There is one book in the Bible that provides the complete way by which a person may have eternal life, it is the book of Romans.

This incredible letter of the apostle Paul to the Church at Rome outlines with perfect clarity the state of the world and the explanation of both how a person may receive forgiveness of sin, obtain everlasting life, demonstrate how to live and teach the fundamentals truths of how we are to live together.

The Romans Road is a select number of verses within this book that helps a person become aware of their state and finally give the way to perfect peace with God and expectation of life everlasting.

Pr Edi provides clarity in this portion, teaching of the joy of coming to the knowledge of this hope.

The post Hope Camps pt 4: The Romans Road appeared first on Hope Baptist Church.

Incredibly, identity has become one of the most controversial subjects in these days of confusion, but pr Sandro makes clear what the Bible teaches us with respect to the true nature of our identity and where it is found.

But most importantly, in whom it is founded.

We pray this sermon is a blessing to you.

The post Hope Camps Pt 3: Who Am I appeared first on Hope Baptist Church.

Pt 14 Labourers Together

Pt 14: Labourers Together WITH God.

1 Corinthians 3:5–10

5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? 6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 

8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. 

9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. 

But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

Labourers Together, we are Labourers Together, not together one with another, although this does apply when we work as The Body of Christ, but we are Labourers Together with GOD.

This now ought to give a more profound consideration because it implies that he also “Labours”, and does not do so alone but Labours Together with the body of Christ, which is his Church.

We are therefore LABOURERS TOGETHER WITH GOD

The passage in which we find ourselves is in the first letter to the Corinthian Church and what we have seen so far is that it is a largely worldly church, a contemporary church that sits in a secular or pagan culture, not unlike our own times.

We are clothed with modernism and technology, but as far as our attitudes are considered we are not very different from the attitudes and tendencies of this people though separated some 2000 years.

The Corinthian Church is a Church with a known degree of strife and division, at least known to the Apostle Paul, but it must also be that way by reputation for Paul does not reside in Corinth, this letter itself was written from Rome.

The letter informs us that the people are babes in Christ, not growing and neither able to learn of the deep things of the Lord, but are given to varying degrees of division between one another and this is what Paul is dealing with.

In this passage Paul teaches that each have been GIVEN GIFTS so they cannot boast (v5-8), that they are Labourers together with God, that he is developing them as they labour (v 9-10a), and lastly they are to “take head how” they labour as this, we shall see next time, has eternal consequances respecting eternal reward (v10b-15)

1 Corinthians 3:5–10

5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? 6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. 

The passage is plain to the understanding, God gave to every man that which is necessary for the purpose for which he was created.

Paul addressed the Corinthian church in the previous verse for their error in holding to men rather than trusting in Christ alone;

1 Corinthians 3:3–4

3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

The people were dividing themselves between the doctrines of men.

We see this has continued through the ages and it is identified by denominations named after the names of the MEN they divided themselves by. 

We see it early from the “Donatists” (Donatus Magnus), the “Augustinians” (Augustine of Hippo), through to the “Calvinists” (John Calvin), the Arminians (Jacob Arminius), the “Hussites” (John Huss), the “Lutherans” (Martin Luther), the “Weslyans” (John Wesley), “Mennonites” (Meno Simons) etc.

These are examples of men following men and churches historically dividing TO THOSE MEN.

It seems they took no heed to Paul’s 1st letter to the Corinthians.

But the point of the passage here is that the ministry and associated callings are “given to every man“, but the people of the church are following after the men as if what they have is something peculiar to them and not a GIFT which which they simply exercise!

They follow men as if what they have was not “Given” them.

Turn to 

1 Corinthians 12:7–11

7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9  To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10  To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

We understand that in these days, and throughout history men have either gloried in themselves or men have gloried in them.

GLORIED IN SELF

Those who gloried in themselves are not wise. 

They boast themselves of a gift they had been given as if there is something special about them that somehow QUALIFIED them for what God had given them FOR HIS PURPOSE.

 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. It states in 1 Cor 12:7.

Not to HIS OWN profit, but for the benefit of the ministry in which God has called him.

One is “Given” by the Spirit the word of wisdom; another is “Given” the word of knowledge, and that by the “same Spirit” etc. None have “EARNED IT”, the GIFTS ARE GIVEN!

The passage goes on to link the gifts given; likening each to a part of a physical body.

 Indeed, we are THE BODY OF CHRIST and each have a vital role.

The passage speaks ever so clearly that each man (and woman) is a necessary component of that body;

1 Corinthians 12:12–23

12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For the body is not one member, but many. 15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? 18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. 19 And if they were all one member, where were the body? 20 But now are they many members, yet but one body. 21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. 22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: 23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.

24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:

No man has any right to boast himself of anything that has been given to him. 

The youth camp we had just completed COULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE without EVERYONE WORKING AS A BODY. We worked as LABOURERS TOGETHER WITH GOD.

We worked as a lean machine together, but truly, take away one component and the body could not have worked so well.

Everyone had a role, and everyone also compensated naturally for any “part which lacked“, but none ought to have boasted of that which they are specially crafted to undertake.

Isaiah 10:15

15 Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood.

MEN GLORIED IN THEM

Equally, none should glory in them.

If we consider the Isaiah passage in light of the gifts we have been given, not only ought we not to boast of ourselves, none should glory in those who are exercising their calling well.

Beloved, it is GOOD certainly to acknowledge and encourage EVERYONE who does their work well, but it is NOT GOOD to follow after men rather than God. It is NOT good to exalt men  while ignoring the word of God.

Turn to;

Acts 14:8–18

8 And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked: 9 The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, 10 Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked. 11 And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. 12 And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker. 13 Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people. 14 Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, 15 And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: 16 Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. 17 Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. 18 And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them.

Those who are “Servants of God”, including the angels in heaven, are not to be worshipped nor lifted up as if what they have was not GIVEN to them.

In these days when so FEW people are fully trusting in the Lord, those who are trusting in the LORD stand out, and are thereby lifted up in the hearts of people, but this ought not so to be.

We are given GIFTS to do the work, and are GIVEN the work to do. 

We are nothing more than LABOURERS TOGETHER WITH GOD.

1 Corinthians 3:9–10a

9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. 

I began my working life as a laborer. 

You don’t need any qualifications to be a laborer and for the rest of my life I had never gotten any qualifications to be anything OTHER than a laborer.

The only thing you need to be able to do and to do well is to do all that your employer asks you to do, nothing less.

You may be able to do your work well, and if you become dependable, your employer will naturally give to you more responsibilities, this is the natural way EVERYTHING works. 

Then, when you as instructed in that task, you ought to demonstrate RELIABILITYagain, as a MINIMUM.

BUT, when you do ABOVE and BEYOND even those more valuable instructions, you again demonstrate DEPENDABILITY. And so on and so forth.

There then will come a time when your work and efforts are ONLY able to be EXCEEDED by TEACHING OTHERS to do as you have done.

Teaching demonstrates the highest level of a given craft or profession.

Teaching, in any profession or role, must come ONLY from those who have continually done ABOVE and BEYOND that which they have been instructed, or led to do. 

TEACHERS, in the traditional sense, are not “trained”, they are MADE through their OWN LABOURS, they have excelled in their OWN craft and profession and thereby qualified to TEACH.

EG:

Mathematicians ought to teach math.

Writers and Grammarians ought to teach English.

Scientists ought to teach science.

Geographers ought to teach geography

Historians ought to teach history etc

And none of these should teach UNTIL they have reached the TOP of their craft.

ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. 

God has created you for a purpose. He built within you all the abilities to attend to the LABOUR for which you have been created.

Your calling is more often recognised by others before it is recognised by you, nevertheless it is there. 

Only YOU have the ability to develop that which God had already put in you for his purpose, and when you do, when you show yourself RELIABLE he remains with you, nurturing and feeding you as the “husbandman” cares for and cultivates his crops and animals.

When you develop greater faithfulness in your work, attending to all that you do with the utmost devotion and tenacity, going ABOVE AND BEYOND any “work to rule” or “bare minimum”, you are seen as “God’s building“.

While it is true that any and all of us cannot be “profitable” to God as a labourer is “profitable” to his employer, for there is nothing that we have that has not been given us by God, yet the same principle applies.

We see it in the parable of the “talents”.

Luke 19:12–27

12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. 13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. 14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. 15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. 16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. 17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. 18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. 19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities. 20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: 21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. 22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: 23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury? 24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds. 25 (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.) 26 For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him. 27 But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.

Beloved, we are LABOURERS TOGETHER, not with each other, but “with God”, and this we too often forget;

1 Corinthians 3:9a

9 For we are labourers together with God:

We are not alone in the work we do for the Lord and we all know what it is that the Lord desires of us to attend to faithfully do we not?

The works of the gospel and ministry of Christ take on many forms but all of them can be reckoned down to ONE, and that is a ministry of LOVE.

1 Corinthians 3:10b

10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

There is a warning given in the passage that speaks of our labour. 

Just as every builder builds to purpose, we ought to ensure that the building we build is fit for purpose.

If we are called to a work, then we are to do all the work we do faithfully and not flipanlty. We work as if we know we have a task for which we are going to give an account, and so we naturally see in this text that which we can see in life, a warning;

But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

Clearly there is seen in this passage recognition of those who do not attend to their work faithfully and truly, justly or diligently. 

Jesus said “Many shall come in my name saying I am Christ, and the time draweth near” whom he tells his disciples to “go… not… after them” (Luke 21:8). He testifies that there will be “Many” who build on a false foundation.

