<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> good morning. Anybody’s wondering it’s not anybody in here. So, or I’ve told you already Take your Bibles, if you will, and open them to revelation we’re in the end of revelation, chapter 19, the beginning of chapter 20, we do not have any questions, any new questions for today because we’re not going to make it through chapter 20 today.
Okay. Just to set the expectations where they belong, because they don’t belong very high. This is one of those passages is one of those chapters in revelation where a lot of the things that people teach from the book of revelation come from these verses, especially concerning the end times. And so we are going to take a little bit of time and kind of go through this,
not try and push too quickly to where we can get an idea and a firm grasp of what is John saying? Why is he saying it and, and be clear in our minds concerning that as we go through from chapter 20 in the chapters, 21 and 22. So let’s start with a word of prayer and then we’ll begin our gracious father in heaven with all humility and a gratefulness we bound before you thankful for this day that you’ve given to us thankful for the life and the energy that we have to be able to assemble together,
mindful of those who are struggling because of illness. Many throughout our country that are struggling because of COVID mindful of, of the whitleys and praying that they recover quickly and fully from their struggles with this disease. We’re mindful of all those who are still at home because of this disease and the many, many disruptions that is brought to their life. We pray that you be with them and comfort them in this hard time.
Help us to be a comfort to them as well. Pray that you be with those who are leading our nation now and in the future, pray for the leaders of every nation throughout the world, that they might make decisions that provide doors of opportunity for the gospel to be preached throughout the world and help us in every country, as Christians to have a mindset that is determined to take the gospel to the loss throughout the world.
Lord, we pray that as we go through this time of study, the things that we read and the things that we understand from this book might be clear to us, but also that we might keep fast in our mind the main message of the book. And that is that as long as we’re faithful to you, we are victorious in the end, no matter what happens in this life,
all this, we pray in Jesus name, amen, as we go through. And as we conclude the book of revelation, what I hope is that you know more about revelation than you did before we started. If nothing more than just going through the questions, because the majority of the questions aren’t, what does it mean? The majority of the questions are what’s in the book,
what’s in the text. And if you have a grasp of what’s in the text and you connect it with the message of the book, because the message of the book is simple. The message of the book is clear the message of the book, all revelation, the entire book is one single solitary message. It is Christ telling the church. You may go through hard times,
but if you’re faithful to me, you’re victorious in the end or in a short phrase, the message of the book is the overcomers come over, okay? The ones who overcome in this life come over to be with God when this life is finished. Okay. That is the message of the book. And so everything that we go through, whether you get every aspect of every vision,
whether you get every detail or not just remember when you back up, it’s a picture book, it’s got a symbol message and the message is Christ wins and Satan loses. That’s the message of revelation. So when we get to the end of chapter 19, we’re going to begin about verse 17. And we’re going to go down into chapter somewhat, but we’re going to do this.
And we’re going to hopefully do it fairly methodically, but try and cover a number of things that are going to be questions. And if you ever study revelation with someone, especially someone in the denominational world, they’re going to have questions about this section. And because they will have heard all sorts of things about what chapter 20, especially, and the end of chapter 19 means.
And the thing to remember as we go through this is we’re going to stick with one very significant principle. And that is this. The book was written to a specific group of people who were alive at a specific time who were about to undergo something that John says was shortly to come to pass. And if we lose sight of who John wrote it to,
when he wrote it, why he wrote it and what those people living then were about to go through, we will go hog wild with chapters 19 and 20. But if we keep it in the context, if we keep it in the text where it was written and the people it was written to in the time it was written for, we can understand clearly what it is that God is saying.
Now let’s go over the questions real quick. Before I get ahead of myself, chapter 19 questions, question one. According to the multitude of voices from heaven, what four things belong to the Lord? Our God, God, Salvation, glory honor, and power. Now we made mention of the fact that the emphasis of this here is if these things belong to God,
then they don’t belong to who Satan. They don’t belong to the beast. They don’t belong to the, the, the CBS, the land bees, the false prophet, the dragon, the great whore. They don’t belong to any of them. They belong to God. Okay. What act caused the multitude in heaven to make this declaration the judgment of God.
Okay. Not now talking about the final day of judgment. God’s act of judging specifically the great city chapter 18. Who’s also seen in chapter 17 as the great whore. All right. Ver question three, verse seven. What celebratory occasion is pictured as a reason for those in heaven to rejoice. All right. Marriage, supper of the lamb. Question four.
What? Adorns the bride?<inaudible> All right. So the, the visual is fine. Linen clean and clean and white, but what does, what’s the interpretation? The righteous acts of the saints. Okay. Here’s one of those times where John says, here’s what saw, and here’s what it meant. He doesn’t always do that in the book of revelation.
Quite often, he just says, here’s what I saw. And it’s up to us to figure out what it meant by going through the book and interpreting it properly. But here’s one of those occasions where he’s very clear. I saw the bride and this is how she was adorned. And the interpretation of that is this was the righteous acts of the saints.
There we go again. All right. Someone’s going to find a different pocket. Put their keys in question five, who is John commanded? Not to worship. Okay. The one, the one who’s speaking to him, which it, based upon the earlier text, it could be one of the elders, or it could be one of the angels, but the,
the one who’s speaking to him, who’s not God, he’s not supposed to worship him. Who is John commanded to worship God only. Alright, question six, who is riding the white horse? Christ is what is he called? Faithful and true. What is he doing in this passage? And what was the one on the white horse doing in revelation six?
What was he doing in this passage? Judging and making more, what was he doing in chapter six, conquering and going forth to the conquer. Okay. So the reason why I bring that up is we want to be clear. What we saw in chapter six is what we’re seeing in chapter 19, but there’s no big separation between chapter six and chapter 19.
There’s no, there, there, there’s not thousands of years between those, those two passages. They’re right there. They’re saying the same thing. Chapter six was just a preview of what we’re now seeing in culmination in chapter 19. Okay. Question seven, who is described as the one who rules over the nations and treads out the wine press of the fierceness and wrath of almighty God Christ.
