back to indexBerean Community Church Sunday Service 8.28.22
00:05:07.320 |
If I could just ask that for your help a little bit, 00:05:10.120 |
if we can just try to squeeze in a little bit 00:05:12.320 |
to the middle of each row, if you can, for today. 00:05:17.520 |
But with that said, let us begin our worship service 00:09:06.360 |
we have an announcement from our Sisters Ministry, 00:09:09.020 |
and I forget who was supposed to come up here. 00:09:11.680 |
Okay, Grace is gonna come up and give the announcement. 00:09:28.000 |
We're excited to share that our Women's Ministry 00:09:29.840 |
will be hosting our annual Film-O-Ship event. 00:09:33.660 |
How many of you have come to our past Film-O-Ships? 00:09:48.500 |
So it's gonna be taking place on October 8th from 9 to 12, 00:09:52.680 |
and it's gonna be taking place around the movie, 00:09:56.960 |
How many of you guys have seen "The Dropbox?" 00:10:02.600 |
Okay, well, maybe you were here maybe like five, 00:10:05.680 |
six years ago, 'cause we did actually play that movie. 00:10:08.500 |
But for those of you who don't know what that is, 00:10:10.680 |
it's actually a documentary based on a pastor 00:10:19.560 |
But he found an ingenious way to save these precious babies 00:10:26.200 |
and be inspired to see how the love of Christ 00:10:28.420 |
can really compel his people to follow in his footsteps, 00:10:33.920 |
There's gonna be payment options in the signup link, 00:10:39.640 |
It will be posted on the various social media sites. 00:10:41.800 |
And please sign up fast, as this is a very popular event. 00:10:46.240 |
And if you have any questions, please email Nicole Chun. 00:10:52.960 |
She is pretty much putting this all together, 00:10:57.620 |
And I just gotta say, for the sisters coming, 00:10:59.740 |
for those who are married, who have children, 00:11:09.980 |
So anyways, thanks so much, and we hope to see you there. 00:11:21.460 |
There's quite a few things that are going on at churches. 00:11:30.420 |
And so those of you guys who are new to the church 00:11:34.260 |
and you don't know where to go, as soon as you come in, 00:11:35.940 |
you know, if you haven't checked out our new cafe area, 00:11:46.020 |
during the weekday to park behind us or a certain area. 00:11:52.060 |
and wherever is designated for parking that you park. 00:11:57.140 |
and Wednesdays our parking on site is available, 00:12:00.980 |
meaning that normally on Sundays we kinda shut it down 00:12:03.860 |
because of the number of children that are running around, 00:12:09.380 |
but anything outside of that, you can park here, 00:12:12.280 |
and then again, you'll see the parking attendants 00:12:18.080 |
so you may have to, again, park down the street 00:12:20.920 |
and then walk over here if you come a little bit later. 00:12:32.340 |
of where you're supposed to go, please let us know. 00:12:39.100 |
Let us know and then we'll give the information 00:12:45.860 |
please email us and we'll be able to direct you 00:12:48.540 |
to where you need to go when you come on Wednesday. 00:12:50.460 |
So obviously this Wednesday and this Tuesday, 00:12:53.180 |
you know, the various Bible studies that we're having, 00:13:08.620 |
and if you are new and you come a little bit later, 00:13:16.400 |
so I'm gonna ask you to come at least 15, 20 minutes earlier 00:13:19.660 |
so that you can find your seats and see who is with you 00:13:23.500 |
so we can get started right at seven o'clock as possible. 00:13:31.820 |
for you to look at on our apps or church website. 00:13:52.700 |
is gathered together, and they'll take your information 00:13:55.060 |
and answer any kind of questions that you may have. 00:14:02.620 |
Father, we thank you so much for your continued grace 00:14:12.580 |
things that you are doing behind the scenes, Lord God, 00:14:15.020 |
that we have full confidence that you are a sovereign God, 00:14:25.740 |
So we pray, Father God, that even in this offering, 00:14:28.560 |
help us to give cheerfully for the purpose of worship 00:16:05.600 |
♪ The galaxies can't help but shout his word ♪ 00:17:03.380 |
♪ He died a death that rose up from the grave ♪ 00:17:07.700 |
♪ My soul, my soul must sing to you an offering ♪ 00:18:46.740 |
