WEBVTT

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So we are, you may or may not realize this, but

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we are essentially a Southern Baptist church.

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That means we are not a denominational church,

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right? So Southern Baptists are a mission organization

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in which we all participate together with other

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Southern Baptists to reach the world for Jesus

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Christ. There are a lot of denominations. You've

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probably heard about a lot of like... evangelism

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or even revival that has taken place in the past.

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And great revivals rose out of different traditions.

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And Southern Baptists were right at the heart

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of that many times since they began. But also

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understand that a lot of revival or evangelism

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or missions arose out of other traditions. I

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want to tell you about one of those today as

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we're talking about fasting for the next several

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months. A man named John Wesley. John Wesley

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became a famous missionary and evangelist. And

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in the 18th century in England, John Wesley asked

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the early Methodists to fast twice a week. He

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said, I would like you to skip breakfast and

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lunch on Wednesdays and Fridays and then just

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eat a simple meal in the evening and focus on

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God during the day on Wednesday and Friday. And

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he could have stopped there. But he didn't. He

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asked them to take the money that they would

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have spent on those meals, whether they would

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have cooked them at home or eating out, whatever

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that money would have equaled to them. They didn't

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have McDonald's back then, obviously. He told

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them to take the money that they would have spent

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on those meals and give it to the poor of the

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city. So this was London and Bristol in the middle

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of the Industrial Revolution. Factories were

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popping up, supply lines. Modern methods of creating

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even, for example, I don't think they quite had

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the internal combustion engine yet, but it might

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have been toward the end of that period. They

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had cheap gin. They had coal smoke grinding poverty

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everywhere. And Wesley watched converts start

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earning steady wages and then quietly slide back

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into comfort, buying nicer clothes, better food

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instead of caring for their neighbors. So he

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built the discipline of denial directly into

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their fasting. Hunger wasn't then just to be

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endured like, oh, I can't wait until dinner,

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right? So I'm giving up breakfast and lunch today.

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But rather it was to be converted into someone

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else's bread. The idea is when you go without

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something to draw close to God, when you go without

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something to practice self -discipline in yourself,

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when you are benefiting by going without something,

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you got to think about that thing that you're

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going without, where can it be beneficial? What

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can it do, right? And so he asked them to use

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that food that they would not have taken, that

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money for that food that they would have not

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spent for the poor that were all around in the

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middle of that. As instead of, oh, I'm doing

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pretty good now and I can go buy this and I can

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buy this and I always dreamed I could have that.

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He asked them instead, as they fasted, to commit

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themselves to take care of their neighbors. And

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you know and I know that we are supposed to do

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that. The Methodist societies then became known

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for exactly this. Small groups of ordinary. weavers,

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miners, servants, going without something, and

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then pooling what they saved to run schools,

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clinics, and relief funds for the poor. Wesley

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preached it plainly. Gain all you can. Save all

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you can. Give all you can. That sounds like a

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model for Christian life. Am I encouraging you

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to fast for the purpose of Self -discipline to

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fast for the purpose of glorifying God, seeking

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God, or God might teach you or seeking God that

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God might do something miraculous in you. Yes,

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absolutely do that. But let us not forget that

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there is an aspect of fasting that leads to a

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character that remembers that while you are going

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without your steak tonight for dinner, there

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is somebody that lives on your block that couldn't

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buy a steak if they wanted to. While you are

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skipping fast food for a day or a week or a month,

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There are those who do not have the money to

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buy fast food. They're not skipping it because

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they're being disciplined. They're trying to

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be disciplined and go without. They're not skipping

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it because they think that they'll be better

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off in their health. They're skipping it because

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they couldn't afford it if they wanted to. And

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so let me encourage you that as your character

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grows in Christ through fasting, remember that

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those very same things that you divorce yourself

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from for a time for that benefit could then prosper

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somebody else. It's the same movement that 1

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John describes. The discipline turns inward first.

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Say no to your appetites, the lust of the flesh,

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the lust of the eyes, and pride of life, so that

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love can turn outward and say yes to your brothers

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and sisters in need, to your neighbors in need.

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Wesley's pastors didn't just feel the world,

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the world's pull loosen on them. They didn't

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feel it kind of slip away and realize that they

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were separate from the world, but rather than

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they let the money that was saved by doing that.

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that they would have eaten, go to feed somebody

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else. And you can do the same thing. We're going

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to pray together at this time, and then we'll

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take up the tithes and offerings and a little

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more worship. Master Ethan told me, would you

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lead us in prayer, and we'll pray along with

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you. Father, thank you for another day. Thank

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you for the excitement of this morning. A new

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life coming into the world. For the gift that

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you gave Amalia and her family. And I just ask

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you, Lord, to be with her, help her to recover.

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And be with those... of our membership that are

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also maybe recovered for something. We all know

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of somebody that's taken ill or hurt or in need

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of something. And I just ask the Lord to be with

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us as we help them. I speak the name, because

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it's all that I can do. In desperation, I'll

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see heaven. And pray this morning, that things

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will change. Let the fear inside me flee. In

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Jesus' name. In Jesus. In Jesus' name. In the

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name of all the Lord. Take care of every promise.

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Faithful to me. Having put the book of Judges

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behind us in a sense in our long -term study

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and breaking it down, it'll never be gone from

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our lives, not at this point. I hope never anyway.

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Now we come to a period of time where your pastor

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gets to do a lot of work early in the week. By

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that I mean I get a lot of time praying and studying

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and searching out where God would put me, where

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he would have me pay particular attention to

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the scripture. until that such time as he leads

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us to do another book from beginning to end,

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which I'm sure will happen. But as of right now,

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I started really Sunday afternoon last week and

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praying. And the Lord led me very rapidly by

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Monday afternoon, my early Monday evening before

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softball, which we have softball games tomorrow

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night. So if you're a softball player in the

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house, you're ready. Doubleheader coming up.

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But he led me very rapidly to this text. And

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then I spent time where I wrote about three different

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sermon basic outlines and sort of was like praying

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over them and searching them out and so on. And

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then it took final form to what you're about

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to at least get the outline of. And the Holy

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Spirit always does things like takes me a little

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bit here or there or cuts things out, add things

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even as I stand before you. So I know it is a

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work in progress and the Lord is at work in this

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text today. I want to talk to you briefly about

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the difficulty that is built into being a Christian.

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So, a number of times I've heard pastors stand

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up and preach, or evangelists, or whatever, and

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they will say this. They will say, It isn't easy

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being a Christian. Now, rewind. A number of times

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I've heard pastors or evangelists stand up in

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front of a church, and they will say, Jesus will

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take care of everything and it will be as easy

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as if he were really doing the work. You need

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to let Jesus do the work. Frog, fully rely on

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God. He's got this. Turn it over to him. He'll

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take care of it. And it seems to me like those

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two things are largely in contrast to one another.

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And then if you search the scripture, what you

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will find is that they both exist in there. You

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can easily find you need to do the work of being

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a Christian. It isn't always easy. And you can

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easily find the Jesus will take care of everything.

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Come unto him. My yoke is easy. My burden is

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light. The problem then persists. What if one

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wanted to preach a sermon that took into account

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both of those things? The reality is they both

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exist and they seem to exist in contrast to one

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another. And I submit to you that whenever two

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things in scripture seem to exist in contrast

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to one another, in reality, they define and support

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each other. Just the same as if, for example,

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we're reading two different translations of the

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Bible. You say, well, one translates it this

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way and another translates it this way. So since

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they are both translations of the original language

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and accurate translations at that, I need to

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look at what that means. The original language

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says that it can say both of those things and

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you can be refined in that moment and defined

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and grow from your experience of having understood

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that the Greek language, for example, could be

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interpreted two ways. Understand that original

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language, when it was originally spoken, could

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be interpreted two ways by everybody who spoke.

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Koine Greek in that day. And so we don't want

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to get rid of that. We want to let that define

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our understanding. And so it's true also of what

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it means then to be standing firm in the truth.

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Some might say, Jesus will take care of everything,

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and if you're saved, you will stand firm in the

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truth. And some might say, there is work to be

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done as a Christian, and you need to stand firm

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in the truth. Some take it as a blessing from

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the Lord, and it's going to happen. Others take

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it as a work that the Lord gives us to do. and

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that we must participate in. So as we look at

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the text today, I want you to bear in mind that

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both of those things are true in Scripture, and

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that I think by the time we're done, we'll refine

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them to the point that we can actually do something

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about it. All right? So grab your Bibles and

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go with me, if you would, to the book of 1 Timothy

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chapter 4. Amen. This is God's Word. What we

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read there in 1 Timothy chapter 4, which will

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only be a small part of a relatively small book

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in the Bible, it will... define and refine then

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our thinking as Paul wrote this to Timothy. So

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real quick background, if you don't already know

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this, Paul was the apostle Paul, formerly named

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Saul, who had persecuted Christians in his early

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walk in God, I guess you could say. He was a

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servant of the temple. He hunted down people.

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He killed them. He manacled them, turned them

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over to the law or the local synagogue to be

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punished. He took away people's property. He

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threw them in jail. and then met Christ, became

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a Christian, struggled a little bit to plug into

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the Christian community because everyone was

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terrified of him because of all that he had been

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doing, learned the gospel from Jesus first himself

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and then from the disciples and others very clearly,

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and then took that gospel to as far pretty much

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as society was reaching and planted churches

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all over the place in Christ, and then wrote

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many of the New Testament books as have been

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retained over the last almost 2 ,000 years, including

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this letter to Timothy, who was a younger pastor,

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server, called in the church to be a leader.

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And Paul wrote these things that he might understand

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what it would be like when Paul was not with

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him on how to live in Christ. So 1 Timothy chapter

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4, beginning then in verse 11. Our text starts

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in 13, but I want you to see the run -up because

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there's a transition that you definitely need

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to see. He says in verse 11, prescribe and teach

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these things. So he's talking about all the truths

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about Jesus without actually getting into them.

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He's telling him, teach all those things. And

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he says, let no one look down on you, on your

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youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct,

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love, faith, and purity, show yourself an example

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of those who believe. And so before we go any

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further, you can see that the speech, conduct,

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love, faith, and purity are there. to walk in

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and that people then may see you walking in them

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and see you as an example of what a Christian

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looks like. That's what Paul was telling him

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to do. Walk like that and let people see you

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as an example of what a follower of Christ is

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like. But then when he says, show yourself an

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example of those who believe, he's set a standard

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in which in these verses that we're now going

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on to read, we're going to get a better kind

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of direction on what steps to actually take.

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to do those things, including what does it look

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like to a degree, or how does one walk in speech,

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conduct, love, faith, and purity, okay? So that's

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where we're headed. This is a bookend statement.

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Do those things, be an example, now do these

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things to be an example of those things. That's

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the structure that we have before us, okay? He

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says in verse 13 that, until I come, until I

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come, so Paul's saying, until I come back, until

00:15:03.509 --> 00:15:06.149
I see you again, until I'm with you, give your

00:15:06.149 --> 00:15:08.659
attention, put your focus on, make sure this

00:15:08.659 --> 00:15:11.860
happens, to the public reading. In other words,

00:15:11.899 --> 00:15:13.860
to the reading out of the word of God, like what

00:15:13.860 --> 00:15:16.440
we're doing right now. And public meaning not

00:15:16.440 --> 00:15:20.600
necessarily on the streets, right? But not only

00:15:20.600 --> 00:15:23.940
in your home. So again, in the worship service,

00:15:24.039 --> 00:15:26.740
and for us, that's in the podcast, in your encouragement

00:15:26.740 --> 00:15:30.340
calls, in the online streaming, wherever people

00:15:30.340 --> 00:15:32.919
will look in our general direction, the public

00:15:32.919 --> 00:15:35.679
should see us, number one, reading scripture.

