1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:03,240 Father, we thank you for today. We are so grateful, Lord, for 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:05,320 the opportunity to give us in the middle of the week to study 3 00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:09,280 Your Word and realize, Lord, that you open doors and You 4 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:12,120 close doors. And we realize, Father, that You 5 00:00:12,120 --> 00:00:13,640 are sovereign. You rule over all. 6 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:18,280 So tonight, as we gather together and spend time in the 7 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:23,080 Word, we pray that You touch our hearts and cause us, Lord, to 8 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:28,440 really search our hearts and to know that which is true in Your 9 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:31,280 Word. Everything revolves around Your 10 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:33,600 Word. Everything about who You are is 11 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:37,120 spoken in Your Word. All that we need to know is in 12 00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:39,880 Your Word. So we pray, Father, that we 13 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:45,360 would be master students of the Word of God, and that Lord, the 14 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:49,480 things that you teach us, may they grow on us each and every 15 00:00:49,480 --> 00:00:52,040 day. And maybe You walk in obedience 16 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:55,160 to Your name. I pray for everyone in the room 17 00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:58,600 tonight. I pray Lord for their situation. 18 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:01,160 I don't know what's happening, their own personal lives, but 19 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:03,360 you know, and I just pray for them tonight. 20 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:07,720 They would be able to set aside all distractions, all those 21 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:13,480 things that are encumbrances, and just receive the truth of 22 00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:17,160 your word this evening and move them on to maturity in Christ 23 00:01:17,960 --> 00:01:20,920 for the glory of your Kingdom until you come again, as you 24 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:24,720 most surely will, in Jesus name, Amen. 25 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:30,160 What is a a Christian? That's the question. 26 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:35,000 Last week we looked at the Christian for the standpoint of 27 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:37,320 the fact that he's known by his decision. 28 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:42,120 Luke 923 says that if any man came after me, let him deny 29 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:47,040 himself, take up his cross and follow after me. 30 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:51,240 His decision to deny himself, Self denial. 31 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:57,160 His decision to take up his cross, self sacrifice, his 32 00:01:57,160 --> 00:02:02,280 decision to follow the Lord. Submission, That's the decision 33 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:07,200 that he makes. Self denial, A refusal to 34 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:10,560 associate with yourself any longer. 35 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:13,440 Why? Because you're sold out to doing 36 00:02:13,440 --> 00:02:15,480 all that Christ has asked you to do. 37 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:21,000 That's the decision that He makes, The instruction that 38 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:23,200 Christ gave us all throughout the New Testament. 39 00:02:24,680 --> 00:02:26,520 When he come to the end of his life, He gets an illustration 40 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:29,480 about that. When Simon and Cyrene and Luke 41 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:33,600 23 was compelled out of the crowd to carry the cross beam of 42 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:38,560 our Lord all the way to Calvary, in there you see a living 43 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:41,720 illustration of what it means to take up your cross and and 44 00:02:41,720 --> 00:02:46,840 follow the Lord. He wanted to have an image 45 00:02:47,640 --> 00:02:52,560 placed in the hearts and minds of everyone on the road to 46 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:57,320 Calvary that they would understand not just of the 47 00:02:57,320 --> 00:03:02,960 message that he preached, but of the model they lived and those 48 00:03:02,960 --> 00:03:07,080 who followed him lived. And Simon of Cyrene was that 49 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:11,760 perfect model. And of course, he was compelled 50 00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:16,360 to follow the Lord as you and I are compelled to follow the Lord 51 00:03:16,640 --> 00:03:20,720 by his irresistible grace that calls him, calls us to Himself, 52 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:23,440 that we might embrace all that He is. 53 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:30,080 That was last week, this week. The Christian is known by by his 54 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:35,280 definition. How do you define a Christian? 55 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:40,520 Would you be able to go to the Bible and give an accurate 56 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:47,800 definition of a Christian so people would know that you 57 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:53,120 understand definitively who and what a Christian? 58 00:03:53,560 --> 00:04:00,360 Really is I told you on Sunday that that some say well a 59 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:04,040 Christian is defined by by being a believer in the Lord Jesus 60 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:09,800 Christ because the Bible says that Acts 1631 believe on the 61 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:12,640 Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. 62 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:18,399 And yet Jesus says these words in John chapter 2 verse 23. 63 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:21,839 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover during the feast. 64 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:28,880 Many believed in his name observing his signs which he was 65 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:33,560 doing. But Jesus on his part was not 66 00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:37,880 entrusting himself to them for he knew all men and because he 67 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:42,080 did not need anyone to testify concerning man for he himself 68 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:47,280 knew what was in man so early on in the mystery of Christ. 69 00:04:47,280 --> 00:04:54,160 Many believed in Jesus. It doesn't mean that they were 70 00:04:54,160 --> 00:04:58,440 Christians, It doesn't mean that they were saved because Jesus 71 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:00,920 was not entrusting himself to them, because he knew it was 72 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:07,800 exactly inside of man. Others would say, well to be a 73 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:12,200 Christian means that you are a disciple of of Jesus. 74 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:15,720 That would be a good definition of a Christian. 75 00:05:16,840 --> 00:05:20,360 And yet the Bible says in John 6 verse 60. 76 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:24,760 Therefore many of his disciples when they heard this said, this 77 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:27,840 is a difficult statement, who can listen to it? 78 00:05:28,840 --> 00:05:32,920 But Jesus, conscious that his disciples grumbled at this, said 79 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:35,600 to them, Does this cause you to stumble? 80 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:40,240 What then if you see the Son of man ascending to where he was 81 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:43,360 before? It is a spirit who gives life. 82 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:47,080 The flesh profits nothing. The words that I have spoken to 83 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:52,360 you are Spirit in our life, but there are some of you who do not 84 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:55,840 believe. For Jesus knew from the 85 00:05:55,840 --> 00:06:00,760 beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that 86 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:04,440 would betray Him. And he was saying, For this 87 00:06:04,440 --> 00:06:08,800 reason I have said to you that no one can come to me unless it 88 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:10,640 has been granted him from the Father. 