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 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:28,400 Jeremiah chapter #6 is what we're going to do tonight in the 8 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:30,440 Word of God. And just as the Lord led and 9 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:32,560 just in preparation and those types of things. 10 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:35,920 I don't know about you, I'm not always big on how to messages. 11 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:39,120 How do you do certain things? I, I try to just preach the 12 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:41,640 concepts of God just as we find them in the Word of God. 13 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:44,520 But thank the Lord that the word of God doesn't just tell us to 14 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:46,480 do things. It also tells us how to do 15 00:00:46,480 --> 00:00:48,040 things. Aren't you glad for that? 16 00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:50,280 That the Word of God just doesn't tell us to do something 17 00:00:50,480 --> 00:00:52,800 and leave you to wonder how on earth is this supposed to get 18 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:54,800 done? But it also tells us how to do 19 00:00:54,800 --> 00:00:57,760 those very things of which God commands us to do and so. 20 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:00,240 Maybe you were here this morning and we were preaching on the 21 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:04,000 fact that Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd, that He is the 22 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:06,880 Good Shepherd. We looked at that this morning 23 00:01:06,960 --> 00:01:09,200 and we talked about how once we're believers, we need to 24 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:11,440 continue to listen to the Good Shepherd, Amen. 25 00:01:11,440 --> 00:01:14,640 That we don't just want the Good Shepherd to lay down His life so 26 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:16,880 we have a home in heaven and then ignore Him while we're here 27 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:18,760 on earth. That's not His design, but 28 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:21,480 rather were to follow His leadership every day of our 29 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:23,000 lives. But maybe you get to the point 30 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:24,720 where you were hearing the message this morning. 31 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:26,560 OK, you need to listen to the Lord. 32 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:27,760 You need to follow his leadership. 33 00:01:27,960 --> 00:01:30,200 And here's the question, how do we do it? 34 00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:32,760 OK, I want to listen to the Lord, OK? 35 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:34,360 I want to do what He tells me to do. 36 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:38,400 But how do I know that I can discern the very will of the 37 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:39,880 Lord? So the title of my message 38 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:43,000 tonight is this. Don't be embarrassed to ask for 39 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:45,600 directions. Don't be embarrassed to ask for 40 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:47,840 directs. I'm so glad now that we have GPS 41 00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:50,040 that we don't have to stop at the gas station anymore. 42 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:52,120 And asked her. Actually, most of us men did not 43 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:53,880 stop at the gas station. We just argue with our wives 44 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:56,000 about it and then went and got lost anyway. 45 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:58,960 That's normally what took place, and I remember when I was a kid, 46 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:00,920 this happened to us on one specific. 47 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:03,680 Occasion where we're trying to go to a beach in the Saint 48 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:05,600 Petersburg area called Fort DeSoto. 49 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:08,880 And my dad and my mom, me, which is a small family, I was an only 50 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:10,840 child. And we're going to go out to 51 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:12,560 Fort DeSoto. This is a big deal. 52 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:15,200 And I remember packing up, getting ready and go in and we 53 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:18,040 could not find this place for love or money. 54 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:19,520 It's just like it didn't even exist. 55 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:22,200 And my mom and my dad were arguing, you should pull over. 56 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:23,760 You should ask somebody. No, we don't. 57 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:25,960 I'm going to find it. Can I tell you I still don't 58 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:27,680 know Ford, DeSoto Whiz. All these years later? 59 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:30,200 We never did find it. We just turned around and drove 60 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:32,920 home because we didn't want to ask for directions. 61 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:36,400 Now in the Christian life, because I think that many of us 62 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:38,280 have known the Lord for at least a little bit. 63 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:40,520 Now there's some here that are younger in the faith as well, 64 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:42,640 But we do get to that place where we talked about this 65 00:02:42,640 --> 00:02:46,080 morning that we want to follow our own horse sense because we 66 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:48,600 have this understanding. I live life a little bit. 67 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:50,600 There's some things that I have learned along the way. 68 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:53,240 And by the way, it's good to accumulate knowledge and it's 69 00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:55,600 good to accumulate wisdom. There's nothing wrong with that. 70 00:02:55,760 --> 00:02:58,880 But the problem is most of the time we have not exactly horse 71 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:00,880 sense, but we have sheep sense, don't we? 72 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:03,640 And that we don't do that which God has called us to do. 73 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:07,720 So how do we get directions from the Lord to know about the 74 00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:10,280 difficult issues of life? We have questions. 75 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:13,880 Perhaps something like this? Is it sin or not to partake? 76 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:16,640 In this behavior is it sin or not? 77 00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:19,120 What about this? Should I be going in this 78 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:21,800 direction or not? Should I make this big decision 79 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:23,720 or not? Now you can ask me. 80 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:26,640 I can help you I. Had someone just recently, not 81 00:03:26,640 --> 00:03:30,960 that long ago said pastor call me up pastor, should I buy this 82 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:33,560 new car? And I'll tell you in that moment 83 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:35,920 as I was asked that question, 1000 thoughts went through my 84 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:38,280 mind and one of them was this and this get repoed. 85 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:43,680 It's my fault. And so I want to be careful in 86 00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:46,160 how I answer this. And so I gave some biblical 87 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:49,200 counts on biblical wisdom. But really I said this, you got 88 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:52,400 to pray for this on your own. And I'm glad to pray for this 89 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:56,120 with you that God would give you what you need, but I'm not going 90 00:03:56,120 --> 00:03:57,560 to tell you whether you buy it or not. 91 00:03:57,560 --> 00:03:59,680 And every month as you're at the end of the month and you're 92 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:02,120 trying to write out that check and think why a pastor tell me 93 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:04,640 to buy this car? I don't want that on my account 94 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:06,720 and you don't want me to have that on my account. 95 00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:08,920 So where do we get direction then? 96 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:12,600 How do we know about the issues of life when we need to make 97 00:04:12,600 --> 00:04:16,160 those big decisions or when there's complex and confusing 98 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:17,880 things that we're not sure whether we should be 99 00:04:17,880 --> 00:04:23,120 participating or partaking in this issue or not? 100 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:25,160 So Jeremiah chapter 6, why don't you go ahead and stand for the 101 00:04:25,160 --> 00:04:27,920 reading God word. Jeremiah chapter #6 I don't 102 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:30,800 know, brother. Yeah, if you could. 103 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:33,080 Thank you, Anthony. You read my mind there. 104 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:36,520 Jeremiah chapter 6. That's the stuff right there. 105 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:37,800 All right, But don't block the wind. 106 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:39,400 So we got to get some air flow too. 107 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:45,760 So Jeremiah chapter #6 and let's begin in verse #9. 