1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:02,200 We're going to read from God's Word. 2 00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:05,720 We're turning to 1st Thessalonians chapter 3, and 3 00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:13,360 we're going to read from verse 7 to the end. 4 00:00:14,720 --> 00:00:19,880 First Thessalonians chapter 3, verse 7 to the end. 5 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:24,960 Let us hear God's Word. The Word will come up on screen 6 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:28,800 for those online. We're reading, of course, from 7 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:34,120 the King James Bible. First Thessalonians chapter 3 8 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:49,510 would read from verse 7. Therefore, brethren, we were 9 00:00:49,510 --> 00:00:55,670 comfort over you in all our affliction and distress by your 10 00:00:55,670 --> 00:01:01,190 faith. For now we live, if ye stand 11 00:01:01,190 --> 00:01:05,960 fast in the Lord. For what thanks can we render to 12 00:01:05,960 --> 00:01:10,840 God again for you? For all the joy wherewith we joy 13 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:16,440 for your sakes before God, night and day, praying exceedingly, 14 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:22,760 that we might see your fears and may perfect not which is lacking 15 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:24,840 in your faith. Now. 16 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:29,840 God Himself and our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our 17 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:35,000 way unto you, and the Lord make you to increase and abound and 18 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:40,800 love one toward another and toward all men, even as we do 19 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:45,680 toward you to the end. He may establish your hearts 20 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:51,960 unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the 21 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:57,200 coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His Saints. 22 00:01:57,800 --> 00:01:59,520 Amen. We know God will stand to us 23 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:03,280 this short reading from the Holy Scriptures. 24 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:10,720 Amen. Now this morning I'm continuing 25 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:14,960 with our series of expository sermons in First Thessalonians, 26 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:19,680 and my text today is found in First Thessalonians chapter 3 27 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:22,760 and verse 8. It reads as follows. 28 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:30,720 For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord. 29 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:40,280 Now these 11 words, if I think of a theme, I've entitled it as 30 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:42,960 summons to stand fast in the Lord. 31 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:51,680 These 11 words in our English Bible are a summary of all that 32 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:55,480 is in the heart and mind of the Apostle Paul at the time of 33 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:57,360 writing. Now let's think again of the 34 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:00,400 context. The Apostle Paul is alone in 35 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:03,560 Athens. We read that in chapter 3, verse 36 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:09,600 one. The Apostle Paul there is in a 37 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:13,040 state of forbearing. What he means is when he could 38 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:17,360 stand it no longer, he was so worried and so anxious for this 39 00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:21,440 infant church at Thessalonanka, these new believers, that he 40 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:24,840 sent Timothy to Thessalonanka to see how they were getting on. 41 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:27,560 And I have no doubt one of the things that he was worried and 42 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:31,880 anxious about was had they fallen away, that they were not 43 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:35,720 standing fast in the Lord. Remember what they faced. 44 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:38,400 They faced the trials and troubles of life. 45 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:43,440 And then also they faced bitter persecution, real tribulation. 46 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:48,280 Some of their family members were murdered, others were 47 00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:51,880 imprisoned in front of them. And on top of all this, in the 48 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:54,000 back of all this comes the tempter. 49 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:56,720 And he urges them to quit the Christian life. 50 00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:00,880 He urges them to turn back to a Pagan lifestyle, to a life of 51 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:03,400 Judaism. Now that is Paul's fear. 52 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:08,480 That is Paul's anxiety. And out of his deep love for the 53 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:12,240 Lord's people, we discover he was not only anxious for them, 54 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:15,200 but also affectionate toward them. 55 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:20,240 He is longing for them. He wants them to stand fast in 56 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:23,360 the Lord. And so when Timothy returns with 57 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:26,680 a good report about how they were doing spiritually, Paul is 58 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:29,840 greatly encouraged. As far as he's concerned, this 59 00:04:29,840 --> 00:04:34,080 is a good news message. Therefore, Paul makes this 60 00:04:34,080 --> 00:04:37,480 striking statement. And this striking statement is a 61 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:41,680 summary of all that's in his heart and mind for these new 62 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:44,000 converts. He says this for now. 63 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:48,920 We live if ye stand fast in the Lord. 64 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:51,440 Look at these 11 words in the King James Bible. 