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Okay. Hello. Good good morning, church. Good to see you all. It's a gorgeous day.
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What do you say we warm up by singing? You can stand up. We'll sing in the greatness of God. Lord, we give you thanks for another day. Thank you for this new morning.
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I thank you that your mercy is made new every morning. And, we get a new start. Grateful for grace. Grateful to be called children of God. Grateful to have a church family to be a part of.
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Would you bless the time that we have in worship? May we be a blessing to you. Christ's name, amen.
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Alright, here we go. How about that? That's better. Welcome. Glad that y'all are here.
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I have a few announcements. Renzy, would you bring the clicker when you come up here? And he's got an announcement too. And until they come up on the wall, I don't know what's going on. It really is this week.
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Eric and Becky Watt really are going to speak this week, 07:00 in the evening tonight here at the church. So, if you want to see Eric and Becky and hear what's going on around the world, reaching Unreached Nations Ministries. There he is back there. There she is back there and the fam. That's great.
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They're going to be here to seven tonight. If you want to bring something with you, we'll kind of reun afterwards, alright? That's going to be fun. I have Monday nights at First B. Look at the three amigos up there.
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Monday nights at First B happens 06:15 in the evenings, meal music, and a message just at the other end of hall in the fellowship hall. Where are we this week?
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First John.
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First John. One another. Alright. Very good. There's a discovery class today at 10:00 between service.
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That is a members only jacket, isn't it? Evans. Alright. If you are considering church membership, you you might want to go and hear from Gary Geek in my office between the services. So, that y'all are welcome to do that and he'll try to answer any questions.
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You can just kind of tell your story. That'll be fun. There's also a covenant ceremony to welcome new members in on August 30 and the way our our constitution bylaws, whatever it is are laid out. We've gotta we announce in the bulletin a couple of weeks ahead. So, we've got two weeks before that.
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If you would like to be a member and you want to be, you could you could sign on the day. Go to that class and and be in that covenant ceremony if you wanted to on August 30. Alright. First B, women's study for Autumn of twenty fifteen is on Romans and Deborah, do you have an announcement about that?
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Well, good morning. Yes. I just wanted to invite all the ladies to our study. We're starting in two and a half weeks. The first day of school, drop your kids off, grab a cup of coffee, you don't have to be here until 10:00.
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Becca Black, Becca can you stand up? Yeah, Becca loves me for this. Becca and I are gonna be teaching unpacking Romans using the Warren Wiersbe book as our resource tool. This is not a verse by verse teaching of Romans, but rather like an expository pulling out the main theme and what is the main theme of Romans. The main theme is learning how to be right with God, right with our self, and right with others.
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And in a world where everything is kinda wrong, there's no better time to unpack Romans. So come and join us.
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Thank you. Alright. And the check your bulletin. Also, I wanna mention something. Yesterday and day before, we went with the youth Carl and Lindsey and I all went with the youth down to Lagoon.
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Before I get you to stand up and shake one another's hands and greet one another, check this out. Alright. Yeah. Y'all could stand up and greet one another and we'll try to bring it back together with a song. Alright.
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Shall we sing
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Amen. Lord, that is true. And speaking of weak made strong, he told us that healthy people don't need a doctor. Sick people do. And we come to you as sin sick people looking for grace, just one beggar telling another where bread can be found.
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And we realize we understand that confession is a big part. It's a big part of of of living in you. Just knowing that that we are with fault, but you are faultless. And we put our trust in you, Jesus, our faultless, perfect savior, for the forgiveness of sins, and we confess our sins to you, just and and like first John here, if we confess our sin, you're faithful and just to cleanse us from all wickedness. But we also sing this song as a part of our confession knowing that we fall short and grateful for grace.
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Amen.
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Is Christ and me. Yes, where you are, Lord I'm free. Holyness So teach our song. So teach my song your eyes to you. Oh, when temptation comes my way.
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And when I cannot stand, I fall on you. My one defense. My one defense. My righteousness. Oh, God.
