Latest / Pilgrim: a Podcast from Pastor Fortunato / How to get your mind right and not be conceited. Romans 12:16
Transcript
- 0:02Welcome to the podcast ministry of Pilgrim Baptist Church.
- 0:07Wherever you're listening from,
- 0:09welcome.
- 0:10We pray that the truth from the Word of God speaks to your heart during today's message.
- 0:21Romans 12,
- 0:22the next verse that we are coming to is verse number 11.
- 0:28Let's get our eyeballs on verse number 11.
- 0:30Young people,
- 0:31this is for you.
- 0:32It's for all of us.
- 0:33It's for all of us.
- 0:34But watch what it says,
- 0:35not slothful.
- 0:39Now you know what type of animal the sloth is,
- 0:41right?
- 0:43They move.
- 0:47...and do everything sloth...
- 0:52You've had enough,
- 0:53right?
- 0:55That's the sloth.
- 0:56And the sloth is remarkably...
- 1:01Slow.
- 1:01And the Bible says,
- 1:02not slothful in business.
- 1:04Now this is business in a general sense.
- 1:07It's all types of labor.
- 1:08The Bible says,
- 1:09whatsoever thy hand findeth to do,
- 1:11do it with thy might.
- 1:13It really,
- 1:14when this verse pops up in Romans chapter number 12,
- 1:18not slothful in business,
- 1:20it's teaching us to value time.
- 1:24And isn't...
- 1:26We got a lot of doctrinal truth,
- 1:28especially was heavy through 9,
- 1:3010,
- 1:31and 11.
- 1:32When we get to this practical stuff,
- 1:34you almost want to go back to just give me some doctrine because this righteous living stuff is hard,
- 1:40isn't it?
- 1:41Wouldn't you rather just wrap your mind around what doctrine you believe?
- 1:46Now,
- 1:46we're getting into how we are to live as born again believers.
- 1:51So,
- 1:51it should be not slothful in business.
- 1:55It's the importance on producing with our time,
- 2:00not wasting our time.
- 2:03Proverbs 18 gives us a beautiful picture.
- 2:05You don't have to turn there.
- 2:06But it says,
- 2:07he also that is slothful in his work.
- 2:10...is brother to him that is a great waster.
- 2:14What a word picture God gives us with His creation,
- 2:18the sloth.
- 2:20And look,
- 2:22this does not mean,
- 2:23and gentlemen and myself included,
- 2:25we really need to take heed to this.
- 2:28This verse in Romans 12,
- 2:29not slothful in business,
- 2:31God is not telling us as men.
- 2:35That we should just pour our entire life into work and that the only thing that matters is if I have more hustle muscle than the next fellow and I put in 80 hours or 90 hours or 110 hours and the next thing you know you don't have time for your family or for your church family,
- 2:52you don't have time to do anything for God because,
- 2:55well,
- 2:55you're just going to pour your life into your business or your work.
- 3:01Now
- 3:02I've been in dark places like that and I don't want to go there.
- 3:07God wants us to work and provide and protect,
- 3:12but this verse is not giving us a license to just forget everything and pour our life into business.
- 3:18How about pouring your life into your family?
- 3:20How about pouring your life into your local church?
- 3:22How about pouring your life and offering it as a sacrifice to God?
- 3:25That's how Romans 12 started off.
- 3:30Ladies,
- 3:31you have business.
- 3:32Keeping a house,
- 3:33there's a lot of business to be done.
- 3:37It's work and God doesn't want you to be slothful.
- 3:40Some of you homeschooler mommies and daddies,
- 3:42that's work.
- 3:43Church life,
- 3:44it's work.
- 3:45All of it is.
- 3:46And if you're a Christian man,
- 3:48if you're a Christian woman,
- 3:49God doesn't want us to be idle.
- 3:52He wants us to produce with our time.
- 3:56Believe me,
- 3:57we've got enough that we can occupy our time with.
- 4:01God wants us to accomplish some things for His glory.
- 4:05And one day we're going to answer for our faithful performance of it or not of it.
- 4:14We're going to be judged not for our sin,
- 4:16but for our works down here on earth.
- 4:20And we will be given rewards for them.
- 4:24So don't lose sight of that.
- 4:27Now,
- 4:27how many of you believe you're saved by grace,
- 4:30through faith,
- 4:31by the shed blood of Christ?
- 4:32You can't be saved any other way,
- 4:34it's just by grace.
- 4:35I'm telling you,
- 4:37Satan wants to take that doctrine of salvation by grace.
- 4:42And he wants to turn,
- 4:43he wants to use that and flip it so he can turn you and I into spiritual sloths.
- 4:51Well,
- 4:51how's he wanting to do that?
- 4:52Well,
- 4:52I'm saved by grace.
- 4:53I guess it don't matter how I live.
- 4:55I'm saved by grace.
- 4:56It's by God's grace and he's going to keep me.
- 4:57I guess it don't matter.
- 4:59No,
- 4:59it does matter.
- 5:01it does matter.
- 5:02Not for salvation,
- 5:03but because you're saved,
- 5:05you want and desire to follow God's command.
- 5:09Don't be slothful.
- 5:10Don't be idle.
- 5:12You know,
- 5:12Jesus said,
- 5:13my father work at hitherto and
- 5:16I work like his father.
- 5:19Bible talks about studying to be quiet and doing our own business and working with our own hands.
- 5:23The Bible says,
- 5:24if any would not work,
- 5:26neither should he eat.
- 5:29That's a good principle right there,
- 5:31parents.
- 5:31You didn't make your bed.
- 5:32You didn't clean your room.
- 5:34No breakfast.
- 5:35When can I eat when you do your work?
- 5:38When you do what I asked you to do,
- 5:40then it's lunchtime.
