to the book of revelation. Revelation chapter five we have a picture here painted of the lamb. Revelation chapter five and in beginning in verse eight we read now when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the lamb,

each having a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints and they sing a new song saying, you are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals for you were slain and have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation and have made us Kings and priests to our God and we shall reign on the earth.

Here this proclamation is made. This song is song in heaven because Christ is the one who is worthy to open this scroll, to open the prophecies of what is to come in the book of revelation<inaudible> He is worthy because he has redeemed mankind to God by his blood and that blood wasn’t shed for one person. Blood wasn’t shed the buy back one nation,

the nation of Israel, that blood wasn’t shed the buyback one people. It was shed to buy back all of humanity That redemption might be offered Even for those who do not deserve it. Turn to revelation chapter seven Revelation chapter seven beginning in verse 14 we read and I said to him, sir, you know, so he said to me, these are the ones who came out of the great tribulation and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb.

How is it that you can watch something in blood and have it turned out white? I know just a little bit about washing clothes Just a little bit compared to a lot of people in here, but this, I know if you put something that’s red and that stains on clothes and expect them to come out of the readiness turned white, You’re in for a surprise unless we’re talking about the blood of Christ.

Turn to Isaiah chapter one<inaudible> God tells Israel and Isaiah chapter one in verse 16 Wash yourselves. Okay? Make yourselves clean. Put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes sees to do evil, learn to do good. Seek justice, rebuke the oppressor, defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now. Let us reason together. Says the Lord though your sins are like Scarlet,

they shall be as white as snow, though they are red like Crimson. They shall be as wool. Yeah. How is it that you go into the blood and you are stained by the blood and you come out white because the blood covers the sins. Romans chapter five Romans chapter five And in verse nine Paul writes much more than Having now been justified by his blood.

We shall be saved from wrath through him. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his son much more having been reconciled. We shall be saved by his life. If we are redeemed, we are reconciled to God by his death and through his blood. But that brings us to a third point And that is that not only were we,

he Bought individually With the blood of Christ, but something else was purchased as well. Turn to acts chapter 20 Paul is, he is meeting with the elders from the church in emphasis there on the Island of my elitist will. Tell them this in acts chapter 20 in verse 28 he says, therefore, take heed to yourselves and to all the flock. What?

What’s the flock? It’s the church. It’s the assembly there in emphasis, but the description here is not exclusive to emphasis. It is the body of Christ. It is the church. He says, take heed to yourselves and to all the flock among which the Holy spirit has made you overseers to shepherd the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood.

He not only purchased an individual, he purchased an assembly and assembly of individuals who are redeemed from the world redeemed to stand before God reconciled to him. The church is bought with the blood of Christ. Turn with me again to the book of revelation. Revelation chapter 12 Revelation chapter 12 and in verse nine we read it this. So the great dragon was cast out.

The serpent of old called the devil and Satan who deceives the whole world. He was cast to the earth and the angels were cast out with him. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven now salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ have come for the accuser of our brethren who accused them before our God day and night has been cast down and they who,

Okay, Who’s the they here They the kingdom of God. Those who were accused the brethren, he says, and they overcame him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony and they did not lie, excuse me, love their lives unto death. These individuals who had literally suffered death for the name of Christ Had overcome Satan. Revelation chapter 19 revelation chapter 19 and in verse 11 now I saw heaven open and behold a white horse and he who on him was called faithful and true.

This is a picture of Christ and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire in on his head were many crowns. He had a name written on or written that no one except no one knew except himself. He was clothed with a robe and notice he was clothed with a robe dipped in blood and his name is called the word of God.

According to Roman, or excuse me, John chapter one verse one and John chapter one verse 14 who is the word of God And the armies in heaven clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses. Now out of his mouth goes a sharp sword that with it he should strike the nations and he himself will rule them with a rod of iron.

He himself treads the wine press of the fierceness of the fierceness and wrath of the almighty God. And he has on his robe and on his thigh, a name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords Wearing a robe dipped in blood, A robe of sacrifice To purchase an assembly, A church body, Okay To redeem us from our sins, to bring remission of sins.

But fourth and finally To satisfy justice By his blood Justice. The justice of God For sins of man Was satisfied. If you look over to Romans chapter three Romans chapter three and in verse 22 we read this Even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe, for there is no difference for all have sin and fall short of the glory of God being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

whom God set forth as a propitiation. That word means a sadness factory replacement, A propitiation By his blood. Yep. Through faith to demonstrate his righteousness because in forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed by his blood. The justice that God has inherent within his very nature was satisfied. Turn to Isaiah 53<inaudible>. Isaiah 53 Verse one says,

who has believed our report and to home? Has the arm of the Lord been revealed for he shall grow up before him as a tender plan, as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness and when we see him there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief,

and we hid as it were our faces from him. He was despised and we did not esteem him. Okay. Surely he has born our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted. He was wounded for our transgression. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him and by his stripes we are healed.

You see here in this prophecy, the picture of the beading and the scourging And the crown of thorns and the stripes on his back.<inaudible> All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth.

