008 – Acts and Pauline Epistles – Dr. Steve Sullivan – Tuesday, March 6, 2018

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This train as it leaves the station and hopefully we will arrive uh at about 10:00 and be able to go home or go home whichever way he wants right and uh we are still in Pauline Epistles and looking forward to tonight as we would look at First Corinthians and possibly get into second

Corinthians I hope and uh CU I got to catch up a little bit but it’s hard when you have so many large books when you lost your mind I thought it would be advantageous of us and to look at something that is familiar that may not become familiar that’s the difficulty with

Living the Christian Life for a long time familiarity sometimes breeds laical attitude toward the scriptures and God it shouldn’t but it could and there are ordinances of the church by which we may think well I I’ve known this for years and uh are you recording I’d like

To look at a passage from First Corinthians because I’m trying to kill two birds with one stone in the sense that we must look at it u 1 Corinthians chap 10 and it begins with verse 15 but he begins by the statement that seems to be odd if you did not read

It within the context that goes to verse 22 1 Corinthians 10 verse4 he’s making a conclusion by by the idols uh excuse me the indulging in um certain things that he speaks about in previous verses and he says therefore my beloved flee from idolatry what do you think you don’t

Have to think out loud but I mean what do you think when you when you hear words like that idolatry there’s a tendency just to um just pass on by not to think about what idols and what they are and uh if you do something of repetition and yet really do not

Think through what you are doing properly that could become an idol to yourself uh in in a way because you’re not properly Discerning what you are doing depends on what it is and especially if it’s the Lord’s table right he’s now making uh really a contrast between the idols of the

Pagans and the Lord’s table going to the Feast of the idols or the pagans are going to the Feast of the lord we we don’t see this in first First Corinthians because we have been divorced from their culture and for what they do when they brought forth the Lord’s

Table they basically had a fellowship supper people took the meal together so it was a meal together but also a remembering of the Lord so people began to start coming early to the food so they can get the best foods and you know we don’t have that problem

Nowadays do we who’s in first in line who gets the first PL and all that kind of stuff I want you to notice then in verse 15 I speak as to wise men you judge what I say you check it out you see if it’s wise and then he begins to ask some

Penetrating penetrating questions is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ what particular cup is he talking about the Lord’s yeah the Lord’s cup the Lord’s table of the cup that we take it what was his statement when he picked up the cup and instituted this

This is my blood yeah this is the this is the blood of the New Covenant in my or the New Covenant in my blood but notice the phraseology here is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing that word in Greek is the word we get cornia you know the fellowship

With H sharing in but somehow we Fellowship in the blood of Christ now you know anything about transubstantiation people say oh no wait a minute don’t go that way what I don’t think Paul is but he’s going farther Beyond than just remembering something somehow some way if I do it properly I’m

Sharing with Christ he also says is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ aren’t those strange statements you ever read that before ever thought through what what does that mean here I am a seminary have to go through First Corinthians as the next Jeep

Preach passages of scripture and I I get Del this hand this so glad God did how do we share in the blood of Christ and how do we share in the body of Christ when we take of the Lord’s t Okay identify okay we’re we’re like baptism we identify when we go down we identify his death there and resurrection and we are with him in that it’s a remembrance that we identify what he did for us so when and you fellowship with them somebody you’re just remembering you see what I’m trying to

Say there there’s something that we’re missing sometime many of us are missing when we take the Lord’s table that’s what I’m trying to get that you turn Catholic on I’m going fuss but if I turn Paul on you what will you say cuz I’m saying nothing more than

What Paul is saying in here but sharing with that again is a cognic of Coria somehow I am fiing with Christ yeah participating in the rect Covenant you know as one body in that congregation it’s going to get worse so hang on all right ready verse

17 since there is is one bread we who are many are one body for we are partakers again getting close to the same word as sharers in the altar did you know there was a Sacrifice by which they had to have the meal there in the confines and that they would

Fellowship with one another in the rejoicing in their sins forgiven and you know basically come over and have some food because I can’t take it with me somehow I’m sharing in the altar we don’t we don’t use us to chape at that do we all right got the seat belts on verse

19 what do I mean then that a thing sacrifice oh excuse me verse 18 look at the nation of Israel are not those who eat the sacrifice sharers in the altar yes what do I mean then that a thing sacrificed to Idols is anything or that

An idol is anything of course God right but notice what he says in verse 20 no but I say that the thing which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God and I do not want you to become fellow shippers sharers and demons

H you cannot drink of the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and the table of demon because if you go there to the sacrifice of those Pagan altars and you say well I’m just going because I’m just getting something to eat when

You do you are fellowshipping with demons and when you come to the Lord’s table you should be fellowshipping with Christ his presence I mean how many times have you said to yourself as you studied the word man the Lord sure is speaking to me I’m sure having good fellowshipping through

The word well it’s the same kind of thing we ought to have when we take of the Lord’s table but instead of the word being reading it’s a it’s a sight of something that we know about that reminds us of the word of what he said about this particular thing and we

Should be fellowshipping with him by partaking in eating and drinking and remembering all that that all means so it’s more than just a remembrance we ought to be fellowshipping with Christ when we remember it’ll be different if you do if you do that I used to tell my congregation I

Said if I said we’re going to take the Lord’s table uh today of course uh one church that I had we we took it every Sunday and uh I said are you ready to fellowship with Christ what if you what if Christ actually showed up at the Lord’s table now I said

Hypothetical and then I said but he is here how much different would it be if you took at the table if you realize that this our Lord is there because I’m fellowshipping with him but you can Fellowship him with the word you can Fellowship him with prayer right

That’s what I’m trying to say I’m not trying to say anything special than fellowshipping with him like you always do but it’s just we ought to have that spiritual Fellowship when we think of the Lord’s table together with the Saints not just remember what he did for

Me that’s good yeah we are supposed to remember but I should have fellowship with them as I grind the bread I realized what he did for me as I grind as I drank the juice that has been squeezed right out of the grapes I should fellowship with him

Remember not just remember what he did yes that’s good that’s good very good but I want to fellowship with you Lord isn’t that why people tell you and encourage you that before you take of the bread of the cup what are you supposed to do touch your heart yeah get

Get right why would you want to get right well it’s a good thing to get right right you’re supposed to be right all the time you know constantly confessing our sin but now we’re comeing before the Lord’s table and they make a special effort to

Say that matter of fact if you read on in the text you can get real nervous in Chapter 11 because it says here I mean where else where else do you hear this kind of in chapter 11 of First Corinthians in verse 29 28 but let a man

Examine himself and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup for he who eats and drink drinks eats and drinks judgment to himself he did not judge the body rightly and then he says which most people don’t read for this reason many among you are weak and

Sick and die that’s what number falling asleep you know number sleep that’s that’s a phraseology for Christians who die now how much different and how much more serious would it be if people dropped dead in your service because they didn’t get right with God taking on the Lord’s

Table now that’s not my admonition that’s Paul that’s interesting another thing to think about isn’t it that we often don’t think about but if we judge ourselves rightly we should not be judged but when we are judged we are disciplined by the Lord in order that we may not be

Condemned along with the world interesting text well I hope this will make you think a little bit as you take the Lord’s table next time and that you might fellowship with him I’m thinking about it because I know we always look at the examining part about those that I know transgressed in

And I like you said I remember what he did for me and I guess one step further fellow actually elements to put ourselves in fellowship with Christ in that moment of part with like breaking bread what the bread represents and all that it represents the cup represents

The word will be explode in your mind that you fellowship with Christ okay does it always have to be a church thing when you do this because I’ve done the same thing at restaurants you know I mean i’ I’ve gotten together with Christian friends of mine and we

Sat down at the restaurant and had some bread and wine you know and um it was first Sunday you know so I mean is that does it have to be a church thing well it’s always in a church setting for which Paul speaks about the the body of

Christ and so therefore I don’t think it is necessarily wrong to do it that way but it’s in the but it is important for the church to do it as a body together I see that shouldn’t be a substitute but it’s not a problem I see okay just wanted to bring that out

Tonight just a little bit all right what shall we pray about tonight Corinthians First Corinthians and this is my chart of First Corinthians and the book is an interesting book because Paul just is dealing with problem after problem after problem now now concerning this problem two or three chapters later now

Concerning this problem it’s throughout the entire book so when people say oh that we get back to the church in the first century I say which church now I usually know what they mean but they really not saying what they mean I hope because every church has problems because there’s people in

It is how we handle the problem and how leadership handles the problem is the key be careful how you judge leadership would you because you don’t know all that’s going on so we have divisions we have all kinds depravity we have disorder and we have difficulty in this

Book there is or you could say there are concerns there’s condemnation and there’s a whole bunch of counsil going on here there’s problem in the church and there’s counsel concerning the Practical and doctrinal problems within the church so there is some interesting texts in this that has U ministered to me over the

Years as a pastor I want to turn to just one before we start somewhere else because I’ve just got us uh basically um I can’t exposit the book we’d never get out of it but I do want to give you a flavor of the book turn to chap 11 verse 18 to another

Strange text that you may not have thought about 1 Corinthians 11:8 but in the first place when you come together as a church I hear that divisions exist among you and in part I believe it but then he SES this statement for there must also be factions the Greek word for

Teroris which we get our word heresy divisions exist among you and in part I believe it for there must also be factions among you in order that that’s a purpose Clause that those who are approved may have become evident among you ever read that text one of the reasons why you have

