1 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:06,100 Welcome to the Liberty Baptist sermon archives. 2 00:00:06,300 --> 00:00:09,100 The message you're about to hear was preached at Liberty, Baptist 3 00:00:09,100 --> 00:00:13,100 Church in Eastern Massachusetts. You can find out more about us 4 00:00:13,100 --> 00:00:17,400 or contact us at my Liberty, Baptist dot org or just look us 5 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:19,800 up on Facebook. And now, we hope that this 6 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:22,200 message from God's word will be a blessing to you. 7 00:00:24,700 --> 00:00:26,600 Meeting here, our annual business meeting in just a 8 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:28,700 little while. I do think, it would be good for 9 00:00:28,700 --> 00:00:31,800 us to take an aside and talk a little bit about what it means 10 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:33,600 to be a healthy church. And what it means to be a 11 00:00:33,608 --> 00:00:37,000 healthy church member because a healthy church can only be 12 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:40,500 healthy as the members are healthy with in that church. 13 00:00:40,500 --> 00:00:43,700 And so I think it would be good. Not just to look at the needs of 14 00:00:43,700 --> 00:00:48,300 a healthy church, but also of the healthy church member as 15 00:00:48,300 --> 00:00:50,500 well. I will say this, we have a 16 00:00:50,508 --> 00:00:53,900 unique opportunity before us here at Liberty Baptist Church 17 00:00:53,900 --> 00:00:56,200 just looking Around and I'll share a little bit more during 18 00:00:56,200 --> 00:00:59,800 the business meeting, but just scanning through the auditorium 19 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:02,800 this morning in the back rooms, which I have a little bit more 20 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:06,300 of an ability to do when I'm not preaching, believe it or not, it 21 00:01:06,300 --> 00:01:08,400 was great to you know, help with Kai this morning. 22 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:10,000 I lifted him up. Even gave me one of his gummy 23 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:11,500 bears, which was very kind of him. 24 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:14,300 Tell you, I mean, we're having a time back there, got to visit 25 00:01:14,300 --> 00:01:16,500 with the nursery. They probably asked me to leave 26 00:01:16,500 --> 00:01:20,000 but that's alright. But it was a good time had by 27 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:23,500 almost all this morning but just looking around we had almost 40 28 00:01:23,500 --> 00:01:25,800 folks here this In the church, which was a blessing. 29 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:28,800 And as he scanned, the room, most of those folks weren't here 30 00:01:28,900 --> 00:01:32,300 a year ago, believe it or not. And so, we do have a very unique 31 00:01:32,300 --> 00:01:35,300 opportunity that's here before us at Liberty, Baptist Church. 32 00:01:35,300 --> 00:01:38,800 But I also know this to be the kind of church that God wants us 33 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:40,600 to be. We have to be a healthy church. 34 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:44,300 And sometimes we have to do a little bit of a checkup, if you 35 00:01:44,300 --> 00:01:47,700 will to make sure that we're doing right, that's a bit of a 36 00:01:47,700 --> 00:01:50,600 checkup from the neck up if you will to make sure that we are 37 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:53,700 where we need to be, I'll tell you you have to do a checkup and 38 00:01:53,700 --> 00:01:55,900 if you don't Don't you end up doing an autopsy? 39 00:01:56,600 --> 00:01:59,000 And I would much rather for us as a church to do a check-up, 40 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:02,000 then to do an autopsy to see what went wrong rather. 41 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:05,100 But then just to make some changes that are small and 42 00:02:05,100 --> 00:02:08,000 simple that are in each one of us that need to be made. 43 00:02:08,199 --> 00:02:11,900 I do know this about the Christian life, there are always 44 00:02:11,900 --> 00:02:15,200 changes that need to be made. There are always improvements 45 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:19,000 that need to be done. It would be like having a 46 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:21,800 project that's never finished. I can't imagine that if you were 47 00:02:21,900 --> 00:02:24,000 a contractor, if you're a carpenter, whatever it is. 48 00:02:24,500 --> 00:02:28,300 You know, the project, you know what it takes to start, you 49 00:02:28,300 --> 00:02:31,200 know, the materials that you need and there is a completed 50 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:33,200 time. However, when it comes to 51 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:35,700 working on the spiritual life, you realize this side of Heaven, 52 00:02:35,700 --> 00:02:38,300 There is no completion. There's still work that needs to 53 00:02:38,300 --> 00:02:39,500 be done. There's still standing there 54 00:02:39,500 --> 00:02:42,100 still buffing, they're still polishing, other still patching 55 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:45,400 that needs to take place as we walk through this Christian 56 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:47,700 life. And that carries over to us into 57 00:02:47,700 --> 00:02:49,900 the church. Because as we are people who are 58 00:02:49,900 --> 00:02:54,200 imperfect, as we are people who need the help of Jesus Christ to 59 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:58,100 be Able to get through. We as a church, are in the same 60 00:02:58,500 --> 00:03:02,000 issue and affliction as well. The problem is what we don't see 61 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:05,100 ourselves as that and when we see ourselves as the finished 62 00:03:05,100 --> 00:03:07,700 product, that's when we get ourselves into some trouble, 63 00:03:07,700 --> 00:03:10,100 that's when we get ourselves into some difficulties, like the 64 00:03:10,100 --> 00:03:13,500 old children's song says, he's still working on me to make me 65 00:03:13,500 --> 00:03:15,900 what I ought to be. It took him just a week to make 66 00:03:15,900 --> 00:03:18,200 the moon and the stars and the Sun, and the Earth and Jupiter 67 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:21,100 and Mars. How loving and patient, he must 68 00:03:21,100 --> 00:03:24,800 be to still be working on me. And, you know, I A lot of the 69 00:03:24,808 --> 00:03:27,700 children songs that we sing have a lot of the rich doctrinal, 70 00:03:27,700 --> 00:03:30,500 truth that sometimes we don't even think about as adults. 71 00:03:30,500 --> 00:03:33,000 And boy, if that's not the truth, I don't know what it is. 72 00:03:33,300 --> 00:03:35,800 And so I just want to go through and more of a topical way this 73 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:37,700 evening. Just us looking from the word of 74 00:03:37,700 --> 00:03:40,700 God here tonight. And and a lot of just things 75 00:03:40,700 --> 00:03:43,200 that you already know this evening about what it means to 76 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:45,600 be a healthy church member and I'll tell you one of the most 77 00:03:45,700 --> 00:03:48,200 healthy churches that you'll find in the book of Acts are in 78 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:50,800 the New Testament, is one of the ones that we know the least 79 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:52,600 about. And that's the church at Berea. 80 00:03:52,900 --> 00:03:56,500 This church at Berea was in Countered by Paul on the second 81 00:03:56,500 --> 00:03:59,000 missionary journey, not his initial journey through Asia 82 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:01,100 Minor. But on a second journey in which 83 00:04:01,100 --> 00:04:04,900 he went beyond Asia Minor and across into Europe and the 84 00:04:04,900 --> 00:04:07,900 bereans had a very wonderful thing said about them. 85 00:04:07,900 --> 00:04:10,400 You might already know what was said about the bereans but it 86 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:13,600 would do us well to be reminded of them this evening. 87 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:16,500 And so, here in X17, you may remain seated. 88 00:04:16,500 --> 00:04:19,700 But it says, in verse number 10, and the Brethren immediately 89 00:04:19,700 --> 00:04:24,100 sent Away, Paul and Silas by night into Maria or unto Berea. 90 00:04:24,500 --> 00:04:27,900 Who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 91 00:04:28,100 --> 00:04:30,800 These were more noble than those in thessalonica. 92 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:32,500 Now, can we stop here for just a moment? 