00:15:36.210 --> 00:15:39.889
Then he says, to exhortation and teaching. And

00:15:39.889 --> 00:15:41.950
so the built -in word there for exhortation is

00:15:41.950 --> 00:15:45.129
preaching, not only preaching, but preaching

00:15:45.129 --> 00:15:46.789
the word of God. So Paul was telling Timothy,

00:15:47.190 --> 00:15:49.110
there should be preaching. You should be doing

00:15:49.110 --> 00:15:50.610
it. I have a t -shirt that I made in Arts and

00:15:50.610 --> 00:15:52.529
Crafts sometime last year that says, will there

00:15:52.529 --> 00:15:55.830
be preaching? Yes, yes there will. And so until

00:15:55.830 --> 00:15:59.470
Jesus comes again, people will be called to preach

00:15:59.470 --> 00:16:02.009
the word of God, to preach what it means, what

00:16:02.009 --> 00:16:04.110
it said, like what I'm doing right now. And you

00:16:04.110 --> 00:16:06.769
also are going to be called on as a believer.

00:16:06.870 --> 00:16:09.509
Why? How do we know that? Because it is as an

00:16:09.509 --> 00:16:12.809
example of what a believer in Christ is. So there's

00:16:12.809 --> 00:16:14.649
going to be times you might not be spiritually

00:16:14.649 --> 00:16:17.429
gifted to preach, for example, but you're going

00:16:17.429 --> 00:16:20.330
to be called on to preach the word of God and

00:16:20.330 --> 00:16:23.710
what it means in order to be an example of a

00:16:23.710 --> 00:16:26.029
believer. That's what he told Timothy. Reading.

00:16:26.929 --> 00:16:29.649
Now, exhortation is not only preaching, it also

00:16:29.649 --> 00:16:31.850
includes the concept of encouraging. So someone

00:16:31.850 --> 00:16:34.409
might go like, I can't preach. My guess is most

00:16:34.409 --> 00:16:36.370
of us who say, well, I can't preach, are actually

00:16:36.370 --> 00:16:38.490
preaching sometimes and don't necessarily realize

00:16:38.490 --> 00:16:40.649
it, right? Anytime you're putting forth your

00:16:40.649 --> 00:16:43.269
basic understanding of what the word is and entreating

00:16:43.269 --> 00:16:45.470
somebody to embrace that understanding and to

00:16:45.470 --> 00:16:47.470
take certain steps from it. From what you're

00:16:47.470 --> 00:16:49.090
telling them needs to be true. Like if you've

00:16:49.090 --> 00:16:50.590
ever told somebody, you really need to think

00:16:50.590 --> 00:16:52.450
about tithing. Or you really need to think about

00:16:52.450 --> 00:16:53.809
reading the Bible. You really need to think about

00:16:53.809 --> 00:16:55.730
praying. This is what God calls us to. Or you

00:16:55.730 --> 00:16:58.789
want to be an honest person. Or you need to discipline

00:16:58.789 --> 00:17:00.750
your body. Or things like that. You tell them

00:17:00.750 --> 00:17:02.750
that that's what the word says. And then encourage

00:17:02.750 --> 00:17:05.109
them to follow up on it. That is exhortation.

00:17:05.170 --> 00:17:07.049
You might not realize it. It might be very short.

00:17:07.130 --> 00:17:08.869
It might just be short encouragement. But it's

00:17:08.869 --> 00:17:12.029
happening. And so then, that word exhortation

00:17:12.029 --> 00:17:15.150
also includes a simple encouragement of another

00:17:15.150 --> 00:17:17.950
person. who needs to walk out their faith or

00:17:17.950 --> 00:17:20.029
maybe even come to Christ, right? So you could

00:17:20.029 --> 00:17:21.930
be encouraging somebody to take that next step.

00:17:22.049 --> 00:17:23.690
If you go to the gas station, you share the gospel

00:17:23.690 --> 00:17:25.529
with them, and they say, yeah, I believe that.

00:17:25.589 --> 00:17:27.390
I'm a Christian. Okay, well, where are you going

00:17:27.390 --> 00:17:29.049
to church right now? Well, I'm not going to church

00:17:29.049 --> 00:17:30.750
anywhere. I haven't been in quite a while. I

00:17:30.750 --> 00:17:33.250
guess I need to get back to. And you say, well,

00:17:33.289 --> 00:17:35.210
yeah, you know, if you're a believer and you're

00:17:35.210 --> 00:17:36.390
a follower of the Lord, then you know you need

00:17:36.390 --> 00:17:38.829
to be in church, right? That's exhortation. It's

00:17:38.829 --> 00:17:40.950
a simple encouragement to take the next step

00:17:40.950 --> 00:17:44.720
on what they know, all right? Until I come, give

00:17:44.720 --> 00:17:47.660
your attention to the public reading, to exhortation,

00:17:47.660 --> 00:17:50.619
and teaching. Now, teaching is the explaining.

00:17:50.940 --> 00:17:53.099
And so there's quite a bit of teaching going

00:17:53.099 --> 00:17:55.440
on right now as I'm delivering this sermon. And

00:17:55.440 --> 00:17:57.079
we do that every Sunday to make sure that everybody

00:17:57.079 --> 00:17:59.359
in the room has an opportunity to glean whatever

00:17:59.359 --> 00:18:01.200
they can out of the text. We try to make sure

00:18:01.200 --> 00:18:03.700
everybody understands what it says. So we should

00:18:03.700 --> 00:18:05.859
be doing that. And so if you're called to teach,

00:18:05.960 --> 00:18:07.759
you may be spiritually gifted in that area. But

00:18:07.759 --> 00:18:09.799
even if you're not, like Hebrew says, by now,

00:18:09.900 --> 00:18:12.000
you should be teaching somebody. If you are a

00:18:12.000 --> 00:18:13.559
follower of the Lord Jesus Christ and following

00:18:13.559 --> 00:18:15.599
Jesus yourself, then you should be teaching somebody.

00:18:15.680 --> 00:18:18.339
Somebody's looking to you to find out what you

00:18:18.339 --> 00:18:21.319
think it means to be a Christian. Somebody's

00:18:21.319 --> 00:18:23.880
being taught. And you should be intentional about

00:18:23.880 --> 00:18:27.380
that. So reading, exhortation, teaching. Then

00:18:27.380 --> 00:18:30.680
he goes on in 14. He says, do not neglect the

00:18:30.680 --> 00:18:33.619
spiritual gift within you. And I'm going to take

00:18:33.619 --> 00:18:36.059
the comma. All right. So to neglect it would

00:18:36.059 --> 00:18:38.259
be to turn away from it, to not activate it,

00:18:38.279 --> 00:18:40.559
to not use it, to not embrace it, to not care

00:18:40.559 --> 00:18:42.619
for it. You understand what neglect is. You put

00:18:42.619 --> 00:18:44.559
a baby under a tree and walk away. That's neglect.

00:18:44.859 --> 00:18:47.240
Right. If you plant a plant, if you don't make

00:18:47.240 --> 00:18:49.160
sure it gets watered, it goes brown, it dies

00:18:49.160 --> 00:18:50.900
because you neglected it. You understand what

00:18:50.900 --> 00:18:53.299
neglect is. And he's saying, do not neglect it

00:18:53.299 --> 00:18:55.400
in that way. He's also saying, don't neglect

00:18:55.400 --> 00:18:59.059
it in that it has a great fruit. It can do something

00:18:59.059 --> 00:19:01.720
in you. that nothing else can do, and in the

00:19:01.720 --> 00:19:04.099
body that nothing else can do. God gave it to

00:19:04.099 --> 00:19:06.640
you for that specific purpose, so put it to use.

00:19:06.859 --> 00:19:09.359
To be successful in that, side note, you're probably

00:19:09.359 --> 00:19:11.539
going to have to know what it is, or you're going

00:19:11.539 --> 00:19:13.359
to stumble into it, and that would be okay too.

00:19:13.440 --> 00:19:14.700
But when you stumble into it, you should go,

00:19:14.779 --> 00:19:17.039
I think I stumbled into something here. So do

00:19:17.039 --> 00:19:19.500
not neglect the spiritual gift within you. He

00:19:19.500 --> 00:19:21.859
says, that spiritual gift, which was granted

00:19:21.859 --> 00:19:24.859
to you through words of prophecy, that means

00:19:24.859 --> 00:19:27.680
somebody spoke it into existence in you. With

00:19:27.680 --> 00:19:30.059
the laying on of hands by the council of elders.

00:19:30.240 --> 00:19:33.720
So Timothy had this very clear moment in which

00:19:33.720 --> 00:19:36.079
they said to him, look, we recognize what you're

00:19:36.079 --> 00:19:37.759
calling. We recognize what it is you're supposed

00:19:37.759 --> 00:19:39.579
to be doing here. And we're a prophecy God's

00:19:39.579 --> 00:19:41.180
going to do an amazing thing for you. And they

00:19:41.180 --> 00:19:43.079
laid their hands on him and prayed. So the deacons

00:19:43.079 --> 00:19:45.619
in the room, that's pretty clear, right? You're

00:19:45.619 --> 00:19:47.740
a servant. You serve. That's what you do. Find

00:19:47.740 --> 00:19:49.900
a way to do it. Do not back down from that under

00:19:49.900 --> 00:19:51.700
any circumstance. But the team leaders in the

00:19:51.700 --> 00:19:54.000
room, the worship leaders in the room, those

00:19:54.000 --> 00:19:56.170
of you who know. Beyond a shadow of a doubt that

00:19:56.170 --> 00:19:58.289
God is calling you to something, whatever that

00:19:58.289 --> 00:20:00.250
might be. It might be as simple as I heard the

00:20:00.250 --> 00:20:01.670
Great Commission preached one day, and I know

00:20:01.670 --> 00:20:03.490
God wants me to tell people about Jesus. Whatever

00:20:03.490 --> 00:20:06.130
that is, once that thing was spoken into you,

00:20:06.250 --> 00:20:09.589
you need to embrace it. It has an ability that

00:20:09.589 --> 00:20:12.630
you could not find anywhere else to change you,

00:20:12.730 --> 00:20:15.049
change the people you know, and change the kingdom.

00:20:15.089 --> 00:20:17.250
We'll see that clearly in just one second. 15,

00:20:17.349 --> 00:20:20.529
almost done with the text. Take pains. There's

00:20:20.529 --> 00:20:21.970
no comma there, but I'm stopping right there.

00:20:22.009 --> 00:20:24.549
What does take pains mean? Well, in the Greek,

00:20:24.849 --> 00:20:27.450
First of all, it can mean a lot, a lot, a lot,

00:20:27.470 --> 00:20:29.490
right? It means you might need to believe. It

00:20:29.490 --> 00:20:30.970
means you might need to suffer. It means you

00:20:30.970 --> 00:20:32.769
might need to sweat. You might need to get education.

00:20:33.029 --> 00:20:35.029
You might need to pay the bill. You've got to

00:20:35.029 --> 00:20:37.569
go the distance, whatever the distance looks

00:20:37.569 --> 00:20:39.890
like, right? And there's a whole bunch of other

00:20:39.890 --> 00:20:41.509
texts in the New Testament that says there's

00:20:41.509 --> 00:20:43.950
a job to be done now. You're a believer. Jesus

00:20:43.950 --> 00:20:45.910
Christ saved your soul. He gave you gifting.

00:20:46.069 --> 00:20:48.549
He gave you a calling. Now there's a job to be

00:20:48.549 --> 00:20:51.960
done. Take pains. But it doesn't just say take

00:20:51.960 --> 00:20:54.259
pains. It's pretty clear about how or what we're

00:20:54.259 --> 00:20:56.980
supposed to do. Take pains with these things.

