WEBVTT

NOTE
Podcast: Acts 29 Vancouver
Episode: Living like the Bride
Publishing Date: 2009-11-29T05:00:44-08:00
Podcast URL: https://acts29.ca
Episode URL: https://acts29.ca/living-like-the-bride/

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.760
We are talking about being unleavened today.

00:00:03.760 --> 00:00:08.760
And it's a continuation of this whole idea of Gilgal

00:00:10.120 --> 00:00:13.240
and authentic sons and cleaving the heavens open.

00:00:13.240 --> 00:00:16.120
So if you want to find out more about what I mean,

00:00:16.120 --> 00:00:19.480
you'll have to go and listen to the tapes.

00:00:19.480 --> 00:00:20.800
Someone was telling me that,

00:00:20.800 --> 00:00:23.000
man, sometimes we are Zion people,

00:00:23.000 --> 00:00:24.280
sometimes we are Gilgal people,

00:00:24.280 --> 00:00:26.200
sometimes we are this people and that people.

00:00:26.200 --> 00:00:28.600
I get quite confusing, I agree.

00:00:28.640 --> 00:00:31.720
So let's leave those terms out for the present.

00:00:31.720 --> 00:00:34.120
Let me start by saying this in introduction that,

00:00:34.120 --> 00:00:37.120
guys, authentic sons, and we said our theme

00:00:37.120 --> 00:00:39.520
that the Lord has given us for 2010,

00:00:39.520 --> 00:00:44.520
which has already started, is open heavens, authentic sons.

00:00:44.520 --> 00:00:46.920
Open heavens, authentic sons.

00:00:46.920 --> 00:00:48.960
And the premise that we've discussed thus far,

00:00:48.960 --> 00:00:52.200
thanks Heidi, is this, that authentic sons

00:00:52.200 --> 00:00:55.000
have the ability to cleave heavens open.

00:00:55.040 --> 00:01:00.040
Authentic sons have the ability to cleave heavens open.

00:01:00.440 --> 00:01:02.800
Not to part heavens, to cleave it open,

00:01:02.800 --> 00:01:04.640
to literally tear it apart.

00:01:04.640 --> 00:01:05.480
And where do we get this?

00:01:05.480 --> 00:01:06.960
We get this from Matthew 3,

00:01:06.960 --> 00:01:11.320
where an authentic son, the authentic son, the Christ,

00:01:11.320 --> 00:01:12.800
steps out of the water.

00:01:12.800 --> 00:01:14.000
And when he steps out of the water,

00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:17.200
the Bible says that the heavens were torn open.

00:01:17.200 --> 00:01:19.240
And from the heavens came a voice which said,

00:01:19.240 --> 00:01:24.040
this is my son in whom I delight and listen to him.

00:01:25.160 --> 00:01:26.880
And the whole intent of what we're trying to shape

00:01:26.880 --> 00:01:30.800
before we enter 2010, is that we want to be authentic sons

00:01:30.800 --> 00:01:33.360
who have the ability to cleave the heavens open,

00:01:34.240 --> 00:01:36.440
so that we can become oracles of God,

00:01:36.440 --> 00:01:39.120
where God will say, listen to these people.

00:01:39.120 --> 00:01:41.960
They've got what I want to release on earth.

00:01:41.960 --> 00:01:45.600
Listen to them, because they have become authentic sons.

00:01:45.600 --> 00:01:47.800
Because they have separated the waters,

00:01:47.800 --> 00:01:49.520
and the separation of waters, we said,

00:01:49.520 --> 00:01:51.640
was in aligning with the purposes of God,

00:01:51.640 --> 00:01:54.760
and setting aside that which is not of God.

00:01:54.760 --> 00:01:55.960
We talked about that.

00:01:57.640 --> 00:02:01.960
That's what we are called to be through this year and into 2010.

00:02:01.960 --> 00:02:03.360
And I wouldn't be surprised, as I said,

00:02:03.360 --> 00:02:05.920
if Eddie talked about this at the conference,

00:02:05.920 --> 00:02:07.520
if he's coming next year.

00:02:08.760 --> 00:02:10.520
That authentic sons have the ability

00:02:10.520 --> 00:02:12.000
to cleave the heavens open.

00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:13.240
When the heavens are cleaved open,

00:02:13.240 --> 00:02:16.960
because of the ways these sons are growing up and behaving,

00:02:16.960 --> 00:02:18.120
what will happen is,

00:02:18.120 --> 00:02:20.840
God will begin to use them as oracles of God on earth.

00:02:21.680 --> 00:02:24.160
And once he begins to use them as oracles of God on earth,

00:02:24.160 --> 00:02:25.320
here's what will happen.

00:02:25.320 --> 00:02:26.920
There'll be tremendous favor.

00:02:27.680 --> 00:02:30.200
There'll be tremendous understanding of Revelation.

00:02:30.200 --> 00:02:32.280
It's one thing to see Revelation.

00:02:32.280 --> 00:02:34.880
It's another thing to understand and demonstrate it.

00:02:36.040 --> 00:02:37.760
It is not the truth that sets you free.

00:02:37.760 --> 00:02:40.520
It's the knowledge of the truth that sets you free, guys.

00:02:43.640 --> 00:02:46.560
You'll hear this word bandied about nowadays

00:02:46.560 --> 00:02:49.360
in Christian circles, open heaven, open heaven, open heaven.

00:02:49.360 --> 00:02:51.960
They'll even locate places where there are open heavens.

00:02:53.560 --> 00:02:55.160
That's an Old Testament model.

00:02:56.160 --> 00:02:57.720
You do not look into the New Testament

00:02:57.720 --> 00:02:59.360
through the lenses of the Old Testament.

00:02:59.360 --> 00:03:00.960
You stand in the New Testament,

00:03:00.960 --> 00:03:02.560
wear lenses of the New Testament

00:03:02.560 --> 00:03:04.160
and look at the Old Testament.

00:03:04.160 --> 00:03:07.560
You cannot take locations and make them open heavens.

00:03:10.160 --> 00:03:11.360
This is unscriptural.

00:03:11.360 --> 00:03:12.160
It's wrong.

00:03:12.160 --> 00:03:13.960
And I'm coming out strong against it,

00:03:13.960 --> 00:03:17.360
because it is something that is not right.

00:03:17.360 --> 00:03:20.560
Because it is substance less,

00:03:22.160 --> 00:03:26.760
but is being spoken about like nobody's business.

00:03:26.760 --> 00:03:29.160
It excites people, but it is not true.

00:03:32.760 --> 00:03:37.760
An open heaven is when God's favor is upon you

00:03:37.760 --> 00:03:41.360
because you have begun to walk like an authentic son.

00:03:43.760 --> 00:03:46.160
If I don't walk as an authentic son,

00:03:46.160 --> 00:03:47.960
I can use those two words, open heaven,

00:03:47.960 --> 00:03:49.760
in my talking as much as I want,

00:03:49.760 --> 00:03:53.560
and it doesn't mean zip.

00:03:57.560 --> 00:03:58.760
God, I understand this.

00:03:59.560 --> 00:04:01.560
We are not here to tickle ears, guys.

00:04:02.260 --> 00:04:03.560
We are not tickling ears here.

00:04:10.160 --> 00:04:12.560
Authentic sons cleave open the heavens,

00:04:12.560 --> 00:04:14.760
and then they begin to walk under the scepter

00:04:14.760 --> 00:04:15.760
of the Lion of Judah.

00:04:15.760 --> 00:04:18.160
We talked about that when we talked about the book of Esther,

00:04:18.160 --> 00:04:24.360
and we said, King Xerxes held out his scepter in favor

00:04:24.360 --> 00:04:28.160
and welcome to Esther, and she came forth.

00:04:28.660 --> 00:04:30.560
And it's the same way with us.

00:04:30.860 --> 00:04:33.760
When we as authentic sons begin to walk like authentic sons,

00:04:33.760 --> 00:04:34.760
the heavens cleave open,

00:04:35.060 --> 00:04:37.360
and you begin to walk under the scepter of the Lion of Judah

00:04:37.860 --> 00:04:40.860
in favor, in his delight, in his authority,

00:04:40.960 --> 00:04:41.960
and in his understanding.

00:04:42.560 --> 00:04:44.260
Do you want to see who an authentic son is?

00:04:44.260 --> 00:04:44.960
Look at Jesus.

00:04:45.160 --> 00:04:46.560
He walked in God's favor.

00:04:46.660 --> 00:04:47.760
He walked in his delight.

00:04:47.760 --> 00:04:50.060
He said, this is my son in whom I'm delighted.

00:04:50.760 --> 00:04:54.960
He walked as an oracle of God on earth because the father said,

00:04:55.060 --> 00:04:55.860
listen to him.

00:04:56.260 --> 00:05:00.360
He walked in understanding that starts right off in Luke 152.

00:05:00.560 --> 00:05:04.360
The boy grew up in wisdom and stature and favor with God and man,

00:05:04.360 --> 00:05:05.960
and he walks in authority.

00:05:05.960 --> 00:05:07.060
He knew his authority.

00:05:08.060 --> 00:05:10.760
This is what authentic sons look like.

00:05:10.860 --> 00:05:14.860
When a church becomes this, can you imagine the oracle of God on earth suddenly?

00:05:15.960 --> 00:05:21.460
Even if it's half this crowd, you become an oracle of God on earth.

00:05:21.560 --> 00:05:23.960
You begin to speak the things of God on earth,

00:05:23.960 --> 00:05:26.460
and it doesn't matter if you don't have a wide platform

00:05:26.460 --> 00:05:31.260
because when words are spoken, they go forth and accomplish what they've been sent out for.

00:05:32.960 --> 00:05:34.460
This is how it works, guys.

00:05:36.460 --> 00:05:37.760
This is how it works.

00:05:44.960 --> 00:05:49.260
Like I said, once we become oracles of God, it's not just a message, guys.

00:05:49.860 --> 00:05:53.160
It's not just a message of kingdom that we speak.

00:05:53.260 --> 00:05:54.760
We become the message.

00:05:56.060 --> 00:05:59.560
Everything we speak, we already are.

00:05:59.760 --> 00:06:01.060
We become the message.

00:06:01.460 --> 00:06:04.160
The messenger becomes the message.

00:06:04.160 --> 00:06:04.960
Imagine that.

00:06:05.660 --> 00:06:07.160
The messenger becomes the message.

00:06:08.860 --> 00:06:09.760
That's what happens.

00:06:11.060 --> 00:06:13.860
There were so many times when Jesus didn't speak a word

00:06:13.960 --> 00:06:16.660
and yet circumstances around him would change.

00:06:17.060 --> 00:06:18.460
The messenger becomes the message.

00:06:19.760 --> 00:06:20.960
And the message of the kingdom...

00:06:22.760 --> 00:06:23.660
I mean, you know what the kingdom is?

00:06:23.660 --> 00:06:27.160
The kingdom is Jesus Christ's reign on earth.

00:06:27.460 --> 00:06:28.260
That's the kingdom.

00:06:28.560 --> 00:06:31.860
The message of Jesus Christ's reign on earth is unleavened.

00:06:32.560 --> 00:06:33.660
Is unleavened.

00:06:34.560 --> 00:06:35.260
Is unleavened.

00:06:35.260 --> 00:06:36.960
The message of the kingdom is unleavened.

00:06:37.560 --> 00:06:40.160
What I mean by that is it's free of wickedness.

00:06:41.260 --> 00:06:42.460
It's free of malice.

00:06:43.960 --> 00:06:46.360
Instead, it's full of sincerity and truth.

00:06:47.060 --> 00:06:50.560
So on one hand, the message of the kingdom is free of malice and wickedness.

00:06:51.060 --> 00:06:54.760
On the other hand, the message of the kingdom is full of sincerity and truth.

00:06:58.560 --> 00:07:01.760
It's free of rules, but it's full of principles.

00:07:01.860 --> 00:07:02.860
Isn't that awesome?

00:07:03.460 --> 00:07:06.760
It's free of rules, but it's full of principles.

00:07:07.460 --> 00:07:08.360
I like what Paul says.

00:07:08.360 --> 00:07:12.060
Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial.

00:07:14.760 --> 00:07:17.760
It's free of rules, but full of principles.

00:07:21.260 --> 00:07:26.660
It's free of coercion of forcing somebody or trying to make something happen.

00:07:26.660 --> 00:07:27.660
It's free of coercion.

00:07:27.860 --> 00:07:30.960
Like Marcus was saying, it's free of having to strive.

00:07:31.160 --> 00:07:34.660
It's free of coercion, but it's full of yieldedness and trust.

00:07:34.860 --> 00:07:36.360
Full of yieldedness and trust.

00:07:37.160 --> 00:07:42.860
Free of coercion, C-O-E-R-C-I-O-N, and yet full of yielded trust.

00:07:43.860 --> 00:07:46.860
It's free of condemnation and full of love.

00:07:48.160 --> 00:07:50.860
Free of condemnation, full of love.

00:07:52.160 --> 00:07:54.360
Free of condemnation, full of love.

00:07:54.660 --> 00:07:59.360
Guys, this is the unleavened message of the kingdom.

00:07:59.560 --> 00:08:02.660
And when I say unleavened, we'll talk about what unleavened means a little later.

00:08:02.960 --> 00:08:06.860
But it's unleavened, meaning nothing has been added that is not unleavened.

00:08:07.060 --> 00:08:10.860
It's unleavened, meaning nothing has been added that is not unleavened.

00:08:10.860 --> 00:08:14.360
But it's unleavened, meaning nothing has been added that is not of God.

00:08:14.560 --> 00:08:19.160
If this is the unleavened message of the kingdom, here's my question to you.

00:08:19.460 --> 00:08:21.460
Is this your life as the messenger?

00:08:22.160 --> 00:08:26.560
Because if this is the message of the kingdom, then the life of the messenger has to be unleavened too.

00:08:27.560 --> 00:08:32.360
Do you understand why it's important to grasp the whole principle of being unleavened?

00:08:33.260 --> 00:08:37.860
If the message is unleavened, the messenger has to be unleavened.

00:08:38.860 --> 00:08:39.460
Vital.

00:08:40.860 --> 00:08:43.660
My profession should match my lifestyle.

00:08:44.360 --> 00:08:46.160
My lifestyle should match my profession.

00:08:46.460 --> 00:08:48.060
I know we talked about this before.

00:08:48.160 --> 00:08:50.660
You heard messages on this before, but this is a little different.

00:08:50.960 --> 00:08:53.660
But I just want us to understand why we are talking about this.

00:08:54.360 --> 00:09:01.460
And to elaborate on this, we'll take 1 Corinthians 5 as a test case

00:09:01.760 --> 00:09:06.960
where Paul calls individuals and the corporate body back to being unleavened.

00:09:06.960 --> 00:09:13.460
And we'll draw out principles from 1 Corinthians 5 for this house.

00:09:13.760 --> 00:09:15.160
1 Corinthians 5.

00:09:15.460 --> 00:09:16.660
I'm going to read the whole thing.

00:09:16.860 --> 00:09:18.160
I'm reading from the NIV.

00:09:21.460 --> 00:09:25.760
The NIV is not necessarily always the accurate version, nor is the KJV by the way.

00:09:25.960 --> 00:09:27.760
But we'll do with what we have right now.

00:09:30.760 --> 00:09:31.960
1 Corinthians 5.

00:09:34.760 --> 00:09:35.860
Okay, here goes.

00:09:36.960 --> 00:09:41.060
This is a test case that explains the principles of being unleavened.

00:09:41.160 --> 00:09:42.160
Paul talks about it.

00:09:42.460 --> 00:09:44.960
It is actually, chapter 5 verse 1.

00:09:45.160 --> 00:09:48.260
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you

00:09:48.660 --> 00:09:52.060
and of a kind that does not occur even among the pagans.

00:09:53.160 --> 00:09:56.560
A man has his father's wife and you are proud?

00:09:57.660 --> 00:10:01.760
Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship

00:10:01.960 --> 00:10:03.060
the man who did this?

00:10:03.960 --> 00:10:05.860
Even though I'm not physically present,

00:10:05.960 --> 00:10:07.460
I'm with you in spirit.

00:10:07.560 --> 00:10:09.360
And you thought Sewell invented that line.

00:10:09.960 --> 00:10:12.860
Even though I'm not physically present, I'm with you in spirit.

00:10:13.860 --> 00:10:17.860
And I have already passed judgment on the ones who did this just as I were present.

00:10:18.960 --> 00:10:21.860
When you're assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus

00:10:22.160 --> 00:10:25.960
and I am with you in spirit and the power of our Lord Jesus is present,

00:10:26.160 --> 00:10:30.460
hand this man over to Satan so that the sinful nature may be destroyed

00:10:30.660 --> 00:10:33.060
and the spirit saved on the day of the Lord.

00:10:33.860 --> 00:10:35.160
Your boasting is not good.

00:10:35.660 --> 00:10:39.960
Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?

00:10:41.360 --> 00:10:45.160
Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast,

00:10:45.860 --> 00:10:46.760
as you really are.

00:10:47.460 --> 00:10:50.060
For Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed.

00:10:50.360 --> 00:10:53.160
Therefore let us keep the festival not with the old yeast,

00:10:53.460 --> 00:10:55.060
the yeast of malice and wickedness,

00:10:55.260 --> 00:10:58.760
but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.

00:10:59.860 --> 00:11:04.060
I have written you in my letters not to associate with sexually immoral people.

00:11:04.060 --> 00:11:08.360
Not at all meaning the people of the world who are immoral or greedy

00:11:08.860 --> 00:11:10.860
and swindlers or idolaters.

00:11:11.060 --> 00:11:13.160
In that case you would have to leave this world.

00:11:13.560 --> 00:11:15.660
But now I'm writing you that you may,

00:11:15.960 --> 00:11:19.160
that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother,

00:11:19.660 --> 00:11:24.160
but is sexually immoral or greedy or idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler.

00:11:24.660 --> 00:11:26.060
With such a man do not even eat.

00:11:26.860 --> 00:11:30.660
What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church?

00:11:31.160 --> 00:11:33.160
Are you not to judge those inside?

00:11:34.360 --> 00:11:35.860
God will judge those outside.

00:11:36.160 --> 00:11:37.960
Expel the wicked man from among you.

00:11:38.660 --> 00:11:39.360
Strong eh?

00:11:45.460 --> 00:11:45.860
Okay.

00:11:46.660 --> 00:11:49.160
So talking about church and sin guys,

00:11:52.760 --> 00:11:56.560
whenever there is a gap or a discrepancy between

00:11:58.060 --> 00:12:01.560
the profession of a church and the lifestyle of a church,

00:12:02.060 --> 00:12:03.960
it requires confrontation

00:12:06.060 --> 00:12:07.960
and it requires a reconciliation of sin.

00:12:07.960 --> 00:12:09.760
We talked about reconciliation last time.

00:12:10.060 --> 00:12:13.960
Whenever there's a gap between what the church professes and the lifestyle of the church,

00:12:14.260 --> 00:12:15.560
and we're talking about a people now,

00:12:16.260 --> 00:12:18.560
and a people is made up of individuals parts.

00:12:19.260 --> 00:12:23.960
Whenever there is a gap between what a church professes are its values

00:12:24.360 --> 00:12:26.860
and it is, it is,

00:12:27.160 --> 00:12:30.460
doesn't match up with the lifestyle of individuals that make up the church,

00:12:30.760 --> 00:12:33.960
then it needs to be confronted and it needs to be reconciled.

