2 Kings 1 (AM Class) & Show Me Your Ways, O Lord (AM Sermon)

Bible Class – 2 Kings 1

Sermon: Show Me Your Ways, O Lord (Psalm 25:1-4)

Automated Transcript

<inaudible> It is good to see faces in this room. And it’s good to see all of you personally, but it’s good to just see faces in this room. Uh, no, it, I am so glad that everyone is back. Uh, today, everyone that is back today, we are, uh, looking forward to today’s lesson as well as a worship today.

And for those who are still at home, we are thinking about you and missing you and, uh, understand all of the reasons why you are still at home, but, uh, you’re in our prayers. And we’re glad that, uh, those who are here are able to be here. We’re going to be in second Kings chapter one in our class this morning,

second Kings chapter one, We’ve been studying Alijah and we are, is as second Kings begins. We’re approaching the end of Elijah’s life. Uh, now bear in mind that the book of Kings is how it would have originally been known. It was not the first Kings and second Kings, the way we think of it today, uh, Kings was a single book.

Chronicles was a single book. Samuel was a single book, but at that day in time, they would have been broken into separate scrolls because of their length. And so as a result of that over time, they just took on the names of here’s first Kings and second Kings. Uh, but we’re in second Kings. And to give you a frame of reference in the old Testament history and the other books,

if you were to go through the remainder of second Kings, you would be able to study the time periods of every major and minor prophet inside this, uh, one historical book. So the history of this book expands from the point of the life of Elijah all the way through all of the major and minor prophets, except had guy Zachariah and Malakai the last three books of the old Testament.

Okay. Those three, uh, minor prophets fall outside the time period of second Kings, but every other major and minor prophet, uh, you know, uh, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel Hosea, Joel Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, all of those are inside the time period of this one book. Okay. So that gives you some idea,

not only of the amount of time it covers in this book, but also the amount of the old Testament, prophetic books that are all in here for this is the history and those are the prophecies of this time period. Okay. Uh, so that’s important to kind of give you a frame of reference that Alijah becomes the beginning of the prophets. Okay.

That’s something that we’ve mentioned before, and that’s why Alijah stands in the new Testament as a representation of the profits, but Elijah’s ministry Elijah’s prophecy really is the foundational prophecies that will lead to the prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel. All of these others are going to work off of a foundation of the work of aligned Jew in confronting a nation that has completely departed from God.

And that’s what Alijah did in the Northern kingdom of Israel. He confronted the portion of the nation that had completely departed from God. And so many of the profits that would follow him would carry on that work both to the Northern kingdom and the Southern kingdom, because eventually the Southern kingdom would follow the same path as they had more wicked Kings coming time and time and time again.

Now there would be restorations in the Southern kingdom, the restoration of Josiah, the restoration of Hezekiah and others. But by and large, even in the Southern kingdom, the majority of the Kings were not good Kings. They didn’t follow God. They didn’t lead the people in righteousness and they implemented idolatry. So we begin in chapter one of second Kings and we read Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of a Hab,

who is Moab in relationship to Israel,<inaudible> Tennessee. That is correct. So by way of a map, they’re in the Southeast portion, uh, below Israel on the Southeast side of the dead sea, and you had something else, Incestuous relationship, Correct? They are related distantly, very distantly at this point to Israel. Uh, they were part of the descendants of lot Ammon and Moab were the descendants of lot through,

uh, the incestuous relationship he had with his daughters after, uh, the, uh, cities of, um, Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. So these are descendants of lot. They’re kin folk to Israel, but most of the time they didn’t get along. Most of the time they treated one another as enemies, as opposed to anything else. So MOLAB is going to rebel against Israel because they had been brought under tribute by a Hab and by the Kings of the North.

So interestingly, they’re not under tribute to Judah, they’re under tribute to Israel because during this time, during the time of a habit, seems as though Israel had more of an influence on the surrounding area. The North did, then the South did. So Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab. Now, a Isaiah Fell through the lattice of his upper room in some area and was injured.

Who’s a has IO,<inaudible> The son of a hub. If you remember the end of, of first Kings, a has Aja reigns in a Hampstead notice chapter 22, verse 51, a Zion, the son of Abraham became King over Israel in some area in the 17th year of Jehoshaphat King of Judah and rain two years over Israel, he did evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the ways of his father in the way of his mother.

And in the way of Jeroboam the son of ni bat who made Israel to sin for he served bale and worshiped him and provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger, according to all that his father had done. So there’s an interesting statement here that generally, when there’s an evil King and then an evil son follows the evil King, it will be stated that the evil son followed in the steps of his father.

Yet we already know the predominant influence in the house of Ahab and Jezebel is an Ahab. And so here you have kind of a unique notation. He followed in the steps of his father and his mother in committing evil. And Jeroboam. So throughout this history, we’ve always been tracking back to Jeroboam the, the one thing you need to kind of capture as you read through first and second Kings is how many times God blames Jeroboam for starting it Step back and think of it.

Because when he’s, when God says he followed in the steps of he’s laying guilt on the person who started it, because it was Jeroboam who came in and changed the worship. It was Jeroboam who set up the calves that Dan and bear she, but it was Jeroboam who changed the priesthood. It was Jeroboam who changed everything about what they were doing and caused Israel to sin and led them down this path.

Now, Jaron Boehm didn’t do the evil that Ahab did. Jeroboam didn’t put the profits of God to death and have blood running in the streets because these people worshiped God Jeroboam didn’t do that, but he opened the door. He put the people on the path to this place. And so time and time and time again, his name is remind is God is reminding us.

This is the one, this is the King Who started it in the same way when someone does good. You’re constantly reminded of whom, Especially in the Southern kingdom, David You’re constantly reminded of David. He walked in the ways of David, his father. Why? Because David’s influence on the nation to turn them from the lifestyle of Saul, to following the Lord in decision making and in determinations,

where he would inquire of the Lord, he would do what’s right. He wasn’t perfect. He, by all means he was not impeccable, but this constant direction and drive in Israel and Judah to do what God said Is the contrast from Jeroboam who said, I’ll take what God’s going to give me the throne, but I’m not going to do what he said.

Okay. So, Hey, as IAH fell through the lattice of his upper room in some area and was injured. So he sent messengers and said to them go inquire of bale. Zeba the God of Ektron. Whether I shall recover a recover from this injury, where is Ektron? It’s a city<inaudible> Okay. So Akron is one of those coastal cities of the lands of the Philistines.

