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Mimi in Second Kings Chapter 22,
and let's give our attention to 

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this wonderful chapter. 
I've been looking forward to 

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coming to this text again and 
continuing in the study, 

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especially because the last time
we were together, we just begun 

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exploring the inspirational 
biography of this wonderful man,

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one of the greatest kings in 
Judah's history, King Josiah. 

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And if you recall, we did not 
advance beyond verse 2 of this 

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chapter. 
And the reason is we included 

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details from Second Chronicles 
chapter 34 to help us get a full

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picture of what this young man 
was able to accomplish 

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spiritually in the early stages 
of his career. 

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And now tonight we arrive at a 
new timestamp in his reign, and 

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it's found there, verse 3. 
And we get the impression that 

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this particular year of Josiah's
reign is of great importance. 

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Why? 
Because the rest of this chapter

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will detail what took place in 
that one year. 

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So naturally we should ask what 
was it that took place at that 

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point that merits such 
attention? 

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And the answer initially is the 
repairing of the temple, the 

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restoration of the central place
of worship. 

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Now let me begin by asking a 
question, and if you know the 

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answer, you can actually give 
your answer. 

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Does anybody recall at what 
point in Josiah's reign that he 

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began to purge the land of 
idolatry? 

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Who remembers? 
It was 2 weeks ago, but 

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hopefully we still what year of 
his reign? 

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Not his age? 
Well, the answer is according to

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Second Chronicles 34, verse 3, 
in the 12th year of his reign. 

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In the 12th year of his reign, 
he began to bring reformation 

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not just to the Kingdom of 
Judah, but to the entire land of

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Israel. 
And now we come to the 18th year

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of his reign, which tells me at 
least one thing, just how deeply

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entrenched the people of God 
were in falsehood. 

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I mean, it took that long for 
Josiah and his leaders to 

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cleanse the country before he 
could shift his energy and his 

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efforts to the House of God and 
restore it. 

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That's remarkable to me, and as 
significant as the cleansing of 

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the temple may be, that's 
actually not the focus of this 

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passage. 
There's going to be a discovery 

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that is made in that process 
within the temple. 

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That will be the central theme 
of this text because the 

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discovery of this item is so 
astounding that it will actually

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serve as a catalyst and launch a
fresh reformation for the people

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of God. 
I'm eager to get to that, but 

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I'll let you know from now. 
We're not going to go there just

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yet. 
We have to pick up where we left

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off in Second Kings 22, verse 3,
and we will read down to verse 

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7. 
And that will be the focus of 

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our Bible study this evening. 
So let's read these verses in 

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one sitting and then we'll begin
to explore them in detail. 

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Are you with me here? 
Second Kings 22 verse 3 In the 

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18th year of King Josiah, the 
king sent Chiffon the son of 

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Azalea, son of Meshulam the 
secretary, to the House of the 

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Lord, saying, Go up to Hill Kai 
the high priest, that he may 

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count the money that has been 
brought into the House of the 

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Lord, which the keepers of the 
threshold have collected from 

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the people. 
And let it be given into the 

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hand of the workmen who have the
oversight of the House of the 

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Lord. 
And let them give it to the 

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workmen who are at the House of 
the Lord, repairing the house, 

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that is, to the carpenters, and 
to the builders, and to the 

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Masons. 
And let them use it for buying 

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timber, and queried stone to 
repair the house. 

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But no accounting shall be asked
from them for the money that is 

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delivered into their hand, for 
they deal honestly. 

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Let's pray together, Lord, you 
promised for the man or the 

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woman who delights in your law 
and who meditates on a day and 

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night. 
They will be like a tree planted

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by streams of water, and they 
will bear fruit in its season, 

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and their leaf will never, ever 
wither. 

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And all that he or she does, 
they will prosper. 

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We claim this promise as we 
choose tonight as your church, 

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to deepen our roots in the 
truth. 

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May the SAP of life that comes 
from your Word be felt and known

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this evening, and may you 
receive glory as we sense our 

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souls being fed. 
We ask these things in the 

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precious name of Jesus Christ. 
Amen. 

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It's a sobering sight, isn't it?
To see the very House of God 

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that was designed to host the 
glory and the presence and the 

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majesty of God, to be reduced to
such destitution, to be so weak 

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and desolate and deteriorated by
the people of God and their 

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neglect. 
And though the fragile condition

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described here refers to the 
physical structure of the 

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temple, it is equally possible 
for God's spiritual house to be 

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impoverished. 
Paul makes this incredible 

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commentary about the church. 
He makes many of them. 

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But one of them that is dripping
with Old Testament allusion and 

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parallel is in Ephesians 221 to 
22 where he says that the church

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is a temple in the Lord being 
built up to be a dwelling place 

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for God by the Spirit. 
That is shocking because up to 

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this point the only thing that 
could be said was hosting the 

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glory of God. 
The presence of God was the 

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Tabernacle and then the temple, 
and then now in the new 

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covenant, Paul says by the 
Spirit that it's not a physical 

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building that does such a thing.
It's the gathering of the people

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of God in community that has 
such a privilege. 

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God's address for His glory to 
be manifest is when blood bought

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Christians come together and 
function as the church. 

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Amazing. 
And many of us in here are 

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honest enough and familiar 
enough with the church to humbly

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confess that it's possible for 
the House of God today to be 

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lifeless and to actually be 
littered with idolatry in the 

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same way the temple was on so 
many occasions. 

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But I believe the verses that we
just read, those 5 verses, 

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provide a recipe for wisdom and 
insight of how the House of God 

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can know vitality and 
rejuvenation. 

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Again. 
In other words, there is a set 

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of principles here that can 
instruct the church today, I 

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believe, of how they can be 
redirected to be the place of 

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worship the way God intended it 
to be, to host the glory of God,

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to bring life to the people of 
God, to be that place of 

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strength and joy and exuberance.
Once again, There's something 

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here, and for the sake of 
organizing our thoughts, I want 

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you to take note mentally or on 
paper or whatever screen you're 

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holding, of three things that we
find in these verses that are 

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absolutely necessary, not 
limited to them, but absolutely 

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essential in order for any local
assembly. 

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Again today being the House of 
God that hosts the glory of God,

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to be redirected, re 
strengthened, realigned to be 

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the house that God intended it 
to be. 3 things. 

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What is required? 
The first thing that I want us 

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to see is found in verse 3. 
We need godly leaders. 

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Any ministry, any church, no 
matter the size, if it wants to 

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be the true temple of God in the
new covenant requires the right 

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kind of leaders. 
Now who is the one who is 

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initiating this construction and
cleansing project for the 

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temple? 
No, other than King Josiah, he 

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was the one who delegated and 
dispatched different officers 

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and even the high priest to 
gather the money that was 

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donated, to count it and to 
distribute it in order for this 

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project to ensue. 
And what's so wonderful about 

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Josiah here is that he's yet 
another reminder for us. 

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I hope you and I've studied 
carefully the books of Kings to 

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come to the conclusion of how 
important leaders are in 

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influencing and inspiring others
towards godliness. 