I'd like to read for us from Romans 8, one to four. 00:18:55.740 |
The law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus 00:18:57.980 |
has set you free from the law of sin and death. 00:19:05.780 |
sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh 00:19:12.960 |
so that the requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us 00:19:22.820 |
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, 00:19:32.580 |
the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles 00:19:35.540 |
so that we would receive the promise of the spirit 00:23:47.880 |
If you can turn your Bibles with me to Luke chapter three, 00:23:59.720 |
I'm just gonna reread for the first three verses. 00:24:02.260 |
This is a two-part message that I'm gonna finish next week. 00:24:05.560 |
Okay, Luke chapter three, one, two, and three. 00:24:10.600 |
I forgot to inform you this at the announcement. 00:24:16.740 |
but the Sunday after, we are going to be moving 00:24:30.040 |
There's gonna be a live feed that's going on in there. 00:24:32.960 |
So that we can, again, we're gonna be using that area 00:24:44.120 |
those of you guys who are in the room right now, 00:24:45.840 |
in two weeks, will be moved to that location. 00:24:56.780 |
because there's an actual worship that's taking place 00:25:00.820 |
So only go into that room if there is some business 00:25:03.980 |
or you have to go meet one of the pastors or something 00:25:16.140 |
where you guys can kind of hang out in that area, okay? 00:25:19.340 |
All right, let me look at Luke chapter three, 00:25:22.080 |
verses one, two, and three, reading out of the NASB. 00:25:25.700 |
Now in the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, 00:25:36.260 |
and Trachonetus and Dysanias was tetrarch of Abilene. 00:25:46.820 |
And he came into all the district around the Jordan, 00:25:53.500 |
Heavenly Father, we pray that your Holy Spirit 00:26:24.100 |
that we don't know much or anything about John the Baptist 00:26:34.580 |
we are introduced to John the Baptist and his ministry, 00:26:38.000 |
and so we're gonna be covering the first part today, 00:26:49.180 |
You have the emperor of Rome, Tiberius Caesar, 00:26:52.180 |
Pontius Pilate, who was the governor of the region, 00:27:10.380 |
So you would think that if you were to read this 00:27:12.620 |
in the first century and you saw their names, 00:27:25.240 |
they're just mentioned because they're trying 00:27:31.980 |
It's not the governor, it's not the high priest, 00:27:35.520 |
but this obscure guy who was in the wilderness. 00:27:58.300 |
and every government and every historical thing 00:28:12.120 |
whether good or bad, or communism or capitalism 00:28:15.920 |
At the end of it, these guys are all side things 00:28:23.440 |
At that particular time, it would have been strange 00:28:39.140 |
You know, those of us who think of John the Baptist, 00:28:48.120 |
at least from what we know, he was a dead serious guy. 00:28:51.480 |
I don't ever see him telling jokes, you know? 00:28:59.680 |
but John the, all we know about John the Baptist 00:29:03.040 |
he's eating some serious food, wearing serious clothes, 00:29:09.760 |
And then once he's done, he dies and he disappears. 00:29:17.000 |
every part of who he was, was an indictment against Israel. 00:29:20.820 |
Like, I could imagine, like, John the Baptist, 00:29:24.280 |
just by showing up somewhere, it got serious, right? 00:29:27.800 |
Just the fact that John the Baptist was coming, 00:29:34.720 |
If my life is not straight, what should I do? 00:29:40.640 |
We're gonna look at today John's particular calling. 00:29:54.240 |
and what does that speak to about why John was sent, 00:30:04.140 |
and then fourthly, the message of his calling. 00:30:05.860 |
So this morning, I'm gonna look at the first three, 00:30:10.660 |
to talk about the fourth one, about his message. 00:30:15.620 |
John the Baptist's ministry, it begins by saying, 00:30:18.340 |
in the text, after introducing all of these people, 00:30:20.640 |
that the word of the Lord, word of God, came to him. 00:30:24.560 |
Now today, if we just listen to that superficially, 00:30:27.020 |
without understanding the context of that phrase, 00:30:38.180 |
typically when we see the word word in the New Testament, 00:30:40.860 |