That was the location of one of the primary gods of the Philistines. You might remember that when the tab or net or sorry, when the, um, when the Ark of the covenant was taken by the Philistines during the days of, uh, Eli, who was a judge before Samuel Eli sons took the Ark of the covenant out to do battle against the Philistines because they thought if we take the Ark of the covenant and we’ll win,

and then the arc of the covenant was captured and the sons of Eli were killed and the Philistines took the Ark Mack, and they put it in the house of their God here in Akron Until all sorts of bad things happen. And God made it clear. You might have an idol, but I’m God. And so the people removed it from there. Well,

now here’s a King in Israel going this bad things happen to me going choir of the gods of the Philistines, whether or not I’ll recover, go to the house of this temple or of this idol and find out whether or not I will recover from this injury. God’s not going To let that one stand here is Israel. Here are the descendants who came out of Egypt,

of those who were, were passed through the red sea of those who saw the 10 plagues, those who experienced all of this and were given this land. And now they’re going to go inquire of the gods of the Philistines, whether or not they’re King Is going to recover. So notice what happens now, therefore the says, uh, Oh, excuse me.

Now, they’re uh, uh, verse three I’m to I’m skipping a verse. Then I knew something wasn’t right. But the angel of the Lord said to align to the Tishbite. Now this is one of those times that you get this reminder aligns as a prophet and Elijah doesn’t go unless Elijah sent, okay, well, the prophet’s job, their tasks were not to just roam all over talking all the time.

Their job was to be a messenger. Their job was to go when God said, go and to speak when God said speak. So the angel Lord tells aligned to the Tishbite arise, go up and meet the messengers of the King of some area and say to them, is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of bill Z bub,

the God of<inaudible>. Um, so I was just, just curious. Just want to find out, I just, just wondering, is it because there’s no God in Israel, Is this the problem? Are you missing a God? Now think about all the idols they have. The bale worship has come in. The worship have asked her office, come in.

All of these things are taking place. It’s not even the question. Are you missing Jehovah? It’s the question of, is there no God in Israel at all, Because that draws forward. The very idea of what Paul said to those in Athens, when he said, look at this, you have a God on every corner, but there’s only one that I want to tell you about.

It’s this one where you have the image made to the unknown God who you ignorantly worship him. I’ll declare to you because they could have gone to every street corner and inquired. If they were in the King’s position as to whether or not they would be recovered. And guess what? There wasn’t a single street corner with a single idle that could have given them an answer.

There was no God in Athens Because the only God that exists, they had ignored. So this question draws forward. Two things. Number one, they’re inquiring from the law, the wrong location and number They’re gods that they already have are worthless Because if the gods of bale and the gods of Aster off, if those gods could have answered the inquiry, he wouldn’t have sent messengers to the gods of Ektron.<inaudible> He sending messengers because the gods of his dad and the gods of his mom can’t answer him.

So his mentality is I’m going to go send to another God. Elijah shows up and says, wait a minute, isn’t there a God in Israel. So then notice what happens. Thus, as the Lord, you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone, but you shall surely die. So Elijah depart it. Now, remember going back to first Kings chapter 19,

I think it is. God told Ahab when Ahab did not destroy the King of Syria, when God did not. When God put that King’s life in his hand, as the prophet illustrated it and said, if this person escapes your life becomes forfeit for this prisoner and a have made a deal. Instead, Ahab let the King of Syria go. And then God said,

now your life is going to be forfeit. And the life of your people is going to be forfeit, a Hab humbled himself, as a result of that. And God said, the catastrophe, the calamity is not going to come on. You. It’s going to come on your descendants. Okay? So here we are in the life of a Habs descendant,

two years in injury happens and God’s message to his eye is you’re not getting up out of that bed. You’re going to die right there. So, Hey, Hosea is told this and his messengers are told this verse five, when the messengers returned to him, he said to them, why are you come back? Hey, has Zion knows how long it takes to get to the land of the Philistines?

And it’s clear. They didn’t make it out of Israel. Why? Because Elijah intercepted them and gave them the answer. They were looking for. Notice what they reply. So they said to him, a man came up to meet us and said to us, go return to the King who sent you and say to him, thus says the Lord. Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire a bill,

Z bub, the God of Ektron. Therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die. Then he said to them, what kind of man was it? Who came up to meet you and told you these words? Just like John, the Baptist Elijah had a recognizable appearance. Okay. Elijah was one that you knew when Elijah was around Elijah didn’t look like everybody else.

And so when ASI hears the message and hears who it’s from Jehovah, His first question is, what do you look like? This guy who came up to you, okay, This person who gave you this message, this, this one who declared to you, this message from Jehovah, what did he look like? Cause you better believe a Hazai and knew what Elijah looked like.

There’s a good chance. A Hosea was there at Mount Carmel. When the 400 prophets of bale were defeated by God. There’s a good chance that a Hosea witnessed many times it Elijah coming before his father, What did he look like? So they answered him a hairy man wearing a leather belt around his waist. And he said, It is Elijah. The Tishbite You remember when a hub saw Elijah after the three years of no rain and Elijah’s coming to him or Elijah’s there.

And he comes to Elijah and he says, is that you? Oh, enemy of Israel. Oh, troublemaker of Israel.<inaudible> His son had gained his own biases. His son had followed in the path of a Hab in believing that Elijah was the problem. And you See it as he addresses Alijah. But notice what else occurs? He said it is Alijah.

The Tishbite. Then the King sent to him, a captain of 50 with his 50 men. Who did he send to the God of Ektron?<inaudible> Messengers. Did he send the captain with 50 men? He send are, send an army. No. Okay. Not an army, not a platoon, not a division, not a squad. No.

He sent messengers Because he wanted information. Well, when he sends someone to Alijah, he doesn’t send messenger. He sent soldiers and the intent is going to be clear. A has, did not like the message. And a Hazara wants Elijah brought by force. So notice what happens. Uh, then The King sent the captain of 50 and his 50 men.

So he went up to him and there, he was sitting on the top of a Hill and he spoke to him, man of God, the King has said, come down. So aligned. You answered and said to the captain of 50. If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your 50 men Here in second Kings chapter one,

God. Yeah. Through Alijah confronts this captain and his men With the reality of their situation, they are using the reference, Oh man of God. As if you claim to be A man of God, But their authority comes from a King And God is going to make it clear through align Jah. You have missed who has authority in this land go all the way back to the time of Samuel in your mind.

When Samuel is told by Israel, we want a King And Samuel is disappointed, distraught, upset, because he believes they’ve rejected him as the judge in Israel. And God says, no, they’ve not rejected. You they’ve rejected me. And I’m going to give them a King. And then all of these bad things that they’re not expecting are going to come as a result of them having a King.

But ultimately here’s the point that’s being made The King. Isn’t the authority in the land, in the land. The prophet is the prophet speaks on behalf of the real King. But these men, these soldiers were the military power of the King who thought he was really in charge. And so a has IO wants to show he’s in charge. A has IO wants to prove that he can take a lie TJ’s life.