108 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:53,680 They'll say at the Lord of hosts they shall thoroughly or 109 00:04:53,680 --> 00:04:57,360 throughly rather glean the remnant of Israel's a vine, turn 110 00:04:57,360 --> 00:05:00,120 back thine hand as a great gatherer in the baskets. 111 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:03,160 To whom shall I speak and give warning that they may hear? 112 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:06,120 Behold, their ear is uncircumcised, that they cannot 113 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:08,080 hearken. Behold, the word of the Lord is 114 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:11,080 unto them a reproach. They have no delight in it, 115 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:12,680 therefore. I am full. 116 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:16,800 Of the fury of the Lord I am withholding, or by the weary the 117 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:20,760 holding in, I will pour it out upon the children abroad, and 118 00:05:20,760 --> 00:05:22,840 upon the assembly. Of young men. 119 00:05:22,840 --> 00:05:26,760 Together, for even the husband with the wife shall be taken the 120 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:30,200 age with him that is full of days, and their houses shall be 121 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:33,440 turned unto others with their fields and wives together. 122 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:36,680 For I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the 123 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:39,040 land. Say it the Lord just in summary 124 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:40,880 here. When you don't listen to the 125 00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:43,240 word of the Lord, there are real consequences. 126 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:46,160 When you decide to go your own way. 127 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:49,760 Don't think just because you've gotten a play with it for a day 128 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:52,960 or a week or a month or a year or 12 years. 129 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:56,840 Don't think that you can go your own way and that God will sit 130 00:05:56,840 --> 00:05:58,840 idly by because that's not what takes place. 131 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:01,480 And God is putting that judgement upon the people of 132 00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:03,640 Israel here. In fact, that's really the theme 133 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:05,640 of the book of Jeremiah in general. 134 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:07,720 God's judgements coming the people of Israel. 135 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:10,080 Don't want to hear it? They persecute Jeremiah for 136 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:12,200 preaching it. That's Jeremiah in a nutshell. 137 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:15,960 Verse #13 for. From the least of them, even 138 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:18,240 unto the greatest of them, everyone is. 139 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:20,200 Given to covetousness and from the. 140 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:23,200 Prophet, even under the priest everyone deal with falsely. 141 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:24,680 Now you don't need to know Hebrew to know this. 142 00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:29,840 Everyone is everyone. Verse #14 They have healed also 143 00:06:29,840 --> 00:06:33,320 the heart of the daughter of my people slightly saying, Peace, 144 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:37,480 peace when there is no peace. Were they ashamed when they had 145 00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:40,800 committed abomination? Nay, they were not at all shame, 146 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:44,200 neither could they blush. Therefore they shall fall among 147 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:46,800 them that fall. At the time that I visit them, 148 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:49,360 they shall be cast down, saved the Lord. 149 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:54,120 Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see and ask for 150 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:56,600 the old paths. Where is the good way? 151 00:06:56,840 --> 00:07:00,080 And walk therein you shall find rest for your souls. 152 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:03,840 But they said. We will not walk therein also. 153 00:07:03,840 --> 00:07:06,640 I set Watchmen over you saying, hearken to the sound of the 154 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:09,640 trumpet. But they said we will not 155 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:14,400 hearken God in his love and his mercy and his grace. 156 00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:18,160 The people of Israel sent the man named Jeremiah along with a 157 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:21,000 lot of other prophets that were trying to get them back on the 158 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:22,640 straight and narrow. And what do they say? 159 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:26,080 We will not listen. I don't know about you, but I 160 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:28,720 don't want to be that man. I don't want to be the one that 161 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:33,600 says I'll do it my own way because the consequences are 162 00:07:33,600 --> 00:07:36,600 dire. So don't be embarrassed to ask 163 00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:38,360 for directions. And we'll look at what that 164 00:07:38,360 --> 00:07:41,000 means here tonight is God gives us, I believe, the outline here 165 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:43,760 from verse #16 why don't you be seated as we pray together? 166 00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:49,360 Heavenly Father, do thank you for this night. 167 00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:51,080 And I believe this is an important message. 168 00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:53,160 And I believe every time I stand behind the pulpit, it's 169 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:54,440 important because it's your word. 170 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:56,400 But I do pray to your help this evening. 171 00:07:56,400 --> 00:07:59,080 There's some folks that have to make decisions in their lives, 172 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:03,600 some big, some small, maybe some seemingly small that will turn 173 00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:04,960 into big decisions. I don't know. 174 00:08:05,840 --> 00:08:07,600 There's some here that are grappling with certain 175 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:08,840 activities. They're wondering, is this 176 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:09,840 sinful or not? What? 177 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:12,320 What do I need to do? I pray that you'd help us to 178 00:08:12,320 --> 00:08:15,040 listen to your voice this evening, that we understand that 179 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:17,840 Christ is the Good Shepherd, but what does it mean to listen to 180 00:08:17,840 --> 00:08:21,760 the voice of the Good Shepherd? So help us as we determine these 181 00:08:21,760 --> 00:08:24,840 things tonight from your word and we ask it in Jesus name, 182 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:28,640 Amen. Well, as Jeremiah's preaching 183 00:08:28,640 --> 00:08:31,200 ministry begins, he. Is going to find out that the 184 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:35,799 people of Israel have a great desire to say that they want to 185 00:08:35,799 --> 00:08:38,320 hear the word of God. They just don't actually want to 186 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:40,960 hear the word of God. No, no, they, they get to this 187 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:43,960 place where they say that they love hearing the word of God. 188 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:46,720 But when Jeremiah gives the word that they don't want to hear, 189 00:08:46,920 --> 00:08:48,840 they don't like it. And so because of that, there 190 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:51,040 are hirelings. Because of that, there are these 191 00:08:51,040 --> 00:08:54,640 false teachers who as it says in verse #14 they have healed. 192 00:08:54,640 --> 00:08:57,840 Also the hurt of the daughter of my people will slightly say 193 00:08:58,040 --> 00:09:00,240 peace, Peace when there is no peace. 194 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:03,240 By the way, there's a lot of that preaching out there today 195 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:06,520 and so-called Christianity where they don't want to call out sin. 196 00:09:06,520 --> 00:09:08,320 They don't want to call out unrighteousness. 197 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:10,880 They just want to go with the flow and they don't want 198 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:13,760 anything to be upset because they don't want the membership 199 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:15,800 to go down. They don't want the tithes and 200 00:09:15,800 --> 00:09:17,840 offerings to go down. And So what do they do? 201 00:09:17,840 --> 00:09:21,000 They give what the Bible would call an ear tickling message. 