Paul warned of those who preach “another gospel” in Gal 1:9, and James warned those who flippantly take on the role of teachers saying;

James 3:1

1 My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.

Such roles are those which need to be first proved and tested, Paul giving instruction to the young pastor Timothy, warning against choosing men for the ministry who are novices saying he ought to first be 

1 Timothy 3:4–6

4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; 5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) 6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.

We recall John Mark whom Paul did not wish to bring with him because “departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work” (Acts 15:38). As a result there was a sharp contention between Paul and Barnabus and so they separated from one another for the work.

Paul was clearly a man who did not tolerate laziness or timidity well, like the man named “Pliable” in the famous parable Pilgrims Progress, Mark seemed not at that time suited to the difficulty of the work. 

Barnabus was clearly of a different temperment and took Mark with himself. This seemed to have helped Mark somewhat, for we see him much later in his second letter to Timothy as being requested by Paul as “Profitable”,

2 Timothy 4:11

11… Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.

Beloved, all that we do for the Lord must be attended to with the RIGHT MOTIVES first and then attended to in the RIGHT MANNER.

Right Motive determines from the beginning of any work we do whether it is a RELIABLE WORK. 

A man named “Diotrephes” is recorded of in 3 Jn 9 as loving only “to have the preeminence among them“, his desire to govern men subverted any faithfulness toward the gospel.

So is the motive truly faithfullness toward God? 

This can be tested by seeing that it is the RIGHT MANNER through which the work is entered into.

Turn to 

2 Timothy 2:1–7

1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. 3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. 5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.

No “crown” can be expected by the one who does not attend to the work his does faithfully. There is a MANNER by which men are to enter into the work.

This last one is vital, for without faithful humility, trusting God to miraculously make it work, no man can ever be confident he had “strived lawfully”.

Beloved, it is the “Together with God” part that ought to encourage us more and more. 

We are not doing the work we do for him alone, we do the work “toghether with God”.

When we set ourselves to work ANY work in the ministry, we do so knowing that the God of all the earth is in charge of the work and we trust him for its direction.

There will be times when we think we ought to do some work that is not the direction God would have us to go, and so he prevents it if we are sensitive to his will.

Turn to

Acts 16:6–10

6 Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, 

7 After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. 

8 And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. 10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.

Beloved there may be times when you earnestly believe you are to attend to a certain work, but for some reason the opportunity is taken away from you. Perhaps you find yourself sick and unable, perhaps there is a blockade of another sort that prevents you from attending to the work. SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT is vital at this time.

Either way you are to know that you are “labourers together with God”.

James gives to us our manner of thought in all that we do,

He writes; James 4:15

15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

So God is he whom we are both employed BY and employed WITH. 

Ephesians 2:10

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

The post Pt 14 LABOURERS TOGETHER appeared first on Hope Baptist Church.

Emilio does a great job deliberating on the Biblical presentations of heaven and hell. Both are eternal in scope. While “the wages of sin is death”, we also learn that “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23)

The post Hope Camps Pt 2: ETERNITY appeared first on Hope Baptist Church.

The post Hope Camps Pt 1: Be Still And Know appeared first on Hope Baptist Church.

Be Still

Psalm 46

Psalm 46

To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth.

1  God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. 5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. 

6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. 7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth. 9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. 10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. 11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

75 times the word “Selah” appears in the scriptures, once only it refers to the name of an individual, 74 times it is a part of a song. 72 Times in the Psalms and twice in the book of Habakkuk.

No dictionary I have read can give to me an accurate understanding of what the word means. But there are certainly hints in the 74 passages that gives a clue and some dictionaries do seem to point in the same direction.

Psalm 3:4

4 I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.

Psalm 4:4

4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.

Psalm 24:6

6 This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.

Psalm 24:8

8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.

Psalm 46:3

3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

Psalm 46:7

7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

Psalm 46:11

11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

A hint is Given to us in some of the dictionaries;

1 to lift up, exalt. 1a Selah. 1a1 a technical musical term probably showing accentuation, pause, interruption.[1]

Strongs Lexicon

selah (699d); from 5549; to lift up, exalt:—Selah(74)[2]

American Standard

an unknown musical or liturgical marker (Ps 3:3[EB 2]-143:6 passim); Hab 3:3, 9, 13+, note: (njb) translates “pause”;[3] Dictionary of Biblical Languages

Çelâh, seh’-law; from 5541; suspension (of music), i.e. pause:— Selah.[4]

Three times it appears in Psalm 46 and each time after a statement of trouble and trust.

Trouble may come BUT Trust in the Lord your God.

Pause….BE STILL!

To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth.

1  God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

Noah began to understand this when the first drops of rain ever witnessed in history began to fall upon his face.

Though the “earth was filled with violence”, though trouble came to the bow of the boat, Noah experienced the refuge of God his strength as the huge ship began to lift from its moorings. 

Torrential rain, never before seen pummelled the people and the land outside, but the Ark remained dry and the people preserved.

The springs of the great deep broke up and the waters in the earth covered the face of the earth, but the Ark was stable, secure, safe.

It was a refuge, it was God’s prevision of “help in trouble”.

God was to Noah and to his family, his very own refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 

1  God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

The first verse is a statement that is made, a proposition that is pronounced that is to tell the people of God an absolute truth that can be relied upon.

There was no need to fear.

2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 

There was no trouble like that trouble. The time of Noah was unique in the history of the world, but only a part of that history would not be repeated.

God will never again destroy the earth with a flood

Genesis 9:11

11 And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.

But there would come a time to resemble that of Noah before the Lord judges the world again.

This time of grace, this time of OPPORTUNITY would eventually be rejected by the people of the world as they return again to the “days of Noah”.

Turn to

Matthew 24:37–39

37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

But they who know the Lord can BE STILL, for;

1  God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. 5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. 

6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. 7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

The most remote and highest source Jordan River flows from the Spring that feeds it near the base of Mount Hermon in the location of the Tribe of Dan, I have seen it with my own eyes, we visited the place when in Israel in 2012.

The Website Life In the Holy Land describes it this way;

“The fountain, like that at Cæsarea Philippi, bursts forth from the foot of a bluff which in this case is of volcanic origin, and sends into the valley a large volume of water.”

Many are the sources of the Jordan river, but all are springs at the beginning of it and the waters are fresh and clear. When the snow melts from Mount Hermon, the ground absorbs it like a sponge and permits it to flow into the streams which flow into the river;

4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God,

The water from the Jordan continues down stream unto it enters into the lowest Fresh water Lake on Earth. 

Set 210 meters below sea level, the Sea of Galilee is identified by its unique shape referred to in the Bible The Lake of Gennesaret In Luke 5:1, a transliteration of Kinneret in the Hebrew tongue for it is in the shape of a Harp.

The water of Galilee nourishes the People of God and makes glad the city of God.

While God sends water on the just and the unjust, there is a catchment for the people of God that encourages them to make use of the pure waters of jordan.

It feeds the land, it waters the plain and the people make great use of it.

5 God is in the midst of her; Begins verse 5.

5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. 

Beloved we are cared for by the Lord, he provides to us the nourishment of life and he did so through his death. 

He secures for us life evermore and the joy of the knowledge of him, the continual remembrance of the Lord feeds the soul.

 Like the rain that falls on Hermon and feeds the streams of Jordan, “makes glad the city of God”, we are made glad when we drink of the waters of life.

In the precious words Jesus shared with the woman seeking water from Jacob’s well, he said;

John 4:13–14

13 …., Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

Water of Life, living water, whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst;

When the largest and lowest body of fresh water is taken advantage of in every way, whether it be through the abundance fish in itself, or the simple channeling of it to nourish the land to bring forth all manner of vegetation to nourish the people of the City of God, life brings forth more life.

When we partake of Christ through the reading of his words, through our times of prayer, through remembering him as we rise and as we rest, through thinking of him throughout the day, we nourish our lives by “drinking of the water that he gives us” and so we “shall never thirst”.

But if we do not take advantage of that which God has given us to live and to bring forth more life, when there is not outflow of life giving water from our own life, down stream of Galilee is another lake, it is the DEEPEST AND LOWEST LAKE ON EARTH.

It is the DEAD SEA. 

6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. 7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

It is interesting to see how God has formed his geography in the land matching what is seen in life.

“The heathen rage” and they do so having no life, no part in God, “dead in trespass and sins”, they take no advantage of the water of life that stems from Christ even though they see the gladness of our own hearts that is nourished by him.

Jealousy manifests in rage against eh people of God and would seek to destroy the city of God.

But beloved, our manner of life may match that of the rage of the heathen if we wont nourish ourselves with life giving water.

Like the DEAD SEA, we bring froth nothing of value to the people of the world and so “The heathen multiply” in the world all the more, and will rage, “the kingdoms will be moved”.

Nevertheless;

The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

And so, “BE STILL”

8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth. 

9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. 

10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. 11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

2 Samuel 5:22–25

22 And the Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. 23 And when David enquired of the LORD, he said, Thou shalt not go up; but fetch a compass behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees. 24 And let it be, when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself: for then shall the LORD go out before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines. 25 And David did so, as the LORD had commanded him; and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou come to Gazer.

2 Chronicles 20:17–18

17 Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you. 18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshipping the LORD.

Exodus 14:13–14

13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. 14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. 11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

[1] James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon, 1995.

[2] Robert L. Thomas, New American Standard Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek dictionaries : updated edition, 1998.

[3] James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament), 1997.

[4] James Strong, The New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words, 1996.