- 5:41But it's 12 o'clock.
- 5:42You didn't do your chores.
- 5:44So I guess we're not eating at 12 o'clock.
- 5:47That's a Bible principle.
- 5:50And God's not talking about starving your kids.
- 5:52God's not talking about abusing your kids.
- 5:54He's teaching us.
- 5:57To teach them to not be idle sloths.
- 6:01Right?
- 6:02Sloths.
- 6:03I think you'll be looking up sloths this week,
- 6:05I know.
- 6:07You know they don't do much,
- 6:08they just spend their whole life,
- 6:09I hear,
- 6:09on the same tree.
- 6:11They come down once a week to go to the bathroom and that's it.
- 6:13That's their life.
- 6:15And I'll tell you,
- 6:15that's the life of some young people.
- 6:17It's just they're trapped in a room,
- 6:18they got the headpiece on,
- 6:19they're in front of a screen,
- 6:20their thumbs can move 3,000 miles a minute,
- 6:23and they come out,
- 6:23you know,
- 6:24once an hour to go to the bathroom.
- 6:25And that's their life,
- 6:26every day,
- 6:26all day.
- 6:28There's a lot more to see in the world than a screen with a game.
- 6:33amen and praise the Lord there's a lot God wants us to do he told us go into all the world he said run that you may obtain he didn't want you to run in a circle that you may obtain he's talking about pressing on all of these words and descriptions of what we are as Christians is to go forth not just hang out on the same tree as like a sloth and the Bible talks about in Romans 12 in
- 6:59that same verse fervent
- 7:02in spirit.
- 7:03That's having strong feelings.
- 7:05God wants you to be a strong
- 7:07Christian.
- 7:09He doesn't want you to be so cold and so unemotional because you're just focused on trying to be
- 7:19The dignified Christian.
- 7:23No.
- 7:25Be fervent in spirit.
- 7:27That word has to do with being hot.
- 7:312 Peter 3 talks about that the elements shall melt with,
- 7:35you know what type of heat the Bible describes it as?
- 7:37Fervent heat.
- 7:39That means it's really,
- 7:40really hot.
- 7:42That's fervency.
- 7:44Fervent has to do with boiling over.
- 7:46You put a boiling,
- 7:47you put a pot,
- 7:48you got a hot pan,
- 7:50you got a stove,
- 7:52you turn that thing all the way up,
- 7:54you put your pan,
- 7:55you put your boiling.
- 7:57Let me try that again.
- 7:59I got so fervent I'm just messing up my words.
- 8:04you put some water in a pot and then you put it on the stove and it boils over.
- 8:09That's the fervency.
- 8:10You ever hear the expression,
- 8:12man,
- 8:12that guy's on fire for God.
- 8:14That's the fervency is the idea.
- 8:17God wants us to be on fire for God.
- 8:19In other words,
- 8:20He wants us to be actively boiling over in our spirit.
- 8:24Fervent for Him.
- 8:25The Bible talks about,
- 8:27and above all things have fervent charity.
- 8:30What a beautiful word,
- 8:32charity.
- 8:33Our Bible conference was themed around that last year.
- 8:36Man,
- 8:36we got some help.
- 8:38And then I read this verse,
- 8:40studying Romans 12,
- 8:42when it talks about having fervent charity.
- 8:45You're just boiling over with charity.
- 8:50Man,
- 8:50I'd like to be that.
- 8:52Wouldn't you?
- 8:54I'm not there,
- 8:54but I'd like to get there.
- 8:56I'd like to go and press and try to run to obtain that.
- 9:01You know what type of prayer availeth much?
- 9:04Man,
- 9:04God,
- 9:05I just want God to hear my prayer.
- 9:06Well,
- 9:06the Bible says the effectual,
- 9:07fervent prayer.
- 9:11Dear God,
- 9:12rub-a-dub-dub,
- 9:13bless this grub and I can,
- 9:14you know.
- 9:16Okay,
- 9:16but can you do better than that?
- 9:20Can you fervently cry out to God?
- 9:22Yeah,
- 9:22but I'm hungry.
- 9:23It's okay,
- 9:24you can eat cold food.
- 9:27Yeah,
- 9:27I mean,
- 9:28try this one dad.
- 9:29See how this one goes over.
- 9:30Take the family out to eat and when the hot food comes,
- 9:33pray for 20 minutes.
- 9:35Nobody's going to be happy with you.
- 9:37Now,
- 9:37okay,
- 9:38maybe that's out of place,
- 9:39out of line,
- 9:39but what I'm talking about is we're worried about our food going cold,
- 9:44amen,
- 9:46and we're not worried about our spirits going cold.
- 9:51Let's have some fervency in our spirit and in our charity and in the way that we pray.
- 9:59How many of you read E.M.
- 10:00Bound's book on prayer?
- 10:02Get that book this week.
- 10:04And if you don't get it,
- 10:05I'll give you a copy of mine.
- 10:08Man,
- 10:08that's a necessary reading.
- 10:11I think you can still go to his house in Georgia.
- 10:13I think they turned it into a museum,
- 10:16and I think they've got all kinds of stuff there now.
- 10:19But I believe you can go right to where in that house where he had his bed,
- 10:23and you can see on the wood floor where it was worn out because that man was up at 4 a.m.
- 10:29praying.
- 10:30And he'd pray for two,
- 10:32three,
- 10:32four hours.
- 10:35I'm telling you,
- 10:36Sunday morning,
- 10:36you can draw a crowd of a hundred.
- 10:38Sunday afternoon,
- 10:39you can draw 50.
- 10:40Midweek service,
- 10:41preachers all across America might get 25 to come to that.
- 10:45Where are the two or three that show up at the prayer meeting?