202 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:23,160 What is that? It's just we want you to feel 203 00:09:23,160 --> 00:09:25,920 good about yourself. We want you to be able to be 204 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:27,840 inspired by. We don't actually want you to be 205 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:31,160 changed in conformity to the image of an almighty God. 206 00:09:31,320 --> 00:09:33,320 And so there were these false prophets who were out there that 207 00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:35,840 were doing what they were saying, all these things to make 208 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:38,040 people feel better. But honestly, the people of 209 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:41,560 Israel, they need to feel worse. You say, well, why do they need 210 00:09:41,560 --> 00:09:43,920 to feel worse? Because they were in sin and 211 00:09:43,920 --> 00:09:47,360 they needed to feel, well, conviction and godly sorrow 212 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:49,920 about their sin. Now, it's not my desire anytime 213 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:54,040 I preach here at Liberty Baptist Church to make you feel bad when 214 00:09:54,040 --> 00:09:56,200 you leave. However, if you're in sin, you 215 00:09:56,200 --> 00:09:58,240 ought to feel a little bad when the preaching of the Word of God 216 00:09:58,240 --> 00:10:00,120 comes down. No, I'm not aiming at you. 217 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:03,240 I'm not looking to take you down or anything like that this 218 00:10:03,240 --> 00:10:04,760 evening. I have no desire in my heart to 219 00:10:04,760 --> 00:10:06,680 do that. But at the same time, if I make 220 00:10:06,680 --> 00:10:10,960 you inspired and you're still in sin and you leave, woe to you, 221 00:10:10,960 --> 00:10:14,400 but woe to me as well. Because I haven't given the word 222 00:10:14,400 --> 00:10:16,640 of God straight and true, you ought to feel a little 223 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:21,120 uncomfortable if you are in sin and refuse to conform to an 224 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:23,480 almighty God. And this is what's going on. 225 00:10:23,480 --> 00:10:27,200 And Jeremiah's going to preach. And the more he preaches, the 226 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:29,760 more they persecute him. And the more he preaches, the 227 00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:33,440 more they persecute him. And things go from bad to worse 228 00:10:33,840 --> 00:10:37,320 to worse. But yet God in his patience, 229 00:10:37,920 --> 00:10:41,000 continues to try to work with the people of Israel. 230 00:10:41,440 --> 00:10:45,080 It always amazes me when people talk about how judgmental God is 231 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:46,680 and how. Angry God is in the Old 232 00:10:46,680 --> 00:10:49,200 Testament. Do we see God's vengeance in the 233 00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:50,160 Old Testament? Certainly. 234 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:51,600 By the way. We see in the New Testament too, 235 00:10:51,600 --> 00:10:53,800 by the way, just read the Book of Revelation if you're not sure 236 00:10:53,800 --> 00:10:57,080 where to find that, Amen. But I will tell you this, that 237 00:10:57,080 --> 00:11:01,800 you cannot get away in the Old Testament from the very grace, 238 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:04,120 the great grace and mercy of the Lord. 239 00:11:04,360 --> 00:11:08,400 You have to go past Genesis chapter 6 and Noah found grace 240 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:12,680 in the eyes of the Lord, and certainly here this is the case. 241 00:11:12,680 --> 00:11:16,320 Look at verse #8 It says, be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, 242 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:20,200 lest my soul depart from thee, lest I make thee desolate, a 243 00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:22,280 land not inhabited. What is he saying? 244 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:26,880 I'm continuing to instruct you. Even though everyone of you has 245 00:11:26,880 --> 00:11:30,080 gone away from me. I'll continue to instruct you. 246 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:33,640 Verse #17 also, I said a watchman over you, saying, 247 00:11:33,640 --> 00:11:35,320 hearken to the sound of the trumpet. 248 00:11:35,440 --> 00:11:38,560 He's continuing to send the preachers, ironically enough, if 249 00:11:38,560 --> 00:11:41,480 you go through the book of Jeremiah, you'll find often time 250 00:11:41,480 --> 00:11:44,520 these preachers, these priests, these prophets are called 251 00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:46,880 shepherds. And think about the Good 252 00:11:46,880 --> 00:11:49,840 Shepherd as we learned about him here this morning, that these 253 00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:52,320 men were supposed to be called to be shepherds. 254 00:11:52,320 --> 00:11:54,200 Most of them though were hirelings. 255 00:11:54,320 --> 00:11:57,080 Most of them were given those ear tickling messages telling 256 00:11:57,080 --> 00:12:00,600 people what they wanted to hear but completely avoiding the fact 257 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:03,040 of the sin of the people of Israel. 258 00:12:05,080 --> 00:12:08,360 They were at a crossroads. There was a couple different 259 00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:12,040 ways they could go. They needed to learn what was 260 00:12:12,040 --> 00:12:16,760 good and what was right. Verse #16 lays out for us here 261 00:12:16,760 --> 00:12:21,280 tonight in a similar way what to do when we're standing at the 262 00:12:21,280 --> 00:12:23,200 crossroads. Now I'm not saying that you are 263 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:25,120 in the same. Position as the people of Israel 264 00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:27,240 this evening. I'm not saying that you're 265 00:12:27,240 --> 00:12:31,000 sending iniquities or even to that which those of the people 266 00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:35,160 of Israel did as they were pushing God away, but God was 267 00:12:35,160 --> 00:12:38,200 trying to get a hold of them. And he said there's a couple 268 00:12:38,200 --> 00:12:41,800 different ways you can go here and you need to pay attention. 269 00:12:42,560 --> 00:12:45,600 And God gives us the outline. I believe here. 270 00:12:45,600 --> 00:12:48,640 And I say that specifically because you hear me often say 271 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:50,760 here at Liberty Baptist Church that the best outlines are the 272 00:12:50,760 --> 00:12:52,520 ones that God gives us right from the Bible. 273 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:56,200 There's 4 action words that we find here in verse #16 that are 274 00:12:56,200 --> 00:12:58,960 very helpful for us for what we need to do. 275 00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:01,000 We ask directions. I'd encourage you tonight, just 276 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:03,160 circle these words in your Bible as we go along. 277 00:13:03,160 --> 00:13:04,840 Because I believe there will be a help to you. 278 00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:08,880 The first this evening is this number one, we're to stand. 279 00:13:09,280 --> 00:13:11,440 We're to stand. Look again at verse #16. 280 00:13:11,720 --> 00:13:15,480 Thus saith the Lord, stand ye in the ways and see. 281 00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:18,280 And really you can take stand and see together. 282 00:13:18,280 --> 00:13:22,520 But I really want to take this idea of standing here as much as 283 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:24,680 seeing, because standing means this. 284 00:13:24,880 --> 00:13:28,560 You're not continuing on. We know that because walk is 285 00:13:28,560 --> 00:13:32,000 going to come later, but really you're to stop and you're to 286 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:33,880 stand. And if I could add a word, I 287 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:36,240 don't believe I'm adding to the word of God, that I think it 288 00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:39,000 gives the connotation of what's being spoken of here. 289 00:13:39,280 --> 00:13:42,200 You are to stand and you are to observe. 290 00:13:42,840 --> 00:13:46,720 When you were at the crossroads, you say, well, where do you see 291 00:13:46,720 --> 00:13:49,840 that we're at a crossroads? Well, it's pretty simple. 292 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:54,720 It says in verse #16 Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways 293 00:13:55,760 --> 00:14:00,280 that means there's well more than one way now we. 294 00:14:00,280 --> 00:14:03,760 Take for granted today, the way to go is often pretty easy, 295 00:14:03,760 --> 00:14:05,320 isn't it? One, we have GPS. 296 00:14:05,600 --> 00:14:08,960 Two, we have the fact that we have a bunch of paved roads with 297 00:14:08,960 --> 00:14:10,720 signs on them. You want to go to the Cape? 298 00:14:10,840 --> 00:14:12,640 You can find a sign that tell you to go to Cape. 299 00:14:12,760 --> 00:14:14,720 You want to go to Boston? There's a sign that tells you 300 00:14:14,880 --> 00:14:17,400 how to go to Boston. You want to go on Route 128? 301 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:20,360 Well, that's still confusing. We don't understand why 128 and 302 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:22,920 all 93 and all those things. It took me about 10 years to 303 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:24,920 figure out how all those numbers work together. 304 00:14:25,080 --> 00:14:27,120 I still don't know that I understand it all, but in 305 00:14:27,120 --> 00:14:29,520 general the numbers tell you and the paved. 306 00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:32,880 Roads tell you where to go. In that time, paved roads were 307 00:14:32,880 --> 00:14:36,240 very rare. History tells us that some of 308 00:14:36,240 --> 00:14:38,720 the first paved roads were actually found in UR of the 309 00:14:38,720 --> 00:14:40,920 Chaldees, where Abraham would have been from. 310 00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:45,400 Egypt eventually also paved a small number of their roads. 311 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:49,600 The first real network of paved roads would have been by Rome. 312 00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:53,600 And that's why transit and that's why really the gospel 313 00:14:53,880 --> 00:14:57,000 moved at such a speed that it did, is it was going by land and 314 00:14:57,000 --> 00:15:01,160 by sea, particularly by those great vias, by those great roads 315 00:15:01,160 --> 00:15:03,000 that the Roman government had put together. 316 00:15:03,320 --> 00:15:07,560 But if you were going down on a trip and you were going trying 317 00:15:07,560 --> 00:15:10,880 to figure out which way to go at the time of Jeremiah, would you 318 00:15:10,880 --> 00:15:12,880 have been able to consult with a really good map? 319 00:15:12,920 --> 00:15:14,440 Probably not. Not the way that we would 320 00:15:14,440 --> 00:15:17,280 consider them today. There could have been some 321 00:15:17,280 --> 00:15:20,160 signposts, sure, but how many? Who knows? 