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I have had the the wonderful 
privilege of of being a pastor 

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now for over over 40 years. 31 
of those years I've been here at

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Christ Community Church and 
looking at the church around the

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world, I believe there there are
three major issues that the 

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church faces every week, three 
issues that need to be dealt 

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with in the church. 
The first issue is the 

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unconverted among us. 
Churches across our country are 

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filled with unconverted people. 
We know that because the Bible's

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very replete with all kinds of 
testimony as to how the evil 1 

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sows the tares among the wheat. 
Satan is a master at disguising 

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that which is false in a way 
that makes it look like it's 

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true. 
And so Satan is a master at 

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deception. 
He disguises himself as an Angel

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of light and he does all he can 
to disrupt the harmony and unity

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of the Church. 
And Jesus tells us that one of 

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the ways he does that is that he
sows the the tares, the the 

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unconverted among the converted.
And Jesus says that they look so

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much like that which is true 
that you can't distinguish them 

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until the end of the age, and 
then all will be revealed. 

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There will always be Judases 
among the disciples, there will 

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always be demises among the 
church. 

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People who are deceptive, people
are who are good at 

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masquerading, people are good at
pretending. 

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And so the Bible warns us about 
that. 

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That's why the series on on 
Wednesday night is just so 

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incredibly crucial to the 
church. 

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What really is a true Christian 
and am I truly genuine? 

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Am I truly born again? 
Throughout the the 80s and 90's,

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the secret sensitive movements 
swept the church and 

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entertainment replaced 
enlightenment, the theatrical 

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replaced the theological, and 
that movement did all it could 

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to bring in the unbeliever to 
the church. 

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The church is not designed for 
unbelievers, it's only designed 

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for believers. 
But the movement would bring all

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kinds of unbelievers into the 
church. 

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The church became more and more 
like the world. 

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The music became like that of 
the world, the preaching became 

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like that of the world. 
More stories than the true story

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of of the Christ, more personal 
illustrations about the pastor 

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instead of the true 
illustrations about, about the 

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Lord. 
And so all these unconverted 

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people felt very comfortable 
coming to church. 

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The unconverted should never be 
comfortable in church. 

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They should be so out of place 
that they either repent and turn

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from their sin, or they just 
leave. 

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But the church is not for the 
unconverted. 

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The church consists of those who
have been called out by God to 

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worship Him and to honor Him and
to glorify His precious name. 

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And yet that is a major issue 
facing the church, the 

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unconverted among us. 
That the second issue that that 

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faces the church that I think is
also a a major problem. 

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And that is the undisciplined 
around us, the unconverted among

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us and the undisciplined around 
us. 

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That the church has become very 
flabby, spiritually flabby. 

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Have you ever noticed that I, I 
had a grandmother growing up, 

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like most of you have 
grandmothers and she was very, 

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very heavy and she had so much 
excess weight on her arms that 

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as children, grandchildren, we 
will go up and just flap the 

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flab on the end of her arms. 
And she would laugh and we would

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laugh and just have a grand old 
time. 

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She was a master at cooking all 
kinds of food. 

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And the more she cooked, the 
bigger she she became and and 

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the more flabby she was. 
And so we would just play with 

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the fat on her arms. 
She would laugh, we would laugh,

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and that would be funny. 
But it's not funny when it's in 

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the church. 
It's not funny when we become 

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spiritually flabby. 
We need to be spiritually strong

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in the church. 
But because we're so 

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undisciplined and the Bible says
we are to discipline ourselves 

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unto godliness, First Timothy 
chapter 4 verses 7:00 and 8:00, 

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that that bodily exercise 
profiteth little. 

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But godliness profits for all 
things, because it profits for 

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not only this life, but the life
to come. 

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Paul tells Timothy and Second 
Timothy chapter 1 and verse #7 

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God has given us the spirit of 
discipline and yet we are so 

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undisciplined. 
We are out of control. 

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We're not in control of our 
faculties, our minds, our 

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thoughts, our words. 
The the discipline of Scripture,

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the discipline of supplication, 
the discipline of silence and 

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solitude, the discipline of 
surrender and self denial, the 

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discipline of a steadfast heart 
and submission are are alien to 

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most people. 
And we find ourselves hardly at 

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all exercising our spiritual 
faculties that we might somehow 

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be in tune with with the God we 
say we serve. 

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Paul and 2nd Thessalonians 3 
verse #11 said these words he 

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said. 
For we hear that some among you 

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are leading an undisciplined 
life today. 

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I wonder what Paul would say 
about the church, because the 

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church has become more and more 
undisciplined. 

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And that's not a good thing. 
That's a bad thing. 

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And that needs to be dealt with 
in each of our own personal 

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lives. 
So you, you have the unconverted

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among us. 
You, you have the undisciplined 

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around us. 
And here is the the third major 

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issue facing the church, and 
that is you have the 

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undiscerning amidst us, the 
undiscerning people that are 

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unable to discern between that 
which is true and that which is 

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false, people that are unable to
discern God's way from every 

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other way. 
That is a a major issue in the 

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church. 
Discernment is a word that 

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describes that which is black 
and that which is white. 

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Discerning people don't live in 
the in the nebulous area of the 

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Gray, but so much in the church 
today, we live in that realm of 

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grayness. 
We don't want to come up on this

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side or that side. 
We want to tolerate all kinds of

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things in the church in our own 
lives. 

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We don't want to be too hard to 
the right. 

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We don't want to be too soft to 
the left. 

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So we kind of settled in between
and we begin to compromise. 

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Compromise our purity, 
compromise our doctrine, 

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compromise our lives simply 
because we live in the realm of 

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the undiscerning, Discerning 
people are those who truly make 

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a clear distinction in their 
minds between what is right and 

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what is wrong. 
And that's where Paul comes in, 

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in verses 19 and 20, or, excuse 
me, verses 20 and 21 of our text

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in First Thessalonians chapter 
5. 

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When he says these words, 
examine everything carefully. 

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Hold fast to that which is good 
and abstain from every form of 

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evil. 
Did that 2 verses describe what 

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is not happening in the church 
today? 

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We need to be discerning people.
And so Paul is concerned about 

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this. 
In fact, he was so concerned 

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about it. 
Listen to what he says to the 

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church at Corinth in Second 
Corinthians Chapter 11. 

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In fact, if you got your Bible, 
you can turn there with me if 

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you would. 
Second Corinthians Chapter 11. 

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This is Paul's attitude toward 
the church, not just the church 

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at Corinth, but every church, 
which should also be the 

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attitude of every pastor of his 
church. 

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He says in verse #2 I am jealous
for you with the godly jealousy,

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for I betrothed you to one 
husband, so that the Christ I 

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might present you as a pure 
virgin. 

