1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:04,280 We are taking a long look at at the church, helping us 2 00:00:04,280 --> 00:00:09,000 understand how we, the called out ones, are to understand God 3 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:13,320 designed for His church. It's so important for us to come 4 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:18,440 to grips with the reality of what it means to be a child of 5 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:24,840 the king, what it means to be chosen by God, converted by God, 6 00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:28,960 cleansed by God, commissioned by God. 7 00:00:29,490 --> 00:00:33,370 To serve his purposes. I think if you look at the 8 00:00:33,370 --> 00:00:35,770 church, it's meaning, it's mission and ministry. 9 00:00:36,210 --> 00:00:40,490 It really is about what it means to to love the church. 10 00:00:41,250 --> 00:00:45,650 I would hope that you love the church, not the organization, 11 00:00:45,650 --> 00:00:51,330 not the denomination, not the intricate details of the facade 12 00:00:51,330 --> 00:00:54,930 of the facility. But do you really, truly love 13 00:00:55,330 --> 00:00:59,090 the church? I've had the the most incredible 14 00:00:59,090 --> 00:01:03,210 privilege over the last 29 years to to pastor here at Christ 15 00:01:03,210 --> 00:01:07,530 Community Church and I can honestly tell you that I truly 16 00:01:07,530 --> 00:01:12,970 love the church. I love the church not just 17 00:01:12,970 --> 00:01:16,970 because of of the fact that I'm employed here. 18 00:01:17,490 --> 00:01:21,770 I love the church because of all that it is and all that God 19 00:01:21,770 --> 00:01:24,890 designed it to be. And I've had the most 20 00:01:24,890 --> 00:01:29,060 incredible. Experience and wonderful 21 00:01:29,060 --> 00:01:34,100 ministry to serve alongside many of you in this ministry over all 22 00:01:34,100 --> 00:01:39,620 these years. And I really, truly love the 23 00:01:39,620 --> 00:01:43,220 Church. I mean, you can't not love the 24 00:01:43,220 --> 00:01:44,940 Church if you love the Lord, right? 25 00:01:45,660 --> 00:01:49,980 Because you you love the people he died for and and so you you 26 00:01:49,980 --> 00:01:54,360 love the the Church. And I find it interesting that 27 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:58,280 that, you know, I I've raised a lot of children and now I have a 28 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:01,320 lot of grandchildren. And you know, it wasn't the fact 29 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:04,720 that after after 10 years of having children and raising 30 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:10,199 children that I decided to to Chuck them aside and start a new 31 00:02:10,199 --> 00:02:15,720 family. No, I stayed with my children to 32 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:20,480 raise them, to nurture them, to care for them, to love them. 33 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:25,400 Over all these years, and that's never going to change. 34 00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:29,000 Well, when I came to Christ Community Church, I didn't come 35 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:32,520 for 10 years so that I can Chuck you aside and and go to another 36 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:37,720 church and adopt A new family and be a pastor of a of a new 37 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:42,160 congregation. No, that's not, that's not the 38 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:43,960 way the ministry's supposed to be. 39 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:48,920 You need to show commitment as you would in a marriage to a 40 00:02:48,920 --> 00:02:52,730 family. Devotion as you would to 41 00:02:52,730 --> 00:02:57,210 marriage and a family and and the Lord made it very clear that 42 00:02:57,210 --> 00:03:00,250 your spiritual family always takes priority over your 43 00:03:00,250 --> 00:03:03,490 physical family. When they came to him and said, 44 00:03:03,490 --> 00:03:06,930 Lord, your mother and your brother are outside waiting for 45 00:03:06,930 --> 00:03:12,530 you and he said, who are my mother and who are my brothers 46 00:03:13,290 --> 00:03:18,650 but those who who believe in me? You mean very clear that the 47 00:03:18,650 --> 00:03:22,910 spiritual priority. Took place over the physical 48 00:03:23,190 --> 00:03:26,070 aspect of family. Why? 49 00:03:26,710 --> 00:03:32,270 Listen, we are going to spend the rest of our lives on this 50 00:03:32,270 --> 00:03:35,630 planet and into the future and eternity together. 51 00:03:37,150 --> 00:03:40,030 Like it or not, if you're a believer in the Lord Jesus 52 00:03:40,030 --> 00:03:45,630 Christ, we're going to be forever together in glory. 53 00:03:46,270 --> 00:03:49,670 That's just the way it's going to be, so get used to it. 54 00:03:50,740 --> 00:03:53,260 If you don't like someone in front of you or behind you, just 55 00:03:53,260 --> 00:03:56,140 think you're going to be sharing a mansion with them and glory. 56 00:03:57,380 --> 00:04:00,540 And so there's a certain aspect you can look at the principles 57 00:04:00,540 --> 00:04:04,860 that we're looking at as the fact that This is why we love 58 00:04:04,860 --> 00:04:09,660 the church, we love the church because it's the plan of the Son 59 00:04:09,660 --> 00:04:13,460 of God, he said in Matthew 16. I will build my church in the 60 00:04:13,660 --> 00:04:15,740 and the gates of hell should not prevail against it. 61 00:04:15,980 --> 00:04:18,940 Do you know that Jesus never built anything else? 62 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:23,520 He only built one thing, the church. 63 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:27,320 He's continually building the church. 64 00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:32,560 And to that last soul is saved in the church age. 65 00:04:33,280 --> 00:04:37,480 And there's going to come and receive us unto himself that 66 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:43,040 where he is. There we may be also, but it's 67 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:45,320 the plan, the Son of God. It was a perfect plan. 68 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:48,200 It's a precious plan. It's a providential plan. 69 00:04:49,090 --> 00:04:53,770 It was a plan made in the eternity past before time began. 70 00:04:55,370 --> 00:04:59,530 We love the Church because it's a plan of the Son of God. 71 00:05:00,530 --> 00:05:04,210 We love the church because the church is the possession of the 72 00:05:04,210 --> 00:05:06,930 living God. First Peter, chapter 2, verse 73 00:05:06,930 --> 00:05:10,690 #9. We are His chosen possession. 74 00:05:10,980 --> 00:05:15,380 We are His children. We are His bride. 75 00:05:15,460 --> 00:05:20,140 We are His body. He purchased us with His blood. 76 00:05:20,780 --> 00:05:24,020 He bought us back from the slave market of sin that we might be 77 00:05:24,020 --> 00:05:28,180 His and His alone. In fact, we're such a possession 78 00:05:28,180 --> 00:05:32,300 of His that He takes up the residence in our lives. 79 00:05:33,020 --> 00:05:36,420 What was the mystery concealed in the Old Testament but now 80 00:05:36,420 --> 00:05:38,740 revealed in the New Testament? Christ and you. 81 00:05:39,370 --> 00:05:43,650 The hope of glory. We are such a possession of His 82 00:05:43,810 --> 00:05:47,410 that he takes up residence in our lives and works in and 83 00:05:47,410 --> 00:05:49,810 through us. The Father resides in us. 84 00:05:49,810 --> 00:05:52,370 The Spirit resides in us. The Son resides in us. 85 00:05:52,730 --> 00:05:54,850 Read the Gospel of John. They're all there. 86 00:05:55,530 --> 00:05:58,450 In terms of the understanding of what God is doing with his own 87 00:05:58,450 --> 00:06:02,210 possession. Can't help but love the church. 