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Good morning.
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Good to see everybody this morning. Hey, would you stand up? We'll we'll we'll start this thing off by singing. Who breaks the power of sin and darkness? Whose love is mighty and so much stronger?
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Let's sing of it.
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Who breaks the power of sin and darkness whose love is mighty and so much stronger, the king of glory, the king above all kings. Who shakes the whole earth with holy thunder? Who leaves us breathes and on wonder the king of glory, the king above all kings. And this is amazing grace, let's sing. This is amazing grace.
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This is unfailing That you'd take my face That you'd bear my cross That you would lay down your life Who brings our chaos back into order? Who makes the orphan a son and daughter, the king of glory, the king above all kings. And who rules the nations? Who rules the nations with truth and justice? Shines like the sun in all of its brilliance.
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The king of glory, the king above all kings. This is amazing grace. And you would lay down your life, that I would be set free. Oh, Jesus our Saint for all that you've done for me. And let's sing worthy is worthy is the lamb who slay.
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Worthy is the king conquer the great. Worthy is the lamb who slay. Worthy is the king conquer the great. Worthy is worthy is the lamb who's slain. Worthy is the king conqueror the grave.
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Worthy is the lamb who's slain. You would lay down your life, and that I would be set free. Oh, Jesus, I sing for all that you've done for me.
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I'll have few announcements for you this morning. One of em is Monday night. Monday nights are happening. Tomorrow night?
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Yep. We're on tomorrow. New music message right down the hall. Know that you're invited. Part nine of Proverbs and we're on the topic of how to and how not to be a good neighbor from Proverbs.
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Neighborliness. Alright. Perfect. So, that's tomorrow night, 06:00. Happens at the same time as Awana.
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Happens in this room about 05:45 to six. We'll be kids will be gathering in here and volunteers. So, this is a good place to be on a Monday night for children learning the scriptures from early early age to get to their hearts. We go through their minds. Speaking of that, there are Bible studies that are happening this morning downstairs during the sermon portion of this.
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So, after the song service, a high school and middle school young men, high school, middle school, young ladies, and children will go downstairs for Bible studies, age appropriate Bible studies down there. Jeremiah part one is the precept study. That that room is full of studious people on Thursday mornings that are really taking Jeremiah seriously. It's a it's a good, good, good study. Jane Cranenburg is facilitating Thursday mornings at 09:00.
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Precept study. There is a a time for ladies to read the Bible together and pray at the Connell's home over in Driggs 08:30 to ten on Friday mornings. That's sort of a small group, right? It's sort of a small group and there are several other community groups that are going on on this side and that. Twenty twenty baby bottle campaign for Turning Point has started and they're empty bottles still available.
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If you want one, you can fill that with funds and help turn and point out. Community groups are up and running. I'm going to do a challenge right here right now. So, community groups, if y'all are getting together and you're starting to get used to one another and you're used to one another and some of your eating or having snacks or something at least, would y'all consider for Monday night being a part of the crew that makes supper for a Monday night? I was just walking down the hall and I saw, I think that Tanya and I are going to do tomorrow night.
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Sam probably is going to help with us doing the meal tomorrow night. Thanks, Ray. But if y'all would do that, the small groups is a really good way because you can do it as a group and say, hey, we'll take next Monday or we'll take the following Monday as a community group and then it gets you here for Monday night which is a bigger. It's more like church than a small group but it is a tight knit group of folks and it'd be really serving one another. So, I'm going to challenge that.
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For all those of you who are in small groups, if you would consider feeding the Monday night crowd every once in a while. Nursery volunteers, I'm putting it up there but thank you for responding to that. We still do need those. Hey, Clay. Clay's name was first on the list.
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That was him clapping because other people have signed up. That's good. This happened this week and it was fun. We had a good time. Ladies from different churches all around the valley came in and got together and we did the World Day of Prayer.
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The ladies of Zimbabwe actually wrote the service kind of a liturgical service and the band played and we had a good time. It was fun. Announcements is, are there other announcements I forgot? Anybody? Okay.
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I saw your reticence this morning. Greet one another right now. You can do so verbally. You do not have to touch each other. If if you need if you need em, we have these.
