0:00
Alright. I think we are on. Can you all hear me? Good morning. How are we doing?
0:06
Good.
0:07
It's a beautiful day. It's a good
0:10
day to give thanks, to praise God.
0:12
What do
0:12
you say we stand up? We'll sing together. Psalm 92, a song to be sung on the Sabbath day. It is good to give thanks to the Lord to sing praises to the most high.
0:32
Alright. It is good. It is good to praise you, Lord, And make music to your name, high. It is good to praise you, Lord. And make music to your name, almost I almost I.
1:10
Alright. Let's sing that again. It is good to praise you, Lord, and make music to your name, almost high. It is good to praise you, Lord, and make music to your name, oh, most high. To proclaim to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night.
1:48
Let's sing that again. To proclaim. To proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night. And I sing for joy. Oh, I sing for joy at the sound of your name and the works of your hands.
2:16
Oh, you make me glad. And for all of my life, let my song to rise, oh, high. Alright. Let's sing again. It is good.
2:42
It is good to praise you, Lord, and make music to your name, oh, most high.
2:55
It is good
2:57
to praise you, Lord, and make music to your name, almost high. Almost
3:23
Amen. Y'all can have a seat. We've got a few announcements this morning. First thing is Monday nights at Firstbeat are still happening. It is Memorial Day but it is still happening.
3:32
Carl, what's going on?
3:33
Yep. We're on meal music message. We're going to finish up Colossians. Colossians four, it's on making the most of every opportunity. So, if you're in town, you wanna stop by and and worship with us, we'll be in there 06:00 meal, music, message.
3:45
Meal, music, and
3:46
a message. Monday night, 06:00. There's no Awana this week. We're not doing Awana this week. Tuesday.
3:51
Tuesday this week, it is the annual Turning Point Pregnancy Resource Center fundraiser at the Bar J. So if you have not seen the early show this year, the show for the Bar J, I I tend to see it a lot. Tanya works out there, so I tend to see this show throughout the year. I like to get an early season version and a late season version just to see what changes, but they're they're working on Tuesday night for the the Turning Point Pregnancy Resource Center. So all of the proceeds, profits from that go to Turning Point.
4:25
It's a good good time to be there. You'll be there with a cross section of the church in this valley. It's a lot of fun. So they were packed house last night. That's 05:30, gates open.
4:36
You can get the tickets here from Diane, 25 for adults, twelve I think, twelve for kiddos, 12 and under. But please contact Diane today. Carolyn Warziniak is back there. You can wave at her if you want to. That's Barjay Chuckwagon this Tuesday.
4:52
That's day after tomorrow, people. There's Diane back there too, so that's Diane. She has the tickets. Perfect. Vacation Bible school is happening June twenty fourth through the twenty eighth.
5:01
That's nine to twelve in the morning. If you know any kids, if you have any kids, if you have any grandkids that you wanna send along to the miraculous missing Jesus saves the world vacation Bible school, June twenty fourth through twenty eighth, that's happening. And also if you'd like to volunteer, I think we have a few slots still available for that too. There's a nurse mother's room downstairs, and I'm telling you upfront right here right now because I think it'd be embarrassing if somebody came up to you and said,
5:26
did you know we had
5:27
a nurse in mother's room downstairs?
5:29
Are you with me? No. I don't ever hear the babies crying anyway. Y'all just let them wail. I don't care.
5:35
But they're they're downstairs. There is a room if you wanna go down there. You can watch a live at the same time. If you miss a message, you can find it on the Internet, but isn't that true about just about anything? Alright.
5:47
Hemigrant hope is collecting shoes. If you have decent shoes, they are collecting them, and they have a goal that's like 25,000 pairs, I think. So shoes have already started to show up here. If you have shoes, that would be good. Immigrant Hope would appreciate you bringing them in.
6:04
There is a church drama that's going on two weeks from today, June 9. It's the good kind of church drama. It's actually a little play. Should be fifteen to twenty minutes long. They say there will be enough time for the preacher to close it off at the end, but it's gonna be The Liberator.
6:20
It was written by one of our own, and it's gonna be acted out by the kids and some adults too, so that ought to be fun. Today, this is interesting. Cowboy Church is happening on the square as a part of old west days, and right now the sun's shining. It's not cold wet days. It's good.