88 00:06:02,930 --> 00:06:05,810 It's the plan of the Son of God, and you're part of that plan. 89 00:06:06,980 --> 00:06:09,060 If you love the Lord and you're you're a believer in the Lord 90 00:06:09,060 --> 00:06:11,740 Jesus Christ, you're part of that perfect, providential, 91 00:06:11,900 --> 00:06:18,380 precious plan of the living God. And we are the possession of the 92 00:06:18,380 --> 00:06:21,220 living God. He owns us. 93 00:06:22,100 --> 00:06:27,820 He bought us. He took us out of Satan's domain 94 00:06:28,500 --> 00:06:35,140 and put us into His Kingdom. How can you not love the church? 95 00:06:36,050 --> 00:06:40,930 Because you love the Lord in our Third Point, and this is kind of 96 00:06:40,930 --> 00:06:43,490 where we've camped out on the last couple of weeks, that the 97 00:06:43,490 --> 00:06:48,170 church is the pillar of the. Truth of God First 70. 98 00:06:48,170 --> 00:06:51,130 Three verse #15 tells us that the church is the pillar and 99 00:06:51,130 --> 00:06:55,610 support of the living God, and we've been looking at what that 100 00:06:55,610 --> 00:06:59,240 church looks like. And how do you know that as a 101 00:06:59,280 --> 00:07:03,600 church, we are demonstrating on a regular basis that we are the 102 00:07:03,840 --> 00:07:07,680 pillar and support of the truth of the living God? 103 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:14,560 Because that's who we are. And so we told you over the last 104 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:17,760 couple of weeks that the church that is the pillar and support 105 00:07:17,760 --> 00:07:21,520 of the truth is a church that studies the truth carefully. 106 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:24,440 They want to know what the truth says. 107 00:07:24,920 --> 00:07:27,200 That's why the early church was committed to the apostles 108 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:29,960 teaching. That's why Paul tells Timothy 109 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:32,600 Study to show yourself approved in the God a Workman that needed 110 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:35,800 not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 111 00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:41,880 The church that's the the pillar of the truth of God studies the 112 00:07:41,880 --> 00:07:46,560 truth very carefully, like the Bereans who who search the 113 00:07:46,560 --> 00:07:49,720 scriptures to see whether or not these things are so because you 114 00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:54,770 want to know exactly who God is. And so you study the truth 115 00:07:54,770 --> 00:07:57,290 carefully. And the number two, you show the 116 00:07:57,290 --> 00:08:01,090 truth clearly. And that's how you know You 117 00:08:01,090 --> 00:08:04,570 studied it carefully. You show it very clearly. 118 00:08:04,930 --> 00:08:08,690 You demonstrate the truth. You live out the truth. 119 00:08:09,530 --> 00:08:13,650 So all will know that what you believe is really true, because 120 00:08:13,650 --> 00:08:17,090 it's manifested on a daily basis in your life. 121 00:08:17,970 --> 00:08:20,890 And so you show the truth clearly. 122 00:08:21,910 --> 00:08:25,830 And those who study the truth carefully and show the truth 123 00:08:26,230 --> 00:08:30,950 clearly are those who speak the truth convincingly. 124 00:08:31,670 --> 00:08:33,390 And that's what we talked about last week. 125 00:08:34,230 --> 00:08:37,429 You speak the truth convincingly. 126 00:08:38,309 --> 00:08:43,630 You speak and exhort with all authority, Paul tells Titus and 127 00:08:43,630 --> 00:08:49,110 Titus, Chapter 2, verse #15. You speak the truth convincingly 128 00:08:49,110 --> 00:08:50,870 because you speak it authoritatively. 129 00:08:51,440 --> 00:08:53,840 You speak it, you speak it apocalyptically. 130 00:08:54,960 --> 00:08:58,680 You speak it accurately. You speak it authentically. 131 00:08:58,680 --> 00:09:02,240 We talked about all those last week, But you speak the truth 132 00:09:02,680 --> 00:09:09,840 convincingly, #4 and this is where we left off last week. 133 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:17,640 The church that's the pillar of the truth of God is the Church 134 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:26,480 that submits to truth. Continually, it submits to 135 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:31,800 truth. Continually, In other words, you 136 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:37,120 line yourself up under the authority of the word of God. 137 00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:44,680 Now, this is not easy for most of us because there are certain 138 00:09:44,680 --> 00:09:49,720 things in the scriptures that we find hard to digest, hard to 139 00:09:49,720 --> 00:09:54,950 accept. Difficult to to realize. 140 00:09:56,470 --> 00:09:59,270 And yet we are to submit to the truth continually. 141 00:09:59,590 --> 00:10:03,910 That is, every day I am finding myself under the authority of 142 00:10:03,910 --> 00:10:05,950 God's Word. What does God's word say that I 143 00:10:05,950 --> 00:10:07,990 should be doing? What does God's Word say that I 144 00:10:07,990 --> 00:10:11,670 be I should be saying? What do I do in order to honor 145 00:10:11,670 --> 00:10:14,190 my God? And so I line myself up under 146 00:10:14,190 --> 00:10:19,150 the the commands of Scripture. And so I submit to the truth. 147 00:10:20,500 --> 00:10:25,300 Continually when when the Bible speaks about forgiveness, right? 148 00:10:26,620 --> 00:10:28,860 I I I want to forgive my brother. 149 00:10:29,620 --> 00:10:32,060 I want to forgive those who have sinned against me. 150 00:10:33,540 --> 00:10:36,300 I don't want to hold the grudge. I don't want to become bitter 151 00:10:36,300 --> 00:10:38,980 and angry. I want to forgive one another 152 00:10:39,020 --> 00:10:43,580 even as God, for Christ's sake Features 4 tells me has forgiven 153 00:10:43,580 --> 00:10:47,300 me. And yet we find ourselves 154 00:10:47,820 --> 00:10:51,740 bristling against. Forgiving those who have wronged 155 00:10:51,740 --> 00:10:58,060 us so that's just not willing to submit to the truth of God 156 00:10:58,060 --> 00:11:04,620 continually when it when it comes to to serving one another. 157 00:11:05,700 --> 00:11:11,980 We we should be in service mode at all times when to serve our 158 00:11:11,980 --> 00:11:13,260 fellow brother and sister in Christ. 159 00:11:13,380 --> 00:11:17,820 But this way serving by by exercising your spiritual get to 160 00:11:17,820 --> 00:11:21,800 this right. God has gifted each and one of 161 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:24,880 us first. Peter Chapter 4, verse #10 tells 162 00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:31,240 us as each has received a gift, employ it in serving one 163 00:11:31,240 --> 00:11:34,160 another. Why? 164 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:39,760 Because we are a body. If one rejoices, we all rejoice. 165 00:11:39,760 --> 00:11:42,680 If if one is sad, we're we're all sad. 166 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:47,520 But we're all in this together as the body of Christ. 167 00:11:48,780 --> 00:11:52,820 And so, because the Bible tells us about the gifts that God has 168 00:11:52,820 --> 00:11:55,620 given to us, that we might exercise them in the body and 169 00:11:55,620 --> 00:11:58,780 minister to one another in a most profound kind of way doing. 170 00:11:58,780 --> 00:12:00,860 Something that no. One else can do because God has 171 00:12:00,860 --> 00:12:03,740 specifically gifted you to be used in the church for His 172 00:12:03,740 --> 00:12:08,220 glory. If I don't submit to that and 173 00:12:08,220 --> 00:12:13,260 follow through on that, then I live in rebellion to the truth 174 00:12:13,980 --> 00:12:18,140 of God's Word, and as the individual, I cease to be. 175 00:12:18,650 --> 00:12:21,610 The pillar and support of the truth. 