65 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:57,800 Think of them, pray as we study them. 66 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:03,400 Lord, speak to me today. I want you to think of a number 67 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:06,200 of things. One, let's think of the essence 68 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:11,480 of standing fast in the Lord. When Paul wrote these words, 69 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:16,000 stand fast in the Lord, what did he mean? 70 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:21,800 What did he mean in his mind? What does it mean to us to stand 71 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:24,840 fast? Well, I believe stand fast means 72 00:05:24,840 --> 00:05:34,320 to be rigid, to be unmovable, to dig in your heels, to refuse to 73 00:05:34,320 --> 00:05:40,840 budget, to be stubborn as a mule or a donkey, to have the mindset 74 00:05:40,840 --> 00:05:46,320 not an inch or to use a mindset from our forefathers. 75 00:05:47,320 --> 00:05:51,880 No surrender. And you see, this can be true 76 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:55,520 physically in many areas of life. 77 00:05:55,960 --> 00:06:02,160 Someone is so confected about a thing that they are rigid and 78 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:04,880 unmovable. They refuse to budget. 79 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:09,160 Their mindset is not an inch. They're digging in their heels. 80 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:15,960 But it's also true spiritually for those who are true to the 81 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:20,400 Lord and true to the gospel. Now let me emphasise this is not 82 00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:24,600 just about standing for the Lord and the gospel in a general way 83 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:32,880 that's included, but much more. This is a summons to stand fast 84 00:06:33,400 --> 00:06:35,320 when you're under pressure to quit. 85 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:40,840 The enemy was at the gate. Remember these believers have 86 00:06:40,840 --> 00:06:44,200 been pressurised by trials and troubles that have come into 87 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:46,440 their lives. World had fallen. 88 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:48,640 The partner thinking why has this happened to me? 89 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:53,240 Some of you have been there and they were pressurised by fierce 90 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:56,760 persecution and opposition. Family members have been 91 00:06:56,760 --> 00:06:59,960 murdered, friends that they know have been put into prison, their 92 00:06:59,960 --> 00:07:02,120 their possessions have been confiscated. 93 00:07:03,280 --> 00:07:05,600 And then they were being pressurised thirdly by the 94 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:10,040 tempter and he come with these evil wicked suggestions turned 95 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:12,680 back from Christ. You can stop this punishment. 96 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:15,440 You, you can stop this persecution right now. 97 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:19,760 Forget about Christ, go back to paganism, go back to Judaism, 98 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:22,640 just just walk away from the Lord. 99 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:29,000 So Paul makes this summons, he issues this call, and it's a a 100 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:37,720 call or a summons to stand fast in the face of pressure to quit. 101 00:07:39,120 --> 00:07:42,960 And this call, I believe, to stand fast as a particular theme 102 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:46,160 of the true minister of the gospel. 103 00:07:47,040 --> 00:07:50,760 If we were to look at a few references, First Corinthians 16 104 00:07:50,760 --> 00:07:54,000 and 13, watch ye stand fast in the faith. 105 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:59,200 That was one of Paul's calls. Galatians 5 and 1 stand fast in 106 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:01,520 the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free. 107 00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:07,360 Philippians 127 stand fast in one spirit, with one mind 108 00:08:07,360 --> 00:08:09,720 striving together for the faith of the gospel. 109 00:08:10,400 --> 00:08:13,640 Philippians 4 and 1 stand fast in the Lord. 110 00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:19,880 My dearly beloved, here in first Thessalonians 3 verse 8, stand 111 00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:23,400 fast in the Lord. And then Second Thessalonians 112 00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:27,080 215, stand fast and hold the traditions what you have been 113 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:30,720 taught. See in each occasion and these 114 00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:33,960 six references that I've just given you with the word stand 115 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:39,280 fast in these particular areas, it means exactly the same thing. 116 00:08:40,120 --> 00:08:43,120 Stand fast when you're under pressure to quit. 117 00:08:43,640 --> 00:08:47,040 Stand fast when you're being tempted to give up. 118 00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:50,560 Stand fast when you're being tempted to turn away from 119 00:08:50,560 --> 00:08:53,120 Christ. You think of an enemy coming to 120 00:08:53,120 --> 00:08:57,640 a particular position. They're making an assault on it, 121 00:08:58,120 --> 00:09:01,680 and the soldiers that are there, their their, their, their 122 00:09:01,680 --> 00:09:03,880 mindset is we're not going to quit our post. 123 00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:06,800 We're not going to run away in the face of the enemy. 