what's the word that we think of as in Greek? 00:30:55.140 |
but the easiest way to understand what's happening here 00:30:58.420 |
is the word rhema, the distinction between that and logos 00:31:01.340 |
is logos is kind of like the written word, right? 00:31:12.740 |
In the beginning was the word, word was with God, 00:31:14.460 |
word was God, all of the statements there are all logos. 00:31:30.420 |
but the first century Jew would have clearly understood 00:31:33.760 |
when they saw that statement that John the Baptist, 00:31:40.260 |
they knew that this was a distinct calling of a prophet. 00:31:51.980 |
to speak on his behalf, it introduces that prophet 00:31:57.940 |
First Samuel 15, 10, the word of the Lord came to Samuel. 00:32:01.140 |
Second Samuel 7, four, the word of the Lord came to Nathan. 00:32:04.280 |
First Kings 16, one, the word of the Lord came to Jehu. 00:32:07.340 |
Jeremiah 1, two, the word of God came to Jeremiah. 00:32:09.780 |
Ezekiel 1, three, the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel. 00:32:18.640 |
Each one of these prophets has specifically called 00:32:22.660 |
the phrase, the introduction that these are people 00:32:25.260 |
sent by God, it is introduced to us by saying 00:32:33.460 |
The reason why this is significant is that the last time 00:32:41.700 |
didn't come to Israel until before 425 years ago. 00:32:49.940 |
There wasn't a prophet for the nation of Israel. 00:32:55.580 |
that because they continued to sin in the book of Amos, 00:33:01.260 |
But it's not a famine of food, it's not famine of water, 00:33:07.020 |
That people are gonna be staggering from place to place, 00:33:08.920 |
but God's not gonna send his servant to preach 00:33:17.460 |
So when the text says that John the Baptist was that prophet 00:33:44.140 |
a lot of their thoughts and added traditions. 00:33:48.540 |
So when they accused Jesus of breaking the law, 00:33:50.820 |
it wasn't the law that the Lord was breaking, 00:33:52.660 |
it was their tradition that they added to the law. 00:33:55.420 |
See, when here it says that John the Baptist come 00:33:59.980 |
and the word of God came to him is that God is speaking. 00:34:02.860 |
In other words, pay attention to what he has to say. 00:34:17.820 |
he's saying what I'm about to say to you is from God himself. 00:34:22.220 |
The Holy Spirit is using me to write and to speak to you, 00:34:27.940 |
These are not my words, these are not my opinions, 00:34:32.940 |
And so that's how John is being introduced to us here today, 00:34:39.220 |
as an indictment and a judgment against Israel, 00:34:42.020 |
the prophet was not sent and all of a sudden it was time. 00:34:47.080 |
and he's going to bring the word of God to them 00:35:05.660 |
"brother Philip, the tetrarch of the region of Echeria," 00:35:09.140 |
and on and on, he mentioned all these prominent people. 00:35:13.920 |
And he says, again, every time a prophet is introduced, 00:35:19.380 |
it was common practice that they would tell us 00:35:34.500 |
and in what context these prophecies are taking place. 00:35:46.780 |
it's gonna sound exactly like the other book. 00:36:00.260 |
Then Hosea, God's gonna judge you, you better repent. 00:36:03.300 |
Ezekiel, God's gonna judge you, you better repent. 00:36:14.980 |
And in what particular sin are they being judged for? 00:36:23.140 |
And what is the promise that's going to come? 00:36:25.260 |
And so when the historical context is introduced to us, 00:36:40.580 |
It's not just to give us a specific timeline. 00:36:53.660 |
but the real reason why I believe this is here 00:36:56.260 |
is because it gives us the historical spiritual context 00:37:18.340 |
What made this, what made this particular period 00:37:30.140 |
it was not random that Jesus came at this particular time. 00:37:34.260 |
He said God allowed what he has ordained to take place, 00:37:37.940 |
and when it was fulfilled, it was the fullness of time. 00:37:43.180 |
everything that he had ordained to happen has happened. 00:37:46.900 |
So all the groundwork that needed to take place, 00:37:51.540 |
and that's why now John the Baptist is coming 00:37:56.760 |
So some people will say, well, the Romans took over 00:38:12.260 |
but he could have done that 1,000 years before. 00:38:19.660 |