176 00:12:24,170 --> 00:12:27,570 You see, we are to submit to everything that God says. 177 00:12:28,730 --> 00:12:32,730 We don't have the luxury of picking and choosing what we're 178 00:12:32,730 --> 00:12:35,970 going to submit to. I mean, I don't allow my 179 00:12:35,970 --> 00:12:40,730 children to pick and choose what they submit to my commands or to 180 00:12:40,730 --> 00:12:43,160 my demands. Or to what I say as their 181 00:12:43,160 --> 00:12:45,320 father, they should be doing. I don't give them the option to 182 00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:47,760 say, well, I I think Dad, I'll do that. 183 00:12:47,760 --> 00:12:49,360 Or or maybe I won't do that, Dad. 184 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:53,200 Oh no, no, You're going to do what I tell you to do because 185 00:12:53,200 --> 00:12:57,560 you're in my family and I'm your father and you follow the 186 00:12:57,560 --> 00:13:00,040 direction of your father and your mother. 187 00:13:01,280 --> 00:13:03,040 But somehow we think that it was in the church. 188 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:06,960 We can say God is so, so graceful and loving and kind 189 00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:10,890 that if I choose not to. To exercise my spiritual get, 190 00:13:10,890 --> 00:13:12,610 it's okay. Everybody else can do it. 191 00:13:12,610 --> 00:13:17,770 I don't have to do it or or I I don't have to be involved in in 192 00:13:17,770 --> 00:13:20,290 giving to the church. I mean, after all everybody else 193 00:13:20,290 --> 00:13:21,650 gives to the church. Why should I give? 194 00:13:22,570 --> 00:13:24,810 All the needs are met. That they've met the budget for 195 00:13:24,810 --> 00:13:26,290 the new year. Everything seems to be hunky 196 00:13:26,290 --> 00:13:29,410 Dory. Why should I give if everybody 197 00:13:29,410 --> 00:13:32,530 else is giving? You see, there are there are 198 00:13:32,530 --> 00:13:35,370 certain things in the scriptures that we just want to pick and 199 00:13:35,370 --> 00:13:40,010 choose that we submit to. The the Church of Thessalonica 200 00:13:40,010 --> 00:13:43,610 was not that way. They they were a very submissive 201 00:13:43,610 --> 00:13:47,610 church. In fact, turn with me to 1st 202 00:13:47,730 --> 00:13:51,170 Thessalonia. In chapter one Paul says this 203 00:13:51,170 --> 00:13:56,210 about those in Thessalonica. This is really good because this 204 00:13:56,210 --> 00:13:58,610 is a submissive church. And remember I told you last 205 00:13:58,610 --> 00:14:01,330 week that the church at Thessalonica was the only church 206 00:14:01,330 --> 00:14:04,650 that that Paul said was a a pattern for every other church. 207 00:14:04,650 --> 00:14:07,530 And remember he wrote to a lot of churches. 208 00:14:08,530 --> 00:14:11,530 But there was one church that was a specific, unique pattern, 209 00:14:12,250 --> 00:14:13,890 and that was the Church of Thessalonica. 210 00:14:13,890 --> 00:14:17,170 And that was because they were such a submissive church. 211 00:14:17,970 --> 00:14:20,050 Look what it says in verse number six. 212 00:14:20,050 --> 00:14:24,490 You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received 213 00:14:24,490 --> 00:14:30,850 the Word in much tribulation with joy of the Holy Spirit. 214 00:14:31,900 --> 00:14:34,580 In other words, you received the word, but when you did, you 215 00:14:34,580 --> 00:14:38,180 received it amidst much tribulation, much persecution, 216 00:14:38,300 --> 00:14:43,460 but you did it with joy in the Holy Spirit, so that you became 217 00:14:43,460 --> 00:14:48,660 an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in a Ki for the 218 00:14:48,660 --> 00:14:51,220 word of the Lord who has sounded forth from you not only in 219 00:14:51,220 --> 00:14:54,620 Macedonia and the Ki, but also in every place. 220 00:14:54,820 --> 00:14:58,380 Your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need 221 00:14:58,380 --> 00:15:01,380 to say anything. What a testimony. 222 00:15:02,790 --> 00:15:07,070 Chapter 2, Verse #13. For this reason, we also 223 00:15:07,070 --> 00:15:10,350 constantly thank God that when you received the Word of God, 224 00:15:10,470 --> 00:15:13,430 which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of 225 00:15:13,430 --> 00:15:17,310 men, but for what it really is, the Word of God, which also 226 00:15:17,310 --> 00:15:19,710 performs its work in you who believe. 227 00:15:19,790 --> 00:15:22,230 In other words, you were receptive of the truth. 228 00:15:22,830 --> 00:15:24,870 When you heard the word from us, you received it. 229 00:15:25,030 --> 00:15:28,450 You put out the welcome mat. That's what that's what the word 230 00:15:28,450 --> 00:15:30,690 received means. You put out the welcome mat and 231 00:15:30,690 --> 00:15:36,810 you welcomed the word of God into your life, and it took root 232 00:15:36,810 --> 00:15:39,570 in your life and effectively worked in you because you 233 00:15:39,570 --> 00:15:43,370 believed Chapter 4, verse #1. Finally, then, brethren, we 234 00:15:43,370 --> 00:15:47,170 request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that as you received 235 00:15:47,170 --> 00:15:51,810 from us instruction as how you ought to walk and please God, 236 00:15:52,010 --> 00:15:59,960 just as you actually do. That you excel even more so, 237 00:15:59,960 --> 00:16:01,280 you've received the Word from us. 238 00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:04,840 You've excelled, you followed what God's Word says. 239 00:16:04,960 --> 00:16:06,800 But we want you to go beyond that. 240 00:16:07,160 --> 00:16:12,000 We want you to excel even more so, he says, For you know what 241 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:15,360 commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord. 242 00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:18,640 For this is the will of God, your sanctification, that is, 243 00:16:18,640 --> 00:16:21,720 that you abstain from sexual immorality. 244 00:16:22,200 --> 00:16:24,520 And each of you know how to possess his own vessel in 245 00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:28,550 sanctification. And in honor not unless a 246 00:16:28,550 --> 00:16:32,950 passion like the Gentiles, who do I know God, and that no man 247 00:16:32,950 --> 00:16:35,990 transgress and defraud his brother in the matter, because 248 00:16:35,990 --> 00:16:40,110 the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also 249 00:16:40,110 --> 00:16:44,230 told you before and solemnly warned you. 250 00:16:44,230 --> 00:16:48,070 For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in 251 00:16:48,070 --> 00:16:52,510 sanctification, so He rejects this, So he rejects this. 252 00:16:53,180 --> 00:16:57,940 He's not rejecting man, but the God who gives his Holy Spirit to 253 00:16:57,940 --> 00:17:00,260 you. So Paul gives them this 254 00:17:00,340 --> 00:17:03,460 exhortation. You're walking with the Lord, 255 00:17:05,339 --> 00:17:08,540 and that's obvious to everybody, but we want you to excel even 256 00:17:08,540 --> 00:17:11,859 beyond that, because this is the will of God. 257 00:17:12,020 --> 00:17:14,540 Even your sanctification that you abstained from from sexual 258 00:17:14,540 --> 00:17:18,500 immorality, We usually know how to possess your own vessel and 259 00:17:18,500 --> 00:17:22,540 sanctification and an honor, because this is what God wants 260 00:17:22,540 --> 00:17:26,240 for you. The purity of your life and goes 261 00:17:26,240 --> 00:17:32,840 on at the end of chapter 5 and he gives command after command 262 00:17:33,360 --> 00:17:36,120 after command without any explanation. 263 00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:39,520 At all. Because he doesn't have to. 264 00:17:40,760 --> 00:17:43,560 Because he knows they're going to submit to the authority of 265 00:17:43,560 --> 00:17:47,440 Scripture, it says We urge your brother in verse #14, 266 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:51,360 admonishing unruly encourage the fainthearted, help the weak. 267 00:17:52,170 --> 00:17:55,330 Be patient with everyone. See that no one repays another 268 00:17:55,330 --> 00:17:58,130 with evil for evil, But always seek after that which is good 269 00:17:58,770 --> 00:18:00,770 for one another and for all people. 