00:12:34.160 --> 00:12:36.360
So my question to you is does that mean

00:12:36.960 --> 00:12:39.760
if there's a sin in my life, you have to confront it or how does it work?

00:12:39.760 --> 00:12:42.860
What sins does the church deal with?

00:12:45.760 --> 00:12:46.160
I mean,

00:12:47.260 --> 00:12:52.060
because if it were to become the rule or the principle that

00:12:52.560 --> 00:12:55.260
if there is any sin in anyone's life in the church confronted,

00:12:55.460 --> 00:12:58.860
then all we would do every Sunday at least is to confront sin.

00:12:59.160 --> 00:13:01.260
So where is the line?

00:13:01.260 --> 00:13:02.960
Where is the logic in this?

00:13:04.760 --> 00:13:05.760
What do you think?

00:13:06.460 --> 00:13:10.560
I mean, does the church monitor everyone's sins now and who is the church?

00:13:10.560 --> 00:13:11.560
Is it the pastor?

00:13:11.760 --> 00:13:15.960
Is it a group of people who are elders who go around to each house looking for sins?

00:13:15.960 --> 00:13:16.660
How does it work?

00:13:16.960 --> 00:13:20.560
Do we monitor each other's sins or how does the church deal with it?

00:13:20.560 --> 00:13:22.260
Causes someone to stumble?

00:13:22.260 --> 00:13:23.260
All of the above.

00:13:23.260 --> 00:13:24.260
All of the above?

00:13:29.260 --> 00:13:30.260
Anyone else?

00:13:36.060 --> 00:13:37.860
Pardon? At the appropriate time?

00:13:40.060 --> 00:13:41.260
I'd like to use a word

00:13:42.060 --> 00:13:43.060
that

00:13:43.360 --> 00:13:44.560
best explains it.

00:13:44.560 --> 00:13:46.960
When there is contaminating sin

00:13:48.360 --> 00:13:49.360
in the church,

00:13:49.760 --> 00:13:52.360
when there is contaminating sin in the church,

00:13:52.760 --> 00:13:54.560
then the church must deal with it.

00:13:55.160 --> 00:13:57.060
And by contaminating sin,

00:13:57.060 --> 00:14:01.560
I mean sin that infects or spreads in the

00:14:02.560 --> 00:14:06.360
body where one individual sin is

00:14:06.360 --> 00:14:08.360
a source of the other sin.

00:14:08.660 --> 00:14:09.360
In the

00:14:10.360 --> 00:14:14.460
body where one individual sin now begins to affect

00:14:15.760 --> 00:14:16.460
the body.

00:14:17.560 --> 00:14:19.860
When there is contaminating sin in the church,

00:14:20.060 --> 00:14:21.860
it'll need to be dealt with.

00:14:28.660 --> 00:14:33.060
Contaminating sin that we see in the Bible, for example, in Revelation 2 20,

00:14:33.860 --> 00:14:36.660
Jesus tells the church in the theater, I'm not too sure.

00:14:36.660 --> 00:14:37.160
It says,

00:14:38.360 --> 00:14:40.760
I'm sad that you have tolerated Jezebel,

00:14:41.460 --> 00:14:45.460
who is now beginning to spread sexual immorality and idolatry in your

00:14:45.960 --> 00:14:46.560
midst.

00:14:46.760 --> 00:14:49.560
So one of the contaminating sins that a church would have to deal with

00:14:49.760 --> 00:14:51.460
is false doctrine.

00:14:55.160 --> 00:14:55.960
False doctrine.

00:14:56.960 --> 00:14:59.860
Now the contaminating sin is surprisingly greed.

00:15:01.860 --> 00:15:02.360
Greed.

00:15:03.560 --> 00:15:04.160
Greed.

00:15:04.660 --> 00:15:09.660
For instance, what if I were to engage in a business and

00:15:10.760 --> 00:15:13.260
come to your houses to pray and start selling you my business?

00:15:14.960 --> 00:15:18.360
What if I were to take your offerings to build my own empire?

00:15:22.060 --> 00:15:23.960
Greed. Jude talks about it.

00:15:25.360 --> 00:15:26.460
Peter talks about it.

00:15:27.860 --> 00:15:29.460
People whose God is their belly.

00:15:32.260 --> 00:15:33.360
Contaminating sin.

00:15:33.860 --> 00:15:36.660
There are churches here in Vancouver that are broken up because of money

00:15:37.460 --> 00:15:37.960
being

00:15:39.260 --> 00:15:40.560
moved from place to place.

00:15:41.560 --> 00:15:43.060
Greed is a contaminating sin.

00:15:43.460 --> 00:15:45.860
Another contaminating sin is abuse.

00:15:46.160 --> 00:15:51.360
Any form of abuse in the church, be it between a husband and wife in a

00:15:51.360 --> 00:15:55.260
home that we are aware of and that we do not do anything about

00:15:56.560 --> 00:16:01.460
or abuse from the pastor or the elders upon the people is a contaminating

00:16:01.460 --> 00:16:05.360
sin because it brings in control and dominance that is completely

00:16:05.360 --> 00:16:07.360
opposite of everything the cross represents.

00:16:13.260 --> 00:16:15.960
Contaminating sins are sins that the church is aware of but will not

00:16:15.960 --> 00:16:16.760
do anything about.

00:16:18.160 --> 00:16:22.360
They will tolerate it and in tolerating it, it is beginning to infect

00:16:22.360 --> 00:16:25.160
the church because they're lowering the standards that God has

00:16:26.160 --> 00:16:26.560
set.

00:16:27.160 --> 00:16:27.560
Why?

00:16:27.660 --> 00:16:31.160
So that peacekeeping is put into place.

00:16:32.460 --> 00:16:33.560
Sexual immorality.

00:16:34.660 --> 00:16:37.860
Another contaminating sin, which is what Paul deals with right here.

00:16:39.160 --> 00:16:40.560
You must understand the background of this.

00:16:40.760 --> 00:16:42.560
Here is a man who's living with his stepmom.

00:16:42.960 --> 00:16:44.360
It's not a one-night stand.

00:16:44.360 --> 00:16:46.460
He is living with her on a regular basis.

00:16:47.260 --> 00:16:50.260
The church is aware of it and is refusing to do anything about it.

00:16:50.360 --> 00:16:53.960
Now in us as Christians, we think that is such a terrible thing.

00:16:53.960 --> 00:16:55.960
Please understand in Corinth that was normal.

00:16:56.460 --> 00:17:00.160
It was a decadent society in which having a mistress was a very normal

00:17:00.160 --> 00:17:03.460
thing as it still is in certain cultures and societies around the

00:17:03.460 --> 00:17:05.360
world, even among Christians.

00:17:06.060 --> 00:17:07.760
So for us it might be, oh, how could he?

00:17:08.160 --> 00:17:11.260
But for them it wasn't a big deal, which is why Paul continuously

00:17:11.260 --> 00:17:14.660
had to write about idolatry and sexual immorality to the Corinthian

00:17:14.660 --> 00:17:15.060
church.

00:17:17.560 --> 00:17:22.160
But if there's sexual immorality in this house and we are aware of

00:17:22.160 --> 00:17:25.560
it and we do not confront it, that is again a contaminating sin.

00:17:27.460 --> 00:17:29.760
Because the reason we will not confront it is because we want to

00:17:29.760 --> 00:17:31.460
keep peace.

00:17:33.860 --> 00:17:34.360
How?

00:17:34.460 --> 00:17:36.860
By completely ejecting the peace giver.

00:17:37.660 --> 00:17:40.560
The Prince of Peace, we kick out so that we can have peace in the

00:17:40.560 --> 00:17:40.960
church.

00:17:41.260 --> 00:17:42.460
How ridiculous is that?

00:17:46.560 --> 00:17:47.660
That's contaminating sin.

00:17:53.760 --> 00:17:56.360
Strife and rebellion is contaminating sin.

00:17:57.360 --> 00:18:00.560
Strife and rebellion is contaminating sin guys.

00:18:02.460 --> 00:18:06.360
Strife spreads, rebellion spreads.

00:18:07.160 --> 00:18:09.760
Accusation and slander is contaminating sin.

00:18:09.860 --> 00:18:10.760
How about that one?

00:18:11.760 --> 00:18:12.860
Never thought of that eh?

00:18:13.360 --> 00:18:14.060
At least I didn't.

00:18:15.560 --> 00:18:19.160
That accusation and slander within a body is contaminating sin.

00:18:20.860 --> 00:18:23.560
Strife and rebellion is contaminating sin.

00:18:23.560 --> 00:18:28.060
Sorry, yeah, gossip is part of slander and accusation is contaminating

00:18:28.060 --> 00:18:28.460
sin.

00:18:28.760 --> 00:18:29.660
Just imagine that.

00:18:30.360 --> 00:18:31.860
It spreads and infects.

00:18:32.160 --> 00:18:36.560
How can I not infect you if I come and gossip about Anne and Elmer

00:18:37.760 --> 00:18:40.360
and you go and tell somebody else, tell me how I'm not infecting the

00:18:40.360 --> 00:18:40.760
church.

00:18:46.360 --> 00:18:52.560
Strife is dissension, quarrel where we are in the middle of a

00:18:53.060 --> 00:18:55.860
where we keep, we divide the church into factions.

00:18:56.160 --> 00:18:57.660
These are contaminating sins.

00:18:58.260 --> 00:18:58.960
It spreads.

00:18:59.360 --> 00:19:03.060
I mean we, I mean you can see it in families.

00:19:03.060 --> 00:19:04.460
You can see it in companies.

00:19:04.460 --> 00:19:07.760
You can see it in churches where you get divided into two or three

00:19:07.760 --> 00:19:08.560
different factions.

00:19:08.760 --> 00:19:11.560
I'm of Paul, I'm of Paulus and I'm of Cephas.

00:19:12.560 --> 00:19:13.460
Happens so often.

00:19:20.860 --> 00:19:21.660
Unforgiveness.

00:19:22.960 --> 00:19:23.960
Contaminating sin.

00:19:26.060 --> 00:19:27.860
Unforgiveness is a contaminating sin.

00:19:33.360 --> 00:19:43.160
And then any sin where you are approached by the church and asked

00:19:43.160 --> 00:19:49.460
to make restitution restore and come into a place of reconciliation.

00:19:49.760 --> 00:19:52.260
If you refuse that, that is a contaminating sin.

00:19:52.960 --> 00:19:58.860
So let's assume you come and tell me Jacob, this is what we as a

00:19:58.860 --> 00:20:02.860
church have decided so that you can bring yourself back into reconciliation

00:20:03.060 --> 00:20:05.660
with the body and with God and I refuse it.

00:20:05.660 --> 00:20:06.160
I said no.

00:20:08.060 --> 00:20:13.760
Then I need to be expelled because now if I stay I will contaminate

00:20:13.760 --> 00:20:18.660
the church because I have refused the most vital thing that the

00:20:18.660 --> 00:20:21.660
Holy Spirit does in a community, which is to bring reconciliation.

00:20:21.760 --> 00:20:25.260
He reconciles us with Christ and he reconciles us as a body, which

00:20:25.260 --> 00:20:28.460
is why in first Corinthians 12-13 says you have been baptized

00:20:28.460 --> 00:20:30.860
into a body by the Holy Spirit.

00:20:33.460 --> 00:20:40.260
It's like a part that is gangrenous and refuses to go to the doctor

00:20:40.360 --> 00:20:43.160
or go for healing or go for anything that will take the gangren

00:20:43.160 --> 00:20:45.260
away and says no, I want to be part of the body.

00:20:45.360 --> 00:20:46.460
It stays in the body.

00:20:46.460 --> 00:20:47.460
Your body will die.

00:20:49.660 --> 00:20:50.860
It requires expulsion.

00:20:51.660 --> 00:20:55.960
Questions?

00:21:04.060 --> 00:21:07.660
Unforgiveness almost always results in strife, dissension,

00:21:07.960 --> 00:21:11.060
accusations, slander, gossip in the body.

00:21:11.360 --> 00:21:15.960
If unforgiveness is there, if for instance, I have something

00:21:15.960 --> 00:21:19.160
against Elmer and Anne, it will eventually spread.

00:21:21.960 --> 00:21:22.560
Within the body.

00:21:22.560 --> 00:21:22.760
Yeah.

00:21:25.060 --> 00:21:28.060
Outside it's your personal thing that you have to sort out,

00:21:28.160 --> 00:21:30.260
but if it's anyone in the body, it needs to be sorted out.

00:21:30.560 --> 00:21:36.860
If I'm aware of it, I would, I mean there were two people in

00:21:36.860 --> 00:21:40.660
this church who needed to settle things and so one day they

00:21:40.660 --> 00:21:41.560
both sat down.

00:21:42.560 --> 00:21:44.660
They were both willing to, they both sat down and I locked

00:21:44.660 --> 00:21:47.060
the doors and left and they sorted things out and I came

00:21:47.060 --> 00:21:47.860
back and they were friends.

00:21:48.060 --> 00:21:49.960
I mean they were never enemies, but they needed to sort out

00:21:49.960 --> 00:21:50.260
stuff.

00:21:50.960 --> 00:21:51.860
It was as simple as that.

00:21:51.860 --> 00:21:52.860
Lock people up and leave.

00:21:57.260 --> 00:22:00.660
But within the body it needs to be sorted out.

00:22:07.060 --> 00:22:12.660
Then I now take Heidi and Chris and Wayne with me and we go

00:22:12.660 --> 00:22:15.160
and say you need to do this and they refuse again.

00:22:15.460 --> 00:22:18.460
So now I come to the church and I say these two are refusing

00:22:18.460 --> 00:22:19.260
to reconcile.

00:22:19.660 --> 00:22:22.860
We as a church need to now tell them and we go tell them

00:22:22.860 --> 00:22:25.760
that and then if they refuse treat them as if they were

00:22:25.760 --> 00:22:26.160
heathen.

00:22:32.260 --> 00:22:35.460
Yes, you never ask a person to leave the church because of

00:22:35.460 --> 00:22:35.860
sin.

00:22:36.260 --> 00:22:37.960
You always sin.

00:22:38.060 --> 00:22:42.160
The church is a great place for sinners in a sense, but you

00:22:42.160 --> 00:22:45.760
only ask a person to leave when they refuse to reconcile

00:22:45.760 --> 00:22:46.860
with God and with each other.

00:22:50.260 --> 00:22:52.260
So let me change the words.

00:22:52.260 --> 00:22:53.560
That was a Jewish word.

00:22:53.560 --> 00:22:54.760
So it works in their context.

00:22:54.960 --> 00:22:57.460
Treat them as one who is not part of your fellowship.

00:22:58.660 --> 00:23:01.260
That would be the way we would say now not as heathen because

00:23:01.260 --> 00:23:03.260
for the Jews it was very clear how to treat heathen.

00:23:05.660 --> 00:23:08.860
Oh, they wouldn't do would not allow a Gentile into his

00:23:08.860 --> 00:23:09.260
house.

00:23:12.360 --> 00:23:15.460
Matthew 18 if you just want to turn that quickly Matthew 18.

00:23:19.560 --> 00:23:24.160
We have to aspire to these high standards because the Christ

00:23:24.160 --> 00:23:29.460
we serve is a holy holy wonderful absolutely attainable

00:23:29.460 --> 00:23:30.260
standard God.

00:23:32.060 --> 00:23:32.860
Matthew 18.

00:23:38.360 --> 00:23:40.160
Matthew 8, sorry, Matthew 8.

00:23:41.660 --> 00:23:42.360
Matthew 8.

00:23:50.260 --> 00:23:50.960
Nuts.

00:23:55.160 --> 00:23:55.860
Where is it?

00:23:58.860 --> 00:23:59.960
Guys, can you find that part?

00:23:59.960 --> 00:24:02.160
Oh Matthew, let me just sorry guys.

00:24:02.160 --> 00:24:03.360
I thought it was Matthew 8.

00:24:06.460 --> 00:24:09.460
Oh, sorry, Matthew 1815 Matthew 1815.

00:24:09.460 --> 00:24:09.960
I was right.

00:24:10.660 --> 00:24:11.760
Matthew 1815.

00:24:14.560 --> 00:24:15.060
Here goes.

00:24:16.060 --> 00:24:18.360
This is what acts 29 will have to operate by.

00:24:19.460 --> 00:24:22.860
If your brother sins against you go and show him his fault.

00:24:23.960 --> 00:24:25.160
Just between the two of you.

00:24:26.360 --> 00:24:28.960
If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.

00:24:30.660 --> 00:24:34.160
But if we will not listen take one or two others along so

00:24:34.160 --> 00:24:36.460
that every matter may be established by the testimony of

00:24:36.460 --> 00:24:38.260
two or three witnesses.

00:24:38.560 --> 00:24:41.860
If he refuses to listen to them tell it to the church and

00:24:41.860 --> 00:24:44.460
if he refuses to listen to even to the church treat him as

00:24:44.460 --> 00:24:47.560
you would a pagan or a tax collector.

00:24:48.560 --> 00:24:49.360
I tell you the truth.

00:24:49.360 --> 00:24:53.360
Whatever you forbid or do not allow on earth will be forbidden

00:24:53.460 --> 00:24:56.260
and not allowed in heaven and whatever you lose or permit on

00:24:56.260 --> 00:24:58.460
earth will be loosed and permitted in heaven.

00:25:01.960 --> 00:25:07.960
That's how and just so you know church if as you said God

00:25:07.960 --> 00:25:11.860
forbid such a situation happened where I refuse to listen

00:25:11.860 --> 00:25:15.160
to the individual who's come and there's a in the case of an

00:25:15.160 --> 00:25:18.660
elder everything has to be first of all established by two

00:25:18.660 --> 00:25:20.360
or three witnesses.

00:25:20.660 --> 00:25:24.860
You cannot bring an accusation against an elder just with

00:25:25.460 --> 00:25:27.960
I feel like bringing an accusation you have to establish

00:25:27.960 --> 00:25:30.660
it by two or three witnesses after that you come and tell

00:25:30.660 --> 00:25:33.660
me and I refuse it you go and speak to the elders and they

00:25:33.760 --> 00:25:36.060
come and tell me and I refuse the church tells me and I

00:25:36.060 --> 00:25:38.760
refuse it and I pull rank on you then I just want you to

00:25:38.760 --> 00:25:42.660
know that one of the things that I have set in place for

00:25:42.760 --> 00:25:46.560
29 is there are two people that I've asked that you can approach

00:25:46.660 --> 00:25:49.860
one of them is Eddie and the second one is Bob Krant Bob

00:25:49.860 --> 00:25:52.360
Krant not as a regional minister of the North American

00:25:52.360 --> 00:25:55.660
Baptist but Bob Krant as a friend of acts 29 as a friend

00:25:55.660 --> 00:25:56.160
of Jacob.

00:25:56.360 --> 00:26:00.460
These are two people you can go to and they will speak they

00:26:00.460 --> 00:26:03.160
will listen to you and they'll speak to me not with an intent

00:26:03.160 --> 00:26:05.860
of doing me harm but to remedy the situation but these are

00:26:05.860 --> 00:26:10.760
two people you can go to because no one is exempt from this

00:26:10.760 --> 00:26:11.160
process.