93 00:04:32,500 --> 00:04:35,200 Those in thessalonica, were some of the most blessed that you'll 94 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:39,600 find in the New Testament. What I mean by this is the 95 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:41,900 church at Corinth was a troubled Church, wasn't it? 96 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:45,100 The church is at galatia had problems. 97 00:04:45,200 --> 00:04:48,700 They were Bewitched by this false gospel that this Gospel of 98 00:04:48,700 --> 00:04:51,900 the law, which is no gospel that came and was trying to overtake. 99 00:04:51,900 --> 00:04:54,000 Him, is why Paul said, oh, you foolish Galatians. 100 00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:57,700 And talk to them in the manner that he did, but we read 1st 101 00:04:57,700 --> 00:04:59,400 Thessalonians. And second Thessalonians, I 102 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:02,600 mentioned a few weeks ago, you don't see much of that level of 103 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:05,700 rebuke as much as you see. A lot of complimentary things 104 00:05:05,700 --> 00:05:09,200 being said, as well as exhortations for them to move 105 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:12,200 forward in their Christian Life. And so what I'm saying is this, 106 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:15,400 the Thessalonians were no slouches the church at 107 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:18,100 thessalonica was like well hey at least you're not like the 108 00:05:18,100 --> 00:05:21,300 Thessalonians, it wasn't like that they weren't laodiceans. 109 00:05:22,500 --> 00:05:24,600 You say, I don't know. I think he just said, amen, 110 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:27,200 that's great. It sounded close to it. 111 00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:28,600 So I'll take it. Thank you, AJ. 112 00:05:29,300 --> 00:05:31,500 If you don't know what I mean about Leo to see it will get 113 00:05:31,500 --> 00:05:35,000 there on Wednesday night here in a while about the lukewarm 114 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:38,000 nature of the laodicean church but this isn't who we're talking 115 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:39,800 about. Look at what it says again in 116 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:43,400 verse number 11 and these were more noble than those in 117 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:47,800 thessalonica in that they received the word with all 118 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:51,500 Readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures Daily. 119 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:54,700 Whether those things were so and it's interesting that this was 120 00:05:54,700 --> 00:05:57,100 my text and this is my message. Before I knew, what, Brother 121 00:05:57,100 --> 00:05:59,300 Scott Sandy was going to preach this morning and that was on my 122 00:05:59,300 --> 00:06:02,200 mind as he was preaching about the daily reading of the word of 123 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:04,100 God. And of course that's no accident 124 00:06:04,100 --> 00:06:07,500 that's no coincidence and certainly at the same time it's 125 00:06:07,500 --> 00:06:10,100 something that should be on our minds and our hearts on a daily 126 00:06:10,100 --> 00:06:12,200 basis. Anyway the need to read and 127 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:15,100 study the word. It says they received the word 128 00:06:15,300 --> 00:06:19,300 and searched the Scriptures Daily whether those things were, 129 00:06:19,300 --> 00:06:22,400 so what things were they searching, Well, they were 130 00:06:22,400 --> 00:06:25,400 searching out what Paul was saying, whether Paul was 131 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:28,900 speaking truth or not, you say well who would fact check the 132 00:06:28,900 --> 00:06:31,500 Apostle Paul. Well the bereans did and the 133 00:06:31,500 --> 00:06:34,500 Bible complimented them for it. It wasn't that they did so 134 00:06:34,500 --> 00:06:37,800 because they were skeptical of him as a person and it wasn't 135 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:40,200 because they had a skeptical nature where they were just 136 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:42,600 hoping they looked at the preacher and say bless me. 137 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:45,900 Now, if you can, they wanted to be able to hear the word of God 138 00:06:45,900 --> 00:06:48,200 and they just want to make sure he was on the right path. 139 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:50,400 This might surprise you but us preachers. 140 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:54,400 We can sometimes get it wrong. Somehow, my wife wasn't 141 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:57,200 surprised by that, but the rest of you are on support. 142 00:06:57,200 --> 00:06:59,000 Thank you brother. Vince McMahon. 143 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:02,700 All right, but we sometimes get it wrong. 144 00:07:02,700 --> 00:07:04,600 You know why? Because we're human and 145 00:07:04,600 --> 00:07:05,900 fallible. Like anyone else, we have a 146 00:07:05,900 --> 00:07:09,600 calling upon our life, but we have the ability to get the call 147 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:13,000 wrong, and we have to pray about that and address that as that 148 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:15,100 comes. And so, the bereans are 149 00:07:15,100 --> 00:07:19,000 literally fact-checking Paul, not to be Skeptics, but because 150 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:22,200 they wanted to believe it. Not because Paul said it, 151 00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:25,000 because they wanted to believe it because they knew the word of 152 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:28,100 God said, it. It reminds me of at the end of 153 00:07:28,100 --> 00:07:32,400 John chapter 4, when the people of sychar came back to the woman 154 00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:35,900 at the well, and they said, we believe, but not because of you, 155 00:07:36,100 --> 00:07:39,400 but because we've heard him ourselves and for a long time, I 156 00:07:39,400 --> 00:07:41,500 thought that that statement sounded kind of strange. 157 00:07:41,500 --> 00:07:43,800 It's kind of like yeah. We don't like you, but we heard 158 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:46,100 Jesus and we believe in him. That's not what they were 159 00:07:46,100 --> 00:07:48,400 saying. I believe they were thanking her 160 00:07:48,700 --> 00:07:51,500 for bringing Jesus to their attention, but they're saying we 161 00:07:51,500 --> 00:07:55,400 don't believe Because we trust your word, we believe, because 162 00:07:55,400 --> 00:07:57,900 we listen to his word and we trust in him. 163 00:07:58,100 --> 00:08:01,200 And that's what it should be, by the way for you, if you walk out 164 00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:03,500 of here. However, long your time is here 165 00:08:03,500 --> 00:08:06,000 at Liberty, Baptist Church and I hope it's a very long time until 166 00:08:06,300 --> 00:08:09,100 the Lord calls us all home. But if that's the case, I hope 167 00:08:09,100 --> 00:08:11,600 that you don't walk out of here. Saying I know what I believe 168 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:13,400 because it's what Pastor Rivero said. 169 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:17,300 That's seen a moment. That's not the sign of a healthy 170 00:08:17,300 --> 00:08:20,000 church. Member, it's no because Pastor 171 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:23,500 Rivero caused me to want to search the scriptures for 172 00:08:23,500 --> 00:08:26,400 myself. And I seem to be that I came to 173 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:28,100 the same conclusion that he came to. 174 00:08:28,100 --> 00:08:30,400 Because that's by the way, the doctor that I have is not 175 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:32,700 because Heartland Baptist Bible College told me to have it. 176 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:35,700 The doctor that I have is not because Westgate Baptist Church 177 00:08:35,799 --> 00:08:39,100 ordained me to preach that and that alone know the doctrine. 178 00:08:39,100 --> 00:08:42,299 I came to is because I had to search the scriptures for myself 179 00:08:42,299 --> 00:08:44,400 and I'm thankful for men like a Sam Davison or worse? 180 00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:47,800 Has Turner Jason Gaddis men that you've met many of them. 181 00:08:48,400 --> 00:08:50,900 I'm thankful for what they've received what I've received from 182 00:08:50,900 --> 00:08:53,700 them, but I had to go to the word of God, myself and check 183 00:08:53,700 --> 00:08:56,200 whether those things were so or not for myself. 