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My soul followeth hard after thee:thy right hand upholdeth me.Psalm 63:8 Reading: Psalm 63:1-11

Introduction:

The first verse tells us that the context of this Psalm refers to a time when David was in the wilderness of Judah, most probably escaping from the clutches of king Saul and his men. 

But amazingly he that was pursued became the pursuer.

AND THAT PURSUIT WAS AFTER THE LORD

Throughout the Psalm king David alludes to being in much distress, as we read in verse 1:

“A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;” (Psalm 63:1)

Undoubtedly, David was experiencing physical thirst and yet he says that his soul thirsteth for the Lord.

We don’t have a specific reference for this (we’re told that he was in the wilderness of Judah) but I’m wondering if it refers to this particular occasion in David’s life.

David had a 400 strong army that were with him amidst his troubles. Speaking of his thirty chief valiant men:

“And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim. And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” 

(2Samuel 23:13-15)

The title of today’s message is “The Pursuit of God.” My prayer is that you are encouraged to do just that…to pursue the Lord wholeheartedly 

Let’s pray…

Our text today specifically says, “My SOUL followeth after thee…”

Immediately we should understand David’s pursuit of God in the first instance was not a physical or an intellectual one BUT a spiritual one. 

Even in Psalm 103 David says:

“Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is WITHIN me, bless his holy name.” (Psalm 103:1)

So, we can see that his worship of God is much deeper than just an intellectual one. 

Throughout Psalm 63 we see David: 

SEEK, WORSHIP, and PURSUE the Lord with EVERY fibre of his being…

“A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, thou art my God; early will I SEEK thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, MY FLESH LONGETH for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, MY LIPS SHALL PRAISE THEE. Thus will I BLESS thee while I live: I WILL LIFT UP MY HANDS in thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my MY MOUTH SHALL PRAISE THEE with joyful lips: When I REMEMBER thee upon my bed, andMEDITATE on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I REJOICE. MY SOUL FOLLOWETH hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me. But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth. They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes. But the king SHALL REJOICE in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.” (Psalm 63:1-11)

Scripture doesn’t really give a definition of what the soul is. That intangible (metaphysical) aspect makes it hard to define. We might say that it is that non-physical, non-visible life force within each of us.

One thing that we do know: 

Is that the soul is of immeasurable wealth (The Lord asks, “What would a man give for his soul?”)

Is that the soul lives on after we die (either in heaven or in hell) …therefore it is immortal. 

Just as our pursuit of God ought to be more than intellectual, so ought our love for the Lord is expected to be more than just an intellectual one…

Remember:

We are commanded to love God with all our HEART, SOUL, MIND, and STRENGTH (which suggests the body). 

Is there a deliberate order/hierarchy to this? You’d have to say yes. (We will deal with this shortly)

I say that our pursuit of God ought to be MORE than intellectual, only because our pursuit and worship of God shouldn’t be completely mindless. If we are truly being transformed by the renewing of of minds, then our love and pursuit of God will be holistic in the best sense of the word. 

Transformation is the KEY aspect here…because in our fleshly nature

WE DO NOT HAVE A NATURAL TENDENCY TO SEEK OR TO FOLLOW AFTER GOD…

So, in David’s case, the pursuit of God was a spiritual one…note David is following after God and not himself. His pursuit is God-centred and not self-centred. 

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If the pursuit of God IS (or ought to be) a spiritual one, then it requires that we be transformed spiritually…but how?

[Turn to]

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

In this verse we see that the word of God is alive (quick) and has the power to penetrate our souls and discern the thoughts (incredibly the heart has the ability to think) motives of our heart. 

In addition to this we see in 2 Timothy:

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” (2Timothy 3:16-17)

The word of God not only reveals sin and imperfection but also replaces it with holiness through the process of reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness.

In our pursuit of God, we must be reading the WORD of God in order to perform the WILL of God (Romans 12:1-2). 

THE LORD GENUINELY DESIRES THAT WE SEEK HIM 

That is to seek HIM and not ourselves or our own self-interests. It’s a habit that we need to cultivate. And a habit is an action that is preformed repeatedly and continually. 

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“My soul followeth…”

Our text states that “my soul followeth…”

The inflection “eth” as in “followeth” denotes a continuous tense and suggests a continuity of action or a pattern of behaviour. 

It was incessant…constant and continuous.

Not intermittent…not stopping and starting. 

Therefore, we see that David was above all, in the HABIT (repeat habit) of following, seeking and pursuing God… 

As we read in our text 

David says:

“Early I will seek thee…”: You can read that two ways and I’m not sure which is correct. Either he is saying that he sought the Lord early in the morning or he sought the Lord “early” first and foremost and not as a last resort. Both are applicable and both are the foundations of a good habit. 

“Because thy lovingkindness is better than life” He had sought God and experienced the lovingkindness of God enough times to know that it didn’t compare with living. 

“…and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.”: Again, David’s remembrance and experience of God caused him to praise God and further seek him. 

Our text also suggests resilience…he followed the Lord at all costs. He continued…not ceasing despite the situations that he found himself in. 

We know that there is a cost associated with following the Lord, yet we know that the benefits far outweigh the cost.

David could easily have taken the easy way out and simply walked away. The reason David was in the wilderness was because Saul was envious of him. 

Yet the cost to David in following the Lord wasn’t only physical and emotional. There were times when there were practical (even economic) costs. 

In returning the ark of the covenant we read:

“And the ark of the LORD continued in the house of Obededom the Gittite three months: and the LORD blessed Obededom, and all his household. And it was told king David, saying, The LORD hath blessed the house of Obededom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obededom into the city of David with gladness. And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings.” (2Samuel 6:11-13)

And again, in the purchase of the land on which Solomon’s temple was built. Araunah the Jebusite was prepared to give him the oxen to sacrifice in order to stay the plague from the people because of his sin:

He says:

“And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.” (2Samuel 24:24)

Jesus also tells us that there is a cost associated with following him:

[Turn to]

“And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:25-33)

We have this well-known passage in John chapter 6 in which Jesus is teaching the crowds. It should be a constant reminder to everyone with regards to the cost of NOT following Christ. 

[Turn to]

“Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:53-54)

“Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?” (John 6:60)

“From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.” (John 6:66-68)

ONLY JESUS HAS THE WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE AND WITHOUT HIM THERE IS NO LIFE 

As much as Jesus asks us to count the cost of following him…the cost of NOT following him is greater.

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To follow also suggests a forward motion and not backwards. There’s nothing worse than backsliding, which is why it important to develop good habits. 

The text also suggests that he was led by God (see Psalm 23) and not driven. The Lord draws us and calls us to follow him…though not without challenges. 

As Christians our desire should be to grow. The process of growth sometimes involves hardship and suffering. 

A process that can seem discouraging… 

A process that can cause the believer to want to give up…

Once again, the best and only way to overcome is by reading the word and spending time with God in prayer. It’s then that we gain an understanding of our situation and see REAL examples of REAL people who continued to seek the Lord and overcame by the grace of God. 

Our text emphasises the word “hard” which means closely. For example, to place something hard up against another object is to place it closely or tightly. 

This closeness with which David follows the Lord translates as intimacy. This is most evident when he says: 

“O God thou art my God…” v1 David knew who he was praying to. 

“…thy lovingkindness is better than life…” (Psalm 63:3)

Those words alone indicate that David experienced the love of God and recognised the way he had worked in his life and therefore expresses it outwardly. 

Another word which conveys the meaning of intimacy is the word “cleave” (which means to join). 

It’s not surprising that the first mention of the word “cleave” is in reference to marriage 

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. Genesis 2:24

It’s within the bounds of marriage that we automatically think about intimacy.

At this point…

It’s good to be reminded that the prime objective in our pursuit of God is God himself. This is what it means to be Christ centred and not self-centred. 

The apostle Paul expresses this notion in the book of Philippians when he says:

[Turn to]

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14)

Yes, Paul had a mission to fulfill (the work that was set before him)

As we all do… to complete the works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10)

And yes, there is a reward at the end of it…

But the ultimate prize is Christ himself. 

We see this illustrated in the book of Genesis after Abram returns from defeating the 5 Canaanite kings for which he refused to take a reward: 

After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. Genesis 15:1 

Likewise, the Lord is our reward!!!

When it comes to our own personal reward:

WE WILL CAST OUR CROWNS AT THE FEET OF CHRIST

When it comes to our relationship with the Lord

At times we might be guilty of treating God as if he is a genie in a bottle who is able to grant us infinite wishes. 

Under these circumstances, are we in fact: 

PURSUING GOD? …or

PURSUING HAPPINESS? 

From a human perspective there would be nothing worse than to have a child who only knows 2 words: “I want, I want I want” 

Even worse…to BE that child

Needless to say…there is nothing wrong with petitioning the Lord.

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” (Philippians 4:6)

But…

The book of James qualifies our prayers:

(We heard about carnality last week and the strife that arises because of it. Here is another example)

“From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” (James 4:1-3)

THE WARNING HERE IS NOT TO ALLOW FLESHLY DESIRES TO TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER GODLY ONES.

The simple remedy for this is to delight ourselves in the Lord and allow his desires to become our desires (Psalm 37:4)

This is a true expression of intimacy with God

We see further on in Philippians we’re told that Paul had learned the secret of contentment:

“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:11-13)

Paul doesn’t give us the exact formula (for learning contentment) but as we saw in verse 6, it begins with prayer which results in the peace of God:

“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)

Ultimately, our love for the Lord must be greater than our love for the world and the things which are in the world. 