00:20:57.440 --> 00:20:59.759
So what are the things? Well, the things were

00:20:59.759 --> 00:21:02.539
not neglecting your spiritual gift. The things

00:21:02.539 --> 00:21:06.240
were walking that out, paying attention to public

00:21:06.240 --> 00:21:09.240
reading of scripture, to exhortation and teaching.

00:21:09.440 --> 00:21:12.240
Those were the things. Take pains. Do what is

00:21:12.240 --> 00:21:15.269
necessary. I submit to you, without getting aside

00:21:15.269 --> 00:21:17.430
for a second, there may come a time in your life,

00:21:17.490 --> 00:21:19.230
it could happen. I've seen it, by the way, in

00:21:19.230 --> 00:21:21.250
a number of believers, when the only thing you

00:21:21.250 --> 00:21:23.309
have left, literally the only thing left that

00:21:23.309 --> 00:21:26.109
you can do is breathe, your heart beats, your

00:21:26.109 --> 00:21:28.049
brain is waving, and you can use your mouth.

00:21:28.190 --> 00:21:30.450
You may eventually be confined to a bed. You

00:21:30.450 --> 00:21:33.269
might be on a catheter and an IV. I know a woman

00:21:33.269 --> 00:21:35.750
who was a Christian, a believer, loved the Lord,

00:21:35.769 --> 00:21:37.990
and eventually she was on a catheter, IV, and

00:21:37.990 --> 00:21:40.349
she would never get up out of bed again. She

00:21:40.349 --> 00:21:42.289
was done. And she wasn't like that for hours.

00:21:42.750 --> 00:21:45.150
She was like that for weeks, months maybe. And

00:21:45.150 --> 00:21:47.990
you better believe that she was active. She was

00:21:47.990 --> 00:21:50.450
talking to the people around her. She professed

00:21:50.450 --> 00:21:52.369
to anyone who would listen that she was a follower

00:21:52.369 --> 00:21:54.490
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And she was encouraging

00:21:54.490 --> 00:21:56.269
to everybody that came and visited her in the

00:21:56.269 --> 00:21:58.009
hospital. There may come a time in your life

00:21:58.009 --> 00:21:59.769
where these are the only things you can do. But

00:21:59.769 --> 00:22:02.109
they're not the only things right now. Was she

00:22:02.109 --> 00:22:04.609
taking pains? She already had pains. She didn't

00:22:04.609 --> 00:22:06.569
need to take pains. She already had pains, right?

00:22:06.750 --> 00:22:09.029
And so she was... doing what it was that God

00:22:09.029 --> 00:22:10.589
called her to do, that was really all she had

00:22:10.589 --> 00:22:13.289
left to do. She didn't eat anymore. She needed

00:22:13.289 --> 00:22:15.450
help breathing. She had to plug her trach to

00:22:15.450 --> 00:22:18.170
be able to speak. But she was talking and encouraging.

00:22:18.430 --> 00:22:20.509
And we were reading the Bible together, right?

00:22:20.710 --> 00:22:22.150
So what I'm saying here, there'll come a time

00:22:22.150 --> 00:22:23.329
where you can only do that. But right now is

00:22:23.329 --> 00:22:25.329
not that time. So now you're strong. You can

00:22:25.329 --> 00:22:28.029
lift. You can push. You can step. You can think

00:22:28.029 --> 00:22:30.630
outside the box. You can spend. You can earn.

00:22:30.829 --> 00:22:33.789
You can save. You can give. You can hug. You

00:22:33.789 --> 00:22:36.269
can handshake. You can brush your hair and somebody

00:22:36.269 --> 00:22:38.650
else's too. You can do the things that you can

00:22:38.650 --> 00:22:40.029
do right now. At some point in time, you may

00:22:40.029 --> 00:22:41.710
not be able to do those things. He's saying,

00:22:41.829 --> 00:22:44.450
use the things that you can do now that at some

00:22:44.450 --> 00:22:46.849
other time you might not be able to do to do

00:22:46.849 --> 00:22:49.730
these things. Take pains with these things. He

00:22:49.730 --> 00:22:51.730
even goes so far then in the next phrase, and

00:22:51.730 --> 00:22:54.430
this is powerful. He says, be, and there's a

00:22:54.430 --> 00:22:56.089
certain word here that's hard to translate into

00:22:56.089 --> 00:22:57.990
English, but it's really clear in the Greek.

00:22:58.029 --> 00:23:02.869
He said, be absorbed in them. Be absorbed in

00:23:02.869 --> 00:23:04.730
them. So you know that the New Testament talks

00:23:04.730 --> 00:23:07.869
about abiding in Christ, right? In fact, it says

00:23:07.869 --> 00:23:11.089
that if you're saved and you don't abide in Christ,

00:23:11.250 --> 00:23:13.009
you're not saved. That's what the New Testament

00:23:13.009 --> 00:23:15.309
essentially says. You know that we are to walk

00:23:15.309 --> 00:23:18.289
in Christ. In John 15, Jesus himself said, in

00:23:18.289 --> 00:23:20.910
me, you can do all things. Outside me, you can

00:23:20.910 --> 00:23:22.569
do nothing. You're worthless. That's a fact.

00:23:22.890 --> 00:23:27.609
This is Paul telling Timothy to be absorbed in

00:23:27.609 --> 00:23:29.950
the things of God that he was called to, in the

00:23:29.950 --> 00:23:31.589
things of God that will make him, as we'll see

00:23:31.589 --> 00:23:34.509
in one second. an example to everyone else as

00:23:34.509 --> 00:23:37.710
a believer and that is to you just the same be

00:23:37.710 --> 00:23:40.329
absorbed and we're like what i would mean to

00:23:40.329 --> 00:23:42.109
be absorbed exactly in the english kind of hard

00:23:42.109 --> 00:23:44.630
to say well if you put out some tablet in a cup

00:23:44.630 --> 00:23:48.339
of water and pretty soon it's gone and the water

00:23:48.339 --> 00:23:50.259
looks like normal water there'd be a hint of

00:23:50.259 --> 00:23:52.700
change to it there's some effervescence in there

00:23:52.700 --> 00:23:54.200
that's probably to you know make it a little

00:23:54.200 --> 00:23:56.180
more palatable when you go to drink it but it's

00:23:56.180 --> 00:23:58.450
in there And if you drink it, it will affect

00:23:58.450 --> 00:24:00.529
your digestion, theoretically, in a positive

00:24:00.529 --> 00:24:02.630
way for some of us, maybe not so much. That's

00:24:02.630 --> 00:24:04.809
what it means to be absorbed. And how are we

00:24:04.809 --> 00:24:06.150
supposed to be absorbed? Where are we supposed

00:24:06.150 --> 00:24:08.609
to be? Obviously, absorbed into Christ, right?

00:24:08.670 --> 00:24:11.210
You walk in him, abide in him, and so on. But

00:24:11.210 --> 00:24:13.690
that's not what he says. He says, be absorbed

00:24:13.690 --> 00:24:17.230
in them. Again, what are the things? The things

00:24:17.230 --> 00:24:20.529
are exercising your spiritual gift, not neglecting

00:24:20.529 --> 00:24:23.130
it. The things are reading publicly scripture

00:24:23.130 --> 00:24:25.710
and sorting and teaching. Those are the things.

00:24:26.380 --> 00:24:28.319
I want you to think for a second. If I am absorbed

00:24:28.319 --> 00:24:31.880
in Christ and somebody looks at me, what should

00:24:31.880 --> 00:24:34.460
they see? And the answer is if you are absorbed

00:24:34.460 --> 00:24:37.980
in Christ and they look at you, then they should

00:24:37.980 --> 00:24:40.720
see you. If I am in a shed and somebody looks

00:24:40.720 --> 00:24:42.339
at the shed, they don't see me, they see the

00:24:42.339 --> 00:24:44.599
shed. If I am in my house and somebody looks

00:24:44.599 --> 00:24:46.859
at my house, they don't see me, they see my house.

00:24:47.039 --> 00:24:49.660
But in seeing that shed or seeing my house, they

00:24:49.660 --> 00:24:52.259
should see something about the me that is in

00:24:52.259 --> 00:24:55.059
there. You are unique. You are incredible. And

00:24:55.059 --> 00:24:58.200
the incredible unique you is meant to be absorbed

00:24:58.200 --> 00:25:02.650
in these things that God has given you to do,

00:25:02.650 --> 00:25:05.069
for lack of a better way to say it, but I submit

00:25:05.069 --> 00:25:08.829
also to be. Do this, he says, so that your progress

00:25:08.829 --> 00:25:11.769
will be evident to all. So now listen to me.

00:25:11.869 --> 00:25:14.329
That means that if anybody looks at your life,

00:25:14.470 --> 00:25:16.910
looks at you, looks at the way that you're behaving,

00:25:17.089 --> 00:25:19.970
you hear me? If anybody at any time looks at

00:25:19.970 --> 00:25:24.039
the way that you're behaving and questions, Whether

00:25:24.039 --> 00:25:27.559
or not the behavior that they're seeing aligns

00:25:27.559 --> 00:25:29.720
with their understanding, albeit limited, they

00:25:29.720 --> 00:25:32.940
may not be Christians, or extensive, they may

00:25:32.940 --> 00:25:35.660
be grown, mature, growing Christians, and they

00:25:35.660 --> 00:25:38.480
question whether or not the outside of your shed,

00:25:38.640 --> 00:25:40.900
whether or not the behavior that you have put

00:25:40.900 --> 00:25:44.119
on does not align, whether it aligns with walking

00:25:44.119 --> 00:25:47.180
in Christ, then you have failed to follow this

00:25:47.180 --> 00:25:50.559
verse. Because what it says is, take pains with

00:25:50.559 --> 00:25:53.970
these things. be absorbed in them so that your

00:25:53.970 --> 00:25:57.710
progress will be evident to all. Not just all

00:25:57.710 --> 00:25:59.789
believers, not just all Christians, but evident

00:25:59.789 --> 00:26:03.650
to all. This is a good place to find the Bible

00:26:03.650 --> 00:26:06.710
teaching about our Christian witness, what it

00:26:06.710 --> 00:26:08.490
means to walk as a Christian and the advantages

00:26:08.490 --> 00:26:11.910
thereof. Last verse from here for the day. He

00:26:11.910 --> 00:26:16.829
says then, pay close attention to yourself and

00:26:16.829 --> 00:26:20.369
to the teaching. Hold up. Pay close attention.

00:26:20.920 --> 00:26:23.599
To yourself and to the teaching. So when the

00:26:23.599 --> 00:26:25.359
Bible's being taught, when the devotions are

00:26:25.359 --> 00:26:27.000
being done, when the preaching's being done,

00:26:27.079 --> 00:26:28.819
when somebody starts to talk about the name of

00:26:28.819 --> 00:26:31.740
Jesus, everything else falls away. There is nothing

00:26:31.740 --> 00:26:33.940
more important. You say, well, I struggle to

00:26:33.940 --> 00:26:35.640
be alert while the preacher's going because it

00:26:35.640 --> 00:26:38.420
lasts for over half an hour. Get yourself a pen

00:26:38.420 --> 00:26:41.319
and paper. Start taking notes. The Bible says,

00:26:41.480 --> 00:26:44.920
pay attention. This is about the God of the universe.

00:26:46.200 --> 00:26:49.920
Pay close attention to yourself. What am I doing?

00:26:50.190 --> 00:26:53.130
Who am I becoming? What is this? How am I following

00:26:53.130 --> 00:26:55.809
the Lord Jesus Christ and how am I not? And what

00:26:55.809 --> 00:26:57.950
steps do I need to make sure that the former

00:26:57.950 --> 00:27:00.750
is much more prevalent than the latter? Pay close

00:27:00.750 --> 00:27:02.970
attention to the teaching. Pay close attention

00:27:02.970 --> 00:27:06.789
to yourself. And then he says, persevere in these

00:27:06.789 --> 00:27:10.349
things. Keep on. No matter what happens, keep

00:27:10.349 --> 00:27:13.230
on. Faithfulness is the measure of the church.