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How I
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Amen. Hey. Do you wanna hear some good news? Yes. I have some.
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It's from Romans. If God is for us, who can be against us? Amen. Isn't that good news? Amen.
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Really? My one defense, my righteousness, he's our righteousness. He imparts that onto us, and we have that. And there's no condemnation for those who are in Christ. That's good news.
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Amen.
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And if he's for us, who can be against us? You.
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Midst we're
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again. Let it wash over.
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Our God is greater. Our God is stronger. God, you are higher than any other. Looked as healer.
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Oh, Lord, those aren't just words. That's truth right there. You are greater. You're stronger than any other. And I I'm praying you would increase our faith.
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Increase our faith, lord. Give us give us faith where it's lacking. Help us to trust your promises, to keep in step with you spirit, and be listening to you as you lead. In Christ's name, amen. You can be seated.
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Can I ask one of our elders? Let's see. Where's one of our elders? Could you just raise a hand to elder if you're here?
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There's a hair right there.
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There he is. Gary? Gary, could you could you pray this morning as we participate here in the worship of giving?
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Let us pray. Lord, we do thank you for this time that we can worship you through offering. Lord, we know that all blessings come for you. You provide all that we need. So, Lord, we just pray that as we give back to you, Lord, that it will truly be in a heart of, worship to you.
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I just pray this in Jesus name. Amen.
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My humble cry others thou art calling do not pass me by savior savior hear my cry others thou art calling do not pass me trusting trust thy come and heal my wounded broken spirit save me by thy grace savior hear my humble cry others thou art calling do not pass me by
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Amen. This is a different experience today than yesterday and the day before. A lot different. A youth trip is a special kind of service. I promise.
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That was fun though. We had a we had a ball. It was a it was a really good time and I thought of this verse several times while I was there. Behold, this is actually, if you look it up, Psalm one thirty three one, it says, behold, a song of ascents. It was a yearly trip that the pilgrims were making to go to Jerusalem and David led the singing.
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It's only three verses in this chapter long and it says, behold how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity, walking from wherever they were and go into that place and I thought of that several times on this trip is how good and pleasant it is when people just dwell together in unity. We had about 30 youth go and four leaders that went with us and then two met us down there. The Ripley's made supper for us one night and then breakfast the next morning and we just had no drama whatsoever. Fun stuff but no drama It was good and it was pleasant and we were dwelling together in unity and I thought of that and I thought, well, that goes with the message today. So, I'll throw it in there.
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If you look this up to in the NRSV, it says, how very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity instead of just being exclusively male brothers, brotherhood, you know. This is when those who are rightly related to one another, kindred spirits, kindred people, and we went in Christ's love, how very good and pleasant it is when that happens and I love it. When you can dwell together in unity Second Corinthians two five through 11 is where we are in scripture day. We're just progressing through and visitors. I'm glad you're here.
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If you're a visitor, I'm glad you're I didn't say that last week. I'm glad you're here. If you're still here, sorry, didn't say it last week. Second Corinthians two five through 11 is where we are in scripture this morning and a lot it but but we're going to put it alongside Jesus's garden prayer from John 17 and the reason I've read this a lot of times. You know, I've read second Corinthians a lot of times and recently, even more than that and I think that if you're just looking individually at those five verses, you might miss the big picture what this is about.
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It's about unity in the body of Christ. It's about how to maintain it or how to restore it and so, we're going to put this alongside Jesus' garden prayer and I'll start off with that. I will try not to interject but I typically do. I'll try not to interject but this, you know, when we do communion, we say and on the same night that Jesus was betrayed, that's we the way we started off. So, think about this.
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On the same night that Jesus was betrayed, after he done the whole upper room discourse, after he had told Judas to go and do what he's gotta do quickly. He goes to the garden and he prays and John hears what he's praying before he falls asleep and this is what Jesus prayed John 17 we're going to go through the whole chapter. Don't worry about it. I'm not going to preach on the whole chapter but just bathe in this. This is Jesus prayer and if you're coming here as a believer in Jesus, it's for you and if you're coming here because you know somebody who's a believer in Jesus, it's for you too.
