1 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:05,960 Welcome to the Liberty Baptist Sermon Archives. 2 00:00:06,200 --> 00:00:09,040 The message you're about to hear was preached at Liberty Baptist 3 00:00:09,040 --> 00:00:13,040 Church in Easton, MA. You can find out more about us 4 00:00:13,040 --> 00:00:17,280 or contact us at my libertybaptist.org or just look 5 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:19,760 us up on Facebook. And now we hope that this 6 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:22,080 message from God's Word will be a blessing to you. 7 00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:28,520 Matthew chapter #16 As we continue our series, Christ is 8 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:30,800 All, but we're going to do something a little bit different 9 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:33,280 here this morning. As I mentioned, it is sign up 10 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:35,480 Sunday and we have several ministries. 11 00:00:35,480 --> 00:00:38,240 That will be in the back after church that I'd like you to be 12 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:40,960 able to look over, particularly those of you who are members 13 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:44,840 here at Liberty Baptist Church. And I really am not encouraging 14 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:46,840 you to sign up for any of them today. 15 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:50,400 I don't want to get us into a place where we emotionally sign 16 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:53,200 up for things just because want to be able to help here in the 17 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:55,600 church, but rather. That you pray about and you ask 18 00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:58,880 the Lord about where he could use you here in this church, and 19 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:00,440 perhaps even your heart would be this. 20 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:04,440 Wherever he leads, I'll go, and whatever he leads, I will do. 21 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:06,840 And so that's my thought about that this morning. 22 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:09,000 But the title of my message today is this. 23 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:15,040 Christ is all in the church. Christ is all in the church. 24 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:18,040 You know, it's interesting that we come from a lot of different 25 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:20,560 backgrounds and we come from a lot of different perspectives 26 00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:22,160 here today. There's some of you who have 27 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:24,360 been at this church for a great length of time. 28 00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:27,240 We have at least one who's here this morning that was here in 29 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:29,200 Year 1, not counting our own family. 30 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:32,400 Some who came around the 5th anniversary or so, others who 31 00:01:32,400 --> 00:01:34,080 have came. Later we have some who have 32 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:36,760 covenanted with our church through membership and others 33 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:39,320 who just visit and are part of the family but aren't 34 00:01:39,320 --> 00:01:41,360 necessarily members of the church we have. 35 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:44,280 Some who are newly saved, some of you just came into the faith 36 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:46,840 not that long ago. And perhaps every one of us from 37 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:50,640 our own perspective has this question, what is church? 38 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:54,840 What's it all about? What do we do here at church? 39 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:59,000 Why do we do the things that we do here at church? 40 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:02,360 And so we're going to talk about some things in regards to that. 41 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:04,040 We're going to be looking through our Bibles that you 42 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:06,320 don't mind looking through your Bibles this morning, do you? 43 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:07,760 All right, good. I was saying I hope I'm in the 44 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:08,720 right church. Amen. 45 00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:11,160 We want to find out what the Bible says about church. 46 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:13,680 But I'm going to say something to you this morning as we start 47 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:17,640 that shouldn't be controversial. But depending on who hears it 48 00:02:17,640 --> 00:02:20,360 and depending on what quarters it might be said it is 49 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:22,560 controversial, Although I would submit to you again that it 50 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:23,880 should not be. And that's this. 51 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:27,840 Each local church belongs to Christ and not man. 52 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:30,800 I'm going to say that one more time. 53 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:32,320 I'll roll that passage. Some of you were afraid to say 54 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:33,880 Amen because you thought I was setting you up for something, 55 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:35,200 but I'm not. All right. 56 00:02:35,640 --> 00:02:40,640 Each church belongs to Christ, not to man me. 57 00:02:40,640 --> 00:02:42,200 This. This church doesn't belong to 58 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:44,360 Adam Rivera. This church doesn't belong to 59 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:47,320 Diane Rivera. This church does not belong to 60 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:49,400 the members. This church does not belong to 61 00:02:49,480 --> 00:02:51,760 the leadership. This church does not belong to 62 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:53,920 the trustees. This church does not belong to 63 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:56,360 any of us who are sitting here today. 64 00:02:56,560 --> 00:03:01,240 It belongs to Jesus Christ. Any Bible believing biblical 65 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:05,160 church, whether it's liberty or wherever, has a deed that is 66 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:09,000 held by none other than Jesus Christ Jesus, not the pastor, 67 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:11,320 not the leadership or the members of the church. 68 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:14,200 The deed is held by none other than Jesus Christ. 69 00:03:14,200 --> 00:03:17,680 And there's an immutable law of life that goes along with that, 70 00:03:17,920 --> 00:03:21,960 and that's this. When someone owns something, it 71 00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:26,960 belongs to them. When someone owns something, it 72 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:30,960 belongs to them to do with it as they wish. 73 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:34,880 Reminds me the story of the pastor who years ago he had 74 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:38,200 always wanted to be able to buy a boat and he finally got one. 75 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:40,800 But he was afraid the people in this church would get upset if 76 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:43,560 they found out that during the week he was going out on his 77 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:46,720 boat instead of doing some of the pastorly duties that he 78 00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:50,160 normally would have done. And so he got the idea that when 79 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:52,600 he bought his boat, he was going to name it Visitation. 80 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:57,040 So that way, when anytime anyone called the church, the secretary 81 00:03:57,040 --> 00:04:01,880 would say, well, the pastor's out on visitation and he could 82 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:04,120 do that. It belonged to him. 83 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:06,920 He could name it. He could do whatever he wanted 84 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:08,600 to. That was his boat and he could 85 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:11,320 call it what he wanted to. That's fair. 86 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:13,160 He bought it, he named it. It was his. 87 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:17,079 This morning you need to know this, that the church in which 88 00:04:17,079 --> 00:04:21,519 you sit in now and any Bible believing church was purchased 89 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:27,120 with the blood of Jesus Christ. Acts chapter 20 verse 28 speaks 90 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:30,880 of that specifically. Christ built it, He bought it 91 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:32,920 and that means He's the boss of it. 92 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:37,560 I'll say that one more time. Christ built it, He bought it, 93 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:39,720 and that means he's the boss of it. 94 00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:42,320 So I want to look at this morning a little bit of a lesson 95 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:45,160 on ecclesiology. Don't get scared by that term. 96 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:46,840 It just means it's the study of the Church. 97 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:50,240 What is it, why is it, and what does it have to? 98 00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:52,760 Do with you and me. Today, and the place we're going 99 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:55,320 to start there with that is in Matthew chapter 16. 100 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:57,560 So why don't you stand, please, for the reading of God's Word? 101 00:04:57,560 --> 00:05:02,880 Matthew chapter #16 and we'll begin in verse #17 for some 102 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:05,720 reason I'm in Jeremiah 32. All right, that's not going to 103 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:07,800 help. I mean, it'll help you, but just 104 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:09,200 not for this message. Amen. 105 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:16,480 So Matthew chapter #16 verse #17 is where we'll start. 