- 10:49I'm telling you,
- 10:49our life has to be flipped around.
- 10:51We need some praying Christians with some fervency in their spirit.
- 10:56If we're going to do anything for God,
- 10:58we want the doctrine.
- 11:01We want the safety.
- 11:04We forgot that our spirit should be full of fervency.
- 11:08That's the type of Christianity that the Bible describes.
- 11:13And then it says,
- 11:14serving the Lord.
- 11:16That's what it's for.
- 11:19We broke down Romans 12,
- 11:20the first two verses.
- 11:22It's a sacrificial response.
- 11:24Our life serving God.
- 11:27Verses 3 through 8,
- 11:28we looked at the response of humility and it's our serving within the local body,
- 11:34our church,
- 11:35our church family.
- 11:37Now we're in the midst of verses 9 through 21,
- 11:39and that's a response of love,
- 11:42and that's how we serve and live as Christians in society.
- 11:45Chapter 12 is all about serving,
- 11:48and not slothful,
- 11:50but fervent.
- 11:53Man,
- 11:53we've heard this,
- 11:54you always want the guy as your workmate who's the one that's willing to go above and beyond.
- 11:59That's what we're talking about,
- 12:01fervency.
- 12:03Look at the next one,
- 12:04verse number 12.
- 12:05The Bible says,
- 12:05rejoicing in hope.
- 12:09Go to Colossians chapter number 1.
- 12:11The Bible talks about hope quite a bit.
- 12:15Specifically,
- 12:16we have as Christians a blessed hope,
- 12:20and the Bible...
- 12:23talks about that in 1 Thessalonians 4,
- 12:25and that blessed hope is that Christ is going to call out His church.
- 12:30And when the Bible talks about in Romans 12 rejoicing in hope,
- 12:34that's why I can rejoice.
- 12:35I've got a blessed hope.
- 12:38But there's also another verse that I'd like us to look at in 1st Colossians.
- 12:42In Colossians chapter number 1,
- 12:48Bible says in verse 23,
- 12:51Colossians 1,
- 12:56If you continue in the faith,
- 12:59grounded and settled,
- 13:01and be not moved away,
- 13:03here it is,
- 13:05from the hope of what?
- 13:06The gospel,
- 13:08which ye have heard and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven,
- 13:13whereof I,
- 13:13Paul,
- 13:14am made a minister.
- 13:16Now watch this.
- 13:19who now rejoice in my sufferings for you and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake,
- 13:32which is the church.
- 13:37Not only do we have a blessed hope that we can look forward to,
- 13:39but right now we have the hope of the gospel.
- 13:43We must not,
- 13:45as individual Christians and as a church family,
- 13:48move away from the hope of the gospel.
- 13:52You know how preachers move away from it?
- 13:54You know how they move their churches away from it?
- 13:56They're tired of fighting.
- 13:58They're sick and tired of the persecution.
- 14:01They're tired of being talked about and made fun of.
- 14:05God says don't be moved from it.
- 14:08If churches want to redefine the definition of marriage,
- 14:11you know what fixes that?
- 14:12The hope of the gospel.
- 14:14Now you might have to suffer through that because somebody in your family went woke.
- 14:19They just went vile.
- 14:21They went deep into sin.
- 14:22You know what their hope is?
- 14:23The gospel.
- 14:27How are we going to fix this country?
- 14:29The hope of the gospel.
- 14:35If you ever had the opportunity to meet a high dignitary or somebody of high office in our government,
- 14:43president,
- 14:44vice president,
- 14:45I hope you wouldn't argue with them about policy.
- 14:49I hope that you and I would give them the hope of the gospel.
- 14:54That's what Biden needs.
- 14:56That's what Harris needs.
- 14:58They need the hope of the gospel.
- 15:01That's the only thing that's going to change their wretched,
- 15:04wicked mind and soul.
- 15:07Because that's what changed us.
- 15:17You don't get to where you are as a Christian without the life changing power of the gospel.
- 15:24Don't forget that.
- 15:25You might have been saved a decade or two decades.
- 15:31You've got to sometimes go back to where you were,
- 15:34not to stew in your sin,
- 15:36just to remember what your hope was.
- 15:39And it was that saving gospel.
- 15:42Colossians talks about that.
- 15:43You might have to go through some suffering.
- 15:45And the Bible talks about that same verse.
- 15:46You don't have to turn there,
- 15:47but it says,
- 15:48patient in tribulation.
- 15:50So it says,
- 15:50Romans 12,
- 15:5112,
- 15:51rejoicing in hope and then patient in tribulation.
- 15:55Go to James chapter number one.
- 15:58The Bible talks a lot about patience too.
- 16:01It talks about knowing that tribulation worketh patience.
- 16:06Now you know that we are going to go through some tribulation.
- 16:09God has set aside a time of tribulation for His nation.
- 16:15But right now God's not dealing with nations,
- 16:17He's dealing with individuals.
- 16:19So we are not going to go through the time of tribulation that's known as
- 16:23Jacob's trouble.
- 16:25That's for the nation and its purification.
- 16:28Right now,
- 16:29we are going to go through some tribulation as individuals.
- 16:33God's not dealing with nations.
- 16:34He's dealing with individuals right now.
- 16:36So you and I are going to suffer some tribulation.
- 16:39Watch what James chapter number 1 says.
- 16:49Verse 2,
- 16:50My brethren,
- 16:54Count it all,
- 16:56what's the word?
- 16:58Joy.
- 16:59When ye fall into divers temptations.
- 17:07Knowing this,
- 17:08that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
- 17:14Lord,
- 17:14I don't like that verse.
- 17:17Okay.
- 17:18But let patience have her perfect work.
- 17:23God says,
- 17:23I don't care if you don't like it.
