Latest / Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago / True vs. Worthless Religion | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Maranatha Shabiba Conference 2022)

Transcript

True vs. Worthless Religion | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Maranatha Shabiba Conference 2022) · Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago

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  I was planning to do this tomorrow in our final session,
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  but can we genuinely show our appreciation for this praise and
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  worship team? Here's, here's my personal.
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  Thank you on a public platform to the worship team.
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  Thank you, not just for leading Us in worship, but worshipping,
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  as you lead us in worship, makes a big difference.
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  Doesn't it? and, It's an honor to know that
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  I can serve alongside each member of the worship, team on a
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  week-to-week basis at our local church.
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  So, I praise God, for all of you, and thank you for taking
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  your gift. Seriously and taking this
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  weekend, seriously, you've blessed us tremendously By
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  exhorting Us in song with the truth of the scripture.
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  I also want to say, one more thing before we dive into the
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  word of God, I always miss calculate whether this is my
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  seventh or Year. But I've gone to know many of
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  you for many of those years. And sometimes I only see you
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  around this time and others I've kept in touch throughout the
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  year and we meet here in person. I don't know if anybody can
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  agree with me and maybe this won't make sense to anybody, but
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  I'm saying this as an encouragement, every year, I
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  Maranatha special for different reasons, but this year in
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  particular is special to me. Because what I've personally
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  noticed in my conversations especially with those that I
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  know though they are from different states, There was a
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  tangible observable growth in the spirit and many people.
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  You know, sometimes when you see somebody after a long period of
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  time, you can tell physically, if they've taken care of
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  themselves, it's very obvious. And I believe that the true the
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  truth can be said, also of the spirit that there is a
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  mannerism, there is a way of speech.
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  There is a substance in the conversations concerning the
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  things of God that I have been so blessed by by talking to many
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  of you. And so I'm just personally
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  edified usually conferences like this tend to have an emphasis on
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  Reviving people who have been backslidden for the whole year
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  or even preaching, the gospel will do that.
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  Every single year, I have great conversations with a couple of
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  different people about the gospel.
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  People who have no church background, we're just like,
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  what does it mean to be saved? But this year feels more like an
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  equipping. This this year feels more like
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  just adding more fuel to a fire that you brought to this
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  conference. And here's my admonition to you,
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  just keep going, keep going, keep loving the Lord, keep
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  serving the lord keep growing in the Lord.
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  If, if you feel like that's not affecting anybody in your world,
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  know that this weekend, you have, you have caused me to
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  rejoice in the Lord in a special way.
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  So I praise God for that as well.
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  Which is a perfect segue into what we are going to speak
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  tonight. If you're joining us for the
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  first time, welcome, we've been in this past couple of days,
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  discussing the warnings in the New Testament about how
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  Christians can be deceived and the different Avenues of
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  deception. Will seek to attempt a
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  misdirect. Us to believe something to be
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  true and various facets when things are in fact, not true.
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  And with that being said, I believe we can be free from
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  every form of deception. Whether it's from our hearts,
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  whether it's from people around us or from Satan himself.
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  The Bible gives us absolute assurance that we can soar above
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  the tactics of Satan who seeks to create a fog in our
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  perception so that we can bump our heads.
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  And even do more damage than that spiritually speaking.
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  But I'm sure you would agree that there are different levels
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  of deception that have different levels of threats.
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  There are some deceptions that are more devastating than
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  others. And I am under the persuasion
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  that there is nothing more. That the holy spirit will want
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  us to have Clarity on then on the absolute certainty of the
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  health of our spiritual condition.
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  The Holy Spirit wants to make sure in his word that you and I
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  as followers of Jesus Christ know for certainty that we are
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  pursuing true spirituality. And the danger is that we can
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  actually do the opposite and put all our energy.
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  And our emphasis on that, which God does not call us to
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  prioritize, or even ask of us. Now, this clarity about the, the
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  condition of our spirituality, for some, even some in this
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  place is a matter of life and death.
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  It's a matter of life and death, because please pay attention,
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  especially, especially if you're not sure you're a true
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  Christian, you can fall asleep after this point, but pay
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  attention to this. I don't want you to be the
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  person who, at the end of the road will realize at the
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  judgement that all your empty rituals.
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  And even your knowledge of Evangelical Creed's had no
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  saving value. and so I was jokingly saying you can fall
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  asleep, but don't I just want to grab your attention with that
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  statement, because what I want you to be assured of Is that you
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  do know? Jesus Christ.
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  And your soul is indeed saved. At the same time for those who
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  are truly regenerated by the Holy Spirit, you are born again,
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  this deception is still very real and how it threatens you.
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  And I as Believers is that it can stunt our growth and taint.
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  Our testimonies to the degree, in which we bring displeasure to
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  God and become ineffective, in our fruitfulness, to those who
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  desperately need a taste, something of the grace of God,
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  through our lives. And what happens to many
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  Christians is, Because they slip into this deception their
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  Devotion to God is reduced to nothing more than just a
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  performance void of any true life and Life Giving value.
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  The other day. You and I heard that we are
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  capable of being deceived about calculating sin the same way God
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  does. And I want to make the same
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  point about this that you and I are also equally in danger to
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  believe that God evaluates a pleasing and fruitful life.
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  The same way do we do? And assuming that I'm speaking
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  to a group of Christians in this room, the message today will
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  help us avoid again that which God does not ask of us.
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  And to pursue the exact thing that he is looking from us as
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  Christians. Now again, let me address those
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  who might be confused about how this whole thing works, how this
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  Christianity thing works. Do not misinterpret this message
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  to say that we pursue genuine spirituality to please God in a
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  saving way. We don't do that.
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  We come to God broken. We come to God and sin, we come
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  to God. Filthy and just as we are, we
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  confess our need from him and this is what happens.
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  He doesn't tell us what to do to get cleaned.
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  He cleans us. And so what you need is not
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  behavioral modification. Listen, what you need is not
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  steps to become spiritual. What you need is your spirit to
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  come to life. And the way, your spirit comes
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  to life is not by one to hear some hoops.
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  Let me stand on my head and impress, God, the way you come
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  to life is just, as you are in confess, your need for
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  somebody's righteousness to be imputed into your bankrupt soul.
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  And so I understand that we are people of Grace.
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  We are people who rejoice in the fact that we even saved by the
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  mercy of Jesus. And all that, we're doing here
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  as we live the remainder of our lives.
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  With that Grace that has saved. Us is with a joy with a true
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  Joy, wanting to know how we can actually represent.
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  And please the one who has saved us.