106 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:22,840 Jesus answered. And said unto him, Blessed art 107 00:05:22,840 --> 00:05:26,640 thou Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood had not revealed it 108 00:05:26,640 --> 00:05:29,760 unto thee, but my father, which is in heaven. 109 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:34,800 And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this 110 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:39,800 rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not 111 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:41,760 prevail against it. Why don't we read verse 18 112 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:43,800 again? You read it silently as I read 113 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:47,000 it out loud. And I say also unto thee, that 114 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:53,520 thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and 115 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:56,080 the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 116 00:05:56,840 --> 00:06:01,600 We see here in Matthew 16 Christ's first mention of the 117 00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:04,120 church. And Christ's mentioning of the 118 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:07,800 church ought to give great weight to what we understand the 119 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:10,360 church is all about. And so we're a look at Christ 120 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:13,560 mentioning of the church this morning and how it affects us 121 00:06:13,840 --> 00:06:15,920 and where we are today. So why don't you go ahead and be 122 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:17,560 seated and we'll have a word of prayer. 123 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:20,520 Heavenly Father, again, thank you for this. 124 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:23,040 Time and I thank you for the ability that we have to be in 125 00:06:23,040 --> 00:06:24,880 your house today. And I do pray that you help us 126 00:06:24,880 --> 00:06:27,800 to get a biblical understanding of what the church is. 127 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:31,560 Help me to be able to quiet my mind and my heart from many 128 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:34,600 other thoughts other than those that are biblical, Lord, those 129 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:37,240 that you have in front of me here today, Lord, so that I may 130 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:41,440 be able to impart these truths to these dear people here today. 131 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:45,160 And Lord, we do ask once again and just beg you that if there's 132 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:48,040 someone here today that doesn't know you as Savior, that your 133 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:50,280 Holy Spirit will work upon them in such a way that by the time 134 00:06:50,280 --> 00:06:52,920 the message is done that it's very clear to them that they 135 00:06:52,920 --> 00:06:54,960 need to call upon you in salvation today. 136 00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:57,920 And we do ask this all in Jesus name, Amen. 137 00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:00,320 Amen. Supposed to ask you how many 138 00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:04,760 times Jesus used the word church in the gospels. 139 00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:07,800 What would you guess? How many times did Jesus mention 140 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:10,120 or use the word church in the Gospel? 141 00:07:10,120 --> 00:07:14,640 Some would maybe say 50, Some would maybe say 25, Some would 142 00:07:14,640 --> 00:07:18,040 maybe say a dozen. All of those are far too many. 143 00:07:18,400 --> 00:07:21,160 In fact, if you were to look at how many times Jesus used the 144 00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:27,080 word church, you would find he only mentioned it twice here in 145 00:07:27,080 --> 00:07:30,120 Matthew chapter 16 and another passage that we'll look at in a 146 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:32,960 few moments in Matthew chapter 18 as well. 147 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:35,800 So before we get too deep into the message, we need to ask 148 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:38,120 ourselves this question. What is the church? 149 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:40,480 What does it mean? Well, if we were to look at the 150 00:07:40,480 --> 00:07:43,960 word church as it's found here in Matthew chapter 16 and it is 151 00:07:43,960 --> 00:07:46,560 found throughout the New Testament, it is the Greek word 152 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:49,200 ekklesia. And the Greek word ekklesia 153 00:07:49,200 --> 00:07:51,880 means this a called out assembly. 154 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:54,840 This is a word that was not coined by Jesus Christ. 155 00:07:54,840 --> 00:07:58,320 It was a popular word that was used used at the time anytime 156 00:07:58,320 --> 00:08:01,240 there was a called out assembly, a group of people that came 157 00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:04,400 together for a common purpose, it would be an ecclesia. 158 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:07,040 In fact, we find it in different places in the book of Acts. 159 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:09,480 For instance, when there was a group of people that wanted to 160 00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:13,160 shut down Christianity altogether in the city of 161 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:15,800 Ephesus, that that group of people that came together was 162 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:18,040 called an ekklesia. Now they weren't a church in the 163 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:20,640 way we would understand it, but it was just the fact that they 164 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:24,200 were gathered together in a certain place for a certain 165 00:08:24,200 --> 00:08:26,920 purpose. This is what an ekklesia is. 166 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:30,760 And in reference to the church today, we could probably put it 167 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:35,280 this way, that a church is a called out assembly of baptized 168 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:38,600 believers who have covenanted together in membership. 169 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:42,640 That a church is a called out assembly of baptized believers. 170 00:08:42,720 --> 00:08:45,840 Remember Matthew chapter 28 says that we are to teach all 171 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:48,920 nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the 172 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:52,400 Son and the Holy Ghost, and to further teach them in the things 173 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:55,800 of that which they are to do, to learn how to be discipled, to be 174 00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:59,280 a follower of Jesus Christ. A called out assembly of 175 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:02,040 baptized believers who have covenanted together in 176 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:04,520 membership. That we didn't just fall in 177 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:07,760 together at random, but rather that we came with a purpose, 178 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:10,480 that we came with a plan. What is that purpose and what is 179 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:13,040 that plan? It is to do that which God has 180 00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:15,320 commanded us to do through His Word. 181 00:09:15,520 --> 00:09:19,040 There's a lot of ideas that are out there about what a church is 182 00:09:19,040 --> 00:09:20,960 today. Some people think that it's a 183 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:23,760 building with stained. Glass and a steeple and praise 184 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:25,480 the Lord. That's not true, or else we 185 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:26,880 wouldn't be much of A church, would we? 186 00:09:28,480 --> 00:09:31,440 Some people think it's just a group of Christians that are 187 00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:33,720 gathered together at any particular time. 188 00:09:34,560 --> 00:09:37,840 Some think that it's a social club for those that have similar 189 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:39,880 values. Some think it's a. 190 00:09:39,880 --> 00:09:44,040 Religious version of a Country Club others think it's a brand 191 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:48,480 has multiple campuses with one pastor who it kind of acts as a 192 00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:52,240 non denominational Pope who is on the video screen and all the 193 00:09:52,240 --> 00:09:55,320 different campuses and that he's in charge of all of those 194 00:09:55,680 --> 00:09:59,360 churches quote UN quote. Some believe it's a universal or 195 00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:03,560 invisible gathering of All Souls who have ever been saved in that 196 00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:06,160 what's called the universal church. 197 00:10:07,040 --> 00:10:10,080 But I have found that no matter what you believe about the 198 00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:14,880 church, most people believe what they want to about the church or 199 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:17,520 maybe what they've had passed down to them about the church, 200 00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:19,960 but never really coming to the place and the understanding of 201 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:23,240 what does the Bible say about what the church is? 202 00:10:23,240 --> 00:10:25,960 Because we would agree here this morning that it really doesn't 203 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:29,240 matter what we think about any topic in and of ourselves. 204 00:10:29,440 --> 00:10:32,320 But it really comes down to what the Bible says about that topic. 205 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:34,520 Amen. That our thoughts need to be 206 00:10:34,520 --> 00:10:36,840 biblical thoughts that our thoughts need to be God's 207 00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:38,640 thoughts. And so when it comes the issue 208 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:41,680 of the church, and I came across this myself again, getting saved 209 00:10:41,680 --> 00:10:44,600 at 16 years old, coming from a Lutheran background, that my 210 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:48,480 ideas of the church came down to what was passed down from me to 211 00:10:48,680 --> 00:10:51,640 generation to generation. I had to come to a place ready 212 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:54,600 to readjust my thinking and say it's not just about what my 213 00:10:54,600 --> 00:10:56,480 parents taught me. It's not just about what the 214 00:10:56,480 --> 00:10:58,840 catechism taught me. And it's not just about what 215 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:02,960 Reverend James R Gilzo taught me who was my pastor for 17 plus 216 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:05,760 years in the Lutheran Church. But it really comes down to this 217 00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:08,280 and this alone. What does the Bible say about 218 00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:10,920 this issue of the church and that's true here today. 