184 00:08:56,200 --> 00:08:59,100 So I come here not as an emissary of Heartland or an 185 00:08:59,100 --> 00:09:03,500 emissary of Westgate or of Sam or of Bruce or of anyone else. 186 00:09:03,500 --> 00:09:05,500 I come to you as an ambassador of Jesus Christ. 187 00:09:05,500 --> 00:09:08,100 Knowing that I've had to search the scriptures for myself and 188 00:09:08,100 --> 00:09:11,200 that's part of what our commission is as a church to be 189 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:13,800 people of the worst part of being a healthy church. 190 00:09:13,800 --> 00:09:16,500 And because then Number 12, it says therefore many of them 191 00:09:16,500 --> 00:09:21,400 believed also of honorable women which were Greeks and of men not 192 00:09:21,400 --> 00:09:22,600 a few. It's amazing. 193 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:26,000 And on a study of the scriptures brought people to a saving 194 00:09:26,100 --> 00:09:28,700 knowledge of Jesus Christ. Imagine that. 195 00:09:29,200 --> 00:09:31,900 I feel like if we can just present people the gospel and if 196 00:09:31,908 --> 00:09:35,100 we can just present them the word of God and they listen with 197 00:09:35,100 --> 00:09:38,200 an open mind and that they take what we have and study it for 198 00:09:38,208 --> 00:09:41,100 themselves that they really can come to no other conclusion. 199 00:09:41,100 --> 00:09:43,200 Other than unless they're just trying to be stubborn about the 200 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:46,100 issue then Jesus. Christ is Lord and he is the 201 00:09:46,100 --> 00:09:48,900 only one that can save them. But here are these 202 00:09:48,900 --> 00:09:51,700 Thessalonians, their Noble. Could we put it this way in the 203 00:09:51,700 --> 00:09:53,600 context of the message? I want to give tonight? 204 00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:55,700 They're healthy, they're healthy. 205 00:09:56,000 --> 00:09:58,500 They're people the Bible, they're not people of tradition. 206 00:09:58,800 --> 00:10:01,100 They're not people of politics. They're not people of any of 207 00:10:01,100 --> 00:10:03,200 these other things. Listen, we get our marching 208 00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:05,200 orders, but not from Bible, colleges. 209 00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:08,300 We get our marching orders, not from the Republican National 210 00:10:08,300 --> 00:10:13,700 headquarters. Yeah, we get our marching orders 211 00:10:13,700 --> 00:10:18,700 from Jesus Christ because he is the one who is the same 212 00:10:18,700 --> 00:10:22,100 yesterday and today and forever. So I just topically tonight, 213 00:10:22,100 --> 00:10:24,700 want to give you a five things that I believe help make a 214 00:10:24,708 --> 00:10:27,500 healthy church and I hope you'll write these down or at least 215 00:10:27,700 --> 00:10:29,900 listen to it later online and write it down then. 216 00:10:29,900 --> 00:10:31,800 All right. Number one, is this a healthy 217 00:10:31,800 --> 00:10:33,800 church members saturated with the gospel? 218 00:10:34,100 --> 00:10:36,700 A healthy church member is saturated with the gospel. 219 00:10:36,900 --> 00:10:39,700 Listen, how can you not get excited then to hear what we 220 00:10:39,700 --> 00:10:40,900 heard this? Warning about brother. 221 00:10:40,900 --> 00:10:42,900 Jim a man that we've been praying for four years. 222 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:45,100 And to hear that Jim Weatherbee was able to sit down. 223 00:10:45,100 --> 00:10:47,200 And he told me the story. I don't want to tell it's his 224 00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:49,900 story to tell him, not mine, but I'll tell you, just to be able 225 00:10:49,900 --> 00:10:52,500 to hear how the Lord orchestrated all that together. 226 00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:55,200 And it's not a coincidence that we've been talking about Soul 227 00:10:55,200 --> 00:10:57,200 winning is not a coincidence that he's been talking about. 228 00:10:57,200 --> 00:10:59,200 And he was telling me some of the illustrations that he was 229 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:00,800 using. And he was talking about, I told 230 00:11:00,800 --> 00:11:02,900 him this is this is a gift if I gave it to you, when would it 231 00:11:02,908 --> 00:11:06,200 belong to you? I thought that's what I say, but 232 00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:09,000 it's not because I made it up. It's because these are things 233 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:11,500 that have been handed down Down from generation to generation 234 00:11:11,500 --> 00:11:15,000 that come from the word of God, because salvation is a gift. 235 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:16,900 And we have to explain to people what that is. 236 00:11:17,200 --> 00:11:20,400 But you know, that comes from being saturated with the gospel, 237 00:11:20,900 --> 00:11:23,200 a healthy church members members, someone who knows the 238 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:27,200 gospel, they desire to hear the gospel, they love to preach the 239 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:29,400 gospel. It's not just my job to preach 240 00:11:29,400 --> 00:11:31,600 the gospel. I know that from this Pulpit 241 00:11:31,600 --> 00:11:34,400 that that's what God has ordained me to do and I'm happy 242 00:11:34,500 --> 00:11:38,200 and I'm thankful and I hope sometimes if you're happy that I 243 00:11:38,208 --> 00:11:41,500 do it, I praise the Lord for it. But I do know this, it's all of 244 00:11:41,500 --> 00:11:44,000 our jobs to preach the gospel because I can't preach the 245 00:11:44,008 --> 00:11:46,800 gospel to your co-workers and I likely can't preach the gospel 246 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:50,100 to your family and I can't preach gospel to the school's, I 247 00:11:50,100 --> 00:11:52,100 can't do that. But I do know this. 248 00:11:52,100 --> 00:11:54,900 That you were, you are have been ordained to preach, just 249 00:11:54,900 --> 00:11:57,700 literally to proclaim the gospel, but that only happens 250 00:11:57,700 --> 00:12:00,500 when we're saturated with it, do you realize people talk about 251 00:12:00,500 --> 00:12:01,600 the things they're interested in? 252 00:12:01,700 --> 00:12:03,600 You know, what, everyone's going to talk about the water cooler 253 00:12:03,600 --> 00:12:04,800 tomorrow? They're gonna talk about the 254 00:12:04,800 --> 00:12:06,100 Super Bowl. You know why? 255 00:12:06,100 --> 00:12:07,800 Because that's what they've been immersed in tonight. 256 00:12:07,900 --> 00:12:10,500 And for you and I all joking aside that we were kind of Like 257 00:12:11,100 --> 00:12:13,700 a collective shrug this evening about it. 258 00:12:13,700 --> 00:12:16,300 It's not that you can't watch it or you shouldn't watch it. 259 00:12:16,308 --> 00:12:18,500 It's just that, well, it doesn't dominate our lives. 260 00:12:18,500 --> 00:12:21,300 In the sense that the onion dips, not going to be ready 261 00:12:21,300 --> 00:12:22,300 tonight. What are we going to do? 262 00:12:22,300 --> 00:12:24,200 We can't go to church. I've got to find the you know I 263 00:12:24,208 --> 00:12:27,500 got to find all the snacks. Listen let him have it man. 264 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:30,100 We're here in the house of God tonight. 265 00:12:30,100 --> 00:12:31,300 We're here to hear the word of God. 266 00:12:31,300 --> 00:12:34,300 We've even had church service when the patch were in the Super 267 00:12:34,300 --> 00:12:37,000 Bowl. And we didn't change it, their 268 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:39,700 churches that were closed church for the Super Bowl. 269 00:12:39,700 --> 00:12:41,200 What message does that send to people? 270 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:47,200 What does it do? So, I'm not out to to try to 271 00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:49,700 belittle any other charge or anyone else, but just to say, it 272 00:12:49,700 --> 00:12:52,700 sends a message and probably not the one that says the gospel is 273 00:12:52,700 --> 00:12:55,300 the most important thing in our life to saturate ourselves, 274 00:12:55,300 --> 00:12:58,600 gospel, preached, The Gospel Center, our lives, around the 275 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:01,800 gospel. I feel like there's a couple 276 00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:04,700 problems when it comes to us being centered around the 277 00:13:04,708 --> 00:13:07,100 gospel. One, is that for many people, 278 00:13:07,100 --> 00:13:09,500 the gospel is a Spoke. It's not the Hub. 279 00:13:10,300 --> 00:13:11,300 You understand what I mean by that? 280 00:13:11,300 --> 00:13:14,100 If you had an Old Wagon Wheel, the Hub is in the middle. 