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  So we're not trying to Merit anything here.
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  We're not trying to get brownie points with God.
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  We're not trying to make sure the balance of our good and bad
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  is in favor. So that when we get before God
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  he can, you can say you've passed, we're doing this because
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  he already saved us. and so I want you to understand something
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  before we move forward, believers, ask yourself now,
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  even before we go to our text, When you think of what should be
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  expected from a Christian, a true spiritual Christian.
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  What comes to mind? Just think about it.
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  What image comes to mind? What lifestyle comes to mind.
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  What does their day-to-day look like?
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  What is a true spiritual Christian look like?
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  I'll think about it for a few seconds.
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  Now, consider this Turn with me to 1st Corinthians.
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  Chapter 1, verse 4. I don't want you to see
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  something that is quite sobering.
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  Keep those qualities in mind. Who is it in your life that you
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  can say? That's a spiritual man.
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  That's a spiritual woman and I want you to know how Paul
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  addresses the Corinthian Church. This is not even our main text
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  in chapter 1 verse 4. Paul says in his introduction, I
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  give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God,
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  that was given you in Christ Jesus.
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  That in every way you were enriched in Him in all speech
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  and all knowledge and anniversary.
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  He goes on to say that you've been gifted in every way.
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  And how true is that? When you read about the
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  Corinthians, you see that it is so obvious, that God has poured
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  out, a special Grace, by the will of the spirit.
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  They were operating in miraculous gifts, not just
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  administrative gifts, not just speaking.
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  His miraculous signs and wonders were a regular occurrence and
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  their church at people with the gifts of healing people with the
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  gifts of Prophecy, the gift of knowledge, all these amazing,
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  wonderful things and even more. So we re here that they were
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  enriched with speech. So even the gifts of
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  communication oratory Exposition if I can use that word preaching
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  teaching in sight right knowledge, even knowledge, the
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  depths of the word of God, the depths of who Jesus Christ.
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  Is Paul says, honestly, you have really hit something special
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  here and that's all by the grace of God.
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  It was a very unique Church in that sense.
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  Now, with all of that in the introduction, You go to 3:1 and
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  notice what Paul says, again, as he addresses them.
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  But I Brothers could not address you as what spiritual people.
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  I could not address you as spiritual people, but as people
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  of the flesh, As infants in Christ.
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  Do you see how this is kind of conflicting with our assessment
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  of what true spirituality is? He told him that they were
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  enriched with all knowledge. He told him that they were super
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  naturally gifted and he had two chapters later.
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  He says I can't talk to you as spiritual people.
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  And so revisit your list now. And ask yourself.
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  What does true spirituality look like?
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  Because according to these scriptures, I realized that it's
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  not about having supernatural abilities.
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  I realized that it is not about having and being engaged with
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  spiritual activities. I see that it's not about
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  powerful preaching, son about deep knowledge and memorization
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  of the word of God. Those things do not assess the
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  Holiness of a person or a Ministry. do you see how we can
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  obviously find ourselves deceived about our own
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  sanctification, our own Pursuits, or even the piety in
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  the purity of other people who claim to be spiritual, he
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  claimed to be sensitive to the things of God who claim to be
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  holy Now you have this to deal with, you have and I have my own
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  list, my own misjudgments and then I wonder if I were to ask
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  the Holy Spirit. Oh Lord.
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  What do you say is a spiritual man?
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  How do you quantify, genuine, spirituality?
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  And I don't have to wait for a subjective voice.
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  I have the word of God and you have the word of God and he
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  discloses to us ever. So wonderfully of what he
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  expects from us. What it is to have top tiers,
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  spiritual health in a way that touches the heart of God and
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  will be most effective to touch the hearts of other people.
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  So you might be shocked to know what it is that God asks of us
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  you got a little glimpse of it today.
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  You who are spiritual restore him, who is caught and
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  transgression. But I want to stir your heart
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  even more leaving this place this weekend to ReDiscover.
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  What it is that God really ask of us in our sanctification What
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  is it that the Lord really wants from me?
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  And here's what I want to tell you beforehand, this message
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  though, the verse I'm going to read is going to have some umph
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  to it. It's going to be kind of because
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  the writer of it is very strong and his writing.
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  Please share it as as a very encouraging thing because you
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  will see the mind of God and know this with everything that
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  you hear that, we are told that the commands of God are not
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  burdensome. So turn with me to a book that
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  tells us what true Faith looks like in James chapter 1.
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  We get one glimpse Small window. Into house.
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  Of many windows. Of what it is.
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  It means to abide in the will of God, James chapter 1 Verse 26.
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  If anyone thinks he is religious.
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  And does not Bridle his tongue. But deceives, his heart.
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  This person's religion is worthless.
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  If anyone thinks he is religious and does not Bridle his tongue
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  but we've heard this word all weekend but deceives, his heart.
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  This person's religion is worthless now in Christendom, I
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  believe we have developed an unofficial Christian dictionary,
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  that is universally shared and understood.
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  I'll prove it to you collectively.
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  I think most of us have the same definition when you hear the
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  word religion, Religious. And it's generally understood to
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  be a negative thing inherently, because it denotes some kind of
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  empty ritualistic behavior. That is, that is not, that is
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  not true obedience to the Lord, but has some kind of veneer of
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  pleasing God but it's really just void void of true life.
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  But that is not what the original word means. when James
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  tells us, if anyone thinks he is religious in the original, the
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  word means, if anyone thinks that he worships or fears, God
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  genuinely It's an attitude, it's an outward added to a manifest
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  outwardly in Deeds that are stimulated by a sincere desire
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  to please an honor, the Lord, so you and I can safely rephrase
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  the statement in the following way, if anyone thinks that he is
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  living in a way that is offering sacrificial worship to God and
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  reverential honor to his name. Pay attention.
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  Listen closely. He's saying if you believe that
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  about yourself. So if you're a person in here
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  and you're like I like yeah I can say I I live in a way that I
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  believe pleases God I actually I actually honor God with my life.
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  What James is saying, if anyone thinks like that, this is for
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  you. This is for you.
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  So lean in and understand what he's about to convey here.
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  In the mind of the holy spirit, this is, this is so amazing.
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  One of the most revealing and reliable proofs.
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  Of the purity of someone's Devotion to God is studied by
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  her manner of speech. Now, this is not the only thing,
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  but it is one of the strongest indicators of whether a heart is
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  harnessed by the influence of God's spirit or not.
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  And this is so important that if that element is ignored, you
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  know what James is saying, it actually nullifies.
