1 00:00:01,400 --> 00:00:03,100 Certainly is good to see everyone. 2 00:00:03,100 --> 00:00:06,700 That's come to be with us tonight and we appreciate you so 3 00:00:06,700 --> 00:00:10,400 very much for coming tonight and studying the word of God in this 4 00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:15,500 part of our worship service. We're continuing our study on 5 00:00:15,500 --> 00:00:20,700 the book of Colossians chapter 3 and the questions that I have 6 00:00:20,700 --> 00:00:22,800 here. The five questions cover verses 7 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:27,200 12 through 16, and I just going to read those verses for our 8 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:30,400 introduction and then get into our questions. 9 00:00:30,700 --> 00:00:33,900 But in Colossians chapter 3, let's begin in verse 12. 10 00:00:35,100 --> 00:00:40,300 Therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved put on Tender 11 00:00:40,300 --> 00:00:46,200 Mercies kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering bearing 12 00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:47,900 with one another and forgiving one. 13 00:00:47,900 --> 00:00:52,500 Another, if anyone has a complaint against another even 14 00:00:52,500 --> 00:00:57,500 as Christ forgave you. So you also must do but above 15 00:00:57,500 --> 00:01:00,200 all these things put on love which is the bond of perfection 16 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:04,700 and let the peace of God rule in your hearts to which also you 17 00:01:04,700 --> 00:01:08,900 were called called in one body and be thankful. 18 00:01:09,500 --> 00:01:12,500 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom 19 00:01:12,500 --> 00:01:15,600 teaching and admonishing. One, another in Psalms and 20 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:19,200 hymns, and spiritual songs singing with Grace, in your 21 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:24,700 hearts, to the Lord. so we're covering these verses tonight in 22 00:01:24,700 --> 00:01:31,200 the first question is about the elect of God who are the elect 23 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:34,800 of God and secondly, what's meant by the phrase, put on 24 00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:38,400 Tender Mercies. First of all, I'll just say that 25 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:44,100 the word elect and in the context of this narrative means 26 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:49,100 chosen or picked by God. So understand that first it's 27 00:01:49,100 --> 00:01:53,400 talking about being chosen or picked by God. 28 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:57,000 Now, one of the things that are very confusing in the religious 29 00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:02,500 world is the concept of divine election, and any kind of 30 00:02:02,500 --> 00:02:06,000 doctrine that teaches unconditional Divine election is 31 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:09,400 false Doctrine. We know that unconditional 32 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:13,800 election would be that God chose individuals regardless of what 33 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:16,600 they chose to do in their life that God hand-picked people and 34 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:21,700 there's nothing you can do to be saved or not be saved if God 35 00:02:21,700 --> 00:02:24,700 picked you or didn't pick you, that's Way that it is. 36 00:02:24,700 --> 00:02:27,700 And that's not what we believe. And that's not what the Bible 37 00:02:27,700 --> 00:02:32,600 teaches about Divine election, but we do believe in election. 38 00:02:32,600 --> 00:02:37,700 In fact, we the people of God are the elect of God and God has 39 00:02:37,700 --> 00:02:40,300 foreordained before the foundation of the world. 40 00:02:40,300 --> 00:02:44,800 Those that were going to be saved and that is and obedient 41 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:47,700 Christian. So anyone that falls into the 42 00:02:47,700 --> 00:02:51,500 category of being an obedient Christian that is complying with 43 00:02:51,500 --> 00:02:58,200 the laws of God finds. Self as being the elect and 44 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:02,100 obedient Christian. Now, let me just make the point 45 00:03:02,100 --> 00:03:07,700 about conditional election briefly, this is very, this is 46 00:03:07,700 --> 00:03:12,600 not new, it's very familiar, but there's two parts when we talk 47 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:15,500 about conditional election and it's really quite simple. 48 00:03:15,500 --> 00:03:19,400 There's God's part and then there's man's parked and it 49 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:21,400 doesn't matter what God did on his part. 50 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:24,400 If man doesn't do his Park and it wouldn't Mattered. 51 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:28,800 What man would do on his part if God hasn't already done his 52 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:31,600 part. So God predetermined that he was 53 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:35,200 going to save the world and he decided that his son would be 54 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:39,600 his lamb, his sacrificial lamb, and that was predetermined 55 00:03:39,700 --> 00:03:41,600 before the foundation of the world. 