124 00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:10,480 Yes, we're terrified. Yes, we're trembling in our 125 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:15,640 spirit, but we're going to defend this ground to the last 126 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:18,480 drop of our blood. That's the mindset of standing 127 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:21,080 fast. Think of Shamdar in the Old 128 00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:25,560 Testament, a true loyalist indeed, defending his own lentil 129 00:09:25,560 --> 00:09:31,480 patch against the Philistines. You even think of the national 130 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:35,160 anthem of Scotland where it talks about his wee bit of hell 131 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:39,040 and glam. You see the main set would be 132 00:09:39,160 --> 00:09:43,480 they would fight and die to defend it until the death with 133 00:09:43,480 --> 00:09:47,400 dogged determination. So whether we're receiving a 134 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:52,480 call to stand fast in the faith, or stand fast in the liberty 135 00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:56,520 where with Christ has made us free, or to stand fast in one's 136 00:09:56,520 --> 00:10:01,760 spirit, or to stand fast in the Lord, or to stand fast and hold 137 00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:04,960 the traditions, it all means the same. 138 00:10:05,800 --> 00:10:12,960 We're to stand fast despite the pressure to give up and to quit. 139 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:18,360 So I'm asking this morning, here's the essence of standing 140 00:10:18,360 --> 00:10:22,760 fast. Let me ask this question. 141 00:10:24,640 --> 00:10:29,480 What are you standing fast for? I believe the Church of Jesus 142 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:35,840 Christ needs to rediscover and relearn the necessity that we're 143 00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:40,400 to stand fast in this way in relation to the Lord and the 144 00:10:40,400 --> 00:10:43,520 things of God. For we are under pressure to 145 00:10:43,520 --> 00:10:46,800 quit and to give up the Christian life and to close the 146 00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:49,680 doors of the church. That's what the enemy wants. 147 00:10:50,400 --> 00:10:54,000 So the essence of standing fast, I've tried to explain what it 148 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:57,360 means. Secondly, the evidence of 149 00:10:57,360 --> 00:11:00,840 standing fast in the Lord. You see, these words as I read 150 00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:04,600 them from last Sunday, are very significant. 151 00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:09,320 I believe that in the back of Paul's mind when he wrote these 152 00:11:09,320 --> 00:11:13,880 words, he's thinking to himself. Here is proof that these 153 00:11:13,880 --> 00:11:17,880 believers were genuinely and truly saved. 154 00:11:18,560 --> 00:11:24,840 They're standing fast in the Lord is proof of the validity of 155 00:11:24,840 --> 00:11:28,400 their faith. Here's evidence of the fact that 156 00:11:28,400 --> 00:11:34,040 their spiritual life was real. It was healthy, it was strong, 157 00:11:34,320 --> 00:11:37,160 it was sound as a pound as it was in Belfast. 158 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:42,960 It was vibrant. These people were truly going on 159 00:11:42,960 --> 00:11:47,840 with the Lord despite the pressure to quit, that is they 160 00:11:47,840 --> 00:11:50,360 were going on, they were going forward. 161 00:11:50,560 --> 00:11:54,160 It was the mindset was be onwards and upwards. 162 00:11:54,480 --> 00:11:57,240 I've already told you before and I shared this with some through 163 00:11:57,240 --> 00:11:59,280 the week. If we summarise the Christian 164 00:11:59,280 --> 00:12:03,880 life, young people, if you want a picture, it's in Christ for 165 00:12:03,880 --> 00:12:06,320 Christ. Through Christ you go to be with 166 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:09,080 Christ, that one day will be like Christ. 167 00:12:09,080 --> 00:12:12,440 That's a great summary of the Christian life in a few words. 168 00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:17,160 The apostle Paul had such great love and affection for God's 169 00:12:17,160 --> 00:12:22,080 people He longed to see. He wanted to hear that they were 170 00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:26,440 standing fast in the Lord. Many reasons, but one of the 171 00:12:26,440 --> 00:12:28,400 reasons, the chief reason was this. 172 00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:32,720 It was evidence of their spiritual life in Christ. 173 00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:38,200 See, let me explain. No true child of God, no true 174 00:12:38,480 --> 00:12:42,040 gospel preacher, no true preacher of the word of God, 175 00:12:42,040 --> 00:12:46,800 which is to see a believer falling away, which is to see a 176 00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:53,640 believer falter, which is to see a believer feel in relation to 177 00:12:54,280 --> 00:12:57,000 sin and in relation to backsliding. 178 00:12:58,320 --> 00:13:02,040 It's very painful to see a a believer, A professing believer 179 00:13:02,040 --> 00:13:05,240 overcome by sin and the world, the flesh and the devil. 180 00:13:05,480 --> 00:13:08,440 It, it brings great pain to the heart of the preacher. 181 00:13:08,880 --> 00:13:13,000 It brings great sadness in his heart and mind, but it also 182 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:15,760 impacts upon the church's family. 