322 00:15:20,720 --> 00:15:22,760 Well. Here's what you did if you got 323 00:15:22,760 --> 00:15:26,640 to a crossroads, you had to stop and observe. 324 00:15:27,160 --> 00:15:30,240 And stand and look at those two paths. 325 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:35,160 Which way were you to go? Well, there would probably be 326 00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:37,920 maybe a newer path and an older path. 327 00:15:38,400 --> 00:15:40,800 Well, you say, how is that? Well, we're going to see that a 328 00:15:40,800 --> 00:15:42,280 little bit later here in the text. 329 00:15:42,920 --> 00:15:45,560 How do we know the older path? Well, it's the one that's been 330 00:15:45,560 --> 00:15:48,160 walked on more. It's the one that's been trodden 331 00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:50,400 on more. It's the one that more people 332 00:15:50,400 --> 00:15:53,760 have gone down, but there's also a newer path. 333 00:15:53,760 --> 00:15:55,600 What is that? That is the path that has not 334 00:15:55,600 --> 00:15:58,280 been trodden down more. And so how do you know if you're 335 00:15:58,280 --> 00:16:01,400 at this crossroads? Which way are you supposed to 336 00:16:01,400 --> 00:16:03,240 go? Well, you are to stand. 337 00:16:03,320 --> 00:16:06,040 You were to observe, you were to look at that, you were to 338 00:16:06,040 --> 00:16:08,600 ponder, which way am I to go next? 339 00:16:08,760 --> 00:16:11,520 A lot of us, when it comes to Christian life, when we get to a 340 00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:14,200 crossroads, you know what we do? We plow ahead. 341 00:16:15,680 --> 00:16:19,200 We just go by whatever seems right, and we keep plugging 342 00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:21,080 away. But there's a problem. 343 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:23,400 But when you get to that crossroads, before you better do 344 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:27,960 anything, you stop and you observe what's in front of me. 345 00:16:28,520 --> 00:16:31,640 Let me look on this way. Let me look on that way. 346 00:16:32,320 --> 00:16:34,800 Those old warm paths can tell a story. 347 00:16:34,880 --> 00:16:39,120 We have a town forest here in Easton, not one paved path on 348 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:40,200 it. You know what it is? 349 00:16:40,640 --> 00:16:43,440 Probably a couple 100 years of people just walking down the 350 00:16:43,440 --> 00:16:46,320 right path. Now you go and not paying 351 00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:48,120 attention, as I have in the past. 352 00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:49,800 I end up in someone's backyard once. 353 00:16:50,680 --> 00:16:53,200 But why? Because I apparently got to a 354 00:16:53,200 --> 00:16:56,240 crossroads somewhere and wasn't actually paying attention. 355 00:16:56,240 --> 00:16:58,280 Oh, I know what I'm doing. I can figure this out. 356 00:16:58,400 --> 00:17:01,400 I can go by my own. Wits and I almost got myself 357 00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:05,160 shot because I ended up in someone's backyard, not paying 358 00:17:05,160 --> 00:17:10,280 attention, not observing. Stand ye in the way and see. 359 00:17:11,839 --> 00:17:14,800 Say, well, there's a couple paths, which one should I take? 360 00:17:15,319 --> 00:17:20,000 Well, there's a well worn path friend, a path that we can look 361 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:24,280 at that's been trodden on by Jesus Christ that's 2000 years 362 00:17:24,280 --> 00:17:27,040 old. Of course, we know that our 363 00:17:27,040 --> 00:17:30,400 faith goes far beyond that, but just if we consider Jesus Christ 364 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:34,920 the Good Shepherd, there's a path that millions upon millions 365 00:17:35,240 --> 00:17:39,120 of our Christian brethren over 2 millennia have walked. 366 00:17:39,800 --> 00:17:44,080 You know where we need to walk? Walk on that old path because 367 00:17:44,080 --> 00:17:46,600 there's a lot of new paths that are out there today, aren't 368 00:17:46,600 --> 00:17:47,640 there? There's a lot of. 369 00:17:47,640 --> 00:17:52,520 Newfangled ways that are out there, that are tantalizing, 370 00:17:52,520 --> 00:17:55,760 that seem right, that grab at the senses, that effect 371 00:17:55,760 --> 00:17:58,280 sometimes grabs you by the collar and wanting to tell you 372 00:17:58,280 --> 00:18:01,080 which way to go. But it's not about just taking 373 00:18:01,160 --> 00:18:03,480 the new path. It's not just about taking the 374 00:18:03,480 --> 00:18:06,200 exciting path. Know what do we need to do? 375 00:18:06,440 --> 00:18:09,680 We need to go on those paths that are good, that are right, 376 00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:13,000 that are God ordained. And sometimes it takes a moment 377 00:18:13,120 --> 00:18:15,640 to stop and observe to know which way to go. 378 00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:20,880 There's a lot of difficulty in certain things to know which way 379 00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:24,200 to go, whether it's the issues of of sin and righteousness or 380 00:18:24,200 --> 00:18:27,000 whether it's the issue of just. Trying to determine direction in 381 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:29,720 our lives, we sometimes need to stop and observe. 382 00:18:30,080 --> 00:18:31,600 Hold your place there. Put your rib in there. 383 00:18:31,600 --> 00:18:34,280 Go to Leviticus chapter 13 very quickly. 384 00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:44,280 Leviticus chapter #13. Say, pastor, do we follow the 385 00:18:44,280 --> 00:18:45,880 trends here at Liberty Baptist Church? 386 00:18:46,480 --> 00:18:48,600 Well, if the trend is not having air conditioning, yes, that we 387 00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:49,880 do follow the trend. No, I'm just kidding. 388 00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:52,720 We don't. We don't think that's the trend. 389 00:18:52,720 --> 00:18:56,120 I think that's the opposite. Do we follow the trends here? 390 00:18:57,200 --> 00:18:59,920 Not often. And I'm not saying that every 391 00:18:59,920 --> 00:19:04,440 trend that comes along is wrong, because just because something 392 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:07,640 is trendy doesn't mean. That it's wrong in and of 393 00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:10,440 itself. But I will say this, when you 394 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:13,800 come to Liberty Baptist Church, we're not looking to be trendy. 395 00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:18,200 We're not necessarily looking to be old fashioned in and of 396 00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:19,480 itself. We'll talk more about that in a 397 00:19:19,480 --> 00:19:22,360 moment. What we are looking to be is 398 00:19:22,360 --> 00:19:24,640 timeless. Well, what's timeless? 399 00:19:25,800 --> 00:19:28,760 The word of God that you have in front of you, that this is what 400 00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:31,840 we want to honor, that we're not chasing this fad and that fad, 401 00:19:31,840 --> 00:19:34,960 this church growth. Guru and that church growth Guru 402 00:19:35,040 --> 00:19:37,760 that we're not trying to add the elements of the world, the 403 00:19:37,760 --> 00:19:40,280 elements of the world's music, the elements of the world's 404 00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:41,560 fleshliness. To be able. 405 00:19:41,560 --> 00:19:44,120 To add that here, to add a little bit of quote sizzle to 406 00:19:44,120 --> 00:19:46,960 the steak, no, there's enough meat that we have in the word of 407 00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:50,400 God that if we just present it good and right to those that are 408 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:53,640 here, that God can bless it and God can honor it. 409 00:19:53,800 --> 00:19:56,000 That we don't need to incorporate the world, but it 410 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:57,560 sometimes. Takes a little bit to stop and 411 00:19:57,560 --> 00:19:59,960 look and observe. Is this right or not? 412 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:02,800 There were churches. That asked themselves 100 some 413 00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:05,080 years ago, is it right to have a piano in church? 414 00:20:06,160 --> 00:20:09,880 And we laugh at that. Now I've heard churches say, is 415 00:20:09,880 --> 00:20:11,280 it right to have a television in church? 416 00:20:13,080 --> 00:20:14,600 That could be kind of trendy, couldn't it? 417 00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:17,960 There's churches that have asked themselves, is it right to have 418 00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:20,440 chairs in church? Now before you think I'm being 419 00:20:20,440 --> 00:20:22,720 weird about it, I'm talking about the fact that they used to 420 00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:24,320 have those old. Fashioned pews you know what I'm 421 00:20:24,320 --> 00:20:26,800 talking about the ones that you're back would feel until the 422 00:20:26,800 --> 00:20:30,800 next Sunday and then we got these chairs here and there'll 423 00:20:30,800 --> 00:20:33,600 be some that would say we're. Compromisers for having these 424 00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:35,640 chairs out. Here. 425 00:20:36,600 --> 00:20:41,600 So the question is, well, how do we know that something is trendy 426 00:20:42,320 --> 00:20:44,280 and we're just following the trends for the sake of it? 427 00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:46,440 And I'm not just talking about church, I'm talking about your 428 00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:47,720 life as well. Because there's a lot of other 429 00:20:47,720 --> 00:20:49,240 stuff that's out there right now, isn't there? 430 00:20:49,800 --> 00:20:51,040 New apps that'll come out on your phone? 431 00:20:51,040 --> 00:20:52,280 Is this something you should get on board? 432 00:20:52,680 --> 00:20:54,680 Well, the Bible doesn't talk about it specifically because 433 00:20:54,760 --> 00:20:56,000 the Bible doesn't talk about apps. 434 00:20:56,720 --> 00:20:58,400 But the Bible does talk a lot about discernment. 435 00:21:01,080 --> 00:21:02,440 There's a lot of that that's out there today. 