56 00:03:41,700 --> 00:03:45,100 That Jesus would be the Lamb of God and die for the sins of the 57 00:03:45,108 --> 00:03:47,400 world. So let's look at God's Park. 58 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:51,700 He really did all the work, he sent Jesus to die for the sins 59 00:03:51,700 --> 00:03:55,600 of the world, and then he sent the the gospel revealed by the 60 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:59,700 Holy Spirit and those that obey the word of God obey, that 61 00:03:59,700 --> 00:04:04,100 gospel are saved. So God's part sent Jesus to die, 62 00:04:04,100 --> 00:04:07,400 for the sins of the world. The Lord's part, he died for the 63 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:10,000 sins of the world and became God sacrificial lamb. 64 00:04:10,100 --> 00:04:12,300 What else did God do? He gave us the gospel. 65 00:04:12,700 --> 00:04:16,700 He gave us the power to save which is the word of God, which 66 00:04:16,700 --> 00:04:19,500 is the gospel that's God's part, man. 67 00:04:19,500 --> 00:04:23,800 Spark is obedience. And when we do that, we are the 68 00:04:23,900 --> 00:04:27,000 the elect of God. Now, the phrase put on Tender 69 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:28,900 Mercies. It's rendered that way in the 70 00:04:28,900 --> 00:04:32,700 new King James. In the King James version, it 71 00:04:32,700 --> 00:04:37,300 actually renders it bowels of mercy, and you've heard me say 72 00:04:37,300 --> 00:04:39,200 this. That when it talks about 73 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:42,700 something from the bowels, or the deepest part of the heart, 74 00:04:42,900 --> 00:04:45,500 it is always talking about the deepest part of the affection. 75 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:49,300 And that's different from when the Bible talks about the heart, 76 00:04:49,300 --> 00:04:52,500 being the mind, that's a totally different word. 77 00:04:52,900 --> 00:04:55,700 But when you talk about Bells, you're talking about something 78 00:04:55,700 --> 00:04:59,500 that is tied to the deepest part of affection. 79 00:04:59,700 --> 00:05:04,000 So what does it mean? What our bowels of mercies they 80 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:06,500 are tender. Affections in fact, this 81 00:05:06,500 --> 00:05:10,600 phraseology, by the way was a very common Hebrew, a ISM. 82 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:14,600 And it literally means having a heart of compassion. 83 00:05:15,500 --> 00:05:19,000 So, what he's saying is this, if you are the elect of God, 84 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:24,500 beloved have a heart of compassion, be this particular 85 00:05:24,500 --> 00:05:27,400 way in your life, and your demeanor. 86 00:05:27,500 --> 00:05:29,800 And in the way that you deal with your brothers and sisters 87 00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:33,900 in Christ, So bowels is used in the King James version 88 00:05:33,900 --> 00:05:36,600 figuratively. In the New Testament, they are 89 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:41,100 says a couple things about that. He said in the Greek poets, the 90 00:05:41,100 --> 00:05:45,400 bowels were regarded as the seat of a more violent passion but 91 00:05:45,400 --> 00:05:50,400 the Hebrews as the seat of tender affections and Paul adds 92 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:54,400 a few others too. He says, add kindness and 93 00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:58,700 humility, and meekness, and long-suffering. 94 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:01,800 And by the way, anytime you talk about long, Suffering, you're 95 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:05,400 talking about, just that suffering long, it's about being 96 00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:06,900 patient. You know. 97 00:06:06,900 --> 00:06:11,300 One of the things it's hard to be for me in my personality and 98 00:06:11,300 --> 00:06:16,200 my whole life is being patient and I know people that are so 99 00:06:16,200 --> 00:06:18,400 patient. It just comes natural to them. 100 00:06:18,900 --> 00:06:22,000 But this is a command this is telling me that I need to 101 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:26,500 demonstrate that kind of attitude or demonstrate 102 00:06:26,500 --> 00:06:30,700 long-suffering or patients because that's how I demonstrate 103 00:06:30,700 --> 00:06:32,000 that too. Others that's going to be 104 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:35,500 reflected in my behavior. So that's sometimes difficult. 105 00:06:35,500 --> 00:06:37,800 That might be a weakness of ours. 106 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:41,700 We have to do that though Paul says add those things. 