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But I am afraid that as the 
serpent deceived Eve by his 

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craftiness, your minds will be 
LED astray from the simplicity 

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and purity of devotion to 
Christ. 

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Ever since the fall of man, 
Satan has been actively involved

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in deception, and Paul was 
concerned about those in Corinth

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that they would be deceived as 
Eve was deceived. 

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And every false teacher, every 
false preacher, always masters 

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Satan's deception. 
For Satan would portray the 

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truth as error and then offer 
error as truth. 

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And that's what false teachers 
do. 

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Satan would say back in Genesis 
chapter 3 these words, You shall

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not surely die just because God 
said that if you eat of this one

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tree, you will die. 
Surely, surely he was mistaken. 

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Surely God LED you astray. 
Surely God really didn't mean 

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what he said, that you would die
if you ate of the tree of the 

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knowledge of good and evil. 
And so he would take the truth 

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and make you believe it was 
error, and then he would take 

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error and make you believe it 
was true. 

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And he would say these words. 
For your eyes will surely be 

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open, and you will be like God, 
the master deceiver. 

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He takes that which is true and 
paints it as error, then takes 

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that which is error and 
convinces you that it's true. 

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Who doesn't want to be like God?
I mean, come on, if that's the 

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case, why not eat? 
And so they did and plunged the 

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human race, the world and the 
universe into sin. 

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That's how Satan operates. 
He's a master at deception. 

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His counsel seems to be perfect,
but it was so detrimental to 

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them. 
So Paul says, I'm afraid that as

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a serpent deceived Eve, so you 
too would fall into that same 

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category. 
Now he's writing to the church. 

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He's not writing to somebody 
from the Kiwanis Club, somebody 

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from the YMCA, somebody from 
your your school. 

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He's writing to the church. 
Now listen to what he says next.

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This is very, very important, 
for if one comes and preaches 

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another Jesus whom we have not 
preached, or you receive a 

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different spirit which you have 
not received, or a different 

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gospel which you have not 
accepted, you bear this 

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beautifully. 
What an indictment of the 

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church. 
Someone comes and they present 

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to you another gospel. 
They present to you another 

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spirit and another Jesus. 
You know what you do, you 

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embrace it, you accept it as 
beautiful. 

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You say, well, this is this is 
pretty good. 

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This is OK. 
And you fall into this 

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deception, you, you begin to 
tolerate evil. 

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You tolerate another gospel, you
tolerate another Jesus. 

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And it's OK that that is an 
undiscerning church. 

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That's the problem. 
And that is the problem in the 

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church across America and around
the world. 

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It's filled with people who are 
undiscerning and they hear 

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something being preached. 
They say, well, that's, that's 

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OK. 
I, I understand that. 

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I, I can agree with that. 
And they begin to accept it for 

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what it is. 
And all the while they are being

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deceived by the evil. 1 So Paul 
says, For I consider myself not 

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in the least inferior to the 
most eminent apostles, but even 

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if I am unskilled in speech, yet
I am not so in knowledge. 

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In fact, in every way we have 
made this evident to you in all 

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things, he says, Listen, I might
not be the most eloquent guy 

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around. 
I might not be the best 

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communicator around. 
I might not speak like other 

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people speak, but I do know 
this. 

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I have the knowledge that gave 
you a firm foundation of what it

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is you are to believe. 
And yet you have set that aside 

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and you've accepted error for 
truth. 

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And that is a problem. 
And that's the problem facing 

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every church in America today. 
The risk of wandering from the 

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truth is huge. 
The risk of becoming confused. 

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Confused is on the rise in the 
church simply because we don't 

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examine everything carefully. 
Everything. 

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And the word that Paul uses in 
First Thessalonians 5 is the 

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word doki matzo. 
It's a word that means to 

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analyze. 
It's the word that means to 

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scrutinize. 
It's the word that means to test

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and to prove. 
It's a word of examination. 

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Prove everything. 
Analyze every word, scrutinize 

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every element, everything. 
Bring every thought. 

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Paul says in 2nd Corinthians 10.
Every thought into captivity to 

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Christ, to the obedience to 
Christ, every thought that you 

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have, bring it under subjection 
to the obedience of Christ. 

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Here he says examine everything,
analyze, scrutinize, test, 

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prove, put under the microscope 
every word, every situation, 

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everything and do it carefully. 
Now remember we're looking at 

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the model life and the model 
life is 1 of adoration. 

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The model life adores their God.
So they are joyful, prayerful 

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and thankful. 
And what they don't do is they 

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don't quench the Spirit and they
do not despise, disregard or dis

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esteem any prophetic utterance, 
anything that comes from the 

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revelation of God. 
And on the other hand, they 

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examine everything that comes 
from the revelation of God. 

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They examine it carefully, they 
scrutinize it, they make sure 

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that what is being preached, 
what is being said, what is 

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being lived is in accordance 
with truth, because truth is 

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that which matters. 
So in other words, Paul says 

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this, I want you to live a model
life. 

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And in order to live a model 
life, you must be judging 

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00:20:18,400 --> 00:20:20,760
everything. 
Now I know in today's. 

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Vernacular. 
That's a bad word. 

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00:20:24,120 --> 00:20:28,280
Judge who? 
Who are we to judge? 

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Anything or anyone in fact, 
someone will say, and you've got

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00:20:34,440 --> 00:20:40,000
on your mind right now the Bible
says we are not to judge, lest 

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00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:45,160
you 2 be judged. 
I love it when people say that 

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because that tells you that they
are undiscerning and not 

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discerning. 
That tells you that they are in 

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error and not in truth. 
How do we know that? 

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We'll turn back to Matthew 7 
because that's where the the 

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00:21:03,600 --> 00:21:08,400
verse is, right? 
Jesus talks about it and the 

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Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 7 
verse #1 Do not judge so that 

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00:21:13,160 --> 00:21:16,800
you will not be judged. 
See, I'm not going to judge 

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00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:18,800
somebody. 
I'm not going to judge what was 

243
00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:20,520
said. 
I'm not going to judge what they

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00:21:20,520 --> 00:21:26,120
do lest I2 be judged. 
That's not what Jesus is saying.

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Jesus isn't throwing out all 
biblical judgment. 

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I'll show you that in a moment. 
That's the way He says, for the 

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way you judge, you will be 
judged and by your standard of 

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00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:42,520
measure, it will be measured to 
you. 

249
00:21:43,320 --> 00:21:46,240
Why do you look at the speck 
that is in your brother's eye 

250
00:21:46,720 --> 00:21:49,040
but do not notice the log that 
is in your own eye? 

251
00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:53,160
Or how can you say to your 
brother, let me take the speck 

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00:21:53,160 --> 00:21:56,720
out of your eye and behold, the 
log is in your own eye? 