00:26:11.160 --> 00:26:12.360
It has to be established.

00:26:14.360 --> 00:26:20.160
Eddie might I feel terrible if Eddie had to do that because

00:26:20.160 --> 00:26:23.160
I love him so and I'd like to honor him with my life in a

00:26:23.160 --> 00:26:26.360
sense of speaking but if he's too far away you can go to

00:26:26.360 --> 00:26:26.660
Bob.

00:26:29.560 --> 00:26:29.960
Good.

00:26:34.360 --> 00:26:39.060
Yep, non-contaminating sin would be anything else that is

00:26:39.060 --> 00:26:43.560
personal between you and God where like last time I told you

00:26:43.560 --> 00:26:46.660
about lying and how Matt and I spoke about it.

00:26:47.260 --> 00:26:48.960
So it could be lying.

00:26:48.960 --> 00:26:50.460
It could be lust.

00:26:50.460 --> 00:26:54.760
It could be anger where we do not know about it in church,

00:26:54.760 --> 00:26:57.660
but it's happening outside you deal with it with God because

00:26:58.260 --> 00:27:02.360
we need to understand that personal sins are confessed to

00:27:02.360 --> 00:27:05.160
God and the sphere of confession is as broad as the

00:27:05.160 --> 00:27:08.560
context of the sin personal sin is confessed to God and the

00:27:08.560 --> 00:27:11.160
sphere of confession meaning how far do you go with the

00:27:11.160 --> 00:27:14.760
confession is completely dependent on the context of the

00:27:14.760 --> 00:27:15.060
sin.

00:27:15.260 --> 00:27:19.160
If I do him harm then it is pointless that I just confess my

00:27:19.160 --> 00:27:21.560
sins to God after talking to God about my sins.

00:27:21.560 --> 00:27:26.560
I need to go and set things right with him husbands and wives

00:27:26.560 --> 00:27:27.460
be aware of this.

00:27:27.560 --> 00:27:32.360
It is insufficient that you talk to God about what you said

00:27:32.360 --> 00:27:34.160
or did to your husband or your wife.

00:27:34.660 --> 00:27:37.460
There is a party there that has to be spoken to.

00:27:38.360 --> 00:27:41.760
Your spouse has to be then spoken to it is insufficient to

00:27:41.760 --> 00:27:43.060
say hallelujah.

00:27:43.060 --> 00:27:44.560
Lord, I'm guilt-free.

00:27:44.560 --> 00:27:45.960
Now you have forgiven me.

00:27:46.260 --> 00:27:47.860
There's a party that needs to be spoken to.

00:27:49.460 --> 00:27:54.160
So the the scope of confession is dependent on the context

00:27:54.160 --> 00:27:54.760
of the sin.

00:27:55.060 --> 00:27:57.960
If it's intra personal, then you'll have to settle with the

00:27:58.960 --> 00:27:59.460
person.

00:28:01.260 --> 00:28:04.060
But if it's between God and you then you speak to God about it.

00:28:07.960 --> 00:28:09.160
So that's how that part works.

00:28:09.560 --> 00:28:13.060
So why go and confess your sins one to another?

00:28:13.060 --> 00:28:17.660
If the only reason you do it is because one, someone starts

00:28:17.660 --> 00:28:20.460
praying for you to now you have brought it into the light and

00:28:20.460 --> 00:28:22.960
we talked about this last week and you're more aware of it

00:28:22.960 --> 00:28:25.260
and you'll walk circumspectly.

00:28:26.360 --> 00:28:29.360
Those are the reasons and you confess if you're someone is

00:28:29.360 --> 00:28:31.460
ministering to you confess your sins to them.

00:28:31.460 --> 00:28:33.860
So that sometimes when a root is revealed or there have been

00:28:33.860 --> 00:28:36.460
so many instances guys when I'm ministering to someone else

00:28:36.460 --> 00:28:39.060
when I'm ministering to someone and the Lord says talk to them

00:28:39.060 --> 00:28:43.660
about this and they'll stand there and with a face as hard

00:28:43.660 --> 00:28:44.060
as Flynn.

00:28:44.060 --> 00:28:45.960
They'll say no never happened.

00:28:46.760 --> 00:28:48.760
I think to myself come on man.

00:28:49.060 --> 00:28:52.260
Your healing is waiting and I know it happened.

00:28:53.460 --> 00:28:55.760
But they won't want to say face.

00:28:58.960 --> 00:29:00.060
It's the saddest thing.

00:29:03.460 --> 00:29:06.260
Saddest thing and they walk away because their pride

00:29:06.260 --> 00:29:07.060
won't allow them to.

00:29:23.860 --> 00:29:24.760
We'll talk about it.

00:29:24.960 --> 00:29:25.660
We'll talk about that.

00:29:27.460 --> 00:29:29.960
Contaminating sins must not be strapped aside for the sake

00:29:29.960 --> 00:29:30.660
of peacekeeping.

00:29:31.760 --> 00:29:36.060
Because if we don't confront contaminating sin, we emasculate

00:29:36.060 --> 00:29:38.060
our moral right to preach the Kingdom message.

00:29:38.860 --> 00:29:39.660
Let me say that again.

00:29:39.860 --> 00:29:46.260
If we don't confront contaminating sin in this body be

00:29:46.460 --> 00:29:50.260
it present then we are literally emasculating ourselves

00:29:53.060 --> 00:29:56.960
or our moral right to preach the Kingdom message because

00:29:56.960 --> 00:30:01.060
you cannot be an embassy of God representing the morality

00:30:01.060 --> 00:30:05.660
of the King of Kings when you don't actually deal with it

00:30:05.960 --> 00:30:09.260
on the embassy level and an embassy that does not represent

00:30:09.260 --> 00:30:11.160
its King should not speak its message.

00:30:12.960 --> 00:30:13.460
Simple.

00:30:19.760 --> 00:30:22.360
A church that allows contaminating sin will not have

00:30:22.360 --> 00:30:23.860
the ability to produce sons guys.

00:30:25.460 --> 00:30:26.960
Won't have the ability to produce sons.

00:30:27.360 --> 00:30:28.560
You'll produce bastards.

00:30:28.560 --> 00:30:32.260
I don't know why we are talking about all this, but it is easily

00:30:32.260 --> 00:30:35.260
possible to be on missions abroad in Quebec and Indonesia

00:30:35.560 --> 00:30:38.560
and yet be relaxed, arrogant and blind about sin in our own

00:30:38.560 --> 00:30:41.060
house and it will destroy the temple.

00:30:41.960 --> 00:30:44.060
Would it make sense to Earth to go to deposited

00:30:44.060 --> 00:30:46.860
on its own kind of推 إ forgiven sin in direct

00:30:47.160 --> 00:30:47.660
consideration of God's will, as if God傅

00:30:47.660 --> 00:30:48.500
It is a restricted recipient.

00:30:48.560 --> 00:30:50.080
It protects itself against Haijjam and Epsi économique

00:30:50.080 --> 00:30:50.220
ほشكوم.

00:30:50.360 --> 00:30:51.140
But if we nee sino�vine men 왜Everyone Bloody

00:30:51.140 --> 00:30:52.280
But if weautre safety heated callification

00:30:52.280 --> 00:31:09.160
in this

00:31:09.160 --> 00:31:17.160
yet strangely enough in Acts chapter, 1st Corinthians chapter 5, Paul doesn't spend much time focusing on the sin and the sinner,

00:31:17.160 --> 00:31:26.160
he spends most of his time focusing on the church and its attitude. It's so strange. He says, okay you got this guy who's sinning

00:31:26.160 --> 00:31:32.160
and he explains the sin but then the rest of the chapter is devoted to dealing with the church and its attitude, not with the sin and the sinner.

00:31:32.160 --> 00:31:40.160
Because if we are a body, guys it's very different how this operates. We are a holy people. We must, I know I keep repeating it every Sunday

00:31:40.160 --> 00:31:47.160
but we are not holy individuals first. We are a holy people first and then we are holy individuals.

00:31:47.160 --> 00:31:56.160
Paul doesn't focus on the sinner and the sin, he focuses on the church and says, why are you so proud? What's wrong with you?

00:31:56.160 --> 00:32:06.160
How can you be so relaxed and so tolerant about this worldly attitude towards sin? You are worldly wise in your attitude towards sin, Corinthian church.

00:32:06.160 --> 00:32:14.160
What's wrong with you? Why are you so proud? You are arrogant and blind and you are relaxed about this. His whole intent is to talk to the church.

00:32:14.160 --> 00:32:26.160
Strange, huh? I mean you would think he should rip a strip out of the sinner. It's the people first, guys.

00:32:26.160 --> 00:32:38.160
Can't turn the gospel into a tolerant, worldly wisdom, kind of a gospel divorced from Christian ethics.

00:32:38.160 --> 00:32:46.160
In Acts 29 we need to develop a passion for holiness and a revulsion for sin if we are actually a holy people.

00:32:46.160 --> 00:32:56.160
Because that's a key to being authentic sons of the Father because the Father said, be holy because I am holy. Be perfect because I am perfect.

00:32:56.160 --> 00:33:05.160
And all those letters are being written to whom, guys? Was any of these letters written to, I mean take any letter in the Bible.

00:33:05.160 --> 00:33:15.160
Take it from Romans onwards, right down to Revelation even when Christ writes letters. Who are these letters being written to?

00:33:15.160 --> 00:33:25.160
To people, to people of God, to the body. Even Christ when he dictates a letter says to the messenger at the church and the sin.

00:33:25.160 --> 00:33:35.160
It's a people that he wants, a holy people. He doesn't want a holy superstar. A holy people.

00:33:35.160 --> 00:33:45.160
This is what we have to become. I'll correct that. This is what we are called to be. Questions, comments before we move on?

00:33:45.160 --> 00:33:55.160
Okay, moving on then to church. Sorry, Joan you had a question? Ruth, go ahead.

00:33:55.160 --> 00:33:59.160
Perfecting?

00:33:59.160 --> 00:34:09.160
Just rephrase your question Ruth. Is this like perfecting character? Give me 15 minutes and we'll be there.

00:34:09.160 --> 00:34:17.160
It's on the other side of the page because it answers exactly, I mean, it's on the other side of the page.

00:34:17.160 --> 00:34:25.160
Is this like perfecting character? Give me 15 minutes and we'll be there.

00:34:25.160 --> 00:34:33.160
It's on the other side of the page because it answers exactly, I mean, it literally deals with that part of it. Is it perfecting of character?

00:34:33.160 --> 00:34:40.160
I'm just fascinated at how much there is in this chapter Ruth and how he deals with that question.

00:34:40.160 --> 00:34:47.160
Gosh man, the word of God never ceases to have, it never comes to a place where you've dug it all.

00:34:47.160 --> 00:34:52.160
I mean, I'm talking about chapters, leave alone the book. Church is the Holy Spirit in you.

00:34:52.160 --> 00:35:00.160
Guys, look at verse 3 and 4. I mean, going back to Sue's standard statement when she's not here.

00:35:00.160 --> 00:35:06.160
Even though I'm not physically present, I'm with you in Spirit.

00:35:06.160 --> 00:35:12.160
And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this just as if I were present.

00:35:12.160 --> 00:35:18.160
When you're assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and I'm with you in Spirit and the power of the Lord Jesus is present,

00:35:18.160 --> 00:35:23.160
hand this man over to Satan so that his sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.

00:35:23.160 --> 00:35:28.160
So Paul says he's present with them in Spirit. What does this mean?

00:35:28.160 --> 00:35:32.160
Sue, you want to take a shot at it?

00:35:32.160 --> 00:35:37.160
When Paul says, I'm present with you in Spirit, what does he mean?

00:35:37.160 --> 00:35:42.160
Something that is present in them and the same one in me.

00:35:42.160 --> 00:35:46.160
Wow, very good theologian. Any other comments?

00:35:49.160 --> 00:35:55.160
In my thoughts, in my concern, I'm with you.

00:35:55.160 --> 00:35:59.160
Okay.

00:36:05.160 --> 00:36:09.160
Okay.

00:36:09.160 --> 00:36:13.160
Turn to 1 Corinthians 2, 12 and 13.

00:36:13.160 --> 00:36:17.160
It says in 1 Corinthians 2, 12 and 13,

00:36:17.160 --> 00:36:22.160
we have not received the spirit of the world, but the spirit who is from God,

00:36:22.160 --> 00:36:25.160
that we may understand what God has freely given us.

00:36:25.160 --> 00:36:29.160
This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught us by the Spirit,

00:36:29.160 --> 00:36:32.160
expressing spiritual truths and spiritual words.

00:36:32.160 --> 00:36:37.160
So the first statement that we can make is that if you were Paul, for instance,

00:36:37.160 --> 00:36:41.160
you can say, if you were Paul, you can say, if you were Paul, you can say,

00:36:41.160 --> 00:36:53.160
if you were Paul, for instance, you can say that I have received the spirit of God.

00:36:53.160 --> 00:36:57.160
That's the first statement we make.

00:36:57.160 --> 00:37:01.160
Now let's turn to 1 Corinthians 6.

00:37:01.160 --> 00:37:05.160
1 Corinthians 6.

00:37:05.160 --> 00:37:09.160
Starting at verse 15.

00:37:09.160 --> 00:37:16.160
It says that, do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself?

00:37:16.160 --> 00:37:19.160
Shall I then take members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute?

00:37:19.160 --> 00:37:21.160
Never.

00:37:21.160 --> 00:37:25.160
Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body?

00:37:25.160 --> 00:37:28.160
For it is said the two will become one flesh.

00:37:28.160 --> 00:37:30.160
Listen to verse 17.

00:37:30.160 --> 00:37:32.160
Look at it again.

00:37:32.160 --> 00:37:39.160
He who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.

00:37:39.160 --> 00:37:43.160
Just think of the enormity of that, guys.

00:37:43.160 --> 00:37:45.160
Just think of it.

00:37:45.160 --> 00:37:50.160
I still, I've been thinking about it, I've been thinking about it for a long time.

00:37:50.160 --> 00:37:53.160
I've been thinking about it for a long time.

00:37:53.160 --> 00:37:56.160
I chosen to be a prostitute because I was a prostitute.

00:37:56.160 --> 00:37:57.160
Just think of it.

00:37:57.160 --> 00:38:08.160
I still, I've been thinking of it for the last three days and there's just little lights going off, but not big lights yet.

00:38:08.160 --> 00:38:17.160
He who is one with the Lord, meaning you, if you are one with the Lord because of Christ's life in you, you are one with the Lord in spirit.

00:38:17.160 --> 00:38:21.160
It's both a big S and a small S.

00:38:21.160 --> 00:38:25.160
I, Jacob, am one with the Lord in spirit.

00:38:25.160 --> 00:38:32.160
Do you know what, how terribly intertwined or one that is?

00:38:36.160 --> 00:38:38.160
I have received the Spirit of God.

00:38:38.160 --> 00:38:47.160
I am one with the Lord in spirit.

00:38:50.160 --> 00:38:52.160
Both a big S and a small S.

00:38:52.160 --> 00:38:57.160
Because it's really not clear, because both make sense.

00:38:57.160 --> 00:39:00.160
I'm one with the Lord in spirit.

00:39:03.160 --> 00:39:08.160
We also know from 1 Corinthians 3.16 that you are the temple of the?

00:39:16.160 --> 00:39:19.160
Now let's go back to what James was saying.

00:39:19.160 --> 00:39:21.160
You know what Paul is saying to them?

00:39:21.160 --> 00:39:24.160
Paul is saying, guys, I have received the Spirit of God.

00:39:24.160 --> 00:39:28.160
You have received the Spirit of God and you are the temple of the Holy Spirit.

00:39:28.160 --> 00:39:31.160
I am one with the Lord in spirit.

00:39:31.160 --> 00:39:36.160
I am not there, but the Spirit of God is there and because the Spirit of God is there, I am there.

00:39:36.160 --> 00:39:38.160
That's what he's saying, guys.

00:39:38.160 --> 00:39:40.160
It's ridiculous.

00:39:40.160 --> 00:39:43.160
But that's what he's saying.

00:39:43.160 --> 00:39:46.160
I do not understand the length and depth of it yet.

00:39:46.160 --> 00:39:48.160
But it fascinates me that that's what he's saying.

00:39:58.160 --> 00:40:03.160
In other words, the Spirit of God came to us and raised us from the dead very quickly.

00:40:03.160 --> 00:40:04.160
In you.

00:40:04.160 --> 00:40:13.160
Now do you understand why in Acts 5.3 Peter says, why have you lied against the Holy Spirit?

00:40:13.160 --> 00:40:16.160
Why have you lied against the Holy Spirit?

00:40:16.160 --> 00:40:19.160
Who did Ananias came and lied to?

00:40:19.160 --> 00:40:21.160
To Peter.

00:40:21.160 --> 00:40:29.160
In the context of the body, they were bringing things to the body and he comes and he lies in the presence of the body to whom?

00:40:29.160 --> 00:40:30.160
To Peter.

00:40:30.160 --> 00:40:36.160
And Peter turns around in Acts 5.3 and he says, why have you lied to the Holy Spirit?

00:40:43.160 --> 00:40:45.160
Fascinating man.

00:40:45.160 --> 00:40:48.160
That I am one with the Lord in spirit.

00:40:52.160 --> 00:40:54.160
You are the temple of the Holy Spirit.

00:40:54.160 --> 00:40:56.160
You have the Holy Spirit in you.

00:40:56.160 --> 00:41:02.160
I may not be there, but if the Holy Spirit is there, I am one with the Lord in spirit, therefore I am there.

00:41:03.160 --> 00:41:07.160
Paul understood something that I personally don't understand.

00:41:07.160 --> 00:41:16.160
But because I do not understand it, that's not mean that I have to minimize this and say, oh, he was just being polite in the way he was speaking.

00:41:16.160 --> 00:41:18.160
It was not symbolic.

00:41:18.160 --> 00:41:24.160
What we have done in Christianity is whenever we don't understand things, we render it symbolic.

00:41:28.160 --> 00:41:35.160
So another way of saying it is, therefore, if the Spirit is present among you, I mean, Paul is saying,

00:41:35.160 --> 00:41:41.160
Therefore, if the Spirit is present among you, then I too am present among you by the same Spirit.

00:41:41.160 --> 00:41:43.160
That's what he's saying.

00:41:46.160 --> 00:41:56.160
So now you see why attacks against leaders or attacks against the church order or strife that is created in the church by people,

00:41:56.160 --> 00:42:01.160
though targeted at men, is really taking on God, the Holy Spirit himself.

00:42:01.160 --> 00:42:11.160
Because at the end of the day, another word that I love using for the church, it is the community of the Spirit, forged by the Spirit, nurtured by the Spirit, kept by the Spirit.

00:42:11.160 --> 00:42:15.160
This is a people formed exclusively by the Holy Spirit.

00:42:19.160 --> 00:42:27.160
Therefore, when reconciliation with each other or therefore when contaminating sin is persisted in,

00:42:27.160 --> 00:42:30.160
really a person no longer has part in the body of Christ.

00:42:30.160 --> 00:42:32.160
Stark truth. Let me say that again.

00:42:33.160 --> 00:42:43.160
If a person continues to persist in contaminating sin, if a person refuses to reconcile with another in a body,

00:42:43.160 --> 00:42:48.160
then the person has no part in the body of Christ.