107 00:06:42,100 --> 00:06:46,900 So if you look at the verses and you look at the end of verse 12, 108 00:06:46,900 --> 00:06:50,500 remember this was a continuous letter and it wasn't broken down 109 00:06:50,500 --> 00:06:55,300 by chapter and verse. So after we finished what was 110 00:06:55,300 --> 00:06:59,500 being said about long-suffering and so forth We Roll right into 111 00:06:59,500 --> 00:07:02,900 verse 13. And he says bearing with one 112 00:07:02,900 --> 00:07:06,100 another, the King James says forbearing one. 113 00:07:06,100 --> 00:07:10,600 Another then he says forgiving one another, if anyone has a 114 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:14,400 complaint against another even as Christ forgave you. 115 00:07:14,500 --> 00:07:17,900 So you also must do. Here's the question. 116 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:23,300 Can we forgive somebody that doesn't ask for forgiveness? 117 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:27,100 Think about that for just a minute. 118 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:31,200 Can we forgive somebody? Or is it okay, or is it 119 00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:36,200 permissible to forgive somebody? That does not ask for 120 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:41,300 forgiveness, the answer to that question is yes. 121 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:46,700 You can forgive somebody personally for anything at any 122 00:07:46,700 --> 00:07:50,800 time if you wish. But please don't misunderstand 123 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:53,700 what I'm saying. I'm not saying that the person 124 00:07:53,700 --> 00:07:58,100 can receive forgiveness from God if they don't ask or without 125 00:07:58,100 --> 00:07:59,900 repentance. I'm not talking about that. 126 00:08:00,500 --> 00:08:04,300 I'm talking about something, for example, if I choose to forgive 127 00:08:04,300 --> 00:08:06,600 somebody of something, I'm allowed to do that. 128 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:08,300 They still have to answer to God. 129 00:08:08,300 --> 00:08:11,800 If that be the case, give you a couple examples, you've heard 130 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:13,700 me. Preach on this before, when 131 00:08:13,700 --> 00:08:17,700 Stephen was being stoned, he said, Lord lay not this sin to 132 00:08:17,700 --> 00:08:21,000 their charge. Now they had to answer to God. 133 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:24,900 Obviously, in that regard, they had to what Stephen was saying 134 00:08:24,900 --> 00:08:28,800 by saying the words, lay not this sin to their charge, he was 135 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:32,600 basically demonstrating the fact that he personally was not 136 00:08:32,600 --> 00:08:35,700 holding that against them. Give another example. 137 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:40,100 This is even better. When Jesus says father forgive 138 00:08:40,100 --> 00:08:45,400 them for they know, not what they do, Jesus was saying that 139 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:48,000 about someone that was taking his life. 140 00:08:48,700 --> 00:08:52,000 Here's the point. It doesn't matter from a 141 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:55,600 personal standpoint, if you want to forgive somebody, but let me 142 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:57,800 just demonstrate. Let me just Define what I mean, 143 00:08:57,800 --> 00:09:02,200 by forgiving. Someone when you say, I forgive 144 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:08,300 someone, or if I do that, I am literally letting go Now 145 00:09:09,300 --> 00:09:11,800 obviously, if somebody does you wrong, and you have hurt 146 00:09:11,800 --> 00:09:16,100 feelings, and you have hard feelings, and maybe you're 147 00:09:16,100 --> 00:09:21,400 angry, and maybe you're bitter and maybe hold a grudge, maybe 148 00:09:21,400 --> 00:09:24,600 you don't let it go. All that will do is just draw 149 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:28,200 you personally. And when you forgive someone, 150 00:09:28,500 --> 00:09:31,200 you're not letting anybody off the hook, they still have to 151 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:33,900 answer to God. What you're saying is you're 152 00:09:33,900 --> 00:09:38,300 saying, I am letting go. I'm not letting that negatively 153 00:09:38,300 --> 00:09:44,400 influence me anymore and you let go I preach this, I don't know 154 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:46,100 where I preach it. So if I preached here, forgive 155 00:09:46,100 --> 00:09:50,400 me but I did preach this not long ago somewhere and I made 156 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:56,400 this statement about this idea. I said If somebody does you 157 00:09:56,400 --> 00:10:00,700 wrong. And offends you in any way and 158 00:10:00,700 --> 00:10:03,400 they hurt your feelings or whatever, chances are they've 159 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:07,800 moved forward and not even thinking about you, why would 160 00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:10,700 you give them the power to let them make? 161 00:10:10,700 --> 00:10:13,500 You feel the way that you feel about what they did? 162 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:18,600 Let it go, let it go. That's what forgiveness is. 163 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:23,100 It is a Letting Go Joseph was a great example of that named his 164 00:10:23,100 --> 00:10:25,700 firstborn son Manasseh. Meaning God has made me to 165 00:10:25,700 --> 00:10:29,500 forget all the trouble of my father's house So he let go, he 166 00:10:29,500 --> 00:10:32,400 said, I'm not going to be negatively influenced anymore, 167 00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:36,400 all right, so bearing with one another, and I'm gonna get to 168 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:39,300 Matthew 18 in just a minute. We have to time Matthew 18 to 169 00:10:39,300 --> 00:10:41,600 this so that we understand what I'm trying to point. 