1 00:00:03,040 --> 00:00:05,560 Thanks for checking out the Anchor Faith Message podcast 2 00:00:05,600 --> 00:00:06,920 from St. Augustine, FL. 3 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:12,120 Now enjoy this message. So tonight we're going to talk 4 00:00:12,120 --> 00:00:15,880 about milk and meat. Milk and meat. 5 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:22,080 We're going to talk about growing in the Kingdom of God. 6 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:25,640 Amen. Growing in the Kingdom of God. 7 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:31,880 Last Wednesday night, Pastor ministered in this arena about 8 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:37,560 the fact that we are all too mature and to grow in the 9 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:39,240 Kingdom of God. Amen. 10 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:45,320 When we got transferred from the domain of darkness and and 11 00:00:45,320 --> 00:00:51,000 brought into His Kingdom and now we walk as children of God. 12 00:00:51,640 --> 00:01:00,760 He calls us babes in Christ. Every new born again individual 13 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:04,519 the Bible calls a babe in Christ. 14 00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:09,600 When we come into the Kingdom of God, every single one of us are 15 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:13,280 babies. Look at Jasmine's little little 16 00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:21,120 one here growing up so fast. Everything within the Kingdom of 17 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:27,920 God right when we get born again is placed on the inside of us in 18 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:34,200 our spirit man. Everything as a child of God is 19 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:38,480 placed on the inside of me, us when we get born again just like 20 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:41,960 this baby. All the DNA from Alex and 21 00:01:41,960 --> 00:01:47,720 Jasmine is in this baby from her parents, right? 22 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:52,000 Her mother and her father. Everything is within her. 23 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:55,960 Her little personality is already within her. 24 00:01:57,040 --> 00:02:03,440 Everything her, everything that she is going to become as a 25 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:10,639 child and as a a teenager and as an adult, everything is already 26 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:14,080 within her. But when now that she's born 27 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:20,920 again, there's things that she has to discover about herself. 28 00:02:21,920 --> 00:02:26,640 A baby is going to realize that they can actually make sounds 29 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:31,320 and start what cooing is what they're called, right? 30 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:35,000 Little Coos. They're going to realize, oh, 31 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:41,280 there was sound within me. They are going to realize then 32 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:46,680 how to start speaking. They then are going to start 33 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:52,440 realizing actually that they are a literal human being. 34 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:56,960 She does not have any clue what she is right now. 35 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:05,600 She doesn't know that she's a little girl or a little boy, but 36 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:10,480 we do. So we as parents have to teach 37 00:03:10,680 --> 00:03:19,000 them what they are, just like the Heavenly Father when we come 38 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:23,840 into the Kingdom of God, everything within us as His 39 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:28,880 child is in there. And now it is time for us to 40 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:37,040 discover what we are in connection to Him and that He is 41 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:40,000 our Father. She's going to realize that 42 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:45,200 eventually. Oh, this is my mother and what 43 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:48,200 the mother is supposed to do for her. 44 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:53,840 She has no idea that her mother is feeding her right now, 45 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:58,600 changing her diaper right now. She has no idea. 46 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:02,480 She is just warm and cozy when she cries. 47 00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:07,160 Someone is taking care of her, her mother. 48 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:14,160 So eventually she's going to identify who her mother is and 49 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:20,640 who her father is. Not only who her mother and her 50 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:31,280 father is, but who her family is, who her family is in the 51 00:04:31,280 --> 00:04:38,320 natural, right in the natural. She will then discover who her 52 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:44,040 family is in a spiritual aspect if they continue to raise her up 53 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:48,440 in a godly home, bringing her to church, teaching her that she's 54 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:52,720 not just part of her natural family, but she's part of a 55 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:59,840 Kingdom family. So all of these things she still 56 00:04:59,840 --> 00:05:04,080 has to discover in life as a baby. 57 00:05:05,080 --> 00:05:11,400 And that is the same aspect of how we are to look at our 58 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:17,880 relationship with the Father. We when we get born again, 59 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:22,960 there's so much that we don't know and understand about our 60 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:29,400 Father, our Heavenly Father. We don't know about him when we 61 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:32,720 get born again. The only thing we know is that 62 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:40,160 we needed Him to save us. And we have learned here that so 63 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:47,760 many people stop right there and stay at the fact that, you know 64 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:54,880 what, we are just born again. But they never begin to discover 65 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:59,560 what else God has on the inside of them. 66 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:03,360 They never begin to discover their purposes. 67 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:08,120 They never begin to discover who the Heavenly Father is, that he 68 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:12,080 is a king. He has a Kingdom come on, and we 69 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:16,040 are his royal offspring. And there's things in this 70 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:21,880 Kingdom now, or the family of God now, that we still need to 71 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:29,160 grow and understand there. This little child is going to 72 00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:37,600 begin to understand the qualities and the behaviors and 73 00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:44,280 the morals and the values that her family upholds. 74 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:52,960 She's going to discover that what her family believes in, 75 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:57,360 she's you. She's going to learn to believe 76 00:06:57,360 --> 00:07:03,440 in right If her, you know, and we could go into so many 77 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:06,960 different directions, but she's going to believe to begin to 78 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:11,960 believe in those things. She's going to begin to look at 79 00:07:12,240 --> 00:07:18,760 how her parents take care of her and provide for her. 80 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:23,480 She's going to begin to discover if there's something I need, I 81 00:07:23,480 --> 00:07:29,120 can go to my parents, my mother, my father, and I can ask of him 82 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:34,320 of them, right? She's going to discover that my 83 00:07:34,320 --> 00:07:39,760 parents are there to protect me and to guide me. 84 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:47,120 And not only that, she's going to begin to then understand the 85 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:54,400 character of her parents. She's going to start seeing 86 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:57,680 certain behaviors. Do you know, and we've said this 87 00:07:57,680 --> 00:08:03,640 before, by the time children are two to four years old, they have 88 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:07,800 already had, what is it that it's called? 89 00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:14,280 Their brains have already developed and absorbed 90 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:22,800 everything within them. There's a term it's called, it's 91 00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:31,960 the most formidable years. Do you know that's the same in a 92 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:38,919 new believer's life? The most formidable years within 93 00:08:38,919 --> 00:08:43,880 a new believer's life as a babe in Christ is the first four 94 00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:47,120 years. And actually we can see and one 95 00:08:47,120 --> 00:08:50,880 of our instructors told us at Rhema over 20 years ago that 96 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:54,560 within three to five years, if someone is born again, within 97 00:08:54,560 --> 00:08:58,200 three to five years, they would have expected you to have 98 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:06,960 matured within three to five years of you being born again, 99 00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:16,720 that you could have already matured as a a solid believer. 