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On Jun 13, 2004: 1 Corinthians 3 · Teachings On This Day On FerventWord

• AI Andrew [00:00:00]: You are listening to FerventWord, an online bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2004. Jerry Simmons [00:00:13]: Have you ever needed an interpreter? You ever needed an interpreter? You ever been to, like, a foreign country where you you need to rely upon someone who knew the culture, knew the land, knew the layout, knew the language, and would be able to lead you and guide you? Well, when I was young, my parents used to love to go to Mexico. We'd always go to Ensenada or DJ. We for a couple of years, we spent Christmases there. I think, 1 year, we spent Thanksgiving there and 4th July. For just very often, we'd go down, we just rent a little house on the beach and just stay out there. And then, of course, one of the things we love to do is go shopping. Right? Everybody likes to shop in Mexico and kinda barter with the guys and go back and forth and just really have a lot of fun. Well, one year, my dad was on a mission. Jerry Simmons [00:00:57]: We went down there and, he was on a mission because he wanted one of those, little chimneys. Now you you might probably have seen them. You know what I'm talking about, the little terracotta chimneys. They're about yay high or so. They're about that big. And and, we he wanted it for the backyard right next to the pool. He thought it looked perfect. So we went all over town. Jerry Simmons [00:01:15]: And and, of course, if you wanna get the good deals, you don't go, you know, down the beaten path where all the everybody else goes. But you kinda go maybe a couple of streets to the side and and kinda get a little bit deeper into Ensenada. And, you find some really good deals. And people, man, they just wanna sell you stuff. And so my dad went and he found this place that that had it and it was exactly what he wanted except for it's the wrong color. And so he was trying to talk the guy. And, of course, if you go back a couple of roads, well, they don't speak English very well or if at all. And so the gentleman that we were talking to, he didn't speak English. Jerry Simmons [00:01:47]: And and so him and my dad are trying to communicate and and trying to get across. And my dad's trying to say, like, this one, but that color, you know, it's see, and try to mix it and and try to do these hand motions to put it together. Right? And so the guy finally understands and goes, okay. And then he starts just spouting off, you know, the stuff in Spanish, telling my dad whatever. Right? And and my dad's, like, looking confused. And and he looks back at me, and and the guy goes, oh, he must know Spanish. So he starts talking to me, and I'm, like, like, dad, why did you look at me? He's, like, well, hey. I give you the tapes. Jerry Simmons [00:02:18]: Right? You're homeschooled. I was homeschooled, so my high school Spanish was, you know, you listen to the tapes and they have those, you know, funny things that they try to teach you Spanish with, and you repeat after the tape and stuff. And they had a, a couple of dumb ones or funny ones that I was sharing with 1st service, but nobody laughed. So I'm gonna do the will. Okay? You gotta laugh on this. This is a joke. Okay? So they try to teach you Spanish by teaching you these kinda like jokes or or keys. Right? So they would say the light is loose. Jerry Simmons [00:02:46]: Right? Because in Spanish, light is loose, and so the light is loose for us. It's like loose. It's not tight, but light is loose, the light is loose. Okay? See, good job. Good job. Good job. Okay. I have another one. Jerry Simmons [00:02:59]: I have a key here. You guys get it? In Spanish, here is a key. So if I say, I have a key here, that means, you know, Simon Bird, the key is here. Right? Tina's in the tub. You know, they had all kinds of stuff, so don't worry about that. But, so my dad said, hey. You got the tapes? You should be able to talk to him, you know. And and I'm like so he's, like, trying to talk to me, and we're kinda going back and forth and doing the hand motion thing and trying to understand each other. Jerry Simmons [00:03:25]: And I'm trying to tell him, slow down. If you, you know, if you slow down and you don't conjugate, I might be able to catch a word or 2. You know what I mean? So but, you know, finally, what he ended up doing was he did this. And all along, as we spent there, like, 20 minutes trying to communicate, all he was trying to tell me was, I have one at another store. Come back at 4 o'clock, and I'll give it to you for the price that I said. And so all that for, you know, that little thing and and me and my dad go, oh, we finally get it now. We understand. Okay. Jerry Simmons [00:03:57]: You're gonna bring one, and then we can buy it. We'll come back. Great. And so, you know, we needed an interpreter. It would've been useful to have someone there who understood the language, who who knew what the guy was talking about and could relate back and forth between us. Well, in first Corinthians chapter 2 verse 14, you might remember from last week, it says, but the natural man does not receive the things of the spirit of god, for they are foolishness to him, nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned. And we talked about how the natural person can't understand the things of god, can't understand the things of the spirit. Well, if we can't, we're natural. Jerry Simmons [00:04:34]: I mean, I look and we're all natural people. We're not supernatural people. We're natural people. How then do we understand the things of god? Well, in order for us to understand, we need an interpreter. In order for us to understand the things of God, we need someone to explain it to us. An interpreter who can relate it to us, who can teach us the things of God. Now you might be thinking, well, hold up. Hold up. Jerry Simmons [00:04:56]: What do you mean? That means we have to go to the priest or only you can explain? No no no no. I'm not talking about a man, but I'm talking about the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is our interpreter who God has given us that we might understand the things of God, that we might know his ways, understand his thoughts, that we we might walk in his paths. And so the natural man, one who has not known the things of god, can only understand the things of god with the interpreter. This morning, however, we'll look at an area called carnality. Paul kinda rebukes the the carnal Christians, and carnality is a little bit different than the natural man. A carnal man is one who has has known the things of God, but has walked away. And so, you know, like, I didn't know Spanish, and so it's okay. Jerry Simmons [00:05:41]: I didn't know Spanish and, you know, I I don't speak Spanish. And so it was okay. I didn't I didn't know that. I needed an interpreter. But there's also instances where you might know people who have known Spanish or another language, and they haven't used it for a long time and now they've they've lost it. Right? And if they start to use it, it might come back. But they've they've lost it. And that's kind of the idea of carnality that it used to be there, but it's no longer there. Jerry Simmons [00:06:04]: And I, I need to tell another story, but I I need to keep it anonymous because I told my wife I wouldn't embarrass her by using her name. So this anonymous person, sorry, love. She she's my Mexican half. Right? Because I don't have Spanish in me. She's my