If he wants to remember what pilot asked Jesus, do you not know that I have the power to crucify you? Or I have the power to let you go. Here’s a governor. Who’s got the same misconception that his Aja had. He thought he was in charge. He, he had, he had the audacity to believe. He actually had a say And God’s going to make it clear you don’t,

God’s Going to make it clear. Hey, as Aja, you’re not in charge. You want to send from my messenger. You should ask. Yeah, Because he’s mine, not yours. He’s in charge, not you. And this is the dramatic shift that you see take place. When Kings were faithful, like David, God would work with the King.

The King would inquire of the Lord. And God would tell the King what to do. Moving forward from Alijah that ceases by and large, there is not a time throughout the remainder of the old Testament, where the King operates without a prophet. It becomes the prophet who is in charge. And the King is simply supposed to do the profits bidding because God is using the profit as his declaration,

all throughout the remainder of the minor prophets and the major prophets. All throughout that time, you’re going to find Isaiah going to Hezekiah, Isaiah, going to other Kings and telling them you need to do this. Jeremiah will go to the Kings and tell them, you need to do this. The others will go to the Kings. You need to do this.

And the Kings were responsible to follow it. Who gives the orders? The answer is the person who’s in charge And the profits were supposed to be the ones giving the orders, not the Kings. The Kings were supposed to follow the orders. So what you have here, when, because some people get into this and they’ll go, wow, this is terrible.

This is terrible. Elijah’s just some mean grouchy old man, prophet who who’s killing people left and right. No, he’s not. Yeah, Because remember the statement. If I’m a man of God, That’s an important statement because that statement declares. I don’t take my own actions. I do what God says. And the fact that the fire will come down from heaven,

declares that wasn’t Elijah’s decision. It was God’s the fire didn’t come out of Elijah. I mean, this isn’t star Wars where fire starts coming out of his fingertips. No, the fire comes from where Heaven. It’s God’s decision and it’s God’s choice. And Elijah’s declaring. I don’t make my own choices. I didn’t tell your King that he’s never getting up again.

God did. Okay. So notice what happens. So Elijah answered and said to the captain of 50, if I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you. And your 50 men and fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his 50 men. Then he that’s the King sent to him, another captain of 50 with his 50 men.

And he answered and said to him, man of God, thus has the King said, come down quickly. So Elijah answered and said to them, if I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your 50 men. And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him. And his 50. Again,

he, the King sent a third captain of 50 with his 50 men As captain. Ain’t no dummy. This captain knows he is. The third in line Did die. And he’s going to act accordingly. Notice what happens again. He sent a third captain of 50 with his 50 men. And the third captain of 50 went up and came and noticed the action and fell on his knees before Elijah.

Why is the captain there King’s orders. But who does the captain know is really in charge God and Elijah, because you don’t kneel before someone who’s not in charge. Just think about it all through history. What is it that you do when you walk in before someone thinking about it? Historically, when you walk in, before someone who’s in charge like a Monarch or a King,

You bow, you kneel. Why? Because it is a recognition of who’s in charge. The captain might be present before Alijah because his superior told him to be, But he knows his superior. Isn’t superior to Elijah. And here’s what you’re getting this, this, this whole event is supposed to direct our minds to who is in charge in Israel. And it’s not the one on the throne.

It’s the one who speaks for God, God. He fell down on his knees before Elijah and pleaded with him and said to him, man of God, notice the difference. Please let my life and the life of these 50 servants of yours be precious in your sight. As we go through this, you’ll notice the intent of the first two captains. Notice what happens.

Look, fire has come down from heaven and burned up the first two captains of fifties and their fifties, but let my life now be precious in your sight. And the angel of the Lord said to Elijah, go down with him. Do not. So the rest of that phrase, be afraid of him.<inaudible> Read between the lines here. Wow.

God had already told Elijah what the first two captains of fifties orders were.<inaudible> Maybe we should do it this way. Yeah. You remember John, the Baptist who in the new Testament stands for Elijah. Remember? They were told Elijah is going to come again before the Messiah. And Jesus said in Matthew chapter 17, after Moses and Elijah’s meet with him on the Mount,

he tells the disciples. John was the Elijah who was coming. How did John die?<inaudible> He was beheaded by Herod<inaudible> Because he was imprisoned by Herod. When he told Herod something Herod didn’t want to hear<inaudible>. And these men were sent to go get Alijah. And the indication in the text by this statement from the angel Lord is these men were sent most likely to bring back just one appendage of Elijah.

Hey, Hosea did not want to have a conversation with Elijah. A Hosea wanted Elijah dead, And that’s why he didn’t send messengers. He could have had a conversation with Elijah. Anytime he wanted to send a messenger, Elijah would come to him. You send 50 men, 50 soldiers and a captain. You want him dead. First two came to kill him.

The second two came to kill him. The third one, the angel Lord said, you can go with him because he won’t take your life. So then notice go down with him, do not be afraid of him. So he arose and went down with him to the King. Then he said to him, Elijah to the King, thus says the Lord,

because you have sent messengers to inquire avails Z, Z bub. The God of Ektron. Is it because there is no God in his real to inquire of his word. Therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die. So EY has Aja died according to the word of the Lord, which Elijah had spoken because he had no son,

Joe Horam became King and his place in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat King of Judah. Now here’s one of those times you’re going to find it a couple of times in the book of Kings, where you have two different Kings with the same name raining at the same time, the Joe Horam in the North is not the Jaguar I’m in the South,

but they’re both known as Jarrod. Now we all know multiple Peters. Tom’s John’s it. That’s just the way it goes. Sometimes you got two Kings on two Thrones, same name, that’s the case here, but I want to make one last point. And then we’ll conclude, uh, well, let me read verse 18. Now the rest of the acts of a Messiah,

which he did, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? So a ham lives, rains commits evil, Jessebelle commits evil, and a Hab will die. Jessebelle will die. Uh, ASI will reign in their stead, but the end of the, the lineage ends there, that lineage and, and I don’t,

I I’ve lost track. How many different lineages of Kings in the North we’ve lost already? I mean Jeroboam and his lineage has gone. And I there’s, there’s been, I think, five already, if not six. So now we’re back to a new lineage, a new line of Kings in the North, but here’s the point I wanted to make turn over to Ezekiel chapter 18.<inaudible> Zeke you’ll at chapter 18.

And if you’ve got a marker, put it there or put a finger there and also turn to Exodus chapter 20<inaudible> Chapter 18. The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, what do you mean when you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel saying so here’s Israel’s proverb. Here’s the saying of the time, okay. The fathers have eaten sour grapes and the children’s teeth are set on edge.

What’s that proper mean? It means we You’d never hear this in our world today. We are suffering because of the sins of our ancestors. We’re not doing anything wrong, but God’s causing us to suffer because of their sins. They ate the sour grapes, but the children of them are getting the effect of the sour grapes. So if you eat a sour,

grape, your teeth are set on edge. That, that feeling when of sourness, the parents ate the sour thing, but the children are getting the effect, okay? They’re saying, God, you’re not being just, you’re not being righteous because you’re doing something to us because of what our parents did. God’s gonna make that abundantly clear that that’s not true.