Okay. When we look at this, it is important for us to realize that a lot of people’s view their, their, their mental picture of Christ as kind of starting off the, he he’s the baby in the manger that everybody can get, you know, get on board with. And then he’s just, he’s all about love. They, they read John three 16 and,
and, and God and Christ. They’re all about love and revelation. Doesn’t hold up that picture. But Jesus didn’t either because you just step right over to chapter five of John and Jesus is saying all judgment has been put in my hand by the father. There’s coming a day when everyone will hear my voice and rise from the dead, Jesus never painted a picture of himself as somebody who’s all about love and not about judgment,
never, never made that picture. Never left that impression here, Jesus has pictured over and over and over again as the one who fights against evil, the one who fights against sin, the one who fights against those who ally, ally themselves with the beast and with Satan. Even if those people go back to chapters two and three are his churches. If one of his churches,
allies himself with Satan, Jesus says, I’ll come and make war with you. Okay? So we need to be careful that we don’t put on our mental image of Jesus, an attribute that just simply doesn’t exist. And that is love without judgment. That’s not Jesus. What happened to the beast and the false prophet. Okay. All right. So verse 20,
then the beast was captured with him, the false prophet who worked signs in his presence by which he deceived those who were received the Mark of the beast. And those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the Lake of fire burning with Brin stone. Okay. So the beast and the false prophet. Now, remember you’ve got the beast of chapter 16.
Nope. It’s chapter 13. You’ve got the two beasts. You’ve got the beast that looks like the dragon, the lamb beast. And then you’ve got the sea beast. Now I’ve got those opposites, the CBS that looks like the dragon and the lion beast that looks like a lamb. And the land beast is a false prophet. The land beast is the one that deceives everyone.
The land piece is the one that is the religious force of Rome. The CBC is the military and the conquering power of Rome and the economic power of Rome. So both of those two BS, one references, the false prophet, the, the, the land bees, those two bees are cast into this Lake of fire. Okay. We’re not looking at the final judgment of God.
We’re not looking at the day of judgment. This isn’t nowhere in here is that the day of judgment, it’s just not here. Okay. We’re going to get into that a little bit more. Then question nine. What happened to the armies of the beast and those who followed the bees?<inaudible> All right. So they were killed with a sword and then devoured by what the birds.
Now, if we’re on the day of judgment, okay. If that’s what we have here, if the day that the beast, the CBS and the land-based are cast in the Lake of fire is the final day of judgment. We have a problem. Beltway. It’s a real simple one because Peter tells us when that day comes, all the things that God created,
all the elements, all the universe is going to be burned up. And this physical life is going to be over. Now, if this physical life is over and that’s the day we’re talking about here, then by all means, tell me why are the birds still around what birds and notice. So this is where we’re going to, we’re going to pick up here.
Let’s actually start in verse 17. I want to get the whole kit, the whole context, chapter 19 verse 17. Then I saw an angel standing in the sun and he cried with a loud voice saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven. Now somebody will come along and say, well, these aren’t, these are earthly birds.
These are the, the, this is this some spiritual thing. Okay? Here’s the problem that we’re going to get into. And we’re going to point it out over and over and over again, probably to a point where you were sick of it is you don’t get to go into a passage. And just as the phrase that I remember hearing growing up,
Willy nilly change, this is literal. This is not, this is literal. This is not all in the same passage. It’s either literal or it’s not, but you don’t get to pick and choose. That’s literal. That’s not, that’s literal. That’s not. That’s literally just to make a doctrine and a story that you want to tell. That’s not how we interpret scripture.
John’s seeing a picture. John’s seeing a vision and all through revelation. We were to understand this. We’re supposed to see what he sees and understand what it means, not see what it means. Those are two different things. If you look at it, you have to then interpret it. You’re not supposed to look at it and say, that’s, what’s going to happen.
No, you’re supposed to look at it and say, okay, that means something about what’s going to happen. Okay? And there’s a very big difference. When you look at, maybe this is a good way to, to, to do it. When you look at a photograph of two children playing, let’s exclude the whole Photoshop idea at all, that you just look at a good old Polaroid.
What do you know about that picture?<inaudible> It was one moment in time and it actually happened. Okay. We’re just talking about general reality. You see a Polaroid of two people, two children playing outside, and you know, that event happened. You’re not supposed to interpret it. It’s just that a moment in time, that is not the book of revelation.
That is th th the time that that ends is when you get to the part where John says I was on the isle of Patmos on the Lord’s day. That’s about the last statement in the book of revelation. You get to treat as if it’s a Polaroid. From that point forward, you’re supposed to see an artist’s rendition that has meaning and may not look like the actual events in physical form.
Instead, it’s a visual representation of something. Okay. Very different thing. So when we get into this, we’ve got all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, and somebody is going to say, well, that’s, that’s heaven where God is, no, it’s not. That’s the sky. And all throughout scripture, we hear the birds that fly in heaven,
being a reference to just the birds of the earth. Okay? So let’s, let’s not take it where it doesn’t go. And the message of the one who’s standing in the sun says, come and gather together for the supper of the great God that you may eat. The flesh of the Kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men,
the flesh of horses, and those who sit on them and the flesh of all people free and slave both small and great. Okay. The angel says to the birds, you’re going to devour<inaudible> Yeah. The whole army, but specifically, what are they going to eat off of them? Their flesh. It’s not spiritual. It’s physical. Okay. But it’s not literal.
We’re not supposed to be looking for a time in where God defeats a great army and all the birds of heaven get called together to devour. No, no, no, no. That’s not what we’re here for. God’s saying I’m going to destroy you so completely that my armies don’t have to come and take care of you. I can just send the birds.
There’s nothing left. They’re going to completely deal with the beast and his armies. Okay. As we view revelation and revelation is God’s judgment on Rome. That picture is crystal clear all throughout the book. God is not the, for those who interpret revelation to be before age 70 and to be about the Jews, I’m sorry, but this doesn’t work. This is no picture of the Jews.
Anytime. In the first century, there was no time where all the Kings of the earth gathered together and fought with the Jews against the Christians that didn’t happen, but Rome and its forces and its armies and its powers did long after the Jews were, were done and finished as a nation in 80 70. Okay. This also isn’t about some future time to come to pass.
John made it clear over and over. These things must shortly come to pass. So God’s going to take Rome in, in the embodiment of Domitian as that one, who would bring that persecution back mouth persecution is going to continue after demission dies, but we’re okay with that because here’s the thing we need to remember. God says at that point in time,
you’re S you stand condemned. Here’s a good analogy. Some will question. Well, wait a minute. If, if the persecution continued after Domitian and it did Rome continued to persecute the church for 200 years after demission. If that persecution continues, how is it that God could say he judged it and dealt with it in the days of demission in this same way.
When did the old Law and the law of Moses, When Christ died, when did God replaced replace the high priest that was under the old law with a new high priest, same time when Christ died. When did God replace the old covenant King with a new King, same time. All right, God changed the law. God changed the priesthood. God changed the King.
He also changed the covenant. When Christ died, all those things were nailed to the cross. The week after Christ died, what had changed in the temple? Nothing. What had changed about the priesthood? Nothing was there still a King in Jerusalem? Yes. The fact that God changed it, then didn’t mean there. Wasn’t still a continuation of time that would bring about his full and complete judgment on all of those things.