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No, I'm just kidding. Would you greet one another and we'll bring you back together with a song. You don't have to touch each other.
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It in the thunder and rain. It's raining skies like cannons in the night. The musical universe plays. We're singing he's holy. Singing you are holy.
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Great and mighty. The moon and the stars declare who you are. I'm so Beautiful and free. Beautiful and free. The song of galaxies It's reaching far beyond the Milky Way.
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Let's join in with the sound. Come on, let's sing it now.
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The music of the universe plays. He is holiness. Singing you are holy. Great and mighty, the moon and the stars. Clear who you are.
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I'm so unworthy, still you love me forever my heart. Of you in all glory. All glory, honor, power is your soundness. Our glory, honor, power is your soundness. Glory, honor, power is yours wherever amen.
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We're singing you are holy, great and mighty, the moon and stars to clear who you are. I'm so unworthy, still you love me forever my heart will sing of how great you are.
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God, we do. We sing of how great you truly are. Thank you that you have revealed yourself by everything that has been made. That we look outside of these beautiful mountains that surround us. It's your handiwork.
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But thank you, God, also for the revealing yourself through your spirit and through your word. Would you do more of that right here this morning among us? Would you reveal your heart this morning through your word? God, would your spirit pierce and do what only it can do to convict and convince? God, would we also see that you truly are holy, that you truly are righteous, you true are truly are loving, But, Lord, would this morning reveal who your character is too.
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In Jesus' name. Amen.
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And I'll be all else to me saying that in thou art. Allow my best or harm by day my my soul satisfies. My Jesus, you satisfy.
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Second Corinthians one twenty four, all of God's promises have been fulfilled in Christ. That's really good news. But with a resounding yes and through Christ, our amen, ascends to God for his glory.
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A father of kindness, you have poured out grace. You brought me out on darkness, you have filled me with peace. Giver our mercy or my help in time of need. Lord, I can't help but sing. Faithful you are.
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Faithful are. Faithful forever you will be. Faithful you are.
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All your promises are yes and amen. All your promises are yes and amen.
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A
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beautiful savior, you have brought me here. You've pulled me from the ashes, you have broken every curse. This is redeemer, you
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have set this captive free. Oh, I can't help but sing.
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Faithful you are. Faithful forever you will be. Faithful you are.
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All your promises are yes and amen. All your promises are yes and amen.
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And I will rest in your promises. My confidence is your faithfulness again. I will rest in your promises. My confidence is your faithfulness. If I will rest in your promises, my confidence is your faithfulness.
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Faithful you are. Faithful forever you will be. Faithful you are.
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All your promises are yes and amen. All your promises are yes and amen. All your promises are yes and amen. All your promises are yes and amen.
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Amen. Y'all can have a seat. Frontline team is coming forward. God, we thank you for this morning. We thank you for this for music.
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Lord, I love it. What a blessing it is to be able to sing your praises. Lord, you tell us that you desire that and lord, we know that you deserve that. May our mouths ever be filled with your praise. May they be spilling out so that other people will see the life you've empowered us to live.
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Hear the words that you have given to us in your word to say, may we be an accurate representation of how you love. Would you do that by your spirit, lord? Right here this morning, we come to this time and we give back a portion of what you've given to us so that others may know you. We wanna make you known. So, lord, would you do your will and your way through us this morning?
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Will you take the tithes and offerings that are placed in these plates and will you, lord, do what you will with them. Thank you for this church. Thank you for the the congregation, for the leaders, for all that were gathered in your name here this morning. May we be a force in this community for you, for good, for Christ. In Jesus name, amen.
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His words have paid my Now
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is the time for Peak Children's Church and the Middle School and High School Studies Downstairs. How are y'all? Good. Hebrews thirteen seventeen, we have one verse this morning. One verse.
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I I copied all of the commentaries on this one this morning. It's I don't know how many pages there are on it but a lot of em and some people have written more than others. AW Pink, I don't usually listen to AW Pink very often but he wrote one chapter. It was chapter in his book on Hebrews. He wrote one chapter.
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It was all about this one verse and it was the chapter number a 110. So, he's written 110 chapters on the book of Hebrews to this point and I flipped the page and he's got another chapter on this verse, just this one verse. I think that the guys who are analyzing scripture are looking at this one because it is one of the heaviest, heaviest passages in the whole Bible for me. For people who find themselves in a leadership position in the body of Christ. So, here we go.