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  All the other evidences that we would Point ourselves to others
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  through to try to justify the genuineness of our practical
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  righteousness. He's like if your tongue is out
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  of control, Like any other thing that you try to point?
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  It's actually worthless like it's so profound and serious in
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  the eyes of God that it has the ability to cancel all other
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  things that we would try to seek comfort in again, in our
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  practical righteousness. And so it's almost as though we
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  have to say, Okay? Like so all the services I
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  attend, and all the Ministries I serve, and all the books that I
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  read and all the theology that crammed into my mind and the
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  things that I can explain, That is a race of this thing.
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  This tongue is out of control in the Holy Spirit.
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  Would say yes yes. And some of us are probably
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  losing our breath right now. And that's okay, because this
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  is, this is important. Some might even be thinking
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  really and I love honest, people have had honest conversations
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  with people this week. I love it because I believe
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  Jesus loves it, he loves it about Nathaniel, there is no
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  guile in him. this is the way I communicate verbally actually
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  have the weight of significance to determine whether Whether my
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  faith is meritless or not. And that question alone proves
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  that this is why the holy spirit gives a verse like this. because
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  he says here, that He deceives his heart, he's very specific.
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  He deceives his heart. Why the heart?
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  Why not the mind? Because it's about feeling.
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  This is this is where the seat of our emotions rest, and and
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  this is, we can be deceived and how we feel about even our own
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  spirituality. No matter what may seem positive
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  in our assessment, James's your feelings, do not determine it.
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  Understand that feelings have a pull have a power.
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  That can make you trick yourself about yourself.
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  He's not speaking about conscious Hypocrites.
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  He's are speaking about those who like, you know, I want to
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  fool people. So I'm going to pretend to be
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  religious he's speaking about those who genuinely think they
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  are religious. But they're deceived.
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  And as we understand this, God is giving us his help to avoid
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  it so that we can know pure and undefiled religion that reaps
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  genuine reward, like genuine Rich rewards in this life and
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  the next, but you, and I have to make a determination right from
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  the beginning, right here, right now, you and I have to make a
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  choice. And the choice is the first half
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  of the second verse. No, look what he says here in
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  verse 27 religion. Yeah, that's not the negative
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  thing. True religion true worship in
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  fear of God religion. That is pure and undefiled
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  before God, the father is this Notice notice the wording before
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  who God the father. And so every person in here has
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  to understand that there is pure and undefiled religion before
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  God and there is pure and undefiled religion before man.
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  And what James is saying, whole listen.
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  This is what God the Father sees us.
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  True Holiness. This is what knee is near God's
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  heart. This is what blesses him So you
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  and I have to make the choice is my pursuit of sanctification
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  going to be the standard based on the, the eyes of men,
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  including my own or to live before.
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  God the Father. And if your interest is in God,
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  the father and his assessment of your life, then he says
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  understand what I'm trying to say.
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  Listen genuine Holiness, understand this Begins by
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  discovering what it is that God the Father looks in my life and
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  looks for a my life. Once you discover it, then to
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  determine it to be the mark in which you strive towards in the
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  power of the Holy Spirit. That's true Holiness.
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  If you want to simplify true, Holiness, living before God the
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  Father. Now your elders.
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  Now your pastors necessarily not your mom, not your dad living
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  before, God, the Father. I've often say this people
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  Champion accountability Partners.
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  Don't they Champion it. Most people that I know who have
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  accountability Partners, prove that a county part of this
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  barely work. Now, I might have just hit a
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  nerve there, right? Because of our Christian
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  culture, But I see my Bible and emphasis of living before God
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  the Father, then about worrying about if so-and-so finds out
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  about what I'm doing. Is the greatest accountability
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  partner in this life is the fear of God.
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  The fear of God will go to with you to that business trip.
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  When your wife is at home, the fear of God will be with you in
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  the bedroom when everybody else is asleep.
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  In your before the laptop, the fear of God will be with you
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  when you're punching your numbers in with the taxes and
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  everybody else doesn't know what you're doing.
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  The fear of God is the greatest accountability partner, so get
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  the fear of God, you can have the numbers of the most Godly
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  and Spiritual Bible teachers. It will not come close to having
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  your heart awakened to the reality that God is there.
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  besides the point so living before God, the Father this is
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  what is pure and undefiled go by what he says and you know what
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  he says at this point That's something that is, as overlooked
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  as our speech is what God is looking for my children.
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  I'm looking at you and I'm asking you to understand that if
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  you want, something that is pure and undefiled that radiates
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  light I understand that it has to do with this little thing in
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  between your two sets of teeth. Have you ever wondered how much
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  the Bible speaks about speech, just in the Book of James
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  Journey with me. You have a Bible with you.
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  I'm like a book guy so you won't hear me say scroll with me.
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  Turn with me in your bibles. If you have the technological
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  version, there's no condemnation.
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  Don't worry. I just don't like getting
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  notifications while I read my Bible.
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  Let's go here and James 1:13. We're just going to read these
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  verses. Let no one say when he is
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  tempted. I'm being tempted by God for
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  God. Cannot be tempted with evil and
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  himself temps, no one. James 1:19 know this, my beloved
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  Brothers let every person be quick to hear slow to speak.
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  Slow to anger. Skip a couple chapters 3:14.
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  That's the sound that we like to hear, right?
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  But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your
• 24:17
  hearts, do not boast. Do not boast and be false to the
• 24:22
  truth. James 4:11.
• 24:26
  Do not speak evil against one, another brother's, the one who
• 24:32
  speaks against a brother or judges, his brother speaks evil
• 24:35
  against law, and judges the law. But if you judge the law and are
• 24:38
  not a doer of the law, but a judge 5:9 do not Grumble against
• 24:46
  one, another brothers, so that you may not be judged behold.
• 24:49
  The judge is standing at the door.
• 24:53
  James 512, but above all my brothers, do not swear, do not
• 24:59
  swear either by heaven, or by Earth, or, by any other oath,
• 25:02
  but let your yes. Be yes, and your no be no.
• 25:05
  So that you may not fall under condemnation.
• 25:08
  You see, you just gather all the evidence.
• 25:12
  As we say, Lord, I want to know what it means to live before.
• 25:15
  God the father and Purity and undefiled true Devotion to you.
• 25:19
  This is right here, right here, just by doing that, I understand
• 25:22
  what the Lord is. Keep from you as his child as a
• 25:25
  brother, two other sisters and brothers a true Christian
• 25:29
  doesn't blame God for evil. A true Christian is discipline
• 25:34
  to listen and is slow to react in speech with anger.
• 25:38
  A true Christian is not exaggerated or boast in things
• 25:42
  that are not true, especially about their piety.