'cause we need the roads and we can't travel, 00:38:24.440 |
They go to other places, they can't learn their language. 00:38:57.500 |
Because in order for light to come into the world, 00:39:07.980 |
And so God was waiting until the darkest part of the day 00:39:16.300 |
I mean, this is not my guess, the Bible says that. 00:39:21.540 |
So how do these people who are in power points to that? 00:39:26.340 |
Well, as you guys know, in the Old Testament, 00:39:28.860 |
when the prophets came, the warning was very similar. 00:39:32.180 |
If you do not repent and turn from your sins, 00:39:38.540 |
through different prophets, through different generation, 00:39:44.260 |
Foreigners are gonna come and take your men and your women, 00:39:55.980 |
and you're gonna end up worshiping their gods. 00:40:06.980 |
So 735 BC, the Assyrians come in and take over the land, 00:40:18.060 |
After the Greeks come, then the Romans have come. 00:40:20.220 |
So over 700 years, they were dominated by a pagan nation, 00:40:35.020 |
but to a Jew, it's a reminder to them of their sin. 00:40:38.200 |
They're in that situation because of their own sins. 00:40:40.820 |
And that's what the prophets kept on telling them. 00:40:45.340 |
and he was the one who actually had the power 00:40:56.060 |
Pontius Pilate was the one who would gather the soldiers 00:41:04.580 |
he was the one who was crucifying their neighbors. 00:41:11.340 |
They divided up the kingdom into different parts 00:41:18.940 |
Herod the Great did this so that they can retain their power. 00:41:24.740 |
Israel's kingdom was unlike any other kingdom, 00:41:27.440 |
because in every other kingdom, the king is the king. 00:41:32.020 |
But in Israel, the king was a servant of the real king. 00:41:36.360 |
So remember, that's how Saul got into trouble. 00:41:39.020 |
He was established as the first king of Israel, 00:41:45.100 |
he did whatever he wanted, and he didn't obey God. 00:41:56.380 |
Meaning he's a king that's gonna represent me. 00:42:09.340 |
I mean, forget tribe of Judah, they weren't even Israel, 00:42:20.180 |
in order to use them to suppress any rebellion 00:42:26.660 |
So the fact that you had Idrumeans ruling over them, 00:42:30.960 |
every day was a reminder to them of their rebellion. 00:42:40.380 |
the people who did the most damage to the nation of Israel 00:42:42.580 |
were these two high priests, Annas and Caiaphas. 00:42:53.680 |
Just like their king, just like these foreign rulers, 00:43:11.740 |
but by that time, they said Annas and Caiaphas 00:43:40.420 |
Ultimately, Jesus was calling them out of their sins 00:43:45.780 |
and so they would do anything to retain their power. 00:43:48.380 |
And as a result of that, they end up killing Jesus. 00:43:59.880 |
The weight of sin has been carried out to its peak. 00:44:12.180 |
"He came to his own, and those who are his own 00:44:17.540 |
The light came and they didn't even recognize it. 00:44:30.320 |
like Dodgers fans during World Series, if you make it. 00:44:40.920 |
was at every conversation because every struggle, 00:44:44.400 |
every problem was gonna be solved when the Messiah comes. 00:44:49.880 |
When the Messiah comes, there's gonna be no poor. 00:44:55.320 |
So every time they felt any kind of effects of their sin, 00:45:01.860 |
"No one's gonna be hungry, no one's gonna be tired, 00:45:13.360 |
and yet when the Messiah came, they did not recognize him. 00:45:29.920 |
They had synagogues scattered all over the Roman world. 00:45:33.520 |
Remember, wherever Paul would go to preach the gospel, 00:45:36.640 |
he would go to the synagogue where the Jews are, 00:45:39.000 |
and they were allowed to give worship there freely, 00:45:47.320 |
when the actual Messiah came, they did not recognize him. 00:45:58.800 |
"and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests 00:46:03.760 |
Do you notice how Jesus says when he's rejected by Israel, 00:46:06.520 |
he specifically points out the leaders of Israel? 00:46:09.460 |
He doesn't just say, "Israel's gonna reject me, 00:46:19.060 |
"The leaders of Israel is going to reject me." 00:46:28.180 |
That's how far that they were led astray by these leaders, 00:46:32.280 |
by the false prophets, and by their own lusts and their sins 00:46:39.340 |