- 17:25You better allow it.
- 17:27You better let it.
- 17:28You better let patience have her perfect work.
- 17:31Why?
- 17:32That ye may be perfect and entire,
- 17:35wanting nothing.
- 17:36You know what tribulation is?
- 17:39The path to patience.
- 17:45It's the path to patience.
- 17:49I've said this before,
- 17:50I'll say it again,
- 17:51don't sign up for it.
- 17:54You don't have to.
- 17:55It's going to come your way.
- 17:57Okay?
- 17:58But tribulation is the path to patience.
- 18:02My husband,
- 18:03he just doesn't have any patience.
- 18:07Yeah.
- 18:08Well,
- 18:09you probably don't either ladies.
- 18:11And he's probably thinking the same thing.
- 18:13If my wife would just be more patient with me,
- 18:15maybe I'd get done what she asked me to get done five times this week.
- 18:20Right?
- 18:21Don't we play those games?
- 18:22I'm telling you,
- 18:22the tribulation and that's,
- 18:24that's petty stuff.
- 18:26We can work through that,
- 18:28but it's the path to patience and God's going to put us through some tests.
- 18:35So,
- 18:35what do we do?
- 18:35Go back to Romans
- 18:3712 and get Acts 2.
- 18:39Romans 12 and Acts 2.
- 18:51Romans chapter 12,
- 18:54verse 12,
- 18:55rejoicing in hope,
- 18:56patient in tribulation,
- 18:58and then it says continuing instant,
- 19:01in.
- 19:03Prayer.
- 19:03We talked about this a little bit earlier.
- 19:06I want to park here for just a bit.
- 19:09And I ask you to get Acts as well.
- 19:11Look at chapter 2.
- 19:15Continuing instant in prayer.
- 19:17Acts
- 19:252. Watch what the Bible says.
- 19:28The early church.
- 19:32Verse 41,
- 19:33Then they that gladly received his word were baptized.
- 19:37You receive the word of God,
- 19:38you're born again,
- 19:39then you're baptized.
- 19:40Baptized by water.
- 19:40And that same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
- 19:43Man,
- 19:43that's a lot of souls.
- 19:46And they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship.
- 19:49Both of them.
- 19:50They didn't just come learn doctrine,
- 19:52they actually fellowshiped with each other.
- 19:54And in breaking of bread,
- 19:55and what's the last part?
- 19:56And in prayers.
- 19:58When was the last time?
- 19:59You got together as brothers and sisters in Christ and just prayed.
- 20:02I'm not talking about it as a family before a meal.
- 20:04I'm talking about you had somebody over or it was after church or it was fill in the blank and you just prayed,
- 20:11hey,
- 20:11can you pray with me?
- 20:13Not,
- 20:14yeah,
- 20:14I'll pray for you,
- 20:14brother.
- 20:17How many of you said,
- 20:18yeah,
- 20:18I'll pray for you and then you never prayed for them?
- 20:21I mean,
- 20:21I've done that.
- 20:23I'm sure you've done that.
- 20:24You know what they did in the early church?
- 20:26They got together and they prayed with each other.
- 20:28Hey,
- 20:28will you pray for me?
- 20:29Yeah,
- 20:29I'll pray for you,
- 20:30sister.
- 20:30How about this?
- 20:31Will you pray for me?
- 20:32Yeah,
- 20:32how about I pray for you right now?
- 20:33How about we do that now?
- 20:35How many of you have done that?
- 20:36Yeah,
- 20:36we've done that before.
- 20:37We need to do more of that.
- 20:38We need to do more of it.
- 20:41Look at the sixth chapter of Acts.
- 20:47Acts chapter 6.
- 20:50Watch what it says in verse...
- 20:52Number four,
- 20:54but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.
- 21:02It wasn't one at the exclusion of the other.
- 21:06It was a way that they gave.
- 21:09Should we give financially?
- 21:10Yes,
- 21:10but there's other ways to give the Bible talks about.
- 21:13Give of yourself to prayer.
- 21:17That it was not,
- 21:18prayer was not a formality to the early church.
- 21:22And it shouldn't be a formality to us.
- 21:25Watch this in Acts 12.
- 21:27How many of you would like to be in this chapter?
- 21:30Not me.
- 21:32Acts 12,
- 21:32verse 5.
- 21:36Watch what it says.
- 21:37Peter,
- 21:37therefore,
- 21:37was kept in prison.
- 21:41I wouldn't have wanted to have been Peter's prison buddy.
- 21:44Watch what it says.
- 21:45But prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.
- 21:52When Peter was in prayer,
- 21:54guess what God's people were doing?
- 21:56Praying.
- 21:58I don't ever want to be locked up.
- 22:00for the hope of the gospel.
- 22:02But if I am,
- 22:04but if I am,
- 22:05and help me with this,
- 22:05give me some charity amens,
- 22:07alright,
- 22:07I'll cue you and I'll fish for these.
- 22:11Look,
- 22:12I would hope if I do get locked up for the hope of the gospel,
- 22:16I would hope that my church family doesn't say,
- 22:18oh,
- 22:18I wonder where we're going to go to church next Sunday.
- 22:20I guess we need to find somewhere else to go.
- 22:22No,
- 22:23I hope you'd be saying,
- 22:24let's get together and pray for a preacher.
- 22:26I'd hope you'd pray for me.
- 22:29Thank you.
- 22:30You know,
- 22:31we need to pray for each other.
- 22:35Christianity isn't a formality.
- 22:37Christianity is a real relationship with a living God and with His people.
- 22:44That's what a church family is.
- 22:47We pray for each other.
- 22:49And now watch what happens.
- 22:50Here's...
- 22:50This is beautiful.
- 22:51This is the Peter I'd like to be.
