01-24-2021 – Luke 12:22-13:9 (Class)
Noah Olsen preaching Sermon
Collierville Church of Christ
575 Shelton Road, #Collierville, TN
www.colliervillecoc.org

Automated Transcript:

<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Welcome to our Sunday morning Bible class. I’m recording this according this Saturday night, Saturday night. Want to want to let all of you know that right now, my grandmother is still with us. They’ve given her meds and she finally has started sleeping. She really hasn’t slept any of the last 20 hours, 20 hours in any substance,

in any substantive way, but appreciate, appreciate your all’s prayers for us. She’s in a lot of discomfort at this point, at this point in time, but thankfully the, the medication has made it to where she could sleep. So thank you for your, thank you for your thoughts, your prayers, and all the, all the contacts and the messages that we’ve received,

letting us know, letting us know that you’re thinking about us and her and praying for us. And we appreciate it. Greatly. Also want to say also want to say thank you to Noah for filling in for me preaching this morning. Let’s get in, let’s get into Luke chapter 12. We’re going to continue our study in Luke chapter 12, beginning verse 22 as we get started,

but let’s begin with a word of prayer. Our gracious father gracious father in heaven. Rebal before you incredibly incredibly grateful for all of your many gifts, your many blessings, most especially most, especially your son who died on the cross for our sins and has delayed as delivered to us the hope of eternal life. We pray that as we pray that as we go through this period of study,

the things which Christ Christ spoke while he was on this earth will enlighten our hearts and help us to incur, to be encouraged by the things that we read, but also to be provoked, to be, to be what you would have us to be. We ask that you forgive us. When we sin and fall short of your glory, we pray all this.

We pray in Jesus name. Amen. So as a result, so as a result of not being there and not having them in front of me, I’m going to leave the review of the questions Wednesday night for another period. Hopefully this coming Wednesday night or Sunday, we can go over those. So I encourage you to study those on your own. We’re going to begin in Luke chapter 12,

verse 22. Then he, then he Christ said to his disciples, therefore I say to you do not worry about your life. What you will eat nor about the body. What you will put on life is more than food in the body. More than clothing. I remember the context of this that actually began in our, in our study on Wednesday night,

there is a man who came to Jew, came to Jesus and said, tell my, tell my brother to give me or to divide with me, inherit the inherited. He said, Jesus said, may have I been made a judge or a arbitrator between you and your brother, and then gave the parable of the rich fool follows. He follows the parable of the rich fool up with this statement,

therefore, or do not be worried, do not worry about your life. This is a, this is a similar statement that is made over in. We saw in the sermon on the mountain, made over in Matthew chapter six. But Jesus said, as he speaks to this man, as he speaks to those who are around, as he speaks to his disciples who are listening to this,

and they’re seeing this, he says, do not worry, do not worry for the things of this world. Life do not focus, do not focus on this life, especially, especially in this context to the neglect of these next life of eternity. This man, this man is standing before Christ. He standing before the Messiah, he’s standing before the one who the Israelites were waiting to arrive for 1600 years.

And what is he? What is he worried about? His inherit, his inheritance he’s missed. He’s missed the importance of everything that is right in front of him because he’s because he’s too worried about physical possession. So then Jesus. So then Jesus says this life is more than food. Verse 23 and the body more than clothing. Consider the consider the Ravens for they neither sow nor reap,

which have, which have neither storehouse nor barn. And God feeds them of how much more value are you than the birds. And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature. If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? Jesus, Jesus lays upon them. The reality that they’re not in control,

they’re not, they’re not in charge and much effort as they might expand, expand in order to, in order to achieve their own goals, they can’t do the smallest of things in view of God’s ability, God’s power and God’s power with a word, with a word. God spoke the universe into existence with all, with all of our thought and being an effort we can’t fall by fault,

extend our life even for an, even for an hour. And here and here, Jesus let Jesus lays for reality. The reality that This person is missing greatest thing, the thing of greatest value in his own, in his own life, the value of his soul, if he has, if he has his soul and he has salvation and he has the kingdom,

then the inheritance and the inheritance is of little consequence in the grand scheme of things. But instead, it’s the only thing he’s thinking about. And notice he then notice he goes on. If then you are not able to do the least, why are you anxious to do the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow. They neither toil nor spin.

And yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed. Like one of these, if then God. So clothes, the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven. How much more will he clothe you? Oh, you of little faith and do not do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink,

nor have an anxious mind for all of these things. The nations of the world seek after. And your father knows that you need these things. See, but see the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added to you. Jesus, Jesus emphasizes that we need that. We need to prioritize correctly. I need to learn. We need to lay forth our priorities in the right order.

And when we do that, God can, God can take care of the rest and is knowledgeable and understanding of what it is that we need. He created us to begin with. Of course he knows what we mean. Of course he knows what is required to sustain our daily life. So Jesus, so Jesus is saying you’ve, you’ve lost the Hey and the confidence you have in your father,

your eternal father. And instead you buy your own mind and your own ability or striving to accomplish these things. And you can Can’t do it, not on your own, Not on your own. And if you try, you will miss. You will miss. What is of the greatest value to you. And that is eternity. Do not fear, do not fear.

Little flock, 32 verse 32, four. It is your father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Jesus said, Jesus said, not only will God give you the things that you need. Not only will God take care of your daily provisions, but he will also give you, which is that, which is of greatest value His kingdom. And he will,

and he will do it gladly. Now here’s the contract. Now here’s the contrast. There’s the, there’s the brother who has an inheritance that he won’t share with his brother and the other brother. The other brother wants the inheritance to be shared with him. And he’s looking for anybody who can get him. Part of that inheritance yet. He’s missing it.

He’s missed out on the opportunity to receive the kingdom. God is God is over here with the kingdom of greater value than his inheritance. And he’s waiting anxiously desiring to give it to the man, but the man’s not, but the man’s not interested because he’s interested in Fashions in, in this life. Jeez, Jesus said, Jesus said, sell what you sell,

what you have. You have all and give alms, provide yourselves money bags, which do not grow old treasury, a treasure in heavens that does not fail. No where no thief approaches nor moth destroys for where your treasure is there. Your heart will be also, I don’t believe. I don’t believe this is a blanket statement by Jesus. That every person,

every person who’s going to have entrance into the kingdom has to go sell all of their possessions and give it to the poor. It’s not, that’s not what Jesus is saying here. Remember, remember, he’s talking to his disciples, but he’s also talking to this man, this man wants more possessions. And Jesus said for fit what you Have first forfeit,

Forfeit, what you have for the sake of the kingdom. And then we’ll, and then we’ll see where your treasure, where your treasure is there. And then we’ll see where your heart is. Get your, get your heart right first or all, or all the, all the, the substance, all the possessions, all the treasures in the world.

Won’t do you Any good because one of these, because one of these days, you’re Going to, you’re going to leave this Life and you’re not taking, you’re not taking any of it with you and yet, And yet do what you do with it. Now can as hand as he makes this, as he makes the statement here, create or provide yourselves money Bags and account and account.

As I think, as I think Peter States it as Paul certainly States it in Philippians four in heaven that cannot be touched. It cannot be, it cannot be stolen. The, the dollar us dollar currently, currently, and in, in the upcoming years, the, the federal reserve has said that they are going to try and wholly inflation to around two to two and a half percent.

That means I means every year, you’re the, you’re the value of a dollar. You have decreases by two and a half Per cent. Now think about now, think about that. If, If you have a hundred dollar bill, how many, how many years until that hundred dollar bill at a decreasing rate of two and a half percent, every year is value is valueless.

And it wasn’t even, it wasn’t even stolen. It was stolen. It was stolen by inflation. It was inflated. It was inflated to the point where it had no real U value. There was a time and there was a time in American history where Penny’s could actually could actually buy something. And now we, and now we regularly hear the discussion about whether or not we should even have pennies anymore because,

because they have been flayed inflated out of value, the value that is worth anything Substantive. Now, now Jesus, Jesus said where your, where your treasure is there. Your heart will be also where you, where you make preparations for your treasure to be where you actually store up. Your treasure is where your heart is, where your heart is. So if also,

if all your efforts in all of your game and all of your prosperity and all of your, your use of time and money in substance goes towards achieving more possessions in this life, more accounts or accounts, larger dollar amounts and larger things, more possessions, all of these things. Then Jesus said, you’ve put, you’ve put your heart into a treasure that has,

that has no Lasting value, but 35 versus 35. Okay? He says, he says, let your waist be girded. And your lamps burning. Luke gives us, gives us a transition here from, from the dizzy discussion of possessions, to the discussion, to the discussion of the kingdom And preparation. He says, He says to his disciples, let your waist be girded.

This was an action done in preparation for battle. Quite often, he said, let your, let your waist be girded. And your lamps burning, familiar were familiar with the parable of the, of the first verge, the 10 virgins. Some of them had burning lamps ready to go. Others did and others didn’t. And you yourselves be like men who wait for the master when he will return for the w excuse me,

who will, excuse me, who will wait for their master? When he will return from the wedding, that he may know that when he comes and knocks, they may open to him immediately. It’s an interesting statement That they will open to him immediately. Immediately. Why would a servant not open to his master when the, the master arrives at the door and knocks,

why would a servant not open immediately think about it this way. This is pointed out by brother Franklin camp. And in this passage, he said, you know, sometimes someone comes over to visit the house and you’re not ready for them. You weren’t planning on them and, and their stuff everywhere. And the house looks lived in. And, and,

and you just, before you even go answer the door, you’re shoving stuff in the closet. You’re putting stuff in our room. You’re tidying up. You’re not prepared. And so where are they? They’re standing at the door waiting. You didn’t open the door immediately. Why? Because you weren’t prepared here. The illustration Jesus gives is that type of servant who is not ready for the master’s return.

And so instead of immediately opening the door, he’s scurrying around to become prepared at the last minute. But notice what Jesus says blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, we’ll find watching assuredly. I Say to you that he will gird himself and Have them sit down to eat and we’ll come and serve them. Jesus goes so far to say this.

Jesus said, I am looking for a servant, not who’s got the house prepared for when I return. I’m looking for a servant. Who’s watching for my return. The master doesn’t even come and knock. The master. Doesn’t spend any time outside waiting. The servant, sees him coming and opens the door. No wait time. But then the reaction of the master is to serve the servant.

Now, yes, I know that Jesus will say in Luke chapter 19, that, or chapter 17, that when we’ve done all that we’ve been commanded to do, we are still unprofitable servants. I understand that. But Jesus is saying the master in the kingdom will serve the servants to do what they need because they sought first. The kingdom goes right back to what he was just saying.

If you will seek first the kingdom. Yeah. If you will be prepared, if you will be watching, if you will be a good servant, then your heavenly father will serve. You will provide for you. But know this verse 39. That is if the master of the house had known what hour the thief let’s actually go back to verse three.

And if he, you should come in the second watch or come in the third watch and find them so blessed are those servants. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, had not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore, you also be ready for the son of man is coming at an hour.

You do not expect. He’s telling me these people and he’s telling his disciples. And he’s telling those who will listen. You be ready, always because when Christ returns there won’t be any signs. There won’t be in a great announcement. There won’t be any seasons to look at the forecast. There will be no signs of Christ return. Instead they are to be,

be prepared. Always. Then Peter said to him, Lord, do you speak this parable only to us or to all people? It’s interesting to notice when Jesus gets asked a question, how sometimes, sometimes he doesn’t just answer the question he answers what’s needed. And not necessarily what’s. I asked the Lord said, who then, then is a faith.

Is that faithful? And why steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household and to give them their portion of food doozies season, bless it is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. But if that servant says in his heart, by master is delaying his coming and begins to beat the male servants and female servants and to eat and to drink and to be drunk.

The master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour, when he is not aware and will cut him into an appoint him, his portion with the unbelievers and that servant who knew his masters will and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know yet committed things,

deserving of stripes shall be beaten with view. For everyone to whom much is given from him, much will be required. And to whom much has been committed of him, they will ask the more Jesus replies to Peter, that God has entrusted to individual’s responsibility and has entrusted to them, the work of the kingdom, the care, and providing for of the kingdom,

the function of the kingdom. And if those servants failed to carry out their obligation, or if they become those who think, you know what Christ isn’t returning anytime soon, I’ve got time to fix it later. I can glorify myself right now and I can do his will later crisis. That’s not going to work out for that person. That individual will be judged.

Now think about it. This is truly an accusation against the scribes and the Pharisees, the chief priests, the Sadducees, and the religious leaders, because prophetically speaking, the prophets would look forward to the days of Christ. And they would proclaim that the shepherds that were supposed to be shepherding Israel had instead chosen to consume the flock. And he’s about to transition to a discussion of a flock.

He’s about to use the old Testament analogy of the shepherds and the flock and the evil shepherds who would be judged. And that was the scribes, the Pharisees, the chief priests and the religious leaders of the day. So verse 49, I came to send fire on the earth and how I wish it were already kindled, but I have a baptism to be baptized with and how distressed I am till it is accomplished at,

at times, Jesus will begin to give insight into what’s coming his crucifixion and the things that would happen, but they wouldn’t understand it. His disciples wouldn’t comprehend what he was saying. And yet would say in any way, and later on, as John will point out, they’ll remember all of these things and they’ll understand, but they didn’t at this point.