Problems in your church is that Godly men and godly women would arise to handle it biblically and you go oh they are the leaders there’s your leader who arise to do such a thing ain’t that interesting so it must happen I said Lord okay all right let’s look at an

Introduction to this book the purpose of the book according to my understanding as I have studied it is to correct the contention among the church and answer the questions and problems dealing with practical and doctrinal issues do you know anything about the city of Corinth let me give you an

Overview the city of Corinth is located of course in Greece anybody been there now the Lord has allowed me be there twice Corinth is situated near the southern end of the narrow esouth that connects the Grecian panes with the continent of Greece I know you just love

That don’t you well what we look at um so you see the islands there we often call that or Paul would call that AA um the golf of cor the uh seric golf and you will notice that Corinth and this isia are not too far part and it would be

Advantageous for a ship to go through the Gulf of of corth and dock at Corinth and have his boat be rolled on certain Marvel uh rollers by slaves and workers to pull it over to ISM and then get back into the boat and sa where they want to

Go and guess what that’s exactly what they did and so Sailors and people had about 5 to seven days in car just nothing to do okay I’ll say that again when I read it but it is strategic between the golf of corth and the seric golf it it this is

Important because the location became a meeting place of the East and West Commerce it was longer more expensive a lot more dangerous to sell around the p p pipines U uh so the ships would sail into these two Gulfs have their cargo unloaded and carried three miles across

The narrow ismus where it would be loaded on another ship if the ship was not too large the ship itself would be transported on what is called deos which is a grooved Road way across a 3 Mile is actually saw the grooves are still there in some you can

See these smaller vessels would be loaded on wooden cart of cars specially constructed for this purpose and pulled from one side of the ismith to the other at a relatively little expense of time and and money and because of this location the city of Corinth which was rebuilt by

Julius Caesar beginning in 46 BC was a very large wealthy Commerce meeting place and at time at the time of Paul’s visit to the city its population was something somewhere between 600 and 700,000 people of whom approximately 2/3 were slaves 10 miles Northeast of corth was where they held

The Famous isian Games either uh every other year the city of cours sponsored this festival and the games were dedicated to this sea god of posidon we got a submarine called posidon the Roman god Neptune it was surpassed only by the olym Olympic Games held every four years in

Afric it was very Cosmopolitan City where many people lived uh called it an empire in miniature they had all kinds of ethnic people Romans and Greeks and Jews and Oriental they both of their philosophy and wisdom which began again was surpassed only by Athens but they were spiritually

Bankrupt it was through Paul that they first heard the gospel the city was full of different temples to different gods as well as a necropolis which I’ll show you which stood over um 1,800 ft above the city it was called Acro cor and the it towered over the city at

The southern end the top of the hill which has a space of 1 half mile was sufficient enough to house the town for protection so got a problem you tell everybody and everybody heads toward Acro Corinth to be protected it has been alleged that a thousand Temple prostitutes resided in the old

Corinth and in the temple of Aphrodite which resided on the top of aqual Corinth if this is true back then if it was most likely not true during Paul’s day however this does not negate that Corinth was a very immoral City matter of fact the reputation of the city

Coined a new word in the Greek language the word is to corinthianize meant to engage in sexual immorality now you’ve been introduced to cor um you’re looking at the ruins at the bottom of the of corth and you’re looking in the uh I guess the background there

Or foreground is the acro Corum so it it took a little bit of a hike to get there but if you’re going going to be invaded you don’t mind the hyp you with me and so I have been to Corinth but I’ve also been on top of Acro corth that was

Interesting this is the beac seed at Corinth it beac seed means the place where you get your award from the games and so therefore there is such a place wonder why Paul would use the term that one day we as Believers will become before the Bea seed of Christ well

Because they this is an illustration of it and there’s a person on top of that which kind of gives you a perspective of how large it is a street in Corinth where Paul may have had one of those shops there where he was making a living while he was

There this is the archaic Temple of Apollo at K there’s another picture with a COR Corinth in the background of the ruins I told you that they had that um Road Three Mile Road well guess what they came back in De they know of course in

Modern times they came back and made a canal so that boats could go between the two and next to it the uh oh there’s the road that they used to pull the the smaller ships from one place to another this is a background of or picture of what cor may

Have looked like in the time of Paul there is as you see there some writings there in Greek and in Greek it says Aras in return to his Aly ship laid the pavement at his own expense and if you read Romans chapter 16 verse 23 it talks

About um arus the city treasurer greets you and courth the brother don’t know if they the but it is interesting both were kind of like little treur thing here’s another road in park here is some more of the shops of course in its room there’s some baths that are there at

Park there is where they wanted to to get their body part healed so they would make um clay Parts by which they would offer them interesting all right that’s what happens when you go somewhere get more data yes just curiosity they Ro that had to Gro for the sh

They didn’t pull the holes of the boat on the road did they or did they find a way to have them on carts if I remember correctly they used uh either carts if they were small real small or sometimes they would use huge marble um not marble but stones that

Were round and they would roll and then you take up the on put them up there roll them again and Ro so that’s how they would pull them so you had a few days there car that you had to spend time doing something us comes to like a point like

How they do that well they would they they would modify those with putting something up and you know call them a smaller and then being able to put a rope around it or whatever so that they could roll what they needed to roll that’s what I was told all

Right the occasion of this letter what it’s all like the letter in a word in The Words which was was the occasion for the letter we read in 1 Corinthians 1 verse 11 11 that Paul receives some information from the family of Chloe it and it says for I have been

Informed concerning you my brethren by Khloe’s people that there are quarrels among you man how many times I mean I wonder how many churches could be said that had Corrals among them I think it’s important at this point to try to reconstruct the contact that Paul had with

Corinth it can be summarized by three visits and three and possibly four letters let me try to survey Paul’s contact his first visit the first time he established the church and then he leaves and in and concludes his second missionary journey the second contact as far as we

Know is a letter which is often called the previous letter notice what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 5:9 I wrote you in my letter not to associate immoral people this is most likely on Paul’s third missionary journey when he was in Ephesus we do not have this letter but

From the context of 1 Corinthians 5 seems to State they misunderstood some things in his letter Paul’s second letter Paul hears about the misunderstanding disorder and problems from Chloe’s family and stefanus for forus and Aus so he writes his second letter which we call First Corinthians you with me oh this be good

Test questions right his second visit the chronology at of the second visit is debated but Paul probably heard old other adverse reports and decided to pay a visit which was a painful experience this is known as the painful visit you can see it in these texts his hopeful his hopefully upcoming

Visit would be his third visit notice in 2 Corinthians 2 verse 1 but I determined this for for my own sake that I would not come to you in sorrow again okay we didn’t know that in CH 13 of 2 Corinthians this is the third time I’m coming to

You and he says the same thing here I previously said when present the second time that though now absent I say in absence to those who have sinned in the pass and all that rest but if I can again I will not spare anyone so the third

Letter on this on his return he sends a letter according to 2 Corinthians 24 out of much Affliction and anguish of heart in attempt to correct the matter this letter is not preserved for us and is called the sorrowful letter because he had to speak very directly to

Them it was most likely delivered by Titus that’s all you know we’re trying to speculate some here but there seems to be a letter before second cre the fourth letter it seems Paul was so concerned about the response that he went over to Macedonia to meet Titus to

Get the news Titus had good news they had acknowledged his apostleship and set right many things in the church and therefore he sits down and writes his fourth letter which is what we call Second Corinthians therefore it seems that First Corinthians is Paul’s second letter to them but the first letter that

We have preserved in the Canon of scripture and Second Corinthian seems to be the fourth letter to them but the second letter preserved in the Canon of scripture it was not God’s will to preserve the first or the third letter for us sure okay okay that all right yes I have a

Question what you said about the second Corinthians 131 and this is the third time that third time has refence to because this is under second yeah um if you roll other you notice I put 2 Corinthians 12:14 and 131 under the third visit and then the painful visit is 2 Corinthians 21 Done yeah yeah I changed it from the notes that you previously had probably okay I do update my notes I just don’t I just don’t always so number four is third God is the holy spirit yeah it’s a second visit but he also mentions in 2 Corinthians 12:14 his his his third

Visit oh he just okay he just said this is the third time I’m coming to you well there was a second time too okay that’s what he saying all right thank sure I know it’s kind of confusing I was confused for a while too that’s why we’re here

All right so let’s begin in First Corinthians and uh um I would like to man it’s so hard to uh make decisions about what I want to talk about in this book um I would would admonish you as individuals that you need you need to be uh established in your teaching before you

Go through First Corinthians because if you’re not established as a teacher and they trust you doesn’t mean they have to believe with all what you say right but you you have a lot of problems okay because you deal with all kinds of of issues in the book and

So it would not be wise you know the first first time you take the Bible study of something and you you know go through First Corinthians okay well in First Corinthians chapter 118 he talks about the word of the Cross doesn’t he uh to those who are perishing it

Foolishness but to us who are being saved it’s the power of God and then he begins to talk about um verse 20 where is the wise man where is the Scribe and where is the debator of the age has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world answer

Yeah yeah but the problem is they don’t recognize it and since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God God was pleased through the foolishness of the Messi preach to save those who believe so what do they think about the cross

Foolishness but that foolishness that they said save Souls so do we have a conflict yeah so is the is the gospel is a correct gospel correctly stated is it offensive yeah it is I often say when people get mad at me I said no wait wait

