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 --> 00:00:22,040 message from God's Word will be a blessing to you. 7 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:26,800 I've mentioned you before that I was a Christian School teacher 8 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:29,280 for seven years. It was not a job that I was 9 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:32,479 looking for in any stretch whatsoever. 10 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:37,600 I was told about a week before I the first school year that I was 11 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:40,520 at Westgate, the principal called me to his office. 12 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:43,600 He said, hey, I just want you to know you'll be teaching a Bible 13 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:46,480 for 8th graders. And I think he gave me one other 14 00:00:46,480 --> 00:00:48,600 class as well by particular member, the 8th grade class, 15 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:52,320 because there were 36 eighth graders in that class and I had 16 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:55,440 no teaching degree. I had no teaching classes. 17 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:57,320 I had nothing like that whatsoever. 18 00:00:57,320 --> 00:01:01,120 It already had a pretty busy plate as it was being there as 19 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:04,440 an intern at the church for the two years that I thought we were 20 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:06,600 going to be there. That turned into being seven 21 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:08,520 years. And so I was excited in some 22 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:10,840 ways to be able to teach Bible, all those eager young people. 23 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:13,400 After all, it's a Christian School and they all love Jesus 24 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:16,440 and they all want to do right. And I've been into the same 25 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:18,440 Christian School before. So I knew that wasn't the case 26 00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:21,000 because I was one of those students a few years before. 27 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:24,200 But I'll tell you, it ate my lunch in so many different ways. 28 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:27,240 It was, it was difficult. Those students, they could smell 29 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:28,520 fear. They knew that I didn't know 30 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:30,920 what I was doing. And it got bad really, really 31 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:32,120 quick. But I'll tell you one of the 32 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:35,640 things that really took up so much time as a teacher. 33 00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:38,240 And I added more classes as years went on to just teach 34 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:39,880 Bible. I end up teaching English as 35 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:42,600 well, 7th grade math. Which I still feel like some of 36 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:45,280 the parents should have gotten their tuition money back, a 37 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:48,280 refund off of me teaching their kids math all things considered. 38 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:52,080 But one of the things that took up more time, way more time than 39 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:54,360 I thought it would, would be grading papers. 40 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:58,080 Correcting papers, if you will. Every week in Bible we had a 41 00:01:58,080 --> 00:01:59,600 memory verse. And so we had to be able to 42 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:01,560 correct the memory verse, what 36 students? 43 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:04,120 And I had to correct 36 verses and all that. 44 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:06,800 So I did what many other teachers did is I had the 45 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:08,400 students correct their own papers. 46 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:10,440 You say, well, wouldn't they cheat? 47 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:13,240 Well, you had to find ways to make sure that you watch over 48 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:15,160 what they're doing to make sure that they're doing right. 49 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:18,480 But after the quiz was done, you'd say pass the paper to your 50 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:21,600 left or pass the paper to your right or pass the paper, the 51 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:24,160 person behind you. And then they would correct the 52 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:27,280 paper. And this is what we would tell 53 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:29,280 people to do is what I tell students to do. 54 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:32,200 But, you know, I came to find out through some Bible study, 55 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:35,560 oddly enough. But the idea of what I was doing 56 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:37,800 was not actually correcting the papers. 57 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:39,760 I was really reproving the papers. 58 00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:42,560 Say, pastor, what are you talking about? 59 00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:46,280 Well, the idea of correcting the paper would mean that if I had 60 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:48,240 the paper in front of me, let's say I was the one that was 61 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:51,480 correcting it, that I wasn't just putting an X next to it, 62 00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:54,520 but I was also crossing out what they've done wrong and put the 63 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:56,440 right answer in its place. I don't have the time to be able 64 00:02:56,440 --> 00:02:58,040 to do that. I just told them what was wrong 65 00:02:58,040 --> 00:02:59,800 and they had to figure out what was right on their own. 66 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:03,080 You know, a lot of times when it comes to the issue of the word 67 00:03:03,080 --> 00:03:06,560 of God, we often think about being told we're doing wrong, 68 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:08,000 right? I mean, that feels like, what, 69 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:10,480 half of what it is being independent Baptist, right? 70 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:12,280 The pastor gets up in the pulp and tells you all the things 71 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:16,000 you're doing wrong, right? And there is an element to that. 72 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:19,960 However, there's more to the Christian life than just being 73 00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:22,240 reproved, than being just told you're wrong. 74 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:24,240 In fact, I have found that there's a decent amount of 75 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:26,360 people, particularly they're used to being in an independent 76 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:29,200 Baptist Church, that have no problem being told that they're 77 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:30,400 sinners. Because guess what? 78 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:33,440 Most of us understand we're sinners, but it really comes 79 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:37,000 down to the issue of people not really wanting to make the 80 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:39,960 correction that's needed, not understanding the difference 81 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:43,120 between reproof and correction. A lot of people don't mind being 82 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:46,160 told they're wrong as long as they don't have to do what it 83 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:49,800 takes to get it right. And you know, it's one thing to 84 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:52,320 be told you're wrong and to agree, but it's not something 85 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:56,160 completely different to be able to say, you know what, I need to 86 00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:58,240 get right with the Lord. I need to do right. 87 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:01,360 I need to be corrected. And Bible preaching, Bible 88 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:03,920 teaching, Bible study isn't just about reproof. 89 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:06,760 Here's where you're wrong. But it's also correction, being 90 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:09,680 told how to get right and be right in the things of God. 91 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:12,400 All right, we're in Second Timothy chapter #3 and we're 92 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:16,160 going to go ahead and read beginning in verse #13 it says, 93 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:20,240 but evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving 94 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:22,680 and being deceived. That was true 2000 years ago. 95 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:25,600 How true is it today? How true is it today? 