00:42:48.160 --> 00:42:52.160
That is the stark truth repeated again and again in the Bible.

00:42:52.160 --> 00:42:59.160
And therefore, the church has to discipline the person so that the person can be reconstituted into the body.

00:43:02.160 --> 00:43:10.160
But the person actually has no part in the fellowship of the body when the person chooses not to reconcile with someone that there's a difference in the body.

00:43:10.160 --> 00:43:16.160
Or when a person persists in contaminating sin, despite being told and encouraged and helped,

00:43:16.160 --> 00:43:19.160
then the person actually has no part in the body.

00:43:21.160 --> 00:43:26.160
Therefore, Paul in his authority says prophetically, expelled this man in the name of Jesus Christ.

00:43:26.160 --> 00:43:28.160
Stark truth.

00:43:32.160 --> 00:43:33.160
We do it publicly.

00:43:33.160 --> 00:43:34.160
We do it publicly.

00:43:34.160 --> 00:43:39.160
Paul at one point said, Paul or Peter, I'm not too sure.

00:43:39.160 --> 00:43:46.160
They said, when elders in particular make mistakes, make sure you don't sweep it under the carpet and tell them to be nice.

00:43:46.160 --> 00:43:50.160
Make sure that it's done publicly.

00:43:50.160 --> 00:43:57.160
Because things get to the level of things being done publicly only after repeated refusal on a private level.

00:43:57.160 --> 00:44:05.160
Expelling cannot be done privately, guys, because these are the standards that the Word of God talks about.

00:44:05.160 --> 00:44:07.160
It says first go settle it privately.

00:44:07.160 --> 00:44:08.160
Doesn't work.

00:44:08.160 --> 00:44:10.160
Take the elders of the church and try to settle it privately.

00:44:10.160 --> 00:44:11.160
Doesn't work.

00:44:11.160 --> 00:44:12.160
Take the church.

00:44:12.160 --> 00:44:14.160
Now it becomes a matter of the church.

00:44:14.160 --> 00:44:18.160
This is after repeated occurrences.

00:44:18.160 --> 00:44:19.160
Yeah.

00:44:19.160 --> 00:44:20.160
And it is a way to keep peace.

00:44:20.160 --> 00:44:23.160
If you don't do it publicly, it'll keep peace.

00:44:23.160 --> 00:44:26.160
But eject the peace.

00:44:26.160 --> 00:44:29.160
Prince of peace.

00:44:33.160 --> 00:44:38.160
By preaching and teaching this, we now have a way to keep peace.

00:44:38.160 --> 00:44:40.160
We have a way to keep peace.

00:44:40.160 --> 00:44:42.160
We have a way to keep peace.

00:44:42.160 --> 00:44:48.160
By preaching and teaching this, we now have put ourselves in a place where we have to practice this.

00:44:48.160 --> 00:44:54.160
Otherwise, we are fakes.

00:44:56.160 --> 00:45:01.160
This is why I had to call up Bob Kran and tell him, listen, I just want you to know that this is what I'm talking on.

00:45:01.160 --> 00:45:06.160
And I want you to be, I'm asking you to be not as a regional minister or NAB or anything.

00:45:06.160 --> 00:45:09.160
You've got to be this as a friend of Acts 29.

00:45:09.160 --> 00:45:17.160
So when reconciliation or contaminating sin continues and reconciliation is refused, the person no longer has any part in the body of Christ.

00:45:17.160 --> 00:45:20.160
Therefore, Paul has this man expelled.

00:45:20.160 --> 00:45:24.160
And let's talk about church and expulsion unless you have any questions.

00:45:24.160 --> 00:45:26.160
Church and expulsion.

00:45:26.160 --> 00:45:31.160
Unless you have any questions.

00:45:31.160 --> 00:45:33.160
Now, that is what I'm talking about.

00:45:33.160 --> 00:45:38.160
Any questions?

00:45:38.160 --> 00:45:48.160
Now, that is not a contaminating sin.

00:45:48.160 --> 00:46:15.160
Yes.

00:46:15.160 --> 00:46:26.160
It's always the, as we look at the next bit, we'll see that the expulsion is not for judgment, but for reconciliation and remedy.

00:46:26.160 --> 00:46:30.160
But it is the process that is biblical and has to be followed.

00:46:30.160 --> 00:46:42.160
Do you think the church members were aware of this and they were aware of the job that they have to do, but they were still not doing it?

00:46:42.160 --> 00:46:48.160
As you read 1 Corinthians 2 to 5, you'll see Paul saying, as I had written to you earlier.

00:46:48.160 --> 00:46:53.160
So he had broached this.

00:46:53.160 --> 00:46:57.160
Paul heard about it, but he had written to them earlier about the same thing.

00:46:57.160 --> 00:47:10.160
So it's not the first time they're hearing about it.

00:47:10.160 --> 00:47:13.160
Yes. Yes, he is.

00:47:13.160 --> 00:47:15.160
Not the elders. He's selling the whole church.

00:47:15.160 --> 00:47:18.160
Yeah. Yeah, he is.

00:47:18.160 --> 00:47:22.160
Because he had already written to them previously about this.

00:47:22.160 --> 00:47:23.160
And they haven't listened.

00:47:23.160 --> 00:47:30.160
In fact, statements like, I told you before that you are not to associate with anybody who is immoral.

00:47:30.160 --> 00:47:34.160
When I told you that, I didn't mean that you cannot mix with the people of the world.

00:47:34.160 --> 00:47:37.160
I mean, he has broached this subject before.

00:47:37.160 --> 00:47:42.160
And one of the problems at Corinth was they were looking at his letter and saying, ah, guy can speak big in his letters.

00:47:42.160 --> 00:47:44.160
But when he comes here, he's nothing.

00:47:44.160 --> 00:47:46.160
And therefore he writes, that's what you think?

00:47:46.160 --> 00:47:50.160
Wait till I come. I'll come with a rod.

00:47:50.160 --> 00:47:56.160
So yeah.

00:47:56.160 --> 00:48:01.160
So it's an expulsion.

00:48:01.160 --> 00:48:04.160
Oh, by the way, guys, we have worked this into our constitution.

00:48:04.160 --> 00:48:05.160
Just so you're aware.

00:48:05.160 --> 00:48:09.160
We did that before Acts 29 was incorporated.

00:48:09.160 --> 00:48:18.160
We had this as a statement of faith and it's part of our bylaws and is with Ottawa.

00:48:18.160 --> 00:48:19.160
Oh, wherever.

00:48:19.160 --> 00:48:22.160
Oh, but the part about the commission.

00:48:22.160 --> 00:48:23.160
Yeah. Yeah.

00:48:23.160 --> 00:48:30.160
Is with Ottawa in the sense that we have incorporated this into Acts 29 right from its inception.

00:48:30.160 --> 00:48:38.160
So that we have the right by the laws of the land to do this.

00:48:38.160 --> 00:48:41.160
Just so you're aware of it.

00:48:41.160 --> 00:48:47.160
So in your yeah, we've committed ourselves to it.

00:48:47.160 --> 00:48:53.160
And so when you sign that little piece of paper saying you so like acts 29, just be aware of it.

00:48:53.160 --> 00:48:57.160
I signed that paper too, by the way.

00:48:57.160 --> 00:49:02.160
Church and expulsion.

00:49:02.160 --> 00:49:14.160
In putting out in putting this man or someone out of the body of Christ, what happens is we put the person out into the world and the world is Satan's domain.

00:49:14.160 --> 00:49:18.160
OK, when we put someone out of the church, we put him into Satan's domain.

00:49:18.160 --> 00:49:21.160
That's what we put him in the Satan's domain.

00:49:21.160 --> 00:49:30.160
So when someone is asked to now be put out of when someone is put out of the body of Christ, he's put into the world, which is under Satan's domain.

00:49:30.160 --> 00:49:39.160
And the result is the destruction of his carnal nature, destruction of his carnal or sinful nature.

00:49:39.160 --> 00:49:45.160
Some people say, oh, the result is that he dies out in the world.

00:49:45.160 --> 00:49:47.160
That would not be remedial.

00:49:47.160 --> 00:49:48.160
That would be judgmental.

00:49:48.160 --> 00:49:59.160
So the intent is to purge the sinful nature.

00:49:59.160 --> 00:50:02.160
So the result is the destruction of its sinful nature.

00:50:02.160 --> 00:50:04.160
The purpose is a man's salvation.

00:50:04.160 --> 00:50:06.160
The purpose is a man's salvation.

00:50:06.160 --> 00:50:08.160
And sorry.

00:50:08.160 --> 00:50:20.160
When I say sinful nature, I don't mean sinful nature as in Christian has a sinful nature.

00:50:20.160 --> 00:50:35.160
It means destroying that persistence and sinning is destroyed just because once you're thrown out of the covering of the house where the favor of God is into the domain of Satan, situations.

00:50:35.160 --> 00:50:37.160
I mean, at the end of the day, what does Satan want to do?

00:50:37.160 --> 00:50:39.160
Steal, kill and destroy.

00:50:39.160 --> 00:50:45.160
That then drives the person back to a desire to come back and lodge himself in God.

00:50:45.160 --> 00:50:47.160
We've got different examples in the Bible.

00:50:47.160 --> 00:50:55.160
Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel chapter four, verses 32 onwards, you'll see Nebuchadnezzar who suddenly rose up in pride.

00:50:55.160 --> 00:51:02.160
And then one day he becomes like a animal in the wild, long nails and long hair.

00:51:02.160 --> 00:51:06.160
And he comes back to his senses and he says, God is God.

00:51:06.160 --> 00:51:08.160
And he declares God is God.

00:51:08.160 --> 00:51:14.160
Israel, Judges chapter 12, no, Judges chapter two, verses 13 to 19.

00:51:14.160 --> 00:51:20.160
You'll see in Judges chapter two, every time a judge arose, Israel walked with the Lord.

00:51:20.160 --> 00:51:27.160
But as soon as the judge died, they would return into their sinful ways and the oppressors would come and ravage them.

00:51:27.160 --> 00:51:31.160
And when they would be ravaged, they would call out because they have already tasted of God.

00:51:31.160 --> 00:51:37.160
They would call out for his mercy and God would show mercy and they would be restored.

00:51:37.160 --> 00:51:43.160
Jonah, I mean, that's an Old Testament picture, but Jonah was running away and ran too.

00:51:43.160 --> 00:51:48.160
The Corinthian church, the man in Second Corinthians chapter five,

00:51:48.160 --> 00:51:52.160
Second Corinthians chapter two, most people say is a different man, not the same man.

00:51:52.160 --> 00:51:55.160
But there was another man who was expelled out of the church in Corinth.

00:51:55.160 --> 00:51:56.160
Guess what?

00:51:56.160 --> 00:52:00.160
Paul says to the church in Corinth in Second Corinthians two, bring him back.

00:52:00.160 --> 00:52:02.160
He has learned his lesson.

00:52:02.160 --> 00:52:05.160
Return him to the fold.

00:52:05.160 --> 00:52:07.160
So it does work in that sense.

00:52:25.160 --> 00:52:26.160
Yeah.

00:52:26.160 --> 00:52:30.160
Which then leads us to another point.

00:52:30.160 --> 00:52:36.160
Unless a church is a community that has learned to live in truth and love,

00:52:36.160 --> 00:52:41.160
why would anyone want to yearn to return?

00:52:41.160 --> 00:52:44.160
For a church to be remedial in its discipline,

00:52:44.160 --> 00:52:48.160
a church will have to be a place where God dances in our midst

00:52:48.160 --> 00:52:54.160
so that when we leave, we will yearn to join God who dances.

00:52:54.160 --> 00:53:01.160
Because if the church is not that community, then, I mean, do you know why remedy fails?

00:53:01.160 --> 00:53:07.160
It fails because there is nothing that is particularly drawing me back to that community.

00:53:07.160 --> 00:53:10.160
So you chuck me out? Sure. Big deal.

00:53:10.160 --> 00:53:12.160
I'll go down to another community.

00:53:12.160 --> 00:53:15.160
Or you chuck me out? I'm not missing much.

00:53:15.160 --> 00:53:17.160
I can sit in front of TV and it's as good.

00:53:17.160 --> 00:53:22.160
If TV is as good as Acts 29, then Acts 29 is failing.

00:53:24.160 --> 00:53:30.160
But it's really not satisfying for long.

00:53:30.160 --> 00:53:32.160
It can be without the Lord.

00:53:32.160 --> 00:53:39.160
Yeah, but the reason church discipline does not work or is ineffective in most places

00:53:39.160 --> 00:53:44.160
is because being expelled out of a community of believers is no big deal.

00:53:44.160 --> 00:53:46.160
I'm telling you this, guys.

00:53:46.160 --> 00:53:52.160
If you expel me, God forbid, out of this community, it won't be my desire.

00:53:52.160 --> 00:53:55.160
I mean, I'll have so long to come back, man.

00:53:55.160 --> 00:53:58.160
I love being with us.

00:53:58.160 --> 00:54:03.160
I don't like coming to...I'm not talking about coming to Acts 29 or I come to church.

00:54:03.160 --> 00:54:08.160
No, I like being with us and what God does in our midst.

00:54:08.160 --> 00:54:11.160
I really like this.

00:54:11.160 --> 00:54:19.160
It's like when Artie was upset with me for two weeks, two December's ago,

00:54:19.160 --> 00:54:22.160
and he told me, no coffee for you.

00:54:22.160 --> 00:54:24.160
And he meant it.

00:54:24.160 --> 00:54:26.160
He shouted at me and threw me out.

00:54:26.160 --> 00:54:28.160
And he said, no coffee for you.

00:54:28.160 --> 00:54:33.160
I knew what that meant, that I'd not get his coffee beans.

00:54:33.160 --> 00:54:39.160
And so for the first two or three days, I managed with the leftovers.

00:54:39.160 --> 00:54:44.160
The fourth day I went down Main Street and other streets looking for coffee roasteries.

00:54:44.160 --> 00:54:48.160
And I found places and I bought their coffee and I would go and make it.

00:54:48.160 --> 00:54:54.160
And I'd hate getting up in the morning because it was lousy coffee.

00:54:54.160 --> 00:54:58.160
And I thought to myself, what have I gone and done?

00:54:58.160 --> 00:55:01.160
Yeah.

00:55:01.160 --> 00:55:07.160
Because Kenyan grade A coffee, there's nothing like it, guys.

00:55:07.160 --> 00:55:09.160
And you've got to roast it right.

00:55:09.160 --> 00:55:11.160
And he does that.

00:55:11.160 --> 00:55:17.160
So I remember finally after two weeks when we both became friendly and he still wasn't talking

00:55:17.160 --> 00:55:22.160
and yet just as I came to lock the church because we used to meet the church there,

00:55:22.160 --> 00:55:27.160
as I was leaving he said, that's for you.

00:55:27.160 --> 00:55:29.160
That was his way of reconciling.

00:55:29.160 --> 00:55:32.160
I said, sorry, that's for you.

00:55:32.160 --> 00:55:34.160
Thank God he's not listening to the state.

00:55:34.160 --> 00:55:40.160
And so I went there and it took every ounce of my moral fiber to pretend that no big deal.

00:55:40.160 --> 00:55:42.160
I said, well, thank you.

00:55:42.160 --> 00:55:45.160
But inside me it was, I got my coffee, I got my coffee, I got my coffee.

00:55:45.160 --> 00:55:52.160
You see, because I'd gotten so used to it and I so like it and it's such a thing to look forward to when you wake up

00:55:52.160 --> 00:55:56.160
that suddenly it was like, oh, shucks, it's taken away.

00:55:56.160 --> 00:56:02.160
That is how church should be like.

00:56:02.160 --> 00:56:07.160
Then discipline is so not fun.

00:56:07.160 --> 00:56:09.160
Whatever you're thinking, Matt, hold it.

00:56:09.160 --> 00:56:11.160
Don't say it.

00:56:11.160 --> 00:56:13.160
I was taking some kind of comment and saying...

00:56:13.160 --> 00:56:14.160
Yeah, I know.

00:56:14.160 --> 00:56:20.160
You had that look.

00:56:20.160 --> 00:56:32.160
So once we become a community that basically how I've written it is that God dances in our midst,

00:56:32.160 --> 00:56:34.160
then it'll hurt to leave, guys.

00:56:34.160 --> 00:56:37.160
Then it'll hurt to leave.

00:56:37.160 --> 00:56:42.160
Some cautions though.

00:56:42.160 --> 00:56:50.160
This removing of a person from fellowship because he's refusing to either deal with contaminated sin

00:56:50.160 --> 00:57:01.160
or refusing to reconcile within the body is not pronounced like a fatwa by, oh, the right reverend pastor.

00:57:01.160 --> 00:57:02.160
No, no, no, no.

00:57:02.160 --> 00:57:04.160
This is not that kind of a decree.

00:57:04.160 --> 00:57:07.160
It's not done by a small Kabbalah group.

00:57:07.160 --> 00:57:16.160
It's the result of a sin known by all, contaminating all, and therefore the action has to be taken by all.

00:57:16.160 --> 00:57:22.160
It's not taken by one person or two people or three people meeting and saying, we've got to kick this guy out.

00:57:22.160 --> 00:57:24.160
That's not how it works.

00:57:24.160 --> 00:57:26.160
That's how they get rid of pastors.

00:57:26.160 --> 00:57:27.160
Doesn't work like that.

00:57:27.160 --> 00:57:39.160
It is that is forgive me for saying this, but that is our secular humanistic sympathetic way of thinking.

00:57:39.160 --> 00:57:43.160
But this only happens after a process.

00:57:43.160 --> 00:57:47.160
First, the person is persisting in sin and he's aware of it.

00:57:47.160 --> 00:57:49.160
Let me put it this way.

00:57:49.160 --> 00:57:53.160
When a man sleeps with his stepmother, he's aware of it.

00:57:53.160 --> 00:57:56.160
When he's told first, he's made aware of it.

00:57:56.160 --> 00:58:06.160
When two people tell him he's aware of it, when the church tells him he's aware of it and he still refuses to change, then he really has no part in the fellowship.

00:58:06.160 --> 00:58:10.160
The part where now the whole church tells him that he needs to go to the book.

00:58:10.160 --> 00:58:11.160
Yeah.

00:58:11.160 --> 00:58:16.160
That part, it becomes an action like a public humiliation also.

00:58:16.160 --> 00:58:20.160
No, it's a public, it's, why is it humiliating?

00:58:20.160 --> 00:58:22.160
Because he's been kicked out of the community.

00:58:22.160 --> 00:58:23.160
But what about the sin?

00:58:23.160 --> 00:58:30.160
If the sin does not humiliate him, then if this humiliates it again, there's a, it's misaligned.

00:58:30.160 --> 00:58:32.160
Something is wrong.

00:58:32.160 --> 00:58:36.160
We'll come to that how we cannot have it both ways.

00:58:36.160 --> 00:58:38.160
We'll come to that.

00:58:38.160 --> 00:58:42.160
Yeah, I understand what you're saying.

00:58:42.160 --> 00:58:44.160
Yeah.

00:58:44.160 --> 00:58:45.160
Yeah.

00:58:45.160 --> 00:58:49.160
And so you don't do it till you go through this entire process.

00:58:49.160 --> 00:58:53.160
Yeah.