But it didn’t matter that they continued to exist. It didn’t matter that for another 40 years, almost those high priests that fought, they were high priest of the Lord would continue offers, offering sacrifices. And those who were still looking for the kingdom to come and for a King to rise up, we’re still looking for that. And that they fought, they were still living under the old covenant and they fought all of those things.
It didn’t matter that they fought all those things were still true because it looked like it physically, because God had said it’s done right here at this moment in time, it’s finished, even though it looks like it continues on. Do you know there are still Jews who were holding onto the old covenant today? How many, how many years are we out from the day that it was nailed to the cross?
Now? How is it? We know the covenant ended and the high priest changed and the King ship changed and the law was Bagnall. How do we know all those things happened when Christ was put on the cross? Because we’re told, hit same. Thing’s true. In revelation. When God says in demission, I’m judging Rome, it doesn’t matter that in history,
Rome looks like it continues on as far as God’s concerned, right? Then his judgment is signed, sealed, delivered, guaranteed. Even though it looks like in history, Rome continues on it doesn’t matter. Just like it looked like Israel continued on it didn’t matter. Their fate was sealed and God says it’s done right here. And the only way we know that is because that’s what he told us,
same way that we know that the law was nailed to the cross when Jesus died, because he told us, okay, we’ve got to remember that as Christians, we don’t look at events time, the way God does. And that’s not a license to arbitrarily interpret the Bible. That is a licensed to say, I believe God did it because God said he Did.
And I’m going to let him work out the timeline of how those things get finished. But ultimately God says, here’s when it happened. Here’s how I judged Rome. Here’s what’s going to take place. And here’s what you need to know about it. Okay? So the S the angel calls the birds together, and they devour the armies of the beast.
And I saw the beasts and the Kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against him who sat on the horse and against his army. Then the beast was captured with, and with him, the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the Mark of the beast, and those who worshiped his image.
Okay? So they go out to make war. They go out against the one who’s on the horse. They go out against the army is the one who’s on the horse, which are Christians. And they go out And they lose their captured. And then they’re judged. These two were cast alive into the Lake of fire burning with brimstone, and the rest were killed with the sword,
which proceeded from the mouth of him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh. There’s a time in the old Testament where Israel has come out of Egypt And they’re sick and tired of manna. They don’t want any more, man. They, as they say, love this light bread that they’ve received. They here they are.
They’re being fed by God. Every single day. They’re having to do nothing to get it other than go out and gather it in the morning And they can’t stand it. They hate it. And God says, okay. And they say, we want meat guys. This I’m going to give you meat. And God, It causes birds to come in and basically just lay themselves down and die To such A degree.
God says, I’m going to give you so much meat. You’re going to despise it. I’m going to give you so much meat. It’s going to be coming out. Your nose is the analogy. And then The birds fly in. And a bunch of the people greedily go out, because remember the thing about the manna was they had a portion. They could only get what they were allotted.
If they got more, it went, it went bad. If they got less, they didn’t have enough. They were to go out and get their portion. While a bunch of these people go out and greedily begin to gather up this. The, the birds that are, have, have landed to gather of this meat beyond what they need. And God begins to bring about a plague.
God begins to kill them because of their greediness here, the pictures flipped on its head. It’s now the birds of the heaven that get the feast. They get the feast prepared for them by the Lord because of the wickedness of those who follow the beast and the false prophet. Okay. So it’s just an interesting flip-flop picture from the old Testament. The restaurant Killed with a sword,
which proceeded from the mouth of him who sat on the horse and all the birds were filled with their flesh. Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. Okay. So see the picture. Don’t expect to get every, every little detail to have some great meaning. John sees an angel he’s descending from heaven.
He’s got a great chain in his hand And he’s got a key. Okay. Notice what happens, Got the key to the bottomless pit, a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon that serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. And he cast him into the bottomless pit and shut him up and set a seal on him so that he should not deceive the nations that he should deceive the nations no more.
Till the thousand years were finished. Now go back to chapter 13 And be reminded chapter 13. Then I stood on the sands of the sea and I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and 10 horns, and on his horns, 10 crowns, and on his heads, a blast one’s name. Now the beast, which I saw was like a leopard.
His feet were like a feet of a bear. His mouth was like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power, his throne, and his authority. We Said in Daniel’s picture, in Daniel’s prophecy, those individual creatures, the lion, the leopard, and the bear were all part of the kingdoms that came before Rome. You remember there was the Babylonian kingdom and then the Mito Persian kingdom,
and then the Grecian kingdom. And ultimately Rome would come Rome in Daniel’s visions described as an indescribable beast. Okay. But these attributes are all carried forward into sure. Of Rome and his power to deceive nations And to convince them, but who, who do they get their power from? Who does Rome get its power from the devil? The dragon? Okay.
So now the beast, which you see was just cast into the Lake of fire and the false prophet, who is the other beast, verse 11. Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth and he had two horns, like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. So he speaks with the power of the dragon. He exercises all authority in the,
of the first beast in his presence and causes the earth. And those who dwell in it to worship the first bees. So he’s causing false worship to happen. And those who dwell in it to worship the first beast whose deadly wound was healed, he performs great signs and even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth, in the sight of men.
And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs, which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image of the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. All right. So the one beast is the power and the mind, and the force pictured as, as Babylon and the Mito Persian empire and the Grecian empire all rolled in the one in Rome.
And the other beast is pictured as the deceiving, the deceptive one, the false prophet who causes people to worship the first beast and the dragon. So here we see angel comes down from heaven. He’s got this great chain. He’s got the key to the bottomless pit, by the way, where did the beast come up out of Way back in chapter 11,
there were two witnesses. And those witnesses are proclaiming the word of God and testifying. They’re the prophets. The one of them’s pictured like Moses, the others picture like Elijah. And something comes up out of somewhere and kills them. What was it that came up? We’re just holding. It’s the beast. Okay. The beast comes up out of the bottomless pit.
Okay. This is not new. We are not suddenly introduced to a bottomless pit that holds back the power of the persecuting beast. No, no. That’s what we saw at the very beginning. Here comes the beast. He rises up out of the bottomless pit, and now he’s being put back in the bottomless pit. Okay. Get the picture. Rome as persecuting power was here before we saw it in Nero,
he persecuted the Christians and then Nero died and the persecution stopped and the beast is coming back up. And he’s going to persecute the Christians again in the time of demission and forward. But God, don’t worry about it. I know where he came from and I’m putting them Back. I’m going to destroy his power. What you see in the end of chapter 19.