He was led as a lamb to the slaughter in his sheep before its shearers is silent, so he opened on his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment and who will declare his generation for he was cut off from the land of the living. For the transgressions of my people, he was stricken and they made his grave with the wicked, but with the rich,

it is death because he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him. He has put him to grief. When you make his soul and offering for sin, notice this phrase, he shall see his seed. He shall prolong his day and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his sand.

He shall see the labor of his soul And be satisfied By his knowledge. My righteous servant shall justify many For he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoil with a strong because he poured out his soul unto death and he was numbered with the transgressors and he bore the sin Of many and made intercession for the transgressors by his blood.

We have remission of sins by his blood. We are redeemed to God by his blood. He purchased the church, the assembly of God by his blood. The justice of all the sins of all of mankind who have ever lived and will ever live Was satisfied in the eyes of God. For the only lamb who could ever be worthy was the one of whom it is said he is the first and the last,

the alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. So then What will you do with the blood? It’s offered for you. It’s remembered each and every first day of the week. We’re reminded of the blood that was shed for the remission of sins. So will we be like Israel in Isaiah chapter one who hears the call to clean our cells,

to wash our selves, to be made white? Will we hear the call And refuse as they did Or will we be washed in the blood of the lamb? If you’re outside the body of Christ this morning, you become washed in the blood of the lamb. You receive the sprinkling an evil conscience When your body is washed in pure water. That is when you have heard the word of God and believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God.

When you repent of your sins and confess the name of Christ and are immersed in water for the remission of your sins, how do I know? Because Jesus said he that believes and is baptized shall be saved. End of discussion. You’ve not done that. Why not today? If you’re a member of the body of Christ and you’re living like Israel, wash yourself.

Make yourself clean. The redemption is available to you even today, and then Christ can continually cleanse you from your sins. First, John one verse seven But not have any. You’re not willing to repent. If you have need of the invitation, it is available now. Why not come forward as we stand in, as we say,<inaudible> You’ve been listening to good news brought to you by the Collierville church of Christ.

You can join us in person at five seven five Shelton road. Call your Ville, Tennessee on Sunday morning at 9:30 AM for Bible class and 10:30 AM for worship. Our afternoon services are at 1:30 PM.

Cause if you will and open them to John chapter 14 John chapter 14 will be the focus of our study this afternoon. I mentioned in class this morning that as we go through the next few chapters of our studies in the adult Bible class and in the other classes, John 14 being this morning, John 15 being Wednesday night, 16 next Sunday and 17 the next Wednesday night.

As we go through these chapters, we’re going to have to move along in the class period to be able to cover the entire chapter because these, these chapters contain a great deal of information and a great deal of very significant information. Uh, as a result of that, there will be things that we would love to dwell on and spend some time discussing but simply do not have time to do so during the class period.

And that is the case with the lesson this afternoon. I wanted to spend some time here in John chapter 14 with three important questions, three important questions that are found here in this text here in the beginning of John chapter 14 we read in verse five Thomas says to him, to Christ, Lord, we do not know where you are going and how can we know the way?

In a very real sense, Thomas says, Lord, where are you going and how could we follow you? How can we go where you are going? Now those are two of the questions. The third one really is supplied by Jesus, though the text doesn’t answer it, and that is what is going to be there. So I want us to notice these three questions in view of this text this afternoon.

Where was Jesus going? How can we go with him? And thirdly, what is a weighting? If we step back in the text back to verse 31 of John chapter 13 we read this. Now the son of man is glorified and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and glorify him immediately.

Little children. I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek me. As I said to the Jews where I am going, you cannot come. So now I say to you, Jesus introduces this thought by telling them, I am going, I am departing. You’re going to see me for a short time, for a little while,

and then you will see me no more. He had already told the Jews that and they said, Whoa, where’s he going? Is he going to the Gentiles? Is that what he means? He’s going to go into part and teach the Gentiles instead of being a living among the Jews. And Jesus said, no, he’s going to the cross, but all ultimately he will declare that he is returning to his father.

Notice chapter 14 verse one let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God. Believe also in me, in my father’s house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you. Jesus said that he was returning to his father. We would con turn over and read in Matthew chapter 28 concerning Jesus’ Ascension back to the father.

We can also read about it in additional detail in acts chapter one, Jesus would go to the cross, he would go to the grave, he would be resurrected, he would remain on the earth for a number of days. And then having made appearances to the apostles into Mary and those women who had come to the garden and also to have around 500 others,

he would then ascend back to the father and the apostles would be there on the mound as he is ascending up with the clouds and they would be looking up at, at where he was going and how he was departing from them. And two individuals would come to them and say, why are you looking up? Why are you looking up as if he is gone and departed from you for how he has left?

He will return. Once again, He ascended back to his father. He ascended back out of this existence, this human form and this human existence, this physical existence back to heaven where he had come from. Yeah. The weigher he says is his father’s house. The first question that will be pertinent to what Thomas says is where you are going. We don’t know where you are going and Jesus will tell him,

I am returning to my father’s house. If you grew up in a home that was blessed to be a Christian home that was blessed to be a home where your parents were striving to serve the Lord faithfully and obedient to his word, one thing would most likely be certain returning home would be a joy returning back to your home, returning back to your family.