00:27:13.730 --> 00:27:18.170
For as you do this, you will save both yourself

00:27:18.789 --> 00:27:21.869
and those who cure you. Remember, we said Jesus,

00:27:22.150 --> 00:27:25.450
walk in him to the end, you're in. Say you're

00:27:25.450 --> 00:27:28.529
saved, walk, quote unquote, in him. Little bit

00:27:28.529 --> 00:27:30.769
of excuses, a little bit of not so much caring

00:27:30.769 --> 00:27:32.809
about what Jesus really wants on a given day.

00:27:33.009 --> 00:27:35.829
Maybe that's not salvation at all. The Christian

00:27:35.829 --> 00:27:39.309
life is a sacred stewardship. You have been given

00:27:39.309 --> 00:27:42.130
an incredible gift. If you're here and you're

00:27:42.130 --> 00:27:44.390
not saved today, and Jesus is not the center

00:27:44.390 --> 00:27:45.670
of your life, the leader of your life, on the

00:27:45.670 --> 00:27:47.930
throne of your life, he's not your boss and your

00:27:47.930 --> 00:27:50.329
savior, then the incredible gift is you're getting

00:27:50.329 --> 00:27:53.829
the opportunity today to have that be true. Jesus

00:27:53.829 --> 00:27:56.910
is offering you the free gift that could not

00:27:56.910 --> 00:28:00.170
be bought with any amount of work. But it requires

00:28:00.170 --> 00:28:04.190
a diligent devotion to spiritual growth. That's

00:28:04.190 --> 00:28:06.789
the problem with evangelists who stand up and

00:28:06.789 --> 00:28:09.690
cry out, just accept the free gift of salvation

00:28:09.690 --> 00:28:12.009
today. You'll be saved and spend eternity in

00:28:12.009 --> 00:28:13.970
heaven. And it's all good. And Jesus will take

00:28:13.970 --> 00:28:15.910
care of everything. And they just really should

00:28:15.910 --> 00:28:17.509
have just stopped right before the end there.

00:28:17.869 --> 00:28:19.730
Because while it is all good and Jesus will take

00:28:19.730 --> 00:28:21.809
care of everything, one of the things that Jesus

00:28:21.809 --> 00:28:25.950
takes care of is making you a devoted, hardworking,

00:28:26.089 --> 00:28:30.009
diligent servant of the living God. He was, and

00:28:30.009 --> 00:28:32.670
you're supposed to become like him. It's a commitment

00:28:32.670 --> 00:28:37.470
to remain anchored in apostolic truth. So it

00:28:37.470 --> 00:28:40.190
is with the believer. We are planted by the grace

00:28:40.190 --> 00:28:43.089
of Christ, but we are called to cultivate our

00:28:43.089 --> 00:28:47.039
walk, to make our lives fertile ground. for what

00:28:47.039 --> 00:28:49.900
God is trying to accomplish and to guard our

00:28:49.900 --> 00:28:53.000
doctrine so that we won't slip a field and add

00:28:53.000 --> 00:28:55.059
to salvation something additional. Like you've

00:28:55.059 --> 00:28:57.259
got to be circumcised to be saved. You've got

00:28:57.259 --> 00:28:59.440
to be baptized to be saved. You've got to do

00:28:59.440 --> 00:29:01.160
this or that or the other thing to be saved.

00:29:01.259 --> 00:29:04.240
You can't do that. It truly is a free gift of

00:29:04.240 --> 00:29:06.900
salvation. Yes, after the free gift of salvation,

00:29:06.940 --> 00:29:09.420
you become a steward of great grace so that you

00:29:09.420 --> 00:29:12.589
can be diligent. But it is free. and we cannot

00:29:12.589 --> 00:29:14.930
make it anything but free. Three things I want

00:29:14.930 --> 00:29:16.950
you to see in the text then. The first one, and

00:29:16.950 --> 00:29:19.529
it's very, very, very clear. So everybody in

00:29:19.529 --> 00:29:21.329
this room should not walk out with anything but

00:29:21.329 --> 00:29:24.049
a clear understanding of this simple point. The

00:29:24.049 --> 00:29:29.390
Christian life includes hard work. I get it.

00:29:29.430 --> 00:29:32.569
We live in the fast food, fast remote, fast entertainment,

00:29:32.789 --> 00:29:35.170
fast distraction generation. I'm here to tell

00:29:35.170 --> 00:29:38.730
you that fast food, fast distraction, fast remote,

00:29:38.910 --> 00:29:41.609
fast entertainment generation, none of that.

00:29:42.009 --> 00:29:43.950
will put you in heaven. It'll all put you in

00:29:43.950 --> 00:29:46.910
hell. Every bit of it. It's all designed to make

00:29:46.910 --> 00:29:49.730
it easier. And yes, so it's good that some things

00:29:49.730 --> 00:29:52.210
are easier. So I can spend more time talking

00:29:52.210 --> 00:29:54.049
about Christ, more time reading my Bible, more

00:29:54.049 --> 00:29:56.369
time focused on Jesus. And for that purpose,

00:29:56.509 --> 00:29:58.930
I'll go grab myself a quick sandwich from a fast

00:29:58.930 --> 00:30:00.630
food restaurant. So I'll not be distracted. I'll

00:30:00.630 --> 00:30:02.710
pray over and ask blessings on this cursed meal

00:30:02.710 --> 00:30:05.109
that may pollute my body. But I'm going to do

00:30:05.109 --> 00:30:07.230
it. Or I'll go buy something that is quickly

00:30:07.230 --> 00:30:09.250
rendered, that actually is a good meal for my

00:30:09.250 --> 00:30:13.200
body. And it's quick. I'll grab a salad or whatever,

00:30:13.400 --> 00:30:16.039
and then I'll get on to the diligent work of

00:30:16.039 --> 00:30:17.900
following the Lord Jesus Christ. But the problem

00:30:17.900 --> 00:30:20.859
is, in the midst of how easy all that is, we

00:30:20.859 --> 00:30:24.900
don't use the excess generated for hard work

00:30:24.900 --> 00:30:27.380
following Jesus. I want you to imagine for a

00:30:27.380 --> 00:30:29.539
moment a gardener who plants a beautiful, delicate

00:30:29.539 --> 00:30:32.660
fruit tree. He knows that if he simply plants

00:30:32.660 --> 00:30:35.220
it and walks away, there will come weeds and

00:30:35.220 --> 00:30:39.319
pests, harsh winds. So to see a harvest, he works

00:30:39.319 --> 00:30:43.089
willingly. watering, pruning, tending daily,

00:30:43.289 --> 00:30:46.130
defending the tree as necessary from predators

00:30:46.130 --> 00:30:49.430
that would come and consume it and its fruit.

00:30:49.750 --> 00:30:52.049
Sometime he might have to work to fight a little,

00:30:52.109 --> 00:30:54.430
but no one or nothing can come and steal that

00:30:54.430 --> 00:30:57.690
fruit. That is the kind of life that Christ,

00:30:57.829 --> 00:31:02.190
God's Holy Spirit, now Paul, Timothy, and us

00:31:02.190 --> 00:31:05.329
are to understand we are called to. We are not

00:31:05.329 --> 00:31:08.140
left to our own opinions. If you have an opinion

00:31:08.140 --> 00:31:09.980
that is contrary to scripture, I suggest you

00:31:09.980 --> 00:31:12.059
put it in the category under this will hurt me.

00:31:12.140 --> 00:31:14.839
And instead, inform and enlighten yourself by

00:31:14.839 --> 00:31:17.539
what the word of God says. Whenever you say,

00:31:17.619 --> 00:31:19.319
well, the word of God says, well, I'm okay to

00:31:19.319 --> 00:31:21.140
do this. And you know that it also elsewhere

00:31:21.140 --> 00:31:23.039
says that you should not do that. All you're

00:31:23.039 --> 00:31:25.000
doing is twisting and warping the word of God

00:31:25.000 --> 00:31:27.200
to make it easier on you to avoid a diligent

00:31:27.200 --> 00:31:30.960
life. Our spiritual health is directly tied to

00:31:30.960 --> 00:31:33.720
the intake of the real scriptures of the Bible.

00:31:34.220 --> 00:31:37.180
and in taking them for us to walk them out being

00:31:37.180 --> 00:31:41.099
hearers and doers of the word. Just as we require

00:31:41.099 --> 00:31:44.279
daily food for physical survival, the soul requires

00:31:44.279 --> 00:31:48.440
the pure milk of the word. You can get three

00:31:48.440 --> 00:31:51.279
meals a day, seven days a week, and your body

00:31:51.279 --> 00:31:54.259
will not die, but your soul will languish a little

00:31:54.259 --> 00:31:56.779
more and a little more and a little more until

00:31:56.779 --> 00:32:00.099
it's no longer in Christ or never actually was

00:32:00.099 --> 00:32:04.450
if you choose to ignore feeding it. with the

00:32:04.450 --> 00:32:08.450
word of God. There is a chemical compound that

00:32:08.450 --> 00:32:11.789
has been introduced recently within the last,

00:32:11.829 --> 00:32:15.589
say, 10, 15 years or so. It's become fairly common.

00:32:15.650 --> 00:32:19.049
It's called maltodextrin. Maltodextrin is a substance

00:32:19.049 --> 00:32:21.829
made from the leftover parts of corn, wheat,

00:32:21.950 --> 00:32:24.329
and other vegetation that's edible. And these

00:32:24.329 --> 00:32:26.910
parts are technically edible, but they don't

00:32:26.910 --> 00:32:28.690
actually provide you with anything good for you.

00:32:28.750 --> 00:32:30.529
They don't have good nutrients, whatever. What

00:32:30.529 --> 00:32:32.630
they do is they take this. leftover parts and

00:32:32.630 --> 00:32:34.450
they pulp it. They grind it up to the smallest

00:32:34.450 --> 00:32:36.630
bits. And then they mix in some water and some

00:32:36.630 --> 00:32:39.170
other things. And through hydrolysis, they turn

00:32:39.170 --> 00:32:41.390
it into a sort of a paste. I want you to be aware.

00:32:41.650 --> 00:32:44.009
Melted dextrin has now made its way into most

00:32:44.009 --> 00:32:47.009
potato chips. It's in takis. Have you ever eaten

00:32:47.009 --> 00:32:49.309
a taki? Not melted dextrin. Pretty much always.

00:32:49.549 --> 00:32:52.130
It's in a ton of foods. And here's why. Because

00:32:52.130 --> 00:32:54.869
melted dextrin is what is called flavor neutral.

00:32:55.150 --> 00:32:58.250
It takes on the flavor of whatever it's put in.

00:32:58.529 --> 00:33:00.670
Side note, you are not meant to be nor were you

00:33:00.670 --> 00:33:02.490
created to be flavor neutral. You don't just

00:33:02.490 --> 00:33:04.309
go in a room and blend in with everybody else.

00:33:05.960 --> 00:33:08.400
Melted dextrin goes in there. It's flavor neutral.

00:33:08.559 --> 00:33:10.619
And now it takes on the flavor. So if they can

00:33:10.619 --> 00:33:13.819
use up to 10 % of melted dextrin in a product,

00:33:13.940 --> 00:33:16.460
their product might still taste exactly. Go buy

00:33:16.460 --> 00:33:18.839
Doritos. I believe Doritos now has melted dextrin.

00:33:18.920 --> 00:33:20.819
All the cheaper brands of corn chips definitely

00:33:20.819 --> 00:33:23.480
do, right? I'm pretty sure Doritos does now too.