And the beginning of chapter 20 is God’s saying as an instrument of Satan, Rome Room is finished. You’re not seeing a final judgment on Satan. I know that. And so do you, because in just a little bit, we’re going to read about a little season where he comes back up. This isn’t a final judgment on Satan. This isn’t a final holding of Satan.
This is, God’s saying, Satan, you tried to use Rome every time you read about the dragon. He looks like Rome. Remember the dragon had seven heads and 10 horns. And he looked like Rome. And he was being written on by a harlot. He looked like Rome. And then the causes Rome to begin persecuting and Rome looks like him,
But God says, you’re done. The beast is done. Profits done. And the dragon who looks like Rome is done Bound up, put In the bottomless pit. And he’s there for a thousand years Now, Ash, those who believe in pre millennialism Is the key. A literal key will go. No. Is the chain the literal chain? No.
As the bottomless pit, a literal bottomless Pit. No. Is the dragon a literal Dragon? No. Is the thousand Years a literal thousand years? Well, yes, Absolutely. Do we see a problem? That’s not how we interpret scripture and never has been. So what is a thousand years in this text? We’ve seen Thousand before we we’ve seen multiples of a thousand.
We’ve seen a thousand used all throughout revelation to mean different to, or to mean the same thing over and over again. A thousand always pictures God’s complete Action. It means The totality of something. And don’t just take my word for it. Go to Psalm one Oh five or not. I didn’t expect to make it any farther than this. So we’re we’re right on schedule Psalm one Oh five and verse eight.
I will Want us to be clear. This is not some arbitrary interpretation of a thousand. Okay. This is regularly. God uses it in scripture. Psalm one Oh one Oh five verse eight. I can turn one more page, actually verse seven. He is the Lord of our, he is the Lord. Our God, his judgments are in all the earth.
He remembers his covenant forever. The word, which he commanded for a thousand generations. What about generation? 1001? Is that the question we’re supposed to ask in that passage that God’s going to be faithful in his judgments and his commandments for every generation up until generation 1000? No, that’s not what we’re supposed to get from that. If he’s been faithful for the last thousand generations,
don’t you think he’ll be faithful for the next one? That’s what the writer is saying. Go forward to first Chronicles, chapter six or backwards, I guess first Chronicles, chapter 16, first Chronicles chapter 16, verse 15, verse 14 says he is the Lord. Our God, his judgments are in all the earth. He remembers his covenant forever. The word,
which he commanded for a thousand generations. Again, the same verbiage, same iteration is that God is going to do this. Perpetually. God is going to keep his judgments. God is going to keep his covenant and nothing is going to stop him From doing it. Okay? Go backward. Well, actually forward again. Psalm 50 Psalm, 50 verse 10.
Not every beast of the earth. Let me read that again. With the words that are on the page. This time for every beast of the forest Is mine. And The cattle on a thousand Hills are mine. Are we supposed to interpret therefore the cattle on Hill 1001 doesn’t belong to the Lord? No. If the cattle on a thousand Hills belong to him,
then every cattle on every Hill belongs to him. Deuteronomy chapter seven, Deuteronomy chapter seven, verse nine. Therefore know that the Lord, your God, he is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations, with those who love him and keep his commandments. Does God keep covenant mercy in every generation with those who love him and keep his commandments?
Did it end at a thousand? No. Nowhere in revelation. Do we get the number 1000 where we’re supposed to see it and a tribute to it, a literal thousand in substance, nowhere. But if we were to, okay, if we want a thousand year reign of the Messiah later on in chapter 20 and the thousand year binding of the beast or the dragon here in the first part of chapter 20,
here’s what we’ve got to do. This is our responsibility. If we want to interpret it that way, then we are required to interpret it as a literal chain, as a literal key, as a literal bottomless pit and a literal dragon. But we’re not told to interpret it that way, anywhere in the book of revelation. So therefore we’re supposed to look at what we see and ask what it means,
not look at what we see and assume that’s what it means. Okay? That’s what you deal with when you’re dealing with apocalyptic literature and the book of revelation and the book of Ezekiel and a lot of other books like the latter, half of Daniel, don’t look at it and go 70 weeks. Well, he must mean 70 literal weeks. No, he doesn’t not.
And Daniel, see what it is. See what John saw and then ask what it means. All right. So we’re going to pick up here in verse three, go down through the end of the chapter on Wednesday. Thank you for your attention.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> good morning. It’s good to see everybody out this morning. It’s a beautiful day, but it’s kind of windy out.
There seemed like March, but it’s going to get better. But anyway, we like to welcome all of our barristers. If we have any today. And if you would to fill out a visitor’s card and put it in a collection plate back here at the back. So we’d have a record of your attendance. And if you hadn’t picked up your Lord’s supper,
It’s back there on that back table. Now it’d be a good time to get it. If you have a gotten it, we need to remember our CIT Jones, Springer and Dorothy Wilson and Janet Jones. We saw Janet yesterday and she’s, she’s doing good. She’s kind of feisty, but she was doing good. Our other sick Sandy Tramble is back home and feeling much better.
She had a stone that we still don’t know where it was, but they did remove a stone from her and she’s doing a lot better. And Jessica Dale is having some kind of stomach issue. Terry and Patricia Wigley are still recovering from COVID. And I think they might be doing, doing better. Terry we’re doing better Wednesday night. And I think she had gotten better before that,
but they’re doing better. Congratulations to Victoria that used to come to church here. And Jason Melton, they had a baby girl the other day. He was born Wednesday added Lynn. Kate, is that right? Where’s her name? But anyway, she had some problems had to be bedridden for a while before the baby was born. But everything’s good. I saw her announcements order of worship today day,
Michael Dale would be leading singing. Joe has the Oatman prayer. J Schaffner has the Lord supper and Aaron Cozort has the sermon. And Eric Harrelson will dismiss this with the closing prayer. Thank you ed, to be before you lead in SUNY. Again, my voice isn’t back a hundred percent, but I’m going to do the best that God will allow me to do our first song this morning.
We’ll be number 144 O worship the King O worship the key. Oh,<inaudible> and grain for Lee. See here’s Wanda for<inaudible> Dallas and then splendor and<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> and<inaudible> Hey for children.<inaudible><inaudible><inaudible><inaudible> and<inaudible> Mac defend<inaudible> The song before our opening prayer will be number 474. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord.