219 00:11:10,920 --> 00:11:13,720 Listen, it's not just about what I think about this issue. 220 00:11:13,720 --> 00:11:16,160 This is not just well, Pastor Rivero gets to get up and just 221 00:11:16,160 --> 00:11:18,440 kind of give his random thoughts about this and that. 222 00:11:18,440 --> 00:11:21,200 No, no, I want us to be biblical in our thoughts today. 223 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:24,720 I want to know what Jesus says about the church and I want it 224 00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:29,000 to affect how we act and how we operate within this church that 225 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:31,840 we have here because there has to be some structure. 226 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:34,880 There has to be some order, there has to be some God-given 227 00:11:34,880 --> 00:11:38,520 design because again, it's not about being my church or or your 228 00:11:38,520 --> 00:11:40,760 church. Jesus Christ has the deed. 229 00:11:40,760 --> 00:11:42,360 So what does he think about the church? 230 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:47,240 It's his church. Well, to better understand this 231 00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:51,640 better, I want us to look at the two passages to start, the two 232 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:53,840 passages of which Jesus mentions the church. 233 00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:56,560 So one of those is in front of us here at this moment. 234 00:11:56,560 --> 00:12:00,400 Now don't mistake the small amount of times Jesus uses the 235 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:05,600 word church as something that is of little importance to Christ 236 00:12:06,440 --> 00:12:10,320 because again, Acts chapter 20 verse 28 tells us that Christ 237 00:12:10,400 --> 00:12:15,440 gave himself for the church, that his shed blood was, yes, 238 00:12:15,440 --> 00:12:19,920 for our sins. But also is the groundwork the 239 00:12:19,920 --> 00:12:24,800 very foundation of which the church was purchased and the 240 00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:28,040 church is what it is. The church was not established 241 00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:30,320 on the day of Pentecost. I don't believe the Bible 242 00:12:30,320 --> 00:12:33,600 teaches that, but rather as Jesus founded the church as it 243 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:36,480 says in First Corinthians chapter 12 verse 28 says, and 244 00:12:36,480 --> 00:12:38,320 God has set forth some in the church. 245 00:12:38,480 --> 00:12:40,720 First apostles. Well, what did Jesus do? 246 00:12:40,840 --> 00:12:44,080 He called the apostles in the old tower in the Old Testament, 247 00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:47,400 in the Gospels, he called the apostles the disciples. 248 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:50,280 They are called there. And so it's very clear to me, 249 00:12:50,280 --> 00:12:52,720 without going too deep into it this morning, that the church 250 00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:56,480 was empowered at Pentecost, but that it was started by none 251 00:12:56,480 --> 00:12:59,360 other than Jesus Christ. They had ordinances, they had 252 00:12:59,360 --> 00:13:02,280 business meetings. They go to Acts chapter one. 253 00:13:02,280 --> 00:13:07,000 It says that they voted for a new disciple as one had passed 254 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:08,760 away and wanted taken his own life. 255 00:13:08,760 --> 00:13:10,520 Judas had. And then you get to Acts chapter 256 00:13:10,520 --> 00:13:14,680 #2 when 3000 are saved, it says they were added unto them about 257 00:13:14,680 --> 00:13:16,400 3000 souls. Well, who's the them? 258 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:19,160 That's the church that had already been established by 259 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:22,080 Jesus Christ. So Jesus Christ as the founder 260 00:13:22,080 --> 00:13:24,960 of the church, Jesus Christ as the builder of the church, what 261 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:26,680 he says about the church matters. 262 00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:29,760 And so we want to see these two passages and understand what 263 00:13:29,760 --> 00:13:33,680 does this have to do with me? So we're here in Matthew chapter 264 00:13:33,680 --> 00:13:37,040 #16 and we read those two verses. 265 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:39,880 And it sounds like as you were reading, if it sounds like there 266 00:13:39,880 --> 00:13:42,560 was a, we jumped in the middle of a conversation, that's 267 00:13:42,560 --> 00:13:44,800 because, well, we did. We jumped in the middle of a 268 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:48,120 conversation that Jesus was having with Peter, but really 269 00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:51,520 with the disciples at large. So go to Matthew 16, Go up to 270 00:13:51,520 --> 00:13:54,520 verse #13 let's start here. Look at what it says in verse 271 00:13:54,520 --> 00:13:58,440 #13 it says when Jesus came in the coast of Caesarea Philippi, 272 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:02,480 he asked his disciples saying, whom do men say that I, the Son 273 00:14:02,480 --> 00:14:05,400 of Man, AM? And they said, some say that 274 00:14:05,400 --> 00:14:10,320 thou art John the Baptist, some Elias, others Jeremias, or one 275 00:14:10,320 --> 00:14:13,120 of the prophets. And he saith unto them, But whom 276 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:16,520 say ye that I am? Now stop here for just a moment. 277 00:14:17,520 --> 00:14:21,520 Jesus asked the disciples, Who are people saying that I am? 278 00:14:21,960 --> 00:14:24,240 Now let me remind you of this. I know I've said it before, but 279 00:14:24,240 --> 00:14:25,640 it bears repeating again this morning. 280 00:14:25,640 --> 00:14:29,600 When Jesus asked questions or when God himself asked 281 00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:31,360 questions. Knowing Jesus is God, but 282 00:14:31,360 --> 00:14:34,800 considering the Old Testament, like when God asked Adam and 283 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:35,760 Eve. Where art thou? 284 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:38,400 When God asks questions, it's not because he doesn't know the 285 00:14:38,440 --> 00:14:40,920 answer. When I ask questions, it's 286 00:14:40,920 --> 00:14:42,760 because I need to find out an answer. 287 00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:47,400 When Jesus asks questions, it's because he is trying to get the 288 00:14:47,400 --> 00:14:50,240 person he is questioning to think about the answer they're 289 00:14:50,240 --> 00:14:53,960 about to give. So he is prodding the disciples 290 00:14:53,960 --> 00:14:55,840 minds. He wants them to think about 291 00:14:55,840 --> 00:14:58,120 this. Who are people saying that I am? 292 00:14:58,120 --> 00:15:02,600 Again, Jesus, fully aware of every thought of every person. 293 00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:05,800 And they say, well, they are saying you're one of the 294 00:15:05,800 --> 00:15:09,000 prophets, like John the Baptist or Jeremiah or Elijah, one of 295 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:10,560 them. And then Jesus asked the 296 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:12,800 fundamental question. And pay attention to this. 297 00:15:13,080 --> 00:15:15,640 Every single person has to answer this question. 298 00:15:17,200 --> 00:15:20,040 He says, but who do you say that I am? 299 00:15:21,600 --> 00:15:23,960 The question you have to answer today, friend, if you don't know 300 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:26,240 Jesus Christ your Savior is not what your neighbor thinks about 301 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:30,040 Jesus, not what your spouse thinks about Jesus, not what the 302 00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:31,440 people next door think about Jesus. 303 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:35,200 What do you think about Jesus? Who do you believe him to be? 304 00:15:36,480 --> 00:15:38,640 If you don't accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and you stand 305 00:15:38,640 --> 00:15:41,440 with the great right throne of judgment, you're not going to be 306 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:46,280 asked by the king, King Jesus. Well, who does everybody else 307 00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:49,280 think that I am? The question is going to be 308 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:53,360 about you and what you believe And Jesus says, well, who do you 309 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:57,360 say? And Peter, Peter said a lot of 310 00:15:57,360 --> 00:15:59,600 dumb stuff, didn't he? It's all right. 311 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:00,520 You can say yes to that. It's all right. 312 00:16:00,520 --> 00:16:02,000 I know it's church, but we can use the word dumb, all right? 313 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:04,200 It's fine. Jesus said a lot of dumb stuff. 314 00:16:04,480 --> 00:16:08,440 Or hold on a second, Peter, edit that. 315 00:16:09,320 --> 00:16:13,280 Edit that I told you I was having trouble with words today. 316 00:16:13,280 --> 00:16:16,320 All right, Peter said a lot of dumb stuff. 317 00:16:17,160 --> 00:16:22,720 Pastor said a lot of dumb stuff. But Peter has said a lot of dumb 318 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:23,800 stuff. I wasn't expecting that many 319 00:16:23,800 --> 00:16:26,680 people to agree, but but I have to agree myself. 320 00:16:27,920 --> 00:16:30,680 This is one of the best things Peter said right here. 321 00:16:32,120 --> 00:16:36,360 Peter said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 322 00:16:37,600 --> 00:16:40,440 Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God. 323 00:16:42,280 --> 00:16:43,840 And that's where we get to the text we just read. 324 00:16:44,760 --> 00:16:47,040 And Jesus answered, said, and blessed art thou, Simon Bart 325 00:16:47,040 --> 00:16:51,440 Jonah, for flesh hath flesh and blood have not revealed that 326 00:16:51,440 --> 00:16:54,000 unto thee, but my Father, which is in heaven. 327 00:16:55,560 --> 00:16:58,080 And I say also unto thee, thou art Peter. 