89 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:20,400 As a result of this, many of his disciples withdrew and we are 90 00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:27,200 not walking with him any longer. So just to say that someone is 91 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:32,640 the disciple of Jesus does not necessarily define genuine 92 00:06:32,640 --> 00:06:36,160 Christianity. Just because someone says they 93 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:40,240 believe in Jesus doesn't necessarily define the essence 94 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:43,440 of Christianity. Notice what it says. 95 00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:50,720 It says many believed many were disciples, but they walked with 96 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:57,360 him no longer. Then see a few a little here 97 00:06:58,280 --> 00:07:05,440 smattering there. It says many would not walk with 98 00:07:05,440 --> 00:07:10,600 him any longer and some would say, well, a Christian is 99 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:14,840 defined by the fact of his, his ministry and service, service 100 00:07:14,840 --> 00:07:19,400 for the Lord. Yet Jesus answered that early on 101 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:22,800 when he said not everyone who says to me, Lord Lord will enter 102 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:25,480 the Kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father 103 00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:29,040 who is in heaven will enter many. 104 00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:34,440 Again many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not 105 00:07:34,440 --> 00:07:38,440 prophecy in your name and in your name cast out demons and in 106 00:07:38,440 --> 00:07:44,240 your name perform many miracles? Again, the word many is used. 107 00:07:44,320 --> 00:07:46,920 Why? Because many, most are self 108 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:51,840 deceived. Most believe that they're on the 109 00:07:51,840 --> 00:07:55,600 way to heaven. Most believe there are 110 00:07:55,600 --> 00:08:01,120 Christians, many who believe, many are disciples, many who say 111 00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:04,560 we did this, we did that, we went here, we went there and 112 00:08:04,560 --> 00:08:09,040 Christ says to them, I never knew you depart from me. 113 00:08:09,520 --> 00:08:15,680 Those of you who practice lawlessness, that, that's just 114 00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:20,840 astounding to me. The words of Scripture are very 115 00:08:21,160 --> 00:08:24,760 particular. When the Lord speaks, he doesn't 116 00:08:24,880 --> 00:08:29,040 mumble His words. He speaks very clearly as to 117 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:33,640 what He wants to say. Many believed but would not walk 118 00:08:33,640 --> 00:08:35,840 with Him anymore. Many were disciples but would 119 00:08:35,840 --> 00:08:37,919 not not associate with Him anymore. 120 00:08:38,039 --> 00:08:41,280 Many would say we did this, we did that, we served you, we were 121 00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:43,559 faithful to you, we committed our lives to you. 122 00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:48,640 Christ is saying Luke chapter 6. Why do you call me Lord, Lord 123 00:08:49,760 --> 00:08:55,880 and yet do not do what I say? Because you see, obedience and 124 00:08:55,880 --> 00:09:00,800 salvation go hand in hand. Those who are saved obey, but 125 00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:03,840 just because you obey doesn't mean you're saved. 126 00:09:05,480 --> 00:09:07,800 And people say, well I'm so confused. 127 00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:17,560 I believe I'm a disciple, I serve the Lord, I know the Lord 128 00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:27,840 and Jesus said these words. I would declare to them, I never 129 00:09:28,400 --> 00:09:34,040 knew you. It's not so much that you know 130 00:09:34,040 --> 00:09:35,280 him, it's just that he knows you. 131 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:39,960 And again you'll say, well, wait a minute, I know the Lord. 132 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:41,440 What do you mean he doesn't know me? 133 00:09:42,240 --> 00:09:43,680 I'm a disciple of the Lord. What do you mean? 134 00:09:44,600 --> 00:09:47,640 If I if I walk away from him, does that mean I don't believe 135 00:09:47,640 --> 00:09:50,040 any longer? Was I never really truly born 136 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:56,920 again from the very beginning? Again, the Bible says many, many 137 00:09:56,920 --> 00:10:01,320 and many. There are many on the broad road 138 00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:05,280 to destruction. Few are on the narrow Rd. that 139 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:08,400 leads to life, but many are on the broad road to destruction. 140 00:10:11,680 --> 00:10:14,960 And so it's very important for us to understand, listen, every 141 00:10:14,960 --> 00:10:19,480 pastor needs to be concerned with the spiritual condition of 142 00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:22,560 his flock. Every pastor needs to be 143 00:10:22,560 --> 00:10:26,000 overwhelmed by the fact that there are many people in this 144 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:30,680 church that profess Christianity but don't possess the Christ who 145 00:10:30,680 --> 00:10:36,120 is the author of Christianity. And every pastor who's concerned 146 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:39,840 about his flock is going to continually warn them over and 147 00:10:39,840 --> 00:10:45,920 over again, compel them to match their life to the standards of 148 00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:49,440 the Scriptures. What does the Bible actually 149 00:10:49,440 --> 00:10:51,800 say? That's why Paul said for three 150 00:10:51,800 --> 00:10:55,920 years that Ephesians church, I warned you day and night. 151 00:10:57,000 --> 00:11:02,360 I never ceased to not warn you. I was always compelling. 152 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:07,640 You and Paul all throughout his letters would talk about the 153 00:11:07,640 --> 00:11:11,480 examination, the testing, the learning, the growing. 154 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:15,000 Are you sure you're saved? John and 1st John, James and 155 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:19,560 James's epistle, Peter and Peter's epistles, everything was 156 00:11:19,560 --> 00:11:22,280 the same. Jude and his epistle, it's over 157 00:11:22,280 --> 00:11:25,680 and over and over again. Christ would even say to the 158 00:11:25,680 --> 00:11:30,600 Pharisees, the religious elite, everybody thought the Pharisees 159 00:11:30,600 --> 00:11:33,320 were going to heaven. Everybody thought the Sadducees 160 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:35,600 were going to heaven. These were the religious people 161 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:38,360 of His day. Everybody knew that they were 162 00:11:38,360 --> 00:11:41,600 close to God. And Christ says to them in 163 00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:45,160 Matthew 23 verse #27 Who? Woe to you, scribes and 164 00:11:45,160 --> 00:11:50,000 Pharisees, you're hypocrites. For you are like whitewashed 165 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:55,200 tombs, which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside 166 00:11:55,840 --> 00:11:59,600 they are full of dead men's bones, and all in cleanness. 167 00:12:00,640 --> 00:12:05,800 So you too outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly 168 00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:10,160 you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. 169 00:12:11,360 --> 00:12:16,480 You you have all the outward trappings, but none of the 170 00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:22,240 inward transformation. People can look a certain way on 171 00:12:22,240 --> 00:12:27,000 the outside but never be changed on the inside. 172 00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:31,080 And and Satan is a master at deception. 173 00:12:32,080 --> 00:12:35,360 That's why in 2nd Corinthians 11 he's called or he disguises 174 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:39,600 himself as an Angel of light. That that's why. 175 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:45,120 But even in justice chapter 3 was so easily deceived. 176 00:12:46,360 --> 00:12:50,960 That's why the Bible says in in Revelation 12 verse #9 that 177 00:12:50,960 --> 00:12:57,320 Satan deceives the whole world. That's why John says he's the 178 00:12:57,320 --> 00:13:01,600 Prince and the power of the air. That's why Peter says he goes 179 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:05,360 about like a roaring lion seeking Who made me devour? 180 00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:12,000 We, we can't set aside the Wherever there's the true, there 181 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:16,120 will always be the counterfeit. Wherever there are the wheat, 182 00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:20,000 there will always be the tares. Wherever there's the genuine 183 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:22,240 believer, there will be the false believer. 184 00:13:22,720 --> 00:13:25,880 Wherever those who who possessed the Christ, there were those who 185 00:13:25,880 --> 00:13:28,520 professed the Christ, but no possessed the Christ. 186 00:13:29,160 --> 00:13:32,800 That's the way Satan works. He's a master deceiver. 187 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:38,160 And any pastor that doesn't compel his church to search the 188 00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:41,120 Scriptures to measure their lives against the standard of 189 00:13:41,120 --> 00:13:45,440 the Scriptures should, should step out of the ministry. 190 00:13:47,080 --> 00:13:52,240 That's that's his, his ministry because he doesn't want anybody 191 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:55,480 to be deceived. He doesn't want anybody to end 192 00:13:55,480 --> 00:13:58,360 up in hell. He wants everybody to know for 193 00:13:58,360 --> 00:14:02,280 certain that they are on their way to glory and that there is 194 00:14:02,280 --> 00:14:05,840 no discrepancy about their walk with the Lord, that they know 195 00:14:05,840 --> 00:14:11,720 Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. That is just so important. 