6:37
Old west days is happening. So at 10:00 today, that's what time this service ends. I'm supposed to play the bass over there at 10:00 today. So if you're moved by the spirit and you wanna talk to me, would y'all just call me? Because so I can I can go over there?
6:52
So Cowboy Church and if you wanna go with me, I'll be like Moses leading my people in Exodus from here over to the Cowboy Church on the square. Phil Rodeo Phil Wilson is doing the service this morning, and they ask if some of our members of the band wanted to play, and so Eugene and Florine are noticeably absent up here today, and I'm gonna run over there and play bass afterwards. So Cowboy Church on the square today. Connect hour's still gonna go on here, but if you don't go there and you wanna go downtown, that'll work too. And today is Memorial Day.
7:21
That's the official start of the tourist season here, but it is a time to remember all of those who have given the ultimate price. So would y'all mind just praying with me right now? God, I don't think there's anybody in this room that have not been touched by the loss of a loved one in the service of this country. So, Lord, I pray that you would bless us, Lord, with fond and good memories. And, Lord, if that was just a a I think of the old psalm, my daddy is only a picture.
7:51
If that's only a distant memory that we don't really know, Lord, would you help us make peace with that today as we honor those who have fallen in the service of this country, this great experiment. In Jesus' name, Lord, we ask your blessing on the families that have lost those loved ones. Amen. Amen. I also I'm gonna invite Steve Landis up.
8:14
He is the church moderator. He's close to the front right here today, and then he'll go from there.
8:25
Good morning, every there we go. Good morning, everybody. How are you doing? As he said, I am Steve Landis, one of the elders, and I have the privilege of serving as the moderator. What the moderator does is he oversees the board of trustees, and these dear folks serve you as a church and serve the Lord, in these capacities.
8:45
I'd like you to just stand if you're here. Frank Lyons, are you here? Paul Sandretto, if you're here, just stand and stand up and say there's Paul in the back. Frank's not here today. And then we've got, Grant Galloway, may not be here yet.
8:59
And Lauren Fry, and I forgot one. I forgot Ryan. Ryan Block. I'm sorry. He's right there.
9:07
Ryan, where are you? So these dear folks give of their time, of their talents to serve and we, the board of trustees overlooks the property and grounds. Paul's our property and grounds man and we oversee the finances of the church to be try to do be as responsible and, make the money stretch and and, at the direction of the elders, we, serve the church in this capacity. So give them a round of applause because I appreciate them. Thank you.
9:39
Yeah. They really do give a lot of their time and energy, and it's very appreciated, and it's fun to work with. Talented group. So just a little quick update. I call this the state of the union for First Baptist Church, and we are doing well because of, the generous giving.
9:56
The first quarter, we're actually ahead of our budget, which is good because we're able to project some things and plan some things, and and then also to, refill our coffers that we had taken from when we were doing the the kitchen. So, that's good news because usually we're running in the negative at this point. So thank you for being a giving church and a church that has the heart of of service. I have to put this up here because my bifocals are too close. Sorry about that.
10:24
So property and grounds, we've got a a list of things that we would like to do this summer. One of them is constructed deck on the millward side over here, on the Fellowship Hall, and we're hoping to have that done by July 4. If you're a volunteer if you're a volunteer who's gifted in, carpentry, if you wanna watch, we're gonna try and get that done in the next month. Also, would like to install some landscaping here on Kelly Street. Last year, we got our our our, sidewalks put in, so we wanna do a little bit of landscaping.
10:52
If you'd like to donate a bush or a shrub in somebody's name, see Paul or see myself, and we'll get you in the right direction. Then we have to also stain part of the church here. These three sides of the church building need some staining, and we'll be subbing that out to professionals, and also installing a roof. We need to install the roof. So those are just a few of the things that we wanna get done, we need to get done.
11:14
Those four things have to get done this year and so watch for for those improvements. I'm also looking for we're also looking for a couple of people. They could be retired, could be somebody who has flexibility in their jobs, but we're looking for somebody to help Paul with the property and grounds and just coordinating and meeting people. You know, Paul has plenty to do during the day and sometimes he can't get here to maybe meet the painter, meet somebody, let them in, just kinda show them what to do. Everything would be lined out for you but we just need somebody would help meet the meet people and coordinate.