Note is also that Jesus is speaking about a judgment, a judgment that would come. And I believe this is specifically referencing the judgment of the Jewish nation, the judgment against Israel for their unfaithfulness. And again, that goes back to those shepherds that were not faithful. Verse 51. Do you suppose that I came to give peace on the earth? I tell you not at all,

but rather division four from now on five in one house will be divided to three against two and two against three. Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her. Mother-in-law Jesus came to bring peace. But the kind of piece that it bring is brought about when individuals obey God,

that is they hear the truth. They obey the truth. They hold fast to the truth and they don’t depart from the truth. When they do that, they have peace with God, but Jesus did not come to bring peace to those who refuse to obey the truth. And so Jesus said, I did not come to bring peace, but division. He came to bring judgment and the vision against those who would not hear the truth and who would not obey the truth.

So to in congregations today, if the choice is between holding fast to the truth and maintaining the doctrine of Christ and living out what Christ has said, or getting along with a group that wants to change the doctrine, or wants to change the practice of the church, or wants to change the worship of the church, we don’t need unity. We need division.

You say, well, wait a minute. Jesus said we weren’t to divide the church. Paul said that the Christ didn’t want the church divided or correct, but he also doesn’t want an unfaithful church. It’s not enough to have unity. It must be unity based upon obedience to the truth or it’s unity that will never matter in eternity. He goes on to say,

then he also said to the multitudes verse 54, whoever, excuse me, whenever you see a cloud rising out of the West, immediately, you say a shower is coming. And so it is, and when you see the South wind blow, you say there will be hot weather. And there is hypocrites. You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth,

but how is it? You do not discern this time. Jesus looks at the multitude. Who’s regularly pictured as those who, well, they think Jesus is the, is the Messiah. Well, they maybe he’s the prophet. Maybe he’s Alijah. Maybe he’s he’s John, the Baptist, maybe he’s somebody else. And he said, you can look at the sky and understand what the weather is going to be.

And you can’t understand all of this old Testament, scripture that tells you the time of the kingdom is at hand. And that the Messiah is here. Yes. And why verse 57, even of yourselves, do you not judge? What is right? When you go with your adversary to the magistrate and make every effort along the way to settle with him,

lest he drag you to the judge. The judge deliver you to the officer. The officer throw you into prison. I tell you, you shall not depart from there until you have paid. The very last mite. Jesus said there are consequences for not observing the truth. There are consequences for not putting first the kingdom. There are consequences for not being obedient to God and Christ and being ready for his return.

And all of that is used here in an analogy of a person who owes a debt. They will not have not paid. And they’re going to have to pay it by being put in prison until the debt is paid. There were present at that season. Some who told him about the Galileans whose blood pilot had mingled with their sacrifices and Jesus answered and said to them,

do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered such things. Having been told you can’t, you can look at the sky and you can determine the weather, but you can’t understand what’s right in front of you. Some people say, well, didn’t you hear about those? Galileans didn’t you hear what happened to them? That,

that, that these Galileans pilot took their blood and he sprinkled it with their sacrifices and abomination that God, that’s a clear indicator. This is kind of in the subtext here, the implications, this is a clear indicator that these Galileans, who were offering the sacrifices were evil, bad people, otherwise, such a terrible thing would never happen. Had them.

Jesus said, do you suppose that these Galileans were right? Worse, sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered such things. I ain’t tell you. No, but unless you repent. Yeah, you will all likewise perish or those eight keen on whom the tower of Salone fell and killed them. Do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem?

I tell you no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise as perish Jesus, and it’s time for you to start cleaning your own house. It’s time for you to start getting right in your own heart, in your own life and repeating hinting or yeah. This example, not a tower falling on you, not a Roman ruler coming and killing you and mingling your,

your blood with the sacrifices. That’s not what Jesus said. Coming destruction, judgment, death. That’s what’s coming unless you repent. And we’re reminded that the message of repentance is what John came preaching. He came preaching to Israel. The people of God who the Messiah would be born among them and was among them. He came preaching, repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

And Jesus preaches the same, the message, repent or perish. There are, are no other alternatives. We need to examine our hearts and our right minds. We need to examine our lives and figure out are we in need of repentance? Is there something in our lives that we’re ignoring? Is there a motivation that desire for riches, for glory, for possessions,

for, for the things of this earth that we can’t let go? Yeah. He spoke this bearable, sorry, man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he looked or said to the keeper of his vineyard, look for three years, I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and found none.

Cut it down. Why does it use up the ground? Interesting principle here is Jesus fully comprehends and illustrates within his teaching that a plant exists and pulls nutrients from the ground. It, yes, with this example, the fig tree pulls the nutrients from the ground, but produce it. It is nothing. It produces no fruit. It uses up resources,

but has no productive value. So the vineyard owner says, cut it down and get rid of it. But he, the vineyard keeper answered and said, sir, let it alone this year. Also until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit well, but if not after that, you can cut it down. I want to remind us that we’re in the second year of Jesus’ ministry.

And in the second year of Jesus’ ministry, Jesus uses the illustration of one who has taken three years to come find any fruit born by this nation of Israel. And he’s not finding any, that’s not to say he’s not finding an individual and individuals who would be obedient to him, but the nation, the nation was not producing the fruit of the kingdom and the nation was going to be judged.

So notice Jesus said, I didn’t come to bring peace, but a sword. I didn’t come to bring peace, but division, I came to bring fire. He says, and then he says repent or perish. And then he says, if you produce no fruit for my kingdom, I will cut you down. I will destroy you. We need to learn the necessity of bearing fruit.

And that fruit must be righteousness and the producing of righteousness, not only in our own lives, but in the lives of others, hope you all have a good class and have a good worship this morning. And I pray that everything will be well with you until we’re with you. Again, we love you very much. You’re dismissed.<inaudible><inaudible> Good morning and welcome to the Collierville church of Christ.

Sunday morning, worship service. It is so good to see each of you here this morning. We have several visitors with us and especially the Olsen family that came all the way from central Missouri to, I think they have some special interest here, but anyway, it’s good to have them. And the hatchers are with us. They once worshipped here several years ago and quiets back with us again today,

appreciate him. And we appreciate our minister from Holly Springs. Good, good to have you folks here, if you haven’t, we wouldn’t like for you to take a card from the Pew in front of you and fill it out and just leave it on the Pew or drop it in the collection plate or hand it to one of us, just get it,

get it to here so that we have a record of your attendance. And as you came in, if you did not pick up the Lord’s supper on the table, as you walked into the auditorium, this is good time to do it. We’re just going to go through a few administrative announcements. And so go back and pick up the little cup of bread and grape juice,

and we’ll be ready for the Lord separ when it is offered, need to remember our sick Joan sprayer, still very weak at home. Dorothy Wilson is doing better with her heart blood pressure problem that she has. And we have a note here that her blood pressure is, is stabilizing. And she is scheduled the 1st of February, which is Monday to have ultrasounds and blood work to see if her stage three chronic kidney disease has improved since her last hospital stay.

When her count was 43, where it should be around 70. So let’s keep definitely her in our prayers and ed Richardson, which is the Halvorson’s father-in-law is doing about the same. As I understand, Barbara Diller is still at home suffering with the recovery of her shoulder, from a procedure that was done on it. It has to be a mobilized for a period of about two weeks or better.

And she’s still working on that need to remember her Elena sharp as well. And Ken and Frankie Phillips that’s Dale’s the Dale’s friend. They are recovering from COVID. That’s all of the sick that I’m aware of as you came in the auditorium, there’s a basket of names we’ve been working on this for awhile. It’s names of people that previously worshiped here, or have we have some record of them having visted.

If you’d pick up one of those names out of the basket and make contact with that person and just invite them back to the church is what it’s all about. The Potter’s children home up in Kentucky, that we helped support. We’ll be here to pick up the commodities that we assemble the week of February 15th. So if you haven’t been bringing your commodities, this is a good time to get update on that.

The Nesbitt church of Christ congregation is hosting the 22nd standing in the gap lectures Wednesday through Sunday in January 27th through the 31st, there are details on the bulletin board. If you’re interested in attending there. And then I have a card from Francis Redmond that I’m going to read for you. I’ll post the code card back on the bulletin board, but it says to all my brothers and sisters in Christ,

I want to thank you for all the help you have given me. Thank you for all the prayers over all right, stays food calls, cards. Your kindness has been such a blessing to me. May God bless you all Francis Redmond. That’s all the announcements. I have the order of service today. We’re totally blessed to have so much talent in the congregation.

The song leader will be Michael Dale. He’s also a student over to Memphis school of preaching and no else. Noah Olson will be bringing us the message. The opening prayer will be Eric Halvorson. Joe caisson will be officiating on the Lord’s supper and the closing prayer will be Terry Sanderson. Thank you all for your attendance. Our opening song this morning will be number 75.

I seen the power of God, number 75, Seeing my T power of God that<inaudible> that<inaudible><inaudible>. Ah, I see where’s John dad or Dan<inaudible> the moon shines for that is a man. Oh, the stars. Oh, Hey, seeing goodness of the Lord.<inaudible> he form creatures with his word and then<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> ground tread or gaze upon<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> and clouds.<inaudible> burst.

Blow by<inaudible> from<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> and every where that man can be. God,<inaudible> The song before the opening prayer will be number 797. Lord, we come before the now seven 97 Lord we come before the ah, ah,<inaudible> ah, Oh, dune. Ah.<inaudible> shall we? The Lord in vain. We see the Lord and<inaudible><inaudible> and calm passion.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> to<inaudible> and I know<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> the God<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Please bow with me.

God, our father in heaven, we come to you at this time, thanking you for the opportunity to assemble here this morning, to sing songs, appraised your great name and study another portion of your word Lord. We’d like to thank you for those amongst the members of this congregation that have found and had improvements in their health, because we know that you are in control of everything.

And we thank you for those that have had improvements. But Lord, we also know that there are many amongst us that are suffering from various illnesses and ailments. And we ask that you wrap your loving arms around each and every one of them. Lord, we, especially at this time would ask you that you wrap your loving arms around Shirley Cozort and ease her pain.

If it be your will. And if it be your will restore her to a measure health that she so desires. We also ask that you wrap your loving arms and comfort the entire Cozort family at this time of their need and comfort. Also each and every one of those that are suffering with loved ones that have illnesses. God. Now, as we prepare to study another portion of your word,

we ask that you help each and every one of us assembled here this morning to have open hearts and open minds so that we can understand the message that Noah brings to us this morning, your message, your word, and we can take and apply that to our lives so that we can be better servants to yours while we’re here on this earth. And we want to thank you for your son,

Jesus, because we know that the sacrifice that he and you made for us, make it possible for us to live with you in eternity. One day we pray all this through his name, amen Song to prepare our minds for the Lord’s supper will be number 332. Lead me to Calvary three, three to King of my life. Crown me, ah,

nah, nine shout Kamari bee. Last for good thorn crown bruh. Ah, me too.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> for me, the me too.<inaudible> show me the two<inaudible><inaudible> and, and Joes and robes Ray. Hey God. At the Watts<inaudible> money.<inaudible><inaudible> me, the me too.<inaudible><inaudible> through the glue, calm with a gift to the show to mean,

ah,<inaudible> the me too.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> for me, the me too.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> for the<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> for<inaudible> for again<inaudible> for me, the me too.<inaudible> As we come together this day, we often sometimes take things I think too lightly about our Savior’s death. And as we look back to the time that he was ready to cue and spit upon the time that he was beaten in the time he was led to the cross and hung there on the cross of Calvary to die for us.

And as we think about that, we need to reflect upon what he’s done for us and the hope that we have through him, that by his dying for us, he made us a way of redemption from our sins and be able to turn back to our God and to our savior, to hopefully have that home and having one day, we want to reflect upon that now,

as we protect the Lord’s supper, and as we have sung this beautiful song to remind us that he did die for us, and he’s always there for us and we gain our strength by going to him, that is pray father, I got in heaven. We know that it was a sad time when your precious son had to go to the cross of Calvary.

We know it was by his own wheel that he went and that he suffered and died for us. And as we reflect upon that father, we’re so grateful and so thankful that we are able to be your children and able to receive that blessing. While there we pray that as we partake of this bread, that we might examine ourselves and make sure that we’re taking of it in a manner worthy Jesus,

we pray amen.<inaudible> Oh God, our fathers. We continue to look to the cross where our savior hung there and he shed his precious blood upon that cross. And there’s through that blood that we have the forgiveness of our sins, opposed to always be mindful, that sacrifice that was made for us. And as we go through life that we will let it show in the way that we conduct ourselves before our fellow man,

they do know that we are your children. And then we have redemption through his blood, right? As we protected this fruit of the vine that we might do. So in a way pleasing is it represents that blood of our savior Jesus, we pray. Amen. Well, I had the opportunity to think about us giving back to the Lord and to be able to continue to conduct the work of the church,

to do our benevolent activities and also to help further the kingdom and supporting those that are teaching and preaching. Not only here, but throughout the world, that they too might come to the knowledge of God’s word and want to be a child of, he is let us pray. Father in heaven, we’ve been so blessed in this country and we’ve been blessed beyond what we really need.