196 00:14:14,360 --> 00:14:19,360 And all the while, Satan gets people to believe that because 197 00:14:20,280 --> 00:14:26,240 they do believe in Jesus or they're a follower of Jesus, or 198 00:14:26,280 --> 00:14:31,720 they serve in the church for Jesus, that that's good enough 199 00:14:32,840 --> 00:14:37,640 and that they're OK and that he can he can solve their 200 00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:41,760 conscience by getting into believe that you're doing all 201 00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:47,280 the right things. But having the outward trappings 202 00:14:48,320 --> 00:14:51,600 is no guarantee that there's been an inner transformation. 203 00:14:54,240 --> 00:14:59,280 And Paul would address this in in great detail. 204 00:15:00,920 --> 00:15:06,680 He does it in a very unique way, which gives us the the supreme 205 00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:10,920 definition of a Christian. So if you got your Bible term 206 00:15:10,920 --> 00:15:18,160 with me to Philippians chapter 3, Philippians chapter 3. 207 00:15:23,740 --> 00:15:28,820 So many religions are designed around human achievement, 208 00:15:31,220 --> 00:15:35,900 whether it's Catholicism, Mormonism, Jehovah's Witness, 209 00:15:36,300 --> 00:15:39,700 Christian Science, liberal Protestantism. 210 00:15:40,300 --> 00:15:45,140 It's centered around the things that I am doing that gave me 211 00:15:45,140 --> 00:15:51,000 merit before God. But in Christianity, it's it's 212 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:56,760 all about the work of God. It's all about what God does in 213 00:15:56,760 --> 00:16:01,400 the life of a person because God is a savior of man. 214 00:16:03,680 --> 00:16:05,920 And so Paul wants to make that very clear. 215 00:16:06,640 --> 00:16:09,240 And so he says these words in verse #1 or chapter 3. 216 00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:12,480 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. 217 00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:15,360 Now he says that several times throughout the book of 218 00:16:15,360 --> 00:16:18,440 Philippians because he wants them to have joy in the Lord. 219 00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:20,680 Because that's the only place you really have joy. 220 00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:24,320 It's not joy in your job or joy in your marriage, although 221 00:16:24,440 --> 00:16:26,960 hopefully you have joy in your marriage and hopefully you find 222 00:16:26,960 --> 00:16:29,000 some kind of sympathetic joy in your job. 223 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:31,760 But real joy comes because of your relationship with the 224 00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:35,720 living God. So, so Paul says rejoice in the 225 00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:39,280 Lord because that's the relationship that matters. 226 00:16:39,400 --> 00:16:41,080 That's the relationship that counts. 227 00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:43,880 That's the relationship that that gives you security. 228 00:16:43,960 --> 00:16:46,560 That's the relationship that gives you all the grace and 229 00:16:46,560 --> 00:16:50,120 mercy and love that you can possibly ever understand because 230 00:16:50,120 --> 00:16:51,800 it's the Lord himself who grants it. 231 00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:57,480 So he says rejoice in the Lord. He says to write the same things 232 00:16:57,480 --> 00:16:59,160 again to you is no trouble to me. 233 00:16:59,360 --> 00:17:04,000 And it is a safeguard for you. See, Paul's concerned that he 234 00:17:04,119 --> 00:17:07,079 protects the people at the Church of Philippi. 235 00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:14,680 We should be protecting the people of God, giving them as a 236 00:17:14,680 --> 00:17:17,200 safeguard. What does the Bible actually 237 00:17:17,200 --> 00:17:20,839 say? And so Paul says what I'm going 238 00:17:20,839 --> 00:17:23,400 to write to you. I, I, I've said to you before 239 00:17:23,839 --> 00:17:26,359 and but it's not a problem for me to say it again. 240 00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:28,920 It's not a problem for me to repeat myself. 241 00:17:29,080 --> 00:17:31,880 It's not a problem for me to re emphasize things I've already 242 00:17:31,880 --> 00:17:33,080 talked to you about. Why? 243 00:17:33,200 --> 00:17:36,680 Because this is a safeguard. This is a protection for you. 244 00:17:36,880 --> 00:17:39,640 This is how you watch out for your life. 245 00:17:41,640 --> 00:17:48,600 That's the way pastor should be. So he says this pursue, beware 246 00:17:48,600 --> 00:17:53,360 of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the faults, 247 00:17:53,760 --> 00:17:58,720 circumcision, beware, beware, beware the words of warning, 248 00:17:59,760 --> 00:18:05,080 stand alert, watch out, be careful. 249 00:18:06,080 --> 00:18:07,760 There are dogs that are out there. 250 00:18:07,840 --> 00:18:09,960 There are evil workers that are out there. 251 00:18:10,080 --> 00:18:13,320 There are the false circumcision that is out there. 252 00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:18,880 And you need to beware of this, He warns them. 253 00:18:20,240 --> 00:18:24,120 Because that's what pastors do. They want to make sure that 254 00:18:24,120 --> 00:18:27,520 their people are alert to the dogs. 255 00:18:27,880 --> 00:18:32,080 Well, why would they say dogs? Well, Jews call Gentiles dogs, 256 00:18:33,120 --> 00:18:38,120 and here is a Jew, Paul, calling Jews dogs. 257 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:42,720 Now, these are not little pet dogs. 258 00:18:43,360 --> 00:18:49,160 I have two of those, OK, really nice fluffy, smell good kind of 259 00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:51,120 dogs who lick you and love you and that kind of stuff. 260 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:55,320 This is not a pet dog. This is a, this is a ravenous 261 00:18:55,320 --> 00:18:58,120 dog. This is a rabid dog. 262 00:18:58,320 --> 00:19:01,240 This is a dog filled with disease because in those days 263 00:19:01,440 --> 00:19:06,520 most dogs were, were scavengers, scoundrels who ate from garbage 264 00:19:06,520 --> 00:19:08,480 bins, who were filled with diseases. 265 00:19:10,040 --> 00:19:14,960 He's calling these false people. He gives a command, rejoice in 266 00:19:14,960 --> 00:19:16,800 the Lord always. Then he gives the caution, 267 00:19:16,840 --> 00:19:19,800 beware, beware, beware. And then he gives the contrast 268 00:19:20,600 --> 00:19:26,600 and the contrast in between the false circumcision and the true 269 00:19:27,120 --> 00:19:33,920 circumcision, the false marked ones and the true marked ones. 270 00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:38,320 He gives a contrast because he wants them to understand that 271 00:19:38,320 --> 00:19:43,280 the unbelievers are dogs, evil workers, and they are the false 272 00:19:43,320 --> 00:19:47,200 circumcision. And so he's warning them about 273 00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:53,160 these, these people who are diseased like people because the 274 00:19:53,160 --> 00:19:57,240 ultimate disease is the disease of sin that leads you to hell. 275 00:19:57,400 --> 00:19:58,880 And you want to be aware of those people. 276 00:19:59,800 --> 00:20:03,440 And then he says beware, beware of the evil workers. 277 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:08,720 And the word is cacaos, which is evil at its core, evil at its 278 00:20:08,720 --> 00:20:12,040 core. Earlier, Paul would talk about 279 00:20:12,640 --> 00:20:17,720 ravenous wolves. In in Matthew Chapter 7 he would 280 00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:22,000 say that that these false teachers are purveyors of demon 281 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:26,360 doctrines. Here he calls them dogs because 282 00:20:26,360 --> 00:20:30,720 they're they're scavengers who who feed on innocent lives. 283 00:20:31,800 --> 00:20:36,400 He calls them evil workers because at the depth of their 284 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:41,160 heart they are vicious. They don't care for your soul, 285 00:20:42,280 --> 00:20:43,960 they only care about their own lives. 286 00:20:45,760 --> 00:20:51,680 And then he calls them the false circumcision. 287 00:20:52,480 --> 00:20:57,640 The literal translation would be the mutilation, which is more of 288 00:20:57,640 --> 00:20:59,720 an explanation of what he's trying to say. 289 00:21:01,920 --> 00:21:07,080 This is very, very important. To understand true circumcision, 290 00:21:07,880 --> 00:21:10,280 you must understand false circumcision. 291 00:21:10,720 --> 00:21:13,600 Therefore, you must understand what circumcision is all about. 292 00:21:15,440 --> 00:21:18,600 And if you know anything about the Abrahamic covenant in 293 00:21:18,600 --> 00:21:21,320 Genesis chapter 17, in fact, let me read it to you. 294 00:21:21,520 --> 00:21:25,720 Genesis chapter 17 verse #9 God says this. 295 00:21:25,760 --> 00:21:29,200 God said further to Abraham, Now As for you, you shall keep my 296 00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:32,680 covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout 297 00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:35,720 your generations. This is My covenant, which you 298 00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:40,240 shall keep between me and you and your descendants after you. 299 00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:44,920 Every male among you shall be circumcised, and you shall be 300 00:21:44,920 --> 00:21:48,800 circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be the 301 00:21:48,880 --> 00:21:51,200 sign of the covenant between me and you. 302 00:21:51,480 --> 00:21:55,160 And every male among you who is 8 days old shall be circumcised. 