11:46
If you're interested in doing that, please see me or Paul and we'd love to put you, in that position to help us out. Financially, I said the first quarter giving where you just praise the Lord for his provision. We also wanted to let you know of this, we opened two accounts, one was called an orphans and widow account. And these are gonna be open accounts, they're separate accounts that people can give to that from time to time. We have needs and in that area and we wanna have a fund available that we can help people with.
12:18
So if you like to give towards that, can just put that on the memo line. The other one we did is I on Romania. Now that comes from somebody who in in our on our elder board named Florin Ion who wants to be a missionary to Romania, but it's also it's also it's not just for him but it's also it's money that will be going to Romania. So again, this is a a way that we can help him. So if you'd like to give towards that, again, put it on the memo line eye on Romania.
12:47
Okay? Also wanna remind you there are multiple ways of giving. We don't we passed the offering plate, but today, we're moving more and more towards direct deposit. If it's more convenient for you and you would like to give and set it up, there are forms in the back. I put them, right to the back of where the offering plates usually sit right behind Blake in the foyer and you can fill this out and if you have any questions on it, you can call myself or Frank Lyons and we can help you out with this but it is one way that you can, another way that you can give and and, makes it a little bit easier in today's age.
13:20
I'm gonna switch hats. Oh, one more thing, security, we did a active shooter training with the local police and sheriff's department. We learned a lot. I thank everybody who came and was involved in that. We learned a lot, and just so you know, we are in the process of implementing several, suggestions and things that we learned with that.
13:38
So, and if you were there and you have ideas or even if you weren't there and you have ideas or thoughts or questions, again, direct that towards anybody on the BOT and their pictures are up on the bulletin board out there so you can go look and see who's on that and that these folks are up there. One more thing, I'm gonna switch hats. I'm also the missions team. Andy, would you come up? And since we have Shelby Von Busch representing your dad, would you come up because we're gonna pray for you.
14:03
Andy doesn't like to be alone. So to get him up in front of people, Andy's Andy and, good friend of mine, Jim Von Bush, Theresa's or Shelby's dad, they're heading to Uganda on a missions trip, and we just wanna pray for him. Would you come up and just lay hands? Heavenly father, we are so grateful for, the hearts of people that you move to go and to share and to serve. And we thank you for Andy and Jim, and we're grateful that you've moved them.
14:31
We pray for safety. We pray for protection. We just ask Lord, that you would use them in their gifts and their capacities and this whole team of men to minister to the folks there in Uganda, and, Lord, that they would be blessed as well. Thank you for going before them and surrounding them. We pray in Jesus' name.
14:47
Amen.
14:50
Thank you. And thank you, Steve. I think if there's anything else that we haven't announced, it should be in your little paper bulletin. You wanna skip the handshakey shake time? Introverts be happy.
15:02
Would y'all just stand and we're gonna sing a song. Alright?
15:04
Here we are.
15:10
Alright. I know not why.
15:13
I know not why God's wandering strays to me, we have begun. Or why a worthy Christ in love will do in which I've committed unto him against that day. I know not how we're faith to me I know that I want the spirit moves convincing men of sin, believing Jesus through the
17:51
That comes right out of second Timothy. It says, I'm not ashamed for I know whom I believed and I'm persuaded that he's able to keep that which I've committed unto him against that day. That faith that we put in Christ, is good. That remains good. When we meet him face to face, that faith remains good.
18:50
You may stand and proclaim your great name. It's a life I want to live because I'm couldn't live. There is no night here. I'm not ashamed of the gospel. I'm not ashamed of the gospel.
19:16
I'm not ashamed of Jesus Christ. I will stand and boldly say this is my life. I'm not ashamed of the gospel. Not ashamed of Jesus Christ. I will stand and boldly say this is my life.
19:50
You are the author of salvation and faith. You are. You are. You are. Victory that conquered the grave.
20:09
You are. I'm not ashamed of the gospel. I'm not ashamed of Christ. I was standing boldly saying that this is my life. I'm not ashamed of the gospel.