While it wasn’t always without complication and it wasn’t always without disagreements and things like that, it was a joy to go home. Jesus would speak concerning a young man who had departed from his home, had taken his inheritance and had gone out and had squandered it. He had wasted away all that he had and then had ended up in deep poverty working only to feed the swine,

which as a Jew he would have to have lost everything in order to do because they considered swine to be such unclean animals. And he finds himself this wine and is even desiring to eat what the swine is eating. So he comes to his senses and he determines why can I not return back to my father’s house after all, even my father’s servants fare better than I do.

They fair assumptions, Lee every day, why can’t I return back to father my father’s house? And they just plead with him to forgive me and become as one of his servant. And so he determines to go and he determined to go back. And as he journeys back, his father sees him afar off and he runs to him and he kisses him and he hugs him.

And he declares that my son who was dead is alive again. But then the father tells the servants, you prepare a feast, go kill the fatted calf and prepare a feast for my son who was dead is alive again. Jesus will tell us in that text earlier on in those three illustrations that when a sinner repents and returns, there’s rejoicing in heaven.

There is rejoicing over one sinner who repents, And so we see Jesus declaring that he is returning to his father’s house and that if he’s going to his father’s house, it’s because he’s preparing a place where we can join him. But then the second part, not just the where his father’s house in eternity in heaven, but also the how Thomas says, Lord,

how can we know the way? Now, of course Jesus will reply in John chapter 14 in verse six I am the way, the truth and the life Jesus declares that the way the the path to arrive at his father’s house house goes through him. It doesn’t go through Buddha and it doesn’t go through Muhammad and it doesn’t go through any religion of the East.

It does not go through secularism and it doesn’t go through reaches. It goes through Christ. You cannot buy your way to his father’s house. You cannot take a journey that will get you to arrive at his father’s house. You can only get there one way and it is through him. Turn to John chapter one John chapter one Beginning in verse one we read in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God.

He was in the beginning with God and all things were made through him and without him, nothing was made that was made. Jesus here, John here declares Jesus’s part in the creation, in the act of creation bank in the beginning, but something important that he declares also in this, he says in the beginning was the word and the word was with God.

Now let me ask you a question. If you wanted to go on a journey and you wanted to go to a location where you had never been before and perhaps the way the path, the direction to get there was not clearly marked. And so you thought, I need to make sure that I don’t get lost on the way. What would be the best way to get where you’re going?

Well, it would certainly be to get someone who’d been there before to guide you. If you’re going through the woods and you’re on a hike and you’re going to a certain location, but you’ve never been there and there’s no real path to get there, but you know someone who knows the way, maybe you should ask them. Maybe you should follow them.

Maybe you should go with them. Well, there is no man, no preacher, no, no individual on the earth today who has ever been to the father. But there is one who was with the father who came from the father who declared the way back to the father and I suggest it is him to whom we should listen about how to join the father.

Jesus says, not only I am the way, but the truth and the life. There was a man chapter one verse one or chapter one verse six of John. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. This man came for a witness to bear witness of the light that all through him might believe he was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light that was the true light,

which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world and the world was made through him and the world did not know him. He came to his own and his own did not receive him, receive him, but as many as received him to them. He gave the right to become children of God to those who believe in his name,

who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Here Jesus declares in John 14 verse six I am the way, the truth, and the life. He’s the one who brought light into the world and he came to declare that light, to give that light, to bear that light so that every individual who has that light might be born of God.

They might have power to become the children of God. They might have life. If you remember back in John chapter 14 John chapter 14 in verse one Jesus began this discourse with these words. Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. We are to be those who follow Christ. We are to be those who follow the way the am sir concerning Thomas’s question is how can we know the way the answer is we believe in him and obey him who showed us the way?

Verse three we read and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself that where I am there you may be. Also, the reality is that we do not have to determine the way the path to the father on our own, nor do we have to get there on our own. Jesus declares that there is coming a day when all who are in the graves will hear his voice,

John chapter five and that when that day arises, those who were faithful to him will return with him. We will be those who will go to the father to a prepared place because he prepared it in advance. But I might also add, if we look back into chapter 13 that the way that Jesus describes Is going to go through the cross. Chapter 13 verse 31 now the son of man is glorified and God is glorified in him.

If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and glorify him immediately. Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek me and I, and as I said to the Jews where I am going, you cannot come. So now I say to you a new commandment I give to you that you love one another as I have loved you,

that you also love one another. By this, all by this all will know that you are my disciples. If you have love for one another. Simon. Peter said to him, Lord, where are you going? Jesus answered him where I am going. You cannot follow me now but you shall follow me afterward. Jesus will declare to them that he is departing,

that he is getting ready to leave, that he is getting ready to be glorified and we know now looking backward that he was talking about the cross the way to the father leads through the cross. Turn to Matthew chapter 10 Matthew chapter 10 and in verse 38 Jesus says this<inaudible> We begin in verse 37 he who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me and he who does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.

He who finds his life will lose it and he who loses his life for my sake will it? Jesus said the way that he travels, the path he follows and the one who follows him will go through the cross. Now we understand that we contact the blood of Christ that was shed on the cross for our sins. We contact that blood in the Baptist in baptism.