270 00:18:01,530 --> 00:18:04,970 Rejoice. Always pray without ceasing and 271 00:18:04,970 --> 00:18:09,330 everything give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ 272 00:18:09,330 --> 00:18:11,570 Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. 273 00:18:12,050 --> 00:18:13,610 Do not despise prophetic utterances. 274 00:18:14,330 --> 00:18:17,730 Examine everything carefully. Hold fast that which is good. 275 00:18:18,570 --> 00:18:24,310 Abstain from every form of evil. Didn't say I want you to rejoice 276 00:18:24,310 --> 00:18:26,310 always. And This is why. 277 00:18:27,510 --> 00:18:31,430 And this is how. And this is when doesn't do 278 00:18:31,430 --> 00:18:35,270 that, he says rejoice always. He says I want you to give 279 00:18:35,270 --> 00:18:38,430 thanks in everything. Doesn't give an explanation as 280 00:18:38,430 --> 00:18:40,270 to why. This is just the will of God in 281 00:18:40,270 --> 00:18:42,790 Christ Jesus concerning you, and that's good enough for them. 282 00:18:42,790 --> 00:18:46,070 If that's God's will for me, that's what I'm going to do. 283 00:18:47,150 --> 00:18:49,470 You see, we love to debate the truth. 284 00:18:50,700 --> 00:18:52,860 We love to deliberate about the truth. 285 00:18:53,700 --> 00:18:58,380 We love to discuss the truth. We just need to submit to the 286 00:18:58,380 --> 00:19:01,620 truth. If God says it, that's it. 287 00:19:02,700 --> 00:19:05,860 And I say, okay, Lord, whatever you say, that's what I'm going 288 00:19:05,860 --> 00:19:07,300 to do. I'm going to follow your 289 00:19:07,300 --> 00:19:09,380 direction. I might not understand it. 290 00:19:09,660 --> 00:19:12,940 I might not come to grips with the reality of all that's 291 00:19:12,940 --> 00:19:16,180 happening in the word of God. But Lord, because you said it, 292 00:19:17,660 --> 00:19:21,810 I'm going to do it. He just says, be fervent in your 293 00:19:21,810 --> 00:19:26,890 love toward one another, be boiling over in your love toward 294 00:19:27,010 --> 00:19:30,610 one another. Extend all you can to to love 295 00:19:30,730 --> 00:19:35,330 one another. And as believers we say yes, 296 00:19:36,210 --> 00:19:40,330 yes, Lord, because whatever the question is, the answer is 297 00:19:40,330 --> 00:19:44,050 always yes on the part of the believer. 298 00:19:46,090 --> 00:19:48,690 So there's a church that's the the pillar and support of the 299 00:19:48,690 --> 00:19:53,960 truth. Is the church that submits to 300 00:19:53,960 --> 00:20:02,240 the truth continually. Think about it this way. 301 00:20:03,760 --> 00:20:10,160 Show me a church that doesn't take the Bible seriously, and 302 00:20:10,160 --> 00:20:15,520 I'll show you a church that doesn't take God seriously that 303 00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:17,960 it yet. Show me a family. 304 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:20,960 That doesn't take the Bible seriously. 305 00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:25,160 And I'll show you a family. He doesn't take God seriously. 306 00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:33,680 Show me an individual who doesn't take the Bible seriously 307 00:20:34,960 --> 00:20:39,280 and I'll show you an individual who doesn't take God seriously 308 00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:45,480 so you can't separate the two because the Incarnate Word gave 309 00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:50,270 us the inspired word. And when that Word became flesh 310 00:20:50,750 --> 00:20:53,470 and dwelt among us, we beheld this glory, the glories of the 311 00:20:53,470 --> 00:20:55,910 only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 312 00:20:58,590 --> 00:21:01,390 We need to take God's Word seriously. 313 00:21:01,390 --> 00:21:05,550 Psalm 138, verse #2. Thy Word, O Lord, is magnified 314 00:21:05,590 --> 00:21:13,710 even as thy very name, the Word of God, is on the same plane as 315 00:21:13,710 --> 00:21:18,150 the name of God. And one day every knee will bow 316 00:21:18,150 --> 00:21:21,430 and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the 317 00:21:21,430 --> 00:21:23,150 glory of God the Father. Why? 318 00:21:23,390 --> 00:21:27,190 Because he is the name that is above all names. 319 00:21:28,670 --> 00:21:33,270 And yet God holds His word on the same level as His name, 320 00:21:33,670 --> 00:21:36,950 because it's the spoken word of the living God. 321 00:21:39,070 --> 00:21:41,190 And therefore we need to take God's word seriously. 322 00:21:42,790 --> 00:21:49,910 So. If God's Word is disregarded, if 323 00:21:49,910 --> 00:21:59,990 God's word is devalued, then God is diminished in the eyes of 324 00:21:59,990 --> 00:22:06,150 that church or in the family of those believers. 325 00:22:07,550 --> 00:22:12,950 If God's Word is disregarded or devalued in any way, God. 326 00:22:14,590 --> 00:22:18,630 Is diminished. If God is diminished, the gospel 327 00:22:19,470 --> 00:22:24,910 will always be diluted because the Gospels based on the 328 00:22:24,910 --> 00:22:29,270 identity of who God is, and the identity of God comes from the 329 00:22:29,270 --> 00:22:32,870 word of God. So then the gospel then becomes 330 00:22:32,870 --> 00:22:35,990 diluted. If the gospel is diluted, 331 00:22:36,150 --> 00:22:40,590 godiness will disappear. If godiness disappears, God is 332 00:22:40,590 --> 00:22:43,790 dishonored and the people will always be destroyed. 333 00:22:45,190 --> 00:22:50,150 That's just the natural downgrade of devaluing and 334 00:22:50,150 --> 00:22:56,030 disregarding or despising the truth of the living God. 335 00:22:57,990 --> 00:23:02,430 There are churches that refer to the Bible but don't Revere the 336 00:23:02,430 --> 00:23:05,510 Bible. There are churches that read the 337 00:23:05,510 --> 00:23:09,990 Bible but don't Revere the Bible. 338 00:23:12,190 --> 00:23:18,180 God's Word. Is magnified even as his very 339 00:23:18,180 --> 00:23:23,740 name, the Church, is the pillar of the truth of God. 340 00:23:25,740 --> 00:23:30,700 That church studies the truth carefully, shows the work, shows 341 00:23:30,700 --> 00:23:35,780 the truth clearly, speaks the truth convincingly, submits the 342 00:23:35,780 --> 00:23:42,420 truth continually, and #5 stands. 343 00:23:43,540 --> 00:23:50,660 On truth, confidently and courageously stands. 344 00:23:51,220 --> 00:23:57,300 On truth confidently and courageously. 345 00:23:58,780 --> 00:24:01,340 That's the Church. That's the pillar of the truth 346 00:24:01,340 --> 00:24:04,820 of God. And you can go through Scripture 347 00:24:05,220 --> 00:24:09,580 and read about all kinds of individuals who stood strong on 348 00:24:09,580 --> 00:24:13,090 the truth. You can go all the way back to 349 00:24:13,090 --> 00:24:17,810 the Old Testament and look at look at Esther, who stood strong 350 00:24:18,370 --> 00:24:20,650 on the truth of God's covenant with Israel. 351 00:24:22,290 --> 00:24:26,650 You can go back and look at Moses and Abraham, Joseph, 352 00:24:26,890 --> 00:24:30,170 Daniel, Shadrack, Mishak at a Bendigo. 353 00:24:30,570 --> 00:24:33,570 You can pull vault yourself and do the New Testament and look at 354 00:24:33,570 --> 00:24:39,410 Steven and the apostles and the the apostle Paul, but of all the 355 00:24:39,410 --> 00:24:42,890 people. In the New Testament, that 356 00:24:42,890 --> 00:24:48,730 stands out as the supreme example of standing 357 00:24:49,570 --> 00:24:55,010 courageously, standing confidently, I think we'd all 358 00:24:55,010 --> 00:24:58,810 say the Apostle Paul. We didn't even say Timothy, his 359 00:24:58,810 --> 00:25:02,290 his protege. But there's one individual that 360 00:25:02,450 --> 00:25:06,610 hardly anybody knows. Hardly anybody ever mentions. 361 00:25:08,370 --> 00:25:12,570 Who? Whose name would have been the 362 00:25:12,570 --> 00:25:16,290 name of my ninth child. But I don't have a ninth child. 