00:58:53.160 --> 00:58:55.160
Yeah, very clearly.

00:58:55.160 --> 00:58:58.160
Because it's persistent sin that is being done in the open.

00:58:58.160 --> 00:59:00.160
That's the thing, James.

00:59:00.160 --> 00:59:03.160
It is persistent sin being done in the open.

00:59:03.160 --> 00:59:06.160
Therefore, it is being publicly humiliated.

00:59:06.160 --> 00:59:08.160
It is being publicly humiliated.

00:59:08.160 --> 00:59:10.160
This is the thing, James.

00:59:10.160 --> 00:59:13.160
It is persistent sin being done in the open.

00:59:13.160 --> 00:59:16.160
Therefore, it is being publicly now confronted.

00:59:16.160 --> 00:59:18.160
If it is persistent sin done in secret, it's different.

00:59:18.160 --> 00:59:22.160
This is persistent sin done in open view.

00:59:22.160 --> 00:59:30.160
The same thing, this is why God said about Zimri, and not Zimri, God said about Phinehas,

00:59:30.160 --> 00:59:33.160
that I will remember your jealousy for me forever.

00:59:33.160 --> 00:59:41.160
Because when God in his glory, like as in visible glory, came down among the Israelites,

00:59:41.160 --> 00:59:48.160
and all Israel was worshipping, Zimri was caressing.

00:59:48.160 --> 00:59:56.160
Zimri was caressing Kosvi, and couldn't care two hoots about the glory of the God of the universe.

00:59:56.160 --> 01:00:02.160
And Phinehas is consumed with jealousy, and he takes a javelin and pokes both Zimri and Kosvi,

01:00:02.160 --> 01:00:06.160
right through, in public.

01:00:06.160 --> 01:00:10.160
And there was a plague that had started, yeah, the plague stops.

01:00:10.160 --> 01:00:16.160
God says, I'll remember your jealousy for generations, for me.

01:00:16.160 --> 01:00:22.160
When a sin is practiced publicly in defiance of the people of God and God himself,

01:00:22.160 --> 01:00:28.160
and if there is no change, time after time after time, of encouraging change,

01:00:28.160 --> 01:00:32.160
then it is dealt with publicly.

01:00:32.160 --> 01:00:42.160
Christ was humiliated publicly, for these very sins.

01:00:42.160 --> 01:00:48.160
He didn't die in a secret garden somewhere, hung publicly for the entire world to see.

01:00:48.160 --> 01:00:58.160
Hung naked, beaten, spat upon, humiliated publicly.

01:00:58.160 --> 01:01:03.160
It does contaminate the whole church.

01:01:03.160 --> 01:01:06.160
Yeah, you walk outside of being authentic sons.

01:01:06.160 --> 01:01:11.160
Again, what, even the contamination is public.

01:01:11.160 --> 01:01:14.160
H1N1 is public.

01:01:14.160 --> 01:01:16.160
It's not something that's happening in secret.

01:01:16.160 --> 01:01:20.160
Therefore, the government is making public announcements to counter it.

01:01:20.160 --> 01:01:23.160
And contamination is public.

01:01:23.160 --> 01:01:25.160
Yeah.

01:01:25.160 --> 01:01:28.160
Good question, though.

01:01:28.160 --> 01:01:30.160
Because I always say God cherishes our privacy.

01:01:30.160 --> 01:01:33.160
This is not his first resort, guys.

01:01:33.160 --> 01:01:35.160
First, he speaks again and again.

01:01:35.160 --> 01:01:38.160
Then when he sees that it isn't working, he shows someone else.

01:01:38.160 --> 01:01:42.160
And that's why the Bible says, if you go and help your brother come out of sin,

01:01:42.160 --> 01:01:46.160
you have covered a multitude of sins and you have delivered him from the snare of the devil.

01:01:46.160 --> 01:01:49.160
After that, he sends two people more.

01:01:49.160 --> 01:01:51.160
It's such a long process.

01:01:51.160 --> 01:01:54.160
Sometimes this takes years.

01:01:54.160 --> 01:02:01.160
Years.

01:02:01.160 --> 01:02:05.160
And like Grisela was saying, reason for discipline is remedial, not judgmental.

01:02:05.160 --> 01:02:10.160
And the other thing that I pray, God, that we'll do is when someone else comes from another church

01:02:11.160 --> 01:02:15.160
where the person is being disciplined, maybe never be in a hurry to accept them,

01:02:15.160 --> 01:02:19.160
regardless of whether they are a wonderful sax player or a great dealer.

01:02:19.160 --> 01:02:23.160
If you're being disciplined in another church and you come here,

01:02:23.160 --> 01:02:28.160
I mean, if I find out this is just a... let me change my words.

01:02:28.160 --> 01:02:34.160
Let's assume that Diana was coming to Acts 29 because she's being disciplined at Emmanuel.

01:02:34.160 --> 01:02:37.160
She would not be welcome here.

01:02:37.160 --> 01:02:44.160
Diana, we realize that you're being disciplined at Emmanuel Baptist Church now.

01:02:44.160 --> 01:02:46.160
This is not true. It's just an example.

01:02:46.160 --> 01:02:51.160
We realize you're being disciplined at Emmanuel Baptist Church.

01:02:51.160 --> 01:02:56.160
And so till you are sorted out with that house and things are reconciled,

01:02:56.160 --> 01:03:02.160
we would not be able to receive you as a son in this house because you have to settle things with them.

01:03:02.160 --> 01:03:06.160
You can.

01:03:06.160 --> 01:03:14.160
But not as an integral member, for the lack of a better word, member.

01:03:14.160 --> 01:03:19.160
Okay.

01:03:19.160 --> 01:03:25.160
So Jacob, then what happens if someone comes from another church or not from another church?

01:03:25.160 --> 01:03:30.160
They have no fellowship and they're continuing in public skin.

01:03:30.160 --> 01:03:32.160
So how would you deal with that?

01:03:32.160 --> 01:03:37.160
I would go and tell them and I may not be able to do anything if they're not part of this house.

01:03:37.160 --> 01:03:41.160
But guess what? Once this house speaks and declares that you need to correct yourself

01:03:41.160 --> 01:03:46.160
and you do not, really, God help you.

01:03:46.160 --> 01:03:51.160
Because are you not dealing with me, mortal flesh?

01:03:51.160 --> 01:03:54.160
You're dealing with him who is the spirit of?

01:03:54.160 --> 01:04:03.160
God, who wants us as sinners to be transformed into what Christ looks like,

01:04:03.160 --> 01:04:10.160
but who says that the church is not a haven for people who want it both ways either.

01:04:10.160 --> 01:04:15.160
We'll talk about that now.

01:04:15.160 --> 01:04:19.160
His body. Yeah, his body.

01:04:19.160 --> 01:04:21.160
Otherwise, you know what will happen, guys?

01:04:21.160 --> 01:04:23.160
I was going to talk about this on Tuesday.

01:04:23.160 --> 01:04:27.160
There's a place where Jesus chases out the moneylenders out of the temple

01:04:27.160 --> 01:04:31.160
and he says, you have made my house into a den of thieves.

01:04:31.160 --> 01:04:36.160
A time comes when he's standing looking over Jerusalem and he says,

01:04:36.160 --> 01:04:40.160
Oh, Jerusalem, oh, Jerusalem, how I've wanted to gather you as chicks in my arm.

01:04:40.160 --> 01:04:45.160
But now, since you have rejected me, I leave your house.

01:04:45.160 --> 01:04:51.160
Some two years ago when he kicked out people from the temple, he called it my house.

01:04:51.160 --> 01:04:56.160
Two years later, he's saying, your house is left desolate to you.

01:04:56.160 --> 01:04:59.160
God forbid that ever happens to us.

01:04:59.160 --> 01:05:03.160
Where he has to change my house to your house.

01:05:03.160 --> 01:05:05.160
God forbid that.

01:05:05.160 --> 01:05:08.160
It's the worst thing that God can say to us.

01:05:12.160 --> 01:05:15.160
How his heart must grieve.

01:05:15.160 --> 01:05:17.160
How his heart must grieve at times.

01:05:17.160 --> 01:05:24.160
Where things have started as my house and he now has to say your house.

01:05:24.160 --> 01:05:29.160
And yet power brokers and power structures sit in their spiritual armchairs

01:05:29.160 --> 01:05:34.160
and plow it over how well church is going.

01:05:34.160 --> 01:05:37.160
Maybe never become those fat cats ever.

01:05:44.160 --> 01:05:48.160
Ah, that's the horriblest thing anyone can say to a church.

01:05:55.160 --> 01:05:58.160
Church unleavened.

01:05:59.160 --> 01:06:02.160
Guys, NIV uses the wrong word.

01:06:02.160 --> 01:06:04.160
NIV uses the word yeast.

01:06:04.160 --> 01:06:06.160
Now, yeast is fresh.

01:06:06.160 --> 01:06:09.160
Leaven is not fresh.

01:06:09.160 --> 01:06:13.160
You can take yeast out of a bottle and throw it in and it's fresh.

01:06:13.160 --> 01:06:15.160
But it's a wrong usage.

01:06:15.160 --> 01:06:20.160
It's leaven and leaven, how it used to work is leaven consisted of keeping back

01:06:20.160 --> 01:06:24.160
a little portion of last week's dough, allowing it to ferment,

01:06:24.160 --> 01:06:26.160
then adding it to this week's dough.

01:06:26.160 --> 01:06:28.160
That's how leaven worked.

01:06:28.160 --> 01:06:31.160
So with each week it would get more and more potent.

01:06:31.160 --> 01:06:36.160
So this week you make your bread and you take out a little of the dough from this week

01:06:36.160 --> 01:06:40.160
and you keep it aside until it ferments and then you take that and add it to next week's dough.

01:06:40.160 --> 01:06:43.160
Yeast is fresh, leaven is not.

01:06:43.160 --> 01:06:49.160
So the longer the process was repeated, the more potent and sometimes infected the dough got.

01:06:49.160 --> 01:06:54.160
And this is exactly how it is with the tolerance of sin in a body or in our individual lives

01:06:54.160 --> 01:07:01.160
where you take a little bit from last week's sin and instead of getting rid of it fully,

01:07:01.160 --> 01:07:05.160
you have repented of it, you have kind of made things okay.

01:07:05.160 --> 01:07:09.160
But instead of letting it all go, you keep a little of last week's sin,

01:07:09.160 --> 01:07:12.160
back and now you add it to this week's dough.

01:07:12.160 --> 01:07:17.160
Now you think, but I dealt with it last week and I'm just taking a little,

01:07:17.160 --> 01:07:22.160
just a little, I'm tolerating a little, but it is so potent from last week that when you add it

01:07:22.160 --> 01:07:27.160
in this week's dough, suddenly you've got something that's even more infected.

01:07:27.160 --> 01:07:30.160
The week after that it gets more potent and it's repeated.

01:07:30.160 --> 01:07:36.160
The longer the process is repeated, the more potent it gets until it comes to a point where it's not.

01:07:36.160 --> 01:07:40.160
The longer it sits, the whole dough gets sour.

01:07:40.160 --> 01:07:43.160
Yeah, sour dough.

01:07:43.160 --> 01:07:47.160
No, no, I'm serious. Sour dough.

01:07:47.160 --> 01:07:51.160
And that's how it works with tolerance of sin in my life or sin in the body,

01:07:51.160 --> 01:07:53.160
a little of which can infect the whole body,

01:07:53.160 --> 01:07:57.160
which is why in the Feast of Unleavened Bread or Passover,

01:07:57.160 --> 01:08:01.160
they had the ceremonial cleaning of the dough.

01:08:01.160 --> 01:08:03.160
That was the whole idea, guys.

01:08:03.160 --> 01:08:10.160
I'm going to clean my house and get rid of every bit of old leaven that I've been using to bake my bread

01:08:10.160 --> 01:08:14.160
because I'm going to start now with this Feast of Unleavened Bread or Passover.

01:08:14.160 --> 01:08:17.160
And that's going to be the first day of the year.

01:08:17.160 --> 01:08:20.160
And that's going to be the first day of the year.

01:08:20.160 --> 01:08:23.160
And that's going to be the first day of the year.

01:08:23.160 --> 01:08:26.160
And that's going to be the first day of the year.

01:08:26.160 --> 01:08:27.160
And that's exactly what he does.

01:08:27.160 --> 01:08:31.160
He says, I am inaugurating a new season for you.

01:08:31.160 --> 01:08:35.160
You are becoming a new loaf, a new battered dough with no leaven in it.

01:08:35.160 --> 01:08:38.160
This is what we're talking about, guys.

01:08:38.160 --> 01:08:45.160
We are continuously celebrating the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

01:08:45.160 --> 01:08:47.160
That's what Christ came to do.

01:08:47.160 --> 01:08:50.160
He said, I am inaugurating a new season for you.

01:08:50.160 --> 01:08:52.160
I am inaugurating a new season for you.

01:08:53.160 --> 01:08:55.160
Unleavened Bread.

01:08:55.160 --> 01:08:58.160
That's what Christ came to do.

01:08:58.160 --> 01:09:02.160
He inaugurated a new start or a covenant.

01:09:02.160 --> 01:09:08.160
I want us to look at this beautiful verse in 1 Corinthians 5, verse 7.

01:09:08.160 --> 01:09:12.160
Hey, Heidi, can I trouble you for some more water, please?

01:09:12.160 --> 01:09:15.160
1 Corinthians 5, 7.

01:09:15.160 --> 01:09:17.160
Look at it, or let's start at 6.

01:09:17.160 --> 01:09:20.160
Your boasting is not good.

01:09:20.160 --> 01:09:23.160
Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole battered dough?

01:09:23.160 --> 01:09:26.160
Little leaven works through the whole battered dough.

01:09:26.160 --> 01:09:33.160
Get rid of the old leaven that you may be a new batch without leaven as you really are.

01:09:33.160 --> 01:09:34.160
It's vital.

01:09:34.160 --> 01:09:35.160
You've got to see that there.

01:09:35.160 --> 01:09:42.160
He says, get rid of the old leaven so that you may become a new battered dough, which you really are.

01:09:42.160 --> 01:09:44.160
Why is that important?

01:09:44.160 --> 01:09:49.160
Because, guys, please understand that Paul is not a new battered dough.

01:09:49.160 --> 01:09:55.160
Please understand that Paul is not saying, get rid of sin so that you can become holy.

01:09:55.160 --> 01:09:56.160
Please listen.

01:09:56.160 --> 01:09:58.160
This is so cool.

01:09:58.160 --> 01:10:01.160
He's not saying, get rid of sin so you can be holy.

01:10:01.160 --> 01:10:06.160
He's not saying, get rid of your bad ways and old life so that you can be holy.

01:10:06.160 --> 01:10:07.160
He's saying, no, no, no.

01:10:07.160 --> 01:10:10.160
Guys, become what you are.

01:10:10.160 --> 01:10:13.160
You are already holy.

01:10:13.160 --> 01:10:14.160
Go ahead.

01:10:14.160 --> 01:10:18.160
Because then the Catholic priest says, has been sanctified.

01:10:18.160 --> 01:10:20.160
It's a done deal, guys.

01:10:20.160 --> 01:10:27.160
Paul is not falling into old Testament ways of saying, oh, if you want to be holy, do this, this, this, this, this, and you will be holy.

01:10:27.160 --> 01:10:29.160
Get rid of sin and you will be holy.

01:10:29.160 --> 01:10:35.160
No, no. He's saying, get rid of the old leaven so that you can be the new battered dough that you already, which you are.

01:10:35.160 --> 01:10:40.160
It's like saying, become what you are.

01:10:40.160 --> 01:10:43.160
Become what you are.

01:10:43.160 --> 01:10:47.160
That's what Paul is trying to say.

01:10:47.160 --> 01:10:54.160
Or if you would have, if you would, you would become what you are meant to be.

01:10:54.160 --> 01:10:57.160
Yeah, but the beautiful thing is we have become that.

01:10:57.160 --> 01:11:01.160
We have become that, but we don't want to see it.

01:11:01.160 --> 01:11:02.160
Yeah.

01:11:02.160 --> 01:11:07.160
So another way to put it would be, I must become what I already am by God's grace.

01:11:07.160 --> 01:11:13.160
I must become what I already am by God's grace.

01:11:13.160 --> 01:11:15.160
So this is not going back to works, guys.

01:11:15.160 --> 01:11:17.160
This is not saying get rid of sin and you will be holy.

01:11:17.160 --> 01:11:18.160
No, no, no.

01:11:18.160 --> 01:11:22.160
Because you're holy, be sinless.

01:11:22.160 --> 01:11:31.160
I must become what I've already am by the grace of God.

01:11:31.160 --> 01:11:32.160
Become what you are.

01:11:32.160 --> 01:11:34.160
Guys, I'll write the statement down.

01:11:34.160 --> 01:11:57.160
A holy life, a holy life is not what makes us holy.

01:11:57.160 --> 01:12:26.160
But if we have been made holy, it should show in a holy life.

01:12:26.160 --> 01:12:29.160
If not, there's something wrong, guys.

01:12:29.160 --> 01:12:31.160
Go back to my old saying, you cannot be half pregnant.

01:12:31.160 --> 01:12:32.160
Thanks.

01:12:32.160 --> 01:12:39.160
Now Paul is so thorough in his letters, man.

01:12:39.160 --> 01:12:43.160
So all the writers in the book are looking at spotlight.