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It's a thread throughout the 
Bible. 

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Even in the New Testament we 
read that God gifts the church 

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leaders for the sake of their 
furnishing and maturing. 

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No matter what you feel about 
leaders, and I know many 

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disappoint people, you also have
to understand that God raises 

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them up, gifts them so that they
can be extensions of His grace 

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to the people of God. 
And if you hold any position of 

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leadership within the body of 
Christ, no matter the number, no

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matter what your ministry looks 
like, take note of Josiah's 

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helpful example. 
Before he can make any 

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significant impact in the House 
of God, he first developed a 

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rich and real personal 
relationship with the Lord. 

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Hopefully you remember what we 
studied 2 weeks ago. 

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Does anybody recall what we 
learned about Josiah in the 

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eighth year of his reign when he
was 16 years old? 

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What are the chronicles say 
about the king at 16? 

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That at 16 he began to seek the 
God of his father's? 

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At 16, he owned his faith. 
At 16, he began to seek the face

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of God. 
At 16, he began to experience 

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God for himself. 
And I'm persuaded that that 

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pattern is not accidental, that 
in the eighth year he developed 

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a relationship with God, and in 
the 18th year he was able to 

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bless the House of God. 
You and I can't even begin to 

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hope to make any kind of impact 
on the community of believers 

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unless we first cultivate a deep
personal fellowship with the 

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Lord Jesus, and that's 
especially true for leaders. 

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There has to be this awareness 
that I must allow myself and my 

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convictions and my character to 
be shaped by His presence and by

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His truth in private when no 
one's looking. 

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It has to be real for me before 
it's real for anybody else. 

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Lasting influence can only be 
the overflow of intimacy with 

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Christ. 
There is no shortcut. 

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Doesn't matter how many degrees 
you get, doesn't matter what 

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kind of books you stuff in your 
library. 

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Nothing will ever replace true 
intimate relationship with 

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Christ that's based on His Word.
That's shaped by the truth here 

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and that's sought after with 
intentionality and even 

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intensity. 
Josiah was such a man. 

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He was a man who knew how in 
secret to know God, received 

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from God. 
And then the overflow again of 

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that was now the House of God 
being blessed, being blessed. 

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You know, these old preachers 
that a lot of them who are dead,

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they had marvelous insight into 
not just the Scriptures, but 

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personal piety and true 
ministry. 

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And there was one who had said 
that the greatest contribution 

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that a leader can make to his 
church is personal holiness. 

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His life. 
Being consecrated will be the 

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greatest thing that he can offer
to the people that have been 

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entrusted to him. 
Now listen. 

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The importance of not just 
leadership, but quality 

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leadership is emphasized From 
Genesis to Revelation. 

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It's found throughout. 
And when I was meditating on 

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Josiah, my mind went to a set of
verses that the apostle Paul 

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gave to a young pastor by the 
name of Timothy. 

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And there's something that he 
said in these rapid fire 

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exhortations that will help any 
leader that would give the 

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secret ingredient to being of 
great impact to others. 

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And listen, lest you clock out 
and think, though this is not 

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applicable to me because I don't
hold any authoritative role. 

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All Scripture is breathed out by
God and it's beneficial to every

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single one of us to mature as 
men and women of God. 

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So I want just I want us to see 
these verses in First Timothy 

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chapter 4. 
Look at them. 

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They're precious, they're 
powerful. 

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He tells Pastor Timothy and 
First Timothy 4 beginning in 

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verse 14, what are we studying 
here? 

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What is necessary for the House 
of God to operate as it should 

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with the glory of God and the 
life of God? 

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We need godly leaders. 
And listen, even if you're not a

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leader in God's house, you have 
the choice of submitting your 

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life to leaders. 
That's your responsibility. 

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What kind of leaders are you 
going to give yourself over to 

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husbands, fathers? 
What kind of leaders are you 

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going to allow your wives and 
your children be instructed by? 

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So this is, this is not a 
one-dimensional point here. 

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It's multifaceted. 
Here's what Paul told Timothy in

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First Timothy 414. 
Do not neglect the gift you 

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have, which was given you by 
prophecy when the council of 

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elders laid their hands on you 
in that interesting verse, verse

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15. 
Practice these things, immerse 

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yourself in them so that all may
see your progress. 

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Keep a close watch on yourself 
and on the teaching. 

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Persist in this, for by doing so
you will save both yourself and 

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your hearers. 
Now can I give you a side point 

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that blessed me? 
I'm encouraged by this because 

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it shows that even leaders have 
room for growth. 

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Did you see that? 
Look at the end there of verse 

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15 so that all may see your 
progress. 

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Implying what? 
Nobody begins in ministry with 

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Immaculate abilities. 
Nobody begins in ministry with a

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perfect attitude. 
Don't you wish? 

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If you are a leader in this 
place or you're aspiring to be a

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leader, can Ioffer you some 
counsel? 

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Be patient with yourself and be 
patient with God's work in your 

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life. 
And let me say this to those who

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have leaders over their lives. 
Be patient with your leaders and

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understand that they're human. 
They're not cherubim, they're 

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not seraphim, they're human, and
they need the same truth and the

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same power of the Holy Spirit to
conform them as you do. 

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00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:28,120
But that's not the main take 
away. 

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00:16:28,120 --> 00:16:31,840
The main take away from these 
verses is this, that Timothy's 

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public growth and influence 
among the broader body of 

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believers would only be possible
if he first chose to be fully, 

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fully, fully absorbed in his 
calling and his personal 

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00:16:46,640 --> 00:16:52,200
devotion. 
Can I say that again, any 

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00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:57,680
observable growth or impact 
would only be possible if this 

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man first chose to be completely
consumed in his calling and his 

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00:17:03,480 --> 00:17:06,960
personal devotion? 
Or else what else does Paul mean

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when he says immerse yourself in
them? 

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Do you see that in the middle of
verse 15? 

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00:17:12,960 --> 00:17:16,720
Practice these things, Timothy, 
Immerse yourself in them. 

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00:17:16,720 --> 00:17:19,200
In what? 
What's the context suggesting 

248
00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:25,359
your gifts, your duties, your 
personal consecration? 

249
00:17:25,359 --> 00:17:28,400
Look at verse 16. 
Keep a close watch on yourself 

250
00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:33,600
and your overall calling as a 
leader in God's house. 

251
00:17:34,640 --> 00:17:36,840
Don't have divided devotion, 
Timothy. 

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00:17:37,640 --> 00:17:40,240
Don't treat your position or 
your ministry as a job. 

253
00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:44,960
Be absolutely immersed in these 
things. 

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00:17:47,360 --> 00:17:52,800
Any leader who wants to be of 
great impact needs to regularly 

255
00:17:52,800 --> 00:17:57,360
do some inventory and ask, am I 
immersed in what God's called me

256
00:17:57,360 --> 00:17:59,560
to do? 
Am I immersed? 