Mexican half. She was raised, speaking Spanish. Her her father and her mother both speak Spanish. And so she was raised speaking Spanish, but again, you know, when things happen and time goes on and you don't use it, you don't use it very much and kinda begin to lose it. Jerry Simmons [00:06:37]: And so, one time she was telling me last night, when she was young, she, she went to Argentina to visit her aunt. She has an aunt there in Argentina. And, of course, they speak Spanish in Argentina. And so she's there with her aunt hanging out and trying to use her Spanish again and learn Spanish again. And and, as it's hanging out, she just decides, man, it's so hot here, man. Argentina's hot. And so she tells her aunt, man, I'm hot. It's so hot here. Jerry Simmons [00:07:03]: And her aunt kinda looks at her funny, and kinda was, like, what are you talking about? What are you doing? And Kim's like, no. No. What are you talking it's hot. Don't you understand? I'm hot. I'm very hot. Well, they kinda went back and forth back and forth, and then finally, they kinda let it go. But later, her came and told her and said, hey. I was trying to stop you because you weren't saying I'm hot. Jerry Simmons [00:07:22]: Instead, you were saying I'm in heat. And so, you know, that's not a good thing to say when you're when you're in Argentina. So first Corinthians chapter 3. Remember, that was an anonymous person. Okay? No one I know. So there's that danger of being carnal. Knowing the things of God, yet coming to a point where we don't know them any longer. And we talked about that last week, going from maturity as believers to immaturity because we stop hearing and listening to the spirit of God. Jerry Simmons [00:07:56]: Let's pray before we get into the word. Heavenly father, we thank you this morning that you give us this opportunity to look at your word, to study it. And, lord, we ask we invite you, lord, to open up our hearts, lord, to open up our lives and speak to us right where we're at, god, like only you can. Lord, whatever it is that's that's within us, lord, that you need to to change or encourage us encourage us or comfort us, god. Lord, we give you the authority, the right, the ability to be able to do that now, lord. And we ask that you would work within our hearts. Lord, speak to us by your Holy Spirit, we pray. In Jesus' name, amen. Jerry Simmons [00:08:31]: First Corinthians chapter 3 starting in verse 1, it says this. And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people, but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food for until now you were not able to receive it and even now are still not able. For you are still carnal for whether envy, strife and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? For when one says I am of Paul and another I am of Apollos, are you not carnal? Verse 5. Who then is Paul and who is Apollos but ministers through whom you believed as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but god gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are 1, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers, you are God's field, you are God's building. Jerry Simmons [00:09:36]: According to the grace of God which was given to me as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can one lay than that which is laid which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear for the day will declare it because it will be revealed by fire and the fire will test each one's work of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved yet so as through fire. Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him for the temple of God is holy which temple you are. Verse 18. Jerry Simmons [00:10:32]: Let no one deceive himself. If any if anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, he catches the wise in their own craftiness, And again, the Lord knows the thoughts of the wise that they are futile. Therefore, let no one boast in men for all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come. All are yours. And you are Christ's, and Christ is is God's. Here in first Corinthians chapter 3, we kinda continue the train of thought that Paul's been speaking about. Jerry Simmons [00:11:13]: You might remember the last few weeks, and if you weren't here, you can talk with Michael Ochoa in the back and get a CD if you'd like to catch up, but we've been talking about sharing the message of the cross and the simplicity of the cross. And then last week, we talked about maturity and what it means to be a mature believer, and how we need to to learn, to hear and to obey the spirit of God, and that's what makes us mature. That's what makes a mature believer. And we talked about that we need to grow on into maturity. And so that's kind of the context of this portion of scripture as we continue on that same train of thought that Paul said, hey, there is a wisdom, there is a message of wisdom among the mature, among those who have learned to to hear and obey the spirit of god. But in first Corinthians 31, he says, and I, brethren, could not speak to you as spiritual people, but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. Paul saying, hey. There is that message of wisdom, but among you, I couldn't speak to you as spiritual people. Jerry Simmons [00:12:10]: I couldn't speak to you as mature as people who have learned to to hear and to heed the things of God. Instead, I had to speak to you as carnal people, as babes in Christ. Now what is a carnal person? What is what does it mean to be a carnal believer? And we maybe use that term a lot in, among Christian circles and stuff, but do we really understand what does it mean to be carnal? Well, the New International Version of the word, in this I'm sorry. The New International Version uses instead of the word carnal, it uses the word worldly. Worldly. Who's a a carnal Christian? Well, it's one who is worldly, one who is involved in the things of the world. Literally, the word means the person in whom the flesh is more the ruling principle. It's the person who is controlled by the flesh. Jerry Simmons [00:13:03]: Well, what is the flesh? The flesh is what we call the sinful nature. The nature that we inherited from Adam that we desire to sin, to rebel, to disobey God, and be involved in the things that God said we should not be involved in. That's our sinful nature, that craving, that desire that you and I struggle with every day. So the carnal believer is the one who is controlled by that nature, that sinful nature, governed by their their human nature, the the desire to sin, governed by the things of the world and of the flesh rather than the things of God. And so Paul is drawing this contrast. He said, hey, I couldn't speak to you as spiritual people. Well, what's a spiritual person? The exact opposite of a carnal person. A spiritual person then is the one who's governed by the spirit of God rather than by the flesh. Jerry Simmons [00:13:53]: And Paul says, hey. I couldn't talk to you as people who have been governed by the spirit, but I had to talk to you as people governed by the flesh. There's a danger in our lives, guys. There's a danger in my heart and in your heart to become carnal, to become governed by our sinful nature. It's not something that we've arrived, and now we never struggle with the flesh or with sin any longer. No. There's that constant battle that goes on. Paul described it in in Romans chapter 7. Jerry Simmons [00:14:22]: I I don't understand what I do, he says. I what I want to do, I don't do. And that what I