Thank you Lord, for loving me and thank you Lord for blessing me. Thank you Lord, for making me whole and saving my song. I want to thank you.<inaudible> thank you for saving my soul. Let us all with one eye caught seeing praise as to Christ. Lord, let us all you in song to praise him all day long. Thank you.<inaudible> thank you for saving my song,
who please rebel y’all well for me so I can serve you.<inaudible> use my life and bring your way take today. I want to thank you.<inaudible> me. Thank you, Lord.<inaudible> you<inaudible>. Thank you, Lord.<inaudible> Oh God. Our father in heaven, we truly are grateful that you do love us. We’re so thankful father for that love,
that was demonstrating through the death of your son, whereas willingness to die on the cross of Calvary. We’re so grateful father for the fact that we able to be cleansed of our Sans and as we become obedient to your will, and we’re so thankful that we are your children, father, we’re mindful of life itself, and we’re thankful for it. And we pray father that we realize that it is so brief.
We pray God that we might use our lives in service to you and glorify your name. As we have that privilege and opportunity, we never lose sight of life and of eternity. We pray father that we examine ourselves daily, that we remain in the faith that we look to one another, that we might gain strength that we look to your word, that we might be,
build it up in the faith and that we use our faith to try to reach those round about us. With the gospel. We are keenly aware of the brevity of life and that there are souls out there that have never named your name. We truly be mindful of them and of ourselves, of our responsibility and privilege that we have to share your word with them.
Father, we’re mindful of the faithful and we’re thankful for the influence they have over our lives. We’re mindful of our families, not only our physical families, but our spiritual families. And we’re so grateful for the faithful that they’ve been such a good example to us. And we’re thankful for physical families of the love that we have for one another. And especially our love for the father.
We’re mindful of those that are teaching and preaching your word and other places. And we pray that we might be an encouragement to them. We might be a blessing to help strengthen them and encourage them as they teach and preach the gospel that many souls might come to you. Father, we’re thankful for Aaron and Eddy and their family. We’re thankful for what they mean to the church here or the abilities that they have to encourage us and be a blessing to us here.
We pray that you be with air and as he breaks into us, the breath of life this morning, we’re thankful for Michael and Jessica and or that the work they’re doing. And as Michael goes through the school of preaching for the studies that he is engaged in, that will, it will help him to become a great minister of the gospel. We pray father that you help each and every one of us to look to one another and be mindful of each other,
especially those that are not able to be with us physically, that we continue to remember them in our prayers daily, that they might be okay. And that those that are facing physical problems, that they might be resolved by the ones that are administering to them. Father we’re mindful of those that are facing challenges with their spiritual walk. And we pray that we’d be keenly aware that they might not be fateful,
that we would reach out to them and try to encourage them as we have that privilege and opportunity help us each day, that we live, that we are mindful of those that are ill and try to administer them to their needs. We pray that you help us to always be mindful of who we are. And the example we set before, others, we pray that they always will see Christ living in us.
Father help us to be more loving, kind, compassionate patient, and understanding of one another that we can truly exemplify our Lord and savior. Forgive us father. When we fail the, and help us to repent of those sins that we might stand justified in your sight. Or we never know when our savior will come back and claim us. We pray that you help us to build one another up as the days go by.
And the forward to that home in heaven with the, and Jesus, we pray amen Song to prepare our minds for the Lord’s supper will be number 381 years. I spent in vanity years, I spent in vanity you years. I spent in vantage and PRA I had caring nod. My Lord was crucified, no knowing nod and was for me. He die.
And<inaudible> see, that was green. And grace was spree. God. And there was more to apply to me. Nah, my burden<inaudible><inaudible> by God’s word. And last night<inaudible><inaudible> to my guilty soul and flooring turn to<inaudible> see, there was great. And grace was free. Oh God. And there was more to apply to me.<inaudible><inaudible> no I,
again to your Jesus. Very thing. Nah, I gladly own him as my King. Nah, my rap shirts or can only seeing<inaudible><inaudible> there was great and grace was free. Oh God. And there was more to apply to me.<inaudible><inaudible> Oh, the love that drew salvation’s plan. Oh, the grace had brought it down to man.
Oh the mighty in golf. Thank God dance, man.<inaudible> see. There was great. And grace was free. Oh God. And there was more to apply to me.<inaudible><inaudible> We now come to a very special time in our worship service where we remember the death of our Lord and savior. So let’s focus our minds upon that cross upon the sacrifice that he has made for us.
Let us pray. Heavenly father. We’re indeed grateful for this. We have to assemble about this table to participate in these emblems, which memorialized the death of our savior. We pray, especially now for the bread, which represents the body that was sacrificed on that cross for the forgiveness of our sins. It’s in jesus’ name that we pray amen. Ever my father in a similar manner,
we’re grateful for this fruit of the vine, which represents the blood that was shed for the remission of our sins. Help us to realize the full significance of this great sacrifice and help us to partake in a worthy manner. It’s in jesus’ name that we pray. This concludes the Lord’s supper. We find this a convenient time to offer a prayer for and Thanksgiving for the blessings that we have received.
Heavenly father, we’re indeed grateful for the many material blessings that you so richly bestow upon each of our lives. We pray that we always remember that we’re merely stewards of these things that all of these blessings truly come from you. And as we prepare to return a portion of what you’ve blessed us with, we ask your blessing is upon us in jesus’ name that we pray Song before the lesson will be number 957.
This world is not my home. If you’re able, please stand for this song. This world is not my home. This world is not my home. I’m just passing through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond that knee angels back in me from heaven’s open door and I can feel at home in this world any more<inaudible> no, I have no friend,
Mike, you<inaudible> the angels back in me from heaven’s open door and I can feel at home in this small world any more. They’re all expecting me. And that’s one thing I know my savior. Pardon me? And now I on word, I know, take me through, I am weak and poor and I can fill that at home in this<inaudible> I have no friends like you,
if heaven’s not in my<inaudible> the angels back and me from heaven’s open door and I can feel at home in this world any more, just<inaudible> the same sun, every ah, shouting Victori song of sweetest, praise draft back from heaven. Sure. And I can feel that, huh? In this<inaudible> you know, I have no friends like you,
heaven’s not in my home. Nana Lord. Why? Well, I do need angels back and me from heaven’s open door and I can feel at home in this<inaudible> Maybe see you then if you would like to Mark it, it will be up here on the slides. But if you’d like to Mark it, the song of invitation is number 948. I am resolved number nine 48,
good morning. Just about every day, all over the country and all over the world. People get up, get ready. They prepare themselves for the day and they go out To work. They go to a job. They go to make gain. And that idea of gain carries with it. A similar idea in our English language, the word profit and all throughout scripture,
God speaks concerning gain. And the idea of gaining things in this life, sometimes it is spoken of in a neutral way, just simply a fact of matter that that it’s a necessity to, to gain, to provide for oneself. But sometimes it’s spoken of in a very negative way. And sometimes it’s spoken of, of things in a very different way than we might expect.