303 00:21:55,160 --> 00:21:58,240 Throughout your generations. A servant is born in your house, 304 00:21:58,320 --> 00:22:02,920 or who is brought with money from any foreigner who is not of 305 00:22:02,920 --> 00:22:05,200 your descendants. A servant who was born in your 306 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:08,760 house, or who has bought with your money, shall surely be 307 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:11,280 circumcised. Thus shall my covenant be in 308 00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:14,920 your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 309 00:22:15,080 --> 00:22:19,040 But an uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of 310 00:22:19,040 --> 00:22:23,000 his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people. 311 00:22:23,120 --> 00:22:27,640 He has broken my covenant. The sign of the Abrahamic 312 00:22:27,640 --> 00:22:31,840 covenant was circumcision. That was a sign. 313 00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:35,800 Now note this. It's a marking. 314 00:22:37,480 --> 00:22:44,240 It marked three things. One, it marked the Jews 315 00:22:44,440 --> 00:22:58,440 identification with God #2 it marked the Jews separation from 316 00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:06,200 the world. And that marking symbolized 317 00:23:09,760 --> 00:23:13,960 their commitment to purification. 318 00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:20,320 So let me explain that to you. It's a mark of identification. 319 00:23:21,280 --> 00:23:26,800 The Jews were responsible to their God, and they were 320 00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:31,520 responsible in such a way that they were to obey and honor 321 00:23:31,520 --> 00:23:36,360 their God. And because their God was holy, 322 00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:40,600 they were to be separate from sin. 323 00:23:40,600 --> 00:23:44,560 Because they identify with His Holiness, so their 324 00:23:44,560 --> 00:23:46,480 identification was with His Holiness. 325 00:23:46,680 --> 00:23:50,160 Their separation was from their sinfulness and their 326 00:23:50,160 --> 00:23:54,800 purification would would affect their eternal destiny. 327 00:23:56,200 --> 00:23:59,720 But over time, the Jews messed that whole thing up. 328 00:23:59,840 --> 00:24:04,120 You see, what made a Jew a Jew was was was was circumcision. 329 00:24:05,600 --> 00:24:10,080 That was the identifying mark of a Jewish man. 330 00:24:11,640 --> 00:24:16,280 And all the Jews revelled in this, so much so that the 331 00:24:16,280 --> 00:24:20,080 identifying mark of circumcision became more important to them 332 00:24:20,200 --> 00:24:22,960 than what that mark actually symbolized. 333 00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:27,840 And the word is circumcised means to, to, to cut away. 334 00:24:29,080 --> 00:24:31,680 And it's the, it's the cutting away of the foreskin of, of the 335 00:24:31,680 --> 00:24:34,040 male organ. Now, now, why would God do this? 336 00:24:34,720 --> 00:24:39,240 What was so unique about this? Who would know this? 337 00:24:40,680 --> 00:24:44,200 The Jews would. But you see, it's very, very 338 00:24:44,200 --> 00:24:45,400 important. Let me ask you a question. 339 00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:49,320 How is sin passed from generation to generation? 340 00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:53,560 Through the procreative act, right? 341 00:24:54,480 --> 00:24:56,600 You know why Jesus was born of a virgin? 342 00:24:57,000 --> 00:25:01,320 Because no man could conceive A sinless child. 343 00:25:01,800 --> 00:25:04,080 It's impossible because man's a Sinner. 344 00:25:04,240 --> 00:25:06,120 Man's a Sinner not because he sins. 345 00:25:06,600 --> 00:25:08,560 Man's a Sinner because he's born a Sinner. 346 00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:12,560 It's in his DNA. That's who he is. 347 00:25:13,120 --> 00:25:16,680 And ever since Adam and Eve fell into sin, everybody born after 348 00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:19,920 that is born into sin. You're born separated from God. 349 00:25:21,840 --> 00:25:26,720 And so the Jews were the people of God and the people of God 350 00:25:26,720 --> 00:25:30,520 were to model the way to to what it means to be a follower of 351 00:25:30,520 --> 00:25:33,680 God. And so God gave them a very 352 00:25:33,680 --> 00:25:37,640 unique and distinguishing mark of identification with God in 353 00:25:37,640 --> 00:25:41,720 His Holiness and separation with God from their sinfulness. 354 00:25:43,920 --> 00:25:46,520 But it didn't take that course with them. 355 00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:53,000 But it should have. Because you see, every time man 356 00:25:54,920 --> 00:26:01,280 would procreate, he would pass on sin and more sin and more sin 357 00:26:01,520 --> 00:26:05,760 with everybody who came from the womb of a woman. 358 00:26:07,360 --> 00:26:14,120 And yet, and yet that circumcision was to remind every 359 00:26:14,120 --> 00:26:19,560 drew that cleanliness on the outside was no substitute for 360 00:26:19,560 --> 00:26:25,120 cleanness on the inside. And that's why Christ always 361 00:26:25,120 --> 00:26:28,640 emphasized the circumcision of the heart. 362 00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:33,440 Leviticus 2641 talks about the circumcision of the heart. 363 00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:38,520 Deuteronomy 6 Excuse me 10 verse #16 circumcise the heart. 364 00:26:38,760 --> 00:26:41,840 Deuteronomy 30 verse #6 circumcise the heart. 365 00:26:42,040 --> 00:26:44,640 Jeremiah 4/4 circumcise the heart. 366 00:26:44,800 --> 00:26:49,200 Ezekiel 34 or Excuse me 44 seven circumcise the heart. 367 00:26:51,120 --> 00:26:55,240 But over time, the Jews saw this as their as their badge of 368 00:26:55,360 --> 00:26:58,720 eternal security. We are children of Abraham. 369 00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:01,760 We have been circumcised. We are children of God. 370 00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:05,120 This is our way into eternity. But it wasn't. 371 00:27:06,040 --> 00:27:09,560 It was it was a sign that led to something else. 372 00:27:09,760 --> 00:27:12,360 It was a sign that led to the ultimate symbol of inner 373 00:27:12,360 --> 00:27:15,440 purification that they needed to have, that needed to be pure 374 00:27:15,440 --> 00:27:18,520 from their own sin. And the only way that would 375 00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:21,440 happen is through the arrival of the new covenant. 376 00:27:23,680 --> 00:27:26,160 And that new covenant was ratified by the blood of Jesus 377 00:27:26,160 --> 00:27:32,080 Christ our Lord. And so Paul says, I want you to 378 00:27:32,080 --> 00:27:36,240 beware of the dogs. I want you to beware, beware of 379 00:27:36,240 --> 00:27:38,120 the evil workers. Now I want you to beware of the 380 00:27:38,120 --> 00:27:42,960 mutilation because all these false Christians who claimed 381 00:27:42,960 --> 00:27:46,160 that circumcision gets them into heaven, all they are is 382 00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:49,480 mutilating themselves. It means absolutely nothing. 383 00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:53,360 They're like the prophets of of Baal in first Kings 18 who used 384 00:27:53,360 --> 00:27:56,880 to cut themselves open, try to get their God to to pay 385 00:27:56,880 --> 00:28:02,560 attention, but he did not because there was no God except 386 00:28:02,560 --> 00:28:06,560 the one true God. So there's a mutilation. 387 00:28:07,320 --> 00:28:09,760 That's how Paul says that in Romans chapter 2. 388 00:28:09,880 --> 00:28:13,280 Listen to what he says, For indeed circumcision is a value 389 00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:17,560 if you practice the law. But if you are a transgressor of 390 00:28:17,560 --> 00:28:21,400 the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 391 00:28:21,400 --> 00:28:24,920 In other words, your circumcision means nothing as he 392 00:28:24,920 --> 00:28:28,480 speaks to help Jews understand, because all these Judaizers 393 00:28:28,480 --> 00:28:30,600 would follow Paul wherever he went. 394 00:28:30,680 --> 00:28:33,000 Paul would go into a city. He'd preach the gospel. 395 00:28:33,080 --> 00:28:36,680 Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ 396 00:28:36,680 --> 00:28:38,000 alone. And people would give their 397 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:40,320 lives to Christ, and the Judaizers would come in and say, 398 00:28:40,320 --> 00:28:41,880 hey, you know what? It's more than that. 399 00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:45,320 We believe in Jesus and we believe in grace, and we believe 400 00:28:45,320 --> 00:28:47,680 that Jesus died on the cross. But there's more to it than 401 00:28:47,680 --> 00:28:49,440 that. You got to be circumcised. 402 00:28:49,560 --> 00:28:52,480 You got to keep the Mosaic law. You got to keep the ceremonial 403 00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:55,080 law. And Paul says those are dogs, 404 00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:57,720 those are evil workers. They're they're, they're the 405 00:28:57,720 --> 00:29:00,840 mutilation, they're the false circumcision. 406 00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:03,800 They're not the true circumcision. 407 00:29:04,840 --> 00:29:08,320 And they were adding works to the saving grace of God. 408 00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:13,600 And whenever you add works to salvation, it's an error. 409 00:29:14,960 --> 00:29:19,640 Let's let's say someone says to you, OK, are the 7th day 410 00:29:19,640 --> 00:29:24,080 Adventists saved? Are they going to heaven because 411 00:29:24,080 --> 00:29:25,600 they go to the 7th Day Adventist Church? 412 00:29:26,800 --> 00:29:32,440 They may be, they may be. But if they believe that going 413 00:29:32,440 --> 00:29:36,560 to church on Saturday gets them to heaven, they're not. 414 00:29:38,200 --> 00:29:39,880 It's like the person in the Catholic Church. 415 00:29:41,640 --> 00:29:43,040 I don't care what church you go to. 416 00:29:44,080 --> 00:29:46,280 That's the irrelevant If God's going to save you, he's going to 417 00:29:46,280 --> 00:29:48,160 save you. But if you're going to a 418 00:29:48,160 --> 00:29:50,920 Catholic Church, can people in the Catholic Church be saved? 