100 00:09:17,880 --> 00:09:22,440 So why are we not seeing that in believers lives today? 101 00:09:25,080 --> 00:09:29,240 Because one, maybe they've not been in a place in their 102 00:09:29,240 --> 00:09:33,040 formidable years that has actually taught them who they 103 00:09:33,040 --> 00:09:36,760 are and what they are to discover in the Kingdom. 104 00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:46,160 Or two, they have not actually submitted themselves to the word 105 00:09:46,160 --> 00:09:52,120 of God and to the church or the House of God, the family of God, 106 00:09:52,360 --> 00:09:58,200 to be able to help grow them and equip them properly. 107 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:07,480 Or number three, they have chosen to neglect their growth 108 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:11,280 and not feed on the proper things. 109 00:10:11,800 --> 00:10:15,480 Because don't we see that happen in children's lives If they 110 00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:18,320 don't have the proper what nutrition? 111 00:10:18,520 --> 00:10:23,000 If they don't have the proper care, if they cannot form, 112 00:10:23,160 --> 00:10:25,840 right? You have children that start 113 00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:29,200 kindergarten and still have language issues. 114 00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:33,040 They can't speak properly and different things. 115 00:10:33,040 --> 00:10:34,680 Why? Because in their first 116 00:10:34,680 --> 00:10:39,400 formidable years, they weren't taught properly how to speak. 117 00:10:40,120 --> 00:10:43,680 You talk to them like they were a baby until they were 10, 118 00:10:44,560 --> 00:10:48,880 right? You let them say Wawa instead of 119 00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:52,800 saying no, it is water. And now it's time for you to say 120 00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:56,920 water and not Wawa, right? Or whatever the case may be. 121 00:10:58,560 --> 00:11:08,160 So we see that in the natural, God uses the natural process of 122 00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:15,440 growth in a human being in Scriptures to show us that we as 123 00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:22,520 believers are to actually grow in the manner like we see in the 124 00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:25,440 natural. We're to grow spiritually just 125 00:11:25,440 --> 00:11:32,760 as we are to grow naturally as a child, as a human right. 126 00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:39,160 And so again, the thing about it is, is that we have to ask 127 00:11:39,160 --> 00:11:44,880 ourselves if we've been in a, in a place where God has actually 128 00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:50,280 put you with pastors to teach you and equip you, where is what 129 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:54,120 does your growth pattern look like? 130 00:11:54,280 --> 00:11:59,400 You know how when you take these infants to the doctor and they 131 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:03,200 do a growth chart for them, they'll do their measurements 132 00:12:03,400 --> 00:12:07,880 and they'll let you know if they are in the average of what a 133 00:12:07,880 --> 00:12:12,160 child should be in the age that they are. 134 00:12:14,720 --> 00:12:21,440 There is a growth chart in the Kingdom of God and you may not 135 00:12:21,440 --> 00:12:26,440 be measuring it, but guess who is our Father? 136 00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:35,840 Our Father is always measuring us and looking at us as his 137 00:12:35,840 --> 00:12:38,680 children because he is a good father. 138 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:41,880 He does not want us to be neglected. 139 00:12:42,440 --> 00:12:45,680 He does not want us to not be fed properly. 140 00:12:46,080 --> 00:12:48,880 He does not want us to be without. 141 00:12:49,160 --> 00:12:51,920 He does not want any of those things for us. 142 00:12:51,920 --> 00:12:58,960 Just like a natural father, that's normal, would not want 143 00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:02,120 that for their own child. Amen. 144 00:13:02,120 --> 00:13:07,920 Amen. And so Father God, the King of 145 00:13:07,920 --> 00:13:13,400 glory, the King of the Kingdom, he is measuring his children 146 00:13:13,400 --> 00:13:19,040 just like they do at the pediatrician's office to see if 147 00:13:19,040 --> 00:13:22,280 your growth chart is where it should be. 148 00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:26,400 And do you know what measures that? 149 00:13:27,280 --> 00:13:36,040 The Word of God, the Word of God is our measure so that when we 150 00:13:36,040 --> 00:13:40,800 look at the Word of God and we see what the Word of God says 151 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:45,360 that our life as a believer should look like in the Kingdom 152 00:13:45,360 --> 00:13:53,640 of God, does it reflect that? If not, then we have to evaluate 153 00:13:53,640 --> 00:13:55,640 ourselves. You know, people go to 154 00:13:55,640 --> 00:13:59,360 specialist. What will that pediatrician do 155 00:13:59,880 --> 00:14:05,240 if they see that for several, several months or even a year 156 00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:10,520 there's been a lapse in progression, They will take you 157 00:14:10,520 --> 00:14:15,680 to a specialist and they will say we need to do some more 158 00:14:15,680 --> 00:14:20,400 testing to see if there's something going on and why you 159 00:14:20,400 --> 00:14:27,440 are not growing normally right? This it happens all the time in 160 00:14:27,440 --> 00:14:32,600 the natural and she and we see in the Scripture it is like a 161 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:38,280 parable when he says that when we get born again, we are babes. 162 00:14:38,280 --> 00:14:42,280 One translation says infants in Christ. 163 00:14:44,240 --> 00:14:49,440 Then we're going to see that. He also lets us know that when 164 00:14:49,440 --> 00:14:52,240 we thought like a child and acted like a child. 165 00:14:52,240 --> 00:14:57,880 But now it's time to what? Put aside childish things and 166 00:14:57,880 --> 00:15:00,800 mature and grow up and become a what? 167 00:15:01,680 --> 00:15:05,480 A man, right? And so I want to look at a 168 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:09,400 couple of scriptures because we're going to start looking at 169 00:15:09,400 --> 00:15:15,120 the fact that first we need to know that God expects his 170 00:15:15,120 --> 00:15:21,720 children to grow. Number one, he expects his 171 00:15:21,720 --> 00:15:28,080 children to grow and to mature. And we have to ask ourselves, 172 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:30,600 have we grown? Are we maturing? 173 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:33,120 Ephesians chapter 411 through 16. 174 00:15:33,120 --> 00:15:36,840 And he gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some 175 00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:40,400 pastors and teachers for the equipping of the Saints, for the 176 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:45,160 working of service to the building up of the body of 177 00:15:45,160 --> 00:15:48,160 Christ. Do you know how I as a pastor 178 00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:54,080 know that someone's growth has been stunted or that they are 179 00:15:54,080 --> 00:16:01,560 not growing? Number one, they're not serving 180 00:16:04,280 --> 00:16:10,360 because he says right here, right here, we are to equip the 181 00:16:10,360 --> 00:16:17,160 Saints for the work of service. And if you are coming to church 182 00:16:17,400 --> 00:16:23,600 and you can't put your hand to anything and serve the body of 183 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:31,440 Christ, it is a sure sign that you are not growing properly. 184 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:40,120 We will not grow properly outside of actually serving, but 185 00:16:40,120 --> 00:16:44,320 we'll get to that later anyway. So then he goes on to say for 186 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:46,880 the quipping of the Saints, for the work of service to the 187 00:16:46,880 --> 00:16:50,920 building up of the body of Christ, because we are supposed 188 00:16:50,920 --> 00:17:00,440 to be so equipped that we serve, because we understand it's not 189 00:17:00,440 --> 00:17:03,840 about us. It's about us building up the 190 00:17:03,840 --> 00:17:08,800 body of Christ. It's about us building up the 191 00:17:08,800 --> 00:17:13,800 body of Christ until we can all attain to the unity, faith and 192 00:17:13,800 --> 00:17:15,880 to the knowledge of the Son of God. 193 00:17:16,720 --> 00:17:24,079 To a what mature man, say a mature man, to the measure of 194 00:17:24,079 --> 00:17:27,240 the stature. You see that measure of stature 195 00:17:28,280 --> 00:17:33,400 to the measure of stature? This lets us know that God is 196 00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:38,480 measuring up every man and every woman. 197 00:17:38,600 --> 00:17:44,000 He's measuring you up. Yes, He is measuring you up. 198 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:49,240 He's looking at your stats. The way we know stats about 199 00:17:49,240 --> 00:17:52,040 football players and basketball players. 200 00:17:52,320 --> 00:17:55,560 We know how tall. Well, they're 6 foot 5, they're 201 00:17:55,560 --> 00:18:00,720 225 lbs, blah, blah, blah, right? 202 00:18:01,680 --> 00:18:07,040 They're measuring them up. And God says he measures us up 203 00:18:07,280 --> 00:18:14,800 and looks at our stature because he's expecting us to mature, 204 00:18:15,040 --> 00:18:19,920 which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 As a result, what 205 00:18:19,920 --> 00:18:23,480 does he let us know? Because we are actually 206 00:18:23,480 --> 00:18:28,640 maturing. We will no longer be children 207 00:18:29,400 --> 00:18:35,840 tossed here and there by every wave, carried about by every 208 00:18:35,840 --> 00:18:40,080 wind of doctrine, carried about about all the trickery of men, 209 00:18:40,320 --> 00:18:45,440 all the woke agendas, all the things that are being said about 210 00:18:45,440 --> 00:18:50,400 Christianity Today and deconstructing and blood, all 211 00:18:50,400 --> 00:18:53,680 this stuff. You won't be tricked by it 212 00:18:53,920 --> 00:18:59,240 because you've actually allowed the Lord to measure you up and 213 00:18:59,320 --> 00:19:02,000 and to mature you and to grow up. 214 00:19:03,320 --> 00:19:08,320 And we won't be tricked in this last day that he says many are 215 00:19:08,320 --> 00:19:14,880 going to fall away. Oh my goodness, you see this? 216 00:19:15,360 --> 00:19:19,840 And so we are not going to get caught up in the trickery of men 217 00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:24,560 by the craftiness in deceitful scheming that is happening, but 218 00:19:24,560 --> 00:19:28,760 speaking the truth in love so that we are to what? 219 00:19:29,320 --> 00:19:32,520 Say grow up? Yeah, look at your neighbor and 220 00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:36,960 say grow up. Do it again. 