Latest / Simply Christ Podcast / Hebrews Part 46 - Simply Christ Podcast
Transcript
- 0:07Welcome back to the Simply Christ podcast hosted by Leon
- 0:11Martin, along with Aaron Keaton, Melvin Martin, Andrew Schrock
- 0:15and Dan Blatz. Let's get right to it.
- 0:18OK, we'll get started. Welcome here to our weekly Bible
- 0:21study webinar. We're going to discuss God's
- 0:23Word and we're going to let it transform our lives for the next
- 0:27hour. I think we're going to discuss
- 0:30out of the remainder of Hebrews 13 all anyone listening could be
- 0:37could add a question or type in a comment in the chat.
- 0:42We always welcome those as we go through here.
- 0:46We'd be happy to read those off and discuss those as well.
- 0:51Of course, like always, you could go to our website simply
- 0:54Christ Ministries and find links to our Facebook and YouTube live
- 0:59streams or links to our podcast and things like that.
- 1:04If you'd like to go back and find previous episodes, we, this
- 1:07would be the last of a long series of well, almost a year, I
- 1:14think pretty close to a year that we've been doing this once
- 1:17a week going through the book of Hebrews.
- 1:19So it's, it's pretty good. So anyway, so yeah, we'll be
- 1:24beginning in Hebrews chapter 13, verse 17.
- 1:29We'll kind of bounce out of there.
- 1:30We touched that a little bit last week, but we'll bounce out
- 1:32of 17 and go from there. But before we do that, let's
- 1:36have Dan open us with the word of prayer.
- 1:39All right. Father, we're thankful that we
- 1:42can do such things as this. We're thankful that there's men
- 1:45out there that love your word and that love to seek your
- 1:48truth. And we're thankful, God, that
- 1:50you presented the gospel to us and recognizing that we have the
- 1:55God of peace that brought again the dead from the dead, our Lord
- 1:59Jesus Christ, the great shepherd of our sheep.
- 2:02And through the blood of that covenant, we get to rejoice and
- 2:07have fellowship and have hope of eternal life together.
- 2:11We pray, God, that as we study your word today, as we go
- 2:14through those very verses, that we would be grounded in it, that
- 2:17we would be settled on the matter.
- 2:19That we would be more and more convinced, God, that the people
- 2:21who here who are listening tonight and people who will
- 2:24TuneIn through the weeks and months coming, that you would do
- 2:27a work in their soul by your word through your Spirit.
- 2:30Or we are but mere men, often failing and we often don't fully
- 2:34understand ourselves. But your word is quick and
- 2:36powerful and sharper than any 2 edged sword and we're just
- 2:39thankful that you do the work and not us.
- 2:42We pray you bless our time today.
- 2:43God, I pray you would use us and that you would be honored
- 2:46through it all in Jesus name, Amen.
- 2:50All right, good stuff. So if there is anything that
- 2:57that I think about, what I think of the book of Hebrews is about
- 3:02how systematically that the author convinced us that Jesus
- 3:08Christ is our mediator. He talked in chapter 4 about
- 3:13laboring to enter into the rest that he created.
- 3:18He, he just, he goes through all these things.
- 3:21He talks about the perfection that we have in him.
- 3:25He talks about the promises of God.
- 3:27He talks about the priesthood that Jesus has.
- 3:31He talks about the surety of this, this better Testament, the
- 3:37unchangeable priesthood, of course, just a lot of a lot of
- 3:41things like that. He talked about how that Jesus
- 3:43is superior to angels and to the old law and all that good stuff.
- 3:47But I've, I've, it's been really, really interesting going
- 3:52through this to learn that Jesus is the way and the only way.
- 3:58And so with that, we are going to be verse 17.
- 4:04I'll read that we're just kind of bounce out of there.
- 4:06Like I said, we touched that a little bit last week says obey
- 4:09them that have ruled over you and submit yourselves for they
- 4:12watch for your souls as they that must give account that they
- 4:16may do it with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable
- 4:20for you and just toss it over you air here.
- 4:25But we know that chapter 13 here as he's kind of wrapping up.
- 4:28He's just kind of this is a summary or maybe a recap kind of
- 4:32a do this. Don't do that kind of finishing
- 4:34touches to his book at that he that he wrote for the the
- 4:38believers, the Hebrew believers there.
- 4:39So anyway, you could go into that air a little bit on 17?
- 4:44OK, yeah, I was looking up a verse while you was talking
- 4:47there. Yeah, I found it.
- 4:51I I know we, like you said, we touched on it last week and I
- 4:55remember saying that I think this is directed to us
- 5:00submitting to the people that have the rule over us church
- 5:04wise, like church leaders, elders and so on.
- 5:07And but I, I don't remember if I commented on this, but I think
- 5:12this is an interesting comment. He says in the middle of that
- 5:16verse, he says as they well for they must watch for your souls
- 5:22as they that must give account. And I think I did maybe
- 5:26reference this verse, but James chapter 3 and verse one says, my
- 5:29brethren be not many masters like many teachers, many rulers,
- 5:35knowing that we shall get shall receive the greater condemnation
- 5:40for in many things we offend all if any man offend not in Word
- 5:45the same as a perfect man and able also to bridle the whole
- 5:48body. So I think the warning
- 5:53encouragement, I don't know what word you use there, but the
- 5:55warning in James is watch about everybody want to be a teacher
- 6:01because it's so easy. In fact, he he basically says
- 6:05that nobody goes without offending someone in their
- 6:08words. And he says, you know, that
- 6:11we'll receive the greater condemnation like we're held to
- 6:16a highline, a high standard, a very you know, because think
- 6:20about it. I mean, think about how serious
- 6:22it is for us to get on here and try to tell people what the word
- 6:25of God says. That's serious, right?
- 6:27I mean, that's really serious to try to expound on the word of
- 6:30God and say this is what it means or this is what it says to
- 6:32you. So he says as they that give an
- 6:36account and I would just and I was just thinking, I mean the
- 6:41verse I was looking up is there in Acts chapter 20 when Paul is
- 6:44addressing the Ephesians elders there.
- 6:49He says, for I know this is Ephesians.
- 6:52I mean, I'm sorry, Acts chapter 20 and verse 29.
- 6:57He says, For I know this, that after my departing some grievous
- 7:01wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock also of your
- 7:06own selves shall minorize speaking perverse things to draw
- 7:13away disciples after them. Therefore watch and remember
- 7:17that by the space of three years I cease not to warn everyone
- 7:21night and day with tears. And he goes on to say that, oh,
- 7:26actually, I'm sorry, I was thinking it was later on there
- 7:32actually verse 28 is the other verse I was thinking about.
- 7:34He says, take heed therefore unto yourselves and all the
- 7:37flock over the which the Holy Ghost have made you overseers to
- 7:41feed the Church of God, which you have purchased with his own
- 7:45blood. So I just I think that there's
- 7:49all kinds of things we could think about when we think about
- 7:52people that are leading or ruling over the church.
- 7:55What a great responsibility it is, how we are, how we are
- 8:02encouraged to not all desire that position because there
- 8:06comes such a responsibility and such condemnation with that.
- 8:11And then we kind of talked about this last week, that that's what
- 8:14he says, you know, be subject unto them for they must give an
- 8:17account that they may do it with joy, not with grief, for that is
- 8:22unprofitable to you. So I think that the
- 8:26encouragement to the flock is, is don't make it a grievous job.