170 00:10:41,600 --> 00:10:45,000 I'm trying to make, but bearing with one another or forbearing 171 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:48,500 in the King James literally means similar to long-suffering 172 00:10:48,500 --> 00:10:51,700 the previous verse. It's the idea of having a spirit 173 00:10:51,700 --> 00:10:56,100 of patients with the faults of others, And this would be 174 00:10:56,100 --> 00:10:59,400 manifested in the willingness to forgive somebody who has 175 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:04,600 trespassed against us. Now the verse is saying this as 176 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:10,400 Jesus Christ. Forgave you Also forgive one 177 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:12,300 another. All right. 178 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:15,300 So maybe you're sitting there thinking, wait a minute, Matthew 179 00:11:15,300 --> 00:11:17,900 18. It says, I got to go to that 180 00:11:17,900 --> 00:11:22,700 person first, and we're looking for forgiveness, right? 181 00:11:23,300 --> 00:11:27,300 You ever stopped to consider Matthew 18 is exclusive to one 182 00:11:27,300 --> 00:11:31,000 thing. It is talking about a space in 183 00:11:31,200 --> 00:11:34,700 between two people, that's it. And I'll tell you something, 184 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:37,500 sometimes people want to bind, Matthew, 18, on all kinds of 185 00:11:37,500 --> 00:11:40,600 stuff. One thing it is the example of 186 00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:43,900 what you do. When there's a sin between two, 187 00:11:43,900 --> 00:11:47,800 people one sins against another, that's what Jesus said. 188 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:53,400 If anyone sins against you, You go to that person. 189 00:11:54,100 --> 00:11:56,600 Now, notice why you go, there you go. 190 00:11:56,600 --> 00:11:58,700 There because of sin has occurred. 191 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:03,800 And the Bible says, if that person hears, you or responds 192 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:06,600 favorably to you or repents and makes it right. 193 00:12:07,700 --> 00:12:10,000 It says you have gained your brother. 194 00:12:10,700 --> 00:12:13,000 Now, the reason that it says you've gained your brother is it 195 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:16,000 implies that you had lost your brother. 196 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:19,000 Do you know why? Because sin separates? 197 00:12:19,700 --> 00:12:23,900 And when their sin, there is a Operation of Fellowship. 198 00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:28,500 That's the reason you're not going there for them to make up 199 00:12:28,500 --> 00:12:30,600 with you. You're going there to help them, 200 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:33,800 see their sin and repent and make it right. 201 00:12:35,100 --> 00:12:37,400 And Jesus says this, if they won't hear you, you take 202 00:12:37,400 --> 00:12:40,400 somebody else with you. Do you know why very important. 203 00:12:40,900 --> 00:12:43,600 There's a reason that you take somebody with you obviously from 204 00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:45,700 the mouth of two or three Witnesses, let every word be 205 00:12:45,700 --> 00:12:49,300 established as it says but there's more and is brilliant. 206 00:12:51,100 --> 00:12:54,000 You ever stopped to consider, if I think Terry sinned against me 207 00:12:54,100 --> 00:12:57,300 and I go to him and I say Terry you sinned against me and he 208 00:12:57,300 --> 00:13:00,900 says, well, no I didn't and then I bring some others with me. 209 00:13:00,900 --> 00:13:04,700 We go see Terry and we are at all out. 210 00:13:04,700 --> 00:13:06,300 Do you know of the people that I bring with me? 211 00:13:06,300 --> 00:13:08,500 Might say, no a minute Frank, you're wrong, he didn't sin. 212 00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:11,900 One of the reasons that you bring others with you, is to 213 00:13:11,900 --> 00:13:13,600 prove that there really was a sin. 214 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:16,500 Why? Because sin separates, so 215 00:13:16,500 --> 00:13:19,900 Matthew 18 is talking about Sin and is talking about being 216 00:13:19,900 --> 00:13:23,100 forgiven, from God, and restoring Fellowship. 217 00:13:23,100 --> 00:13:27,900 So personally, though we can forgive anybody for anything at 218 00:13:27,900 --> 00:13:33,600 any time that we choose to do so, but that's really not the 219 00:13:33,600 --> 00:13:36,800 problem. The problem is when somebody is 220 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:40,500 asking for forgiveness and people want to withhold their 221 00:13:40,500 --> 00:13:43,900 forgiveness or people might say, well, we're just kind of see how 222 00:13:43,900 --> 00:13:46,100 it goes. Well, we'll just kind of see 223 00:13:46,100 --> 00:13:48,400 what happens in the future. Don't do that, because that's 224 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:52,700 not what the Lord does for us. So as the Lord forgives us, we 225 00:13:52,700 --> 00:13:58,000 forgive others question. Number 3 covers verse 14. 