Notice. As I live says, the Lord, God, you shall no longer use this proverb in Israel, behold, all souls are mine. The soul of the father, as well as the soul of the son is mine. The soul who sins Shall die. Yeah. But if a man is just and does what is lawful and right, if he has not eaten on the mountains,

nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel nor defiled his neighbor’s wife nor approached a woman during her impurity. If he has not oppressed anyone, but has restored the debtor, his pledge has robbed. No one by violence has, but has given his bread to the hungry and covered the naked with clothing. If he has not exacted,

usury nor taken any increase, but as withdrawn his hand from iniquity and executed, true judgment between man and man, if he has walked in my statutes and kept my judgments, faithfully, he is just, he shall surely live. The declaration is we’re suffering because of the sins of our father. God says, no. If you were living the way I commanded you,

you wouldn’t be suffering. Not all, but because you’re living like your fathers, your suffering, like your fathers, ASI rained for two years, God told Ahab you’re going to commit an iniquity. And you did. You sinned against me and now your children are going to suffer. The fate that came from your sin. Some might say, well, that’s not fair.

It’s not fair that he has. I had died because Ahab sin, Oh, wait a minute, go to Exodus. Chapter 20 God just said in Ezekiel chapter 18, the soul that sins, it will die. The soul that is just before me, who lives according to the commandments and does what’s right. He’ll live. In other words, your fate,

isn’t determined by your father, unless you follow your father’s path. Exodus chapter 20 in the 10 commandments we read in verse three, you shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourselves a carved image, any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

You shall not bow down to them nor serve them for I the Lord, your God, M a jealous God visiting. And notice this phrase, the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations. Now, if we stop right there sounds like there’s a little bit of a contradiction between the law and Ezekiel, Because God says I’m going to take the iniquity of the first generation.

And I’m going to bring the judgment of that first generation, not just on the first generation, but the second and the third and the fourth generation. But that’s not the entire statement Of those who hate me. ZQ late teen and Exodus. Chapter 20 are the explanation for second Kings chapter one, because generation after generation, after generation of people who hated Jehovah were reaping the reward of their choices.

Oh, if they had repented, if a is, I had come to the throne and said, we’ve been living wrong, we’ve been doing it wrong. We’ve got to stop following these idols. We can’t follow in the path of my father and my mother. We’ve got to repent. We’ve got to turn around and guess who would have stayed on the throne guess who would meet dead?

He was dead because he didn’t repent. He continued in his father’s and mother’s sin. And God said, I’ll judge the one who sins. And if the generation that follows him comes in, the SA does the same thing. I’ll judge him too. And him too, as long as they keep committing the sin, until they repent, let’s go through the questions real quick.

And then we’ll close. Why was King a Hosea, Ahab son, sick Or injured?<inaudible> Fell. Fell through the lattice work from his upper room. When King ASIO was sick. He sent messengers to a Elijah, the prophet of God, or be bale. Zeba the God of Ektron to find out if he would get well be yes or no.

Did Elijah prophesied that King a Hazara would get well, Nope. Number four, the appearance of Alijah did not include a hairy garment. B a leather girdle warn about his waist or see wooden sandals. See number five. When King eight has Aja sent the captain of 50 men to align Joe, what was the meaning of the fire? Which consumed them.

Elijah was a man of God Showed that Elijah was a man of God. Why was the third captain? And his group of 50 sent by King ASI to Elijah not burned up<inaudible> Okay. Because he fell before him and sought for him to consider their lives precious or the, the converse of the previous one. They recognized he was a man of God.

So the main difference is they actually acted as though he was a man of God when the others didn’t why, sorry, number seven. Why did King a Hosea, the son of a Hab die? Because he saw it or inquired after a false God. All right. We are going to be dismissed. Um, just a, just a reminder observed social distancing,

stay six feet apart. Talk, get to see each other again. But, uh, also while you’re in the back, before you come back to your seats, get your, um, communion and your bread and the cup, uh, and place the contribution in the contribution baskets either now or as you leave. Uh, so be we will not have anyone going through the auditorium,

passing the plates or anything like that. So go ahead and take it, um, bring those things, those items to your seat, and just put them in the little trays that are in front of you, uh, for the time that is appropriate. Thank you for your attention.<inaudible><inaudible> Good morning. Welcome to the Collierville Sunday morning worship service.

It is so great to be back and to see each and every one of you here, you have no idea how much I missed each and every one of you and meeting here on Sunday morning to worship our God for those users that are watching us via live stream. It is great to have each and every one of you joining us and worshiping God this morning.

And if you are calling in it is great also that you are able to call in to worship with us, to praise our God announcements this morning. Please continue to remember our sick Ridell and Dorothy Wilson Jones Springer. Joan is suffering some migraines. Please keep Sylvia in our thoughts and prayers. She is with us this morning. She’s regaining her strength from her strokes that she had,

but continue to pray for her as always, uh, I’ve been asked to announce about the Collierville cares and the ladies Thursday, ladies, Bible class, those will not resume yet when we decide that they will be, uh, we will resume them. We’ll let everybody know that they will start meeting again, but for right now, there’s not a date or anything on that.

So keep that in mind that those two events will not happen as well as our second service. We are not planning on having a second service on Sunday, yet a symphony to the coats, art family, and the loss of their friend, Becky bind them. And also, uh, Lanelle Bowers. Who’s a friend of the Mosers her husband passed away from a heart attack this past Wednesday.

So please keep those folks in families, in your thoughts and prayers. At this time, the loss of loved ones. There’s a gospel meeting I at to get while church of Christ that starts today with Ray Peters. There’s a flyer out there on the back table, in the foyer that has the details on it. And that goes through Wednesday. And also we were brought in a flyer this morning from Tommy and Diana O’Neill.

That has a nationwide gospel meeting. That is a calling gospel meeting. It is five days a week. We already missed the first week of it. Cause we didn’t, weren’t aware of it yet, but it is going on every week in the month of June. And I have a flyer out there on the back table with who’s speaking each day, Monday through Friday,

it is at 9:00 PM and it has a call in and highlights. This week is Gary Collie will be on there Tuesday. And then on Thursday, BJ Clark from the Memphis school of preaching will be on there. And the next Sunday I’ll put out the flyer for the following week and the Sunday after that, I’ll put out the flyer for the last week,

but it is Monday through Friday. It is a call in conference call type thing only, but it is a nationwide Bible study. A Memphis school of preaching graduation is on the 21st. That’s two weeks from today. Eric Richardson, as you know, will be graduating that day. Uh, next Sunday we plan on Eric plans on preaching for us. So please,

if you can be here for that, because I don’t know what anybody else thinks, but I think he does an awesome job of preaching. Just like Aaron always does, but if you can be here next Sunday for that, that’ll be his last Sunday that he preaches for us. And the last day that him and his family will be with us worshiping and studying here will be on Wednesday evening,

the 17th of June for Bible study, because I said his graduation is on the 21st of June. The reception there at the forest Hill, uh, church of Christ is from three to four. The natural graduation ceremony is at five o’clock that afternoon. The pantry item for the choke Potter’s children home for the month of June is dryer sheets. And I do believe that is all of our announcements for today.