Wait I said if it’s how I said it I want to apologize but if why said it’s not my message that’s what God says can’t apologize for the message maybe I wasn’t as kind in the sense of my tone or this that the other but if

It’s what I said hopefully I said it correctly I’m sorry and so he begins to talk about this foolishness verse 25 because the foolishness of God is that a weird statement well from what perspective the foolishness of God there is no foolishness to God but it’s foolishness

Foolishness to them so Paul now is taking it from the world’s perspective this foolishness of God from the world’s perspective is wiser than men and the weakness of God is stronger than men so are you going to get weak tell are you going to get people to say

You’re weak and you’re foolish when you share the gospel from the human perspective because that’s what it says here that’s what the world is going to tell us but verse 27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world Hallelujah now you you have to take this from the world’s

Viewpoint okay God has chosen foolish things from the world’s viewpoint that’s Paul’s whole context you in other words if you don’t read this right you’re going to have a wrong understanding about what God is okay God has chosen the weak things of the world the to shame the things which

Are strong and the base things or the low insignificant the the people who are not Noble of the world and and the despise God has chosen the things that are not that he might nullify the things that are but by his doings we are in Christ Jesus right praise God

Right now in chapter two notice something very important I I wanted to read this part to you because you already know it but just give you comfort that when you share the go goel you’re going to be called names you need to be prepared for

It your you need to be prepare that your response is not in a way that would dishonor God just mark it up they they’re going to call you all kinds of things okay true doesn’t mean that we don’t address something some of them if you

Can and when I came to you Brethren I did not come with superiority of speech or or of wisdom what he means by that contextually he’s been talking that wisdom of the world proclaiming to you the testimony of God I’m not taking the world’s view

Of what God is I’m not giving them you the wisdom of what the world says of God is but I determin though nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified and I was with you in weakness uh Paul notice this also in fear and in much trembling ever been out sharing

Never get trembling and fearful you’re in good boat so was Paul and youcome your fear by trusting God right and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom of the world people don’t come to Christ because you’re so worthy and so good and Illustrated so

Well they come to Christ because the spirit of God does something to use your words now I agree he uses a sharp acts more than a do that to be a but in demonstration of the spirit and power that your faith should not rest on

The wisdom of men but on the power of God he does speak wisdom says that in verse six but among the we speak God’s wisdom verse S in a mystery the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the the ages to our Glory Paul has a way of just throwing in those predestined

Things the wisdom which none of this rulers of this age has understood for he for they had if they had understand it understood it they would not have crucified the Lord Of Glory right things were just as it is written things which eye is not seen and ear is

Not heard and which has not entered the heart of man all that God prepare for those who love him usually people don’t read the next verse for to us God revealed it he did to us as Believers for who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of

The man which is in even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the spirit of God now we have received not the spirit of the world but the spirit who is from God that we might hope wish no no that we might know the things freely given to us by

God so this is a great classic passage of scripture for illumination the doctrine of Illumination the spirit of God takes the word of God and helps us to understand it because if he doesn’t people read that go I don’t know what he’s talking about I mean how many times

You had had an unbeliever read the Bible and they go I you know I don’t know what I don’t what it’s talking about did I say I know so the the why the reason why we can understand the scripture is the ministry here in 1 Corinthians chapter to and we

Often theologically say it’s the illumination of the of the spirit that takes the word of God that we might understand yes how do we classify those people who are like um they’re very intellectual they understand the Bible they just don’t believe the Bible I have commentaries in my uh

Library for which I have purchased for the data but I very rarely will take their conclusions because they are liberals now when I use that word I don’t mean political liberals okay I’m talking about liberals in theology which do not often believe in the deity of Christ or sure do not

Believe that the Bible is the word of God in the sense it’s without air and so they are very erate some of them and I get data from them but then I take the data and make different usually different conclusions from the data so if you don’t know how to eat sunflow

Seeds then don’t read these guys and you say why did you say it that way if you don’t know how the difference between what is a hole and a seed and be able to split something out and e what’s good then don’t read those guys cuz they will mess you up

So Paul then talks at the end of chapter two in the beginning of chapter 3 about three kinds of people he begins with the first kind the first kind is every unbeliever he calls him a natural man if we were in Romans in chapter 3 we talk about the natural man that is

Totally depra remember that the natural man does not accept the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishness to him that goes back to chapter two does it he cannot understand did you hear that word he doesn’t accept them but he also can’t understand now I didn’t write this Paul

Did he cannot understand them because they’re spiritually appraised so man is dead his trespasses and sin and he thinks when you teach him or say something about the gospel the word of God he don’t understand it he doesn’t accept it he can’t now I’ve seen unbelievers who have been grown up in Christian

Homes uh have have great morality oh great have some morality because of how they were raised but they’re still lost are you with me they’ve had some benefits of their conscience and their lives being groomed because of the word of God but they haven’t accepted it that’s

Interesting so the first person is an unbeliever he cannot understand unless God opens his heart second but verse 15 but he who is spiritual appr Praises all things why because the spirit of God is in him which we talked about in chapter two he’s the one that illumines your mind to

The understanding of the scriptures for who has for who has known the mind of the Lord every other place where that is found it says well no one’s his C but here Paul makes a different one he says but we have the mind of Christ we have the mind of Christ

Because we have the spirit of God who takes the word of God to give us what the mind of Christ is about ain’t that great so he talk the two complete opposites the unbeliever and now the believer now in chapter three he adds two more to

That and I Brethren could not speak to you as to num numos spiritual but as to SAR sarinos as to babies in Christ I’m not trying to impress you with my Greek I’m trying to make you realize that Paul uses different Greek words to indicate these things because here he’s saying that this

Person uh we speak to as not as uh as spiritual but as men of Flesh as babes in Christ so when you become a brand new believer you’re not mature you have a lot of spiritually messy diapers that have to be changed okay so when you disciple people in their

Spiritual uh babyhood you got a lot of spiritual diapers to change and to instruct and teach them how to walk because they’re babes they’re more fleshly but you expect that out of a baby right I give you milk to drink is that proper for a baby of course not solid food till

They get up until they get up to be able to eat solid food for you were not yet oh for you were not yet able to receive it indeed uhoh even now you’re not able that words you should have grown up by now for you are still and he uses a

Different word remember the the one in verse one was Saras this one is sarios we translate basically the same fleshly this is a a person who should be now grown up and they’re still babies because they’re still drinking milk and they’re still doing what babies do and Paul said

Now if you are a baby in the lord it’s okay we will help you you and we’ll tolerate more but if you should be now by now grown up and walking with you that’s not good you’re still a baby wouldn’t it be interesting that everybody had to be

Dressed up according to their maturity when they go to church have some adults with diapers Rivals ring along Would we not look out that would be interesting so Paul has four kinds of people he he understands the natural man the unbeliever and the spiritual man oh

That’s good for a woman but there is a a a a carnal person who is a baby in Christ because he’s a baby there’s nothing wrong with that he just needs to grow up right but if there had been time for which he should have grown up and is not now growing

Up then he would say shame on you you are still carnal in other words that’s bad I mean when a baby cries and screams and hollers when they’re twoy old you can understand it but when they get 16 and do the same you you don’t you kind

Of go no we we we don’t accept that behavior you can’t fall on the ground and cry and scream and kick your feet and say I want my I want my food sorry that not not going to work even if you diabe yes sir cuz I’m diabetic when I get hungry I

Can get kind of irate well well brother I pray for you I kind of think that might have been going on with Jesus when he cursed that fig tree there we’ll talk about that one day you think my gospel class this summer will talk about now second so he’s made us these understandings

Now some people will will say oh yeah they’re just carnal as though that’s an excuse that is not an excuse unless they’re babies are you with me so don’t say well just carnal well yeah they are but that’s not good if you should be already now grown

Up matter of fact Paul will say it is abnormal it’s something that should not be taking place it is like somebody that says he’s a Believer but most of his life is being characterized by what unbelievers do and Paul at the end of 2 Corinthians chapter 13 will say to the Church of

Corinth I think you’re a Believer but you need to check to see whether you’re in the faith I think you are now notice what Paul said and did say he didn’t say now you need to have a committee in your church to determine who’s a Believer and who’s not believe

He didn’t say that he told the one who is carnal they should check to see whether they’re in the faith well that’s important I believe as we would look through this L all right let’s see in um chapter 4: 2 just going to mention this verse in this case moreover it is

Required of stewards that one be found what trustworthy trustworthy I ask you a question are you trustworthy we should be trustworthy believers now in chapter 5 we come to this text that is very strange oh I’m always skipping something on I think we’ll do that

I have to say a few words it’s 1 Corinthians 3 because it is a doctrine that most people don’t think about and that is what we would talked about from Corinth we are in the book of Corinth remember I showed you on the screen the Bea SE where you receive

Rewards at the Gaines right well Paul brings this up in this letter which would be uh easy for him to do because they passed by that a Lord Place all the time so listen to what he says there in chapter 3 uh verse 9 for we are God’s fellow

Workers you are God field and God’s Building and now he’s going to use these things according to the grace of God which we was given to me and as a wise master builder I laid the foundation another is building upon it but let each man or woman be careful how he builds upon

It for no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid that is Jesus Christ he’s the corner Stone right laying that Foundation now we are building on it because he has saved us has given us a foundation so that Paul is using this

That if you’re a Believer you have the foundation in Jesus Christ you got a foundation the question is what kind of building are you building on it in other words how are you living and how you living that will demonstrate what kind of building you are now you erecting on the