363 00:25:16,290 --> 00:25:21,130 I only got 8, but if I had a ninth one it would have been his 364 00:25:21,130 --> 00:25:23,490 name. So turn me into a Book of 365 00:25:23,490 --> 00:25:28,090 Revelation, Revelation chapter two. 366 00:25:30,090 --> 00:25:32,610 In Revelation 2 and three, you have 7 letters to seven 367 00:25:32,610 --> 00:25:38,930 churches, 7 literal churches, 7 churches that truly existed. 368 00:25:40,810 --> 00:25:46,810 And these letters sent to them are letters by God to them that 369 00:25:46,810 --> 00:25:49,610 they might understand God's call upon their lives. 370 00:25:52,050 --> 00:25:55,450 And these seven churches are representative of every church 371 00:25:55,450 --> 00:25:58,010 that's ever existed in the history of the world. 372 00:26:00,650 --> 00:26:06,530 So you need to understand that. And so these churches. 373 00:26:08,130 --> 00:26:11,650 Are not just literal, but they're symbolic in nature 374 00:26:11,650 --> 00:26:15,490 because they truly help you understand the condition of the 375 00:26:15,490 --> 00:26:17,970 church. First letter was written, the 376 00:26:17,970 --> 00:26:23,010 emphasis right, they're the cold church, and the 2nd letter was 377 00:26:23,010 --> 00:26:26,410 written to Smyrna. They're the crushed church. 378 00:26:27,410 --> 00:26:29,810 The 3rd letter was written to the church at Pergamon. 379 00:26:31,730 --> 00:26:37,940 They are the compromised church. And so the Bible says and 380 00:26:38,380 --> 00:26:42,860 Revelation 2 verse #12 and to the Angel of the church and 381 00:26:42,860 --> 00:26:49,660 pergament rite, the one who has the sharp 2 edged sword says 382 00:26:49,660 --> 00:26:50,980 this. Now who's that? 383 00:26:51,820 --> 00:26:55,140 Well that's the Lord, right? He's the one with the sharp 2 384 00:26:55,140 --> 00:26:58,380 edged sword. We know that in Revelation 19 385 00:26:58,380 --> 00:27:01,420 when he returns again there there's a sword that that 386 00:27:01,420 --> 00:27:04,180 precedes or protrudes out of his mouth. 387 00:27:04,900 --> 00:27:07,140 It's a 2 edged sword. Why? 388 00:27:07,420 --> 00:27:11,700 Because it's an instrument of conversion on one side and 389 00:27:12,180 --> 00:27:15,540 instrument of condemnation on the other side. 390 00:27:15,900 --> 00:27:22,740 It's a 2 edged sword and so therefore the one who holds the 391 00:27:22,740 --> 00:27:26,980 two edged sword says this and we know it's an instrument of 392 00:27:26,980 --> 00:27:29,180 conversion. And remember a sword is that 393 00:27:29,180 --> 00:27:34,460 which which slices and dices and dissects and and cuts off. 394 00:27:35,190 --> 00:27:38,510 So when Christ says and Matthew chapter 10, I did not come to 395 00:27:38,510 --> 00:27:44,590 bring peace, but a what a sword. Why? 396 00:27:44,790 --> 00:27:50,350 Because he was he was going to divide a son from his parents. 397 00:27:51,550 --> 00:27:57,670 He was going to divorce or not divorced, but divide a husband 398 00:27:58,550 --> 00:28:01,550 from his wife. Because when there was a 399 00:28:01,550 --> 00:28:06,020 conversion in a Jewish Home. You were cut off. 400 00:28:07,100 --> 00:28:10,220 Right, in crisis that came to bring the sword and the sort of 401 00:28:10,220 --> 00:28:13,020 conversion, the side that converts you is going to divide 402 00:28:13,020 --> 00:28:18,140 you from friends and family. It's going to do that because 403 00:28:18,140 --> 00:28:24,900 that's what conversion does. And then it's an instrument of 404 00:28:24,900 --> 00:28:29,820 condemnation that's based on Revelation 19 when he comes and 405 00:28:30,020 --> 00:28:33,420 he destroys his enemies with just a. 406 00:28:33,930 --> 00:28:39,770 Word of his mouth We know that he was 412 says that God's word 407 00:28:39,770 --> 00:28:42,610 is living and active and powerful and sharper than any 408 00:28:42,810 --> 00:28:46,370 two edged sword, right? We also know that we had a sword 409 00:28:46,370 --> 00:28:49,530 of the Spirit, which is the word of God feeds the chapter. 410 00:28:49,810 --> 00:28:54,050 Chapter 6. But know what the Lord says, He 411 00:28:54,050 --> 00:28:58,130 says, I know where you dwell. That's just a great statement. 412 00:28:58,730 --> 00:29:00,570 You ever wonder if God knows where you dwell? 413 00:29:01,890 --> 00:29:04,210 Oh, he does. In fact, he says to emphasis. 414 00:29:04,370 --> 00:29:09,290 I know your deeds and your toil and your perseverance. 415 00:29:10,410 --> 00:29:13,570 God knows your deeds. God knows your work. 416 00:29:13,970 --> 00:29:16,730 God knows your perseverance, your steadfastness. 417 00:29:17,010 --> 00:29:21,570 God knows all that. God's never taken by surprise to 418 00:29:21,570 --> 00:29:23,930 the Church of of Smyrna, he says. 419 00:29:24,050 --> 00:29:28,890 I know your tribulation and your poverty. 420 00:29:30,210 --> 00:29:31,810 You ever wonder if God knows your poverty? 421 00:29:33,250 --> 00:29:36,010 He does. Does he know your tribulation? 422 00:29:36,450 --> 00:29:40,210 Oh, absolutely. So he says to the Church of 423 00:29:40,210 --> 00:29:42,530 Pergamum, I know where you dwell. 424 00:29:42,530 --> 00:29:48,490 Where did they dwell? Where Satan's throne is? 425 00:29:48,890 --> 00:29:53,210 Whoa, how can they dwell where Satan's throne is? 426 00:29:53,690 --> 00:29:56,930 Didn't know Satan had a throne. Well, if you know anything about 427 00:29:56,930 --> 00:30:00,130 the historical Pergamum, you know that it was a, a, a. 428 00:30:01,430 --> 00:30:07,310 A city filled with idolatry. In fact there was There was 429 00:30:07,390 --> 00:30:13,870 emperor worship in pergament. Also there was a a great statue 430 00:30:13,870 --> 00:30:16,230 to Zeus built on the side of a hill. 431 00:30:18,190 --> 00:30:25,110 There was a temple of Asclepius. The temple of Asclepius was a 432 00:30:25,110 --> 00:30:29,870 temple of healing medicine symbolized by a. 433 00:30:30,700 --> 00:30:34,340 A snake and those who needed helium would go to that temple 434 00:30:34,340 --> 00:30:36,660 and they would lay down in that temple and these snakes would 435 00:30:36,660 --> 00:30:39,940 crawl all over them for the purpose of healing. 436 00:30:42,580 --> 00:30:48,620 Remember, Satan is referred to as a snake in Genesis chapter 3A 437 00:30:48,620 --> 00:30:56,700 serpent in Revelation chapter 12 verse number #9 and so there was 438 00:30:57,300 --> 00:31:01,560 a place where Satan. Do I know who you are? 439 00:31:01,560 --> 00:31:05,280 You're in a place where Satan dwells. 440 00:31:06,760 --> 00:31:12,680 It's true of of us today because the Bible says in Saint Criticus 441 00:31:12,680 --> 00:31:19,120 4/4 that Satan is the God of this world. 442 00:31:20,640 --> 00:31:26,360 The Bible says in First John 519 that the whole world lies in the 443 00:31:26,360 --> 00:31:33,180 lap of the evil 1. In fact, in John's Gospel, three 444 00:31:33,180 --> 00:31:36,860 different times, Satan is referred to as the Prince of 445 00:31:37,060 --> 00:31:43,500 this world. And God says I know you do well 446 00:31:45,580 --> 00:31:48,620 because you see, Satan wants the church to compromise. 447 00:31:50,540 --> 00:31:55,300 He wants it to compromise on the truth and if he can get the 448 00:31:55,300 --> 00:31:58,060 church to compromise and look like the world. 449 00:31:59,410 --> 00:32:02,450 Then it's very ineffective of being salt and light in the 450 00:32:02,450 --> 00:32:06,450 world. So whatever you can do within 451 00:32:06,450 --> 00:32:10,370 the church, the local church to make it look and sound like 452 00:32:10,370 --> 00:32:15,010 everything that happens in the world already, then he's got the 453 00:32:15,010 --> 00:32:18,450 church to compromise. And in the church, those who go 454 00:32:18,450 --> 00:32:21,090 to that church then believe that that's the way Christianity 455 00:32:21,090 --> 00:32:28,730 really is. And so he says these words. 456 00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:37,400 I know where you dwell, where Satan strewn is, and you hold 457 00:32:37,400 --> 00:32:41,600 fast my name and did not deny my faith. 458 00:32:42,440 --> 00:32:47,520 What a testimony. You held fast to my name, to my 459 00:32:47,520 --> 00:32:51,160 character, to my nature. You were steadfast. 460 00:32:51,160 --> 00:32:54,320 You were resilient. You stood strong. 