257
00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:04,840
A lot of things go wrong for 
leaders when they get distracted

258
00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:08,080
by the things of this life or 
they're pulled in different 

259
00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:12,440
directions. 
No, no, you have to be 

260
00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:18,440
completely immersed because as 
the leader grows, so will the 

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00:18:18,440 --> 00:18:26,440
church to a certain degree, but 
if he's lazy or again, if he's 

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distracted, the church entrusted
them will inevitably suffer. 

263
00:18:33,360 --> 00:18:36,600
So what we find with King 
Josiah, I believe, based on what

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00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:40,400
we've been given about him, is 
that as a man of God, he was 

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00:18:40,400 --> 00:18:43,320
consumed by God. 
And the result of that is he can

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00:18:43,320 --> 00:18:45,120
contribute greatly to the House 
of God. 

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00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:50,080
Godly leaders, I've said this 
before. 

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00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:53,320
Would you permit me to say it 
again then when people tend to 

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00:18:53,320 --> 00:18:55,880
come up and ask questions like 
what should I look for in a 

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00:18:55,880 --> 00:18:57,800
church? 
How do I know if something or 

271
00:18:57,800 --> 00:19:01,320
some place is the right assembly
or ministry that I should yoke 

272
00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:03,680
myself to? 
My go to answer is always the 

273
00:19:03,680 --> 00:19:04,840
same. 
Look to the leadership. 

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00:19:06,120 --> 00:19:12,760
Look no further. 
How do they handle the word of 

275
00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:16,000
God? 
How do they apply the Word of 

276
00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:18,920
God? 
How do they share the Word of 

277
00:19:18,920 --> 00:19:23,960
God? 
Because whether you like it or 

278
00:19:23,960 --> 00:19:28,160
not, the pulpit and who stands 
behind it is sitting in the 

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00:19:28,160 --> 00:19:33,000
driver's seat of that church. 
And the Scripture tells us that 

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00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:37,800
over and over again. 
Josiah knew God for himself. 

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00:19:38,800 --> 00:19:41,400
And the overflow of that is that
he wanted others to worship the 

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00:19:41,400 --> 00:19:44,440
God that he worshipped, and he 
did so with great zeal and 

283
00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:45,720
passion. 
But that's not the only thing. 

284
00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:47,160
Can we come back to our main 
text? 

285
00:19:47,680 --> 00:19:51,240
That's just the first thing. 
The second ingredient that is 

286
00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:54,840
required for the House of God to
host the glory of God and to 

287
00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:57,360
function the way that God 
designed it to be with the life 

288
00:19:57,360 --> 00:20:01,760
of God and the impact that it 
was designed to give to people 

289
00:20:01,920 --> 00:20:07,120
and to worshippers. 
You also need what we find here 

290
00:20:07,120 --> 00:20:11,280
in verse 4. 
Go up to Helkai the high priest,

291
00:20:11,280 --> 00:20:13,440
that he may count the money that
has been brought into the House 

292
00:20:13,440 --> 00:20:15,720
of the Lord, which the keepers 
of the threshold have collected 

293
00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:17,760
from the people. 
And let it be given it to the 

294
00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:19,920
hand of the workmen who have the
oversight of the House of the 

295
00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:21,520
Lord. 
And let them give it to the 

296
00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:23,880
workmen who are at the House of 
the Lord, repairing the house, 

297
00:20:24,120 --> 00:20:27,120
that is, to the carpenters and 
to the builders and to the 

298
00:20:27,120 --> 00:20:29,000
Masons. 
And let them use it for buying 

299
00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:34,360
timber and courage stone to 
repair the house #2 you have to 

300
00:20:34,360 --> 00:20:38,480
have, yes, godly leaders, but 
you also need sacrificial 

301
00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:41,960
people. 
Sacrificial people. 

302
00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:44,680
Notice how many kinds of people 
are involved in this work. 

303
00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:48,880
You had those who gave money, 
you had those who had oversight 

304
00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:53,360
over the House of the Lord, 
managers, if you will, leaders, 

305
00:20:54,360 --> 00:20:56,640
and finally you have workmen who
are repairing the house. 

306
00:20:56,640 --> 00:20:58,960
You had carpenters and builders 
and Masons. 

307
00:20:59,960 --> 00:21:04,320
And throughout every stage of 
redemptive history you find this

308
00:21:04,320 --> 00:21:08,400
truth. 
All of God's people are invited 

309
00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:13,920
to actively participate in His 
work, especially in His house. 

310
00:21:15,120 --> 00:21:19,600
And that is true even in the Old
Testament, where it seems to be 

311
00:21:19,600 --> 00:21:23,000
more restricted to priests who 
operate and function and are 

312
00:21:23,160 --> 00:21:26,640
active in the House of God. 
So I have a question for you 

313
00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:29,400
tonight, a Bible study, and you 
are free to answer if you are 

314
00:21:29,400 --> 00:21:35,240
confident to answer. 
Besides sacrifices and 

315
00:21:35,240 --> 00:21:41,640
offerings, in what way? 
At least one way where the 

316
00:21:41,640 --> 00:21:47,720
people of Israel called to 
contribute to the House of God. 

317
00:21:47,800 --> 00:21:52,440
Any idea besides offerings, 
besides bringing and honoring 

318
00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:56,400
the feast? 
And what other ways? 

319
00:21:56,560 --> 00:22:00,760
Anything come to mind? 
This is where if you were with 

320
00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:03,720
us in the book of Exodus, you 
would have answers. 

321
00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:09,360
I'll wait a few minutes, maybe 
not minutes. 

322
00:22:10,640 --> 00:22:18,280
Any idea? 
OK, music and praises. 

323
00:22:18,280 --> 00:22:20,200
Yes, we find that more in the 
temple. 

324
00:22:21,160 --> 00:22:22,520
Let's go back. 
Let's go back. 

325
00:22:22,520 --> 00:22:24,960
Let's talk about the Tabernacle.
When things first started. 

326
00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:29,360
Any instructions that God gave 
to the people? 

327
00:22:30,320 --> 00:22:34,320
Not really the priest. 
Let me give you what came to 

328
00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:36,760
mind for me. 
Exodus 27. 

329
00:22:36,760 --> 00:22:38,160
Let's turn there. 
It's worth it. 

330
00:22:39,400 --> 00:22:42,000
And look at verse 20 of Exodus 
27. 

331
00:22:45,560 --> 00:22:49,000
What are we doing here? 
We're looking at sacrificial 

332
00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:54,800
people who are called to support
the House of God for it to be 

333
00:22:56,720 --> 00:22:58,160
the house that God called it to 
be. 

334
00:22:58,400 --> 00:23:02,560
Exodus 27, verse 20. 
What the Lord says to the 

335
00:23:02,560 --> 00:23:08,400
nation, you shall command the 
people of Israel that they bring

336
00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:09,840
to you. 
Pause. 

337
00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:11,320
Who are we talking about here? 
The priest? 

338
00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:14,280
No, no, the people of Israel. 
What are they to bring? 