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When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and he said, father, the hour has come. How many times did Jesus said, I'm interjecting, sorry. How many times did Jesus said, my hour has not yet come? A lot of times but this is it. When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven.
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He said, father, the hour has come. Glorify your son, that your son may glorify you. Since you have given him, that's me, Jesus. Authority over all flesh to give eternal life to all whom you've given him and this is eternal life that they know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth.
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You could say that with confidence. I glorified you on earth having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. Not anything that needed to be done was left. And now father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world.
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Yours they were and you gave them to me and they have kept your word. Now, they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. So, I say, if you're a Christian here this morning, if you put your trust in Jesus, you believe the message of the gospel that Paul preaches throughout.
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Jesus is praying for you in John 17. I am praying for them. Those who believe that you sent me and I'm not praying for the world right now but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. They belong to you, God. All of mine are yours and yours are mine and I am glorified in them.
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How is Jesus glorified? In those who believe in it and I'm no longer in the world but they are in the world and I'm coming to you. Holy father, keep them in your name which you have given me. That they may be one even as we are one. How good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity.
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That they may be one even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name which you have given me and I have guarded them. Not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction that the scripture might be fulfilled but now, I am coming to you and these things I speak in the world that they may have joy fulfilled in themselves. So, on this slide, it's about unity and joy. How good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity.
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I've given them your word and the world has hated them because they're not of the world just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of this world but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth. Your word is truth.
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Cleanse them, lord. Sanctify them in the truth and your word is truth. If we're going to be unified, it's going to have to be around this. Sanctify them in the truth. Your word is truth.
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As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world and for their sake, I consecrate. I I set myself apart for holy reasons. I consecrate myself that they also may be sanctified in truth. I do not ask for these only. So, not just for Christians but also for those who will believe in me through their word.
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So, if you're here this morning and you came with somebody else, Jesus is praying for you right here too and what he's praying is for those who will believe in me through the word of Christians. That they all may be one or may all be one. Just as you, father, are in me and I am in you, that they also may be in us. So that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me, I have given to them, that they may be one.
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Even as we are one. Is it about unity or what? How many times has he said it? Over and over he's saying I in them and you and me that they may become perfectly one. Unity.
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So that the world may know that you sent me and love them even as you love me. When Carl asked me what the last song needed to be today, he said, I know it's going to be. They'll know where Christians by our love. Because that's what it is. That's that's that's the message, right?
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That's the message. We didn't do that one today because we've done it about five times lately because that's the message. So that the world may know that you sent me and love them even as you love me. Father, I desire that they also whom you have given me may be with me where I am to see my glory that you've given me because you love me before the very foundation of the world. Oh righteous father, even though the world does not yet know you, I know you and these know that you have sent me, I made known to them your name and I will continue to make it known that the love which with which you have loved me may be in them and I in them.
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It's about unity and what? Christ. Unity in Christ, he has forgiven those who believe. So, what's Christ's desire or what is Christ's design? I'll use the word design.
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What is Christ's design? That we be what? One, unified. How is that going to happen? He says, sanctify them by your truth.
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That's this is how this happens. Sanctify em by your truth, your word is truth. Unity among Christians is Christ's desire and his design. So, now, we get to second Corinthians two five through 11. What is this passage about?
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Now, with that kind of a lead in, you probably got a an inkling of it. It's specifically about unity and not just Well, specifically about unity but it's through forgiveness and the reason I bring it up is because so many times, we see this passage. If we look at it, if you study any of the commentaries, they get centered on what the specific situation was in Corinth at the time and what he possibly could have been talking about. And there's that dreadful sin in first Corinthians. He mentions it a couple of times.
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This is probably about that but who knows? Some guys say yes, some guys say no. It's but it is specifically about the church body having unity through forgiveness. For this repentant sinner. But it's spelled out with an intentional ambiguity.
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And I like this. I love words. Intentional, purposeful, vagueness. It does not list the guy's name. It does not list the guy's sin.