And we pray father that we’re being good stewards of those blessings that we have determined in our hearts to give. And as we’ve been prospered that we’re so thankful to be able to give, to help the work of the church here, as well as in other places in the world that we played pray that we would be liberal with our giving and that we are trying to take care of the needs of those that perhaps are having difficulties with different things in their lives and,

and be very benevolent and how, how we tried to help them, bless us in our efforts, continue to strengthen us as the days, go by help us always to do all to the names honor and glory in Jesus. We pray amen. If you’re using the song book and we’d like to Mark the song of invitation is number 945. Number nine,

four five. It will be on the slides though. The song for our lesson will be number 616, the way of the cross. If you’re able to let stand for this song, please, number 616.<inaudible> I must needs go home by the way of the cross. There’s no other way, but it is shown again outside of the Gates, if the way of the cross,

the way of the<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Sneads go on and blah sprinkles were, Hey, Pat, that save<inaudible><inaudible> to the it’s where the<inaudible> at home with. Ah,<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> then I bet to the way to walk<inaudible> for my Lords. And I see my<inaudible> no way of the cross<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> cross<inaudible>. It was a privilege to be able to be with you this morning.

You able to give you a lesson from God’s word again. I want to thank you all for that opportunity. So we want to be praying for the Cozort family continually and hope everything can go. Well, our lesson this morning is very simple. Our lesson is how to get to heaven, how to get to heaven. This question is the most important question that one can never ask.

What must I do to be saved? What must I do to get to heaven? What must I do to be saved from eternal damnation? That’s the question that we’re going to look at this morning, how to get to heaven. I want to say You to turn over to Matthew chapter seven, this is where we’re going to be this morning, Matthew chapter seven.

And we’re going to see what Jesus can teach us about how to get, how the, the path To heaven. You know, there Is a story of a preacher who, who would tell his, his congregation next week, I’m going to preach the best sermon You’ve ever heard. Of course the congregation, right? They’re excited. Next week Comes around.

The preacher gets up to the pulpit. He reads Matthew five. He reads Matthew six and he reads Matthew seven. And he has preached the best sermon that one could ever preach. And who sermon? It’s not the man’s sermon, but it’s Christ’s sermon. Matthew Five through seven often called the sermon on the Mount is The greatest sermon that anyone has ever preached.

That’s Jesus, Jesus himself is the greatest preacher to ever live, But we’re going to look at Jesus as part of his sermon in Matthew seven on a couple of things, what we need to do in order To get to heaven, you know, Chapter seven details what we must do, but Jesus kind of summed it up in John chapter 14, verse number six,

he says The way the truth and the life, we must heed to the words of Jesus. And if we follow these basic teachings that we’re going to look at this morning, we can go to heaven. It’s a blessing to know that we have all things pertaining to life and godliness. We can know that we have eternal life. If we do what?

If we obey his commandments? The question that we must ask ourselves, is this, are we going to Follow the commandments from Christ as Christ did from his father in John chapter 12, notice verse 49, John chapter 12, verse 49 for I’ve not spoken of my Self, but the father which sent me, he gave me a commandment. What I should say and what I should speak.

Jesus himself, obey the father. Are we going to obey the commands of Christ? So let’s get it Nor less than firstly, our first point this morning, if we were going to get to heaven, we have to judge righteously. Let’s go back to Matthew chapter seven and look at it. Verse number one real quick notice Jesus says, judge, not that you may not judge.

How, how often or what context do you hear? People use this verse. You can’t judge me. You can’t Tell me what to do. Even Jesus himself has, Has said that. Looking at this context, Jesus is not condemning judging at all. He’s condemning hypocrisy. He’s condemning sinful judging. There is a difference. So we need to understand that.

But yet you’ve heard people say, stop judging me. Or Jesus says, don’t judge. You. Can’t tell me how My life. That’s not what Jesus is saying here for one year, Christian is commanded to discern right from wrong. Are we not Ephesians chapter five, notice Verse number 11 and have no fellowship With the unfruitful works of darkness. Rather what reprove them,

get them out. Expose them, expose the sin in the camp. We have to, we’re commanded to purge out the 11. Are we not? We need to, to, to purge out sin and we have to practice church discipline. Do we not? When my brother who is a Saint Or living in sin, Jesus gives us the commands. I want to turn to Matthew 18 for a bit.

A moment. Matthew chapter 18. I want you to notice 15 through 17 here on the commands. Here we are commanded To, to push sin out of the way because a little 11, 11, and it’s a whole lump. A little bit of sin can affect many people, but notice Matthew Chapter 18. Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee,

go in, go and tell him his fault between the and him alone. This is a, this is Personal. Notice how, as he continues, if he shall hear that Again, my brother, but if he will not hear the verse 16, then take then take with the one or two more. Then the mouth of two or three witnesses everywhere may be established.

Notice verse 17. And if he shall neglect to hear them tell under the church, but neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican. I thought Jesus said that we weren’t supposed to judge. Now we are, we are commanded to expose sin. And when one who is not going to repent the act of marking him and things such as that come into place.

Now, are we rude to this person? No, we’re not rude. Second desolate Chapter three verse 15 says yet, count him not as an Enemy, but admonish him as a brother when there was someone in the congregation or someone in the church that, that you know who is living in sin and they will not repent. You try to get them back as fast as possible.

Why? Because we don’t know when Christ is going to come. Yes, we are commanded to, to note the difference from wrong and right First Corinthians chapter five and verse number five. I want you to notice that real quick, first Corinthians chapter For five. Notice what Paul says to the Corinthians. First Corinthians chapter five in verse number five. Notice Liver is such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh That notice this why at the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

Jesus. We expose sin. Not because we don’t like the person, not just to get back at the person. We judge to make sure that their soul is saved. That’s why we should judge righteously. But going back to our text in order for us to get to heaven, we have to judge righteously. But what does it mean to judge righteously?

Does that mean to judge off of opinions? No, that’s not what Jesus is saying. Let’s look, look ever. Verse number two as well. For, with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged. And with what measure you meet, it shall be measured to you again. Let’s look At verses three through five, continuing. And why behold is now the moat that is in my brother’s eye.

But consider is not the beam that is not Oh nine or how with outside of my brother, let me pull out the mote out of<inaudible> and behold, a beam is in nine Oh nine thou hypocrite first cast out the out of nine Oh Nine and then shot that clearly see to cast out the mote out of my brother’s eyes. Jesus, Jesus hear,

I love when Jesus uses uses humor. Just imagine this man with this two by four hanging out of his eye and trying to pick out the little tiny speck and his brother’s eye. Jesus said there was no logic to that. We need to make sure that if we were, if we were going to judge righteously in order to get to heaven, what must we first do?

Jesus says, fix yourself. Make sure that you as a Christian are living faithfully. I have no right to tell you to stop lying. If I have the same problem myself, I have no authority to tell you to, to, to live faithfully. If I can not do the same myself, we need to remember to fix our own selves. Notice first Corinthians nine in verse 27,

Paul says the same idea. He says, I keep my body under or excuse me. I keep under my body and bring it this objection. That’s the, by any means. But now I’ve preached to others. I myself should be a Castaway. I need to fix myself first. And then I can go in and judge, the word judge is to call into question to,

to distinguish. That’s what the word judge means to, to, to, to distinguish right from wrong. In this instance, we need to understand, I want you to notice Romans two verses 21 and following as well now, therefore, which teaches another teaches thou not thyself thou that preaches the man should not steal dust out. Steal thou that says to man should not commit adultery,

desktop committed adultery that at abortus aisles does document sacrilege. Now that make us the boast of the law, that through breaking the law dishonors thou God, we need to make sure that our lives as Christians are right before we go out until others, their fault. That’s how we judge righteously. Let’s make sure we are living faithfully before we go and preach and teach to others.

You know, the world is not going to listen. Someone’s not going to listen to a hypocrite. Someone’s not going to listen to them. We need to make sure our lives are and as Christians are right. But if we are going to judge righteously as well, not only must we fix your own selves, but also another requirement is we judge with righteous judgment.

What’s righteous judgment. Well, John chapter seven, verse 24, Jesus says don’t judge, according to the appearance, but judge, with what righteous judgment, what is righteous judgment? It’s not opinion opinion. Doesn’t matter to God, God didn’t. Didn’t ask Adam what? Well, how do you want me to form peeve? You, you choose. He didn’t ask Noah.

He said, you, you choose the wood. Whatever. You know, he, he gave a specific command opinion in most, in some instances does not matter to God. He’s given us some Liberty on some things, but there are specific things that he is required. But notice we ought to, to judge to call into question, according to how Jesus notice John 12,

verse 48, according to the Bible, notice John 12, verse 48. He that rejects me and receive. It’s not my words. Hath one that judges him. The word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day we judge, we call him the question we speak from God’s word. Not my opinion. Not know his opinion,

not, not, not anybody’s opinion. It’s only from God’s word that we have the authority to do that. If I’m going to judge righteously and to get to heaven, I also must understand that my motive it has to be right. My motive is not to get back at the person. My motive is not just to make myself look good. My motive is not just to make everybody against that person.

Now my motive, again, as we stated this, to get that sold, I want you to notice. I love Galatians six and verse number one, Galatians chapter six and verse number one, I love what Paul says here. Notice what he says. Brethren. If a man be overtaken in a fault, you at your spiritual restore trust in one,

such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering myself less than I’ll also be tempted. Why do we go this brother-in-law or brother, why do, why do we go to this brother or sister and tell them their fault so that they can come back. But also, so we are not tempted to the congregation or the church abroad is not falling to sin,

but our motive must be not to, to our motive must be correct. And James chapter five also wants you to notice 1920. Notice what James says, James five, 19 and 20. He says brethren, if any of you do earth from the truth and one convert him, let him know verse 20. He which he would say she converted the sinner from the error of his way,

shall save a soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins. That is why, that is why we approach. And that is why we are to judge righteous land, to make sure that sin is out of the camp. And you go back to Aiken. What happened when, when akin sin, who is affected, not just akin whole congregation,

we need to make sure sin is out as soon as so destructive, Romans chapter six, verse 23 wages of sin is what death, spiritual death. And we need to make sure that sin is out of the camp every day. We need to purge that. Let’s go back to Matthew chapter seven. I want you to notice verse number six as well in the,

in the context, you’re still judging. Notice what Jesus says. Give not that, which is Holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls before swine lest. They trample them under their feet and turn again and render you. What is Jesus meaning here? I think sometimes there comes a point in some people lives when, when you bring them to the gospel that they’re too stubborn,

too stubborn to, to, to, to listen. Jesus would say to the apostles in Matthew chapter 10, verse 14, that you just have to shake the dust off your feet and go your way. Because sadly, there are those who will just not repent. Who are, I don’t want to say they’re there. No one is ever too far gone.

But sadly, there were some who hardened their hearts. How much they, according to their will, according to their choices will not repent. Now could they? Yes, but they have to choose that. But we as Christians need to understand that we can not give up just because of one, we have to keep on, keeping on. We have to keep on doing the things that God would have us to do.

Yes. We need to judge righteous sleep. Let me ask you, let’s ask this question. When we judge, when we are calling into question, when we are discerning, as we’ll talk about here in a little bit as well, who should we go to for wisdom? I think we should go to God. Let’s look at verses seven through 11 here.

Notice in Matthew chapter seven, seven through 11, It says ask. And it shall be given you seek and you shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you for every one that asked to receive it. Then he, that seeketh findeth and to him that knock it, that shall be open or what man is there of you whom have his son asks for bread will give him a stone.

Or if he asks a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then being evil, know how to give good gifts to unto your children? How much more shall your father, which isn’t it. Kevin give good things to them to ask him, you know, as we, as Christians should, should note something in every situation we should always go before the father.

Should we not? We should come before the father. And specifically in this instance, when we are judging, when we are discerning, what is our motive? W w we need to ask ourselves, is this true biblical evaluation? Or is this just my opinion? We need to go before the father. And what’s interesting. I love what Jesus says here.

He says, if you, you, you is, is people can give good gifts to your children. Yet. The father Who is the most powerful being in the universe, How much more can he give you? James? One verse 17 tells us that every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the father of lights. Isn’t our father.

So awesome and awesome. God. He is. And we need to understand that we should always trust him. Matthew six, verse 33, but seek ye first, the kingdom of God and his righteousness and what all these things shall be added unto you. We love you. We should love what the father has done for us. Be thankful. And when we are In situations,

such as maybe approaching a brother, let’s go to God because we ask what does Jesus say? Verse eight, again, for everyone that asks<inaudible> I hate that. Seek it, find it. Isn’t him knocking the shabby, open James chapter one also. And the verses five Through eight, James would say, if any of you lack wisdom, Let him ask of God.

God has all the answers. And when we pray, how, how does he speak? It’s not going to be some miraculous endowment. No, we haven’t To study. Prairie is never a substitute for study. We need to understand that praying to God helps us a lot. And when you understand that every day, but yes, when we are judging,

when we are coming Up to a brother, maybe that is living in sin, Let’s pray about it as well. But also notice verse 12 of Matthew, chapter seven, therefore, all things whatsoever you would, that men should do to you do even so to them for this is the law and the prophets. What is this often called the golden rule,

right? I like the word to should here, because this means that how they ought to be how they ought to be biblically, how would I want to be judged? How would you want to be judged? According to man’s opinion? According to this brother’s Idea. No, I want to be judged from the Bible, whatever the Bible says. And that’s how we ought to judge.