96 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:29,200 How bad things are in the world, and how evil men and seducers 97 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:32,160 are waxing. They are growing worse and 98 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:35,080 worse. But continue thou, despite what 99 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:39,040 Paul just said. Continue thou in the things 100 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:42,080 which thou has learned, and which thou has been assured of 101 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:45,760 knowing of whom thou has learned them, and it from a child. 102 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:48,200 Thou has known the Holy Scriptures which are able to 103 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:51,560 make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ 104 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:54,320 Jesus. All scripture is given by 105 00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:57,920 inspiration of God, and it's profitable for doctrine, for 106 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:01,880 reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 107 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:04,800 that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished 108 00:05:04,840 --> 00:05:07,000 unto all good works. I realized didn't have you all 109 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:08,320 stand up tonight, but that's okay. 110 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:11,520 We still give reference to the Word of God tonight nonetheless. 111 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:15,640 But I really want us to look at those 4 words that are found in 112 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:19,640 verse #16 particularly the one correction, but doctrine, 113 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:22,520 reproof, correction, instruction, and righteousness. 114 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:25,560 Those 4 terms, if you will. But particularly I want us to 115 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:29,440 look at the issue of needing to grow in correction. 116 00:05:29,440 --> 00:05:30,520 So why don't we go ahead and pray? 117 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:32,840 We'll ask the Lord to bless the message this evening. 118 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:36,200 Heavenly Father, do thank you for this night, and I thank you 119 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:38,760 for your word. I do pray to just help us as we 120 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:41,080 look at this issue tonight, to be people who are willing to be 121 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:43,400 corrected. Lord, we need to know what's 122 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:45,160 right. We need to know what's wrong. 123 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:47,040 We need to know how to get right. 124 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:49,240 We need to stay right. Lord, these are parts of the 125 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:51,320 Christian life. When it comes to this issue of 126 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:53,520 correction, I think sometimes we've got it all backwards. 127 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:56,440 So we've got it wrong as being told what's wrong is not 128 00:05:56,440 --> 00:05:58,600 correction. There's so much more and I pray 129 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:00,800 to help us to learn that this evening and be willing to 130 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:04,440 receive it within our own lives. Thank you again for your word. 131 00:06:04,440 --> 00:06:07,040 And we ask this all in Jesus name, Amen. 132 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:11,000 As we saw verse #13 the Bible tells us that the world is 133 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:14,080 getting worse and it's getting worser and worser today. 134 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:16,720 There's no doubt about that. And So what is the remedy for 135 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:18,560 that? What are we supposed to do in 136 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:20,760 the face of an ever wicked world? 137 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:24,840 Well it says in verse #14 you need to continue despite 138 00:06:24,840 --> 00:06:27,760 everything telling you to stop, despite everything telling you 139 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:30,960 to not go to church, despite everything telling you to not 140 00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:33,880 read your Bible, to fight everything that says don't stand 141 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:35,240 for the Lord. It says this. 142 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:38,640 But remember, we saw this morning that conjunction BUT 143 00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:40,720 meaning that there was something going this way. 144 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:42,920 But now we're going this direction. 145 00:06:43,080 --> 00:06:45,680 The world is getting evil. But guess what? 146 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:48,000 You continue. Continue in what? 147 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:52,480 Well, it says to continue in the things which thou has learned 148 00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:55,800 and which thou has been assured of knowing of whom thou has 149 00:06:55,800 --> 00:06:57,440 learned them. Well, who was the one that had 150 00:06:57,440 --> 00:06:59,840 taught them the things that were good and the things that were 151 00:06:59,840 --> 00:07:01,120 right? Well, that was none other than 152 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:03,320 Paul. Paul had taught Timothy the 153 00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:06,520 things that were good and right. That Paul had been a mentor. 154 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:09,240 Paul had been a father in the faith, if you will. 155 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:11,520 Now he had a mother and a grandmother. 156 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:13,560 Lois and Eunice. You find them at the beginning 157 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:15,760 of the book who had taught him up in the Scriptures. 158 00:07:15,760 --> 00:07:18,040 In fact, they're really referenced here when it says 159 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:20,280 from a child thou has known the Holy Scriptures. 160 00:07:20,480 --> 00:07:23,360 Paul was just building upon the biblical foundation of which 161 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:26,720 Timothy's mother and grandmother had already built, but 162 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:29,200 nonetheless he had taught them good doctrine. 163 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:33,040 He says this in the face of the world where everything is going 164 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:35,360 haywire. Listen, continue in the things 165 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:37,480 you've been taught. And if that's true, then it's 166 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:40,960 true today as everything seems like it's spinning office access 167 00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:43,960 out in the world today. There's more of a need for us to 168 00:07:43,960 --> 00:07:46,440 continue in the things that are good and right. 169 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:49,000 There's more of a need for us to go to church than there was 170 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:50,840 before. There's more of a need for us to 171 00:07:50,840 --> 00:07:53,000 live holy lives. There's more of a need for us to 172 00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:55,880 reach our family members, our loved ones for Christ. 173 00:07:55,960 --> 00:07:58,600 It's more important than it was last year and it's more 174 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:00,920 important than it was the year before and it's going to be more 175 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:03,440 important every year until Jesus Christ comes back. 176 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:06,360 Don't let up. Continue in the things that 177 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:09,560 you've been taught and it's it says from a child thou has known 178 00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:12,400 as I just mentioned, the Holy Scriptures which are able to 179 00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:14,680 make the wise unto salvation. Listen. 180 00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:17,560 Where would we be it comes to salvation without the 181 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:20,680 Scriptures. Brother Monday mentioned this 182 00:08:20,680 --> 00:08:23,640 this morning as he was reading for the worship and then 183 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:26,080 praying. How do we learn of salvation 184 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:28,040 without the Scriptures that we understand? 185 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:30,480 It's the Scriptures that make us wise to salvation. 186 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:32,240 How shall they hear without a preacher? 187 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:35,440 Romans chapter #10 that we need to give the scriptures to the 188 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:37,559 people who around us. Why do we have tracks? 