00:33:23.779 --> 00:33:26.480
Because you can buy that worthless, I'm going

00:33:26.480 --> 00:33:29.180
to call it, that worthless crap. left over from

00:33:29.180 --> 00:33:32.160
farms, right? You can buy that stuff and you

00:33:32.160 --> 00:33:35.299
can put it into the Doritos cheaper than literally

00:33:35.299 --> 00:33:37.880
anything else that's in Doritos. So if they can

00:33:37.880 --> 00:33:40.519
make your Doritos out of 10 % maltodextrin, then

00:33:40.519 --> 00:33:43.900
they get a 10 % higher profit margin. And so

00:33:43.900 --> 00:33:47.059
it is invading every food, right? But it's not

00:33:47.059 --> 00:33:49.119
real food. And I submit to you that the same

00:33:49.119 --> 00:33:51.259
thing is happening with Christianity. There are

00:33:51.259 --> 00:33:53.890
a whole bunch of people. who are professing to

00:33:53.890 --> 00:33:55.869
build believers in Christ. They're saying, I

00:33:55.869 --> 00:33:57.690
love Jesus, and I'm following Jesus, and I'm

00:33:57.690 --> 00:34:01.210
following his word, right? But they're 10 % malefidextrin

00:34:01.210 --> 00:34:03.210
of the world. They're stuffing themselves with

00:34:03.210 --> 00:34:06.809
feel -good teaching or progressive gospel revolution

00:34:06.809 --> 00:34:10.230
so that in a year or 10 years or 20 years down

00:34:10.230 --> 00:34:12.210
the road, what they're preaching won't have anything

00:34:12.210 --> 00:34:14.590
to do with scripture. I've been in churches,

00:34:14.789 --> 00:34:17.690
in churches that had church on the wall that

00:34:17.690 --> 00:34:20.170
didn't preach the Bible at all. Nobody has to

00:34:20.170 --> 00:34:22.679
preach the Bible. Just to call themselves a church,

00:34:22.880 --> 00:34:24.900
you just need to be able to put those letters

00:34:24.900 --> 00:34:27.159
on the wall. There is a grand movement in the

00:34:27.159 --> 00:34:29.019
United States of America right now called the

00:34:29.019 --> 00:34:31.719
Universalist Church. They arguably believe that

00:34:31.719 --> 00:34:33.960
literally every human being will come into heaven.

00:34:34.039 --> 00:34:35.679
No matter what you believe, no matter what faith

00:34:35.679 --> 00:34:37.280
you're part of, you will come into heaven by

00:34:37.280 --> 00:34:39.719
some means or other. Jesus Christ, however, said

00:34:39.719 --> 00:34:41.639
that no one cometh unto the Father except through

00:34:41.639 --> 00:34:44.119
him. And so they are in contrast to Jesus, but

00:34:44.119 --> 00:34:45.880
they will tell you that they are not. How did

00:34:45.880 --> 00:34:48.679
that get started? Well, Jesus loves everybody

00:34:48.679 --> 00:34:50.699
and wants to see everybody come into heaven.

00:34:50.739 --> 00:34:52.659
And God is sovereign and powerful, right? And

00:34:52.659 --> 00:34:54.760
so Jesus loves everybody and wants to see. He

00:34:54.760 --> 00:34:57.500
died for everybody. And so you just take that

00:34:57.500 --> 00:35:00.179
one teaching that God sent his son Jesus to die

00:35:00.179 --> 00:35:02.820
for everybody, that the world might come into

00:35:02.820 --> 00:35:05.139
heaven. And you just stretch it a little bit,

00:35:05.239 --> 00:35:08.159
honoring surely the power of God and say that

00:35:08.159 --> 00:35:09.539
everyone will come into heaven, whether they

00:35:09.539 --> 00:35:11.699
believe or not. And pretty soon you're not preaching

00:35:11.699 --> 00:35:13.659
the gospel, not the one that Jesus said, I have

00:35:13.659 --> 00:35:15.920
come that I might preach to the poor. Not the

00:35:15.920 --> 00:35:17.699
one that Paul preached, not the one that the

00:35:17.699 --> 00:35:20.079
disciples preached. See, all you got to do is

00:35:20.079 --> 00:35:22.659
add that 10 % of quote -unquote maltodextrin,

00:35:22.699 --> 00:35:25.579
and then pretty soon, all you have is maltodextrin.

00:35:25.619 --> 00:35:29.099
It's a worthless lie. We were called to a diligent

00:35:29.099 --> 00:35:32.900
life, learning, preaching, reading out loud,

00:35:33.079 --> 00:35:36.460
teaching the Word of God, above all, being absorbed

00:35:36.460 --> 00:35:39.380
into these things. If you are a follower of the

00:35:39.380 --> 00:35:43.690
Lord Jesus Christ, that is your life now. Turn

00:35:43.690 --> 00:35:46.329
it off, shut it down, put it away, get away from

00:35:46.329 --> 00:35:49.309
it, and make your life about the word of God

00:35:49.309 --> 00:35:54.590
and Jesus Christ who saved your soul false. The

00:35:54.590 --> 00:35:56.409
second thing to see in the text then about this

00:35:56.409 --> 00:35:59.550
diligent life then is how we have become stewards

00:35:59.550 --> 00:36:02.590
of the gift. See, it was a gift given to you.

00:36:02.670 --> 00:36:05.150
The gospel, the truth about Jesus, it was a gift

00:36:05.150 --> 00:36:07.880
given to you. And if you take a gift and you

00:36:07.880 --> 00:36:09.659
don't use the gift or you put the gift in the

00:36:09.659 --> 00:36:12.159
closet, you store it away or maybe you break

00:36:12.159 --> 00:36:14.239
it the second day. We've all seen a child who

00:36:14.239 --> 00:36:15.719
got the gift they exactly want for Christmas

00:36:15.719 --> 00:36:17.780
and they broke it on Christmas Day. There is

00:36:17.780 --> 00:36:20.559
quite a bit of sorrow along with the fact that

00:36:20.559 --> 00:36:22.820
the gift didn't turn out to be the great and

00:36:22.820 --> 00:36:24.980
glorious thing that everyone anticipated it would

00:36:24.980 --> 00:36:27.699
be. I've known a lot of mothers, quote unquote

00:36:27.699 --> 00:36:30.400
mothers, women who gave birth to children. And

00:36:30.400 --> 00:36:32.119
then from the day that they gave birth to that

00:36:32.119 --> 00:36:35.579
child. They continued to be a mediocre mother.

00:36:35.679 --> 00:36:37.860
And eventually it went into the care of children's

00:36:37.860 --> 00:36:40.739
services or a grandparent or whatever, because

00:36:40.739 --> 00:36:43.199
the children need to be taken care of. You can't

00:36:43.199 --> 00:36:47.360
neglect that gift of a child and have it be what

00:36:47.360 --> 00:36:50.179
it is supposed to be. Here, Paul tells Timothy,

00:36:50.400 --> 00:36:53.980
do not neglect the gift you have. Practice these

00:36:53.980 --> 00:36:57.659
things. Immerse yourself in these things so that.

00:36:58.030 --> 00:37:00.909
all may see your progress. Every believer is

00:37:00.909 --> 00:37:03.469
a priest with direct access to God and is indwelt

00:37:03.469 --> 00:37:05.750
by the Holy Spirit. I've said that previously

00:37:05.750 --> 00:37:07.730
in the last couple of weeks a couple of times.

00:37:07.989 --> 00:37:11.050
But this is not a passive existence. Yes, it's

00:37:11.050 --> 00:37:13.809
receiving a gift, but it is an active, empowered

00:37:13.809 --> 00:37:17.010
walk. We must be all in, allowing our progress

00:37:17.010 --> 00:37:19.670
and holiness to be evident to those around us.

00:37:19.949 --> 00:37:21.769
I want you to think for a moment of a professional

00:37:21.769 --> 00:37:24.989
athlete. Even Paul used this analogy elsewhere,

00:37:25.309 --> 00:37:28.829
right? A professional athlete. I just know that

00:37:28.829 --> 00:37:31.510
there are some of these guys, it's in their DNA.

00:37:31.530 --> 00:37:34.929
The reality is they have aptitude that other

00:37:34.929 --> 00:37:37.369
people just don't have. They are wired a certain

00:37:37.369 --> 00:37:39.289
way. It's in their personality. It's in their

00:37:39.289 --> 00:37:42.369
DNA. Their skill, what everybody anticipates

00:37:42.369 --> 00:37:44.989
or calls skill in the professional sports, for

00:37:44.989 --> 00:37:48.110
example, is really a gift. But even though they

00:37:48.110 --> 00:37:50.349
have that gift and it's written in their DNA

00:37:50.349 --> 00:37:53.590
and in their minds, if basketball practice or

00:37:53.590 --> 00:37:56.760
football practice is re... replaced with donut

00:37:56.760 --> 00:38:00.699
eating and cocaine -laden parties, then you and

00:38:00.699 --> 00:38:03.099
I both know that they never make it. So there

00:38:03.099 --> 00:38:05.739
are people out there who have received this incredible

00:38:05.739 --> 00:38:08.980
potential, but without grueling daily discipline,

00:38:09.360 --> 00:38:11.840
they are called to train, and they've chosen

00:38:11.840 --> 00:38:15.360
not to. And there, in 1 Timothy 4 .7, which was

00:38:15.360 --> 00:38:16.980
a little before where we started, Paul says,

00:38:17.099 --> 00:38:20.639
train ourselves in godliness. I know this is

00:38:20.639 --> 00:38:22.920
a contrast. I understand it's a struggle, but

00:38:22.920 --> 00:38:25.159
this is what I want you to hear. The greatest

00:38:25.159 --> 00:38:28.880
gift that a Christian has been given is a disciplined

00:38:28.880 --> 00:38:35.590
life filled with Christ. That is it. That's what

00:38:35.590 --> 00:38:39.409
Jesus lived for 33, 4, 5 years. And we get, we

00:38:39.409 --> 00:38:42.969
are allowed, we are gifted to be like him. And

00:38:42.969 --> 00:38:45.530
the Holy Spirit gift is given exactly the right

00:38:45.530 --> 00:38:48.630
one for you. And you begin. to use your Holy

00:38:48.630 --> 00:38:52.289
Spirit gift to grow in it, to use it to bless

00:38:52.289 --> 00:38:54.730
the body and lift up other believers and so on.

00:38:54.849 --> 00:38:57.110
And it ought to be, if you can do something miraculous

00:38:57.110 --> 00:38:59.889
in your gifting and you see that, that you never

00:38:59.889 --> 00:39:02.130
neglect it after that. Which makes me wonder

00:39:02.130 --> 00:39:03.489
if there aren't a lot of Christians who haven't

00:39:03.489 --> 00:39:05.409
figured out what their spiritual gift is, because

00:39:05.409 --> 00:39:07.809
I see a lot of neglect. Pastors who are called

00:39:07.809 --> 00:39:10.590
to preach or young men who are licensed to preach

00:39:10.590 --> 00:39:12.619
the gospel. And the time comes where it's their

00:39:12.619 --> 00:39:14.440
turn to preach. They're in the rotation. Or maybe

00:39:14.440 --> 00:39:15.960
they get called on a Sunday. Or maybe they get

00:39:15.960 --> 00:39:18.460
called to pastor a church. And they haven't written

00:39:18.460 --> 00:39:21.139
a sermon in weeks or months. I remember when

00:39:21.139 --> 00:39:23.980
I was first called to preach at East Toledo.

00:39:24.179 --> 00:39:26.599
And Pastor Don says, you know, I want you to

00:39:26.599 --> 00:39:29.039
preach every other week at the contemporary service

00:39:29.039 --> 00:39:31.199
on Saturday nights. Can you do that? And I said,

00:39:31.199 --> 00:39:33.519
well, yeah, I can do that. He said, well, what

00:39:33.519 --> 00:39:35.599
do you mean? You know, it's a big commitment.