• 25:46
  A true Christian does not speak evil about another brother but
• 25:49
  is extremely extremely careful on how they handle the names of
• 25:54
  other people and their reputations, especially in their
• 25:56
  absence. A true Christian, doesn't
• 25:59
  complain to other Christians. True.
• 26:02
  Christian doesn't give another Christian.
• 26:03
  A reason to be further discouraged.
• 26:06
  The true Christian has salt and edifies a true Christian has
• 26:10
  developed such a reputation of Integrity than when somebody
• 26:13
  asks that Christian, if they can do this, or if this is true, all
• 26:17
  they need to do is say yes, all they need to do is say no, and
• 26:22
  that's if Isis. Pure and undefiled religion
• 26:26
  before, God, the father is this? Is this?
• 26:30
  My focus and this message is not to help us.
• 26:33
  Adjust our speech. That can be a sermon series in
• 26:35
  itself. The purpose of this is to Nudge
• 26:37
  by the scriptures to nudge and say, would you read discover
• 26:41
  what it is that God really asks of us.
• 26:46
  Would you look and explore and be on a quest to say?
• 26:49
  Oh Lord, what it is it that you really want from me?
• 26:54
  And that should excite us because what you will realize on
• 26:58
  that Quest is that you don't have to get a PhD.
• 27:02
  You don't have to be a skill for writer and you don't have to be
• 27:05
  somebody who knows how to operate in Supernatural, gifts
• 27:08
  of the Spirit, in order to carry the fragrance of Jesus Christ.
• 27:14
  What God says, he desires us something.
• 27:16
  We can all attain something we can all achieve, no matter our
• 27:18
  differences, no matter your demographic, no matter the place
• 27:21
  you are at in life today. All of us here by the grace of
• 27:25
  God by the wisdom of God can walk.
• 27:27
  And now here's the thing, you preach like this and you you're
• 27:30
  hoping that people are already at the place where they say my
• 27:33
  heart has been changed where I want to please the Lord.
• 27:36
  And so this is to me, it's like you're on the edge of your seat.
• 27:40
  Tell me what it is that my master Longs for me.
• 27:43
  Oh he has done so much already to save me.
• 27:45
  Would you show me preacher? What it is that the Lord desires
• 27:48
  for me? That's what I hope I'm speaking
• 27:50
  to right now. And if you want to Simply
• 27:54
  categorize, if you want a summary, if you want an
• 27:56
  umbrella, if you want a banner by which you can live by
• 27:59
  confidently about what it is that the Lord looks were from
• 28:02
  Heaven. That is near to his heart.
• 28:04
  Look at verse 27, again, religion, that is pure and
• 28:07
  undefiled before God, the father, is this to visit orphans
• 28:13
  and widows in their Affliction and to keep oneself unstained
• 28:17
  from the world. Two things.
• 28:22
  Two things. That have practical implications
• 28:26
  underneath both but two categories.
• 28:28
  And the first is this practical acts of service with a heart of
• 28:32
  deep compassion, widows and orphans and second personal
• 28:37
  Holiness and consecration from worldliness.
• 28:41
  That's true spirituality right there.
• 28:44
  That's it. Look at the first one to visit
• 28:48
  orphans and widows in their Affliction.
• 28:50
  Now orphans and widows today have greater advantages have
• 28:53
  greater opportunities than they did in James's day.
• 28:56
  Western societies provided much help to be able to ease, the
• 28:59
  burden of the unfortunate circumstances.
• 29:02
  But here's the idea, it's not just to see the surface level.
• 29:05
  It's to dig a little bit and to see the heartbeat behind the
• 29:08
  verse and the heart be behind the verse is very
• 29:12
  straightforward. Visit Affliction with the Holy
• 29:17
  Spirit is essentially saying, is look at people and and be
• 29:22
  sacrificially present in the lives of others especially
• 29:25
  especially especially when they are in need.
• 29:29
  I'm just giving you the keys to Christian Life.
• 29:31
  I'm giving you the clues to Christian Life.
• 29:34
  You heard it a little bit today. True spirituality.
• 29:38
  It is impossible to know, pure and undefiled religion without
• 29:42
  relationship impossible without Community.
• 29:46
  Impossible, without getting in people's worlds impossible.
• 29:52
  And what we're supposed to direct our energy towards by the
• 29:57
  grace of God is just this, go to the ones who are overlooked, go
• 30:01
  to the ones who have nothing to give to you and return step
• 30:05
  outside of your world step, aside of your group of friends
• 30:08
  that make you comfortable and go into other places and spaces
• 30:12
  with the intentional awareness of where they're at.
• 30:15
  And say I'm here. You may not know widows or
• 30:19
  orphans. I am totally convinced all of
• 30:24
  us, know people who go through different kinds of affliction.
• 30:30
  What is near to the heart of God is first people to be willing to
• 30:34
  take time and energy to do something as simple as well.
• 30:37
  Ready for is. True.
• 30:37
  Serious reality. Check it out.
• 30:43
  I'm here. That spirituality.
• 30:48
  That's spirituality, I'm here to be present in your suffering,
• 30:52
  why? Because God is present in our
• 30:53
  suffering. It's a reflection of his heart.
• 30:57
  Thank you for making the time. I want to just be here and you
• 30:59
  give them a near to unburden, their hearts with and you give
• 31:04
  them a hand to make the load a little bit lighter and you
• 31:07
  strengthen their feeble knees. And you sometimes in wisdom even
• 31:10
  have to contribute something from your own pocket and Times
• 31:13
  of unusual distress, that is spirituality.
• 31:18
  That is spirituality. And do you know what this
• 31:21
  demands? Are you just heard it
• 31:23
  intentional relationship intentional intentional
• 31:27
  engagement with people even with those check this out.
• 31:31
  Even with those who have nothing to contribute to your life,
• 31:35
  socially, like they're awkward. There is awkward and Sometimes,
• 31:40
  it's very draining to be in their presence, Maybe.
• 31:48
  But you say, you know what, this is what the Lord has to me.
• 31:52
  This is what Jesus would do. You want to know who Jesus hung
• 31:56
  out with just look at the 12 that he picked.
• 32:01
  And he's my example. Is he not yours?
• 32:05
  That he with the spirit of God upon him in a special way.
• 32:11
  Was able to mingle with people who have personalities that
• 32:14
  could easily have caused issues. I mean, you had Simon the zealot
• 32:19
  You had the tax collector you had fishermen.
• 32:24
  I mean, it just bods everywhere. And Jesus was able to draw each
• 32:31
  of their hearts in a special way.