20:54
I'm not ashamed of Jesus Christ. I'm standing boldly safe. This is my life.
21:17
From first Peter four, it says, it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name. Lord, we do thank you for the privilege of being called by your name. And I think of Colossians and and how Paul, when he's in prison, he doesn't pray for for, safety or a super nice house or comfort, but he prays for opportunities for the gospel to get out there. And, Lord, we we do wanna we wanna pray for that as well, Lord, for for opportunities to arise that we would share, that we'd be able to share our hope with you because you are our living hope.
21:58
You're not a dead God. You are a living and active God, And you give peace with him, and we are grateful. Amen.
22:44
The one, the one, one, one, You are the one the alone one, in greatness, the one who never changes. Jesus, you are the one who rose in power, the one who reigns forever. Jesus, the one true God. One man on the cross, one light on the world. You.
24:07
The one alone in greatness, the one who never changes. Jesus, you are the one who rose in power, the one who reigns forever. Jesus, the one true God, And we've seen the glory of, and we've seen the glory of, the one and only son of God. Yes. We've seen the glory
25:38
Amen. Would y'all y'all have a seat? The frontlines team is coming forward. Would y'all pray with me? God, we thank you for this beautiful morning, lord and we taking a deep breath and thinking about things for a minute.
25:53
God, thank you for all that you've blessed us with with life and breath and with a voice. Lord, I pray that that voice would be ringing out praise to you continually and that we would be having the gospel that we're not ashamed of on our tongue. God, I pray for the service downtown today that that would draw people to you that might not normally be drawn by church. God, pray that you would do your will and your way this morning and that you would bless this county, this state, this country, and, Lord, even to the uttermost parts, the ends of the earth with that which we put in these plates this morning. In Jesus' name, we ask your blessing that should multiply the gift and bless the giver.
26:41
Amen.
28:06
They comfort me. You prepare a table before They comfort me. Surely goodness You're on and you're on stare. They comfort me. They comfort me.
30:12
They comfort me. They comfort me.
30:29
Amen. This morning, we're back on track. Last week, I started a sermon and then figured out about halfway through. I wasn't going to get to the sermon. But second Peter two ten B through three two, I think it'll be easier to understand and hopefully better and more impactful if you understand who Balam is.
30:49
So, that's what we covered last week but second Peter two ten B through three two. I want to remind you too. I'm going scoot. I'm going go that way after the service is over to get downtown. If you want to go, feel free.
31:02
I'm sure it'll be an evangelistic message. We'll be praying for anybody that might be present there. It's at 10:00 today but we're going to do that with a quick review right here. Second Peter is so good but it's it's hard. It's hard to preach.
31:17
It's a call to holiness and it stands out in a touchy feely kind of day where truth doesn't matter as much as tolerance, okay? It's hard. First, this quick review is like this. His divine power, that's the Holy Spirit of God. His divine power has given us everything that we need for a godly life.
31:38
This is a letter to Christians. So, by this point, these people have believed in Jesus and they have been empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit and that divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life, for life and godliness. Older versions say, through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness, oh, the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Knowledge of him is where it starts. Knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness through these, he has given us his very great and precious promises so that through them, you may participate in the divine nature and invitation to participate in the very nature of God, having the indwelling Holy Spirit, having escaped the corruption that's in the world that's caused by evil desires and so for this very reason, he says, make every effort to add to your faith and faith is something that they already have.
32:35
There's no doubt this letter is to Christians. So, B. First, you have to be and that being happens through faith. Belief in Jesus is the way John would say it, believing but first, you have to be and then add to that faith, goodness. It doesn't just come as you submit your will to the will of God, then, goodness will be added.
32:56
Goodness and knowledge and knowledge and self control and to self control perseverance and to perseverance, godliness, thinking about things the way that God thinks about those things and the godliness add mutual affection or brotherly love and then to that brotherly love at agape godly love. So, first B and then, do add these things. Make every effort he says. So, it's there's some striving there but it's striving to submit your will. It really is and when you're living in that place, it's like surfing a wave.
33:28
It's really, really, really good. You're empowered by something that's up under you and you're just riding the wave. I think sometimes we concentrate a little bit much. We try to do too much and we get ahead of the wave and that doesn't go well. We also have this prophetic message.