253
00:21:57,280 --> 00:22:04,880
You hypocrite, first take the 
log out of your own eye, and 

254
00:22:04,880 --> 00:22:08,160
then you will see clearly to 
take the speck out of your 

255
00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:13,240
brother's eye. 
So in the very last verse, Jesus

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affirms judgment in the same 
way. 

257
00:22:17,120 --> 00:22:22,000
He says do not judge, but yet he
says you need to judge. 

258
00:22:23,080 --> 00:22:26,480
And you're going to do that 
first of all by taking the log 

259
00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:30,440
out of your own eye so that you 
can discern the speck in someone

260
00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:34,080
else's eye. 
So in the same context, he tells

261
00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:37,640
you not to judge. 
He tells you to judge, to 

262
00:22:37,680 --> 00:22:40,760
examine, to scrutinize, to 
analyze. 

263
00:22:41,680 --> 00:22:44,080
Remember, he's talking about the
religious establishment, the 

264
00:22:44,080 --> 00:22:49,400
Pharisees, who are judging 
people by a standard that they 

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00:22:49,400 --> 00:22:52,760
themselves did not and would not
keep. 

266
00:22:54,280 --> 00:22:58,920
That's hypocritical judgement. 
That's hypocritical scrutiny. 

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00:22:59,520 --> 00:23:09,680
That's what he he condemns, but 
he does affirm judgement based 

268
00:23:09,680 --> 00:23:14,920
on what is said, if first of 
all, you are willing to take 

269
00:23:14,920 --> 00:23:20,440
that which is in your own eye 
out so you can see clearly, to 

270
00:23:20,480 --> 00:23:24,680
actually help the other person 
who has a speck in his eye. 

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00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:32,880
Very, very important note this. 
We cannot judge people's 

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00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:36,400
attitudes and motives. 
We cannot examine people's 

273
00:23:36,400 --> 00:23:38,360
attitudes and motives. 
God does that. 

274
00:23:40,320 --> 00:23:43,680
Paul says in 2nd Corinthians 4 
verse #5 or First Corinthians 4 

275
00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:47,080
verse #5 that He will expose one
day every man's motives. 

276
00:23:47,360 --> 00:23:49,360
God sees the heart. 
He judges the heart. 

277
00:23:49,480 --> 00:23:53,040
He does all of that. 
But listen to what Jesus says in

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00:23:53,040 --> 00:23:59,360
John 724. 
Judge with righteous judgement. 

279
00:24:01,760 --> 00:24:04,760
You are to judge with righteous 
judgment. 

280
00:24:04,760 --> 00:24:09,960
There is a standard, a statement
by which everyone is called to 

281
00:24:09,960 --> 00:24:12,960
live by. 
And that standard is God's 

282
00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:15,440
standard. 
It's a righteous standard. 

283
00:24:16,920 --> 00:24:20,680
And so you, you examine 
everything according to the 

284
00:24:20,680 --> 00:24:24,080
righteous standard of God, Not 
your standard, but God's 

285
00:24:24,080 --> 00:24:28,000
standard, the word of God that 
is truthful, the word of God 

286
00:24:28,160 --> 00:24:33,520
that is unalterable, the word of
God that always stands supreme 

287
00:24:33,520 --> 00:24:38,040
and sufficient. 
Judge with righteous judgement. 

288
00:24:40,720 --> 00:24:46,240
1st Corinthians 1015 Paul says 
like every preacher should say, 

289
00:24:47,080 --> 00:24:55,880
judge what I say, judge what I 
say, put what I say under the 

290
00:24:55,880 --> 00:25:00,080
microscope. 
Like the Bereans in Acts 1711, 

291
00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:05,120
they wanted to test and prove 
everything, to see whether or 

292
00:25:05,120 --> 00:25:07,360
not what was said was true or 
not. 

293
00:25:07,960 --> 00:25:11,680
They'd examined everything, and 
that's the way it should be. 

294
00:25:13,360 --> 00:25:20,440
Those who truly live a life of 
integrity are always open to be 

295
00:25:20,440 --> 00:25:24,480
examined. 
Those who do not live a life of 

296
00:25:24,480 --> 00:25:26,360
integrity do not want to be 
examined. 

297
00:25:27,360 --> 00:25:28,920
They don't want to be held into 
account. 

298
00:25:30,240 --> 00:25:33,480
But those who live a life of an 
honesty and integrity and 

299
00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:37,080
purity, they want to be held 
under the microscope because 

300
00:25:37,080 --> 00:25:40,000
there's a standard by which they
are to live their lives and they

301
00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:41,360
want to be held to that 
standard. 

302
00:25:43,760 --> 00:25:51,440
So Paul says, judge what I say. 
The Bible also says that you are

303
00:25:51,440 --> 00:25:58,920
to judge acts of sin. 
Did you know that Paul says this

304
00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:07,800
over in First Corinthians 5 
verse #12 He says for what have 

305
00:26:07,800 --> 00:26:13,400
I to do with judging outsiders? 
Do you not judge those who are 

306
00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:19,120
within the church, but those who
are outside? 

307
00:26:19,120 --> 00:26:23,200
God judges. 
So remove the wicked man from 

308
00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:26,200
among yourselves. 
He was talking about a man who 

309
00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:29,200
had committed sex sins with his 
mother. 

310
00:26:30,960 --> 00:26:35,160
He says we don't judge those on 
the outside, but we do judge 

311
00:26:35,160 --> 00:26:40,040
those on the inside, those who 
commit acts of sin, those who 

312
00:26:40,040 --> 00:26:42,200
live disobediently to the Word 
of God. 

313
00:26:42,360 --> 00:26:44,800
Those people need to be 
scrutinized. 

314
00:26:45,960 --> 00:26:49,440
They need to be held to the 
biblical standard of purity and 

315
00:26:49,440 --> 00:26:53,960
holiness because we are a holy 
body, we are a holy church. 

316
00:26:54,080 --> 00:26:57,280
We serve a holy God. 
And if we are to represent a 

317
00:26:57,280 --> 00:27:02,840
holy God to a unholy world, we 
can't do it living unholy lives.

318
00:27:02,960 --> 00:27:07,360
We must live holy lives. 
And so if there's someone among 

319
00:27:07,360 --> 00:27:10,440
you who's living in sin, that 
needs to be confronted, that 

320
00:27:10,440 --> 00:27:12,720
needs to be dealt with. 
That's what Matthew 18 is all 

321
00:27:12,720 --> 00:27:14,640
about. 
Matthew 18, the first 

322
00:27:14,640 --> 00:27:18,120
instruction given to the church 
is all about judging sin. 

323
00:27:18,120 --> 00:27:20,920
In the church. 
Your brother sins. 

324
00:27:20,920 --> 00:27:23,280
You go to your brother, he 
repents you on him. 

325
00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:26,880
If he doesn't repent, you take 
two or three witnesses with you.