189 00:08:37,559 --> 00:08:41,159 Well, what's on the tracks? Is it just a personal message 190 00:08:41,159 --> 00:08:43,799 from the pastor? It was just a hey, howdy, I'm 191 00:08:43,799 --> 00:08:45,480 Pastor Rivera. Why don't you come over to the 192 00:08:45,480 --> 00:08:48,320 church and we'll, you know, gather around and sing kumbaya. 193 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:50,720 Well, our tracks don't say that. You know what? 194 00:08:50,720 --> 00:08:54,080 Our tracks have a lot of scripture because we want people 195 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:57,000 to be confronted with the fact that they're sinners and that 196 00:08:57,000 --> 00:09:01,000 they need a savior and that Jesus Christ is the only way to 197 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:03,800 salvation. And the Word of God is given in 198 00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:06,400 printed form to be able to hand out to different places. 199 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:09,720 Why do we have a Facebook page? Why do we have videos that we 200 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:11,320 put out? Why do we do those things? 201 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:13,520 It's so we can sell, promote, and be the biggest church in 202 00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:15,560 Easton or the biggest church in Massachusetts. 203 00:09:15,560 --> 00:09:19,560 No, it's because we want as many people as possible and as many 204 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:22,520 avenues as possible to hear the word of God. 205 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:25,880 That's why it's podcast form and it's on YouTube and it's on 206 00:09:25,880 --> 00:09:28,600 Facebook and it's on Instagram. If I could ever figure out Tick 207 00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:30,560 Tock, we would do Tick Tock too. Why? 208 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:33,580 Because I want to be like a, you know, a 16 year old girl on 209 00:09:33,580 --> 00:09:35,800 TikTok. No, well, because that's where 210 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:37,720 people are. And because they need to hear 211 00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:39,560 the gospel there too. They need to hear truth. 212 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:42,960 Because wherever we can find people in a place where it's 213 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:46,640 ethical for us to be at and good for us to be at, well, we need 214 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:48,440 to be giving them the Word of God. 215 00:09:48,440 --> 00:09:51,880 And so it says it's able to make the wise and the salvation 216 00:09:52,160 --> 00:09:54,040 through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. 217 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:57,920 And then we get to verses #16 and 17, which are some primary 218 00:09:57,920 --> 00:10:01,000 verses that teach us about the authority of Scripture. 219 00:10:01,640 --> 00:10:05,520 Remember, we believe that the Word of God is our authority in 220 00:10:05,520 --> 00:10:07,720 faith and practice. It is the authority. 221 00:10:07,960 --> 00:10:10,600 I don't even often say it's the final authority because it makes 222 00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:12,640 it sound like there are other authorities. 223 00:10:12,640 --> 00:10:15,000 No, it is the authority of our life. 224 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:18,360 It is our authority of faith and practice, the Word of God. 225 00:10:18,360 --> 00:10:21,520 I was talking to that a couple today and I was able to talk 226 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:24,160 about some of the differences between being a Baptist and 227 00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:26,480 being a Catholic. And I said one of the wonderful 228 00:10:26,480 --> 00:10:29,080 differences about being a Baptist is that we look at the 229 00:10:29,080 --> 00:10:31,320 Word of God. We believe the Word of God from 230 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:33,480 covered to cover. You don't have to wonder who 231 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:36,840 says what else that could be in line with the Bible. 232 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:40,080 The priest said this, or the father said this, or the Pope 233 00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:44,000 said this or the Church father said this or the encyclicals 234 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:47,720 that came from these different types of organizations and the 235 00:10:47,720 --> 00:10:50,840 Catholic Church said this. No, no, we know that it's just 236 00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:52,920 the Scriptures and the scriptures alone. 237 00:10:52,920 --> 00:10:54,800 We don't seek any other doctrine. 238 00:10:54,800 --> 00:10:57,920 We seek no other way. That when I speak, I am not 239 00:10:57,920 --> 00:11:00,760 speaking Scripture myself. You say, pastor, why would you 240 00:11:00,760 --> 00:11:03,360 say something that there are groups that think that people 241 00:11:03,360 --> 00:11:06,400 will just have revelations in and of themselves that are on 242 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:08,920 par with the Scripture. Listen, don't just walk away 243 00:11:08,920 --> 00:11:10,880 from those people, run away from those people. 244 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:14,840 Listen, it's the Word of God and the Word of God alone that will 245 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:18,760 have the authority in your life. And it says all Scripture is 246 00:11:18,760 --> 00:11:21,160 given by inspiration of God being this. 247 00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:23,840 Paul was writing it, but he wasn't really writing it. 248 00:11:24,640 --> 00:11:27,280 Paul was the penman. We would say Paul was the one 249 00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:29,760 who was holding the pen. Paul was the one who was 250 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:32,840 writing, but at the same time he was writing what the Holy Spirit 251 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:35,640 wanted him to write. So when we read what he says in 252 00:11:35,640 --> 00:11:38,800 Second Timothy chapter #3 or whether we're in Zephaniah 253 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:43,240 chapter #1 Zechariah, whatever it may be, some of those books 254 00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:45,560 where it kind of gets a little bit difficult, here's what we 255 00:11:45,560 --> 00:11:47,240 know. It's still God's Word. 256 00:11:47,640 --> 00:11:51,040 It all belongs to Him. All Scripture is given by 257 00:11:51,040 --> 00:11:53,120 inspiration of God and is profitable. 258 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:55,720 We could just stop right there. All Scripture is profitable. 259 00:11:56,040 --> 00:11:57,800 You get to those places, the Bible, where it seems a little 260 00:11:57,800 --> 00:11:59,680 dry. Say, where is that pastor? 261 00:11:59,680 --> 00:12:04,280 Come on, don't try that with me. There's a reason we tell new 262 00:12:04,280 --> 00:12:07,080 believers not to just start in Genesis and go right through, 263 00:12:07,680 --> 00:12:10,360 because they get to Genesis and Exodus and they're doing all 264 00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:13,720 right until about Exodus chapter #20 they get to, you know, the 265 00:12:13,720 --> 00:12:16,560 10 commandments and all of a sudden there's instructions for 266 00:12:16,560 --> 00:12:19,400 the Tabernacle. And all of a sudden, you know, 267 00:12:19,400 --> 00:12:21,720 you get to Leviticus. And now what do you have? 268 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:25,600 You have all the different offerings and numbers, numbers, 269 00:12:26,520 --> 00:12:30,440 census after census, and this is how many they had 12 wagons and 270 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:32,640 these different groups and all these different things. 271 00:12:32,840 --> 00:12:34,600 No, I'm not knocking. I'm just saying for a new 272 00:12:34,600 --> 00:12:36,640 believer, they're looking at that going, I don't know what 273 00:12:36,640 --> 00:12:38,640 this is. And sometimes we've known the 274 00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:40,400 Lord for a while still. It can be a little bit 275 00:12:40,480 --> 00:12:44,800 intimidating for us to look at. But I will tell you this all is 276 00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:46,880 profitable. And you know, what I love is 277 00:12:46,880 --> 00:12:50,120 that the older we get in the Lord, the longer we know Him, 278 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:52,760 the more layers of the word that get uncovered. 279 00:12:53,080 --> 00:12:55,160 And you go to some of those places and maybe you read a 280 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:57,880 genealogy and all of a sudden you've been reading the Bible 281 00:12:57,880 --> 00:13:00,400 through for 5/10/15 years, who knows how long. 282 00:13:00,640 --> 00:13:03,680 And also, there's a word, a name in that genealogy that pops out 283 00:13:04,240 --> 00:13:07,160 because you read about it a year ago somewhere else and you start 284 00:13:07,160 --> 00:13:08,680 to make connections. Man, that's exciting. 285 00:13:08,800 --> 00:13:11,400 What I'm saying is all of it is profitable. 286 00:13:11,680 --> 00:13:13,800 There's not one part that is not profitable. 