419 00:29:50,920 --> 00:29:54,000 Yes, they can be. But if you believe as going to 420 00:29:54,000 --> 00:29:59,800 the Catholic Church that what I'm doing by taking Mass and by 421 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:03,680 being baptized as an infant or particularly the sacraments, 422 00:30:03,680 --> 00:30:07,280 then that's going to get me into heaven, then then you're not 423 00:30:07,280 --> 00:30:10,880 saved. You can't add works to grace, 424 00:30:12,240 --> 00:30:16,400 can't do that. And Paul's very, very concerned 425 00:30:16,400 --> 00:30:18,520 that you need to be aware of these people that are trying to 426 00:30:18,520 --> 00:30:21,760 add something to the true essence of the Gospel. 427 00:30:23,960 --> 00:30:27,560 So then he defines the Christian for them, makes it very clear. 428 00:30:28,720 --> 00:30:33,440 He says we are the true circumcision. 429 00:30:34,480 --> 00:30:37,080 Oh, by the way, Paul goes on to say this in Romans chapter 2. 430 00:30:37,160 --> 00:30:41,160 He says this for he is not a Jew who is 1 outwardly, nor a 431 00:30:41,160 --> 00:30:44,520 circumcision, that which is outward of the flesh, but he is 432 00:30:44,520 --> 00:30:47,680 a Jew who is 1 inwardly. And circumcision is that which 433 00:30:47,680 --> 00:30:54,000 is of the heart by the Spirit. The true Jew is one who is 434 00:30:54,760 --> 00:30:58,320 circumcised in the heart inwardly. 435 00:30:59,120 --> 00:31:01,880 Just because you've been circumcised on the outside, 436 00:31:02,280 --> 00:31:06,080 because you've done the external trappings, if there's been no 437 00:31:06,080 --> 00:31:09,400 internal transformation, the external trappings mean 438 00:31:09,400 --> 00:31:16,400 absolutely nothing. And so Paul says this, he says 439 00:31:16,640 --> 00:31:21,640 very clearly, we are the true circumcision, we are the true 440 00:31:21,640 --> 00:31:24,480 marked ones who are the ones that are marked by God. 441 00:31:25,240 --> 00:31:28,640 OK, these are the false marked ones, but these, these are the 442 00:31:28,640 --> 00:31:34,000 true marked ones. He says this who worship in the 443 00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:39,000 Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no 444 00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:47,120 confidence in the flesh. There's your definition of a 445 00:31:47,120 --> 00:31:52,120 Christian. It's the best concise definition 446 00:31:52,320 --> 00:31:57,920 in the Bible of a Christian. They worship God in spirit or by 447 00:31:57,920 --> 00:32:02,760 the Spirit. They glory only in Christ Jesus, 448 00:32:04,320 --> 00:32:08,000 and they put no confidence in the flesh. 449 00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:16,080 In other words, the true believer has a heart adoration, 450 00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:23,960 a heart exaltation, and a heart humiliation. 451 00:32:25,920 --> 00:32:30,320 We are the ones who worship in the Spirit of God or by the 452 00:32:30,320 --> 00:32:33,120 Spirit of God. The word worship with trio is an 453 00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:36,080 all-encompassing term. It's more than just singing 454 00:32:36,360 --> 00:32:40,240 hymns on a Sunday. It's more than going to church 455 00:32:40,400 --> 00:32:44,160 on a Sunday. It's about true worshippers. 456 00:32:45,120 --> 00:32:47,600 Remember the conversation that Jesus had with the woman of 457 00:32:47,600 --> 00:32:53,160 Samaria in John chapter 4? We told her that there's coming 458 00:32:53,160 --> 00:32:56,080 a day where you're not going to worship on this mountain, Mount 459 00:32:56,080 --> 00:33:00,760 Garrison, or in this temple, but you're going to worship in 460 00:33:00,760 --> 00:33:04,520 spirit and in truth, because God is seeking true worshippers. 461 00:33:05,200 --> 00:33:09,240 Everybody's a worshiper, right? Everybody worships something. 462 00:33:09,760 --> 00:33:13,960 Everybody worships someone. There's, there's an idol, 463 00:33:13,960 --> 00:33:16,920 there's a God in our lives that we bow down to, maybe not 464 00:33:16,920 --> 00:33:20,120 physically, but it it governs our lives. 465 00:33:20,120 --> 00:33:22,760 All of us are worshippers. Man by nature is a worshipper, 466 00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:29,520 but the true worshipper worships in spirit or by the spirit. 467 00:33:29,960 --> 00:33:32,760 And God is seeking true worshippers. 468 00:33:32,840 --> 00:33:38,520 Remember First Thessalonians 19, They turn to God from idols to 469 00:33:38,520 --> 00:33:43,120 serve the true living God. That's the true worshipper when, 470 00:33:43,120 --> 00:33:47,040 when you become a Christian, right when you give your life to 471 00:33:47,040 --> 00:33:55,600 Christ, you turn to God and you turn away from idols, you turn 472 00:33:55,600 --> 00:33:59,480 away from that which you worshipped before, you turn away 473 00:33:59,480 --> 00:34:03,240 from that which was governing everything that you did before, 474 00:34:04,920 --> 00:34:11,840 and you embrace the Messiah. And so those in Thessalonica, 475 00:34:12,280 --> 00:34:16,840 they turn to God from idols in order to serve, worship the true 476 00:34:17,040 --> 00:34:24,560 and living God. So Paul says we are the marked 477 00:34:24,560 --> 00:34:27,400 ones, we are the true circumcision. 478 00:34:27,600 --> 00:34:31,560 We are the ones who worship in spirit. 479 00:34:33,120 --> 00:34:40,960 So how do you know that's you? What are the characteristics, 480 00:34:41,840 --> 00:34:47,719 the marks of someone who worships in spirit or by the 481 00:34:47,719 --> 00:34:51,159 Spirit? How do you know this is you? 482 00:34:52,440 --> 00:34:56,400 There are certain qualities that make up your worship. 483 00:34:56,400 --> 00:35:00,720 Listen, if you don't worship God Monday through Saturday, don't 484 00:35:00,720 --> 00:35:04,000 think that you can come in here on Sunday and truly worship God 485 00:35:06,240 --> 00:35:10,720 because worship is a lifestyle. The adoration we have for God 486 00:35:11,120 --> 00:35:15,160 happens not just on Sundays, it happens every day of our lives. 487 00:35:16,600 --> 00:35:19,800 And so there are certain characteristics that that make 488 00:35:19,800 --> 00:35:23,760 the worshipper distinguish the true worshipper, distinguish 489 00:35:23,760 --> 00:35:28,960 from the false worshiper #1 I'll give you several words here. 490 00:35:29,240 --> 00:35:33,800 First word is recognition. Recognition. 491 00:35:35,120 --> 00:35:42,440 You recognize who God really is, and you bow before Him. 492 00:35:43,080 --> 00:35:46,600 Matthew 17 Peter, James and John on the Mount of Transfiguration. 493 00:35:47,320 --> 00:35:50,400 And God the Father speaks from the from the cloud that envelops 494 00:35:50,400 --> 00:35:53,840 everybody, saying, this is my beloved son in whom I am well 495 00:35:53,840 --> 00:35:57,480 pleased. And Peter, James and John fell 496 00:35:57,480 --> 00:36:03,000 flat on their faces before the Lord and worshipped him. 497 00:36:05,320 --> 00:36:10,080 All, all true worship stems from a recognition of who God is. 498 00:36:12,280 --> 00:36:15,200 The reason you bow before Him is because of His identity. 499 00:36:16,760 --> 00:36:20,560 He's the God of the universe. In fact, the Bible says in Psalm 500 00:36:20,560 --> 00:36:24,400 211, worship the Lord with reverence and rejoice with 501 00:36:24,400 --> 00:36:26,200 trembling. This is very important. 502 00:36:26,640 --> 00:36:29,360 Why? Because from recognition the 503 00:36:29,360 --> 00:36:36,120 second word is trepidation. Trepidation Worship the Lord 504 00:36:36,120 --> 00:36:39,680 with trembling. Everybody who's a true 505 00:36:39,680 --> 00:36:43,000 worshipper trembles under the authority of God. 506 00:36:45,160 --> 00:36:50,160 Psalm, Isaiah excuse me 66 verse #2 To this man will I look to 507 00:36:50,160 --> 00:36:53,840 him who's broken and of a contrite heart, and who trembles 508 00:36:54,920 --> 00:37:00,240 at my word. This is the man I look to the 509 00:37:00,240 --> 00:37:08,480 one who trembles at my my word. Over in Isaiah chapter 8, the 510 00:37:08,480 --> 00:37:14,240 Lord says this. It is the Lord of hosts whom you 511 00:37:14,600 --> 00:37:23,760 should regard as holy. He shall be your fear, He shall 512 00:37:23,760 --> 00:37:28,440 be your dread. Then He will become your 513 00:37:28,440 --> 00:37:32,560 sanctuary. It's the Lord of hosts whom we 514 00:37:32,560 --> 00:37:34,400 regard as holy. It's a recognition that the Lord 515 00:37:34,400 --> 00:37:39,440 of armies, Yahweh Sabatath, is, is holy. 516 00:37:40,760 --> 00:37:43,800 Well, if that's the case, if he's a holy God, the more I see 517 00:37:43,800 --> 00:37:46,880 my holiness or see His Holiness, the more I'm able to see and 518 00:37:46,880 --> 00:37:51,200 view my sinfulness. Therefore, I rejoice with fear 519 00:37:51,200 --> 00:37:55,320 and trembling. So once there's a recognition, 520 00:37:57,120 --> 00:38:03,240 there's also a trepidation. The Bible says in Psalm 33 verse 521 00:38:03,240 --> 00:38:09,120 #8 that all the earth fear the Lord, that all the inhabitants 522 00:38:09,120 --> 00:38:15,760 of the world stand in awe of him, stand in awe of him. 523 00:38:17,320 --> 00:38:22,600 Two worshippers are marked by recognition of who God really, 524 00:38:22,600 --> 00:38:26,840 truly is. That recognition is followed by 525 00:38:26,840 --> 00:38:33,800 a by a trepidation. That trepidation is followed by 526 00:38:33,800 --> 00:38:38,000 an examination. An examination. 527 00:38:39,760 --> 00:38:43,680 Why is that? I love what AW Tozer says when 528 00:38:43,680 --> 00:38:49,360 he said no worship is wholly pleasing to God until there is 529 00:38:49,360 --> 00:38:51,560 nothing in me displeasing to God. 530 00:38:53,200 --> 00:38:58,200 That is just so good. No worship is holy pleasing to 531 00:38:58,240 --> 00:39:02,080 God until there is nothing in me displeasing to God. 532 00:39:03,480 --> 00:39:05,880 That's true worship. That's the examination. 533 00:39:06,760 --> 00:39:10,920 That's why David said search me, O Lord, Psalmist Psalm 139, 534 00:39:11,040 --> 00:39:13,960 search me, O Lord, try me, see if there be any wicked way in me 535 00:39:13,960 --> 00:39:15,760 and lead me in the way of righteousness. 