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This is the immediate context. Thirteen seven says, remember those who led you. It's talking about people who led you in the past. Remember or be remembering technically. Those who were leading you in the past.
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Remember those who led you. These are folks that had been faithful to true, good, Christian, doctrine. Remember those who led you in the past and who spoke the word of God to you and considering the result of their conduct and the result of their conduct maybe their you know, what happened to them throughout their life maybe even their martyrdom probably not because earlier in the book, it says, you have not yet shed blood for the cause here. Now, the writer knows that it's coming. The writer is in a place where there is widespread persecution and people are losing their lives but had not received any words from the church that they were writing to that anybody had died yet but remember those who were leading you in the past, who were speaking the word of God to you and considering a result of their conduct, be imitating their faith.
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That's an imperative. Be imitating their faith. Carry the word of God with you and you share that with others. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. It does not matter much society changes and in this case, it's probably sixty five, sixty six, sixty seven AD when this is written.
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So, it's been thirty three years or so since the cross and can you imagine them accepting and being so expectant about Christ's return and then it doesn't happen and it doesn't happen and it doesn't happen. We're two thousand years later. We know it will come to pass. It just hasn't happened yet but they're wanting and thinking and so, they're trying, they're being persuaded to go back to what they knew, first century Judaism, book to the Hebrews. This is what they know.
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All of the quotes from this author are from the Septuagint Greek translated version of the Old Testament scriptures and it's overwhelming the Old Testament evidence that keeps on coming up. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Believe him still just like you believed him when you accepted him and follow after him come what may. The book is about perseverance and so this, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever is saying, that doesn't change stick with him. Don't get carried away and I summed up without the Old Testament examples last week.
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This was a closing slide. Don't get carried away by various and strange teachings and there are plenty of them out there and there are plenty of people who think that they've unlocked something new that everyone else has missed but God's grace is what it's all about. It keeps coming up. Don't get carried away by various and strange teachings but because of Christ, because of Christ, because you're saved by God's grace, because of Christ, because you are sanctified by God's grace through Christ. Do be ready to go outside the camp.
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You don't have to fall back into that old mode. We are carrying this forward together and it is true and it is good and it is as simple as the gospel that Christ gave his perfect life for anyone who would put their trust in him. Be ready to go outside the camp and because of Christ, do continually be giving God what he deserves. Thanksgiving and praise. He deserves it.
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He desires it and he deserves it. And don't forget, do good to one another and be sharing, taking care of one another. When one has a need, the body should be helping that person. With that need. I saw an inference back to a Psalm this Psalm 50, call upon God in the day of trouble and he will rescue you and you will honor him.
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He loves it when we do that. He wants for us to call out to him. So, that's Hebrews 13. That part is nine through 16 and then we hit this. Thirteen seventeen says, obey.
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This is what I think of when I see obey nowadays. Obey the giant, right? Obey. Obey. Obey.
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I'll go. I'm going do a grammatical analysis of a lot of different words this time because this one is one that I I want I want us to all get it. Obey. A second person present, imperative, it's passive from patho. It's the root of pistis.
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Pistis is faith or belief. So, what you believe is what this is about. It's when it's used in the passive. It is to be persuaded of that which is trustworthy. Now, to be persuaded of that which is trustworthy, carries with it, it involves.
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This is straight dictionary definition. I I left out some of the numbers and Strong's numbers and stuff but this is straight up from the dictionary. Pathos, Patho involves obedience but it is properly the result of God's persuasion. So, obey has to do with what you are persuaded of. Okay?
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So, this is another place where it's used. Galatians five seven. Remember the Galatians had accepted grace and they had accepted that as a concept and then they were persuaded to go back to works and add to grace the different rights that Judaism had practiced circumcision and whatnot. Galatians five seven says, you were running well. Paul says, you were doing fun.
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You're running well. What? Who hindered you from being persuaded of the truth? You had it and then, you were led astray. Now, with this book being all about perseverance and saying, don't fall prey to various strange teachings.