- 22:53I wouldn't want to be if he was in prison.
- 22:54I wouldn't want to be verse 5,
- 22:56but I would want to be verse number 12.
- 22:57I thought this would be pretty cool.
- 22:59Watch.
- 22:59He finally,
- 23:00he gets out,
- 23:00the angel comes,
- 23:01he gets out of prison.
- 23:02Now,
- 23:02watch what happens in verse 12.
- 23:05And when he had considered the thing,
- 23:08He came to the house of Mary,
- 23:10this is Peter,
- 23:10the mother of John,
- 23:12whose surname was Mark,
- 23:14where many were gathered together praying.
- 23:18Then Peter comes,
- 23:19knocks on the door.
- 23:20Isn't that pretty cool?
- 23:22That's true biblical Christianity in action.
- 23:28They were serious prayer warriors.
- 23:31And I believe we should strive to be the same.
- 23:36Continuing in prayer,
- 23:38patience,
- 23:39I wrote this down,
- 23:40patience allows you to ride the storm out,
- 23:44but prayer gives us the endurance as we're in the midst of the storm.
- 23:52If you're like me,
- 23:54which we're probably all like,
- 23:56if you're going through a trial or tribulation,
- 24:00you're probably not praying as much as if you weren't going through that trial or tribulation.
- 24:10This is why when Peter was in prison,
- 24:13he's going through the trial and the way God has it,
- 24:16it's almost pictured like when you're in the midst of the prison and the trial.
- 24:20Others now are praying for you.
- 24:22I'm going through a trial,
- 24:23I'm not praying,
- 24:24I'm trying to get out of the trial,
- 24:25I'm not praying as much.
- 24:28But if you're praying for me and vice versa,
- 24:31this is why we ask for prayer requests.
- 24:36I'm not saying you don't or shouldn't pray in a tribulation.
- 24:41All I'm saying is you need God's people to amp that up.
- 24:45There's no way you could pray for yourself as much or as effectual as
- 24:5220 of God's people.
- 24:54There's no way.
- 24:56It's just sheer numbers and that's what God wants.
- 25:01Go back to Romans chapter number 12 and get Ephesians 4.
- 25:05We're going to cover something that's another touchy subject.
- 25:16Ephesians 4 you'll need and then Romans 12.
- 25:24Don't get mad at me if you don't agree with this.
- 25:27Just think on it and if you are mad just take a couple of days to pray about it before you do want to call me out on it.
- 25:37I believe this is right.
- 25:38I believe this is right.
- 25:40Romans 12 says,
- 25:42distributing to the necessity of lost people in our community.
- 25:48Okay,
- 25:49this is the rough road here.
- 25:53Distributing to the poor people that won't work so we're going to fund them.
- 26:00It doesn't say that either.
- 26:02It says distributing to the necessity of who?
- 26:08Saints.
- 26:10I want to give to saints.
- 26:12God wants you to give to saints.
- 26:14Saints are living people who are God's people.
- 26:19I am not going to give of my money to a lost person so that they can spend it serving the devil.
- 26:30I'm not going to do it.
- 26:35I want to give to God's people who are saints because
- 26:40I know if they have a need,
- 26:41they are going to use it for the right purpose.
- 26:47I'm not giving to any political outfit.
- 26:49I'm just not doing it.
- 26:50I'm not telling you what to do.
- 26:52I'm not giving to somebody...our church is not going to give to somebody who is homeless because they've overdosed on drugs and they've refused to get into a mission house where there's some accountability where it teaches them to work.
- 27:09I'm not giving them my money.
- 27:11They're not a saint.
- 27:13They're going to waste it.
- 27:14They're going to use it on drugs.
- 27:15I'm not giving God's money to be used by Satan's crowd.
- 27:21I've gotten some food for folks like that,
- 27:23and I'm sure you have,
- 27:25or you would think about doing that.
- 27:26And look,
- 27:27you see somebody that is cold,
- 27:30needs a meal,
- 27:30okay,
- 27:31well be warm and filled,
- 27:32and we'll see you later.
- 27:33No,
- 27:33I'll help them.
- 27:35But look,
- 27:37if somebody isn't a saint,
- 27:38they need the hope of the gospel.
- 27:41And if you sincerely have a need,
- 27:44And it's necessary.
- 27:46You know what I am commanded to do?
- 27:48And if you're saved,
- 27:49you know what you're commanded to do?
- 27:53Give to that.
- 27:55Take what you have and distribute it to them.
- 28:00Yeah,
- 28:00but don't you feel sorry for the person that's shooting needles in their arms and doing drugs and they don't have any money to go buy more drugs?
- 28:06No,
- 28:06I'm not sorry for them.
- 28:08I'm not.
- 28:09I love them and because I love them,
- 28:12I'm going to give them some tough love and they're going to have to come to grips with they need the gospel.
- 28:17And I'll take them to a homeless shelter and I'll help them.
- 28:20You want some money?
- 28:21Okay,
- 28:21here's how money works.
- 28:26Leaves need to be raked,
- 28:27grab rake,
- 28:29rake leaves,
- 28:30money comes after.
- 28:31I don't want to do that.
- 28:32Then leave.
- 28:35It's not right to just feel sorry for somebody.
- 28:41They need the hope of the gospel.
- 28:43If you want to,
- 28:45this is a wood floor,
- 28:46it needs to be vacuumed and swept every week.
- 28:48If somebody comes in and says they need money,
- 28:50here's what I would say to them and I would suggest that you can say to them.
- 28:54Well,
- 28:54could you help us sweep the floor?
- 28:56Yes.
- 28:57Okay,
- 28:57then when that's done,
- 28:58I'll give you some money.
- 29:00I don't have a problem with that.