We contact that blood when we are buried with him and we are resurrected with him. We understand that but there’s more to it than that because Jesus here in Matthew chapter 10 verse 38 says that the one who follows him must take up his cross and follow me. Consider also Luke chapter nine Luke in Luke’s account gives us just a little bit more detail in Luke chapter nine and in verse 23 then he said to them all,

if anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. There is a denial that is involved in following Christ. If we’re going to follow Christ, we cannot follow ourselves. If we are going to follow Christ, we cannot follow riches. If we are going to follow Christ, we cannot follow the world.

If we are going to follow Christ, we can not follow man’s doctrines. If we are going to follow Christ, then we must take up our cross and follow him. But Jesus says, that is what we must do daily. It is not a onetime act and it is not the idea that all of us must hang on a physical cross. It is the idea that we must be willing to suffer and die and be put to death if that is what it takes to be faithful to him.

Turn to revelation chapter two in revelation chapter two John is writing to the first century churches. He is writing to these churches to deliver to them a message that had been given to him from Christ to them. We read in verse eight beginning in the angel and to the angel of the church in some Myrna write these things, says the first and the last who was dead and came to life.

Now who is that? Who is this one who was dead and came to life? It’s Christ. Christ is declaring this to them, the one who’s the first and the last. Christ. I know your works, tribulation and poverty, but you are rich and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.

Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested and you will have tribulation. 10 days, be faithful until death and I will give you the crown of life. This idea here of faithful until death. It does not mean you be in the face of death.

That’s not what it’s talking about. The idea in the original language is you be faithful up to and including death. If it costs you that and I will give you a crown of life, the way of Christ, the way that he would lead us, the way that he has said before us may cost us everything, but it will most certainly it will most assuredly cost us denial of self.

Paul would write over and over and over again that he was Paul the apostle, the one sent by Jesus Christ, but he would most often refer to himself as a bond servant, as a slave of Jesus Christ. The way of Christ goes through self-denial. The way of Christ goes through a life that is in Christ. And if you turn over to Galatians chapter two Galatians chapter two Paul writes concerning himself and concerning his life,

and he says this in chapter two and in verse 20 I have been crucified with Christ. Now wait a minute, Christ said, if you are going to follow me, you must deny yourself. You must take up your cross daily and follow me. Paul says, I’ve been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh.

I live by faith in the son of God who loves me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain. Oh, foolish Galatians, who has Bewitched you that you should not obey the truth Before whose eyes? Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified.

Paul says, I have been crucified. I am dead. I’m alive in the flesh, but it’s not me who’s alive anymore. It is Christ who lives in me and he says, I don’t set aside the grace of God for if righteousness comes through the law, the law, Moses in the context, then Christ died in vain. He says, your righteousness doesn’t come through the obedience and the perfection of keeping the law.

Your righteousness comes by grace. Your righteousness comes by turning your life over to cry ceased and notice that phrase there in the middle of verse one of chapter three by obeying the truth, Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life in between the the power that he has granted to us. John chapter one to become the children of God and the way stands the truth,

the truth to which we must all be obedient. Turn to acts chapter five Jesus said that the way goes through the cross. In acts chapter five verse 27 we see an example of the apostles being willing to suffer and suffering and their reaction in acts chapter five verse 27 we read this and when they had brought them and set them before the council and the high priest asked them saying,

did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name and look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine and intend to bring this man’s blood on us. But Peter and the other apostles answered and said, we ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you murdered by hanging him on a tree. Him God has exalted to his right hand to be Prince and savior,

to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins, and we are his witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy spirit whom God has given to those who obey him. Verse 33 when they heard this, they were furious and plotted to kill them. If you skip down in this chapter to verse 38 we read and now I say to you,

keep away from these men and let them alone. This is, this is<inaudible> closing advice to those on the council for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing. But if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it. Lest you even be found a fight against God. And they agreed with him. And when they had called for the apostles and beaten them,

they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus and let them go. So they departed from the presence of the council rejoicing That they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name and daily in the temple and in every house they did not see teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. Here are the apostles. They are going through and they are teaching Jerusalem.

They are teaching every individual they can encounter concerning Christ, the Messiah, the one who was crucified, the one who went to the cross, the one who had become the savior of their nation. They were teaching repentance. They were teaching baptism. They were teaching these people About Christ and they were turning Jerusalem upside down and the council will have them beaten and they will have them put out.

But the reaction of the apostles to being beaten and cashed out from the council would be to rejoice, To rejoice because they were worthy to suffer. Turn to Galatians chapter six Galatians chapter six beginning in verse 14 as Paul closes out this letter to the Galatians, we read this, but God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,

by whom the world has been crucified to me and I to the world for in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything but a new creature or creation and as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them and upon the Israel of God. From now on, let no one trouble me for I bear in my body, the marks of the Lord Jesus.

Paul was one who as he discussed earlier in this book, had been willing to be crucified for Christ. That is to be alive in the flesh but only living through Christ. And we are to be those who understand that the weigher and the path and the way to the father sometimes, oftentimes will call upon us to not only deny ourselves but suffer for the cause of Christ.