Foundation verse 12 now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold and silver and precious stones that would be good they laugh wood hay and straw uh-oh each man’s work symbolized in verse 12 by different pieces of that he speaks about each man’s work will become evident for

The day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work okay make okay you could teach a Sunday school class but if you did it for your own glory and did it for your

Own you know uh building up to show that you’re you’re you’re something then when God comes to to judge that at the be a seed of Christ at at a period of time after our death there’s not much left to be rewarded it’s it’s wood hay and stubble

That fire burns it up that’s all intent each man’s work will become verse 13 for the day will show show it because it is to be revealed with fire and the fire itself will test the quality of the man of each person’s work it what everything that is done by

The power of the spirit of God will stand in that day and that which is not will be burned if any man’s work which he has built upon it remains he shall receive a reward if any man’s work is burned up he will suffer loss but he himself will be saved yet so

As through fire so this has nothing to do whether you are saved or not it has everything to do with how you live since you’ve been saved okay because every thought every word every deed is going to be judged by God and it either will burn or it will

Remain and you will receive Rewards or the lack thereof so does it really make a difference how you live after your saved it does you can’t lose your salvation but you can lose a lot of reward so let’s not be skimpy at the bees right in chapter five he has to deal with

Discipline it says um verse one it is actually reported you know it’s like Paul’s just a gas it’s actually report that there is an is immorality among you and immorality of such a kind as does not exist can I say it another way in corth well that’s pretty I mean you’d

Have to be doing some real real stuff here to make it no that kind of stuff is not even done in court sad not even done among the Gentiles that someone has his father’s wife and you have become arrogant and you know how they became arrogant now now look at this text would

You please and have not mourned instead in order that the one who had done these Deeds might be removed from your midst for I on my part um so they’re not mourning over it they’re tolerant look how tolerant we are usually it look how loving we

Are well I don’t mean we should not be loving but we are not to make loving to allow sin to grow that’s not loving that’s not true love isn’t it interesting that that if you do not Discipline Your Child you don’t love your child that’s something for I my part though absent in

Body but present in the spirit have already judged him who has so committed this as though I were present now only Paul could do that as an apostle there were steps that you had to be done that’s outlined in Matthew 18 we’ll get to that in the same way our lord Jesus

Whom you assembl and and I with you in spirit with the power of uh the the Lord Jesus Christ why is he saying all that because people don’t like to do this I don’t either I didn’t like doing it when I was a pastor but I

Did so I with you f Paul says I’m encouraging God’s with you the spirit of Jesus is with you and because you haven’t done it and you’ve done it so poorly I’m going to have to step in like an apostle instead of going through the steps going to have

To do right up front what’s going to happen here notice what he says I’ve decided to deliver such a one to Satan who for the destruction of the flesh that his Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jes Jesus now how is that done is by putting

Him in the a of the church do you realize that the orders for which God has placed in society from God’s Viewpoint um is for your protection spiritually your correct order within the body of Christ and in Under The Godly leaders leers ship if you have a

Home where the father and mother in situations in that situation you’re in the correct Row for which he has put forth all of those are protections for you you begin to get outside of that and the evil one will have a hey day and that’s what Paul says I am now

Stripping away all the protections that this believer has and I’m throwing him out there because he’s not he’s not F now most people would say Paul how could you do such a thing you’re not bur I can hear it so in verse 13 he says but those who

Are outside God judges remove the Wicked Man from among yourself now usually you have Matthew 8 18 you have a personal review let’s look at them and then we’ll take a break I can’t remember where it is Matthew 18 to me thank you Lord Matthew 18:15 you have a private rebuke a floral

Rebuke and then a public rebuke that is the order if any and if your brother sins go and reprove them in private it’s the first thing to do is not to go tell somebody else and that’s not the thing you did I would say go to prayer ask God to

Change the person’s heart Lord I don’t want to go but I will go if you’ll just change his heart then in my heart I should not be ready to come crashing down and use my Bible as a hammer but in love saying listen brother or you need to you need

To get out of this I’ll give you my left arm or right arm whatever you need but we got to go we got to get out yeah where where do where do you draw the line like for instance when when someone screams at you I mean I cannot

Know for sure that they’re sinning but would I just try to you know do I wait for a good opportunity or do I how if sof word turns away wrath at the moment but like if it’s not if if it’s not like if you see someone gossiping about someone else it’s it’s probably

More obvious but if it’s something that is not that obvious you you still well want to there’s a lot of there’s a lot of wisdom that has to go in to these things did this person do it one time it’s not characteristic of their life yes or is it indeed that it’s

The characteristic of life and that’s why it’s messing everything up okay that’s good you know if you say you know that person did that and it’s causing problems you know and they need to take care of it but it’s not the characteristic of their life

Now it all depends on what it is and how how bad it is whether it’s a one time or not I mean you know you can say well he committed adultery one well the impact of that’s unbelievable but if you talk about some angry thing and snapped at

You and then he just went on okay I may not confront him on that because you know that’s not the characteristic of his life that’s good there’s wisdom to that but if that’s how that person treats everybody he’s he or she is causing problems in the

Church so when people come up to you I this how I taught my church finally because I realized um gossips and stuff like that just just just eat a church alive and so I thought I said listen if somebody comes up and say hey did you hear about

W Wait a minute now you’re about to tell time out you’re about to tell me something my question is have you done the biblical thing because I don’t want to know because if you tell me and now I got to go cut from that person so if they already told you did

You hear about oh man what you have you going that person no well when you going because if you don’t go guess what I got I got to go man that’s and that stopped a whole bunch of it my church because good folk started doing

That now if you’re saying could I I’m a young believer and you’re an older believer and I don’t know how to handle this could you help me you still have to do it but you now understand I’m I’m I am proctoring and helping this younger believer how to do that

Properly but you’re still involved but guess what the burden is always on the mature so you say you mature you got you got burs that you have to be you have to be involved with especially if you’re leader so if your brother sins go to reprove

Him in private if he listens to you one your brother but if he does not listen to you take one or two more with you I would suggest at this time you probably get the leadership involved here okay uh by the mouth of two or three witness each facts may be confirmed and

If he refuses to listen to them tell it to the church y now you you’ve got to teach the church at that time because if you never taught the church about church discipline if you never taught the Theology of church discipline and you just go up and do this it will be one

Chaotic mess so I had to teach my church I had a four page headb up an outline about that so that they could be understood and uh so when that happened again when it happened I just passed it out again and we we we went over it

Right quick and then we had to deal with the situation what the public cuz we’d already gone private and public uh world and if they don’t listen to you you are to treat them let him be to you verse 17 as a gentile and a tax SC

In other words you are to treat them like an unbeliever but they may not be but that’s how you treat them yep I mean you still say h Hello to unbelievers now M it’s not that you just shut them but you don’t have fellowship with them as though nothing has

Happened it’s it’s the old P pressure hey I heard you know they had to tell the church how how can I help you get out of this and everybody keeps saying that to him you know that her how do you get out of there now

Verse 18 truly I say to you whatever you have you shall bind on Earth I’m going to tr this is a interesting uh uh future perfect paraphrastic construction and I’m going to translate it a little different in the Greek text truly I say to you whatever you shall bind on earth have been

Bound in heaven and whatever you loosed on Earth sh shall have been loosed in heaven you’re not doing anything but what heaven stated that you’re supposed to do you hear what I’m saying because it hasn’t been translated like that we’ve had unbelievably wrong understandings of this

Text I know you I’m only declaring to you what heaven’s already declared then verse 19 I’m not through again I say to you what if if that if two or of you agree on Earth about anything that they may ask it shall be done from them by my father is in

Heaven in the context of church discipline uhhuh this is taken completely out of context so people just just go in there and lift that baby out and use it but this is in the context of church discipline no okay Human Side of of discipline so if you agree that this is

What should be done because you’ve looked at the facts then this is what you you know my father’s right with you for that where two or three have been gathered together in my name I’m in the midst of it because why he knows that we’ll be so hesitant to to to do CH

Church discipline that if it’s correct and it’s done everybody agrees it needs to be done God says I’m right there in the Middle with authority of of the church and we need that because you know you come everybody come say well you know you know I’m a siner too yeah I’m a

Siner to I’m a sinner too but God says do it I’m right in the midst of you I’m right there remember how Paul said it in 1 Corinthians so turn back to First Corinthians I’m almost through we take look go take a break Paul says for I on my part though absent in

Body or present in spirit have already judged him who has committed this as though I am present and in this in the name of the Lord Jesus when you assemble uh and I with you in spirit with the power of the Lord Jesus that’s that’s Matthew 18:1 19 and 20 you with

Me that’s what he means by that all right I think I had plenty to chew on right what were you in I was in 1 Corinthians 5 3 and four at the text that started this whole problem right and now when Paul says I’m in the

Midst with you and Jesus is in the midst of you and you can do this cuz it takes that cuz you kind of say well you know who am I well that’s exactly what Paul Matthew speaks about in Matthew 18:19 and 20 in the context of church displine all right let’s take we’re

Back and we want to again turn to First Corinthians and oh that’s so good I love it again notice chapter 7 verse one not concerning the things about which you wrote it it is good for a man not to what’s the text say your text touch touch you want now that’s a

Certain kind of tou were we first Corinthians 7:1 yes dealing with a sexual Touch first me it’s amazing how some of those have been translated yet Mark U unless you have a question okay we talks about litigation in chapter 6 that you are not to take a believer to