221 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:40,320 Look to the other neighbor and say grow up. 222 00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:49,280 Hey, why don't we stand up? Let's stand up and walk around 223 00:19:49,280 --> 00:19:55,200 to somebody and say grow up. Cuz haven't you all wanted to do 224 00:19:55,200 --> 00:20:00,800 that? Haven't you all wanted to do it? 225 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:11,720 Come on now, say grow up. You know you've all wanted to do 226 00:20:11,720 --> 00:20:22,160 it. See, you just had great 227 00:20:22,160 --> 00:20:26,280 pleasure, didn't you? Wasn't that great pleasure? 228 00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:32,480 Finally being able to just say to somebody, grow up, come on, 229 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:39,920 Hallelujah. So we are to grow up in what? 230 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:51,640 All aspects say all aspects unto him, not just parts of God, not 231 00:20:51,640 --> 00:21:01,120 just what we like about God, but all aspects of God, all aspects 232 00:21:01,120 --> 00:21:07,520 of God, everything about God. He wants us to grow up into 233 00:21:08,640 --> 00:21:13,320 everything, not just the bits and pieces that feel good to us 234 00:21:13,640 --> 00:21:18,840 and and make us excited and and run around and shout and feel 235 00:21:18,840 --> 00:21:22,120 good and all these things, though he wants us to grow up. 236 00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:25,360 And I'm going to tell you what the most of the time that you're 237 00:21:25,360 --> 00:21:30,600 having to grow up is under pressure and under pain and 238 00:21:30,600 --> 00:21:35,200 under suffering and under situations and circumstances. 239 00:21:35,400 --> 00:21:40,160 This is where true manhood or growth shows up. 240 00:21:41,040 --> 00:21:45,920 Come on, this is the reality of how we grow. 241 00:21:48,120 --> 00:21:54,120 How do you how many of you remember growing pains as a 242 00:21:54,120 --> 00:21:59,720 child? Yeah, raise your hand if you 243 00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:04,280 have had growing pains. Do you remember as a child your 244 00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:08,400 legs hurting, your body just hurting and every and your 245 00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:10,840 parents would just say, oh, you just grow this just growing 246 00:22:10,840 --> 00:22:15,840 pains. That pain was real. 247 00:22:17,120 --> 00:22:20,960 It was real pain. But guess what was happening? 248 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:24,680 You were growing and you know what? 249 00:22:24,680 --> 00:22:29,480 There was nothing you could do to stop it because what was in 250 00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:34,600 you was trying to develop and come out. 251 00:22:37,360 --> 00:22:42,840 Do you know how much potential and purpose and plans and things 252 00:22:42,840 --> 00:22:45,840 that God has within each and every one of us? 253 00:22:45,840 --> 00:22:52,200 And we can stop the pain. We can stop the growth because 254 00:22:52,200 --> 00:22:56,040 we don't want to have to go through what it's going to take 255 00:22:56,040 --> 00:23:02,040 to actually overcome and grow past that emotion or grow past 256 00:23:02,240 --> 00:23:04,960 that hurt. Church hurt. 257 00:23:05,240 --> 00:23:09,200 All this garbage that's being talked about today. 258 00:23:10,360 --> 00:23:14,120 Church hurt. Everybody talks about this 259 00:23:14,120 --> 00:23:16,360 today. Do you think this is anything 260 00:23:16,360 --> 00:23:19,880 new under the sun? No, just more people have 261 00:23:19,880 --> 00:23:22,080 platforms to run off at the mouth. 262 00:23:30,320 --> 00:23:33,200 And, and I've said this before, everybody talks about how the 263 00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:36,800 pastor has hurt people, but nobody talks about all the hurt 264 00:23:36,800 --> 00:23:41,520 that the pastor encounters, but they expect them to just get up 265 00:23:41,520 --> 00:23:48,000 and go on. You want me to cry church hurt? 266 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:52,000 I could give you a laundry list. Would that, would that help 267 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:58,680 anyone doom, despair and agony on me? 268 00:23:58,680 --> 00:24:05,400 Does anybody know who that is? Hee Haw? 269 00:24:05,400 --> 00:24:07,280 Who at? Who remembers Hee Haw? 270 00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:12,560 Or how about this one? Winnie the Pooh? 271 00:24:12,560 --> 00:24:19,320 Who remembers Eeyore? OK, everybody knows Winnie the 272 00:24:19,320 --> 00:24:21,280 Pooh, right? OK. 273 00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:27,440 Anyway, again, where to grow up? This just lets me know where 274 00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:30,560 these people's maturity level is at. 275 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:35,800 Because everyone is going to encounter hurt. 276 00:24:36,680 --> 00:24:41,080 Everyone is going to encounter something that they have to 277 00:24:41,080 --> 00:24:49,400 choose to grow up and overcome in this life period, right? 278 00:24:50,040 --> 00:24:54,680 If there is an earth with humanity on it, there is an 279 00:24:54,680 --> 00:25:01,720 opportunity for hurt, period. And we've got to mature and know 280 00:25:01,720 --> 00:25:05,600 the word enough on how to actually deal with it and 281 00:25:05,600 --> 00:25:10,640 overcome it and not allow it to affect our lives and then be a 282 00:25:10,640 --> 00:25:14,920 stumbling block. Who listens to all this garbage? 283 00:25:16,560 --> 00:25:20,680 Stumbling blocks? Putting a noose around their 284 00:25:20,680 --> 00:25:26,520 neck is what needs to happen. The scripture says that because 285 00:25:26,520 --> 00:25:30,720 how many people have hurt people by thinking they're going to 286 00:25:30,720 --> 00:25:34,600 talk about church hurt to warn people, yet it's become a very 287 00:25:34,600 --> 00:25:42,960 noose around their neck. See that so we have to mature, 288 00:25:42,960 --> 00:25:49,120 so that we see all these wicked schemes of the enemy in this day 289 00:25:49,120 --> 00:25:52,240 that we are living. We are to grow up into all 290 00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:57,520 aspects unto Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the 291 00:25:57,520 --> 00:26:02,960 whole body is being fitted and held together by every joint 292 00:26:02,960 --> 00:26:06,520 that supplies according to the proper working of each 293 00:26:06,520 --> 00:26:12,560 individual part, Causes what? The growth of the body for the 294 00:26:12,560 --> 00:26:18,920 building of of itself in love. So not only does He want you 295 00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:27,880 individually to grow, He wants His body to grow, and His body 296 00:26:27,880 --> 00:26:32,320 cannot grow properly. If we as individuals that are 297 00:26:32,320 --> 00:26:38,240 placed within His body refuse to grow, we will become abnormal 298 00:26:38,240 --> 00:26:46,400 parts of the body, right? What happens when we know, you 299 00:26:46,400 --> 00:26:50,240 know, you get injured in a shoulder, you get something 300 00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:54,240 happened to you and you don't properly work that part of the 301 00:26:54,240 --> 00:26:56,560 body. What happens? 302 00:26:57,000 --> 00:27:01,680 It can become what useless. Some people can't. 303 00:27:01,760 --> 00:27:05,200 You know when you get older, their arm locks up and they 304 00:27:05,200 --> 00:27:11,040 can't, right? Well, what's wrong now? 305 00:27:11,040 --> 00:27:15,040 It's useless. And what is happening to that 306 00:27:15,040 --> 00:27:18,640 useless part now? It's actually aggravating the 307 00:27:18,640 --> 00:27:22,640 whole body. Do you know how many people are 308 00:27:22,640 --> 00:27:28,360 aggravating the whole body of Christ because they refuse to 309 00:27:28,360 --> 00:27:30,720 grow? That is just the bottom line. 310 00:27:31,080 --> 00:27:38,600 They refuse to mature. They refuse to grow and mature. 311 00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:42,320 So let's move on. Look at second Peter. 312 00:27:42,960 --> 00:27:48,560 We're proving that he, our Lord, our King, our Father, wants us 313 00:27:48,560 --> 00:27:53,760 to grow up. Second Peter 318 But grow in the 314 00:27:53,760 --> 00:27:59,360 grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 315 00:27:59,560 --> 00:28:03,560 To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. 316 00:28:03,800 --> 00:28:06,280 Look what He says, grow in the grace. 317 00:28:06,600 --> 00:28:12,560 We were saved by faith. Through what grace we enter into 318 00:28:12,560 --> 00:28:17,880 the Kingdom and He lets us know there is still some more grace 319 00:28:17,880 --> 00:28:21,680 that we are to grow into. There is still some more 320 00:28:21,680 --> 00:28:26,520 knowledge about our Lord and Savior that we are to grow up 321 00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:29,880 into. Not just the fact that He saved 322 00:28:29,880 --> 00:28:32,000 me. He died, He rose. 323 00:28:32,120 --> 00:28:36,080 And when I die one day, I get to go to heaven. 324 00:28:36,560 --> 00:28:40,000 And then we live helpless in this earth. 325 00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:43,360 We live defeated, We live busted. 326 00:28:43,360 --> 00:28:46,640 We live disgusted. We live without. 327 00:28:46,640 --> 00:28:54,640 We complain like everybody else. He did not raise us as children 328 00:28:54,640 --> 00:29:01,840 to behave that way, to act that way, you know, and raising your 329 00:29:01,840 --> 00:29:07,320 own, I mean, now you parents are a lot different than me. 330 00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:16,280 You new age people, you know, half of you don't believe in 331 00:29:16,280 --> 00:29:21,280 spanking. You know, I'm going to tell you 332 00:29:21,520 --> 00:29:23,000 they're not going to grow properly. 333 00:29:27,040 --> 00:29:28,680 They're not going to grow up properly. 