- 8:33And and I think that I mean, it's like that's the
- 8:35encouragement, but that never happens.
- 8:37It is if you remember, Paul lists all these things that was
- 8:42on him and the last thing he says, maybe it's in Corinthians,
- 8:47I'm not sure, but he lists all these things that are weighing
- 8:49him down and the last thing he says and the care of all the
- 8:53churches. Remember that.
- 8:54I can't even, I'm not sure where that is, but I just think that
- 8:58that's like. He was weighted.
- 9:00Down with the care of all the churches and, and I think that
- 9:03we as people can make it harder or easier on the the people that
- 9:11are trying to lead based on our actions.
- 9:14And but like I said, I know that was a bunch of jumbled things,
- 9:16but I really I think about all those things.
- 9:18What a responsibility is for the leader, what an obligation the
- 9:22the the church has, how they can make it harder or, you know,
- 9:26make no, you know, they can make it where it's a totally unjoyful
- 9:31position. But yeah, that was just kind of
- 9:35a recap on 17, but. Yeah, yeah.
- 9:40Yeah, I kind of want to reiterate a little bit of what I
- 9:43ended the session with last week about the congregation's
- 9:47responsibility. Like if you have a minister that
- 9:51you sit under or that tries to lead your congregation, that you
- 9:56attend a church somewhere, you gather with Saints in some
- 9:59capacity and the leaders there, you consider the end of their
- 10:03faith. You recognize that they might be
- 10:06wrong this area, that area, the other area, but they're clearly
- 10:10gifted. They're walking in their
- 10:12qualifications. They're actually living in
- 10:14holiness. Their faith is moving them to do
- 10:17things and they're reaching out with the gospel and they're
- 10:20trying to teach the church. They're trying to minister to
- 10:22hurting people in the flock and all that.
- 10:24You should count that as a great, great joy and honor them
- 10:28from almost like as if you're under them and and the words
- 10:32here actually do say obey them and and there's nothing stranger
- 10:36for me. Well, I was an elder at a church
- 10:39for a period of time, seven years or so.
- 10:42And it's a very strange thought to think that that guy should
- 10:45obey me like it. I don't want anybody obeying me.
- 10:50If I have given you and instructed you by the word of
- 10:53God, and if what I have said is true, I hope you'll obey God.
- 10:57But here he actually goes so far as to say, obey them that have
- 11:01the rule over you. It it is not, it is not an
- 11:05opportunity for the leaders to demand obedience from their
- 11:08congregation. Then you're getting into
- 11:11authoritarianism. Then you're getting into
- 11:13dictatorship or getting into cult territory When the leaders
- 11:17demand respect, demand obedience.
- 11:20Rather, we should look at passages like First
- 11:22Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 12 and 13.
- 11:25Say this, we beseech you, brethren, to know them, which
- 11:30labor among you, just like recognize them.
- 11:34You see that guy that's constantly laboring, maybe have
- 11:37visiting orphans and widows or sharing the gospel on the
- 11:40streets. He's laboring among you know
- 11:43them, he says, and then he says and are over you.
- 11:46In the lore, they're not above you.
- 11:49They're not like superior to you, but God has placed them
- 11:52because of their giftedness or because of their qualifications
- 11:56or because of their ministry. God has put them over you and he
- 11:59says and admonish you. And so you watch them, you
- 12:03notice them, you they're working, they're laboring, and
- 12:06they're admonishing you. And he says to esteem them very
- 12:10highly in love for their work's sake and be at peace among
- 12:17yourselves. We have, we have a bit of a
- 12:20resistance to this because we all came from congregations
- 12:23where the preachers have everything to say and nobody
- 12:26else has anything to say. And all of us are like, well,
- 12:29I'm not doing that again. I'm not giving my authority up
- 12:33from my life into someone else's hands.
- 12:35He's not saying to you are your own person, but you belong to a
- 12:39body. And that man over there, maybe,
- 12:42maybe he's the hand, maybe he's the eyes, whatever part, body
- 12:45part he might be, but God has placed him in the church, in an
- 12:49office where he carries the weight that Aaron's talking
- 12:52about. And so he says, esteem them
- 12:54very, very highly for their work's sake.
- 12:57Yet peace among yourselves. Then you jump down a few more
- 13:00verses to verse 17 in First Timothy.
- 13:02Oh, that was First Thessalonians, First Timothy 5.
- 13:05Paul says, let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of
- 13:10little honor, especially they who labor in the word and in
- 13:14doctrine. But all of these passages are
- 13:17speaking to the congregation saying, hey, you should go show
- 13:21honor to somebody. It's never from saying to the
- 13:24elders, get some honor from your congregation.
- 13:27And it it just doesn't work that way.
- 13:29You know, I don't want to tell my adult children or my wife
- 13:33obey me. Like it feels very small.
- 13:36It feels pitiful when I, when I hear of a man that just wants
- 13:39obedience. We all men who hear this, that
- 13:42are leaders, that are true leaders, that are true elders in
- 13:45the church, they'll shrink to this.
- 13:47They'll be like, oh, I don't know if I want you to follow me.
- 13:50I don't know if you want you to obey me, that that feels too
- 13:52much. So it's not something that they
- 13:55should want necessarily, but it's something that you should
- 13:57want to give to them. Well, when, and I thank you for
- 14:02bringing this out, Dad, when he says, you know, to obey those
- 14:06that have rule, he's talking to the the, the the sheep of the
- 14:11shepherd. You know, like he's not talking
- 14:12to the the leader at this point, you know, so you made that clear
- 14:16that that we can't necessarily demand obedience, but we should,
- 14:20we should give obedience to those over us.
- 14:24And I mean the the same holds true in in marriage.
- 14:27You know, when, when it talks about a wife submitting her to
- 14:32her husband, you know, that's written to the wife, not the
- 14:35husband, you know, so it never, never say that what God told me
- 14:38that you got to submit that that's not actually true.
- 14:40He told the woman to submit, not you.
- 14:42So I mean, that's, I think that's really good that that we
- 14:47see that difference there, that it's, it's not a because I, you
- 14:50know, a lot, like you said, a lot of us have seen that kind of
- 14:52abuse to where, well, you know, you're supposed to obey.
- 14:56Yeah. Even with the way that most
- 14:58churches do their pay structure, I I see it works at times, but
- 15:03it feels kind of wrong where I'll sign up for the job.
- 15:07You pay me this much and I know maybe it just has to happen that
- 15:11way. Especially large congregations,
- 15:12they have to have somebody manning the stuff and and
- 15:14leading it out. But I would feel like it would
- 15:17feel much more biblical if there's a man ministering,
- 15:20serving, and he's giving his time and his energy.
- 15:23He loves the Lord, he loves the Word, he loves the church, He's
- 15:25passionately giving himself for it.
- 15:28That the congregation would then respond to say, hey, we don't
- 15:31want you to need to work, we want you to live of this gospel.
- 15:34And then they just willingly give the money.
- 15:36And some churches maybe do that within a pay structure that's
- 15:39very formulated. I don't know.
- 15:41But George Mueller years ago to couple 100 years ago, he was a
- 15:44pastor of a church and he felt very convicted by this, that he
- 15:47would not be demanding a certain amount of money.
- 15:50And so he laid it all aside and he lived very much by faith.