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It is an intentional ambiguity that he faces. I mean, that he puts out there for us. If you read this with an open heart, asking the Holy Spirit to illumine the scripture, God will reveal somebody or something that you need to forgive. I don't have any doubt about that at all. So, the dual authorship of scripture, this concept Y'all know what I mean by that?
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Anybody? Anybody go to seminary? No, just kidding. Dual authorship of scripture. When they mention that, I I always think, why did why bring that up?
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Well, Paul writes under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. So, the Holy Spirit is inspiring Paul but who wrote the letter? Paul? The Holy Spirit. If I stand up and say, Carl, take a note because I do this all the time.
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Carl, take a note and I immediately start speaking and he starts scribbling it down. Who wrote the letter? It's only technical if you mean Carl wrote the letter. I wrote the letter, right? So, the dual authorship of scripture says that Paul writes under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
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So, both of them wrote the letter. It's dual authorship. They don't argue back and forth about, you know, grammar or whatnot. Who are they writing to? Paul writes under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to the Corinthians.
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Why do we read it? I'm just asking. Throw it out there. These are the little bomb seminary professors throughout the first week to scare you. We read it because what applied to the Corinthians then has applied to every believer since then.
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So, the Holy Spirit is writing this book to every believer since then. This passage two five through 11 is certainly about a specific thing in Paul's mind but he leaves it open enough so that we can read what it is specifically in our own lives that we need to deal with in the same way. So, now, if anyone has caused pain, this is right into it. Second Corinthians two five through eight. If anyone has caused pain, Paul says, he has caused it not to me.
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I want you to know that, Corinthians. I want you to know that if there is anybody who's caused any pain and certainly there was, right? We know about a guy who was having an incestuous relationship with his mother-in-law and he was causing pain because he's one of the power brokers in the church. We know that he was causing some pain because some people said, that's not right. That's not good.
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That's not holy. He's saying, but I can do whatever I want to. I'm free in Christ. I've got liberty. I'm not bound by your rules.
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Or it might have been a completely different situation. We don't know. Now, if anyone has caused pain, almost certainly they have. He's not caused it to me. Paul saying, it's not me that's hurt by this but in some measure, not to put it too severely, it's to all of you.
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It interrupts all of you, the whole church body. If somebody is caught in some dreadful crime or sin, then it's hurtful for the whole body and we all mourn together or we argue over it. Either way, it hurts us, right? So, not to put it too severely. It's hurt all of you and that all of you there is about unity.
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It hurts the unity of the body whenever anybody gets off course, off track. So, not now if anyone's caused pain, he's caused it not to me but in some measure, not to put it too severely, Paul says, to all of you, for such a one, whoever that is, this punishment by the majority is enough. Now, in first Corinthians, he said, you should pull back from that guy if it's the one that we think it is. You should pull back from the guy and allow Satan to deal with him. Because what he's done is dreadful, it's wrong, you need to pull back the fellowship of the body from that guy and let Satan deal with him in his sin.
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The devil is God's devil, right? The idea there is pull back away from him. Don't offer fellowship and consolation if he's continuing and persistent in his sin. But since they did that, for such a one, the punishment by the majority is enough. So you should rather now turn to forgive and to comfort him or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.
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This one is one of those where hard liners for the shunning hit up against the real obstacle because Paul definitely says pull back from him. No doubt. In the first Corinthians and we have the severe letter we talked about last week that was in between where he gave him even more severe instructions. He says, now turn and forgive and comfort him or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. So, I beg of you, Paul says, to reaffirm your love for him.
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Welcome this guy back in. I keep saying this guy, we don't know which guy. Is there anybody that you know in your life right now that you have turned away from because of the sin in their life? Because of bad decisions that they've made, that you've turned away from and you have withheld Christian fellowship from them because of XYZ, whatever it is. You should rather turn to forgive and comfort him or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.
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Does it require the guy's repentance? It's implied. It's implied right here that the guy repented. It's not specific though. Remember the two everything there is a season?