339
00:23:14,720 --> 00:23:22,400
Pure beaten olive oil for the 
light that a lamp may regularly 

340
00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:26,760
be set up to burn in the tent of
meeting outside the veil that is

341
00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:29,840
before the testimony. 
Aaron and his sons shall tend it

342
00:23:29,840 --> 00:23:31,680
from evening to morning before 
the Lord. 

343
00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:35,480
It shall be a statute forever to
be observed throughout their 

344
00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:37,200
generations by the people of 
Israel. 

345
00:23:38,480 --> 00:23:39,560
Have you ever thought about 
this? 

346
00:23:39,720 --> 00:23:43,600
Has anybody remember this, that 
one of the things that the 

347
00:23:43,600 --> 00:23:47,280
people were to regularly bring 
to the House of God was not a 

348
00:23:47,280 --> 00:23:49,600
lamb, not a bull, not a goat, 
not just those things, but 

349
00:23:49,600 --> 00:23:53,920
actually olive oil. 
Well, there it is, olive oil, 

350
00:23:55,560 --> 00:23:58,120
because we know that there are 
particular furnishings in the 

351
00:23:58,120 --> 00:24:01,120
household of God, and one of 
them was a lamp. 

352
00:24:02,720 --> 00:24:05,440
Why was this important? 
Two reasons. 

353
00:24:06,120 --> 00:24:08,280
Number one, that lamp was 
symbolic. 

354
00:24:08,560 --> 00:24:11,880
It was symbolic of God's 
continuous presence and guidance

355
00:24:12,120 --> 00:24:15,160
and awareness in the midst of 
God's people. 

356
00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:18,560
And it was to continually burn. 
Do you know why? 

357
00:24:18,560 --> 00:24:21,000
To represent how God never 
slumbers or sleeps. 

358
00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:25,240
He's always awake. 
The lights are always on. 

359
00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:29,520
So that message had to be 
protected as it reflected God's 

360
00:24:29,520 --> 00:24:33,080
character. 
The people would bring the oil, 

361
00:24:33,080 --> 00:24:36,480
the priest would tend it and 
watch over it to ensure that at 

362
00:24:36,480 --> 00:24:39,240
no point, even at night, would 
it be extinguished. 

363
00:24:39,240 --> 00:24:43,840
It must continually burn. 
But there's a practical purpose.

364
00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:47,080
Question again. 
Not the temple. 

365
00:24:47,360 --> 00:24:50,200
The Tabernacle didn't have any 
windows. 

366
00:24:51,040 --> 00:24:54,960
OK, so there is no light. 
So the only source of 

367
00:24:54,960 --> 00:24:59,920
illumination was this lamp. 
Can you imagine the priest 

368
00:25:01,040 --> 00:25:05,160
operating as mediators without 
light? 

369
00:25:06,120 --> 00:25:07,960
The stumbling and the tripping 
and the falling? 

370
00:25:07,960 --> 00:25:11,320
It would be problematic. 
So this would offer light to the

371
00:25:11,320 --> 00:25:14,920
priest so that the priest can 
function as they were called. 

372
00:25:15,720 --> 00:25:19,400
Now what's beautiful about that 
point is, in God's wisdom, both 

373
00:25:19,400 --> 00:25:22,880
the message and the function of 
the lamp depended on the 

374
00:25:22,880 --> 00:25:27,080
participation of God's people. 
It was the people who are 

375
00:25:27,080 --> 00:25:30,120
responsible of bringing the fuel
for that lamp. 

376
00:25:31,040 --> 00:25:33,720
And what's so beautiful about 
this, you can easily miss this, 

377
00:25:34,080 --> 00:25:37,520
is that that kind of 
contribution would actually be a

378
00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:40,640
blessing to the people. 
Why? 

379
00:25:41,120 --> 00:25:43,320
Because these priests stood in 
the gap. 

380
00:25:43,680 --> 00:25:46,200
They represented the people as 
well as representing God. 

381
00:25:46,200 --> 00:25:49,000
They were mediators. 
So without the light, they would

382
00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:52,120
not be serving the way they were
called, and the people would not

383
00:25:52,560 --> 00:25:55,960
benefit from that kind of poor 
service. 

384
00:25:57,200 --> 00:25:59,160
So it was a return of 
investment. 

385
00:25:59,160 --> 00:26:02,640
They would come with the oil, it
would help the priest, it would 

386
00:26:02,640 --> 00:26:06,400
give the right message, and the 
people would be blessed as they 

387
00:26:06,400 --> 00:26:11,840
walk away from that place. 
Is it any different for the 

388
00:26:11,840 --> 00:26:15,440
church today? 
What do I mean by that? 

389
00:26:16,600 --> 00:26:20,040
Will the testimony of God shine 
as brightly? 

390
00:26:20,600 --> 00:26:24,680
And will leaders in God's house 
be able to serve with the 

391
00:26:24,680 --> 00:26:29,840
effectiveness that they are able
to offer unless the people of 

392
00:26:29,840 --> 00:26:37,520
God show support and are ready 
to come with their hands full 

393
00:26:37,520 --> 00:26:43,600
and not just to receive? 
Here's another detail that we 

394
00:26:43,600 --> 00:26:45,440
might miss. 
What kind of oil were they 

395
00:26:45,440 --> 00:26:48,680
supposed to bring? 
Look at again verse 20. 

396
00:26:49,240 --> 00:26:56,600
Bring pure beaten olive oil. 
Don't just bring any kind of 

397
00:26:56,600 --> 00:27:01,600
oil. 
God says I want the cleanest and

398
00:27:01,600 --> 00:27:04,840
the costliest oil that you can 
get. 

399
00:27:06,160 --> 00:27:09,600
And the way that you were able 
to retrieve this kind of oil is 

400
00:27:09,600 --> 00:27:12,000
by taking those olives and 
crushing them. 

401
00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:19,600
It's a tedious process, and you 
would extract the substance free

402
00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:23,920
from contamination in a way that
would preserve its purity and 

403
00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:28,320
its natural properties. 
What's the message behind that? 

404
00:27:29,160 --> 00:27:32,520
People of Israel, when you come 
and contribute this oil that 

405
00:27:32,520 --> 00:27:37,120
will help the church function as
it is called to function, Bring 

406
00:27:37,120 --> 00:27:43,600
your best, bring the highest 
quality oil you can bring. 

407
00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:55,440
And the danger is people 
sometimes, often times may bring

408
00:27:55,440 --> 00:27:58,840
something, but it's not the 
highest quality. 

409
00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:04,040
In fact, it's in danger of being
contaminated or diluted. 

410
00:28:05,720 --> 00:28:10,440
It's not what God deserves. 
And this gives us a wonderful 

411
00:28:10,440 --> 00:28:14,080
lesson for believers today. 
He doesn't want us to just give 

412
00:28:14,080 --> 00:28:17,520
anything. 
You and I are to give our 

413
00:28:17,520 --> 00:28:19,960
highest dedication and 
wholehearted commitment to His 

414
00:28:19,960 --> 00:28:23,520
cause. 
Anything less than that will not

415
00:28:23,520 --> 00:28:26,120
do. 
Fortunately, people are too 

416
00:28:26,120 --> 00:28:31,720
content and fail to recognize 
that God is after mindful 

417
00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:33,680
investment and genuine 
sacrifice. 