183 00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:19,120 And remember what I'm saying to you is the context here. 184 00:13:19,800 --> 00:13:24,480 Paul is anxious for them. He is worried for them. 185 00:13:25,120 --> 00:13:27,760 He's thinking, what if they're not standing fast? 186 00:13:28,680 --> 00:13:32,680 You see, he knows if they're not standing fast that it sends out 187 00:13:32,680 --> 00:13:37,680 a negative message. And the ungodly think, well, the 188 00:13:37,680 --> 00:13:42,920 Lord himself has failed. The ungodly think the gospel 189 00:13:42,920 --> 00:13:45,000 doesn't work. And I've spoken to people in 190 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:48,360 different parts of Carrie Duffin, remember one particular 191 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:51,360 person, I'd not name him. And he said to me, I tried that 192 00:13:51,360 --> 00:13:56,160 and it doesn't work. You see, it impacts upon the 193 00:13:56,160 --> 00:14:02,280 Lord's work, it impacts upon the Lord's 'cause we live in a day 194 00:14:02,280 --> 00:14:06,560 of apostasy, a day of religious declension, or if you want the 195 00:14:06,560 --> 00:14:08,960 evidence of apostasy. And I'm not preaching in this 196 00:14:08,960 --> 00:14:11,800 this morning, just looking through the door of the Church 197 00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:14,240 of England. The Church of England has just 198 00:14:14,240 --> 00:14:19,040 appointed a new Archbishop. It's not a man, it's a woman and 199 00:14:19,040 --> 00:14:21,080 it's totally contrary to the word of God. 200 00:14:21,520 --> 00:14:23,760 But those that made the appointment, they didn't care 201 00:14:23,760 --> 00:14:26,640 about the word of God. They said that to the one side 202 00:14:26,960 --> 00:14:29,600 and they went ahead and appointed one anyway. 203 00:14:30,280 --> 00:14:33,760 And and the one that's been appointed doesn't even believe 204 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:37,080 in the 39 articles of the Church of England. 205 00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:40,240 Just have to listen to the things that are being said. 206 00:14:41,680 --> 00:14:46,680 We live in a day of woke ISM, a day of, we'll say, rampant 207 00:14:46,800 --> 00:14:51,120 feminism, many other isms beside. 208 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:58,160 See, it sends out the message when a believer falls into sin 209 00:14:58,960 --> 00:15:03,040 or a church goes against and contrary to the word of God, it 210 00:15:03,040 --> 00:15:05,880 sends out the message in some way. 211 00:15:07,560 --> 00:15:12,560 The grace of God has failed. The Lord is not able to keep his 212 00:15:12,560 --> 00:15:15,440 people. The Lord is not able to bring 213 00:15:15,440 --> 00:15:19,080 them in to heaven. That's a lie of the devil. 214 00:15:19,920 --> 00:15:23,400 It's a lie of the ungodly. And whenever a believer falls 215 00:15:23,400 --> 00:15:28,760 into sin, what are the ungodly do They laugh and they mock, and 216 00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:32,240 it aids the ungodly to blasphemy the name of the Lord. 217 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:36,400 So that's why Paul is worried. He's aware of these 218 00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:40,560 consequences. But Paul is full of joy. 219 00:15:40,960 --> 00:15:46,280 He says for now we live if you stand fast in the Lord. 220 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:50,280 They were standing up for Christ. 221 00:15:51,400 --> 00:15:54,040 They were standing for the great truths of the gospel. 222 00:15:55,240 --> 00:15:58,520 They were standing up for the honour and glory of the Lord, 223 00:16:00,280 --> 00:16:06,840 and their stand was evidence of their spiritual life in Christ. 224 00:16:08,120 --> 00:16:12,440 Because of that, the apostle Paul was full of a deep joy. 225 00:16:12,960 --> 00:16:16,440 The news that they were standing brought him great joy and 226 00:16:16,440 --> 00:16:19,960 comfort in his heart. And surely we could say this 227 00:16:19,960 --> 00:16:23,760 morning that the true gospel minister loves to see and hear 228 00:16:23,760 --> 00:16:27,680 that God's people are standing fast, that they're going on with 229 00:16:27,680 --> 00:16:30,920 the Lord, that they're walking in truth, that their mindset and 230 00:16:30,920 --> 00:16:32,440 motto was holding us on to the Lord. 231 00:16:32,480 --> 00:16:37,360 Remember, old John says first, it's actually third John verse 232 00:16:37,360 --> 00:16:41,200 4. I have no greater joy than this 233 00:16:41,960 --> 00:16:45,720 than to hear that my children walk in truth. 234 00:16:46,120 --> 00:16:50,200 I pointed out last time in First Thessalonians chapter 3, the 235 00:16:50,200 --> 00:16:58,360 verse 2 mentions your faith. The verse 5 mentions I sent to 236 00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:03,000 know your faith. In verse 6 you've got the word 237 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:07,760 faith again and brought us good tidings of your faith. 238 00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:15,920 And then we come to verse 7. He says by your faith, that's 239 00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:19,079 how they were comforted in their affliction and distress. 240 00:17:19,319 --> 00:17:21,720 And then it's mentioned again in verse 10. 241 00:17:22,400 --> 00:17:24,920 Night and day, praying exceedingly that we might see 242 00:17:24,920 --> 00:17:27,720 your face. A night perfect, that which is 243 00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:31,240 lacking in your faith. I pointed out that 5 is the 244 00:17:31,240 --> 00:17:37,040 number of grace these people had tasted the true grace of God. 245 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:40,320 Their faith was real and genuine. 246 00:17:41,560 --> 00:17:43,280 They're standing fast in the Lord. 247 00:17:43,280 --> 00:17:46,400 I'm trying to tell you was a demonstration and evidence of 248 00:17:46,400 --> 00:17:51,560 the genuineness of their faith. The the word faith here can mean 249 00:17:51,560 --> 00:17:56,160 objectively. There's a body of truth that we 250 00:17:56,160 --> 00:18:01,800 believe in. Remember Jude, in Jude verse 3 251 00:18:02,120 --> 00:18:10,360 we read these words. Jude 3 Beloved, when I give all 252 00:18:10,360 --> 00:18:12,960 diligence to write unto youth the common salvation, it was 253 00:18:12,960 --> 00:18:15,080 needful for me to write unto you and exhort you. 254 00:18:15,080 --> 00:18:17,880 You should earn us to contend for the faith which was once 255 00:18:17,880 --> 00:18:23,000 delivered unto the Saints. The faith was once delivered 256 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:26,560 unto the Saints, and that faith that was once delivered unto the 257 00:18:26,560 --> 00:18:30,920 Saints must be contended for. In every generation there's a 258 00:18:30,920 --> 00:18:35,600 body of truth to believe in. There's a body of divinity that 259 00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:39,640 must be believed and hailed and maintained and stood for. 260 00:18:40,400 --> 00:18:43,840 There's a battle going on today for the Bible. 