00:39:35.860 --> 00:39:37.320
Now you're not going to be preaching once in

00:39:37.320 --> 00:39:38.599
a while when I call on you. But you're going

00:39:38.599 --> 00:39:40.880
to be there two times a month. preaching. I said,

00:39:40.900 --> 00:39:42.820
brother, I'm called to preach. I'll preach two

00:39:42.820 --> 00:39:44.360
times a day. He said, well, you have to write

00:39:44.360 --> 00:39:45.940
an awful lot of sermons. I said, I will spend

00:39:45.940 --> 00:39:49.019
every waking hour writing sermons. The day that

00:39:49.019 --> 00:39:51.440
Sherry had Aaron, I was called to preach at the

00:39:51.440 --> 00:39:53.159
contemporary worshipers. That was my time. And

00:39:53.159 --> 00:39:55.159
I had written a sermon and I was at the hospital.

00:39:55.400 --> 00:39:58.239
And then Sherry was rushing to get the baby.

00:39:58.280 --> 00:40:00.019
I had nothing to do with the contemporary service.

00:40:00.139 --> 00:40:01.619
She was ready to be done. She said, we're going

00:40:01.619 --> 00:40:04.019
to get this process done. And mid -afternoon,

00:40:04.019 --> 00:40:06.429
she had Aaron. And that evening I went to the

00:40:06.429 --> 00:40:07.630
Contemporary Worship Service. I got there about

00:40:07.630 --> 00:40:09.349
five or ten minutes before it started. Alicia

00:40:09.349 --> 00:40:11.030
was there. She was going to help lead worship.

00:40:11.250 --> 00:40:13.650
It was a long time ago. And one of the men walked

00:40:13.650 --> 00:40:15.769
up and they said, Did you bring pictures? And

00:40:15.769 --> 00:40:17.389
I said, You better believe I brought pictures.

00:40:17.429 --> 00:40:19.389
I got about 20 pictures on my phone. And they

00:40:19.389 --> 00:40:21.190
said, We didn't think you were going to be here.

00:40:21.389 --> 00:40:22.889
And I said, If you didn't think I was going to

00:40:22.889 --> 00:40:25.099
be here, then you don't know me at all. It's

00:40:25.099 --> 00:40:27.719
time that we realize that this character that

00:40:27.719 --> 00:40:30.300
has been bestowed on us, this gift from Christ

00:40:30.300 --> 00:40:34.019
that is diligent and hardworking, will take us

00:40:34.019 --> 00:40:37.079
through the moments of struggle. You're not the

00:40:37.079 --> 00:40:40.599
purchaser of your salvation. You received it

00:40:40.599 --> 00:40:43.019
as a free gift from the God of the universe meant

00:40:43.019 --> 00:40:45.440
to be used every single day. And the greatest

00:40:45.440 --> 00:40:48.380
gift that God has ever given you is a disciplined

00:40:48.380 --> 00:40:52.320
life in Jesus Christ. The third and final point

00:40:52.320 --> 00:40:54.590
in the text, we'll go to our conclusion. is that

00:40:54.590 --> 00:40:57.530
this is about a defended life. This is about

00:40:57.530 --> 00:41:00.409
standing firm in the truth. Keep a close watch

00:41:00.409 --> 00:41:04.469
on yourself and on the teaching, he says. John

00:41:04.469 --> 00:41:07.769
warns in 2 John 1, 9, everyone who goes on ahead

00:41:07.769 --> 00:41:09.829
and does not abide in the teaching of Christ

00:41:09.829 --> 00:41:13.070
does not have God. When the gospel is at stake,

00:41:13.110 --> 00:41:15.289
the truth of the virgin birth, the exclusivity

00:41:15.289 --> 00:41:18.030
of Christ's atonement, the reality of his resurrection,

00:41:18.230 --> 00:41:19.630
people start to say, well, I don't know if he

00:41:19.630 --> 00:41:22.070
was born, came back to life on the third day

00:41:22.070 --> 00:41:24.730
or not. That is not the gospel. He came back

00:41:24.730 --> 00:41:27.710
to life on the third day. He was crucified for

00:41:27.710 --> 00:41:30.070
the sins of mankind. He was made sin for us that

00:41:30.070 --> 00:41:32.170
we might have the righteousness of God. We must

00:41:32.170 --> 00:41:34.309
be willing to fight. I want you to get your craw

00:41:34.309 --> 00:41:38.750
up. I was at one of the early renditions of Camp

00:41:38.750 --> 00:41:42.409
You Can, and Jason was there. And it was, I think,

00:41:42.409 --> 00:41:45.170
the second year that we ever went. And they had

00:41:45.170 --> 00:41:49.030
this kids for all the young men concession stand

00:41:49.030 --> 00:41:50.769
and they gave them all a certain number of tickets.

00:41:50.849 --> 00:41:52.510
And all the guys, they thought they were going

00:41:52.510 --> 00:41:54.389
to be all all that in a bag of chips. They were

00:41:54.389 --> 00:41:56.170
going to go use all their tickets to buy all

00:41:56.170 --> 00:41:58.130
the coolest stuff on the first day. And then

00:41:58.130 --> 00:41:59.730
they formed a consortium and they sat around

00:41:59.730 --> 00:42:00.909
the table and they had all the coolest stuff.

00:42:00.989 --> 00:42:03.789
And then they would sell that stuff to the other

00:42:03.789 --> 00:42:05.730
kids for more tickets than what the concession

00:42:05.730 --> 00:42:07.429
stand would have been. And then they would wind

00:42:07.429 --> 00:42:09.369
up with more stuff. They were like. Yeah, they

00:42:09.369 --> 00:42:11.349
were making a business out of it. And, of course,

00:42:11.349 --> 00:42:12.969
that had to be shut down, and eventually it was

00:42:12.969 --> 00:42:14.670
shut down. But in the process, there was a lot

00:42:14.670 --> 00:42:16.289
of stuff that was floating around on that table.

00:42:16.429 --> 00:42:19.190
Well, Caleb had used his tickets to buy himself

00:42:19.190 --> 00:42:22.429
half a case of Mountain Dew or something. I forget

00:42:22.429 --> 00:42:24.750
what it was. Was that Powerade? Half a case of

00:42:24.750 --> 00:42:26.769
Powerade. And then one of the young men who was

00:42:26.769 --> 00:42:29.110
part of the consortium, whether he got confused

00:42:29.110 --> 00:42:31.090
or he did it on purpose, he went and snagged

00:42:31.090 --> 00:42:32.969
Caleb's case of Powerade and moved it over with

00:42:32.969 --> 00:42:35.389
all their stuff. So Jason comes to me and he

00:42:35.389 --> 00:42:38.289
says, Well, somebody stole Caleb's Powerade.

00:42:38.409 --> 00:42:40.309
And I'm like, well, I don't know if there's anything

00:42:40.309 --> 00:42:43.329
I can do about it, really. Because they got Powerade

00:42:43.329 --> 00:42:44.789
over there. They put it with the other Powerade.

00:42:44.829 --> 00:42:46.630
I was like, what's Caleb's Powerade? What's not?

00:42:46.750 --> 00:42:48.610
I had told Caleb like five minutes before that

00:42:48.610 --> 00:42:50.750
he needed to keep an eye on his Powerade. Caleb's

00:42:50.750 --> 00:42:52.650
pretty young then. Just barely old enough to

00:42:52.650 --> 00:42:54.570
go to camp if he can. And I said, I really don't

00:42:54.570 --> 00:42:55.929
know if there's anything we can do about it.

00:42:56.030 --> 00:42:58.309
And so then Jason walked away. He didn't take

00:42:58.309 --> 00:43:01.449
no for an answer. Jason went over there and confronted

00:43:01.449 --> 00:43:03.650
the kid who had taken Caleb's powerade. And he

00:43:03.650 --> 00:43:05.530
told him in no uncertain terms that that kid

00:43:05.530 --> 00:43:07.469
was going to give that powerade back to his brother.

00:43:07.610 --> 00:43:09.630
So that's my brother. And if you don't give him

00:43:09.630 --> 00:43:11.309
back his powerade, we're going to have a problem.

00:43:11.429 --> 00:43:13.989
I'm telling you that there is a time for you

00:43:13.989 --> 00:43:16.789
to go to war for your family, for yourself, for

00:43:16.789 --> 00:43:19.039
your faith. Somebody says, well, I think it means,

00:43:19.119 --> 00:43:21.219
I think it says, I had somebody tell me just

00:43:21.219 --> 00:43:24.179
on Tuesday that there is a man who is a professing

00:43:24.179 --> 00:43:25.880
Christian, is in their household, that now has

00:43:25.880 --> 00:43:27.739
been converted by reading something in Genesis,

00:43:27.840 --> 00:43:29.619
which I can tell you right now, it's not there,

00:43:29.699 --> 00:43:31.519
right? That he's been converted to being a flat

00:43:31.519 --> 00:43:33.500
earther. He now believes there's a flat earth,

00:43:33.619 --> 00:43:35.460
right? He also believes that there's nothing

00:43:35.460 --> 00:43:37.679
such as outer space or beyond the atmosphere

00:43:37.679 --> 00:43:39.360
because he read it in the book of Genesis. Now,

00:43:39.380 --> 00:43:40.760
you and I know, because we've been through the

00:43:40.760 --> 00:43:42.820
book of Genesis, at least most of us, very thoroughly,

00:43:42.900 --> 00:43:44.420
that it doesn't say anything like that. But that

00:43:44.420 --> 00:43:47.079
man is now interpreting our Bible to believe

00:43:47.079 --> 00:43:49.579
those two falsehoods. And I said, I'm going to

00:43:49.579 --> 00:43:50.840
tell you right now, that ain't true. And I'll

00:43:50.840 --> 00:43:52.539
tell him to his face it ain't true. And we had

00:43:52.539 --> 00:43:54.320
that conversation after Bible study on Tuesday

00:43:54.320 --> 00:43:57.320
night. There is a time that we need to defend

00:43:57.320 --> 00:43:59.409
the faith. There is a time that we need to defend

00:43:59.409 --> 00:44:02.289
our families. You living for Christ, to some

00:44:02.289 --> 00:44:04.809
extent, is defending your future family. It's

00:44:04.809 --> 00:44:06.929
defending your future connections. And you better

00:44:06.929 --> 00:44:09.190
be ready to defend your brother. You better be

00:44:09.190 --> 00:44:11.250
ready to defend your wife. You better be ready

00:44:11.250 --> 00:44:13.849
to defend your kids. And the Bible doesn't need

00:44:13.849 --> 00:44:15.610
us to defend it in the sense that if we don't

00:44:15.610 --> 00:44:17.110
do something, it's just going to crumble away.

00:44:17.170 --> 00:44:19.349
God will take care of that part. But it is your

00:44:19.349 --> 00:44:22.309
job as a Christian to defend the truth when it

00:44:22.309 --> 00:44:24.610
is marred. And for you to say, no, no, no, no,

00:44:24.630 --> 00:44:27.389
no, no, no. That's not what it says. Let me tell

00:44:27.389 --> 00:44:30.650
you what it says. If we compromise the core doctrines

00:44:30.650 --> 00:44:32.949
of the faith, according to what we've read, we

00:44:32.949 --> 00:44:36.969
lose the very power that saves, that saves us

00:44:36.969 --> 00:44:39.849
and saves others we come into contact with. If

00:44:39.849 --> 00:44:42.329
you believe a gospel a year after you supposedly

00:44:42.329 --> 00:44:44.690
believed the correct one, and now you believe

00:44:44.690 --> 00:44:47.170
a gospel that is flawed and wrong, there is a

00:44:47.170 --> 00:44:48.789
question as to whether you ever believed the

00:44:48.789 --> 00:44:50.940
true gospel in the first place. How did you get

00:44:50.940 --> 00:44:53.019
there? Were you not diligent? Were you not a

00:44:53.019 --> 00:44:54.739
steward of the gift that God had given you? Did

00:44:54.739 --> 00:44:56.900
you not take steps to make sure that this false

00:44:56.900 --> 00:44:59.000
teaching did not take root in you and the people

00:44:59.000 --> 00:45:01.480
around you? Why would you not do that? It's time

00:45:01.480 --> 00:45:03.400
for us to realize that there is a defense of

00:45:03.400 --> 00:45:05.579
the faith that we are called to. That brings

00:45:05.579 --> 00:45:08.639
us then to our conclusion. And it's kind of a

00:45:08.639 --> 00:45:10.119
doozy. There's quite a bit of information here.