334 00:29:32,080 --> 00:29:33,960 You need to just take that up with the Lord. 335 00:29:36,160 --> 00:29:46,760 Physical discipline is required to grow as a healthy child and 336 00:29:46,760 --> 00:29:54,960 the right physical discipline. OK, so he goes on to say, so we 337 00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:58,480 are to grow in this grace that we've been saved by, but not 338 00:29:58,480 --> 00:30:02,120 only in this grace, because when we get born again, He lets us 339 00:30:02,120 --> 00:30:05,720 know we are to grow in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus 340 00:30:05,720 --> 00:30:07,440 Christ. What does that tell us? 341 00:30:07,440 --> 00:30:10,640 That we don't know who our Lord is. 342 00:30:11,280 --> 00:30:15,560 Just because we get born again does not mean we know who our 343 00:30:15,560 --> 00:30:19,560 Lord is. We are now beginning to discover 344 00:30:19,560 --> 00:30:25,120 who our Father is and discover who the Lord is and all that He 345 00:30:25,120 --> 00:30:30,000 has for me as a child in the Kingdom of God. 346 00:30:30,360 --> 00:30:37,960 And that is the journey and the process of growth and, and 347 00:30:37,960 --> 00:30:45,720 actually knowing the Father for who he is outside of us wanting 348 00:30:45,720 --> 00:30:48,760 to grow. You know what that tells us that 349 00:30:48,760 --> 00:30:55,720 we really don't want to know who our Heavenly Father really is. 350 00:30:57,720 --> 00:31:07,000 We just want His blessing. So we want his security for 351 00:31:07,040 --> 00:31:11,960 eternity, but we really don't want to know Him because a 352 00:31:11,960 --> 00:31:19,920 father, there are many that can be right dads, but a father is 353 00:31:19,920 --> 00:31:24,320 actually going to be the one there to actually train you, 354 00:31:24,800 --> 00:31:29,880 develop you, right? All of these things that is 355 00:31:29,880 --> 00:31:35,960 going to be there day in and day out, not leaving you, right, not 356 00:31:35,960 --> 00:31:41,480 abandoning you, but a real father will do the job. 357 00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:48,880 A real father will do the job. Hebrews 6/1 through three. 358 00:31:49,160 --> 00:31:53,400 Therefore leaving the elementary teachings. 359 00:31:55,640 --> 00:32:05,720 Who needs elementary teaching? Children, Everybody that gets 360 00:32:05,720 --> 00:32:09,200 born again. They need elementary teaching 361 00:32:09,560 --> 00:32:14,120 and what is that? Elementary teaching is origin, 362 00:32:14,320 --> 00:32:20,480 foundation, all of these things that are to be laid within your 363 00:32:20,480 --> 00:32:24,040 heart and in your life as a babe in Christ. 364 00:32:24,280 --> 00:32:28,960 While you're you can just say you are in elementary school. 365 00:32:29,120 --> 00:32:32,040 Actually, when you get born again, you're a baby and you're 366 00:32:32,040 --> 00:32:39,640 in preschool, then you can mature to elementary school, 367 00:32:40,120 --> 00:32:43,400 right? And then you go on into middle 368 00:32:43,400 --> 00:32:48,720 school, then you go on into high school, and eventually we expect 369 00:32:49,040 --> 00:32:53,440 after 12 years that somebody's actually going to graduate. 370 00:32:54,280 --> 00:32:59,920 Now you get 12 years in natural schooling, but in God's 371 00:32:59,920 --> 00:33:06,000 schooling, he really only wants three to five years of maturing 372 00:33:06,320 --> 00:33:11,960 and graduating past some things, right? 373 00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:17,280 So it says, therefore, leaving the elementary teaching about 374 00:33:17,280 --> 00:33:21,000 Christ. Do you know simple truths about 375 00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:25,160 Christ, that he died, he rose his resurrection, he poured out 376 00:33:25,160 --> 00:33:28,800 his blood. All of these things are what the 377 00:33:28,800 --> 00:33:34,920 Word of God says is elementary. I did a message years ago. 378 00:33:34,920 --> 00:33:37,440 How many of y'all were here? It's elementary. 379 00:33:37,440 --> 00:33:40,920 My dear Watson, Do you remember that we went through the 380 00:33:40,920 --> 00:33:46,560 elementary principles? These things are elementary. 381 00:33:46,560 --> 00:33:50,800 And do you know what? He expects us to mature and move 382 00:33:50,800 --> 00:33:56,080 on in to some teaching about actually righteousness. 383 00:33:57,040 --> 00:34:02,320 When you're a baby, I expect you to whine, I expect you to cry. 384 00:34:02,480 --> 00:34:04,800 I expect to have to hand feed you. 385 00:34:05,360 --> 00:34:10,159 I expect to have to change your diapers When you mess up, guess 386 00:34:10,159 --> 00:34:15,960 who's going to be right there, Mama to help pick you up, right? 387 00:34:16,199 --> 00:34:21,040 And everybody really has a mentality of what kind of Mama 388 00:34:21,040 --> 00:34:26,360 they want. Isn't this so? 389 00:34:26,960 --> 00:34:30,159 Some people say. Well, I wish I had a mom like 390 00:34:30,159 --> 00:34:32,840 yours 'cause she lets you get away with everything. 391 00:34:33,840 --> 00:34:36,080 Or I. Wish I had a come on. 392 00:34:36,840 --> 00:34:43,040 Why is it that we in the natural say that Because we don't want 393 00:34:44,320 --> 00:34:51,360 the discipline, We don't want the correction in the natural. 394 00:34:52,320 --> 00:34:55,719 All of these things are relatable to our spiritual 395 00:34:55,719 --> 00:34:59,400 growth and development in the Kingdom of God. 396 00:34:59,600 --> 00:35:03,200 So he tells us, listen, we are to move past some elementary 397 00:35:03,520 --> 00:35:08,000 teachings about Christ. Let us press on to maturity, Say 398 00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:11,040 maturity. Not. 399 00:35:11,040 --> 00:35:15,320 Laying again a foundation here is elementary teachings, 400 00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:20,400 repentance from dead works, faith towards God. 401 00:35:20,400 --> 00:35:24,440 You have to believe that he is and that he is the only way and 402 00:35:24,440 --> 00:35:28,320 that's your entrance into the Kingdom of God and dead works is 403 00:35:29,120 --> 00:35:33,800 he did everything for me and when I repent, that's all right 404 00:35:34,040 --> 00:35:39,720 under the blood. faith in God. Instruction about washings. 405 00:35:39,720 --> 00:35:42,760 What is washings? The washing first of the 406 00:35:42,760 --> 00:35:46,880 watering of the Word, the washing second of baptism, the 407 00:35:46,880 --> 00:35:50,320 washing right of what's the next one? 408 00:35:50,320 --> 00:35:52,720 I didn't actually put a list down. 409 00:35:53,120 --> 00:36:01,080 Washing, baptism, washing of the watering of the Word. 410 00:36:01,280 --> 00:36:05,600 Anyway, laying hands. Do you know that laying hands on 411 00:36:05,600 --> 00:36:08,480 people is an elementary principal yet? 412 00:36:08,480 --> 00:36:12,880 You can go to I don't know how many churches in our nation 413 00:36:12,880 --> 00:36:15,680 where. Oh, what are they doing? 414 00:36:15,680 --> 00:36:18,680 Why are they laying hands on people? 415 00:36:19,560 --> 00:36:26,000 That is an elementary principle in the Kingdom of God. 416 00:36:27,120 --> 00:36:29,960 And do you know what? When people say that, you know 417 00:36:29,960 --> 00:36:37,920 why they're they're choosing to not grow in maturing in the 418 00:36:37,960 --> 00:36:41,120 aspect that actually we can lay hands on the people. 419 00:36:41,320 --> 00:36:47,840 We see it all through Scripture. It's an elementary principle 420 00:36:48,040 --> 00:36:51,240 that should not be foreign to us. 421 00:36:51,480 --> 00:36:53,680 But how many churches don't do it? 422 00:36:54,600 --> 00:36:58,520 So you know what that means? They're still in elementary 423 00:36:58,800 --> 00:37:04,000 teachings because they don't believe in laying on of hands. 424 00:37:04,200 --> 00:37:07,200 Let's look out, it says. And the resurrection from the 425 00:37:07,200 --> 00:37:11,200 dead, eternal judgment, you know, there's still people that 426 00:37:11,200 --> 00:37:14,640 do do not believe that there is an eternal judgment and that 427 00:37:14,640 --> 00:37:18,240 there's going to be a hell yet He lets us know this is baby 428 00:37:18,240 --> 00:37:21,960 teaching. This is elementary principles of 429 00:37:21,960 --> 00:37:26,600 the doctrine of the Word of God and they don't believe in it, 430 00:37:27,960 --> 00:37:31,760 which lets you know where they are at spiritually. 431 00:37:31,760 --> 00:37:38,760 There is a measure, there is a measuring tool, and the Word of 432 00:37:38,760 --> 00:37:41,960 God isn't. This is his standard. 433 00:37:42,200 --> 00:37:46,480 And these are the things that He says in the Word of God. 434 00:37:47,240 --> 00:37:50,960 He calls elementary principles. You see that? 435 00:37:51,560 --> 00:37:54,600 And it says this. And this we will do if God 436 00:37:54,600 --> 00:37:57,920 prevents. So look at Hebrews chapter 5, 437 00:37:57,920 --> 00:38:01,720 verse 12 through 13. I said we're going to talk about 438 00:38:01,720 --> 00:38:05,440 milk and meat. Hebrews 512 says this. 439 00:38:05,640 --> 00:38:11,920 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have 440 00:38:11,920 --> 00:38:18,400 need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of 441 00:38:18,400 --> 00:38:25,640 the oracles of God, and you have come to what need milk and not 442 00:38:26,680 --> 00:38:30,600 solid food. King James translation says 443 00:38:30,720 --> 00:38:36,080 meat, milk and meat. You need it again. 444 00:38:38,480 --> 00:38:42,640 Look at this, what he's saying for everyone who partakes only 445 00:38:42,640 --> 00:38:46,640 of me of milk. So these are babies who never 446 00:38:46,640 --> 00:38:50,480 want to get off the what? The bottle. 447 00:38:55,120 --> 00:38:58,560 These are babies that never want to get off the bottle. 448 00:38:59,160 --> 00:39:03,800 They never want to get off the milk because milk is warm, milk 449 00:39:03,800 --> 00:39:07,040 is cozy. And when it's coming from Mama, 450 00:39:07,040 --> 00:39:14,360 especially, not just a bottle, there's what safety just feels 451 00:39:14,360 --> 00:39:17,640 so good. Just want to, you know, be on 452 00:39:17,640 --> 00:39:23,920 Mama, do everything for you. The milk, they don't want to 453 00:39:23,920 --> 00:39:26,400 grow up. They don't want to get past the 454 00:39:26,400 --> 00:39:29,240 milk. Have you ever met some like 455 00:39:29,240 --> 00:39:32,920 that? And it says for everyone who 456 00:39:32,920 --> 00:39:38,640 partakes only on milk is not accustomed to the word of 457 00:39:38,640 --> 00:39:41,160 righteousness. What does he call him for? 458 00:39:41,160 --> 00:39:46,400 He is a infant, a baby, an infant. 