226 00:13:59,500 --> 00:14:03,700 But above all these things put on love which is the bond of 227 00:14:03,700 --> 00:14:06,500 perfection. So the freight that the question 228 00:14:06,500 --> 00:14:09,300 is what's meant by the phrase the bond of perfection. 229 00:14:10,900 --> 00:14:15,400 Well, obviously he's talking about love and love is the bond 230 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:19,900 of perfection log will make a complete Bond of unity between 231 00:14:19,900 --> 00:14:22,800 brethren. In fact, this phraseology could 232 00:14:22,800 --> 00:14:27,900 actually be better rendered. That love is a perfect Bond of 233 00:14:27,900 --> 00:14:32,800 unity. In Ephesians chapter 4, verse 3. 234 00:14:33,500 --> 00:14:38,600 Paul said Endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the 235 00:14:38,600 --> 00:14:43,800 bond of Peace. Philippians, 1:27 says, only let 236 00:14:43,800 --> 00:14:47,500 your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ so that whether 237 00:14:47,500 --> 00:14:50,600 I come and see you or him absent, I may hear of your 238 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:55,200 Affairs that you stand fast in one spirit with one mind 239 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:57,400 striving together for the faith of the Gospel. 240 00:14:57,500 --> 00:15:01,800 One more passage Philippians 2 and to fulfill my Joy by being 241 00:15:01,800 --> 00:15:05,100 like-minded. Having the same love being of 242 00:15:05,100 --> 00:15:07,600 one. Accord of Of one mind, one 243 00:15:07,600 --> 00:15:11,000 scholar said that such a love. That is poured into the hearts 244 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:15,100 of Believers. Is the adhesive of the church. 245 00:15:16,900 --> 00:15:21,100 I really appreciate it so much. Terry's prayer. 246 00:15:22,700 --> 00:15:27,600 And I always appreciate and I don't do it enough, but I always 247 00:15:27,600 --> 00:15:31,200 appreciate when a brother. Praise thanking God for being at 248 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:34,800 peace. Congregations, that are not at 249 00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:39,100 peace. Can destroy the work, it gives 250 00:15:39,300 --> 00:15:42,800 destroy the church. And it's a wonderful thing to 251 00:15:42,800 --> 00:15:47,600 have a bond of unity. Now, you can have all kinds of 252 00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:50,100 things that you have challenges that you're working through, but 253 00:15:50,100 --> 00:15:53,600 if you have the bond of unity, you can, you can make it 254 00:15:53,600 --> 00:15:56,600 through. And Paul says, what that is? 255 00:15:56,600 --> 00:16:00,700 That is the bond of unity is love. 256 00:16:01,500 --> 00:16:08,000 And then in verse number 15, he says and let the peace of God 257 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:12,300 rule in your hearts to which also you were called in one body 258 00:16:12,300 --> 00:16:16,700 and be thankful. So the bond of perfection or the 259 00:16:16,700 --> 00:16:19,800 bond of perfectness is love flows, right? 260 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:22,900 Into verse 15 and it talks about peace. 261 00:16:23,900 --> 00:16:27,700 Now, I know that sometimes we think peace is the feeling that 262 00:16:27,700 --> 00:16:30,200 we get when things are going exactly the way that we want 263 00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:32,900 them to go. In fact, you can look up. 264 00:16:32,900 --> 00:16:36,400 If you Google that you can get all kinds of definitions, you 265 00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:38,800 can look up and dictionaries. Get all kinds of definitions. 266 00:16:38,800 --> 00:16:41,700 And one of the definitions, that is reoccurring, I've looked it 267 00:16:41,700 --> 00:16:44,900 up. It's having a feeling of, of 268 00:16:45,400 --> 00:16:49,500 inside a feeling of contentment because everything is, as you 269 00:16:49,500 --> 00:16:53,900 want it to be, But the peace of God is different. 270 00:16:54,400 --> 00:16:57,900 In fact, the phrase peace of God, literally means peace from 271 00:16:57,900 --> 00:17:01,200 God. It's the peace that only God can 272 00:17:01,200 --> 00:17:04,400 give. In fact, piece is one of the 273 00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:07,099 attributes of God. You know, God has many things. 274 00:17:07,599 --> 00:17:10,200 We used to sing all the time that song God is love. 275 00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:12,300 Come, let us all unite and seeing that God is love. 276 00:17:12,300 --> 00:17:15,000 Why? Because love is an attribute of 277 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:17,900 God. God's also many other things. 278 00:17:17,900 --> 00:17:21,300 One of the things that he is he is also peace. 