According to God’s word questions we have to ask, are we binding where the Bible doesn’t bind? Are we losing where the Bible doesn’t lose? We need to ask ourselves when we are judging, when we are going up to a brother in the church, we need to go to them with humility and with God’s word in that alone. Yes. Firstly, if we were going to get to heaven,

we must judge, right? But secondly, if we are going to get to heaven, we must choose right? There is a choice. Let’s look at verses 13 and 14 of Matthew seven, enter you in at the straight gate for wide is the gate. And broad is the way that Leah’s to destruction and many there be which go in their own because Is the gate and narrow is the way which leads on to life.

And few there be that, find it. You know, since then Beginning, there’s always been a choice, right? There’s always been a choice. There’s not some unconditional election. God doesn’t well, I’m a choose you. And I won’t choose. You know, the God has always allowed us to choose. I like Joshua 24. And you know,

you’ve heard verse 15 before notice John Joshua 24 15. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord shoes, notice that word, choose you this day, whom you will serve, whether the gods, Which your father served that were on the other side of the flood Or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But notice what Joshua says.

He says, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. There’s always been a choice. God gives us that choice. That’s up to us. Yeah. We have two choices. There’s there’s not more than that. And you know, our denominational friends like to tell us, well, I’m just taking a different route to heaven.

No, Jesus says that. I’m the way, I’m the truth. And I’m the life. There’s either Christ’s way or there’s the world’s way. And, and there’s not partial obedience. I want you to notice this quote and I love this quote, notice to be almost persuaded as to be almost saved and to be almost saved as be entirely lost. There’s there’s either full for God or full for the world.

There’s not partial obedience with God. But with that choice, as we’ve talked about, we have a choice. You and I, we have the choice that we have. We’re given that there’s two choices. Again, firstly, as Jesus talks about going back to our text, Matthew seven, there’s a wide way. There’s, there’s a, there’s a wide,

the wide path. And this gate is broad and golfs many people, but guess what it is pleasurable, it feels good. First John two and verse 16 says for all those in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, all those things that man loves makes them feel good. That’s that’s this way.

And you, you get to enjoy the pleasures of sin. You get to, you don’t Have to feel bad about anything you do. You get to live for Yourself every day. It’s all about you. I want you to notice something and Hebrews chapter 11, Hebrews chapter 11, I want you to notice what the Hebrew writer says about Moses choosing rather To suffer affliction with the people Of God than to enjoy.

Notice this, the pleasures of sin or seasoned sin. Doesn’t sin only lasts for a season and yes, this way might feel good. You might get to Do what you want to do, live how you want To live yet. Sadly, this one makes this, this way, makes me An enemy of God, James four in verse number four. He adulterers.

And adulteresses no you not that the friendship, The world is what enmity with God and whosoever is going to be a friend of the world is what an enemy of God being an enemy of God’s that’s a scary thing. It’s not, we need to understand that. No, we can’t choose this way. And sadly, many, many seek to enter the other way.

See they want th that the narrow way they want the straight way. Maybe they, they try. I seek it, but something’s holding them back from leaving this wide way. Sadly many will be lost. That’s a sad thing. Is it not this way is not this way. Again, as it was pleasurable, it might be easy. It’s big.

Many people go in. Yeah, sadly it’s eternal destruction. It’s not pleasant revelation 21. And verse number eight tells us that there’s going to be fire and brimstone. This is eternal damnation. This is, this is torments Burning and the fires of hell forever. It’s not going to last a thousand years, 10,000 years. It’s forever. But also this it’s going to be away from the presence of God.

That’s a sad thing. And to think, to replay in your head over and over again, Jesus walking away from you for ever. That’s a sad thing, but Jesus says there is another way. Going back to Matthew chapter seven, what does he say? He also says that there is a narrow way, a straight way. This word narrow is interesting.

When I was Looking at this word narrow, it means difficult. It means suffered. Tribulus. It’s a, it’s a hard way. This, this, this way. It requires endurance. Second Timothy four, six through eight. The title, No, my departure is at hand paraphrase and I fought a good fight. I finished the course. I’ve kept the faith.

What does Paul say? In verse eight henceforth, there is laid it for me. A crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge shall give me at that day and not to me only, but to all them that love his appearing this way is the way to go this way. Again, as we stated with Moses, it’s hard. Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with the people Of God and do enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.

And this way leads to an everlasting life with God. We should look forward to that. It’s going to be hard. You’re Going to have temptations. You’re going to have trials in your life. Of course, God does not promise perfection just to a perfect life. I will say this. The destination is a beautiful one. I heard a joke, a story choke about,

about the, the, the, the joys of heaven. There was a, an old man and his wife. They, they died and they went to heaven and Peter was, was showing them around heaven, right? And he’s like, he shows them this, this mansion. He says, this is, this is yours. You get this. And they said,

how much, how much do we have to pay for? And Peter says, no, no, that’s yours. It’s in heaven. This is yours. And he shows them a beautiful car. And how much do we have to pay for it? He says, no, it’s yours. They get to the golf course, golf course. And, and the man says how much you have to pay for it.

And Peter’s like, Nope, it’s all free. And the man looks to his wife and he says, why did you feed me those rice cake and vegetables? I could have been eating all this cake and gotten here to heaven sooner, funny thing. And we now understand doesn’t, haven’t going to be beautiful. I think it is no, we’re not going to have any material things,

just a little illustration there, but we need to choose, right. We need to choose the path to heaven. And if we do, man, it’s going to be beautiful. Number three third, let’s go back to our texts this morning. If we’re going to get to heaven for a third point, we have to discern, right? What does it mean to discern,

to discern means to recognize or identify? We did kind of talk about this a little bit. Let’s talk about this as Jesus. Notice Matthew seven, verse 15, but where are false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly, they are ravening wolves. There are going to be those who want to deceive, right? They’re going to be those who want to persuade men to do other things,

to do other things of the world, to go with false doctrine. And yet some are wolves in sheep’s clothing. False prophets are not going to have a sign on their shirt saying false prophet, false prophet with blinking lights. They’re not going to come up to the pulpit and say, hold on, be prepared. I’m a false prophet. I’m about to deceive.

You know, they’re going to come in sheep’s clothing. They’re going to look like the rest yet. They are deceiving us. Notice. Second Corinthians chapter 11, 13 through 15, second Corinthians 11, 13 through 15 for such are false apostles. Deceitful workers transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ and no Marvel for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

Notice that therefore it is no great thing. If his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works, even Satan himself comes into seat for ways. And sadly, there might even be those in the church. No, they look good. They might sound good. They might be the best and the outward.

And then the really, what does Jesus say? They’re ravening. What was, but yes, we, as Christians have to discern, we have to make sure that we are checking. You know, this morning has giving you the gospel. I hope that you just don’t take my word for it. Now. I, I’m not purposely teaching. I hope I’m not saying anything falsely.

Or there could be an instance that preachers say something accidentally that I don’t know, therefore each and every one should make sure the scriptures and the preacher that the teacher is saying something right now, we need to discern you acts chapter 17. Verse number 11 tells us that they searched the scriptures daily to what make sure that these things were were so, and we need to understand that,

but yes, we have to be adamant about testing. One another notice going back to our text verses 16 through 20. Notice what Jesus says about fruit. You shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of missiles, even so every good tree bring it forth, good fruit, but a corrupt tree. Bring it forth.

Evil fruit, a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit. Neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that brings us not forth. Good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruit roots. You shall know them. We need to not only discern who is teaching or our brethren, we’ll have to discern ourselves.

We have to look at ourselves. Are we living righteously? Philippians two in verse 12 says work out your own salvation. Yes, we, we need to, to watch out for, for others to make sure that their souls are living faithfully as well. We’re responsible for us. We need to make sure of that. Second Corinthians 13 in verse number five,

examine yourself, make sure discern yourselves, make sure that you were living faithfully. As we talked about before, before you go out and tell others, you have to make sure you’re living faithfully as well. And yet, sadly, sometimes I think going back to talking about those who teach falsely thinking that they can hide thinking that they can blend in, Oh,

they might be able to fool you. They might be able to fool me, but they will never, ever, ever full gone their work will be. He brought out, I love numbers, chapter 32 and verse number 23 numbers, 32, 23 notice. But if you will not do so behold, you have sinned against the Lord. Notice this next phrase and be sure your sin will fall.

Sand’s going to be brought to light whether on this earth or whether in judgment, second Corinthians five verse number 10, we’re going to, to what? Up here before everyone is going to appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Yes, we have to discern. We have to make sure that we know right from wrong. We have to make sure that our lives as Christians are living faithfully.

And to say that that everything is okay. Now we need to discern, as Jesus talks about, you know, first John chapter one in verse number five, John says that this is the message, which we’ve heard in declarance to you. That God is light. Nim is no darkness at all in him is no darkness at all. We need to understand that we have to push out the 11 push out sin every day of our lives.

Bless notice our last point for this morning. If we we’re going to get to heaven, we fourthly and lastly must have to build, right? Let’s go back to our texts. Look at verses 24 Through 27, we’re going to come back to verses 21 through 23 at the end. But let’s look at verses 24 through 27, as Jesus is going to give a kind of analogy or illustration Here.

He says, therefore, whosoever, heareth these sayings of mine and do with them. I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock. And the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house. And it fell not for, it was founded upon a rock and everyone that hears these sayings of mine and do it.

Them not shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand. And the rain is descent and the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that. The house and it fell and great was the fall of it. Now, again, we talked about, we have two choices in reality, there’s only two choices,

the world Satan or gone. And so again, you look at these, these, these two people they both heard, right? They both, they both heard, they both built, but one of them didn’t do something. They both faced the storms of life, but one of them did not do the words of who? Of Christ. Yeah. He built his house.

He didn’t have a solid foundation. The outcome was different. Let’s look at the first man, the first person, the first man did what he built his house on Christ. And we, as Christians have to do that every day of loss, every single one of us have to do that. First Corinthians three, look at verse number 11, first Corinthians three and verse number 11.

Notice what Paul says here. He says for other foundation can no man, lay than that is laid, which is what Christ Jesus Christ. That’s where our foundation must be laid. We have to have him as our cornerstone. That’s our foundation. And this man, This man, he didn’t just hear The word. He also did the word James one in verse.

Number two says what we have to be doers of the word, not hearers only. We can’t be only those who hear. We have to do something about it. And yet, sadly those in Psalm and denominations, like to say faith alone, faith alone, go out. I like to use this analogy. When talking about that idea, last Noah,

how he built the Ark by faith alone. I don’t think, I don’t think he’d look at you like what he had to do something. There was a story about one who was golfing with his friend. Of course he was a Christian. And the other was, I believe of a denomination who taught faith alone and they are talking about faith and they got on the green.

And of course the, the faith alone preacher person got up to putt and The Christian was I no, no, no. Hold on, hold on. You. You have to put that in by what? Faith alone. Because faith alone doesn’t require action. Faith alone doesn’t require action. Does it? Doesn’t and the one was like, yeah, you got me there.

The faith plus works equals salvation. Not faith alone. I have to build, I have to do it upon Christ. I want you to notice also something about what this man faced. You know, he still felt face trials, even though his house was built upon the rock, even though it was built upon spiritually Christ, he still faced trials. Notice as we’ve talked about a second,

as we talked about the rains descended verse 25 and the floods came, the winds blew. He might’ve had some scratches. He might’ve even had some, maybe a minor damage on the house, but it never fell. Why? Because it was built on the rock. Second Timothy three verse number 12 year old that should live godly in Christ. Jesus will suffer persecution again.

As we’ve talked about, the way is hard. It’s narrow. It it’s difficult, but we, if we live faithfully, there’s, there’s a requirement we’ll never fall. Now, can we fall away if we choose to? Yes, but if we continue until our lives are over, I forgot is for us, who can, who can stand against us?

We got God on our side. We should be thankful for that. But what about the other man on the sand? He built his house upon the sand and this man, like, like the other Island, unlike the other, he had a faulty foundation. He didn’t build his foundation upon Christ. His foundation was tied to man known as Colossians two and number eight,

but where lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ, that’s where his foundation was. And this man forgot who he was spiritually. He didn’t, he didn’t, he didn’t build his foundation. Right? And, and when the trials of life were upon him, what happened?

He fell. He didn’t have a good foundation. He, he, he was destroyed. You know, pride comes before destruction and a haughty spirit before the fall. We’re going to be humble enough to do the necessary things, to build right. To make sure that our foundation is correct. Because if our foundation is correct, we can build upon that.

And that basically has a Christian, but yes, if we’re going to get to heaven, we have to build a right. But the question is, what are we going to do as Christians on this earth? And we’re going to judge, right? Are we going to choose the right path? Are we going to discern and build right as Christians? If we cannot do these simple things,

we will not be able to go to heaven. We need to choose the path and keep on that straight and narrow. But the question remains to each and every individual will we make that sacrifice. Galatians two verse number 20. I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live yet. Not I, but Christ liveth in me and the life that I now live in.