It’s very possible to go through life ignoring God’s kindness and thus not be grateful. This is the state of the natural man…we see that in Romans chapter 1

“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” (Romans 1:21)

But this shouldn’t be the state of the believer. We ought to thank God for all things: “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;” (Ephesians 5:20) 

“ALL THINGS” this includes the trials (Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations) 

Gratitude is an important part of intimacy in a relationship and especially with the Lord. 

WHERE THERE IS NO INTIMACY THERE IS NO GRATITUDE 

These 2 are mutually exclusive…

WHERE THERE IS NO GRATITUDE THERE IS NO CONTENTMENT

WHERE THERE IS NO CONTENTMENT THERE IS NO JOY 

Obviously, the critical factor in cultivating intimacy in a relationship is to spend time either with the other person or thinking about them. And we this very clearly in Psalm 63.

“My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.” (Psalm 63:5-6)

Here we see David spending time thinking and meditating on the Lord…and in remembering him, no doubt the many times he has saved him from danger and generally blessed his life. 

The interesting this is:

He likens these remembrances to being satisfied as with marrow and fatness. He is possibly referring to the consumption of marrow…which in and of itself is satisfying.

Interestingly, there are health benefits from eating marrow and particularly bone broth which includes benefits to the immune system. Reminds me of a book titled: “Chicken Soup for the Soul” 

The marrow in our bones themselves is quite amazing. Bone marrow (living) contains stem cells for the production of blood cells 

JESUS IS LITERALLY OUR LIFE BLOOD

The end result of David’s memories and meditations is to praise and worship the Lord…which (again) is an expression of intimacy. 

We can’t discuss intimacy with God without mentioning the thing that destroys intimacy with God…and that of course is sin.

Whilst there is no indication (or mention) of sin and separation from God within the verses of this particular Psalm, there are certainly other scriptures which express this truth.

“But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:2)

“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:” (Psalm 66:18)

David’s confession in Psalm 51 gives us an insight into his broken relationship due to adultery and murder…

And his plea for the restoration of the same: “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.” (Psalm 51:12)

As New Testament believers, we know what it was that brought us into right relationship with God and allowed us to experience intimacy with God. 

THE NEW AND EVERLASTING COVENANT IN CHRIST’S BLOOD

We’re given this picture in Hebrews of the Old Testament priests: 

“For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,” (Hebrews 9:19)

IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE BLOOD CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE PEOPLE…

“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.” (Hebrews 10:19-22) 

Now in the case of the believer:

The evidence of our gratitude should be the awareness of the cost of our purchase (We were bought at a price!!!) and the realization of what we have been spared from…eternal damnation. 

Should be this:

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1)

TOTAL SUBMISSION TO GOD…

There are 2 things that are going to cultivate intimacy with God; the same 2 things which we preach every week:

Time with God in prayer

Time in God’s word…

The beauty of God’s word is that it tells us who God is and gives us every reason to be in intimate relationship with him because of who he is:

SOME EXAMPLES FROM SCRIPTURE 

(The Song of Solomon is a perfect source of these)

There are multiple references to Christ as the one 

“O thou whom my soul loveth”

“He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.” (Song of Solomon 2:4)

“The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” (Jeremiah 31:3)

“Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.” (Psalm 27:7-8)

“Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.” (Psalm 18:35)

(And many many more)

WITH ALL THIS SAID WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT HE IS WORTHY OF OUR AFFECTIONS

One thing that we automatically derive from this verse is that God is that the immediate benefit from seeking God is strength. There are many more INVALUABLE benefits to following the Lord and we’re told not to forget these either:

“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:” (Psalm 103:2)

“Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.” (Psalm 68:19)

In today’s text however:

We see that God’s right hand is representative of HIS strength with which he upholds (or in other words holds David up when he would certainly FALL….)

Fall into DANGER

Fall into DESPAIR

Fall (perhaps) into UNBELIEF and SIN 

And this is a recurring theme in the bible (that God is our strength) and especially the book of psalms…70+ references in fact to the word strength. 

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Psalm 27 is a PRIME example:

“A Psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1)

In saying that God is our strength, you’d think that the Lord was trying to tell us that mankind is inherently weak…

AND YOU WOULD BE RIGHT!!!

Man is 100% prone to physical, emotional, and moral weakness.

The weakness of mankind is especially true in regard to the gospel. We were absolutely powerless to save ourselves as we see in Romans chapter 5

“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:6)

Our text today speaks of the value of pursuing God in times of physical and emotional weakness or stress. This was certainly true in David’s case and in the context of Psalm 63…

He was tired and thirsty (verse 1)

He was being pursued by those who sought his soul (verse 9)

He endured slander from those who lied about him (verse 11)

Yet his soul followed hard after God (verse 8)

The Lord was INDEED his strength…

David wasn’t the only person to endure a “wilderness experience” (Remember David was in the wilderness of Judah) 

The Israelites spent 40 years in the wilderness before entering into the Promised Land… Worth remembering these experiences are often a test…

On the verge of entering into the Promised Land Moses delivers 1 or possibly 2 sermons re-telling the laws that would preserve them. He reminds them of this important truth:

[Turn to]

“All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers. And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.” (Deuteronomy 8:1-3)

There’s another well-known example of of a “wilderness experience

[Turn to]

“Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:1-4) 

In these two examples we see the importance of the word of God in relation to temptation and the potential for moral weakness. 

[Turn to]

When we look at David’s example we see that with what little strength he had, he worshipped God, saying:

“My lips shall praise thee…” v3

“Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.” v4

And founded on expectation and past experience (“thou hast been my help” v7) he draws near to the Lord in his thoughts, meditating on him in the night watches (v6)

We should ALSO have this expectation.

[Turn to]

“Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:28-31)

Waiting on the Lord MUST include spending time in prayer and bible reading.

THERE ARE TIMES IN OUR LIVES WHEN WE ARE WEARIED BY PURSUING THINGS OTHER THAN GOD… money, relationships, hobbies 

These are SELF-SEEKING and we can probably expect to be chastened…

Looking back at our passage in Deuteronomy 

After reminding the congregation that man doesn’t live by bread alone but by every word which proceeds from the mouth of God, Moses admonishes them: 

[Turn to]

“When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee. Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day: Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint; Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end; And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish.” (Deuteronomy 8:10-19)

THE FAILURE TO RECOGNISE THE SOURCE OF ALL THAT WE HAVE CARRIES CONSEQUENCES…

We really don’t want to disconnect ourselves from the vine as we are prone to do from time to time…

REMEMBER THAT WITHOUT JESUS WE CAN DO NOTHING 

Conclusion: 

There’s a serious point that needs to be made here before we close the message. 

And especially for those who don’t know the Lord. 

If you know that you don’t know the Lord then the Lord promises you something.

In Jeremiah he says:

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” 

(Jeremiah 29:11-13)

This verse emphasises a wholehearted effort. You cannot afford a half-hearted effort when it comes to eternity. Because scripture also says:

“Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:” (Isaiah 55:6)

If you’re hearing this message, you are in the best possible position to find God. He doesn’t guarantee you another opportunity to hear the gospel and be saved. 

And again:

“Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;” (Ecclesiastes 12:1)

There is an evil day coming…

For those of us who know the Lord: 

Whilst we may not relate to the challenges that king David faced. For instance, our lives aren’tnecessarily going to be in danger. And our enemies might not be physical ones but they are certainly spiritual ones…

As we enter this new year, there are going to be situations that will require a response…

We might have financial difficulties. 

We might have relationships problems.

We might have important decisions to make, that for whatever reason, cause us distress.

In responding to these situations: 

Do we follow our own instincts (and do things our own way). 

Or do we commit these things to the Lord, knowing that all things work together for good to those that love God and who are called according to his purpose…

Surely, we should choose to follow after the Lord. 

In fact:

ITS’S ONLY IN THE PURSUIT OF GOD THAT WE FIND PURPOSE 

So many of David’s psalms are a testimony…especially a testimony of God’s faithfulness. And Psalm 63 is no exception. 

It would be impossible for David to say the things he says unless he had experienced the reality of God. 

It’s important to realize that our experience of God’s reality needs to be interpreted through his word…and that we respond accordingly. 

After all: 

It’s only through his word that we come to know God and gain a sense of what he is doing in our lives and the purpose of our trials. 

Proverbs 3:5 is worth committing to memory as a reminder to seek the Lord first…

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

We’re two weeks into the new year and I believe that (if we haven’t already done so) we ought to commit the year to the Lord. As we do so, my prayer for us as a church and individually is that our souls would indeed followeth hard after God. 

The post The Pursuit of God appeared first on Hope Baptist Church.

The Carnal Christian

1 Corinthians 3:1–4

1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

The first thing we see in the passage that is before us is the distinction Paul is making respecting the characteristic behaviour of those he is addressing. 

One “Spiritual“, the other “Carnal“. 

One is a POSITIVE attribute that he prefers to see in the members of the Church, the other is the NEGATIVE attribute he does see.

One is evident preference, the other evident disappointment.

One is that of expectation, the other is that of present reality.

One is that which testifies to the beginning of their walk (their need of milk), the other to the expected maturity that accompanies a spiritual walk (to be fed with meat).

INTERESTINGLY, both ALSO testify to Paul’s evident discernment of their state and he calls it out together with the evidence to support his claim;

for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

A typical ‘Cause and Effect’ argument in those two verses, the reason there are envying, strife and divisions is due to them being Carnal Christians.

The ‘Cause’ is their carnality, the effect is envying, strife and divisions.

The testimony of the passage shows of an expectation toward spiritual maturity, but what is found is spiritual immaturity instead. 

We will find that this is firstly not unusual.

When Christians first come to the faith it is generally followed by great zeal but with little knowledge. 