261 00:18:44,440 --> 00:18:48,240 There's a battle for the true deity of Jesus Christ, a battle 262 00:18:48,240 --> 00:18:52,400 for the blood atonement, a battle for the resurrection, a 263 00:18:52,400 --> 00:18:55,800 battle for the doctrine of justification by faith alone, a 264 00:18:55,800 --> 00:18:59,680 battle for the necessity of the new birth, a battle for holiness 265 00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:01,880 unto the Lord, even a battle for God. 266 00:19:02,640 --> 00:19:08,440 You see, this faith which is objective stands for the entire 267 00:19:08,440 --> 00:19:11,520 gospel. It stands for all that God has 268 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:16,400 revealed from the book of Genesis, chapter one verse one 269 00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:20,800 to chapter 22 in the last verse in the Book of Revelation. 270 00:19:21,240 --> 00:19:26,600 And the Bible says thy word is forever settled in heaven and it 271 00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:30,200 must be contended for in our day and generation. 272 00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:35,040 Let me illustrate the children of Israel whenever they were 273 00:19:35,320 --> 00:19:39,800 coming up out of Egypt. This has long since after Joseph 274 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:43,920 had died. Ephraim, one of Joseph's sons, 275 00:19:43,920 --> 00:19:46,760 had a responsibility for the bones of Joseph. 276 00:19:47,760 --> 00:19:51,720 Think of it. When Joseph died, someone took 277 00:19:51,720 --> 00:19:56,720 care for Joseph's bones. The responsibility was Ephraim, 278 00:19:57,320 --> 00:20:01,120 which means fruitfulness. That was one of Joseph's sons. 279 00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:06,120 And then after Ephraim died, it was handed on and it was handed 280 00:20:06,120 --> 00:20:10,560 on down to generations. And when that someone else died, 281 00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:14,480 it was the responsibility was passed on to someone else. 282 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:18,040 Your responsibility is to look after Joseph's bones. 283 00:20:18,480 --> 00:20:22,640 And whenever we go into the land of Canaan, you carry those bones 284 00:20:22,640 --> 00:20:26,280 with you from one generation to the next. 285 00:20:27,640 --> 00:20:29,600 Joseph's bones were being looked after. 286 00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:34,240 It was the responsibility of the next generation. 287 00:20:34,760 --> 00:20:37,800 And I call on the young people in the Free Presbyterian Church, 288 00:20:37,800 --> 00:20:42,320 I call on the young women in the Free Presbyterian Church to 289 00:20:42,480 --> 00:20:48,600 earnestly contend for the faith. The faith must be contended for, 290 00:20:48,960 --> 00:20:52,680 and you have a duty and responsibility to contend for 291 00:20:52,680 --> 00:20:55,080 the faith. And I can't go into it all this 292 00:20:55,080 --> 00:20:56,880 morning and not just think of 1 area. 293 00:20:56,880 --> 00:20:58,720 I mentioned a battle for the Bible. 294 00:20:58,800 --> 00:21:01,080 I believe there's a battle for the Bible in our day and 295 00:21:01,080 --> 00:21:03,080 generation. Let me prove that to you. 296 00:21:04,760 --> 00:21:08,600 For the past 100 years and more, we've had a rash of new versions 297 00:21:08,600 --> 00:21:14,080 have come into the marketplace purporting to be English Bibles. 298 00:21:16,040 --> 00:21:19,160 They're based, let me tell you, in corrupted Greek manuscripts. 299 00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:26,640 Let me tell you, they leave out vital verses, passages, vital 300 00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:28,840 words. Let me give you one example, 3 301 00:21:28,840 --> 00:21:33,640 examples to be exact. Mark chapter 16, verses 9 to 20. 302 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:37,960 Rash of new versions will say the two best, most reliable 303 00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:40,120 manuscripts don't contain these verses. 304 00:21:40,440 --> 00:21:46,280 Read it for yourself. John 753 through to John 8 verse 305 00:21:46,280 --> 00:21:49,840 11 is completely eliminated on the same grounds. 306 00:21:50,600 --> 00:21:54,680 First John 5:00 and 7:00. And yet the reality is that 307 00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:58,960 there's 6000 manuscripts with these passage of scriptures in 308 00:21:58,960 --> 00:22:00,720 them. There's two manuscripts. 309 00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:03,200 Leave them out. Kodaks, Alexandrus. 310 00:22:03,360 --> 00:22:07,400 Kodaks, Vaticanus. 2 of the most corrupted manuscripts that were 311 00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:09,480 known. That's why they were not used. 312 00:22:10,440 --> 00:22:15,880 And yet that becomes the basis for these new rash of versions. 313 00:22:16,200 --> 00:22:19,520 And the Bible warns us three times, Deuteronomy, Proverbs, 314 00:22:19,520 --> 00:22:23,960 and Revelation, not to add to or take away from the word of God. 315 00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:29,280 Matthew 4 and four says man shall not live by bread alone, 316 00:22:29,280 --> 00:22:31,840 but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. 317 00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:34,400 I believe in verbal and plenary inspiration. 318 00:22:35,280 --> 00:22:39,760 I believe that every word is pure and precious and every word 319 00:22:39,760 --> 00:22:42,880 is powerful. And we we heard yesterday from 320 00:22:42,880 --> 00:22:46,440 Craig Dennison that even the Bible translation societies have 321 00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:51,240 now got ardent Roman Catholics on their board of translators 322 00:22:51,360 --> 00:22:56,520 helping to translate out of the nationals edition of the Greek 323 00:22:56,520 --> 00:22:58,800 tax, but not the tax to Receptus. 324 00:22:59,840 --> 00:23:03,440 We need to call the Church to repentance or repentance over 325 00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:05,440 many areas. Certainly their attitude to 326 00:23:05,440 --> 00:23:09,280 COVID, the closure of churches, but we need to also call them to 327 00:23:09,280 --> 00:23:13,520 repentance to to put away these rash of new versions and return 328 00:23:13,520 --> 00:23:17,440 to a Bible that's a faithful and reliable translation out of the 329 00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:20,160 textus receptors. And that's what William Tyndale 330 00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:23,360 stood for. And I told you last week, 90% of 331 00:23:23,360 --> 00:23:27,800 our Bible is from the pen of William Tyndale 500 years ago. 332 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:35,400 This word faith, it can't stand for that body of truth that's to 333 00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:39,000 be believed. But also the word faith here in 334 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:43,040 the strictest context, First Thessalonians 3 has to do with 335 00:23:43,040 --> 00:23:46,760 the act of believing. This is a reference to the 336 00:23:46,760 --> 00:23:50,640 Sinner coming into a saving relationship to Jesus Christ, 337 00:23:50,800 --> 00:23:54,280 receiving Christ as Lord and Redeemer, resting on Him alone 338 00:23:54,280 --> 00:23:59,080 for salvation, relying totally on Him for salvation. 