328 00:16:58,880 --> 00:17:02,080 Upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell 329 00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:05,599 shall not prevail against it. There's a lot there in verse #18 330 00:17:05,599 --> 00:17:09,720 if you were to go to Catholic Church today, they would say to 331 00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:13,920 you the verse #18 was Jesus telling Peter that he would be 332 00:17:13,920 --> 00:17:16,599 the first Pope? This is what will be taught 333 00:17:16,599 --> 00:17:20,720 commonly today, That and this moment that Jesus was being told 334 00:17:21,319 --> 00:17:23,880 but was telling Peter that he would become the first Pope. 335 00:17:23,880 --> 00:17:25,920 And in their tradition, that is what the case is. 336 00:17:26,280 --> 00:17:27,800 There's a major problem with that. 337 00:17:28,280 --> 00:17:31,360 Peter did not believe that he was the cornerstone of the 338 00:17:31,360 --> 00:17:34,240 church. No, in fact, if you go to first 339 00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:35,360 Peter, we'll have time to go there. 340 00:17:35,360 --> 00:17:38,720 But he made it very clear in First Peter chapter #2 that 341 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:41,800 Jesus Christ is the foundation of the church and not himself. 342 00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:43,760 So that's not what's being said here. 343 00:17:44,760 --> 00:17:48,240 Jesus says upon this rock I will build my church. 344 00:17:48,280 --> 00:17:52,200 Well, the rock of what? The rock of the testimony of 345 00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:56,360 Peter, that he was the Christ, the Son of the living God. 346 00:17:56,800 --> 00:18:00,880 What is the church founded upon? The fact that Jesus Christ is 347 00:18:00,920 --> 00:18:02,760 the Son of God. So what's? 348 00:18:02,760 --> 00:18:06,040 Being taught here first. Well, first, when this first 349 00:18:06,040 --> 00:18:09,840 mention of church that we see here in Matthew chapter 16 tells 350 00:18:09,840 --> 00:18:12,920 us that the church has an expected belief. 351 00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:16,000 First of all, that the church has expected belief. 352 00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:18,680 We just looked in Sunday school this morning at the Unitarian 353 00:18:18,800 --> 00:18:21,920 Universalist and we saw that they believe nothing and 354 00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:24,480 everything all at the same time. That they have no creed. 355 00:18:24,480 --> 00:18:28,560 But yet they still have a explicit set of ethics and 356 00:18:28,560 --> 00:18:31,760 values of which they follow, which are really the antithesis 357 00:18:31,760 --> 00:18:33,280 of God's Word, to be honest with you. 358 00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:34,880 But yet we saw that this morning. 359 00:18:35,080 --> 00:18:38,480 But as we gather together, what is the foundation of our 360 00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:40,400 gathering together? Why are we here? 361 00:18:40,400 --> 00:18:44,720 Well, it really comes down to this belief in Jesus Christ as 362 00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:46,880 our Savior. This is what brings us together 363 00:18:46,880 --> 00:18:49,040 today. We're different people today. 364 00:18:49,040 --> 00:18:50,320 Look around here. No, go ahead. 365 00:18:50,320 --> 00:18:52,240 Look around for a minute. There's a bunch of nobody's 366 00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:53,960 looking around. All right, look around. 367 00:18:54,360 --> 00:18:56,240 Some of you are still struggling with what I said a few minutes 368 00:18:56,240 --> 00:18:57,560 ago. Look, I'm sorry about that, all 369 00:18:57,560 --> 00:18:58,800 right? The Lord knows my heart. 370 00:18:58,800 --> 00:19:01,680 I didn't mean that. It just sometimes, you know, the 371 00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:03,640 words come out faster than the brain can process them. 372 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:06,760 All right? And so I do my best, But look 373 00:19:06,760 --> 00:19:07,960 around. We are different. 374 00:19:08,760 --> 00:19:12,480 We're as different as can be. Different nationalities, 375 00:19:13,280 --> 00:19:17,960 different complexions, different backgrounds, different financial 376 00:19:17,960 --> 00:19:22,960 strata, different languages, different struggles. 377 00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:28,200 But what do we have in common? The only thing that matters. 378 00:19:29,320 --> 00:19:32,880 Jesus Christ. And Jesus says this, that the 379 00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:37,440 church is founded upon the belief in him that this is what 380 00:19:37,440 --> 00:19:39,840 the church is about. This is why we're here. 381 00:19:40,240 --> 00:19:44,240 And so if you're ever wondering how someone becomes a member of 382 00:19:44,240 --> 00:19:46,960 a Bible believing Baptist Church, this is the starting 383 00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:50,720 point that someone has to know Jesus Christ their savior. 384 00:19:50,720 --> 00:19:53,800 That someone has to make the confession that Peter would have 385 00:19:53,800 --> 00:19:56,800 made that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God and 386 00:19:56,800 --> 00:20:00,680 following believers baptism as we see in the book of Acts, as 387 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:02,600 we. Understand that this is where 388 00:20:02,760 --> 00:20:05,240 the membership begins. You say, well, it sounds like 389 00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:08,840 your church is so exclusive. No, it's as wide open as Jesus 390 00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:11,200 said. Whosoever shall call upon the 391 00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:14,880 name of the Lord shall be saved. It's open for black and for 392 00:20:14,880 --> 00:20:16,960 white and for red and for yellow. 393 00:20:16,960 --> 00:20:20,200 It's open for those who have have high incomes and those with 394 00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:22,680 low incomes. It's open for those from the 395 00:20:22,680 --> 00:20:25,720 rural areas and the suburban areas and the urban areas. 396 00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:28,760 It's open to all because Jesus died for all. 397 00:20:29,760 --> 00:20:32,080 And so the first thing we see about this church is that it's 398 00:20:32,080 --> 00:20:34,880 around the common belief. And I want to encourage you 399 00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:38,000 again that if you come to this church every week and you don't 400 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:41,480 know Jesus Christ as your Savior, it's not going to help 401 00:20:41,480 --> 00:20:44,440 you to just get some encouragement from God's word 402 00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:47,080 and to go on your merry way. Because while certainly that may 403 00:20:47,080 --> 00:20:50,280 help you in the short term, it will not help you for eternity. 404 00:20:50,320 --> 00:20:53,360 Because the very first thing that you must do is to accept 405 00:20:53,360 --> 00:20:56,520 Christ as your Savior, to understand that you're a Sinner, 406 00:20:56,680 --> 00:20:59,560 to understand the judgement and the lake of fire is. 407 00:20:59,760 --> 00:21:04,320 Real, but that Jesus died in the cross to take the penalty of 408 00:21:04,320 --> 00:21:06,720 your sin. And that's what the church is 409 00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:10,280 built upon, upon that commonality of belief. 410 00:21:11,520 --> 00:21:14,120 But it's not just the fact that the church is built on belief, 411 00:21:14,120 --> 00:21:19,240 but it's also built on behavior. Look at chapter #18 just go a 412 00:21:19,240 --> 00:21:24,080 couple pages away, Matthew chapter #18 and this might seem 413 00:21:24,080 --> 00:21:25,320 pretty. Intense when we read it at 414 00:21:25,320 --> 00:21:27,960 first, but again, we're reading both the places where Jesus 415 00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:32,000 spoke about the church. The first, very clear. 416 00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:34,160 There's a common belief if you're part of the church. 417 00:21:34,760 --> 00:21:37,360 Second, there's a common behavior in the church. 418 00:21:37,360 --> 00:21:40,240 The verse #15 It says, Moreover, if thy brother shall. 419 00:21:40,240 --> 00:21:43,080 Trespass against thee. Go and tell him his fault 420 00:21:43,080 --> 00:21:46,320 between thee and him alone. If he shall hear thee, thou has 421 00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:50,040 gained thy brother. Now Jesus is giving the methods 422 00:21:50,040 --> 00:21:52,360 of conflict resolution and he's saying this. 423 00:21:52,360 --> 00:21:55,640 If someone has a problem with you, make sure you text 10 of 424 00:21:55,640 --> 00:21:57,280 your closest friends, but don't tell them. 425 00:21:58,720 --> 00:21:59,520 Make sure you're paying attention. 426 00:21:59,520 --> 00:22:01,520 No I I miss said that one. But it was on purpose. 427 00:22:01,520 --> 00:22:04,360 OK, he says this. Is what you need to do. 428 00:22:04,360 --> 00:22:05,960 If you got a problem with somebody, go to them. 429 00:22:06,520 --> 00:22:10,720 How much a life would be solved so much more easily if instead 430 00:22:10,720 --> 00:22:14,600 of just going to everyone else but the person, you go to the 431 00:22:14,600 --> 00:22:17,480 person. Well, that's too uncomfortable, 432 00:22:17,480 --> 00:22:19,000 pastor. Oh, so it's much more more 433 00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:21,520 comfortable to gossip. That's not going to solve the 434 00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:23,880 problem. And so Jesus gives some very 435 00:22:23,880 --> 00:22:27,880 basic elemental instructions here. 436 00:22:28,640 --> 00:22:30,760 But that may not always work if there's an offense. 437 00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:33,960 And so in verse #16 it says, But if he will not hear thee, then 438 00:22:33,960 --> 00:22:37,120 take with thee one or more, or one, or two more, that in the 439 00:22:37,120 --> 00:22:40,840 mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established in 440 00:22:40,840 --> 00:22:44,320 verse #17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it 441 00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:49,320 unto the church. But if he neglect to hear. 442 00:22:49,760 --> 00:22:52,680 The church. Let him be unto him as a heathen 443 00:22:52,680 --> 00:22:55,160 man and a publican. One of the very basic reasons I 444 00:22:55,160 --> 00:22:58,120 believe the church was already established was and if Jesus 445 00:22:58,120 --> 00:23:00,000 said this and the church wasn't established, they say why are 446 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:03,200 you talking about this? It seems like this was being 447 00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:05,920 discussed because this was already something that was an 448 00:23:05,920 --> 00:23:09,040 issue that was already ongoing. And so he mentions it. 449 00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:13,160 But in that mention of the church twice in verse #17 we 450 00:23:13,160 --> 00:23:16,840 find that there's an expectation that there is to be proper 451 00:23:16,840 --> 00:23:20,080 behavior within the church. Now, some of you get worried, 452 00:23:20,080 --> 00:23:22,520 some of you get nervous. I don't want you to get nervous. 