I want to spend some time this morning talking about gain, but we’re going to look at it from the negative perspective. First, there are some things when we go about our daily lives, when we provide for our own selves, when we go through life, gaining what is needed to sustain our homes, our families, and our livelihoods. There are some things that we must not do some ways in which we must not gain in this life.
Turn with me. If you will, to the book of Isaiah Isaiah in his prophecies in chapter 33 speaks concerning this very idea. Isaiah chapter 33, we’re going to begin around verse 14. God is he speaks through. Isaiah says the sinners in Zion are afraid. Fearfulness has seized the hypocrites who among Us shall dwell with the devouring Fire. Before we go much further.
We need to make, make note of one fact, the Hebrew writer over in Hebrews chapter 10 speaks concerning those who have access to the new and living way. The blood of Christ salvation through baptism found in the blood of Christ. That salvation, which provides us a home in heaven and a fellowship with God. But there are those in Hebrews chapter 10 who are departing,
therefore Seki being the church and the Hebrew writer writes to these Christian. And he tells them that those who are forsaking the assembly of themselves together, those who are forsaking the church, they have turned their back on Christ. He says, when you do that, you try to pawn the blood of Christ. You count the grace, which God has given to you as an unholy thing.
And he warns those Christians who are turning their back on Christ, who are going back to the Mosaical law, who are going back to the ways of the world. He warns Them that your God is a consuming Fire. That picture Partially from Isaiah chapter 33, as God pictured as a devouring fire. So the question in Isaiah chapter 33, verse 14,
who among us shall dwell with the devouring. Fire is speaking of God, in his judgment, Who Among us shall dwell with ever lasting Earnings. And here’s the answer. Two questions asked two questions, asked in repetition in order to focus on who is it that can stand with God. It’s very similar to the question asked in revelation chapter six, who can stand with God when God judges the wicked.
And here’s the answer he Walks righteously and speaks up rightly But in focus on our lesson. Notice this next phrase. He who despised Is the gain of oppressions. One of the struggles that Israel found itself in over and over and over again, especially in the minor prophets and in the later prophets, when the prophets would write to them, they would accuse them Of abusing the poor.
They would accuse them of doing harm to those who were defenseless. They would accuse them of, of controlling these people for their Prophet. And Isaiah makes it clear. The one who stands with God When God judges the one who is able to stand when God has a devouring, fire comes upon. Those who are doing wickedness is one of his attributes. Is he despises that he despises those who take advantage and oppress others who gestures with his hands,
refusing bribes, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes from seeing evil. This isn’t someone who closes his eyes and says, I’m not going to look. I’m not going to see what they’re doing. No, no, no, no, no, no. He will not look upon evil to desire. Writ he will not allow someone to come into his presence who would give him a bribe.
He will not allow someone who will speak to him and encourage him to shed blood. He will not do these things. This is looking like a judge. This is looking like the picture of one who ought to be a righteous judge. But there were so many times in Israel where they were judged by those who would take bribes judged by those who would commit murder for their own gain,
judged by those who would oppress the poor to get profit. They were judged by those who would see The evil. And instead of condemning it, they join in. He will dwell on high, the person who won’t do these things, the person who walks, righteously, the person who speaks up, rightly he will dwell on high. His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks.
Bread will be given him his water will be sure. Notice The point that Isaiah is making the Lord is speaking to Israel. And he’s saying the judge, the person who has power and authority, who will not do wickedness, who refuses to even hear it, to see it, to, to dwell on it. But instead walks righteously and judges uprightly who speaks righteously his game.
His needs will be He taken kero. Jesus makes The point over in Matthew, chapter six concerning the one who strives for things of this life who seeks to gain that, which this life has and is worried about this life’s possessions. He says, when this person strives to do this, they’re missing what is of greatest value. Instead he tells that person seek first,
the kingdom of heaven and his righteousness and all these things Shall be added to you. So the first thing that we see here is that Isaiah says we are not to be those who seek gain By the oppressing of others, but he also in his, In the old Testament and in the new we read that we are not to receive gain dishonestly first Samuel chapter,
Wait, there was a time in Israelite history where they were without a King. There had not yet been a King in Israel. They were judged by those who were called judges. And Samuel was the last in the line of judges because in chapter eight of first, Samuel Israel will demand the King and God will give them a King. Now up until that point,
God was their King. They didn’t need an earthly King. They had a heavenly King, but they had refused that. But notice this statement that’s made in the beginning of chapter eight of first Samuel, as we see the reason, or at least the excuse as to why they needed a King. Now I came to pass verse one. When Samuel was old,
that he made his sons judges over Israel. The name of his firstborn was Joelle. The name of his second Abijah. They were judges in bear Sheba, but his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dis honest Gain took bribes and perverted justice. Now Actually would also occur in a very similar fashion with the sons of the previous judge.
But here Samuel Is going to appoint his sons as judges after him. And they’ll be put there in bear Sheba. And there’ll be said there to judge Israel, but instead of judging, according to the law, instead of judging, according to the commandments, instead of judging, according to the ways of God, they look for those who will give them profits.
If you can give me something, I’ll judge in your favor. If you can make sure that I get this, I’ll do this. I’ll make this judgment For you. Gon tells us And the old Testament law that the judges were to judge righteous judgment, but they were also not to show favoritism to the rich or to the poor. They were not supposed to judge in favor of one who was poor simply because he was poor.
They were to judge according to the law, when a Richmond came to the, came to them and said, I have possessions and I can take care of you and I can make sure you have everything you need. They weren’t to hear that they were to judge according To the law, but here Samuel sons seek after dis honest gain over in Ezekiel chapter 22,
God condemns two groups of people because they also saw it after dishonest gain. Ezekiel chapter 22 beginning in verse 23, Zeke GQL rights. And the word of the Lord came to me saying, son of man, say to her, you are a land that is not cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation. The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey.
They have devoured people. They have taken treasure and precious things. They have made many widows in her midst. Her priests have violated my law and profaned my Holy things. They have not distinguished between Holy and unholy, nor have they made, known the difference between the unclean and the clean. And they have hidden their eyes from my Sabots Sabbaths so that I am profaned among them.
Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey to shed blood, to destroy people, to get dishonest, gain three categories of people here are given by God that he condemns because of their actions, because their actions were dishonest for profit. First, he says your profits. The problem I have with you, Israel is your profits profits. I for money,
your profits speak good to someone for gain and evil against someone who will give them nothing. He says they are dishonest and they are causing widows to exist. If they can’t make their prophecy come true and get their money one way they’ll make it come true. Another way by killing people, Their profits were like Those roaring lions tearing their prey, but then he accuses their priests.