339 00:23:59,600 --> 00:24:01,840 Can you say this morning I am in Christ? 340 00:24:03,040 --> 00:24:05,200 Can you say this morning I'm saved? 341 00:24:06,360 --> 00:24:09,040 Can you, can you say and rejoice that you're in a saving 342 00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:13,120 relationship, that I'm in a real living union with him? 343 00:24:13,120 --> 00:24:14,880 Because that's what in the Lord means. 344 00:24:15,040 --> 00:24:19,720 Stand fast in the Lord. In the Lord means you were 345 00:24:19,720 --> 00:24:23,560 brought into him and you received him as your Lord and 346 00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:27,960 Saviour, and you're relying on Him and you're resting on him. 347 00:24:28,840 --> 00:24:31,640 But as many as received him to them give you power to become 348 00:24:31,640 --> 00:24:35,240 the sons of God, even to them that believe in His name. 349 00:24:36,440 --> 00:24:41,200 It was old Habakkuk the prophet that said in chapter 2, verse 4, 350 00:24:41,520 --> 00:24:45,760 the just shall live by faith. And here's something else we 351 00:24:45,760 --> 00:24:49,320 need to rediscover. We're not just saved by faith. 352 00:24:49,320 --> 00:24:51,560 That's important. Ephesians 28 and 9 for big 353 00:24:51,560 --> 00:24:53,360 grace. You see it through faith and 354 00:24:53,360 --> 00:24:55,960 not, not of yourselves the gift of God, not of works, lest any 355 00:24:55,960 --> 00:24:59,840 man should boast. But we're to live by faith. 356 00:25:01,480 --> 00:25:03,840 And this is something that we'll be emphasising when we have the 357 00:25:03,840 --> 00:25:07,240 Reformation rally up in Saintfield Orange Hall in the 358 00:25:07,240 --> 00:25:09,360 last Sunday afternoon of this month. 359 00:25:09,720 --> 00:25:14,800 We invite you to come along. We're not just saved by faith, 360 00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:19,200 but we live by faith. Our spiritual life here and now 361 00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:22,680 is by faith. The abundant life in Christ is 362 00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:25,200 by faith. The eternal life that we possess 363 00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:30,600 and we'll possess fully in heaven is by faith in Christ. 364 00:25:31,040 --> 00:25:35,360 But but the life that we live now, life to the full, it's by 365 00:25:35,360 --> 00:25:42,080 faith and your faith determined and demonstrates if your 366 00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:45,200 spiritual life is real and genuine. 367 00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:51,280 We live in a day when we're forgotten. 368 00:25:51,280 --> 00:25:54,360 The thousands of martyrs who were burnt at the stake 369 00:25:56,480 --> 00:26:02,720 unjustly, tried, imprisoned, give an opportunity to recount. 370 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:06,520 Some of them, of course, were thrown to the lions. 371 00:26:06,520 --> 00:26:09,720 Others were beheaded. Some were burnt at the stake. 372 00:26:10,520 --> 00:26:12,320 Maybe they were asking who's next. 373 00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:16,440 Wouldn't be easy in that day. Could you imagine if the 374 00:26:16,440 --> 00:26:21,080 security forces were coming to arrest us in our homes, coming 375 00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:25,720 to close down our churches? Your life would be on the line. 376 00:26:26,560 --> 00:26:30,240 Your your life's in jeopardy. Your life could soon be gone. 377 00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:33,160 You'll be taken away from all that your whole dear you see, 378 00:26:33,160 --> 00:26:37,760 here's the test. Does your faith endure on their 379 00:26:37,760 --> 00:26:40,560 trials, even if it meant martyrdom and death? 380 00:26:41,560 --> 00:26:45,320 Would you be faithful unto death like William Taylor? 381 00:26:45,400 --> 00:26:47,320 That's the context. How do I know that's the 382 00:26:47,320 --> 00:26:49,120 context? Listen to these words. 383 00:26:49,120 --> 00:26:52,080 Verse 3 of chapter 1, Remembering without ceasing your 384 00:26:52,080 --> 00:26:54,000 work of faith. We'll pause there. 385 00:26:54,400 --> 00:26:57,720 Your your work of faith. You see, faith works. 386 00:26:58,440 --> 00:27:03,360 Faith is active, faith operates. It's not a dead dormant faith. 387 00:27:03,360 --> 00:27:05,800 It's not something invisible and unseen. 388 00:27:05,960 --> 00:27:09,480 True faith is public. It makes a public profession. 389 00:27:09,720 --> 00:27:11,720 True faith will make itself known. 390 00:27:11,840 --> 00:27:14,960 And there's loads of examples I've attained this morning and 391 00:27:14,960 --> 00:27:17,760 I'm not going to do it. But the life of Abraham, the 392 00:27:17,760 --> 00:27:21,400 life of Rahab, two people mentioned in the book of James, 393 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:24,680 the argument is, but they were justified by works. 394 00:27:25,520 --> 00:27:29,040 The liberals and the modernists point to that construction in 395 00:27:29,040 --> 00:27:33,120 the Bible justified by works and then say, well, there you are. 396 00:27:33,120 --> 00:27:34,800 You can't be justified by faith alone. 397 00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:36,560 You have to be justified by works. 398 00:27:37,400 --> 00:27:39,520 And of course they, they, they, they, they make it into an 399 00:27:39,520 --> 00:27:42,480 untruth. They make trait of the teaching 400 00:27:42,480 --> 00:27:45,920 of the Bible. You see, the reality is that 401 00:27:46,080 --> 00:27:50,560 Abraham and Rahab was not justified by 4 God on the ground 402 00:27:50,560 --> 00:27:52,400 of their works. They didn't receive a full and 403 00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:55,920 free and forever justification because of their good works. 