01:12:43.160 --> 01:12:47.480
old saying you cannot be half pregnant thanks

01:12:59.120 --> 01:13:06.840
Paul is so thorough in his letters man he leaves no room for maneuvering

01:13:06.840 --> 01:13:15.600
it goes back to the father saying this is what I've called you to be and I made you this now live it out

01:13:15.600 --> 01:13:29.840
it is related to our understanding of the truth because most of us live holy lives to be holy

01:13:29.840 --> 01:13:35.440
and God is saying but I've already made you holy live holy lives because I've made you holy become

01:13:35.440 --> 01:13:41.600
what you are it's like you looking at your son and saying this is my dream for you I've told you

01:13:41.600 --> 01:13:48.960
about it now become what you are back on track which is usually how God deals with sin in my life

01:13:48.960 --> 01:13:52.900
he's saying Jacob why did you do that you know what I've said about you you know what you're

01:13:52.900 --> 01:14:00.080
called to be so come come son rise up get up step into what you are called to be it's that kind of

01:14:00.440 --> 01:14:11.400
thing guys the reason we're talking about all this is because like it or not holiness of a body like

01:14:11.400 --> 01:14:17.920
this is central your family values affect your children the plumb line of holiness that acts 29

01:14:17.920 --> 01:14:23.360
sets will affect you is if you're a part of this house if you're if you're a connected part of this

01:14:23.360 --> 01:14:28.480
house it'll affect you if we lower our standards it'll affect you too because the values of a

01:14:28.480 --> 01:14:35.160
household affect its people if this was a household given to social work among the poor

01:14:35.160 --> 01:14:40.880
and the needy and hungry and the helpless in downtown then I guarantee you that it'd be part

01:14:40.880 --> 01:14:48.400
of our DNA this house likes being sent it's part of our DNA family values determine how we are

01:14:48.400 --> 01:14:58.680
and just so you know when Paul talks about there about celebrating the Feast of Passover this does

01:14:58.680 --> 01:15:03.880
not mean that we have to now go and celebrate Jewish festivals guys okay that's not what God

01:15:03.880 --> 01:15:07.840
he's saying celebrate the Feast of Passover and then he goes on to say what kind of celebration is

01:15:07.840 --> 01:15:13.640
it he says let go of malice and wickedness and cling to sincerity and truth because there is

01:15:13.640 --> 01:15:19.840
a tendency to begin to practice Jewish festivals and think that by practicing it we are perhaps a

01:15:19.840 --> 01:15:32.800
little closer to God no no if you read Romans 1139 it says that and this also I was going to tell

01:15:32.800 --> 01:15:40.520
you on Tuesday it says that that the only way a Jew is grafted into the body of Christ is when

01:15:40.520 --> 01:15:44.840
he believes if he does not believe he will not be grafted into the body of Christ there is no

01:15:44.840 --> 01:15:53.480
speciality to Jewish festivals functions observances now it doesn't bring you one iota of holiness read

01:15:53.480 --> 01:15:58.400
it understand it and stand in the New Testament and look at the Old Testament when we begin to

01:15:58.400 --> 01:16:03.080
practice Jewish festivals we are standing in the Old Testament and looking into the New Testament

01:16:03.080 --> 01:16:07.760
we are standing in this shadow and looking at the substance when we are called to stand in the

01:16:07.760 --> 01:16:23.240
substance and look at the shadow questions comments so let me conclude that part and then

01:16:23.240 --> 01:16:32.160
we move on to the last bit if I belong to Christ I must put off my former ways guys it's one thing

01:16:32.160 --> 01:16:38.320
to struggle with former sin but it persists or be relaxed about it shows that I don't really want

01:16:38.320 --> 01:16:49.800
to be part of the body of Christ it's one thing to struggle with sin and all of us do it's one

01:16:49.800 --> 01:17:07.520
thing it's one it's one thing to struggle with sin but if I persist or I'm relaxed about sin then

01:17:07.520 --> 01:17:28.000
it shows irreverence towards being a melos or member of the body the actual body of Christ

01:17:28.000 --> 01:17:35.960
so church is for the church is for this is no I mean the church is not a place for the

01:17:36.240 --> 01:17:45.760
the church is for people who are working through sins and patterns and habits but it is neither

01:17:45.760 --> 01:17:55.320
is it a fellowship or a haven for those who want it both ways the one thing to it is it's one thing

01:17:55.320 --> 01:18:04.560
to struggle with sin but to persist or be relaxed about sin shows that shows an error man even I

01:18:04.560 --> 01:18:13.160
can't read it shows an irreverence towards being a melos which means a grief for a member of the

01:18:13.160 --> 01:18:23.680
body of Christ gosh that is terrible thanks game you should have said no Jacob it looks beautiful

01:18:23.680 --> 01:18:34.000
oh speak the truth okay just don't look at that for a while let me put it this it's one thing to

01:18:34.000 --> 01:18:41.400
struggle with sin but it's another thing to persist in it or be relaxed about it this is

01:18:41.400 --> 01:18:47.640
where each one of us has to check our lives guys are you am I relaxed about it which is as bad as

01:18:47.640 --> 01:18:52.280
persisting in it when you're relaxed about it you will borrow from last week's dough and add it to

01:18:52.280 --> 01:18:59.800
this week and if I am relaxed or persisting in sin and I have made no attempt to change and I'm

01:18:59.800 --> 01:19:11.440
not struggling with it and resting in it then really I have an obnoxious irreverence for being

01:19:11.440 --> 01:19:17.880
a melos m-e-l-o-s Greek word for being an actual part of the body of Christ there's an absolute

01:19:17.880 --> 01:19:23.480
irreverence for it m-e-l-o-s that's the word used in the Bible you are members melos of the body of

01:19:23.480 --> 01:19:34.680
Christ meaning you are a limb attached to the body I got a call from a family in India who we

01:19:34.680 --> 01:19:40.040
had met three years ago and when we met them three years ago one of the things the Lord said

01:19:40.040 --> 01:19:46.600
into their lives was that someone's going to come into your life and say to you that I want to send

01:19:46.600 --> 01:19:53.120
you on a trip abroad and I'll pay for your entire airfare and I'll pay for your hotel for your food

01:19:53.120 --> 01:20:00.440
and accommodation that was in 2006 and last week a person comes to them and it's a family of four

01:20:00.440 --> 01:20:06.160
people and says to them I'd like to send you to Malaysia and Singapore and I'd like to pay for

01:20:06.160 --> 01:20:11.560
the entire trip I'd like to pay for all the hotels and I like to pray for the pay for the food now why

01:20:11.560 --> 01:20:15.920
am I saying this to you sometimes when you look at the words that have been spoken over your lives

01:20:15.920 --> 01:20:22.560
by whoever you may think nothing is happening this took three years folks but it came to pass

01:20:22.560 --> 01:20:28.000
I'd suggest that you occasionally go home and look at things that have been spoken over your life

01:20:28.000 --> 01:20:36.400
because you have to remind yourself because it does come to pass this took three years and I got

01:20:36.400 --> 01:20:41.760
a call from them saying that we are going and the person's paying for the entire trip for four

01:20:41.760 --> 01:20:49.960
people man took three years they'd almost forgotten it so go back and check because many

01:20:49.960 --> 01:20:57.960
of the things spoken over your lives will come to pass but live in the hope and in the faith of

01:20:57.960 --> 01:21:04.200
it because when we don't believe what God has said sometimes that acts as a barrier from us

01:21:04.200 --> 01:21:12.040
receiving things in exact time just thought I'll drop that in okay here goes unprecedented

01:21:12.040 --> 01:21:20.440
living principles of glory and we're talking about Aaron's rod that's what we we started this two

01:21:20.440 --> 01:21:28.160
weeks ago here's our premise for those of us who weren't here or I've forgotten the Bible says that

01:21:28.160 --> 01:21:35.560
the ark used to be the carrier of God's glory so the priests would carry that the ark upon

01:21:35.560 --> 01:21:41.040
their shoulders they'd step into the Jordan and the Jordan would part the ark was where the glory

01:21:41.040 --> 01:21:56.680
or the what's what's another way of defining glory so go ahead goodness what else power it's

01:21:56.720 --> 01:22:04.760
God's goodness his reputation is splendor his weight his his nature his character all wrapped

01:22:04.760 --> 01:22:12.240
into one is called his glory everything his reputation splendor weight glory nature character

01:22:12.240 --> 01:22:18.800
influence all of it is encompassed in this one word called glory or cabod cabod means weight of

01:22:18.800 --> 01:22:26.920
all that he is and the ark used to be the carrier of God's glory but we now know that who's the ark

01:22:26.920 --> 01:22:35.120
now we we are the carriers of God's glory we as a corporate body folks most of the things we'll be

01:22:35.120 --> 01:22:40.440
talking about can apply and will apply to our individual lives but never forget we need to see

01:22:40.440 --> 01:22:48.680
things as a corporate body we are a new man we are a new man the Bible talks about Ephesians chapter

01:22:48.680 --> 01:22:56.280
4 verse 11 to 17 says so that you may be built into the full stature of Christ that you may be

01:22:56.280 --> 01:23:04.240
built into a new man we are that which is why when Lorian said did you write the song it is true that

01:23:04.240 --> 01:23:11.920
I wrote the song but my response was deliberate when I said it is a song from this house because

01:23:11.920 --> 01:23:18.520
that song would not be a reality if it didn't come out of what God is feeding us he broke the bread

01:23:18.520 --> 01:23:26.320
about being sent two weeks ago and we shared in it it is ours our house got to begin to think like

01:23:26.320 --> 01:23:38.520
that folks got to begin to think like that the focus is the body and the new man and the thing

01:23:38.520 --> 01:23:45.160
is when we focus like that no it begins to filter and percolate and get deposited in our lives also

01:23:45.360 --> 01:23:56.200
that's how it works Hebrews 9 verse 4 is where we found out that the ark had three things in it if

01:23:56.200 --> 01:24:02.680
you want to turn to Hebrews 9 verse 4 Hebrews 9 4 the ark had three things in it

01:24:02.680 --> 01:24:17.200
reading from verse 4 or verse 3 9 3 behind the second curtain was a room called the most holy

01:24:17.200 --> 01:24:24.200
place which had the golden altar of incense and the gold covered ark of the covenant and it says

01:24:24.200 --> 01:24:32.360
there this ark contained the gold jar of manna Aaron's staff that had budded and the stone

01:24:32.360 --> 01:24:39.580
tablets of the covenant and in the last two weeks or more we have covered the stone tablets we've

01:24:39.580 --> 01:24:46.000
covered the jar of manna and what it represents and you can pick up the CD if you don't remember

01:24:46.000 --> 01:24:52.640
or weren't here and now we are going to talk about Aaron's staff just want to say that this is the

01:24:52.960 --> 01:24:58.120
message I would like someone else to preach on my behalf and as we go on you'll kind of see why

01:24:58.120 --> 01:25:03.440
this is the kind of message where you'd prefer a path someone who comes from outside and preaches

01:25:03.440 --> 01:25:09.720
it on my behalf but that's not the way it works now anymore so we not I just thought I'll throw

01:25:09.720 --> 01:25:19.640
that in let's read the background of Aaron's staff let's go to numbers chapter 17 number 17

01:25:22.640 --> 01:25:44.400
number 17 yes the Lord said to Moses speak to the Israelites and get 12 staffs from them one from

01:25:44.400 --> 01:25:50.880
the leader of each of the ancestral tribes write the name of each man on his staff on the staff

01:25:51.120 --> 01:25:57.480
Levi right Aaron's name for there must be one staff for the head of each ancestral tribe place

01:25:57.480 --> 01:26:03.440
them in the tent of meeting in front of the testimony where I meet with you the staff belonging

01:26:03.440 --> 01:26:09.680
to the man I choose will sprout and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you

01:26:09.680 --> 01:26:32.920
by the Israelites to find the background go to chapter 16 and go to verse 16 chapter 16

01:26:32.920 --> 01:26:43.360
no let's go to chapter 16 verse 1 to 4 look at what it says chapter 16 verses 1 to 4 Korah son

01:26:43.360 --> 01:26:49.640
of Izar the son of Kohath the son of Levi and certain Rubanites Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab

01:26:49.640 --> 01:26:56.400
and on the son of Pellet became insolent and rose up against Moses with them were 250 Israelite men

01:26:56.400 --> 01:27:01.960
well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council they came as a group to

01:27:02.000 --> 01:27:07.400
oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them you have gone too far the whole community is holy every

01:27:07.400 --> 01:27:13.080
one of them and the Lord is with them why then do you set yourselves above the Lord's assembly

01:27:13.080 --> 01:27:18.120
when Moses heard this he fell face down then he said to Korah and all his followers in the morning

01:27:18.120 --> 01:27:23.200
the Lord will show who belongs to him and who is holy and we will have that person come near him

01:27:23.200 --> 01:27:28.640
the man he chooses he will cause to come near him you Korah and all your followers are to do this

01:27:28.640 --> 01:27:33.960
take senses tomorrow put fire and incense in them the man the Lord chooses will be the one who is

01:27:33.960 --> 01:27:39.680
holy you Levites have gone too far now come back to 17 and let's continue from verse 6 of chapter 17

01:27:39.680 --> 01:27:46.800
so Moses spoke to the Israelites and their leaders and gave and their leaders gave him 12

01:27:46.800 --> 01:27:51.520
staffs one for the leader of each of their ancestral tribes and Aaron staff was among them

01:27:51.520 --> 01:27:57.960
Moses placed the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the testimony the next day Moses entered

01:27:58.360 --> 01:28:03.920
the testimony and saw that Aaron's staff which represented the house of Levi had not only sprouted

01:28:03.920 --> 01:28:10.000
but had budded blossomed and produced almonds then Moses brought out all the staffs from the

01:28:10.000 --> 01:28:16.120
Lord's presence to all the Israelites they looked at them and each man took his own staff the Lord

01:28:16.120 --> 01:28:21.600
said to Moses put back Aaron's staff in front of the testimony to be kept as a sign to the rebellious

01:28:21.600 --> 01:28:27.120
this will put an end to their grumbling against me so that they will not die Moses did just as the

01:28:27.120 --> 01:28:32.360
Lord commanded the Israelites said to Moses we will die we are lost we are all lost anyone who even

01:28:32.360 --> 01:28:36.720
comes near the tabernacle of the Lord will die are we all going to die why did they react like

01:28:36.720 --> 01:28:47.720
that go to verse 32 6 chapter 16 verse 32 or chapter 16 verse 28 then Moses said this is how

01:28:47.720 --> 01:28:52.320
you will know that the Lord has sent me to do all these things and that it was not my idea if these

01:28:52.320 --> 01:28:57.560
men die a natural death and experience only what usually happens to men then the Lord has not sent

01:28:57.560 --> 01:29:02.680
me but if the Lord brings about something totally new and the earth opens its mouth and swallows

01:29:02.680 --> 01:29:07.480
them with everything that belongs to them and they go down alive into the grave then you will know

01:29:07.480 --> 01:29:11.680
that these men have treated the Lord with contempt as soon as he finished saying all this the ground

01:29:11.680 --> 01:29:16.040
under them split apart and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them with their households and

01:29:16.040 --> 01:29:20.640
all Korah's men and all their possessions they went down alive into the grave with everything they

01:29:20.640 --> 01:29:25.800
owned the earth closed over them and they perished and were gone from the community at their cries all

01:29:25.800 --> 01:29:31.800
the Israelites around them fled shouting the earth is going to swallow us too so that's the

01:29:31.800 --> 01:29:38.280
background of the story and we needed to know that because as we talk about Aaron's rod this

01:29:38.280 --> 01:29:45.600
is where the whole idea came from so basically Aaron's rod if you were to if someone were to

01:29:45.600 --> 01:29:53.440
ask you and say so what's Aaron's rod about Aaron's rod first it represented the authority

01:29:53.440 --> 01:30:01.720
of the father in the house Aaron's rod represented the authority of the father of each house each

01:30:01.720 --> 01:30:10.920
house was told listen go and get your staff each staff is to represent the father of a tribe and

01:30:11.240 --> 01:30:24.480
so Aaron's rod in this case represents the authority of the father of the house okay and

01:30:24.480 --> 01:30:32.040
it also was placed as a signal or a red flag against bitterness against rebellion and against

01:30:32.040 --> 01:30:40.000
obstinacy of the sons of the house so let me say this again the rod represents the authority of

01:30:40.000 --> 01:30:54.560
the father of the house of the father of the house and it also was supposed to be a red flag

01:30:54.560 --> 01:31:21.800
or a signal against rebellion obstinacy and bitterness from or off the sons of the house

01:31:24.560 --> 01:31:33.360
so that's at its very base that's what it represents Aaron's rod represented on one hand

01:31:33.360 --> 01:31:40.840
the authority of the father of the house but when it was kept in the ark it was supposed to

01:31:40.840 --> 01:31:45.880
represent the rebellion it was not supposed to represent it was supposed to be a signal or a

01:31:45.880 --> 01:31:53.200
red flag against rebellion obstinacy and the bitterness of the sons of the house any questions

01:31:55.320 --> 01:31:56.160
comments

01:31:59.240 --> 01:32:24.540
yeah a signal or or a or a please beware yeah yeah like a reminder in a negative sense not

01:32:24.540 --> 01:32:31.980
in a yeah that don't like a warning sign so that's what the Bible says it was

01:32:31.980 --> 01:32:42.620
supposed to do any questions with regard to this see folks there is core quality

01:32:42.620 --> 01:32:46.580
among all believers we've talked about that all believers are now priests and

01:32:46.580 --> 01:32:54.260
kings but one of the mistakes Cora made was he goes and says to Moses in

01:32:54.260 --> 01:33:03.380
chapter 16 verse 3 or 4 chapter 16 verse 3 numbers chapter 16 verse 3 look at it

01:33:03.380 --> 01:33:07.760
they came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them you have gone too

01:33:07.760 --> 01:33:12.140
far the whole community is holy every one of them and the Lord is with them

01:33:12.140 --> 01:33:16.520
why then do you set yourselves above the Lord's assembly folks Cora was right in

01:33:16.520 --> 01:33:21.940
his initial statement the entire community is holy he wasn't making a

01:33:22.700 --> 01:33:28.220
it was a correct statement we are all priests and kings there's an equality

01:33:28.220 --> 01:33:32.380
among believers today there's no division between clergy and laity that

01:33:32.380 --> 01:33:38.420
that doesn't exist anymore like I love saying the day Christ died and the

01:33:38.420 --> 01:33:45.980
curtain was tore apart the Levites ran out of a job suddenly Israel's priesthood

01:33:45.980 --> 01:33:50.900
did not have a job they were supposed to lead people into the holy of holy another

01:33:50.900 --> 01:33:56.580
the holy of holies was exposed but as much as there is a core quality of

01:33:56.580 --> 01:34:02.060
believers we need to understand that God sets for the sake of the house a

01:34:02.060 --> 01:34:07.300
hierarchical order that does not have to do with rank and importance but has to

01:34:07.300 --> 01:34:14.060
do with divine order you'll see that in the Godhead to father son and spirita

01:34:14.060 --> 01:34:20.660
co-equal but we know from for instance John 14 28 that Jesus said the father is

01:34:20.660 --> 01:34:27.780
greater than I it is not to say that God the father is somehow stronger and more

01:34:27.780 --> 01:34:31.900
powerful than Jesus the son no we know without a shadow of a doubt that the

01:34:31.900 --> 01:34:38.780
father the son and the Holy Spirit are co-equal but the father is first among

01:34:38.780 --> 01:34:46.060
equals this is an old principle that God has been trying to develop throughout

01:34:46.060 --> 01:34:53.220
but occasionally we who have postmodern westernized or easternized

01:34:53.220 --> 01:35:00.700
mindsets do not like the whole idea because co-equality and the democratic

01:35:00.700 --> 01:35:03.860
way of doing things is preferred and as we talk about it more you'll see what I

01:35:03.860 --> 01:35:12.660
mean any questions preach on guys feel free to

01:35:12.660 --> 01:35:27.220
question oh hey I'm not sure any questions see when God establishes a

01:35:27.220 --> 01:35:33.540
hierarchy it is not for ruling folks it's for establishing order we and as

01:35:33.540 --> 01:35:38.580
you go further we'll see how God fleshes it out but we need to understand that

01:35:38.580 --> 01:35:43.380
God does not operate without order God does not operate without order

01:35:43.380 --> 01:35:47.820
unfortunately what has happened please here's another thing why are we talking

01:35:47.820 --> 01:35:51.340
about this you know I don't know whether you saw this on global TV but there

01:35:51.340 --> 01:35:57.660
there's a family that has bought a house in the valley I don't know where here's

01:35:57.660 --> 01:36:00.420
what happened they bought the house for hundred and twenty six thousand dollars

01:36:00.420 --> 01:36:04.580
they thought they were getting a good deal what had happened was they had

01:36:04.580 --> 01:36:09.500
foundations laid till the steps and then when the part that is right under

01:36:09.500 --> 01:36:12.740
the house some of you saw it right right under the house the foundations are

01:36:12.740 --> 01:36:17.060
faulty so what is happening is they can't even shut their front door now

01:36:17.060 --> 01:36:22.500
because the house is beginning to sink you can see the paneling on the wall