326
00:27:27,640 --> 00:27:29,160
Why? 
To win your brother. 

327
00:27:29,160 --> 00:27:32,000
You wouldn't have went into a 
place of repentance. 

328
00:27:33,640 --> 00:27:36,360
If that doesn't work, you tell 
it to the church. 

329
00:27:36,880 --> 00:27:39,000
So why? 
The church can go after him, 

330
00:27:39,560 --> 00:27:41,520
plead and beg with him to 
repent. 

331
00:27:42,480 --> 00:27:45,440
If they don't repent, you treat 
him as what? 

332
00:27:46,520 --> 00:27:51,600
A tax gatherer and a Gentile. 
You treat him as if he's an 

333
00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:54,960
unbeliever because he hasn't 
repented. 

334
00:27:56,880 --> 00:28:00,520
See that's that's examining 
everything carefully. 

335
00:28:02,400 --> 00:28:06,200
So important. 
But the church today doesn't 

336
00:28:06,200 --> 00:28:09,760
want to do that. 
We don't want to be involved in 

337
00:28:09,760 --> 00:28:14,320
those kinds of things. 
The Bible says you're to judge 

338
00:28:14,320 --> 00:28:16,880
yourself. 
We're going to partake at the 

339
00:28:16,880 --> 00:28:20,120
Lord's table here in a minute. 
First Corinthians 11 says let a 

340
00:28:20,120 --> 00:28:26,320
man examine himself before he 
eats and drinks of the of the 

341
00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:29,080
Lord's table so that he doesn't 
eat and drink in an unworthy 

342
00:28:29,080 --> 00:28:32,240
manner. 
But because we are an 

343
00:28:32,240 --> 00:28:37,440
undiscerning people, we tend not
to look at our lives and examine

344
00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:41,840
them under the microscope of the
authority of God's holy Word. 

345
00:28:43,560 --> 00:28:51,400
So we refrain from any kind of 
examination in context of First 

346
00:28:51,400 --> 00:28:54,360
Thessalonians 5. 
We're not to despise or look 

347
00:28:54,360 --> 00:28:56,760
down upon prophetic utterances, 
but we are to examine everything

348
00:28:56,760 --> 00:29:00,000
that's said. 
Everything is spoken under the 

349
00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:07,720
guise of God's holy Word and you
hold fast to that which is good.

350
00:29:09,640 --> 00:29:11,840
You, You grip that which is 
good. 

351
00:29:11,840 --> 00:29:14,280
You, you, you cling to that 
which is good. 

352
00:29:14,280 --> 00:29:17,960
But you, you abstain from every 
form of evil. 

353
00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:21,520
Same word used in First 
Thessalonians 4 where you are to

354
00:29:21,680 --> 00:29:26,160
abstain from sexual immorality. 
You don't abstain every once in 

355
00:29:26,160 --> 00:29:30,360
a while, you abstain completely.
Same is true here. 

356
00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:33,160
You don't abstain every once in 
a while from that which is 

357
00:29:33,160 --> 00:29:35,760
wrong, you abstain completely 
from it. 

358
00:29:35,760 --> 00:29:43,080
You shun evil, not just evil 
behavior, but evil beliefs, 

359
00:29:43,800 --> 00:29:46,440
because belief always determines
behavior, right? 

360
00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:49,760
What I believe to be true is how
I live my life. 

361
00:29:51,000 --> 00:29:56,760
And so when you are examining 
evil behavior, you're really 

362
00:29:56,760 --> 00:30:03,960
examining people's evil beliefs 
because it goes contrary to the 

363
00:30:03,960 --> 00:30:08,840
authority of God's holy Word. 
So Paul comes along and says, 

364
00:30:08,840 --> 00:30:10,880
look, you want to live a model 
life. 

365
00:30:10,880 --> 00:30:15,240
You want to live the life that 
that that exemplifies Christ. 

366
00:30:15,960 --> 00:30:19,520
Then you need to make sure you 
examine everything carefully. 

367
00:30:20,400 --> 00:30:24,120
Every word that's spoken, every 
conversation that you have, 

368
00:30:24,520 --> 00:30:27,600
every thought that goes across 
your mind, everything. 

369
00:30:28,040 --> 00:30:31,880
Then say examine some things 
every once in awhile or it's 

370
00:30:31,880 --> 00:30:33,480
good that when you come to 
church you live a life of 

371
00:30:33,480 --> 00:30:36,800
examination. 
He says examine everything 

372
00:30:36,800 --> 00:30:40,800
carefully and if it's evil, 
abstain. 

373
00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:44,920
If it's wrong, abstain. 
If it's good, hold on to it, 

374
00:30:45,080 --> 00:30:50,720
cling to it, never let it go, 
embrace it because if it's good,

375
00:30:52,040 --> 00:30:58,640
it comes from a God who is good.
There was so much to say about 

376
00:30:58,640 --> 00:31:00,200
this. 
I, I don't have the time to do 

377
00:31:00,200 --> 00:31:05,640
it, but, but just let me give 
you 7 words, OK, 7 words. 

378
00:31:05,640 --> 00:31:08,800
I like to say 7 words in 7 
minutes, but that's a little far

379
00:31:08,800 --> 00:31:12,160
reaching. 
But 7 words that will help you 

380
00:31:12,480 --> 00:31:18,080
in the arena of discernment. 
Number one is caution. 

381
00:31:19,800 --> 00:31:24,240
Caution. 
We, we have thrown caution to 

382
00:31:24,240 --> 00:31:29,440
the wind at church. 
We just accept everything. 

383
00:31:30,640 --> 00:31:34,000
I mean, after all, it's church. 
Why wouldn't we believe what the

384
00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:36,960
preacher says? 
Why would we think that 

385
00:31:36,960 --> 00:31:40,440
someone's unconverted? 
Why would we think that someone 

386
00:31:40,440 --> 00:31:44,600
among us is undisciplined? 
We just accept the fact that 

387
00:31:44,600 --> 00:31:46,880
we're all going to church. 
We all love Jesus and 

388
00:31:47,080 --> 00:31:52,440
everything's good. 
But there's, there's, there's 

389
00:31:52,520 --> 00:31:55,600
caution that must always take 
place. 

390
00:31:57,000 --> 00:32:00,560
We assume because our children 
are good that whatever they, 

391
00:32:00,560 --> 00:32:04,040
they, they watch on television 
or watch on their phone is good.

392
00:32:06,720 --> 00:32:10,480
We, we assume that, that our 
children's social media is above

393
00:32:10,480 --> 00:32:13,400
board. 
We, we just assume instead of 

394
00:32:13,400 --> 00:32:17,440
examining our child's social 
media, instead of examining what

395
00:32:17,440 --> 00:32:20,240
our children are doing, we just 
assume that's going to be OK. 