- 15:53I think that can be overdone, this whole living by faith thing
- 15:56as well. So I'm not necessarily
- 15:58advocating for this or the other, but there should be this
- 16:01willingness from the congregation to uphold and
- 16:04support the leaders, the men who are studying the Word and are
- 16:08really digging in and are faithful.
- 16:10Yeah. And if you can't, it's probably
- 16:12better that you go somewhere where you can.
- 16:14Yeah, you know, instead of just bucking the system.
- 16:17Anyway, I had committed that we're going to try to finish
- 16:20this. Chapter So here we are.
- 16:25The only thing I would say is I, I feel like I used a verse and
- 16:32it's true that says, you know, don't desire, don't be, don't be
- 16:36many masters for will receive the greater combination.
- 16:39But he also says in first Timothy 31, this is a true
- 16:42saying. If a man desire the office of a
- 16:44Bishop, he desireth a good word. So there's nothing wrong.
- 16:50There's nothing wrong with recognizing a, a gift or an
- 16:55ability to teach people and seek an opportunity to do that.
- 17:00You know what I mean? Like there's nothing wrong with
- 17:01that either. But again, I guess I would, I
- 17:05would tie that to a little bit of what Dan said.
- 17:10And I have always said this, and I understand that the Bible
- 17:16allows for, like you said, a pay structure or whatever.
- 17:20And I think there are times especially you take a missionary
- 17:23or, or times that people are really stretched to do all that
- 17:27they desire to do. But I'm also a very big fan.
- 17:31In fact, I try to apply it that I, I don't want your money,
- 17:36right? Like I, I don't want your, I
- 17:38don't want that to be the motivation that drives me to do
- 17:42what I do. I want to do that.
- 17:44I want to because, and, and I'll give you this by example, I
- 17:47mean, Paul says in one place, you know, you sent me gifts, but
- 17:51in another place he says I wasn't going to be.
- 17:54I can't remember the word he uses, but I wasn't going to be,
- 17:58you know, like under obligation from you because I didn't take
- 18:03your money. You know what I mean?
- 18:04Like, so I think there is a place for both things.
- 18:07I think that there is a time that a person has to be
- 18:09supported, but I think there's a lot of times that it's not even
- 18:13necessarily needful and it just twists people's words because
- 18:19they're afraid that money will stop.
- 18:21Yeah, there's a lot larger chance for, you know, not not
- 18:26saying something because fair retribution there if there's
- 18:29money involved, there's no doubt about that.
- 18:31Yeah. A verse 18 Pray for us, for we
- 18:36trust we have a good conscience in all things willing to live
- 18:41honestly. Here is the first time that the
- 18:45writer mentions himself, but he doesn't disclose who he is, you
- 18:49know, but he so obviously that's he considers himself to be one
- 18:54of those that have ruled over you.
- 18:56You like if you read it in context there.
- 18:59But I, I like that for we trust we have a good conscience.
- 19:04Like pray for us, help us, you know, pray that we would
- 19:07continue to have a good conscience and in all things
- 19:11willing to live honestly because God knows there's plenty that
- 19:16would pervert the gospel or or do something to fill their own
- 19:19pockets or whatever. Yeah, I think that ties in with
- 19:23the last thing I said. I mean, I really think, I think
- 19:26it, I think it could be deeper than that.
- 19:28I think he could. I think he could be saying this
- 19:31like Paul says in another place that I didn't.
- 19:37I held back. I didn't hold back any of the
- 19:40counsel of God. Was that in Ephesians?
- 19:43I can't remember where that was where he says that, but that he
- 19:47he basically saying I'm in a good conscience.
- 19:48I didn't hold back something that the Spirit was telling me
- 19:52to tell you and I I didn't hold that back and not say it when
- 19:56the Spirit directed me to say that.
- 19:58I think that could be the good conscience, but I think it could
- 20:00also be like I said. I didn't minister to you for the
- 20:04money, right? I did not do these things to you
- 20:07because it was to to profit or to get me gain.
- 20:10So I think both those things could apply that we trust, we
- 20:14have a good conscience and all things willing to live honestly.
- 20:18And like I said, I just think that and, and maybe there's
- 20:20other sides to it, but I think both those things would also
- 20:22apply that he didn't hold back the counsel of God, nor did they
- 20:28do it as he warns the the elders and the bishops, not for greedy
- 20:33lucre's sake, you know, so or filthy lucre's sake.
- 20:36I think he's saying I've got a good conscience.
- 20:38I didn't do that either, but. Right.
- 20:40Yeah, Dad. Yeah, I, I just want to read,
- 20:44reiterate what Aaron already said.
- 20:46But Ephesians 619 and 20 it says, And for me that utterance
- 20:50may be given unto me. This is the apostle Paul asking
- 20:53for prayer that I may open my mouth boldly to make known
- 20:56mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in bonds that
- 21:01there and I may speak boldly as I ought to speak.
- 21:05And so he's he's doing what he knows to do and he's doing it as
- 21:09faithful as he knows how. And then he's asking for
- 21:11additional support in that like here I am guys like I know I'm
- 21:15not a perfect man. You can probably see some of my
- 21:18issues. You can probably see some of my
- 21:20insecurities at times and my problems that I might have.
- 21:23You might even see it like especially us often some wrong
- 21:27doctrine here or there. The apostle Paul, I would
- 21:29hesitate to say he had wrong doctrine, but you can see the
- 21:33sincerity. I hope I'm ministering to you
- 21:36from a clear conscience. I'm not trying to pull the wool
- 21:39over your eyes. I'm not trying to get anything
- 21:41from you like Aaron already mentioned.
- 21:42And I think that really, really speaks loudly.
- 21:44And we've talked about this a little bit on this podcast, on
- 21:47this conversation before this, this study that even in the
- 21:52secular world, you can tell only the only the podcasts where the,
- 21:57the host seems very sincere, seem to do well.
- 22:02You can just read through it very quickly if it looks like
- 22:05they're trying to put on a show or they're trying to drum up
- 22:08excitement around a thing. Same thing happens with a
- 22:11preacher. We had a young preacher preach a
- 22:13while back and it just seemed like he was trying to preach.
- 22:17He was trying to emphasize at times when he knew he should be
- 22:20excited. And it's like, it doesn't feel
- 22:23real. Like I'm I'm, I'm guessing I'm,
- 22:26I'm second guessing your motives.
- 22:28Yeah, and. Your conscience doesn't seem as
- 22:31sincere to me. And so the apostle here, whoever
- 22:34wrote this, he says we trust we have a good conscience and we're
- 22:37willing to live honestly in in all things.
- 22:39And we're hoping that you would pray that we could continue to
- 22:42do. That so that that verse I was
- 22:45referencing, I had it. I was right.
- 22:47It was to the Ephesians, but it was back there where I read in
- 22:49Acts chapter 20. He says this is Acts 20 and
- 22:54verse 26. Wherefore I take you to record
- 22:57this day that I am pure from the blood of all men, for I have not
- 23:03shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.
- 23:07So you know like his conscience was clear.
- 23:09He he didn't hold anything back because again, think about it.
- 23:14Paul doesn't know when the next time that he speaks the gospel
- 23:18plainly, this Jews going to pick up a rock and him in the face
- 23:21with it. I mean really right.