281 00:13:14,100 --> 00:13:19,000 The spokes is around at the spoke supports the but the spoke 282 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:22,200 alone doesn't run. The, the wheel you need to have 283 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:24,200 the Hub. Everything else goes around it. 284 00:13:24,200 --> 00:13:26,600 For many people, the gospel is just another spoke. 285 00:13:27,300 --> 00:13:32,700 In The Wheel of Life but really for us, the gospel is the center 286 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:35,500 and everything else connects to it and everything else rotates 287 00:13:35,500 --> 00:13:37,600 around it. So we should be gospel-centered. 288 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:40,000 But I also believe this the question I heard a preacher just 289 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:42,100 say this not that long ago. The question is not just our we 290 00:13:42,100 --> 00:13:44,000 gospel-centered. But the question is this, how 291 00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:47,000 far does the circle around that Center, go in our life? 292 00:13:47,500 --> 00:13:49,500 Because there's some people gospel centered, but the gospel 293 00:13:49,500 --> 00:13:50,900 doesn't touch every part of their life. 294 00:13:51,300 --> 00:13:53,300 The gospel out of touch, the things that you watch The Gospel 295 00:13:53,300 --> 00:13:55,200 out of touch, the things that you think the gospel out to 296 00:13:55,200 --> 00:13:57,000 touch the things that you go online and see. 297 00:13:57,100 --> 00:13:59,300 See the gospel out to touch the music that you listen to the 298 00:13:59,300 --> 00:14:01,500 gospel out of touch every single thing of our life. 299 00:14:01,500 --> 00:14:04,000 And so it's not just that it's the center but it's that it's 300 00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:07,600 the center of a very broad Circle that encompasses every 301 00:14:07,600 --> 00:14:10,300 single part of our lives. And I think for many of us as 302 00:14:10,300 --> 00:14:12,200 Christians. Sure, we're gospel centered on 303 00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:14,600 Sunday, but it's just that Circle doesn't Encompass the 304 00:14:14,600 --> 00:14:16,800 other six days of the week. That's a problem and it's 305 00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:18,000 something that we have to work on. 306 00:14:18,100 --> 00:14:19,700 It doesn't make for a healthy Church. 307 00:14:20,400 --> 00:14:23,000 It doesn't make for a healthy church and we are people who 308 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:26,300 need to defend the gospel. We need to be able to talk about 309 00:14:26,300 --> 00:14:30,500 why The gospel is true. When someone asks us questions 310 00:14:30,500 --> 00:14:32,800 about the gospel, we should be ready to be able to answer. 311 00:14:32,900 --> 00:14:34,400 It's not that we can answer every question. 312 00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:37,300 I wish that we could we can't but that we are at least 313 00:14:37,300 --> 00:14:40,200 prepared to be able as much as we can to give an answer for the 314 00:14:40,200 --> 00:14:42,400 hope that lies within us. That's I believe what the 315 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:44,700 bereans would have been able to do, because they were searching 316 00:14:44,700 --> 00:14:47,900 the scriptures for themselves and they were in able to 317 00:14:47,900 --> 00:14:50,500 interact with Paul about the gospel because they were gospel 318 00:14:50,500 --> 00:14:53,300 centered, so the healthy church. Member number one is saturated 319 00:14:53,300 --> 00:14:55,000 with the gospel number to a healthy. 320 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:56,900 Church member is a student of the Bible. 321 00:14:57,100 --> 00:15:00,200 Oh, Could you doubt that the bereans were students of the 322 00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:02,200 Bible? You know what makes this more 323 00:15:02,200 --> 00:15:05,800 incredible to me? How many of them do you think on 324 00:15:05,800 --> 00:15:11,000 the Bible? I mean, certainly they could 325 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:12,900 have had access to the Old Testament. 326 00:15:12,900 --> 00:15:16,300 I would assure you that they did, but I'm talking about, in 327 00:15:16,300 --> 00:15:20,800 their home, on their bookshelf. We're about 1,400 years away 328 00:15:20,800 --> 00:15:25,500 from Johann Gutenberg. And we're certainly about 329 00:15:25,600 --> 00:15:31,200 another from here, 40 years or so, until scripture has been 330 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:34,700 completely written by John and the Canon of scripture is 331 00:15:34,700 --> 00:15:38,500 closed. But despite the difficulty, they 332 00:15:38,500 --> 00:15:41,700 were students of the Bible, we have never had more Bibles. 333 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:43,900 We have. Never had more Bible literature. 334 00:15:44,100 --> 00:15:47,600 We've never had more resources. I have more resources on my 335 00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:50,300 phone than Charles Spurgeon had in his entire library at the 336 00:15:50,308 --> 00:15:53,400 Metropolitan Tabernacle. I mean that'll blow your mind 337 00:15:53,400 --> 00:15:55,300 right there. When you think about that the 338 00:15:55,300 --> 00:15:58,600 prince of preachers had had less resources fingertips that I do. 339 00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:01,300 And I know that's true because I can read his resources for my 340 00:16:01,300 --> 00:16:04,400 phone so and he didn't have access to those unless he was 341 00:16:04,400 --> 00:16:07,700 just accessing his mind I guess. But I do know this is that we 342 00:16:07,708 --> 00:16:11,800 have all these resources but it seems like as a culture and even 343 00:16:11,800 --> 00:16:15,900 as if I could use the term, the church in general is more 344 00:16:15,900 --> 00:16:19,100 gospel, starved and Bible illiterate than ever. 345 00:16:19,100 --> 00:16:21,800 And I'm not talking about individuals here in general, 346 00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:24,600 that's For you to understand but if I was to take just 347 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:28,600 Christianity in general, we are more Bible illiterate than ever 348 00:16:28,700 --> 00:16:31,700 even with the access to all the things that we have a healthy 349 00:16:31,700 --> 00:16:33,600 church members, a student of the Bible, they have a healthy 350 00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:36,700 prayer life that we pray. And I was just reading just this 351 00:16:36,700 --> 00:16:41,100 morning getting ready for my time of reading in the Bible, 352 00:16:41,500 --> 00:16:45,500 just a very short message that I was reading with the idea of 353 00:16:45,500 --> 00:16:48,700 that that we as Christians, most of our problems, our prayer 354 00:16:48,700 --> 00:16:51,600 problems. In the sense that it's a lack of 355 00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:54,300 prayer problems that we can't say that for every situation in 356 00:16:54,300 --> 00:16:55,900 life. But how many times have we just 357 00:16:55,900 --> 00:16:57,200 neglected? The closet? 358 00:16:57,300 --> 00:17:00,800 You have not because you ask not when you wonder sometimes why we 359 00:17:00,800 --> 00:17:04,300 have not. Well, the Bible tells us why in 360 00:17:04,300 --> 00:17:06,800 certain situations, you have not because you ask not, they have a 361 00:17:06,800 --> 00:17:09,400 healthy fare / life, they Faithfully, read the Bible. 362 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:12,400 I hope that January moving forward in your daily walk. 363 00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:15,500 Help you to realize some places where you can move ahead in your 364 00:17:15,500 --> 00:17:17,300 Bible reading over the next year. 365 00:17:17,500 --> 00:17:21,099 Lives by the Bible. Listen, anyone can The Bible and 366 00:17:21,099 --> 00:17:24,400 I don't mean to be unkind about that, but I can tell you, I've 367 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:26,800 met a lot of people who say, I've read the Bible every year 368 00:17:27,099 --> 00:17:29,900 for 30 years and you look at them and say well hopefully 369 00:17:29,900 --> 00:17:34,500 it'll start taking pretty soon. And again, not trying to be 370 00:17:34,500 --> 00:17:35,700 unkind. And I'm not trying to be 371 00:17:35,700 --> 00:17:38,000 sarcastic. What I'm saying is this at some 372 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:41,300 point, as I said, a few moments ago, or I think earlier this 373 00:17:41,300 --> 00:17:43,300 morning is that just that you read the Bible, but the Rive 374 00:17:43,300 --> 00:17:45,600 Bible read you. And that we get to the point 375 00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:47,800 where it's not just we go through the routine of reading, 376 00:17:47,800 --> 00:17:50,700 but it starts to change you and like Pete montoro says, you 377 00:17:50,700 --> 00:17:52,800 know, it's who you really start to understand a few things after 378 00:17:52,800 --> 00:17:56,500 you get through about 25 times. I feel like there's probably 379 00:17:56,500 --> 00:17:59,500 some truth to that although you can understand certain parts of 380 00:17:59,500 --> 00:18:02,900 it, the very first time that you can get to the 25th time and The 381 00:18:02,900 --> 00:18:06,300 Lord still unlocks. Wonderful and precious truths to 382 00:18:06,300 --> 00:18:07,800 you. What other book is like that 383 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:10,300 there's some wonderful classic literature out there that there 384 00:18:10,300 --> 00:18:12,000 is wonderful. Classic literature fact. 385 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:14,300 I would take classic literature compared to most the trash 386 00:18:14,300 --> 00:18:16,900 that's being written today. But I will tell you this, that 387 00:18:16,900 --> 00:18:20,000 even of the classics, you're not going to get the timelessness. 