It is in that suffering and through that suffering on on the other side of that suffering where the reward takes place. So then the what? The third question we T we noticed the where, where are we going? That was Thomas’s question and how will we get there? How will we know the way again, Thomas’s question, but then the third thing Jesus answers before it is asked.

Turn back to John chapter 14 And that is the what in John chapter 14 in verse one let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me, in my father’s house are many mansions. If it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you. What are we going Toward? What is awaiting us in this place?

If we notice a number of passages, we will find the number of explanations. Turn over to Luke chapter 16 Yeah, Jesus says, it is a prepared place. It is a place that is awaiting us and is prepared for us if we load this Luke chapter 16 verses 24 and 25 this is in the context of what Jesus has to say concerning the rich man and Lazarus,

but I believe it actually shed some light on what is to come. Luke chapter 16 beginning in verse 24 we read this, then he cried and said, the rich man cried and said, father Abraham have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said,

son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things and likewise Lazarus evil things, but now he is comforted and you are tormented and beside all this between us and you, there is a great Gulf fixed so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot nor can those from their past us. Notice two things that were told about here in this context concerning a place that is awaiting.

Number one is that for the righteous, it is a place of comfort. It is a place that is awaiting that is a place of comfort. For those who have had difficulties and struggles in this life, Jesus said to those who adhere him, uh, to to take, excuse me, to allow him to lay his yoke on them, but offers them in exchange rest for those who were weary here in this text we read not only that it is a place of comfort,

but also that it is a place of security. You say, Aaron, what do you mean? It’s a place of security. It is a place where those who have done evil in this life cannot invade. They cannot come across to it. It is also a place from which once you go there, you no longer have to be concerned about the partying from there into torment.

We do not understand the wherewithal, the ways or the wives or the house of the fact that when this life is over, God has said we no longer have to be concerned with being faithful until death to avoid torment or punishment. Instead, we are assured that when that rest is awaiting us and that rest and that time arrives, then our fate, our destiny is secure.

We don’t know how that will be done. We just know that’s what we’ve been told. It is a place of comfort and it is a place of security from which we will never have to depart. But notice revelation chapter 14 revelation chapter 14 and in verse 13 John again in writing concerning a number of other things in the context of this passage makes mention of one thing he says verse chapter 14 verse 13 then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me,

right, blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the spirit that they may rest from their labors and their works, follow them. It is a place of comfort is a place of security. It is a place of rest from labors. It is a place where the laborers that have been done in this life will bring forth reward in the next,

but consider also earlier on in this chapter, revelation chapter 14 verse three that John pictures here on mountain Zion singing and we are told in multiple passages, especially in the book of revelation and others, that singing has its place in heaven. We read in revelation chapter 14 in verse three they sang as it were, a new song before the throne. Where’s the throne?

If you read John chapter four or excuse me, revelation chapter four it’s in heaven. It’s in the presence of God. They sang before the throne, before the four living creatures and the elders and no one could learn that song except the 144,000 who were redeemed from the earth. Now we don’t have time to go into a full exit Jesus of this context,

but here’s the thing you should grab. Those who are redeemed from the earth are singing praise to the Lord. Turn to revelation chapter five revelation chapter five beginning in verse nine And they sang a new song saying, you are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals for you were slain and have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation and have made us Kings and priests to our God and we shall reign on the earth.

Turn to chapter 15 verses three and four of revelation. Revelation chapter 15 beginning of verse three they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the lamb saying, great and marvelous are your works, Lord God almighty, just and true are your ways. Oaking of the saints who shall not fear you. O Lord and glorify your name for you alone are Holy for all nations shall come and worship before you.

Here’s what we can know that the presence of God is a place of singing. It’s a place of comfort. It’s a place of security. It’s a place of rest and a place of singing, but ultimately it’s this turn in your mind or in your Bibles. Back to John chapter 14 John chapter 14 Once again, verse two in my father’s house are many mansions.

If it were not so, I would have told you I go to repair a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself that where I am there you may be also above all the other things. It is the place where Christ will be. It is the place where the one who died for us has prepared for us to dwell with him for eternity.

Where are you going and how will you get there and what awaits you when you arrive? If your path in life is faithfulness to Christ, if it is following the one who has provided the way, if it is living and abiding and obeying the truth so that you might gain hold on eternal life, then what you have awaiting you is what is worth living for and is what is worth dying for.

If you are not living that way, if you are not following Christ and not obedient to that truth, then you won’t have that home. You will not have that dwelling place because there is only one way to get there and there is only one truth that will save you and it’s the gospel of Jesus Christ to be obedient to the gospel. You must hear the word of God and believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God.

You must repent of your sins and confess the name of Christ and be immersed in water for the remission of your sins rising again to walk in newness of life, being faithful unto up to and including death to serve and obtain the reward. If you’re here this afternoon and you have need of that invitation, that opportunity to put Christ on in baptism, why not come together as we stand and as we sing,

You’ve been listening to good news brought to you by the Collierville church of Christ. You can join us in person at five seven five Shelton road. Call your Ville, Tennessee on Sunday morning at 9:30 AM for Bible class and 10:30 AM for worship. Our afternoon services are at 1:30 PM.