01:36:22.500 --> 01:36:28.220
begin to warp the house is at an angle why because the foundations are not

01:36:28.220 --> 01:36:33.940
right they evaluated their house and they found that now it cost sixty

01:36:33.940 --> 01:36:40.140
thousand dollars they are a low-income family who bought a brand new house and

01:36:40.140 --> 01:36:47.260
now they won't even get sixty grand for it why because the foundations were

01:36:47.260 --> 01:36:57.340
faulty but the house is new the house is new and useless it's at one point they

01:36:57.340 --> 01:37:00.580
said we don't even know if this will become a death trap because it might

01:37:00.580 --> 01:37:06.580
collapse on them imagine the door not shutting because the house is beginning

01:37:06.580 --> 01:37:12.260
to keel over see that is why we are talking about this because if we want to

01:37:12.260 --> 01:37:17.300
build this house right we have to get these principles in otherwise four years

01:37:17.300 --> 01:37:23.420
down the road we'll all be walking like this hey how are you Diana good to see

01:37:23.420 --> 01:37:27.900
you can't do that

01:37:32.660 --> 01:37:39.620
because ruling carries in it lordship and authority and Jesus very clearly said

01:37:39.620 --> 01:37:46.460
at one point the the people who are leaders in the world lord it over their

01:37:46.460 --> 01:37:52.100
subjects and they rule over them I have not called you to do that have you

01:37:52.100 --> 01:38:02.780
noticed that I am your servant and yet you call me master so when we talk about

01:38:02.780 --> 01:38:07.620
ruling there seems to be a and that's not it that's not what he's calling us

01:38:07.620 --> 01:38:18.580
to it's John somehow I'll get it's on your sheet but I don't exactly let me

01:38:18.620 --> 01:38:26.540
just check where it is no it's not 1428 it's look 2223 look 2223 we'll actually

01:38:26.540 --> 01:38:38.920
get there a little later yeah basically a guy called Cora and his cohorts decided

01:38:38.920 --> 01:38:44.300
that Moses doesn't need to lead us anymore we are as holy as him so why

01:38:44.900 --> 01:38:49.660
Moses was the meekest man on the face of the earth and he's he instead of

01:38:49.660 --> 01:38:59.380
arguing with them falls on his face and says I can't handle this yeah he actually

01:38:59.380 --> 01:39:04.420
said that they accused him of that yeah recognizing God's choice and so Moses

01:39:04.420 --> 01:39:09.660
says sorry Matt just one sec so Moses says okay let God decide God decides one

01:39:09.660 --> 01:39:14.340
by making sure that rebellion was swallowed two he says let me settle this

01:39:14.340 --> 01:39:17.820
once and for all tell all the twelve tribes and their fathers to bring a

01:39:17.820 --> 01:39:21.340
staff from each of the tribes so we decide once and for all which tribe is

01:39:21.340 --> 01:39:28.100
to which person out of which tribal from now on lead and that's how Aaron's rod

01:39:28.100 --> 01:39:31.580
takes and it begins to bud blossom and bear out almonds which we will talk

01:39:31.580 --> 01:39:34.580
about good man

01:39:34.580 --> 01:39:42.940
meekness is we talked about it ages ago gosh I'm forgetting my definitions

01:39:42.940 --> 01:39:47.900
meekness is the strength that a horse has under the control of its master you

01:39:47.900 --> 01:39:53.180
wouldn't call a horse that standing under its master weak but you'll be

01:39:53.180 --> 01:39:58.100
surprised at how you can go and rub its nose and it won't do nothing to you and

01:39:58.100 --> 01:40:03.820
yet it could take you out with one kick you've experienced that with cows no no

01:40:03.860 --> 01:40:06.660
I'm not kidding Matt and I have talked about it he would remember you told me

01:40:06.660 --> 01:40:11.660
once you yeah the calf that kicked you sorry not the cow

01:40:13.780 --> 01:40:21.860
meekness is strength that is not aggressive but stands its ground it's

01:40:21.860 --> 01:40:27.500
rained in it's under control yeah like a race horse just you let it go and can

01:40:27.500 --> 01:40:33.420
really fly but it doesn't even chop at the bits when it's told to stand still

01:40:33.820 --> 01:40:41.820
not aggressive but what did I say but stance stance in strength yeah

01:40:41.820 --> 01:40:53.940
yeah and then he changed remember most of our cycle most of our understanding

01:40:53.940 --> 01:40:59.460
of Moses comes from Charlton Heston so make sure that you're not thinking of

01:40:59.460 --> 01:41:02.620
him when you think of Moses all our understanding of Moses comes from the

01:41:02.620 --> 01:41:09.220
Ten Commandment movie it was on last night too oh then you're fortunate

01:41:09.220 --> 01:41:13.500
because I mean I had so many I thought Moses had done so many things which he

01:41:13.500 --> 01:41:18.620
really hadn't done but in the movie he did so I thought it sounded right but

01:41:18.620 --> 01:41:25.100
it's not true but he changed he was a man of great I mean Jesus said he was a

01:41:25.100 --> 01:41:31.820
type of me so yeah he was a meekness man that walked the face of the earth so

01:41:31.820 --> 01:41:38.260
please understand that there is a hierarchical order in the priesthood of

01:41:38.260 --> 01:41:45.580
believers and I've said this before God selects faulty inadequate man by divine

01:41:45.580 --> 01:41:51.300
design God selects faulty inadequate man by divine design and it has nothing to

01:41:51.300 --> 01:41:58.300
do with democracy succession reputation pedigree got nothing to do with that

01:41:58.300 --> 01:42:06.380
nothing to do with reputation success succession pedigree or anything of that

01:42:06.380 --> 01:42:12.340
sort and amazingly he appoints men and women to the church to equip the church

01:42:12.340 --> 01:42:17.980
or men and women to the church to lead the church nothing to do with democracy

01:42:17.980 --> 01:42:22.980
succession reputation or pedigree

01:42:25.980 --> 01:42:31.460
unfortunately however the you can't use unfortunately and however so let's go

01:42:31.460 --> 01:42:36.460
with however however since the Old Testament you can't use however and

01:42:36.460 --> 01:42:45.420
since either unfortunately how do you get around this forget both since the

01:42:45.420 --> 01:42:52.060
Old Testament man has all Diana's now stuck it why can't we use those words

01:42:52.060 --> 01:43:00.260
get over it sadly since the Old Testament man has always tried to usurp

01:43:00.260 --> 01:43:04.980
or take over leadership in the church through structures and methods that are

01:43:04.980 --> 01:43:11.260
ungodly folks it's an old old old problem ever since the Old Testament man

01:43:11.260 --> 01:43:20.380
has been trying to use up or take authority in the church through ungodly

01:43:20.380 --> 01:43:30.580
methods or ungodly structures but if we as a people we as a church want to

01:43:30.580 --> 01:43:36.500
represent God's glory God's reputation God's nature God's character if we want

01:43:36.500 --> 01:43:41.860
to represent that accurately we have to understand that the principle of Aaron's

01:43:41.860 --> 01:43:48.900
rod applies today as much as it applied in the Old Testament if we want to make

01:43:48.900 --> 01:43:53.900
sure that four years from now the doors of this church will shut and open and

01:43:53.900 --> 01:43:59.220
will not get stuck and will not be at a no angle this has to be established

01:43:59.220 --> 01:44:07.740
because culture and time does not change these these eternal principles folks and

01:44:07.740 --> 01:44:15.300
if we violate these principles then basically the earth consumes just like

01:44:15.300 --> 01:44:18.340
that man's house is being consumed because the earth is swallowing that

01:44:18.340 --> 01:44:29.020
house up so let's look at some orders or systems in the church today that are

01:44:29.020 --> 01:44:32.860
and figure out if they're divine or defective please understand that

01:44:32.860 --> 01:44:38.180
sometimes people set up a certain system in a church and it's based on their

01:44:38.180 --> 01:44:41.060
understanding of scripture but I'd like to suggest to you that their

01:44:41.060 --> 01:44:45.220
understanding is inaccurate just because I understand something doesn't mean it's

01:44:45.220 --> 01:44:50.660
right I got to understand it correctly yeah I remember a girl who went for a

01:44:50.660 --> 01:44:55.420
driving test and she didn't know that her indicator was a wiper so she's

01:44:55.420 --> 01:44:58.420
sitting there for the test and she's got the guy next to him and he says give

01:44:58.420 --> 01:45:03.220
you a right indicator and the wiper starts working I mean you need to

01:45:03.220 --> 01:45:09.300
understand it correctly before and the other thing I want us to understand is

01:45:09.300 --> 01:45:13.500
folks as we talk about this no you may think of churches you may think of

01:45:13.500 --> 01:45:17.260
pastors you may think of people and you may think man they've got it completely

01:45:17.260 --> 01:45:21.220
wrong or they got it completely right remember that we are not to throw

01:45:21.220 --> 01:45:26.460
spears at people that's Saul's job we are not Saul like we are supposed to be

01:45:26.460 --> 01:45:31.820
David like so even as we expose defective system systems and dismantle

01:45:31.820 --> 01:45:35.860
them make sure that we do not throw spears at those who disagree with us

01:45:35.860 --> 01:45:42.060
because that would be exactly what King Saul would have done we can't afford to

01:45:42.060 --> 01:45:47.220
do that so let's look at some of the orders or structures in churches today

01:45:47.220 --> 01:45:51.020
in terms of ruling one the first one is called and you must have heard of it

01:45:51.020 --> 01:45:57.420
it's called episcopalian episcopalian that's how the papal structure works

01:45:57.420 --> 01:46:02.180
where there's a Pope there are some cardinals there are some archbishops and

01:46:02.180 --> 01:46:06.100
then there are some bishops and then there are some reverends and then there

01:46:06.100 --> 01:46:14.420
are some deacons what happens in a system like this is that the subjects

01:46:14.420 --> 01:46:19.940
are cut off and are in bondage to the king it's a Pope who decides what goes

01:46:19.940 --> 01:46:25.580
and what does not this system has nothing to do with any godly order in

01:46:25.580 --> 01:46:30.180
the church you cannot have one big honcho sitting and telling you what to

01:46:30.180 --> 01:46:39.820
do from Rome or from Bombay it's a defective system it releases people who

01:46:39.820 --> 01:46:43.860
are in bondage to a king who is seated far away that's not how we are supposed

01:46:43.860 --> 01:46:52.780
to function and that's a common system in some churches it doesn't have to be

01:46:52.780 --> 01:46:58.260
Catholic folks it can be a church that is not Catholic and yet has a structure

01:46:58.260 --> 01:47:03.660
where there's a head someone and he issues decrees and edicts that have to

01:47:03.660 --> 01:47:07.820
be followed by the group of churches under not the way to go the second

01:47:07.820 --> 01:47:15.100
order is Presbyterian Presbyterian I'm not talking about any denomination I'm

01:47:15.100 --> 01:47:20.900
talking about systems Presbyterian the Presbyterian system is basically where

01:47:20.900 --> 01:47:25.860
you have elders telling the leader how to run the church you have elders

01:47:25.860 --> 01:47:31.700
telling the leader how to run the church this is common in many many many many

01:47:31.700 --> 01:47:37.780
many churches the elders tell the leader how to run the church and what happens

01:47:37.780 --> 01:47:44.540
then is that it's a oppressive system that's run by consultation so if the

01:47:44.540 --> 01:47:47.380
leader wants to do something I'll have to go and first sit at this table and

01:47:47.380 --> 01:47:52.340
say you know I feel God saying that I need to do this this and this and then

01:47:52.340 --> 01:47:55.380
you will all want to decide whether God is actually whether we should go ahead

01:47:55.380 --> 01:48:02.620
with the God is saying it's ridiculous man this is exactly what happened with

01:48:02.620 --> 01:48:08.820
Samuel Matt am I still on or okay this is exactly what happened with Samuel and

01:48:08.820 --> 01:48:15.980
Israel God told Samuel I will be their leader and the elders of Israel I've

01:48:15.980 --> 01:48:19.140
given you the scriptural reference there the elders of Israel come and say to

01:48:19.140 --> 01:48:23.000
Samuel no no no no no you are old and your children are not following God we

01:48:23.000 --> 01:48:31.180
want a king like the other nations it's a it's a it's a defective system it was

01:48:31.220 --> 01:48:40.300
it's not a godly system yeah yeah and that's that's not a godly system I'm not

01:48:40.300 --> 01:48:44.740
saying a church that adopts a system will not do relatively well but who's

01:48:44.740 --> 01:48:48.580
who wants relatively well when we are talking about Christ the Son of God who

01:48:48.580 --> 01:48:53.580
is perfect and whose ways are perfect and who paid the price for the body

01:48:53.580 --> 01:48:59.780
whose bride are you messing around with I mean we're talking about the church

01:48:59.780 --> 01:49:03.540
being the wife of Christ

01:49:13.700 --> 01:49:19.540
yep the third system is congregational congregational is where there is

01:49:19.540 --> 01:49:24.020
democratic rule the whole congregation decides whether we should do something

01:49:24.020 --> 01:49:30.500
or not do something the whole congregation decides you know unfortunately

01:49:30.500 --> 01:49:33.700
whenever the crowd gets together to decide something they usually chose

01:49:33.700 --> 01:49:38.580
Barabbas that's exactly what happened with Jesus when the crowd got together

01:49:38.580 --> 01:49:44.840
they chose Barabbas and so whenever there's a congregational model where

01:49:44.840 --> 01:49:50.460
things are democratically voted on so that the church will decide to a

01:49:50.460 --> 01:49:55.380
democratic election a democratic choice whether we should do something or not do

01:49:55.380 --> 01:50:02.340
something I'm telling you it is so packed with stuff that'll undo what God

01:50:02.340 --> 01:50:09.380
may want to do yeah the the church in Laodicea in revelations 314 the word

01:50:09.380 --> 01:50:14.620
Laodicea means the rights of the people that's what the word means Laodicea

01:50:14.620 --> 01:50:19.300
means the rights of a people and the what is the problem with the church in

01:50:19.300 --> 01:50:25.060
Laodicea the church in Laodicea was lukewarm and I'm suggesting to you that

01:50:25.060 --> 01:50:29.900
it is impossible when the majority decides on something for anything to be

01:50:29.900 --> 01:50:34.140
without compromise folks you have to come to a happy compromise to gain

01:50:34.140 --> 01:50:38.940
votes that's how politicians win

01:50:47.460 --> 01:50:53.540
you know I know pastors and I've been in churches where there are good men and

01:50:53.540 --> 01:50:57.700
women and they're making sacrifices for the church but ultimately regardless of

01:50:57.700 --> 01:51:01.740
sacrifices they might make for the goodwill of the church the destiny of

01:51:01.740 --> 01:51:06.220
the church is decided by either a democratic decision or by a group of

01:51:06.220 --> 01:51:18.100
elders who may not be in the same page just the way it is then there is the

01:51:18.100 --> 01:51:27.140
independent leader the independent leader is an authority unto himself the

01:51:27.140 --> 01:51:34.460
independent leader is an authority unto himself he does what he wants and he

01:51:34.460 --> 01:51:40.460
controls through charisma or intimidation an independent leader is an

01:51:40.460 --> 01:51:46.580
authority unto himself he does what he wants and he controls through charisma

01:51:46.580 --> 01:51:53.300
or through intimidation people like that end up being the head and the husband of

01:51:53.300 --> 01:51:57.380
the church when it's actually Christ who is the head and the husband of the

01:51:57.380 --> 01:52:01.220
church independent leaders will control either through tremendous charisma where

01:52:01.220 --> 01:52:05.900
you will follow or through intimidation where you're afraid to touch or say

01:52:05.900 --> 01:52:12.460
anything because you think something will happen to you in situations like

01:52:12.460 --> 01:52:15.100
that Christ is no longer the head of the church they become the head of the

01:52:15.100 --> 01:52:18.860
church in situations like that Christ is no longer the bridegroom of the bride

01:52:18.860 --> 01:52:26.580
they become the bridegroom. Folks there's a difference when it comes to the bride

01:52:26.580 --> 01:52:30.940
of Christ if you were getting married I'm assuming a bride chooses a bridesmaids

01:52:30.940 --> 01:52:39.100
right yeah yeah but when it comes to the church the bridegroom chooses the

01:52:39.100 --> 01:52:45.260
bridesmaids for the bride in the world a bride goes and says you you

01:52:45.260 --> 01:52:48.020
and you will be my bridesmaids and then she spends a whole lot of money so that

01:52:48.060 --> 01:52:55.380
they all look the same meaning they all dress up the same sorry please ignore

01:52:55.380 --> 01:53:01.780
that observation but but the thing with Christ as the bridegroom is that he's

01:53:01.780 --> 01:53:07.780
the one who picks the bridesmaids for his bride he knows who to pick to equip

01:53:07.780 --> 01:53:13.900
the bride to be ready so when we decide who will be the bridesmaids for the

01:53:13.900 --> 01:53:17.460
church who will equip the church through pedigree through reputation through

01:53:17.460 --> 01:53:23.340
degrees through succession through election I'm saying to you that it is it

01:53:23.340 --> 01:53:31.380
is it is just the exactly opposite way of going about it folks any questions

01:53:31.380 --> 01:53:39.700
thus far we have a solution but any questions with regard to what we've said

01:53:39.700 --> 01:53:41.940
thus far

01:53:41.940 --> 01:53:54.500
how would we know who the right people are we'll come to that any questions

01:53:54.500 --> 01:54:02.980
okay the Bible says that the way a church should go about setting itself up

01:54:02.980 --> 01:54:09.780
is to be autonomous is to be autonomous by autonomous I mean it should be

01:54:09.780 --> 01:54:25.180
self-governing it should be self-governing self-sustaining self

01:54:25.180 --> 01:54:36.460
propagating a church should be self-governing meaning I mean to begin

01:54:36.580 --> 01:54:47.820
with I met a person recently who I was sitting across and the person said oh I

01:54:47.820 --> 01:54:53.900
think what I'm going to do is I'm going to start a church and I didn't have the

01:54:53.900 --> 01:54:59.140
courage to say to him that are you sure that's what God is calling you to do are

01:54:59.140 --> 01:55:05.380
you sure that's what your gifts or ability to equip is because as far as I

01:55:05.380 --> 01:55:11.380
know that's not what the person is supposed to do but the person who's

01:55:11.380 --> 01:55:14.420
sitting there and does not have a job at president said I think I'll start a

01:55:14.420 --> 01:55:22.060
church and I'm saying to you that's usually not the way to go about it if

01:55:22.060 --> 01:55:27.180
you if you are an equip or you will know it even before anyone else identifies it

01:55:27.180 --> 01:55:35.940
folks if you are called to be a teacher evangelist pastor prophet or an apostle

01:55:35.940 --> 01:55:42.060
I'm saying to you before anyone else knows it you have already known it

01:55:42.060 --> 01:55:48.460
because God clearly spoke to you not in a hazy dream where you saw a nose coming

01:55:48.460 --> 01:55:54.140
out and saying something no no no very clearly God will say I have this for you

01:55:54.140 --> 01:56:00.820
so you will know it what do you do after that you wait why because you are now

01:56:00.820 --> 01:56:06.140
appointed to the body of Christ the body of Christ has at some point to see that

01:56:06.140 --> 01:56:10.900
in you to recognize and at some point release you to do what you're supposed