287 00:13:13,800 --> 00:13:16,080 Now, again, if there's a new believer, I tell them, start in 288 00:13:16,080 --> 00:13:19,680 the book of John, I'll tell them that to read a proverb a day. 289 00:13:19,680 --> 00:13:21,920 Those are the kind of things that we often counsel a new 290 00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:24,440 believer to do. So they kind of get a soft 291 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:26,480 landing, if you will, going into the Word of God. 292 00:13:26,480 --> 00:13:29,360 But the same time it's all profitable and it's profitable 293 00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:32,120 in those four different ways. We just read them a few moments 294 00:13:32,120 --> 00:13:36,600 ago for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for 295 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:40,360 instruction in righteousness, those four different ways. 296 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:43,320 And it says if you have these four different ways, skipping 297 00:13:43,320 --> 00:13:47,480 ahead of verse 17 that the man of God may be perfect thoroughly 298 00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:50,520 furnished into all good works, meaning this perfect complete 299 00:13:50,760 --> 00:13:53,520 that if you have these four elements from the Word of God 300 00:13:53,800 --> 00:13:56,560 cooperating in your life. What does that mean You will be 301 00:13:56,560 --> 00:13:58,880 complete. You'll be thoroughly furnished 302 00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:00,840 unto all good works. Listen, you'll have everything 303 00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:02,640 you need. Nothing will be missing. 304 00:14:03,240 --> 00:14:04,840 As we talked about in Sunday school this morning, those 305 00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:08,480 missing pieces in a puzzle that how frustrating that could be. 306 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:10,360 You got to the end. There's three or four or five 307 00:14:10,360 --> 00:14:12,640 missing pieces. Listen, all the pieces of 308 00:14:12,640 --> 00:14:15,680 instruction you need in your life are here in the word of 309 00:14:15,680 --> 00:14:19,960 God, that everything is here in precept or in principle that God 310 00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:24,040 can lead you and guide you and help you and do all, all of the 311 00:14:24,040 --> 00:14:26,240 things that are mentioned here through the word of God. 312 00:14:27,320 --> 00:14:29,080 What are those four things? Doctrine. 313 00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:31,560 That's what's right. You know what amazes me? 314 00:14:31,560 --> 00:14:33,040 There's churches today, they don't want to talk about 315 00:14:33,040 --> 00:14:35,120 doctrine anymore. Had a lady come up to me years 316 00:14:35,120 --> 00:14:37,520 ago, she goes, yeah, this church has has too much doctrine. 317 00:14:38,680 --> 00:14:40,680 And I said, well, the word doctrine just means teachings. 318 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:44,080 And so you can't, you don't have much teachings and you don't 319 00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:46,960 have much of A church. And there are a lot of churches. 320 00:14:46,960 --> 00:14:49,120 I would encourage you if you're looking at different churches, 321 00:14:49,120 --> 00:14:52,320 go on their church websites and look at their doctrines before 322 00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:53,960 we visit church, look at the church doctrine. 323 00:14:54,560 --> 00:14:57,040 Some of you that are here tonight, before you ever came to 324 00:14:57,040 --> 00:14:59,000 Liberty Baptist Church, you checked out our statement of 325 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:00,560 faith online. You want to know what our 326 00:15:00,560 --> 00:15:02,360 doctrine was? I appreciate that sometimes 327 00:15:02,360 --> 00:15:03,720 people have questions about our doctrine. 328 00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:05,240 I'm glad to be able to answer that. 329 00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:08,080 But doctrine is important. It teaches us what's right. 330 00:15:08,280 --> 00:15:11,080 And a lot of churches today, you look at their statement of 331 00:15:11,080 --> 00:15:15,000 faith, it says this, love Jesus, love the Bible, love other 332 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:18,520 people and that's it. It's so small you can fit it on 333 00:15:18,520 --> 00:15:20,920 a post it note. Why do they do that? 334 00:15:20,960 --> 00:15:24,200 Well, they're trying to appeal to the broadest amount of people 335 00:15:24,680 --> 00:15:27,600 by saying as little as possible because the more they say, 336 00:15:27,600 --> 00:15:30,240 they're afraid they will be maybe divisive enough that a 337 00:15:30,240 --> 00:15:32,080 large amount of people won't come to their church. 338 00:15:32,680 --> 00:15:35,680 Can I tell you that may work in the short term, but it doesn't 339 00:15:35,680 --> 00:15:39,160 work in the long term because you have Christians who end up 340 00:15:39,160 --> 00:15:42,600 attending those types of churches that are a mile wide 341 00:15:42,600 --> 00:15:44,920 and an inch deep. There's no depth there. 342 00:15:45,200 --> 00:15:46,560 Why? Because without doctrine, you 343 00:15:46,560 --> 00:15:50,640 can't have depth. Doctrine brings depth, being 344 00:15:50,640 --> 00:15:51,800 able to understand the word of God. 345 00:15:51,800 --> 00:15:55,280 Now listen, I wish I could give you a Bible college course every 346 00:15:55,280 --> 00:15:58,120 single time I come up to the pulpit here at Liberty Baptist 347 00:15:58,120 --> 00:15:59,560 Church. You probably don't wish that, 348 00:15:59,560 --> 00:16:01,960 but I wish that I could. It doesn't always work like that 349 00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:04,160 because preaching isn't just about teaching. 350 00:16:04,160 --> 00:16:07,480 Teaching and preaching are synonymous in some ways, but 351 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:10,280 there's differences. Teaching appeals to the mind. 352 00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:12,000 Preaching appeals more to the heart. 353 00:16:12,280 --> 00:16:14,080 It's trying to get us right, trying to get us to where we 354 00:16:14,080 --> 00:16:16,160 need to be. I'm appealing to you to be able 355 00:16:16,160 --> 00:16:18,600 to learn more for yourself. I'm not saying we don't teach 356 00:16:18,600 --> 00:16:20,240 doctrine here. Obviously we do to a great 357 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:21,400 extent. We just talked about this 358 00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:24,440 morning for 45 minutes why the virgin birth is important and 359 00:16:24,440 --> 00:16:26,520 went through the scriptures. Obviously doctrine is very 360 00:16:26,520 --> 00:16:29,040 important here, but I want to say this, you need to be a self 361 00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:30,640 feeder when it comes to doctrine as well. 362 00:16:31,080 --> 00:16:33,280 To be able to read the word of God for yourself and understand 363 00:16:33,280 --> 00:16:35,880 what is right or there's things that are confusing to you to be 364 00:16:35,880 --> 00:16:37,800 able to learn that. I just talked with a couple. 365 00:16:37,960 --> 00:16:40,800 I just talked with a, a couple people, I should say even just 366 00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:43,880 last week and they said this, we always took our doctrine for 367 00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:46,720 granted because the pastor told us this is what we're going to 368 00:16:46,720 --> 00:16:49,280 do. And they said we got to a place 369 00:16:49,400 --> 00:16:53,280 where we had to get with ourselves in a Bible and pray 370 00:16:53,440 --> 00:16:56,920 and say, do we believe this because the pastor says it or do 371 00:16:56,920 --> 00:16:58,640 we believe it because of what the Bible says? 372 00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:01,840 I applaud that kind of thinking. That's Berean kind of thinking. 373 00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:04,640 The book Acts talks about the Bereans fact checking. 374 00:17:04,760 --> 00:17:07,280 Paul, I don't have a lot of regard for fact checkers now a 375 00:17:07,280 --> 00:17:10,480 day because it seems like they're the fact checkers need 376 00:17:10,480 --> 00:17:12,599 to be fact checked, all things considered. 377 00:17:12,800 --> 00:17:15,319 But I do know this that the Bereans were fact checkers. 378 00:17:15,359 --> 00:17:17,839 Paul, an apostle was preaching and they said, you know, we got 379 00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:20,920 to check the Bible, make sure what he says is true, check the 380 00:17:20,920 --> 00:17:22,640 scriptures. You know, the Bible wasn't 381 00:17:22,640 --> 00:17:24,640 complete at that time, but you understand what I'm saying that 382 00:17:24,640 --> 00:17:27,880 their, their scriptures needed to be compared to what Paul 383 00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:30,120 says. And I love that doctrine. 384 00:17:30,120 --> 00:17:34,040 You get into it and reproof. So doctrine's what's right, 385 00:17:34,040 --> 00:17:36,520 reproof's what's wrong. See, that's the correcting, 386 00:17:36,600 --> 00:17:38,880 quote UN quote of the papers I was talking about a few minutes 387 00:17:38,880 --> 00:17:41,240 ago. It's just a red X Don't do this. 388 00:17:42,040 --> 00:17:45,280 You know what, there's a lot of preaching that says don't do 389 00:17:45,280 --> 00:17:46,920 this. Why? 390 00:17:47,080 --> 00:17:49,520 Because there's a lot of things we do that we're not supposed to 391 00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:53,040 do that should be very non controversial as a statement 392 00:17:53,040 --> 00:17:55,040 here tonight, isn't it? There's a lot of things our 393 00:17:55,040 --> 00:17:57,880 flesh wants to do that we ought not to be doing. 394 00:17:58,200 --> 00:18:01,160 And a pastor has to stand up behind a pulpit and say, listen, 395 00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:03,720 you may have a problem with this, I may have a problem with 396 00:18:03,720 --> 00:18:06,240 this, but here's what you do. Don't do it. 397 00:18:06,720 --> 00:18:08,520 That's what it comes down to, reproof. 