don't want to do, that's what I end up doing. And so when I do what I don't wanna do, then I find that the law is good and then a different law that's working in me, and it's the law of sin, the law of the flesh, the law of my sinful nature. And there's that battle, that struggle that we constantly go through. And so we need to be careful. We need to watch out, and I need to watch out that I do not become consumed by the things of the flesh. I do not become controlled or governed by the things of my flesh, but I continue to allow the spirit to govern and control my life. Jerry Simmons [00:14:55]: Last week, I talked about going from immaturity to maturity. Right? As we've learned to hear the spirit of god, and and there's that danger that as we're spending time with the Lord and the spirit of God is speaking to us, that God is showing us things out of his word, then we come to a point where God shows us something that maybe we don't wanna do, that we don't wanna deal with, that we don't wanna clean up, we don't wanna let go, or maybe an area of ministry that we don't wanna go into, or step of faith that we don't wanna take. And so what happens is we stop coming to spend time with the spirit, with with God, and we stop allowing him to speak to us, because we know if we go back, what's he gonna say? Well, he's gonna say, hey. Remember this area? Remember, I I wanna deal with this. I wanna take care of this. I want you to step out in this area. And what happens is because we stop spending time with god, we stop being ministered to and hearing from his spirit, we go from maturity to immaturity. We go from spiritual to carnality. Jerry Simmons [00:15:49]: And that's a danger in our lives that we may we never never go back into carnality, go back into being controlled by our sinful nature, the flesh. The natural person, like I talked about, has never known the things of God, but the carnal person has known, has walked with God, but has forgotten, has walked away, and has now allowed this flesh to dominate again, to be in control of areas of their lives. The danger with us as Christians is carnality can mask itself very easily. You know, if I had an interpreter and I was in another country, I could learn a lot from that interpreter. I could learn about the culture. I could learn about the language and and and learn how to make my way around it and be able to take care of myself. But I could also learn just enough to get by. I could learn just enough catchphrases, just enough things to be able to get by and order tacos and burritos and whatever else, and and take care of myself, provide for myself, and and get by without really knowing the language, without really knowing the culture. Jerry Simmons [00:16:53]: And the same thing is true for us as we need the interpreter, the Holy Spirit. We can get involved in the things of God to the point where, yeah, we know the catchphrases. Okay. At this point, in this situation, this is where I'm supposed to say, praise the Lord, brother. And then in this situation, in this situation, I say, well, let's pray about that. And we learn these catchphrases, these things, and and it's hypocrisy. It's it's these things that's not meant from the heart, it's not felt from us, but it's just things that we learn because we know as a Christian, that's what I'm supposed to say. I'm supposed to go to church, I'm supposed to do this, and we learn to to to mask it, to be carnal. Jerry Simmons [00:17:28]: It doesn't mean that you're not at church. It just means that you're here, but this flesh is governing your life. Man, it's so easy, and I'm sure that you can say it just as I can say it. It's so easy to be at church and look like a wonderful Christian and to walk home and just be controlled and dominated by the fleshly nature once again. Yeah. It's easy to put up a good front and to be those hypocrites that we so often hear about, but we need to be careful, guys. We need to guard our hearts against that because I don't wanna be a hypocrite. I don't wanna be carnal. Jerry Simmons [00:17:58]: I wanna be governed by the things of god. Turn with me if you can. Keep your thumb here. But Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8 is a wonderful chapter talking about the spirit of god and the ministry that the spirit of god plays within our lives. Now I'm just gonna pick out a few verses here that I'll that I'll highlight, but I'd encourage you on your own time to spend time, meditate on Romans chapter 8, and allow the spirit of god to speak to you. Romans chapter 8 verse 1 says this, there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Very familiar to us. Jerry Simmons [00:18:35]: Right? We know this verse, but continue on. Who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. We all know the first part, man. There's no condemnation, and it's so true. There's no condemnation in Jesus Christ. Our sins are forgiven. They're washed away as far as the east is from the west. Praise the Lord. Jerry Simmons [00:18:52]: Hallelujah. They're forgiven. They're cleansed. We know that. We're very comfortable with that thought. But it's interesting how we very often do not quote the last part of this verse because it says, who do not walk according to the flesh. What does it mean to walk according to the flesh? Again, obeying the desires of the sinful nature, obeying the things of our old nature, our old man. Who do not walk according to the flesh, Paul says, but according to the spirit. Jerry Simmons [00:19:19]: And there's that need that that necessity for us to walk according to the spirit, to be governed, directed, led, and guided by the spirit of God. Well, jumping down to verse 5, it says this, for those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit, the things of the spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace because the carnal mind is enmity against God or it's God's enemy. For it is not subject to the law of God nor indeed can be so then, verse 8, notice this. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God, but you who are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ, he is not his. Verse 13. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Jerry Simmons [00:20:17]: How how do we need to be living? How do we need to be governed? Well, we need to be governed by the spirit. Paul says, hey. The the fleshly person, the person whose mind is controlled by the flesh, the sinful nature, is gonna dwell on the things of the flesh. What do you think about? What do you dwell on? What are you filling your mind with? Because he says the spiritual person will think about and dwell on the things that are of the spirit, and we need to have that within our lives. The thoughts towards the spirit of god, towards the things of god, rather than the things of this world that will pass away. But he says, to be carnally minded is death. It's dangerous for us guys. It's dangerous for for us to be carnally minded, to be sucked in, to being controlled by the flesh, because ultimately, it will destroy us. Jerry Simmons [00:21:03]: Not only that, but verse 8 says, if we are controlled by the flesh, the sinful nature, we cannot please God. There's no way that you can please God in your flesh. There's nothing that you can do that you can please god. Only in the spirit, only when you're governed by the things of god, only when you're walking with god can you please him. And so my heart says, and I I pray that it's your prayer as well that, man, lord, help me to please you. Help me to please you in