Text: Ecclesiastes 7:2-4

Living come face to face with the end

There isn’t another time when the living will be confronted with the end.

Living have to consider living for today.

You’ll find need in the house of mourning

You won’t find need at the ball game.

You won’t be needed at the ball game.

Nursing Home ministry, hospital visits, funerals

The grace of God is in the house of mourning

* Luke 4:16-20 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. 17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

* 1 Peter 2:20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.

Heart improvements are in the house of mourning

Verse 2 for what will be taken in by the heart

Verse 3 for a better heart – A better heart will be tempered by grief.

Verse 4 wise heart

Loss, betrayal, affliction, trouble all have the potential to improve your heart.

Text: Psalm 71

Notice the continual praise from the cradle to beyond the grave

Verse 6 – Out of the mouth of babes – Matthew 21:6

Verse 7 – when David is a wonder to others

Sacrifice of praise in Hebrews 13:15

Verses 14-15 – when David’s enemies see he’s weak. (David knows this was never about him, it was always about the Lord. So his being weak doesn’t change the strength of the Lord.)

Verse 15-16 – David will promote the righteousness of God (not the law).

Verse 17 – David will continue to speak as long as he can of the Lord’s mighty work.

Verse 18 – David promotes the Lord to this generation.

Titus 2:1-5

There is the resurrection and redemption of David’s life in verse 20.

Verses 22-24 – David praises the Holy One of Israel for redemption. Directed to the Holy One of Israel (71:22) which is Jesus Christ even though David doesn’t know him by name. Mark 1:24 identifies the Lord Jesus Christ as the Holy One.

Ephesians 1:7-12

Text: Hebrews 13:5-6

Conversation with covetousness

* You can be occupied with what God has done for you or you can be occupied with what you don’t have and what someone else has.

* Covetousness is denying the Lord (13:5)

* Occupied with things you don’t have

Joshua 7:21 When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.

Millions of people will sit on their couch, in a/c, running water, transportation, fridge with food, good plumbing, while a digital window tells them 24 hours a day about things they don’t have but need.  Every 3 minutes you’re told about something you don’t have but will make your life better. Then you watch a TV show with people who look better than you, have more money than you, fornicate, murder, cuss, with other people who look better than you and have more money than you.

The kids in front of screens all day, this generation will grow up to be the most covetous idolatrous generation this country has seen.

Colossians 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

Then you listen to a sermon an hour or two a week trying to convince people inflamed in covetousness that Jesus Christ is the answer and the Bible is your meat and serving God is where joy is.

Inability to make good judgment

Exodus 18:21-22 in order to make good judgment you can’t be covetous.

If you want stuff, you’ll set aside judgment in order to get more or not lose what you have.

Listen to God’s word, but won’t practice any of it

Ezekiel 33:30-33

People leave saying that was a good sermon about missions.  The preacher says we’re going to be taking up an offering for this missionary, and the same people who said that was a good sermon on missions say they don’t have the money to give.

Measure spirituality and blessings by stuff and possessions

1 Timothy 6:3-5

This is a theology of covetousness. It is literally a prosperity gospel.

Psalm 10:3 For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.

People with regrets are covetous people.

Coveting what you don’t have leads to a multitude of bad options.

Theft, adultery (you want someone’s wife or husband), crippling debt, bitterness toward God, bitterness toward someone else.

1 Timothy 6:9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Not that they are rich or are poor, but they that WILL BE rich FALL…

Spiritually barren people are covetous people.

Proverbs 28:16 The prince that wanteth understanding is also a great oppressor: but he that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days.  Short life.  And feel like days run altogether, like you never catch up, never get ahead.

Covetous people are discontent people

That is the definition of discontentment, covetousness.

Covetousness can’t be satisfied by the thing that you’re coveting.

Ecclesiastes 5:10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.

1 Corinthians 5:10-11 Stay away from professing Christians who are covetous.

Contentment

Whatever you’re lusting after will not last.

10 generations from Noah and 20 generations from Adam, the nations are again sprawling out on the earth.

Genesis 12:1-4 Abraham is called by God to move. By faith (Hebrews 11:8) he moves.

Covenant in Abraham (Genesis 15:18). The covenant is that God will give Abraham’s seed the land in Genesis 15.

This covenant is reinforced in Genesis 17:2-8 where Ishmael is excluded (17:20) and Isaac is the confirmed recipient (17:21). The token of this covenant is circumcision (17:11).

Genesis 22:1 Abraham’s faith is tried by God.

Abraham is first called the friend of God in 2 Chronicles 20:7 by the king of Judah. (Then later in Isaiah 41:8.)

John 8:39-59

God’s desire to bless the nations of the earth (Galatians 3:8; the gospel means good news.)

Romans 4:1-5

Hebrews 11:9-10

Hebrews 11:12-16 looking for a city whose builder and maker is God

Hebrews 11:17-19 Abraham’s faith is put on trial. Do you trust the Lord to give life or not?

James 2:14-23 (Imputed righteousness is in Genesis 15, called the Friend of God by others when his faith was put on trial. Jehovan Jireh – in the mount it shall be SEEN Genesis 22)

Text: 2 Samuel 21:15-22

David has just buried the bones of the house of Saul and entreated God for the land (21:12-14).  He has buried the old king that needed to be buried and was moving forward.