Court now there’s a lot of other scriptures that need to come into play but that’s a general rule that you need to put forth here I’ve been on places where that has happened and Elder boards have met together and and uh made sure things were made

Right is it great didn’t even have to go to court didn’t cost much money either you know it does if you get a lawyer so right I would love to to execute and go through every chapter it would just be wonderful but I don’t have time this is a survey course so

Uh in chapter 6 it is is really honing in on sexual immorality ending with U verse 19 and 20 or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you whom you have from God and that you are not your

Own for you have been bought with the price therefore glorify glorify God in your body that’s specifically sexual U things but he talks about food in 13 and so anything that would harm our bodies we shouldn’t do how’s that now in chapter 7 he begins to talk

About um marriage and of course and that is uh an unbelievable subject in itself and I don’t have time to go through all the verses but I thought it was wise especially in the day that we live in to try to go through uh at least some passages some

Things that deal with divorc and remarriage because that’s usually the issue right so I can’t answer all the questions but I’ll try to let’s just this is somewhat of what I did to with my church try to help the satanic assault on the Christian Home has reached such an intensity and

Frequency that it is necessary to declare our understanding on this subject so I’m writing to my church uh the elders and I it is our utmost desire to speak the truth in love and provide guidance and protection for the household of God which is the Church of the Living God the pillar and

The support of the truth we humbly submit to you what the scriptures say as we understand marriage is first of all an inst is instituted by God or is an ordinance of God only he has the authority in his word to set the regulations for marriage God’s attitude toward the marriage

Relationship it’s instituted and blessed by God it is a normal State I just use those terms intended by God to be permanent until death of the spouse it is a covenant because you cleave together a commitment to one another before God ideally to be mutual so lifelong Partners including sexual

Responsibilities one to another as defined in First Corinthians 7 3-5 and then you can start going down the line is to be monogamous heterosexual you notice what we have to do now dealing with homosexual situation only option for the one without the gift of cacy all sexual intercourse outside of marriage is

Sin God’s attitude toward divorce marriage portrays Christ’s love for the church he will never divorce a Believer now I have down here God hates all divorce and Malachi 210- 16 Mas there is a Hebrew textual problem in that particular passage which I don’t have time to go

Through and that text is likely not says that God hates divorce specifically now does God hate sin okay so what I’m saying is I don’t have time to get into it what do you mean by textual problem we’re trying to understand the original text now if you take my prophets of

Course then you already know go back in you your nose but uh God hates s in particular but there is a verse that’s in Malachi that that if you take in a certain way usually from the seent that it is says that I don’t mean to confuse you I’m not

Trying to change the Bible I’m trying to understand what the Bible says Okay um Christ commands that divorce be stopped divorce can become a stumbling block which may lead to adultery divorce and Remar which are scripturally permitted by God are not s married person should not seek divorce

A wife should not leave her husband a husband should not send his wife away if divorce occurs then two ideal options are available be reconciled to one spouse or remain permanently unmarried well that’s not not popular is it that’s the ideal position God’s attitude toward permanency of marriage marriage is designed to last

Until death yeah even even if a a a spouse cheats on another it would still be better in God’s eyes to stay married yes but they would have the option to not sinful have a divorce if if the woman the one who is who is cheated on

Could choose to do so but it would be wiser to the ideal okay you hear that I’m always saying the ideal yeah there may be I think there’s at least two categories that is clear from scripture in my understanding though it’s greatly debated that can allow divorce but as a pastor

I’ve never recommended divorce I I I will always direct them to the ideal by the fact that’s what Jesus did always to the ideal I know I know because sin in the world they’re sometimes not ideal but I find a lot of times people are always looking for the

Act all right be reconciled or to remain permanently unmarried those are the ideal options God’s at toward attitude toward permanency of marriage marriage is designed to last until death cleave is a man’s responsibility from the Lord let no man separate U is bound as long as her

Husband lives if her husband dies she’s free to be married only in the lord it’s bound while living her husband dies she is released sexual misconduct and unfaithfulness the Greek word poia we get our wordy pornography sexual gratification or the seeking their of outside of the marriage

Bond anyone who divorces his or her mid except for sexual unfaithfulness Poria of that mate has violated the commands of scripture anyone who divorces his or her mate except for sexual unfaithfulness that mate remarries commits adultery I guess we ought to read the scriptures on those shouldn’t

We let’s read them in uh Paul I have here Jesus in Matthew 5 and Matthew 19 Paul says um first of all in 1 Corinthians 7 but because of immorality each man have his own wife and let each woman have his own husband let the husband fulfill his duty

More then it says in verse 10 but to the married I give instruction not not I but the Lord that the wife should not leave her husband and if she does leave let her remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband and that the husband should not send his wife

Away but the rest I say not the Lord now what does that mean opinion no it’s not really Paul’s opinion it means that the Lord never never stated those things but now Paul is making his Apostolic statement that is inspired by God how’s that okay so he’s saying but to the rest

I say not the Lord other words the Lord never addressed this but now I do especially since I’m Apostle to the Gentiles and all this is happening are you with me okay so it’s not yes I thought that this scripture was just like if a man was going to marry a woman

And found out she wasn’t a virgin and she told him that she was and I I’m not help me with where you placing them okay so let me see which one is this Matthew think they were seeing that back in the Jewish custom I guess that be be

Throttle or you got engaged to somebody they considered it your wife but there was a one year waiting period to make sure she wasn’t pregnant Patrol betr to make sure she wasn’t pregnant and that that was the uh immorality or fornication that you could divorce her from

Well the problem with adding what you just said is is not specifically stated in the text in Matthew 19 okay it um it’s hard to put I’m not trying to say there wasn’t customs in Jewish of doing certain things but he he doesn’t address it that way so let’s turn to Matthew 19

Um verse three and some Pharisees came to to him Jesus testing him so they’re not really sincere are they saying is it la aul for a man to divorce his wife for any cause at all and notice that Jesus answers him with the ideal have you not read oh that that kind is

Stinking that he who created them uh from the beginning made them male and female and said for this cause a man shall leave his father and mother and shall cleave to his wife and the two shall become one flesh you remember this whole context is about their in they are

Very indig that they are coming to test him they don’t really want to know what he has to say they’re trying to catch him with something trick so they’re trying to say anything at all any deficiency now I realized I know there is the shamai

And the H views of all these kinds from the rabbis and and Jesus is cutting through all of it now and he said well this c a man to leave his father and mother I mean he he goes all the way before the fall so this is the idea consequently

Verse six they no longer are two but one flesh what therefore God is joined together let no man separated and then they come back and said to him why then Mo did Moses command the problem is he didn’t okay so they got it wrong there but command to give her a certificate of

Divorce and he said because of your Hardness of Heart because sin is entered the picture and you are hardened apart I permit he permitted most is permitted didn’t command permitted you to divorce your wife but from the beginning it has not been this way that’s not how it was supposed to

Be it’s only because sin has entered the picture that you have any of these kinds of things and I say to you whoever divorces his wife except for cornea translated here immorality which is good and marries another woman commits adultery all right so that’s what we’re doing dealing

With here and I want to say I guess I should have said it earlier forgive me those of you who have gone through this difficulty and um it hurts to have to listen to this um and I’m sorry we have to talk about and it’s it’s

It’s many of you may have gone through a lot of pain because of the hardness of men’s Hearts so God can forgive God can can start over but there’s still difficulty so it’s kind of cold just to read these things but I I have to get them out so

Please forgive me if I stepped on your toes because of the hurt and pain that you may have gone through I don’t need to do that he that’s F but you’re going to be Bible students you’re going to have this question ask me and you’ve got to have an

Answer and I don’t know about you but uh for me being a pastor for 20 years I heard some Deuces and I’m saying you know the Bible doesn’t address all that I mean I I go okay understand oh why I mean where do I go the Bible doesn’t say about that I

Mean you know this one did that and that one did that that one doing that one and then that and the other then I got saved and then that I’m going oh my you know I said there’s not enough illustrations to be able to know what

God says to do about it so you you pray and do the best you can to to give counsel and guidance to difficult situations and that’s why you know I’m try of going through what is clear and then you going to say yeah but my situation was different and then you

Know you go well yeah okay then you got to just work through it do the best you can and be as wise as you can sin complicates that does well okay anyone who divorces his mate except for sexual unfaithfulness may cause somebody to commit adultery and anyone who marries an unbiblical

Divorced person commits adultery can’t tell you how many people I have he said I’ve done all that I didn’t know anything about that I’ve done all that now what do I do you know now I’m saved now I do or you know I saved but but I was ignorant and

Wasn’t fallowing the word Lord now what do I do it’s not an easy answer is it I need to be able to know what the word says and then by God’s grace to give as much wisdom as you can for the illustrate the the the scenarios that you’re going to be faced

With it’s just getting worse in our society when they don’t obey God’s word right all right 1 Corinthians 7 verse uh 15 deals with the mixed marriage and the mix marriage should remain intact if the unbelieving wife wishes to remain the believing husband is not to send her

Away so let’s say to unbeliever get married and all of a sudden he gets married he gets saved well he does well he should live with his unbelieving M Paul says if the unbelieving husband wishes to remain the believing wife is not to send him away so that’s just the opposite

Right reason the position of privilege for the unbeliever he uses the word because your your home is Sanctified set apart and doesn’t mean anything about your husband or wife who’s lost that’s going to be saved or your children but God looks upon that home not as a pagan