He says, this isn’t just a problem with your profits, but your priests as well are doing the same thing. They violated the law. They profaned my house. They profaned my name. They’ve caused people to know no difference between clean and unclean between Holy and unholy. They have destroyed my name For their own profit. But then he says, and your princes are no different.
Your princes, those who rule over you, those in the house of the King, they’re doing the same thing. All of this. He says it’s because of dishonor Gain, but even in the new Testament, we’re warned about dishonest gain. In first, Peter chapter five, Peter is he is writing as an elder, writes to elders. And he says,
this, the elders who are among you, I exhort verse one. I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed shepherd. The flock of God, which is among you serving as overseers, not by compulsion, but willingly, not for dishonest gain Ain, buddy girly. One of the things the new Testament promotes and allows is that elders are,
can or can be paid for their service for their shepherding function. But Peter makes it clear to those elders. You don’t do this. Like those profits of old, you don’t do this. Like those judges of old, you don’t do this. Like those priests of older, those princes of old, you don’t do it for this honest gay. You do it out of a love for the flock and for the Lord.
Why is it that this is such a problem? Why is it that game? And the things of this world were always such a problem generation after generation and still are Today. Part of it is greed in Proverbs chapter one, Solomon would write to his son, okay? As he opens up this, this book of wise sayings, as he writes these things to his son,
he writes beginning in Proverbs chapter one, beginning Around verse eight. He says, My son hear the instruction of your father and do not forsake the law of your mother for, they will be a graceful ornament on your head and chains about your neck. But then notice what he says. He says, my son, if sinners entice, you Do not consent.
He says, there are going to be people who will come to you and will seek to get you to do things with them, but you should not do. He goes on to say, if they say, come with us, let us lie in, wait to shed blood. Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause let us swallow them alive.
Like she’ll and whole like those who go down into the pit, we shall find all kinds of precious possessions. We fill our houses with spoil. You go down To verse 19 and we read, so are the lays of everyone who is greedy for Gain. But notice this statement, He says, so is everyone who is greedy for gain? And then he says something about that game.
He says something about an attribute of retribution as it were that that gain Will have on them. He Says it takes away the life of it. Owners Here. He describes one. Who’s willing to kill, willing to mane, willing to hurt and destroy in order for his own profit, for his own loss, his own desires in his own greed, buddy Warren Lose them.
When you do that, It is as if that game, that Profit remembers your deeds and will bring on you. What you’ve done to others. And how much, Many times in history, how many times in life, how many times in society do we find the person who abuses others for profits? It gets, it turned back on themselves by someone else.
Who’s willing to kill them for what they have greediness and the desire For what doesn’t belong to. You has always been a problem. And Isaiah chapter 56, Isaiah Again makes an accusation against another group of people in Israel, Isaiah chapter 56, beginning Verse nine, God and Isaiah through the Lord’s words, condemn the Watchman now in an old Testament city, okay?
In a place where you were surrounded by not only armies of, of nations, that didn’t like you, but even just the dangers of living in that day in time, the beasts of the, of the forest and the beach that would surround them. There were always those who were placed as Watchman. Those who were to keep an eye at night, especially they were to keep an eye for the enemy who might be coming.
They were to keep an eye for the beasts that might be lurking at the edge of the city. Those who might attack the prey and those who were unknown, The Watchman was there to keep an eye on the behalf of others. But in verse nine of Isaiah, chapter 56, we read all you beasts of the field, Come to devour God, the beast,
This time, God says, you get ready. You come prepared obese of the field and come to devour. My people notice what he says, all you beasts in the forest, his Watchman, the Watchman that belonged to the city. The Watchman that belonged to my people, the Watchman that belong to those who are supposed to be, He says his Watchman are blind.
They are ignorant. They are all dumb dogs. They cannot bark, sleeping, lying down, loving the slumber, Their defenses aren’t ready. He says, no, one’s paying attention. They’ve put the weakest in the, in the blind. They put them on the wall to watch for danger because everyone loves Their own sleep versus 11. Yes, they are greedy dogs,
which never have enough. And they are shepherds who cannot understand. They all look to their own way. Every one for his own gain from his own territory. What is it that they’re doing in actuality? They’re not literally putting blind men up on the wall. They’re not literally putting those who are blind out in the, in the edges of the city at night,
watching for the creatures that might come in and hurt someone know they’re placing those as Watchman, as shepherds of the flock of Israel who are only interested Did in themselves. This isn’t a condemnation of blind Watchman in a physical sense. It is a condemnation of self interested leaders whose only fought for themselves is their own gain. First Timothy chapter six, Paul Warren Timothy,
and in turn tells Timothy to Warn the church. First, Timothy chapter six in verse five, he tells us Going back to verse three, if anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of the Lord, Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine, which Accords with godliness. He is proud, knowing nothing but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words from which come envy,
striving for violins, evil suspicions, useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds of destitute of the truth. Who suppose notice, who’s suppose that godliness. This is a means of gain from such withdraw yourselves. Paul says among the church among Those who were Christians, if you see Someone who Uses their godliness for Profit, who use Is and has a mindset that their good deeds are supposed to be reimbursed,
that their good deeds are there and are done for money. And if they don’t get the money, you’ll never see the good deeds. Paul says, from that type of person, you withdraw yourself. You will Have no fellowship with them. But in the contrast, as we shift over to what God says we should do, when it comes to gain,
he says in verse six, now godliness with contentment is great gain. You know, I said, sometimes we see the scriptures, look at gain, look at profit, look at getting what we need in this life. A little different than you and I do in our daily lives. Maybe then we, we need to, re-examine how we view gain.
Because here Paul says, in contrast to the one who gives godliness in order to get gain, he says you have godliness and contentment, and that is gain. Whether there’s any money involved or not. Jesus said it this way. It is more blessed to give than to receive. Now, if you give something away, are you gaining in monetary or possessions?