398 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:10,880 And churches need to do it. And again, there's a lot of 399 00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:12,800 churches out there, mega churches and some that aren't 400 00:18:12,800 --> 00:18:15,800 mega churches that won't talk about what sin is, that won't 401 00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:19,680 reprove because someone may stop giving or someone may stop 402 00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:23,720 coming or someone may stop being influential in a leadership 403 00:18:23,720 --> 00:18:25,760 position. So it's just better not to say 404 00:18:25,760 --> 00:18:28,080 anything and just talk about, you know, the champion inside of 405 00:18:28,080 --> 00:18:31,520 you. Some of you make the connection 406 00:18:31,520 --> 00:18:35,160 there in just a second. Joel Osteen OK, but anyway, what 407 00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:38,440 I'm saying is this, that there's no talk about sin, There's no 408 00:18:38,440 --> 00:18:40,520 reproof. But listen, you got to be told 409 00:18:40,520 --> 00:18:45,760 you're doing wrong to be able to make the corrections that need 410 00:18:45,760 --> 00:18:48,840 to be made. Doctrine, reproof, correction. 411 00:18:49,240 --> 00:18:52,000 So doctrine is what's right. Reproof is what's wrong. 412 00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:54,840 Correction is this, how do you get right? 413 00:18:55,880 --> 00:18:57,560 You know, there's a lot of people who will tell you what's 414 00:18:57,560 --> 00:19:00,080 wrong, but then they won't tell you how to get it right. 415 00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:03,720 Well, that's only halfway getting to you where you need to 416 00:19:03,720 --> 00:19:06,040 be right. It's one thing to be told, hey, 417 00:19:06,320 --> 00:19:08,040 you know what? Your finances are a mess. 418 00:19:08,040 --> 00:19:10,360 I'm I'm a financial advisor. I want you to know your finances 419 00:19:10,360 --> 00:19:11,800 are a mess. They're pretty bad. 420 00:19:11,800 --> 00:19:13,480 You probably get audited in the next year. 421 00:19:14,240 --> 00:19:16,200 You have a business, it's probably going to probably go 422 00:19:16,200 --> 00:19:19,560 belly up. And don't forget to give me your 423 00:19:19,560 --> 00:19:22,360 fee on the way out. Like, well, you're the financial 424 00:19:22,360 --> 00:19:23,680 advisor. You're supposed to fix this for 425 00:19:23,680 --> 00:19:24,520 me. You're supposed to help me 426 00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:27,080 correct it. Like, well, listen, I don't want 427 00:19:27,080 --> 00:19:28,520 to get into all that. I'm just going to tell you how 428 00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:30,160 bad it is. You'd say you're a pretty bad 429 00:19:30,160 --> 00:19:33,040 financial advisor. Well, when it comes to the issue 430 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:35,600 of the word of God, it doesn't just tell us we're wrong. 431 00:19:35,720 --> 00:19:37,920 Listen, you're a Sinner. You're bad. 432 00:19:37,960 --> 00:19:40,280 You do wrong things. It doesn't just say that. 433 00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:42,400 It tells us how to get right with God. 434 00:19:42,760 --> 00:19:45,720 Thank the Lord that it tells us that when we are doing wrong, it 435 00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:48,200 tells us how to get right with the Lord again. 436 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:51,240 And this is the issue that I think oftentimes get missed. 437 00:19:51,520 --> 00:19:54,320 The idea of correction and then instruction in righteousness 438 00:19:54,320 --> 00:19:57,240 just briefly is not just how to get right, but it's how to stay 439 00:19:57,240 --> 00:19:59,160 right. OK, now you got to get back on 440 00:19:59,160 --> 00:20:00,920 the path. Now how do I stay on the path to 441 00:20:00,920 --> 00:20:03,640 make sure that I don't go wandering away again? 442 00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:07,000 But this issue of correction that we need to grow in the way 443 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:08,840 that we are correction corrected. 444 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:12,440 Listen, it is fundamentally missed because oftentimes we 445 00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:14,440 don't. Mind is much being told we're 446 00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:18,040 wrong, we just don't want to get it right or if we don't know 447 00:20:18,040 --> 00:20:21,880 what to do to get it right. Ironically, the word correction 448 00:20:21,880 --> 00:20:23,720 is only found once in the New Testament. 449 00:20:24,760 --> 00:20:28,400 It's right here, but it's found several times the Old Testament, 450 00:20:28,720 --> 00:20:32,600 including Proverbs. Proverbs 1311 My son, despise 451 00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:35,840 not the chastening of the Lord, neither be wary of his 452 00:20:35,840 --> 00:20:38,280 correction. Proverbs 1510. 453 00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:42,400 Correction is grievous unto him that forsake it the way, and he 454 00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:44,560 that hateth reproof shall die. Do you see? 455 00:20:44,760 --> 00:20:46,800 Correction and reproof are connected. 456 00:20:46,800 --> 00:20:48,960 They go together. You really can't have correction 457 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:51,080 without being reproved. How can you correct something 458 00:20:51,080 --> 00:20:53,000 without even knowing it's wrong in the 1st place? 459 00:20:53,400 --> 00:20:57,480 Jeremiah 5 Three, O Lord, are not thine eyes upon the truth. 460 00:20:57,960 --> 00:21:00,320 Thou has stricken them, but they have not grieved. 461 00:21:00,560 --> 00:21:03,880 Thou has consumed them, but they have refused to receive 462 00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:06,000 correction. They have made their faces 463 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:09,080 harder than a rock. They have refused to return. 464 00:21:09,800 --> 00:21:11,960 So I want us to look for the next few moments, this issue of 465 00:21:11,960 --> 00:21:13,760 correction. And there's two things I want us 466 00:21:13,760 --> 00:21:16,840 to realize about it tonight. And the first is this correction 467 00:21:16,840 --> 00:21:21,800 can only be accomplished through the word #1 correction can only 468 00:21:21,800 --> 00:21:23,760 be accomplished through the Word of God. 469 00:21:26,120 --> 00:21:29,160 And this stands to reason because if we are to get right, 470 00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:33,280 there must be a standard to which we will be corrected. 471 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:36,880 There has to be that element that is there to be able to tell 472 00:21:36,880 --> 00:21:39,840 us what is right and what is wrong, which we need a right 473 00:21:39,840 --> 00:21:42,200 standard. For instance, if I was the Bible 474 00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:43,880 teacher, we're correcting a memory verse. 475 00:21:44,120 --> 00:21:46,080 Well, what do I do? I had to stand in front of the 476 00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:50,000 class in my Bible and read the verse to be able to have the 477 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:53,680 students go through and make the reproof on the pages that they 478 00:21:53,680 --> 00:21:56,480 needed to. If I was correcting a test on my 479 00:21:56,480 --> 00:21:59,000 own, what would I do? Well, I would have to have the 480 00:21:59,040 --> 00:22:02,160 answer key there and I would have to follow the answer key. 481 00:22:02,160 --> 00:22:04,760 I couldn't just say, hey, it's time to correct those Bible 482 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:09,400 verses, but do whatever feels good, you say, well, who would 483 00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:11,080 say something like that? That's what the world says. 484 00:22:11,720 --> 00:22:14,320 Well, it says, hey man, do whatever feels good. 485 00:22:15,080 --> 00:22:18,120 Follow your heart. Hey, you feel like doing it, Go 486 00:22:18,120 --> 00:22:21,000 do it because you know there's only one person that you got to 487 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:23,640 please and that's you. That's what the world will tell 488 00:22:23,640 --> 00:22:25,720 you. That's that's the world's song, 489 00:22:25,720 --> 00:22:27,160 isn't it? To us to be able to just make 490 00:22:27,160 --> 00:22:30,280 sure, listen, if if nobody else is happy, make sure that you're 491 00:22:30,280 --> 00:22:31,880 happy. If nobody else gets theirs, make 492 00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:34,800 sure you get yours. This is the way the world goes. 493 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:37,640 But for us, we realize that when it comes to the issue of 494 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:42,520 correction, you can't know how to get right unless you are in 495 00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:46,800 the word of God for yourself. This is why all all of these are 496 00:22:47,520 --> 00:22:51,200 linked together, doctrine, reproof, correction, 497 00:22:51,200 --> 00:22:54,480 instruction, and righteousness. You take any one of those out 498 00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:57,840 and you have an incomplete way to be able to get right with 499 00:22:57,840 --> 00:22:59,720 God. You take out doctrine. 500 00:22:59,720 --> 00:23:02,840 Well, you take out the standard. You take out reproof. 501 00:23:02,840 --> 00:23:04,480 You don't even know you're wrong. 502 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:07,800 You take out correction, well, you're going to be wrong, but 503 00:23:07,800 --> 00:23:10,200 you're not going to get right. You take out instruction of 504 00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:12,000 righteousness. You're not going to figure out 505 00:23:12,240 --> 00:23:15,000 how to stay righteous as you keep walking in the way. 506 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:18,080 Every single one of them are important, but correction can 507 00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:20,920 only be accomplished through the Word of God. 508 00:23:21,080 --> 00:23:25,080 There has to be a standard. You know, it's ironic to me that 509 00:23:25,640 --> 00:23:29,280 in Washington, it's like, what is truth? 