Home it makes a big difference what Satan can do in the home and all kinds of spiritual stuff just because you’re in it and now save it’s pretty strong if the unbeliever does leave the believer is allowed to separate to take its course even to the extent of

Divorce he or she is not under uh bondage to the unbeliever who wants the divorce notice that the believer is not to initiate that peace allowing the the divorce is better than bickering and tempers and slander and then you can just add whatever one else you want to put

In third God instructs through Paul’s teaching on divorce and Remar it’s found in 1 Corinthians 7 I found over the years that people are just stunned when I read this to them because for some reason they don’t use it but it’s part of it um verse

25 of chapter 7 now concerning virgins I I have no command of the Lord what does that mean Paul’s giving his opinion again no no he he he just saying the Lord made no instruction but I as apostle writing by inspiration gives you this I have no command of the Lord but I

Give an opinion as one who have the mercy of the Lord is trustworthy I think then there is that this is good in the view of the present stress that it’s good for man to remain as he is are you bound to a wife what does that mean

Simple okay do not seek to be released what does that mean get divorc div okay are you released from a wife are you that for your divorce do not seek a wife whoa but if you should marry you who that’s the question well the context is about the

Person who was bound and now is released are you with me verse 27 let me read it one more time are you bound to a wife do not seek to be released Are You released from a wife do not seek a wife but if you should marry’s he’s surely

Not telling the married person to get married again are you with me so he’s talking about the one who’s been divorced who’s been released everybody all right okay if you who have been released should marry you have not sin isin’t that interesting I kind of want to go

Wa no nothing to that I mean just kind of you talk about the two things if they you know they committed adultery and or they left he didn’t even see that does it interesting and if the Virgin should marry you said well he must be just talking about virgins

Night that would be a toy it would be saying the same thing twice and if a virgin should marry she has not sin yet such will have trouble in this life and I’m trying to spare so my conclusion to this is if you are divorc and you do married then you

Have not sinned should we assume though it is not stated that the divorce was in accordance with one of the two biblical exceptions sexual unfaithfulness and unbelieving make divorce question mark well you say that but Paul didn’t say it you see what I’m saying this is against me

PA being so dogmatic it comes after the other section of the guidelines for marriage and divorce it does so I’m assuming he’s building on top of the other yeah we could assume that but he’s but has he talked about virgins no that’s you Judy you’re thinking good though you’re thinking contextually

Right which is very good only new thing that’s been added is but he doesn’t address rest The Virtue until after he says something about the one who’s been released he just go anyway okay I’ll let you all still on that one scripture places emphasis on the ideal not on the

Exceptions the ideal for marriage together until death separates us and not the exception should be stressed in our teaching and in our counseling even when the condition for the exceptions are present the scripture nowhere commands divorce or remarriage rather one should counsel that there be repentance forgiveness reconciliations patience and

Love now I realize that the hardness of man’s heart sometimes doesn’t allow that to happen some practical points then the church should not recognize divorce and has a scripturally ideal means to end a marriage divorce is of men per permitted by God in only two places in the New Testament 1

Corinthians 7: 27-28 must be added or harmonized marriage involves either one or both divorced persons may be conducted in the church if the divorce or divorces were scripturally permissible and as mutually understood by the pastors and Elders in the applicants notice I’m making this gerine to my church when I was

Doing should the church marry to Believers where one or both persons have been unscript divorced from the previous M this one first this one should the church do that question this one first well questions to be considered is the divorce made a Believer is divorce mate still alive is divorce mate

Unmarried is there repentant heart for the divorce marriage where were they Believers when they married there’s a lot of questions you got to ask come so if you notice I’m not I’m not addressing something unless the scriptures being addressing it because there’s a lot of factors that have to be put into the

Play on this situation it’s not an easy easy thing to counsel people the members of the church should offer their heart and resources to those called up in the problems of marriage divorce and remarriage the pastor Elders shall in God’s grace attempt to one reestablish the fractured marriage unless until

Remarriage to another puts this option Out Of Reach that is it makes it unwise or scripturally forbidden two provide an atmosphere of love and teaching so that divorced persons and children of broken homes can find as much help understanding and encouragement as possible in a church family the the church should recognize

That this area has left many with Wounded Hearts it should be the desire of the church to speak the truth but also to express our love and our compass comp passion for those who experience the pain of broken relationship the church should offer guidance and wisdom as God has

Enlightened the body they should freely offer their love but only God can heal the broken heart if someone has divorced unbiblical then they should repent and do what God’s word says about reconciling the marriage if it is biblically possible some practical points I think we have been giving these F to those who

Are encountering difficulties in their marriage the church should encourage them to turn not to turn to the worldly councel because worldly wisdom encourages injury for injury divorce and an attitude to enjoy life with anyone but their mate instead they should encourage them to turn to God and the

Fellowship of his Saints they should seek God’s grace wisdom strength patience and love and you can see those verses well I don’t want to get through this um but it is important some people to how why does Matthew 9 19 1-9 give an exception Clause than Mark 10 does but that’s an

Academic all right question yeah bro one question about um can you speak up can you speak up little yeah I saying um you know is permissible for someone to be in the ministry as a pastor Ministry that all depends on how a person uh takes a on man woman in 1 Timothy 3

Usually what did Paul mean by that some would say that it involves you you are only to have uh one wife and not divorced um he could have said not theor but he did so he said a Onan woman I know men who are married to only one woman but their

Eyes don’t don’t demonstrate that so there really are they are outwardly are but they are so there are a lot of things that we can say about that when I do my pastoral Ministry course and I go through five different views of that my position is that if the man has demonstrated that

He’s a one man woman that I think he qualifies even if he’s been divorced now that takes time say just make it easy guy divorced early made his mistake asked God for forgiveness and has been faithful for 25 years is he qualified some people say no some say yes I would say

Yes that kind of brings up what you use in the U you know in your evaluations like they were not aever when they got married that one’s really for me yeah yeah um with that whole issue with the uh married I mean you do we do know a lot of people who get

Remarried under circumstances that don’t align with you know the scriptures you know as Believers I mean are we supposed to reject their marriage and say well I’m not coming to your wedding because I’m a Believer and you know you you you you got divorced and I know that you

Cheated on your last spouse and so I’m too holy to come to you with well you you’re giving away your position by that last statement but um some people uh would hold that position without uh saying they’re too holy they just saying well you know

I I would disagree with this this is my position and and um U if you ask me then no they shouldn’t be getting married uh it’s all how you hold your position you going to make it you’re going to make it a a statement or you just saying this is

My position I’ll go to the wedding I disagree with what they’re doing but from the scriptures but I know that other people hold different positions and so I’m not going to make a big to do about it you can do that well my position I don’t have any problem with acknowleding

The wrongness or the incorrectness of it it’s just a matter of I tend to be a little more accepting of people’s situations like that I mean just because it’s not correct doesn’t mean that I cannot personally accept it that this is your situation yeah I don’t expect you

To just hold it till you die I mean you 25 years old and your marriage didn’t work out I imagine you don’t want to take cold showers the rest of your life I mean you you going to want to be with somebody that’s just Reef you know that’s my position I’m not

I’m not denying that that may not be correct it’s just that from a practical standpoint I just don’t see myself rejecting somebody’s relationship or their family because of that yeah I agree with that but U you know I can disagree I’ve had the counsil people who’s I mean all kinds of different

Positions like that I mean I I’ve had fathers come and said I don’t I don’t agree with my my daughter’s choice of the husband that she’s about to marry right and I don’t want to go to the wedding I said I go I mean this is

Common and I just say I mean is the guy I mean is he is he a murderer you know murderer you I start going down all these lists and say you know is he going to provide for it far as and know but I just don’t you know I just don’t think

Well then I said I don’t want you to violate your conscience but also don’t want to wreck your relationship with your daughter so what you have to do is to say honey I may be wrong but I think you’re making a mistake and I’ll go to

The wedding and I I will be there and I’ll support you but don’t ask me to bless the marriage don’t put me in the situation I’ll be right there for you something the other I said that’s the proper way of doing it and but if you don’t go to the W you

Just I mean you have no say in that person that you’re just causing all kinds of problems and I by God’s grace there’s been most of them people have taken that counsel and have either had their minds changed that the husband was good or you know he said well I told her so

And you know but I’m I’m trying to support in the situation but but but they would have very little relationship if the if they hadn’t if the have just said no that’s just wisdom yeah last question but I noticed your position on the uh as a pastor coup that have been both divorced

And you know if the other person is married the other divorce it’s very clear from your slide on what your position is but how do you communicate that to a couple that wants to get married and you don’t agre with it because she’s divorced he’s been divorced and they’re in your church they

Want you to perform their ceremony it all depends if you’re asking it doesn’t depend on just me because I uh I had a church that was uh Elder Le and so I was one of the elders that was a teaching Elder among other Elders that would have to make the decision so it

Wasn’t just me um I would counsel the other Elders by my influence uh what is the attitude what is the situation you know there there’s there’s there’s a number of factors that have to come into play u in the situation and um sometimes it’s wise to

Go ahead sometimes it’s not so I I told him it’s not wise to put all your exceptions down because then there’s another one that comes up and you go well you don’t have that exception I say you should you should counsel together go before the Lord and

See what will be the wisest thing to do so what should a Christian do they have family members that’s like gay and Les get married and want them to come to the way I mean if they go does that say they bless it what they’re doing or should they just maybe not go