Our service this morning, Tim Boswell be leading our song service. Jay Shaffer we’ll have our opening prayer communion prayers will be Tommy O’Neil sermons going to be Aaron Cozort and closing prayer will be Terry Sanderson. Thank you.<inaudible> Good morning. Our first song this morning is going to be song number four, song number four. Walls would be on the screen To God be the glory.

Great things he has done so loved.<inaudible> man.<inaudible> uh, life gang that, Oh man. Oh man. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Rachel Wise. Oh, I’m too though.<inaudible><inaudible> right things here. Hi<inaudible> Oh,<inaudible><inaudible> uh, God the violent stuff and uh<inaudible> Oh man, man. And,

uh,<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> three angel boys. Oh, to the father through Jesus stop.<inaudible> yeah.<inaudible> hi,<inaudible> Gray things. He has taught us gray things. He hi John. Hi John Gray.<inaudible> but<inaudible> hi here. And Greg Werribee, uh, Wanda rod transport when jeans, ah, sweet CE<inaudible> Let the people read. Nice.

Uh, um, to the father, Jean<inaudible>, the dog glory gray things he had. Mmm. Our next song this morning is going to be song number nine 24 nine two four. Yeah.<inaudible> I’m with, Uh, one It’s funny ma<inaudible> Uh, uh, uh huh. Well, I mean, Uh, uh, yeah, That’s me.

Mmm<inaudible> Uh, uh,<inaudible> Hi, Uh, like<inaudible> Josh. Mmm<inaudible> Nah,<inaudible> My so, huh.<inaudible> Blah talk too. The hers. Uh, it can<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible>. Mmm, Okay. Aye. Uh huh. Just Uh, uh, Yeah, no, ah, ah, ah, well<inaudible>, Uh, con yeah,

yeah.<inaudible> with And, uh, Uh, no, ma’am<inaudible> Uh, Hi, Uh, hi, Uh, Josh, Um, uh,<inaudible> side<inaudible><inaudible>, Uh, Um, a nine. Yay. Ah, I<inaudible>. She is<inaudible>. Mmm. Hi. Um, Mmm, like<inaudible> Yeah, Yeah.<inaudible><inaudible> Well,

uh, um, uh,<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> The mass<inaudible><inaudible>. Mmm, Okay. Hi. Mmm. Uh, uh, I’m sure. Hi, um, uh, uh, uh, um, uh,<inaudible><inaudible> Hurry back. Yeah. Uh, I don’t know To be, Uh, yeah, uh, I, uh,<inaudible> Uh,

Okay. Mmm.<inaudible> Like, uh, Well now have our opening prayer, Almighty God, our father hallowed be thy name, Whether it is with humble hearts, we come before your throne and this hour acknowledging you as our creator and the creator of this universe. We’re so very thankful father that you saw fit to create us in your image. And we’re so very grateful that you provided through your son a way of our redemption from our sins,

that if we follow your words, we have that hope one day of an eternal life with you, We realized the tremendous sacrifice that you have made for that redemption and sending your son to this world to die a horrible death for, for the perpetuation of our sins. It is for those sins that we pray now that As we repent of them, we know that you were faithful to forgive them.

And we returned to them no more. We’re mindful also of the congregation that meets here. We’re so very grateful to once again, be able to assemble, to study a portion of your word, to sing songs of praise and to worship you. We’re also mindful of those among our number that have been sick, especially Sylvia with her strokes. We’re thankful for her return for Joan sprayer and her being able to be home and no longer plagued as heavily with the pneumonia that she once had.

And for those others that are suffering daily from the normal pains that they have acquired through a lifetime, bless each of them. And if it would be that wheel healed them and returned them to their normal state of health. We’re also mindful of those that have lost loved ones. Recently, we pray that you will comfort them as only you can. We’re mindful also father,

the turmoil that’s going on in this country. We pray that cooler heads will prevail that you bless our leadership with the wisdom to do what you would have us to do. And once again, we will be able to enjoy a reasonable measure of peace. As we go through the further exercise of this service, we pray that our worship to you will be in spirit and truth,

and we’ll be as sweet saver. We ask all these things in your son’s precious name, amen. They prepare our minds for the Lord’s supper this morning, we’re going to sing song one seven, six, 176. We’ll sing the first and second versus, and then we’ll sing the chorus and then we’ll sing the third verse. And the course, if you’re following along in the book,

that’s the way it’s written. If you’re following along in the screen, that’s the way we have it on there.<inaudible> no scene two. Uh, my<inaudible> him for, from your side to walk up on mass casualties, uh, and to being, um, uh, ah, of God, your gifts<inaudible> Yay. Chris AF a side<inaudible> Hey,

mass<inaudible><inaudible> man name. Uh, Right. And sack magnifies the, um, uh, Uh,<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> I love<inaudible><inaudible> Oh, wash me. And<inaudible> my Jesus Christ. Uh, um, uh, Uh, I was, Uh, I should have a guy, but you ha<inaudible> Me too.<inaudible> Uh, Staff and,

And<inaudible> uh, uh, Uh huh. Uh ma’am uh,<inaudible> Sweet.<inaudible><inaudible> I love, uh,<inaudible><inaudible> uh,<inaudible> A wash me<inaudible> As per Ash. Uh, My jeez, uh, it’s Christ, uh, Mmm. Uh,<inaudible><inaudible> Near the 11th chapter first Corinthians first 26, Paul wrote to the Corinthians and he told them that as often as they ate this bread and drink of this cup,

that they were doing it to show the death of their Lord. Today, we have that same opportunity. He’d have this bread and drink of this cup, just, just ATM. Would you bow with me Or heavenly father? We thank you for this bread. We thank you that we have this opportunity to partake of it. We pray as we protect this bread,

that we might keep the name of our Lord in reverence and with the respect for the sacrifice he made for each one of us. As soon as the name we pray, amen.<inaudible> Our heavenly father. We continue our thanks for this cup that represents the blood of our savior. We pray that as we partake of it, we would do so in a humble and thankful manner.

This we ask in Christ our Savior’s name, amen<inaudible> But hell with me, our heavenly father, we thank you for all of the material blessings that you bestow upon us. We thank you for each and every daily blessing, the blessing of life itself, As we prepared to return them to the, a part of that, that we have been blessed with.

We pray that we would do so with a cheerful heart, we pray that these fonts might be used to glorify your name and to spread that word throughout the whole world this way, asking Christ our savior tonight. Hey man,<inaudible>, If you would like you can Mark the invitation song and the hymnal as song number seven 49, 749, but it will be on the screen.