536 00:39:16,360 --> 00:39:20,360 David would say over in Psalm 55 created me a clean heart, O Lord 537 00:39:20,520 --> 00:39:22,920 and and renew a right spirit within me. 538 00:39:22,920 --> 00:39:26,280 There's the cry of the true worshipper is Lord, cleanse me 539 00:39:26,280 --> 00:39:30,920 from within deal with my sin. I want to confess my sin to you 540 00:39:30,920 --> 00:39:33,840 knowing that you are faithful and just to forgive me of all my 541 00:39:33,840 --> 00:39:37,600 sin and because there's a recognition of His Holiness. 542 00:39:37,800 --> 00:39:42,760 There is an absolute enormous task of seeing nothing but my 543 00:39:42,760 --> 00:39:46,880 sinfulness. That's how you know you've truly 544 00:39:46,880 --> 00:39:50,880 seen and recognized God. That recognition leads to a 545 00:39:50,880 --> 00:39:53,000 trepidation. That trepidation leads to an 546 00:39:53,000 --> 00:39:55,880 examination. Search me, O Lord, try me. 547 00:39:55,880 --> 00:39:58,040 See if there'd be any wicked way in me. 548 00:39:58,160 --> 00:40:03,200 And then that examination leads to an affection for him, a love 549 00:40:03,200 --> 00:40:06,120 for him, great affection. Why? 550 00:40:06,280 --> 00:40:10,200 Because you let you serve a forgiving God, a merciful God. 551 00:40:11,320 --> 00:40:14,560 And there's this great affection for for the Lord. 552 00:40:15,840 --> 00:40:17,520 Hero is with the Lord, our God is 1. 553 00:40:18,760 --> 00:40:20,960 They should love the Lord of God with all your heart, soul, mind 554 00:40:20,960 --> 00:40:24,640 and strength. The intensity that's there, the 555 00:40:24,640 --> 00:40:28,240 inclusiveness that's there. You love him with all your 556 00:40:28,240 --> 00:40:31,280 heart, all your soul, all your mind. 557 00:40:32,000 --> 00:40:33,920 Not just partially. That's why. 558 00:40:34,080 --> 00:40:36,960 That's why at the end of of the ministry of Christ, after he had 559 00:40:37,080 --> 00:40:40,040 been resurrected, he found Peter on the Sea of Galilee. 560 00:40:40,040 --> 00:40:42,560 And what was the question he asked Peter? 561 00:40:43,600 --> 00:40:46,200 Peter, do you love me? Why? 562 00:40:46,200 --> 00:40:49,280 Because the essence of worship is an affection for the God you 563 00:40:49,280 --> 00:40:54,080 say you recognize as the supreme Lord of host, the Holy One of 564 00:40:54,080 --> 00:40:57,400 Israel. The answer Three times. 565 00:40:57,400 --> 00:41:01,040 Peter, do you love me? Because if you love me, you're 566 00:41:01,040 --> 00:41:03,560 going to follow me even to your death. 567 00:41:05,000 --> 00:41:06,840 But the affection for God is so strong. 568 00:41:06,960 --> 00:41:09,400 I love again what Tozer says when he says this. 569 00:41:09,760 --> 00:41:14,080 He says true worship is to be personally and hopelessly in 570 00:41:14,080 --> 00:41:19,280 love with God, That the idea of a transfer of affection never 571 00:41:19,400 --> 00:41:23,600 even remotely exists. That's worship. 572 00:41:24,960 --> 00:41:28,440 The transfer of an affection from my God to something else or 573 00:41:28,440 --> 00:41:31,880 someone else doesn't even remotely exist in my life 574 00:41:32,040 --> 00:41:36,520 because I am all enamoured, all encumbered with the Lord God of 575 00:41:36,520 --> 00:41:39,800 Israel. That's a true worshipper. 576 00:41:39,800 --> 00:41:41,520 And Paul says we are the marked ones. 577 00:41:41,520 --> 00:41:45,200 We are the ones who worship God in spirit or by the spirit. 578 00:41:47,240 --> 00:41:51,440 Very important. The characteristics of that is 579 00:41:51,640 --> 00:41:56,440 1A recognition, second, a trepidation, third, an 580 00:41:56,440 --> 00:42:05,560 examination, 4th an affection, and 5th a jubilation. 581 00:42:06,720 --> 00:42:13,800 Rejoice in the Lord. There is great joy in worship. 582 00:42:14,400 --> 00:42:18,040 Numbers 8 verse #10 the joy. The Lord is your strength. 583 00:42:18,280 --> 00:42:22,640 Romans 1417 The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy 584 00:42:22,840 --> 00:42:28,200 in the Holy Spirit. That's why that Matthews 5-6 and 585 00:42:28,200 --> 00:42:31,040 seven are so important. Remember in Matthew chapter 4, 586 00:42:31,120 --> 00:42:35,480 Christ is going around healing all the paralytics, all all the 587 00:42:35,480 --> 00:42:37,960 blind, all the lane. He's healing everybody and 588 00:42:37,960 --> 00:42:39,840 people are coming to him in droves. 589 00:42:39,920 --> 00:42:42,840 Thousands upon thousands of are all around him. 590 00:42:43,000 --> 00:42:44,480 Why? Because they were sick and 591 00:42:44,480 --> 00:42:46,360 diseased and they wanted to be healed. 592 00:42:46,480 --> 00:42:50,080 And Christ healed them all because he was graceful and 593 00:42:50,080 --> 00:42:54,240 merciful. And then he sits down and 594 00:42:54,800 --> 00:43:01,560 chapter 5 of Matthew and says, blessed are the poor in spirit, 595 00:43:02,320 --> 00:43:05,480 for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. 596 00:43:07,040 --> 00:43:13,480 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 597 00:43:14,600 --> 00:43:18,880 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 598 00:43:18,880 --> 00:43:21,200 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for 599 00:43:21,200 --> 00:43:23,400 they and they only shall be satisfied. 600 00:43:23,640 --> 00:43:25,240 And he goes on and gives all these blessings. 601 00:43:25,240 --> 00:43:27,320 Why? Note the context. 602 00:43:27,320 --> 00:43:30,480 He says, look, I know you're happy because I healed you. 603 00:43:30,840 --> 00:43:33,920 I know you're ecstatic. You're on cloud 9 because you 604 00:43:33,920 --> 00:43:36,080 feel better. You know, it's like to be sick 605 00:43:36,160 --> 00:43:37,320 and all of a sudden you feel better. 606 00:43:37,440 --> 00:43:38,960 Or you've had surgery, you've been in pain. 607 00:43:39,040 --> 00:43:41,360 All of a sudden, no more pain. Things are great. 608 00:43:41,440 --> 00:43:44,680 I feel wonderful, right? Crisis. 609 00:43:44,680 --> 00:43:47,640 I know you're feeling good physically, but you're not 610 00:43:47,640 --> 00:43:50,800 feeling good spiritually. I'm going to heal you 611 00:43:50,800 --> 00:43:52,160 physically. But guess what? 612 00:43:52,400 --> 00:43:54,200 I got bad news. You're still going to die. 613 00:43:54,200 --> 00:43:56,120 You're still going to get sick and die. 614 00:43:56,960 --> 00:43:58,400 OK? But here's the good news. 615 00:43:59,520 --> 00:44:03,320 You'd experience the true joy of the Lord by coming to me on my 616 00:44:03,320 --> 00:44:06,120 terms. That's what the Sermon of the 617 00:44:06,120 --> 00:44:11,920 Mount is all about, true blessing and joy and coming to 618 00:44:11,920 --> 00:44:14,440 know Christ. And the Lord knew that. 619 00:44:15,680 --> 00:44:17,840 He knew that their physical healing was not enough. 620 00:44:19,360 --> 00:44:23,400 They need to be spiritually healed from the inside out and 621 00:44:23,400 --> 00:44:30,680 therefore, once they were, joy would envelope them and listen, 622 00:44:31,600 --> 00:44:34,720 what's the fruit of the Spirit? It's love, that's affection, 623 00:44:37,240 --> 00:44:45,160 joy, that's jubilation, peace, that's consolation that that's, 624 00:44:45,200 --> 00:44:47,560 that's the next word of an outline Why? 625 00:44:47,880 --> 00:44:50,960 It's all produced by the spirit. All of it's produced by the 626 00:44:50,960 --> 00:44:53,960 spirit. How do I, how do I recognize who 627 00:44:53,960 --> 00:44:56,280 God is? What, what did Christ say to 628 00:44:56,280 --> 00:44:57,680 Peter? Flesh and blood do not reveal 629 00:44:57,680 --> 00:45:00,240 this to you, but my Father in heaven revealed this to you. 630 00:45:00,680 --> 00:45:02,360 Revealed what? That I'm the crisis of the 631 00:45:02,360 --> 00:45:05,880 living God. There's a recognition that 632 00:45:05,880 --> 00:45:07,320 recognition leads to trepidation. 633 00:45:07,400 --> 00:45:10,600 That trepidation leads to examination. 634 00:45:11,280 --> 00:45:14,520 That examination leads to affection, that affection to 635 00:45:14,520 --> 00:45:19,920 jubilation, that jubilation, great consolation, peace, 636 00:45:20,360 --> 00:45:26,400 serenity, knowing I'm a child of the living God. 637 00:45:27,320 --> 00:45:29,440 That's why you let the peace of Christ rule in your Christ said 638 00:45:29,440 --> 00:45:33,640 in John 1426. My peace I give unto you, not as 639 00:45:33,640 --> 00:45:36,400 the world gives, give I unto you, but my peace. 640 00:45:37,240 --> 00:45:39,840 There's the consolation there, there, there. 641 00:45:39,840 --> 00:45:43,480 There's the comfort. It comes because of the peace 642 00:45:43,480 --> 00:45:45,360 that God gives us. That's why we let the peace of 643 00:45:45,360 --> 00:45:47,840 Christ, as we talked about on Sunday, rule in our hearts. 644 00:45:48,880 --> 00:45:51,400 I'm at peace with God. I'm on God's side. 645 00:45:52,280 --> 00:45:55,600 He's going to he's going to dictate which way I go and what 646 00:45:55,600 --> 00:46:00,520 I say and where I live and where I work because he's the empire 647 00:46:01,600 --> 00:46:06,760 at peace with God. Isaiah 26 three. 648 00:46:06,760 --> 00:46:08,840 He says what I will keep him in perfect peace. 649 00:46:08,840 --> 00:46:15,840 Whose mind has stayed on me? What are the distinguishing 650 00:46:15,840 --> 00:46:20,640 characteristics of one who worships in spirit or by the 651 00:46:20,640 --> 00:46:28,000 Spirit, one's recognition of who God is to his trepidation before 652 00:46:28,760 --> 00:46:32,840 the God you've recognized? With that comes an examination 653 00:46:33,640 --> 00:46:36,160 of my life, because I don't want there to be any wicked way in me 654 00:46:38,000 --> 00:46:41,600 when I know that my God Forgives because of His grace and mercy. 655 00:46:41,600 --> 00:46:47,480 There's great affection for my God, great love for the Lord, so 656 00:46:47,480 --> 00:46:51,720 much so that the transfer of affection never even remotely 657 00:46:51,840 --> 00:46:53,360 exists. How about you? 658 00:46:55,120 --> 00:46:57,680 Who's vying for your affection as we speak? 659 00:46:59,560 --> 00:47:03,480 What's vying for your attention as we speak? 