461 00:32:54,800 --> 00:32:59,410 You didn't compromise my name. You did not deny the faith. 462 00:33:00,490 --> 00:33:02,970 No, you weren't ashamed of the gospel. 463 00:33:03,130 --> 00:33:08,090 You sit strong on the gospel. You were not afraid of those. 464 00:33:08,850 --> 00:33:15,490 Now listen carefully, even in the days of Antipus, that's the 465 00:33:15,490 --> 00:33:23,090 God Antipus simply because his name begins with an A and all my 466 00:33:23,090 --> 00:33:26,530 kids names begin with A's and I was running out of A names. 467 00:33:27,270 --> 00:33:30,390 So I was bound to determine the name of my Nick's son, Antipas. 468 00:33:31,190 --> 00:33:34,790 Those of you who are pregnant going to have children, you have 469 00:33:34,790 --> 00:33:36,350 a boy. Name him an Antipas. 470 00:33:37,230 --> 00:33:45,070 Those name means against all. What a name the man was against 471 00:33:45,070 --> 00:33:49,070 everything except God. So it says. 472 00:33:49,870 --> 00:33:53,990 Even in the days of Antipas, my witness, my faithful one who was 473 00:33:53,990 --> 00:33:56,830 killed among you were Satan Dwells. 474 00:33:57,660 --> 00:34:00,500 He was killed because he stood strong. 475 00:34:01,940 --> 00:34:06,540 He was my faithful one. He was my martyr race. 476 00:34:06,540 --> 00:34:10,060 He was my martyr. He was my witness. 477 00:34:10,940 --> 00:34:14,980 Ought to be known as God's witness to be known as God's 478 00:34:14,980 --> 00:34:17,980 faithful one. That's how you want to be known. 479 00:34:19,260 --> 00:34:20,980 And that's the way Antibus was known. 480 00:34:20,980 --> 00:34:24,780 He set the example. He raised the bar for everybody 481 00:34:24,780 --> 00:34:27,340 in Pergamum. To understand that no matter 482 00:34:27,340 --> 00:34:30,179 what happens, no matter what happens to you, it's all 483 00:34:30,179 --> 00:34:32,380 irrelevant. As long as you're a faithful 484 00:34:32,380 --> 00:34:38,179 witness of the King of Kings, As long as you don't deny his name, 485 00:34:38,540 --> 00:34:43,420 as long as you stand fast for the sake of the gospel, that's 486 00:34:43,460 --> 00:34:46,460 all that matters. An Antibus. 487 00:34:46,460 --> 00:34:50,460 His name is recorded in the scriptures for everyone to read 488 00:34:50,460 --> 00:34:55,739 about this man who was against everything except as God. 489 00:34:56,810 --> 00:34:59,810 He was for it's God. That's why he was against 490 00:34:59,810 --> 00:35:02,730 everything else. Because you see, when you stand 491 00:35:02,730 --> 00:35:05,330 for God and you're for God, you're against everything else 492 00:35:05,330 --> 00:35:08,850 that opposes God. And that's we need in the 493 00:35:08,850 --> 00:35:11,690 church. We need men who are strong, who 494 00:35:11,690 --> 00:35:15,410 stand for the gospel. It will not compromise the 495 00:35:15,410 --> 00:35:17,450 gospel. Listen to what it says, it says. 496 00:35:17,890 --> 00:35:20,850 But I have a few things against you. 497 00:35:20,850 --> 00:35:21,890 Wait a minute. Hold on, hold on. 498 00:35:22,410 --> 00:35:24,250 How can you have a few things against us? 499 00:35:25,140 --> 00:35:28,900 We did not deny your name. We were faithful to you. 500 00:35:30,500 --> 00:35:32,540 What could you possibly have against us? 501 00:35:32,780 --> 00:35:40,620 Listen carefully, because you have there some, not all. 502 00:35:41,660 --> 00:35:44,220 There are some in the congregation who hold the 503 00:35:44,220 --> 00:35:47,540 teaching of Balem, who kept teaching Balek to put a 504 00:35:47,540 --> 00:35:50,340 stumbling block before the sons of Israel to eat things, 505 00:35:50,340 --> 00:35:54,020 sacrifice the idols, and to commit acts of immorality. 506 00:35:54,990 --> 00:36:00,790 So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of 507 00:36:00,790 --> 00:36:04,790 the Nikolation Nicolaeotins, which was a antimonian 508 00:36:04,990 --> 00:36:10,070 antinomian religion, which was all about no law, just all 509 00:36:10,070 --> 00:36:11,790 grace. You can live any way you want, 510 00:36:11,790 --> 00:36:15,110 just do whatever you want to do because it's it's it doesn't 511 00:36:15,390 --> 00:36:18,110 make a difference concerning your spiritual well-being 512 00:36:18,110 --> 00:36:19,510 because it's all done in the flesh. 513 00:36:19,590 --> 00:36:23,350 So it's OK. There are some of you. 514 00:36:24,950 --> 00:36:28,110 Who have committed to acts of immorality and idolatry. 515 00:36:29,350 --> 00:36:33,470 There are some of you who want to live any way you want without 516 00:36:33,470 --> 00:36:36,670 any consequences. In other words, there are some 517 00:36:36,670 --> 00:36:40,710 of you who are very willing to compromise. 518 00:36:41,430 --> 00:36:49,190 Not all of you, some of you. So he says, therefore repent, or 519 00:36:49,190 --> 00:36:51,230 else I am coming quickly. Listen carefully to the 520 00:36:51,230 --> 00:36:57,450 language, to you. And I will make war against them 521 00:36:58,690 --> 00:37:07,170 with the sword of my mouth. That two edged sword Repent 522 00:37:08,530 --> 00:37:13,810 immediately from your corruption, or you will reap 523 00:37:14,850 --> 00:37:21,330 immensely the consequences of your corruption, he said. 524 00:37:21,330 --> 00:37:23,450 I'm going to come to you, the church. 525 00:37:24,150 --> 00:37:28,790 Quickly, and I would deal with those in the church who have 526 00:37:28,790 --> 00:37:31,070 compromised the truth. In other words, he's saying to 527 00:37:31,070 --> 00:37:34,430 the church, look, you need to deal with the people in your 528 00:37:34,430 --> 00:37:39,230 church who have compromised the truth, because if you don't deal 529 00:37:39,230 --> 00:37:42,270 with them quickly, I'm coming to you quickly and I'm going to 530 00:37:42,270 --> 00:37:43,750 deal with them and you don't. Want me dealing with the. 531 00:37:43,750 --> 00:37:47,990 People in your church. So you deal with them and you 532 00:37:47,990 --> 00:37:51,270 call them to repentance. You hold them into account. 533 00:37:51,670 --> 00:37:53,470 You show them the error of their way. 534 00:37:54,070 --> 00:37:57,630 That they might turn from their sin and follow me, you who hold 535 00:37:57,630 --> 00:37:59,350 fast my name. You the Church. 536 00:37:59,350 --> 00:38:01,110 Who is the pillar in support of the truth? 537 00:38:01,270 --> 00:38:04,470 I want you to hold up, hold that truth, stand firm in that truth 538 00:38:04,590 --> 00:38:08,150 and go to those people and say you're living in sin and if you 539 00:38:08,150 --> 00:38:11,630 don't repent, the Lord is coming to you quickly and he's going to 540 00:38:11,630 --> 00:38:13,590 deal with you. And you don't want the Lord 541 00:38:13,590 --> 00:38:15,710 dealing with you. You'd rather have us dealing 542 00:38:15,710 --> 00:38:22,990 with you. The Church is the pillar. 543 00:38:23,870 --> 00:38:31,230 And support of the truth. And as a church, we don't want 544 00:38:31,230 --> 00:38:35,310 people in the assembly of our local congregation to compromise 545 00:38:35,310 --> 00:38:39,150 the truth. We want them to stand firm on 546 00:38:39,150 --> 00:38:41,830 the truth. We want to be confident in the 547 00:38:41,830 --> 00:38:47,950 truth, courageous in the truth, not compromising the truth. 548 00:38:49,730 --> 00:38:52,090 So as a church, who is the pillar and support of the truth? 549 00:38:52,210 --> 00:38:54,930 We go to those people and we say, listen, you need to turn 550 00:38:54,930 --> 00:38:57,730 from the error of your way and you need to follow the Lord and 551 00:38:57,730 --> 00:38:59,930 serve the Lord and honor. Let us help you do that. 552 00:39:00,090 --> 00:39:03,130 Let us come alongside of you and minister to you that we might be 553 00:39:03,130 --> 00:39:06,650 a support and accountability to you, that you might live for the 554 00:39:06,650 --> 00:39:14,650 glory and honor of our King. So important the church that's 555 00:39:14,650 --> 00:39:18,770 the pillar and support of the truth stands. 556 00:39:19,710 --> 00:39:25,430 On the truth, courageously and confidently. 