436 00:21:02,440 --> 00:21:04,680 What do we do? Well, Leviticus, chapter 13, 437 00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:06,840 verse #1 it says this. And the Lord spake unto Moses 438 00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:10,000 and Aaron, saying, When a man. Shall have in the skin of his 439 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:14,560 flesh a rising, a scab, a bright spot, and it be in the skin of 440 00:21:14,560 --> 00:21:16,560 his flesh like the plague of leprosy. 441 00:21:16,880 --> 00:21:20,440 Then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest, or unto one of 442 00:21:20,440 --> 00:21:21,520 the sons, the priest. Now stop. 443 00:21:21,520 --> 00:21:26,000 Right there is this text saying that the man who presents with 444 00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:30,200 the scab, the rising in the flesh of the bright spot, does 445 00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:33,440 it say that he has leprosy? It does not. 446 00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:38,200 It says that it looks. Like leprosy. 447 00:21:38,200 --> 00:21:39,800 This is important. What is leprosy? 448 00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:42,920 A picture of in the word of God. See it every single time. 449 00:21:42,920 --> 00:21:45,960 Thanks Jay. So it is a picture of sin in the 450 00:21:45,960 --> 00:21:48,320 word of God. But there are sometimes that 451 00:21:48,320 --> 00:21:51,600 things pop up in our life and immediately we're not sure if 452 00:21:51,600 --> 00:21:54,120 it's simple or not. I don't know if I should be 453 00:21:54,120 --> 00:21:56,680 participating this or not. I never heard of this television 454 00:21:56,680 --> 00:21:57,800 show. I don't know about this movie. 455 00:21:57,800 --> 00:21:59,800 I don't know about this app. I don't know about this past 456 00:21:59,800 --> 00:22:01,560 time. I don't know about this. 457 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:05,520 It seems like it could be sin, but maybe it's not. 458 00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:07,080 Well, what do we do? I know. 459 00:22:07,080 --> 00:22:10,520 Ask Pastor. Well, I'll be glad to counsel 460 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:13,120 you, but I. Can't tell you why, can't tell 461 00:22:13,120 --> 00:22:15,120 you what to do. But you I'd rather do not be the 462 00:22:15,120 --> 00:22:15,800 priest. Your home. 463 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:18,960 No, you say. You talk about Catholic priest. 464 00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:20,400 No, I'm talking about a biblical priest. 465 00:22:21,720 --> 00:22:24,200 If you're a man in your home, by the way, God has called you to 466 00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:25,760 be able to be the leader of your home. 467 00:22:25,760 --> 00:22:27,960 I'll be glad to help you and be a helper of your joy. 468 00:22:28,120 --> 00:22:30,440 But I'm not going to tell you your family shouldn't be doing 469 00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:31,520 this. Your family shouldn't be doing 470 00:22:31,520 --> 00:22:32,800 that. You know that turns into 471 00:22:32,840 --> 00:22:35,360 Pharisee ISM. I'm glad to be able to tell you 472 00:22:35,360 --> 00:22:36,640 what the. Word of God says when it's 473 00:22:36,640 --> 00:22:39,000 clear, and I'm glad to pray about you when there's things 474 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:43,680 that there's principles that we need to apply, but it looks like 475 00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:47,000 sin, So what do we do? It says in the priest verse 3 476 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:49,200 shall look upon the plague in the skin of the flesh and when 477 00:22:49,200 --> 00:22:52,840 the hair of the plague is turned white, the plague inside of be 478 00:22:52,840 --> 00:22:54,560 deeper than the skin of his flesh. 479 00:22:55,040 --> 00:22:57,720 If it is a plague of leprosy, then the priest shall look upon 480 00:22:57,720 --> 00:23:00,800 him, pronounce him unclean. If the bright spot be white in 481 00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:03,920 the skin of his flesh and sight be not deeper than the skin and 482 00:23:03,920 --> 00:23:06,760 the hair thereof be not turn white, then the priest shall 483 00:23:06,760 --> 00:23:10,160 shut him up. That had to plague 7 days. 484 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:14,080 So there are sometimes it's cut and dry and the priest says 485 00:23:14,320 --> 00:23:16,840 that's leprosy. There are other times the priest 486 00:23:16,840 --> 00:23:19,920 says, I'm not sure. And what is it required? 487 00:23:20,520 --> 00:23:27,440 4 letter word? TIME, time, observation. 488 00:23:28,360 --> 00:23:29,320 Yeah. You know what's interesting? 489 00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:32,440 When this man is being observed, you know what he doesn't do? 490 00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:34,800 He doesn't go out and mix it up with everybody else. 491 00:23:36,160 --> 00:23:40,280 He stays isolated while you're trying to get the discernment of 492 00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:41,760 the Lord about the issues of life. 493 00:23:41,760 --> 00:23:44,360 That doesn't mean you just keep going ahead your own way and 494 00:23:44,360 --> 00:23:47,120 say, well, Lord, just go ahead and stop me if you don't want me 495 00:23:47,120 --> 00:23:48,480 to do it. I've heard people say this. 496 00:23:48,680 --> 00:23:50,640 I'm going to keep going. If the Lord wants to close the 497 00:23:50,640 --> 00:23:54,320 door, he will. And I understand that thought 498 00:23:54,320 --> 00:23:57,080 process. But that can be a very dangerous 499 00:23:57,080 --> 00:24:00,360 way to look at the Christian life that is tempting the Lord 500 00:24:00,360 --> 00:24:03,400 if you're not careful. This didn't say, well, we'll go 501 00:24:03,400 --> 00:24:06,560 out and play in traffic if you might have leprosy. 502 00:24:07,120 --> 00:24:09,520 And in seven days, if you happen to have it, then you'll be 503 00:24:09,520 --> 00:24:10,840 isolated. No, it's the opposite. 504 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:13,800 And then what happened if it didn't look like leprosy? 505 00:24:13,800 --> 00:24:16,440 Well, verse 5, the priest shall look on him the 7th day, and 506 00:24:16,440 --> 00:24:17,920 behold of the plague in his sight. 507 00:24:18,120 --> 00:24:20,320 Be at a stay in the plague spread, not in the skin. 508 00:24:20,320 --> 00:24:23,080 Then the priest shall shut him up 7 days more. 509 00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:29,160 For what observation stand, look at the ways. 510 00:24:30,080 --> 00:24:32,120 The priest shall look. On him again the 7th day and 511 00:24:32,120 --> 00:24:33,960 behold of the plague be somewhat dark. 512 00:24:34,200 --> 00:24:35,840 The plague spread not in the skin. 513 00:24:36,040 --> 00:24:38,240 The priest shall pronounce him clean. 514 00:24:38,240 --> 00:24:41,880 It is but a scab. And he shall wash his clothes 515 00:24:41,880 --> 00:24:43,120 and be clean. Could you imagine going through 516 00:24:43,120 --> 00:24:44,800 all that and the priest says that's just a scab? 517 00:24:46,160 --> 00:24:48,000 That's pretty tough, isn't it? It's like I. 518 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:52,160 Lost 14 days of my life. I was in isolation, but it was 519 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:56,520 for his safety and it was for everyone's safety to stop and 520 00:24:56,520 --> 00:24:58,760 observe. If I see far too often the 521 00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:02,520 Christian life is the spiritual mentality of shoot 1st and ask 522 00:25:02,520 --> 00:25:05,640 questions later. I'm going to do what I want to 523 00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:06,800 do. And Lord, if you want to stop 524 00:25:06,800 --> 00:25:08,240 me, you're big enough to stop me. 525 00:25:08,840 --> 00:25:11,920 And that is exactly opposite of what the Word of God teaches us. 526 00:25:12,600 --> 00:25:14,840 When you were at the ways, what do you do? 527 00:25:15,560 --> 00:25:19,760 Stand, look at them. There are two different ways. 528 00:25:20,480 --> 00:25:23,360 Now what do we need to do beyond that, not just observe a go back 529 00:25:23,360 --> 00:25:27,000 to Jeremiah chapter #6 if you would, but it says and the Lords 530 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:28,800 and thus sayeth the Lord standing in the ways. 531 00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:30,440 That's the first that I've circled. 532 00:25:30,440 --> 00:25:31,800 You could have. See along that. 533 00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:33,920 I believe that goes along with standing and observing. 534 00:25:34,200 --> 00:25:36,760 But then the next one is the word ask. 535 00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:40,280 First you stand and then you ask. 536 00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:44,560 Once you observe the 2 past, you observe that one is old and that 537 00:25:44,560 --> 00:25:47,000 one is new. What are you to do? 538 00:25:47,040 --> 00:25:50,800 You are to ask for the old path. Now. 539 00:25:50,800 --> 00:25:52,600 Why are you asking for the old path? 540 00:25:52,760 --> 00:25:55,600 Because it is the one that has been well trodden. 541 00:25:56,000 --> 00:25:59,000 It is the one that many have gone on before. 542 00:25:59,240 --> 00:26:02,400 It is the one that is reliable. This is New England. 543 00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:06,120 Everybody's got a shortcut. Everybody's got a way to get 544 00:26:06,120 --> 00:26:08,320 somewhere. And most of the time when people 545 00:26:08,320 --> 00:26:10,680 tell you something like that, it makes it twice as hard to get 546 00:26:10,680 --> 00:26:13,360 where you're going. I remember Pastor Bob Lewis, 547 00:26:13,360 --> 00:26:14,800 he's been here before, several years ago. 548 00:26:14,800 --> 00:26:16,840 He's evangelist now. Actually, he's a Pastor N 549 00:26:16,840 --> 00:26:18,680 Tiverton. Helping that church as it 550 00:26:18,680 --> 00:26:20,680 recovers. But he told me before I came to 551 00:26:20,680 --> 00:26:22,080 New England, he said, brother Adam, you need to know 552 00:26:22,080 --> 00:26:23,600 everybody's got a shortcut in New England. 553 00:26:23,600 --> 00:26:26,520 He says you just figure out where you're going and you go 554 00:26:26,520 --> 00:26:28,960 that way. And I found out that for the 555 00:26:28,960 --> 00:26:31,400 most part, that's pretty true. Actually, most of the time I pay 556 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:33,680 attention to GPS more than anything. 