453 00:23:22,520 --> 00:23:24,880 I don't want you to like lose me here for a moment. 454 00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:26,960 But I want you to understand that when it comes to the 455 00:23:26,960 --> 00:23:30,120 church, we believe something. But also, it's not just that we 456 00:23:30,120 --> 00:23:32,000 believe in Jesus Christ, but we're to be. 457 00:23:32,120 --> 00:23:33,840 Behave like people believe in Jesus Christ. 458 00:23:35,760 --> 00:23:37,360 I don't think I was going to be as popular, but that's all 459 00:23:37,360 --> 00:23:40,560 right. One commentator said it 460 00:23:40,560 --> 00:23:42,120 perfectly. I'm going to read what he said 461 00:23:42,120 --> 00:23:44,640 because I think this explains what I'm trying to say very 462 00:23:44,640 --> 00:23:47,000 well. The church that Jesus mentions 463 00:23:47,000 --> 00:23:50,200 has not only standards of belief, but also of conduct. 464 00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:53,880 What we see here from this verse, these verses, it has 465 00:23:53,880 --> 00:23:57,120 membership from which one may be excluded, a process of 466 00:23:57,120 --> 00:24:01,400 discipline, a form of government meetings at which a matter may 467 00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:05,000 be told, and officers who facilitate the whole. 468 00:24:05,600 --> 00:24:07,480 The commentator concludes this way. 469 00:24:07,760 --> 00:24:10,720 The church that Jesus builds is not merely a random gathering of 470 00:24:10,720 --> 00:24:13,520 believers in a coffee shop to pray and share Scripture verses. 471 00:24:14,200 --> 00:24:15,840 Such meetings are self selecting. 472 00:24:16,240 --> 00:24:19,080 The church is not. There's nothing wrong with 473 00:24:19,080 --> 00:24:21,680 believers gathering together in a coffee shop or reading Bible 474 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:23,640 verses. But we're talking, in fact, I 475 00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:26,000 think probably we'd do better in a coffee shop if we'd be reading 476 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:28,840 Bible verses, wouldn't we? But we're talking about what is 477 00:24:28,840 --> 00:24:31,720 the church? And when he mentions it here, 478 00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:36,200 he's talking about there's a way to have things taken care of, 479 00:24:36,200 --> 00:24:41,120 that there's leadership, there has to be a meeting so that 480 00:24:41,120 --> 00:24:44,320 these things could be addressed in the 1st place, that there's a 481 00:24:44,320 --> 00:24:47,520 structure that comes from God. You say, well, why does it come 482 00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:49,200 from him? Because he owns. 483 00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:53,760 The deed, because it belongs to him, and because of that, he is 484 00:24:53,760 --> 00:24:56,480 the one who gets to decide that which it is. 485 00:24:56,880 --> 00:24:58,240 In short, we can put it this way. 486 00:24:58,360 --> 00:25:01,800 The Church has government and membership and discipline and 487 00:25:01,800 --> 00:25:04,840 standards of conduct, and membership comes with both 488 00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:09,600 rights and responsibility, just like anything in life does. 489 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:13,320 We understand that the gym has rights and responsibility. 490 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:16,360 You pay a fee and that you have to go in there and you pay the 491 00:25:16,360 --> 00:25:18,120 fee and then you get to use the equipment. 492 00:25:18,120 --> 00:25:19,520 But what are your responsibilities? 493 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:21,200 You know, wipe it down when you're done. 494 00:25:21,200 --> 00:25:23,000 Don't yell, yell and grunt or else. 495 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:25,640 So we saw on Sunday school, the siren will go off if you start 496 00:25:25,640 --> 00:25:27,200 doing that, at least at Planet Fitness. 497 00:25:27,360 --> 00:25:28,960 And so there's things that you have to do. 498 00:25:29,160 --> 00:25:30,640 There's rights and responsibilities. 499 00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:33,760 The golf course has rights and responsibilities. 500 00:25:33,760 --> 00:25:36,160 I'm not very good at golf, but I do know this, that there's a 501 00:25:36,160 --> 00:25:40,400 starter that when you get to the 1st hole, he thinks he's in 502 00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:43,160 charge. You know why he is. 503 00:25:43,160 --> 00:25:47,960 He says it's been a lot of rain. Stay on the paths, don't go off. 504 00:25:48,120 --> 00:25:51,840 Guess what, You stay on the paths, says we're receding hole 505 00:25:51,840 --> 00:25:55,320 5, just skip over to hole 6. You skip over hole 5, you go to 506 00:25:55,320 --> 00:25:57,720 hole six. Well, I paid money, so I should 507 00:25:57,720 --> 00:25:59,520 be able to do what I want. You know, that's not the way it 508 00:25:59,520 --> 00:26:02,600 works. There are rights, but there are 509 00:26:02,600 --> 00:26:06,480 also responsibilities. It's true at the gym, the golf 510 00:26:06,480 --> 00:26:08,680 course, the scouts. This is true. 511 00:26:09,040 --> 00:26:11,640 But I would ask this question, why not church as well? 512 00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:15,560 Shouldn't there be a structure to what we have? 513 00:26:16,400 --> 00:26:18,800 Shouldn't there be rights and responsibilities for all, 514 00:26:18,800 --> 00:26:22,520 including the pastor or whoever we are, that God defines that 515 00:26:22,520 --> 00:26:25,720 which a church is and that we as we covenant together as a 516 00:26:25,720 --> 00:26:29,120 church, we say, God, whatever you have for us here in this 517 00:26:29,120 --> 00:26:32,080 assembly, we're going to do what you want us to do because this 518 00:26:32,080 --> 00:26:34,360 is your church. It's not just a hodgepodge of 519 00:26:34,360 --> 00:26:36,600 Christians who kind of just. Roll in and. 520 00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:40,520 Roll out however or we want to, or whenever we want to, but that 521 00:26:40,520 --> 00:26:44,480 we come here with a purpose to fulfill God's Great Commission. 522 00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:48,280 This is why we're here, and it's a joy to be able to fulfill that 523 00:26:48,280 --> 00:26:52,280 which God has called us to do. It's good to be a church. 524 00:26:52,280 --> 00:26:55,200 Amen. I was hoping more people would 525 00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:57,840 agree with that and say pastor. Most weeks I do, but not this 526 00:26:57,840 --> 00:27:00,800 week. All right, it's a joy to be part 527 00:27:00,800 --> 00:27:04,160 of a church and to have a family. 528 00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:07,560 But with that comes rights and responsibilities. 529 00:27:08,360 --> 00:27:09,960 And Jesus was the one who laid it out. 530 00:27:09,960 --> 00:27:11,680 And those two times he mentions it, he says. 531 00:27:12,320 --> 00:27:14,480 Yeah, there's a. Belief got to believe in me. 532 00:27:15,920 --> 00:27:19,080 There's behavior, we got to make sure we act right amongst each 533 00:27:19,080 --> 00:27:21,440 other and make sure we take care of things properly and when 534 00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:23,600 things aren't taken care of properly, that there has to be 535 00:27:23,600 --> 00:27:25,640 some leadership that gets involved to make sure that 536 00:27:25,640 --> 00:27:28,400 things go the course. And we understand this with any 537 00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:32,400 other area of life, but yet it's true in God's church, most 538 00:27:32,400 --> 00:27:36,680 especially say pastor. All right, I agree with all 539 00:27:36,680 --> 00:27:39,160 that, but. What does it have to do with me? 540 00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:43,680 Well. It has to do with you because. 541 00:27:44,200 --> 00:27:47,480 If you are a member of Liberty Baptist Church, you are a part 542 00:27:47,520 --> 00:27:51,040 of this body. And if you are not a member of 543 00:27:51,040 --> 00:27:53,960 Liberty Baptist Church, is not the goal of this church to keep 544 00:27:53,960 --> 00:27:58,680 you out at arm's length, But it's to love you and say we 545 00:27:58,680 --> 00:28:01,920 would love you to be a part of the family of Liberty Baptist 546 00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:07,400 Church, but we want you to be in that way, the way that God 547 00:28:07,400 --> 00:28:10,600 speaks of it. So what does this have to do 548 00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:12,360 with us? I want to show you some really 549 00:28:12,360 --> 00:28:14,600 good, applicable verses that will help us. 550 00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:16,040 I don't know how many of them were yet to read, but we're 551 00:28:16,280 --> 00:28:17,280 going to go ahead and turn there. 552 00:28:17,280 --> 00:28:19,560 So go to 1st Corinthians chapter #12 I told you we're going to 553 00:28:19,560 --> 00:28:20,760 work through our Bibles a little bit. 554 00:28:20,760 --> 00:28:33,470 First Corinthians chapter #12 First Corinthians chapter 12 555 00:28:34,750 --> 00:28:43,230 we'll begin verse #12 says this for as the body is 1 and has 556 00:28:43,230 --> 00:28:45,560 many members. And all the members of that one 557 00:28:45,560 --> 00:28:48,480 body, being many, are one body. So also is Christ. 558 00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:52,360 For by 1 spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether 559 00:28:52,360 --> 00:28:55,520 we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we bond or free and have been 560 00:28:55,520 --> 00:28:58,000 made all made to drink into one spirit. 561 00:28:58,000 --> 00:29:00,880 Now there's a lot of. Theology around this verse that 562 00:29:00,880 --> 00:29:03,600 is off the mark. The very clear reading of this 563 00:29:03,600 --> 00:29:05,680 verse makes this clear. Paul is talking to the Church of 564 00:29:05,680 --> 00:29:07,800 Corinth. He's talking about the visible 565 00:29:07,800 --> 00:29:10,440 church, not a universal invisible church, because you 566 00:29:10,440 --> 00:29:12,840 get later on in the chapter and it talks about there being 567 00:29:12,840 --> 00:29:14,720 schisms and difficulties in the body. 568 00:29:14,720 --> 00:29:16,960 You can't have schisms and difficulties in an invisible 569 00:29:16,960 --> 00:29:18,400 body. You're talking about a real 570 00:29:18,400 --> 00:29:20,720 church because real churches have real problems. 571 00:29:21,360 --> 00:29:25,040 And so it says this by 1 spirit or we baptize into one body, 572 00:29:25,040 --> 00:29:27,160 meaning the church body of which we are. 573 00:29:27,280 --> 00:29:30,000 That's what it's talking about, being part of a local church. 