33:43
I've skipped a little bit going forward because I can't preach the whole book in one short day. We also have this prophetic message as something that's completely reliable and you will do well to pay attention to it. He's talking about the scriptures. Completely reliable and helpful. It's like light shining in a dark place until that day, the great and mighty day of the Lord.
34:02
We sing about it in two songs this morning and the morning star rises in your hearts above all. You must understand that no prophecy of scripture came about by the prophets on interpretation and for that matter, not from your own interpretation. You don't just get to decide what it means based on how you're feeling that day. It means what it means. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will but the prophets, though there were humans spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit, his divine power.
34:31
But there also were false prophets way back when and among the people and just as there were then false prophets, there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies even denying the sovereign lord who bought them, bringing swift destruction on themselves, many will follow their depraved conduct and will be will bring the way of truth into disrepute. Have you ever heard anybody that just blast the Bible all the time? Part of the reason why they do that is because people have injected destructive heresies and changed things and their depraved conduct has brought it into disrepute and people just blast In their greed, these teachers will exploit you with fabric stories and their condemnation has long been hanging over them. Their destruction has not been sleeping.
35:22
So far, that's where we've made it in first Peter. Actually, couple of examples of that are right here. If God did not spare the angels when they sinned but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be hell for judgement. If he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people but he protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness and if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning the ashes, made them an example what's going to happen to the ungodly but he rescued Lot. A righteous man.
35:50
I said when I passed this the first time that if you hit Lot anywhere in the Old Testament and you call him a righteous man. That'll raise some eyebrows but he was imputed righteousness. Are you with me? God saved him and it says, why? He was distressed by the debrave conduct of the lawless for that righteous man living among them day after day was tormented in his righteous soul.
36:14
He's called righteous more than once. So, by the lawless deeds he saw and heard. If this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteousness in or for punishment on the day of judgement. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority. Okay.
36:35
Heavy? Yes. That's where we've made it so far. We're going to go as a summary. Scripture is reliable and authoritative.
36:44
He said that multiple times already. It's God's word. It means what it means. False prophets used to twist it and false teachers will continue to twist it until that great and mighty day of the Lord. They will introduce destructive heresies.
36:58
People will be led astray. Peter's hope is that you won't be one of the ones that's led astray. Do you get that? He's also hoping that none of us that are in the position of teaching will teach anything beyond what is written. Are you with me?
37:12
I say that a lot, don't Judgment looms over them. So, as far as judgement and salvation, he talks about the flood and Noah, he talks about Sodom and Gomorrah and Lot. He knows how to rescue the righteous. So, be encouraged by that. Those of you who are distressed by what you see all around you in the world and those who look to God for your salvation.
37:34
It also says that he holds the unrighteous in their punishment like living a sinful lifestyle is in a way its own punishment but he's holding them for eternal punishment on that great mighty day. Pray that it is not so. Pray that it would not be so for them if they would turn and then he ends with especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh. They want what they want. We talked about Balam last week.
38:00
He wanted what he wanted. We'll get to him in a minute and they despise authority. Whether that's the authority of God or the authority of scripture or the authority of anybody else in there. God ordained. Lie.
38:16
Bold and arrogant it says. Who are these people again? These are the false teachers. So, this is primarily a sermon about the enticers, not the enticed as much but you can learn from both, okay? This is saying, these false teachers are bold and arrogant and they're not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings.
38:35
What in the world does that mean? The celestial beings right there, that that word, those celestial beings, it's this word which we hit all the time. Doxology is a study of God's glory. So doxa is glory. This one is actually plural, so it's glories or glorious beings or glorious ones.
39:00
Honor, renowned glory. It has an especially supernatural quality. It's something that's splendor. Maybe an angel blight could be said to be Doxa. This is hard.
39:14
Bold and arrogant, they're not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings and then he makes a contrast here. He says, yet even angels, even angel although they are stronger and more powerful so angels are stronger and more powerful than these celestial beings Angels are stronger and more powerful than the celestial beings he's talking about. It says, even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, they do not, the angels do not heap abuse on such beings. Those celestial beings, when bringing judgement on them from the Lord. So, it looks like in this case, that celestial beings, doxa, plural, is demons.