388 00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:25,100 The freshness, the Perpetual ability to learn and to grow, 389 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:27,200 and that you will from the word of God. 390 00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:29,700 So we must be students of the Bible healthy church members are 391 00:18:29,700 --> 00:18:31,900 students of the Bible. Well, I'm not Bible College, 392 00:18:31,900 --> 00:18:34,700 well, your whole life Be a Bible College, our whole life's, just 393 00:18:34,700 --> 00:18:38,500 be a Perpetual study and learning and growth of the word 394 00:18:38,500 --> 00:18:40,100 of God. And after what we heard this 395 00:18:40,100 --> 00:18:42,800 morning, why would we want to? It's the honey that enlightens 396 00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:45,600 us, it brightens the eyes. It helps us to discern between 397 00:18:45,800 --> 00:18:47,900 the good and the evil. So number one, a healthy church 398 00:18:47,900 --> 00:18:49,300 members. Saturate with the gospel number 399 00:18:49,300 --> 00:18:51,600 to a healthy church members are student the Bible. 400 00:18:51,600 --> 00:18:55,100 Number three, a healthy church member is a serving member, a 401 00:18:55,100 --> 00:18:58,600 serving member. What does that mean? 402 00:18:58,600 --> 00:19:01,800 Well, if you're part of the organism, the organization of 403 00:19:01,800 --> 00:19:05,200 the church, Is that you serve as part of the church as part of 404 00:19:05,300 --> 00:19:06,900 being a healthy Church? Why? 405 00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:10,900 Because the needs of the church are met within the church, I 406 00:19:10,900 --> 00:19:12,800 cannot call the town of Easton and ask them. 407 00:19:12,900 --> 00:19:15,400 Can you help us cover a children's church this Sunday? 408 00:19:16,700 --> 00:19:20,500 They'll laugh at us, you know. I can't call Walmart and ask, 409 00:19:20,500 --> 00:19:23,300 can you help us? We have a need tending to the 410 00:19:23,300 --> 00:19:25,400 property outside. They'll laugh at us. 411 00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:27,100 They can't even tend to there. Never mind. 412 00:19:27,300 --> 00:19:29,500 But it seems like I keep coming back to that. 413 00:19:29,500 --> 00:19:33,300 So there what I'm saying is this, God has ordained this 414 00:19:33,300 --> 00:19:36,000 entity to care for the needs of this entity. 415 00:19:36,300 --> 00:19:39,000 And you've all heard the statistics that 80% of the work 416 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:42,200 gets done by 20% of the people. And we've gotten to the point 417 00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:45,500 where maybe that's just a normal thing, and I will say that that 418 00:19:45,500 --> 00:19:49,400 may be normal, but Not God's plan that may be normal, but it 419 00:19:49,400 --> 00:19:52,600 was never God's plan that God has called us all to be serving 420 00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:55,500 members to be faithful to the services of the church. 421 00:19:55,600 --> 00:19:58,400 I made a decision long ago before I even knew that God was 422 00:19:58,500 --> 00:20:00,700 going to put me into Ministry like I am now. 423 00:20:00,900 --> 00:20:04,400 But if the church was open, I was going to be there and I can 424 00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:06,500 tell you that some people said well you don't have to do that. 425 00:20:06,500 --> 00:20:08,600 The Bible doesn't say Sunday morning Sunday night and 426 00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:09,800 Wednesday night. Can I tell you? 427 00:20:09,800 --> 00:20:13,300 My life is so much enriched by that decision. 428 00:20:13,700 --> 00:20:16,200 It has been so enriched by being able to be here Sunday morning. 429 00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:18,600 I haven't missed a thing and I even put it this way. 430 00:20:18,600 --> 00:20:21,300 I feel like I've gained quite a lot by being able to be in the 431 00:20:21,300 --> 00:20:23,500 house of God. I know that that's the case in 432 00:20:23,500 --> 00:20:26,800 some of you that may be live longer out in the world and I 433 00:20:26,800 --> 00:20:29,200 did just getting saved at 16 and then coming to some of these 434 00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:30,700 conclusions, by the time, I was 18. 435 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:33,500 Somebody would say, I lived out a lot farther in the world than 436 00:20:33,500 --> 00:20:35,900 you did Pastor. And I would tell you this, I'm 437 00:20:35,900 --> 00:20:38,100 better off coming to Sunday morning, and Sunday night and 438 00:20:38,100 --> 00:20:40,200 Wednesday night. Then when I had my time, quote 439 00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:44,600 unquote for myself, and I look back and say this is where I 440 00:20:44,608 --> 00:20:47,300 want to be, it's not just where I need to be, but Want to be a 441 00:20:47,308 --> 00:20:49,300 serving members. Faithful all the services by the 442 00:20:49,300 --> 00:20:51,600 way, you can't really serve unless you're faithful to 443 00:20:51,600 --> 00:20:54,200 several services. And the reason why is there's 444 00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:57,300 some Ministries you can't help it because if you do and that's 445 00:20:57,300 --> 00:20:59,200 the only service, you're at during the week, you'll never 446 00:20:59,200 --> 00:21:01,500 get preaching. You'll never get Fellowship will 447 00:21:01,500 --> 00:21:03,400 be stuck back in one of the classrooms and we don't want to 448 00:21:03,408 --> 00:21:05,700 do that. And so sure it's okay to be back 449 00:21:05,700 --> 00:21:07,600 there, but we want to make sure you get fed. 450 00:21:07,900 --> 00:21:10,300 We want to make sure that you have that as well and so 451 00:21:10,700 --> 00:21:15,200 faithful to all the services. Here's a big one serves others 452 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:18,100 first. And there, Self last serves 453 00:21:18,100 --> 00:21:20,500 others first and their self last. 454 00:21:20,800 --> 00:21:23,000 And that isn't that what service is all about? 455 00:21:23,500 --> 00:21:25,800 Listen, we talked about the Great Gulf that was fanned by 456 00:21:25,800 --> 00:21:27,300 Jesus Christ. And all I can think of is 457 00:21:27,300 --> 00:21:30,300 Philippians chapter number 2, and if that doesn't also speak 458 00:21:30,300 --> 00:21:33,600 to the fact that Jesus washed the feet of the disciples. 459 00:21:34,400 --> 00:21:37,800 Now, Not only was that task itself, what we would consider 460 00:21:37,800 --> 00:21:44,100 to be, not a very fun job, but you are John 1:1. 461 00:21:44,400 --> 00:21:46,300 The one who is before the beginning. 462 00:21:46,400 --> 00:21:50,400 Ting and the one that you are involved in every element of 463 00:21:50,408 --> 00:21:52,800 creation. Without him was not anything 464 00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:57,300 made that was made. And he washed the very feet that 465 00:21:57,300 --> 00:22:02,100 he created of the dirt that he had created with the water that 466 00:22:02,100 --> 00:22:06,400 he created. There's no other way to look at. 467 00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:09,400 And sometimes we can't be bothered to serve. 468 00:22:10,600 --> 00:22:16,000 When Jesus did that him, if anyone had an excuse to say, I'm 469 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:21,300 out, it's Jesus on top of the fact that he knew in hours, that 470 00:22:21,300 --> 00:22:25,500 he would be led to the cross that he did not deserve, and he 471 00:22:25,500 --> 00:22:29,900 still took that time to give us the example of being servants, a 472 00:22:29,900 --> 00:22:32,100 healthy church member serves other healthy church. 