557 00:39:27,790 --> 00:39:30,670 So much I want to say about that, but time escapes me. 558 00:39:32,350 --> 00:39:34,510 The Church that has the pillar and support of the truth 559 00:39:35,910 --> 00:39:40,070 safeguards the truth compellingly. 560 00:39:41,590 --> 00:39:47,510 They safeguard the truth compellingly, in other words. 561 00:39:48,630 --> 00:39:52,030 They protect it. They preserve it. 562 00:39:53,510 --> 00:39:59,750 They guard it, Paul would say over in First Timothy chapter, 563 00:40:00,390 --> 00:40:05,390 Chapter 6. These words, oh Timothy, guard 564 00:40:05,390 --> 00:40:10,030 what has been entrusted to you. Verse #20 guard it, avoiding 565 00:40:10,030 --> 00:40:13,830 worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of that 566 00:40:14,430 --> 00:40:17,270 of what is falsely called knowledge. 567 00:40:18,170 --> 00:40:21,930 He says in verse #13 of chapter one of Second Timothy. 568 00:40:21,930 --> 00:40:25,730 Chapter one, verse #13 retain the standard of sound words 569 00:40:25,930 --> 00:40:29,290 which you have heard from me in the faith and love which are in 570 00:40:29,290 --> 00:40:33,730 Christ Jesus, guard through the Holy Spirit, who dwells in us 571 00:40:33,970 --> 00:40:37,690 the treasure which has been entrusted to you. 572 00:40:38,970 --> 00:40:43,970 We are the protectors of the truth, not just the pillar of 573 00:40:43,970 --> 00:40:46,340 the truth. But a protector of the truth? 574 00:40:46,500 --> 00:40:49,860 We guard the truth. We guard it against error. 575 00:40:50,180 --> 00:40:55,460 We guard it against those who who want to treat it as if it is 576 00:40:55,460 --> 00:40:58,740 irrelevant. We want to protect it from those 577 00:40:58,900 --> 00:41:04,140 who want to despise it. We are the protectors of the 578 00:41:04,140 --> 00:41:06,860 truth of the living God. Paul said that when it's all 579 00:41:06,860 --> 00:41:11,700 said and done, I was faithful to the fight and I was faithful. 580 00:41:12,370 --> 00:41:16,130 To the faith, definite article, meaning the body of doctrine, 581 00:41:16,130 --> 00:41:20,010 that that which I believe I was faithful all the way to the end 582 00:41:20,010 --> 00:41:21,890 to guard and fight for the truth. 583 00:41:22,810 --> 00:41:25,650 Listen, this is the war that we are engaged in. 584 00:41:26,170 --> 00:41:30,290 It's a battle for the truth. And we as a church are the 585 00:41:30,290 --> 00:41:31,890 pillar and support of that truth. 586 00:41:32,770 --> 00:41:36,010 And so we are bound and determined to safeguard that 587 00:41:36,010 --> 00:41:39,810 church. In one year, we'll have our 30th 588 00:41:39,810 --> 00:41:42,970 anniversary. And we'll be able to proclaim 589 00:41:42,970 --> 00:41:47,130 that for 30 years we protected the truth, We preserved the 590 00:41:47,130 --> 00:41:52,690 truth, We preached the truth. That's all we did because that's 591 00:41:52,690 --> 00:41:57,010 what God's called us to do. And we've done it for 30 592 00:41:57,010 --> 00:41:59,810 straight years. And Lord willing, that will 593 00:41:59,810 --> 00:42:02,610 never change. I know it won't change as long 594 00:42:02,610 --> 00:42:05,570 as I'm here and Tom's here and Roger's here and Bruce is here. 595 00:42:07,110 --> 00:42:09,990 But we want to make sure that the word of God always stands 596 00:42:09,990 --> 00:42:13,550 front and center in everything we say and everything we do. 597 00:42:13,630 --> 00:42:15,270 We are going to protect the truth. 598 00:42:15,390 --> 00:42:17,030 We're going to safeguard the truth. 599 00:42:17,190 --> 00:42:18,550 We're going to watch over the truth. 600 00:42:18,550 --> 00:42:20,150 We're going to guard the truth. Why? 601 00:42:20,310 --> 00:42:22,190 Because we are the protectors of it. 602 00:42:22,350 --> 00:42:25,070 So when you hear someone say something that's an error, you 603 00:42:25,070 --> 00:42:28,670 need to correct that and say no, that that's not the right thing. 604 00:42:28,670 --> 00:42:31,510 This that's the wrong thing. This is what the Bible actually 605 00:42:31,510 --> 00:42:33,990 does say. Listen. 606 00:42:34,300 --> 00:42:38,380 We can say as we sit here today, yes, we are the church and we 607 00:42:38,380 --> 00:42:39,900 are the pillar and support of the truth. 608 00:42:40,060 --> 00:42:44,220 And we are going to stand courageously on the truth and 609 00:42:44,220 --> 00:42:48,300 then go to work tomorrow. And all of a sudden someone 610 00:42:48,300 --> 00:42:51,420 begins to speak against the truth and we don't know what to 611 00:42:51,420 --> 00:42:59,020 say or we're silent on the matter or we we go to to to to 612 00:42:59,020 --> 00:43:02,720 our teammates. And and and they want to engage 613 00:43:02,720 --> 00:43:06,360 in some kind of immoral activity and and now we have to stand on 614 00:43:06,360 --> 00:43:07,440 the truth. We'll be staying. 615 00:43:08,320 --> 00:43:13,920 I mean it's easy to stand sitting here in the Pew but it's 616 00:43:13,920 --> 00:43:16,640 hard to stand when you go to work. 617 00:43:18,120 --> 00:43:19,560 It's easy to say I'm going to stand on the truth. 618 00:43:19,560 --> 00:43:21,480 I'm going to be the. I'm going to be the man of my 619 00:43:21,480 --> 00:43:25,760 house and then go home and couch how to your wife and every 620 00:43:25,760 --> 00:43:29,680 demand that she has. Say, honey the truth is this. 621 00:43:30,000 --> 00:43:31,920 We must follow the truth of the living God. 622 00:43:33,600 --> 00:43:35,280 It's easy to sit here and say we're going to stand on the 623 00:43:35,280 --> 00:43:38,320 truth and speak the truth, right? 624 00:43:39,040 --> 00:43:42,280 And then go home and have our children run the home. 625 00:43:43,480 --> 00:43:46,720 And that's kowtow to our children's whims because they 626 00:43:46,720 --> 00:43:49,120 have all these ideas. But we don't say no, you cannot 627 00:43:49,120 --> 00:43:51,480 do that. No, we will not do that because 628 00:43:51,480 --> 00:43:53,520 God's word says this. We stand on truth. 629 00:43:53,680 --> 00:43:57,430 We're going to live truth. Those are the kind of parents we 630 00:43:57,430 --> 00:44:01,110 say, you say, we say we believe the Bible, but do we believe the 631 00:44:01,110 --> 00:44:04,670 Bible enough to stand firm on it and never compromise it, no 632 00:44:04,670 --> 00:44:11,230 matter what the cost? So important people say to me 633 00:44:11,230 --> 00:44:15,150 all the time, I've heard this probably from parents more so 634 00:44:15,150 --> 00:44:18,190 than anything else ever said to me in the last 40 years of 635 00:44:18,190 --> 00:44:22,070 ministering. I'm afraid if I'm too hard or 636 00:44:22,070 --> 00:44:25,030 too harsh or take too strong a stand. 637 00:44:25,440 --> 00:44:28,880 I'm going to drive my child away. 638 00:44:30,600 --> 00:44:34,600 And I tell them every time, if that's what you're afraid of. 639 00:44:35,320 --> 00:44:39,240 I got news for you. They are already away. 640 00:44:40,960 --> 00:44:44,200 They're already gone. Don't think you're going to 641 00:44:44,200 --> 00:44:48,240 drive them away. They're already away. 642 00:44:49,400 --> 00:44:52,760 Stand on the truth. Let the Lord deal with your 643 00:44:52,760 --> 00:44:56,760 children. Let the Lord handle them, but 644 00:44:56,760 --> 00:44:59,960 make sure you stand on the truth. 645 00:44:59,960 --> 00:45:06,960 But you know what happens. We value a relationship that I 646 00:45:06,960 --> 00:45:12,920 have with my son or my daughter more so than I value the truth 647 00:45:12,920 --> 00:45:17,160 of the living God. If we had time, I'd take you to 648 00:45:17,160 --> 00:45:21,240 First Samuel, chapter 2 to read you the story about Eli and his 649 00:45:21,240 --> 00:45:24,330 sons. And the man of God came to him 650 00:45:24,330 --> 00:45:28,090 and said, you did not rebuke your sons when they slept with 651 00:45:28,090 --> 00:45:31,410 the women in the tent of the temple and committed immoral 652 00:45:31,410 --> 00:45:35,530 acts. And all Eli said to them was, I 653 00:45:35,530 --> 00:45:38,770 hear that there's things being said about you guys that's not 654 00:45:38,770 --> 00:45:42,650 good, so you probably better not be doing that stuff. 