396
00:32:20,320 --> 00:32:24,160
We're very undiscerning. 
Most parents are asleep at the 

397
00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:28,080
wheel. 
Most parents are not in tune 

398
00:32:28,120 --> 00:32:30,200
with what's happening with their
children. 

399
00:32:31,320 --> 00:32:33,840
And as they get older, we just 
assume that they're going to be 

400
00:32:33,840 --> 00:32:36,040
walking with Jesus. 
They're going to love Jesus. 

401
00:32:36,040 --> 00:32:38,360
Things are going to be good. 
I mean, after all, they're going

402
00:32:38,360 --> 00:32:40,120
to church. 
Yeah, but what church are they 

403
00:32:40,120 --> 00:32:43,200
going to see? 
Do you examine that? 

404
00:32:43,440 --> 00:32:46,040
Do you scrutinize that? 
Do you analyze that? 

405
00:32:46,960 --> 00:32:49,560
If you examine everything, you 
got to scrutinize the church 

406
00:32:49,560 --> 00:32:54,360
your kids go to. 
But you see, as parents, we just

407
00:32:54,360 --> 00:32:56,000
tend, well, at least they're in 
church. 

408
00:32:57,120 --> 00:32:59,360
See that that's just that's just
so wrong. 

409
00:33:00,320 --> 00:33:02,360
At least they're in church. 
What church? 

410
00:33:03,200 --> 00:33:05,360
Where are they going? 
What are they hearing? 

411
00:33:05,680 --> 00:33:08,480
Are they growing? 
What's happening? 

412
00:33:10,120 --> 00:33:14,160
You see what we just so caution 
to the wind and therefore we're 

413
00:33:14,160 --> 00:33:17,480
we're not a tune with with 
what's happening not only in our

414
00:33:17,480 --> 00:33:20,160
families, but in our churches as
well. 

415
00:33:20,960 --> 00:33:24,480
We just live lives so 
indiscriminately. 

416
00:33:25,240 --> 00:33:30,960
We let so many things just fly 
under the radar and we just let 

417
00:33:30,960 --> 00:33:34,200
things go. 
Told you before, as as parents, 

418
00:33:34,200 --> 00:33:39,000
we are not helicopters, we are 
fighter jets. 

419
00:33:39,960 --> 00:33:42,720
And if you're not a fighter jet 
as a parent, you're just a 

420
00:33:42,720 --> 00:33:48,840
helicopter hovering around doing
absolutely no good to anybody. 

421
00:33:50,640 --> 00:33:53,360
You need to fight for your 
children's purity, fight for 

422
00:33:53,360 --> 00:33:57,840
your children's marriages, fight
for your children's personal 

423
00:33:57,920 --> 00:34:01,640
lifestyle and help them 
understand the truth. 

424
00:34:01,640 --> 00:34:06,720
That's that's God's truth and 
they live need to live by in 

425
00:34:06,720 --> 00:34:09,480
order to be discerning. 
The first word is caution. 

426
00:34:09,480 --> 00:34:12,560
You need to live a cautious 
lifestyle. 

427
00:34:12,560 --> 00:34:16,440
You need to be aware of what's 
happening around you, what's 

428
00:34:16,440 --> 00:34:20,120
happening in your family, what's
happening with your children, 

429
00:34:21,639 --> 00:34:26,360
because if you're not, then 
you're going to live an 

430
00:34:26,360 --> 00:34:29,360
undiscerning life. 
You won't be able to decipher 

431
00:34:29,360 --> 00:34:32,880
between that which is good and 
that which is which is wrong, 

432
00:34:33,719 --> 00:34:35,639
that which is truth, and that 
which is error. 

433
00:34:36,800 --> 00:34:38,360
And you need to know these 
things. 

434
00:34:39,639 --> 00:34:44,480
First word is caution. 
The second word is compulsion. 

435
00:34:46,040 --> 00:34:49,920
There's this compelling drive 
for discernment. 

436
00:34:51,159 --> 00:34:57,760
Listen to what Solomon says. 
He says if you cry for 

437
00:34:57,760 --> 00:35:01,680
discernment, lift your voice for
understanding. 

438
00:35:01,920 --> 00:35:07,040
If you seek her as silver and 
search for her As for a hidden 

439
00:35:07,040 --> 00:35:10,840
treasure, then you will discern 
the fear of the Lord and 

440
00:35:10,840 --> 00:35:12,760
discover the knowledge of the of
God. 

441
00:35:13,240 --> 00:35:18,040
For the Lord gives wisdom from 
his mouth come knowledge and 

442
00:35:18,240 --> 00:35:24,400
understanding that there is this
compelling drive to learn 

443
00:35:24,400 --> 00:35:28,680
discernment. 
Lord, I want to be a discerning 

444
00:35:28,680 --> 00:35:31,960
person. 
I want to know truth from error,

445
00:35:31,960 --> 00:35:36,160
right from wrong, good from 
best. 

446
00:35:37,200 --> 00:35:40,320
I want to know those things. 
I don't want to be asleep at the

447
00:35:40,320 --> 00:35:43,680
wheel. 
So you cry out to God for 

448
00:35:43,680 --> 00:35:46,200
discernment, and from God comes 
wisdom and knowledge. 

449
00:35:47,720 --> 00:35:50,440
From the Word of God comes 
everything you need to make wise

450
00:35:50,440 --> 00:35:53,240
choices. 
But there's got to be this 

451
00:35:53,240 --> 00:35:58,000
compelling Dr. this compulsion 
to learn it, because if not, 

452
00:35:58,240 --> 00:36:01,320
then you won't. 
It comes back to the 

453
00:36:02,320 --> 00:36:06,920
undisciplined life, doesn't it? 
It's a discipline. 

454
00:36:08,080 --> 00:36:14,560
Requires work. 
Requires Dr. Requires intensity.

455
00:36:15,240 --> 00:36:19,760
Requires tenacity, requires 
passion. 

456
00:36:20,840 --> 00:36:25,480
There's this compulsion that 
drives me to learn discernment 

457
00:36:26,640 --> 00:36:33,440
so that I can help my family. 
I can lead my family. 

458
00:36:34,480 --> 00:36:37,520
I can tell my children this is 
wrong. 

459
00:36:37,520 --> 00:36:41,160
You got to be able to tell your 
children, no, you cannot date 

460
00:36:41,160 --> 00:36:44,760
the unbeliever. 
You cannot do that because the 

461
00:36:44,760 --> 00:36:47,040
Bible says you cannot be 
unequally yoked together and you

462
00:36:47,040 --> 00:36:49,320
got to be careful that your 
emotions fall into this thing. 

463
00:36:49,480 --> 00:36:53,160
Once you start dating the 
unbeliever and you become or you

464
00:36:53,160 --> 00:36:55,320
fall in love with that 
unbeliever and you marry that 

465
00:36:55,320 --> 00:36:56,760
unbeliever, it goes against 
God's command. 