and making sacrifices, they knew nothing of God. 00:47:02.140 |
"The Pharisees and Sadducees came up and testing Jesus, 00:47:04.820 |
"they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 00:47:09.360 |
"when it is evening you say it will be fair weather 00:47:14.480 |
"And in the morning there will be a storm today 00:47:18.880 |
"Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky 00:47:38.320 |
and take the things that are valuable to you, 00:47:51.360 |
And he tells us, make sure that you do not get 00:47:55.140 |
Because the first coming of Jesus was exactly like that. 00:48:06.220 |
Jesus came and he ripped it out of their hands. 00:48:12.140 |
He says, "How come you're able to tell the signs 00:48:40.420 |
Where are you gonna get the most bang for your buck 00:48:43.180 |
You know the signs of the times that you can read 00:49:00.860 |
But he says, "When it comes to spiritual matters, 00:49:29.700 |
where we can worship God freely like no other people ever. 00:49:35.660 |
I know that, you know, we've been so pampered. 00:49:48.300 |
'cause they won't let us say Merry Christmas. 00:49:53.900 |
Because we're, let's admit it, we're snowflakes. 00:50:01.500 |
but we're all snowflakes, let's admit it, right? 00:50:17.140 |
and we don't have this program, we don't have that program. 00:50:20.140 |
I mean, you and I are pampered, let's admit it. 00:50:23.220 |
The things that we complain about, they would laugh at. 00:50:26.580 |
I mean, literally laugh at in other parts of the world, 00:50:56.980 |
our own greed, our own lusts, our own pursuits? 00:51:18.200 |
what we can establish as Lord and what we can't? 00:51:30.960 |
to the point where they can't even recognize Jesus 00:51:46.120 |
and they couldn't even recognize what was the law 00:52:00.800 |
they needed to recognize where they've gone wrong. 00:52:03.540 |
They needed to know what sin that they're under 00:52:15.860 |
In fact, Jesus did, John the Baptist did such a great job 00:52:23.500 |
And then when John came on, Jesus came on the scene, 00:52:34.020 |
But for the most part, what they said and what they did 00:52:37.380 |
and how they lived and how they made their disciples 00:52:40.140 |
looked so similar that they couldn't distinguish 00:52:46.460 |
In order for him to prepare for the way of coming of Christ, 00:52:49.700 |
he said what Jesus said, he did what Jesus would do, 00:52:57.340 |
People who hated Jesus hated John the Baptist. 00:53:00.460 |
And people who loved Jesus also loved John the Baptist. 00:53:11.680 |
The place of John's calling is also something 00:53:18.720 |
The word of God came to John the Baptist in the wilderness. 00:53:23.000 |
Wilderness in the Old Testament is a very prominent place 00:53:27.760 |
he was in the palace in Egypt, in Pharaoh's palace. 00:53:45.360 |
They had the best education, best technology, 00:53:47.380 |
best training that you could have gotten in the world. 00:53:50.620 |
And yet God orchestrates him to go out into the desert, 00:54:01.020 |
Anything that he thought would have been useful, 00:54:09.540 |
And it was at the end of that when he was ready. 00:54:13.740 |
That even when God called, it's like, you don't want me. 00:54:22.420 |
but I believe God sent him out into the wilderness 00:54:39.340 |
that God can use for his kingdom is people who are empty. 00:54:48.260 |
Just come before God and say, here am I, send me. 00:54:54.940 |
If you want to be prepared for noble purposes, 00:55:03.540 |
He doesn't have to say that those things don't help. 00:55:06.980 |
All he says is if you want to be used for noble purposes, 00:55:23.620 |
Wilderness is not a place where you go to get rich. 00:55:28.120 |
You don't make connections in the wilderness. 00:55:31.740 |
You don't have proper systems in the wilderness. 00:55:36.580 |
In fact, we don't know much about John the Baptist. 00:55:40.540 |
All we know is that, again, extra biblical material 00:55:49.820 |
And the only reason why we know anything about this 00:55:52.100 |
is because they found Dead Sea Scrolls in their community. 00:55:56.060 |
And so they became prominent as a result of that, 00:56:00.940 |
John the Baptist just grew up in the wilderness, 00:56:08.620 |