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It's saying, stick with what you know. Stick with the grace of God through Christ. James says this, now, if we put bits into the horse's mouth so that they will obey us. Be persuaded by us of the direction that they need to go. We direct their entire body as well.
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So, those two are the other two places in scripture where this obey. Obey has a stronger form. This is be persuaded of, okay? Be persuaded of the truth. So, obey.
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Next, for me, is even scarier. It says, your leaders, obey your leaders. Oh, obey your leaders. Literally, this is it twice. Those leading you.
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Be persuaded by those who are leading you. Obey those who are leading y'all technically, okay? It's second person plural, right? So, here we go. Be obeying those that are leading y'all.
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Obey your leaders and submit to them. It just keeps on getting better, doesn't it? Obey your leaders and submit to them. Just submit. This is it.
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It's a present active imperative. So, it's a command. It is in the progressive sense too. Of or is the second person plural imperative and it says, from Homer on down, this only used one time in all of the New Testament. This form is only used once but from Homer, like Homer's Odyssey, the Iliad and Odyssey, Homer.
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Resist no longer but give in and give way. Give way to what? Give way, yield, properly of combatants, people who are fighting. This is a term that's used to say, don't keep fighting it. Yield.
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The old cop shows are basically, we can do this two ways. We can do it easy way or we can do it the hard way. It's saying, yield. Let's do this the easy way. Metaphorically, it is to yield to authority and or admonition.
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So, authority is one thing and then an admonition is a straight up warning, I guess would be a good way to put it. To submit in this format. It's only used once in the whole New Testament. It's classical Hebrew. It's about, I mean, in classical Greek.
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So, it's an educated erudite sort of word. It's only used once in the New Testament. It's right here and it's saying, stop resisting. Now, the writer of Hebrews knew the audience much better than we do. In a couple of verses, few verses down, it'll say, I hope to be restored to you soon, sooner In verse 19, it says that we're just sticking with this one for right now but obey your leaders and submit to them.
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Why? So, I asked that because I'm an American and we like to throw off whatever we don't like. We are so individualistic and we are so anti authoritarian that we just don't want anybody ruling over us. We have got in the Baptist church. The priesthood of the believer is one of the foundations of the whole thing.
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So, why should I obey the leaders and why should I submit to them? I got a Bible. I can read it for myself. For they, those leaders, keep watch over your souls. Now, that sounds like, you should listen to me because I keep watch over your soul.
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And we have seen so many people that we don't trust and we've heard so many episodes of spiritual abuse that we say, this is dangerous. This is dangerous. If we pay attention to this, it would be blindly following after a man and that man is not Jesus and this would be horrible if we if we really took this seriously. We end up in some of the situations because people blindly follow after other people. Take it for what it says, okay?
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Just take it for what it says. Be persuaded of the truth and be yielding to that authority slash admonition for they are charged with keeping watch over your souls and it I say they're they're charged with it because it's It's a fearful task to be charged with that and this follows up. Let me, I I said I was going to go through em. We're going to go through em. I grew up new sin.
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I grew up new sin. From not sleep properly, it is no sleeping. That's what it, that's the technical literal definition of it. Figuratively, it means staying vigilant, staying woke in our modern vernacular. Staying vigilant, alert, attentive.
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It even carries, it carries without an unnecessary time, any unnecessary time off. Now, there's some necessary time off that is required, sure but staying vigilant, alert, or attentive, and literally, they're not sleeping. At 03:14 this morning, it would have been 02:14 the day before. I know that. But at 03:14 this morning, when I was awake, I was I was thinking of literally not sleeping.
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That's what it is. From the insomniac pastor to you, here we are. So, why not? Why are they not sleeping? The Lord grants sleep to those he loves.
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Oh, that verse. Pursued me. As those who will give an account. Obey your leaders and submit to them for they keep watch over your souls. The keeping watch, the not sleeping is, it's it's a figurative thing of they are watching out for you.
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I I listen to a lot of different preachers from time to time. When I finish my study, I I listen to other people and Piper, John Piper, on this verse, he spent a couple of different sermons too and one of the things that he says is is you're saved by grace. There's no doubt about you being saved by grace and that's by the word of God and so presenting that evangelistically and having people receive is good but since this book is about perseverance, and multiple times, four times, he's warned them about the possibility of falling away. The sustenance that we need is God's word and if we've got somebody that's willing to faithfully present it, that in itself is keeping watch over our souls. Are you getting that?