557 00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:37,320 But that's the idea is that is that you need to ask once you 558 00:26:37,320 --> 00:26:42,080 observe, you need to ask for the one that's good and right. 559 00:26:42,560 --> 00:26:45,720 There's a lot of spiritual shortcuts that are out there 560 00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:47,200 today. There's a lot of people who tell 561 00:26:47,200 --> 00:26:49,520 you that there are ways to get close to God without praying, 562 00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:53,760 without reading your Bible, without having a daily walk with 563 00:26:53,760 --> 00:26:55,640 God. They're snake oil salesman. 564 00:26:56,760 --> 00:26:59,360 You know what they are? Ear ticklers. 565 00:27:00,200 --> 00:27:02,960 There's a lot of people who say this holiness doesn't matter 566 00:27:02,960 --> 00:27:05,360 anymore. Live the way you want. 567 00:27:06,080 --> 00:27:09,360 God's grace is so sufficient that you can do whatever you 568 00:27:09,360 --> 00:27:12,240 want and it doesn't matter. We live in the New Testament 569 00:27:12,240 --> 00:27:15,160 era, Pastor, and anyone who talks about holiness and anyone 570 00:27:15,160 --> 00:27:17,280 talks about righteousness is nothing more than a. 571 00:27:17,280 --> 00:27:22,320 Pharisee. That's a different path that we 572 00:27:22,320 --> 00:27:26,360 don't need to be asking for. Pastor, I can do what I want, I 573 00:27:26,360 --> 00:27:28,560 can say what I want, I can drink what I want. 574 00:27:28,560 --> 00:27:30,200 I can put into my body what I want. 575 00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:31,840 I want. I can look at what I want. 576 00:27:31,960 --> 00:27:34,680 Do you know that I'm a Christian and that in fact that you would 577 00:27:34,680 --> 00:27:38,400 say that I that I have to follow some rules from the Old 578 00:27:38,400 --> 00:27:40,800 Testament? Don't you realize that New 579 00:27:40,800 --> 00:27:43,760 Testament is all about grace and my. 580 00:27:43,760 --> 00:27:45,680 Answer that would be with the New Testament is all about 581 00:27:45,680 --> 00:27:50,160 Jesus, just like the Old Testament is about Jesus and we 582 00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:52,640 are to honor Jesus and glorify him. 583 00:27:53,440 --> 00:27:58,320 That mankind's first and foremost responsibility is that 584 00:27:58,320 --> 00:28:03,280 whether we eat or drink or whatsoever we do give all to the 585 00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:07,000 glory to God. First Corinthians chapter #10 So 586 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:08,840 it's really not about what you think or what you want. 587 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:10,800 What do we need to do? Ask for the old paths. 588 00:28:11,280 --> 00:28:13,600 Now here, here's here's where it's important for us tonight. 589 00:28:14,680 --> 00:28:16,760 Independent Baptists are often called old fashioned. 590 00:28:17,800 --> 00:28:19,480 I don't know if you've been around Independent Baptist for a 591 00:28:19,480 --> 00:28:20,440 while. If you've been around Liberty 592 00:28:20,440 --> 00:28:22,040 Baptist Church, you have. But if you've been around other 593 00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:25,360 Independent Baptist churches, oftentimes we are called old 594 00:28:25,520 --> 00:28:27,560 fashioned. Why is that? 595 00:28:27,680 --> 00:28:30,880 A lot of times it's because of the standards of which we hold, 596 00:28:31,520 --> 00:28:34,600 the fact that we preach the righteousness of the Word of 597 00:28:34,600 --> 00:28:37,960 God, that these are not issues you're going to hear proclaimed 598 00:28:37,960 --> 00:28:41,440 at a lot of churches today. And because of that we are 599 00:28:41,440 --> 00:28:44,880 called old fashioned. But when it talks about that, we 600 00:28:44,880 --> 00:28:46,840 are to ask. For the old paths. 601 00:28:47,240 --> 00:28:50,800 It's not talking about being old fashioned just for the sake of 602 00:28:50,800 --> 00:28:54,360 being old fashioned. If that was the case, guys, we'd 603 00:28:54,360 --> 00:28:56,120 come here tonight with bell bottom suits. 604 00:28:57,160 --> 00:28:58,440 You know that's old fashioned, right? 605 00:28:58,600 --> 00:29:00,800 Yeah. We come here tonight. 606 00:29:01,280 --> 00:29:04,920 You know, we have some. What's old is new, right? 607 00:29:04,960 --> 00:29:05,800 Amen. It's coming back. 608 00:29:05,800 --> 00:29:07,160 No, I hope not. I don't want to wear that. 609 00:29:07,400 --> 00:29:10,240 But we could just have old fashioned thing, you know, shag 610 00:29:10,240 --> 00:29:13,160 carpet here on the ground. Yeah, I mean, think of. 611 00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:16,360 All the things we could do, wood paneling on the walls. 612 00:29:17,240 --> 00:29:19,920 These are the thing that's old fashioned is pastor is that we 613 00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:23,280 need, we got to be old fashioned in everything that we do. 614 00:29:24,160 --> 00:29:27,480 And the answer is that it's not. That we're looking to do 615 00:29:27,480 --> 00:29:31,880 something old fashioned for the sake of being old fashioned, but 616 00:29:31,880 --> 00:29:35,800 we're looking at that which is old, that which is timeless 617 00:29:36,200 --> 00:29:40,040 because we are not following the trends as to what we want to do 618 00:29:40,040 --> 00:29:43,440 for ourselves. But we ask ourselves, Lord, what 619 00:29:43,440 --> 00:29:45,120 would you have me to do in my life? 620 00:29:45,880 --> 00:29:47,640 And that's those old fashioned thing that you could do. 621 00:29:48,280 --> 00:29:52,960 The Old Paths isn't just being 50 years older than the latest 622 00:29:53,000 --> 00:29:56,640 religious movement. Being Old Paths says I'm going 623 00:29:56,640 --> 00:30:02,880 to follow that which works. And that works is the word of 624 00:30:02,880 --> 00:30:04,440 God. Here's what you need to do. 625 00:30:04,560 --> 00:30:07,120 Ask for it. Ask for it. 626 00:30:07,880 --> 00:30:10,040 You hear those commercials where they have this product and 627 00:30:10,040 --> 00:30:12,560 they'll say something like this. Ask for it by name. 628 00:30:13,560 --> 00:30:15,840 What are they saying? They're saying you go to your 629 00:30:15,840 --> 00:30:18,600 local grocery, you go to your local retailer, you ask for it 630 00:30:18,600 --> 00:30:22,200 because you are so sure that this is going to work in your 631 00:30:22,200 --> 00:30:23,880 life. Whatever the product is that you 632 00:30:23,880 --> 00:30:28,120 are demanding that the people at that store carry that product 633 00:30:28,120 --> 00:30:29,920 because you need it in your life. 634 00:30:30,280 --> 00:30:32,400 And nowadays we just order on Amazon and that's all that 635 00:30:32,400 --> 00:30:34,000 matters. Doesn't have to ask anybody for 636 00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:37,360 it. But when it comes the old paths, 637 00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:41,960 you need to be asking for it. When it comes to the issues of 638 00:30:41,960 --> 00:30:46,680 life, you'll be asking for God's way, not your own way. 639 00:30:46,880 --> 00:30:49,080 Could we put it this way to tie 2 messages together? 640 00:30:49,320 --> 00:30:53,240 We're asking for the way of the Good Shepherd that we observe. 641 00:30:53,400 --> 00:30:56,200 And we say, whichever way is the way the Lord wants me to go, 642 00:30:56,840 --> 00:31:00,960 this is what I will do. It might take a minute to be 643 00:31:00,960 --> 00:31:03,800 able to determine. It might be a while. 644 00:31:03,800 --> 00:31:07,160 As we saw in Leviticus here just a few moments ago, there's some 645 00:31:07,160 --> 00:31:08,920 things that aren't clear. In fact, a little bit later in 646 00:31:08,920 --> 00:31:12,320 Leviticus 14, it talks about that some of those scabs were 647 00:31:12,440 --> 00:31:17,360 greenish and reddish, meaning that it was hard to be able to 648 00:31:17,360 --> 00:31:21,840 determine at first what it was. But you take some time and 649 00:31:21,840 --> 00:31:25,360 observe, and in the end, you don't ask for the thing that's 650 00:31:25,360 --> 00:31:27,760 leprous. You ask for the thing that's 651 00:31:27,760 --> 00:31:30,160 clean. And that's what we were to do. 652 00:31:30,160 --> 00:31:34,120 We're to ask and we're to whether we're to stand and we're 653 00:31:34,120 --> 00:31:38,040 to ask #3 we are to ask for that old path. 654 00:31:38,040 --> 00:31:40,080 Where is the good way? And then what? 655 00:31:40,720 --> 00:31:46,280 Walk there in, walk there, in. It's one thing to know the right 656 00:31:46,280 --> 00:31:48,800 path. It's another thing to well. 657 00:31:49,280 --> 00:31:51,480 Do it. Did we talk? 658 00:31:51,480 --> 00:31:54,240 About this from First Corinthians 5 that we're to have 659 00:31:54,240 --> 00:31:57,560 both truth and sincerity, meaning this that you are to 660 00:31:57,560 --> 00:32:01,720 walk in that truth. What good is it if we go to an 661 00:32:01,720 --> 00:32:03,920 independent? Baptist Church or or a Bible 662 00:32:03,920 --> 00:32:07,000 preaching church, whatever it may be, where the Bible is 663 00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:12,560 boldly proclaimed. You receive it, and you walk out 664 00:32:12,560 --> 00:32:15,120 and live your own way. What good have we done? 665 00:32:15,840 --> 00:32:17,560 What purpose have we accomplished? 666 00:32:18,120 --> 00:32:21,280 You observe you. Ask and then you walk in it. 667 00:32:21,600 --> 00:32:23,160 You don't say, oh, that is the good way. 668 00:32:23,160 --> 00:32:24,280 But you know, I'd prefer this way. 669 00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:29,240 We laugh. How many people go to church and 670 00:32:29,240 --> 00:32:32,520 do this? Hey, man, Preacher. 671 00:32:32,720 --> 00:32:34,960 Keep going, preacher. You got a preacher. 672 00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:36,920 It's hot in here, Preacher. You'll get the last one I just 673 00:32:36,920 --> 00:32:39,880 added in, but yeah, it's just. Keep going, Preacher, keep 674 00:32:39,880 --> 00:32:40,720 going. Keep going. 675 00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:45,800 And they get home and say, well, never mind, I guess I'll keep 676 00:32:45,800 --> 00:32:48,680 doing this. I keep going my own way. 677 00:32:50,040 --> 00:32:51,880 Well, I know I need some direction in my life, but I'll 678 00:32:52,120 --> 00:32:56,480 figure it out. But over here, it's go, 679 00:32:56,480 --> 00:32:59,160 preacher, go. In fact, you might even get 680 00:32:59,160 --> 00:33:05,240 upset if a church deviates from the truth, which, by the way, 681 00:33:05,240 --> 00:33:09,040 you should. But then you're not upset at 682 00:33:09,040 --> 00:33:13,800 yourself if you deviate from the truth of which you expect to be 683 00:33:13,800 --> 00:33:19,400 preached at the church. It's crazy, but it's also. 684 00:33:20,080 --> 00:33:24,120 Our human flesh that we end up expecting more out of others 685 00:33:24,120 --> 00:33:27,480 than we do ourselves. So what do we need to do? 686 00:33:28,040 --> 00:33:30,680 Well, you observe. You stand there, you ask, for 687 00:33:30,680 --> 00:33:34,800 the old paths that you walk in that path as a church. 