Time has taken its toll on David (vs 15)

* …and David waxed faint…

* David goes to war and begins to feel the effects of his age and time.  He’s not what he used to be. The same man who fought the giant at 17 was unable to defeat the giant’s son.

* No amount of faith is going to contradict the curse these vile bodies are under.

The world’s next generation (vs 16)

I noticed that the world is still using the same old combat strategy against God’s people; send out the giants.  They’re younger, more energetic and have some new artillery, but the strategy is still the same: bigger, better, stronger, faster.

He’s got the newest technology in warfare.

The next generation understands a higher calling (vs 17)

These younger men learned how to fight for the higher calling.

Quench not the light of Israel…

Faith that bore fruit (vss 18-22)

These boys knew David’s story of fighting THE giant, so David’s faith is passed on.

1 Thessalonians 1:6-10 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost: 7 So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. 9 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; 10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

Matthew 21:23-27 – There was no old testament scripture talking about baptism.

John 1:29-34 – John the Baptist knew baptism didn’t take away sins because he said John 1:29. See also Mark 1:4. He baptised the Lord Jesus Christ who didn’t need to have any sins forgiven. So that wasn’t the purpose.

Manifestation of the Lord Jesus Christ

People don’t see eternal life, peace with God, gift of righteousness, or the Holy Spirit of God, but Christ can be manifest in a scriptural baptism.

Matthew 3:15 – It’s a work of righteousness, not for salvation, but to fulfill righteousness. Because it is a work of righteousness, it placed a division among the people and stopped the mouths of these priests.

Matthew 28:19-20 – Baptism is obedience to God. Just like serving God with your time, with your money, with your abilities is all obedience to God.

Acts 8:34-40 – Belief is the criteria. Going under the water and coming out of the water is how to baptise.

Acts 10:44-48 – These Gentiles believe in Jesus Christ, they receive the Holy Ghost, THEN they’re baptized.

Acts 16:30-33 – Saved is by belief in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Acts 19:1-7 John the Baptist is baptizing people and telling them to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Baptism was an act of obedience but it is separate from receiving the Holy Ghost. 

The Lord is done contending with man’s carnal living

His spirit will no longer strive with man’s vile flesh. Genesis 6:3, 5-7

...he also is flesh… Also? Who else is flesh?

Carnal angels

Genesis 6:1-4

These sons of God are angels in the Old Testament Job 38:7. (Note: There are 4 options for who these sons of God are, but only one fits. Israel is God’s son, but Israel won’t exist for another 1000 years. Jesus Christ is God’s only begotten son, but Jesus Christ isn’t a man yet, he won’t be born for another 2500 years. Saved people are sons of God, but only if they believe on the Lord Jesus Christ who hasn’t come yet. Adam was a son of God, but Adam is dead. Lastly, angels are sons of God, and they are the only ones that fit this description.)

Angels are ministering spirits, but that doesn’t exempt them from having bodies. Jesus Christ is a quickening spirit the Bible says. In fact, angels have always had bodies.

Genesis 1:26 …let us make man in our image, is what the Word (Jesus Christ) said to a heavenly host of angels. (Angels do not look like men, rather men have the image of angels.)

Genesis 18:2, 16-22 then 19:1-5, Sodom and Gomorrha’s two angels are men.

Joshua 5:13-15 Joshua draws his sword, but finds out this is the angel of the Lord, the captain of Lord’s army.

Luke 24:4, two men who were angels at the tomb

Acts 1:10, the disciples talked to two men after the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ who were angels.

Jacob dreams of a ladder and sees angels ascending and descending on that ladder in the place that would be called Bethel.

Angels, sons of God, were apparently put on the earth to be ministering spirits. As well as the eyes and ears of the Lord sometimes. Angels have always had bodies. 1 Corinthians 15:39-40 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. 40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

These sons of God – angels – descend to earth as ministering spirits, but instead of minister they see the daughters of men and abandon their purpose. 

Jude 6-7 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. 7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

When these angels with superior genetics produced children, they were larger than life, known for their physical attributes, celebrities, renown. They are sexual predators, deviants, polygamists, and fornicators.

2 Peters 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

Everything about their culture was carnal.

The angels that left their own habitation because of carnality. Mankind was consumed with carnality. The culture was eat up with strongest, fastest, prettiest.

Los Angeles (city of angels) where the renown, celebrities, pretty people, and where our culture learns how to live, what to wear, what to listen to, what to watch – Los Angeles.

6:4 describes the culture by telling you who were the famous ones.

6:11,13 describes the world culture as violent. People loving death, sex, drunkenness, partying, fornicating, and corruption. All flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth (vs 12).

But there is a man that walks with God named Noah

God’s grace (Genesis 6:8) in light of God’s judgment; God’s desire to save mankind in light of his His unwanted j...

Pastor James Knox preaches on God’s plan to save souls. His plan in preaching.

Pastor James Knox preaches on the miracle within a miracle.

Pastor James Knox preaches on spots and blemishes.