466
00:36:56,760 --> 00:37:00,480
You cannot do that. 
So you cut it off before it ever

467
00:37:00,480 --> 00:37:02,880
begins. 
That's a discerning parent. 

468
00:37:04,400 --> 00:37:06,080
That's a, that's a fighter jet 
parent. 

469
00:37:06,160 --> 00:37:08,680
A helicopter parent says, well, 
you know, if that, you know, 

470
00:37:08,680 --> 00:37:11,520
whatever makes you feel good, if
it feels good, that's OK. 

471
00:37:12,120 --> 00:37:14,040
You know, we want you to be 
happy. 

472
00:37:14,680 --> 00:37:16,600
No, no, no, no. 
You want them to be holy. 

473
00:37:18,520 --> 00:37:20,120
We're so concerned about their 
happiness. 

474
00:37:21,160 --> 00:37:23,760
Oh, but they're getting up in 
here at the 333435. 

475
00:37:23,760 --> 00:37:27,200
We don't want them to be single 
forever, so it's OK. 

476
00:37:28,920 --> 00:37:33,280
Better be single forever then 
marry the wrong one because then

477
00:37:33,280 --> 00:37:36,760
you'd be miserable forever. 
That's always a heartache. 

478
00:37:38,520 --> 00:37:42,840
So there's this caution, there's
this compulsion that takes place

479
00:37:42,960 --> 00:37:51,680
that drives me to the Scriptures
to learn discernment #3 and that

480
00:37:51,680 --> 00:37:58,120
is that is, oh, by the way, this
was Solomon's cry. 

481
00:37:58,440 --> 00:38:04,320
Remember, God said, ask me what 
you wish and I will give it to 

482
00:38:04,320 --> 00:38:06,520
you. 
You imagine God coming to you 

483
00:38:06,520 --> 00:38:09,880
and saying, ask me whatever you 
want, I'll give it to you. 

484
00:38:09,880 --> 00:38:14,560
What would you say? 
Solomon says I need discernment 

485
00:38:14,720 --> 00:38:19,120
so I can I can, I need wisdom so
I can discern between that which

486
00:38:19,120 --> 00:38:21,480
is right and wrong among the 
people of God. 

487
00:38:22,520 --> 00:38:26,240
And God was so pleased that 
Solomon asked that that he gave 

488
00:38:26,240 --> 00:38:31,160
him so much more other things, 
that Solomon became the wisest 

489
00:38:31,160 --> 00:38:35,280
man whoever lived, and God used 
him mightily. 

490
00:38:37,120 --> 00:38:39,960
James says if any of you lacks 
wisdom, let him ask. 

491
00:38:41,600 --> 00:38:45,560
That's a compulsive desire like 
Solomon had. 

492
00:38:45,560 --> 00:38:47,560
But. 
But here's the caveat to this. 

493
00:38:48,640 --> 00:38:52,480
Once there's a caution, once 
there's a compulsion, there must

494
00:38:52,520 --> 00:38:58,360
#3 be a capitulation. 
That is, that you must submit 

495
00:38:58,440 --> 00:39:00,800
and obey everything that God 
says. 

496
00:39:03,040 --> 00:39:05,600
Because we come to a place where
we cry for discernment and God 

497
00:39:05,600 --> 00:39:08,360
gives wisdom and knowledge and 
we begin to read and study and 

498
00:39:08,360 --> 00:39:10,120
understand the word of God. 
And then it comes across 

499
00:39:10,120 --> 00:39:14,880
something that we just don't 
necessarily like or agree with, 

500
00:39:16,440 --> 00:39:18,160
and we think that somehow God is
wrong. 

501
00:39:20,600 --> 00:39:25,120
So there must be a capitulation,
a complete undying submission to

502
00:39:25,120 --> 00:39:28,880
everything that God says. 
Why? 

503
00:39:30,320 --> 00:39:33,200
Because the wisest man, whoever 
lived, didn't do that. 

504
00:39:35,760 --> 00:39:40,040
Listen to what the Bible says in
First Kings 11. 

505
00:39:41,080 --> 00:39:44,080
First Kings 3, Solomon cries for
discernment. 

506
00:39:45,360 --> 00:39:49,080
God gives it to him. 
But the First Kings 11 it says 

507
00:39:49,080 --> 00:39:51,880
this. 
Now King Solomon loved many 

508
00:39:51,880 --> 00:39:56,640
foreign women, along with the 
daughter of Pharaoh, Moabite, 

509
00:39:57,200 --> 00:40:02,480
Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and
Hittite, women from the nations 

510
00:40:02,480 --> 00:40:05,640
concerning which the Lord had 
said to the sons of Israel. 

511
00:40:06,120 --> 00:40:10,920
You should not associate with 
them, nor shall they associate 

512
00:40:11,280 --> 00:40:16,600
with you, for they will surely 
turn your heart away after their

513
00:40:16,600 --> 00:40:21,520
gods. 
Solomon held fast to these in 

514
00:40:21,520 --> 00:40:27,000
love. 
He had 700 wives, princesses and

515
00:40:27,000 --> 00:40:33,080
300 concubines. 
And his wives turned his heart 

516
00:40:34,280 --> 00:40:40,840
away, for when Stalin was old, 
his wives turned his heart away 

517
00:40:42,080 --> 00:40:45,920
after other gods, and his heart 
was not wholly devoted to the 

518
00:40:45,920 --> 00:40:51,320
Lord his God, as the heart of 
David his father had been. 

519
00:40:52,280 --> 00:40:56,280
Solomon did what was evil inside
the Lord, and did not follow the

520
00:40:56,280 --> 00:40:59,160
Lord fully as David his father 
had done. 

521
00:41:01,560 --> 00:41:06,280
Then Solomon built a high place 
for chemist, the detestable idol

522
00:41:06,280 --> 00:41:10,320
of Moab on the mountain which is
east of Jerusalem, which by the 

523
00:41:10,320 --> 00:41:14,720
way is Mount of Olives, and for 
Moab the detestable idol of the 

524
00:41:14,720 --> 00:41:18,440
sons of Ammon. 
Thus also he did for all his 

525
00:41:18,440 --> 00:41:22,960
four wives, who bird, incense 
and sacrifice to their idols. 