That’s a good transition to what I want to talk about that’s not exactly on the topic but on um let’s see I can’t remember where I put it it all depends makeup on um what what would be communicated if you went um and it has to have many factors in

It are you a you know are you a pastor who’s going to that which your congregation wouldn’t understand is are you U part of the family and you made your U understanding known in a very loving and tactful way does your conscience bother you that you are going because if you conscience bother

You not doing it out of faith I’m I mean I can’t uh I couldn’t celebrate it but uh I I possibly could go to it possibly but my position as a pastor and a professor now would be I have to take into consideration what that would mean to a variety of

People and then have to make a wise decision depending upon that see what I’m saying so it’s hard to give a hard and fast Rule now it is we can give hard and fast rules like we can’t do something that would be indicating that I accept

It okay I just can’t do that because the scripture doesn’t accept it so it all it it all depends on on whe whether that whatever that is is that is that going to be you know maybe you are able to go to a shower or something and that’s all or maybe you

Could do something that you could say I accept you as a person but I can’t accept what you doing and that kind of thing has to be discerned and it has to be clear uh when you do it and and it has to be clear to most

People so that you’re not un you’re not doing something unwise and unbiblical I mean it may even be I mean somebody if if I became a friend to somebody like that you know they know my position and this that and the other and I I come to and say hey I know you’re

Getting married and I you’ve asked me to come to the wedding I like to go but you know my situation right that would cause a lot of problems yeah I understand if you had a good relationship that he should say I understand but maybe they wouldn’t and you lose a

Friend but it wasn’t because you wanted to you someone that that you think you might be able to influence for Christ one day I I would think you want to keep the door open and and show show your love for the person yes and that could like for me it

Would be like I may not be able to go to the wedding but I would go to their house give them a gift or something that they would know that my love is is caring for them and I just said I can’t come to the wedding you know there’s alternative

Ways of doing it that always not always ideal but you just have to and then if I’m just giving you illustration What because of me in my position you know person RS a Pew or something like that but they may not have any of those constraints at

All but you can’t do something in my opinion that says that I believe what what you’re doing is correct and okay because it is now let’s go to what I call the biblical principles in the gray area you remember in Romans I said I’d come back to this well I’m coming back to

Said uh 919 Paul says for though I’m free from all men I have made myself a slave to all that I might win the more and to the Jews I became as a Jew that I might win Jews for those who were under the law as under the law though not be

Myself under the law that I might win those who are under the law so did Paul have the freedom to place himself under the Mosaic law sure he did but he couldn’t say now you got to do it too CU then he would be a

Legalist verse 20 uh uh uh 21 to those who are without law as without law though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ so that tells me that I’m not under the Mosaic law but I’m under the law of

Christ okay now we’d have to spend a lot of time what that means and you should find out because that’s what you’re under basically it’s under the commands of the New Testament since the gospels okay gospels is under what cover mosic La so be careful how you use the

Gospel and then but we are under the law of Christ there are commands in the law of Christ for example this turn back 1 Corinthians 7:19 circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing but what matter is keeping of The Commandments of God that’s in the New Testament so we do have rules the

Problem is if if you are only obeying God because of the rules you’re still under a legalistic system you say well then what should I do well you should do it because you love Christ why do I do this because the love of Christ I do this because I love my

Savior now I need to know the commands that he gave me in the New Covenant because when if my if I somehow Take My Eyes Off of Jesus and start beginning to U error the the commands should be ones that I know that is hitting me saying you’re off you’re off

You’re off you need to repent so the commands are there then should I turn back to the commands no I should turn back to Christ the love of Christ and my classic example maybe I’ve already given it but you’ll have to hear it again if somebody came into this room

And said hey prop just want you to know that me new law down here County you can’t beat your wife I said I don’t care he said well you ought to you can get a year in a Slammer I said I still don’t care well

Why don’t you care well I would say to them I don’t need a law that tells me not to beat my wife I don’t beat my wife or don’t beat or or do beat my wife because there’s a law I don’t beat my wife because I love her I don’t need a

Law and that’s what we’re talking about is that the more you obey Christ and the commands of the New Covenant in the New Testament because you love Christ the more you’re Christian Life will save is it fair to say that in from the perspective of evangelism he talking about being able to communicate

Effectively somebody somebody El within the process of evangelizing so that way you can avoid defense like like for instance if you’re speaking to somebody Jewish speak to them on their Lev initially so they would be more receptive to what you’re saying on as an end result yeah and the same

Thing on the other hand and the the ungodly I can I can go to them as far as I can until there is something that is clear I can’t do and then I have to say can’t do that there is therefore when I’m witnessing and trying to flow in the life of an

Unbeliever there will always be tension have you felt it because they will because you become their friend they’ll start asking you to do things that are you go know do that you and you you know you get close as you can to the line without Crossing it

Because if you cross it then you sin and your and that’s no good I mean I can remember when I was before I went to Seminary before I was in this position I had a buddies you know they wanted me to go to the bar and place some pool I like

I I don’t really don’t want to go that far but I’ve been wanting to share the Lord with this guy so I went and I didn’t get anything to drink I just went in place p and then I left they were shocked that I did it because I I had a testimony for

Christ it wasn’t that I did anything wrong I was play the game of pool did people good but anyway but they appreciated it so much that I would want to go with them cuz that they were just going want you know oh let’s go go down the pool place the

Pool you know they want you know have beer two whatever it was and so I went I didn’t you know I didn’t partake I mean I could I could you know do that in the sense that as long as I didn’t get drunk but in that in that environment the landmines of not

Understanding would be too high so I you know I restricted my freedom I didn’t really drink anyone so uh it was easy so uh but they never asked me to they didn’t say you got to have a beer they understood where I stood they were just

Pleased that I was willing to go play some pool them after a couple G so I said hey man I got to go I went out said man I’m glad to get out of there but it but it made an impression upon their was there attention in me yeah there was

Attenion in me I mean it’s not that I never been to one of those before but it’s just the tension of what not that’s not the environment that I wanted necessarily to be but I did it because I wanted to be a witness to my friend and there’s that tension L on those

Things now place my myself without law but not without the law but under the law of Christ now we talk about the U what I call the gray area in the gray area sin depends on several factors the circumstances and and or your conscience what is sin for you in the

Gray area may not be sin for your brother or sister what I’m about to give you on rules will apply only to the grayer you take these that I’m about to give you and go outside the gray area and you will be wrong are you with me yes

Because the black and white outside the gray box sin does not depend on factors or circumstances or your conscience but whatever the word of God says whatever the Bible says the Sin is Sin for everyone so don’t take what I’m about to tell you outside the gray box are you with

Me but I find people don’t know about the gray box and because they don’t know about the gray box they cause conflict in churches and conflicts in relationships okay so you ready for the gray box somebody takes oh it all depends on what you know my conscience is free I commit adultery

I’m sorry that’s not in the gray box whether you your conscious is bed or not it’s it’s black and white so that’s how bad it will be if you take the rules in the gr box and take them out 1 Corinthians 6 verse 12 says

All things are lawful for me but not all things are profitable okay all things are lawful for me but I will not be Mastered by anything so the first principle is it beneficial to me second of all is it enslaving yeah could be anything do you got to have it’s some

Slay I tell you what on me okay as a pastor you know I there was a windy just a couple of uh I don’t know I guess four or five houses down street or something like that down this street where my church was and every

3:00 in the afternoon I I got a windy call for a chocolate Frost and for and then after a while this is nuts I said I got to go get with this this is enslaving I’m in sin so I just cut it off but I’m saying it’s that but somebody else could go

Down there and get one and it’s not s you see what I’m saying or now when I do it I I don’t have a problem with it are you with me so it is it enslaving me we sometime ask the wrong question says well smoking wrong I said I think you’re

Not going to find that in the Bible Thou shalt not smoke but is it enslaving does it try to master oh Lord yes okay so and we can I just pick smoking but you can put you can put a bunch of stuff in there right coffee in the morning uhoh careful

Careful I got to have it you got I just got everybody I walk I walked a mile in the rain to get my cigarettes one day this was back when I used to smoke cigarettes I walked a mile in the rain and I wanted them cigarettes so bad I’m telling you

And it was raining like cats and dogs I mean it was like flood and I was walking with all that water in my shoes and I did not care cuz I wanted my cigarette it was ens slav oh yeah I was enslave yeah so that’s what

We need to ask the question it’s it is easier to ask the question to get that okay third will it hinder the spiritual growth of a brother you may have freedom to do it it may be just fine for you but if you did it it would cause a

Brother to stumble maybe every time time you get a pizza you have a beer and yet they walk in and they’ve been having problem with alcohol and they see you as a mature person drinking something they say well I guess it’s okay and they get

And they have one and then they just go off you know and get drunk you just you just influenced that younger immature believer to be to sin I got the alcohol but you can be any almost anything are you with me so Romans chapter 14 um verse 13 therefore let us not

Judge one another anymore but rather determine this not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a Brother’s way and ultimately what you’re going to hear about this is the burden is on the so you say you mat then the burd’s on you okay number four does it

Edify does it build up if it doesn’t build up and edify somebody then don’t do it if it’s going to tear down somebody why are you doing it Romans 14 14 I know and I’m convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself but to him who think

Anything to be unclean to him it’s unclean um verse 19 so then let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another number five does it hinder the work of God or shame the name of Christ maybe you have Freedom maybe it’s okay