574 00:29:30,280 --> 00:29:33,440 And it says in verse #14 for the body is not one member but many. 575 00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:35,680 Now when it's using that word member, it's talking about the 576 00:29:35,680 --> 00:29:37,240 body and talk about the members of the. 577 00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:39,000 Body like the. Eyes, the ears, the nose, it's 578 00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:41,280 talking about the members. But we can also look at it this 579 00:29:41,280 --> 00:29:44,120 way as it's talking about the church as a body, it's talking 580 00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:48,240 about us as members as well. There's a duality to the term 581 00:29:48,240 --> 00:29:50,280 that is being used there. One, it's talking about the body 582 00:29:50,280 --> 00:29:53,520 parts of the body, but it's also comparing it to the membership 583 00:29:53,720 --> 00:29:55,480 of the church. Now what does it say? 584 00:29:55,680 --> 00:29:59,000 If the foot shall say, because I am not the hand, I am not of the 585 00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:00,760 body, is it therefore not of the body? 586 00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:04,280 If the ear shall say, because I am not the eye, I am not of the 587 00:30:04,280 --> 00:30:06,240 body, is it therefore not of the body? 588 00:30:06,520 --> 00:30:09,440 If the whole body were an eye, where were, where were they 589 00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:11,120 hearing it? The whole we're hearing, where 590 00:30:11,120 --> 00:30:13,720 is the smelling? But now God has set the members, 591 00:30:13,720 --> 00:30:15,920 every one of them in the body as it pleased him. 592 00:30:15,920 --> 00:30:18,040 Now stop right here. What is Paul saying? 593 00:30:18,200 --> 00:30:20,880 That there are different people that God has set within the 594 00:30:20,880 --> 00:30:23,320 church. Now God plans for people to be 595 00:30:23,320 --> 00:30:26,520 part of a church and within that church, within that body of 596 00:30:26,520 --> 00:30:29,520 which he's placed you through baptism, through the transfer of 597 00:30:29,520 --> 00:30:32,280 membership, whatever it may be. But as he's put you in this 598 00:30:32,280 --> 00:30:35,680 church, he says there is a usefulness for you here because 599 00:30:35,680 --> 00:30:38,280 we are all different. We have different abilities, we 600 00:30:38,280 --> 00:30:41,480 have different characteristics, we have different strengths. 601 00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:44,720 And so because of that, God has put the body together in such a 602 00:30:44,720 --> 00:30:48,680 way that we can function as one. If everybody is doing, that's 603 00:30:48,680 --> 00:30:54,640 what they're called to do. Some are eyes, some are ears, 604 00:30:55,600 --> 00:31:02,120 some are noses, some are feet, some are more glorified, some 605 00:31:02,120 --> 00:31:05,720 are look down on a little bit. But he says this, every single 606 00:31:05,720 --> 00:31:08,760 one of them are needed. Every single one of them are 607 00:31:08,760 --> 00:31:11,120 needed. What happens when part of the 608 00:31:11,120 --> 00:31:14,160 body don't work? Well, the body has problems. 609 00:31:15,640 --> 00:31:16,800 Every part of the body needs to work. 610 00:31:16,800 --> 00:31:19,720 Every single one of us have some kind of ailing that's going on 611 00:31:19,720 --> 00:31:23,960 within our body. Some are minor, some are major. 612 00:31:25,160 --> 00:31:26,640 But when the body doesn't work right. 613 00:31:27,040 --> 00:31:29,040 Boy, it could be a chore. Can't it? 614 00:31:29,680 --> 00:31:32,320 Sometimes it's as simple as maybe a little bit of a limp. 615 00:31:33,280 --> 00:31:35,160 Sometimes it can be bad as I don't even know if I can get out 616 00:31:35,160 --> 00:31:38,160 of bed. The body's not what it needs to 617 00:31:38,160 --> 00:31:40,880 be because not all the bodies going the way that it's supposed 618 00:31:40,880 --> 00:31:44,480 to go. So what has God done always 619 00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:46,280 brought a group of people together with a common belief 620 00:31:47,040 --> 00:31:50,680 who agreed on a common behavior. And he said this I have brought 621 00:31:50,680 --> 00:31:53,880 you together to work as one unit for me. 622 00:31:55,640 --> 00:31:58,920 That's why we're here. You know, you said why I thought 623 00:31:58,920 --> 00:32:02,120 I was here to get some help. Well, we want you to get help 624 00:32:02,120 --> 00:32:05,480 while you're here. Well, I thought I was here to to 625 00:32:05,480 --> 00:32:07,560 socialize with people. I hope you have fellowship with 626 00:32:07,560 --> 00:32:09,320 people. What, what better place for you 627 00:32:09,320 --> 00:32:11,080 to have lifelong friends and in church? 628 00:32:11,640 --> 00:32:13,800 In fact, lifelong friends doesn't even seem like a good 629 00:32:13,800 --> 00:32:16,000 way of putting it because they're really your brothers and 630 00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:19,720 sisters in Christ. And often we would, many of us 631 00:32:19,720 --> 00:32:21,760 would say something along these lines that we're closer with our 632 00:32:21,760 --> 00:32:23,520 brothers and sisters in Christ and sometimes we are with our 633 00:32:23,520 --> 00:32:27,240 own family. Not everyone's family situation 634 00:32:27,240 --> 00:32:28,800 is different. But I'm just saying that that 635 00:32:28,800 --> 00:32:31,120 often times can be the case. And I'm not saying it has to be 636 00:32:31,120 --> 00:32:33,640 the case, but there are some people that we just look at this 637 00:32:33,640 --> 00:32:35,640 and say, wow, these are the people that get me. 638 00:32:36,760 --> 00:32:38,360 Well, my own family doesn't even get me because they don't 639 00:32:38,360 --> 00:32:39,800 necessarily understand what I believe. 640 00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:42,080 I'm not trying to ostracize you from your family, not saying 641 00:32:42,080 --> 00:32:43,560 that at all. Understand what I'm saying. 642 00:32:43,800 --> 00:32:47,360 At least the people in this room get you because we have common 643 00:32:47,360 --> 00:32:48,480 belief. That's what I'm trying to say. 644 00:32:50,360 --> 00:32:52,480 I'm doubting myself even. I'm talking because I said Jesus 645 00:32:52,480 --> 00:32:53,840 said things that he shouldn't be saying. 646 00:32:53,840 --> 00:32:55,520 And I'm, I'm doubting everything that I'm saying right now. 647 00:32:55,520 --> 00:32:58,840 In fact, I probably shouldn't be standing back there anymore just 648 00:32:58,840 --> 00:32:59,720 in case I say something that's wrong. 649 00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:02,160 I don't want to be standing back there when it happens, but I 650 00:33:02,160 --> 00:33:03,640 need to be saying it right no matter where I am. 651 00:33:04,840 --> 00:33:07,000 He's brought us together and says God put us together as he 652 00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:10,040 pleased. This means we all have a 653 00:33:10,040 --> 00:33:13,560 purpose. We all have a need that God 654 00:33:13,560 --> 00:33:17,560 wants those to be part of this body, to be active within the 655 00:33:17,560 --> 00:33:19,800 body. Well, how do I be part of the 656 00:33:19,800 --> 00:33:22,280 body? We got to be saved, got to be 657 00:33:22,280 --> 00:33:26,480 baptized properly, and then you're part of the church. 658 00:33:27,440 --> 00:33:29,800 Say, well, how much money do I need to pay this in the Country 659 00:33:29,800 --> 00:33:33,400 Club? Now, the Bible talks about 660 00:33:33,400 --> 00:33:35,280 tithes and offerings, of course, but guess what? 661 00:33:35,280 --> 00:33:36,600 We're not checking up on those kind of things. 662 00:33:36,600 --> 00:33:40,080 Before anybody joins, you know what we want to know? 663 00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:43,120 Are you saved? Are you baptized? 664 00:33:43,680 --> 00:33:45,680 They're part of the body. Well, well, I've only known the 665 00:33:45,680 --> 00:33:47,640 Lord a little while. You're as much a part of the 666 00:33:47,640 --> 00:33:49,520 body as someone that's known the Lord for 60 years. 667 00:33:49,520 --> 00:33:52,120 Amen. Isn't that awesome? 668 00:33:53,280 --> 00:33:54,720 And God did that on purpose. You know why? 669 00:33:54,960 --> 00:33:56,840 So the person who's been in the Lord 60 years can teach the 670 00:33:56,840 --> 00:34:00,320 person only been in the Lord six months that the elder can teach 671 00:34:00,320 --> 00:34:02,200 the younger. Let's see, we're all important 672 00:34:02,200 --> 00:34:05,680 here and all have needs. Every single one of us God 673 00:34:05,680 --> 00:34:09,000 wants. You to be a part of what he's 674 00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:12,600 doing in his church verse 19 if there were one member where is 675 00:34:12,600 --> 00:34:15,239 the body has there been but now they're many members yet one 676 00:34:15,239 --> 00:34:18,440 body the I cannot say of the hand I have no need of thee nor 677 00:34:18,440 --> 00:34:19,760 again the hand of the feet I have no. 678 00:34:19,760 --> 00:34:21,679 Need of you. Nay, much more than those 679 00:34:21,679 --> 00:34:24,520 members of the body which seem more feeble are necessary. 680 00:34:24,520 --> 00:34:26,760 Well, pastor, I'm never going to be a pastor, so what's the big 681 00:34:26,760 --> 00:34:29,320 deal? I may be called to be the pastor 682 00:34:29,320 --> 00:34:31,920 here at Liberty Baptist Church, but there's a lot of people that 683 00:34:31,920 --> 00:34:34,639 are needed just to keep this thing moving every week. 684 00:34:35,600 --> 00:34:37,199 There are people that are needed in the nursery. 685 00:34:37,199 --> 00:34:38,920 There's people that are needed in the parking lot. 686 00:34:38,920 --> 00:34:41,560 There's people that are needed here is ushers and greeters. 687 00:34:41,560 --> 00:34:43,679 And there are people that are needed to print things that are 688 00:34:43,679 --> 00:34:45,719 people that are needed to go out and reach people. 689 00:34:45,840 --> 00:34:48,520 And there's people that are needed for the Internet and for 690 00:34:48,520 --> 00:34:51,520 the Facebook and all those different social media type 691 00:34:51,520 --> 00:34:53,120 things that are out there. Those are all that you say. 692 00:34:53,120 --> 00:34:54,600 Well, that's not as important as preaching. 693 00:34:54,840 --> 00:34:58,040 It's all important. It's all important. 694 00:34:58,040 --> 00:35:00,880 You say, well, I can't do much, but you can do something that I 695 00:35:00,880 --> 00:35:03,680 can't do, and you can do something that your neighbor 696 00:35:03,680 --> 00:35:06,080 can't do. And so God has brought us all 697 00:35:06,080 --> 00:35:08,240 together in his wisdom and his Providence. 698 00:35:08,320 --> 00:35:10,040 We're not all eyes. We're not all ears. 699 00:35:10,040 --> 00:35:12,280 We're not all noses. Can you imagine a body that was 700 00:35:12,280 --> 00:35:17,080 all ears? It would know a lot, but it 701 00:35:17,080 --> 00:35:18,400 couldn't tell anybody because it had no mouth. 702 00:35:22,080 --> 00:35:25,800 We're different and that's not a weakness, that's a strength. 703 00:35:26,960 --> 00:35:29,720 We all got to be doing our part. Why? 704 00:35:29,720 --> 00:35:34,240 Because real life is real life and life comes at us pretty 705 00:35:34,240 --> 00:35:38,120 fast. Look at verse #25 drop down that 706 00:35:38,120 --> 00:35:39,600 there should be no schism in the body. 707 00:35:40,600 --> 00:35:42,480 Again, this is a, this is a local assembly that's been 708 00:35:42,480 --> 00:35:44,400 talking about here. You can't have a schism in an 709 00:35:44,400 --> 00:35:47,040 invisible body. There should be no schism in the 710 00:35:47,040 --> 00:35:49,440 body, but then the other members should have the same care, one 711 00:35:49,440 --> 00:35:51,680 for another. Whether one member suffer, all 712 00:35:51,680 --> 00:35:54,640 the members suffer with it. One member be honored, the other 713 00:35:54,640 --> 00:35:57,480 members rejoice with it. Now you're the body of Christ 714 00:35:57,480 --> 00:36:00,040 and members in particular, We'll stop right there. 