404 00:27:56,640 --> 00:27:59,520 No, this is a a declarative justification. 405 00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:02,320 This is a an evidential justification. 406 00:28:02,560 --> 00:28:06,520 Their justification was evidenced by their good works as 407 00:28:06,520 --> 00:28:10,800 the fruit of faith because it was the faith that endured on 408 00:28:10,800 --> 00:28:13,960 their great trials. Abraham was tested with Isaac, 409 00:28:14,720 --> 00:28:18,320 Rahab was tested with the spies in the fall of Jericho. 410 00:28:18,920 --> 00:28:23,320 That that's what James chapter 222 and 25 is all about. 411 00:28:24,440 --> 00:28:27,360 Both people came through great trials. 412 00:28:28,880 --> 00:28:35,040 Both demonstrated their faith in the midst of their trials as in 413 00:28:35,040 --> 00:28:38,160 this again, which something that Paul emphasised in the book of 414 00:28:38,160 --> 00:28:40,880 Philippians in Philippians chapter 1. 415 00:28:41,280 --> 00:28:46,320 He says this in verse 27. Listen to the word of God only. 416 00:28:46,320 --> 00:28:50,560 Let your conversation be be as it becometh the gospel of 417 00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:52,680 Christ. The word conversation means your 418 00:28:52,680 --> 00:28:57,600 manner of living only. Let your conversation be as 419 00:28:57,600 --> 00:29:01,960 becometh the gospel of Christ. The word becometh means to have 420 00:29:01,960 --> 00:29:05,920 a glowing testimony, that whether I come and see you, or 421 00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:08,400 else be absent, I may hear of your affairs. 422 00:29:09,000 --> 00:29:12,360 That what you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving 423 00:29:12,360 --> 00:29:16,160 together for the faith of the gospel, and in nothing terrified 424 00:29:16,160 --> 00:29:18,960 by your advocacy. There's the endurance of trials, 425 00:29:19,840 --> 00:29:23,320 which is to them and evident token of perdition, but to you 426 00:29:23,320 --> 00:29:26,640 of salvation and that of God. For unto you it is given on 427 00:29:26,640 --> 00:29:30,160 behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to 428 00:29:30,160 --> 00:29:39,480 suffer for His sake, real, genuine faith, even when that 429 00:29:39,480 --> 00:29:46,720 faith is weak and you're timid and you're scared, being 430 00:29:46,720 --> 00:29:53,320 prepared, even if necessary, to be faithful unto death, that you 431 00:29:53,320 --> 00:30:02,280 might stand fast in the Lord. We're not called upon to die a 432 00:30:02,280 --> 00:30:07,280 martyr's death at this point. That may come and could come, 433 00:30:08,920 --> 00:30:11,680 but let's stand fast nevertheless. 434 00:30:12,480 --> 00:30:17,640 The ordinary trials of life. Let's stand fast despite the 435 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:21,520 opposition and the persecution to quit the Christian life. 436 00:30:22,280 --> 00:30:24,640 Let's stand fast when we're tempted to sin. 437 00:30:24,720 --> 00:30:27,960 Young people, say no to the drink culture, Say no to the 438 00:30:27,960 --> 00:30:30,680 dance culture. Be like the godly man. 439 00:30:32,280 --> 00:30:34,480 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the council of the 440 00:30:34,480 --> 00:30:36,640 ungodly understandeth in the way of sinners. 441 00:30:37,520 --> 00:30:40,720 We live on a day of backsliding. We'll admit that a day of great 442 00:30:40,720 --> 00:30:44,800 falling away and there's a call for the Christian to stand fast 443 00:30:46,120 --> 00:30:50,120 and that standing fast is evidence of new life in Christ 444 00:30:50,120 --> 00:30:54,280 very quickly and this we finish the experience of standing fast 445 00:30:54,280 --> 00:30:56,040 in the Lord. You see, it has a positive 446 00:30:56,040 --> 00:30:58,360 impact. It had a positive impact in 447 00:30:58,360 --> 00:31:01,120 Paul, for he says for now we live. 448 00:31:01,560 --> 00:31:06,560 If ye stand fast. You see, once Paul got Timothy's 449 00:31:06,560 --> 00:31:11,360 report, it encouraged him. It was like reviving his spirit. 450 00:31:11,440 --> 00:31:14,640 He was anxious, he was affectionate for the people of 451 00:31:14,640 --> 00:31:16,760 God. And then once he got the report, 452 00:31:16,760 --> 00:31:19,480 he accepted it and he made this announcement. 453 00:31:21,400 --> 00:31:24,480 For now we live. What has he said previously? 454 00:31:24,680 --> 00:31:27,040 Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you and all our 455 00:31:27,040 --> 00:31:29,120 affliction and distress by your faith. 456 00:31:29,120 --> 00:31:31,080 For now we live. Do you see the connection? 457 00:31:32,320 --> 00:31:36,120 Paul was a man of true feelings, a man of flesh and blood, and at 458 00:31:36,120 --> 00:31:39,640 times he needed good news, he needed encouragement. 459 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:43,080 And I understand that as a pastor there's times you need 460 00:31:43,080 --> 00:31:47,240 encouragement and help. When when Paul and Silas came, 461 00:31:47,240 --> 00:31:49,120 by this time Paul was in Corinth. 462 00:31:49,320 --> 00:31:54,000 Acts 18 verse 5, it says in Corinth he was pressed in a 463 00:31:54,000 --> 00:31:58,960 spirit and then he testified to the Jews that Jesus was the 464 00:31:58,960 --> 00:32:05,200 Christ. In Romans 14, verse 7, we read 465 00:32:05,680 --> 00:32:08,160 that no man liveth or dieth unto himself. 466 00:32:09,160 --> 00:32:12,240 It's vital that we understand we're not to live or to die to 467 00:32:12,240 --> 00:32:18,040 himself. You think of families. 468 00:32:19,520 --> 00:32:23,000 There's problems in a family, and when there's problems coming 469 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:25,640 into a family, the whole of the family is affected. 470 00:32:26,360 --> 00:32:29,760 The whole of the family's annoyed, but what is true in our 471 00:32:29,760 --> 00:32:32,800 physical families is true in the Lord's family. 472 00:32:34,240 --> 00:32:38,840 The work of God is impacted. The work of God is affected. 473 00:32:39,480 --> 00:32:42,720 When problems arise, young people, it's possible to 474 00:32:42,720 --> 00:32:45,920 backslide, it's possible to make shipwreck. 475 00:32:46,120 --> 00:32:49,320 It's possible to abandon the great truths of the gospel. 476 00:32:49,320 --> 00:32:52,360 The Bible says he to think of thee standard, take heed lest he 477 00:32:52,360 --> 00:32:54,680 fall. And we need discernment. 478 00:32:56,760 --> 00:32:58,160 Let me just illustrate very quickly. 