The more we spend time with the Lord and in his word however, the more we grow in the likeness of Christ and our spiritual life begins to be fed firstly with the “milk of the word” (1 Pet 2:2). 

The more we trust in the Lord, the more his WORDS become our guide and joy and way of life, and thereby the more we grow into spiritual Christian adults and our life takes on greater joy. 

It really is that simple!

We then Find that the carnal manner of life can be advanced from.

Paul speaks to the ability of Christians to stomach spiritual truths found in the Bible as they continue to grow in their faith. 

No doubt many are the challenges facing new born babes in Christ and one of the most evident are the growing pains that many try to avoid.

Trusting God as a priority.

Conviction of sin

Conviction of faithlessness

Humility in general.

This is evident throughout church history and sadly becomes worse in the last of the last days.

But what is seen in our passage is that there is an expectation of ongoing growth that the ‘babe’ may soon stomach the spiritual meat necessary for full development. 

The babe thereby eventually becoming a ‘self sustaining‘ spiritual adult, aware of personal responsibility and ABLE TO FEED OTHERS.

This is Gods plan of multiplication and it is a PERFECT PLAN, if and ONLY if we would trust him.

We find spiritual immaturity leading naturally to “envy” and “strife” in the Church.

It is not possible to be spiritually mature and not discern that which is good or evil. (See Heb 5:14)

Such maturity can only come from reading and obeying the word of God and growing in our relationship with Christ.

The most basic level of reflection should have told the Carnal Corinthians that they are NOT to follow after men, but after Christ.

The word of God was rarely if ever found in the homes of the 1st century Church. It is interesting how little difference it is in the last century Church when Christians wont read the Bible they have. 

Lastly, we see that Christian Carnality is a contradiction.

A fountain cannot send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter (Ja 3:11), and so we must acknowledge that Christian Carnality is a CONTRADICTION.

It is the clearest indicator of all showing that something is terribly wrong.

1 Corinthians 3:1

1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

As we come to this passage we may find ourselves mistaken into thinking that Paul is unkind to the believers in the Church of Corinth. 

We see passages such as this and think love is lacking, but we would be far from the truth of the matter. Paul indeed as great and tremendous love for the Church at Corinth,

1 Corinthians 1:4–5

4 I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; 5 That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;

He speaks to his willingness to suffer so many trials for them;

2 Corinthians 11:24–28

24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. 28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.

Too often a rebuke or a chastisement of the minister of Christ to those under his charge is taken as a lack of love, but this is far from the truth for those whom God has charged to lead his people.

Paul too is painfully aware of this and so he writes;

2 Corinthians 12:15

15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.

Therefore, please know and understand that it is out of sheer love that Paul writes to them as “Carnal Christians“, for his greatest desire for them is that they may grow in Christ;

13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: Says he to the Ephesians 4:13

Nevertheless, we come to understand that the Carnal Christian is not an unusual find in the Church and may be excused to some degree in their early faith in Christ. Paul speaks of them as “Babes in Christ“.

1 Corinthians 3:1

1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

The Newborn Christian is regularly depicted as a Babe, a small child in the faith, newly saved with many things to learn and to grow into the knowledge of.

There are new emotions that were not there before.

Sometimes great joy mixed with great sorrows of heart. 

Sometimes excitement in the Lord and tremendous desire to share the hope of Christ to all, and then sometimes great apathy as life seems to drone on.

Then comes the struggles with the old Adamic nature, the wrestlings with sin mixed with the desire to please God in all that we do, promising to do better next time.

But the cycle of sin and the seeking of forgiveness begins to tire the babe in Christ. 

Pressing up the ‘reset switch’ on his spiritual ‘circuit breaker’ becomes a wearisome task as considerations of SELF FLAGELLATION takes its place.

The Babe in Christ sets aside the book of life and tries hard to live by the Law instead. 

He punishes himself for his sin and forgets that his “iniquity is taken away, and his sin is purged” (Isa 6:7).

That he is 

….crucified with Christ: nevertheless he lives; yet not himself, but Christ liveth in him: and the life which he now lives in the flesh he ought to live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved him, and gave himself for him. 21 ought to know that he should not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Galatians 2:20–21

Sadly however, the Carnal Christian turns “again to the weak and beggarly elements” of the law (Gal 4:9). 

And to justify himself more, he begins to point the finger at everyone else rather than himself, until he begins to follow after men and not after Christ. “I am of Paul…I am of Apollos…” (v4).

Now, the Word of God is kept on the shelf. 

True repentance for sin is no longer up for personal reflection and the only choice left him is to give IMPRESSION OF THE SPIRITUAL, WHILE BEHAVING LIKE THE CARNAL;

“Envying, and strife, and divisions” spring up within the Church.

 Just so is the inevitable legacy of the Christian who REMAINS CARNAL.

Turn to 1 Peter 2

1 Peter 2:1–3

1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, 2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

Here we find a wonderful Segway into the next point that CHRISTIAN CARNALITY CAN BE ADVANCED FROM, and also how that advance is undertaken.

Peter speaks to the “laying aside” of Christian Carnality, “malise…guile..hypocrisies…envies, and all evil speakings“.

First there is the recognition that such is being attended to. If you are not willing to turn to the Lord and allow him to examine you, you will not “lay aside” such things but remain wilfully ignorant to them until the finally manifest themselves in “envyings, strife and division“.

But then Peter speaks to the same solution Paul alludes to in the next verse;

2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 

Lets consider of it;

1 Corinthians 3:2

 2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

“I have fed you” writes Paul, bringing to us the simple understanding that in being fed we ought to be growing, developing, strengthening that “spiritual man” within us. 

Here we see a plain testimony that the Carnal Christian does not NEED TO REMAIN CARNAL, indeed, Christian Carnality CAN BE ADVANCED FROM and SHOULD be advanced from;

2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

Paul is making a statement of fact that the newborn babes are NOT GROWING!

Peter wrote in encouraging terms, saying;

1 Peter 2:2–3

2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

O how I wish there were a way that I can preach the same thing but in a way that you may be able to understand it and be motivated by it.

I grown within myself yearning that you might know the truth of this and that you might see the infinite blessing of simply trusting the Lord at his word.

You have seen with your own eyes and heard with your own ears the effects of the Carnal Christianity within this very Church last year. 

Why is it that you believe you can escape such behaviour remaining a BABE when you ought to be growing in your faith?

Carnal Christianity LEADS to “envyings, strife and divisions“, it cant HELP it, but IT CAN BE ADVANCED FROM.

Christian Maturity is NOT determined by the years one has been saved. 

THIS IS TRULY EVIDENT. 

A person can have been a Christian for fifty years and remained a BABE in almost every sense of the word. 

We see this beloved in normal life. How many people do you know who have never grown up? How many adults are nothing other than 50 year old 15 year olds?

So it is with the Christian.

The evidence of it is seen in their fruit, “envyings, strife and divisions” according to Paul here;  malice, … guile, … hypocrisies, … envies, and all evil speakings, according to Peter there.

The wonderful thing is that Christian Carnality can be Advanced From…BUT how?

BEING FED WITH SPIRITUAL FOOD!

desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: writes Peter

You cannot grow if you will not eat.

Turn to Matthew 4

When our Lord was tempted in the wilderness by the Devil, the natural state of his flesh was famished. He had endured 40 days and forty nights without the basic, carnal, needs of the Body, he needed food!

Jesus knew what temptation was like and would not capitulate to it, no matter how strong the natural forces in him urged him to eat. And what is the food he knew could sustain him most?

Matthew 4:3–4

3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Jesus quoted from the most ancient of writings of the Bible, the writings of Moses himself who equated the bread that fell in the wilderness which the people of God were to gather that which was sufficient for themselves each and every day but the Sabbath day, with the words of God.

Deuteronomy 8:3

3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

Everything about the manna that fell in the wilderness was an object lesson respecting the words of the Lord, for this and only this can better both sustain and grow a man.

Job spoke the words that so wonderfull represent this great truth;

Job 23:11–12

11 My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined. 12 Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

It is the WORD of God by which we can grow. 

We advance to adulthood, not by listening to sermons day in and day out as the manner of some is, but by READING or HEARING the words of the Lord!

By his WORDS light came into the world.

By his WORDS life came into the world.

By his WORDS the Gospel was preached.

By his WORDS we are quickened to ETERNAL LIFE.

And so it stands to reason that it is ONLY by his words that we can advance from Carnal Christianity to Spiritual.

Hebrews 5:12–14

12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Beloved, you can see that this is not something I am making up. I have preached along this line since the beginning of my ministry to this Church and nothing has changed respecting the truth of the matter.

If you will not take heed to these words you will either NOT GROW or you will BACKSLIDE to a BABE. 

When you pick up and read your good portion of his word, you will grow, you cant help it. 

But when you set the book aside you will shrivel back to childhood.

Do so beloved, before the famine comes!

What do I mean?

Amos 8:11–12

11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: 12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.

Yet another passage proclaiming the truth of the word of God as our necessary food, identified by “famine” when it is not present!

A time yet coming, for it has never yet been, when the words of God will not be heard. The technological advances and the schemes and laws are already set in motion when this will become a reality.

READ THE WORD

MEMORISE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN, that you might feed others when nourishment is needed.

1 Corinthians 3:3

3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

A new study from Lifeway Research suggests more Protestant churches closed in 2019 than opened — continuing a decades-long congregational slide that is only expected to accelerate.

The study, which analyzed church data from 34 Protestant denominations and groups, found that 4,500 churches closed in 2019 (Note; before Covid), while about 3,000 new congregations were started. The 34 Protestant denominations account for about 60% of U.S.-based Protestant denominations.