473 00:22:32,100 --> 00:22:34,900 Member, does it look for reasons for people to pour into him or 474 00:22:34,900 --> 00:22:36,800 her? When they come in, they look for 475 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:40,000 opportunities and even excuses to pour into other people get 476 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:41,400 involved. Old with new people, they want 477 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:45,000 to talk to new people that want to help new arrivals and I've 478 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:47,100 been encouraged even with some of the new folks that we've had, 479 00:22:47,100 --> 00:22:50,000 some of the younger believers do or folks that have been here, 480 00:22:50,200 --> 00:22:52,100 how some of you have gone above and beyond. 481 00:22:52,100 --> 00:22:55,300 And yes, I've seen it and I hope that complimented you on that. 482 00:22:55,300 --> 00:22:58,500 And if I haven't, I apologize. But I'll tell you this, I've 483 00:22:58,500 --> 00:23:01,500 seen how you've gone above and beyond why, because you want to 484 00:23:01,500 --> 00:23:04,700 love them to the gospel, you want to love them to the gospel 485 00:23:04,900 --> 00:23:08,400 and you know, I could preach a sermon, they may not get it, but 486 00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:12,500 by the fact that you serve them That make the difference out. 487 00:23:13,900 --> 00:23:17,400 Be careful how I say this. I had someone just tell me this 488 00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:21,800 recently. They said this, they said of 489 00:23:21,800 --> 00:23:24,100 someone else that they care for. They said this. 490 00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:26,400 He said no one treats them, right? 491 00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:30,300 Except if it's your church, No one ever treat them, right 492 00:23:30,800 --> 00:23:33,800 except at your church. Well do you think we'll have 493 00:23:33,800 --> 00:23:37,100 more or less of an opportunity? Give them the gospel with the 494 00:23:37,108 --> 00:23:39,700 testimony like that. Now I'm thankful for that. 495 00:23:40,100 --> 00:23:42,400 I am thankful like that for that but there's room for 496 00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:46,500 improvement, there's room for improvement, we can do more, 497 00:23:46,900 --> 00:23:48,900 like I said on Wednesday night to be able to bring people in 498 00:23:48,900 --> 00:23:51,700 our homes or to be able to show Hospitality or to be able to 499 00:23:51,700 --> 00:23:54,500 just take some time after a church to talk or before church 500 00:23:54,500 --> 00:23:57,900 to make sure that we're moving around. 501 00:23:58,100 --> 00:23:59,900 Like, you know, they say, Say on the airplanes move about the 502 00:23:59,900 --> 00:24:02,500 cabin, all right, so move around a little bit and talk to people 503 00:24:02,500 --> 00:24:04,600 that the fasten seatbelt sign is not on. 504 00:24:04,600 --> 00:24:07,000 You are free to move about the cabin while you're here and get 505 00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:08,700 to know people and that's a blessing. 506 00:24:08,800 --> 00:24:11,400 And then it being involved in a Ministry to find Ministries that 507 00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:14,800 you can be involved in, that's part of being a healthy member. 508 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:17,500 So a healthy church members, saturated with the gospel. 509 00:24:17,500 --> 00:24:20,100 There are student of the Bible there are serving member but I 510 00:24:20,108 --> 00:24:22,000 also say this. They're also work under 511 00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:25,000 Authority. They work under Authority as 512 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:27,800 well. This is an important one and I'm 513 00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:31,200 thankful for Liberty Baptist Church helps me as a pastor and 514 00:24:31,200 --> 00:24:33,700 I'm thankful for our Liberty churches comes alongside our 515 00:24:33,700 --> 00:24:35,300 family. We felt that even over the last 516 00:24:35,300 --> 00:24:37,900 few months we will be foolish to say otherwise. 517 00:24:38,100 --> 00:24:41,900 And I'll be honest with you. At times, I'm uncomfortable 518 00:24:41,900 --> 00:24:44,900 talking about my position as a pastor, or my authority, as a 519 00:24:44,900 --> 00:24:47,000 pastor. And the reason why is because I 520 00:24:47,008 --> 00:24:52,200 don't like to hold that over people or even give the idea 521 00:24:52,200 --> 00:24:54,500 that I hold that over everyone. And I understand that I'm one of 522 00:24:54,508 --> 00:24:58,300 the younger Believers that's here in the church as far as age 523 00:24:58,500 --> 00:25:00,700 and there are many of you that have been in Good gospel 524 00:25:00,700 --> 00:25:02,200 preaching churches for some time. 525 00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:04,800 But I also do have to recognize the fact this that God has a 526 00:25:04,800 --> 00:25:07,000 plan for the leadership of his church. 527 00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:10,000 God has a plan that he has ordained for the church to move. 528 00:25:10,500 --> 00:25:14,900 Heard he's given us a example, through the Church of Jesus 529 00:25:14,900 --> 00:25:18,100 Christ and his disciples with the Good Shepherd, leading 530 00:25:18,100 --> 00:25:21,100 around his 12 disciples. And at the same time as The 531 00:25:21,100 --> 00:25:24,100 Under Shepherd, I'm to follow that model and that we as a 532 00:25:24,108 --> 00:25:28,000 church to do that together, you know, a healthy Church Works 533 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:30,300 under Authority. They uphold the office of the 534 00:25:30,300 --> 00:25:33,200 pastor understanding that I'm not just a preacher but a pastor 535 00:25:34,300 --> 00:25:36,800 That I'm not just the preacher of the church, but also that has 536 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:40,300 some Authority as well. And another, right by the way, 537 00:25:40,300 --> 00:25:42,100 another reason I'm going to comfortable talking about this 538 00:25:42,100 --> 00:25:44,800 is because I would say, an independent Baptists circles, 539 00:25:44,800 --> 00:25:46,100 know what? To be careful how I say this, 540 00:25:46,300 --> 00:25:49,300 Independent Baptist circles Authority has been abused over 541 00:25:49,300 --> 00:25:52,200 the years. It's been abused in the in the 542 00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:53,200 broader. What? 543 00:25:53,200 --> 00:25:56,600 I sometimes hear called the ifb movement, independent 544 00:25:56,600 --> 00:26:00,200 fundamental Baptist. Church's Authority has been 545 00:26:01,700 --> 00:26:03,700 abused. Trust has been broken. 546 00:26:03,800 --> 00:26:07,000 Ian and violated and that's a real thing. 547 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:09,700 Some people have come from churches where that was an 548 00:26:09,700 --> 00:26:14,700 issue, where the authority of a pastor was not just leading on 549 00:26:14,700 --> 00:26:18,900 Softly As Jacob did when talking to Esau, but it was not leading 550 00:26:18,900 --> 00:26:22,800 the Sheep, but beating the Sheep beating the Sheep when they 551 00:26:22,800 --> 00:26:26,100 bleeped, if you will because all sheep make noise once in a 552 00:26:26,108 --> 00:26:30,000 while, but they bleeped and he beats and that's not what the 553 00:26:30,008 --> 00:26:32,600 biblical model is. And so sometimes that causes me 554 00:26:32,600 --> 00:26:36,300 to not want to Talk about Authority, but that could also 555 00:26:36,300 --> 00:26:37,700 cause the pendulum to go too far. 556 00:26:37,700 --> 00:26:40,600 The other direction, to not even acknowledge that, there is a 557 00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:43,600 Biblical model that God has and that includes upholding the 558 00:26:43,600 --> 00:26:47,900 office of the pasture, which I'm thankful that Liberty is so 559 00:26:47,900 --> 00:26:50,200 helpful. I feel like many times like 560 00:26:50,200 --> 00:26:53,400 Aaron and Hur when Moses had the arms that were weak. 561 00:26:53,500 --> 00:26:56,200 Aaron and Hur came alongside and held his arms up until the 562 00:26:56,200 --> 00:26:58,800 battle was won. I feel like that here many times 563 00:26:58,800 --> 00:27:01,300 at Liberty but they energetically follow the leader 564 00:27:01,600 --> 00:27:03,700 of any Ministry that there are leaders. 565 00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:05,300 Hours of different Ministries at times. 566 00:27:05,300 --> 00:27:07,700 And it's not just that you follow me, but follow that 567 00:27:07,700 --> 00:27:10,200 leader as well. That they have a humble Spirit, 568 00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:14,000 a teachable spirit in whatever Ministry that they're in that. 569 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:16,300 They look for ways to promote leaders in to make them 570 00:27:16,300 --> 00:27:21,800 successful, that no one's trying to be the head, honcho, but 571 00:27:21,800 --> 00:27:24,000 everybody's trying to do this. What? 572 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:26,900 John the Baptist said of himself. 