everything that I do. That there wouldn't be an area where that's not so pleasing to you or an area that I'm not so, happy to offer up and to show you. Man, may I please you in everything I do. Jerry Simmons [00:21:40]: May I be governed by your spirit in every situation, and not just in the ones that are easier, the ones that are comfortable, not just at church, but in every situation, I want to please God. And so we have this need to walk in the spirit, to be governed by the spirit so that we're not carnal, that we're not in the things of the world, in the things of the flesh. Back in 1st Corinthians 3, Paul said, hey. I couldn't speak to you as spiritual, but as carnal. As people governed by the flesh. He also added to that, he said, as to babes in Christ, as to to little babies in the Lord. And and, you know, that's okay. It's okay to be a baby in Christ, to be a new believer, a new Christian. Jerry Simmons [00:22:21]: The problem is, and this is what Paul would go on to state, is when people stay that way, they don't grow up. They don't continue to grow in things of God, but they stay in that infant state, needing the basics of Christianity. The basic understanding still, taught to them, and we talked about that last week about learning to feed ourselves out of God's word. Well, continuing on in verse 2, he says, I fed you with milk and not solid food, which is fitting. Right? What do you feed a baby? Well, you don't feed a baby a steak. You feed a baby milk. And Paul says, I fed you milk, and that's good because that's what new believers need. That's what new babies need. Jerry Simmons [00:22:59]: The milk of god's word. 1st Peter chapter 2 verse 2, Peter encourages us to eagerly desire the pure spiritual milk of the word. Why? He says, that you may grow thereby. What helps us grow? What causes us to grow? The pure spiritual milk of the word. What does that mean? What is that talking about? Well, in short, it's talking about the basic reading and understanding of God's word. And that's what we need in our lives. That's what helps us grow. It's not the deeply things that we can get into and not the huge amounts of studying that we can do, but it's the simple reading, understanding, and applying of God's word to our own lives. Jerry Simmons [00:23:36]: That's what we need. And so Paul says, hey. I gave you milk and not solid food, and that's good because as new believers, that's what you needed. But he goes on to say in verse 2, for until now you are not able to receive it, notices, and even now you are still not able. Why can't he give them, why can't he give them solid food? Well, he goes on to say because you're carnal. You're still carnal. You're still controlled by the flesh. You haven't grown up. Jerry Simmons [00:24:02]: You haven't grown beyond those things that you've been struggling with. And so I have to go back to the milk. Go back to the basics. Go back to the simple understanding. What's wrong with that? Well, we looked at Romans chapter 8. There's danger in walking according to the flesh because we can't please god. We can't be in right standing with god because we're being controlled by our sinful nature. And Paul says, you need to grow up. Jerry Simmons [00:24:29]: We need to get past those things. You're still carnal. And that's a problem, guys. The still. You're still carnal. It it's okay. As new believers, man, when you first became a Christian, you know, instantly your life didn't just become perfect. Right? You didn't instantly give up those old habits. Jerry Simmons [00:24:44]: You didn't instantly, you know, change your ways. No. It's a it's a process. God begins to do a work. As you accept him as your savior and Lord, or maybe you rededicated your life, and Lord begins to filter out those things out of your life as you spend time with him. And he works out those things, and he he shows you those things, and you go, okay. I'm walking with the Lord, and I need to go in this area. I need to clean out this area. Jerry Simmons [00:25:04]: I need to work in this way. And and he he does that work, and it's not instant. So it's okay to be carnal in a sense as a new Christian as there's still areas that that you're struggling with as you grow. But he says you're still carnal. After it's been a while, it's been some time, and you're still involved in the things of the flesh. You're still involved in those things that tear you down, that destroy you rather than uplift you. There's areas many times, guys, in our lives where we don't allow the Holy Spirit to have control, where we allow the flesh to dominate. And you can think about it this way, man. Jerry Simmons [00:25:40]: It's easy to come to church, like I said, and and look like a wonderful Christian, but to have those side areas, the side rooms that that need help, that need work. You know, the same thing. You might have people over to your house and, oh, the living room and the dining room look beautiful, but don't go down the hall, man. Just don't go in that bed eyes. Kids, close the doors, man. We don't want them to see those things. We don't wanna see that. We have those areas many times in our lives that are dominated by the flesh, that haven't been cleaned out by the Holy Spirit, that we haven't given over to to God to rule in us and control us. Jerry Simmons [00:26:14]: You know, Jesus had the same problem with his disciples in John chapter 16 verse 12. He was talking with his disciples, and he told them, hey, there's so many things that I wanna share with you, but right now you cannot bear them. There's so much more that I wanna teach you, but you can't bear it. You're not able to handle it right now. But in verse 13, he said, however, when the Holy Spirit comes, he will guide you into all truth. I can't show you right now, but as soon as the Holy Spirit comes, he's gonna show you. He's gonna teach you. Well, when did the Holy Spirit came? Well, after Jesus Christ died on the cross, he forgave us for our sins, the penalty was paid, the the temple veil was rent in 2, he was able to send us the Holy Spirit that we might understand, that we might be led into truth. Jerry Simmons [00:26:56]: And so for each and every one of us, we have the Holy Spirit. There's no excuse for us. The disciples, well, yeah. They weren't they didn't have the spirit, so of course, they needed to wait until the spirit was there that they would be able to to grow and to handle those things. But what Paul is saying here is, you guys are just like the disciples, but the problem is the spirit's here now. And so Paul says to the church of Corinth, you guys are still carnal, and it's not good because you have the spirit, and you're able to grow, but you're allowing the flesh to dominate your life. In verse 3, he goes on to say, for where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? He's kind of anticipating their question, because he says, you're still carnal. And then you can imagine the Corinthians going, what are you talking about? We're not carnal, man. Jerry Simmons [00:27:43]: We're at church. We're using spiritual gifts. We have all this stuff going for us. Man, we're not carnal. What are you talking you don't know what you're talking about, Paul. But Paul says, hey. Aren't you carnal? Look at think about it. There's envy, there's strife, there's divisions among you. Jerry Simmons [00:27:57]: Divisions and strife? Well, what what are you talking about? Well, we talked about it a couple weeks ago, and he continues that thought here. They were dividing over their leaders. Well, one