The flesh. I live by the faith in the son of God, loved me and gave himself for me. We need to live our lives as sacrifices. And perhaps there was one here this morning who has not chosen the, the, the path of heaven. Perhaps you have not started the journey. Maybe, perhaps you hearing the word now, do you believe that Jesus is the son of God?

Do you believe that that he came down to die for you so that you could have eternal life? Would you be willing to repent of your sins? Confess Christ before man, and be baptized for the remission of sins to start that journey? That’s just the start that’s, that’s just the beginning. And then you get to live faithfully forever. If you choose to do so,

and you get to go to heaven, but perhaps you’ve already done. So, and you have not been living as a Christian. You haven’t been judging, right? You haven’t chosen the right path. You haven’t discerned, right? And you have not built and continued there on, would you come back to God before it is? Everlastingly too late. I know I’ve used this analogy many times.

Imagine the, the father waiting every day for you to come home so he can have you a part of his fold. Once again, second Peter three verse nine. The Lord is not Slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness, but notice this as long suffering towards us, not willing to in any should perish, but that all should come back to repentance.

But it’s up to you to make that choice. If anyone is subject, and once you come as we stand and as we see<inaudible> lift up your voice, leave with him<inaudible> and began life<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Jesus. Well, me<inaudible> Neil at the cross<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Jesus. Well meet you there, Neil, at the cross,

give y’all ride<inaudible> to nada, to life. Sparkling cop trust always<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible>. Jesus will meet you.<inaudible> The song. Before our closing prayer will be number 867 to Canaan’s land I’m on my way, eight, six, seven, two Cain and land. I’m on my way where the<inaudible> never jog my dark ass. Nah, well,

turn to day where the<inaudible> never<inaudible> no,<inaudible> no,<inaudible><inaudible> and<inaudible> a Rose and this blew me there. Fuck me where the<inaudible> and<inaudible> where the<inaudible> never ah, no<inaudible> no,<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> never love light beams.<inaudible><inaudible> never de<inaudible><inaudible> no,<inaudible> no,<inaudible><inaudible> I’m on my way to that fan land where there’s<inaudible> where there will be no partying and where there’s<inaudible> never ah,

no,<inaudible> no,<inaudible><inaudible> and<inaudible> Let’s pray. Father who art in heaven. We thank thee for the freedom that we have to come and meet on the first day of the weekend for your children to worship fi and sang the songs of praise. And today we pray that we will always have these freedoms in this country. We always be able to come and,

and gather without fear of home. We pray that you would be with those that have been mentioned today that are sick and unable to be with us. We pray that you would be with the Cozort family and the health of Aaron’s grandmother. We pray that things will go well with her and keep them safe. As they travel back and forth, we pray that you would go with us now and keep us safe.

Do we meet again and crash? And we pray. Amen.

Automated Transcript:

Going to be beginning in verse 22, going through the end of the chapter. Again, the material pulling out different things from Jesus’s second year of ministry. And so there are some sections where we’re going to get part of a chapter instead of a whole chapter. And so that’s, that’s the reason why we’re here. Let’s begin with word prayer, Our gracious father in heaven.

We bow before you grateful for the day. You’ve blessed us with, for the opportunities that we have to serve you, to praise your name, to glorify you. And to honor you in all of the ways that you have given us the ability to do, we are so incredibly grateful for the mercy that you give to us each and every day, to allow us to see another day,

to allow us to arise and have the health, to be able to assemble together and serve you, to be able to worship and study your word. We pray that you be with our country and the upcoming days, may there be peace and may those who lead this country make decisions which lead toward peace instead of uprising, pray that you will help us to always strive to live peaceably with all men,

as much as lies within us and help us to always yet stand fast for the faith. Never wavering, always speaking the truth in love. We pray that you forgive us when we sin and fall short of your glory, help us to have a heart that is ready and mindful to repent. When we know we’ve done wrong, but we also ask for forgiveness of those things that we do wrong,

that we may not realize we have done pray that you be with us. As we go through this period of study, may all that we say and do be in accordance with your will. We pray for those in this congregation. Who’ve lost loved ones in recent days, and we pray that you will be with them and comfort them and help them through the difficulties that will come their way in these days.

And weeks ahead, we pray that you will help us to be a strength and a comfort to all those who are struggling and pray that they will seek strength and comfort through your word and through the faith that is in Jesus Christ. All this, we pray in Jesus name. Amen. Matthew chapter 1222 Begins. Then one who was brought to him who was demon possessed,

blind, and mute. And he healed him so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. This was a lease by way of scriptural record. A rather rare recurrence. There would be times where a blind person would be brought to Jesus or would encounter Jesus. And Jesus would heal his sight. There would be times where a person who was mute would encounter Jesus and Jesus would cause them to be able to speak again.

There would be times when someone was deaf or lame or some other individual problem, and Jesus would fix that. But rarely would you have so many different situations, all compounded in the same individual. And yet what you see here is the primary problem back of all of it was his demon possession. Okay? The fact that he was possessed by a demon is seeming to be part of the,

the bigger problem at large, that was causing his other problems. So either way, you’ve got Jesus dealing with three separate issues. This man’s demon possessed. This man’s blind. This man cannot speak. And so Jesus heals him. Now. There’s not some great long record. There’s not some long oratory or fanciful actions that occur. Jesus just heals him.

And the man can see, and the man can speak all the multitudes. Verse 23 were amazed and said, could this be, and what did they say? What did they call him? The son of David. Now, do they mean by that? Oh, look, this, this person’s from the tribe of Judah and happens to be from the lineage of David.

Like they’d been missing anybody from the lineage of David all this time. No. So what do they mean?<inaudible> Gay man of God. Great leader. What was David King? Does Israel have a King at this point in time from among Israel? No, they don’t. Herod is the one who’s been set up by the Roman government, but he’s not actually a Jew.

He’s a Herodians. And so he’s from a completely different lineage. He’s not from the tribe of Judah. He’s not from David. And so they save this. This is not, Oh, look, this guy must be from the tribe of Judah because he’s done this great miracle. No, this is, is this. The Messiah is this man, the son of David,

the one who would reign on the throne of David, the one who would deliver Israel, the savior of Israel. That’s what this statement is. Okay. So notice first and foremost, you have the unparalleled situation by way of other times, other diseases, other things that Jesus has has, has healed, then you have the kind of the unparalleled reaction.

Wait a minute, is this the Messiah? But then notice what occurs. Now, when the Pharisees heard it, they said this fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub the ruler of the demons, the Pharisees knee-jerk reaction to hearing the people question is this, the Messiah is this, the son of David, is this the King we’ve been waiting for,

was not to deal with the question. Honestly, it was not to look at the facts. It was not to examine the potential of that being true. It was to do what Lie Their knee-jerk reaction is to lie. There’s A reality that we face that when we’ve given a lot, a great deal of time and fought and energy to speak carefully and wisely and thoughtfully,

we may speak in a way that is better than our natural reaction. I mean, let’s hope so. W when you’re, when you’re calm and patient and thoughtful, and you’re not in, you’re not in the moment, you may find a better way to phrase things or a better thing to say than when you’re just reacting. But when you’re just reacting,

if we all are just a little bit harshly, honest with ourselves, you tend to be just a bit more honest to what you really think and feel. And this is the Pharisees reacting. This is them being honest to how they truly feel about Jesus. That is, they hate him so much. They will claim. He came from Satan to avoid admitting what they know to be true.

And so their gut reaction, their immediate reaction to the people is no, no, no. This man heals this man cast out demons by the power of Satan. This man cast out demons by the power of Satan. Now, wait a minute.<inaudible> One of the other things that you get when you have kind of that just knee jerk reaction, and you spout something off in the moment is you might not quite have thought through all the implications of your argument.

And that’s what Jesus is going to attack. Jesus is going to attack the premise under their argument, their argument being the only reason he can take the person’s demon away. And we can’t is he’s using the power of Satan and we wouldn’t. Okay. That’s, that’s really, what’s behind this whole thing is they’re trying to lower Jesus. They’re trying to say he’s doing this by the power of Satan to raise themselves up because they look bad because they couldn’t heal the Man.

This Is a defensive act. This, this, this is, this is a negative attack. If we were going to put it in political terms to try and obscure the fact that they couldn’t heal the man at all. So they’re going to try and claim he did it, but he did it by the power of Satan. Okay. So here we are,

Matthew 22, or sorry, Matthew 12, verse 24. This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub the ruler of the demons, then verse 25. But Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them now again, though, this is just very similar to what we studied about on Wednesday. They’re saying this, but they’re not spouting this out loud.

They’re not saying this publicly is in front of the crowd. And they’re certainly not saying this to Jesus’ face. And yet Jesus knowing their hearts and serves their argument before they can even begin to spread it. Notice what he says. He says every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation. This is by the way, not the most comforting passage to be reading this month.

Okay? I’m just saying, this is not one of the most comforting passages in scripture at this moment in time, every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand here? They are. They’re making this claim that Satan is using his own power to cast out his own demons out of individuals.

And Jesus goes back behind the argument and says, your argument is a logical fallacy. Satan will not work against himself. Certainly not intentionally work against himself. And so Jesus goes back to the premise and says, because the premise you’ve worked upon his faults, your arguments, faults, your answers faults, and it shows you to be who you really are.

And that’s a liar. Okay? But he goes on to say, and if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cash them out, therefore they shall be your judge. What does he mean by this?<inaudible> Do you think there’s a possibility that any of the quite literal descendants sons of the Pharisees? So if you, if you picture the Pharisees here being the middle age and older rabbis and teachers,

the ones who are of elevated stature, the ones who are of prominence, the ones who have power to lose, but you think about the age of Jesus and all of his disciples, likelihood is all of his disciples were younger than him. He began his ministry when he was how old, 30 we’re in the second year of his ministry. So he’s about 31,

32 years old. Most likely all of his disciples are that age or younger. So all of his disciples are probably 30 or 20, or which means they’re the ages of these Benz sons. So are, is there any potential that some of these men’s sons are actually following Jesus? We know there were those who followed Jesus, who weren’t of the 12,

who could perform miracles, you Jesus, Or the disciples came to Jesus that time. And they said, here’s this man. Who’s not with us, but he’s performing miracles. Should we tell Him to stop? So We knew, we know there were people who were following Jesus, but weren’t of the 12 that had the ability to perform miracles. When Jesus sent the 70 out,

he sent the, Have the out, into all the regions around and they came back and they said that we were able to heal people. And we were, and demons were, were willing to submit to us and all of these wonderful things that they did while they were sent out by Jesus and Jesus comes back and says, The thing that’s most important is,

is your name written in the kingdom of heaven? He draws I’m away from the, the glory of the miracles. They were able to perform back to what was most important, and that was their soul Condition. But I say all that To say, is it possible? And I’m just Raising this as an option here. Is It possible that some of the Pharisees own children,

Drin we’re following Jesus? And the answer is certainly yes. So Jesus says, if I do it by the power of Satan, what are you saying about your own children? What are you saying about your own sons who are following me? Who do the same thing? Okay. So now he takes the premise of the argument about a house divided against itself.

Satan casting out Satan, a way, then he lays on them. Well, if you’re saying this is true about me, you’re saying about everyone else who does it? That includes some of your sons. So now they’ve made an argument against themselves. And then he says, verse 28. But if I cast out demons by the spirit of God, surely the kingdom Of God has come upon you all right now,

here’s, here’s the problem. And here’s what he’s done. He took away their arguing about it being from Satan. Okay. That, that the logic doesn’t work. So the argument falls that the logical conclusion of the argument is fallacious. Therefore, a premise is fallacious. So he makes the argument go away. Then he says, now you’ve got an emotive argument,

but if I’m doing it by the power of Satan, that means you’re claiming your sons are doing it by the power of Satan. And you won’t make that argument. That leaves the other alternative because they’re in a situation where either it’s Satan doing it, or What’s the other alternative, it’s God doing it. He’s tired Take in their argument where they’ve lied against him.

He’s torn away the foundation of the argument, he’s shown the logical fallacy. And then he’s put them in a situation. Now, the Only other alternative they have is God, he doesn’t argue for it. He says, if this is the case now in, in reality, he is arguing for it, but he’s setting them. He’s setting them up.

He’s setting them up for a conclusion they don’t want because he’s taken the logic of their argument and decimate. It turned around with the only other alternative, which is God’s the one behind it. And the logical conclusion of God being behind it is I am the son of David. Notice what he said. He said, if I cast out demons by the spirit of God,

surely the kingdom of God, which was a prophecy of old Testament, prophets concerning the Messiah and the one who would sit on the throne in David’s place. The son of David He’s Now forced them into a conclusion that says, if we say it’s from God, then we say he must be Messiah. Do you remember Number what he did with the Pharisees?

When they said by whose authority do you do these things? And he says, I’ll answer your question. If you answer mine first, The Baptism of John from whence, did it come from heaven or from men. And they reasoned within themselves. If we say it was from heaven, then he’ll question us why we didn’t know Bay it. If we say it’s for men,

we fear the people because everyone believes John to have been a prophet, the prophet. And so they say, we cannot say, what’s he done? He’s put them in a logical position where an illogical argument, where they have no other alternatives, they can either admit what is obviously true. Or they can lie and get in trouble. They won’t lie about their sons.