- 23:23I mean he's really he really doesn't know the next time that
- 23:27they're going to carry him out and stone him like maybe has
- 23:30already happened or is getting ready to happen or beat him with
- 23:33rods or whatever. So he says I bury you record
- 23:37that I did not shun to tell you what was profitable for you,
- 23:42regardless of the cost, because he because he was I'll say it
- 23:46like this. He was far more tempted to not
- 23:50then we are, right. I mean, in a sense, he's far
- 23:54more, there's a far greater price to pay for telling
- 23:58somebody the whole counsel of God in his time than there is
- 24:02today. And.
- 24:04Yeah, I'm sure you guys are better at this than I am, but I
- 24:08I know that there's times when my conscience wasn't clear
- 24:12regarding having shared, having not shared the gospel when I
- 24:16knew I should have spoke up into a situation where I didn't.
- 24:19And I I went and I could not have wrote this verse right
- 24:23there. It's just you, you feel bad, you
- 24:27feel almost defiled in a way by not saying something.
- 24:31What you know you should have the the Spirit prompted you to
- 24:34say something you did. For sure.
- 24:36So yeah, OK, I don't know if this verse really has a lot of
- 24:40discussion, but that says, but I beseech you the rather to do
- 24:43this, that I may be restored to you, the suitor.
- 24:48So I don't know if that would be like he's imploring them to pray
- 24:52that they would be restored sooner or if there's something
- 24:56else there that I'm not seeing there.
- 25:02I don't know. Yeah, I'm not sure either.
- 25:04I was, I actually read it earlier and meant to think about
- 25:07it more and, and then got distracted on something else.
- 25:12But he, he certainly is saying that either they're either their
- 25:20prayer and, and him doing what he ought to do will make him get
- 25:26there sooner or there, or maybe he's referencing all the way
- 25:29back to, you know, their actual actions of, of praying would
- 25:35just make him be able to get there sooner.
- 25:39I, I don't know, but I, I do know he's, he's hoping that they
- 25:42will pray either that he'll do what's right or just pray for
- 25:47him and that will help him to get back sooner to him the way I
- 25:50took it, but I'm not sure. Yeah, I, I that's kind of what I
- 25:52because if you, if you, if you say this like I beseech you that
- 25:58rather do this. That would be in that regarding
- 26:00the immediate thing that I was just talking about, I would say
- 26:03anyway, yeah, Dan, anything else?
- 26:06Yeah, that's it's pretty straightforward verse, I think
- 26:08that way. But there is a lot of emphasis
- 26:10in Paul's letters, in Romans 110 and 12, Romans 1531 and 32 and
- 26:17Philemon verse 22, all of those places and probably a few others
- 26:21where Paul talks about the longing to be with them, to be
- 26:24in their presence, to see their faces.
- 26:27And it's, there's lessons to be drawn out of that.
- 26:30I wouldn't dwell on it here too long now, but some people have
- 26:34this mindset that they can just do church on their own, but it's
- 26:37just a sermon anyway. And so they'll listen to some
- 26:39music, watch a sermon online, and they think that they have
- 26:42done church. And the Apostle Paul spent his
- 26:46life trying to minister to Saints all over the world and
- 26:48then tried desperately, if this was the Apostle Paul as well, to
- 26:52come back and see them. And he's praying that you would,
- 26:55you know, have an opportunity to come back and see you again, to
- 26:58see you face to face. I long to be in your presence.
- 27:02And you know, we've been in each other's presence a few Times
- 27:04Now. I've seen Aaron once and I've
- 27:06seen Leon a couple times. And it was a real pleasure, a
- 27:08real joy to sit in the same room and to see each other's
- 27:11mannerisms and each other's passion for the gospel and all
- 27:14that. So I think he's referring to
- 27:16those types of things. He wants to be there again.
- 27:19He wants to see them again. Yeah, I agree.
- 27:24Verse 20 Now the peace of God that brought again from the dead
- 27:29our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through
- 27:34the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in
- 27:38every good work to do His will, working in you that which is
- 27:42well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be
- 27:47glory forever and ever. Amen.
- 27:51And that is that is just so good.
- 27:53That's a good doxology if I ever, ever read 1, you know, but
- 27:58I get it just goes back to show that his utter dependence on
- 28:02Jesus Christ, the Gospel that he is, he is again, just just
- 28:07clarified, knowing that that's what's happening here.
- 28:11Yeah, and I appreciate his. I don't know his gracious words
- 28:19about God. They're like the God of peace
- 28:23that brought again the dead, brought again from the dead our
- 28:26Lord Jesus, like he's he. I just think he's, I think he's
- 28:30truly touched by the story and I think he's honoring God with
- 28:34these words and and I appreciate the way he wrote it.
- 28:39That great shepherd of sheep, you know, through the blood of
- 28:41their blessing, covet covenant, make you perfect and every good
- 28:45work. I will just touch on that for
- 28:48just a second is we said this last week and I kind of, I want
- 28:52to reiterate that I think people that understand the gospel,
- 29:00well, if they're not careful, they almost make it bad, but
- 29:09make it a bad thing to do good works.
- 29:12Like if you do something good, you must be trusting in it.
- 29:16You know, like if, if we're not careful, we'll make it the word.
- 29:21It's a little bit of a reproach almost to try to be a good
- 29:25person or to try to do good things or try to love people.
- 29:29Like we're we're so afraid or maybe we've came out of a
- 29:34mindset in which we trusted in our ability to do so that we
- 29:38almost make it illegal to do that.
- 29:43And I think that, you know, like we said that back in verse 16,
- 29:48but to do good and to communicate forget not for with
- 29:52such sacrifices, God is well pleased like God likes it to to
- 29:57be holy. The other verse that says be
- 29:59holy as he is holy. You know, like God wants you to
- 30:02do right, You know, he really does So he says make 21 said
- 30:07make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in
- 30:12you that which is well pleasing in his sight.
- 30:16You know, like he, he wants you to do things that are right and
- 30:19and you shouldn't be. By all means, don't trust in
- 30:21them, but do them. Yeah, Yeah.
- 30:25That's that's good, Dan. Yeah, one of the biggest
- 30:28problems I think with our culture, the Mennonite culture,
- 30:32some of the Amish culture, is that they're good works that
- 30:35they required you to do to have any kind of security.
- 30:38If you could have any security, were not even necessarily the
- 30:41good works of the Bible. They weren't helping widows and
- 30:45orphans and all that. So those, some of the Mennonites
- 30:47do those things. I'm not going to take any good
- 30:49thing away from them, but they rather would say you have to
- 30:51wear this kind of clothes, you have to with this kind of head
- 30:54covering on. You have to drive this kind of
- 30:56car. You can't do this, you can't go
- 30:58to that place. And those are the good works
- 31:00that they would judge you on. And so now, yes, if somebody is
- 31:04requiring me those types of good works, I'm going to balk at it.
- 31:08If they're going to try to say, hey, you got a or, you can't,
- 31:12you have to touch, not, taste, not, handle not.
- 31:14Yeah, I'll quickly call that out and say you're not going to
- 31:17control how I live my life in that regard.
- 31:20But any admonishment to actual good works, it just can't really
- 31:23be argued against. Like do good things, be kind of
- 31:26people, be generous with your time and your money.