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Almost said, are you with me? I'm trying to stop saying, are you with me? So, that's the keep in watch. It's a steady application. Now, at this time with this writer sending this saying, don't follow various and strange teachings.
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They were traveling pastors that had all kinds of stuff or traveling preachers. I should say that. Had all kinds of new found things to explain stuff away or we're calling them back into legalism or we're saying, do whatever you want. Jesus paid it all the steady leadership that this church had, the writer of Hebrews trusted that they would continually be sharing the straight truth of the gospel. They keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account.
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Log on, Apodosontes. They will be giving or they are about to give a word, a statement, a speech. They have a report that is due. It is due. It's required and do of them.
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What they do with what God gives them for the people is on them and they have to report that. That's why I said it's scary. Tattle, tail, tail said, this is not the kind of account. It's not tattletale into Jesus, alright? It's not tattletale, tattletale, hanging britches on a nail.
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It's not that. Okay. It's this kind of accounting and this one's hard. This is Old Testament. I know we're in the New Testament but listen to this.
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Ezekiel, I have quit reading the Bible through in a year multiple times in the book of Ezekiel. I'll just admit that right now. When I get to Ezekiel, sometimes the word is so hard for me in Ezekiel that I've stopped multiple times there. I get to the New Testament and I start over and I go back but that's where that's where I can't do it straight in a row. At the end of seven days where the Lord came to me saying, son of man, that's Ezekiel and Ezekiel.
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I have appointed you as a watchman, someone who keeps watch, who no sleeping, right? As a watchman to the house of Israel, whenever you hear a word from my mouth, warn them from me. When I say to the wicked, you will surely die and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way so that he may live. That wicked man shall die in his iniquity but his blood, I will require at your hand. Yet, if you have warned the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity but you have delivered yourself.
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He called Ezekiel to be faithful to whatever message he gave him for whoever he gave it. It goes on from there and says, again, not just for the wicked but when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness as we all do. And he commits iniquity and I place an obstacle before him. He'll die. Since you have not warned him, he shall die in his sin and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered.
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Thank God for the new covenant. Old covenant's hard stuff. But his blood I will require at your hand. This is for a righteous man who falls. However, if you have warned that righteous man that the righteous should not sin and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took your warning and you've delivered yourself.
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So, either way, be faithful to what I say. That's what God is saying to Ezekiel and still, I believe saying to us, anybody who would take any leadership role over anyone else. In particular, I think it is about church office in this account. Obey your leaders and submit to them for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account and they have to be true to the word that God has given. They have to.
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Because if they're not, that's a heavy task. I'll get into some more places in scripture towards the end. It says, let him do this with joy. I cannot tell you how much fun this job is for me most of the time. I love it.
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I always say, I don't got to do this. I get to do this and I'm having a ball. I enjoy the interaction. Sometimes, the difficult times of funerals and things like that, they're sad and they're somber but I'm so glad that I get the call. I'm so glad that that we can minister really and keep watch over somebody's soul who feels like they're hanging in peril.
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I love it and I enjoy it. I love it. Let them do this with joy. Paul says to the Thessalonians, remember Thessalonians, Paul doesn't go into extended bouts about sin. He's actually trying to help them through something that people have been presenting a various or strange teaching.
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Some folks had quit their jobs. And we're waiting on Jesus to get back. He's encouraging them he's telling them to encourage one another and keep on loving each other like you're doing. I hear about it all over everywhere I go and he says to them, for who is our hope or our joy or our crown of exaltation? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus that is coming for you are our glory and joy.
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When he thought of the Thessalonians, he thought of him with a big smile on his face. He didn't mind directing and he didn't mind telling him the truth. Philippians, I thank my God in all my remembrance of you. Always offering prayer with joy. That's his account that he's given.
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God, help the Philippians. I love em. They're doing great. Help em be joyful again, lord. Help me show them how to do that in my every prayer for you.
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In view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now, I'm confident this very thing that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus for it's only right for me to feel this way about you. It's right for a leader to be able to be joyful before God and with you at the same time. To be leading, it's rightful for them to be joyful. I have you in my heart. So, it says, let them do this with joy and not with grief.