510 00:23:29,440 --> 00:23:31,440 You understand what I'm saying? It's like every few days it 511 00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:33,560 seems like everyone else is talking about something else. 512 00:23:34,240 --> 00:23:36,760 And we've seen this just this week, as we see almost every 513 00:23:36,760 --> 00:23:39,360 week, we have one group that says one thing and one group 514 00:23:39,360 --> 00:23:42,280 that says the exact opposite. And never the two shall meet. 515 00:23:42,880 --> 00:23:45,400 And it feels like that's what life in Washington is like. 516 00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:48,280 And you have one set of rules when one group is in power. 517 00:23:48,280 --> 00:23:50,680 You have another set of rules when another group is in power. 518 00:23:50,920 --> 00:23:53,640 You know, what's the standard, what's real, what's not real. 519 00:23:53,880 --> 00:23:57,000 But interestingly enough, in the midst of Washington, there was a 520 00:23:57,000 --> 00:24:00,200 building called the National Institute of Standards and 521 00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:02,760 Technology. The National Institute of 522 00:24:02,760 --> 00:24:08,160 Standards and Technology In that building are prototypes for 523 00:24:08,160 --> 00:24:15,120 things like a pound a kilogram, measuring rods for feet, yards, 524 00:24:15,480 --> 00:24:19,640 metric measurements like meters. They have a meter standard, for 525 00:24:19,640 --> 00:24:23,800 instance A reinforced bar of platinum alloy with exactly 10% 526 00:24:23,800 --> 00:24:26,400 Iridium, where they want to know the exact measurement of a 527 00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:29,640 meter. They cool the bar down to 0°C at 528 00:24:29,640 --> 00:24:33,440 sea level of 45° latitude. Then they know they will have 529 00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:36,040 the exact tip to tip measurement of a meter. 530 00:24:36,040 --> 00:24:39,080 In fact, this bar is known as Prototype 27 because the 531 00:24:39,080 --> 00:24:42,040 original was kept in a suburb of Paris at their International 532 00:24:42,200 --> 00:24:46,080 Bureau of Weights and Measures. They're serious about one thing, 533 00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:50,320 there has to be a standard. You know, this isn't unusual to 534 00:24:50,320 --> 00:24:53,400 us because in the book of Proverbs, it talks about having 535 00:24:53,400 --> 00:24:55,480 a just weight and adjust measure. 536 00:24:55,760 --> 00:24:58,360 Well, why was that? Well, because in those days, 537 00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:01,000 listen, if you were going to the market to be able to buy 538 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:03,880 something, you couldn't just go to the scale like you could at 539 00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:06,760 the grocery store and make sure you had a pound of dates. 540 00:25:06,760 --> 00:25:08,960 What would you have to do? You would have to go to the 541 00:25:08,960 --> 00:25:12,080 merchant of the market and he would have his own weights there 542 00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:13,560 and he would use them on a scale. 543 00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:17,280 But an unscrupulous merchant would have his own set of 544 00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:20,640 weights that was just a little bit off, that skewed it so that 545 00:25:20,640 --> 00:25:23,880 he could make a little bit extra off of every transaction. 546 00:25:24,360 --> 00:25:26,040 And so that's why the Bible talks about having to just 547 00:25:26,040 --> 00:25:28,800 weight and adjust, measure. It means this. 548 00:25:28,920 --> 00:25:31,920 You better make sure if you're a merchant, the standard is right. 549 00:25:31,920 --> 00:25:34,960 And this is what this institute in Washington, DC does. 550 00:25:35,080 --> 00:25:38,680 It makes sure that the standards of a meter, the standards of a 551 00:25:38,680 --> 00:25:42,520 foot, a standard of a pound, the standard of an ounce, that it's 552 00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:45,640 right under the most exacting conditions. 553 00:25:46,520 --> 00:25:49,960 Could I tell you that our standard above all other 554 00:25:49,960 --> 00:25:54,360 standards, our standard is the only one that matters and that 555 00:25:54,360 --> 00:25:55,880 is the word of God that's in front with you. 556 00:25:56,480 --> 00:25:59,680 Psalm 119, verse 9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his 557 00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:04,040 way by taking heed thereto, according to thy word. 558 00:26:04,520 --> 00:26:07,800 Verse 27, make me to understand the way of thy precepts. 559 00:26:08,080 --> 00:26:10,600 So shall I talk of thy wondrous works. 560 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:13,160 Psalm 19 that we were just reading this morning. 561 00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:16,520 All of them talk about the supremacy of the word of God. 562 00:26:16,520 --> 00:26:19,040 That it is the one that will give you the correction that you 563 00:26:19,040 --> 00:26:21,880 need. You say a pastor, I know that 564 00:26:21,880 --> 00:26:23,520 I'm some things are wrong in my life. 565 00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:26,040 I know some things are not the way that they ought to be. 566 00:26:26,120 --> 00:26:28,640 The word of God is not just there to tell you when you're 567 00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:30,920 wrong. The word of God is not just 568 00:26:30,920 --> 00:26:34,040 there to tell you've messed up, to tell you that you're off the 569 00:26:34,040 --> 00:26:36,040 path. Certainly it does tell us that 570 00:26:36,040 --> 00:26:39,440 there's conviction that comes from the Holy Spirit within our 571 00:26:39,440 --> 00:26:40,800 life when we read the word of God. 572 00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:42,440 No, no, no, he doesn't make us guilty. 573 00:26:42,440 --> 00:26:43,920 Satan just wants to make us guilty. 574 00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:47,080 But we understand that the true Bible conviction coming from the 575 00:26:47,080 --> 00:26:50,680 Holy Spirit makes us want to get right before the Lord. 576 00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:53,440 That is godly sorrow that worketh repentance. 577 00:26:53,560 --> 00:26:56,360 The Bible says. But what do we do that we don't 578 00:26:56,360 --> 00:26:58,800 just get in the Bible for those things, We get in it to make 579 00:26:58,800 --> 00:27:04,760 sure we get right the right way because Satan will just be glad 580 00:27:04,760 --> 00:27:07,200 to tell you, hey, you're wrong. But why don't I help you correct 581 00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:08,800 yourself by jumping into something else that's wrong. 582 00:27:10,320 --> 00:27:13,960 Any good at that? Say, hey, you know, I know you 583 00:27:13,960 --> 00:27:16,080 have some problem with alcohol, but you know what you ought to 584 00:27:16,080 --> 00:27:19,280 do? Hey, get a packages in and just 585 00:27:19,280 --> 00:27:20,640 put that in your mind. You say, what is that with 586 00:27:20,640 --> 00:27:23,240 nicotine? You say, well, that that'll help 587 00:27:23,240 --> 00:27:25,400 you out. Satan's great at telling you, 588 00:27:25,400 --> 00:27:27,040 hey, you're wrong. But let me just get you from the 589 00:27:27,040 --> 00:27:30,080 frying pain in the fire. Any good at that? 590 00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:31,760 Oh, yeah. So how do we know we're 591 00:27:31,760 --> 00:27:35,480 correcting ourselves the way we need to be in the word of God. 592 00:27:35,640 --> 00:27:38,600 And listen, I can't give you enough three times a week. 593 00:27:39,160 --> 00:27:41,360 I can't if you're here in Sunday school, which I pray that you 594 00:27:41,360 --> 00:27:42,920 will be. I can't give you enough four 595 00:27:42,920 --> 00:27:45,960 times a week to be able to help you to be able to be where you 596 00:27:45,960 --> 00:27:49,280 need to be, that you need to be in the Word of God daily 597 00:27:49,280 --> 00:27:52,640 yourself. Listen, it is what Christ is 598 00:27:52,640 --> 00:27:55,960 all. So we need to be in his Word to 599 00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:58,280 understand what He wants from us in our life. 600 00:27:58,680 --> 00:28:01,720 When you read this book, you can know it has a track record of 601 00:28:01,720 --> 00:28:05,040 worthiness. They can help you directly or at 602 00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:07,640 least with principles for any situation in life. 603 00:28:08,160 --> 00:28:11,000 Again, it may not speak directly to every situation of life 604 00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:12,920 because there's a lot of situations of life today. 605 00:28:13,480 --> 00:28:18,080 Listen, a 2000 year old word of God does not directly address, I 606 00:28:18,080 --> 00:28:19,520 don't find one cigarette in the word of God. 607 00:28:19,520 --> 00:28:22,840 No, I'm not trying to be cute. I'm saying I don't. 608 00:28:24,160 --> 00:28:27,040 I don't, I don't find the Internet in the word of God. 609 00:28:27,880 --> 00:28:32,680 I don't find your 80 inch plasma screen TV in the word of God. 610 00:28:33,080 --> 00:28:35,160 By the way, if you have 80 inches by invite me over 611 00:28:35,160 --> 00:28:38,520 sometime for a game that sounds like fun because because I don't 612 00:28:38,520 --> 00:28:40,200 have that. You don't find that. 613 00:28:40,200 --> 00:28:44,120 But listen, you have principles or what to do and what not to 614 00:28:44,120 --> 00:28:45,560 do. And how do you know that? 615 00:28:45,560 --> 00:28:48,560 Unless you are in the Word of God yourself, don't just listen 616 00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:50,880 to what the world says. Don't just listen to what the 617 00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:53,080 authorities so-called said. Don't just listen to what the 618 00:28:53,080 --> 00:28:55,720 teachers say or all those people you know. 619 00:28:56,280 --> 00:28:59,400 Take it all and compare it to the Word of God. 620 00:28:59,960 --> 00:29:02,960 Correction can only be accomplished through the Word or 621 00:29:02,960 --> 00:29:05,000 else you just jump from one problem to the next. 622 00:29:05,960 --> 00:29:07,920 He'll tell you you're wrong and give you something else that's 623 00:29:07,920 --> 00:29:11,560 wrong too. No, correction only happens 624 00:29:11,560 --> 00:29:13,920 through the Word. The word is timeless. 