• 32:34
  And so listen, this goes beyond this goes beyond my personality
• 32:38
  and my social skills. There's something spiritual
• 32:40
  about this, there's something so spiritual about this.
• 32:45
  I've given this example after I'm not the best at
• 32:47
  illustrations. So forgive me if you've heard
• 32:50
  this before, but hopefully this will help somebody who's never
• 32:53
  heard it before. And pray for my ability to find
• 32:56
  illustrations. I remember someone told me and
• 33:01
  just touch me, it's so simple, but spirituality is so simple.
• 33:05
  They told me that a good portion of their service to God was to
• 33:07
  do something that would seem insignificant to the Corinthian
• 33:11
  Church. Who thought they were spiritual
• 33:13
  because they can stand up in a room like this and prophesy, and
• 33:16
  somebody over there can do something else and then people
• 33:18
  get healed and you're spiritually ready for this
• 33:20
  brother. There is someone who lives so
• 33:23
  far from our local church and are being.
• 33:25
  So I was the one who volunteered to pick them up and drop them
• 33:28
  off every single time we had a meeting and you know what?
• 33:30
  Motivated me I said, what was I felt like I was picking up
• 33:32
  Jesus. I felt like I was going to go
• 33:37
  pick up. Jesus, I felt like Jesus was
• 33:40
  waiting for me. And so I have no problem
• 33:44
  sacrificing my time have no problem filling up my car with
• 33:46
  gas. I never asked for money, never
• 33:47
  asked for that. I felt like I was going to pick
• 33:49
  up the Lord. There was no hesitation with
• 33:53
  that ever before me. Jesus say that Matthew 25.
• 33:58
  When you fed them, you fed me when you gave them a drink, you
• 34:01
  gave me a drink when you visited them.
• 34:03
  You visited me. That's that's what it is.
• 34:05
  I mean think about it. Jesus will sit on his throne and
• 34:09
  the beginning of the millennial reign in the judgments of the
• 34:11
  goats and the sheep and he will judge certain people based on
• 34:15
  that white because it spirituality I guess in this
• 34:18
  free, I hope so. This is freeing, this is
• 34:21
  wonderful. This is glorious.
• 34:23
  Like, that's the mind of God. You gave somebody a drink when
• 34:26
  they were thirsty. really, really And we move on and we see
• 34:33
  that there's another part to this part that is
• 34:36
  underemphasized says here, that there is an pursuit of keeping
• 34:43
  oneself, unstained from the world.
• 34:46
  Keeping oneself unstained from the world.
• 34:49
  So you have you have like these two things, right?
• 34:53
  And I'm afraid that even in the pursuit of these things, there's
• 34:56
  another danger and that's an imbalance.
• 35:00
  So you have some people who make Holiness and spirituality all
• 35:03
  about acts of service and there is no concern.
• 35:06
  And there is no desire and there is no intentionality with
• 35:09
  personal piety. So, this is what God wants just
• 35:13
  give give give give give all the while their garments are stained
• 35:16
  everywhere. And yet you have others who do
• 35:19
  the opposite and they make their spirituality, all about not
• 35:24
  doing And so they shelter themselves, right?
• 35:28
  And they don't even they don't get into any conversation
• 35:30
  because in the midst of talking to an unbelieving, you can get
• 35:32
  contaminated. So I just gonna hide over here
• 35:35
  and just wait for the rapture That's not spirituality man.
• 35:40
  You beat you were laughing. Now, you be Mason on how many
• 35:42
  young people who grew up from a traditional background.
• 35:45
  Try to convince me about these people and the Saints of old who
• 35:48
  go live in some rock and some doesn't like into that spiritual
• 35:51
  and what spiritual about it? What spiritual about it is that
• 35:55
  what Jesus it came to the world and he hid in the wilderness and
• 35:58
  he stayed there. And so, we have to be careful
• 36:01
  here, even in the pursuit of that.
• 36:02
  So we can be imbalance, right? May God give us wisdom by the
• 36:05
  spirit. But notice here, he says That
• 36:09
  the former point was a charge to give attention to others.
• 36:12
  The latter point is a charge to give attention to ourselves and
• 36:16
  he says you're keep yourself unstained from the world.
• 36:19
  He doesn't keep yourself from the world.
• 36:22
  Keep yourself unstained. How are you going to do the
• 36:23
  first part? Because the widows and orphans
• 36:26
  don't have to be from your church beyond that scope?
• 36:29
  How are you going to do that? If you understand this to keep
• 36:31
  yourself from the world just doesn't work What he is saying
• 36:36
  is that be careful of it's polluting influence, be careful
• 36:40
  of it's polluting influence. and this is a great danger today,
• 36:47
  more than ever because the exposure of worldliness is very
• 36:51
  close, is it not Very very, very close.
• 36:58
  And so, there's an offensive to this, and there's a defensive of
• 37:01
  this, and that's what it is. That's that's where that's where
• 37:04
  in our thinking and our praying in are asking of the Lords of
• 37:08
  molding for these. Two realities to be imperfect
• 37:11
  sequence. Perfect relationship, perfect,
• 37:14
  marriage, Perfect, Harmony I'm amazed to see some people when
• 37:19
  they buy new shoes especially when they're white the way they
• 37:22
  walk. It's like there's surveying
• 37:25
  every aspect of the road they're making and then when something
• 37:28
  like a speck comes just they don't even care man.
• 37:30
  Just rubbing and they got product in their pockets and And
• 37:35
  they're just like, and you know what?
• 37:36
  Nobody looks at that and says that's crazy.
• 37:41
  And even the person who's wearing those shoes could care,
• 37:43
  less what you think. I paid a hundred and something
• 37:46
  dollars for these shoes. I don't care if you care.
• 37:50
  I care. And what happens over time,
• 37:54
  though. You know happens?
• 37:55
  Yeah, it's too much effort. He just next thing, you know,
• 37:57
  they become a different color. And we look at that and I think
• 38:03
  that's a wonderful parallel. What happened spiritually?
• 38:08
  Right? We get very excited about this
• 38:10
  very excited about godliness and Holiness.
• 38:14
  When we put on those fresh pair, of the gospel of peace.
• 38:21
  And we're very aware and we're and is it legalistic?
• 38:25
  A legalistic. Do you feel that way?
• 38:29
  Did you feel that way? Absolutely, there was a joy.
• 38:31
  There was a joint protecting your heart and protecting your
• 38:33
  mind, nowadays Christians will watch anything.