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Actually, literally, it says and not with groaning. It's it's as if a weight had been placed on your chest and you go, oh. Sighing. It's that. Squeezing everything out of you.
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So, let em do this accounting with joy and not with grief. I don't have one for that one. I think oh foolish Galatians probably gets pretty close. Who has bewitched you? What are you thinking?
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Can you imagine the sleepless nights? Paul mentioned sleepless nights a few times where he gives that long list in Corinthians about being shipwrecked and snake bit and all of these different things. He says, and on top of that, I've got all my concern for the churches. That was the, that was the thing that was for most on his mind. Getting past the groaning and the grief, this would be unprofitable for you.
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If they are true to God's word, if they are true. Now, not infallible but if they're true to God's word and they present to you what God has said, then, ignoring it would be to your peril. That scares me too. But when God called and we answered the call to be leaders whether it's a pastor or the worship pastor, associate pastor, or the elders, or the board of trustees, or the head of household when we accepted the responsibility it's ours. When God calls and says, do this and you do it.
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There's incredible joy but it can lead to some sleepless nights. It can. Out of genuine concern for people's well-being. The unprofitable there properly is an adjective. It means profitless, unprofitable, ruinous, or detrimental.
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It's actually only used here in Hebrews thirteen seventeen also. It means not able to hold together. You might actually just feel like you're coming apart for ignoring God's message. His instruction, his admonition, his authority. Not profitable because it's lacking cohesion.
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Double minded man is unstable in all of his ways. Figuratively, it's missing benefit because it's not complete. Describes the lost benefits from making a poor choice. In the line with Esau that we just did a few weeks back where Esau had made a really poor choice and not been able to recover it and knowing the book is about perseverance. This is saying, trust the process.
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Trust what God has ordained. Now, are there people who are presenting in error? Are there people who are doing it for money? Yes. Are there people who are doing it for the wrong reasons?
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Yes. How do you know the difference? Know your Bible. That helps. But I don't I don't know many preachers that say, don't know your Bible right?
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There were for a lot, for a long time. It was, we're going to do this in Latin. We're going to do this in a language you don't really understand. We're going to do this in a way that you don't really understand and that could be from lot of different angles. Strange and various angles.
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It's used in classical Greek by Hippocrates. Since we don't have it all over the Bible, it's just in this one place. We go to somewhere else in Hippocrates. Used it as a technical medical term for unfavorable symptoms. Unfavorable symptoms.
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Ruinous, detrimental. So, this is the Arm McD version of this. Alright. Actually, I have one change that I thought about it and made last night. Y'all be being persuaded by those who are leading you and be being yielded.
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Actually, it probably better to say, be yielding yourselves. It's a conscious act to do that. Be being persuaded by those leading you and be yielding yourselves for they are watching out over your souls as ones who will soon give account. There's a little bit of a hint there that it's it's required. It's due.
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So that they might be doing that with joy and not with groaning indeed, that would be unprofitable for you. Somebody sent me this yesterday. I don't know if they're reading ahead in the text or not. It's two, it was a meme but I split it into two. Going to seminary, I think, is a lot like going to culinary school.
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You learn the basic foundations and some cool party tricks and by the end, you can prepare a gourmet meal. Pastoring, however, is waking up every day to a new episode of Chopped. Have y'all seen Chopped? Y'all don't watch TV much, do you? Chopped is where they give people a basket of ingredients and they are the most random thing.
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It'll be rutabagas and rad eyes. You know, something crazy and then they ask em to turn it into a gourmet meal. Pastor and however, is waking up every day to a new episode of Chopped where the ingredients are completely random and you're expected to do something with whatever you're handed while everyone watches and provides running commentary and occasionally something explodes. What a timely thing for someone to send. I'm going to go through some other New Testament passages not just on the obey part but on the how I and the elders should be doing our charge.
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First Thessalonians five twelve, but we request of you. This is to the place where they weren't actually involved in any horrendous sins. This is Thessalonica. We request of you brethren that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you and have charge over you and the Lord and give you instruction and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another.