418
00:28:33,680 --> 00:28:35,720
I mean you got to understand 
that that took time. 

419
00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:37,520
They didn't have machinery like 
we do. 

420
00:28:38,560 --> 00:28:41,640
So to gather those olives. 
Remember, the average citizen 

421
00:28:41,640 --> 00:28:44,200
was supposed to do this. 
Gather a cluster of olives, 

422
00:28:44,200 --> 00:28:48,120
bring it back home, crush it, 
finally protect it from anything

423
00:28:48,120 --> 00:28:51,320
else spoiling it and just doing 
that over and over to comes with

424
00:28:51,320 --> 00:28:53,280
something worthy to bring to the
House of God. 

425
00:28:53,280 --> 00:28:57,840
The next time you would go to 
it, the Lord says that's what 

426
00:28:57,840 --> 00:29:01,040
I'm after. 
So here's how this applies to 

427
00:29:01,040 --> 00:29:06,880
you and I Whatever you do in 
God's house, give the best 

428
00:29:06,880 --> 00:29:10,840
version of it. 
Do you do the graphics for your 

429
00:29:10,840 --> 00:29:14,000
church? 
Do those graphics make those 

430
00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:18,480
graphics copy, paste Photoshop 
with excellence in 

431
00:29:18,480 --> 00:29:25,000
intentionality? 
Do you gather lessons and put 

432
00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:26,920
together teachings for Sunday 
school? 

433
00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:35,360
Do it with your heart and don't 
think to yourself you know it's,

434
00:29:35,360 --> 00:29:37,280
it's not really worth my energy 
and my effort. 

435
00:29:37,280 --> 00:29:39,040
They're just kids anyway. 
They won't really retain it. 

436
00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:43,160
No, no, that's not pure beaten 
olive oil. 

437
00:29:44,520 --> 00:29:53,040
Give your best musicians, hone 
your craft, develop your skill. 

438
00:29:55,120 --> 00:29:58,040
Don't just show up week after 
week just to go through another 

439
00:29:58,040 --> 00:30:02,120
service that's not pure beaten 
olive oil. 

440
00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:10,040
The lesson here in Exodus 27, 
whatever you do for God in this 

441
00:30:10,040 --> 00:30:13,560
place or whatever place you 
represent, give the best version

442
00:30:13,560 --> 00:30:19,400
of it. 
Again, nothing else would do. 

443
00:30:20,200 --> 00:30:25,480
So let's, let's extend and let's
brought in this application the 

444
00:30:25,480 --> 00:30:28,800
sacrifice and the sweat and the 
time and the energy that would 

445
00:30:28,800 --> 00:30:34,360
be required to crush that set of
olives, that cluster of olives. 

446
00:30:35,360 --> 00:30:38,600
Only that would do for the light
to shine in the Tabernacle. 

447
00:30:40,240 --> 00:30:44,600
In the same way, only sacrifice 
and only the willingness to 

448
00:30:44,600 --> 00:30:49,680
offer the best will make God's 
house shine. 

449
00:30:53,080 --> 00:30:57,160
Lesser quality will will dim the
light. 

450
00:30:58,200 --> 00:31:03,240
It will impact the way leaders 
are called to govern and plan 

451
00:31:03,240 --> 00:31:06,800
and direct. 
So we see the marriage, I'm sure

452
00:31:06,800 --> 00:31:09,400
here, right? 
Godly leaders, but sacrificial 

453
00:31:09,400 --> 00:31:11,680
people. 
It's found even in an obscure 

454
00:31:11,680 --> 00:31:14,560
passage like this where yes, the
leaders are supposed to watch 

455
00:31:14,560 --> 00:31:17,880
over that lamp, but the people 
are responsible for the fuel. 

456
00:31:18,160 --> 00:31:24,000
They both need each other. 
The parallel account to 2nd 

457
00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:27,760
Kings 22 emphasizes on that 
point in Second Chronicles 34. 

458
00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:32,600
Let me read it to you from 
Second Chronicles 34 verse 11. 

459
00:31:34,080 --> 00:31:38,360
It sounds almost identical, but 
it's expounded. 

460
00:31:39,680 --> 00:31:42,320
It says in Second Chronicles 
3411 they gave it to the 

461
00:31:42,320 --> 00:31:43,600
carpenters. 
That is the money. 

462
00:31:44,040 --> 00:31:46,720
They gave it to the carpenters 
and the builders to buy quarried

463
00:31:46,720 --> 00:31:50,560
stone and timber for binders and
beams for the buildings that the

464
00:31:50,560 --> 00:31:52,640
kings of Judah had let go to 
ruin. 

465
00:31:53,280 --> 00:32:01,080
And the men did work faithfully.
Highlight that they worked 

466
00:32:01,120 --> 00:32:06,240
faithfully, the men did. 
Over them were set Jihad and 

467
00:32:06,240 --> 00:32:09,120
Obadiah, the Levites of the sons
of Murari and Zechariah and 

468
00:32:09,120 --> 00:32:12,960
Meshulam of the sons of the 
Koathites to have oversight. 

469
00:32:13,520 --> 00:32:16,800
The Levites, all who are 
skillful with instruments of 

470
00:32:16,800 --> 00:32:19,240
music. 
We're over the burden bearers 

471
00:32:19,240 --> 00:32:22,320
and directed. 
All who did work in every kind 

472
00:32:22,320 --> 00:32:26,920
of service highlight that. 
And some of the Levites were 

473
00:32:26,920 --> 00:32:28,800
scribes and officials and 
gatekeepers. 

474
00:32:28,800 --> 00:32:33,040
So do you see this? 
There was faithfulness and every

475
00:32:33,040 --> 00:32:37,600
kind of service between the 
leaders and the workers. 

476
00:32:39,480 --> 00:32:43,360
And let me add something else. 
Do you get any hint in this 

477
00:32:43,360 --> 00:32:49,280
collection of people that there 
is rivalry, competitiveness, 

478
00:32:50,680 --> 00:32:53,880
dissatisfaction with what God 
has given to me in His 

479
00:32:53,880 --> 00:32:57,040
Providence? 
Any jealousy here? 

480
00:32:57,040 --> 00:32:59,880
Is there any indifference? 
Absolutely not. 

481
00:33:01,240 --> 00:33:04,440
Harmony. 
You have Josiah, you have these 

482
00:33:04,440 --> 00:33:06,960
officials, you have the high 
priest, you have Levites who 

483
00:33:06,960 --> 00:33:10,800
were sub leaders, overseers. 
You have the workers, you have 

484
00:33:10,800 --> 00:33:13,080
those who can't. 
It's just this beautiful sight 

485
00:33:15,120 --> 00:33:21,000
of godly leaders and sacrificial
people who are making the House 

486
00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:22,360
of God what it was supposed to 
be. 