They’ll lie about him, but they won’t lie about their sons. So now they have no other recourse. But to admit that he is exactly who they don’t want to claim he is, Okay. So then we read Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods? Unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.

He who is not with me is against me. And he who does not gather with me, scatters abroad. Jesus. Now not only defies their argument about him using the power of Satan, but he goes so far in the other direction to say, I’m the standard Either. You’re with me or you’re not with God. Now, the Pharisees would never make that argument.

The Pharisees wouldn’t go so far as to say that the Pharisees would, would, would castigate someone who didn’t agree with them. The Pharisees didn’t like those who oppose them, but the Pharisees would not go so far as to claim that they held the position of God, But Jesus did. And so now he says, okay, if you’re working against me,

then that puts you all right. And I watch the logic. Well swing. He said, Satan, won’t cast out Satan And your sons cast out demons. Therefore, if they’re doing it by the power of God, so am I, therefore I’m doing it by the power of God. Therefore the kingdom of God is come. Therefore I am the Messiah.

And therefore, if you oppose me, you’re back on The other team, he just put them on Satan’s team. All without saying all of that specifically, he did it through the logical arguments that he made to defeat there’s place himself, where he belongs and then show them for what they were. Okay. Okay. Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men,

but the blasphemy against the spirit will not be forgiven. Men. Anyone who speaks a word against the son of man, it will be forgiven him. But whoever speaks against the Holy spirit, it will not be forgiven him either in this age or in the age to come either, make the tree good or end its fruit good or else make the tree bad.

And its fruit bad for a tree is known by Fruit. Having set up this situation, having given this argument, he now sets forward that they have a problem because they’re entering a situation where they can, can and are going to condemn themselves. They’re Going to look at the miracles of the Holy spirit and they’re going to claim those came from Satan. And then he says,

I tell you what, let’s just do it This way. The one who produces good fruit, he is a good tree. I Am the one that produces evil. Fruit Is an evil tree. Now, which one are you? He’s laid forth a where Their deeds and their actions and their words judged them. And the people can look at the miracles and say,

that’s not from Satan. They can look at the words of Christ and say, those were the words of God. They can look at the deeds of Christ and say, he’s doing what God said. And they can look at the Pharisees and go, that’s not it. And then they can choose between the two, but he’ll even go one step further.

He’ll say verse 34 brood of Vipers. What’s that mean? You pit of snakes, you family of serpents. How can you notice this phrase? Being evil, speak good things. How do you think they took that About as well as anybody who’s who’s public, public individual. Who’s just been called a family of serpents. You got it. Okay. So he calls them a brood of Vipers.

He says, how can you being able to speak good things? He says for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. He goes back behind all of their accusations and all of their conniving and all of their deceiving and all of their, their attempts to set him up and to get him to say something and get him to do wrong and get him to heal on the Sabbath.

And he says, the problem you have is your evil. You remember John chapter eight, John chapter eight, Jesus said, you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. And the Jews responded. We’ve never been in bondage. What are you talking about? And then Jesus accuses them a few verses later of the being of their father,

because their father was a liar from the beginning. And they were just like him and accuses them of being the children of Satan. And yet they would say, no, no, no, no. We’re the descendants of Abraham. We’re the chosen people. We’re the people of God. We’re, we’re the, we’re the most religious out of the people of God.

What are you talking about? And Jesus said, no, you’re not. You’re a family of liars<inaudible> And they would go so far as to knowingly state that the power of God was the power of Satan.<inaudible> Verse 35, a good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things. And an evil man out of the evil is your brings forth evil things.

But I say to you that for every idle word, men may speak, they will give account in the day of judgment for, by your words, you will be justified. And by your words, you will be condemn. Jesus lays on them, the responsibility of their own words. When we get to a mindset that says the ends justify the means.

So I’m going to just change the story a little bit because in the end, everybody will be better for it. I’m going to just manipulate the story a little bit. I’m just going to tell it this way so that in the end, everybody goes along their Merry way. I would call this the Andy Griffith style of truth, Where As long as we just lie a little bit and don’t get caught everybody in the,

and we’ll be better off. And Jesus says, by your words, not your outcomes. Interestingly, you know, when God told the prophets in the old Testament, I want a man who will stand in the gap. I am looking for a prophet who will stand up and speak the truth. He didn’t say, and I’ll judge you based upon how successful you are in changing people’s minds.

When God told Jeremiah that he was going to go out and he was going to preach, share mine as a young man, when he begins his days of prophecy, God tells him I’m going to send you out and I’m going to send you to this people and they’re going to reject you and they’re going to hate you. And they’re going to imprison you and they’re not going to believe you.

And you’re going to go speak anyway.<inaudible> God, let Jeremiah know. I’ll judge you by whether or not you say what I tell you to say not I’ll judge you by whether or not they’ll hear what I tell you to say. And the Pharisees had flipped it around. The Pharisees, wanted themselves to be judged by how many people followed them by how many people listened to them,

by how many people did what they said and, and observed the laws and the traditions that they taught them. And Jesus said, no, you’ll be judged by your words, not by your outcomes. And every day we need to be reminded. That’s still true. Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered that, Hey, they can’t let him just,

just say that teacher. We want to see a sign from you. Oh, the audacity, What were they? What, what, what had they just witnessed that they had responded to the people who saw a man who had a demon who was blind and who could not speak. And now he can see, and now he can speak. And the people see it.

They’re amazed. They think this is the son of David. The Pharisees response is he’s doing this by the power of Satan. And then he goes through all of this and their response is, will show us a sign, But I didn’t know any better. I think they were part of the media. It’s just, W w You know, I, my reaction would be where were you?

Five minutes ago? Thankfully, I’m not Jesus Verse. They, I was waiting for somebody to amen, verse 39, but he answered and said to them and evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign. And no sign will be given it except the sign of the prophet. Jonah. Here’s an interesting thing. The people of Nineveh back in Jonah’s day.

So go back in your mind to the book of Jonah. God tells Jonah a prophet in Israel, you go to Nineveh and you do what convert them. Well, he gave him an eight word sermon. You go tell them this. And Jonah did what He got on a boat and started going. The other direction. Nineveh at the time was beginning to come to its power,

but it wasn’t there yet. This was still a hundred years before the Assyrians Nineveh being their capital would destroy the Northern kingdom of Israel. They’re not, they’re not the world power that they would be later, but they’re, they’re starting to come to power. And one of the things they’re known for is their ruthlessness, their evil in their atrocities. They would commit whenever they’d go attack someone and God tells Jonah,

you go tell them to repent, or I’m going to destroy. Jonah goes the other direction. We can surmise as to why. I think it’s pretty obvious in my opinion, that he does not want them to be saved. They’re a threat to Israel and they’re not Israelites. They’re not the people of God. So why should he go save them? Matter of fact,

he’ll say as much in chapter four, when he’ll see God relent because they repented. And he’ll say, I knew it. I knew if they did what you said, you wouldn’t destroy him. So Jonah goes the other direction. God brings up a storm. God prepares a fish. Jonah gets thrown overboard. We know the story. He gets spit up on land.

And then he proceeds to go to Nineveh. Something to notice is all the artistic drawings we’ve ever seen in the children’s storybooks, where Nineveh’s right by the sea, where Jonah gets spat up Nineveh wasn’t by the sea. Nobody in Nineveh witnessed him being spit out of the ocean. He shows up like any other person who shows up at Nineveh, walking there on land and having arrived.

He begins to preach. Did they in Nineveh? See a sign? No. Okay. Jonah went to the city and Jonah began to preach. Jesus now has taken the scribes and the Pharisees. And he’s just said, you are less. The people of God, then Nineveh was in Jonah’s day. But he says, I’ll give you a sign. He says,

you wicked and adulterous generation, the ones who seek a sign. And by the way, they saw a sign, but they weren’t going to believe it. All right, that, that was the thing. The people of Nineveh, they didn’t well, show us, assign, show us, prove it to us. Deuce, call down something from heaven or,

or heal some button. They didn’t ask for that. And yet they repented from least to the greatest. So here, these Israelites are, and they’re saying, show us a sign. He says for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish. So will the son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth,

the men of Nineveh will arise in judgment with this generation and condemn it. He said, we’ll believe that you do this by the power of God. Just do one more miracle. And Jesus said on the day of judgment, none of is going to rise up and they’re going to condemn you for the evil adulterous people About me. The only thing you could do to say an Israelite was worse than a brood of Vipers would be to say that Gentiles were better than them and would condemn them.

And that’s exactly what Jesus does. He says because they repented at the many great signs and wonders that Jonah performed, Right? No, They repented at the preaching of Jonah and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it for, she came from the end of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.

Then Solomon performed great signs and wonders and miracles. He had the wisdom from God in judgment, but she came because she had heard of all the things that he did. And Jesus said, she’s going to rise up and condemn you because she having only heard the rumors believed it enough to travel all the way to Israel, to find out if the rumors were true and you won’t even admit they’re true.

When you see them. The queen of Shiva said, when she saw the wisdom of Solomon, she said the half has not even been told, having witnessed it for herself, but they would see the miracles and claim. It came from Satan. When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest and finds none.

Then he says, I will return to my house from which I came. And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits, more wicked than himself. And they enter into well they’re in the last state of man is worse than the first. So shall it be wicked generation?

Jesus uses the illustration of one who, as it were as demon possessed and demons cast out. But instead of doing anything good with the person’s life, they just continue on the way they were theirs. We don’t really know anything about how demon possession works. So we’re not going to try and make a whole lot of speculations. Other than this speculation, the demon came into an individual.

For some reason, maybe it had nothing to do with that individual’s choices. And maybe it did. It seems in this case, it did the person’s choices could have kept the demon from coming back, but he doesn’t make a good choice. Instead. He does nothing with the freedom he’s been granted and the demon returns fold. We can say that much.

We can also bring that forward to a more modern idea. Since we don’t have demon possession today, here’s a person whose life is filled with sin. They hear the truth. They hear the gospel. They repent of their sins. They’re converted to Christ. They’re immersed in water for the remission of their sins. They rise up to walk in newness of life.

All those past sins are gone. So they proceed to go into life now with a new life, with being a new creature, having no sin to their charge, but they don’t change their life. They don’t begin to instill in their life. Good things. They don’t begin to instill in their life righteous actions. They don’t begin to actually all Bey God,

they continue down a road of ambivalence. Do you think Satan’s going to let them stay on that road as his new Satan’s going to give them every opportunity to not only go back into sin, but to go deeper than they ever were before to make sure they never try and crawl out again. And that happens to people. And Jesus said, that’s the situation of this wicked generation.

Now I want to point out this is during the time when Jesus is popular, but what’s going to happen when Jesus starts giving them hard sayings, they’re going to turn on him. They’re going to depart from him. And they’re going to do exactly what Jesus is saying here. Verse 46, while he was still talking to the multitudes. Behold, his mother and brothers stood outside,

seeking to speak with him. Then one said to him, look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak with you. But he answered and said to the one who told him, who is my mother and who are my brothers. And he stretched out his hand toward his disciples and said, here are my mother and my brothers for whoever does the will of my father,

who is in heaven is my brother and sister and mother. At the time that Jesus spoke this, he has bred his brothers. His sisters were not believing as to who he was. It seems to be true that Mary believed who he was. But the majority of his family did not. They would later by all accounts, after his resurrection, they wouldn’t come to understand and believe who he was.

But Jesus said, my family are those who obey God. And a lot of Christians have had to make the choice in their own lives to say to their own family. My family are those who obey God, not necessarily those whose house I was born into. And it’s sad when that happens, but here’s the, here’s the reality behind that statement. Jesus is also letting his disciples know you’re going to have to turn against your family.

If you’re going to be obedient to God. Now, step right back to his statement, to the Pharisees about their sons. If those sons were going to be his disciples and going to follow him, who were they not going to get the support of their family? And so Jesus lays forth an example saying, you’re my family. If you do what I command you,

if you do the will of my father in heaven. But if you don’t, you’re no family of mine. Okay? So we’ll go through the questions and review those Wednesday night. Thank you for your attention. First of all, if as you came into the auditorium, if you didn’t pick up your Lord supper there and the table, as you walked through the door,

now’s a good time to do it. Go back and pick it up. And I’ll continue on with these announcements. If you’re visiting with us, we want you to know that you are indeed our honored guest. If you would pick up one of those colored cards in the Pew, in front of you and fill it out and either leave it on the Pew or hand it to one of us,

either way, it will be taken care of need to remember our sick. I was talking with Marie. Joan is really suffering with her migraine headaches. She’s had several in the past few days and she’s still losing weight. So for sure, keep Joan in your prayers. Dorothy Wilson still suffering from extremely high blood pressure. And as is her husband Rodale. I think his problems are mostly with arthritis,

but anyway, on a brighter note, it’s good to see Noah Olson back with us after having been down with the COVID-19 and in fact, Noah will be our song leader today. Now wait a minute. They switched. So yeah, no one is going to lead the lead. The songs, Elena sharp, Shelly stacks, mother has double pneumonia and is suffering from a Murcia sore in the back of head.

She is the picture I’ve seen is really, really severe. So keep her in your prayers. Barbara Diller is home recovering from rotator cuff procedure, and she’s still in a lot of pain. That arm has to be mobilized for a couple of weeks. And that’s got to be very, very uncomfortable and keep the Ken Phillip keep Ken Phillips in your prayers.