00:45:10.219 --> 00:45:12.909
Note takers, I apologize in advance. The Bible

00:45:12.909 --> 00:45:16.349
says this in Romans 12, 11. Never be lacking

00:45:16.349 --> 00:45:18.670
in zeal. That means you're doing things with

00:45:18.670 --> 00:45:20.969
energy. But keep your spiritual fervor serving

00:45:20.969 --> 00:45:25.309
the Lord. 2 Peter 1, 5 -10, and I'm summarizing.

00:45:25.389 --> 00:45:28.389
Make every effort to add to your faith and then

00:45:28.389 --> 00:45:30.989
be all the more diligent to make your calling

00:45:30.989 --> 00:45:34.409
and election sure. Hebrews 6. We want each of

00:45:34.409 --> 00:45:37.389
you to show the same diligence to the very end.

00:45:37.550 --> 00:45:41.530
2 Timothy 2. Do your best, study, be diligent.

00:45:41.920 --> 00:45:44.960
to present yourself to God as one approved, a

00:45:44.960 --> 00:45:49.480
worker who does not need to be ashamed. So then,

00:45:49.579 --> 00:45:52.800
2 Peter 3, Dear friends, make every effort to

00:45:52.800 --> 00:45:55.480
be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with

00:45:55.480 --> 00:45:58.760
him. 1 Corinthians 15, 58, Always give yourselves

00:45:58.760 --> 00:46:01.139
fully to the work of the Lord, because you know

00:46:01.139 --> 00:46:03.639
that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. And

00:46:03.639 --> 00:46:05.639
I would subtext, every other kind of labor is

00:46:05.639 --> 00:46:08.940
in vain. Philippians 2, 12, Continue to work

00:46:08.940 --> 00:46:11.159
out your salvation with fear and trembling. Luke,

00:46:11.389 --> 00:46:14.269
13, make every effort to enter through the narrow

00:46:14.269 --> 00:46:17.550
door. 1 Timothy 4, 15, be diligent in these matters.

00:46:17.670 --> 00:46:21.610
Give yourself wholly to them or be absorbed by

00:46:21.610 --> 00:46:25.630
them, as we just read. The church, us, this people,

00:46:25.710 --> 00:46:29.230
we find our strength in faithfulness. 1 Corinthians

00:46:29.230 --> 00:46:32.269
12, the body is one and has many members. God

00:46:32.269 --> 00:46:34.369
has so composed the body that the members may

00:46:34.369 --> 00:46:37.000
have the same care for one another. Romans 12,

00:46:37.239 --> 00:46:39.519
4 -8. Different members, different functions,

00:46:39.579 --> 00:46:41.980
one body, gifts given to be used faithfully.

00:46:42.219 --> 00:46:44.780
Ephesians 4. The whole body, joined and held

00:46:44.780 --> 00:46:47.320
together by every point with which it is equipped,

00:46:47.519 --> 00:46:50.860
when each part is working properly, makes the

00:46:50.860 --> 00:46:54.619
body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

00:46:54.940 --> 00:46:58.480
1 Peter 4. As each has received a gift, use it

00:46:58.480 --> 00:47:00.820
to serve one another as good stewards of God's

00:47:00.820 --> 00:47:03.920
varied grace. Faithfulness, then, as the measure

00:47:03.920 --> 00:47:06.739
of the strength and reward that we have received,

00:47:07.000 --> 00:47:10.539
Matthew 25, well done, good and faithful servant.

00:47:10.619 --> 00:47:12.800
You have been faithful over a little, I will

00:47:12.800 --> 00:47:15.739
set you over much. 1 Corinthians 4, it is required

00:47:15.739 --> 00:47:17.920
of stewards that they be found faithful. Luke

00:47:17.920 --> 00:47:21.239
16, one who is faithful in a very little is also

00:47:21.239 --> 00:47:24.139
faithful in much. Galatians 6, not growing weary

00:47:24.139 --> 00:47:26.699
and doing good, doing good to all, especially

00:47:26.699 --> 00:47:29.690
to those who are of the household of faith. The

00:47:29.690 --> 00:47:32.349
unity of what we are talking about, all of us

00:47:32.349 --> 00:47:34.829
coming together to this conclusion and deciding

00:47:34.829 --> 00:47:37.909
to be found this way as stewards of exactly what

00:47:37.909 --> 00:47:40.409
we are talking about, all of us together, that

00:47:40.409 --> 00:47:43.949
is what will make us whole. Ephesians 4 says,

00:47:44.110 --> 00:47:46.650
two are better than one. A threefold cord is

00:47:46.650 --> 00:47:49.070
not quickly broken. Philippians 2, being of one

00:47:49.070 --> 00:47:51.230
mind, looking not only to one's own interest.

00:47:51.329 --> 00:47:54.110
Colossians 2, the body nourished and knit together

00:47:54.110 --> 00:47:56.670
through its joints and ligaments grows with a

00:47:56.670 --> 00:48:00.179
growth that is. from God and acts to the early

00:48:00.179 --> 00:48:03.340
church's devotion as an example there, shared

00:48:03.340 --> 00:48:06.360
life as a picture of collective strength, I actually

00:48:06.360 --> 00:48:10.920
could go on. I'm asking you today to realize

00:48:10.920 --> 00:48:13.300
that you have been given the greatest gift. You've

00:48:13.300 --> 00:48:16.559
literally been invited into the family of God.

00:48:16.760 --> 00:48:18.840
Jesus once said, as they were challenging him

00:48:18.840 --> 00:48:21.039
about working on the Sabbath, he said to them,

00:48:21.199 --> 00:48:25.320
my father is working, has been working always.

00:48:26.059 --> 00:48:30.070
That's our God. We're not here just to enjoy.

00:48:30.289 --> 00:48:34.050
We're not here just to receive. But we have received

00:48:34.050 --> 00:48:36.530
the greatest gift that anyone ever can. The character

00:48:36.530 --> 00:48:39.429
of a Christian is marked by a willingness to

00:48:39.429 --> 00:48:42.710
labor in grace. What Paul was telling Timothy

00:48:42.710 --> 00:48:45.670
to do was to use the things that he had received

00:48:45.670 --> 00:48:49.110
to affect his character in a way that when people

00:48:49.110 --> 00:48:51.650
looked at him, they would see the progress that

00:48:51.650 --> 00:48:54.449
he had made as a Christian. They would see what

00:48:54.449 --> 00:48:56.989
it looks like to be a member of the family of

00:48:56.989 --> 00:49:01.250
God and choose to do the same. But we must remember,

00:49:01.469 --> 00:49:04.590
our work does not earn our salvation. That was

00:49:04.590 --> 00:49:07.570
already paid for. It rather flows from our salvation.

00:49:07.869 --> 00:49:11.050
We are, as a human race, a fallen, broken people,

00:49:11.130 --> 00:49:14.210
unable to save ourselves. Jesus Christ took on

00:49:14.210 --> 00:49:16.610
human flesh, lived the life that we could not

00:49:16.610 --> 00:49:19.590
live, died the death that we deserved, rose again

00:49:19.590 --> 00:49:22.230
conquering sin and death, and now offers eternal

00:49:22.230 --> 00:49:25.269
life to all who repent, that is to turn to God

00:49:25.269 --> 00:49:27.530
and believe. If you've never trusted Christ,

00:49:27.789 --> 00:49:31.989
then your work right now simply must cease. You

00:49:31.989 --> 00:49:35.070
need to depend on Jesus for your salvation. If

00:49:35.070 --> 00:49:37.130
you've depended on Jesus for your salvation,

00:49:37.369 --> 00:49:39.610
you've repented of your sin and turned to the

00:49:39.610 --> 00:49:42.849
risen Jesus, then you join the church and God's

00:49:42.849 --> 00:49:48.070
people in the holy labor of walking in him. That's

00:49:48.070 --> 00:49:49.789
what it means to be a Christian. Somebody asks

00:49:49.789 --> 00:49:51.150
you, what does it mean to be a Christian? It

00:49:51.150 --> 00:49:53.730
means I have received the free gift of salvation,

00:49:53.750 --> 00:49:56.369
which I could not pay for, which my request could

00:49:56.369 --> 00:49:58.670
well have been declined for. No matter how many

00:49:58.670 --> 00:50:00.769
times I sent away money or how much work I did,

00:50:00.889 --> 00:50:02.909
I would not have gotten it. But Jesus Christ

00:50:02.909 --> 00:50:05.429
made it happen. I have received the free gift

00:50:05.429 --> 00:50:09.130
of salvation. And now, I walk as a steward of

00:50:09.130 --> 00:50:12.690
that gift, living my life as an example that

00:50:12.690 --> 00:50:16.170
others might see my progress, realize the gift

00:50:16.170 --> 00:50:18.250
is offered to them just the same, and accept

00:50:18.250 --> 00:50:21.269
it. That's what it means to be a Christian. And

00:50:21.269 --> 00:50:25.699
that's hard. And it's also easy. Whoever abides

00:50:25.699 --> 00:50:28.480
in teaching, John writes in 2 John 1, whoever

00:50:28.480 --> 00:50:32.119
abides in the teaching has both the Father and

00:50:32.119 --> 00:50:34.380
the Son. I have two closing illustrations and

00:50:34.380 --> 00:50:36.659
I'll be done. The first one is with regards to

00:50:36.659 --> 00:50:40.199
salvation. So there is a creek, a stream, if

00:50:40.199 --> 00:50:43.599
you will, near Watson, California. I have the

00:50:43.599 --> 00:50:46.000
name written down. Watsonville, California. It's

00:50:46.000 --> 00:50:48.780
called South Sepuedes. And if you're a Spanish

00:50:48.780 --> 00:50:49.920
-speaking person in the room, you kind of already

00:50:49.920 --> 00:50:52.300
know what that means. It means get yourself out.

00:50:52.719 --> 00:50:56.900
And so the creek, both beds of the creek are

00:50:56.900 --> 00:50:58.960
quicksand. And so if a person finds themselves

00:50:58.960 --> 00:51:01.239
in the creek, they are in real trouble. It is

00:51:01.239 --> 00:51:03.360
deep enough to drown in, and plus quicksand is

00:51:03.360 --> 00:51:04.940
very dangerous, and you can drown in quicksand.

00:51:05.940 --> 00:51:08.360
The story, as it goes, is that there was a young

00:51:08.360 --> 00:51:11.059
Mexican worker who found himself in the creek

00:51:11.059 --> 00:51:13.500
prior to the creek having any real name. And

00:51:13.500 --> 00:51:16.440
a Spaniard rode by on horseback and saw him in

00:51:16.440 --> 00:51:18.300
the creek. And he said to the man in the creek,

00:51:18.360 --> 00:51:21.960
he said, Get yourself out if you can. Get yourself

00:51:21.960 --> 00:51:23.980
out. Meaning, I'm not going to help you. I'm

00:51:23.980 --> 00:51:25.260
not going to get down off my horse. I don't have

00:51:25.260 --> 00:51:26.659
a rope. I'm not going to throw you a rope. Whatever.