715 00:36:00,440 --> 00:36:02,840 There are people who struggle. There are people who have needs. 716 00:36:02,840 --> 00:36:04,760 There are people who who have difficulties. 717 00:36:04,760 --> 00:36:08,160 And here's what God's church is supposed to do, that you are to 718 00:36:08,160 --> 00:36:12,440 help other people when they have a need so that when you have a 719 00:36:12,440 --> 00:36:14,200 need, those other people help you. 720 00:36:15,560 --> 00:36:18,560 It's not about just, well, I'm going to hang around the church 721 00:36:18,560 --> 00:36:22,080 and I just want everyone to to give to me and to give to me, to 722 00:36:22,080 --> 00:36:24,800 give to me. No, you give to the church. 723 00:36:24,800 --> 00:36:26,040 And I'm not just talking about money. 724 00:36:26,040 --> 00:36:30,080 I'm talking about you. Just give of yourself and you'll 725 00:36:30,080 --> 00:36:33,800 find that as you give. Your needs are met, I'll be 726 00:36:33,800 --> 00:36:38,040 honest with you, as much as I have given to a church. 727 00:36:38,040 --> 00:36:39,160 And again, I'm not talking about money. 728 00:36:39,160 --> 00:36:40,520 I'm just talking about as I've given it myself. 729 00:36:41,240 --> 00:36:44,120 It's not equal say passable. You've given a whole lot more 730 00:36:44,120 --> 00:36:46,160 than what you've received. No, no, it's the opposite. 731 00:36:47,280 --> 00:36:50,360 Whatever I have given to the Lord, I've received so much more 732 00:36:50,360 --> 00:36:53,880 back. I'm undeserving of the benefits 733 00:36:53,880 --> 00:36:58,480 and the blessings of God. You know where he what he uses 734 00:36:58,480 --> 00:37:02,880 is one of his main vehicles of those blessings his church that 735 00:37:02,880 --> 00:37:05,560 we're to help each other. A lot of people out there say 736 00:37:05,560 --> 00:37:07,520 they'll help you and the means you have trouble. 737 00:37:07,880 --> 00:37:11,080 They're gone. So I don't feel like this church 738 00:37:11,080 --> 00:37:13,480 has helped me very much. Maybe they don't. 739 00:37:13,480 --> 00:37:15,520 They don't know you very well because you haven't given to 740 00:37:15,520 --> 00:37:18,600 yourself as you ought. I'm not trying to make you feel 741 00:37:18,600 --> 00:37:20,400 guilty. I'm just saying maybe people 742 00:37:20,400 --> 00:37:23,320 just don't even know there is a need because sometimes people 743 00:37:23,320 --> 00:37:24,800 are reaching out. Sometimes people want to help, 744 00:37:25,040 --> 00:37:26,760 but they don't even know. What I'm saying is this. 745 00:37:27,040 --> 00:37:32,280 Get involved in the church. Oh, pastor, who's just like 746 00:37:32,280 --> 00:37:34,320 growing the church. This is one of those messages 747 00:37:34,320 --> 00:37:36,240 about growing the church. And it's like, it's one big 748 00:37:36,240 --> 00:37:38,720 Ponzi scheme is like, why don't you just sell Amway, Pastor, Why 749 00:37:38,720 --> 00:37:40,720 you just sell, sell Amway? Is that what you're doing? 750 00:37:40,720 --> 00:37:41,800 This is Mary Kay. What is it? 751 00:37:41,800 --> 00:37:46,160 No, no, it's, it's, it's telling you there's no greater 752 00:37:46,160 --> 00:37:49,520 organization on earth than God's church. 753 00:37:50,440 --> 00:37:55,080 And He's called us to be part of it, to help one another in a way 754 00:37:55,080 --> 00:37:57,080 that no other organization's equipped to. 755 00:37:58,320 --> 00:38:02,200 So be a part of what God is doing within the church. 756 00:38:03,160 --> 00:38:04,520 There's one of the passage I want you to look at. 757 00:38:04,520 --> 00:38:07,000 I know we're almost out of time, but first Peter chapter #5 758 00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:12,560 Quickly, because I can probably put a pretty fine point on this 759 00:38:13,400 --> 00:38:19,320 first Peter chapter #5 I don't know this message is going where 760 00:38:19,320 --> 00:38:21,160 I intended it to go, but it's going where it needs to go. 761 00:38:21,160 --> 00:38:33,360 I think, by God's grace. First, Peter chapter #5 I know 762 00:38:33,360 --> 00:38:35,240 this is a different kind of message because we're we're. 763 00:38:35,400 --> 00:38:37,480 We're teaching you things that maybe you didn't think that you 764 00:38:37,480 --> 00:38:40,960 needed to know about, and I understand that. 765 00:38:42,480 --> 00:38:44,800 And for those of you that guests today, I'll pick a weird day to 766 00:38:44,800 --> 00:38:46,560 come to church. I I know we're not, we're not 767 00:38:46,560 --> 00:38:48,400 recruiting you again. This is not that. 768 00:38:48,400 --> 00:38:54,400 It's not that first Peter Chapter 5, the elders which are 769 00:38:54,400 --> 00:38:57,000 among you, I exhort, who am also an elder. 770 00:38:57,000 --> 00:38:58,600 So Peter is talking to pastors here. 771 00:38:58,600 --> 00:39:00,600 One of the titles of a pastor is an elder. 772 00:39:00,600 --> 00:39:02,360 Now I prefer you not call me elder Pastor's great. 773 00:39:02,480 --> 00:39:06,160 All right, pastor, elder Bishop. These are the terms that New 774 00:39:06,160 --> 00:39:10,120 Testament uses for the pastor. Elder Rivero doesn't really roll 775 00:39:10,120 --> 00:39:13,000 off the tongue. I'll be honest with you who am 776 00:39:13,000 --> 00:39:16,720 also an elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ and 777 00:39:16,720 --> 00:39:19,200 also a partaker of the glory that be revealed. 778 00:39:19,520 --> 00:39:22,720 Paul, Peter here is going to give some instructions to the 779 00:39:22,720 --> 00:39:27,280 pastor and if you agree with these to give a good Amen as we 780 00:39:27,280 --> 00:39:30,560 go through feed the flock of God, which is among you. 781 00:39:31,720 --> 00:39:33,880 It's the job of the pastor to feed the flock. 782 00:39:34,520 --> 00:39:37,200 Now sometimes I gotta feed you some things you don't like. 783 00:39:37,240 --> 00:39:41,520 You say like when probably this morning, but it keeps you 784 00:39:41,520 --> 00:39:42,040 healthy. That's right. 785 00:39:42,960 --> 00:39:45,680 It's a balanced diet. Because these are things that 786 00:39:45,680 --> 00:39:47,120 you need to learn about and understand. 787 00:39:47,320 --> 00:39:49,240 You want a pastor that feeds the flock of God. 788 00:39:49,240 --> 00:39:51,400 You want a pastor that's going to feed you from the word of 789 00:39:51,400 --> 00:39:52,640 God. It is my heart. 790 00:39:52,640 --> 00:39:55,600 It's my desire during the week, not just sit behind a desk and 791 00:39:55,600 --> 00:39:59,640 be an administrator, not just to go do the things that would grow 792 00:39:59,640 --> 00:40:02,680 our organization quote UN quote like we're some kind of Fortune 793 00:40:02,680 --> 00:40:04,640 500 company with a cross in front of it. 794 00:40:04,760 --> 00:40:07,680 No, it's my desire to be in the Word of God, as the disciple 795 00:40:07,680 --> 00:40:10,920 said in Acts chapter 6, to give themselves the word in prayer so 796 00:40:10,920 --> 00:40:13,520 that I can put things together to help you learn, to help you 797 00:40:13,520 --> 00:40:15,400 grow, to exhort you to. Encourage you. 798 00:40:15,560 --> 00:40:17,920 This is my desire to feed the flock of God. 799 00:40:18,240 --> 00:40:25,800 It's my heartbeat to feed you. Taking the oversight thereof not 800 00:40:25,800 --> 00:40:31,000 by constraint but will not by constraint means that I'm not 801 00:40:31,000 --> 00:40:33,920 doing it in a. Way that is abusing you as 802 00:40:34,280 --> 00:40:35,920 believers. There's a lot of pastoral abuse 803 00:40:35,920 --> 00:40:37,760 out there. It doesn't matter what 804 00:40:37,760 --> 00:40:39,400 denomination it is. But includes independent 805 00:40:39,400 --> 00:40:46,240 Baptist. Not by constraint, but 806 00:40:46,240 --> 00:40:51,840 willingly. Not for filthy lucre, but of a 807 00:40:51,840 --> 00:40:54,080 ready mind. Now, I would tell you this. 808 00:40:54,080 --> 00:40:57,160 If I pastor for the money, I picked the wrong profession. 809 00:40:58,040 --> 00:41:00,000 This is not a complaint. Liberty Baptist Church takes 810 00:41:00,000 --> 00:41:02,360 great care of me. It takes great care of our 811 00:41:02,360 --> 00:41:03,440 family. It's not a complaint. 812 00:41:03,440 --> 00:41:07,560 I'm just saying that if you're getting rich, pastor, you're 813 00:41:07,560 --> 00:41:10,560 doing it wrong. I'm not saying you shouldn't be 814 00:41:10,560 --> 00:41:11,520 taken care of and all that stuff. 815 00:41:11,520 --> 00:41:14,080 I'm saying, you know, I'm not on my third jet yet. 816 00:41:15,400 --> 00:41:16,800 I'm still trying to pay off my first two. 817 00:41:17,720 --> 00:41:19,600 No, I'm just kidding. But I'm just saying those are 818 00:41:19,600 --> 00:41:21,080 the kind of people you got to watch out for them. 819 00:41:21,720 --> 00:41:23,680 Watch out for them on TV, watch out for them online. 820 00:41:23,680 --> 00:41:26,360 You watch out for them, but they have oversight, the right kind 821 00:41:26,360 --> 00:41:27,880 of oversight. You want a pastor that has 822 00:41:27,880 --> 00:41:30,480 oversight over the church that should know what's going on, 823 00:41:30,880 --> 00:41:32,320 when it's going on, how it's going on. 824 00:41:32,320 --> 00:41:34,000 No, I'm not talking about being all up in your business and 825 00:41:34,000 --> 00:41:35,640 going through your Facebook page, your Instagram. 826 00:41:35,640 --> 00:41:37,440 I don't know what they're doing. I don't want to. 827 00:41:39,280 --> 00:41:41,560 Know. I know what you're doing, not 828 00:41:41,560 --> 00:41:45,120 like that, but that should be aware of who you are, what your 829 00:41:45,120 --> 00:41:47,480 name is, who you know, those kind that would be. 830 00:41:47,480 --> 00:41:52,280 A good thing neither is being Lords over God's heritage. 831 00:41:52,280 --> 00:41:54,680 I don't Lord over you. I'm not the priest of your home. 832 00:41:54,680 --> 00:41:57,600 No, no, I preach what I need to preach here. 833 00:41:57,600 --> 00:41:58,680 I teach what I need to teach here. 834 00:41:58,840 --> 00:42:00,480 But I'm not going around checking what you're doing in 835 00:42:00,480 --> 00:42:02,200 your home. That's between you and the Lord. 836 00:42:03,480 --> 00:42:05,040 I'm here to be a helper of your joy. 837 00:42:05,040 --> 00:42:06,320 I'm here to be a helper of the faith. 838 00:42:06,320 --> 00:42:08,280 But I'm not here to tell you this is what you're doing in 839 00:42:08,280 --> 00:42:09,800 your home. You answer the Lord for that. 840 00:42:10,280 --> 00:42:13,040 I answer the Lord of whether I gave the word of God as I ought 841 00:42:13,040 --> 00:42:16,200 to give it, and you have to answer to whether. 842 00:42:17,120 --> 00:42:22,560 You do what God's told you to do through His Word, but being in 843 00:42:22,560 --> 00:42:25,320 samples, the flog, the pastor is to be an example. 