625 00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:18,720 It's true, it's trustworthy, and it's the method of correction 626 00:29:19,040 --> 00:29:20,560 which is the catalyst for growth. 627 00:29:21,160 --> 00:29:23,200 So we see number one, correction can only be accomplished. 628 00:29:23,200 --> 00:29:25,720 The word #2 correction can only be accomplished through 629 00:29:26,120 --> 00:29:28,920 willingness. Through willingness. 630 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:33,600 Here's the issue that sometimes is hard. 631 00:29:34,080 --> 00:29:38,960 As a pastor, there are people that I know they're doing wrong. 632 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:42,760 They know they're doing wrong. It could be everybody knows 633 00:29:42,760 --> 00:29:46,040 they're doing wrong. They understand that they're 634 00:29:46,040 --> 00:29:49,920 doing wrong. They just can't bring themselves 635 00:29:49,920 --> 00:29:51,880 to the place of getting it right. 636 00:29:53,200 --> 00:29:56,360 You know what's difficult as a pastor, I can't make them do it. 637 00:29:57,760 --> 00:30:00,680 I wish as a pastor I could just grab someone by the shoulders 638 00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:03,160 and say, what's the matter with you? 639 00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:09,280 You need to be over here. Just do this and stay away from 640 00:30:09,280 --> 00:30:12,080 this. And I'm not saying I can't be 641 00:30:12,080 --> 00:30:14,920 emphatic as a pastor and telling people what they need to do, 642 00:30:15,160 --> 00:30:17,520 especially if I know they're self-destructive in the way 643 00:30:17,520 --> 00:30:19,840 they're living. I have done that and I will do 644 00:30:19,840 --> 00:30:22,000 that. But listen, I could physically 645 00:30:22,280 --> 00:30:25,720 take someone and pick them up and take them out of a situation 646 00:30:25,800 --> 00:30:27,520 and bring them to a safe situation. 647 00:30:27,520 --> 00:30:30,000 You know what we could find? They could go right back to the 648 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:33,960 exact same situation. I've worked with people who 649 00:30:34,040 --> 00:30:37,000 who've gotten themselves into alcohol and drugs and, and I've 650 00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:40,080 literally helped them out of those situations, have been able 651 00:30:40,080 --> 00:30:43,000 to give them places that are safe and places that are helpful 652 00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:46,080 to only watch them days or weeks or months later. 653 00:30:46,200 --> 00:30:48,360 Go right back to the exact same thing. 654 00:30:49,320 --> 00:30:54,440 And they know it's wrong, but they're not willing to be able 655 00:30:54,440 --> 00:30:59,480 to get through correction and say, well, pastor alcohol, you 656 00:30:59,480 --> 00:31:02,520 know, it's just a disease. Well, it's the only disease you 657 00:31:02,520 --> 00:31:06,240 can buy at Walmart. It's not a disease, it's a 658 00:31:06,240 --> 00:31:09,080 choice. I'm not trying to be unkind. 659 00:31:09,080 --> 00:31:11,720 I'm not trying to be unkind. I'm not saying, listen, there 660 00:31:11,720 --> 00:31:14,800 were some people that grew up in a in a, in a home where was 661 00:31:14,800 --> 00:31:17,960 around so much that they were just, it's almost that they were 662 00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:21,000 predisposed in a way to be able to be around it because it was 663 00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:24,160 always around and they were. But at the same time, there are 664 00:31:24,160 --> 00:31:29,480 choices that have to be made. Are you willing to be able to 665 00:31:29,480 --> 00:31:32,760 say correction, it's good. And I'm not saying if someone's 666 00:31:32,760 --> 00:31:35,080 in that situation physically, listen, they're trying to get 667 00:31:35,080 --> 00:31:37,280 out of that situation. Listen, your body's going to be 668 00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:39,960 hurting. I'm not, I'm, I'm my eyes are 669 00:31:39,960 --> 00:31:42,960 wide open about this. If you're trying to withhold 670 00:31:42,960 --> 00:31:46,000 alcohol from yourself, listen, it's going to going to hurt your 671 00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:48,600 body. If you try to withhold drugs 672 00:31:48,600 --> 00:31:50,560 from yourself and you've been in that scene, it's going to hurt 673 00:31:50,560 --> 00:31:52,360 your body. There's going to be some pain 674 00:31:52,360 --> 00:31:54,000 that comes with it. I'm not trying to say that's not 675 00:31:54,000 --> 00:31:56,840 the case. It's going to be difficult to be 676 00:31:57,080 --> 00:31:58,640 in the place where you need to be corrected. 677 00:31:59,360 --> 00:32:03,240 Correction is real. Correction is real and it only 678 00:32:03,240 --> 00:32:06,840 can happen through willingness. Listen, you can come here week 679 00:32:06,840 --> 00:32:08,880 after week and know you needed Jesus Christ. 680 00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:11,480 I know there are things that you need to get taken care of in 681 00:32:11,480 --> 00:32:17,360 your life, but if you don't do what you need to do or you don't 682 00:32:17,360 --> 00:32:20,200 get saved, Listen, just knowing you need to get saved is not 683 00:32:20,200 --> 00:32:22,840 enough. Just know while I'm a Sinner, 684 00:32:22,840 --> 00:32:24,400 well, what are you going to do? I need to get saved. 685 00:32:24,400 --> 00:32:25,240 Well, are you going to get saved? 686 00:32:25,240 --> 00:32:28,840 No, no, I'm a Sinner. Well, that's not going to solve 687 00:32:28,840 --> 00:32:31,000 anything. No correction can only be 688 00:32:31,000 --> 00:32:33,840 accomplished through willingness that I'm going to humble myself 689 00:32:34,520 --> 00:32:37,480 in what God has me to do. Turn to Matthew chapter 21. 690 00:32:38,800 --> 00:32:56,790 Matthew chapter 21. Go verse #28 it says this, but 691 00:32:56,790 --> 00:32:59,030 what think ye? I'll wait till you get there. 692 00:32:59,030 --> 00:33:10,300 I'm sorry, Matthew 2128 but what think He, A certain man had two 693 00:33:10,300 --> 00:33:12,140 sons. And he came to the 1st. 694 00:33:12,140 --> 00:33:14,420 And said, Son, go work today in my vineyard. 695 00:33:14,820 --> 00:33:16,100 And he answered, said, I will not. 696 00:33:16,100 --> 00:33:17,780 But afterward he repented and went. 697 00:33:18,340 --> 00:33:20,380 And he came to the second, and said likewise. 698 00:33:20,660 --> 00:33:23,340 And he answered, and said, I go, Sir, and went not. 699 00:33:23,700 --> 00:33:26,140 Whither of the twain did the will of his Father? 700 00:33:26,540 --> 00:33:30,680 They said unto him, The 1st Jesus saith unto him, Verily I 701 00:33:30,680 --> 00:33:33,880 say unto you, that the publicans and the harlots go into the 702 00:33:33,880 --> 00:33:37,560 Kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you in the 703 00:33:37,560 --> 00:33:40,360 way of righteousness, and he believed him not, but the 704 00:33:40,360 --> 00:33:42,080 publicans and the harlots believed him. 705 00:33:42,360 --> 00:33:46,200 And ye, when he had seen it, repented not afterwards, that ye 706 00:33:46,280 --> 00:33:50,200 might believe him. When it comes the issue of 707 00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:51,600 correction, it's all about the heart. 708 00:33:52,400 --> 00:33:56,600 Can I tell you as a pastor, you know, there was a time when it 709 00:33:56,600 --> 00:33:59,800 has a pastor that people wouldn't curse around you, 710 00:34:00,680 --> 00:34:03,160 people wouldn't do certain activities around you, people 711 00:34:03,160 --> 00:34:04,960 wouldn't drink around you, whatever it is, because you're a 712 00:34:04,960 --> 00:34:06,400 pastor. I'm not saying that I deserve 713 00:34:06,400 --> 00:34:07,680 that. It's just kind of the way our 714 00:34:07,680 --> 00:34:11,040 culture was. That time has passed and that 715 00:34:11,040 --> 00:34:13,679 ship is sailed. It's not quite like that at all. 716 00:34:13,880 --> 00:34:16,239 Not even the point where people say, oh, I'm sorry about that. 717 00:34:16,239 --> 00:34:19,600 They're just full on work. We're going to go wherever you 718 00:34:19,600 --> 00:34:21,880 are. But can I tell you what I, as a 719 00:34:21,880 --> 00:34:23,920 pastor, appreciate? And I don't know, I've expressed 720 00:34:23,920 --> 00:34:26,120 this before. In some ways I think it bears 721 00:34:26,120 --> 00:34:29,600 out in this text. I've had church members, church 722 00:34:29,600 --> 00:34:33,120 members who have called me. And I wouldn't say maybe church 723 00:34:33,120 --> 00:34:39,360 members who were elder in the faith, I'll put it that way. 724 00:34:39,360 --> 00:34:42,480 But maybe church members who are younger in the faith who call me 725 00:34:42,480 --> 00:34:47,639 on the phone ripping mad about something, cuss not necessarily 726 00:34:47,639 --> 00:34:53,840 at me, but curse and get off the phone and maybe a day or two 727 00:34:53,840 --> 00:34:58,280 later they call me day pastor. And you know, I shouldn't have, 728 00:34:58,280 --> 00:35:00,480 I shouldn't have done that. That was that wasn't good. 729 00:35:01,600 --> 00:35:03,840 Then I've also had church members who have come in. 730 00:35:04,400 --> 00:35:07,520 They carry the big family Bible, kind of like that Bible Dave 731 00:35:07,520 --> 00:35:09,640 gave me a few weeks ago. So it's like it's about you say, 732 00:35:09,640 --> 00:35:11,400 how big is it? It's about gay big. 733 00:35:11,400 --> 00:35:12,320 You know, you got to carry it in. 734 00:35:12,320 --> 00:35:14,400 You got to you usually have to have a Dolly to bring it in. 735 00:35:14,400 --> 00:35:15,800 You know, you just bring it in a hand truck. 