That’s a day old, a friend. He has COVID and he also has blood clots. He has a lot of serious problems. Keep these people in your prayers. Remember Francis Redmond, the loss of her daughter, Sandra this past. Well, it’s been a little over a week now, but she’s doing well. And I think under the circumstances, we’re not recovering,

but handling the situation very well. I have a card here from Rushmore posted on the bulletin board so y’all can read it. But a few days, this is from Louis. A few days ago, I spent 15. I sent 15,000 to get Guyana for nationwide workshops, TV programs, and literature distribution. Before that, I stand about twice as much to India for TV programs and literature,

you help make all of this possible. Thanks Louis. So some of our missionary work appears to be going very, very well today’s service. The song leader will be no Olsen. The opening prayer will be Michael Dale, Marjorie Phillips we’ll have the Lord’s supper. Aaron Cozort will have the sermon and Tommy Laster will have the closing prayer. Thank you all for your attendance.

Good morning. First song. This morning is going to be number 474 seven zero victory in Jesus. We will sing the first and third verses of 470. Let us think. I heard an old, old story. How a savior came from glory, how he gave his life on Calvary to save a wretch like me. I heard his groaning of his precious bla toning that Irie parented up my eyes and enzyme one<inaudible> Oh,

victory. Geez, smile, save. You know, for a river. He saw me and bought me with his reading and he loved me<inaudible> I knew him and I love his do him. He plunged me to victory being knee cleansing. FLA. I heard about a man, John. He is build for me and glory. And I heard about the street of gold beyond the<inaudible> about the angels sing and the old redone them Shannon’s story.

And some sweet day. I’ll sing there. Song of victim Ori. Oh, victory. Jeez. My savior for he saw me and bought me with his reading, blah. He loved me. I knew him and my is do, and he plunged me to victory. The knee cleansing flaw. Our next song is going to be number 604, six zero four.

He’ll sing all three verses. And then after which brother Michael Dale is going to lead us in opening for number 604. I want to be ready to meet him all three verses. Let us think. You may. I have your worldly pleasures, your silver and your gold. You may pile up all the riches that this old world can hold, but I’d rather have my save your and with him,

for least. And for, I want to be ready to meet him in the glory. Then I want to be ready to meet him. And then I want to be ready to meet him in the sky. Oh, I want to me more like him, man, do his blessed come and for, I want to be ready to meet him and the glory that you may talk about,

your riches, your diamonds and your pearls. You may gain the wealth for ages of this and all the worlds, but the savior is more precious with am. I’ll take my stand for, I want to be ready to meet him and the glory and I want to be ready to meet him by and by. I want to be ready to meet him in the sky.

Oh, I want to be more like him and do his blessed CTCA. And for, I want to be ready to meet him and the glory. And there is one thing I can boast of salvation from the fall I’m in air to well thing, glory. My father owns it all. That is why I’m shouting happy and go. He’s come. And for,

I want to be ready to meet him in the glory land. I want to be ready to meet him by and by. I want to be ready to meet him in the sky. Oh, I want to be more like as a man do is blessed man for, I want to be ready to meet him in the glory land. Please bear with me Our great and glorious father in heaven.

How Holy and awesome you are. We humbly bow before you as your servants. And we thank you so much for this time that we have to, and this opportunity that you give us to lift our voices and prayer to you and know that you hear us. We thank you Lord for this time that we have to worship you and songs and to listen to your word.

And we ask that we take what we hear today into our hearts and our minds. And we use it to further your work. At this time, father, we ask you that you be with all of those on our, on our prayer list. Those that have lost loved ones, be with them and comfort them and knowing where their, where their loved ones have gone.

And we ask that you be with those that on the number of those on our list that are sick and ailing. And if it be your will, we ask that you bring them back to us in a better health and let them be here to worship you with alongside us and Edify one another. And that at this time, Lord, we thank you so much for your son who died for us and that we are able to be with you one day in the sky.

We thank you so much for everything you’ve blessed us with and your son’s name. Amen. Long before the Lord’s supper, it’s going to be number 176, one 76, lamb of God, all three verses of one 76. And if you’re using the book, it says two verses, but on the slides, we’re going to go one, two and three.

One in the book is split in. Let’s just go off the slide. One 76 you’ll are only no sand to a time, but you have sent him from your sign to<inaudible> saw God and to be calm the lamb of God. Oh, lamb of God. Sweet lamb of God. I love the lamb of God. Oh, wash me and his precious blood.

My Jesus Christ. The lamb of God, your gift. They cruise as if they laughed and scorn him as he nine<inaudible> King, they named a frog God and sacrifice the lamb of God. Oh, lamb of God. Sweet lamb of God. I love the whole<inaudible> Oh, wash me and his precious blood. My Jesus Christ. The lamb of God.

I was so lost. I should have a side, but you have rot me to yours. To me.<inaudible> your staff and rod. And to be called the lamb of God. Oh, damn up. God sweet lamb of God. I love, Oh, the lamb of God. Oh, wash me and his precious blood. My Jesus Christ.

The lamb of God At, at this time, let’s remember the cross and the sacrifice that Jesus made for our sins. Let’s pray. Heavenly father. We’re thankful for this bread. It represents Jesus’ body. That was nailed to the cross for sins mankind, for him to follow you, please forgive us of our sins. Amen. As pray heavenly father,

we thank for this fruit of the vine, the represents Jesus blood that was shed on that terrible cross for our sins and pray heavenly father, you please forgive us of our sins. Amen. Separate from the Lord’s table. We have an opportunity to give us. We have prosper. That was great. Having a father with thankful for the financial gains you have given us through the years and we pray heavenly father you’ll accept a portion back to you so we can continue the work here at Collierville.

Amen. If you are using a Psalm book, if you want to go ahead and Mark number 909, there’s a fountain free will be the song and the invitation song before the lesson will be number 876 to Canaan’s land. I’m on my way, eight, seven, six, or excuse me. Eight, six, seven, my bad eight, six,

seven. We’ll sing the first, second and fourth verses of 867 to Canaan’s line. I’m on my way. Let us think To Kane Ann’s land. I’m on my way where the so never dies. My dark as night will turn today where the so never a guys. No,<inaudible> no.<inaudible> where<inaudible>. And so never Rose is blooming there for me where the so never dies.

And I will spin and turn where the so never a guys. No<inaudible> no<inaudible> guys were<inaudible> and so never guys. I am on my way to that fair land where the<inaudible>, where there will be no partying and where the so never no<inaudible> fair Wells. No,<inaudible> where<inaudible> and the so never cause it’s good to have no back Take your Bibles,

if you will. And open them to the book of Philippians, It’s good to have each and every one of you here this morning, especially those who are visiting with us, we are grateful for your presence and we hope you will be back every opportunity that you have. We’re also mindful of those who are still with us remotely and mindful, especially of,

of Ms. Francis at this time. And the things that she is going through. Please keep her in your prayers. There are passages in scripture where God encapsulates in a few words, A picture of what he wants. We have a phrase in our society that goes something along the lines of a picture’s worth a thousand words, but a good paragraph or couple of sentences can paint An amazing picture.

And God does that through the Penman, Paul, As he’s writing to the church at Philippa, and he writes to them there in chapter one and tells them exactly what God wants To see when he sees the church. And he paints a picture for us beginning in verse 27, going down through verse 31 or verse 30 of the picture of the church God wants.

And that picture is as accurate today as it was 2000 years ago, Paul writes to the church at<inaudible>. And as we go through this passage, we’ll examine each of these in turn, but I want to read the passage and I want to encapsulate or try to at least to the best of my abilities, The passage, and paint the picture for Olivia In chapter one,

verse 27. Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand in one spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel and not in any way, terrified by your adversaries, which is to them, a proof of perdition,

but to you of salvation and That from God, for, to you, It has been granted on behalf of Christ. Not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me. And now here Is in me, allow me if you will, to take these verses And present them in their individual message,

break them down into a new thought. I thought that encapsulates what I think Paul is saying here, first and foremost, You see a unique message. And again, this is the picture of the church, a unique message, creating a unified people, standing together for a unified purpose, enduring a unified resistance for a unified reward For everyone who wanted to write that down,

let me go through it again. You have a unique message. Creating a unified piece Bull standing together for a unified purpose, Enduring a unified resistance For A unified reward. We’re going to break these down into three sections. Break this thought down into three sections. We begin in chapter one, verse 27. Paul says only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ.

Paul calls upon the church and God calls upon the church to have a life, to have an existence, to have a conduct, a manner of life that is worthy of the gospel. God sends forth this good news, this message of the cross, this salvation that is proclaimed to the entire world and says, you set your life, your actions, your conduct,

your behavior in view of that. And you make sure your life is worthy of that. Now this is not what he’s saying. He is not saying you make sure and earn your salvation. I’ve laid the ground rules. Now go earn it. Now. That’s not what he’s saying. He’s saying God has called you to something amazing. He has called you to something unique that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the entire world.

The Hindus do not have a gospel message. The Muslims do not have a gospel message. The Chinese do not have a gospel message. They don’t, Oh God. Yes. In his wisdom and knowledge and foresight and manifest wisdom. As Paul describes it in Ephesians laid forth. The salvation that is offered in Jesus Christ by the church, through the blood of the lamb,

that is unique in all the world. And he called me, Calls his church to set their lives, their conduct, their actions, to be worthy of that call in first Corinthians chapter two first Corinthians chapter two, Paul writes to the church at Corinth and we will visit a few other passages, mainly in Corinthians as we go through the lesson this morning,

but keep your finger in, in Philippians because we will be back throughout our lesson. In first Corinthians chapter two, beginning in verse one, Paul writes to them and says, and I brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence that you speech or of wisdom declaring to you. The testimony of God for, I determined not to know anything among you,

except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear and in much trembling. And my speech in my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit and of power that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature yet,

not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing, but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew for had they known they would not have crucified the Lord of glory, but as it is written,

eye has not seen nor ear heard nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love him, Paul, Right to these brethren and reminds them of the gospel he preached and the manner with which he preached it in verses one through five. He said, I did not preach it with excellence of speech. Paul was capable of preaching with excellence of excellence of speech,

but that’s not how he preached. He preached with planus. He says in verses six and seven, that it was not with the wisdom of the age. Paul knew the wisdom of the age. Paul could quote to those in Athens, their own philosophers. And yet that was not the message Paul preached. And he says the message he preached was not from the rulers of this age.

So many people will strive to be seen as those who are high and in accordance and in agreement with those who rule in the world as they’re alive. And Paul says, I don’t care who rules this world? And I don’t care about agreeing with them and I’m not going to spout what they spout. I’m going to preach the gospel. In first Corinthians chapter 15,

he goes on to say, moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel, which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand now, a whole lot of that verse ought to sound a whole lot like first or Philippians chapter one, verse 27. He’s called them to the gospel. He’s called them to that in which they are to stay in.

And he says by which also you are saved. If you hold fast, that word, which I preach to you, unless you believed in vain for, I delivered to you. And now he’s going to rehearse the, the, the central message of what he proclaimed. What is this unique gospel For? I delivered to you, first of all, that,

which I also received that Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures. So notice first and foremost, you have a Messiah who died. That was a unique message, But you have A Messiah who died in accordance with prophecies that had occurred hundreds of years before. That was a unique message. He says for Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures and that he was buried and that he Rose again the third day,

according to the scriptures. Now notice you have a Messiah, a savior who comes, who lives, who dies, who does all of this in accordance with prophecies that have come hundreds of years in advance, but he doesn’t just die. He dies and is buried. And that seems to be the end. And everybody thinks it’s over his own disciples thought it was over Mary and the other Mary who came to the tomb,

thought it was over. They weren’t there to see the risen Christ. They were there to anoint a dead body. You see if it had been normal, if it had been like everything else, if it had not been unique, he’d have still been dead, But they can Came to the tomb and he wasn’t in the tomb. And the angel said,

why do you seek the living with the dead? And he Rose the third day in accordance with the scriptures. It’s one thing to prophesy about a Messiah coming. And it’s one thing to prophecy about the Messiah dying. It’s another thing to prophecy about the Messiah raising again from the dead Ed and that doesn’t exist anywhere else in history. And that he was seen by CFUs.

And Then by the 12, after that, he was seen by over 500 brethren at once of whom the greater part remained to the present, but some have fallen asleep. Paul reminds these Corinthian brethren, As he writes to them that Jesus wasn’t just seen by one person or two people or 12 people or 13 people, 14 people, but 500 plus people.

And he says, and most of them are still around. If you care to go to Jerusalem and meet them, You want to see someone who saw Christ. When he Rose from the dead, then go see them. The evidence is alive and walking around. After that, he was seen by James then by all the apostles. Then last of all,

he was seen by me also as one born out of due time. So Paul says there is a unique gospel dif From anything ever in humanity’s existence from then, until now, but that unique gospel create a unified people go back to verse 27 of Philippians, one Philippians one verse 27. Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ so that whether I come and see your maps,

and I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit notice, he says they are to stand fast. They are to hold firm. They are not to depart, not to move away, not to go their own direction, but to stand fast in the gospel message, same thing. He told the Corinthians, he said, the gospel I delivered to you and in which you stand and that they are to stand unified.