52:08
That's sweet. Timothy, first Timothy five, the elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of a double honor and especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. First Corinthians, under this one, there was all kinds of sin in Corinth but he had honed at the end of this letter to this. Now, I urge you brothers and sisters, you know, the household of Stephanus that they were the first fruits of Ikea and that they have devoted themselves for ministry to the saints. This is people who are ministering to the church.
52:46
Pastoral role. That you also be in subjection to such man and to everyone who helps in the work and labors. Philippians, holding fast to the word of life so that in the day of Christ, I will have reason to glory because I didn't run-in vain nor toil in vain. Paul worked hard. Y'all agree?
53:06
He worked hard and he wanted to know that it wasn't in vain. First Peter five five says, you younger men, there's a five one to four before this and I'm getting to that. You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders and all of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another. For God is opposed to the proud but he gives grace to the humble. So, that's right there.
53:32
This portion in front of it is a charge for the elders and this is from Peter. So, Peter didn't see himself as the almighty apostle Peter. He saw himself as a guy who was in love with his master and lord who failed him from time to time but was strengthened by him and could give instruction and this is the instruction he gave. First Peter five one through five says, therefore, I exalt the elders that are among you. As your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ and partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd, the flock of God that is among you, exercise an oversight, keep in watch, not under compulsion but voluntarily and according to the will of God and not for money, sorted gain but with eagerness.
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You get to do this. You don't got to do this. Nor yet as lording it over those who have been allotted to your charge. That right there is one of the problems with this verse. I have heard Hebrews thirteen seventeen used by pastors to just keep people in line.
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And it's not necessarily within line with the Bible. It's in line with what they say right now because they're in charge and that's a hard, hard, hard, hard account to give to Jesus if you're taking it on as an autocrat who makes the rules. Nor yet as lording it over those allotted to allotted to your charge but proving to be examples to the flock and when the chief shepherd appears, you'll receive an unfading clown, crown of glory, not a clown. Crown of glory. Y'all be being persuaded by those who are leading not just me, okay?
55:17
I'm not saying that. I I could invite the elders all up here but for those who have taken God seriously and are faithfully living out his word and sharing it with you. Be be being persuaded of the truth by those who are leading and be yielding yourselves for those who are watching out over your souls. As ones who will give an account. If people are doing it any other way, like they don't have anything to answer for.
55:43
Charlatans, shysters. They're not doing it like they're going to have to give an account for it. Let those leaders be doing it with joy not with groaning. Indeed, that would be unprofitable for you. James three one, I'm going end with this little section.
55:59
It says, let not many of you become teachers. My brethren, no one that as such, we will incur stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many ways. Is that the last slide, Blake? Amen.
56:20
God help us. Would, can I get the band back up here? Would y'all stand? I think we're going to sing about late letting our life be consecrated. Is that right?
56:28
God, would you do that? Would you help us this morning? Lord, would you help us this morning to live our lives before you as transparently before others as we are before you and may we be sincerely open to your leading from those who are leading us by your direction and charge even call. In Jesus name, thank you for calling. I thank you for the strength day by day, night after night to carry forward in this.
57:02
I pray that you would do a tremendous work in my heart and then and these hearts right here and these families represented this community to the very uttermost parts. Lord, may beginning of the change begin with me. Amen.
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Let them flow in ceaseless praise. Let them flow in ceaseless praise. Swift and beautiful for thee. Swift and beautiful for thee. And take my will and bake it thine.
58:26
It shall be no longer mine. And take my heart, it is thy know. It shall be thy royal throne. It shall be thy royal throne. I surrender all.
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I surrender all. I ought to be my blessed savior surrender
59:15
Y'all, you know the society has changed and moved, right? And it does and it, the pendulum swings and it might go one way, it might go another but Jesus Christ is the same. Yesterday, today, and forever and may we be holding on to that and not transforming him into our image but allowing God daily by obedience and submission to him. To allow our life to be molded into Christ. Christ.
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For those he called he justified, those he justified, he also glorified and he is conforming them more and more into the image of his son. Paste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the one who takes their refuge in him. Lions may grow weak and hungry but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. God, would you use us this week?
1:00:03
Would you impress it upon us this week? What you would have us do? Give us the strength to do it. Amen.