group would say, well, I follow Paul, or another, I follow Apollos, or another, I follow Cephas, which is Peter. And and not just like, hey, that's my favorite teacher. I like to listen to him. No. No. They were dividing the church over it. Jerry Simmons [00:28:18]: They were making separations and and segregating people and causing these divisions that are not good for the body of Christ. And so Paul says, hey. You're still carnal. Look. Those who cause divisions are carnal, is what Paul is saying. Paul is saying, hey. If you cause division within the church, you're a carnal person. You're being controlled by the flesh. Jerry Simmons [00:28:39]: There's that envy, that strife, those divisions among you. You're you're being controlled by your flesh, and you're not allowing the spirit of God to dominate and control your life. And so we need to watch out as Christians that we don't allow carnality in. Why? Because it just doesn't affect us. It affects the whole body of Christ. It affects everyone around us. When we're not controlled by the spirit of God, people around us will suffer. The wages of sin is death, and it always destroys. Jerry Simmons [00:29:08]: It always brings destruction within our life when we allow our sinful nature to dominate. Paul goes on in verse 5, our sinful nature to dominate. Paul goes on in verse 5 and says, who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but notice this, God gave the increase. So then neither is and neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. In verse 5, Paul says, hey. Neither one of us are worth dividing over. Man, we're just ministers. We're just servants. Jerry Simmons [00:29:46]: We're just the slaves of the body of Christ. We're not worth dividing over. We're not worth separating over. You know? It'd be like, hey. If you say, hey. Well, my favorite basketball player is Kobe, and I say, well, my favorite is Shaq, and we have this division. No. We're rooting for the same team. Jerry Simmons [00:30:02]: We're we're going for the same goal, man. Paul says, hey. We're all doing the same thing. We're all doing the work. I'm not anything. Apollos isn't anything. None of us are worth anything. But it there's only one who's worth anything. Jerry Simmons [00:30:13]: And who is that? It's God. Why? Well, because it's God who gives the increase. Paul said, hey, I planted the seeds. Yeah. I was there first, and so I planted the seeds. I I did the work that God had called me to do there. Then he said, well, then after that came Apollos. Well, the seeds were already planted, so what did Apollos do? He he watered the seeds. Jerry Simmons [00:30:32]: He He shared the word, continued to to build them up. We can find all of that in Acts chapter 18. Acts 18, where we see Paul and Apollos ministering in the city of Corinth. But Paul or Apollos didn't do anything other than minister, other than serve, and do what God had asked them to do. Who gave the increase? Well, it was God. Well, who's worth anything then? Well, it's God. It's God's work. In verse 9, well, continuing on in verse 8, it says, now he who plants and he who waters are 1, and to each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. Jerry Simmons [00:31:08]: For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field. You are God's building. He says, yeah, we did our part. We just we just played our insignificant roles basically in in the ministry that God had planned there, but it was His plan, it was His work, and it was His increase. It wasn't anything of us. In verse 9, he says, you're God's field. He and he kinda continues the analogy, right? There's this field. Jerry Simmons [00:31:31]: How do you plant a field? Well, you sow the seeds, you water it, but what does the farmer do to make it grow? Well, nothing really. He just sows the seeds and waters it. It's it's God who does the work. And the same thing is true in the work, at Corinth that Paul said, hey, yes, I shared the the gospel with you. I laid the foundation. Yeah. Maybe a pole is watered, but we're not worth dividing over. We just played a small insignificant part in god's plan. Jerry Simmons [00:31:57]: It's his work. And it's so cool as we talked about this morning about sending people out as we're sending out Natsuki and Crystal and Wiely and and maybe Tom Homan and and the lord is just, man, use this fellowship to send out people. It's so cool. Because it it really demonstrates to us that god wants to use everybody, that it's not the super Christians, it's not the, you know, the super people, the extraordinary people, but it's us. Me and you. God wants to use us just like he used just like he used Apollos. We don't have to give the increase. It's not our responsibility to convert people, but just share the message. Jerry Simmons [00:32:35]: Share the message. Share the message. And we talked about that. The simplicity of the gospel. How we just share the message and let God do the rest, and he speaks to people's hearts. We just say, man, Jesus loves you. He died on the cross for your sins. He has a plan for your life. Jerry Simmons [00:32:48]: We're sowing those seeds. We're watering those who have already been planted. But it's god who's working in their heart. It's the spirit who's doing the work. So he says they're god's field, and and god has different workers come in. And that's a good thing. That it's not just one worker all the time, but he has different workers. All of us play a part in the plan of God. Jerry Simmons [00:33:09]: In verse 10, Paul continues on and says, according to the grace of God which has given to me as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation and another builds on it. But take or but let each one take heed how he builds on it. Paul says, hey. I laid the foundation. What's the foundation? Well, in verse 11, he says, for no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. What is the foundation that Paul says we need to base our lives on and lay everything upon? It's Jesus Christ. It's nothing else, and there's a lot of other things that we could try to to base our lives on. You might remember Jesus told a similar story in the parable of the wise and foolish builders. Jerry Simmons [00:33:52]: And, it's Luke chapter 6 verses 46 through 49. He told about the wise man who built his house upon the rock. The rock. Jesus Christ, the rock of our salvation. The wise man, Jesus said, built his house upon a rock. And when the storms come, when the floods come, when the trials and temptations come, when the sinful nature roars its head again, what happens? It's not shaking. Why? Well, it's founded upon the rock. So nothing can shake it. Jerry Simmons [00:34:24]: Nothing can move it because its foundation is firm. It's steady. It's true. It's Jesus Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords. Well, there is a foolish man who built a house. Where did he build his house? He didn't build it on the rock. He built it upon the sand. No foundation whatsoever, the sinking sand. Jerry Simmons [00:34:42]: And Jesus said, hey, the storms come, the winds blow, the torrents rise up, and the house is washed away. It's wiped out completely just torn to pieces. And that's what happens. When we allow carnality into our lives and we base our lives, we have our foundation as the things of the flesh, the things of this world that will pass away, we're gonna be wiped out. And so Paul says, take heed how you build on it. Take heed what you are relying upon because there's no other foundation besides Jesus Christ. No other