Are you gaining something by giving? Yes, you’re gaining something, but not something physical. You’re gaining something spiritual all throughout scripture. One of the things that we are to understand that we are to see clearly is that we have a need for possessions. We have a need for the daily necessities, But We have a greater need for spiritual things. Philippians chapter three,
Paul writes to the church of Philippi And he says in Philippians chapter three and verse seven, he says, but what things were gained to me, she’s talking about a time in his life. When he was a Jew of all Jews, where he was the specimen of a Pharisee, where he was the example of one that everyone could look to and say that someone who’s important,
but he used all of those things and all of that position. And he abused it by using it to persecute the church. And Paul says, but what things were gained to me, these, I have counted law For Christ yet. Indeed. I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ. Jesus, my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish that I may gain Christ Matthew chapter 16,
Jesus speaks concerning one who would follow him One who would be his disciple. And in Matthew chapter 16, he says the one who will be my disciple must do a number of things. Must forsake a number of things. Then he asked the rhetorical question, what shall man give in exchange for his soul? What does it profit a man if he gained the whole world and lose His own soul,
Some things that are gained in scripture that have real value honor is one of them in Exodus chapter 14, God is spoken of as gaining honor over Pharaoh in his armies, by defeating them at the red sea honor is something that has value. As long as it doesn’t create pride so long as it doesn’t establish within ourselves, something that we think we deserve instead of something given to us by God ultimately,
but land and possessions is another thing that is gained in this life. But it’s interesting that in Psalm 44 verses one through three, as the Psalmist writer reflects back on what God did for Israel, he reminds Israel in his day in time that the possession of the promised land wasn’t given to them, wasn’t gained by their efforts. It wasn’t gained by their strength.
It wasn’t gained by their ability. It was given by God. And one of the attributes that you and I need to recognize in everything that we have is that what we have doesn’t Along to us, Israel So often looked at the land they dwelt in as there The land and it never was, it was God’s land. Wow. Is it that Israel refused to observe the Sabbath?
One of the attributes of the Sabbath and the specific attribute of the Sabbath was that they were to do no work. They were to not seek profit there on that seventh day. And Israel had a hard time holding themselves back from their own profit For God because they lost sight of the fact that it all belonged to God. Why is it that Israel failed over and over and over for 400 plus years to keep the year,
the Sabbath year, the year of Jubilee? Why is it that every seventh year when they were commanded not to plant, not to put their crops in the ground, they didn’t do it. God, when he would bring 70 years of judgment upon them and bring them off into Babylon would accuse them through the prophet. Jeremiah. He said, the reason you’re going to go into captivity for 70 years is because that’s all of the years,
you didn’t observe the seventh Year Sabbath of my land. Why didn’t they observe this of the land? Is it because God didn’t prosper them enough? No, it’s because they were so interested in themselves, they didn’t obey the commands Of God. And God said, Oh, my land is going to get it Sabbath because it was his land, not theirs.
And so the Psalmus writer says in Psalm 90 Psalm 90 and in verse 12 Psalmus writer says to those who would hear verse 12. So teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom. One of the things over everything else that we are to gain is not profit. It’s not money. It’s not possessions, it’s wisdom and understanding.
But Paul said, one other thing was gained. One other thing that we wouldn’t normally call game and it was death. You remember Paul wrote in Philippians chapter one verse 21 For me to live is Christ. But to die is gain. As we go through this life, many mornings, we will get up and we’ll go to work. We’ll do whatever it is that needs to be done to gain the thing,
Things we need in this life. But may we never lose sight of the things that we are to be gaining that really matter glory before God and honoring him wisdom and understanding. And one day, if we have not sought to gain The world at the cost of our soul, one day when judgment comes from one, who’s described as a devouring fire, and we stand with him,
we can say I gained everything because whatever I had to lose for my soul was rubbish in comparison to eternity. If you’re here this morning and you’re outside the body of Christ, you’re outside of salvation, you’re outside of hope and redemption. You’re outside of an eternity and the possibility of an eternity with God, the father, how do you change that? You change?
It means that by dying to self, that thing, which causes you to seek after things, instead of God, possessions, instead of wisdom, that which has only temporary value instead of that, which has eternal value, you die. How do you do that? You recognize that Jesus Christ is the son of God. You recognize that he can teach you how to lift properly.
And instead of you insisting, you can live Properly. And you repent of your sins. You repent of the way that you have lived to change, to live the way he tells you to live. You confess the name of Christ. And in making that confession, you make that claim that you and everything you have Belongs to him, no matter whether you have wealth or nothing,
whether you are great or not that whatever you have is his, because it is anyway. You just might not admit it, but then you’re going to die. You’re going to be immersed in water for the remission of your sins. We’re going to go into a watery grave of baptism as an old dead sea. She’s going to rise up out of that watery grave,
a new living creature, Romans chapter six, alive, but no longer alive to yourself, alive to Christ. And then you two can look at your past and say, as Paul did, I counted as loss. And I counted as rubbish for what I have gained in Christ. You’re outside the body of Christ. This, you can change that if you’re a member of the body of Christ and you’ve lost sight on what his own real value in this life,
you can change that to, if you have need of anything, why not come as we stand? And as we say Hi, the things don’t know, blah, the<inaudible> ah, Hey son to him. Hey son. So glad<inaudible> jeez. Us great is yes. Well come to the, ah, I am resolved to go to the same<inaudible> he is the true.
He is that job. Last one. He had<inaudible><inaudible> Hey son to him. Hey son. So glad free. Jeez, us great. Yes. Come to the resolve to<inaudible> he<inaudible> he, well, he is<inaudible> Hey, Hey to him. Hey son. So Gladden free. Jeez, us great. Yes.<inaudible> I am resolved to and to the King leaving friends may oppose me.
Cause maybe sad me.<inaudible><inaudible> Hey son to him. Hey son. So Gladden free. Jeez, us great ass. Yes. Come to the, the song before our closing prayer will be number six, 134 we’ll work till Jesus comes six 34. Oh,<inaudible> in P sad. Oh,<inaudible> to jeez.<inaudible><inaudible> to Jesus Christ.<inaudible><inaudible> Connect me.
Oh,<inaudible> to Jesus comes when Jesus comes and being a<inaudible> God, our father in heaven, we come to you at this time, Thanking you for another opportunity to assemble here this morning, to sing songs, appraised your name and study a portion of your word. But God, we are so thankful that you sent your son Jesus to live amongst us here on earth years ago and to teach us.
But most importantly, to give us your word so that we had a guide to live our lives by Lord. We also know that there are many amongst our number that are dealing with various illnesses and ailments. And we ask that you please wrap your loving arms around them and comfort them as only you can. And if it be your will look upon the caretakers and the care providers of these individuals,
and if it be your will restore them to a measure health that they so desire so that they may one day assemble with us again, here in this building to worship you. And you’re a great name and Lord, we know that there are times that we fall short of your glory. And when we do fall short and we come to you and ask for forgiveness of sins,
we ask that you please do that. Forgive us our sins, and help to strengthen us so that we may live better lives. Now, as we prepare to depart this place, we asked you go with us and guide guard and direct each and every one of us in our everyday lives. So that we may be your shining light here on earth. To those that do not know your word or those that have heard your word and chose to ignore it so that they may one day have the same opportunity that we do.
And that is to live with you forever and heaven. We pray this through your son, Jesus name. Amen.