- 29:01But this idea that we're just supposed to look at everybody and say,
- 29:04hey,
- 29:04let's just dump our money into them.
- 29:05I want,
- 29:07if it's necessary for you or you or me.
- 29:11Let's give to each other.
- 29:13That's what the early church did.
- 29:15All things were common.
- 29:18Not everybody has a tractor,
- 29:19but if you need one and somebody has one,
- 29:23that's the idea.
- 29:25Not everybody has a chainsaw,
- 29:26but if you need one and a brother or sister has one,
- 29:30that's how the early church worked.
- 29:32When they saw that a saint had a need,
- 29:35they found out what the need was and then they gave to that need.
- 29:40Okay.
- 29:41And that is not church.
- 29:43It's not government welfare.
- 29:45It's the church.
- 29:48doing what God commanded its church to do.
- 29:53Okay,
- 29:53now I ask you to turn to Ephesians 4.
- 29:55I probably said enough already on this,
- 29:56but...
- 30:01Let's see,
- 30:01Ephesians 4,
- 30:05yeah,
- 30:08let him that stole steal no more,
- 30:14but rather let him what?
- 30:16Labor.
- 30:17That's the idea.
- 30:20Oh,
- 30:20we need a hole dug in the back.
- 30:22Okay,
- 30:22grab the shovel,
- 30:23do some labor.
- 30:24Don't steal no more.
- 30:25You're going to learn to labor and then we'll give some money.
- 30:29That's the idea.
- 30:30Rather let him labor working with his hands.
- 30:34Don't make me work all week and then the government tells me I got to give my money to people that won't work.
- 30:39It's absolutely insane.
- 30:42working with his hands the thing which is good,
- 30:45that he may have to give to him that needeth.
- 30:51What's the other reason why we work?
- 30:55I work because it might become necessary for you
- 31:01a need might become necessary in your life.
- 31:04So I work not just to provide for my family,
- 31:08but I work because God has commanded me that I need to be ready to distribute what I have to you if you honestly have a need.
- 31:20So God says,
- 31:21you're a thief,
- 31:21you're stealing.
- 31:22Look,
- 31:22don't do that anymore.
- 31:23Instead,
- 31:23you're going to labor,
- 31:24not just for yourself,
- 31:26so that you have money to give to others.
- 31:28That's why we work.
- 31:30As Christians,
- 31:32you see a need and you give to that need.
- 31:37And you know what we find out when we do that,
- 31:39when we live like that?
- 31:42Our needs are always met.
- 31:43Isn't that a beautiful picture?
- 31:46How God has it work.
- 31:47Then it says given to hospitality in Romans 12 and verse 13.
- 31:51Given to hospitality.
- 31:54A hospital is where people go to get better.
- 31:58That's a hospital.
- 32:00And that's the root word there.
- 32:01And that is another way to give.
- 32:04we give this given to hospitality.
- 32:09It's a command from God to the body of Christ.
- 32:12In 1 Peter it talks about to use hospitality one to another without grudging.
- 32:17Turn to Hebrews 13.
- 32:20We're to use hospitality without grudging,
- 32:22the Bible talks about.
- 32:23It's like nobody invites a family over at 5 o'clock for dinner.
- 32:32And then when they come over,
- 32:34well,
- 32:34what are you doing here?
- 32:35You're five minutes early.
- 32:36I didn't tell you to bring a pie.
- 32:38Why'd you bring a pie?
- 32:42Nobody would do that because we're supposed to be given to hospita-supposed to be without grudging.
- 32:48Talks about the same way when we give of our finances.
- 32:51You get $5 here,
- 32:52you get $10 there.
- 32:53I don't feel like it.
- 32:56Well then don't give.
- 32:57Go take the money and spend it at McDonald's if that's going to make you happy.
- 33:00But God's people are happy to give to God's work.
- 33:03God's people are happy to be hospitable to each other.
- 33:09Hebrews 13,
- 33:09watch what it says.
- 33:16Verse number...
- 33:25Verse number...
- 33:26No,
- 33:26that's not right.
- 33:27Yeah,
- 33:27it is.
- 33:28That's right.
- 33:29Verse number one.
- 33:29Let brotherly love continue.
- 33:31Be not forgetful to entertain strangers.
- 33:38Don't forget entertainment.
- 33:42Now,
- 33:44in the world,
- 33:46you would have to pay for entertainment,
- 33:48and it's typically not good.
- 33:51It's going to be a movie that's got blasphemy in it or some type of thing Christians shouldn't be listening to.
- 33:56But you know you're going to have to pay for entertainment out in the world.
- 34:03Christian entertainment's free.
- 34:06You entertain someone.
- 34:07You show some hospitality.
- 34:09You're given to that.
- 34:11It makes you happy and it's a blessing to them.
- 34:14It's as simple as,
- 34:15hey,
- 34:16just come on over and we just fellowship.
- 34:18You love on each other.
- 34:21You're entertaining the guest.
- 34:24Christian entertainment,
- 34:25it's free.
- 34:26It's the best entertainment there is.
- 34:30It's talking about in Romans 12,
- 34:32be given to hospitality and be happy about it.
- 34:37And then it says in Romans 12,
- 34:39bless them which persecute you.
- 34:42And because we need to hear it again,
- 34:44God says,
- 34:44bless and curse not.
- 34:50Bless them which persecute you.
- 34:51Now,
- 34:51what did we talk about?
- 34:52At the beginning of Romans,
- 34:55God says,
- 34:56don't be
- 34:57conform to this world?
- 35:00Well,
- 35:00if you're conformed to this world,
- 35:01you won't get persecuted.
- 35:04But if you are transformed by the renewing of your mind,
- 35:08like we looked at the beginning of Romans,
- 35:10guess what is going to happen?