459 00:39:46,400 --> 00:39:48,200 One translation says he's a baby. 460 00:39:48,960 --> 00:39:53,440 He wants to stay on the milk. He doesn't want to grow. 461 00:39:53,440 --> 00:39:56,800 He doesn't want to properly do what it's going to take. 462 00:39:56,800 --> 00:40:00,280 He doesn't want to have to go through the growing pains, 463 00:40:01,440 --> 00:40:03,880 right? And so we realize that God 464 00:40:03,880 --> 00:40:06,600 expects that. He expects me to grow. 465 00:40:07,920 --> 00:40:12,640 Look at First Corinthians. Three first Corinthians, three, 466 00:40:12,920 --> 00:40:16,200 one and two, it says, And I, brethren, could not speak to you 467 00:40:16,240 --> 00:40:23,320 as a spiritual man, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in 468 00:40:23,320 --> 00:40:28,200 Christ. So he let them know, Listen, I 469 00:40:28,200 --> 00:40:31,360 could not even talk to you as a spiritual man. 470 00:40:33,040 --> 00:40:36,320 Right. When you should have been, he 471 00:40:36,320 --> 00:40:41,400 says, But to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ, I gave you 472 00:40:41,400 --> 00:40:47,120 milk to drink, not solid food, not meat, for you were not able 473 00:40:47,120 --> 00:40:51,280 yet to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not 474 00:40:51,280 --> 00:40:55,400 able to receive it. And actually when you break this 475 00:40:55,400 --> 00:40:58,360 Scripture out, it's talking about you should have been able 476 00:40:58,360 --> 00:41:02,840 to receive it. You should have been a spiritual 477 00:41:02,840 --> 00:41:10,360 man, but you're acting like a man of flesh again and you're at 478 00:41:10,360 --> 00:41:12,840 and you aren't even able to handle the meat. 479 00:41:13,120 --> 00:41:19,040 Do you know what this tells me? You can actually grow and mature 480 00:41:19,040 --> 00:41:23,560 and have some meat and begin to walk into some things, but you 481 00:41:23,560 --> 00:41:26,040 can revert back to a baby. That's right. 482 00:41:27,720 --> 00:41:33,200 Right where you need milk again. You need milk again. 483 00:41:34,440 --> 00:41:37,080 Let me give you the bottle again, right? 484 00:41:39,000 --> 00:41:43,120 So it does not matter how long we've been in the church. 485 00:41:43,520 --> 00:41:47,720 It doesn't matter. You know what we've done what 486 00:41:47,720 --> 00:41:52,960 we've gone through. If we don't continue to grow and 487 00:41:52,960 --> 00:41:58,360 mature and allow God to do what He needs to do to continue to 488 00:41:58,400 --> 00:42:05,160 keep us in a place where we can keep eating the meat, we can 489 00:42:05,520 --> 00:42:10,560 stop that process, Revert back. And he's saying, listen, you 490 00:42:10,560 --> 00:42:16,760 have reverted back to a man of the flesh, a mere man. 491 00:42:16,960 --> 00:42:20,960 You are acting fleshly again, even though you ought to have 492 00:42:20,960 --> 00:42:24,480 been here and you ought to be able to handle this. 493 00:42:24,640 --> 00:42:27,640 You have reverted back to the flesh. 494 00:42:27,760 --> 00:42:32,840 You're acting like a baby, and you really need me milk again. 495 00:42:32,840 --> 00:42:39,440 You need to go back what to the fundamentals, to your foundation 496 00:42:41,480 --> 00:42:45,160 to the first things. Isn't that what they tell you in 497 00:42:45,160 --> 00:42:48,200 football? You know we're going to go back 498 00:42:48,200 --> 00:42:51,200 to the fundamentals when they just keep losing and they just 499 00:42:51,200 --> 00:42:55,280 keep dropping the ball and they just keep doing whatever, you 500 00:42:55,280 --> 00:42:57,760 know that they know they're not wrapping up, right? 501 00:42:57,920 --> 00:43:02,200 And all these things, we going back to the fundamentals and 502 00:43:02,200 --> 00:43:06,440 we're going to pound those fundamentals day in and day out 503 00:43:06,600 --> 00:43:11,520 until somebody gets up there and plays right. 504 00:43:12,240 --> 00:43:17,840 Coaches do this all the time. And we as pastors, we 505 00:43:18,360 --> 00:43:22,600 recognizing and equipping the body, equipping the Saints, 506 00:43:22,880 --> 00:43:26,880 recognize and have the ability to see, you know what we can. 507 00:43:26,880 --> 00:43:29,600 We need to go back to some fundamentals because I hear a 508 00:43:29,600 --> 00:43:37,320 lot of crying and a lot of whining, a lot of fussing. 509 00:43:38,760 --> 00:43:43,520 Come on, a lot of carrying on. So we need to go what we going 510 00:43:43,520 --> 00:43:46,280 back to the fundamentals we were. 511 00:43:46,280 --> 00:43:49,040 We were there. We thought we were there with 512 00:43:49,040 --> 00:43:54,400 some righteousness, teaching righteousness, right living. 513 00:43:56,960 --> 00:43:59,440 But you know what? Everybody's acting a fool, 514 00:43:59,440 --> 00:44:03,080 acting like babies. We going back, going back to the 515 00:44:03,080 --> 00:44:06,160 fundamentals, and we're going to pound those fundamentals. 516 00:44:06,360 --> 00:44:13,560 And you people, some say it's not you people Saints will get 517 00:44:13,560 --> 00:44:17,400 like, oh, I need to go find me. I don't know why pastors going 518 00:44:17,400 --> 00:44:21,320 back over the same old thing. We've already learned that 519 00:44:21,320 --> 00:44:30,640 evidently you haven't, because the pastor is to feed the flock. 520 00:44:31,800 --> 00:44:37,400 What they need? To properly grow, and if he sees 521 00:44:37,400 --> 00:44:42,800 there's been some stunted growth in people, he may need to go 522 00:44:42,800 --> 00:44:46,000 back to some fundamentals. And do you know what most people 523 00:44:46,000 --> 00:44:47,400 say? Then I'm going to go find me 524 00:44:47,400 --> 00:44:51,600 somewhere that's teaching some more revelation, some deeper 525 00:44:51,600 --> 00:44:59,880 truths, not realizing that it's really you that needs the 526 00:44:59,880 --> 00:45:07,960 fundamentals, right? So let's look at First 527 00:45:07,960 --> 00:45:12,800 Corinthians 1420. Brethren, do not be children in 528 00:45:12,800 --> 00:45:17,840 your thinking. Don't be children in your 529 00:45:17,840 --> 00:45:25,680 thinking yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking what be 530 00:45:25,760 --> 00:45:29,320 mature be. Mature. 531 00:45:30,080 --> 00:45:36,360 So he expects and Pastor covered this last week that we are 532 00:45:36,360 --> 00:45:42,520 maturing in our thinking. We're growing and changing our 533 00:45:42,800 --> 00:45:48,000 thoughts and our will and our emotions and all of these things 534 00:45:48,280 --> 00:45:51,760 we're changing. We're allowing God to change our 535 00:45:51,960 --> 00:45:58,680 thought processes by what Romans 12/1 and two, renewing our mind 536 00:45:58,760 --> 00:46:04,240 to the what word of God so that we'll be able to prove what is 537 00:46:04,240 --> 00:46:08,440 the perfect right will of God for our lives. 538 00:46:08,680 --> 00:46:16,600 So again, we are to grow up and he expects our minds to grow and 539 00:46:16,600 --> 00:46:23,840 change, not just us physically, not just our spirit man. 540 00:46:24,000 --> 00:46:28,160 Actually, you know, it was, it's in Galatians where he says that 541 00:46:28,160 --> 00:46:33,760 we are to receive the engrafted word of God, which is able to 542 00:46:33,760 --> 00:46:37,560 what? Save our soul, our mind, our 543 00:46:37,560 --> 00:46:41,400 will, our emotions. Our spirit man is saved. 544 00:46:42,000 --> 00:46:48,160 We get born again, we are there, we're in Christ Jesus, our 545 00:46:48,160 --> 00:46:52,160 spirit man is saved. It's our mind that needs saving. 546 00:46:53,640 --> 00:46:57,120 And if you haven't looked, there's a lot of insanity in the 547 00:46:57,120 --> 00:47:00,560 world today. And I thank God. 548 00:47:00,560 --> 00:47:06,320 Every day that I have a sound mind because I've allowed the 549 00:47:06,320 --> 00:47:11,400 Word of God to change my thinking, renew my mind so that 550 00:47:11,400 --> 00:47:15,960 I don't think like this stinking world, right? 551 00:47:17,480 --> 00:47:20,840 And when we change our thinking, guess what's going to fall in 552 00:47:20,840 --> 00:47:23,160 line? Our behaviors. 553 00:47:25,440 --> 00:47:31,120 Our behaviors because as a man thinketh in his heart, what so 554 00:47:31,120 --> 00:47:34,320 is he? If you have bad thinking, you're 555 00:47:34,320 --> 00:47:38,640 going to become that. If you have right thinking 556 00:47:38,720 --> 00:47:41,920 right, you're going to become right. 557 00:47:44,920 --> 00:47:46,800 So as a man thinketh in his heart. 558 00:47:46,800 --> 00:47:50,400 Now let's look at the Scriptures where he talks about #1 Babes 559 00:47:51,400 --> 00:47:54,960 first, Peter 21 and three. Therefore, laying aside all 560 00:47:54,960 --> 00:47:59,920 malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and evil speaking. 561 00:48:00,160 --> 00:48:03,920 Do you know these are all signs that you are a baby? 562 00:48:04,320 --> 00:48:10,000 You are a infant in Christ. If you are still participating 563 00:48:10,240 --> 00:48:15,480 and operating in these types of behavior, malice, deceit, 564 00:48:15,640 --> 00:48:20,080 hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking. 565 00:48:20,840 --> 00:48:25,640 If it's so still easy for you to gossip, for you to slander, for 566 00:48:25,640 --> 00:48:29,680 you to act envious, for you to have malice in your heart 567 00:48:29,680 --> 00:48:35,280 towards someone, all of these are signs that you are still a 568 00:48:35,320 --> 00:48:39,000 baby. You're still a baby. 569 00:48:39,000 --> 00:48:43,880 I don't care how many doctorates you have behind your name, you 570 00:48:43,920 --> 00:48:46,760 acting like this, you're acting like a baby. 571 00:48:47,960 --> 00:48:48,840 So he. Goes on to. 572 00:48:48,840 --> 00:48:55,680 Say, as newborn babes desire the pure milk of the word, that we 573 00:48:55,680 --> 00:49:00,280 would what grow, say grow thereby. 574 00:49:00,680 --> 00:49:07,280 And if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious, have 575 00:49:07,280 --> 00:49:11,560 you all tasted that He is gracious? 576 00:49:11,920 --> 00:49:15,400 Hallelujah. So He lets us know that we're to 577 00:49:15,400 --> 00:49:21,160 desire the pure milk of the Word so that we can grow from a baby 578 00:49:21,160 --> 00:49:24,920 stage, an infant stage to children. 579 00:49:25,080 --> 00:49:27,560 Now look at First Corinthians 1420. 580 00:49:27,560 --> 00:49:32,440 Brethren, do not be children in your thinking. 581 00:49:34,520 --> 00:49:38,600 In your thinking. How can people know that you're 582 00:49:38,600 --> 00:49:44,440 still acting like a child by the way you're thinking about a 583 00:49:44,440 --> 00:49:51,160 situation the way you're thinking about a situation. 584 00:49:51,800 --> 00:49:57,520 You're acting like a child. Selfish, spoiled, wanting your 585 00:49:57,520 --> 00:50:03,040 own way, demanding of things. You're acting like a child right 586 00:50:03,720 --> 00:50:08,160 and so he lets us know and it's and it's a result of how you're 587 00:50:08,160 --> 00:50:13,600 thinking yet in evil be infants, but you're thinking be what 588 00:50:14,680 --> 00:50:18,040 mature did I already read that? I did sorry. 