Our next song was warning. However, will be book only, and it will be song number 664. So if you would please pull out your books, turn to song number six, six, four, and stand for the song before the sermon.<inaudible> We’ll sing all five verses. Hey<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Amen.<inaudible> Oh man. Mine<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> was<inaudible> Tech My hands<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> Pause.

Uh<inaudible><inaudible> Yeah.<inaudible> I mean,<inaudible> Done Mia. A four. Hm<inaudible> My boy.<inaudible> Me.<inaudible><inaudible> for my And say<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> for ’em<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> my<inaudible>. No, God, I wait.<inaudible><inaudible> And<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> shout<inaudible><inaudible> My, uh, by law. Aye.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> well,

The, Mmm<inaudible> Me. Oh, fine.<inaudible> Please be seated again. The invitation song will be someone number seven, nine, four that’s 794. Good morning. No, let’s try that again. Good morning. Okay. All right. It is good to see each and every one of you here and especially good to see each and every one of you here.

Uh, I know many of you have expressed. You’ve been seeing me, hopefully not in your dreams or your nightmares, but you have been seeing me, but I have not been seeing you. And it is good to see you take your Bibles if you will, and open them to Psalm 25. Just a note to say how much I appreciate it,

Tommy Laster. Okay. Even though he’s not here this morning, that’s part of why I’m saying it. Uh, he’s not here this morning. And, uh, for those of you, who’ve never sat in the sound booth and seen everything that he does during a service, especially now, and all the things that we’ve done during the Corona virus. Um,

he does a lot and when he’s not here, he is missed. So, uh, uh, I appreciate everything Tommy does. He, he works hard, works diligently in that. And, uh, I am grateful for his service, even though it is certainly something that’s, you know, as it were, uh, not seen by everybody. Uh,

even though we see the results of it behind us, Psalm 25 is a song that the words from the King James version unto thee O Lord, do I lift up my soul? Oh my God, I trust in you. Yay. Let me not be ashamed. Let not my enemies. Triumph over me is a song we find in our song book.

It’s a song we’ve sung many times before And yet this song and the verses that follow after it, not all of them are in the song. Look though, uh, at least the first six verses should be, uh, our, our songbook, I believe has a shorter version of it, but this song expresses an emotion. It expresses a desire from this song writer,

this desire that the Lord be in charge of his life notice as he begins. And I’m going to read it from the new King James to you. Oh Lord, I lift up my soul. If I were to walk up to you this morning and hand you a blank sheet of paper, nothing written on it one way or the other, just a regular sheet of paper.

And I walk up to you and say, I’m entrusting this to you. I want you to take care of it. I’m going to hold you accountable for it. But I’m entrusting this sheet of paper to you. Would you consider that a weighty requirement? Would you, would you consider that something? I mean, there’s nothing mysterious about the page. It’s just one out of 500 in Hareem.

It’s just a piece of paper. There’s nothing important written written on it. There’s no value to it. It’s just a piece of paper. Would you consider a weighty responsibility in guarding the sheet of paper? No, because it doesn’t have any real value, But the Psalm is writer is saying, God, I’m lifting up my soul and placing it in your hands.

As if to say, God I am, and this is what he’s going to follow with. Trusting you with me. When you give something to someone, when you entrust someone with something, let’s say it’s a bank. You go into a bank, you go in there and you get a safety box. They give you a key. They go through their procedures.

They validate all the necessary information. You walk into a safe, you walk in with a key. You unlock that safety deposit box. You walk back out. Now, why is the safe there? Why not just a cardboard box in the lobby? Because you’re in trusting them with something. You wouldn’t put it in a safety deposit box. You wouldn’t put it behind lock and key.

You wouldn’t put it in a paid storage location. If it wasn’t worth something, you’re entrusting them with guarding something that’s valuable.<inaudible> Psalm. This writer says unto you a Lord. Do I lift up my soul? Jesus said, if a man were to gain the entire world and lose one single item, Everything he gained would have been worthless. And what was that one?

Single item, his soul, The most precious item you and I possess. The most precious thing we will ever possess is our own soul. And the Psalmist writer says, I’m giving it to you, God,<inaudible> To the, or to you. Oh Lord. I lift up my soul. Oh my God. I trust in you. Let’s go back to the illustration of the object that we’ve placed in the safety deposit box.

Which one are you more likely to trust the bank with the safety deposit box, with the box? They’re in a safe, with a great big door that closes that guards that keep everybody out in alarm system to alert someone. If somebody is tampering with something or Okay. Joe and his storage utility location down the street now, not, not this Joe.

This is the second time I’ve used Joe in an illustration lately. I need to find the different Fred and his storage location down the street. Now he’s got great locks. Yeah, But it’s just a storage building now. Which one are you going to trust? More? Fred who by the way, has key to every door And his storage location or the bank with a safety deposit box.

Well, most likely, unless some people are very paranoid and happened to know Fred real well, they’re going to trust the bank more because the bank is prepared for what might happen. Yeah. Here God is being, is being spoken to and the Solomon’s writer says I’m lifting up my soul because God, I trust in you. I can rely on you.

I know that you have seen What might come And you’re prepared for it. Yeah. But he goes on to say, let me not be ashamed. Let not my enemies triumph over me. The Psalmus writer when he places is trusting, God does. So knowing there’s a possibility of risk there In the world of finances, the majority of the world of finances is built upon two things,

interest and risk. The more risk, the more interest they charge. Yeah. Because the riskier, the investment is the more likely it is that you will lose what you’ve invested. Therefore the higher interest rate to guarantee you get paid back. Yeah. In this environment, the Psalm is writer is not considering God or risk. He’s considering his circumstances a risk because he has enemies.

He says, let me not be ashamed. Don’t allow an outcome. God, where I’ve trusted you. And I get a shamed as a result, I get a negative result. But instead protect me or allow me to triumph over my enemy. Yes. That you and I may go well. Okay. Uh, You know, as, as this Psalm of David is being written,

David had enemies inside the kingdom, outside the kingdom. He had people around him who ate from his own table who betrayed him. He’s got a different life than I do. Maybe he does. Maybe he doesn’t Turn to Romans chapter seven, Romans chapter seven.<inaudible> Paul in writing to the church at Rome makes it clear That they have enemies And their enemies are within.

Yeah. If you go to the previous chapters in the latter chapters of Romans, you’ll find the enemies are also without They’ve got enemies outside and inside their enemies on the inside are themselves. All of Romans chapter seven is written to declare that not only did people sin going in the previous chapters, not only did they fall short of the glory of God, chapter six or chapter three,

not only is the wages of sin death, but then chapter seven declares to us. Even if you wanted to quit sinning you, won’t Not that you won’t live in sin. You won’t do that if you’re a Christian, but you won’t end up getting to a point where you never sin. Okay. Paul makes it clear. Even when I don’t want to do what I know I shouldn’t do.