573 00:27:27,400 --> 00:27:31,500 He must increase, but I must decrease Is that we make sure 574 00:27:31,500 --> 00:27:36,500 that the leadership is upheld. And Leadership says Jesus 575 00:27:36,500 --> 00:27:37,500 Christ. Must be upheld. 576 00:27:37,800 --> 00:27:39,900 Everyone is passing on the glory to someone else. 577 00:27:39,900 --> 00:27:42,300 So that in the end what happens? Jesus Christ is the only one 578 00:27:42,300 --> 00:27:44,400 that's glorified that all they see here is Jesus. 579 00:27:44,400 --> 00:27:46,300 I've said this before. I don't want someone to leave 580 00:27:46,300 --> 00:27:49,000 Liberty Baptist Church and say. Wow, that music was great. 581 00:27:49,100 --> 00:27:50,900 Wow, that singer was unbelievable. 582 00:27:50,900 --> 00:27:53,900 Wow, that that preaching was just Dynamic that preacher boy, 583 00:27:53,900 --> 00:27:55,600 he was so funny and so good-looking. 584 00:27:55,600 --> 00:28:01,400 And so, anyway, I was I'll stop. So he said keep going keep no no 585 00:28:01,400 --> 00:28:04,200 one's saying that, but but I hope that someone leaves Liberty 586 00:28:04,200 --> 00:28:08,600 Baptist Church say, wow. They have a great God, they have 587 00:28:08,600 --> 00:28:10,200 a great God. That's what someone should leave 588 00:28:10,200 --> 00:28:12,100 here at Liberty Baptist Church look. 589 00:28:12,100 --> 00:28:13,700 Nobody should be leaving a baseball game saying. 590 00:28:13,700 --> 00:28:16,600 Wow, that umpire was great. Who is he? 591 00:28:17,300 --> 00:28:19,100 He's just doing the job that he's supposed to do. 592 00:28:19,600 --> 00:28:21,700 Usually, if you notice the Umpire, he's doing something 593 00:28:21,700 --> 00:28:24,800 wrong, he's either making much of himself or he doesn't know 594 00:28:24,800 --> 00:28:26,600 what he's doing one or the other. 595 00:28:26,800 --> 00:28:29,700 I don't want anyone to leave here noticing me as the Umpire, 596 00:28:29,700 --> 00:28:30,600 you know what, I just want to be. 597 00:28:30,600 --> 00:28:33,900 I just want to be a small Cog in the great mechanism of the 598 00:28:33,900 --> 00:28:36,400 Gospel Ministry that God has and that should be all of us. 599 00:28:36,400 --> 00:28:37,900 That's what a healthy Church does. 600 00:28:37,900 --> 00:28:40,700 It's not about me, it's not about my Ministry or people 601 00:28:40,700 --> 00:28:51,800 think I'm important but this is in my notes but it's it's 602 00:28:51,800 --> 00:28:55,500 amazing to me how we can have an organization of 30 or 40 people. 603 00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:58,200 And I'm not talking about necessarily this configuration, 604 00:28:58,200 --> 00:29:02,200 I'm just talking about over 10 years of experience as a senior 605 00:29:02,200 --> 00:29:08,400 pastor. it's how people want to make themselves, so important, 606 00:29:09,900 --> 00:29:15,500 In such a small body. Can I tell you there's nothing 607 00:29:15,500 --> 00:29:18,000 super glamorous about any of the things that we do here? 608 00:29:18,700 --> 00:29:21,000 I think sometimes people think that we have meetings in the 609 00:29:21,008 --> 00:29:24,200 back and that we just share this information that. 610 00:29:24,200 --> 00:29:27,500 If you only knew the things we talked about you, achieve this 611 00:29:27,500 --> 00:29:32,500 next level of spiritual Insight, we were just wondering when we 612 00:29:32,508 --> 00:29:34,700 had a meeting two weeks ago, how we get the heat up because it 613 00:29:34,700 --> 00:29:36,500 was -10 outside. That was mostly what you're 614 00:29:36,500 --> 00:29:38,800 talking about. That's all we could figure out 615 00:29:38,800 --> 00:29:41,600 through that, poor Miss Ruthie, she had to wear three jackets, 616 00:29:41,600 --> 00:29:43,100 just to be warm during the meeting. 617 00:29:43,700 --> 00:29:45,800 It was not glamorous. I will promise you that our 618 00:29:45,800 --> 00:29:48,000 coffee froze. By the time we were done, there 619 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:51,000 was nothing glamorous about it. There are sometimes people think 620 00:29:51,500 --> 00:29:52,800 who's that? Well I see because it's a small 621 00:29:52,800 --> 00:29:55,000 church if it was a church of 2000 wouldn't matter? 622 00:29:55,600 --> 00:29:58,800 It wouldn't make any difference because we cannot accentuate or 623 00:29:58,800 --> 00:30:03,100 embellish make better the ministry of Jesus Christ. 624 00:30:03,400 --> 00:30:06,000 Now we can just get in the program and make the program 625 00:30:06,000 --> 00:30:08,600 work and that's how we do our best for him. 626 00:30:08,600 --> 00:30:11,000 That it's not about. How can I be used? 627 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:13,300 It's just Lord. Where would you have me to He 628 00:30:13,300 --> 00:30:15,400 used, and I'll do it for the cause of Christ. 629 00:30:15,400 --> 00:30:18,000 And whether Pastor sees it or not, we're the membership, sees 630 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:20,900 it or not, whether the town sees it or not, here's something 631 00:30:20,900 --> 00:30:23,400 novel. Jesus Christ, sees it and he 632 00:30:23,500 --> 00:30:26,400 will be the one who will reward me for it in heaven, with crowns 633 00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:28,300 that I can cast back at his feet. 634 00:30:28,300 --> 00:30:31,900 That a healthy Church. They work under Authority and 635 00:30:31,900 --> 00:30:33,700 also promote Unity within the church. 636 00:30:33,900 --> 00:30:35,500 You are the church. This ought to be the most 637 00:30:35,500 --> 00:30:39,000 unified body in town. These are the most unified body 638 00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:42,400 in town, and can I can I just give you a little bit of 639 00:30:42,400 --> 00:30:45,600 insight. It's not It's not. 640 00:30:46,800 --> 00:30:49,400 Now, I'm not saying we have large egregious problems, but 641 00:30:49,400 --> 00:30:52,100 I'm just saying that it's not, you know, in sometimes that's 642 00:30:52,100 --> 00:30:55,200 because we deal with real heavy issues, or sometimes other 643 00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:57,200 groups, they have no problems because they're not even dealing 644 00:30:57,200 --> 00:30:59,900 with any issues, or just it's all, it's all milk and cookies. 645 00:30:59,900 --> 00:31:02,200 That's all it is. And we have Satan attacking us 646 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:04,500 and we have that. And so we can be under pressure. 647 00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:06,300 But I'll tell you, we should recognize when Satan is 648 00:31:06,300 --> 00:31:07,900 attacking. We should recognize when Satan, 649 00:31:07,900 --> 00:31:10,600 trying to pit us, one against another and say this, we need to 650 00:31:10,600 --> 00:31:12,100 have Unity. Well, I don't like her. 651 00:31:12,100 --> 00:31:14,400 I don't like the cut of his jib. Will it stop talking about his 652 00:31:14,400 --> 00:31:17,800 jib and go over and talk to him? Him and say, brother, can we get 653 00:31:17,800 --> 00:31:20,600 this taken care of sister? Could we get this taken care of? 654 00:31:20,600 --> 00:31:22,200 You say? Well, does that happen? 655 00:31:22,200 --> 00:31:26,500 Well in churches that are right with God, it does. in healthy 656 00:31:26,500 --> 00:31:30,400 churches, it does in healthy churches, it does a healthy 657 00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:34,400 church member Works under the Because by the way we're people 658 00:31:35,900 --> 00:31:38,400 And we have sinful Nature's. Well, we're saying we ought to 659 00:31:38,408 --> 00:31:39,700 know better. Yeah, we ought to. 660 00:31:39,700 --> 00:31:42,800 And so aren't you? And again, I'm not trying to be 661 00:31:42,800 --> 00:31:43,700 unkind. I'm just saying. 662 00:31:44,700 --> 00:31:47,100 We whole other people to standards that we don't hold 663 00:31:47,100 --> 00:31:50,000 ourselves. Often times to we hold other 664 00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:52,000 people to an impossible standard. 665 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:55,400 And if we had to be held to that standard, we would Wilt Under 666 00:31:55,400 --> 00:31:58,600 The Lights within a moment. And so what we ought to do is 667 00:31:58,600 --> 00:32:01,400 have some compassion, some help. And even if there is issues, 668 00:32:01,400 --> 00:32:03,700 which by the way, there are real issues in a church that comes 669 00:32:03,700 --> 00:32:05,500 sometimes that we handle in a way. 670 00:32:05,900 --> 00:32:09,600 That honors our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, at the one who has 671 00:32:09,600 --> 00:32:12,400 the problem, handles it. Humbly, the one who receives the 672 00:32:12,400 --> 00:32:15,600 problem, handles it humbly, and we shouldn't handle our problems 673 00:32:15,800 --> 00:32:18,100 like H&R. Block handles audits, we 674 00:32:18,100 --> 00:32:20,900 shouldn't handle problems, like the school system, handles 675 00:32:20,900 --> 00:32:23,600 suspensions for students, we shouldn't handle problems. 