589 00:50:18,280 --> 00:50:24,720 OK #3 here we see that he talks about us growing up to not just 590 00:50:24,720 --> 00:50:27,600 a babe, not just a infant, not just a child. 591 00:50:27,800 --> 00:50:31,800 Here he lets us know in First Corinthians 1311. 592 00:50:31,880 --> 00:50:35,560 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child. 593 00:50:36,200 --> 00:50:42,960 So childish behavior comes out of your what? 594 00:50:46,280 --> 00:50:50,640 So people can know when you're acting like a child by what's 595 00:50:50,640 --> 00:50:57,960 coming out of your mouth, how you talking, what you're saying 596 00:50:57,960 --> 00:51:01,880 about the situation. You're actually acting like a 597 00:51:01,880 --> 00:51:03,800 child. And then then he what did he 598 00:51:03,800 --> 00:51:06,160 say? Thinking like a child, which 599 00:51:06,160 --> 00:51:10,880 goes back with the other one in First Corinthians 13 and or 14 600 00:51:10,880 --> 00:51:14,600 and 20, thinking like a child, reasoning. 601 00:51:14,680 --> 00:51:20,320 What is reasoning? Making your decisions, reasoning 602 00:51:20,320 --> 00:51:25,440 out how you're going to respond, making your decisions and how 603 00:51:25,440 --> 00:51:28,560 you're going to react in that circumstance and in that 604 00:51:28,560 --> 00:51:31,880 situation. Are you acting like a child? 605 00:51:33,320 --> 00:51:38,320 Are you acting like a child? When I became a man, say a man, 606 00:51:39,600 --> 00:51:45,920 one translation says mature perfect man, and I actually like 607 00:51:45,920 --> 00:51:50,000 that. A mature perfect man or woman, 608 00:51:50,120 --> 00:51:51,760 right? We're not talking gender 609 00:51:51,760 --> 00:51:57,560 sensitive here, OK. When I became a mature perfect 610 00:51:57,560 --> 00:52:02,160 man, what did I do? I did away with childish things. 611 00:52:04,080 --> 00:52:06,920 That means I did away with childish thinking. 612 00:52:07,320 --> 00:52:10,000 I did away with childish talking. 613 00:52:11,000 --> 00:52:15,640 I did away with it because I actually became a mature, 614 00:52:15,800 --> 00:52:22,240 perfect man in Christ and allowed God to grow me up and 615 00:52:22,240 --> 00:52:28,560 change my thinking concerning the Kingdom of God and how I am 616 00:52:28,560 --> 00:52:32,800 to operate now as his child in the Kingdom. 617 00:52:32,800 --> 00:52:35,840 Look at second Peter this these are the scriptures we're going 618 00:52:35,840 --> 00:52:41,320 to close with. Pastor preached till one Sunday 619 00:52:41,320 --> 00:52:44,760 so I thought I could just continue on tonight. 620 00:52:46,560 --> 00:52:49,880 'Cause you have tomorrow. Off right, it's 4th of July. 621 00:52:51,000 --> 00:52:55,080 Anyway, second Peter chapter one three through 11. 622 00:52:56,480 --> 00:53:00,440 Yes, three through 11. And I want to read it out of the 623 00:53:00,440 --> 00:53:05,760 NLT, the TPT, not the TPC, the TPT. 624 00:53:06,040 --> 00:53:11,680 And I'll save you from the amplified and just read one 625 00:53:11,680 --> 00:53:14,560 scripture from the amplified. OK, Why? 626 00:53:14,560 --> 00:53:19,280 Because I want you to get a perfect picture of what Peter is 627 00:53:19,280 --> 00:53:23,400 talking about here. It says this by his divine power 628 00:53:24,560 --> 00:53:25,880 God has. Given. 629 00:53:25,880 --> 00:53:31,240 Us everything we need for living a godly life. 630 00:53:32,080 --> 00:53:34,480 Say he's given me everything I need. 631 00:53:36,360 --> 00:53:40,520 He's given me. Everything I need to live a 632 00:53:40,520 --> 00:53:44,120 godly life. You have to tell yourself that 633 00:53:44,120 --> 00:53:48,640 every day. He has given me everything I 634 00:53:48,640 --> 00:53:53,600 need to live a godly life in the earth today. 635 00:53:53,640 --> 00:53:57,120 Everything I need. Hallelujah, Hallelujah, 636 00:53:57,840 --> 00:54:01,480 everything I need to live a godly life. 637 00:54:01,720 --> 00:54:07,240 We have received all of this by coming to know Him. 638 00:54:09,800 --> 00:54:11,760 Coming to know. Him. 639 00:54:12,120 --> 00:54:16,120 That means we had to what? Get to know him? 640 00:54:16,920 --> 00:54:22,000 Discover who he is. We didn't just get born again 641 00:54:22,000 --> 00:54:27,000 and know, as I said, everything there is to know about living a 642 00:54:27,360 --> 00:54:32,040 godly life by everything. Knowing who the Father is, what 643 00:54:32,040 --> 00:54:37,360 his attributes are, what his character is, what his nature 644 00:54:37,360 --> 00:54:43,200 is, how he thinks, how he processes, how he acts, how he 645 00:54:43,200 --> 00:54:46,600 behaves in situations that I see in His word. 646 00:54:47,120 --> 00:54:50,920 I did not know all of that when I was a baby. 647 00:54:51,320 --> 00:54:54,440 Come on. I had to come to know Him. 648 00:54:54,480 --> 00:54:58,720 I had to come and spend time with the Heavenly Father, 649 00:54:59,040 --> 00:55:07,000 getting to know who He is, who I am in the Kingdom of God as His 650 00:55:07,080 --> 00:55:12,360 child. It's not just about coming to 651 00:55:12,360 --> 00:55:16,400 know all the benefits. And do you know how many people 652 00:55:16,400 --> 00:55:23,640 only want that aspect of God? No, I want to know him because I 653 00:55:23,640 --> 00:55:25,920 don't want to be one of those that said that. 654 00:55:25,920 --> 00:55:32,080 He said to them when they said Lord, Lord, didn't we cast out 655 00:55:32,080 --> 00:55:37,080 demons in your name? Didn't we do all these things? 656 00:55:37,320 --> 00:55:41,560 People want to do all these things and look grand in His 657 00:55:41,560 --> 00:55:53,000 name, but not know Him as their heavenly Father, not know Him as 658 00:55:53,000 --> 00:55:54,800 their Father. And you know what he said? 659 00:55:54,800 --> 00:55:59,080 Depart from me. I never knew you. 660 00:56:00,840 --> 00:56:06,120 I never knew you. What do you mean He never knew 661 00:56:06,120 --> 00:56:08,920 me? I did all these things in his 662 00:56:08,920 --> 00:56:13,280 name. No, I never knew you actually. 663 00:56:13,280 --> 00:56:17,480 Means I was. Never intimately acquainted with 664 00:56:17,480 --> 00:56:22,920 you. You knew all about me and my 665 00:56:24,760 --> 00:56:31,280 what I do. But you didn't know me as the 666 00:56:31,280 --> 00:56:40,040 father, as the king. You didn't spend time with me. 667 00:56:43,200 --> 00:56:45,920 Isn't that the number one thing you want from your children, 668 00:56:46,800 --> 00:56:49,000 especially as they get elder and out of the house? 669 00:56:49,240 --> 00:56:53,480 You just want them to want to spend time with you because 670 00:56:53,480 --> 00:56:55,360 hopefully they've known you by now. 671 00:56:57,680 --> 00:57:00,960 Right and. Isn't it hurtful when they don't 672 00:57:02,040 --> 00:57:07,600 want anything to do with you because really they really never 673 00:57:07,600 --> 00:57:17,640 came to know you and look to you as a good father or a good 674 00:57:17,640 --> 00:57:20,520 mother or whatever the case may be anyway? 675 00:57:21,600 --> 00:57:25,120 So he said he's. Given us everything. 676 00:57:25,120 --> 00:57:28,800 We need for living a godly life. We have received all of this 677 00:57:28,800 --> 00:57:35,560 from coming to know Him, the One who called us unto Himself by 678 00:57:35,560 --> 00:57:38,960 means of His marvelous glory and excellence. 679 00:57:39,440 --> 00:57:43,000 And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us 680 00:57:43,000 --> 00:57:47,720 great and precious promises. And do you know how many people 681 00:57:47,720 --> 00:57:53,360 don't even know His promises? That it's His promise to heal 682 00:57:53,360 --> 00:57:56,040 your body. It's His promise to provide for 683 00:57:56,040 --> 00:57:58,200 you and never let you beg for bread. 684 00:58:00,760 --> 00:58:04,800 They don't know their Father that way. 685 00:58:05,640 --> 00:58:10,000 And trusting who He is and knowing that He'll never leave 686 00:58:10,000 --> 00:58:16,080 me, He'll never forsake me because my Father loves me. 687 00:58:18,200 --> 00:58:24,200 And he says these are the promises that enable you listen 688 00:58:24,200 --> 00:58:28,640 to this, to share in his divine nature. 689 00:58:29,080 --> 00:58:32,360 Oh my. We get to. 690 00:58:32,360 --> 00:58:38,480 Participate and share in His divine nature. 691 00:58:42,600 --> 00:58:52,520 His divine nature and escape the world's corruption. 692 00:58:53,840 --> 00:58:58,880 Caused by human. Desires In view of all of this, 693 00:58:58,880 --> 00:59:04,480 make every effort to respond to God's promises. 694 00:59:05,520 --> 00:59:12,640 Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral 695 00:59:13,000 --> 00:59:17,440 excellence and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge 696 00:59:17,440 --> 00:59:22,360 with self-control. This is a biblical picture of 697 00:59:22,360 --> 00:59:31,760 how we are to measure our growth and maturity in him are. 698 00:59:31,760 --> 00:59:36,720 We. With all diligence, supplying 699 00:59:36,720 --> 00:59:42,840 our faith with moral excellence, with the knowledge of who he is, 700 00:59:43,040 --> 00:59:47,680 with self-control, with patience, endurance, with 701 00:59:47,680 --> 00:59:53,520 godliness, with brotherly love and love. 702 00:59:53,520 --> 00:59:59,600 What for everyone? The more you grow like this, 703 00:59:59,600 --> 01:00:04,880 they grow like this. The more you grow. 704 01:00:04,880 --> 01:00:11,360 Like this? The more. 705 01:00:11,360 --> 01:00:17,240 Productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of the Lord 706 01:00:17,320 --> 01:00:21,960 Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in 707 01:00:21,960 --> 01:00:27,760 this way, say, develop in this way, you won't develop properly. 708 01:00:27,760 --> 01:00:33,920 If these are not attributes of your life as a believer, you 709 01:00:33,920 --> 01:00:37,360 will not develop properly, right? 710 01:00:39,080 --> 01:00:41,440 He says this, let me find where I was at. 711 01:00:41,440 --> 01:00:46,960 I get sidetracked here. Develop in this way. 712 01:00:48,520 --> 01:00:53,400 You are short. Sighted or blind, forgetting 713 01:00:53,400 --> 01:00:56,880 that you have been cleansed from their old sins. 714 01:00:57,160 --> 01:01:01,360 So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you 715 01:01:01,360 --> 01:01:07,560 really are among those God has called and chosen do. 716 01:01:07,560 --> 01:01:10,520 You know, there's this whole. Thing I hear all the time I 717 01:01:10,520 --> 01:01:14,000 don't have to prove anything to God because he approves of me 718 01:01:14,000 --> 01:01:23,840 and he loves me yeah there's some things we have to prove to 719 01:01:23,840 --> 01:01:31,600 God that will be actions of if you really love me you will keep 720 01:01:31,840 --> 01:01:37,160 my. And the way we. 721 01:01:37,160 --> 01:01:39,400 Know this is our measuring stick. 