• 38:39
  There's all he convinced himself do is just press the fast
• 38:41
  forward button. Christians will listen to
• 38:43
  absolutely anything and that's what happens just like the
• 38:46
  shoes. There was a great, there was a
• 38:48
  great longing and a yearning for something, more precious than
• 38:52
  your Nikes more glorious. Then your dress shoes.
• 38:58
  The testimony, the badge of wearing ambassador of Jesus
• 39:02
  Christ. And something happens.
• 39:05
  It just you get lullaby to sleep and just add that.
• 39:08
  Without knowing just things pile up.
• 39:10
  And now people can't stop. You can't even decipher between
• 39:14
  Christians because everything's the same, the only difference
• 39:17
  between many Christians and non-christians that the
• 39:20
  non-Christian sleeps in Sunday, and you don't So, there needs to
• 39:27
  be a revived message of Holiness in the church in America.
• 39:31
  Today, we need to get back to True Holiness and godliness what
• 39:36
  happened to the messages of carry your cross daily.
• 39:39
  You don't hear that anymore. That's not what's cracking up,
• 39:41
  hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube.
• 39:44
  It's all about just tuck Jesus in somewhere and if you just rub
• 39:48
  the lamp right, he'll make your dreams come true.
• 39:50
  That's a set. That's if you want to know the
• 39:52
  popular message, that's what it is.
• 39:54
  Nothing about. Kiss the world.
• 39:56
  Goodbye. Nothing about this.
• 39:59
  World is crucified to me. Where is that?
• 40:03
  And we wonder why there's so little power in the church
• 40:06
  today. I believe because the holy
• 40:08
  spirit is grieved. And so we see here that there is
• 40:15
  a protective element to this. We need a shield ourselves.
• 40:21
  And I wonder how many of us in our pursuit of Holiness.
• 40:24
  Have a conversation with god from time to time?
• 40:27
  Lord does this, please you? Is this please you?
• 40:36
  I'll give you another illustration.
• 40:39
  I'm just reaching back to something I used before.
• 40:42
  A preacher went to a place once. And he was invited to speak at a
• 40:48
  conference. This is overseas and he didn't
• 40:51
  know much, you just knew that they were hungry for the word.
• 40:53
  He was a preacher, preach the truth, and so many arrived
• 40:55
  there, he realized that before the service.
• 40:56
  All these men were outside smoking, cigarettes, This is
• 41:00
  interesting. And this man vows that he
• 41:03
  doesn't preach legalism. I mean, there's no chapter and
• 41:05
  verse on this stuff, right? And so he asked God for wisdom,
• 41:10
  you know? I mean he wants to make sure
• 41:12
  that There's nothing because everything, the Bible says,
• 41:17
  there are many things that are permissible but not beneficial,
• 41:22
  right? So the the immature the infant
• 41:26
  Christ asks is this sin or not? The mature Christian says, is
• 41:30
  this beneficial or not? That's the two levels, right?
• 41:37
  and so he has to look for wisdom and after the service Somebody
• 41:44
  had asked him about that. What he thought about that?
• 41:48
  And again there's no chapter verse.
• 41:49
  All he said was next time. He told the man next time you
• 41:52
  smoke a cigarette just ask Jesus if he wants one.
• 41:59
  Okay. So the brake went on and they
• 42:01
  had a second session and they came back and the man came up
• 42:04
  and he goes I thought about what you said and I stopped smoking.
• 42:09
  This is why I didn't tell you that it was a sin to Smoky.
• 42:11
  I asked Jesus and I think he doesn't want one.
• 42:20
  Pursue maturity in the spirit. Hebrews tells us let us lay
• 42:26
  aside every weight and sin. Not just sin.
• 42:32
  Wait, does this help me run? This is this amplify my
• 42:38
  testimony or does it hurt my testimony?
• 42:41
  This is this exalt Jesus in my affections or does it stifle my
• 42:45
  affections go there? Go there and here's here's what
• 42:50
  happened. Here's what will be unlocked?
• 42:51
  There will be a sense of honour from the Lord.
• 42:54
  There will be a blessing from the Lord.
• 42:55
  There will be a Nearness of the Lord Right.
• 42:58
  It's relational. The law says no no no yes yes,
• 43:02
  yes. This is not what we're preaching
• 43:03
  today. I'm trying to get you to get to
• 43:05
  a place of being motivated by love.
• 43:09
  By genuine love. Often times when people come up
• 43:13
  and say, brother, I'm struggling in my devotional life, this and
• 43:16
  that, and they don't even know if I'm a Christian anymore.
• 43:18
  I just asked the question says, what does your heart feel?
• 43:21
  Are you scared of hell? No.
• 43:22
  No I'm not scared of hell. Are you scared of God pressing
• 43:25
  the button to strike lightning? No, not at all.
• 43:27
  What's in your heart? I miss the Lord.
• 43:31
  I miss, I miss him speaking to me.
• 43:34
  I miss being able to pour out my heart to my said, you're in a
• 43:36
  good place brother. That's what the Holy Spirit does
• 43:40
  in heart. He makes this whole thing
• 43:43
  relational. He makes his whole thing so
• 43:47
  wonderful effortless because it's I love him.
• 43:52
  Lord, this is this hurt you. Okay.
• 43:57
  That's it. No, no.
• 44:00
  So sensitive. That's not, that's not how it
• 44:03
  works. I want you to arrive to that
• 44:06
  reality. Not just remember the unofficial
• 44:09
  Christian dictionary. We're not a religion, where a
• 44:11
  relationship. Well, what does that mean?
• 44:15
  What does that mean? So when people look at us and
• 44:20
  they see a purity and they see a disassociation from the world,
• 44:24
  that's where we say. This is a relationship.
• 44:28
  I love my master. Oh my God, I want to please him.
• 44:33
  And I want to show you a man and closing.
• 44:37
  Who gives a perfect balance of both of these Pursuits in one
• 44:40
  text? Would you like to go there?
• 44:42
  You have no choice. Go to 2nd Kings 4.
• 44:48
  Second Kings chapter 4. And look at verse 1 and then
• 45:01
  we'll go over to verse eight very briefly.
• 45:06
  Second Kings 1. Now the the wife of one of the
• 45:12
  sons of the prophets crying to Elijah, your servant.
• 45:16
  My husband is dead and you know, that your servant feared the
• 45:20
  Lord. But the Creditor has come to
• 45:23
  take my two children to be his slaves.
• 45:26
  So here's a woman, her husband was in Ministry.
• 45:29
  He was in seminary, he died. We don't were not told why he
• 45:33
  has two babies, two children. And at this time, there is no
• 45:39
  governmental age. She was in a difficult spot.