Sometimes I do it anyway. I sin and fall short of the glory of God. But then he says this verse 24, all Regine man that I am, who will deliver me deliver. When do you need deliverance? It’s when you’re in danger, You need deliverance. You need safety. You need rescue. That’s what that word there is. When you are in danger.

And he declares, Oh, wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death. Who are you in danger from The Psalm is writer writes and desires to not be ashamed because of those enemies that he has. But Paul writes and reminds us that sometimes we are our enemy. He says, verse 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ,

our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God. But with the flesh, the law of sin, there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ. Jesus who do not walk according to the flesh. But according to the spirit, We need to understand that the Psalmus writer’s expression of trusting God in spite of,

and because of his enemies, trusting God’s deliverance from his enemies is the same expression we ought to have concerning ourselves and our sin. God, I pray that through Jesus Christ and his blood and his sacrifice and your grace, that you’ll deliver me from my faults and the one who seeks to destroy me. Peter writes concerning Satan As a roaring lion, walking about seeking whom he may devour because there was a time when Jesus told Satan or told Peter that Satan desired to sift him as wheat,

Satan’s active, Satan desires your fall. And sometimes you are your own worst enemy. So the Salmas writer going back to Psalm 25 says to you, Oh Lord, I lift up my soul. I’m going to entrust to you all my God. I trust in you. Let me not be ashamed. Don’t allow me to fall. Don’t allow me to be,

to succumb to the evil. Don’t allow me to succumb to my enemies, but instead let not my enemies triumph over me. Indeed. Let no one who waits on you. Be ashamed. Let those be ashamed. Who deal treacherously without. Cause When we place ourselves in the hands of God, when we put our soul in his hand, we need to recognize something.

We’re no longer in control in our lesson this morning and Bible class, we noticed the problem of a Hosea and his soldiers who thought they were in control and they weren’t. And yet here, the Psalm is writer says, let none be ashamed who wait on you.<inaudible> There are a few things in this life that annoying me as much as going to a doctor’s office at a scheduled time and waiting for three hours.

And I know I’ve experienced it far less than some who are sitting in this room. I don’t understand it. I can’t possibly comprehend how someone can be so bad at scheduling. Then they can set an appointed time and then be three hours late while they’re still in their own office. But if you’re the person sitting there for three hours, why are you still there?

The answer is because they have something you need that you can’t get without them. Whether that’s a diagnosis or a prescription, or just a scheduled time, you need a doctor or you wouldn’t be there. They have something you need. And as a result, you are waiting on them.<inaudible> Let none who wait on you. Now that idea of wait in this passage is a little bit different,

but there’s an aspect of reliance. You wait on someone who provides When a mother bird goes out and flies around to find food. And those young baby birds are sitting in their nest. What are they doing? They’re waiting on provision From the one who’s their provider. They’re reliant upon the one who can provide because they can’t provide for themselves. And so here you have the Psalmus writer expressing I’m entrusting something to you.

God, I trust in you. I know I won’t be ashamed. I know you can try it over my enemies and I will allow you. I will wait on you. I will rely on you to provide for me<inaudible> But he says in the midst of your provision, In the midst of you overcoming my enemies, Make sure that those who deal treacherously without cause are dealt with,

Because we all know that there are people in this world who, without any cause without any reasonable cause or justification or legal purpose will do harm to others. Sometimes they will do it only for their own gain or their own greed. So the Psalmus writer says, God, I’m in a fix. I’m in a, I’m in a place where I can’t deliver myself.

My enemies will overcome me, but I’m going to put my soul in your hand. I’m going to trust in you. I know I won’t be ashamed. Don’t allow me to be ashamed, Lao me, to overcome my enemies, provide for me. And while you’re at it, deal with my enemies.<inaudible> This expression begins Okay? With this heartfelt pleading and heartfelt handing over of one’s life.

But it’s not an expression that comes without a recognition of what’s required. You see, because we’re not coming to a bargaining table with the Lord. We’re not coming to a negotiation with the Lord where we say, God, I want you to do this, this, this, this, and this. And then I’m going to do this, this, this and this.

No, that’s not the way this works. The terms have already been set. We can come to the bargaining table and we can accept the terms Or we can accept the results of not accepting the terms. And the Psalmus writer knows this. That is why he says, I’m placing this my soul in your hands. I’m trusting you. And then he says in verse show,

verse four, shown me your ways. Oh Lord. Because the Psalmus writer knows It’s not enough To just trust in God. It’s not sufficient to just say, I’m going to Let God take control of the situation. It’s Not enough to simply declare God. I’m going to wait on you and trust you. And I know you will deliver me Though. There are many who live and operate their spiritual lives.

Exactly that way. They live their spiritual lives day in and day out with no concern for God, until there’s a problem. There’s a bad diagnosis or there’s an illness or there’s an injury or there’s this or there’s that. And then it comes time. Oh, I need to get with the Lord. No, That’s not the Psalmus writer. Psalmus writer says,

God, I trust you. God. I’m delivering my soul into your hand. And God in return shown me The way you want me to live. Show me your ways. Oh Lord, teach me your paths. God, if I’m going to entrust my soul to you, if I’m going to place my life in your hands, if I’m going to wait on you for deliverance,

I need you to tell me the journey Direction to go. I need you to instruct me in the proper way to live so that I am in accordance with your will. Matthew chapter seven, Jesus, We’ll say this in Matthew chapter seven, beginning of verse seven ask, and it will be given you seek and you will find knock and it will be opened Or what man is there from among you.

Who, if he has a son asks for bread, We’ll give him a stone. Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children? How much more will your father who is in heaven? Give good things to those who ask him, Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you do also to them for this as the law and the profits.

Jesus said, if you need something, if you want something, if you’re seeking something, ask it from the Lord, ask it from your father. Because even you evil and imperfect people. When your child comes to you and ask something from you, you don’t turn around and do evil to him. You do good to him. How much more so your God,

your father in heaven, who is perfectly good. How much more so will he do for you? And yet isn’t it interesting. He then turns that back on them and says, now if you want good done to you, do good to others. Yeah. And then he follows it up with verse 13. It’s not enough just to ask from God what you want.

It’s not enough just to plead for gone for what you’re seeking. And it’s not enough just to do good to others. He tells them there’s a path they have to walk. Enter by the narrow gate. Four wide is the gate. And broad is the way that leads to destruction. And there are many who go in by it because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads To life.

And there are few who find it, But where are false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly, they are Raven. As wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from fizzles even so every good tree bears forth, good fruit, but a banned tree bears, bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear good fruit nor can a banned tree bear.

Good. Uh, a good tree cannot bear bad fruit nor can a band tree bear. Good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits, you shall know them.<inaudible> Jesus just said, ask for what you need. What does the Psalmus writer do? 20 chapter 25 verses one through four,

one through three. He asks for what he needs. And then he says, you do good to others. The end of verse three, he talks about those who deal treacherously without. Cause if he was dealing treacherously without cause to others, he would have condemned himself. So he’s already enacted in his life. What he desires to see from others to be done good too.