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There's a time to pull back away from somebody but if you cut off all ties with them forever, there's no hope of them coming back. Not into your fellowship anyway. That's tough. Sanctifying by your truth. Yes, repentance is necessary.
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Absolutely. But we need to have somebody that will turn and forgive and comfort so that he won't be overwhelmed by the excessive sorrow. I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. This is why I wrote in the first place that I might test you and know whether you're obedient and everything. Yeah, you'll shun somebody.
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That's actually pretty easy to do. To walk away from somebody is actually it might be heartbreaking at first, but not having to keep on dealing with them is easier than dealing with them. Do you agree? Everybody have been through a church split here? Yes, we have.
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It's not easy, but it's right and good and worth it to turn and comfort and forgive and bring em back in. This is why I wrote that I might test you and know whether you're obedient in everything, not just the shunning but also in the bringing em back in. Anyone whom you forgive, Corinth or anyone whom you forgive, First Baptist, anyone whom you forgive Christian, I also, Paul says, forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, he's saying, I've already done it, okay? What I have forgiven, if I'm forgiven anything, hypothetically.
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I love that. What if there were no hypothetical questions? Sorry. Sorry. Indeed, what I have forgiven has been for your sake in the presence of Christ.
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So that we would not be outwitted by Satan for we're not ignorant of his designs. Go back and think about this. Assuming that Paul had extended forgiveness. I believe that he had. I mean, that's what he does, right?
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He's a Christian. He believes in the message of the cross. Forgive one another just as God in Christ has forgiven you. Undeserved, unmerited favor. That's what Paul is preaching.
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That's what he's practicing. What I have forgiven has been for your sake in the presence of Christ. So that, remember my so that from a couple weeks ago and last week? The so that is usually a purpose clause. That's what it's called.
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This tells why God did whatever he did or tells why Paul did whatever he did. In this case, what I have forgiven and I've already done it, that was done in the presence of Christ so that for a reason, there's a purpose behind what I did and the purpose is that we all, our unity, would not be outwitted by Satan. For we're not ignorant of his designs. So, that purpose clause, what's the purpose of forgiving others in Christ's presence? Just in your prayer closet, what is the purpose of you forgiving someone else?
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Tell me, it's in the verse. So that we would not be outwitted by Satan. So that we would not be outwitted by Satan. That's the purpose of forgiving others For we are not ignorant of his designs. Paul knew how the devil operated.
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We know how the devil operates. We've got something that tells us how the devil operates. I looked up lots of commentaries. I've read this multiple times. I looked up different sermons on it and there are hundreds of sermons with just second Corinthians two eleven as the jumping off point and then they go into all the different biblical places where we see one of Satan's designs.
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They're in there. They're all over the place. We can see it. In this particular passage though, I think that it's the unity factor that Christ prayed so strongly for in John 17 that the devil wants to interrupt and the way that he can do that is by unforgiveness. If we look at Christ's designs, we see unity as the primary motivation behind everything that Christ does.
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He is reconciling to God. That's what he does, right? He brings people into unity with God and he does it through forgiveness, love, truth, and understanding. He is comforting. We've already seen that in the whole first chapter.
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He is giving. He is constantly making alive an abundant life. He's constantly renewing people's minds. He's constantly making whole. That's what Christ does.
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That's his design and freedom is his goal. Freedom in Christ and unity with God but if you look at Satan and you'll see some of these I pick specific verses but I'm just going to roll em out here. Satan's design is division. The whole of first Corinthians were about the divisions within the church. There was other sin too but it was all about division and division, divisiveness.
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Unforgiveness is misspelled. Forgiveness, hatred, lies, and misunderstanding. You see how they directly correspond and they are exactly opposite from Christ's purposes. His business is afflicting, not comforting. Whether it's through tempting you to do something that's gonna hurt you and its consequence or he's a cheat.
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He's a liar. When he lies, he speaks his native tongue. The thief has come for nothing but to steal, kill, and destroy. Afflicting, stealing, killing, destroying, and tearing apart and what you end up with is slavery to self sin and Satan. But Christ designs our unity through forgiveness, love, truth, and understanding.