I believe the practical reason why he was out 00:56:10.620 |
in the wilderness is away from the reach of the leadership. 00:56:24.400 |
and you're doing all of this stuff, go to Jerusalem. 00:56:35.380 |
You can't become famous, you can't become prominent, 00:56:37.380 |
you're not gonna become a member of the Sanhedrin 00:56:40.980 |
Go to Jerusalem, because he did not understand. 00:56:43.820 |
It was very deliberate that he was out in Galilee, 00:56:48.460 |
and it's very deliberate that John the Baptist 00:57:02.060 |
He didn't come to rise up under their system, 00:57:06.340 |
that one day they would become somebody prominent 00:57:12.100 |
and he challenged that, you guys are brood of vipers. 00:57:15.740 |
You need to repent, and you need to be serious 00:57:22.540 |
he began to call them out into the wilderness. 00:57:32.220 |
challenging the system himself, preaching the gospel, 00:57:35.780 |
the chief priests and the scribes with the elders 00:57:37.660 |
confronted Jesus, him, and they spoke, saying to him, 00:57:40.660 |
"Tell us by what authority you are doing these things, 00:57:44.220 |
"or who is the one who gave you the authority?" 00:57:47.520 |
"I will also ask you a question, and you will tell me, 00:57:51.900 |
"was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?" 00:58:03.820 |
is because if they say John the Baptist is not from heaven, 00:58:06.220 |
there's all these people who love John the Baptist, 00:58:12.460 |
one of the greatest prophets that we've seen? 00:58:30.560 |
They weren't serving God, they were serving themselves. 00:58:41.120 |
And as a result of that, because they were fear, 00:58:57.640 |
Well, you hear certain things because it's beneficial 00:59:45.560 |
that despite your sin, that He loves you unconditionally, 00:59:56.520 |
But there are also plenty of texts of warning. 01:00:05.800 |
So my natural inclination, if I'm not careful, 01:00:17.140 |
I might every once in a while feel the weight of guilt, 01:00:21.060 |
like I should preach the whole counsel of God 01:00:22.940 |
and go to the judgment every once in a while. 01:00:36.620 |
The text dictates, tells you what you need to hear. 01:00:43.740 |
"Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, 01:00:45.900 |
"knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment." 01:00:54.660 |
Now, the funny thing was, it wasn't before I got ordained. 01:01:05.260 |
'cause you're gonna be under stricter judgment. 01:01:31.140 |
we have more good, but we also have more criticism, 01:01:36.380 |
I am tempted more than anybody else in this room 01:01:48.540 |
that it may or not should be true in real life. 01:01:51.900 |
Because the more I speak and the more I present 01:01:55.220 |
in an ideal manner, the more benefit that we get. 01:01:58.900 |
But a man of God must first and foremost be a fear of God. 01:02:28.460 |
That even if what I say drives all of you away, 01:02:33.020 |
if it is the text, and if that's what the Bible says, 01:02:39.140 |
And even now, maybe some of you are uncomfortable. 01:02:46.980 |
whether me or a pastor or an elder or a teacher, 01:03:03.740 |
The leaders of Israel were serving themselves. 01:03:25.860 |
"Bewold to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, 01:03:30.100 |
"from people, for you do not enter in yourself, 01:03:33.060 |
"nor do you allow those who are entering to go in." 01:03:36.140 |
I mean, their whole position was to bring them to God, 01:03:39.940 |
and he says, "Not only are you not going to God, 01:03:42.660 |
"you're preventing others from coming to God." 01:03:46.900 |
The more they were engrossed in their system, 01:03:55.660 |
So John the Baptist breaks in to call that out. 01:04:06.740 |
Today is all the circumstance of his presence, 01:04:13.940 |
and we'll see what's gonna come out of his mouth. 01:04:19.780 |
"Behold to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, 01:04:24.180 |
"and make one proselyte, and when he becomes one, 01:04:27.520 |
"you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves." 01:04:32.400 |
It wasn't that they were self-indulgent, did nothing. 01:04:35.500 |
In fact, it would've been better if they did nothing, 01:04:42.540 |
They were very active in gathering proselytes, 01:04:55.100 |