844 00:42:26,880 --> 00:42:29,880 You know, where the heaviest things for me as a pastor is 845 00:42:29,880 --> 00:42:33,960 that I'm to be an example to you and my faith and the way I 846 00:42:33,960 --> 00:42:36,680 handled myself. You know, there are times as a 847 00:42:36,680 --> 00:42:39,760 pastor that I can. I've said things, I've done 848 00:42:39,760 --> 00:42:41,960 things and I thought, well, man, I hope nobody from the church 849 00:42:41,960 --> 00:42:45,840 knows that that's it because I'm a person just like you. 850 00:42:47,280 --> 00:42:50,920 But God has called me to live in a way that's higher. 851 00:42:51,440 --> 00:42:56,080 No, I don't mean got higher above you, but this is a holy 852 00:42:56,080 --> 00:42:59,640 calling and it's when I imagine you want your pastor take 853 00:42:59,640 --> 00:43:02,040 seriously. You're not rolling around in the 854 00:43:02,040 --> 00:43:04,880 mud for six days a week and coming up and singing holy, 855 00:43:04,880 --> 00:43:08,320 holy, holy. You probably don't want that. 856 00:43:09,360 --> 00:43:11,560 I wouldn't want that as a pastor. 857 00:43:12,440 --> 00:43:13,880 Now you agree with everything I just said, right? 858 00:43:15,120 --> 00:43:17,360 OK, that's good because. You know the hammer's coming, 859 00:43:17,360 --> 00:43:20,320 right? Jay's back. 860 00:43:20,320 --> 00:43:21,200 There's like, I know it's coming. 861 00:43:21,200 --> 00:43:23,200 I don't want to agree, but I got to because I know it's going to 862 00:43:23,200 --> 00:43:25,000 come back to me. It's going to boomerang back on 863 00:43:25,000 --> 00:43:28,080 you, all right? I'm not trying to be weird about 864 00:43:28,080 --> 00:43:30,960 this, but look back at this again because the law of 865 00:43:30,960 --> 00:43:33,760 opposites is real. I mean, if something is true on 866 00:43:33,760 --> 00:43:36,080 this end, then the opposite of it is true as well. 867 00:43:37,800 --> 00:43:39,560 Feed the flock of God, which is among you. 868 00:43:40,800 --> 00:43:45,240 If I'm called to feed the flock, then you are called to be fed. 869 00:43:45,240 --> 00:43:53,880 I told you you wouldn't like it if I'm called to feed the flock 870 00:43:53,880 --> 00:43:55,360 of God that you were called to be fed. 871 00:43:56,680 --> 00:44:00,160 You know, we have feedings Sunday morning, Sunday night, 872 00:44:01,120 --> 00:44:07,800 Wednesday night. OK, Dave, can I say this? 873 00:44:07,800 --> 00:44:09,040 Sure. OK. 874 00:44:09,040 --> 00:44:09,800 Thank you, Dave. All right. 875 00:44:09,800 --> 00:44:11,240 He's a trustee, so I got his permission. 876 00:44:14,320 --> 00:44:17,640 I don't say this about me. I'm saying so you understand my 877 00:44:17,640 --> 00:44:20,880 heart. Putting together messages during 878 00:44:20,880 --> 00:44:21,840 the week. Take some time. 879 00:44:23,480 --> 00:44:24,840 It does. I love it. 880 00:44:25,640 --> 00:44:27,960 You know, I love it. It's, it's a joy. 881 00:44:28,320 --> 00:44:32,280 I, I get to study the Bible by trade. 882 00:44:33,880 --> 00:44:36,640 What an awesome thing that some of you like me and I've had to 883 00:44:36,640 --> 00:44:38,880 work jobs where I cleaned up garbage. 884 00:44:38,880 --> 00:44:41,480 In fact, there were times I had to clean up garbage and then go 885 00:44:41,480 --> 00:44:45,640 study the Bible by trade or drive people around by Uber and 886 00:44:45,640 --> 00:44:48,160 study the Bible. I get to do this for a little. 887 00:44:48,200 --> 00:44:53,280 It's such a blessing to work on feeding, but it's hard to work 888 00:44:53,400 --> 00:44:57,280 on all that feeding when there aren't people to be fed when 889 00:44:57,280 --> 00:45:02,720 it's feeding time. We have feeding times on Sunday 890 00:45:02,720 --> 00:45:05,240 morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, and I know not everybody 891 00:45:05,240 --> 00:45:08,120 can come to all of them. I know there's work issues and 892 00:45:08,120 --> 00:45:11,040 things like that. I can tell you there's a lot of 893 00:45:11,040 --> 00:45:13,520 problems in life that would help if you just get fed the way 894 00:45:13,520 --> 00:45:16,880 you're supposed to. If I'm to feed the flock, that 895 00:45:16,880 --> 00:45:21,040 means somebody's got to be fed. I might have the oversight Now 896 00:45:21,040 --> 00:45:23,680 you're all afraid to answer. I'm have the oversight. 897 00:45:23,680 --> 00:45:26,400 Thank you. That means somebody needs to be 898 00:45:26,400 --> 00:45:29,560 overseen. That means somebody has to say 899 00:45:29,560 --> 00:45:35,480 what to do, not being. Lords over you not abusing the 900 00:45:35,480 --> 00:45:38,200 flock. But someone has to say this is 901 00:45:38,200 --> 00:45:41,800 the direction. This is what the Bible says it 902 00:45:41,800 --> 00:45:42,920 has to be. People are willing to be 903 00:45:42,920 --> 00:45:46,240 overseen. Do I need to be an example? 904 00:45:46,360 --> 00:45:48,800 Yes. But if I have to be the example 905 00:45:48,800 --> 00:45:50,720 doesn't have to be people that have to follow the example. 906 00:45:53,760 --> 00:45:55,080 People say, Hey, you got to come to our church. 907 00:45:55,080 --> 00:45:56,840 See our pastor. I mean, he gets up and he 908 00:45:56,840 --> 00:45:59,120 preaches the Bible. He and his family boy, you, we 909 00:45:59,120 --> 00:46:00,960 want to come and see him. You, you want to you want to see 910 00:46:00,960 --> 00:46:02,480 what's going on at the church. Praise the Lord. 911 00:46:02,480 --> 00:46:04,400 If you if you feel like you could say that I pray that we 912 00:46:04,400 --> 00:46:06,920 live in a way that you can. It's our hearts desire. 913 00:46:08,200 --> 00:46:10,920 But that example is not necessarily for the lost. 914 00:46:12,080 --> 00:46:18,640 That example is for you, the flock so that we all can live in 915 00:46:18,640 --> 00:46:22,480 the way that we ought to live. You know, what kind of comes 916 00:46:22,480 --> 00:46:27,000 down to this church thing is not as casual as we thought. 917 00:46:28,160 --> 00:46:31,040 It's serious. It's serious. 918 00:46:32,840 --> 00:46:33,920 Now, what does that mean for you? 919 00:46:33,920 --> 00:46:36,760 I don't know. You know why? 920 00:46:36,760 --> 00:46:39,680 Because I'm not the Holy Spirit and I don't plan applying for 921 00:46:39,680 --> 00:46:42,800 the position. It's between you and the Lord. 922 00:46:45,320 --> 00:46:46,880 You need to be saved. Get saved. 923 00:46:49,080 --> 00:46:50,560 You've been thinking about joining the church. 924 00:46:50,800 --> 00:46:53,840 Just know, we don't every week say we want to join the church. 925 00:46:53,840 --> 00:46:55,200 You want to join the church, you want to join the church. 926 00:46:55,200 --> 00:46:56,840 We don't do that. We don't do that. 927 00:46:58,440 --> 00:47:01,520 But we would love to talk to you about covenanting together with 928 00:47:01,520 --> 00:47:06,040 us as believers because there's a great purpose that God has for 929 00:47:06,040 --> 00:47:08,240 us together. That's what those things are 930 00:47:08,240 --> 00:47:09,600 back there. Those, those clipboards 931 00:47:09,600 --> 00:47:13,760 represent little things maybe on the outside, but their eyes, 932 00:47:13,760 --> 00:47:16,400 their ears, their noses, their thumbs, their fingers, their 933 00:47:16,720 --> 00:47:19,240 knees, their spleens, their everything. 934 00:47:19,760 --> 00:47:22,840 And we need it all. It's a story. 935 00:47:23,200 --> 00:47:25,520 And I, I've expired my time, but I'm, I'm done. 936 00:47:27,040 --> 00:47:29,920 There's a story of Steve Jobs back in the early 1980s. 937 00:47:29,920 --> 00:47:31,400 You're talking to a man named John Scully. 938 00:47:31,920 --> 00:47:37,200 John Scully was the CEO of Pepsi during the Pepsi Challenge in 939 00:47:37,200 --> 00:47:38,840 the 70s. You know, the Pepsi Challenge is 940 00:47:38,840 --> 00:47:41,280 a big thing. It helped actually propel Pepsi 941 00:47:41,280 --> 00:47:43,960 to the place of beating Coke because they started a New Coke. 942 00:47:43,960 --> 00:47:46,880 They were so afraid of Pepsi that they got rid of their 943 00:47:46,880 --> 00:47:49,920 formula and Pepsi won the cola wars. 944 00:47:49,920 --> 00:47:55,280 Back during that time, Apple needed a new CEO. 945 00:47:56,440 --> 00:48:00,680 Steve Jobs was the visionary but yet couldn't lead it himself. 946 00:48:00,720 --> 00:48:02,320 At that time the way that was needed. 947 00:48:02,320 --> 00:48:05,800 CEO was needed to to go to direction and he was talking to 948 00:48:05,800 --> 00:48:08,320 John Sculley back and forth and back and forth for a while and 949 00:48:08,320 --> 00:48:09,920 there was no real decision about what to do. 950 00:48:09,920 --> 00:48:13,120 And finally Steve Jobs looked at John Sculley and said some of 951 00:48:13,120 --> 00:48:15,400 these words. He says, do you want to sell 952 00:48:15,400 --> 00:48:19,080 sugar water for the rest of your life or do you want to change 953 00:48:19,080 --> 00:48:23,480 the world? And John Sculley said that was 954 00:48:23,480 --> 00:48:25,200 the moment I realized I need to work for Apple. 955 00:48:26,120 --> 00:48:30,000 Now, that might be a little bit of hyperbole there because I 956 00:48:30,000 --> 00:48:32,640 would say iPhones and soda have rotted a lot of people. 957 00:48:37,040 --> 00:48:39,640 I say that as a card carrying iPhone member. 958 00:48:41,600 --> 00:48:43,800 But he said there's something greater that's out there. 959 00:48:44,800 --> 00:48:48,320 Don't you want to be part of it? You know, when I look at Liberty 960 00:48:48,320 --> 00:48:53,360 Baptist Church and I look at all this, the world might not see 961 00:48:53,360 --> 00:48:55,880 much. They go to Unity Church 962 00:48:55,880 --> 00:49:00,640 downtown, the beautiful Spires, the stonework, the beautiful 963 00:49:00,640 --> 00:49:03,200 stained glass. They go to some of the 964 00:49:03,200 --> 00:49:07,720 cathedrals downtown in Boston that raised 10 stories high with 965 00:49:07,720 --> 00:49:10,680 Spires even higher. And I said, this is where it's 966 00:49:10,680 --> 00:49:12,960 at. I tell you, I just want to be 967 00:49:12,960 --> 00:49:16,320 where God's at. He's working at Liberty Baptist 968 00:49:16,320 --> 00:49:20,600 Church and he wants to work through you and with you for 969 00:49:20,600 --> 00:49:24,800 something great, greater than you, greater than me, greater 970 00:49:24,800 --> 00:49:29,600 than this life and eternity of reaching people, reaching people 971 00:49:29,600 --> 00:49:31,720 for eternity. Jesus Christ. 972 00:49:32,240 --> 00:49:34,000 And he'd be done this morning. But I don't need to tell you 973 00:49:34,000 --> 00:49:35,800 what to do. That's between you and the Holy 974 00:49:35,800 --> 00:49:37,360 Spirit. I want to present to you the 975 00:49:37,360 --> 00:49:39,200 need. I'll present to you what Jesus 976 00:49:39,200 --> 00:49:41,400 said about the church, First Corinthians said about the 977 00:49:41,400 --> 00:49:44,440 church, what First Peter chapter 5 talks about the pastor, but 978 00:49:44,440 --> 00:49:47,520 also talks about you as well. And how does that relate to you? 979 00:49:47,520 --> 00:49:51,240 That's between you and the Lord. Thank you for listening to the 980 00:49:51,240 --> 00:49:53,840 sermon from the pulpit of Liberty Baptist Church. 981 00:49:54,160 --> 00:49:57,440 If this message was a blessing to you, or if there's any way we 982 00:49:57,440 --> 00:50:00,600 can serve you, please let us know by contacting us at 983 00:50:00,720 --> 00:50:05,480 info@mylibertybaptist.org. Or you can visit us this Sunday 984 00:50:05,680 --> 00:50:09,360 at 800 Washington St. in Easton, MA. 985 00:50:09,640 --> 00:50:12,440 May the Lord bless you as you grow in His Word.