655 00:45:44,330 --> 00:45:47,050 And the man of God came to him and said you did not rebuke your 656 00:45:47,050 --> 00:45:49,950 boys. You did not deal with your boys. 657 00:45:49,950 --> 00:45:53,910 You know why he tells them? Because you honored your boys 658 00:45:53,910 --> 00:45:56,550 over me. And that's where you had that 659 00:45:56,550 --> 00:46:02,150 phrase first time at 2:30. He who honors me, I will honor. 660 00:46:03,390 --> 00:46:05,670 But you chose. He lied not to honor me. 661 00:46:05,670 --> 00:46:09,950 And you are a priest, and you chose to honor your sons over 662 00:46:09,950 --> 00:46:14,030 me. Therefore, you've lost the 663 00:46:14,030 --> 00:46:17,640 priesthood. Therefore, you're going to die 664 00:46:17,840 --> 00:46:21,920 and so are your boys. That should be a wake up call to 665 00:46:22,040 --> 00:46:27,320 every dad in the room, every father that says wait a minute, 666 00:46:27,880 --> 00:46:32,320 if I'm going to honor anyone, it's going to be my God and I am 667 00:46:32,320 --> 00:46:34,800 never going to honor my children over my God. 668 00:46:35,920 --> 00:46:38,680 I'm going to hold them into account to the truth of the 669 00:46:38,680 --> 00:46:41,960 living God. Eli didn't do that. 670 00:46:44,060 --> 00:46:46,900 He lost his ministry when they lost his life. 671 00:46:47,780 --> 00:46:55,300 His boys lost their lives simply because he chose to value the 672 00:46:55,300 --> 00:47:00,900 relationship over the truth of the living God and the Church. 673 00:47:00,940 --> 00:47:03,620 That's the pillar and support of the truth. 674 00:47:03,900 --> 00:47:07,500 Never does that. Never. 675 00:47:08,980 --> 00:47:11,460 And we need to understand that from the get go. 676 00:47:11,960 --> 00:47:13,920 And if you're a young parent today and you got young 677 00:47:13,920 --> 00:47:16,080 children, you need to know that you need to raise them in the 678 00:47:16,080 --> 00:47:20,040 nurtured admonition of the Lord and raise them up, fearing God 679 00:47:20,040 --> 00:47:22,800 and and living a life that honors God more than anything 680 00:47:22,800 --> 00:47:24,960 else. Because that's what matters. 681 00:47:26,160 --> 00:47:31,120 You teach them the truth. And lastly, #7. 682 00:47:31,120 --> 00:47:34,280 My time is gone, but I got to say it anyway. 683 00:47:35,800 --> 00:47:38,240 The church that's the pillar and support of the truth is 684 00:47:38,240 --> 00:47:47,210 satisfied. With the truth completely is 685 00:47:47,210 --> 00:47:51,370 satisfied with the truth completely. 686 00:47:51,690 --> 00:47:54,290 In other words, they understand the sufficiency and the 687 00:47:54,290 --> 00:47:58,410 supremacy of the word of God. It's everything to them. 688 00:47:59,090 --> 00:48:03,050 This is what satisfies them. That's why Jeremiah could say 689 00:48:03,050 --> 00:48:07,010 when God told them you're my prophet, you're going to preach, 690 00:48:07,010 --> 00:48:10,210 and not one soul is going to respond or listen. 691 00:48:11,940 --> 00:48:14,300 And Jeremiah said, Thy words were found, and I did eat them, 692 00:48:14,300 --> 00:48:16,340 and they were the joy and they rejoicing of my heart. 693 00:48:17,460 --> 00:48:21,260 God, your word's enough. If nobody responds, if nobody 694 00:48:21,260 --> 00:48:24,380 repents, if nobody comes alongside and supports me in the 695 00:48:24,380 --> 00:48:27,220 ministry, It's OK. I don't need that. 696 00:48:28,140 --> 00:48:31,660 What I need is the truth of the living God, the word of God. 697 00:48:31,820 --> 00:48:33,820 That's sufficient. That's everything. 698 00:48:33,820 --> 00:48:38,460 That's all I need. And Jeremiah ministered. 699 00:48:39,340 --> 00:48:45,700 For years with no response, think of the life of of Job. 700 00:48:46,660 --> 00:48:50,820 When he said in Job 23 verse #10, he knows the way I take. 701 00:48:51,540 --> 00:48:53,860 When he has tried me. I should come forth his gold. 702 00:48:54,260 --> 00:48:56,260 My foot has held fast to his path. 703 00:48:56,380 --> 00:48:58,620 I have kept his ways and not turned aside. 704 00:48:58,740 --> 00:49:01,420 I have not departed from the commandment of his lips. 705 00:49:01,580 --> 00:49:06,500 I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my necessary 706 00:49:06,620 --> 00:49:11,540 food. Here was a man who was wrapped 707 00:49:11,660 --> 00:49:14,660 and suffering. Here was a man who had lost 708 00:49:14,740 --> 00:49:17,620 everything, including his friends. 709 00:49:17,780 --> 00:49:25,260 He had nothing, but he had the words of God, and that was more 710 00:49:25,260 --> 00:49:29,260 treasure to him than anything else. 711 00:49:30,740 --> 00:49:33,140 Anything. Why? 712 00:49:34,020 --> 00:49:37,020 Because the truth is what satisfied him completely. 713 00:49:39,200 --> 00:49:44,920 See, we want to be satisfied with the truth partially, but 714 00:49:44,920 --> 00:49:47,880 have someone else come alongside and fulfill the other half. 715 00:49:49,600 --> 00:49:53,000 We want to be satisfied by getting married. 716 00:49:55,000 --> 00:49:57,640 We only satisfied by having children. 717 00:49:59,280 --> 00:50:01,600 We want to be satisfied by having a greater income. 718 00:50:03,200 --> 00:50:06,520 We want to be satisfied by having good health. 719 00:50:09,160 --> 00:50:12,760 Joe didn't have any of that. They had the word of God, and 720 00:50:14,480 --> 00:50:19,040 that was enough. So Sama says and and Psalm 119. 721 00:50:19,040 --> 00:50:20,000 These words. I love them. 722 00:50:20,000 --> 00:50:22,200 So. The law of your mouth is better 723 00:50:22,200 --> 00:50:24,720 to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces. 724 00:50:25,640 --> 00:50:27,840 I'm satisfied enough. I don't need any gold and silver 725 00:50:27,840 --> 00:50:31,800 pieces. I'm satisfied with your law, he 726 00:50:31,800 --> 00:50:32,920 said. Oh, I love your law. 727 00:50:32,920 --> 00:50:36,550 It's my meditation all the day. 1st 103 How sweet are your words 728 00:50:36,550 --> 00:50:38,430 to my taste? You're sweeter than honey to my 729 00:50:38,430 --> 00:50:41,590 mouth. They're the sweetest things I've 730 00:50:41,630 --> 00:50:45,190 ever tasted. The words of the living God 731 00:50:46,630 --> 00:50:50,470 because they satisfied him completely. 732 00:50:52,190 --> 00:50:55,670 The church, that's the pillar and support of the truth, 733 00:50:56,590 --> 00:51:02,310 recognizes that the truth of God satisfies them. 734 00:51:04,440 --> 00:51:09,560 Totally. Fully, Completely. 735 00:51:10,800 --> 00:51:14,680 May God give us the grace to be that kind of church. 736 00:51:15,080 --> 00:51:18,040 That's right, Father. We thank you for today and the 737 00:51:18,040 --> 00:51:20,720 opportunity you give us to study your Word, and we're grateful 738 00:51:20,720 --> 00:51:25,440 for all that you've done. We thank you, Lord, that your 739 00:51:25,440 --> 00:51:29,960 Word speaks to all of us. None of us is exempt. 740 00:51:31,680 --> 00:51:35,770 None of us is excused. Your word speaks. 741 00:51:36,970 --> 00:51:42,890 It speaks to me first as a pastor, to realize I'm a 742 00:51:42,890 --> 00:51:48,170 cannibal, not just to what I preach, but to what you have 743 00:51:48,170 --> 00:51:51,290 said to me before I ever got up to preach. 744 00:51:52,810 --> 00:51:55,930 And I pray that my life would be held accountable to the truth of 745 00:51:55,930 --> 00:52:01,170 your word and lived out not just in my life, but in the life of 746 00:52:01,170 --> 00:52:04,840 my family. And they pray for us as a 747 00:52:04,840 --> 00:52:10,640 church, that we would stand strong, never compromising the 748 00:52:10,640 --> 00:52:15,040 truth of the living God. And that Lord, you would do a 749 00:52:15,040 --> 00:52:18,480 mighty work in and among us as you have for all these years, 750 00:52:19,120 --> 00:52:23,480 continue to show yourself faithful, merciful, and 751 00:52:23,480 --> 00:52:27,120 graceful. For you, Lord, are the God we 752 00:52:27,120 --> 00:52:31,800 love, and we love you. We love your church. 753 00:52:34,130 --> 00:52:39,530 Until you come again and for all eternity Jesus name. 754 00:52:40,130 --> 00:52:40,410 Amen.