00:51:26.840 --> 00:51:29.119
You're in the creek and you're in trouble. Get

00:51:29.119 --> 00:51:31.840
yourself out. You cannot. Get yourself out if

00:51:31.840 --> 00:51:34.440
you're in sin and do not have Jesus Christ, his

00:51:34.440 --> 00:51:37.780
blood. and his salvation, nor can anyone in the

00:51:37.780 --> 00:51:39.900
world. And as Christians, we are not meant to

00:51:39.900 --> 00:51:42.300
be going around to saying to people, get yourself

00:51:42.300 --> 00:51:44.300
out. So the next time you're talking with somebody,

00:51:44.380 --> 00:51:45.619
if they're not professing the name of Christ,

00:51:45.739 --> 00:51:48.099
you can stop telling them to pray. You can stop

00:51:48.099 --> 00:51:50.179
telling them to read their Bible. You can stop

00:51:50.179 --> 00:51:52.619
telling them to come to church and start telling

00:51:52.619 --> 00:51:55.079
them to come to Jesus. Now, should they be invited?

00:51:55.260 --> 00:51:57.420
Sure. Are they welcome? Sure. Do we want them

00:51:57.420 --> 00:51:59.260
to come and sit here? Sure. Absolutely. We're

00:51:59.260 --> 00:52:01.079
not chasing anybody out as long as they're not

00:52:01.079 --> 00:52:03.179
making it more difficult for others to come.

00:52:03.260 --> 00:52:06.440
We want. Everybody here, this is willing. At

00:52:06.440 --> 00:52:08.539
the same time, don't walk away from somebody

00:52:08.539 --> 00:52:11.179
who's lost without telling them how to be saved.

00:52:11.420 --> 00:52:14.280
No polish is necessary. You really could just

00:52:14.280 --> 00:52:17.400
say Jesus. It's all about Jesus. Do I need to

00:52:17.400 --> 00:52:19.420
read something? It's all about Jesus. Do I need

00:52:19.420 --> 00:52:20.800
to do something in particular? Do I get down

00:52:20.800 --> 00:52:23.199
on my knees? No, it's all about Jesus. Did Jesus

00:52:23.199 --> 00:52:25.179
be your Lord? Will you have that? Will you let

00:52:25.179 --> 00:52:26.880
Jesus tell you what to do with your life? Will

00:52:26.880 --> 00:52:28.739
he be in charge of you? Will you let his payment

00:52:28.739 --> 00:52:30.840
pay for your sins? Will you do that? Is that

00:52:30.840 --> 00:52:32.909
enough? Will you do it? But I don't see how that

00:52:32.909 --> 00:52:34.530
matters. I don't see how that's going to help.

00:52:34.650 --> 00:52:36.630
I don't care if you see how or not. I'm just

00:52:36.630 --> 00:52:38.929
asking you, will you do it? I went out evangelizing

00:52:38.929 --> 00:52:40.849
in East Toledo with a man who loved the Lord

00:52:40.849 --> 00:52:42.730
and he wanted to pray for people to accept Christ.

00:52:42.730 --> 00:52:44.690
He was all over the place. And we got in several

00:52:44.690 --> 00:52:47.190
conversations. I appreciate this about him because

00:52:47.190 --> 00:52:49.230
they would start asking him about doctrinal points

00:52:49.230 --> 00:52:51.070
or strange things that were kind of like getting

00:52:51.070 --> 00:52:53.730
off the course. And he'd say, listen, I'm just

00:52:53.730 --> 00:52:55.969
here to invite you to Jesus Christ as Lord and

00:52:55.969 --> 00:52:57.769
Savior. Will you pray right now and be saved?

00:52:58.070 --> 00:52:59.710
And then he'd just wait. And they'd say, but

00:52:59.710 --> 00:53:04.409
Adam, but Saul, but Cain, but he's like, I'm

00:53:04.409 --> 00:53:06.449
just here to ask you to be saved. Do you know

00:53:06.449 --> 00:53:08.590
that you have sin? Well, yeah. Do you know that

00:53:08.590 --> 00:53:10.869
you need a savior? Well, yeah. Will you be saved?

00:53:11.050 --> 00:53:13.590
Are you saved? Will you be saved? And then quite

00:53:13.590 --> 00:53:15.989
a few times people would say, well, you know,

00:53:16.110 --> 00:53:18.369
yeah, that's what I really need. I really don't

00:53:18.369 --> 00:53:21.230
need to know about those odd points of scripture.

00:53:21.309 --> 00:53:23.449
What I really need is a savior. And they would

00:53:23.449 --> 00:53:25.849
pray to be saved. I'm asking you, I'm asking

00:53:25.849 --> 00:53:29.820
myself to do the same thing. Last one. This comes

00:53:29.820 --> 00:53:32.059
from popular culture, and it's more about what

00:53:32.059 --> 00:53:34.820
it takes to survive as a Christian. You may know

00:53:34.820 --> 00:53:37.260
Indiana Jones. You've probably seen one or two

00:53:37.260 --> 00:53:39.440
Indiana Jones movies over the day. Well, at one

00:53:39.440 --> 00:53:41.260
point in time, Indiana Jones is on the nuclear

00:53:41.260 --> 00:53:44.019
testing site out southwest of the United States.

00:53:44.119 --> 00:53:45.780
They get ready to set off a nuclear bomb, and

00:53:45.780 --> 00:53:48.159
he realizes it. And he locks himself in a lead

00:53:48.159 --> 00:53:52.119
refrigerator to survive the blast. And this in

00:53:52.119 --> 00:53:54.280
the film industry would forever be known. It's

00:53:54.280 --> 00:53:56.199
coined as a phrase, and it's called blowing up

00:53:56.199 --> 00:53:58.780
the fridge. because you can't survive a nuclear

00:53:58.780 --> 00:54:01.300
blast in a lead -lined refrigerator, right? That's

00:54:01.300 --> 00:54:04.440
not actually possible. And so what that term

00:54:04.440 --> 00:54:07.000
in the movie industry means is letting your character

00:54:07.000 --> 00:54:09.219
do something that by all rights they cannot possibly

00:54:09.219 --> 00:54:11.420
do and putting it in the movie, right? There

00:54:11.420 --> 00:54:13.300
are actually other movies that had it in the

00:54:13.300 --> 00:54:16.679
script that somebody survived a nuclear explosion

00:54:16.679 --> 00:54:18.760
in a lead -lined fridge, and they said, we're

00:54:18.760 --> 00:54:20.179
not putting that in the movie, and they cut it

00:54:20.179 --> 00:54:21.539
out of the script before they made the movie.

00:54:21.559 --> 00:54:23.840
But Indiana Jones franchise, and this is toward

00:54:23.840 --> 00:54:25.639
the end of the franchise. We've already seen

00:54:25.639 --> 00:54:28.099
him do incredible things, and he survived by

00:54:28.099 --> 00:54:29.500
throwing everything out of the refrigerator,

00:54:29.500 --> 00:54:31.179
getting there, pulling the door shut around him,

00:54:31.199 --> 00:54:33.300
and then it blows up. And then in the next scene,

00:54:33.340 --> 00:54:35.039
you see the fridge come crashing down into the

00:54:35.039 --> 00:54:37.079
desert sands, and he crawls out, and he's perfectly

00:54:37.079 --> 00:54:40.719
fine because he was locked in the fridge. And

00:54:40.719 --> 00:54:42.519
that's called blowing up the fridge. You can

00:54:42.519 --> 00:54:45.179
look it up online if you want. An amazing lead

00:54:45.179 --> 00:54:46.820
character is giving an amazing feat that would

00:54:46.820 --> 00:54:51.250
not be possible in real life. So fast forward,

00:54:51.369 --> 00:54:53.510
it blew up the internet. So blowing up the fridge

00:54:53.510 --> 00:54:55.750
blew up the internet, right? Talking all about

00:54:55.750 --> 00:54:57.590
everything that they did in this movie and how

00:54:57.590 --> 00:54:59.150
he survived by getting in the fridge. Now that's

00:54:59.150 --> 00:55:00.889
ridiculous. And scientists everywhere said it's

00:55:00.889 --> 00:55:04.309
not even possible, whatever. Finally, way to

00:55:04.309 --> 00:55:06.309
the end, 98 % of the way through the argument,

00:55:06.369 --> 00:55:07.789
and probably people are still talking about this

00:55:07.789 --> 00:55:09.489
today, I don't even know, but on Reddit, a Reddit

00:55:09.489 --> 00:55:11.429
user brought up this, and I'm not saying you

00:55:11.429 --> 00:55:13.070
get into any of this, by the way, but this is

00:55:13.070 --> 00:55:15.309
an interesting thing I learned. And they said,

00:55:15.449 --> 00:55:18.230
here's the funny thing. In an earlier movie,

00:55:19.340 --> 00:55:21.960
Jones was present when the Ark of the Covenant

00:55:21.960 --> 00:55:24.860
was entered. And theoretically, the death angel

00:55:24.860 --> 00:55:27.840
was shown in the movie and everybody around him

00:55:27.840 --> 00:55:29.619
was destroyed. But he and the woman that he was

00:55:29.619 --> 00:55:31.139
with closed their eyes. They didn't look and

00:55:31.139 --> 00:55:34.199
they survived, which means that Jones has experienced

00:55:34.199 --> 00:55:37.340
the presence of God by the time he locks himself

00:55:37.340 --> 00:55:39.219
in the bridge. But it goes beyond that because

00:55:39.219 --> 00:55:41.619
in a little later movie, they're searching for

00:55:41.619 --> 00:55:45.000
the Holy Grail and Jones drinks out of the Holy

00:55:45.000 --> 00:55:47.639
Grail, the cup. that was used theoretically to

00:55:47.639 --> 00:55:49.960
catch the blood of Jesus when he died on the

00:55:49.960 --> 00:55:52.639
cross. And the Reddit user said, well, you know,

00:55:52.719 --> 00:55:55.780
if you've been with God, if you've experienced

00:55:55.780 --> 00:55:58.559
God, if you've experienced the blood of Jesus,

00:55:58.800 --> 00:56:02.280
and you're willing to do the work, then you can

00:56:02.280 --> 00:56:05.900
survive anything. I ask the praise team to come

00:56:05.900 --> 00:56:08.380
forward and lead us at this time. If you're here

00:56:08.380 --> 00:56:10.139
today and you do not accept Jesus Christ as your

00:56:10.139 --> 00:56:12.460
Lord and Savior, I would ask you to do that now.

00:56:12.760 --> 00:56:14.619
And if you haven't received that great gift,

00:56:14.840 --> 00:56:17.099
then I would ask you to commit yourself now to

00:56:17.099 --> 00:56:19.820
a life of labor, of love, doing these things

00:56:19.820 --> 00:56:22.820
as an example of a believer to live for Jesus

00:56:22.820 --> 00:56:25.739
and when necessary to defend the faith and always

00:56:25.739 --> 00:56:28.119
to spread the gospel as it is written in this

00:56:28.119 --> 00:56:31.360
word and was preached and taught to you. Amen.

00:56:32.059 --> 00:56:34.099
Would you stand with me and sing this song? If

00:56:34.099 --> 00:56:35.980
the Lord is leading you to respond, then I would

00:56:35.980 --> 00:57:13.679
ask you to do so. And yes, that takes work. And

00:57:13.679 --> 00:57:17.320
yes, that takes dismissing some things. And yes,

00:57:17.340 --> 00:57:20.019
it takes not neglecting your Holy Spirit to get

00:57:20.019 --> 00:57:24.000
this year's salvation. That's a big gift. And

00:57:24.000 --> 00:57:26.400
all means, everything will come your way. Do

00:57:26.400 --> 00:57:36.219
it bad enough. Will they see you as an example?

00:57:36.260 --> 00:57:39.300
Will they see your progress and know that you

00:57:39.300 --> 00:57:41.280
are following the holy God in the universe?