The study also pointed to the hastening of church closures. In 2014, it found, there were 3,700 church closures, compared with 4,500 in 2019.[1]

This was a US Study from 2021.

As of March 2022, the percentage of pastors who have considered quitting full-time ministry within the past year sits at 42 percent.[2]

That was according to a Barna Research paper in the US which surveyed 413 Senior protestant Pastors.[3]

A ‘Christianity Today’ article last year (2024) states;

“MORE PASTORS ARE LEAVING MINISTRY OVER CHURCH CONFLICT” [4]

An Australian survey in 2023 reveals more for us locally, headlining with;

“In the last 12 months 35% of Australian ministers Considered Quitting”[5]

Your pastor was certainly one of them beloved.

Hebrews 13:17

17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

Churches are closing and Pastors are quitting in greater numbers than ever around the western world today. Many congregations do not have a pastor at all, for there are fewer and fewer who biblically qualify for the work.

The reasons so many pastors are quitting is NOT MATERIAL. 

Pastors in most Churches are well paid and can sufficiently sustain a modest livelihood, no, just under 60% quit because of the stress caused them within the church.

envying, and strife, and divisions (1 Cor 3:3)

malice, …guile, … hypocrisies, … envies, … evil speakings (1 Pet 2:1)

We begin to now see in todays Churches, men…. lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: 

Paul wrote that to a Pastor in the first century regarding the state of the Church in the “last days” (2 Tim 3:1-5)

Yet we see even in the “First days” that Paul was concerned about this developing more in the Corinthian Church, as evident in his second letter, turn to 2 Cor 12

2 Corinthians 12:20

20 For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults:

James grants an insight into that; 

James 4:1–4

1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. 4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

Quite harsh words by James to his Church in Jerusalem, but not surprising if we were to consider the Last Days dispensational context of the passage. While it was given to the first century Church, its flow in the corse of Scripture is perfectly set for the Last Days.

What is the solution beloved for you and I lest we too become a “statistic” as others already have?

1 Peter 2:2

2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

1 Corinthians 3:4

4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

It is the 3rd chapter of James that so wonderfully testifies to the contradiction of Christian Carnality.

Though we use the expression, and though it is not unusual as a Babe in Christ, its continuance and its maintenance testifies to a contradiction that is difficult to ignore and even more difficult to diagnose.

What it testifies to with absolute certainty is that SOMETHING IS TERRIBLY WRONG. 

How can a true Christian also remain Carnal?

James 3:7–18

7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: 8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 

9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? 12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. 

13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. 14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

James chastises his Church for their contradiction.

In the next chapter he literally calls them ‘adulterers’ respecting their faith;

James 4:4

4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

The apostle John also writes of the love of the world in 1 John 2, he also speaks to it as a complete and perfect contradiction just as James alludes to here. 

John simply states;

1 John 2:15–17

15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

This is where “DIAGNOSIS” is not truly possible from the outside. Both Paul and James and John write to the Church.

Christians can indeed demonstrate almost the same carnality that the unspiritual man is by nature, yet it is a contradiction to their own nature.

Hence the typical charge of Hypocrisy. 

But as a Christian that demonstrates the opposite of Christ, it is blasphemy. Calling Jesus his Lord yet obeying the fleshly dictates of worldly lust.

AND SO BELOVED

We have seen that Carnal Christianity is not unusual to those who are babes in Christ.

That it can certainly be advanced from and is indeed expected in ALL Christians, to be teachers and not that others need teach us again the first principals of our faith.

Do you yet even know what the Gospel is beloved?

We grow through the reading of the word of God, desiring it as our spiritual food, even more than the food of our bodies.

The neglect of it becomes evident both in our personal lives and as we affect the lives of those around us through envy, strife and division.

It is a contradiction to remain Carnal as Christians. We can never be content therein.

What is the solution therefore?

Turn to

Hebrews 12:1-3

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith first and foremost.

READ YOUR BIBLES, much and regularly.

SPEND TIME DAILY in prayer.

{$NOTE_LABEL} https://religionnews.com/2021/05/26/study-more-churches-closing-than-opening/

{$NOTE_LABEL} https://www.barna.com/research/pastors-quitting-ministry/

{$NOTE_LABEL} https://www.christianpost.com/news/more-pastors-now-say-they-have-considered-quitting-study.html

{$NOTE_LABEL} https://www.christianitytoday.com/2024/04/pastor-leave-church-conflict-hartford-church-health-survey/

{$NOTE_LABEL} https://sydneyanglicans.net/news/in-the-last-12-months-35-of-australian-ministers-considered-quitting/53335

The post Pt 13: The CARNAL Christian appeared first on Hope Baptist Church.

Pt 12

1 Corinthians 3:1–23

1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? 

5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? 6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. 9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 

11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 

12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. 

16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. 

18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. 20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. 

21 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; 22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; 23 And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

I have determined to preach an introductory sermon to this third chapter of 1st Corinthians. It is intended as a summary of the passage to enable us to glean the context lest we go astray and move ourselves too far from its theme. 

Or, rather, lest THE PREACHER tend to go outside the bounds set before him.

It may seem strange that I have titled the sermon the way I have, given the first four verses of the chapter. But it is certain as we move on that the first four verses demonstrate a LIMITATION Christians unwittingly place upon themselves in their refusal to read the word of God, to pray and to grow. 

The theme of the chapter however, is Paul encouraging the brethren to an UNLIMITED LIFE.

Therefore, while each of us can be addressed as limiting ourselves through carnality in life, and that there are those who would destroy the Temple of God, we all have both the potential and the actuality of being THE UNLIMITED CHRISTIAN.

First however we ought to see how it is that we LIMIT ourselves.

Learn what it is that we build upon as we LABOUR.

Recognise that we are all to be TRIED. That there is a reward appointed to all who are saved that shall remain for eternity, the other to be burnt up as having had no value whatever for matters infinate.

Identifying also that there is the NOMINAL Christian, who sets himself or herself against the temple of God to destroy it, but will themselves be destroyed.

Learn how it is we can become unrestricted as we untangle ourselves from the ways and thoughts of this world

And lastly we can find all that pertains to the UNLIMITED Christian.

Each point today intended as the headings of the sermons that may follow, but for today a consideration of the overall theme.

1 Corinthians 3:1–4

1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? 

Chapter 2 concludes with explanation as to the distinction between the wisdom of the world which profits no man and the wisdom of God which profits to eternity. 

The temporal vapour of man is pitted against the infinite substance of Christ. 

But now we see the apostle look back to those he addresses and calls them out as LIMITING themselves to the former, acting as fools by turning to the world, living carnal or fleshly lives in-spite of the infinite transformation that has been worked within them by Christ.

We see this identified firstly in DIVISION: it is schism that Paul first sees developing as the outward manifestation of carnality;

3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

There they are following after men and not after Christ, as if men have any value in them other than pointing them to Christ. 

Reluctant to search their own hearts and motives, they pick and choose preferential leadership in accord with their own carnal lusts. 

In typical last days fashion, they reject sound doctrine to follow preferentially those they believe would grant unto them licence to live as they would; 

Turn to;

2 Timothy 4:2–4

2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Paul here charges Timothy to faithfully discharge his duty to the Church in-spite of the times that will come. 

Many shall turn in their hearts against the truth and be turned to fables, they will gather to themselves a cycle of men who are palatable to the ears, and they will change them as the years change the fashions.

“PREACH THE WORD” wrote Paul, for this alone is to the profitable nourishment of the people! 

But what if they WILL NOT HEAR?

They spit out the solid food needed to develop bone and marrow, muscle and stamina.

Then, when trouble comes, they cannot stand. Limited Christians cannot endure trials in life, they become much like the world and blame everyone but themselves for the troubles of life.

“If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses?” (Jer 12:5)

Christians are wilting today more than ever. 

They cannot handle being corrected, they behave like small children when truth is presented that contradicts preference, and their anxiety peaks to extremities when the preacher even comes close to touching on convicting truths during sermons.

Pastors get emails and text messages from disgruntled babes who did not like the flavour of the formula, let alone enduring solid food.

HOW can the PREACHER nourish a people WHO WILFULLY LIMIT THEMSELVES to the diet of a baby?

1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

If your FINAL AUTHORITY for matters of life and living is NOT the Bible, you are a babe.

Malnourishment is identified by the outflow of your choices in life, Paul testifies to the Church as Babes by their actions not by their words.

The final manifestation of carnality is division, they either attempt to cast away from their sight the preacher of righteousness, or remove themselves to the blissful ignorance of comfort in carnality. 

This beloved is the LIMITED CHRISTIAN. And they shall sadly wax worse and worse.

The carnal Christian LIMITS himself as he works to limit the preacher, and thereby limit the Church.

Paul was thus LIMITED

2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

Paul had wonderful things to share to the “Spiritual“, but the Corinthian Church was carnal.

Even in “his own country” Jesus “did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief” (Matt 13:53-58);

So it is with THE LIMITED CHRISTIAN.

Beloved, if you are not reading your Bible daily and spending time with the Lord in prayer daily, if you are not making ALL your decisions in life consciously subject to that which you read in the scriptures, YOU ARE now, or soon becoming, THE LIMITED CHRISTIAN this passage refers to.

If your desire is to be an UNLIMITED CHRISTIAN, move on to solid food, “O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him” (Ps 34:8) 

1 Corinthians 3:5-11

5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? 6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. 9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 

Paul addresses the immediate matter of the Church directly by placing value where it ought to have been, understanding that we are all simply labourers in the field ready to harvest.