foundation. That means that if you think about a foundation of a house, everything goes on that foundation. Jerry Simmons [00:35:20]: Everything the whole weight of that house is upon the foundation. It's supporting everything. It's basically, it's needed for everything in order to remain standing. If that foundation is not sure, that building will will crumble. What is your foundation? Paul says, hey. I laid the foundation of Jesus Christ. That's what everything in your life should be based upon, should be thrown upon. Jesus Christ will uphold you. Jerry Simmons [00:35:45]: But if you're walking in carnality, then you're in a world hurt because your foundation is not Jesus Christ any longer, you're dominated by the flesh. So what is your foundation? What are you relying upon? What is your life based upon? In verse 12, he goes on to say, now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear, notice, for the day will declare it because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test each one's work of what sort it is. Paul goes on to say, where is your values? What value do you place upon spiritual things? As you're building the spiritual house, the the house of your life, the house of your spirituality, what value do you place on spiritual things? What is going in to the building of your life? Paul says some use gold, some silver, precious stones, but then he also described wood, hay, and straw. Wood, hay, and stubble we often refer to. And he says, hey, take heed because if you use those materials that are not valuable, like gold, silver, and precious stones. He says the day will declare it. It will make it will make itself known. It will become evident on the day. Jerry Simmons [00:37:11]: What day is that? Well, the day that we stand before Jesus Christ, the day that we have to stand before him, acknowledge him as king of kings and lord of lords, it says we're gonna be tested by fire. The buildings are gonna be tested, and that which lasts is our reward, and that which doesn't last is that which doesn't last. It's the stuff that we put value in things that are worthless, things that have no value. What are the things that are valuable? What is the gold, the silver, the precious stones that he's talking about? Well, they're the spiritual things. Because Paul tells us in other portions of scripture that spiritual things are eternal, but the material things, the things of this world are temporal. What is your value in? What do you what value do you give to the things of the spirit? And what value do you give to the things of the flesh? The wood, hay, and stubble, the things that will burn away when we'll be tested for what we did with with our faith, with what we did with the things that god has given us. And so I ask you, what what are you building your house with? You know, if you think about your house at home, it's woods, stucco, you know, things that are flammable. Right? We don't want our lives spiritually to be based on those things. Jerry Simmons [00:38:21]: We don't wanna have the the wood hand stubble the prominent things within our lives. Well, look at my nice beautiful wood display, my archway of straw, you know. But those things are gonna are gonna blow away. I mean, you think about the the tale of the 3 little pigs. Right? I mean, what stood strong? Well, the the solid thing, not the sticks, not the straw, but it was the bricks. Well, for us, it's not bricks, guys. It's gold, silver, and precious stones. Things of the spirit of God, things of eternal value, and that's what we need to include and have within our lives. Jerry Simmons [00:38:53]: And get rid of the wood, hay, and straw. Get rid of the things that are not gonna last, because they'll only destroy us later. They'll only hurt us later as they begin to rot, as they begin to be shown for what they truly are, or the day before we stand Jesus Christ and we watch it all burn. Everything that we held valuable, everything that we thought was so wonderful about our lives, is it gonna burn, or is it gonna last? I was talking with the brother after first service, and he said, you know one other thing too is the gold, silver, and precious gems, man, when you burn those things, when they go through the fire, they just get refined. They just get more beautiful and more pure. But the things of this world are just gonna waste away. They're not gonna be worth anything. So we need to build with precious materials, the valuable materials that God says are valuable, not that the world says is valuable. Jerry Simmons [00:39:47]: In verse 14, he says, if anyone's work which he has built on endures, he will receive a reward. So if you use the precious stones, the gold, the silver, you'll receive a reward because it's eternal things. Remember Jesus said in Matthew 6:19, to lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. Then don't count the things down here as valuable, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven for where your treasure is, there your heart is also. And so we need to count the things of eternal value or the things of eternity more valuable than the things of this world, more valuable than the things that we can accomplish in this life. Do you guys understand that, man? Many times, I think we just fail to to grasp what the Lord is saying in this because saving one person from hell, is that greater or not greater than a college degree? It's not greater. It's eternal value. It's eternal. Jerry Simmons [00:40:42]: I mean, how do you even compare the 2? Now I'm not saying we shouldn't have college degrees. I'm not saying I mean, God has called each and one every one of us to different things. And if God has called you there, then you need to go. But we need not place our value and and make ourselves revolve around those things, but revolve around the things of God. What ministry has God given you? What calling has God put in your life? What gifts has God given you? What are the ways that you minister to the body of Christ and minister to those who are not saved? Those are the things that we need to revolve our lives around and have our lives or have in our opinion the the valuable things of our lives and our hearts. The things of God, the things of eternal value. Going on in verse 16 or sorry, verse 15. He says if anyone's work is burned, the wood, hay, and straw, he will suffer loss. Jerry Simmons [00:41:29]: Notice, but he himself will be saved, yet so is through through fire. So he's not talking about salvation, but he's talking about rewards. He's talking about, hey. If you build your life and your foundation is Jesus Christ, even though you have things of the flesh in your life, you'll you'll still be saved, Paul says. You'll still make it as long as your foundation is Jesus Christ. The problem is when we get involved in the flesh, many times we we move. We change addresses. We take ourselves off the foundation of Jesus Christ, and we put ourselves on other things and rely upon our own strength, our own wisdom, or whatever, and our foundation changes. Jerry Simmons [00:42:09]: And so Paul says, hey. If your foundation is Jesus Christ, you you're gonna be saved because the foundation is Jesus Christ, and he's forgiven you and cleansed you of all of your sins. But he says, you'll still be saved, but as through fire. Right? And so you probably have heard pastor Tom tell the joke, right? We are in there in eternity in heaven, and we're there before the Lord, and and we're being rewarded and just excited about being there with god. And it's