- 31:29Well, yeah, of course, you know, these are perfect things to do,
- 31:33right? And I'm reminded about this part
- 31:35about being made perfect. I sometimes think we fail to
- 31:38connect Jesus's Prayer of John chapter 17 to a lot of the
- 31:42Paul's epistols here. He says in John 17, he's praying
- 31:46to the Father. He says, I and them and thou and
- 31:48me, that they may be made perfect and one, and that the
- 31:51world may know that thou has sent me and has loved me, and
- 31:54that thou has loved me. And he goes on praying this way
- 31:57over and over again, you and me and I and them and you and I
- 32:00like just this really connected oneness between US.
- 32:04And now he's saying again that we're praying that the God of
- 32:08peace who brought again the debt from the dead, the Lord Jesus
- 32:11the Great Shepherd through the blood of the everlasting
- 32:13covenant, that he would fulfill Jesus's prayer.
- 32:17And I think Jesus's prayers get heard and I think they get
- 32:20answered. And you and I are a part of the
- 32:23answers still to the prayers that Jesus prayed.
- 32:26Then we're still trying to perfect one another, bringing us
- 32:29into better understanding of who God is and what he's done.
- 32:33And then the good works. You know Ephesians 27 it says we
- 32:36are his workmanship created in good Christ Jesus unto good
- 32:40works, which God hath before ordained, that we should walk in
- 32:43them. So a lot of these things were
- 32:45ordained by God for us to do, and then they were prayed that
- 32:49God would do these things in us. And now we get to fulfill
- 32:53Christ's prayer and God's predestined works that He has
- 32:57for us. And we should revel in it, we
- 32:59should rejoice in it. We should see those that do good
- 33:02work and give them honor, and then we should seek to emulate
- 33:05them. Yeah, yeah, this is this is so
- 33:09good. I really like it.
- 33:10And when when I think about the word, it says there this make
- 33:15you perfect. He's he's praying or saying that
- 33:18they got a piece that brought again from the dead.
- 33:20Our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep through
- 33:23the blood of the covenant make you perfect in every good work
- 33:25it and part of the definition of the word perfect actually is to
- 33:30be like thoroughly equipped like to to be to be completely that
- 33:36which you are meant to be right that that's when something is
- 33:39perfect is exactly what it was designed to be that that's when
- 33:44something is perfect doesn't have any purity and it doesn't
- 33:46have a the scratch like you know and when we think about that, I
- 33:50just had to think of the verses Second Timothy 3 where they're
- 33:54towards the end as all scripture is given by inspiration of God.
- 33:57It is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
- 34:00instruction and righteousness, so that the man of God may be
- 34:05perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
- 34:09You know, so the glory goes back.
- 34:12Yeah. He is the one that created us a
- 34:14vessel that can actually perform the work of God from, you know,
- 34:19prior to conversion, I did not have the ability to, to carry
- 34:25the gospel. You know what I mean?
- 34:28Like so because of, because of Jesus's death, burial and
- 34:32resurrection, I and in faith, I have a new creation.
- 34:35I am thoroughly furnished. I'm completely capable and
- 34:41perfectly designed by God to do this perfect good work and to do
- 34:49his will that that's what I was made.
- 34:50That's what this new man is actually made to perform.
- 34:56The the old one was not, it could not because it was it was
- 35:00not. It wasn't designed that way.
- 35:01It was designed after the flash. It was designed after, you know,
- 35:04physical thing. And so this is exciting because
- 35:11he is saying that we are able, we're actually made perfect to
- 35:19do this good work that he commissioned us to do.
- 35:23In other words, he didn't send us to do something that we can't
- 35:26do. He said go do this.
- 35:29I will make you capable and perfect in this respect.
- 35:34And it even says working in you, which is well pleasing in his
- 35:38sights. So God is working this in US.
- 35:40Yeah, it's he made, he made the vessel.
- 35:43And he also, yeah, I mean, the builder gets the credit for
- 35:48having built the house. Oh yeah, not the two by fours.
- 35:52And. So that's, that's just really
- 35:54good and, and I love it. You could, well, you could tell
- 35:58the author, whoever this was with Paul or or whatever he
- 36:01loved, he was utterly convinced that God was able to perform
- 36:07that which he, you know, started out too.
- 36:10Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. I only, I kind of said what I
- 36:14said because I feel like that Paul warned, I don't know, is it
- 36:20the Galatians to not use their liberty for a cloak of
- 36:24maliciousness? And I feel like that that does
- 36:26happen sometimes people kind of use the gospel to, to, to turn
- 36:32their liberty loose. And it actually is translated
- 36:35into some malice. And and that's, that's kind of
- 36:39what I'm warning against is God is wanting people to do right.
- 36:44He's wanting people to be like him.
- 36:45And, and like Leon said, he's equipping us to do so.
- 36:50And, and I just think that that is a, like I said, I just saw
- 36:53that. I've saw that in like a
- 36:56hesitancy, maybe even on the teacher's side, I've saw
- 37:01hesitancy from the leaders of the church to try to get people
- 37:08to do right, you know, because they're afraid it will muddy the
- 37:12gospel, you know, like that it'll somehow muddy the gospel
- 37:15or make people turn back to trusting in themselves.
- 37:18That was really kind of my point.
- 37:20I think I've probably been guilty of this in the past
- 37:22because some of my works that I did to gain assurance before God
- 37:27were not the clothes and the certain outward stuff.
- 37:30It was like prayer and reading the Bible, like doing actual
- 37:34good things, but trying to gain acceptance by God from God
- 37:39through doing those things. So now sometimes when I preached
- 37:42it saying you don't have to read to please God, Christ, please
- 37:46God, some people would interpret that to mean, oh, so we don't
- 37:49need to read the Bible. Right.
- 37:50No, but. But when you recognize that he
- 37:52gave his life for you, don't you want to know him?
- 37:54Don't you want to please him? Don't you want to do the things
- 37:57that are, well, pleasing in his sight?
- 37:59Because you owe him your life, right?
- 38:01And so we're not doing it to be accepted of him, but we are
- 38:04doing it to please him. And we want our father to be
- 38:07pleased. And so I think we could do
- 38:08better job for sure. Yeah, yeah, I always, I always
- 38:12wondered that this is just something like how, how does God
- 38:16parse that? How does he, how does he view?
- 38:19Like, I know, like when he looks at us through Christ, we're
- 38:22righteous and perfect and, you know, fully equipped.
- 38:25And yet here on this earth, You know, there's times I should
- 38:27have shared the gospel with someone that didn't, or I or I
- 38:30spoke out a turn or I was angry or whatever.
- 38:33And just, or, or even the good things, you know, I've, you
- 38:37know, gave money to a good cause or I read the Bible or I prayed
- 38:39or whatever. Like just I, I wonder how he
- 38:42looking down and looks at me. Leon Martin here in Iowa, in the
- 38:45middle of a cornfield, you know, just like, what does he see or
- 38:49notice? I mean, I've often pondered
- 38:51them, but he he doesn't just see the perfectness of me through
- 38:55Christ, He actually sees me as well.
- 38:58Yeah, I, I mean, I guess this is kind of a step and a few steps
- 39:03back, but I do think people miss the point that God is seeing
- 39:08your belief in the very beginning, like when you first
- 39:12believe. And he's imputing righteousness
- 39:15for that. Yeah, but he also is like you
- 39:18just said, he sees the things that you do or fail to do.
- 39:24You know, the verse, the quench, not the spirit.