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Sanctifying by your truth, lord. I had a professor in seminary. He's a president of the seminary and he never used the word gospel and I thought that was weird because it's the good news. Wanna hear some good news? Carl said this morning, the gospel, every time he got to where I would say gospel, he said, God's message of love and forgiveness.
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God's message of love and forgiveness available in Christ. God's message of love and forgiveness. He didn't want us to ever forget that it is all about love and forgiveness. God loves us because he loves us. He will forgive us.
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So, whatever the division is in your life and whatever the unforgiveness you have or the righteous indignation against that you have because Christ anger towards us was righteous, right? It was. Still is. But he offers instead of that forgiveness, love, truth, understanding. I think that's the last slide.
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I have another slide, Renzi. Actually, it's the slide, not the video yet. The slide is for this shirt. Is Renzi wore this shirt all around the park the other day and I got to wondering, what is Psalm seven thirteen? I don't remember that as one of my memory verses.
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And so I looked it up and Psalm seven thirteen says, hold on just a second. This is the smallest print I have ever seen. Seven thirteen says, he has prepared for him his deadly weapons and making his arrows fiery shafts. That's what Renzy wore around the park. At Lagoon, that is truth.
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That is truth. God has prepared his deadly weapons. Actually, let's read the whole thing if I can. I said last week, if anybody got a Bible, anybody got any readers? And I'm just kidding.
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My my shield is with God who saves the upright in heart. God is a righteous judge and a god who feels indignation. That's anger every day. If a man does not repent, God will wet or sharpen his sword. He has bent and readied his bow.
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Judgement hangs out there. Do you get that? And Rincey's telling all of Salt Lake City about it. He is prepared for him, his deadly weapons making his arrows fiery shafts. Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and give birth to lies.
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He makes a pit digging it out, falls into the hole that he has made, his mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull, his violence descends. I will give the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high. Now, what he was supposed to have on that shirt was 713. Yeah. 71.3 says, In you, oh Lord, do I take refuge.
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Actually, this is seventy one one. But seventy one three says, be to me a rock of refuge to which I may continually come. You have given the command to save me for you are my rock and my fortress. So, his judgment does hang out there. There's no doubt about it.
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That's just as true as Jesus offers forgiveness and love and acceptance and but he wants to change us. Does he, do you get it? He doesn't want us to wallow in that sin that hurts us. He wants to change us and forgive us and that's what he does. So actually, Renzi's was the proof shirt, and this the rest of the shirts.
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These are right. Okay, just so you don't worry. None of your kids are. I think that's funny. I have one more thing to add to this, and it's a video.
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And I ask for you to just listen to what this guy is saying. Okay? In this passage, it's not limited to a small context, personal, or any specific context. There's an intentional ambiguity there. Listen to what the guy is saying.
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Please and see if it's truth or not and if it is, let's pray that we can see unity in the body of Christ together, alright? I've got a video. He's talking about division in the body.
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God bless you. May God bless all of us. Thank you.
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That's a step for baptist preacher. Would y'all join me in prayer? God, I thank you for for giving us a clue as to what you want us to do. In John 17, as you pray specifically for us. Thank you, John.
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Thank you that John was there, recorded it, heard it, and that dual authorship, lord, that you are writing to us. So God, would you draw us together and would you allow us to forgive and to come more and more into accord with what your Holy Spirit wishes for us in this world that we would be one. Would you strengthen our bonds of unity, lord? And give us grace that we may reflect that grace to others. In Jesus name, lord, ask you to bless this time.
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Amen. Would you all stand with us and sing? Amen. The unity is so so important. Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity.
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Would y'all go do that this week? Just be one. And one quick thing, y'all, do y'all have any idea how many different backgrounds we have in this room right now? It's crazy. There are 30 denominations that I know of.
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I've I've started counting them off by people that I know here. If we center ourselves around God's word, he'll bring us together. Amen.