487
00:33:23,800 --> 00:33:25,320
I have one more point for us 
tonight. 

488
00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:36,280
As challenging as it might be to
get people to do, to serve, to 

489
00:33:36,280 --> 00:33:44,080
offer, and as needful as that 
might be, none of what was just 

490
00:33:44,080 --> 00:33:47,680
said matters. 
And this may be a little 

491
00:33:47,680 --> 00:33:50,520
redundant, but it's it's noted 
here in Second Kings. 

492
00:33:51,280 --> 00:33:54,360
The third and last thing that is
needed for the House of God to 

493
00:33:54,360 --> 00:33:58,280
be what it's called to be is 
integrity and holiness. 

494
00:33:59,200 --> 00:34:01,680
Let's look at the last verse of 
our study in Second Kings 22, 

495
00:34:01,680 --> 00:34:04,800
verse 7. 
It's this interesting note that 

496
00:34:04,800 --> 00:34:11,400
is made by the author, Josiah 
says, But no accounting shall be

497
00:34:11,400 --> 00:34:14,040
asked from them for the money 
that is delivered into their 

498
00:34:14,040 --> 00:34:21,639
hand, for they deal. 
Honestly, whenever a verse seems

499
00:34:22,920 --> 00:34:28,960
maybe out of place or supposedly
random, take the time to ask the

500
00:34:28,960 --> 00:34:32,480
question why? 
And that's what I spent my time 

501
00:34:32,480 --> 00:34:33,560
doing. 
Why? 

502
00:34:33,600 --> 00:34:38,520
Why do I need to know that the 
people who were in charge of the

503
00:34:38,520 --> 00:34:43,920
finances and the donations did 
not have to give a detailed 

504
00:34:43,920 --> 00:34:46,840
report of what came in, what was
going out, because they were 

505
00:34:46,840 --> 00:34:50,920
honest? 
Well, if we're sticking with the

506
00:34:50,920 --> 00:34:55,800
theme of God's house being 
restored with life and vitality 

507
00:34:55,800 --> 00:34:58,280
and glory, then it makes total 
sense. 

508
00:35:00,720 --> 00:35:08,240
Because character matters. 
Can you imagine the blow that it

509
00:35:08,240 --> 00:35:13,360
would have been to the people of
God in terms of their morale or 

510
00:35:13,360 --> 00:35:15,880
the momentum to this entire 
campaign if it had been 

511
00:35:15,880 --> 00:35:18,800
discovered that those who were 
in charge of the money were 

512
00:35:18,800 --> 00:35:24,480
misusing the funds or dipping 
their hands in the donations for

513
00:35:24,480 --> 00:35:27,800
personal gain? 
That would be devastating. 

514
00:35:28,240 --> 00:35:32,840
That would be absolutely tragic,
but instead, the opposite is 

515
00:35:32,840 --> 00:35:34,240
true. 
And thankfully, it's true. 

516
00:35:34,720 --> 00:35:37,200
You have transparency, you have 
honesty, you have 

517
00:35:37,200 --> 00:35:41,520
trustworthiness. 
Marking the culture of this 

518
00:35:41,520 --> 00:35:45,640
group under Josiah's leadership.
Can you imagine? 

519
00:35:47,560 --> 00:35:51,440
You don't need to record what 
came in and what's being 

520
00:35:51,440 --> 00:35:53,800
distributed. 
Because these men are honest, we

521
00:35:53,800 --> 00:35:55,040
can trust them. 
We don't have to review 

522
00:35:55,040 --> 00:35:57,760
anything. 
That tells me something else, by

523
00:35:57,760 --> 00:36:02,760
the way, some of the fruit of 
Josiah's reformation, right? 

524
00:36:03,640 --> 00:36:05,520
Because remember, we're here in 
the 18th year. 

525
00:36:05,520 --> 00:36:06,920
He began to reform in the 12th 
year. 

526
00:36:06,920 --> 00:36:10,720
So there's some change now. 
It wasn't as impactful and as 

527
00:36:10,720 --> 00:36:13,000
deep as it should have been 
because Jeremiah, we remember, 

528
00:36:13,000 --> 00:36:16,720
came in like a lot of you are 
hypocrites actually, But there 

529
00:36:16,720 --> 00:36:20,040
is some fruit, there's some kind
of budding, which makes me 

530
00:36:20,040 --> 00:36:23,120
happy. 
There was a level of integrity 

531
00:36:23,120 --> 00:36:28,520
that was inspired. 
So listen, as vital as donations

532
00:36:28,520 --> 00:36:33,920
are, as necessary as practical 
service was, none of it would 

533
00:36:33,920 --> 00:36:37,160
have mattered if godly character
was not intact. 

534
00:36:38,320 --> 00:36:41,120
Is it any different for the 
Church of Jesus Christ today? 

535
00:36:41,920 --> 00:36:46,520
No, it's no different. 
In fact, when meditating on 

536
00:36:46,520 --> 00:36:49,840
this, my mind, as it usually 
does when I study the Old 

537
00:36:49,840 --> 00:36:56,560
Testament, went to another New 
Testament passage, again with 

538
00:36:56,560 --> 00:37:00,160
Paul, who is instructing not 
Pastor Timothy, but Pastor 

539
00:37:01,280 --> 00:37:05,280
Titus. 
And what he said in a set of 

540
00:37:05,280 --> 00:37:09,520
verses there, I believe, makes 
what we're learning here in 

541
00:37:09,520 --> 00:37:12,760
Second Kings 22 a wonderful 
illustration of a consistent 

542
00:37:12,840 --> 00:37:16,920
truth relating to the necessity 
of holiness and integrity in the

543
00:37:16,920 --> 00:37:20,640
House of God if it's going to 
really shine with God's power 

544
00:37:20,760 --> 00:37:23,080
and his warmth. 
Here's our final passage in our 

545
00:37:23,080 --> 00:37:25,680
Bible study. 
Let's go to Titus chapter 2. 

546
00:37:32,520 --> 00:37:34,360
This is going to wrap up our 
study perfectly. 

547
00:37:35,760 --> 00:37:39,600
So listen, Titus is receiving in
Titus chapter 2, at least the 

548
00:37:39,600 --> 00:37:43,440
first part, instruction after 
instruction of how he was to 

549
00:37:43,440 --> 00:37:47,200
exhort different demographics in
his church, older men, older 

550
00:37:47,200 --> 00:37:50,000
woman, younger woman, younger 
men. 

551
00:37:51,280 --> 00:37:56,440
And he comes to the conclusion 
of those exhortations by dealing

552
00:37:56,440 --> 00:37:58,200
with bond servants in the 
church. 

553
00:38:00,080 --> 00:38:06,680
Translation slaves. 
So there were people in Titus's 

554
00:38:07,320 --> 00:38:11,800
congregation and multiple 
congregations really, who were 

555
00:38:11,800 --> 00:38:15,600
Christians and were slaves. 
Now that's a whole different 

556
00:38:15,600 --> 00:38:17,280
discussion for a whole different
Bible study. 