- 39:27You know, like there, there's obviously, there is obviously a
- 39:33a walk after that and he's not deciding whether he's going to
- 39:38keep imputing that righteousness based on how good or bad you do,
- 39:42right? He's already imputed that
- 39:43righteousness. And I'm not saying this for you,
- 39:45Leon, Sir. I'm just saying this guy for
- 39:47who's listening, you know, he, he's already imputed that
- 39:51righteousness, but he is paying attention to what you're doing,
- 39:54right? He is paying attention.
- 39:56He's either well pleased or the Holy Spirit's grieved or so on
- 39:59and so forth. Like that is all still true.
- 40:02Like those verses are still true.
- 40:04Yeah, that's that. That's kind of what I don't
- 40:06understand, how God sees that which I don't have to it and it
- 40:09doesn't. I do know that he sees the good
- 40:11things that we do. And there's a very real sense
- 40:14and I think probably the real estate sense of it all is that
- 40:16we are counter righteous when we just really aren't.
- 40:19You know, Abraham, Abraham was called righteous and he went
- 40:23into Hagar. He went down to Egypt and he did
- 40:25all these things. And the Bible in the New
- 40:28Testament says he was strong in faith, not wavering.
- 40:31He didn't doubt God. He was absolutely assured of
- 40:34God's promises. Doesn't look that way all the
- 40:37time. That's what there was something
- 40:39that took place and imputed righteousness to him.
- 40:41But he still did good and bad things.
- 40:43He still made mistakes and did wrong stuff, and it's in the
- 40:47record books, right? And I think God recognizes it.
- 40:50But he's counted your faith, like Aaron said, as
- 40:53righteousness. And that's what we cling to.
- 40:55That's why on my good days, I feel good, for sure, but I don't
- 41:01feel more confident before God than I do on my bad days.
- 41:04When I have failed God, when I have failed my wife, when I
- 41:07failed my children, when I feel like I'm not a great witness,
- 41:10I'm still absolutely in God's favor because I'm counted as
- 41:13righteous. And so it keeps me steady.
- 41:16It wants me. I still want to always do better
- 41:18and better, but I don't ever have to be so deflated because
- 41:22while what am I that who am I? I'm just useless.
- 41:24No, I'm counted righteous. I'm completely whole in God's
- 41:27sight, right? Yep, Yep.
- 41:29That's why it's important that we read and understand who we
- 41:32are in Christ, you know, first and foremost, so that when we do
- 41:35mess up that we don't think that God threw us by the wayside or
- 41:39is is it danger of or know if we do one more thing like that, you
- 41:42know, or whatever, that's where we could actually stand there.
- 41:45But also appreciate God enough to realize that it does grieve
- 41:48him. It does bother him.
- 41:50We don't need the right thing and it does please everyone to
- 41:52do the right things. Yeah, go back to Romans 4.
- 41:57There were talking about Abraham.
- 41:58He said and. Call us those things which be
- 42:01not as though they were. And something just came to me.
- 42:05Think about it. He refers to salvation as a
- 42:10gift. Right.
- 42:11Yeah. So he he can give a gift that
- 42:16will not that he's not going to ask for back and still be
- 42:21disappointed that you didn't do the right thing.
- 42:24You understand what I'm saying? Like if it's really a gift, if
- 42:27it is something that is given by His grace because you believed
- 42:31Him, then he's not going to ask for the gift of salvation back
- 42:35just because you didn't do the right thing.
- 42:37He's already given you that gift, but he can still be
- 42:40disappointed. We just read a few chapters ago
- 42:43that He chastens every son whom he loves, right?
- 42:46So, I mean, it is. We'll be fooling ourselves to
- 42:50think that God didn't pay attention, you know, or notice
- 42:53the good or the bad. So I gave will be your kids a
- 43:00Christmas gift? You know, I've given them
- 43:02Christmas gifts in the past, but I don't demand it back where
- 43:04they don't do, they don't clean up.
- 43:06Yeah, sometimes I'd like to, but I've got as precious as God is,
- 43:11probably. Yeah.
- 43:15Anyway, OK, yeah, that's that's good.
- 43:19All right, Verse 22. And I beseech you'd rather
- 43:23suffer the words of exhortation, for I have written a letter unto
- 43:28you in a few words. So this is interesting because
- 43:33he expects that somebody is going to expound on what he
- 43:39wrote. He is expecting that somebody is
- 43:44going to take this letter and he is going to exhort with them,
- 43:51Right, Eric, go ahead. That's neat.
- 43:55Yeah, that no, that's interesting.
- 43:56I I was actually when you said that I was looking up the I was
- 44:03going to I was actually going to say a little different
- 44:05perspective and I was looking up that word suffer.
- 44:08It's also translated bear endure forbearing.
- 44:13But because I was kind of thinking of it from the
- 44:16perspective of somebody is going to not what you know, like not
- 44:24want it or not want to receive it.
- 44:27And and I think he's I beseech you, I'm begging you, brethren,
- 44:31suffer like, you know, bear endure, or that's the way I was
- 44:36looking at it was like he's acts.
- 44:38He's asking them to to take this encouragement or this
- 44:43exhortation for I have written a letter unto you in few words.
- 44:49I don't know that that was, I kind of looked at it from that
- 44:51perspective, but for sure, maybe you're wrong, but.
- 44:54I I read it with with the word suffer a little bit more like
- 44:57where he said suffer the little children to come unto me kind
- 45:00of. I don't I don't know.
- 45:01It's the same. I didn't look back.
- 45:03Yeah, I don't know. Either.
- 45:06Anyway, Dad, go ahead. I would I would say it's maybe a
- 45:09bit of a combination. If I've understood you both
- 45:11correctly, the author here is exhorting the church, the Hebrew
- 45:17Church, to really work at this thing, to be established in the
- 45:21faith, and to become very sound in their understanding of the
- 45:24gospel. To be very clear, allow that
- 45:27exhortation, suffer that exhortation.
- 45:29It might be hard to swallow some of the things I'm saying, but
- 45:32suffer it to happen. Allow it to happen.
- 45:35And then he says, for I have written to you in a few words.
- 45:37And so I can see where Leon would pick that up and say I've
- 45:40only written a few words. Somebody else is also going to
- 45:43exhort you. Somebody's going to open this
- 45:44letter and exhort you from it and suffer that also almost
- 45:48seems to be. But that's the only reason I can
- 45:50see why he would indicate that he only wrote in few words,
- 45:53right? Yeah, sure.
- 45:57Yep. I almost looked at it like he's
- 46:00saying I wrote a few words like another place that Paul wrote.
- 46:04He said, I don't know. I looked it up today and I
- 46:07forgot what the verse said, but something like I written this
- 46:11much to you and I will set other things in order when I come like
- 46:15I've got more to say about this suffer.
- 46:18You know like bear what I have, what I have said.
- 46:22You know that you can. I hope you know you already said
- 46:24that I hope to see you soon and maybe expound on it even more
- 46:27than what I already have. What are these few words would
- 46:30say but. Yeah.
- 46:34But it's interesting that we have to be told sometimes to
- 46:38allow ourselves to be exhorted because it's easy to be kind of
- 46:41stuck. Like, no, I already know.
- 46:43I, I'm firm in what I believe. I don't need to be exhorted.
- 46:46Somebody comes along and has little Nuggets, some truth,
- 46:50something that you haven't thought about.
- 46:51And you're, oh, you can almost be struggling about it, right?