526
00:41:24,160 --> 00:41:28,440
Now the Lord was angry with 
Solomon because his heart had 

527
00:41:28,440 --> 00:41:33,040
turned, turned away from the 
Lord, the God of Israel, who had

528
00:41:33,040 --> 00:41:37,080
appeared to him twice, and it 
commanded him concerning his 

529
00:41:37,080 --> 00:41:39,840
this thing. 
They should not go after other 

530
00:41:39,840 --> 00:41:44,400
gods. 
But he did not observe what the 

531
00:41:44,400 --> 00:41:47,440
Lord had commanded. 
So the Lord said to Solomon, 

532
00:41:47,440 --> 00:41:51,280
Because you have done this and 
you have not kept my covenant 

533
00:41:51,280 --> 00:41:54,600
and my statutes which I have 
commanded you, I will surely 

534
00:41:54,600 --> 00:41:59,000
tear the Kingdom from you and 
give it to your servants. 

535
00:42:00,320 --> 00:42:05,200
What a devastation. 
You see, he valued something 

536
00:42:05,200 --> 00:42:09,880
more than God. 
He wasn't willing to submit and 

537
00:42:09,880 --> 00:42:15,960
capitulate to the commandments 
of God because because he, his 

538
00:42:15,960 --> 00:42:21,000
heart was turned, he found 
something more appealing to him,

539
00:42:21,160 --> 00:42:25,040
foreign wives. 
And the more he married, the 

540
00:42:25,040 --> 00:42:27,040
more, the more he felt good 
about it. 

541
00:42:27,440 --> 00:42:30,200
And yet it was a it was an 
abomination to God and, and he 

542
00:42:30,200 --> 00:42:33,000
had turned his back on God and 
didn't fully follow God. 

543
00:42:34,800 --> 00:42:39,560
He was wrong. 
That's because he wanted to be 

544
00:42:39,560 --> 00:42:44,200
cautious. 
And so he had this compulsion to

545
00:42:44,200 --> 00:42:47,640
be discerning but would not 
capitulate to the commandments 

546
00:42:47,640 --> 00:42:51,560
of God. 
Happens all the time. 

547
00:42:51,560 --> 00:42:52,840
You know why it happens in your 
family. 

548
00:42:54,160 --> 00:42:58,080
You know why you can't be 
discerning with your children is

549
00:42:58,080 --> 00:43:00,880
because you value their 
relationship more than you value

550
00:43:01,000 --> 00:43:04,480
the truth of God. 
You want to preserve a 

551
00:43:04,480 --> 00:43:08,840
relationship that you think you 
have, but you do not. 

552
00:43:11,160 --> 00:43:13,280
You think you have a 
relationship with them, but you 

553
00:43:13,280 --> 00:43:15,360
can't have a relationship 
outside of truth. 

554
00:43:16,320 --> 00:43:19,800
You can't. 
And So what do you do? 

555
00:43:19,840 --> 00:43:23,640
You want to preserve something 
you think you have but you 

556
00:43:23,640 --> 00:43:26,920
don't, in hopes that one day 
it'll be great. 

557
00:43:27,680 --> 00:43:30,840
But it won't, because it'll ever
be based on truth. 

558
00:43:30,840 --> 00:43:36,200
You cannot have a relationship 
based on anything other than the

559
00:43:36,200 --> 00:43:40,440
truth of the living God. 
You'll have a semblance of of 

560
00:43:40,920 --> 00:43:45,480
togetherness. 
You'll have some fun things that

561
00:43:45,480 --> 00:43:52,200
happen, but the trueness of a 
deep intimate relationship does 

562
00:43:52,200 --> 00:43:55,840
not happen outside of truth. 
But because we value 

563
00:43:55,840 --> 00:44:01,480
relationship over the truth, we 
will always compromise truth for

564
00:44:01,480 --> 00:44:04,680
the sake of relationship. 
That's always wrong. 

565
00:44:04,680 --> 00:44:08,560
That's what Solomon did. 
God says you've lost it all. 

566
00:44:09,360 --> 00:44:13,320
You've lost the Kingdom. 
God kept it peaceful until the 

567
00:44:13,320 --> 00:44:17,120
end, but once he died, the 
Kingdom divided has never been 

568
00:44:17,120 --> 00:44:19,640
the same sense. 
Why? 

569
00:44:19,720 --> 00:44:24,440
Because he would not submit and 
capitulate to the truth of the 

570
00:44:24,520 --> 00:44:28,960
wisdom and knowledge of God when
it was spoken His word. 

571
00:44:30,920 --> 00:44:36,760
I know my time is gone, but I 
got to finish because I because 

572
00:44:36,760 --> 00:44:37,840
I want to finish. 
How's that? 

573
00:44:40,640 --> 00:44:47,600
Nick's word is connection. 
Connect yourself to someone 

574
00:44:47,600 --> 00:44:52,760
who's discerning. 
Latch yourself on to somebody 

575
00:44:52,760 --> 00:44:56,200
who has a discerning spirit and 
learn from them. 

576
00:44:56,200 --> 00:44:58,000
That's what Paul said. 
Insectivity 3. 

577
00:44:58,480 --> 00:45:01,240
We said follow my pattern, 
Timothy. 

578
00:45:02,080 --> 00:45:05,840
Follow my lifestyle, Timothy. 
Follow my doctrine, Timothy, 

579
00:45:06,280 --> 00:45:08,720
connect with me. 
Follow the pattern of the 

580
00:45:08,720 --> 00:45:11,800
Saints. 
Follow someone who truly has a 

581
00:45:11,800 --> 00:45:14,800
deserting spirit, that knows 
what is right and what is wrong.

582
00:45:15,040 --> 00:45:18,840
Hook yourself onto them and just
watch, look and listen. 

583
00:45:21,560 --> 00:45:26,120
Good advice that Paul gave you 
Timothy, because it's sound 

584
00:45:26,120 --> 00:45:29,000
advice. 
So so many times we find 

585
00:45:29,000 --> 00:45:33,800
ourselves connected to people 
that are that are unruly, 

586
00:45:34,600 --> 00:45:36,240
undisciplined. 
You ever noticed that? 

587
00:45:37,960 --> 00:45:42,040
Remember what Paul says in in 
Second Thessalonians, he says 

588
00:45:42,040 --> 00:45:43,480
this. 
Listen to this. 

589
00:45:43,480 --> 00:45:46,800
He says verse 6 chapter 3 Second
Thessalonians. 

590
00:45:47,000 --> 00:45:49,240
Now we command you brethren, in 
the name of the Lord Jesus 

591
00:45:49,240 --> 00:45:53,920
Christ that you keep away from 
every brother who leads an 

592
00:45:53,920 --> 00:45:58,160
unruly life and not according to
the tradition which you have 

593
00:45:58,160 --> 00:46:00,640
received from us. 
If there is any brother who does

594
00:46:00,640 --> 00:46:03,600
not follow the commands of 
Scripture, do not associate with

595
00:46:03,600 --> 00:46:04,760
them. 
But you know what we do? 

596
00:46:05,200 --> 00:46:10,360
We associate with them. 
We we cry for wisdom, we cry for

597
00:46:10,360 --> 00:46:11,800
discernment. 
And yet the Bible's very good. 