• 45:43
  So much so that the merciless creditor was like if you can't
• 45:46
  pay up I'm taking your two kids with me.
• 45:49
  That's that's messed up. And so what she does is she goes
• 45:53
  to the profit of the day Elijah and she comes with that need.
• 45:58
  And she says, this is my situation and what I want you to
• 46:01
  see very simply this is not a deep point, it's just really
• 46:05
  something so beautiful. Eautiful is not what Elijah
• 46:09
  says, how he says it, verse 2, and Elijah said to her, what
• 46:13
  shall I do for you? Tell me what have you in the
• 46:16
  house? You don't need the help of a
• 46:18
  commentary to hear, the deep-seeded care that this man
• 46:22
  has for this woman. What shall I do for you?
• 46:25
  Tell me what have you in a house and the house.
• 46:29
  She tells him. Your servant has in the house.
• 46:32
  Nothing in the house except a jar of oil.
• 46:36
  A prophet, a man of God, you read chapter 3 before this.
• 46:39
  You know, what he was doing this man was standing before Kings
• 46:41
  and prophesying to them. You're talking about a man who
• 46:45
  had stature you're talking about a man which status you're
• 46:48
  talking about a man who can move in the miraculous double of what
• 46:52
  Elijah was doing. And I love the contrast because
• 46:57
  here you see them, you see him determining Destinies of kings,
• 47:01
  and, and their lives and their dynasties.
• 47:04
  And in the next chapter, here's this.
• 47:06
  Overlooked marginalized woman who comes up to him, and he has
• 47:09
  such a deep love for her. If she came before those kings
• 47:14
  that she came before those false prophets, they would, they would
• 47:17
  not even give her a lick of attention.
• 47:19
  And yet here's a man of God who looks at this woman in need, and
• 47:23
  just tell me what you need there.
• 47:25
  That's passion. That's love that spirituality.
• 47:31
  So his heart was moved as James, would say, to help the Widow to
• 47:36
  help the orphan in their Affliction, this man of God did
• 47:39
  not think that he was Superior. He did not think that his
• 47:42
  gifting was unrelatable to her. He did not.
• 47:45
  He did not try to give any excuse, he would just fully
• 47:49
  bear. Tell me, I'm here for you.
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  And then you read on in verse 8 and you see the second part of
• 47:55
  what James speaks about. One day, Elijah went to shun.
• 47:59
  Mmm. We're a wealthy woman lived, who
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  urged them to eat some food. Very Middle Eastern of this
• 48:06
  woman. So whenever he passed that way,
• 48:11
  he would turn in there to eat food.
• 48:14
  Verse nine and she sets her husband behold.
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  Now, I know that this is a holy men of God who is continually
• 48:21
  passing our way. This woman from shun.
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  Mm, there's so much to say about her. but notice that this godly
• 48:32
  woman after seeing Elijah passed by in her town, Simply had this
• 48:39
  level of relationship. Hey listen.
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  I know you're a preacher. I know you're a prophet whenever
• 48:44
  you come by just knock on my door, and I'll have my servants.
• 48:47
  She was a wealthy woman. I have my servants come and
• 48:49
  we'll make you a lunch or a dinner.
• 48:50
  How does that sound? And Elijah.
• 48:53
  Yeah. So he would do that frequently
• 48:55
  were not told how frequently but notice that after a certain
• 49:00
  amount of visits in verse 9, the woman rightly accurately makes a
• 49:08
  conclusion of this man's conduct and character.
• 49:11
  She looks at her husband says behold.
• 49:13
  Now I know that this is a holy man of God.
• 49:21
  And when I read that, I stepped back and I thought to myself,
• 49:24
  she didn't hear him preach a sermon.
• 49:28
  She didn't witness him performing a miracle yet.
• 49:33
  She didn't see some significant sign that made him stand out,
• 49:37
  obviously, as a prophet, she didn't really have much to work
• 49:41
  with. In fact, the only thing she
• 49:42
  really had to work with was a conversation over some good
• 49:45
  food. And after those frequent
• 49:49
  conversations in the context of a home based on that alone, she
• 49:55
  can look at her husband. Say that guy is the real deal.
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  Again, no signs, no wonders, no, series of sermons that displayed
• 50:07
  his death, in his eloquence and his power and authority.
• 50:10
  None of that. The only thing she had to work
• 50:14
  with was from time to time a one-on-one conversation.
• 50:20
  What did she see? What did she see?
• 50:24
  What did he say? How did he say it?
• 50:27
  What was his manners? Like how can she just from that?
• 50:33
  Come to the police saying, that's a man who walks with God.
• 50:39
  That excites me more than anything else. because as you
• 50:43
  see Elijah's relationship with God was proven within the
• 50:47
  boundaries, Of the home. And there is no other place
• 50:54
  where a true cells become more. Raw more bear than when we were
• 50:58
  spending day-to-day. When we are spending day-to-day.
• 51:05
  I've met many broken broken people.
• 51:07
  Specially pastors kids. Who is Tears in their eyes?
• 51:14
  Say yet the guy you see on the pulpit is not the guy, once he
• 51:18
  steps foot in the living room. Elijah was a different person.
• 51:30
  What is our speech sound like our home?
• 51:34
  What does our worship look like at home?
• 51:37
  What is our Purity look like at home?
• 51:40
  What is our compassion and our patients?
• 51:43
  What is our tone of voice? Sound like at home over the
• 51:48
  years more and more as a study, the scriptures about what true
• 51:51
  spirituality is. The sermons people preach.
• 52:00
  I mean, they're important, the word of God being declared as a
• 52:02
  poor. But if I really want to know who
• 52:04
  a man of God is, I'll ask the people know what's he like with
• 52:09
  his wife. What you like with his kids?
• 52:18
  And God, I believe. Looks at the kitchen before he
• 52:23
  looks at the pulpit. It's true Holiness, guys.
• 52:31
  It's so simple. It's so so simple and that's
• 52:35
  what God is looking for. Other gods are pleased with
• 52:39
  performances. Other gods want.
• 52:43
  Great sacrifices, just ask the prophets of Baal who whip
• 52:48
  themselves raw in a different way.
• 52:52
  You know what? Our God looks for.
• 52:54
  After you confess your sin, believe on Jesus Christ,
• 52:56
  repented. And he seals you, with his holy
• 52:59
  spirit, you know what? He looks for speech.
• 53:04
  And he looks for. Who you are at lunch break at
• 53:09
  work. That's what he looks for.