- 46:54And he's, he's don't, don't resist this.
- 46:56Like allow yourself to be exhorted.
- 46:59Yeah. Yeah, what's that verse?
- 47:01I couldn't look it up quick enough.
- 47:03We're he says that it's something like that they let
- 47:13they let the word of God. How's he say that?
- 47:16It's like he's he's saying that they let it go down into their
- 47:20ears or something. In other words, it's kind of
- 47:22like you may hear something. I've actually thought this.
- 47:25Let me give an example. Maybe this will make it more
- 47:27clear. I have preached to like the
- 47:31Church of Christ or whatever and, and felt like I said it
- 47:35really clear once a week or once a month to A to a particular
- 47:40congregation. And I'll be like to say to my
- 47:42wife, be like Tiff, I mean, how are they not seeing this?
- 47:46And then I think, well, I've literally said this to her.
- 47:50You know what, like I get to say this to them once a week and I
- 47:54listen to hours and hours of the teaching before it really sunk
- 47:59in, you know, like, so maybe maybe that's a little bit of it
- 48:04is like, let this ain't there a verse like that like sink down
- 48:08into their ears or something like that, right.
- 48:11But. I don't know where it is I.
- 48:14Don't know, but but anyway, like I really do, you know, maybe you
- 48:17need to bury it, you know, like chew on this a little longer
- 48:21stuff for this. Luke Luke 944 says, Let these
- 48:25things sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man shall be
- 48:27delivered to the hands of men. Yeah, yeah, that might be the
- 48:30verse I was thinking of, but yeah.
- 48:34Well, and then I mean, it's definitely it takes more than
- 48:37one, one dose for sure. Yeah.
- 48:40You know, sometimes for a while. Probably really just for us
- 48:43religious people. Like some people can just hear
- 48:45it once and just grab hold of it.
- 48:48But for me, I had to chew on it forever.
- 48:51I mean, I had to. I think there was a reason that
- 48:55Jesus directly opposed maybe you would say the religious leaders
- 49:02versus what he bets a Sinner, you know, out he would he would
- 49:07be kind to them and. Take.
- 49:13Nogi brother Timothy is at liberty with whom he come
- 49:19shortly. I will see you Any ideas on what
- 49:23that really what he's talking about there exactly.
- 49:26I I didn't connect the dots necessarily would come with the
- 49:33writer to the Hebrews here. I mean it to me it seems obvious
- 49:38that evidently Timothy has been held imprisoned bound some
- 49:42something because know you that our brother Timothy is set at
- 49:45liberty like I would I would think has his freedom again with
- 49:50whom if he come shortly, I will see you.
- 49:53I mean and maybe it's not literally in chains.
- 49:55Maybe he's bound by a job that the spirits gave you.
- 49:58I don't know the binding, but he now has freedom to move.
- 50:03And when he if he gets here shortly, I hope to become with
- 50:06him, which honestly, this verse and the verse about written to
- 50:10you in a few words, that's what makes me almost positive it's
- 50:14Paul. It just sounds too much like
- 50:15Paul, like it just sounds too much like him to not be him,
- 50:19especially mentioning Timothy that way.
- 50:22But but that's what I think he means.
- 50:23Timothy's got his liberty again. And when he comes, I hope to
- 50:27join up with him and come to you.
- 50:29But yeah. Dad.
- 50:32Yeah, I don't think I have any any fresh revelation on that
- 50:35either. The only thing is on the very
- 50:37end of chapter 1325, it says always in small letters.
- 50:41It's not part of the Scripture, but it says written to the
- 50:43Hebrews from Italy by Timothy. And so I've always taken that to
- 50:48mean that it was written and then delivered by Timothy.
- 50:52Perhaps some people have concluded that it was written by
- 50:55Timothy himself. But clearly here the author
- 50:58says, Timothy, our brother, is that at liberty?
- 51:02So he's not the one writing that statement, that's for sure.
- 51:05And I think just like Aaron said that he's somehow he's been
- 51:08freed up from something. Maybe he had a ministry of some
- 51:11sort that he was bound by and couldn't be freed.
- 51:14Or like Aaron maybe suggested, maybe he was in prison or in in
- 51:18some kind of captivity and now was free to come and he's the
- 51:21one actually delivering the letter.
- 51:22And because of that, the author is hoping to come see them soon
- 51:25as well. And and and kind of what you
- 51:28said about my Bible actually doesn't say that.
- 51:30It just says grace be with you all.
- 51:32Amen. But but I know what you're
- 51:34talking about. But Paul actually, it says that
- 51:36another letters written by the hand of Sylvanus or whoever.
- 51:40So and if you notice, what is it Galatians, he says you see how
- 51:44large a letter I've written with my own hand.
- 51:46So evidently that's some I think some people think that's why he
- 51:50had eye problems is, you know, maybe he couldn't really write
- 51:53that well because he couldn't see real well.
- 51:55So somebody else, he would speak, somebody else would write
- 51:58the letter and then somebody maybe would deliver it.
- 52:00So if it says that that would actually kind of make sense is
- 52:03maybe, you know, Timothy's going to bring the letter and but so.
- 52:06Yeah, yeah. Yeah, or maybe Tim, you know,
- 52:09somebody pinned it. Yeah, salute, salute all that
- 52:15that have the rule over you and all the Saint they of Italy
- 52:19salute you. That's our time now that he told
- 52:22us in reference to those that have rule over us.
- 52:26But here the the first time it was for those was to obey those
- 52:32to salute those, which I guess I'm that a by salute he would
- 52:37be, you know, recognized ever honor them?
- 52:41Probably. Yeah, got it.
- 52:46Go ahead that. Yeah, No, I really don't have
- 52:49anything to add to that except for, again, that the being in
- 52:53Italy almost makes me think Paul as well.
- 52:58And, and I don't know the history.
- 53:01It could be that he has a hope to get there and yet he dies
- 53:06before he ever could. Maybe.
- 53:08I don't know. I mean, I don't know the history
- 53:10on that. I don't know if anybody would
- 53:11know for sure, but but that also when he says they of Italy, as
- 53:17if I'm as ever, whoever's writing this is in Italy,
- 53:20wouldn't you think? I mean like he's saying it like
- 53:22they of Italy or he's been there or he's there now one, but he's
- 53:26bringing their salutations. And that's actually honestly,
- 53:30that's what I think he means by saluting them to have the rule
- 53:34over you is because he uses the same word.
- 53:36They have Italy salute you. Like almost like we're thinking
- 53:40of you. Hey, they said to tell you how
- 53:42or how much they loved you or whatever.
- 53:43Like I almost thought of it like that.
- 53:45Like a salutation. Yeah, but.
- 53:49Dad. Yeah, I would say very much the
- 53:51same thing. The apostle Paul in Romans 16
- 53:55has this big long list from 1 all the way through verse 16
- 53:59where he says greet this guy, salute this fellow.
- 54:02He was a helper. This guy's my brother.
- 54:04Like I love this guy, salute him, salute him, salute her.
- 54:08And it's just this big long list of people that he wants saluted.
- 54:12And I think that is like a salutations IA friend of mine
- 54:15that I used to work with for many years.
- 54:16He answers the phone with the the greetings and salutations.
- 54:20Every time he answers the phone, it's that same salute to the
- 54:23people that he's he's speaking. And I think perhaps from our I
- 54:28just thought of this now too, is that we have a history of
- 54:31really, really revering elders and especially ordained elders.