722 01:01:39,400 --> 01:01:42,560 Do we see these things operating in your life? 723 01:01:45,320 --> 01:01:49,680 It says. So, dear brothers and sisters, 724 01:01:49,680 --> 01:01:52,640 work hard to prove that you really are among those who God 725 01:01:52,640 --> 01:01:56,960 has called and chosen. Do these things and you will 726 01:01:56,960 --> 01:02:01,760 never fall away. Didn't we say that in the last 727 01:02:01,760 --> 01:02:05,560 days? Many are going to what and you 728 01:02:05,560 --> 01:02:09,120 know why they're going to fall away because they have not grown 729 01:02:09,280 --> 01:02:15,000 in all aspects and matured as a believer and measured themselves 730 01:02:15,160 --> 01:02:22,000 according to Scripture. And This is why there will be a 731 01:02:22,000 --> 01:02:24,800 great falling away in the last days. 732 01:02:25,200 --> 01:02:28,720 And we're already seeing it all these what do you think people 733 01:02:28,720 --> 01:02:31,280 are saying deconstructing their faith. 734 01:02:31,920 --> 01:02:37,360 This is the big falling away. We're seeing it on. 735 01:02:37,400 --> 01:02:46,160 A rapid level and then he goes on to say you'll never fall away 736 01:02:46,320 --> 01:02:50,720 then God will give you a grand entrance into his eternal 737 01:02:50,720 --> 01:02:56,120 Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 738 01:02:56,520 --> 01:03:00,400 Now in the amplified it reads one of those scriptures I want 739 01:03:00,400 --> 01:03:04,720 to read to you because he says you are to supply your faith 740 01:03:04,720 --> 01:03:07,760 with all of these things that are going to help you grow. 741 01:03:08,240 --> 01:03:13,240 He goes on to say it in the amplified second Peter 15 like 742 01:03:13,240 --> 01:03:18,280 this for this very reason, adding your diligence to the 743 01:03:18,280 --> 01:03:22,080 divine promises employ every effort. 744 01:03:22,360 --> 01:03:26,120 He's letting us know, listen, this ought to be our number one 745 01:03:26,400 --> 01:03:29,600 effort in life. This ought to be where we are 746 01:03:29,760 --> 01:03:36,040 with all diligence, pursuing our relationship, relationship and 747 01:03:36,040 --> 01:03:40,720 growth in the Lord Jesus Christ more than anything else he's 748 01:03:40,720 --> 01:03:46,160 saying listen, employ every effort in exercising your faith. 749 01:03:46,760 --> 01:03:53,200 If we do not do the word, if we do not exercise our faith in the 750 01:03:53,200 --> 01:03:59,080 Word of God and how he tells us we are to act, respond, behave, 751 01:03:59,280 --> 01:04:04,960 we will not grow. You can say you have faith all 752 01:04:05,080 --> 01:04:06,960 day long. Isn't that what Corinthians 753 01:04:06,960 --> 01:04:09,960 said? You can have faith to what move 754 01:04:09,960 --> 01:04:15,120 mountains but have not love and you are a clanging gogging 755 01:04:15,120 --> 01:04:18,800 symbol there. Has to. 756 01:04:18,800 --> 01:04:25,800 Be a life of faith, and the only way we see faith activated is by 757 01:04:25,800 --> 01:04:30,720 action of doing. Coming to church, hearing a 758 01:04:30,720 --> 01:04:37,640 message, sitting on your rump is not exercising your faith. 759 01:04:38,840 --> 01:04:44,560 It is actually applying the word when you get into a scenario and 760 01:04:44,560 --> 01:04:49,800 get into a situation where you're being shown really well 761 01:04:49,800 --> 01:04:54,440 in the mirror what it is and how it is that you need to respond 762 01:04:54,440 --> 01:04:56,800 to a situation that just took place. 763 01:04:57,360 --> 01:05:00,800 Then you have to determine am I going to believe what the word 764 01:05:00,800 --> 01:05:05,320 says and how I am to respond to the word and I have a choice 765 01:05:05,320 --> 01:05:08,960 right then. I don't care that you. 766 01:05:08,960 --> 01:05:11,440 Know it. Do you do it? 767 01:05:11,760 --> 01:05:16,760 Do you activate your faith? Because that is the only way you 768 01:05:16,800 --> 01:05:20,600 are going to grow. It's the only way you're going 769 01:05:20,600 --> 01:05:22,840 to grow. You cannot grow outside of 770 01:05:22,840 --> 01:05:34,000 activation of faith in whatever it is, whatever it is, right and 771 01:05:34,000 --> 01:05:37,520 so he lets us know exercising your faith. 772 01:05:37,520 --> 01:05:41,280 This is the amplified to develop virtue. 773 01:05:42,680 --> 01:05:46,840 There's some things we. Have to exercise just like with 774 01:05:46,840 --> 01:05:49,400 me. I can act like I, you know, I 775 01:05:49,400 --> 01:05:56,800 have a a thing on my Pinterest that I've titled it in all my 776 01:05:56,800 --> 01:05:58,600 little things that I put over in it. 777 01:05:58,840 --> 01:06:05,440 The title is Crucify the Flesh and over in my Pinterest is all 778 01:06:05,440 --> 01:06:12,080 of these killer workouts it looks. 779 01:06:12,080 --> 01:06:13,080 So. Good. 780 01:06:13,080 --> 01:06:17,040 When I watch it and I'm like man, this is awesome. 781 01:06:17,040 --> 01:06:21,480 I can do this and yet not have one time done it and I've 782 01:06:21,480 --> 01:06:28,320 probably got 1000 workouts. Guess what I'm not doing. 783 01:06:28,960 --> 01:06:31,560 I got to grow up. Guess what I'm not doing? 784 01:06:32,880 --> 01:06:37,640 I am not exercising. I can look at it. 785 01:06:37,920 --> 01:06:41,760 Come on, I can put it in my Pinterest of crucify the flesh. 786 01:06:41,800 --> 01:06:44,600 Every time I pull it over there, I see crucify the flesh. 787 01:06:44,880 --> 01:06:46,880 And have I done it? No. 788 01:06:48,400 --> 01:06:50,800 Have I activated it? No. 789 01:06:51,160 --> 01:07:01,000 I'm not delusional. I choose to not crucify the 790 01:07:01,000 --> 01:07:04,600 flesh. But it looks. 791 01:07:04,600 --> 01:07:07,040 Pretty all in my Pinterest and all these things. 792 01:07:07,040 --> 01:07:09,160 I'm thinking, man, I'm going to look like that one day. 793 01:07:12,080 --> 01:07:16,640 And never do not. 1. I'm going to just. 794 01:07:17,320 --> 01:07:23,240 Just keep thinking, believing, then it's going to just 795 01:07:23,240 --> 01:07:25,440 transpire. Does it work? 796 01:07:25,560 --> 01:07:27,440 And that's what many believers are doing. 797 01:07:28,480 --> 01:07:30,120 Doesn't work. I'm not delusional. 798 01:07:30,120 --> 01:07:34,160 It's not going to work for me. Hallelujah. 799 01:07:35,240 --> 01:07:38,960 So, but if I meditate on it long enough. 800 01:07:40,360 --> 01:07:42,920 It's going to get in me. It's. 801 01:07:42,920 --> 01:07:45,120 Going to motivate me. Right. 802 01:07:46,000 --> 01:07:52,520 So exercising your faith will develop these things, virtue, 803 01:07:52,920 --> 01:07:57,120 excellence, resolution, Christian energy, the amplified 804 01:07:57,120 --> 01:08:00,000 says. And in exercising these things, 805 01:08:00,000 --> 01:08:02,760 you're going to develop the knowledge. 806 01:08:03,040 --> 01:08:06,600 Do you know what this means? Moral excellence. 807 01:08:06,600 --> 01:08:11,800 These are the things, he tells us that we ought to be growing 808 01:08:11,800 --> 01:08:14,400 in the knowledge of these things. 809 01:08:15,840 --> 01:08:23,240 Moral excellence is a what? A virtuous course of thought. 810 01:08:25,680 --> 01:08:30,920 How's your thinking? Are you thinking on those things 811 01:08:30,920 --> 01:08:34,120 that are above? Those things that are excellent, 812 01:08:34,120 --> 01:08:39,520 pure, lovely, holy? Or are you thinking on all of 813 01:08:39,520 --> 01:08:42,680 these? Million. 814 01:08:42,680 --> 01:08:45,439 Of things that you can think on from the world. 815 01:08:46,920 --> 01:08:54,240 Are we thinking on what is virtuous in thought, feeling, 816 01:08:54,240 --> 01:08:59,080 and action? This is moral excellence, moral 817 01:08:59,240 --> 01:09:01,240 goodness. Amen. 818 01:09:01,600 --> 01:09:06,319 These are things that he tells us that we ought to be pursuing 819 01:09:06,319 --> 01:09:10,279 with all diligence and exercising, and it has to do 820 01:09:10,279 --> 01:09:13,560 with what we are actually thinking on. 821 01:09:13,560 --> 01:09:17,560 Are they of good report? Are they good? 822 01:09:17,560 --> 01:09:20,200 Are they moral? Right. 823 01:09:20,560 --> 01:09:22,960 And then what does he go on to say? 824 01:09:22,960 --> 01:09:25,840 And then in the knowledge, How about knowledge? 825 01:09:25,840 --> 01:09:29,319 What is this knowledge? The deeper, more perfect and 826 01:09:29,319 --> 01:09:32,800 enlarged knowledge of your belief. 827 01:09:34,880 --> 01:09:37,960 Right. More advanced. 828 01:09:37,960 --> 01:09:40,040 That's what these words are talking about. 829 01:09:41,040 --> 01:09:44,720 Are we getting past the milk and into the meat? 830 01:09:45,200 --> 01:09:53,120 Are we actually trying to grow in a deeper, you know, knowledge 831 01:09:53,200 --> 01:09:56,360 of his word? Or are we staying on the bottle 832 01:09:56,360 --> 01:09:59,360 right. And then the other word for the 833 01:09:59,560 --> 01:10:04,760 when it says the knowledge of who he is, deeper knowledge of 834 01:10:05,040 --> 01:10:07,680 him. And your belief is especially 835 01:10:07,680 --> 01:10:14,920 the things that are lawful and unlawful for Christians, which 836 01:10:14,920 --> 01:10:22,320 goes back to how we should be living, what is right living and 837 01:10:22,320 --> 01:10:26,680 what is wrong living according to Scripture, not what the world 838 01:10:26,680 --> 01:10:29,600 is saying that you're going to shack up with somebody to try 839 01:10:29,600 --> 01:10:34,320 them out or you're going to go Netflix and chill with somebody, 840 01:10:35,160 --> 01:10:38,400 right? And all these things that 841 01:10:38,400 --> 01:10:43,760 Christians are doing right. What does this tell me? 842 01:10:43,760 --> 01:10:50,160 That they have no foundation or moral understanding of the word 843 01:10:50,160 --> 01:10:57,200 of God. They've not been being a studier 844 01:10:57,440 --> 01:11:01,880 of the word right? Then it also talks about 845 01:11:01,880 --> 01:11:04,760 self-control. What is this word self-control 846 01:11:04,760 --> 01:11:07,480 mean? The virtue of one who masters, 847 01:11:08,680 --> 01:11:17,080 masters your desire, your passion and sensual appetites. 848 01:11:20,000 --> 01:11:23,360 This is what this word self-control is talking about. 849 01:11:23,640 --> 01:11:26,000 Most of the time when we hear self-control, we're just 850 01:11:26,000 --> 01:11:30,320 thinking about, you know, outburst of anger or whatever. 