01:56:10.900 --> 01:56:17.660
to do you have to wait for it to happen Jesus waited how long 30 years go ahead

01:56:17.660 --> 01:56:19.620
Matt

01:56:19.620 --> 01:56:30.460
self-imagined but then he should wait till the church actually sees it yeah if

01:56:30.460 --> 01:56:35.020
the body doesn't see it if others don't come to recognize it then there's

01:56:35.020 --> 01:56:41.140
something wrong because it is impossible once God has birthed that in you and put

01:56:41.140 --> 01:56:45.780
that in your DNA for it to be saved hidden it'll come out folks it'll surely

01:56:45.780 --> 01:57:02.980
come out the outside church meaning no no no it is no this is one thing if God

01:57:02.980 --> 01:57:08.020
has called you to any of these servant roles you will know it before anyone

01:57:08.020 --> 01:57:15.340
else folks you will know it you will know it first it won't be the other way

01:57:15.340 --> 01:57:19.020
around God won't come and use someone to say I have no no no God would have

01:57:19.020 --> 01:57:23.660
spoken to you first because these are Christ appointed things the Bible

01:57:23.660 --> 01:57:27.860
doesn't say the Holy Spirit appoints these five services he says Christ has

01:57:27.860 --> 01:57:38.820
appointed these five services you will know it the way to the way we should

01:57:38.820 --> 01:57:42.700
build is to be self-governing self-sustaining and self proper

01:57:42.860 --> 01:57:48.700
what I mean by self-sustaining is you know one of the reasons we said to the

01:57:48.700 --> 01:57:53.740
North American Baptist Conference that we would like to discontinue the money

01:57:53.740 --> 01:57:58.420
that you were giving us to do the church plan was exactly because of this because

01:57:58.420 --> 01:58:06.580
we wanted to be self-sustaining self-propagating is giving birth

01:58:06.580 --> 01:58:12.380
self-governing is where from within the house you now get a plurality of leaders

01:58:12.380 --> 01:58:20.860
you don't get a plurality of leadership you get a plurality of leaders an

01:58:20.860 --> 01:58:23.780
autonomous church is a self-governing church self-sustaining church

01:58:23.780 --> 01:58:28.940
self-propagating church and you develop a plurality of leaders but you don't

01:58:28.940 --> 01:58:33.740
develop a plurality of leadership meaning it's not because then it goes

01:58:33.740 --> 01:58:37.340
back to all the elders sitting together and trying to arrive at a consensus I

01:58:37.340 --> 01:58:40.700
have known of situations like that where five six elders will sit together and

01:58:40.700 --> 01:58:45.740
they won't make a decision till all of them are agreed that's the way of that's

01:58:45.740 --> 01:58:52.100
not the way I'll show you from the Bible that that's not the way some of us must

01:58:52.100 --> 01:58:55.980
be thinking but how does this affect my life folks it affects our lives like

01:58:55.980 --> 01:59:04.260
crazy because once you become part of once you become part of this every the

01:59:04.260 --> 01:59:11.980
way this loaf comes together determines what filters into each life and we'll

01:59:11.980 --> 01:59:19.140
talk about that see when you go to Acts chapter 15 for example they had a

01:59:19.140 --> 01:59:24.140
problem the Gentiles were beginning to enter the church and the Jewish church

01:59:24.140 --> 01:59:29.060
in Jerusalem had a problem so they come for a huge discussion Peter also turns

01:59:29.060 --> 01:59:32.460
up for the discussion because Peter had just had this amazing thing that

01:59:32.460 --> 01:59:36.380
happened at Cornelius's house where the Gentiles started speaking in tongues and

01:59:36.380 --> 01:59:41.020
received the Holy Spirit and you will notice that all the elders and the whole

01:59:41.020 --> 01:59:46.700
church actually turned up for this meeting and they were having debates

01:59:46.700 --> 01:59:51.300
discussions on this whole topic of if the Gentiles come into the church

01:59:51.300 --> 01:59:57.260
shouldn't be circumcised them that was a discussion and then Peter who is a

01:59:57.260 --> 02:00:00.460
leader and one of the prime leaders among the Apostles what does he do he

02:00:00.460 --> 02:00:05.100
stands up and gives shares his testimony but Peter was a leader of the Apostles

02:00:05.100 --> 02:00:09.420
but he wasn't the leader of the Jerusalem Church even when he came to

02:00:09.420 --> 02:00:13.500
the Jerusalem Church he wasn't the one who was going to make the decision they

02:00:13.500 --> 02:00:16.540
were elders are the elders were discussing too if you read Acts 15 and

02:00:16.540 --> 02:00:22.180
then at one point James stands up and James was the leader of the Jerusalem

02:00:22.180 --> 02:00:30.700
Church and then James says based on the principle that God is restoring the

02:00:30.700 --> 02:00:36.220
tabernacle of David he this goes back to what we were saying last week folks we

02:00:36.220 --> 02:00:40.780
do not have policies we have principles and those principles have to be derived

02:00:40.780 --> 02:00:46.020
from the word and James listens to the whole discussion listens to what Peter

02:00:46.020 --> 02:00:50.100
has to say and then he stands up and says based on the scripture in Psalms or

02:00:50.100 --> 02:00:54.060
somewhere where it says I will restore the tabernacle of David and my salvation

02:00:54.060 --> 02:00:59.220
shall reach to the ends of the earth I want to say now that the Gentiles will

02:00:59.220 --> 02:01:04.340
not have to go through circumcision and then he states what has to be done

02:01:04.340 --> 02:01:09.500
that's the way a church is supposed to work we can all discuss but at the end

02:01:09.500 --> 02:01:13.940
of the day both the church and the leader has to give room to the voice of

02:01:13.940 --> 02:01:19.220
the Holy Spirit and you got to step back it doesn't matter what my opinion is

02:01:19.220 --> 02:01:22.700
doesn't matter in a sense what your opinion is you have to step back and

02:01:22.700 --> 02:01:26.500
give place to the voice of the Holy Spirit I'd suggest to you the same

02:01:26.500 --> 02:01:30.820
principle applies to your homes get this right in the beginning when you have

02:01:30.820 --> 02:01:35.340
children and you'll find that just as it works in this house it will work in your

02:01:35.340 --> 02:01:42.660
home where husband and wife are co-equal but the husband is first among the

02:01:42.660 --> 02:01:48.220
equals folks and at the end of the day after the children have discussed and

02:01:48.220 --> 02:01:51.700
the wife and the husband have discussed the husband has to have the ability to

02:01:51.700 --> 02:01:57.100
step back and speak for God and make room for the voice of the Holy Spirit

02:01:57.100 --> 02:02:03.580
for the home and the same principle applies to the house these are

02:02:03.580 --> 02:02:09.220
scriptural principles not policies it's not a policy I'm the husband and what I

02:02:09.220 --> 02:02:15.180
say is right doesn't work that way

02:02:18.220 --> 02:02:26.500
I love in verse 16 and 17 of Acts 15 you should read the wording James sent a

02:02:26.500 --> 02:02:32.700
letter saying it seemed good to us and the Holy Spirit that's how he words a

02:02:32.700 --> 02:02:38.140
letter it seems good to us and the Holy Spirit because you've got to step back

02:02:38.140 --> 02:02:46.860
and let the voice of make room for the voice of the Spirit hearing the Holy

02:02:46.860 --> 02:02:51.940
Spirit is the privilege of the community meaning us hearing the Holy

02:02:51.940 --> 02:02:56.940
Spirit is the privilege of the community a leader should take advice from others

02:02:56.940 --> 02:03:04.260
but ultimately make room for the voice of God a leader should take why take

02:03:04.260 --> 02:03:11.140
advice from the community but ultimately should make room for the voice of God

02:03:11.140 --> 02:03:15.540
that's the way it's supposed to work and that's how we've been doing things I'd

02:03:15.580 --> 02:03:23.020
like to suggest to you when it came time to move from we were Java to here

02:03:23.020 --> 02:03:29.420
that's what happened the Holy I mean you know Tino and I was sitting with Artie

02:03:29.420 --> 02:03:37.100
on Thursday and Artie was saying so why did you guys move why did you leave me

02:03:37.100 --> 02:03:41.420
here like this and move and I was glad Tino was there because it was a witness

02:03:41.420 --> 02:03:46.180
and I said Artie this is what God did and I told him how the Lord spoke and I

02:03:46.180 --> 02:03:50.740
said to him we were happy here we hadn't outgrown this place I love the smell of

02:03:50.740 --> 02:03:56.660
coffee likes everything about this place but at the end of the day we had to make

02:03:56.660 --> 02:04:04.220
room for the voice of the Spirit it's the same with dollars that we give

02:04:04.220 --> 02:04:10.580
speakers who are coming we don't sit and try to figure out so is this guy really

02:04:10.580 --> 02:04:15.380
worth it or not it is amazing how some of you have been at those meetings we

02:04:15.380 --> 02:04:21.380
decide on a figure almost unanimously because the Spirit of God says how about

02:04:21.380 --> 02:04:25.020
this and we won't even talk and then when we speak out that figure is usually

02:04:25.020 --> 02:04:31.620
the it's usually the same same you make room for the voice of the Spirit there

02:04:31.620 --> 02:04:35.840
is a plurality of leaders but there's no plurality of leadership there is one set

02:04:35.840 --> 02:04:39.320
man and we're going to talk about the set man principle next that's why I said

02:04:39.320 --> 02:04:42.560
this is better preach from it someone else preaching because otherwise it

02:04:42.560 --> 02:04:48.720
seems self-promoting but it's not set man principle if you want to go to the

02:04:48.720 --> 02:04:55.800
next bit folks every house is to have a set man and the whole idea of set man

02:04:55.800 --> 02:05:05.400
comes from numbers 27 numbers 27 to think that God put Aaron's staff in the

02:05:05.400 --> 02:05:14.520
tabernacle just to to let churches know that there is a way to do things set

02:05:14.520 --> 02:05:18.720
man principle every house is hot is to have a set man a set man concept is from

02:05:18.720 --> 02:05:25.320
numbers 27 verses 16 and 17 numbers 27 verses 16 and 17 and here's what it says

02:05:25.320 --> 02:05:32.960
numbers 27 verses 16 and 17 Moses said to the Lord may the Lord God may the Lord

02:05:33.120 --> 02:05:38.480
the God of the spirits of all mankind appoint a man over this community to go

02:05:38.480 --> 02:05:42.820
out and come in before them one who will lead them out and bring them in so the

02:05:42.820 --> 02:05:48.440
Lord's people will not be like a sheep without a shepherd that's where the

02:05:48.440 --> 02:05:53.880
concept of set man comes from may the Lord the God of the spirits of all

02:05:53.880 --> 02:05:57.720
mankind appoint a man over this community to go out and come in before

02:05:57.720 --> 02:06:00.760
them one who will lead Berry them out and bring them in so lots people will

02:06:00.760 --> 02:06:06.520
not be like sheep without a shepherd. Our usual response to stuff like that is, oh

02:06:06.520 --> 02:06:11.020
we follow Jesus Christ, we don't follow man. I'd like to say to you that order

02:06:11.020 --> 02:06:19.800
here on earth is established through the agency of man. It's always established

02:06:19.800 --> 02:06:25.240
through the agency of man. So what are the qualifications of a set man? Does he have

02:06:25.240 --> 02:06:28.720
to be an apostle? Does he have to be a prophet? Does he have to be a pastor,

02:06:28.720 --> 02:06:35.520
teacher, evangelist? No, no, no. You have to be like David. You don't need to be a

02:06:35.520 --> 02:06:40.160
title, you have to be like David. You have to be a man or a woman running after

02:06:40.160 --> 02:06:46.760
God's heart. You have to be a hearer of God. You have to be someone whose hands

02:06:46.760 --> 02:06:55.160
are skilled in war and you have the ability if necessary to kill giants. You

02:06:55.200 --> 02:07:07.520
have to have a desire to build a house for God. You have to have spiritual

02:07:07.520 --> 02:07:15.200
authority. You have to be anointed by Samuel and what I mean by anointed by

02:07:15.200 --> 02:07:22.880
Samuel means the purpose of God in your life to do that must be

02:07:22.880 --> 02:07:26.680
evident and must be recognized.

02:07:29.320 --> 02:07:32.560
Questions guys?

02:07:36.200 --> 02:07:39.200
Questions?

02:07:45.480 --> 02:07:48.480
No questions?

02:07:52.880 --> 02:07:55.880
Any comments?

02:07:57.880 --> 02:08:03.880
Guys, don't feel scared to ask questions. This is how we build principles.

02:08:07.880 --> 02:08:10.880
Okay.

02:08:11.080 --> 02:08:16.680
Folks, a set man is a father and it's a father that produces sons. A hireling

02:08:16.680 --> 02:08:23.680
cannot produce sons. A set man is a father and it's a father who produces

02:08:23.680 --> 02:08:33.280
sons. A hireling cannot produce sons. You know, you can hire a pastor who has the

02:08:33.280 --> 02:08:39.880
heart of a father. Unfortunately, because he has been hired, he will not be allowed

02:08:39.880 --> 02:08:49.680
to produce children because he is hired and so he can be fired. So you cannot, he

02:08:49.680 --> 02:08:54.680
doesn't have the freedom. He may be a potent man but he does not have the

02:08:54.680 --> 02:08:58.880
freedom to produce children because he has been hired by someone who decides

02:08:58.880 --> 02:09:07.080
whether he's to stay with the bride or not. A father produces children. A hireling

02:09:07.080 --> 02:09:15.480
does not. If you turn to Judges 17, you'll see that story there. It's a very

02:09:15.480 --> 02:09:25.680
sad story. Judges 17. Judges is Joshua after Joshua. Joshua judges Ruth. Judges 17.

02:09:26.680 --> 02:09:32.080
Hey folks, if it's getting late, just imagine this in your minds. You don't

02:09:32.080 --> 02:09:35.280
have to come this evening.

02:09:37.080 --> 02:09:53.280
Thank God we're talking about not deciding things democratically but making room.

02:09:53.280 --> 02:10:03.480
Okay, yeah, tug of war. If you show, yeah, if it's in scripture, we'll do that.

02:10:03.480 --> 02:10:21.680
Okay, Judges 17, 10. Here is a guy called Micah and he, this was the time when

02:10:21.680 --> 02:10:26.280
there were no prophets and judges in Israel and he meets a Levite and Micah

02:10:26.280 --> 02:10:30.680
says in verse 9, where are you from? He says I'm a Levite from Bethlehem in

02:10:30.680 --> 02:10:34.680
Judah and he says I'm looking for a place to stay. Look at verse 10. Then

02:10:34.680 --> 02:10:38.980
Micah said to him, live with me and be my father and priest and I will give you

02:10:38.980 --> 02:10:42.980
ten shekels of silver a year, your clothes and your food. Hired him to be

02:10:43.980 --> 02:10:54.180
father. But now go to 18, chapter 18, verse 19. Chapter 18, verse 19 or verse 18.

02:10:54.180 --> 02:11:00.980
Chapter 18, verse 18. Judges chapter 18, verse 18. And it says that when these

02:11:00.980 --> 02:11:04.980
men went into Micah's house, the same guy who hired this Levite to be his priest

02:11:04.980 --> 02:11:09.080
and father and took the carved image, the ephod and the other household gods and

02:11:09.080 --> 02:11:12.580
the cast title, the priest said to them, what are you doing? They answered him, be

02:11:12.580 --> 02:11:16.980
quiet, don't say a word, come with us and be our father and priest. Isn't it better

02:11:16.980 --> 02:11:20.780
that you serve a tribe and a clan in Israel as a priest rather than just one

02:11:20.780 --> 02:11:29.780
man's household? Isn't this exactly what is happening folks? What does it say?

02:11:30.780 --> 02:11:34.480
Yeah, the priest was glad he took the ephod, the other household gods and carved

02:11:34.480 --> 02:11:40.080
image, went along with the people. This is unfortunately what's happening. It's

02:11:40.080 --> 02:11:46.180
happening to hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of youth pastors who are men

02:11:46.180 --> 02:11:51.180
with a passion for God but who need to break into a church so that they can

02:11:51.180 --> 02:11:59.380
serve and then move on to a tribe and a clan that is bigger. It's a sad thing

02:11:59.380 --> 02:12:08.480
folks and these are men with a great passion. Do you see why we need to reform

02:12:08.480 --> 02:12:19.580
things? Otherwise we end up in a system that is not, if you held a plumb line to

02:12:19.580 --> 02:12:24.380
it would be off and there'll be times when we may be off but may God send us

02:12:24.380 --> 02:12:28.380
people or send us the word so that we may hold it against us and then have the

02:12:28.380 --> 02:12:37.480
meekness to correct ourselves. So folks make sure that you connect to a set man

02:12:37.480 --> 02:12:44.280
whose staff or rod is blossoming. Make sure, this is where we talk about why it

02:12:44.280 --> 02:12:48.380
is important, how does this all help me as an individual in the church? Make

02:12:48.380 --> 02:12:55.080
sure that you connect to a set man whose rod is blossoming because only then will

02:12:55.080 --> 02:13:00.780
the full purpose and grace of God placed in that house through the set man be

02:13:00.780 --> 02:13:05.180
yours. Let me say that again. It is important that I connect to a set man

02:13:05.180 --> 02:13:10.080
whose rod is blossoming and we'll talk about what that means because only when

02:13:10.080 --> 02:13:15.880
I connect to a set man of that sort will all the purposes of God and all the

02:13:15.880 --> 02:13:23.880
graces of God through that set man for the house become mine. Number 17 verse

02:13:23.880 --> 02:13:28.980
12, I think it's in number 17 verse 12 or numbers 11 verse 17, God says to

02:13:28.980 --> 02:13:33.780
Moses I'm going to take the spirit that is off you and I'm going to put it on

02:13:33.780 --> 02:13:42.480
these 70. It's not because a set man suddenly becomes special, it is just that

02:13:42.480 --> 02:13:48.180
God has ordained order in such a way that when you connect to a set man whose

02:13:48.180 --> 02:13:52.880
rod is blossoming then all the purposes of God for that house will flow through

02:13:52.880 --> 02:13:59.380
into your lives. Numbers 11 17 and number 17 12. I think it's on top of the sheet.

02:13:59.680 --> 02:14:10.180
17 12, let's go check it out. Number 17 12 says, no must be wrong. Numbers try

02:14:10.180 --> 02:14:18.180
numbers 11 17. Numbers 11 17. 17 12 is not the right word. Numbers 11 17. Yeah,

02:14:18.180 --> 02:14:24.780
numbers 11 17. I will, God is speaking, he says I will come down and speak with you

02:14:24.780 --> 02:14:28.380
there and I will take off the spirit that is upon you and put the spirit on

02:14:28.380 --> 02:14:31.180
them. They will help you carry the burden of the people so that you will

02:14:31.180 --> 02:14:34.580
not have to carry it alone. What's happening is some elders have come and

02:14:34.580 --> 02:14:39.480
Moses needed help and God took that grace that was upon Moses and put it

02:14:39.480 --> 02:14:44.680
upon the 70 so that they may have the same grace to judge properly. This is why

02:14:44.680 --> 02:14:49.780
when Jacob blessed his children he didn't say son Ryan you will be this, no he

02:14:49.780 --> 02:14:55.780
said run son Ryan you and your descendants will be people.