479 00:32:58,160 --> 00:33:01,520 I think of a pastor who fell away from the Lord, walked out 480 00:33:01,520 --> 00:33:04,160 the door of the church, never to come back, denounced everything 481 00:33:04,160 --> 00:33:07,200 he ever stood for. Why? 482 00:33:08,200 --> 00:33:11,440 Because someone in his family had taken seriously ill, 483 00:33:11,960 --> 00:33:14,840 stricken with a terminal disease, and he couldn't get 484 00:33:14,840 --> 00:33:17,320 over it. Why did God allow this to happen 485 00:33:17,520 --> 00:33:20,240 in my family? Why did God do this to me? 486 00:33:21,560 --> 00:33:25,720 That's true, by the way. He became very bitter, but his 487 00:33:25,720 --> 00:33:28,480 bitterness was toward God. He was angry with God. 488 00:33:29,320 --> 00:33:33,640 He walked away from Christ and all that he professed to stand 489 00:33:33,640 --> 00:33:36,320 for. I think of another brother who 490 00:33:36,320 --> 00:33:38,960 was an elder in a church in America who struck up a 491 00:33:38,960 --> 00:33:42,840 relationship with a another woman, walked out the door from 492 00:33:42,840 --> 00:33:46,360 his wife and his family, his children crying after him. 493 00:33:46,360 --> 00:33:49,560 In fact, one of the child was clinging to the father's leg and 494 00:33:49,560 --> 00:33:52,360 playing with the daddy. Please, Daddy, don't go. 495 00:33:53,520 --> 00:33:56,040 But the daddy dragged him on out into the yard and out through 496 00:33:56,040 --> 00:33:58,760 the gate and out to the car and pulled the wee fellow off his 497 00:33:58,760 --> 00:34:01,960 leg and, and threw him to the ground and get in the car and 498 00:34:01,960 --> 00:34:04,040 drove off. And the wee fellow never seen 499 00:34:04,040 --> 00:34:08,280 his father again. Father never come back, never 500 00:34:08,280 --> 00:34:12,320 repented or returned neither to the church or to Christ. 501 00:34:14,520 --> 00:34:24,880 See, these things can happen and what happens in those cases, the 502 00:34:24,880 --> 00:34:31,679 church family has to come and rally round and help that family 503 00:34:32,239 --> 00:34:35,199 and help those families to recover and and help them to go 504 00:34:35,239 --> 00:34:39,679 on and stand fast in the Lord. It has a professed impact very 505 00:34:39,679 --> 00:34:44,639 quickly. The professed impact is that 506 00:34:44,639 --> 00:34:46,840 there's a vibrant witness for Christ. 507 00:34:47,679 --> 00:34:51,800 There's a a life of serving the Lord, a life of sanctification. 508 00:34:51,920 --> 00:34:55,280 Bible encourages us to let your light shine before men, shine in 509 00:34:55,280 --> 00:34:58,400 a dark place like a candle. You shine in your home, your 510 00:34:58,400 --> 00:35:01,920 workplace, your school, your university, your country. 511 00:35:03,480 --> 00:35:06,720 It also has a practical impact. As I've said, it affects the 512 00:35:06,720 --> 00:35:10,840 family of God, affected Paul's preaching ministry. 513 00:35:11,640 --> 00:35:13,720 It impacted on his pastoral ministry. 514 00:35:14,160 --> 00:35:15,920 It impacted on his praying ministry. 515 00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:18,160 It impacts on his personal ministry. 516 00:35:18,440 --> 00:35:24,200 See, Paul says we live now we live if you stand fast in the 517 00:35:24,200 --> 00:35:25,760 Lord. And what is the opposite of 518 00:35:25,760 --> 00:35:28,320 that? If you don't stand fast, we 519 00:35:28,320 --> 00:35:32,440 suffer, we will die, we'll be discouraged, we'll be 520 00:35:32,640 --> 00:35:35,880 distressed. We, we, we'll be impacted. 521 00:35:36,640 --> 00:35:43,320 Now let me wrap this up in Matthew chapter 2412. 522 00:35:44,120 --> 00:35:47,440 It tells us they are something that's very, very sad in 523 00:35:47,440 --> 00:35:52,080 relation to our day and generation, and it's connected 524 00:35:52,080 --> 00:35:55,880 to the times in which we live. And it says this. 525 00:35:56,280 --> 00:35:59,760 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of the many 526 00:36:00,200 --> 00:36:03,680 shall wax cold. And is that not true today? 527 00:36:04,320 --> 00:36:08,600 The spiritual slide is on. Religious declension has come in 528 00:36:08,800 --> 00:36:12,120 and it impacts the Sabbath day. It impacts people's attitude to 529 00:36:12,120 --> 00:36:14,960 the Scriptures. It impacts their attitude to a 530 00:36:14,960 --> 00:36:17,680 life of holiness and and sanctification. 531 00:36:18,080 --> 00:36:20,080 Young people, where does backsliding begin? 532 00:36:20,200 --> 00:36:22,320 It begins when you stop reading your Bible. 533 00:36:23,960 --> 00:36:26,440 We're in a battle against sin, the world, the flesh of the 534 00:36:26,440 --> 00:36:28,960 devil. And to protect yourself, you 535 00:36:28,960 --> 00:36:32,480 need to fill your heart and mind with a word from God every day. 536 00:36:34,760 --> 00:36:36,920 Something said, I think it was maybe yesterday that Craig 537 00:36:36,920 --> 00:36:39,760 Denison said the most Protestant thing that you could do is read 538 00:36:39,760 --> 00:36:43,160 your Bible every day because the Bible's the religion of the 539 00:36:43,160 --> 00:36:49,840 Protestant. That's the acid test in relation 540 00:36:49,840 --> 00:36:53,080 to protection against backsliding. 541 00:36:53,960 --> 00:36:58,920 Jesus said in Matthew chapter 4 and verse four, man shall not 542 00:36:58,920 --> 00:37:03,240 live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of 543 00:37:03,240 --> 00:37:08,640 the mouth of God. Can you say this morning that 544 00:37:08,640 --> 00:37:10,440 you're standing fast in the Lord? 545 00:37:11,080 --> 00:37:13,440 You understand the essence of what it means. 546 00:37:14,960 --> 00:37:18,760 You've got the evidence because it's a declaration, a 547 00:37:18,760 --> 00:37:21,080 demonstration of your new life in Christ. 548 00:37:21,760 --> 00:37:27,840 And it's experienced in such a way that other people have have 549 00:37:27,840 --> 00:37:31,840 a positive impact because you stand fast and then they make a 550 00:37:31,840 --> 00:37:35,400 professed impact. They, along with you, declare 551 00:37:35,400 --> 00:37:38,200 testimony to the saving and keeping power of Christ. 552 00:37:40,040 --> 00:37:41,880 And it has such a practical impact. 553 00:37:42,400 --> 00:37:47,240 It encourages others. I live a life unto the Lord that 554 00:37:47,240 --> 00:37:49,080 that's what this means. And if when you scratch the 555 00:37:49,080 --> 00:37:52,200 surface, I would love to have more time to spend with this 556 00:37:52,240 --> 00:37:55,840 portion, but I leave that with you and I trust and pray the 557 00:37:55,840 --> 00:37:57,800 Lord will bless you this morning.