688 00:33:34,800 --> 00:33:37,040 I don't want to just be known as the church that stands for 689 00:33:37,040 --> 00:33:39,400 truth. I'll be the church that walks in 690 00:33:39,400 --> 00:33:42,200 that truth because there's people out there that need us to 691 00:33:42,200 --> 00:33:45,080 walk in that truth. There's people that that need 692 00:33:45,080 --> 00:33:48,280 help from addictions that need to us to walk in that truth. 693 00:33:48,280 --> 00:33:49,560 There's people that are in the prisons. 694 00:33:49,560 --> 00:33:51,200 That need us to walk in that truth. 695 00:33:51,200 --> 00:33:54,080 There's people in this community, $1,000,000 houses 696 00:33:54,160 --> 00:33:55,800 that need us to walk in this truth. 697 00:33:56,040 --> 00:33:58,200 There are people that we meet in the grocery store that used to 698 00:33:58,200 --> 00:34:00,120 walk in this truth. It's not enough to just have a 699 00:34:00,120 --> 00:34:03,440 badge on our chest that says I belong to Liberty Baptist 700 00:34:03,440 --> 00:34:05,120 Church. Here's a track, come see us 701 00:34:05,120 --> 00:34:09,000 sometime. Walk there in and live it. 702 00:34:09,960 --> 00:34:12,520 Don't just demand of me. And I'm not talking about 703 00:34:12,520 --> 00:34:14,480 anybody that said anything to me, but I'm just saying in 704 00:34:14,480 --> 00:34:17,560 general, the idea of demanding of the preacher, demanding of 705 00:34:17,560 --> 00:34:19,520 the church, well, you better stand for the truth. 706 00:34:19,560 --> 00:34:24,480 Well, you better stand for the truth and walk therein, because 707 00:34:24,480 --> 00:34:27,239 what you expect of me is right, and it's real. 708 00:34:27,840 --> 00:34:31,760 And woe on me if I get in your face about the word of God and I 709 00:34:31,760 --> 00:34:34,040 live like the devil the rest of the week. 710 00:34:35,679 --> 00:34:39,840 But the same should be said for everybody in the church that we 711 00:34:39,840 --> 00:34:43,639 ought to walk therein. So what do we do with a Good 712 00:34:43,639 --> 00:34:44,800 Shepherd? Well, it sounds just about 713 00:34:44,800 --> 00:34:47,000 standing and observing. We got to we got to get walking 714 00:34:47,600 --> 00:34:50,679 when it's time. It's one thing to academically 715 00:34:50,679 --> 00:34:53,199 know which way is right, but then you get to a place where 716 00:34:53,199 --> 00:34:56,199 you got to get to stepping. Romans 64 Therefore we are 717 00:34:56,199 --> 00:34:58,240 buried with him by baptism into death. 718 00:34:58,920 --> 00:35:01,760 That like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of 719 00:35:01,760 --> 00:35:04,960 the Father. Even so, also, we should walk in 720 00:35:04,960 --> 00:35:08,360 newness of life. That's why every time I baptize 721 00:35:08,360 --> 00:35:11,560 someone, we say we're buried in the likeness of His death, 722 00:35:12,400 --> 00:35:16,320 raised in the likeness of his resurrection, to walk in newness 723 00:35:16,320 --> 00:35:17,840 of life. Where does that phrase come 724 00:35:17,840 --> 00:35:20,480 from? I'm not reciting the Bible. 725 00:35:20,480 --> 00:35:22,760 The Bible doesn't tell us exactly what we need to say when 726 00:35:22,760 --> 00:35:24,600 we baptize. But I like saying that. 727 00:35:24,600 --> 00:35:26,280 Why? Because it's a reminder of what 728 00:35:26,280 --> 00:35:29,880 we're to do when we follow the Lord and believers baptism, we 729 00:35:29,880 --> 00:35:32,640 continue on and walk in that newness of life. 730 00:35:33,320 --> 00:35:37,120 Romans 81 now, therefore, is no condemnation to them which are 731 00:35:37,120 --> 00:35:39,440 in. Christ Jesus, who walk not after 732 00:35:39,440 --> 00:35:43,400 the flesh, but after the Spirit. Second Corinthians 57 We walk by 733 00:35:43,400 --> 00:35:46,920 faith and not by sight. Ephesians 210 We are his 734 00:35:46,920 --> 00:35:50,760 workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God 735 00:35:50,760 --> 00:35:53,160 had before ordained that we should. 736 00:35:53,160 --> 00:35:55,680 Walk in them. What is God predetermined for 737 00:35:55,680 --> 00:35:57,360 you to do in your life? No, no, I'm not talking about 738 00:35:57,360 --> 00:36:00,520 Calvinism or anything like that. What is God predetermined for 739 00:36:00,520 --> 00:36:03,640 you to do in your life? He's predetermined for you once 740 00:36:03,640 --> 00:36:05,600 you are. Saved to be conformed to the 741 00:36:05,600 --> 00:36:08,480 image of Christ. That is his determination for 742 00:36:08,480 --> 00:36:10,440 your life. He has saved you and then not 743 00:36:10,440 --> 00:36:14,920 just say well, enjoy and figure out what you'd like to do and 744 00:36:14,920 --> 00:36:16,960 make your life into whatever you want to be and I'll catch. 745 00:36:16,960 --> 00:36:19,760 Up with you in heaven? No, he's already predetermined 746 00:36:19,760 --> 00:36:22,600 his will for your life that says be conformed in the image of 747 00:36:22,600 --> 00:36:25,720 Christ. First Thessalonians 41 Further 748 00:36:25,720 --> 00:36:28,600 more than we beseech you, brethren, exhort you by the Lord 749 00:36:28,600 --> 00:36:32,480 Jesus, that as we have received of us how you ought to walk and 750 00:36:32,480 --> 00:36:35,280 please God, so you would have bound more and more. 751 00:36:35,280 --> 00:36:38,280 One of my favorite passages comes in 3rd John and then third 752 00:36:38,280 --> 00:36:40,640 John. He says I have no greater joy 753 00:36:40,640 --> 00:36:43,520 than my children walk in truth. He's not talking about his 754 00:36:43,520 --> 00:36:46,200 physical children, he's talking about those of whom he had 755 00:36:46,200 --> 00:36:48,720 invested in. He says I am not just happy that 756 00:36:48,720 --> 00:36:52,480 you know the truth, I'm glad when I watch you walk. 757 00:36:53,000 --> 00:36:56,160 In truth. And what good is it at hearing 758 00:36:56,160 --> 00:36:59,680 the Good Shepherd, if you refuse to walk in his ways, after you 759 00:36:59,680 --> 00:37:04,480 hear His voice, continue to walk in the way of the Good Shepherd. 760 00:37:05,160 --> 00:37:11,400 We stand, we ask, we walk, and then the blessed of all. 761 00:37:11,920 --> 00:37:14,160 Read again, verse 16. Thus say at the Lord, stand ye 762 00:37:14,160 --> 00:37:18,520 in the ways, and see and ask for the old paths, where is a good 763 00:37:18,520 --> 00:37:25,160 way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. 764 00:37:25,960 --> 00:37:30,640 When you actively listen to the direction of the Shepherd, you 765 00:37:30,800 --> 00:37:34,320 will have rest. You know what's interesting? 766 00:37:34,880 --> 00:37:36,480 What did the people say in response? 767 00:37:36,480 --> 00:37:39,680 There? They said we will not walk 768 00:37:40,080 --> 00:37:43,240 therein. They weren't hearing the message 769 00:37:43,240 --> 00:37:45,720 of Jeremiah, by the way, as I mentioned, that's a theme of 770 00:37:45,720 --> 00:37:49,800 Jeremiah. We will not walk therein. 771 00:37:50,840 --> 00:37:53,880 You know what they could have said, and I'm not trying to 772 00:37:53,880 --> 00:37:57,000 change the word of God, but actually accentuating what the 773 00:37:57,000 --> 00:37:59,600 word of God already says. They could have literally said 774 00:37:59,600 --> 00:38:04,160 this. We will not rest, because if 775 00:38:04,160 --> 00:38:06,920 they would not walk, then they will not. 776 00:38:07,360 --> 00:38:12,720 Rest because he says if you go in this right path, you'll have 777 00:38:12,720 --> 00:38:15,440 rest for your souls. They said we will not walk that 778 00:38:15,440 --> 00:38:18,280 way, So what could we also observe from that? 779 00:38:18,440 --> 00:38:20,320 If they're not going to walk that way, then they won't get 780 00:38:20,320 --> 00:38:22,960 the rest. That they were supposed to have. 781 00:38:25,160 --> 00:38:28,600 What has God called us to do? He's called us to be a people of 782 00:38:28,600 --> 00:38:30,680 activity. No doubt. 783 00:38:31,640 --> 00:38:36,040 That we're not to just sit on our blessed assurance until the 784 00:38:36,040 --> 00:38:40,400 day that Christ takes us home and never serve Him, never live 785 00:38:40,400 --> 00:38:43,440 for Him, never do the things that God's called us to do. 786 00:38:43,440 --> 00:38:45,680 No, no, this is not the plan He has for us. 787 00:38:45,880 --> 00:38:47,920 We're to be people of activity. We're supposed to tell people 788 00:38:47,920 --> 00:38:50,000 about Christ. We're supposed to serve. 789 00:38:50,160 --> 00:38:52,040 We're supposed to love. We're supposed to give. 790 00:38:52,200 --> 00:38:53,600 We're supposed to be active people. 791 00:38:53,960 --> 00:38:58,240 But we do those things from a place of rest. 792 00:38:58,240 --> 00:39:02,160 You see, those two don't go together. 793 00:39:02,720 --> 00:39:06,800 Well, the activity is in your body, The rest is in your soul. 794 00:39:07,960 --> 00:39:14,120 Why the rest is in here? Because you are going the way 795 00:39:14,280 --> 00:39:17,880 that God has called you to go. And here's the problem. 796 00:39:17,880 --> 00:39:20,240 There's a lot of churches. They're doing, they're doing, 797 00:39:20,240 --> 00:39:22,480 they're doing, they're doing, they're doing, they're doing, 798 00:39:22,480 --> 00:39:23,960 they're doing. They're doing so much. 799 00:39:24,240 --> 00:39:26,400 And everybody strung out and frazzled. 800 00:39:26,520 --> 00:39:30,480 They want to kill each other. I've seen it before in church. 801 00:39:31,640 --> 00:39:33,480 There's no rest. Why? 802 00:39:34,120 --> 00:39:37,400 Because they have been doing all this activity for God. 803 00:39:38,360 --> 00:39:41,600 But it may just be they haven't been living for God. 804 00:39:43,160 --> 00:39:47,640 Do you know I could I serve God as a pastor and not live a day 805 00:39:47,640 --> 00:39:50,920 for him? I think I just preached a 806 00:39:50,920 --> 00:39:53,120 message a couple weeks ago observing the fact that there's 807 00:39:53,120 --> 00:39:55,560 a pastor that lived about 12 years at least like that. 808 00:39:56,560 --> 00:39:58,480 It's very easy to happen. Why? 809 00:39:58,920 --> 00:40:06,720 Because I have to observe, I have to ask, I have to walk and 810 00:40:06,720 --> 00:40:11,040 only then I can have rest. My satisfaction comes from not 811 00:40:11,040 --> 00:40:15,960 how big or small this church is. My satisfaction comes not from 812 00:40:16,240 --> 00:40:20,520 how much offering we have or we don't have my My satisfaction 813 00:40:20,520 --> 00:40:23,680 does not come from how many people are saved or not on a 814 00:40:23,680 --> 00:40:26,640 weekly basis. My satisfaction must start from 815 00:40:26,640 --> 00:40:31,640 this place and this place only. I will walk in your way, Lord, 816 00:40:32,120 --> 00:40:38,720 and as I do, then I have rest. And wherever I am, I'll be OK 817 00:40:41,160 --> 00:40:44,880 Whatsoever state I am, Paul said I'll be content. 