They are to stand with one spirit. They are to stand together, Striving together, Err, sorry. In one way, in one spirit with one mind striving together For the faith of the gospel Here, you have a unified people standing together for a unified Purpose. They are to be of one spirit they’re to be of one mind and they are to preach one message for one Purpose.

In first Corinthians chapter one, Paul again writes to Corinth as he He’s introducing his letter to them. And he says, in verse 10, now I plead with you brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind.

And in the same judgment, he said the church, the church that Christ wants the church that Christ built the church that God wants is one that is unified in message in doctrine. And then action. But he’s going to let the Corinthians know that’s not the picture that they look like. If you were to hold up a picture of the church, God wants,

and then you were to hold up a picture of the church at Corinth. They wouldn’t overlap And they wouldn’t match. I remember when I was younger, before we had digital cameras and Cheap scanners and all sorts of crazy fun kids, stuff like that in the technology world we had what was called Transfer paper. And you could take something and you could put it underneath this paper and it was translucent.

You could see the outline something, and you could copy the outline of it. And we ruined a number of baseball cards this way. We wanted to create our own baseball card. So we would, we would transfer the outline of the card over onto another piece of paper. Guess what? Being Five or six year old that I was when I held it up and looked at the two after I was done,

they didn’t look that much. It wasn’t an exact copy. God wants his church to be a unified people standing together for a unified purpose. And that only happens when we have a unified Message. Philippians chapter Two, as Paul continues to write To these brethren, we read Chapter two, verse one. Therefore, if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love,

if any fellowship of the spirit, if any affection and mercy fulfill my joy by being like minded, having the same, love being one, a chord of one mind, let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit or in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Paul calls upon these brethren who have a unified purpose. And the first purpose he lays before them is care for one, another humility of self and raising up of their brethren to care for them more than we care for ourselves. As a unifying people with a unified purpose, he wants them to preach the gospel, but he also wants them to care for one another.

He goes on in chapter three, chapter three, verse one. Finally, my brethren rejoice in the Lord for me to write the same thing to you is not tedious, but for you, it is safe, but where of dogs, but where of evil workers, but where of the mutilation for we are the circumcision who worship God in the spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh.

He wants him to be unified in purpose to preach the same message, but he also wants them to care for one another, but he also wants them to beware of false prophets. He wants them to be aware and cognizant that there are people who are teaching that, which is false and believing that the flesh is Enough And believing that they can teach that as long as you are happy,

as long as you are prosperous, as long as your flesh is gratified, you are fine. Nine Paul says no chapter four, Verse eight. He says, finally, brethren whatsoever. Things are true whatsoever. Things are noble whatsoever. Things are just whatsoever. Things are pure whatsoever. Things are lovely was where things are of good report. If there is any virtue.

And if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things, things which you have learned and receive and her Saul and see, or have seen in me, These do, And the God of peace will be with you. He wants these brethren to be unified in purpose, to preach the gospel. He wants them to be unified in care for one another.

He wants them to unified in opposition to false teachers and he wants them to do and teach You. Remember Jesus said in Matthew chapter seven, that the wise man and the foolish man were compared to one another. The wise man was the one who heard the sayings of Jesus and then did them. And the foolish man was the one who heard the sayings of Jesus and then did not do them.

And Paul doesn’t want the church to be a teaching church that doesn’t live its own Teaching. Yeah. So Paul calls upon these brethren to be unified in purpose to declare the gospel, to care for one another to beware of false prophets to do and teach the truth. But then also chapter four, verse 10 through verse 17, to support The gospel church.

If I was one of those churches that had, by what we read in this, in this letter, Ben continually sending Paul support to aid him in the work that he was doing in the missionary work that he was doing. And even at this time, while he is sitting in a Roman prison, They helped to sustain his life verse 10 of chapter four.

But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at year care for me has flourished again, though. You surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. Essentially what he’s saying there is you’ve been able to send funds to me, to help me in my situation. And I know you wanted to do it before, but you Couldn’t. This was a poor church,

not a rich one. He said you were okay Able to do this before. But then he says, not that I speak in regard to need for, I have learned in whatever state I am to be content. I know how to be a based, and I know how to abound elsewhere or excuse me, everywhere. In all things, I have learned both to be full and to be hungry,

both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Nevertheless, you have done well that you shared in my distress. Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving. But you only for, even in Tesla, Nikah you send aid ones.

And again, four minuses, Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. Paul says that the church that God wants is a church that’s unified in message. That cares for one another. That stands against false doctrine that is willing to put first the kingdom of heaven, but then is also going to teach and to preach And to support those who go Out to do the same.

That’s the picture of the church that Paul paints a unified people standing together for a unified purpose. And if Paul stopped there, maybe We could believe it’d be all sunshine and roses. If we did exactly that, but Paul didn’t stop there. Did he verse 28 Of chapter one? We remember that he said, and it not in any way, Terrified And not in any way,

terrified by your adversaries with them, a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, that is from God, verse 30, having the same conflict which you saw in me. And now here is in me. Paul sits in a Roman prison. Paul is sitting in prison for the gospel sake and he’s writing these brethren and says, do not be terrified by your adversaries.

Do not be held back, do not be held back by fear, do not be held back by their actions, do not be held back. Do not be terrified. We Are to be a unified people standing together for a unified purpose. Enduring a unified resistance Is everyone Who stands with Satan Resist the gospel. Every one who has said, I will hold allegiance to self,

to sin, to self-gratification and to want. And disobedience of God will oppose the gospel. No, Whether they will do it silently or whether they will do it vocally, they will oppose The gospel. And Paul wants these brethren to remember that that’s no excuse Verse three. We read, I thank my God. Upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine,

making requests for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day, until now being confident of this very thing that he, who has begun a good work in, you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ just as it is right. For me to think this, think this of you, because I have you in my heart in as much as both in my chains and in my defense and confirmation of the gospel,

you all are partakers with me of grace. Paul Paul Said, I’m in chains and bonds. I’m in prison. And yet you share in the same grace. I do. He wants them to know That though. Some people will look at persecution and claim that’s evidence. God’s not with you. Notice what he said here in verse 20 verse 28, he said,

which is to them, a proof of perdition. Have you ever heard the phrase? Well, that wouldn’t be happening to them. If they were the people Of God, They wouldn’t be persecuted the way they’re persecuted. If they were really who they claimed to be. Paul says that to the argument of the evil people. That’s the argument of the unbelievers that they see the church and they see it persecuted and they see it in prison and they see it under bondage.

And they see it going through these trials. When they see that’s proof of perdition of ungodliness. And he says, it’s not. He says, but to you Of salvation, Wait a minute, Paul, what are you saying? Paul is saying, when you are in prison and you are in chains and you are in bonds as I am, I am,

yes. Look at those chains and you don’t see that God is against you. You have evidence he’s for You. Oh, How, how does that work this way? Jesus said to his disciples before he left this earth, if they hated me, they’ll hate you. Also, If they’ve done this to me, they’ll do the same thing to you.

So Paul looked at his bonds and his chains and didn’t say, God, why have you forsaken me? He looked at his bonds and his chains and said, I’ve been granted Grace to preach the gospel, even in chains and in bonds, proof of salvation and that from God. But then there’s this last piece unified people. Let me go all the way back to the beginning.

A unique message. Creating a unified people, standing together for a unified purpose, enduring a unified resistance for a unified reward. Verse 29. Paul writes for, to you. It has been granted on behalf of Christ. Not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake. Wait a minute air. Are you saying our reward is to suffer?

Nope. And yes, because When we share in his suffering, we’re told in scripture, we share in something else, turn over to second or Philippians chapter two, verse five, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ. Jesus, who being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation,

taking the form of a bond servant and coming in the likeness of men and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted him and given him the name, which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow of those in heaven and those on earth and of those under the earth.

And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God. The father Paul said that we have a unified purpose in, during a unified resistance for a unified reward because suffer with Christ. And then he said, and Christ suffered that God in turn might exalt Him. Philippians chapter two To verse 14, he says, do all things without complaining and disputing that you may become blameless and harmless children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation among whom you shine as lights in the world,

holding fast, the word of life so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labelled labored in vain. Yes. And if I am being poured out as a drink, offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all for the same reason. You also Glad and rejoice with me,

Paul, what do you have to be joyful for? What do you have to rejoice about your suffering, their suffering? Where’s the rejoicing Joy sing is in the reward. The salvation, when this life is over, see Paul could die in prison. As a matter of fact, in chapter one, he said I’m between as it were a rock and a hard place,

because my desire is this is over. My desire is to go home and be with the Lord. I’m in a straight between us two. I don’t know which to choose, but I know for yours Or sake, which one is going to be, Paul would leave that prison for a time. But based Upon what we know from history, wouldn’t be very Long and he’d be back.

And that time he’d never leave. But Paul realized what I read in verse 20 of chapter one, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing, I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness as always. So now, now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death, for me to live is Christ and to die Is gay unified people standing together for a unified purpose,

enduring a unified resistance for a unified reward. That’s the picture of the church that Christ wants, but it all begins with a unique message When our message stops being unique, not because there’s something to replace it, but because we’ve stopped Preaching it and we’ve stopped living it When we’ve watered it down and adulterated it to such an extent that it sounds like everybody else’s message.

It will never produce a unified people, striving Being together for a unified purpose, enduring a unified resistance because when the resistance come, the people who see a message that looks just like the one they’ve always believed, but has no resistance. Guess what they’ll do. They’ll leave that message behind and go to this other one where they’re not being opposed because it’s easier because it doesn’t have any cost attached to it because it doesn’t require anything.

It starts with a unique Message. Paul wrote to the church at Galatians and said he marveled that they were so soon removed From the grace of God that they received through the gospel to go into part two, another gospel, which he said is not another guy. He said, some of you have been deceived and you have departed from the grace of God,

The gins with a unique message Of a Christ who would come, who would die, but wouldn’t stay dead. Who would rise again on a third, on the third day, who would ascend up into heaven, who would sit at the right hand of God who would deliver his people from four? Or excuse me from San for salvation. Yeah. And if you’re outside of the body of Christ this morning,

you need to understand that Jesus Christ came to die. Yes. To save mankind, but to save them by redeeming and purchasing his Church whose body we are. If we hold fast, the doctrine that he left behind. But If we don’t, we are not Of his Jesus said in Matthew chapter 12, these are my brethren and my sisters and my mother,

those who do the will of my father, Who is in heaven. So if you’re outside the body of Christ this morning, you’re outside of the place where salvation is found, where grace is found, where hope is found, where mercy is found. You’re not a part of the people of God. And we don’t want that for you. We don’t want you to stay there.

We don’t want your hope to be damnation. We want your hope to be salvation. That’s found in Christ and found only in his body, which is the church you’re outside the body of Christ. You enter into salvation by hearing the word of God and believing that Jesus Christ is the son of God. You enter into salvation by repenting of your sins and having a change of mind.

That brings about a change of life to go. I’m not going to live that way anymore. I have to be unified with his people. I have to have conduct worthy of the gospel to confess the name of Christ and be immersed in water for the remission of your sins, buried in water, dying to sin, rising up a new creature and newness of life.

And then becoming a part of the church. Because in acts chapter two, we’re told that those who gladly received the word were added to the church by the Lord, based upon them being saved, they weren’t added to the church and then say they were saved and added to the church, but they didn’t join the church. God added to them, them to the church.

They became a part of the body when they had their sins washed away. And they did that when they were baptized, you’re outside the body of Christ this morning, don’t stay there because the picture of the church can be what the church really is. If you’re a member of the body of Christ and your actions in the church, don’t match the purpose,

the unified purpose of the church. Then they need to change. You need to come back, you need to repent and you need to come home. If you have need of salvation, if you have need of repentance, if you have any need at all, why not come as we stand in, as we say, Hey, so Hey, Stu is spring is the founder from the us or,

and he bids Saul free. The dreaming well, you to the fountain free. Will you TIS for you and me thirsty?<inaudible> here. The welcome call, TIS a foul and Oh, and four also there’s a rock that’s flat pan. So is that<inaudible> is for you and me and his stream. I see. Let us, Hey, Angela,

will you to the fountain free, will you TIS for you and me thirsty? So here, the welcome call is found and hope. And for also closing song this morning is going to be number 711 seven one one blessed be the tie that binds or sing the first Bruce, this song, then we’ll have our closing prayer, 711 blessed be the title.

Listen, blessed<inaudible> of the fellowship of<inaudible> that Would you bow with me, God and father in heaven. We’re in date thankful for this beautiful first day of the week that you’ve given us and allowed us the freedom and the privilege to worship fi and sing praises to your name, father. We thank you for the great lessons that we’ve studied here today and pray that we can apply that to our lives,

to be better stewards of your word father. We’re also mindful of those of our number who are sick and have lost, loved ones. We pray father that you will comfort them is you only know how, by the way, pray that as we leave this building, that we will continue to strive to be that light to those around us and set that example and bring the loss to you,

father, we thank you for your son, Jesus, and that great sacrifice that was made. If I would pray, you’ll be with us and keep us safe and forgive us, our sins Christ’s name. We pray. Amen.<inaudible>.