Since this morning we want to especially say thank you to all of our visitors for being with us. Uh, you are our honored guests. We do encourage you if you will, leave a card in the back of the Pew or in the collection. If you haven’t, if you’ve already done that so we might have a record of your visit. We appreciate your presence very much.

Something that I dare say Every single one of us has experienced to some degree. If we’ve reached an age where we’ve interacted with people long enough Is betrayal. Maybe it was small, a secret told to someone who then tells it to someone else and we find out about it. Or maybe it was large, but in some form or fashion. I imagine every single one of us at some time in our life have experienced betrayal.

There’s some words in the old and new Testament that deal with this idea. One of those words is treacherous. The old Testament describes Israel and Israel’s relationship to God when they would so often betray their covenant with him as dealing treacherously. The old Testament also describes the way an individual would deal with another in business when they would be dishonest as being treacherous. I want to spend some time in our lesson this morning with this idea of being betrayed.

As you look through the old and new Testament, you will find occasions. You will find examples of betrayal and we’re going to notice a number of them, a lot of them from the old Testament, but we’re going to begin in the book of Obadiah, Obadiah, one of the smallest books in scripture. Here we find a betrayal. We find a betrayal.

That is the trail of allies. If you’ll notice as we turn to this book, one of the things that is going on here in the book of Obadiah, we’re going to notice verse seven is a condemnation that the prophet is giving against Edam. Edam was the descendants of Esau, so they are descendants of Abraham through Esau, but they are those who have departed from God.

They were given an inheritance. They were given a portion of land. They were given a Mount sear and that area and God told Israel when they came into the land of Canaan, you don’t mess with Esau. You don’t mess with Edam. They are in their inheritance and you leave them alone. But God will bring judgment on Edam for their sins and for their departure from him.

But we notice if we look in verse six of Obadiah all how Esau shall be searched out. The searching here that God is talking about is not that, Hey, I’m going to go look for somebody. It’s the searching out. When judgment comes when an army comes against them and all of their possessions are searched through to find everything of value, everything that they had that was valuable is going to be taken.

It is going to be gone. They will be searched out. Yeah. Oh, how? He’s all shall be searched out. How his hidden treasure shall be sought after all the men in your Confederacy shall force you to the border. The men at peace with you shall deceive you and prevail against you. Those who eat your bread shall lay a trap for you.

No one is aware of it. Here comes the prophet of God and he gives this declaration. He makes this prophecy. Now have they listened? Had they adhered to the prophecy? Had they been warned by it? Things could have been different, But their sin was so great that they were beyond that point. They would not hear. They would not listen.

They would not turn. They would not repent, and God says, you will be dealt with through betrayal. It is your allies who will set a trap for you, a snare for you. Those who you think you are safe with will turn against you. Those who have eaten at your own table Will destroy you. Betrayal, betrayal can come in our lives from allies,

from those who we think are on our side. How many times Have we seen in occasions in countries where one country believes that another is on their side and then they find out they’re not? They find now that they’re doing things against them in secret. Betrayal is hard to deal with, but betrayal from allies turns your heart, turns your stomach. But notice Luke chapter 21 Luke chapter 21 and in verse 12 we find the betrayal that’s a little closer to home.

In Luke chapter 21 and in verse 12 we read this<inaudible><inaudible>. I’m actually going to back up to verse 10 then he said to them, nation will rise Against nation and kingdom against kingdom and there will be great earthquakes in various places and famines and pestilences and there will be fearful sites and great signs from heaven. Now Jesus is declaring his prophesizing the end of the Jewish nation.

He is prophesizing the destruction of Jerusalem and he’s giving them signs and warnings of what would come, but notice verse 12 but before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before Kings and rulers for my names Sake, Jesus tells his apostles, he tells his disciples,

he warns them in advance. They’re going to come for you. The people are going to come for you because you hold fast to my name because you declare my name because you claim to be a Christian. Your own people, the Jews, they will be Trey you up. They will give you up And you will be brought into the synagogues. Now,

the synagogues were supposed to be a place of teaching. They were supposed to be a place where people would gather together and they would hear the word of God proclaimed and they would hear the old Testament scriptures being read and they would have an opportunity to join and fellowship and in worship and instead they would be turned into a place of betrayal. But he says,

not only will they deliver you up into the synagogues, but into prison before the coming of the destruction of Jerusalem. Before this event arises, there will be a betrayal from among your own nation. It’s bad when it’s allies. It’s even worse when it’s your own countrymen. But notice another example of betrayal in Jeremiah chapter 20 Jeremiah chapter 20 and in verse ten four I heard many mocking Fear on every side report they say,

and we will report it. All my acquaintances watched for my stumbling saying perhaps he can be induced, then we will prevail against him and we will take our revenge On him. Jeremiah has been prophesizing. He’s been proclaiming the word of the Lord. He’s been trying to encourage his nation to repent, to restore themselves to a right relationship with God before judgment comes against them and now even his own acquaintances,

those who are close to him, those who pretend to be his friends Are looking for an opportunity to betray him, An opportunity to find fault, to see stumbling In his way when it’s your allies, it’s one thing when, when it’s your nation, it’s another. When it’s your acquaintances and those close to you, it’s all together. Something different, But sometimes it’s even closer to home.