660 00:47:05,280 --> 00:47:08,760 With that affection comes jubilation, great joy in the 661 00:47:08,760 --> 00:47:11,760 Lord. For that jubilation comes great 662 00:47:11,760 --> 00:47:15,120 consolation. From that consolation comes 663 00:47:15,120 --> 00:47:21,000 great satisfaction. Psalm 73. 664 00:47:22,840 --> 00:47:26,480 Psalmist said these words, Whom have I in heaven but you? 665 00:47:26,560 --> 00:47:30,880 And besides you I desire nothing on earth. 666 00:47:32,440 --> 00:47:37,520 Why? Remember Christ told Abraham in 667 00:47:37,520 --> 00:47:45,240 Genesis 15 verse #1 I am Abraham, your very great reward. 668 00:47:46,400 --> 00:47:51,760 I'm it, I'm it, I am your very great reward. 669 00:47:53,080 --> 00:47:57,440 That's why Peter says, quoting from Isaiah 28 in first Peter 670 00:47:57,440 --> 00:48:03,280 chapter 2 verse #6 He who believes in him will never be 671 00:48:03,280 --> 00:48:05,880 disappointed. Why? 672 00:48:06,640 --> 00:48:11,000 Because two worshippers find their satisfaction in Christ, 673 00:48:12,560 --> 00:48:19,120 that's why. And lastly, devotion. 674 00:48:20,120 --> 00:48:27,200 I'm not sure how many that is. 8 The great 8 devotion. 675 00:48:28,720 --> 00:48:31,960 Devotion when? When Satan came to tempt Christ 676 00:48:31,960 --> 00:48:33,360 in the wilderness in Matthew chapter 4. 677 00:48:33,680 --> 00:48:36,080 I will give you the kingdoms of this world if you just bow down 678 00:48:36,080 --> 00:48:38,760 and worship me. Bypass the cross. 679 00:48:38,760 --> 00:48:42,200 You don't need the pain. I'll give you all the reward 680 00:48:42,240 --> 00:48:44,520 without the pain. That's what Satan always does, 681 00:48:44,520 --> 00:48:46,160 right? You can have the blessing, the 682 00:48:46,160 --> 00:48:50,000 joy without the pain. Whenever you think that you can 683 00:48:50,000 --> 00:48:53,000 have joy without the pain. No, it's Satan and not Christ. 684 00:48:54,320 --> 00:49:01,440 And Christ says, the Bible says that you shall only worship the 685 00:49:01,440 --> 00:49:04,280 Lord your God, in him only shall you serve. 686 00:49:06,040 --> 00:49:09,120 Every true worshiper has a supreme devotion to their God. 687 00:49:09,120 --> 00:49:14,960 They don't want to compromise. They don't desire to do that. 688 00:49:16,400 --> 00:49:22,640 They are completely undivided. They know they can't serve 2 689 00:49:22,640 --> 00:49:26,040 masters Matthew 624 Because if you love one, you're going to 690 00:49:26,040 --> 00:49:28,200 hate the other. You can't serve 2 masters. 691 00:49:28,200 --> 00:49:29,840 It's like trying to go to two churches. 692 00:49:29,840 --> 00:49:33,160 You can't go to two churches and go to one church. 693 00:49:33,400 --> 00:49:35,920 You can't serve 2 churches. You only serve one, right? 694 00:49:35,920 --> 00:49:38,040 You can't be married to two people. 695 00:49:38,040 --> 00:49:40,640 You only be married to one. Everything's divided. 696 00:49:41,320 --> 00:49:44,640 You're going to love one and hate the other, so you got to be 697 00:49:44,640 --> 00:49:50,720 completely devoted to Christ and that's the way it should be for 698 00:49:50,720 --> 00:49:57,360 every single one of us. Remember Genesis chapter 22? 699 00:50:00,360 --> 00:50:03,200 Genesis 22 is the first time the word worship is mentioned in the 700 00:50:03,200 --> 00:50:09,760 Bible. It's mentioned in this context, 701 00:50:11,000 --> 00:50:16,120 Abraham says to his fellow travellers as he come to the 702 00:50:16,120 --> 00:50:22,680 base of Mount Moriah says, wait here and I and the lad will go 703 00:50:22,680 --> 00:50:29,600 up and we will worship and we'll return to you. 704 00:50:31,320 --> 00:50:35,520 I I find that so remarkable because that's in Genesis 705 00:50:35,520 --> 00:50:38,720 chapter 22. The Decalogue wasn't given to 706 00:50:38,720 --> 00:50:46,640 Exodus chapter 20, right? Years later about worship, you 707 00:50:46,640 --> 00:50:48,360 shall have no other gods before me, right? 708 00:50:49,960 --> 00:50:54,680 But Abraham knew in Genesis 22 what it meant to worship his 709 00:50:54,680 --> 00:50:58,080 God. What there was supreme devotion 710 00:50:58,320 --> 00:51:02,000 in Abraham's life. There was supreme affection for 711 00:51:02,000 --> 00:51:03,960 his God. He so much so that he would be 712 00:51:03,960 --> 00:51:07,480 willing to sacrifice his son on the altar for the sake of his 713 00:51:07,480 --> 00:51:10,120 love for his God. When he says, take now your son, 714 00:51:10,120 --> 00:51:13,480 your only son, your only begotten son, the son of your 715 00:51:13,480 --> 00:51:15,800 love, take him and sacrifice him. 716 00:51:16,000 --> 00:51:18,680 And Abraham said, I would do it because I'm devoted to you. 717 00:51:20,280 --> 00:51:25,080 My, you are my affection. You are my complete and total 718 00:51:25,080 --> 00:51:30,760 adoration and Genesis chapter 22 embodies all of the 8 719 00:51:30,760 --> 00:51:33,760 characteristics I just gave you. And if we had time, we'd go back 720 00:51:33,760 --> 00:51:36,440 to Genesis chapter 22 and show you how each of them are 721 00:51:36,440 --> 00:51:39,400 manifested in the life of Abraham and Isaac on Mount 722 00:51:39,400 --> 00:51:42,800 Moriah. Because that's a characteristic 723 00:51:42,800 --> 00:51:48,000 of a true worshipper, because he worships by the Spirit. 724 00:51:49,520 --> 00:51:53,120 And then it says second characteristic defines him. 725 00:51:54,480 --> 00:52:00,080 He glories in Christ Jesus. What a great statement. 726 00:52:01,880 --> 00:52:05,360 It's it's a word that means to boast with exuberant joy. 727 00:52:05,360 --> 00:52:11,000 We we think of boasting as as a, a negative term and it is in the 728 00:52:11,000 --> 00:52:15,920 human realm, but in the divine realm it's a great term because 729 00:52:15,920 --> 00:52:18,440 you're glorying, you're boasting in Christ. 730 00:52:18,440 --> 00:52:23,040 Paul said these words in Galatians chapter 6. 731 00:52:23,320 --> 00:52:28,160 He said, But may it never be that I would boast or glory 732 00:52:28,800 --> 00:52:32,240 except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the 733 00:52:32,240 --> 00:52:35,320 world has been crucified to me, and I to the world, for neither 734 00:52:35,320 --> 00:52:37,920 a circumcision anything nor uncircumcision, but a new 735 00:52:37,920 --> 00:52:41,120 creation. Far be it from me that I should 736 00:52:41,240 --> 00:52:44,520 I should glory in anything other than the Christ, because I've 737 00:52:44,520 --> 00:52:47,920 been crucified with him. And what's the true believer do 738 00:52:48,040 --> 00:52:51,480 he? He boasts in Christ Jesus. 739 00:52:52,360 --> 00:52:54,760 He has great joy because of Christ. 740 00:52:55,160 --> 00:52:58,840 He glories in Christ Jesus. We live in a age today where 741 00:52:58,880 --> 00:53:01,400 where man is so enamored with himself. 742 00:53:01,520 --> 00:53:05,520 He wants to receive all the glory, all the attention, all 743 00:53:05,520 --> 00:53:09,800 the praise, but not, not the genuine believer, not the 744 00:53:09,800 --> 00:53:14,120 genuine worshipper, not the genuine Christian, Oh no, the 745 00:53:14,120 --> 00:53:16,280 believer. He doesn't want praise coming to 746 00:53:16,280 --> 00:53:18,920 himself. He doesn't want a recognition 747 00:53:18,920 --> 00:53:21,640 coming to himself. He doesn't want admiration 748 00:53:21,640 --> 00:53:24,920 coming to himself that if if that's you, you got to check 749 00:53:24,920 --> 00:53:28,480 yourself at the door and ask yourself, am I truly wanting to 750 00:53:28,480 --> 00:53:31,440 glory in Christ Jesus or do I want to be glorified? 751 00:53:31,600 --> 00:53:33,600 Do I want to be seen? Do I want to be recognized? 752 00:53:33,720 --> 00:53:36,040 The true believer glories in Christ Jesus. 753 00:53:36,120 --> 00:53:42,160 He boasts in Christ. That's why Jeremiah, God said to 754 00:53:42,160 --> 00:53:44,680 Jeremiah, Jeremiah and 23 and 24. 755 00:53:44,960 --> 00:53:51,920 Let not the the wise man boast in his wisdom, neither let the 756 00:53:51,920 --> 00:53:57,960 rich man boast in his riches, or neither let the mighty man boast 757 00:53:57,960 --> 00:54:00,840 in his might, because that's what we boast in. 758 00:54:02,200 --> 00:54:06,280 I like the glory in my riches, my wisdom, my intellect, my 759 00:54:06,280 --> 00:54:11,000 education, my PhD or my double PHDI want to boast in those 760 00:54:11,000 --> 00:54:12,720 things. I want to glory in those things. 761 00:54:12,800 --> 00:54:15,920 I put them on my wall so when everybody walks in, they can see 762 00:54:16,120 --> 00:54:19,800 Doctor this and Doctor that. We want everybody to see who I 763 00:54:19,800 --> 00:54:24,040 am and what degrees I have, because I want to boast in my 764 00:54:24,040 --> 00:54:28,120 wisdom. I want to boast in my riches. 765 00:54:28,120 --> 00:54:31,720 I want to boast in my might, my power, and my strength. 766 00:54:33,120 --> 00:54:36,880 And God says to Jeremiah, Let not the mighty man boast in his 767 00:54:36,880 --> 00:54:41,200 might, or the rich man in his riches, or the wise man in his 768 00:54:41,200 --> 00:54:44,880 wisdom, but let him who boasts boast in this. 769 00:54:45,840 --> 00:54:49,800 Then it stands and knows that I am the Lord who exercises his 770 00:54:49,800 --> 00:54:54,880 loving kindness and mercy and justice on the face of the 771 00:54:54,880 --> 00:54:57,480 earth. You want to boast in something, 772 00:54:57,480 --> 00:55:01,080 you want to glory about something during the fact that 773 00:55:01,080 --> 00:55:07,520 you just know who I am, you recognize me for who I am, and 774 00:55:07,520 --> 00:55:11,880 you give all the praise and direction to whom it is due. 775 00:55:14,080 --> 00:55:17,680 The true worshipper, he wants no glory. 776 00:55:19,080 --> 00:55:22,880 He wants no praise. He wants no honor. 777 00:55:24,080 --> 00:55:28,200 He wants no recognition. He wants God to be put on 778 00:55:28,200 --> 00:55:32,160 display. He wants God to be seen. 779 00:55:33,360 --> 00:55:36,680 He wants God seen in his family. He wants God seen at work. 780 00:55:37,000 --> 00:55:40,680 He wants God seen on the field. He wants God seen in the 781 00:55:40,680 --> 00:55:44,280 operating room. He wants God seen at church, all 782 00:55:44,280 --> 00:55:51,080 he cares about. Do people get a clear glimpse of 783 00:55:51,080 --> 00:55:53,920 the Christ? It's all that matters. 