557
00:38:19,320 --> 00:38:22,040
But in many cases, these slaves,
though treated differently, 

558
00:38:22,040 --> 00:38:27,400
could be also seen as employees.
And notice what he says to them 

559
00:38:27,400 --> 00:38:31,760
in verse 9 of chapter 2. 
Bond servants are to be 

560
00:38:31,760 --> 00:38:34,520
submissive to their own masters 
in everything. 

561
00:38:35,240 --> 00:38:38,520
They are to be well pleasing, 
not argumentative, not 

562
00:38:38,520 --> 00:38:43,720
pilfering, but showing all good 
faith so that in everything they

563
00:38:43,720 --> 00:38:47,920
may adorn the doctrine of God 
our Savior. 

564
00:38:49,440 --> 00:38:51,160
What's pilfering? 
Anybody have an idea? 

565
00:38:52,880 --> 00:38:57,360
Pilfering, stealing. 
But it's not the same as theft. 

566
00:38:57,920 --> 00:39:02,440
It's kind of like petty theft. 
It's taking small things that 

567
00:39:02,440 --> 00:39:06,800
may not seem of great value in a
casual manner. 

568
00:39:07,800 --> 00:39:10,280
And the reason why Paul is 
saying this to servants is 

569
00:39:10,280 --> 00:39:14,720
because it was common at this 
time for servants bond servants 

570
00:39:14,720 --> 00:39:16,520
and slaves to steal from their 
masters. 

571
00:39:16,520 --> 00:39:18,960
In this way. 
It was like the norm. 

572
00:39:21,120 --> 00:39:24,200
In fact there was ongoing saying
such as the more servants 1 

573
00:39:24,200 --> 00:39:25,880
inherits the more thieves he 
gets. 

574
00:39:26,600 --> 00:39:31,360
It was it was just a known thing
of this time where bond servants

575
00:39:31,720 --> 00:39:34,800
would just casually take things 
in their masters homes, put them

576
00:39:34,800 --> 00:39:39,440
in their pockets, eat of it, 
save it, give it to others 

577
00:39:39,440 --> 00:39:42,720
family. 
And Paul approaches the 

578
00:39:42,720 --> 00:39:46,920
believers in this situation in 
life and says, don't be like the

579
00:39:46,920 --> 00:39:51,400
rest of those bond servants. 
Don't be pilfering, don't take 

580
00:39:51,400 --> 00:39:53,280
advantage. 
Even if it's small, even if you 

581
00:39:53,280 --> 00:39:54,640
think in your mind it's not a 
big deal. 

582
00:39:54,640 --> 00:39:56,720
Your master is rich and wealthy.
They're not going to notice. 

583
00:39:56,720 --> 00:40:01,880
No. 
And you can imagine how bond 

584
00:40:01,880 --> 00:40:03,920
servant and Paul's day might 
have viewed themselves as 

585
00:40:04,000 --> 00:40:07,440
insignificant and disadvantaged,
right? 

586
00:40:08,720 --> 00:40:11,000
But he reminds these believers, 
listen, He reminds these 

587
00:40:11,000 --> 00:40:14,200
Christians who are in lowly 
positions that they have a 

588
00:40:14,200 --> 00:40:19,240
golden opportunity to do what? 
To make an impact. 

589
00:40:20,400 --> 00:40:22,000
For the glory of God, notice 
what he says. 

590
00:40:22,000 --> 00:40:24,080
You bond. 
Servants are able to adorn the 

591
00:40:24,080 --> 00:40:28,240
doctrine of God, our Savior. 
He's not speaking to elders. 

592
00:40:28,240 --> 00:40:29,800
He's not speaking to 
evangelists, He's not speaking 

593
00:40:29,800 --> 00:40:32,560
to prophets. 
He's Speaking of the lowest of 

594
00:40:32,560 --> 00:40:34,160
the low. 
And he says you, yes, you 

595
00:40:34,160 --> 00:40:39,760
servants with unbelieving bosses
who mistreat you, who maybe even

596
00:40:39,760 --> 00:40:42,600
abuse you. 
Do you understand that you in 

597
00:40:42,600 --> 00:40:44,400
the Kingdom of God have a 
purpose. 

598
00:40:44,880 --> 00:40:47,440
You're not nothing. 
You're not marginalized in God's

599
00:40:47,440 --> 00:40:50,720
eyes. 
You have the ability to adorn 

600
00:40:51,080 --> 00:40:57,200
the doctrine of God. 
Do you know what the word adorn 

601
00:40:57,200 --> 00:40:59,400
is in the Greek? 
Tell me if it sounds familiar, 

602
00:40:59,520 --> 00:41:02,960
Cosmio. 
That's where we get the word 

603
00:41:02,960 --> 00:41:08,080
cosmetics. 
And we shouldn't believe here or

604
00:41:08,760 --> 00:41:12,960
think for a second that Paul is 
implying that the gospel message

605
00:41:12,960 --> 00:41:17,720
or any Christian truth needs 
improvement or a little bit of 

606
00:41:17,720 --> 00:41:20,120
makeup. 
That's not what he's implying. 

607
00:41:21,120 --> 00:41:24,920
What he is saying is you and I 
as truth bearers, as followers 

608
00:41:24,920 --> 00:41:29,480
of this Christ, can make the 
word of God more attractive. 

609
00:41:31,760 --> 00:41:35,240
In what way? 
Your eloquence, how you can 

610
00:41:35,880 --> 00:41:41,560
debate and argue with your 
illustrations, with philosophy? 

611
00:41:41,760 --> 00:41:48,520
No, what did you say? 
Don't be pilfering, be honest, 

612
00:41:51,400 --> 00:41:56,400
be men and women of integrity, 
and in doing so you will adorn 

613
00:41:56,400 --> 00:42:05,240
the doctrine of God our Savior. 
So in great part, Paul was 

614
00:42:05,240 --> 00:42:09,680
saying what we're seeing there 
in Second Kings 22, that these 

615
00:42:09,680 --> 00:42:13,560
men who are overseers 
contributed not just in their 

616
00:42:13,560 --> 00:42:18,720
management abilities, not just 
in the way they were able to 

617
00:42:18,720 --> 00:42:24,360
direct others because they were 
men of integrity, they won the 

618
00:42:24,360 --> 00:42:28,360
trust of others. 
They were men of good rapport. 

619
00:42:28,360 --> 00:42:30,040
They were men who had 
testimonies. 

620
00:42:30,040 --> 00:42:32,000
There were men who could be 
relied on. 

621
00:42:33,320 --> 00:42:35,400
And Paul wants the same for 
servants. 

622
00:42:36,960 --> 00:42:40,840
More important than a renovated 
building or a wide range of 

623
00:42:40,840 --> 00:42:44,120
church programs is the virtue of
God's people. 