Psalm 41 Psalm 41 David writes these words<inaudible>. Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted who ate my bread has lifted up his heel against me. David speaks concerning one who would eat at the table of someone else who would be a friend, But who would betray that friendship. If you turn to second Samuel chapter 15 Second Samuel chapter 15 David experienced something very much like this,

but he experienced a dual betrayal. He would be betrayed by a friend who would be an advisor who would be one who would sit at his table and eat his meat and who would betray him, but he would also in coordination with that be betrayed By a son. In second Samuel chapter 15 verse one after this, it happened that Absalom provided himself with chariots and horses and 50 men to run before him.

Now, Absalom would rise early and stand beside the way to the gate, so it was whenever anyone who had a lawsuit came to the King for a decision, then Absalom would call to him and say, what city are you from? And he would say, you’re serving is from such and such a tribe of Israel. Then Absalom would say to him,

look, your case is good and right, but there is no deputy of the King to hear you. Moreover, Absalom would say, Oh, that I were made a judge in the land and everyone who has any suit or cause would come to me. Then I would give him justice. And so it was whenever anyone came near to bound down to him that he would put out his hand and take him and him.

And this manner, Absalom acted toward all Israel who came to the King for judgment. So Absalom stole the Hearts of the men of Israel. David’s own son in the previous chapter will be brought back to Israel, back to Jerusalem by Joe AB. Joe lab will use an individual to come to for David and encouraged David through slight of words to be able to bring about Absalom’s return.

Absolutely, of course was the one who was sent out, was sent away was because he killed his own brother and so or half-brother. But as a result of this, Absalom, his backs and Absalom is there. But the King says, Absalom, you are not allowed in my presence. You can come back to your house. You can come back to this nation,

but you cannot come before me. Ultimately, he will finally end up before him. But through all of this, Absalom Is plotting betrayal. And then chapter 15 in verse one he begins to act out that betrayal. He begins to turn the hearts of the people away from his father. Then in verse 12 Absalom will send for a hit of fell. The Guyland night,

David’s councilor from his city, from guy haunt from guide lawn, where while he offered sacrifices and the conspiracy grew, Absalom will not only as David’s son turn against him and betray him and seek his throne, but he will even call for David’s own councilors. David’s own friends Will betray David and Side with Absalom. Verse 13 now a messenger came to David.

The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom. So David said to all of his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, arise and let us flee or we shall not escape from Absalom. David realizes that it’s not just the throne that Absalom wants. The only way Absalom gets the throne is if David is dead. His son, his counselor, his people,

his nation betrayed him and he flees. Betrayal by allies, betrayal by countrymen, betrayal by acquaintances, betrayal by a friend, betrayal by a son. Micah chapter seven Micah chapter seven Micah writes and prophesies to Israel In chapter seven in verse five Micah says, do not trust in a friend Israel. Your condition has become such that it is so sinful that the best advice that I can give you is do not trust in a friend.

Do not put your confidence in a companion. Guard the doors of your mouth for from her who lies in your bosom. The sin had become so great in Israel, their iniquity so pervasive that the admonition from God and from his prophet to the people is do not even trust your spouse Or you will be betrayed. The one who even shares Your bed will betray you.

But you know, there’s another betrayal that I dare say most of us have also experienced. And we’ve gotten a little closer and a little closer and a little closer in. And here’s kind of the worst one. Turn to Romans chapter seven Romans chapter seven Verse 10 Paul writes to the church at Rome trying to deal with a position that some of them had that they could continue in sin.

And as a matter of fact, the more they continued in sin, chapter six verse one the more they would get grace. And so that was good. They, the more grace you had, the that that was better. So they would sin more. So they received more grace. Paul corrects that viewpoint, shows them how this sin is slavery is bondage and that they needed to live a life separate from sin.

And those who were baptized in Christ are those who are to be free from sin. But then he goes on to talk about the law being free from the law and being free from the sin and the bondage that is brought by the law. But notice what he says in verse 10 he says in the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death for sin,

taking a kid occasion by the commandment deceived me and by it killed me. Paul is looking at the law and he’s saying the law is good. The law is the commandment of God. The law is what he gave to me. Speaking by the way, in context of the old Testament law saying the commandments were given and they were good and they were those that were sufficient,

but they made it visible. When I sinned, the law showed me sin. And when sin was shown, it brought forth death. Paul has already said in Romans chapter six verse 23 that the wages of sin is death. Yeah, Romans chapter three verse 23 for all of sin and fallen short of the glory of God. So he says, all lives in Jew,

Gentile, alike, and the wages of sin is death. And now he says the law was what told me The law was what in a sense, Guild me. But then verse 12 therefore the law is Holy and the commandment Holy and just and good. He says, don’t, don’t confuse this. Don’t misunderstand. It’s not the law that’s evil. It’s my inability to perfectly keep it.

But then notice verse 13 has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not, but sin that it might appear. Sin was producing death in me through what is good. So that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful for we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin for what I am doing. I do not understand for what I will to do that I do not practice.

But what I hate that I do. Paul speaks here of a betrayal Of self. You see, because you and I may look at the law of God and we may look at the word of God and we read those commandments and we say, I want to obey them perfectly And then we’ll fail to do so. Okay, We’ll do things that we don’t want to do.