What is man? What value does he have in and of himself? 

The Church ought never to follow simply after men. 

Man is only of value inasmuch as they draw you more to Christ. 

If they plant the word of God faithfully, if they water the word faithfully, and if you are receiving gladly, God will bring the increase.

Consider the parable of the sower from where this consideration of Paul comes. It is a wonderful passage in Mark’s gospel and we will employ it to fulfill this point.

Turn to;

Mark 4:14–20

The parable begins in verse 1, but here we have Jesus explains the parable to his enquiring disciples. 

 14 The sower soweth the word. 15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended. 18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, 19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. 20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

Beloved, the work of the preacher is simply to sow or to water the word, they themselves are not to be vainly held in high regard.

There are men who may have led you to the Lord, they preached the gospel and you have believed it, wonderful, do not hold too tightly to them but turn to the word of God and allow yourselves to be fed on it directly.

The men themselves are not anything, do not carnally hold to them.

7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

Each of you, as members of the Body of Christ, have value in equal portion one to another. 

Each of you are labourers in the vineyard of God as a part of the Body of Christ IF you are faithful in the work of the Lord. 

All works of all men in Christ will be tried of what sort it is, do not RESTRICT YOURSELF to carnally follow after men, but follow after Christ through HIS words. Then and ONLY then will you truly become The UNLIMITED Christian.

1 Corinthians 3:11-15

11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. 

We all are attending to a work in the Lord while we are here in the Body, this is the case whether we recognise it or not, whether we think we are called or not, whether we realise we have a gift to that calling or not.

Mothers, you are ministers to your children and the ministry that you minister will have a value associated with it, ‘gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble” and as such the work shall be tried of what sort it is. 

Fathers, you are responsible, both for the oversight of the mother and for instructing your children.

Both good and bad undertakings of our responsibility will be judged and rewarded in kind. 

That which endures for eternity, gold, silver, precious stones. That which is temporal, wood, hay, stubble.

Which are you sowing?

Paul here makes mention of the foundation that is laid which is Jesus Christ, everything we do in accord with Christ is going to be that which will endure for all eternity, anything we build on that foundation that is NOT of Christ, will be burned up.

How can we know?

The answer to this question brings us back to the beginning of the chapter and the purpose for the writing of this passage.

1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 3 For ye are yet carnal:

The “Carnal” Christian cannot build that which is in accordance with the foundation of Jesus Christ because he does not know WHAT is in accordance with Christ!

Turn to Hebrews 5

In this passage the writer again desires to bring a full understanding of the subject matter to the readers of his letter, but AGAIN he is LIMITED for their lack of maturity. BUT, in this parallel passage we come to learn WHAT IT IS THAT GAINS that maturity that is necessary to discern that which is good.

Hebrews 5:10–14

10 Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec. 11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. 12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Beloved, it is knowledge in the “WORD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS” that brings you to KNOW what it is to build upon the foundation of Jesus Christ. 

It is your desire to both learn and OBEY God’s words that will remove ALL limitation in your Christian life, and make you an UNLIMITED CHRISTIAN. 

Paul wrote again to Timothy saying;

2 Timothy 2:19–21

19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.

The ONLY fulfilment you will have in life is to become that for which you were created to be.

Happiness in life, UNLIMITED happiness, will only come when you are “meet for the masters use“, when you work to fulfil the purpose for which you are here.

Not doing so, is gathering “wood, hay and stubble” to be tried by fire,  15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. 

1 Corinthians 3:16-17

16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. 

The verse here speaks of you and I, those who are truly born again, as “the temple of God“, qualified in the knowledge “that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you“.

Romans 8 speaks of the Carnal mind and warns that there are those who do not have the Spirit of God in them and certainly cannot be sure to have such if their minds DO NOT have its default position in doing that which God has said, these are what is called “Nominal Christians”, that is, Christian in NAME only.

Turn to 

Romans 8:5–9

5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Our text in 1 Cor 3 speaks first in the second person plural in verse 16 saying, 16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

But then in the third person singular in the next verse; 7 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; 

Then qualifies the reasoning for why God shall destroy such a person, for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. 

Turn to 1 Cor 5

Corruption occurred within the Corinthian Church, for that was the nature of the culture surrounding the city. 

Consider verses 1-2

So vile it was that the people in the Church would not deal with the sinner doing that which Paul wrote; such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife. 2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. (1 Cor 5:1-2), 

Testifying to an accepted spreading of pollution in the Body of Christ that would defile the Temple of God, which they were. 

NOMINAL Christians, that is, those who call themselves Christian but have not the Spirit of God in them, are set for destruction through their wilful defilement of the Body of Christ.

Please note, this is not the LIMITED Christian, who is a babe, this is the NOMINAL Christian, who is not saved.

Such men, or women, are manifest in the Church by the divisions occurring therein, and they will make themselves more and more apparent as time goes on. 

Meanwhile, the natural tendency is to give members the benefit of the doubt even while the leaven in the Church threatens the whole lump.

Speaking of such Paul continued;

1 Corinthians 5:4–6

4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?

None of us like to think that any in the Church are NOMINAL lost people, none want to believe that such people can become MEMBERS of a Church, yet it is EVIDENT they can and often do.

Nominal Christians will always manifest themselves in time, Paul warns that those within the Church who defile it, will be destroyed. 

Please understand again, Nominal Christians are NOT Christian, they are what Jesus referred to as “tares among the wheat” (Mt 13:25), ‘goats that shall be divided from the sheep‘ (Mt 25:32-33), they are they who “entereth no by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way” (Jn 10:1) and their leaders come Wolves in Sheep clothing (Matthew 7:15).

We don’t like it, nevertheless, Satan has his ministers and plants the tares to destroy the Church. But God will destroy them. 

17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. 

1 Corinthians 3:18-20

18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. 20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. 

We have spoken much respecting the distinction between the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God, and so will not belabour the point but for this one thing;

18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.

When the choice is made to determine we know nothing in and of ourselves, but submit all we are and all we do to the wisdom of God, then and ONLY then can we be confident of wise choices.

If you do not know that you don’t know, you will never learn anything, but when you know you dont know, then you open yourself up to learning. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.

The wisest man of the secular world was quoted by Plato as saying, “For I was conscious that I knew practically nothing“, or “I know that I know nothing” from the Latin, “Scio me nescire“.

Vance Havner spoke of his own ignorance when he became a boy preacher, he said, “not only did I not know anything, but I didn’t even suspect anything“.

Our own wisdom is notoriously untrustworthy. Become a fool that you may be wise.

Do not be entangled with the affairs of this life!

Turn to

2 Timothy 2:1–7

1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. 3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. 5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.

Read your Bible, seek the Lord and Trust him for every decision. 

1 Corinthians 3:21-23

21 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; 22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; 23 And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

Everything is open to those who will not limit themselves to the foolish wisdom and pursuits in this life.

When we landlock ourselves to vainly persuing after that which will not endure the fire, we limit ourselves and do no eternal service to any.

“All things are yours…“

We have but this ONE life to bring hope to the world, do not waste it by persuing only that for yourself. ONE LIFE to bring joy to many. 

The length of your days ought to be YOUR ONLY LIMIT, while you bring hope to every shore.

An illustration I may gives involves the merchant ship captain;

He comes to a foreign shore and settles for a meal in a local eatery. The waitress hears of her guest and sets the curious question related to his travels.

“Where have you been sir? What lands have you seen”

He replied simply stating, “Madam, I am limited to the Ocean”.

You have ONE life, Dont LIMIT yourself by being LANDLOCKED to yourself, The Unlimited Christian learns from an infinite source.

The post Pt 12: The UNLIMITED Christian appeared first on Hope Baptist Church.

Philippians 2:5–11

5  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Perhaps there was no real consideration of consequence, I mean he had not spoken to her but to her husband.  No doubt she had never entertained the idea that her husband would lie to her, but she had questions nonetheless. 

It didn’t seem to take much persuading, she believed what she was told and up until that point there was no one else around that said anything to the contrary, so she resisted, at least for a moment. The consequence was no doubt serious, after all, her husband told her so, but doubt slithered into her mind.

But when she “saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit and did eat, and gave also to her husband with her; and he did eat” (Gen 3:6).

If there was one verse of the entire Bible that man could have done without, its Genesis 3:6. 

This changed EVERYTHING. Literally, EVERYTHING.

Of all the verses of the Bible that the peddlers of modern translations have deleted from modern versions of “what god said”, I found none that removed this verse. A verse that I personally could do without.

But nothing would make sense otherwise.

It is the verse that refers to what is known as ORIGINAL SIN. This is where it all began. Rebellion in the heart, first of the woman, deceived by that serpent, that Dragon, “called the Devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world” (Rev 12:9); But then the man, “with her” when she took of the fruit.

It was the MAN who was told directly from God his maker not long after he was formed from the dust of the ground and God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. God walked with Adam in the cool of the day and those words respecting the Tree of Conscience, (for that is what it is, Con-Science I.e “With Knowledge”, the Lord making its understanding much plainer so we don’t mess it up, as the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil” (Gen 2:9));

It was to Adam God said;

Genesis 2:16–17

16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. 

And death came, not physical death, not yet, but the only death that matters most, the Spirit. 

From this point on to this day, man is born “dead in sin”.

Speaking of the work of Christ, the Bible says;

Ephesians 2:1

1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

Three verses later;

Ephesians 2:4–5

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

And again;

Colossians 2:13

13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

And again, affirming the logical reality of Christ sacrifice for mankind;

2 Corinthians 5:14

14 … because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:

What now?