finally here when our new bodies and all of a sudden we turn around and there's Mario burnt to a crisp. Right? Just and he's like, hey, guys. I made it. As through fire, you know, still smoke coming off the top of his head. Jerry Simmons [00:42:48]: We don't wanna be that way. I don't wanna be that way, but I wanna do the things that please God. I wanna walk in the spirit and have much reward. I wanna lay up treasures in heaven and do things on this this life that have eternal value. Well, going on in verse 16, he says, do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the spirit of God dwells in you? So he says, hey, you're building on this foundation, you're building this building, understand and realize that you are the temple of god. You are the temple of god. Now for us, this doesn't mean a whole lot. Okay. Jerry Simmons [00:43:23]: Yeah. I'm the temple of god. But for them, especially in the church of Corinth, remember we talked about how their city had those 12 temples, right, to the false gods? And what did those temples represent? Well, if you wanted to worship God, if you wanted to meet God, you would go to those temples. Or for a Jewish person, where would you go to meet God? Well, you couldn't just worship God where you were at per se. You couldn't meet God there, but you had to go to the temple. You had to go to Jerusalem where the temple was, and there you could perform your sacrifices. There you could worship God, there you could be with God, meet with God, hear from God, and you could go on your way. But Paul says, hey, all of that has changed. Jerry Simmons [00:44:02]: When Jesus Christ died, as I said, and the temple veil was ripped from top to bottom, torn in 2, the holy of holies was now opened up. The place where God's very presence dwell was opened up for all of mankind. Now we understand that and we often think that, okay, well, great. Now I have complete access to God's spirit, to the Holy Spirit, to the presence of God, I I can always go to him. And that's true. But I think what we fail to grasp many times, at least in my life I do, is that it's not that I have free access to it, but I am the temple of God. That is no longer I can go to the temple of God, but I am the temple of God. I am where God's presence dwells. Jerry Simmons [00:44:47]: Paul says the spirit of God dwells in you. I am where God's spirit dwells. In fact, just as people used to go to the temple to meet with God, people should come up to me to meet with God. They should expect to hear from God when they come to me, when they come to you. Why? Because we are the temple of God. What an awesome privilege. What an awesome gift that God has given us in that, because the king of kings, the lord of lords, the the almighty God who died on the cross for our sins decided, I want to dwell within these people. You say, man, we're sinful. Jerry Simmons [00:45:25]: We're wretched. We're wicked people who struggle with the flesh, the sinful nature, and struggle with carnality. Yeah. But you know what? I'm dwelling in them. I want to dwell in them. And notice who Paul is talking to. He's talking to the Corinthians like we've been talking about. And what does Paul just finished calling them? Carnal. Jerry Simmons [00:45:43]: They're carnal people, people controlled by the flesh, but he says you are the temple of god. And what that means guys is that it doesn't matter if we're walking in the flesh or walking in the spirit or or with God or not with God, we are the temple of God. We are the temple of God, and so we need to understand and remember that he is always with us. He said I will never leave you nor forsake you. And so even when we stumble, even when we fall, god is right there with us. And that's why Paul goes on in verse 17 to encourages us to encourage us not to defile the temple because he said, hey. It's holy. Your your body, you are holy. Jerry Simmons [00:46:18]: And we need to be careful not to defile it, not to involve it in the things that are not of god, but to keep it centered around the things that are of god, keep it holy and set apart for him. You know, the Lord began to speak to me, in this verse, in this portion of scripture while I was at, the the pastor's conference in the beginning part of this week, and, you know, I was meditating on this verse, and I was reminded of, Nehemiah chapter 13 where Nehemiah is rebuilding the temple, and and as he's rebuilding the temple, there's some opposition against him. And you might remember Sanballat and Tobiah. Right? Tobiah was an enemy of god. Well, it goes on that the work is going well. Nehemiah goes back to the king and and is away for a little bit, and he comes back. And when he comes back, he finds in the temple now, one of the temple workers was related to Tobiah, this enemy of God. And this temple worker allowed Tobiah to come in and make a residence or take a residence within one of the storerooms of the temple. Jerry Simmons [00:47:21]: And so the way the temple is laid out is you had, you know, the main worship area, and that that was the temple, the the holy place, and also the Holy of Holies. But on the outside of that, as part of the temple, you had storage rooms where they would keep the utensils that they would use for worship and the things that they needed to keep there in in the practice of worshiping God and in their rituals and stuff. And so in one of those storerooms, they set up to buy the enemy of god, set up right there in the storeroom, the enemy of god right there in the house of god. And the lord began to speak to me and began to challenge my heart. Are there areas, are those some of those side rooms. If I am the temple, are there some of those side rooms, some of those things where the enemy has made camp? Where the enemy, the flesh, the sinful nature still has control. Like I said, you know, you invite someone over and, oh, don't go into that room or don't go into that room, but you can go here. And I began to pour out my heart to the Lord and said, Lord, fill every corner. Jerry Simmons [00:48:18]: Man, I wanna open all my doors, open everything, and say, Lord, have complete reign in my life. Come and fill me every corner, every room, not just in this area, but fill me completely. I don't want any part of my life that's not governed by the Spirit of God. You know, as Christians, many times we can look good in many ways, but there's those few areas that, you know, oh, man. I stumble, I fall, I struggle with the flesh. And you have an opportunity that you can continue to say, okay. Well, I'm just gonna let the flesh rule and dominate in this way, or I'm gonna ask God to change me. I'm gonna allow his spirit to come in. Jerry Simmons [00:48:55]: Let there be no area in my life that I rely upon myself, but may I constantly rely rely upon the Holy Spirit. Man, god, fill me completely. Fill me completely. You know, the Holy Spirit will not force Himself upon us. He won't force Himself to Hey. Open that door. If you don't open that door He he is not gonna force Himself upon us. But he's waiting for us. Jerry Simmons [00:49:19]: Will you open the door? Will you allow me to work in that area? Will you allow me to deal with this issue? Will you allow me to empower you and strengthen you here? Will you allow me to? The Holy Spirit dwells with us, and we're uncomfortable, you know, inviting him into areas where we're used to him being. Right? But areas where, oh, man. Oh, that's a little bit touchy. Or, ah, man. I don't know. Or maybe maybe it's not an area of sin or an area of the