- 35:12You're going to be persecuted.
- 35:15If you come out with us and you hand out gospel tracts and you get out into the public,
- 35:19you will find persecution.
- 35:22It happened to me the other week.
- 35:23I don't know why it happens to me.
- 35:24I'm kind of wanting it to happen to somebody else just so that I don't have to,
- 35:29you get,
- 35:29I don't know if I got a magnet or a sign on the back that says,
- 35:33hey,
- 35:33give that guy a hard time.
- 35:35And look,
- 35:35it wasn't that bad,
- 35:36but this guy wore me out for a few minutes and told me basically Christianity is a hoax and that whole thing.
- 35:42And you know what God says?
- 35:44Don't curse that man back.
- 35:49You know what I wanted to do?
- 35:51I mean,
- 35:51my blood was boiling.
- 35:52I just couldn't wait to have a minute to speak.
- 35:54I think I handled it right.
- 35:57But I need this verse because God tells me don't curse that man,
- 36:00bless that man.
- 36:01Give him something.
- 36:03Give him something that will be a blessing to him.
- 36:07Many of us need some help in that area.
- 36:11We'll say,
- 36:11well,
- 36:11bless God,
- 36:12he deserved it.
- 36:13Well,
- 36:13bless God,
- 36:14God said bless others.
- 36:16That's out in society.
- 36:17Don't be rude.
- 36:18Don't be mean.
- 36:19If somebody doesn't want a gospel tract,
- 36:21say thank you,
- 36:21have a good day.
- 36:23Bible says,
- 36:25you want a gospel tract?
- 36:26Well,
- 36:26I'm good.
- 36:26I say,
- 36:26well,
- 36:27Bible says there's none good.
- 36:28I don't want one.
- 36:29Okay,
- 36:29have a good day.
- 36:30Look,
- 36:31you can't keep pressing and poking at people to rudely get at them.
- 36:35You're supposed to be out there to bless them.
- 36:38I understand we need to contend for the faith.
- 36:41Who did Jesus let have it?
- 36:46Ye blind guides!
- 36:49He called them hypocrites and he called them fools.
- 36:53He didn't call the blind followers that.
- 36:58He went after the leaders and He called them names.
- 37:02So you get Osteen or Rick Warren or you get Furtick,
- 37:06Stephen Furtick and
- 37:08Paula White and all these fakers,
- 37:10all these deliverance,
- 37:13new apostolic,
- 37:14reformation guys.
- 37:15Call them out,
- 37:16man.
- 37:16Let them have it.
- 37:18That's what Jesus did.
- 37:19He called out the blind guides,
- 37:22not the blind followers.
- 37:24And so when we're out there,
- 37:25we need to be...
- 37:26Aware,
- 37:27just to not let people have it just to make yourself feel good.
- 37:321 Corinthians 4,
- 37:34I've got to hurry up here.
- 37:361 Corinthians 4,
- 37:46it says,
- 37:47in labor,
- 37:48working with our own hands,
- 37:49being reviled,
- 37:50we bless.
- 37:52Being persecuted,
- 37:54we suffer it.
- 37:56Being defamed,
- 37:57we entreat.
- 37:57We are made as the filth of the world and are the out-offscoring of all things unto this day.
- 38:04Somebody reviles you,
- 38:05just bless them.
- 38:07I know it's hard.
- 38:08It's easy to preach.
- 38:09I know it's hard to live for me too,
- 38:11but let's not forget it.
- 38:15When you look at Acts,
- 38:16I'm going to show you,
- 38:16man,
- 38:18Paul,
- 38:18on the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,
- 38:20we get the book of Romans.
- 38:22Watch how Paul handled this,
- 38:24and you probably handled this the same way.
- 38:30Maybe you wouldn't.
- 38:31I think I would.
- 38:33Look at Acts 23.
- 38:37There wasn't a better Christian than Paul,
- 38:39in my opinion.
- 38:41Acts 23,
- 38:41look at verse number 2.
- 38:45And the high priest,
- 38:46Ananias,
- 38:46commanded them that they stood by him to smite him on the mouth.
- 38:52Now watch what Paul says.
- 38:54Then said Paul unto him,
- 38:56God shall smite thee,
- 38:57thou whited wall.
- 39:00Now that would be me in the flesh.
- 39:02That would probably be you in the flesh.
- 39:04Man,
- 39:05no one's going to smite me.
- 39:06Man,
- 39:06God,
- 39:07you smite that guy.
- 39:09Yet he tells us it's Christians.
- 39:12No,
- 39:12no,
- 39:12no,
- 39:13no,
- 39:13no.
- 39:15You eat it.
- 39:16You eat it.
- 39:17You find a way that they can be blessed.
- 39:20Now Stephen did this.
- 39:22Stephen did it in Acts 7.
- 39:23You don't have to turn there.
- 39:24But he kneeled down and cried with a loud voice.
- 39:26He said,
- 39:27Lord,
- 39:28lay not this sin to their charge.
- 39:31It was right before they stoned him to death.
- 39:36Stephen had a hold of that verse.
- 39:39Jesus had it.
- 39:40Father,
- 39:41forgive them for they know not what they do.
- 39:45Can you and I be like Jesus the next time somebody gives it to us?
- 39:50Can we be like Stephen?
- 39:53You'd figure Paul would have it,
- 39:54man.
- 39:54He saw.
- 39:55He was right there.
- 39:56He witnessed that.
- 39:58But he had a hard time with it in Acts 28.
- 40:00I believe we all would have a hard time with it.
- 40:02Tyndale,
- 40:03you know what he cried out?
- 40:04Oh Lord,
- 40:04open the king of England's eyes.
- 40:09Translated the Bible into English.