God created the entirety of the universe for the existence of mankind, for relationship with him and that he may eternally share in the joy of the Lord, but now man is eternally separated from God. Like Satan, man is in rebellion against his creator. And that, almost from the beginning.

God did not leave man to his own accord. Yes he banished man from the garden, lest they take of the tree of life and live forever in rebellion, and consideration far worse than death, but God spoke of hope from that very chapter where man hopelessly fell.

Turn there;

Genesis 3:14–15

14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: 15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Though the reference to the ‘seed of the woman’ is not completely clear in this passage, the thought moves forward beyond Abraham to Christ, for only Christ can bruise the head of the serpent;

Galatians 3:16

16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

A time would come when a Saviour will enter into the world to save mankind from himself. 

From the time of Adam until God was manifest in the flesh, God was teaching the world of the coming of the Just One (Acts 7:52) who will take the sin of the world upon himself through his own sacrifice for sin (Heb 10:12), “that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Cor 5:21). 

While Adam and Eve clothed themselves with fig leaves, God will “make them coats of skins” (Gen 3:21), teaching from the first that it will be by the shedding of innocent blood they shall be covered.

Jesus is that “innocent Blood”, who was “MADE IN THE LIKENESS OF MEN”, for the SALVATION OF MAN.

Philippians 2:5-6

5  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

Before he was “MADE IN THE LIKENESS OF MEN”, he was indeed “in the form of God” and is seen as the Angel of God in the Old Testament.

It was the Angel of God that wrestled with Jacob

Genesis 32:24–30

24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. 25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. 26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. 27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. 28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. 29 And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. 30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

It was the Angel of God who led the people of God through the Wilderness;

Exodus 14:19

19 And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:

Spoken of as The Lord by Moses, each time the Angel of God moved or set down;

Numbers 10:34–36

34 And the cloud of the LORD was upon them by day, when they went out of the camp. 35 And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee. 36 And when it rested, he said, Return, O LORD, unto the many thousands of Israel.

It was the Angel of God who appeared to Joshua as “The Captain of the Lords Host” after he crossed Jordan. Here we see the Theophany of Christ in its clearest form;

Joshua 5:13–15

13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? 14 And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? 15 And the captain of the LORD’S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.

But the comfort of knowing God is with you through fiery trial is given the msot extreme example in Daniel 3;

Daniel 3:22–27

22 Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. 25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. 26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire. 27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.

Philippians 2:7

7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant,and was made in the likeness of men:

The passage of Philippians 2 begins with the charge of humility among the brethren, in doing so Paul employs the humility of Christ as our example.

Philippians 2:3–7

3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus…

A mind that is for the sake of others…”let each esteem other better than themselves”.

There was a time in which the eternal Son of God, “who, being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation…”;

From God to man, Christ the Son was made in the likeness of men.

The ONLY one of all history that has the right to exalt himself to the highest degree, does the opposite, and humbles himself to be as man is, for the sake of man.

“Thought it not robbery to be equal with God”, 

Though there was always a “distinction in person and inequality in respect of office”, writes 17th Century theologian John Owen, “Christ doth not in the least take away equality and sameness with the Father in respect of nature and essence[1]

Christ knew who he is, he showed who he is to the world, he was crucified for presenting himself as God manifest in the flesh, he did not try to hide it and the Jews knew this.

John 10:32–33

32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? 33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.

IF Christ was trying to hide his “equality with God”, he did not do a good job of it.

Turn to Matthew 26

Matthew 26:63–66

63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. 64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. 65 Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. 66 What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death.

Some 33 years earlier, an angel appeared to a woman, a virgin, to tell of the birth of a King. Turn to Luke 1

It is not often that angels prophesy of the birth of men of renown to the women that would bare them, the last that I can recall was Sampson who destroyed more of the enemies of God’s people in his death than in his life.

It was Isaiah, some 700 years earlier, who first told of the conception of “God with us”, to a virgin. Since that time it was a shame for any woman to be unmarried, for who can tell if they might be the vessel through which Immanuel would be born.

He first came to the husband of Elizabeth to encourage Zacharias of the birth of John, who would “make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Lk 1:17), then Gabriel went to Mary.

Luke 1:26–38

26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. 36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing shall be impossible. 38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

Here we have the culmination of a plan set forth long ago to save man.

“…by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin”, by one man shall also come redemption from sin;

Romans 5:18–19

18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

The account of Luke tells of that which began long ago in the garden, the fulfilment of God’s plan to rescue all who desire to be rescued.

Galatians 4:4–5

4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

Philippians 2:8

8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

The predicament of mankind was and is impossible. 

For centuries mankind has invented ways by which he may SAVE HIMSELF, and enter an eternal hope of joy and peace. 

Even to this day tombstones are engraved with the hope “REST IN PEACE”, carrying forward the trust that this will be the case.

Funerals of godless unbelievers continue to portray the notion that the recently departed are in a “Better Place” in order to bring a vain hope to those yet to die. 

Encouragement is given that is reserved ONLY by those who will NOT GIVE AN ACCOUNT OF THEIR SIN, whom God will not “bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Eccl 12:14), those who will NOT be remanded in hell until the judgment of the Great White throne spoken of in Revelation 20:11-15.

They speak of fellowship with those recently dead. They speak of hope to those yet living in their sin. The Priests of modern paganism from the Catholic to the Cauldron, encourage those still living even to pray to dean family members as if they have ears to hear.

Jonah 2:8

8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

Even though matters Spiritual and the reality of heaven or hell is denied by the godless culture of the western world, the sensible people of the world know instinctively that there is a continuation after the death of the body. BUT THE PREDICAMENT REMAINS.

“I know it is of a truth; But how should a man be just with God?” (Job 9:2)

Job 25:4–6

4 How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman? 5 Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight. 6 How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?

HOW?

Philippians 2:8

8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

It would be God who will pay for the sins of mankind, and all who desire God will by saved by him, all who do not fear God will be judged by him.

Jesus said;

Mark 10:45

45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

God has made a perfect and just way to have eternal fellowship with those who desire to have fellowship with him. The Son of God had become a “ransom for sin”. 

The garden had witnessed the rebellion of Adam and so separation from God through that rebellion came upon man, but God made a way from that time that man who desires to have fellowship with God, may come to him.

The Gospel was indeed preached unto Adam. Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness, so it would be to all who looked forward to the cross as we look back.

He WAS MADE IN THE LIKENESS OF MEN, for THE SALVATION OF MAN 

Philippians 2:8

8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Philippians 2:9-11

9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

There is now and always was one thing that stands in the way of eternal life for many, for most. There is an engine that drives man down the broad way that leads to destruction, it was there in the garden, it was there at the downfall of Lucifer, it was there at the Tower of Babel and it is here in the hearts of men today, PRIDE.

As To DESCRIPTION;

Pride is the very image of the devil. Thomas Boston[2]

Pride is the oldest sin in the universe, and shows no signs of growing weaker with age. John Blanchard[3]

To be more specific as to its nature;

Pride is the idolatrous worship of ourselves, and that is the national religion of hell. Alan Redpath[4]

The simple logic of Vance Havner respecting pride, he simply said,

“The man who thinks he is too big for a little place is too little for a big place”.[5]

As to its ESSENCE

Consider two anonymous quotations;

“Pride is the mask of ones own faults”

“It is the devil’s masterpiece to make us think well of ourselves”

A clear understanding from God’s perspective is given by Anglican Priest John Cliford Cockerton, who said;

“Pride, in the religious sense, is the attitude of autonomy, of self-determination, of independence of God.[6]“

It was Dutch Reformed Pastor Andrew Murray, who gave understanding to the single hindrance against the salvation of men, he wrote;

A man needs above all to be saved from what is the root of all sin—his self-will and his pride.[7]

While Christ Jesus, the Son of God, God the Son, made himself of no reputation to condescend to man to save mankind, it is mans self exultation that will prevent any hope of eternal life.

“The proud man lives half-way down the slope to hell” wrote George Barlow.

Beloved, pride is the weight to will pulls him down and must be cut off. 

Almost all of the problems of our lives are caused by pride. Pride hinders relationship across the board. Pride makes a man take no responsibility, all he does is right and good and all the problems of life are the cause of others. It is the victim mentality of a godless world and it is the cause of most of our trials in life.

It was the poet Ralph Waldo Emerson who wrote, “Most of the shadows of this life are caused by standing in one’s one sunshine”.

My friend, Christ is God who humbled himself and was MADE IN THE LIKENESS OF MEN to save you, will you not humble yourself to be saved?

A time is soon coming that all people of the world will exalt Christ. His name will be lifted up and every knee will bow. 

God does not force love, his sacrifice simply reveals it.

Philippians 2:9-11

9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

[1]. John Owen, The Works of John Owen, ed. William H. Goold, (Edinburgh: T&T Clark), 12:171.

[2]. John Blanchard, The Complete Gathered Gold: A Treasury of Quotations for Christians, 2006, 503.

[3]. John Blanchard, The Complete Gathered Gold: A Treasury of Quotations for Christians, 2006, 503.

[4]. John Blanchard, The Complete Gathered Gold: A Treasury of Quotations for Christians, 2006, 503.

[5]. John Blanchard, The Complete Gathered Gold: A Treasury of Quotations for Christians, 2006, 503.

[6]. John Blanchard, The Complete Gathered Gold: A Treasury of Quotations for Christians, 2006, 504.

[7]. John Blanchard, The Complete Gathered Gold: A Treasury of Quotations for Christians, 2006, 505.

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