818 00:40:46,440 --> 00:40:49,120 By the way, it's not talking about states as in California or 819 00:40:49,120 --> 00:40:55,160 Washington or Florida, but it says, Paul says, I know how to 820 00:40:55,160 --> 00:40:59,000 be a base, I know how to abound. I've gained and I've lost. 821 00:41:00,360 --> 00:41:02,800 But he said this wherever I am, I can be content. 822 00:41:02,800 --> 00:41:06,480 As he wrote that in prison. How could he do that? 823 00:41:06,480 --> 00:41:07,960 Because he came from a place of rest. 824 00:41:09,720 --> 00:41:13,960 He was walking the old path. No, not because he's being old 825 00:41:13,960 --> 00:41:16,840 fashioned. Not because he was old fashioned 826 00:41:16,840 --> 00:41:18,000 independent Baptist. I'm. 827 00:41:19,400 --> 00:41:21,240 Glad I'm an independent Baptist. I'm not angry about being 828 00:41:21,240 --> 00:41:23,120 independent Baptist. I'm thankful to be an 829 00:41:23,120 --> 00:41:26,160 independent Baptist. But I don't even get my pride. 830 00:41:26,440 --> 00:41:29,200 Pride's not even the right word. I don't get my identity from 831 00:41:29,200 --> 00:41:33,640 being an independent Baptist. I get my identity from resting 832 00:41:34,200 --> 00:41:38,320 in Jesus Christ. So I don't know what you need 833 00:41:38,320 --> 00:41:39,840 help with tonight. I'm going to give. 834 00:41:40,760 --> 00:41:42,520 I can give a story. I could, I could give you a 835 00:41:42,520 --> 00:41:43,680 poem. I could do something like that. 836 00:41:43,680 --> 00:41:45,800 Or we could just get down to brass tacks here in just a few 837 00:41:45,800 --> 00:41:48,120 more moments that we have before everyone gets heat stroke. 838 00:41:50,800 --> 00:41:53,480 OK, it's not that warm, but my tie is a little bit a little 839 00:41:53,480 --> 00:41:56,600 tight. So here's here's what I know. 840 00:41:57,160 --> 00:42:00,760 You all have crossroads in your life. 841 00:42:01,560 --> 00:42:03,920 You have things that you're not sure. 842 00:42:04,560 --> 00:42:09,840 Should I do this or not? Now if it's in the word of God 843 00:42:09,840 --> 00:42:11,360 it says don't do it. Could I help? 844 00:42:11,360 --> 00:42:15,280 You don't do it. If it's in the Bible, it says do 845 00:42:15,280 --> 00:42:17,960 it, do it. I've talked about this before. 846 00:42:17,960 --> 00:42:19,080 You don't need to pray about that. 847 00:42:19,120 --> 00:42:20,160 God's already revealed it to you. 848 00:42:20,880 --> 00:42:22,480 Don't waste time on, don't procrastinate. 849 00:42:23,240 --> 00:42:25,840 But there are some things, as I mentioned and infinitely more 850 00:42:25,840 --> 00:42:27,720 that we come across that we just don't know. 851 00:42:27,920 --> 00:42:30,760 Is this something I should get involved in or not? 852 00:42:31,320 --> 00:42:34,080 Is this something our church should be involved in or not? 853 00:42:34,360 --> 00:42:37,160 And the world will tell you, everybody's doing it. 854 00:42:37,560 --> 00:42:39,360 You got to do it. You're not doing it. 855 00:42:39,360 --> 00:42:41,680 You're not involved. What's the matter with you? 856 00:42:42,320 --> 00:42:46,160 There's so many of those things. Well, just instead of jumping in 857 00:42:46,160 --> 00:42:53,120 headlong, take a beat, observe, put it up to the side a little 858 00:42:53,120 --> 00:42:58,920 bit, see where it's going, see what direction it takes. 859 00:42:59,960 --> 00:43:03,040 The Lord will show you whether it's old paths or not. 860 00:43:03,760 --> 00:43:05,880 And then whether you figure out if it's an old path or a new 861 00:43:05,880 --> 00:43:09,480 path, ask for the old path and walk therein. 862 00:43:10,200 --> 00:43:13,720 And then you'll have rest. So when it comes these issues of 863 00:43:13,720 --> 00:43:16,920 sinfulness, don't ask me for a list of the things you should or 864 00:43:16,920 --> 00:43:18,240 shouldn't do. Don't ask me for a list of the 865 00:43:18,240 --> 00:43:19,720 TV shows you should watch or shouldn't watch. 866 00:43:19,840 --> 00:43:21,960 Don't ask me for a list of websites you should go on or not 867 00:43:21,960 --> 00:43:26,320 go on. Find the mind of the Lord now I, 868 00:43:26,320 --> 00:43:29,080 I help, I help counsel you If you have questions, don't don't 869 00:43:29,080 --> 00:43:32,320 get me wrong, I'll be glad to help counsel you, but you know 870 00:43:32,320 --> 00:43:36,840 where I'm going to take you back here and that's where the 871 00:43:36,840 --> 00:43:39,720 answers are. That's right. 872 00:43:39,720 --> 00:43:41,560 Some of you others have decisions you need to make. 873 00:43:42,120 --> 00:43:44,320 You don't know what the way direction God's calling you in 874 00:43:44,320 --> 00:43:46,240 your life or what God is doing in your life. 875 00:43:46,960 --> 00:43:48,800 And I'm not speaking to anyone specifically. 876 00:43:48,800 --> 00:43:53,120 I just know that in any group where there's five people, this 877 00:43:53,120 --> 00:43:55,480 would be the case, let alone who we have here tonight. 878 00:43:56,600 --> 00:43:58,440 We all have decisions that are big and small. 879 00:43:58,440 --> 00:44:01,120 Some we think are big turn out to be small. 880 00:44:01,120 --> 00:44:02,840 Some we think are small turn out to be big. 881 00:44:04,400 --> 00:44:07,760 Here's what I know. When you want to hear the voice 882 00:44:07,800 --> 00:44:11,480 of the Good Shepherd, here's what you have to do. 883 00:44:12,400 --> 00:44:20,920 Observe, stand, look around, ask for that which is old and right. 884 00:44:21,920 --> 00:44:26,480 Walk there in and then once you do, you will find rest. 885 00:44:27,760 --> 00:44:29,880 I have a friend of mine that I've mentioned before, his name 886 00:44:29,880 --> 00:44:33,080 is Kevin Guchow. He came to immigrated from 887 00:44:33,080 --> 00:44:34,720 Kenya. Their family won an immigration 888 00:44:34,720 --> 00:44:38,760 lottery back and I believe around 1998 they came to the 889 00:44:38,760 --> 00:44:41,720 United States. Hadn't become a citizen yet and 890 00:44:41,720 --> 00:44:44,640 after 911 he thought it was important to join the United 891 00:44:44,640 --> 00:44:46,440 States Marines. He got a citizenship in the 892 00:44:46,440 --> 00:44:52,040 Marine serving about 2004, got the call they was going to Iraq, 893 00:44:52,960 --> 00:44:57,080 came back home, had the opportunity to go to Iraq a 894 00:44:57,080 --> 00:45:00,400 second time. He volunteered to go the second 895 00:45:00,400 --> 00:45:03,360 time. And what's amazing about that 896 00:45:03,360 --> 00:45:06,440 was his father told him son. These are all. 897 00:45:06,440 --> 00:45:10,840 Good Christian people, son, I don't want you to go. 898 00:45:11,960 --> 00:45:14,360 I don't want you to go. It's too dangerous. 899 00:45:15,040 --> 00:45:20,520 And he said this, Dad, I'm just as safe over there in the hands 900 00:45:20,520 --> 00:45:24,080 of God as I am here. In fact, if that's where God 901 00:45:24,080 --> 00:45:28,320 wants me to go, I am safer there than I am in the streets of the 902 00:45:28,320 --> 00:45:31,920 United States of America. So he was a pastor. 903 00:45:31,920 --> 00:45:34,080 He came back home safe and sound. 904 00:45:36,320 --> 00:45:39,600 And believe it or not, he died in 2005. 905 00:45:40,600 --> 00:45:43,440 His amphibious assault vehicle went over an IED outside of 906 00:45:43,440 --> 00:45:47,080 Haditha. And he and I believe 16 other 907 00:45:47,080 --> 00:45:49,600 servicemen all perished immediately. 908 00:45:50,880 --> 00:45:53,720 You say, I got the clippings in my office to be able to show you 909 00:45:54,520 --> 00:45:56,240 one of my best friends in high school. 910 00:45:57,080 --> 00:46:00,120 You say, pastor, you just absolutely contradicted 911 00:46:00,120 --> 00:46:02,680 everything that you were about to say. 912 00:46:02,680 --> 00:46:08,760 And the answer is that God in his sovereignty and purpose had 913 00:46:08,760 --> 00:46:13,440 him, for whatever reason, in the exact place and time he needed 914 00:46:13,440 --> 00:46:15,840 to be. And Kevin was at peace with that 915 00:46:15,840 --> 00:46:18,560 decision. And even though it pained those 916 00:46:18,560 --> 00:46:23,080 who were left behind, there was a understanding that he did 917 00:46:23,080 --> 00:46:26,720 exactly what God called him to do, You know, at his funeral. 918 00:46:27,680 --> 00:46:29,640 It was still very early in the Iraq war. 919 00:46:29,640 --> 00:46:32,520 Not many had died. And so the media was all over 920 00:46:32,520 --> 00:46:34,440 the place. In fact, there was talks of 921 00:46:34,440 --> 00:46:37,200 protests that were supposed to show up that day protesting 922 00:46:37,680 --> 00:46:40,600 against a dead servicemen, which I thought was absolutely 923 00:46:40,680 --> 00:46:44,800 disgusting. Thankfully they didn't show up 924 00:46:44,800 --> 00:46:46,960 and went back under the rock of whence they came from. 925 00:46:48,920 --> 00:46:53,440 But you know, from that service there were, I don't know how 926 00:46:53,440 --> 00:46:56,640 many, but there were several people who trusted Jesus Christ 927 00:46:56,640 --> 00:46:59,760 as their Savior. I'm not saying that's why He 928 00:46:59,760 --> 00:47:02,680 passed away. I'm not God, nor will I try to 929 00:47:02,680 --> 00:47:04,360 pretend that I know the mind of God. 930 00:47:04,960 --> 00:47:08,880 But I do know this, that He followed the Lord and there are 931 00:47:08,880 --> 00:47:13,120 several who He will meet in eternity because he went and did 932 00:47:13,120 --> 00:47:15,120 exactly what God called him to do. 933 00:47:16,960 --> 00:47:19,440 Following God's will doesn't make sense all the time. 934 00:47:20,080 --> 00:47:22,440 It doesn't always track with what we think. 935 00:47:24,000 --> 00:47:28,680 But God's ways are not our ways and you have to know His mind. 936 00:47:29,120 --> 00:47:35,280 Stand, ask, walk and only then will you have rest. 937 00:47:36,080 --> 00:47:38,600 Thank you for listening to the sermon from the pulpit of 938 00:47:38,600 --> 00:47:41,520 Liberty Baptist Church. If this message was a blessing 939 00:47:41,520 --> 00:47:45,000 to you, or if there's any way we can serve you, please let us 940 00:47:45,000 --> 00:47:49,600 know by contacting us at info@mylibertybaptist.org. 941 00:47:49,880 --> 00:47:54,400 Or you can visit us this Sunday at 800 Washington St. in Easton, 942 00:47:54,400 --> 00:47:57,240 MA. May the Lord bless you as you 943 00:47:57,240 --> 00:47:58,440 grow in His Word.