But yet if you do it that Society or that position or that people would will be ashamed of the name of Christ we you get a punch of though uh First Corinthians since we’re in Corinthians chapter 10 verse 31 whether then you eat or you drink or

Whatever you do do all the glory of God give no offense either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the Church of God just as I also pleased all men and all things not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many that they may be

Saved is it in the gray area and if so don’t judge well that person do this that and the other well is there do they have the freedom to do that is it in the great Earth what judging in first Corin uh Romans 14 verse1 now accept the one who is weak in

The faith but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions oh that’s no that happens in the church see if we learn these things the church would be a lot better number seven are you violating your conscience maybe you grew up and you know um and you were told in a

Legalistic church that going to the movies is is wrong and so therefore you grew up that way then you came to find the freedom that you could go to movies but every time you go to movie you just got this feeling you just go man I I don’t like going I don’t

Care well if you’re if your conscience is violated you shouldn’t go cuz you you see what I’m saying Romans chapter 14 um verse 14 we’ve already Ted talked about let’s look at 20 do not we got that 22 the faith which you have have as your own conviction

Before God happy is he who does not condemn himself and what he approves remember you can’t say that outside the gray area what all this applies to the gray area are you doing all things from Faith but he who doubts is condemned if he eats because his eating is not from faith and

Whatever is not from faith is sin I I mean I knew a guy from uh that was going to Dallas Theological Seminary and he used to be a I guess competition ping pong player and uh my understanding if I have this correct uh he finally said he couldn’t play it anymore because

It consumed so much of his time and for him to play ping pong now was s sin because it just I mean he had when he started playing he just you know he got back in the routine man he got to keep playing every day you got to go down

There and play got play and for him now to go was s wow couldn’t do it out of Faith doing it was convicting it was controlling his life it was mastering number nine does it do harm to your body if it does harm to your body it

Sin man that that’s that’s a whole bunch of stuff right now you get I get personal now how we eat what we drink how we do all kinds of stuff frosties yeah frosties I don’t remember the last time I had what’s there number 10 do you know the right thing to

Do if you don’t and if you know what the right thing to do and you don’t do it then it’s sin so it’s a sin of omission James brother James he wouldn’t rebuke us would 4 verse 17 therefore to one who knows the right

Thing to do and does not do it to him it it is sin and finally I just put it down there as it was the Book of Proverbs I said Ecclesiastes too is it why that the areas of the Grave areas will help you and it will help your

Congregation if you’ll teach it to them because people stop judging one another because everybody usually begins to judge another for what they their rules and that’s even you know I’m not I’m talking about their rules I’m not talking about the Bible’s rules but you know I don’t do that so

They ought not to do that and they may have freedom to do that is this helpful yeah I tell you what it helped every church I was in all right we could get into the spiritual gift situation which I have put in your notes about what I understand

What spiritual gifts are whether they uh I think there is um some who were temporary gifts you you have to determine that as you would study I’ll put my notes in there if you want them um so uh but I have 20 minutes to do those

Things um so is there a question that you may have yeah mention I think it last week that um you know you have ability body of the church teaching and so that’s not that’s a I think we say it’s a talent but not necessary gift right but each of them need to be

Dedicated to the Lord you said you got 20 minutes we don’t want you to work yourself too hard you want to let us go we understand I I can’t I want to make sure you get all your tuition trying toat us I don’t want to set a bad example all

Right in my gray area I I couldn’t do that I got I don’t know you didn’t get that I didn’t see it on there today yeah yall don’t want that anyway all right um no questions what’s turn then to uh The Last First Corinthians 15 how important is the resurrection from

The very important huh and we find that it’s in order notice verse 20 uh Paul will say makes an argument uh that if Jesus wasn’t raised and we’re not going to be raised and then we’re in hate trouble cuz then we’re still in ourselves and then in verse 20 he says

But now Christ has been raised from the dead the first fruits of those who are asleep classic illustration of Paul’s uh uh figure of speech for a Believer who has died he says he’s fallen asleep for since by a man Came Death what man’s that Adam thank you by a man also came

The resurrection from the dead for as in Adam all died so also in Christ all of those in Christ shall be made alive but each in his own order you got to take a tick right Christ is the first fruit after that those who are Christ have his

Coming then comes the end when he delivers up the kingdom to God the father so the end of his kingdom he delivers up his kingdom to the father when he abolishes all Rule and all authority and power for he must Reign until he has put all his enemies

Under his feet The Last Enemy that will be abolished abolished is death for he has put all things in subjection under his feet but when he says all things are put in subjection it is evident that he is is accepted who put all things in subjection to him and when

All things are subjected to him then the son himself also will be subject to the one who subjects all things to him that God may be all in all so ultimately the millennial Kingdom will be given up to the father so that it it merges in into the Eternal

State of Revelation 21 and 22 then he talks about um is it amazing he makes applications he says um uh I got to get to this verse because you haven’t asked me but somebody will verse 29 otherwise what will those do who are baptized for the dead

If the dead are not raised at all why then are they baptized for them why are we also in danger every hour so what’s your question do the dead get baptized yeah do the dead get baptized yeah good right thank you well if you ask the Mormons they say

Oh yeah oh yeah oh yeah and say it’s found in the Bible now what is Paul doing well there’s about 69 different interpretations of this among the commentary oh wow I’m serious it it’s like it’s crazy but as I exposited um the book of First Corinthians I found a a u a

Pattern of the Apostle Paul um that he will use an illustration that he doesn’t necessarily accept to make a point that he wants to make he’ll say for example if you go down to the uh Market of the pagans and nobody asks you uh you know you go to a feast or

Something no one um makes any big deal about this meat being sacrificed to Idols then your conscience is clear just go ahead and eat it now if they make a big deal then you say well you know I can’t do this too cuz I’m not going to

Worship and then in chapter 10 you know what he say we just read it in this class says if you if you go down the feast you’re to fellowship with demons you better not do that so he he used an illustration that you’re not suppose to

You then he denies it here and he does that in that passage he’ll do that same thing in 1 Corinthians 11 about women and that in chapter 14 he’ll use an illustration of it and he’ll tell them they’re really supposed to be silent now in this text notice when Paul comes to

This you’d have to look through the pronouns but notice verse 29 of 1 Corinthians 15 otherwise what will those yeah do he say that I do or we do or you do with those and they third person plural what why didn’t in verse 30 why

Are we he’s back to we now so what I believe Paul is doing he’s using an illustration of hey if if there is no Resurrection to death even those who say there is a resurrection of those who uh you know uh who are from who are dead um

Uh those who are baptized for the dead they’re wrong too because there’s no resurrection of the Dead he didn’t believe that he just uses it so it to me it becomes very easy that Paul is distinguishing his own practice from the teaching of some of those who practiced these and those who baptized

From the dead and just said okay you guys who do that there’s no raising from the dead what are you doing this for so that’s how I he it Paul was using an illustration that he doesn’t believe as another argument for his position in the sense that he doesn’t

Believe in the baptism of the dead and just said those of those who believe that then why are they baptizing like that if there’s no baptism of the debt and if there’s no if there’s no raising of the debt other words it’s so that’s how I handle it and a few

Other handle the same way all right in chapter 15 ver 51 it says behold I tell you a mystery what’s a mystery something that hasn’t been revealed in the old oh good we’re getting that down something that has not been revealed until now it’s always been

In their plan of God he’s talking about the Rapture of the church here he says I tell you a mystery we shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed in the moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last Trump for the Trump shall sound and the dead will rise

Imperishable and we shall be changed the reason why people are not going to see the wraps of the church because it it happens on the twinkling of an eye it’s like if somebody looks down and they look up and I say well where did they

Go yeah bro okay so now but do you mean is that do you interpret that literally the oh yeah it’s literally going to take a body and immediately they’re out of here I’m going have to change my brdes when I get up there well you won’t have

Time I hope he got a spaceship or something we going be on up there I don’t want just be floating now I’m not ready I want tell you though if you’re there you won’t care what has happened because glory is so unbelievable you’re going to be you’re going to be surprised throughout

Eternity yeah nothing matter so here it’s just showing you how fast it’s going to take place but when he comes the second time to the Earth everybody is going to see be here okay and it ain’t going to be pretty for those who don’t know him just read Revelation 19 now some

Have have uh used this text verse 51 in a unbiblical way by placing it uh on a uh Nursery wall saying we will not we will not all sleep but we’ll all be changed that’s unbiblical use of that text but it’s should be a good way of

Saying that the nursery will take care of the kids right I figured I have to get a little laugh at the end of the class right all next time we’ll talk start second Corinthians and I thought maybe I get nosed in but I got some smaller books

Coming up so I I’ll be able to catch up when you’re going through 16 chapters 14 chapters man that’s tough to get through just try to do especially the issues that you find in first Cori well let us pray father we are thankful tonight for the word of

God we can all have our own opinion about a lot of stuff but may our opinions be so molded by the word because you have given it us so that we might be able to do what you tell us to do whatever you require yes Lord you have provided through the power

Of the spirit to do it so let us be men and women of the book in a society that does not respect the book anymore so let us be examples help us Lord Jesus to be mature men and women and that doesn’t mind that the burden is on the mature

Help us with understanding the the gray areas and not to judge may your church be one that reflects the groom the one who will take his bride and be with you forever three seconds in heaven long maybe less it will be worth it all being Glory throughout eternity let us live in

The light of Eternity we pray in Christ’s name amen