736 00:35:17,080 --> 00:35:18,960 They come in, they're always dressed right. 737 00:35:19,680 --> 00:35:22,760 Never a word is wrong that comes out of their mouth when they're 738 00:35:22,760 --> 00:35:25,200 in church. I mean, they are impeccably 739 00:35:25,200 --> 00:35:28,240 dressed. They're going to say everything 740 00:35:28,240 --> 00:35:31,960 that's perfect. But you know, you start to see 741 00:35:31,960 --> 00:35:35,520 after a while there's some cracks in the facade and you 742 00:35:35,520 --> 00:35:40,640 realize that there's a lot of good looks for godliness, but 743 00:35:40,640 --> 00:35:44,000 not a lot of real depth there. Can I tell you which of the two 744 00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:47,000 I'd rather pastor? The first one. 745 00:35:48,800 --> 00:35:50,960 Why? Because that's someone who is 746 00:35:50,960 --> 00:35:53,720 saying, you know what? I'm not where I need to be yet, 747 00:35:53,800 --> 00:35:56,440 but the Lord's still working on me and I'm humble enough to 748 00:35:56,440 --> 00:35:58,320 apologize to someone when I've done wrong. 749 00:35:58,320 --> 00:36:01,480 Man, I love that. I would take a church full of 750 00:36:01,480 --> 00:36:05,960 the first group and I would tell you, I would steer clear of one 751 00:36:06,200 --> 00:36:07,880 of those in the second group. You know why? 752 00:36:08,280 --> 00:36:11,160 Because he, he has everything he needs already. 753 00:36:11,160 --> 00:36:13,680 He don't need me like you don't need any of you. 754 00:36:14,600 --> 00:36:18,480 But I'll tell you, he is also not happy with himself because 755 00:36:18,480 --> 00:36:20,960 that one that I see, I'll tell you that he has all of that. 756 00:36:21,560 --> 00:36:24,560 It's not just a he there. She's as well, but but he has, 757 00:36:24,600 --> 00:36:26,800 he's seemingly everything. This guy, this guy's amazing. 758 00:36:26,800 --> 00:36:28,360 He's like the best Christian ever lived. 759 00:36:29,480 --> 00:36:32,200 But you know what he, he gets home and he's usually miserable. 760 00:36:33,320 --> 00:36:35,440 He gets home and he's usually not happy with himself. 761 00:36:35,480 --> 00:36:37,920 You know why? Because he really doesn't have a 762 00:36:37,920 --> 00:36:41,280 good relationship with the Lord. He just feels like he needs to 763 00:36:41,280 --> 00:36:45,240 show himself in a way, kind of like, well, Jesus just said, 764 00:36:45,680 --> 00:36:49,960 Hey, Pharisee, it had everything good on the outside, but the 765 00:36:49,960 --> 00:36:53,640 heart wasn't right. Yeah, I'd rather work with 766 00:36:53,640 --> 00:36:56,160 people and say, you know, I don't got all the answers yet. 767 00:36:56,640 --> 00:36:58,040 I don't even know all the questions yet. 768 00:36:58,880 --> 00:37:02,640 But when reproof and correction come my way, I'm willing to 769 00:37:02,640 --> 00:37:05,360 listen. I just encourage you this in 770 00:37:05,360 --> 00:37:08,520 2026 when it comes to the word of God, as we preach through the 771 00:37:08,520 --> 00:37:10,240 Word of God. I know you've been here, many of 772 00:37:10,240 --> 00:37:11,560 you, for for some period of time. 773 00:37:11,960 --> 00:37:15,120 There's something that I'm going to say this year that's going to 774 00:37:15,120 --> 00:37:18,040 take you off. You say, well, how would you 775 00:37:18,040 --> 00:37:22,000 know that? Well, because I've speak for 150 776 00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:25,200 bout sermons a year, not even counting Sunday school. 777 00:37:25,600 --> 00:37:27,240 I'm going to say something that's probably going to make 778 00:37:27,240 --> 00:37:30,640 you mad. Could I tell you before you get 779 00:37:30,640 --> 00:37:35,000 too RIP roar and upset at me? Could you maybe go to the word 780 00:37:35,000 --> 00:37:38,840 of God first and see if what I've said is so now listen, hey, 781 00:37:38,840 --> 00:37:40,800 my attitude is wrong. Then I need to get my attitude 782 00:37:40,800 --> 00:37:43,560 right because again, I don't want to be a jerk in the pulpit 783 00:37:43,800 --> 00:37:47,560 and how I handle certain issues that just because I'm right 784 00:37:47,560 --> 00:37:49,960 doesn't give me the license to talk about things however I want 785 00:37:49,960 --> 00:37:53,720 to talk about it. But I will say this, on the 786 00:37:53,720 --> 00:37:56,720 other hand, that means you also have to be open that maybe what 787 00:37:56,720 --> 00:37:59,920 you're hearing could be reproof and correction from the Lord. 788 00:38:00,560 --> 00:38:04,120 And it's better to leave church and say, you know what, I got 789 00:38:04,120 --> 00:38:06,840 you on that for a while. I can't point that past, right? 790 00:38:06,840 --> 00:38:08,320 What are you talking about? He thinks he's, he's got a 791 00:38:08,320 --> 00:38:09,640 little Kingdom up there, that pulpit. 792 00:38:09,640 --> 00:38:10,720 He just hides behind that pulpit. 793 00:38:10,720 --> 00:38:12,560 Who does he think he is? I just, he's Jesus. 794 00:38:12,720 --> 00:38:14,840 He got a little, that little colt in the trailer over there 795 00:38:14,840 --> 00:38:17,600 and at 800 Washington St. It's like we're not a cult, all 796 00:38:17,600 --> 00:38:19,960 right? Well, we're not a trailer, all 797 00:38:19,960 --> 00:38:20,480 right? That's it. 798 00:38:20,480 --> 00:38:22,320 No, we're not a cult. We're not a cult either, all 799 00:38:22,320 --> 00:38:23,160 right? That's a joke. 800 00:38:23,160 --> 00:38:26,480 That is a joke if they are the worst cult leader in history, 801 00:38:26,480 --> 00:38:28,280 all right? We are not a cult. 802 00:38:29,840 --> 00:38:31,800 We don't have kool-aid. It's just coffee. 803 00:38:32,240 --> 00:38:34,360 And Dave made it this morning. There's a promise, Dave. 804 00:38:34,400 --> 00:38:39,080 All right, wasn't me. So yes, here's what I know. 805 00:38:39,080 --> 00:38:43,640 Listen, good preaching the Word of God is about doctrine, 806 00:38:44,360 --> 00:38:46,840 reproof, correction, and structure of righteousness. 807 00:38:47,280 --> 00:38:51,280 The place where people typically choke is correction because they 808 00:38:51,280 --> 00:38:53,360 don't even mind. Oftentimes they can even say, 809 00:38:53,360 --> 00:38:56,800 yeah, I'm wrong, but they won't do what it takes to get it 810 00:38:56,800 --> 00:38:58,920 right. You know why we have an altar. 811 00:38:59,680 --> 00:39:02,120 Give you time to acknowledge I need correction. 812 00:39:03,160 --> 00:39:04,480 You know what you ought to do on Monday? 813 00:39:04,880 --> 00:39:07,080 Maybe write out three things from the message that convicted 814 00:39:07,080 --> 00:39:10,080 you on Sunday. This is something I need to do 815 00:39:10,480 --> 00:39:13,400 to correct the problem that I, the Holy Spirit, identified in 816 00:39:13,400 --> 00:39:16,080 my life on Sunday, go back and listen to a message again. 817 00:39:16,680 --> 00:39:17,920 Go back and listen to it over again. 818 00:39:18,240 --> 00:39:20,240 You can be like Jim Jerome. He says he listens to me before 819 00:39:20,240 --> 00:39:21,440 he goes to sleep. But it's the best. 820 00:39:21,560 --> 00:39:22,840 Better than warm milk, isn't it, Jim? 821 00:39:22,840 --> 00:39:24,480 All right, Just my soothing voice. 822 00:39:24,480 --> 00:39:27,280 And so I've been putting people to sleep for 12 years here at 823 00:39:27,280 --> 00:39:31,280 Liberty Baptist Church. That's that's the way it is. 824 00:39:31,480 --> 00:39:34,120 But listen, listen to it again and maybe I've had to listen to 825 00:39:34,120 --> 00:39:36,160 messages a second time. You say, you know what, there 826 00:39:36,160 --> 00:39:38,840 was a lot there for me. I'm going to go back and listen 827 00:39:38,840 --> 00:39:41,360 to it again because there's some things I got to I got to get 828 00:39:41,360 --> 00:39:42,760 right. You say, well, that sounds like 829 00:39:42,760 --> 00:39:43,760 that. That's a lot of work. 830 00:39:44,240 --> 00:39:45,600 Well, it sounds like the Christian life. 831 00:39:45,600 --> 00:39:47,000 You get out of it what you put in it. 832 00:39:48,880 --> 00:39:51,400 And I'm not saying we're works based salvation or anything like 833 00:39:51,400 --> 00:39:52,120 that. Of course not. 834 00:39:52,120 --> 00:39:54,840 But I am saying that that the Bible does say to count the 835 00:39:54,840 --> 00:39:57,080 cost. The Bible does say to pick up 836 00:39:57,080 --> 00:39:59,320 your cross and to follow him the. 837 00:40:00,040 --> 00:40:03,280 Jesus does not promise us a life of comfort and ease, but He does 838 00:40:03,280 --> 00:40:08,680 promise us great blessings, and He does promise us rewards for 839 00:40:08,680 --> 00:40:12,520 diligently seeking Him. So listen, don't sleep on the 840 00:40:12,560 --> 00:40:15,880 issue of correction. All we know that we're wrong, 841 00:40:15,880 --> 00:40:19,040 but listen, you got to get it right and you got to get it 842 00:40:19,040 --> 00:40:21,640 right the right way. All of us have places we need to 843 00:40:21,640 --> 00:40:23,960 get better at. Every single one of us allow the 844 00:40:23,960 --> 00:40:27,240 Holy Spirit to do the work that only He can do so that we can be 845 00:40:27,240 --> 00:40:31,040 corrected and then further that instruction and righteousness so 846 00:40:31,040 --> 00:40:33,720 we can go on and be the Christians that God has called 847 00:40:33,720 --> 00:40:36,600 us to be. Thank you for listening to the 848 00:40:36,600 --> 00:40:39,200 sermon from the pulpit of Liberty Baptist Church. 849 00:40:39,680 --> 00:40:42,840 If this message was a blessing to you, or if there's any way we 850 00:40:42,840 --> 00:40:46,000 can serve you, please let us know by contacting us at 851 00:40:46,120 --> 00:40:50,880 info@mylibertybaptist.org. Or you can visit us this Sunday 852 00:40:51,040 --> 00:40:54,760 at 800 Washington St. in Easton, MA. 853 00:40:55,040 --> 00:40:57,840 May the Lord bless you as you grow in His Word.