851 01:11:30,840 --> 01:11:36,000 But he's, this is talking about your passions, your desires and 852 01:11:36,000 --> 01:11:42,400 sensual appetites, which is all right, having to do with your 853 01:11:42,400 --> 01:11:48,080 carnal flesh and what it desires and what pleases it. 854 01:11:49,480 --> 01:11:52,440 And so he's letting us know, listen, there's some things that 855 01:11:52,440 --> 01:11:58,360 we must grow in to mature and realize. 856 01:11:58,360 --> 01:12:01,120 We have to put down those passions. 857 01:12:01,120 --> 01:12:04,160 We have to put down those carnal things. 858 01:12:04,160 --> 01:12:11,080 We have to put down those sensual appetites so that we can 859 01:12:11,080 --> 01:12:17,280 grow properly into all aspects, so that we can grow and mature 860 01:12:17,480 --> 01:12:21,440 as a child of God realizing. And he lets us know we can 861 01:12:21,440 --> 01:12:27,400 master these things. Nothing is to is supposed to be 862 01:12:27,400 --> 01:12:34,960 able to dominate your life. You have dominion over your 863 01:12:35,080 --> 01:12:40,320 life, over your body. You have dominion over it. 864 01:12:41,080 --> 01:12:43,640 And nothing is supposed to master you. 865 01:12:43,880 --> 01:12:49,480 Just like I should not be mastered by my flesh of not 866 01:12:49,480 --> 01:12:54,120 wanting to go work out. Because what do I know? 867 01:12:54,120 --> 01:12:58,120 That it's going to do for me only produce great things for my 868 01:12:58,120 --> 01:13:02,440 body with long life, right? All of these things. 869 01:13:02,440 --> 01:13:07,200 But do you know what? I am still letting that master 870 01:13:07,200 --> 01:13:11,680 me. Now am I going to go to hell for 871 01:13:11,680 --> 01:13:13,800 it? No. 872 01:13:15,520 --> 01:13:19,040 But do I know what's? Right to do and I'm not doing 873 01:13:19,040 --> 01:13:20,920 it. Guess what it is to me? 874 01:13:22,640 --> 01:13:30,960 So guess what I need to do? Repent one more time so His 875 01:13:30,960 --> 01:13:35,000 grace can cover me, right? No. 876 01:13:35,640 --> 01:13:43,720 So again, we all have things, you know, I don't have ungodly 877 01:13:43,720 --> 01:13:48,320 things mastering me because I've learned how to have dominion 878 01:13:48,320 --> 01:13:53,920 over it. And we all can grow and mature 879 01:13:54,120 --> 01:13:57,880 to be able to do that as well. And he lets us know when you 880 01:13:57,880 --> 01:14:02,000 begin to start doing that, you can be assured that you're not 881 01:14:02,000 --> 01:14:05,400 going to fail. Come on, when you learn to 882 01:14:05,400 --> 01:14:10,560 master some things, all right. It also talks about patience. 883 01:14:10,560 --> 01:14:14,720 We've got to learn to operate in a patient's endurance and be 884 01:14:14,720 --> 01:14:18,280 able to endure and persevere some hard times. 885 01:14:19,080 --> 01:14:24,880 All of us are going to go through hard times in our growth 886 01:14:24,880 --> 01:14:28,480 and our walk in our development with the Lord when you don't 887 01:14:28,480 --> 01:14:32,520 want to have to deal with whatever you're going through. 888 01:14:32,840 --> 01:14:37,240 But guess what? He has given us everything that 889 01:14:37,240 --> 01:14:41,720 we need that pertains to life and godliness. 890 01:14:42,200 --> 01:14:48,400 So whatever I need to be able to walk through this situation and 891 01:14:48,400 --> 01:14:53,080 this scenario where I am needing perseverance, where I am needing 892 01:14:53,080 --> 01:14:57,640 patience, where I am needing to be able to endure through this 893 01:14:57,640 --> 01:15:02,160 situation, knowing that joy is going to come in the morning. 894 01:15:06,520 --> 01:15:12,120 He's going to be there to give me what I need in the midst of 895 01:15:12,120 --> 01:15:15,160 that. And when I actually activate in 896 01:15:15,160 --> 01:15:19,160 that process of letting Lord you have your perfect work in me, 897 01:15:19,800 --> 01:15:23,480 help me where I'm weak, you're going to strengthen me. 898 01:15:23,640 --> 01:15:26,560 I'm going to believe you in the midst of all of this. 899 01:15:26,560 --> 01:15:29,400 I'm going to endure. I am not going to let this thing 900 01:15:29,400 --> 01:15:34,000 wear me down, wear me out. I am going to persevere through 901 01:15:34,000 --> 01:15:36,880 it. I don't care how long it takes. 902 01:15:37,360 --> 01:15:40,600 I'm going to still be standing because. 903 01:15:40,600 --> 01:15:41,920 When I've done all the. What? 904 01:15:42,880 --> 01:15:45,440 I'm going to stand. I'm not standing in my own 905 01:15:45,440 --> 01:15:49,080 strength. I'm standing in the knowledge of 906 01:15:49,080 --> 01:15:52,120 the Word of God. I'm standing in trusting in 907 01:15:52,120 --> 01:15:58,920 knowing the Lord will deliver me out of all of my troubles. 908 01:15:59,760 --> 01:16:00,960 I'm going. To endure. 909 01:16:01,160 --> 01:16:05,640 Till the end. So there's some things we're 910 01:16:05,640 --> 01:16:09,280 going to have to endure and walk through and persevere. 911 01:16:09,280 --> 01:16:13,680 And he's letting us know, listen, we ought to be pursuing 912 01:16:13,680 --> 01:16:17,960 and allowing this thing to operate in us so that we can 913 01:16:17,960 --> 01:16:23,080 overcome and grow through the process so that when we come 914 01:16:23,080 --> 01:16:28,120 out, come on when we come out, because we always win. 915 01:16:29,640 --> 01:16:31,240 If you will. Endure. 916 01:16:31,680 --> 01:16:37,120 And if you will activate your faith through the process, we 917 01:16:37,120 --> 01:16:45,080 will always triumph in Christ Jesus, always triumph in Christ 918 01:16:45,080 --> 01:16:50,040 Jesus, Amen. And so then he lets us know, 919 01:16:50,040 --> 01:16:57,080 listen, that we are going to have to write, walk in love, 920 01:16:59,360 --> 01:17:04,440 agape love. We're going to have to walk in 921 01:17:04,440 --> 01:17:07,840 love. How will the world know that 922 01:17:07,840 --> 01:17:12,360 we're truly His disciples? Because of the love for the 923 01:17:12,360 --> 01:17:16,360 brethren, brotherly love. He lets us know this is 924 01:17:16,360 --> 01:17:18,200 something we must pursue. Yes, you're right, you're right. 925 01:17:21,360 --> 01:17:23,680 Yes, this is something we must pursue. 926 01:17:23,880 --> 01:17:27,160 Why? Because it's not just about us 927 01:17:27,480 --> 01:17:30,160 and our relationship with the Lord. 928 01:17:31,280 --> 01:17:37,840 We are all to grow into all aspects so that the what the 929 01:17:37,840 --> 01:17:43,160 body of Christ can grow into the fullness. 930 01:17:44,840 --> 01:17:49,520 And so if I. Choose to stop my growth and not 931 01:17:49,520 --> 01:17:54,440 love somebody. It will be guaranteed a 932 01:17:54,560 --> 01:17:58,200 stumbling block to your brother or your sister. 933 01:18:02,480 --> 01:18:06,640 When I choose not to forgive. When I choose not to love. 934 01:18:06,760 --> 01:18:15,960 Because it's not just about me. What I do effects what someone 935 01:18:15,960 --> 01:18:22,160 else effects someone else. But how many? 936 01:18:22,160 --> 01:18:26,840 Believers are still so selfish that they don't care to grow or 937 01:18:26,840 --> 01:18:30,080 about their behavior because they think this is just a 938 01:18:30,080 --> 01:18:33,000 relationship with them and God. No, it's not. 939 01:18:33,120 --> 01:18:37,560 You are in the family and how you act in your family effects 940 01:18:37,560 --> 01:18:41,840 everybody in the natural. You have family members that you 941 01:18:41,840 --> 01:18:44,920 don't want to be around because every time you're around you, 942 01:18:44,920 --> 01:18:48,240 they causing drama, they're causing problems. 943 01:18:48,480 --> 01:18:52,480 They're always in need, they're always wanting something. 944 01:18:52,720 --> 01:18:56,040 Come on, that is not fun to be around. 945 01:18:56,400 --> 01:19:00,320 You stay away from family reunions 'cause you know you got 946 01:19:00,320 --> 01:19:05,280 some crazy family members now. Tell the truth and. 947 01:19:05,280 --> 01:19:12,320 Shame the devil. And it's a. 948 01:19:12,320 --> 01:19:19,040 Result, especially in the family of God, of brothers and sisters 949 01:19:19,200 --> 01:19:24,840 and all the rivalry that still even in the church among the 950 01:19:24,840 --> 01:19:28,000 family of God. Jealous of this one, jealous of 951 01:19:28,000 --> 01:19:32,160 that marriage, you know, seeing them grow, seeing them get 952 01:19:32,160 --> 01:19:35,000 promoted and you saying, well, when's my time? 953 01:19:35,200 --> 01:19:39,680 What about me? All of that is baby stuff. 954 01:19:42,280 --> 01:19:45,880 It's baby. Wow, wow, wow. 955 01:19:47,240 --> 01:19:51,440 It's baby stuff and people in your family don't want to be 956 01:19:51,440 --> 01:19:54,360 around it. Why you think they turn the 957 01:19:54,400 --> 01:19:57,200 other way when they see you coming? 958 01:20:02,120 --> 01:20:05,520 I mean, this is, you know, we have families that are 959 01:20:05,520 --> 01:20:09,480 dysfunctional. The family of God should have 960 01:20:09,480 --> 01:20:15,560 been redeemed from dysfunction. We are redeemed. 961 01:20:15,560 --> 01:20:19,800 From dysfunction and yet we still act in dysfunctional in 962 01:20:19,800 --> 01:20:23,840 the church when. We ought to be the. 963 01:20:23,840 --> 01:20:32,800 Most functional thing for the world to see so that it would 964 01:20:32,800 --> 01:20:39,640 draw them into because they see all the hypocrisy they. 965 01:20:39,640 --> 01:20:44,280 See. You know, people that say they 966 01:20:44,280 --> 01:20:46,560 believe and they live like the world. 967 01:20:46,560 --> 01:20:51,760 They see the the backbiting, they see all these things within 968 01:20:51,760 --> 01:20:57,480 the Church that ought not be. And it's just a result. 969 01:20:57,480 --> 01:21:00,000 Of people being babies and not growing up. 970 01:21:01,960 --> 01:21:05,440 And not growing up. But we going to have some mature 971 01:21:05,440 --> 01:21:10,120 people in this place because we going to grow up, say grow up, 972 01:21:10,960 --> 01:21:13,640 stand up again and go tell somebody grow up. 973 01:21:16,760 --> 01:21:19,440 Thank you so much for listening. To this message, If you want 974 01:21:19,440 --> 01:21:23,080 more, subscribe to our message podcast on iTunes, Google Play, 975 01:21:23,160 --> 01:21:26,000 Spotify and SoundCloud. Rating and leaving a comment 976 01:21:26,000 --> 01:21:28,160 will go a long way with helping our messages get better 977 01:21:28,160 --> 01:21:30,440 circulation. If you'd enjoy watching our 978 01:21:30,440 --> 01:21:33,680 weekend messages, visit youtube.com/anchorfaith. 979 01:21:34,560 --> 01:21:37,040 We'd love it if you'd subscribe, leave a comment or a like on the 980 01:21:37,040 --> 01:21:38,920 messages. If you'd like to find out more 981 01:21:38,920 --> 01:21:41,480 information about us and how we're influencing the world and 982 01:21:41,480 --> 01:21:44,000 help support the work we're doing by giving, just visit 983 01:21:44,000 --> 01:21:45,200 anchorfaith.com.