598
00:46:11,800 --> 00:46:14,480
Do not associate with the 
unruly, the undisciplined 

599
00:46:14,480 --> 00:46:18,640
person, because they'll turn you
away from the Lord. 

600
00:46:19,600 --> 00:46:21,920
They don't follow the the 
Scriptures, the authority of 

601
00:46:21,920 --> 00:46:24,080
God's word. 
You can't associate with them 

602
00:46:25,920 --> 00:46:31,320
even if they're in the church. 
They says this for you 

603
00:46:31,320 --> 00:46:34,760
yourselves know how you want to 
follow our example because we 

604
00:46:34,760 --> 00:46:37,800
did not act in an undisciplined 
manner among you. 

605
00:46:38,120 --> 00:46:41,440
Connect yourselves to us, follow
us. 

606
00:46:41,480 --> 00:46:43,840
We were not disciplined. 
But yet you want to attach 

607
00:46:43,840 --> 00:46:46,480
yourself to the unruly. 
You want to attach yourself to 

608
00:46:46,480 --> 00:46:48,920
the undisciplined, You want to 
attach yourself to the 

609
00:46:48,920 --> 00:46:51,880
unconverted, You want to attach 
yourself to the undiscerning. 

610
00:46:51,880 --> 00:46:53,880
Why? 
Why do you do that? 

611
00:46:53,880 --> 00:46:57,640
Paul says. 
Because we value a relationship 

612
00:46:59,920 --> 00:47:05,320
over the value of the truth. 
That's why he goes on and says 

613
00:47:05,320 --> 00:47:09,680
this verse 14. 
If anyone does not obey our 

614
00:47:09,680 --> 00:47:14,800
instruction in this letter, take
special note of that person. 

615
00:47:15,320 --> 00:47:21,040
Examine everything carefully, 
carefully and do not associate 

616
00:47:21,760 --> 00:47:26,800
with him so that he will be put 
to shame. 

617
00:47:28,560 --> 00:47:30,840
You want you want to know why 
the unrepentant don't repent in 

618
00:47:30,840 --> 00:47:36,560
the church is because we want to
be friendly, unrepentant, and 

619
00:47:36,560 --> 00:47:37,960
act as if nothing's really 
wrong. 

620
00:47:38,120 --> 00:47:43,240
It's OK And they're not put to 
shame and they don't repent. 

621
00:47:44,600 --> 00:47:49,960
We hinder their repentance by 
befriending them in their sinful

622
00:47:49,960 --> 00:47:53,560
state without confronting them 
in their sinful state. 

623
00:47:55,760 --> 00:47:57,200
And Paul says this as he goes 
on. 

624
00:47:58,000 --> 00:47:59,360
Yeah. 
Do not regard him as an enemy 

625
00:47:59,360 --> 00:48:01,080
because he's not. 
He's your brother. 

626
00:48:01,960 --> 00:48:05,520
But you would admonish him as a 
brother, rebuke him as a 

627
00:48:05,520 --> 00:48:07,680
brother, confront him as a 
brother. 

628
00:48:08,760 --> 00:48:10,400
That's what you do. 
Because you see, when you do 

629
00:48:10,400 --> 00:48:15,000
that, he either or she either 
repents or they want nothing to 

630
00:48:15,000 --> 00:48:19,520
do with you. 
See, if they repent because you 

631
00:48:19,520 --> 00:48:23,440
admonish them, praise the Lord 
and you've won your brother. 

632
00:48:24,120 --> 00:48:28,640
That's the right thing, so that 
there's this connection that you

633
00:48:28,640 --> 00:48:31,840
have with those who truly are 
discerning. 

634
00:48:32,400 --> 00:48:38,320
And then there's this, there's 
mixed word word #5 is, is, is 

635
00:48:38,320 --> 00:48:43,080
concentration. 
Concentrate all your efforts on 

636
00:48:43,080 --> 00:48:46,920
on the truth of God's word. 
Concentrate all your energies 

637
00:48:46,920 --> 00:48:50,640
and knowing what God says, His 
word, study to show yourself 

638
00:48:50,640 --> 00:48:54,360
approved under God, a workwind 
that needeth not to be ashamed, 

639
00:48:54,560 --> 00:48:58,960
rightly dividing the word of 
truth, a great intense 

640
00:48:59,160 --> 00:49:02,480
concentration on the truth, and 
then the next word falls right 

641
00:49:02,480 --> 00:49:05,760
after that and that is 
continuation. 

642
00:49:05,880 --> 00:49:08,560
That is, you need to continue 
growing your walk with the Lord.

643
00:49:08,560 --> 00:49:10,520
Why? 
Because you never stop growing. 

644
00:49:11,400 --> 00:49:15,480
There's this continuing aspect 
where I grow day after day after

645
00:49:15,480 --> 00:49:17,360
day. 
We continue to grow in the grace

646
00:49:17,360 --> 00:49:20,840
and knowledge of Jesus Christ 
our Lord. 

647
00:49:22,040 --> 00:49:25,240
And so therefore we exercise 
discipline and discernment. 

648
00:49:25,240 --> 00:49:30,600
And lastly, last word is 
contention. 

649
00:49:31,040 --> 00:49:35,600
Always contend earnestly for the
faith that was once for all 

650
00:49:35,600 --> 00:49:39,440
delivered to the Saints. 
We're in a war, my friends. 

651
00:49:40,520 --> 00:49:44,120
It's a war for the truth. 
It's a war that we stand on 

652
00:49:44,120 --> 00:49:46,480
truth, live for live truth, 
honor truth. 

653
00:49:47,880 --> 00:49:50,400
So we're to protect the gospel. 
We're to guard the gospel. 

654
00:49:50,400 --> 00:49:52,400
We are to persevere in the 
gospel. 

655
00:49:52,400 --> 00:49:55,760
We're to preach the gospel. 
We are to contend earnestly for 

656
00:49:55,760 --> 00:49:58,400
the faith that was once for all 
delivered to the Saints. 

657
00:49:58,560 --> 00:50:03,520
Fight for truth because truth is
what matters. 

658
00:50:03,520 --> 00:50:07,240
Let me pray with you, Lord, 
thank you for today and the 

659
00:50:07,240 --> 00:50:10,120
opportunity to be together and 
pray that you'd use your word in

660
00:50:10,120 --> 00:50:16,000
our lives that we might be not 
undiscerning but completely 

661
00:50:16,840 --> 00:50:21,160
discerning of that is all 
happening around us. 

662
00:50:21,880 --> 00:50:25,760
To know what is right versus 
what is wrong, what is true 

663
00:50:26,400 --> 00:50:30,320
versus that which is false. 
We pray this in Jesus name, 

664
00:50:31,400 --> 00:50:31,640
Amen.