39:58
That's what it looks like. He says, angels are stronger than demons and more powerful but they don't heap abuse on. They do their job. They do what the Lord says. They they do exactly as God says but we're in the context of false teachers and saying they're bold and arrogant and they're not afraid to heap abuse on demons Yet, even angels, although they're stronger, more powerful, they don't do that.
40:22
When bringing judgement on them from the Lord. It's hard in our day. It's hard for me to preach because I'm not one to say all the miraculous giftings have ceased. I don't believe they are, and I do believe that we have an enemy and I do believe he has minions, and I do believe that we have to take some authority scripturally over that because we are children of God, but I think that there are people who've gone beyond what is written about what you can do and what you should do with demons. I think they overemphasize em for one thing.
40:54
We hit em. So, I'm talking about em. But it's interesting that Jesus says in Matthew seven, not everyone who says to me, lord, lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven but only he who does the will of my father. Add to your faith, goodness, and self control and perseverance and that's the will of God that we walk in that, right? The one who does the will of my father in heaven, many will say to me, on that great and mighty day of the Lord, on that day, same day.
41:23
Lord, lord, did we not prophesy in your name? And in your name, did we not drive out demons and perform many miracles and then I'll tell them plainly depart. I never knew you depart from me. You workers of lawlessness. It seems to be a similar category of people that Peter is talking about that Jesus was talking about right there.
41:42
Are you? Are you with me? I'm self conscious of saying are you with me now. But these people, the ones I'm talking about, these false teachers, they're bold and arrogant, they're not afraid to heap abuse on these glorious ones, demons. But these people blaspheme in matters that they do not understand.
42:04
Peter's saying they don't get it. They don't understand what this life is really about. They're like unreasoning animals. They're not thinking clearly through this. They're creatures of instinct.
42:16
They're born only to be caught and destroyed and like animals, they too will perish. This is not a good end for the false teachers. The enticers, the one who would lead him away. Jesus had more strong words. Anyone who leads one of these little ones away, it would be better for him on that great and mighty day that he would be tied a millstone around his neck and thrown into the depth of the ocean.
42:40
Heavy words. They will be paid back for with harm for the harm that they have done. These are the enticers. I'm talking to the folks. Most of y'all don't have an opportunity all the time to stand up in front of a bunch of people and teach but most of you do have some opportunity to teach somebody and so you have to take care with the words that you say from God.
43:04
Keep em close to what it says and don't go inventing or guessing. They'll be paid back with the harm or the harm that they've done. Their idea of pleasure is to corral in the broad daylight. Now, what what does corral mean? Carouse, when I see the word carouse, I think immediately I think drunkenness, but I think that's because it's almost always linked to that.
43:28
I looked up the word carouse, and I'm gonna give you the full dictionary definition. I usually break it down and make it a little simpler, but this is exactly what it says in the lexicon. The definition of truffet, which is carousing, is softness or daintiness or luxuriousness. Effeminate luxury, softness, indulgent living. It's from a verb thrypto, which means to break down due to overindulgence.
43:57
That's why I think drunkenness probably. Sensual pleasure living in excessive luxury properly. It is a feebleness that is brought on by self indulgence moral and spiritual breakdown, enfeeblement from over indulging in dainty or delicate things Dainty living that deteriorates soul and body and this is their idea of pleasure is to corral in the broad daylight like they happen to care in the world That's interesting that they go there. Paul gives a list. When he when he gives one, he gives a long list He just says, their idea of pleasure is to corral in the broad daylight Actually, this is one of Paul's list right here.
44:39
Romans thirteen twelve Now, the night is nearly over The day is almost here. So, let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy, he goes on. But he's talking about carousing is something that happens at night and in seven years from the winter of fifty seven AD to about between '64 and '66, seven, nine years later, he's saying that these folks idea of pleasures to corral in the broad daylight, they're just running rampant with it and claiming Christ while they're doing it. Are you are you getting it?
45:22
Their blots and their blemish Reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you I'm does anybody else see the prosperity gospel in this? I wish I did. I wish it were. I wish it. I feel like it is though.