279 00:17:21,400 --> 00:17:23,900 Peace. So what we're talking about is 280 00:17:23,900 --> 00:17:28,800 the peace of God which is the peace that comes from God. 281 00:17:29,600 --> 00:17:33,100 It is the calmness of mind that's provided by God. 282 00:17:33,600 --> 00:17:37,000 And by the way, when the Bible talks about the peace that 283 00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:43,100 surpasses all understanding You ever had a piece of mind? 284 00:17:44,600 --> 00:17:48,300 In the midst of or in the face of terrible things going on. 285 00:17:49,400 --> 00:17:52,000 And there's chaotic mess all around us. 286 00:17:53,300 --> 00:17:57,100 But were at peace. And sometimes people that look 287 00:17:57,100 --> 00:17:59,800 on us from the world, they don't know why, they're how you can be 288 00:17:59,800 --> 00:18:03,400 at peace. That's the peace that surpasses 289 00:18:03,400 --> 00:18:07,700 all understanding. In other words, you are at peace 290 00:18:07,700 --> 00:18:11,900 and you have a peace of mind in spite of the circumstances in 291 00:18:11,900 --> 00:18:14,600 your life. There's no understanding to. 292 00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:17,000 That is surpasses understanding you just have it. 293 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:19,100 You know why? Because it comes from God, 294 00:18:19,100 --> 00:18:23,000 therefore that peace that God gives is divine. 295 00:18:24,300 --> 00:18:29,000 It comes from God. Now what is it if you have the 296 00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:32,700 peace of God regardless of the circumstances in your life it is 297 00:18:32,700 --> 00:18:35,800 this the best way that I can phrase, it's like this. 298 00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:38,500 The peace of God that we're talking about that needs to 299 00:18:38,500 --> 00:18:42,500 ruler reign in our hearts, and these two, absolutely dictate 300 00:18:42,500 --> 00:18:45,500 our hearts and Lead our hearts and minds and put us in the 301 00:18:45,500 --> 00:18:50,200 proper mindset, is the peace of mind that knows this, that 302 00:18:50,200 --> 00:18:53,200 regardless of the circumstances that are in my life, even if 303 00:18:53,200 --> 00:18:57,900 they're very - it doesn't matter because Everything is right 304 00:18:57,900 --> 00:19:01,400 between my soul and God. That's number one. 305 00:19:02,900 --> 00:19:07,500 Number two, I'm putting all of this and trusting all of this to 306 00:19:07,500 --> 00:19:12,200 God and I'm putting my life In Time and Eternity in his hands 307 00:19:12,800 --> 00:19:15,200 and regardless of the, of the circumstances. 308 00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:19,700 And regardless of his answer, I'm okay, that is the peace of 309 00:19:19,700 --> 00:19:22,700 God that passes all understanding. 310 00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:25,500 So what he says, is this verse 14? 311 00:19:25,500 --> 00:19:29,300 Put on love. It's the bond of perfection and 312 00:19:29,300 --> 00:19:32,700 let the peace of God rule in your hearts to, which also, You 313 00:19:32,708 --> 00:19:36,500 were called in one body and be thankful, you know, the idea of 314 00:19:36,500 --> 00:19:40,200 being called here in one body, you know. 315 00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:43,200 It talks about that very same thing in Ephesians chapter 1 and 316 00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:48,000 it shows the very important place that you can only find 317 00:19:48,100 --> 00:19:50,900 this peace of God. It is in one body. 318 00:19:51,500 --> 00:19:56,000 It's in the church, Ephesians 1, 2012, 22 and 23. 319 00:19:57,200 --> 00:20:00,600 You know, sometimes people can have a peaceful feeling but they 320 00:20:00,600 --> 00:20:03,000 can be an error, they can be wrong. 321 00:20:03,400 --> 00:20:05,800 And if they could have a peaceful feeling inside but it 322 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:10,000 didn't come from God, the only ones that get the peace of God 323 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:12,000 that comes from God, are his children. 324 00:20:12,100 --> 00:20:15,900 His people, the elect that we talked about the ones that are 325 00:20:15,900 --> 00:20:18,700 found. As this verse says, in this one 326 00:20:18,900 --> 00:20:23,600 body, that's what comes from God, Other times people could 327 00:20:23,600 --> 00:20:25,700 have feelings of Peace but they're mistaken. 328 00:20:26,200 --> 00:20:29,800 It surpasses all understanding peace is not subject to the 329 00:20:29,808 --> 00:20:33,200 circumstances of life. Then we come to our last verse 330 00:20:33,500 --> 00:20:38,700 verse 16 and very familiar. Passage verse 16 says, let the 331 00:20:38,700 --> 00:20:42,600 word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom teaching 332 00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:44,900 and admonishing. One, another in Psalms and 333 00:20:44,900 --> 00:20:49,000 hymns, and spiritual songs singing with Grace, in your 334 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:53,100 hearts, to the Lord. You know, you can look up a 335 00:20:53,100 --> 00:20:55,500 number of commentators and they'll pretty much say the same 336 00:20:55,500 --> 00:20:57,900 thing if they're make if they're giving definitions. 337 00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:01,500 These definitions are straight from strong. 