784 00:55:55,280 --> 00:56:01,160 Nothing else matters. See we live in a world where 785 00:56:01,160 --> 00:56:06,920 that is just so hard today because we are so self absorbed. 786 00:56:07,720 --> 00:56:14,120 We are so into us. To me, we just can't stand it if 787 00:56:14,120 --> 00:56:17,040 somebody doesn't recognize me throughout the day. 788 00:56:18,400 --> 00:56:21,480 We can't stand it if someone doesn't like my Instagram post, 789 00:56:22,720 --> 00:56:26,920 we can't handle it. That's why you got to ask 790 00:56:26,920 --> 00:56:29,960 yourself, are you a true child of God? 791 00:56:32,280 --> 00:56:35,800 Many believe that we're not saved. 792 00:56:37,080 --> 00:56:40,400 Many were disciples who walked away. 793 00:56:41,520 --> 00:56:47,560 Many will say and Christ will say, depart from me. 794 00:56:49,160 --> 00:56:53,320 Never knew you. So a true worshipper. 795 00:56:56,280 --> 00:57:00,080 He's the one who worships in spirit. 796 00:57:00,440 --> 00:57:04,320 He's the marked one. He's the one who glories only in 797 00:57:04,320 --> 00:57:06,720 Christ. And I love this next one. 798 00:57:07,040 --> 00:57:08,880 He puts no confidence in the flesh. 799 00:57:09,880 --> 00:57:13,640 None, no confidence in the flesh. 800 00:57:13,640 --> 00:57:16,160 I think it, Paul says to those in Galatia in Galatians chapter 801 00:57:16,160 --> 00:57:21,120 3 verse number 30. You foolish Galatians, who has 802 00:57:21,360 --> 00:57:27,600 bewitched you, thinking that you could be saved by the Spirit, 803 00:57:29,440 --> 00:57:33,960 but now try to perfect yourself in the flesh, that somehow you 804 00:57:33,960 --> 00:57:37,120 can grow yourself without the work of the Spirit of God. 805 00:57:38,680 --> 00:57:41,920 Can't do that. See, everything in the spiritual 806 00:57:41,920 --> 00:57:44,960 realm is energized by the Spirit. 807 00:57:44,960 --> 00:57:48,080 I'm going to talk about this on Sunday, because Sunday we're 808 00:57:48,120 --> 00:57:50,560 going to talk about how how you don't quench the Spirit. 809 00:57:51,560 --> 00:57:55,560 First Thessalonians 5, verse #19 we're making our way slowly 810 00:57:55,560 --> 00:57:57,360 through the end of the chapter, one verse at a time. 811 00:57:57,360 --> 00:58:01,160 And we'll look at verse #19 how you don't quench the Spirit. 812 00:58:01,520 --> 00:58:05,000 You'll be surprised how many times you go through the day and 813 00:58:05,000 --> 00:58:09,760 you quench the working of the Spirit in your life. 814 00:58:09,800 --> 00:58:13,320 How you stifle the work in the Spirit, how you smother the work 815 00:58:13,320 --> 00:58:16,480 of the Spirit, how you dampen the work of the Spirit in your 816 00:58:16,480 --> 00:58:18,400 life. You'll be surprised how many 817 00:58:18,400 --> 00:58:20,240 times that happens throughout each day. 818 00:58:20,480 --> 00:58:22,840 And for the most part, we don't even recognize it. 819 00:58:23,600 --> 00:58:27,000 And then we wonder why my marriage is as bad as it is. 820 00:58:28,360 --> 00:58:33,360 My ministry stinks. My life is in shambles, not even 821 00:58:33,360 --> 00:58:36,400 knowing that we've stifled the work in the Spirit in our own 822 00:58:36,400 --> 00:58:38,680 lives. But that's for Sunday. 823 00:58:38,680 --> 00:58:39,640 I'm not going to talk about tonight. 824 00:58:40,520 --> 00:58:43,320 But the bottom line is that you put no confidence in the flesh, 825 00:58:44,880 --> 00:58:47,760 no confidence in the flesh. The flesh profits nothing. 826 00:58:48,440 --> 00:58:52,760 God doesn't want the spiritual, the Christian life lived in by 827 00:58:52,760 --> 00:58:56,560 fleshly means. And you can, you can judge this 828 00:58:56,560 --> 00:58:58,920 by just ask yourself about your prayer life. 829 00:59:00,080 --> 00:59:04,800 Just ask yourself about your prayer life and ask yourself do 830 00:59:04,840 --> 00:59:07,280 do I We talked about on Sunday a couple weeks ago. 831 00:59:07,320 --> 00:59:09,720 Pray without ceasing unceasing prayer. 832 00:59:11,200 --> 00:59:12,800 It might be seeking the feeling of grace. 833 00:59:12,960 --> 00:59:18,400 Am I in prayer about everything but but but as you go to prayer, 834 00:59:18,480 --> 00:59:23,520 you are relinquishing you are relinquishing your involvement 835 00:59:24,800 --> 00:59:27,840 in begging for God's involvement to do everything. 836 00:59:29,560 --> 00:59:34,760 It's it's the spirit controlled life and and to believe the the 837 00:59:34,760 --> 00:59:36,760 genuine Christian, the true marked 1. 838 00:59:36,880 --> 00:59:38,960 He puts no confidence in his flesh. 839 00:59:39,840 --> 00:59:44,880 Paul would say I, I am nothing. I am nothing without Christ. 840 00:59:45,480 --> 00:59:48,000 I like what John the Baptist said he must increase. 841 00:59:48,120 --> 00:59:53,480 I must decrease that that should be tattooed on your forehead. 842 00:59:55,440 --> 00:59:56,880 Put it there. He must increase. 843 00:59:56,880 --> 00:59:59,600 I must decrease. So every time you look in the 844 00:59:59,600 --> 01:00:01,360 mirror, you can see it. You have to read it backwards, 845 01:00:01,360 --> 01:00:02,760 but you'll be able to see it at least in the mirror. 846 01:00:03,240 --> 01:00:07,280 OK, so that the God gets all the glory and that I don't put any 847 01:00:07,280 --> 01:00:12,760 confidence in my own flesh, but I just Lord, I trust you, I I 848 01:00:12,760 --> 01:00:16,800 believe in you. That's why the Bible says for by 849 01:00:16,800 --> 01:00:18,920 grace are you safe to faith that not of yourselves, it's the gift 850 01:00:18,920 --> 01:00:24,640 of God, not of works, lest than imagine what boast, boast. 851 01:00:24,640 --> 01:00:28,560 There's no works involved in salvation except the work of 852 01:00:28,560 --> 01:00:32,440 God, right? Not by works of righteousness, 853 01:00:32,440 --> 01:00:34,960 which we have done, but by the washing of regeneration and by 854 01:00:34,960 --> 01:00:36,200 the renewing of the Spirit of God. 855 01:00:36,200 --> 01:00:38,280 Titus 35. That's how a man is born again, 856 01:00:39,080 --> 01:00:40,800 not by works of righteousness, which we have done. 857 01:00:40,960 --> 01:00:43,240 And the true genuine believer, he puts no confidence in the 858 01:00:43,240 --> 01:00:43,880 flesh. Why? 859 01:00:44,000 --> 01:00:45,800 Why? The false circumcision is 860 01:00:45,800 --> 01:00:49,040 putting all their confidence in their flesh, in their heritage, 861 01:00:49,200 --> 01:00:55,280 in their lineage. The true believer has no 862 01:00:55,280 --> 01:01:02,080 confidence in his flesh. That's why we've said the 863 01:01:02,080 --> 01:01:07,920 Christian is defined by heart adoration, heart exaltation, and 864 01:01:07,920 --> 01:01:14,040 heart humiliation. That's why I, Psalm 21st #7 says 865 01:01:14,240 --> 01:01:22,240 some boast in Chariots, others boast in horses. 866 01:01:23,720 --> 01:01:29,320 But we, we will boast in the name of the Lord our God. 867 01:01:30,480 --> 01:01:33,520 We're not going to put our confidence in human things. 868 01:01:33,600 --> 01:01:35,800 We're not going to put our confidence in armies. 869 01:01:35,800 --> 01:01:37,680 We're not going to put our confidence in Chariots and 870 01:01:37,680 --> 01:01:39,040 horses. We're not going to put our 871 01:01:39,080 --> 01:01:40,800 confidence in the things that man does. 872 01:01:40,800 --> 01:01:42,680 We're going to put our confidence in God. 873 01:01:42,760 --> 01:01:45,840 We're going to, we're going to boast in God, in the name of the 874 01:01:45,840 --> 01:01:49,000 Lord our God. They will be brought down and 875 01:01:49,000 --> 01:01:51,920 fall, but we will rise up and stand firm. 876 01:01:51,960 --> 01:01:55,840 That's the mark of a genuine believer. 877 01:01:57,360 --> 01:02:00,160 Christian is known by a definition. 878 01:02:02,440 --> 01:02:05,400 He's the one who worships by the Spirit of God. 879 01:02:06,840 --> 01:02:10,760 He's the one who glories only in Christ Jesus, and he puts 880 01:02:10,800 --> 01:02:13,920 absolutely no confidence in his flesh. 881 01:02:15,720 --> 01:02:20,040 Is that you? I would trust that it is just 882 01:02:20,040 --> 01:02:22,520 another way you can examine your life in light of what God's Word 883 01:02:22,520 --> 01:02:29,920 says so that you are not a part of the many who said they 884 01:02:29,920 --> 01:02:37,320 believed, or the many who said they were disciples, or the many 885 01:02:38,000 --> 01:02:46,080 who said they served And the Lord said, I never knew you. 886 01:02:46,080 --> 01:02:49,720 Don't be a part of the many, be a part of the few. 887 01:02:50,960 --> 01:02:56,040 The few that find the narrow, the narrow road and enter into 888 01:02:56,040 --> 01:02:57,560 glory. Let's pray together. 889 01:02:58,560 --> 01:03:01,800 Father, we are grateful for today all that you do. 890 01:03:02,880 --> 01:03:06,360 Thank you for your word. Your word is so clear. 891 01:03:07,920 --> 01:03:11,200 It makes it so, so understandable. 892 01:03:13,240 --> 01:03:17,160 And I pray Lord, for everyone in the room as they match their 893 01:03:17,160 --> 01:03:21,800 life against the word of God. They would ask themselves, am IA 894 01:03:22,440 --> 01:03:28,920 genuine worshipper of my God? Am I the one who glory is only 895 01:03:28,920 --> 01:03:33,000 in the Christ? Am I the one who puts no 896 01:03:33,000 --> 01:03:39,120 confidence in my flesh but completely and totally trust in 897 01:03:39,120 --> 01:03:42,960 the Lord God of Israel? That should be us. 898 01:03:42,960 --> 01:03:47,640 Lord, I pray that it is and that Lord you encourage us. 899 01:03:48,720 --> 01:03:50,920 Lord, none of us are perfect. Do we worship you perfectly? 900 01:03:51,440 --> 01:03:54,720 We do not. Do we glory in Christ Jesus 901 01:03:54,720 --> 01:03:56,480 perfectly? No, we don't do that either. 902 01:03:58,280 --> 01:04:00,000 Do we put confidence in our own flesh? 903 01:04:00,000 --> 01:04:05,920 Many times, Yes, we do. Yet Lord of Hearts, desire is to 904 01:04:05,920 --> 01:04:09,880 do what you've asked and what you've commended, and because it 905 01:04:09,880 --> 01:04:15,400 is we want to serve and follow our King, maybe faithfully do so 906 01:04:15,400 --> 01:04:18,560 until you come again, as you most surely will, in Jesus name, 907 01:04:18,840 --> 01:04:19,160 Amen.