45:40
Their blots and their blemishes and they're reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you. They're trying to entice you into an errant view of God and the gospel. That is not God centered but it's man centered. Their blots and their blemishes reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you with eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning. Aren't you glad it's about the enticers and not the enticed?
46:09
But there anything that you're taking in. I I we used to get old computer thing was data in, data out, or garbage in, garbage out. If you put garbage in, you're going to get garbage out. There are many teachers in our society right now and some of em have completely denied Christ altogether. He's the one who made the purchase, right?
46:30
He's the one who made the way available for anyone who believes in him but they have rejected him out of hand and they're presenting a different way or more ways or many ways or every way leads to God and that's not true. Jesus said, I am the way. I'm the truth. I'm the life. This is with eyes full of adultery.
46:52
Adultery is any kind of sexual activity outside of marriage, outside of committed marriage. With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning. I'm going to go back to Lot for just a minute. If you look at everything about Lot and he's called a righteous man and you look at everything he said and did and you just go, how can that be so? Because God made a way and then, if you look at Bala everything he said and we covered it last week.
47:22
Everything Bala said sounded really really good. Everything he said out loud, everything he said to individuals, everything sounded really really good. Yet, he is called unrighteous and mentioned as having Bala error and suffering death with the Midian kings for teaching them how to sin All of us are tempted All of us are tempted Peter is reminding us of the case that we are filled with the Holy Spirit and we have a choice to either go after our will or to submit to his will. What a shame if we don't submit our will to his and gain ground rather than losing it. With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning.
48:08
They're always concentrating on what their sense sense says won't. They seduce the unstable. Have you seen that to be true? I have. When someone just comes out of a profligate lifestyle, they just get out of it and they're experiencing freedom in Christ for the first time because the burden of their sins has been lifted and they feel it and then they have someone saying, hey, but you, you can do whatever you want to now.
48:40
God is, he's that so that you can and they're like, really? I have a a buddy who is saved after a pretty rough life of being a musician for a long time and in the bars and just kind of being all over the place, you know? Pretty immoral guy and he gets saved and he felt the need for himself. He felt the need, all of the things that had painful association for him. He walked away from those things, and he had a buddy that was riding with him.
49:10
They're going to a gig. He's now playing an itinerant Christian music band, you know, and they're on the way to the gig. He goes, man, you can still listen to all that work. You can still listen to all that. He goes, and so they're listening and he goes, do I have to though?
49:24
Do I have to to prove it to you that I could? Because for me that draws me back into my old past and I don't want that. Peter would say, good job. I'm just trying to remind you, garbage in is garbage out. Now for some of us not being as convicted about those things because there's no painful association, there's a lot of truth.
49:42
Mean, for crying out loud, two weeks ago, I sang a Merle Haggard song. This if there's truth to be had there, then, if I can process that that on a way that's a memorable things for you to be able to use, praise God but for him, it drew him back into sin and took his mind different places. So, he said, do I have to though? Can I just go forward in holiness? They seduce the unstable.
50:10
Actually, it goes on to say they're experts in greed and a cursed brood from the outset. They were children of the curse is what it literally says. Experts in greed. That's why I say the prosperity gospel pops up so often because there are a lot of folks who have enrichened themselves by taking from unstable new believers mostly. They have left the straight way, the good old gospel way we talk about all the time.
50:39
I always say a road with ditches on both sides. I heard a preacher this week that said, my favorite illustration is Scottish. Favorite illustration is the tightrope. His his road was very narrow. It's a tight rope with a yawning chasm on both sides.
50:54
They have left that straight way and they've wandered off to follow the way of Balam, son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness and we talked about Balam last week. If you didn't catch it last week, go back and listen to it on Facebook or go back and listen to it on the website but it's numbers 22 to 25. He's more than just the guy who got chewed out by the donkey, okay? He loved the wages of wickedness. If you go on to read that whole thing, you never hit in '22, '20 or '24, you never hit anything that sounds like Bala did anything that was so awful You get it from his story before that he was a prophet for profit and you get it from his story after in Revelation where it says, Bala taught Balak, king of Moab.