- 54:35It's like they are on this pedestal, like you have to look
- 54:38up to them. You almost tremble in their
- 54:40presence. Us Mennonites.
- 54:41It's I was always kind of terrified when the man in black
- 54:44came around, like he was dressed completely black and he was
- 54:47somber and serious and there was this awe, almost a fear of him.
- 54:52And I think it's probably passages like this that remember
- 54:55then men to have the rule over you, salute them.
- 54:57Now the rule over you should recognize in a congregation a
- 55:01man who's doing the labor, a man who's doing the work.
- 55:03And I think because a lot of us, not only Mennonites, but our
- 55:06culture in general has almost like a, a disdain for any kind
- 55:10of authority, any kind of rule. We've actually lost a lot of the
- 55:14respect from young people to the elder people.
- 55:16I've tried to teach my children from very young on when you have
- 55:19an elder in the room, you say Mr. or Mrs. you say aunt and
- 55:23uncle. You don't call your uncle by his
- 55:25first name. You, you refer to them in that
- 55:27way of reverence and honor. And a lot of the older
- 55:30generation doesn't want it to happen.
- 55:32Like there's a in in German flotich.
- 55:35When you're speaking to an elder, say 20 years, you're
- 55:38you're senior. You would actually refer to them
- 55:41in a plural sense instead of saying you, you would say ye,
- 55:44right? Instead of do it's ye.
- 55:46It's a, it's a way of reverencing them, reverencing
- 55:49them. But most of the older generation
- 55:51will, will balk at them and say, oh, no, don't say that to me.
- 55:54Don't ever refer to me as ye don't talk to me in that
- 55:57fashion, right? And it's, it's actually created
- 56:00a pretty bad downstream effect that they don't realize.
- 56:03They think they're being humble by not wanting reverence.
- 56:06But it's actually produced a culture in which nobody really
- 56:09honors anybody. Nobody really respects anybody.
- 56:12We don't, we don't give them any extra esteem.
- 56:15And he has said over and over and over again here to esteem
- 56:18them very highly for their work's sake.
- 56:20And those types of things honor them, obey them, watch how they
- 56:24work in their labor, and then give them the credit that
- 56:27they're due, right, so. Well, that's really good.
- 56:31Appreciate you. I think, you know, some of the
- 56:35some of that stuff lost to the shuffle while you mentioned that
- 56:39like we we kind of forget how that as a brother to a brother,
- 56:44how what that does for even your own, Like if somebody greets you
- 56:50or salutes you or or takes the time of their day to acknowledge
- 56:55you. Maybe is what I'm trying to say
- 56:57that actually that actually does something to you.
- 57:00Like it allows you to be respectful in return, first of
- 57:03all, And it's just it's something that's easy to not do.
- 57:07Like you just hey, John about your business and not actually
- 57:11like recognize, look them in the eye and acknowledge their
- 57:15whatever it is. Yep, that's yeah, stuff with you
- 57:23all. Anything else?
- 57:27That's what I would like to Bible study.
- 57:28That's nice to you all. Anything else here?
- 57:33I was just going to say that I guess the, I guess these people
- 57:36all had a similar experience to maybe what the mission the men
- 57:41and I did, and that their leaders would have been the
- 57:44scribes and Pharisees who Jesus rebuked so sharply for walking
- 57:49around and laying heavy burdens on people and wouldn't touch him
- 57:52with one of their fingers. And you know, like they had a
- 57:55similar experience of of the leadership being the most
- 58:01corrupt. You know, I'm not saying you're
- 58:03all's was, I'm just saying that was their experience.
- 58:05The leadership was often the most corrupt and hypocritical
- 58:08because Jesus said so. So I think he's probably having
- 58:11to give him this exhortation because you know, they would
- 58:16have, they would have generally looked at that position as just
- 58:20a corrupt, hypocritical, you lay the heavy burden on, but you
- 58:24don't do it type of person, but. For sure, Dad, anything.
- 58:31And the Apostle Paul has kind of seeming disdain for leadership
- 58:36authorities sometimes too. In relations, chapter 2, he says
- 58:41we did not give space to those people by subjection.
- 58:44No, not for an hour. The people who were trying to
- 58:46bring in bondage and stuff, they seem to be something like they
- 58:49looked like they were in conference, like they had some
- 58:51kind of authority and some some leadership.
- 58:53But we didn't give them at the time of day.
- 58:55Like we just didn't listen to them.
- 58:57And now here, this is probably the Apostle Paul really
- 59:00encouraging the congregation to give real reverence and honor to
- 59:03the leader. So it's a, it's an interesting
- 59:06understanding and I think if you can separate those two, if
- 59:08somebody's trying to control you, manipulate you and bring
- 59:11you in bondage, don't listen to them.
- 59:13But if you there's somebody who's genuinely trying to lead
- 59:15you and guide you in a good direction, don't make their life
- 59:18hard. And lastly, I would just say
- 59:21everybody take this book to heart.
- 59:23Recognize the superiority of Christ, recognize the great work
- 59:27for which He has accomplished on our behalf, and revel in it,
- 59:30Rejoice in it. Eat the meat of the grace of
- 59:33God. Understand that He is the great
- 59:35priest Melchizedek, you know, glorified, and he is in heaven
- 59:41for us and he's seated at the right hand of God.
- 59:43And we ought to have great, great confidence knowing that we
- 59:47are saved and full time saved so that we can get off that
- 59:50treadmill of religiousness and just go out and serve people and
- 59:53do good works. Amen.
- 59:56That's I would agree with that. That is really good.
- 1:00:00All right, we are going to all that.
- 1:00:03Yep, for the book of Hebrews. Next week we will probably be
- 1:00:10doing a topic and which means that you folks and a couple of
- 1:00:14the others that are not on tonight will probably be having
- 1:00:16a little midweek meeting here maybe Friday night or something
- 1:00:20to discuss what it is. But we are going to take a break
- 1:00:24and if anybody has a subject that they would like to have
- 1:00:30talked about, text me or call me or find me on the Internet or
- 1:00:34whatever, or go to the Facebook or website, find a way to
- 1:00:38contact me. There's plenty of ways to do
- 1:00:40that. And let me know.
- 1:00:42We'd be happy to discuss. We got some ideas of what we
- 1:00:47could talk about, but we'll, we'll discover that.
- 1:00:50So anyway, see us back here next Monday night, same time, same
- 1:00:55place, and we will be tearing right into the next deal.
- 1:00:59And so anyway, thanks for being with us.
- 1:01:02Thanks for hanging tight through the study of Hebrews.
- 1:01:06As we conclude today's study, remember, remember Hebrews 11/1.
- 1:01:10Faith is a substance of things hoped for and the evidence of
- 1:01:13things not seen. And I pray and and really that's
- 1:01:17what I had in mind for this book where we started the study was
- 1:01:22that your faith could reveal these biblical truth that they
- 1:01:25would actually stand out to you so clearly that they would they
- 1:01:29would be even more clearly what that what your eyes can actually
- 1:01:32see because they are they are just as true as what your eyes
- 1:01:37see in your ears hear. So join us next Monday as we
- 1:01:40look into God's word through the substance of faith.
- 1:01:44God bless you guys. Thanks for being on tonight and
- 1:01:46have a good week.