And then he says, show me your ways. Jesus says, Ask for what you want, do good to others. As you desire for them to do good to you and then follow The path of God. But he warns us. It’s not easy. It’s straight. That means difficult. It’s narrow. It’s hard. And few there will be who go in that path Because there’s profits.

Because there are those who will tell you, you don’t need to do that. You don’t need to live that way. There are those who will say when they see you living that way, that’s just ridiculous. That’s a antiquated. I can’t believe you do what that book says. But Jesus said in verse 21, not everyone who says to me, Lord,

Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven. But he who does the will of my father in heaven. Show me your ways. Oh Lord, teach me your Paths. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, cast out demons in your name and done many wonders in your name. And then I will declare to them.

I never knew you depart from me. You who practice lawlessness. God says You might claim to be servants of mine. You might claim to be following me, But you’re not living. According to my word. You’re not living according to my law. And Jesus concludes what we have termed the sermon on the Mount with this. Therefore, whoever hears these things of mine,

remember Solomon’s writer said, show me your ways, teach me your paths. So here, these people are there in the presence of Christ. They’re in the presence of Jesus. And they’ve heard his ways and they’ve heard about his path now, what will they do with it? He says, therefore, whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them, I will like in him to a wise man who built his house on the rock and the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat on that house.

And it did not fall Four. It was founded on the rock. Wait just a minute. What are the Psalms writers say, God, I’m giving you my soul. I’m trusting you. Let me not Be at shamed. Let not the bad things fall on me. That would come. If I were directing my own life, Jesus said, this person heard my teachings and did my teachings obeyed my voice.

And when the hard times came, he wasn’t ashamed. He didn’t suffer catastrophe Because he did what I said. But he goes on to say, but everyone who hears these sayings of and does not do Them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat on that house and it fell.

God deliver me. God, I’m trusting you. God, show me your paths. God teach me your ways. And then you’re taught the ways and shown the paths and you don’t follow them. The end result is that for which you ask, you will not find that for which you seek, you will not gain that for which you knock will not be open to you because the prereq was it of having those things you chose not to do.<inaudible> We are those who choose to follow God.

We are those who choose to rely on him. We are those who choose to trust in him that we will not be ashamed, that we will not stand condemned. Romans chapter eight, verse one, because we’ve been obedient to him. Oh, not because we called on his name. Not because we just said, Lord Lord. And when trouble sometimes came,

we said, well, I’m going to do what God says now, But when good times come, we forget he exists.<inaudible> I want to thank you. I know of a lot of congregations through the last few months where a lot of elders and a lot of congregations and a lot of men have struggled coming to the realization that they have members who,

when there was an opportunity to do nothing, did nothing. And when there was an opportunity to, again, begin doing something, continued doing nothing. They weren’t dedicated to the path of righteousness beforehand. They weren’t dedicated when it came time to come back either. And one of the things that makes me love this congregation so much Is your willingness to step up,

work, labor serve and obey God, whether it’s Convenient or not. Okay? Whether it’s easy or not, whether it’s difficult or not, Because it’s more important to you. Then you thank you. Jesus made it clear That if we don’t follow the path, The goal we seek ultimately will not be available to us. He also made it clear that God gets to determine the path and God gets to determine the entrance.

So the question is, how did God determine that we could enter into that kingdom? Because that’s where Jesus started. He said, enter in the kingdom. You enter into the kingdom by hearing the word of God and believing that Jesus Christ is the son of God because it’s his kingdom. Jesus came to build his kingdom, Matthew chapter 16, verse 18,

and his kingdom and his church have been established and they will not fall. And the Gates of hell will not prevail against them. And the keys to the church and the kingdom have been opened. And the apostles gave entrance to that kingdom in acts chapter two, when they told those people who had sin repent and be baptized for the remission of your sins,

Enter the kingdom, hear the word of God and believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God. Repent of your sins. Confess the name of Christ, Romans chapter 10, and be immersed in water for the remission of those sins. If you haven’t done that, the opportunity to do that is available today. Okay. But if you’re one who entered the kingdom and then saw that narrow path and decided the wide one seemed a little easier,

Come back, repent, turn around and come home. We will pray with you and for you, if you have need of the invitation, why not come now as we stand and as we sing,<inaudible> On to the, uh,<inaudible> Do I lift up my eyes? Mmm. Oh my God. Uh, Hi.<inaudible><inaudible> Oh, let me not being here.

Shame my piano. I mean, let’s try, uh, Oh Yeah. Nah, nah.<inaudible> On the beach.<inaudible> Yeah, none that<inaudible> On NABI<inaudible> Oh my Hi Dan.<inaudible> Oh, let me not be ashamed, but I know in my era now, I mean cry off of a<inaudible> Remembered. Uh huh. Nah. Since my<inaudible> Remember,

Uh, No sins of mine<inaudible> Oh my God.<inaudible> I trusted<inaudible> Oh, let me not be a shame. But my enemy is Toraja of a, Before a closing prayer, we’re going to sing song number four, five, zero 450. Yeah. For me by ball, start off gladness Scully me to cheer though on Andra<inaudible> no storm can.

Hi.<inaudible> seek and save the lost<inaudible> Holy message. I Nick light shout guy, me and a narrow<inaudible> mass, blah, and love come by name.<inaudible> when my heart hands bro. And when CNN grieve, ah, failed my soul<inaudible> gave me the precious where it’s by Jesus spoke and hauled out face to show by save knee. Give me the Bible.

Holy message. A shining light shall guide me and a narrow away crease, uptime promise and come by me<inaudible> Oh my staff saying<inaudible> she showed me the<inaudible> shall Bryce and that lamb follow a path up. Peace can show<inaudible> Holy message. A shining light child guy, me and a narrow<inaudible> mass. And I’ve come by and yay.<inaudible> yeah,

me<inaudible> or hold up that school and a five year up and gray. Show me a Lark from hat and shiny portal.<inaudible> Harley message. I need a lie child guide me and a narrow and Hey Perris, uptime, mass, and come by to kill my child.<inaudible> Yay. That was probably a father in heaven. We thank thee for this day and the opportunity we’ve had come,

we have had to come together to be with each other and to praise on nine. We thank you so much for the blessings that you give us each day. And we often forget that if it weren’t for you, we would have nothing. We pray that you would be with those that are sick and unable to be with us today. We thank you for the technology that we have in this day to put it over the air,

to them, to where they can enjoy hearing that word. We pray that you would be with our country. In this time, we pray that we can one day live in peace. We thank you for those that are pray that you would be with those that have lost love lungs. And we pray that you would comfort them. We pray that you would go with us now,

as we depart and keep us safe to, we met again in Christ name, we pray. Amen.