- 40:11Three years later,
- 40:12they strangled him to death,
- 40:13burned him at the stake in 1536,
- 40:16I think it was.
- 40:17Man,
- 40:18that would be a great one.
- 40:19They redid a thing back in the 80s on that.
- 40:22You can get it for free on YouTube.
- 40:23Watch that William Tyndale,
- 40:24God's outlaw,
- 40:25man.
- 40:26That's a great one.
- 40:28Or you can just read about him.
- 40:30Oh Lord,
- 40:31open up the king of England's eyes.
- 40:32And you know what happened three years later?
- 40:35His eyes were opened.
- 40:38We have our English Bible today.
- 40:42A lot because of Tyndale's work.
- 40:45I mean,
- 40:45he died for the Bible.
- 40:50He had a hold of that verse.
- 40:52He had a hold of it.
- 40:54The keynote of Christianity is blessing.
- 40:56We say,
- 40:57man,
- 40:57I want to get a blessing.
- 40:58God says,
- 40:58okay,
- 40:59you can get a blessing by being a blessing.
- 41:02Last thing,
- 41:03we'll look at Romans 12,
- 41:0315.
- 41:04Look at it real quick.
- 41:07And get that with 1 Corinthians 12 and then we'll close out.
- 41:121 Corinthians 12,
- 41:1526 and Romans 12 will be our last spot we'll get to this morning.
- 41:22Verse number 15 of Romans 12,
- 41:25the Bible says,
- 41:26Rejoice with them that do rejoice,
- 41:28and weep with them that weep.
- 41:32Remember last Sunday we talked about
- 41:35Lazarus and
- 41:37Jesus raising him,
- 41:38bringing him back from the dead.
- 41:41You know what else it says in that chapter?
- 41:43It's the shortest verse.
- 41:44It says,
- 41:44Jesus wept.
- 41:47Look,
- 41:47Jesus knew where Lazarus was,
- 41:49and Jesus knew he can bring him back.
- 41:52But you know what Jesus also knew?
- 41:54This verse,
- 41:56weep with them that weep.
- 41:57Jesus,
- 41:58as our example,
- 42:00had
- 42:02This perfect example where he was able to step into the sorrow that you were feeling.
- 42:09And that's why it says he wept.
- 42:11Because he's able to step into the pain that someone else is feeling.
- 42:15And that's our example.
- 42:17If you're weeping over something,
- 42:19I should be there to weep with you.
- 42:21Husbands,
- 42:22if your wife is...
- 42:24In stress or anguish or sorrow over something,
- 42:27I'm telling you,
- 42:29I need to hear this too,
- 42:30so I'll say it.
- 42:31It goes for me too.
- 42:32It is not time for us to put on our Mr.
- 42:35Fix-It.
- 42:37of cape.
- 42:38It's time for us to weep with them that weep.
- 42:41That's what it's time for.
- 42:43There's nothing to fix.
- 42:45Just get in there and weep with them that weep.
- 42:50And look,
- 42:51you have somebody that's a dying saint or a dear friend that's about to step out into eternity.
- 42:57Where are they going to go?
- 42:58With the Lord.
- 42:59Praise God.
- 43:00They're going to be happy and we're going to be down here dealing with the misery of people.
- 43:04But you know what God says?
- 43:06Just like Jesus knew where Lazarus was,
- 43:08we know where saints of God are going to go when they die.
- 43:12But at that bedside,
- 43:13you know what you're doing?
- 43:15You're weeping with the family that's weeping.
- 43:17You're stepping into that situation the same way Jesus did.
- 43:22And the same thing with our rejoicing.
- 43:26Somebody has a high time in their life,
- 43:28rejoice over that.
- 43:29And I'm telling you,
- 43:31we'll do 1 Corinthians 12.
- 43:32Let's get there.
- 43:32We'll read this verse and finish up.
- 43:36We can get real good at evangelizing,
- 43:39at witnessing,
- 43:41at learning doctrine,
- 43:43at rightly dividing the word of truth,
- 43:46and we can be real bad at not weeping with those that weep and rejoicing with those that rejoice.
- 43:53God wants us to be careful of it.
- 43:541 Corinthians 12,
- 43:55and we'll be done.
- 43:57And whether one,
- 43:59verse 26,
- 44:001 Corinthians 12,
- 44:03and whether one member suffer.
- 44:06All the members suffer with it.
- 44:13Church family,
- 44:15I don't plan on going through anything hard or suffering over the next week,
- 44:20but I would hope that if I did,
- 44:22you would be there to help me get through it.
- 44:26And if you're going through something hard next week,
- 44:28I hope you don't.
- 44:30But if you do,
- 44:31I hope,
- 44:32ladies,
- 44:32you can call any one of these ladies,
- 44:34men,
- 44:34you can call any one of these men,
- 44:36and we will be there with you.
- 44:38Why?
- 44:39Because if you hurt,
- 44:39I hurt.
- 44:40That's what a body does.
- 44:43It hurts together.
- 44:44You hit your toe,
- 44:45your whole body hurts.
- 44:47That's why this is a beautiful verse.
- 44:50All the members suffer with it.
- 44:52Or one member be honored,
- 44:54all the members are jealous and just start talking about them and posting all this bad stuff on social media.
- 45:02or one member be honored,
- 45:04all the members rejoice with it.
- 45:09Now,
- 45:09you are the body of Christ and members in particular.
- 45:12Let's not forget to do that this week.
- 45:14Find a brother or sister and just rejoice with them or weep with them,
- 45:18whatever they need.
- 45:22Thank you for listening to the podcast ministry of Pilgrim Baptist Church.
- 45:27We look forward to seeing you in the next episode.
- 45:30In the meantime,
- 45:31you can sign up for our email newsletter at www.pildrumbaptist.church.