676 00:32:23,900 --> 00:32:26,700 Like any of these organizations should, we should handle it by 677 00:32:27,200 --> 00:32:31,700 the word of God, but you can't do that if you don't know it and 678 00:32:31,700 --> 00:32:34,800 you can't do that if you don't live it and the bereans were 679 00:32:34,800 --> 00:32:37,100 Noble because they I searched these things out, and they 680 00:32:37,100 --> 00:32:38,900 understood them. So, number one, healthy church 681 00:32:38,900 --> 00:32:40,200 members saturated with the gospel. 682 00:32:40,200 --> 00:32:42,200 Number two, healthy church members, a student of the Bible. 683 00:32:42,208 --> 00:32:44,700 Number three, how the church members are serving member 684 00:32:44,700 --> 00:32:48,200 number for Healthy church member is working under Authority, and 685 00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:49,900 then 45. And finally, a healthy church 686 00:32:49,900 --> 00:32:52,700 member is a soul winner and that's really the place we have 687 00:32:52,700 --> 00:32:55,900 to end on a month like this. But a healthy church member is a 688 00:32:55,908 --> 00:32:58,800 soul winner is that you are trying to constantly bring 689 00:32:58,800 --> 00:33:02,000 people to Christ that you are part of the efforts of the 690 00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:04,500 church organized as we are. And again that doesn't mean 691 00:33:04,500 --> 00:33:05,900 everyone has to come on. Saturday. 692 00:33:05,900 --> 00:33:08,400 That does mean everyone can come on Saturday but I would say this 693 00:33:08,400 --> 00:33:10,400 if I was free on Saturday, I know where I would be. 694 00:33:11,500 --> 00:33:13,100 I know where Ivy, I'm not saying again. 695 00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:15,700 So you have other things that you have to do or take care or 696 00:33:15,700 --> 00:33:17,700 you might have to work you want to work on Saturday so you'll be 697 00:33:17,700 --> 00:33:20,100 church on Sunday. That's you. 698 00:33:20,100 --> 00:33:23,100 God bless you, I understand it. But I know this, if I'm free on 699 00:33:23,100 --> 00:33:24,900 Saturday, I know what I want to do. 700 00:33:24,900 --> 00:33:27,600 I want to invest that time in the gospel Ministry and get to 701 00:33:27,608 --> 00:33:31,100 know someone. Don't you wish don't you wish 702 00:33:31,100 --> 00:33:34,000 some time that someone would come into church and you knew I 703 00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:37,100 invited them. I invited them. 704 00:33:37,500 --> 00:33:41,400 I had a small part. Now listen it God does the work, 705 00:33:41,400 --> 00:33:43,000 we understand it. He plants. 706 00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:45,100 He Waters. God gives the increase or maybe 707 00:33:45,100 --> 00:33:47,700 that someone comes and visits, but you kind of take him under 708 00:33:47,700 --> 00:33:53,600 your wing, you talk to him and and they see they're safe. 709 00:33:55,300 --> 00:33:59,900 You know, I'm just, I'm just saying stuff tonight. 710 00:33:59,900 --> 00:34:03,600 Anyway, so I'll say this, I mean, Biblical there's notes 711 00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:08,400 Here, I promise you, but I'm praying for a lady that's been 712 00:34:08,400 --> 00:34:11,199 coming to this church. Last few months to get saved, 713 00:34:11,800 --> 00:34:17,800 but I know this that for the preaching, the hard preaching 714 00:34:18,199 --> 00:34:21,600 that I do from the pulpit. During that time, there's one of 715 00:34:21,600 --> 00:34:24,100 our church members at sitting, in the back with her every 716 00:34:24,100 --> 00:34:25,900 Sunday morning. And talking to her. 717 00:34:26,800 --> 00:34:29,699 You know what if that woman gets saved, guess who's getting 718 00:34:29,699 --> 00:34:33,199 rewards for that? Oh, Pastor. 719 00:34:33,199 --> 00:34:35,500 All right, yeah, no, probably not. 720 00:34:36,600 --> 00:34:41,000 Someone that patiently and lovingly spent time with her, 721 00:34:41,800 --> 00:34:43,100 were they? Well they were always talking 722 00:34:43,100 --> 00:34:45,000 about the gospel know they're probably sometimes talking about 723 00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:46,699 life. He says, why her little bit this 724 00:34:46,699 --> 00:34:50,800 morning and poutine but but I don't like Jay that was my 725 00:34:50,800 --> 00:34:53,800 fault. But this this is what I know is 726 00:34:53,800 --> 00:34:57,000 that sometimes people don't care how much you know, until they 727 00:34:57,000 --> 00:35:00,000 know how much you care. That you're not just another 728 00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:03,300 Mark for them to hit with the gospel but you actually care 729 00:35:03,300 --> 00:35:06,100 about them as a human being and they're willing to listen. 730 00:35:06,900 --> 00:35:09,200 Don't you want to have a part in someone's life like that? 731 00:35:09,600 --> 00:35:11,000 But that's what church is all about. 732 00:35:11,200 --> 00:35:14,900 And that's where some plant, some water. 733 00:35:15,200 --> 00:35:17,700 God gives the increase. There's a vacation bible school. 734 00:35:17,700 --> 00:35:20,300 That some of you were part of were a family comes for the very 735 00:35:20,300 --> 00:35:22,000 first time, then they start coming. 736 00:35:22,000 --> 00:35:23,800 Now, they're in a junior Church in a Sunday school. 737 00:35:24,100 --> 00:35:27,600 Now, a moms in a nursery and there needs to be help there and 738 00:35:27,600 --> 00:35:28,800 all these things happen and guess. 739 00:35:28,900 --> 00:35:33,700 It's what so many different people get to have a part, but 740 00:35:33,700 --> 00:35:36,800 don't you want to do that? And if you do that, don't you 741 00:35:36,800 --> 00:35:40,100 want to do more of it? And that's what a church is. 742 00:35:40,100 --> 00:35:44,300 All about actively witness to acquaintances, pray for the 743 00:35:44,300 --> 00:35:47,800 souls of friends and family, and neighbors that we pray for 744 00:35:47,800 --> 00:35:49,400 opportunities to win people. To Christ. 745 00:35:49,500 --> 00:35:51,900 I can't pray for God to save someone in the sense that God 746 00:35:51,900 --> 00:35:55,900 saved them because God will not force someone to bend the knee 747 00:35:55,900 --> 00:35:58,300 and salvation. I don't believe that. 748 00:35:58,300 --> 00:36:00,500 I think there's a whole lot of theology about that, that I 749 00:36:00,500 --> 00:36:04,100 disagree with very much so but I do know this. 750 00:36:04,100 --> 00:36:08,000 God gave me an opportunity. Give someone an opportunity to 751 00:36:08,000 --> 00:36:10,900 talk to them today, God, bring something into their life today 752 00:36:11,300 --> 00:36:13,800 to make them more willing to listen to The Gospel. 753 00:36:14,500 --> 00:36:17,200 So that the next time I do talk to them where they were opposed 754 00:36:17,200 --> 00:36:19,600 to it a week ago, they'll want to listen today. 755 00:36:20,500 --> 00:36:22,400 But those are things we got to pray about and those are things 756 00:36:22,400 --> 00:36:26,100 we had to do, you know, who does that all the charges healthy 757 00:36:26,100 --> 00:36:28,100 churches? We've had a lot of things over 758 00:36:28,100 --> 00:36:30,200 the last few years, where you might wonder is this a healthy 759 00:36:30,200 --> 00:36:31,500 Church. There are some things that 760 00:36:31,500 --> 00:36:33,700 certainly have to be addressed and some things that have been 761 00:36:33,700 --> 00:36:35,600 addressed and some things will discuss tonight. 762 00:36:35,800 --> 00:36:40,300 But I do know this. These are the steps. that helped 763 00:36:40,300 --> 00:36:43,900 us biblically to healthy Church to be a more Berean like church, 764 00:36:44,600 --> 00:36:48,000 a church that's Noble, a church that receives the word, that 765 00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:53,300 searches the word, therefore verse 12, many of them believed 766 00:36:54,400 --> 00:36:59,500 They received they searched and therefore many of them believed, 767 00:36:59,500 --> 00:37:01,200 that's the mark of a healthy Church. 768 00:37:02,600 --> 00:37:05,300 Thank you for listening to the sermon from the pulpit of 769 00:37:05,300 --> 00:37:08,100 Liberty Baptist Church. If this message was a blessing 770 00:37:08,100 --> 00:37:11,600 to you or if there's any way we can serve you, please let us 771 00:37:11,600 --> 00:37:16,400 know by contacting us at info, at my Liberty Baptist dot org. 772 00:37:16,500 --> 00:37:19,700 Or you can visit us this Sunday at eight hundred Washington 773 00:37:19,700 --> 00:37:23,300 Street and East and Massachusetts may the Lord bless 774 00:37:23,300 --> 00:37:25,200 you as you grow in his word.