624
00:42:45,960 --> 00:42:51,440
Beyond these meetings is Paul 
instructing these bond servants 

625
00:42:51,440 --> 00:42:54,200
to be faithful and honest in the
church? 

626
00:42:54,280 --> 00:42:58,000
No. 
When you go to work, when the 

627
00:42:58,000 --> 00:43:00,560
elders aren't there and the 
music isn't there and the people

628
00:43:00,560 --> 00:43:03,920
aren't there and the 
Christianese isn't there, there 

629
00:43:04,800 --> 00:43:08,000
you have an opportunity to adorn
the doctrine of God, and it's 

630
00:43:08,000 --> 00:43:09,360
going to be through your 
conduct. 

631
00:43:09,360 --> 00:43:12,560
Youth servants that will make 
the church more attractive. 

632
00:43:14,160 --> 00:43:21,560
There's no way around it. 
So these are the lessons that we

633
00:43:21,560 --> 00:43:25,600
can take for ourselves. 
Pray for your leaders that they 

634
00:43:25,600 --> 00:43:31,520
would be true, that they would 
be immersed in their calling. 

635
00:43:33,520 --> 00:43:35,720
And if there's any leadership 
that you want to put yourself 

636
00:43:35,720 --> 00:43:39,840
and your family under, it's 
leadership that are absolutely 

637
00:43:40,240 --> 00:43:42,360
on fire for what God has called 
them to do. 

638
00:43:43,400 --> 00:43:47,960
Beware of those who handle their
position or the church as a way 

639
00:43:47,960 --> 00:43:56,080
of income, as job security. 
Now look for somebody who walks 

640
00:43:56,080 --> 00:44:00,720
with God and you don't need much
discernment to understand this 

641
00:44:00,720 --> 00:44:03,920
is a person who really believes 
what they're preaching, who 

642
00:44:03,920 --> 00:44:05,280
really takes the word of God 
seriously. 

643
00:44:07,040 --> 00:44:10,680
They have to be immersed, 
sacrificial people. 

644
00:44:11,560 --> 00:44:12,960
I praise God for the people of 
this church. 

645
00:44:12,960 --> 00:44:16,400
I mean, even in God's 
Providence, yesterday was our 

646
00:44:16,400 --> 00:44:20,520
clean up day and 60 people came 
with oil, if I can use that 

647
00:44:20,760 --> 00:44:25,960
analogy. 
But let me ask you this for 

648
00:44:25,960 --> 00:44:27,880
those who may be visiting here 
every week, and we're so glad 

649
00:44:27,880 --> 00:44:31,120
that you do, what kind of oil do
you bring to the church? 

650
00:44:32,560 --> 00:44:34,360
And whatever you do bring, is it
pure? 

651
00:44:36,720 --> 00:44:40,160
Is it developed from sacrifice 
and intentionality and priority 

652
00:44:40,160 --> 00:44:43,520
in God's Kingdom, or is He 
second? 

653
00:44:43,520 --> 00:44:48,400
Third, God wants pure, beaten 
olive oil. 

654
00:44:48,400 --> 00:44:50,880
Whatever you do for God, give 
him your best. 

655
00:44:53,960 --> 00:44:58,720
And lastly, all of that can 
crumble unless it is maintained 

656
00:44:58,720 --> 00:45:05,920
by holiness and integrity. 
And so May God help us know how 

657
00:45:05,920 --> 00:45:12,240
to adorn the doctrine of God as 
much as preaching the gospel is 

658
00:45:12,240 --> 00:45:14,040
necessary. 
And there's no other way for 

659
00:45:14,040 --> 00:45:15,520
people to be saved but to hear 
the truth. 

660
00:45:17,480 --> 00:45:22,400
How we walk, how we talk, how we
interact, how we do business are

661
00:45:22,400 --> 00:45:26,800
all sermons. 
They're all messages. 

662
00:45:28,320 --> 00:45:30,520
They would either make the 
gospel more attractive or less 

663
00:45:30,520 --> 00:45:32,320
attractive. 
That's what Paul is getting at. 

664
00:45:34,440 --> 00:45:37,000
May we make it more attractive. 
Let's pray. 

665
00:46:02,640 --> 00:46:09,640
Father, You never cease to amaze
us of how every portion of 

666
00:46:09,640 --> 00:46:15,840
Scripture can be a heavenly 
morsel for our souls. 

667
00:46:20,120 --> 00:46:25,320
It is astounding and 
breathtaking to be reminded week

668
00:46:25,320 --> 00:46:29,680
after week of how you can make 
Your Word so applicable, 

669
00:46:31,880 --> 00:46:35,160
historical texts and records 
from thousands of years ago that

670
00:46:35,160 --> 00:46:40,440
can instruct us today. 
We praise you for your wisdom, 

671
00:46:41,640 --> 00:46:47,360
your beauty, your power. 
There is no doubt in our minds 

672
00:46:47,360 --> 00:46:54,000
that this is indeed your book. 
Would you, Lord, preserve the 

673
00:46:54,000 --> 00:46:56,200
leadership of this ministry and 
every ministry that's 

674
00:46:56,200 --> 00:47:02,000
represented here? 
Would you inspire the people of 

675
00:47:02,000 --> 00:47:07,360
God to live sacrificially? 
Remind us with all the business 

676
00:47:07,360 --> 00:47:11,240
and the plans of our lives that 
the Kingdom of God comes first? 

677
00:47:13,000 --> 00:47:18,120
And Lord, may we never fall into
the trap of justifying sin 

678
00:47:18,120 --> 00:47:20,480
because we are involved in some 
kind of ministry. 

679
00:47:20,480 --> 00:47:22,720
Lord, may we understand that 
true ministry comes from 

680
00:47:22,720 --> 00:47:26,040
holiness and integrity. 
That is the shield, Lord. 

681
00:47:26,040 --> 00:47:29,440
Integrity is the shield to our 
service. 

682
00:47:30,800 --> 00:47:32,680
For these truths we say thank 
you. 

683
00:47:32,840 --> 00:47:35,000
From the bottom of our hearts we
say we love you. 

684
00:47:35,480 --> 00:47:39,480
Receive our praise now and may 
the light of your glory continue

685
00:47:39,480 --> 00:47:43,280
to shine. 
And may we know greater 

686
00:47:43,280 --> 00:47:47,960
illumination and warmth as the 
dwelling place of God continues 

687
00:47:47,960 --> 00:47:50,840
to manifest the presence of 
Jesus Christ. 

688
00:47:51,200 --> 00:47:56,280
In Jesus name we pray, Amen. 
If you need to stay seated to do

689
00:47:56,280 --> 00:47:58,760
business with God, do business 
with God. 

690
00:47:59,040 --> 00:48:01,560
If you want to stand and give 
him glory and song, you're free 

691
00:48:01,560 --> 00:48:03,920
to do that as well. 
Well, let's let's take the next 

692
00:48:03,920 --> 00:48:07,040
few moments here to really, 
really engage ourselves and to 

693
00:48:07,040 --> 00:48:10,400
seek the Lord and and commune 
with him as his people.