We’ll make decisions that we don’t want to make and will betray our faithfulness to God and we will sin. We will fall short of his glory trail, Val by allies, but trail by countrymen, the trail by acquaintances, friends, sons, spouses, and now ourselves. Can’t even trust myself. So then to whom shall we go before we get there,

turn to Luke chapter 22 Luke chapter 22 We read in the scripture reading John chapter 13 where we have the fulfillment of the prophecy from Psalm 41 the one who Sat at his table, The one who aided his food would be the one who betrayed him. In Luke chapter 22 We read beginning in verse 48 of that betrayal, Verse 47 and while he was still speaking,

behold a multitude, and he who was called Judas, one of the 12 went before them And drew near to Jesus to kiss him. But Jesus said to him, Judas, are you betraying the son of Man with a kiss? When those around him saw what was going on, they said to him, Lord, shall we strike with the sword? Yeah.

And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. But Jesus answered and said, permit even this. And he touched his ear and healed him. Yes. Then Jesus said to the chief priest captains of the temple and the elders who had come to him, have you come out as against a robber with swords and clubs?

When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize me, but this is your hour and the power of darkness. Jesus identifies their wickedness, their betrayal, and their attempt to cover it up. Their willingness to come to him in the dark of night, to betray him in the dark of night, to betray him with one who is his own friend through an offering of money.

And this betrayal will put Jesus Christ on the cross, the greatest betrayal that has ever occurred in all of humanity. And here’s how I know, Because of all humanity that has ever been betrayed by allies, by countrymen, by friends, by family, by closest individuals, and by those who are afar, all of us Have ultimately mostly been betrayed by our own Sins.

But the one who was betrayed on that night had no sin. The one who was betrayed, who was brought with clubs and with sticks Never sinned And never deserved betrayal. So then I ask again, to whom shall we go? And I encourage you to turn to Hebrews chapter 13 if in this life we have experienced betrayal, If we have been betrayed by others and it hurts,

it stings. It damages our confidence in humanity and in our friends. If we have suffered betrayal by those who are closest to us, those who we fought had our confidence, those who we thought we could have trust in and we found out they would turn their back on us For nothing more than maybe reputation and pride. If we’ve been betrayed in a workplace or in a school,

we know the hurt that comes with betrayal, but there’s one who will never betray you. There’s one who will never turn his back on you. There’s one in whom you can always have confidence. And Hebrews chapter 13 we read verse five let your conduct be without covetousness. Be content with such things as you have for he himself has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you.

So we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper. I will not fear what man can do to me. Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow considering the outcome of their conduct. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Yeah, There is one in whom you can have confidence.

There is one in whom you can rest assured he will never betray you. He will never turn his back on you. He will never depart from you. If you will continue in faithfulness to him, you will never be betrayed.<inaudible> Jesus Christ, the one who was betrayed has promised he will never depart, if you will, but remain with him.

Returned to Romans chapter seven<inaudible>. Romans chapter seven verse 24 Paul brings forward a lamb and Taishan Of his own sins, of his own iniquities, of his own struggles, And then ultimately his hope. He says in Romans chapter seven verse 24 Oh wretched man, that I am Who will me from The body of death. I thank God Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

So then with the mind, I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh, the law of sin. There is therefore now no condoms Nation to those who are in Christ Jesus who do not walk according to the flesh. But according to the spirit, Paul says, I as one who sin I as one who has betrayed myself. I as one who have brought upon my own self death and condemnation.

I have hope in Christ In whom there is no condemnation. So let us examine how it is that we can have a friend who will never betray us. If you turn back to Romans chapter six the precursor to chapter seven you find that those who are in Christ are those who have been baptized into Christ. They are those who have put on Christ, who have been resurrected,

who had been renewed in their heart and in their mind and in their spirit. They are those who have been buried with him and risen again to newness of life Through baptism. Yeah. They believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God because John chapter eight verse 24 Jesus said, except you believe that I am he you shall die in your sins. They are those who are willing to confess his name.

Romans chapter 10 verses nine and 10 willing to repent of their sins because repentance is that which brings us forward to salvation together with confession, Romans chapter 10 But then those who are willing to call on the name of the Lord, okay, Because it is the Lord who brings forth that salvation and it is the Lord who is willing to be that individual who will never Turn his back on you.

The one in whom you can know you will never be betrayed for. He is always the same yesterday, today and forever. If you’re outside the body of Christ this morning, if you’ve not put Christ on in baptism, if you’ve not become a friend of God, I have bad news for you. Feagins chapter two says, you’re not only not the friend of God,

the companion of God, you’re the enemy of God, But you can change that because faith through grace and obedience to the will of God can produce life in you. If you’re one who’s outside the body of Christ this morning, why not change that? Why not put Christ in baptism and have a relationship with someone who will never betray you for he was betrayed for you?

If you have needed the invitation, why not come now as we stand in as we sing? You’ve been listening to good news brought to you by the Collierville church of Christ. You can join us in person at five seven five Shelton road. Call your Ville, Tennessee on Sunday morning at 9:30 AM for Bible class and 10:30 AM for worship. Our afternoon services are at 1:30 PM.