• 53:13
  That may sound intimidating. But here's the best part about
• 53:16
  pursuing true spirituality, God doesn't leave us with our
• 53:21
  strength to accomplish it. Because true spirituality is
• 53:26
  energized by the Holy Spirit who has been granted to us.
• 53:32
  I'm going to prove it to you in one verse.
• 53:34
  And then this part will be done. in Colossians chapter 1 verse
• 53:39
  28, You know, I found another exciting thing in my study, the
• 53:45
  New Testament that there is legal grounds for a preacher to
• 53:49
  say. I'm almost done when they're not
• 53:50
  almost done. if you don't believe me, read the book of
• 53:54
  Philippians and what we read Paul concludes in so many parts
• 53:58
  and he keeps going at first, I used to feel guilty about I'm
• 54:04
  like, I'm lying from the pulpit and then Paul didn't Syd, I'm in
• 54:07
  a good place. Colossians chapter 1 and I want
• 54:13
  you to see here. Can we Proclaim morning everyone
• 54:23
  and teaching everyone that with all wisdom that we may present
• 54:27
  everyone mature in Christ. Here's here's what Christianity
• 54:32
  looks like after you get saved. Remember, the Corinthians were
• 54:35
  known as infants in Christ and here's the goal of the minister.
• 54:38
  And here's the goal of those being ministered to by the
• 54:41
  minister maturity that has to be in our thinking, and our
• 54:46
  praying, the has to be there. I want to grow.
• 54:48
  I want these things to grow, but notice He says, in verse 29 for
• 54:53
  this, I toil that scares us struggling as scares us even
• 54:58
  more. But look what he says with all
• 55:01
  whose energy Paul's energy. His energy.
• 55:10
  That he powerfully works Within Me.
• 55:14
  It's his energy. so, I look to see if people now And recent
• 55:25
  history has shown us that things can change very quickly.
• 55:31
  We may not have another Maranatha next year.
• 55:34
  I hope we do. But here's what I give to you,
• 55:37
  this is my final message which is not tomorrow is if the Lord
• 55:39
  Wills but if this would be my final message to the believer in
• 55:42
  this place, as you go and pursue true spirituality, in the part
• 55:47
  of the vineyard that God has providentially led you into go
• 55:50
  in the strength of the Holy Spirit.
• 55:53
  He is with you, he will help you and you fall, you tell him you
• 55:57
  fell, he already sees it. You come honestly before him and
• 56:01
  he is right there to pick you up again and to move forward in his
• 56:04
  will. He will supply it.
• 56:07
  He will supply it. Listen, because I know people,
• 56:10
  if they hear this, they can hear it wrong.
• 56:11
  I know people whose try to strive for spirituality and its
• 56:14
  really sad to watch. Because they're doing it in
• 56:18
  their strength. Has sold to they read James 1
• 56:23
  and they think I got to speak King James.
• 56:28
  And they try to go and they and they almost premeditate and
• 56:32
  they, and they're frustrated, because there needs to be a
• 56:35
  dependency upon the holy spirit, daily daily daily.
• 56:40
  And Trust his work in you you know so wonderful.
• 56:44
  When you look at the construction of the temple in
• 56:49
  Solomon's day, there's an interesting Insight where you
• 56:51
  read that the sound of the building was silent.
• 56:54
  I'm paraphrasing here. Do you remember that?
• 56:56
  Passage some people, there was a silent work.
• 57:00
  It could not be perceived. It was almost like it was mute
• 57:02
  though. It wasn't mute.
• 57:03
  And that's a perfect picture of the work of the holy spirit in
• 57:07
  us. It's not always so loud and
• 57:09
  obvious, But it's there. It's happening even when you're
• 57:14
  not aware of it. And sometimes you catch
• 57:18
  yourself. That wasn't me.
• 57:20
  That was God. Surely.
• 57:24
  And so I want to I want this time as we close in a moment.
• 57:27
  Hopefully just with a little a little bit of verses here to get
• 57:31
  your heart. Really start to say I'm going to
• 57:33
  make this a quest to my Lord. What is it that you ask of me
• 57:36
  that you would have the greatest motivation?
• 57:39
  The greatest trust that God has for you and he's not waiting for
• 57:42
  you to mess up. He's for you.
• 57:48
  And he is so patient. And so may God help us.
• 57:54
  If anyone thinks he is religious.
• 57:57
  But does not Bridle his tongue. His religion is worthless.
• 58:04
  May God preserve us from worthless religion.
• 58:08
  Let's pray. Lord, thank you.
• 58:32
  Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
• 58:36
  There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
• 58:43
  And Lord in this place today. We have made a decision.
• 58:49
  To submit to the stand of spirituality that you have set
• 58:52
  before us by way, of example, through James.
• 58:57
  Help us Lord, we fail often. We stumble quickly.
• 59:04
  We miss the mark. Almost every day.
• 59:11
  And Lord, we just ask. That you would show us what it
• 59:16
  is. That it means to be a holy man.
• 59:20
  A holy woman of God. Protect us from deceiving our
• 59:24
  own hearts. and Lord if there is anybody in here who is deceived
• 59:29
  About their salvation. Rescue them.
• 59:34
  There is anyone here who is deceived about what it means to
• 59:38
  truly grow in the Lord? What it means from the point of
• 59:41
  their salvation to meeting you face-to-face, what that life is
• 59:44
  supposed to be about. Show us, Lord show us where we
• 59:49
  went wrong and show us what needs to change.
• 59:52
  We want to live before God, the Father, help us at home.
• 59:57
  Help us with the relationships that we are interacting with
• 59:59
  daily help us with those that we would be tempted to not give
• 1:00:03
  attention to Give us Divine opportunities to do what?
• 1:00:08
  Elijah did and be eager to do it when it happens.
• 1:00:13
  Lord, we give you all praise and glory as we worship as we sit
• 1:00:17
  and meditate. We long for you Lord to smile
• 1:00:21
  over our lives. Thank you.
• 1:00:23
  That position, only you smile and you will always smile.
• 1:00:28
  But Lord, by the help of your spirit.
• 1:00:29
  We want to please you. With our life, that's our
• 1:00:34
  desire, receive our worship now. As we meditate, May the
• 1:00:39
  meditation of our hearts. And the meditation of our
• 1:00:43
  hearts. The words of our mouths be
• 1:00:45
  acceptable in your sight. Jesus name we pray.
• 1:00:49
  Amen. Just sit.
• 1:00:53
  Talk to the Lord. Pour out your heart before him
• 1:00:56
  even before we sing guys, if we can just play Softly, And just
• 1:01:01
  meditate before the Lord and let this be something between you
• 1:01:05
  and him. And then we'll sing together.