flesh, but maybe there's an area where you're beginning to rely upon yourself in a certain area of ministry. You know, I've been teaching Sunday school for 25 years. I I don't need to rely upon the Holy Spirit anymore, but I can rely upon my own experience, and I can rely upon my own strength and and my own creativity and all that stuff. Jerry Simmons [00:50:02]: And and it's easy to do that. Oh, man. I've been doing this for a long time. I don't need the Holy Spirit as much in this area. And so we not that we would say that, but we begin to rely upon ourselves instead of the Holy Spirit. And so I said, lord, in every aspect, in everything in my life, help me to rely completely upon you. Nothing in myself, man. There's nothing in me, but I need to rely upon Jesus Christ. Jerry Simmons [00:50:25]: We are the temple of God. We are the temple of God. If we allow carnality into our lives, it will keep us from going. Those sinful areas, those sinful things, the fleshly things will keep us from growing into what God wants to do in our lives, and it keeps us from being pleasing to God. Verse 18 continues on, and he says, let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, he catches the wise in their own craftiness. Jerry Simmons [00:51:01]: And again, the Lord knows the thoughts of the wise that they are futile. Therefore, let no one boast in men for all things are yours, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come. All are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's. What's the bottom line? Paul comes to the conclusion here as he's talking about carnalities, he's talking about the the different ministers within the gospel, and us being the temple. What what's he saying? What's the final thing? Well, he says, hey, let no one deceive you. It's not about wisdom. It's not about foolishness. God puts the foolish god makes foolishness the wise the wisdom of the wise. Jerry Simmons [00:51:41]: I'm messing that up. He also makes foolishness the words of Jerry sometimes. Because it's his work. It's what he wants to do, and it's not about me. And so Paul says, hey, don't worry about the wisdom, the wise, and we've talked about that. But he says, all things are yours. God has given to you all things. Verse 21. Jerry Simmons [00:52:00]: Therefore, let no one boast in men for all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come, all are yours. What's he saying? Well, as we're on this endeavor, as we're trying to go from carnality to spirituality, as we're trying to grow and build upon this foundation that Jesus Christ has laid within our lives, Paul says everything is yours. Why divide over these guys? Why divide over this leader or that leader, that teacher or that teacher? Yeah. You can have your favorites, and it's good. We, you know, we have our favorites, the people who just really minister to us, but it's not worth dividing over. In fact, Paul says, why just limit yourself to that one? But as you're building your life, as you're building your your spiritual walk, man, include all those guys. Include every precious gem. Include the gold and the silver. Jerry Simmons [00:52:51]: Listen and receive from Paul, Anapolos, and Cephas. Hear from all of them. And I think it's a danger in our lives. We we often, you know, have the attitude of, oh, man. I don't know why. Why are they having that guy speak? I don't really enjoy it when he speaks. I don't like the way he does this or they do that or hey. It it doesn't matter who it is. Jerry Simmons [00:53:09]: If someone is speaking the word of God and sharing from God's word, I can receive it. I can learn from it. Why? Well, because it's not about the person, but it's about the Holy Spirit. It's about God's word. He gives the increase. So bigger, little, or however we might compare people or relate to people, it doesn't matter. All that matters is is it God's word. And so anyone can share God's word, and people will be blessed. Jerry Simmons [00:53:32]: And that's why we all need to continue to be fed and and blessed by those around us who will share and minister to us God's word. So Paul says, why minister or why be limited to 1? But be ministered to by everybody, man. As you're building this foundation, receive as much as you can. Get as much as you can that you might build on the foundation well, that you might please God, that you might walk according to the spirit, and not be governed by the flesh. It's all yours. It's all there that you might be blessed, that you might build well. We are the temple of God. We are the temple of God, his presence is here with us within our hearts wherever we go. Jerry Simmons [00:54:12]: You know, I talked about at the beginning about being in a country and and not knowing the foreign language. Right? And how it would be so useful and and wonderful if we had an interpreter. Well, god has given us an interpreter that lives within us. The interpreter that will show us and teach us the things of God, the things that we need to hear and know. How incredible is that that in any situation that I'm in, God has already given me what I need. The wisdom, the understanding. I I just need to hear from the spirit. I need to be controlled by the spirit of God and not controlled by the flesh. Jerry Simmons [00:54:47]: We need to learn the things of God. Now when I say to be controlled by the spirit, I mean, how does that really work? It's not like remote control, right? Okay. You know, God took over and yeah. No. I'm not doing it. Is God doing the work in me? No. It's not anything like that. God doesn't do that. Jerry Simmons [00:55:02]: He doesn't take control of us in the sense that we don't have control anymore. Well, how do we allow him to control our lives then? Well, he speaks to us in a still small voice. He speaks to us from his word, and he tells us this is what I want you to do. This is where I want you to go. And him controlling our lives doesn't mean that he's in control and we don't have control, but it means that we are listening to him and obeying him so that we're doing what he's asked us to do. We're walking with him. We're walking in the spirit and not in carnality. Not allowing the flesh to dominate our lives. Jerry Simmons [00:55:36]: Let's pray. Lord Jesus, we ask now that you would send your Holy Spirit, God, to fill every room of our heart, every aspect of our life, every compartment, Lord, every back room, every back door. Lord, that you would fill through it, that you would flow through it, Lord, that you cleanse us, that you would lead us and guide us, God. Lord, may we be a people that do not walk in carnality, being controlled by our our old nature, God. But Lord, may we give those things to you, God. And Lord, it may not be easy, it may be hard at times, Lord, but we know your spirit dwells within us, god. That you give us the strength, the ability, the power, the wisdom, the discernment, everything that we need to overcome any situation within our lives, god. And lord, we find it so amazing that you desire to dwell within us, god. Jerry Simmons [00:56:23]: King of kings and lord of lords created the whole universe, lord. Why would you dwell within us? Lord, but we accept it. We receive it. Lord, we love you, and we thank you for that precious gift that you've given us. But help us to walk with you. Help us to walk in your spirit. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. AI Andrew [00:56:43]: We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of His word. 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