338 00:21:02,900 --> 00:21:05,000 And defining the following words. 339 00:21:05,800 --> 00:21:11,700 Psalm according to mr. Strong is a Pious song or a song 340 00:21:11,700 --> 00:21:16,800 of Praise a him. According to strong is a song 341 00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:20,100 written in praise to God a sacred song. 342 00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:25,200 Thirdly, as spiritual song spiritual songs according to 343 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:29,300 strong our songs. Belonging to the spirit or that 344 00:21:29,300 --> 00:21:33,000 have spiritual things. So if you look at these 345 00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:35,800 definitions, there's really not a whole lot of Distinction drawn 346 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:40,900 between any of those and really, they're all, they're all quite 347 00:21:40,900 --> 00:21:42,700 similar. There's not a tremendous amount 348 00:21:42,700 --> 00:21:46,100 of Distinction in the definition of them of the ones listed. 349 00:21:46,500 --> 00:21:51,400 The important thing is singing the word singing, and Says that 350 00:21:51,400 --> 00:21:55,600 singing is voicing words and musical tones involving 351 00:21:55,600 --> 00:22:00,000 modulations, and inflections, and singing, with Grace means 352 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:03,800 that in our singing, It's a message and attitude and a 353 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:07,200 sincerity. I think that's great. 354 00:22:08,600 --> 00:22:11,900 With our singing, it is a message. 355 00:22:12,300 --> 00:22:16,800 It's an attitude and it's the sincerity that's important. 356 00:22:18,100 --> 00:22:21,200 Now, if we're going to teach each other and admonishing, one 357 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:25,400 another in Psalms, and hymns and spiritual songs then it's very 358 00:22:25,400 --> 00:22:27,900 imperative. That the words of our songs are 359 00:22:27,900 --> 00:22:30,900 scriptural. And, you know, there are things 360 00:22:30,900 --> 00:22:33,500 that are appropriate. I remember in a songbook years 361 00:22:33,500 --> 00:22:35,900 ago, when I was a kid, we were going to congregation and 362 00:22:35,900 --> 00:22:40,900 monitors Oaks, they had a, they had a Hymnal there and you open 363 00:22:40,900 --> 00:22:44,600 it up and one of the songs in there, You're a Grand Old Flag. 364 00:22:45,600 --> 00:22:48,500 Well, you know, you're a grand old flag, is a fine song on the 365 00:22:48,500 --> 00:22:51,100 fourth of July, but really it has no place in the worship 366 00:22:51,100 --> 00:22:54,500 service at all. There's there was other songs 367 00:22:54,500 --> 00:22:57,900 like that they're inappropriate. Those are inappropriate things 368 00:22:58,200 --> 00:23:00,900 in worship. When we sing worship will songs. 369 00:23:01,100 --> 00:23:06,100 So songs need to be appropriate, you wouldn't lead a song in the 370 00:23:06,100 --> 00:23:07,900 morning? Oh, why not tonight? 371 00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:11,600 When it's in the morning time, you would want sing something. 372 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:14,800 That would prompt people to be persuaded to step forward and 373 00:23:14,800 --> 00:23:16,900 obey the gospel. Then and right now almost 374 00:23:16,900 --> 00:23:20,300 persuaded or something else. So it's very important that we 375 00:23:20,300 --> 00:23:25,700 use songs that are appropriate, and especially scriptural, and 376 00:23:25,700 --> 00:23:29,900 do so, with spiritual content, and the melody is made in the 377 00:23:29,900 --> 00:23:33,100 heart. Now, I just want to make one 378 00:23:33,100 --> 00:23:39,500 final point about the heart. Thayer says the heart is the 379 00:23:39,500 --> 00:23:43,800 seat of our spiritual life. It is the source of our 380 00:23:43,800 --> 00:23:47,400 thoughts, our passions, and our desires. 381 00:23:49,300 --> 00:23:51,200 That's different from bowels by the way. 382 00:23:52,300 --> 00:23:55,400 That's talking about affection. Here is talking about the seat 383 00:23:55,400 --> 00:24:00,300 of our thoughts, passions and desires, everything it is the 384 00:24:00,300 --> 00:24:03,200 seat of our spiritual life. It's the source of all that. 385 00:24:03,200 --> 00:24:08,300 That's why the Bible says that as a man thinketh in his heart. 386 00:24:08,300 --> 00:24:12,600 So is he it's the source of it all it begins in the mind. 387 00:24:12,900 --> 00:24:16,800 It also is our Inner Man, our spirit and which we sing. 388 00:24:16,800 --> 00:24:20,300 And with those words are to originate from the thoughts and 389 00:24:20,300 --> 00:24:22,200 feelings of the heart. Art. 390 00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:29,100 We had a great singing recently here. 391 00:24:31,500 --> 00:24:36,300 We had some different, some new songs and they were fresh. 392 00:24:37,300 --> 00:24:40,800 And it's is so important to sing songs that we know we can't sing 393 00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:44,300 them, or at least sing songs that we can follow. 