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, 01:04:56.780 |
"for you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, 01:05:00.800 |
"but inside they're full of robbery and self-indulgence." 01:05:25.220 |
and they get theology and Bible thrown at them, 01:05:31.920 |
like filled with theology, but their passion dies. 01:05:44.900 |
Exposure to the Word of God did not do that to them, 01:06:08.040 |
The Word of God is filling us with knowledge, 01:06:11.800 |
and we use that to see what other people are doing wrong. 01:06:42.460 |
and people that I'm meeting, and books that I'm reading, 01:06:45.120 |
and as a result of that, I can spend all my time 01:06:50.920 |
and be very dense about what's going on in my own heart, 01:07:02.440 |
that all of these things just kind of creep in 01:07:10.540 |
we have a tendency to assume we're better off. 01:07:22.260 |
the godliest people that I've met during my life 01:07:48.920 |
and serving God in the background in humility. 01:07:52.500 |
And they're doing things that they would have never done 01:07:57.560 |
Sometimes I go to churches and I give messages, 01:08:00.600 |
and the whole church is attentive except the pastor. 01:08:08.380 |
I'm in a position where I'm in the most danger of that. 01:08:19.580 |
that the word of God that we teach may convict us first, 01:08:27.140 |
that we will be sensitive to his teaching first, 01:08:32.340 |
that we will be aware of the dead men's bones 01:08:35.620 |
that we've allowed to dwell in our hearts first. 01:08:38.920 |
Because if we're not, we can be saying lofty things to you 01:08:49.260 |
And God may have to raise up somebody in the jungles, 01:08:53.880 |
and far away from seminary, far away from these churches, 01:09:00.260 |
so that somebody who has not been ruined by our system 01:09:07.200 |
and that man will speak for us at the end times. 01:09:10.360 |
In Hebrews chapter 13, 11 through 14, it says, 01:09:24.740 |
"Therefore, Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people 01:09:27.240 |
"through his own blood, suffered outside the gate. 01:09:37.800 |
"but we are seeking the city which is to come." 01:09:48.340 |
examine your own life, examine your own calling, 01:10:00.180 |
Are you coming to God because you set up this life 01:10:18.560 |
Or are you trying to just come up this ladder 01:10:23.140 |
in the religious system that's been created around us? 01:10:36.900 |
just following the pattern that has been set before us 01:10:56.460 |
If Jesus came now, like he did 2,000 years ago, 01:11:00.460 |
how many of our pastors would be able to recognize him? 01:11:05.860 |
How many of our church members would recognize him? 01:11:10.260 |
If he was to raise up leaders in our generation, 01:11:17.980 |
people who wrote a lot of books, celebrity pastors? 01:11:21.520 |
I pray that John's ministry, Jesus's ministry, 01:11:39.060 |
Because status quo may be where Israelites were 01:11:52.820 |
before the Lord and ask, Lord, search me and know me, 01:11:57.480 |
Before I search the world, before I search our congregation, 01:12:07.220 |
Have I allowed certain sins to percolate and excused 01:12:12.220 |
for days, for months, for weeks, for years, for decades? 01:12:22.700 |
that when Jesus comes, I wouldn't recognize him. 01:12:38.800 |
Have VBS and have children, have great memories. 01:12:48.300 |
Come to church, play football, softball, basketball. 01:12:54.280 |
If this is fake, get as much out of it as you can. 01:14:10.940 |
Lord, I wanna worship you in spirit and in truth. 01:14:24.180 |
And take some time to pray and search the Lord 01:18:49.020 |
Lord, if we've been blinded by our own passions, 01:19:02.020 |
to have things, Lord, that you did not give us. 01:19:52.220 |
So for that end, we pray for revival in our hearts, 01:19:59.220 |
revival in our families, revival in our generation. 01:20:04.220 |
Help us, Lord God, not to live like the times of Noah, 01:20:19.620 |
to know we are just a mist that comes and goes. 01:20:23.420 |
And for that period, however long or short you have given us, 01:20:28.820 |
that we may live, Lord God, investing for eternal things. 01:20:33.220 |
So we pray, Father, that wherever you send us this week, 01:22:21.020 |
♪ The Father's love is a strong and mighty fortress ♪