51:46
How he would entangle the Israelites and he would do it through sexual immorality. Exodus 25 doesn't mention Balam right there but it says that they began to be involved sexually adult and adulterous relationships with the Midianite women and the Moabite women and that was the way that they were drawn off the path. Now, they could not curse. Every time Balaam opened his mouth, he blessed the people rather than curse the people but this way that he did it was internal through their desires. Peter knows that when he goes to say, he was he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey, an animal without speech.
52:28
He spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet's madness. He restrained it in that road that day. But that doesn't tell the whole story either. But that other verse, the love and the wages of wickedness really points to all that Balaam did. These people, who are these people again?
52:50
These people are the enticers. They're the false teachers. They're the ones who would enrich themselves and lead people astray. Do I think that everybody who preaches a false version of the gospel is insincere or charlatan? I do not.
53:06
I think that many of them are just deceived. I think many of them are deceived into believing that everything that they're doing in Jesus name is pure and good. But they're still wrong. It doesn't line up with scripture. These people, these people are springs without water.
53:23
If you're traveling through the desert and you see signs for a spring, you see a mirage and you're going for it and you get there and you reach down and there's nothing but dust. This is written to a people in the desert, right? Springs without water. There's a promise there that remains unfulfilled and mists that are driven by a storm. It's not the good soaking rain.
53:45
It's just a mist. It sounds good. Looks like it might be good for your crops but it just moves on. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. Thank God it's about them, right?
53:55
The enticers. He's got a lot to say right here. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. For they mouth empty and boastful words and by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh of the people that they're leading and teaching, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. Are you with?
54:20
When people just come out of a lifestyle and they're coming into Christ, we need to be loving one another. That's what we need to be doing. Concentrating on loving one another, not dividing over little theological quibbles, not enticing and encouraging them to believe our own brand of things. They entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom while they themselves are slaves of depravity.
54:50
Like Balaam's error, he kept on going for the money, for the money, for the money, for the money. He knew one of the ways to get that was to appeal to their God given drives sexual and sensual They promised them freedom while they themselves are slaves of depravity. Actually, I I like the Greek on this. I think I have a slide of it where it's just it says, freedom them promising themselves slaves being. People are slaves to whatever has mastered them Yep.
55:34
God, would you help us see what it is that is attempting to master us? Would you help us see our own particular proclivities and our own particular desires that it would be really easy for someone to leverage and draw us away. In Jesus name, lord, would you help us to see error when it exist? Amen. So, there are three more verses in this chapter but I'm going dot dot dot those.
56:05
It's a hard one to leave. It's two minutes till ten. I put the dot dot dot there before I got up here. Well, can I get the band to come on back up? The next few, yeah, y'all y'all tune up.
56:23
Glorious day. We're looking forward to that great and glorious day of the Lord but we also are looking and staying alert. Peter in first Peter says, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time. He says, to stay sober and stay vigilant and he says to resist the devil. When he is trying to get at you by your sensual desires, don't allow it.
56:46
Resist him and then it says, the God of all grace who's called you into his eternal being in Christ Jesus, he says, he will himself perfect and confirm and strengthen and establish you. God, it's for that that we're praying under the authority of Jesus Christ and in the authority of your word. Amen. Would you all stand?
57:36
Born of a virgin, dwelt among men, my example and seer. The word became flesh and light shined among us. One day they laid in Calvary's Mountain. Me. Dying, saved me.
59:00
Buried, he carried my sins far away. Rising, he justified, really, forever. One day he's coming, oh glorious day, oh glorious day. And one day the grave could seal him no longer. One day the stone rolled away from the door, then he arose over death he had conquered.
59:44
Now as ascended my lord evermore. And death cannot hold him, the grave cannot keep him. Rising again, living he loved me. Dying he saved me. Buried, he carried my sins far away.
1:00:08
Rising, he justified freely forever. One day, he's coming. Oh, glorious day. Oh, glorious day.
1:00:31
Let's pray on that, shall we? Lord, we thank you for your perfect life, for your sacrificial death, for your resurrection, for your ascension, that all who would believe in you would have eternal life. Lord, I pray that throughout this week, be walking in the spirit, walking in truth, And God that you'd continue to guide us in all wisdom. We pray in Jesus name. Amen.
1:00:56
Little benediction there. If any of you lacks wisdom, should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. Amen.