394 00:24:45,700 --> 00:24:51,300 But it's important that we sing songs where every aspect of our 395 00:24:51,300 --> 00:24:55,600 attitude and our thoughts and our passions, and all of that 396 00:24:55,700 --> 00:24:57,800 are involved. Instead of just singing the 397 00:24:57,800 --> 00:25:02,200 words to get through the song. Here's a song, we've sung for 30 398 00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:04,800 years, we just go through the song then the songs over. 399 00:25:04,800 --> 00:25:09,100 We shut the book, it needs to be more than that, and we sing with 400 00:25:09,100 --> 00:25:13,500 the heart and we sing with our desires, our desire is to serve 401 00:25:13,500 --> 00:25:17,700 and praise and please God. And in every aspect that we do, 402 00:25:18,100 --> 00:25:21,800 and that's what it means in spiritual songs, singing with 403 00:25:21,800 --> 00:25:24,500 Grace, in your hearts, to the Lord. 404 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:28,900 When you were saying that I was thinking about something that 405 00:25:28,900 --> 00:25:35,200 happened a few years ago. there was a two young, two men in a 406 00:25:35,208 --> 00:25:38,700 car and they had been, they had both been drinking. 407 00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:43,900 And they got in a car accident and one of them was killed in. 408 00:25:43,900 --> 00:25:46,500 The one that was the passenger was the one that was killed. 409 00:25:47,300 --> 00:25:53,700 And I remember that the mother of the young man that died said, 410 00:25:53,700 --> 00:25:58,700 I forgive you. And there was no asking for 411 00:25:58,700 --> 00:26:01,100 forgiveness. It, I forgive you and I thought 412 00:26:01,100 --> 00:26:04,000 I was so impressed by that because what she was saying, she 413 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:08,200 was saying I release myself. I let go. 414 00:26:08,300 --> 00:26:10,800 I'm not going to hold on to hate and Malice. 415 00:26:11,300 --> 00:26:14,100 I'm not going to allow the bitterness to overtake my life. 416 00:26:14,100 --> 00:26:16,200 She was saying that, that's what she was saying to this young 417 00:26:16,200 --> 00:26:17,800 man. She said, damn, she grabbed him 418 00:26:17,800 --> 00:26:20,700 like this. He came into the funeral was in 419 00:26:20,700 --> 00:26:24,000 Texas and she had him sit right next to her. 420 00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:30,900 And she said, I forgive you and what she was saying is I'm not 421 00:26:30,900 --> 00:26:34,000 going to be negatively influenced anymore. 422 00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:37,100 And I think that's a, I think you're right. 423 00:26:37,100 --> 00:26:38,000 Terry. Think you hit it on the head 424 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:39,100 when it said we can't have malice. 425 00:26:39,100 --> 00:26:42,000 You're absolutely right. That's a sin got to turn loose 426 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:45,000 of that so I appreciate that. Preciate that ask you very, very 427 00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:49,900 much. I wanted to say this add one 428 00:26:49,900 --> 00:26:53,700 more thing about the single. I am so thankful for the men 429 00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:57,400 that have the ability to stand up and Lead new songs for us. 430 00:26:58,300 --> 00:27:01,500 I think that is so important and I remember what Linwood said one 431 00:27:01,500 --> 00:27:05,900 time is, he said that's so important to singing It's so 432 00:27:05,900 --> 00:27:10,700 important to to learn new songs and sing new words as sing and 433 00:27:10,700 --> 00:27:12,500 so forth. It really helps the singing. 434 00:27:12,900 --> 00:27:14,800 And if you look at the definition of singing, with 435 00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:17,500 Grace, in your hearts, to the Lord, I think sometimes that is 436 00:27:17,500 --> 00:27:20,900 necessary to do that. So yes, we love the old 437 00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:24,200 standbys, absolutely. We love those, but the new songs 438 00:27:24,200 --> 00:27:27,200 to, and to stretch ourselves, and learn new songs. 439 00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:29,600 I'm so thankful. And by the way traveling, all 440 00:27:29,600 --> 00:27:32,100 over the United States, we are blessed here. 441 00:27:33,200 --> 00:27:36,200 Traveling all over the country holding gospel meetings. 442 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:39,300 I'm going to tell you, we have, we really have it. 443 00:27:39,300 --> 00:27:42,500 Well here and very thankful for the men that can do that and 444 00:27:42,500 --> 00:27:46,200 they and the congregation that sings as well as it does. 445 00:27:47,600 --> 00:27:50,200 We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the 446 00:27:50,200 --> 00:27:55,900 Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. Road in Bakersfield, if you 447 00:27:55,908 --> 00:27:59,100 would like any additional information or you would like to 448 00:27:59,108 --> 00:28:02,200 receive a free Bible correspondence, course by mail. 449 00:28:02,900 --> 00:28:06,700 Please email us at info at True Church of Christ 450 00:28:06,700 --> 00:28:10,600 Bakersfield.com. Our service times are on Sundays 451 00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:16,300 at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. 452 00:28:16,900 --> 00:28:20,400 Please make plans to join us. We would love for you to be our 453 00:28:20,400 --> 00:28:21,300 honored guest.