Latest / Meadows Baptist Church Podcast / Hebrews 5 - 12/14/25 - Pastor Charlie Branch

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Hebrews 5 - 12/14/25 - Pastor Charlie Branch · Meadows Baptist Church Podcast

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Welcome to [music] Meadows Baptist
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Church of Walnut Cove, North Carolina.
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We're so glad you joined us today.
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[music] If you enjoy today's message, be
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sure to subscribe, follow, and share
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[music] with your friends. Now, let's
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join Pastor Charlie Branch with a word
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from God.
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Just praying about the
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service today, Sunday school time and uh
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what the Lord would have us to say. Felt
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God lead me to this passage of scripture
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and [snorts] u
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I want to encourage us this morning and
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I want to say that on the precipice of
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this this this lesson this morning could
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be a very discouraging lesson but I'll
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say this for those of us that's this
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morning it's not discouraging. This is
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preventative maintenance. And uh I want
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to say thank you for being here this
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morning. Uh every one of you. And I I
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don't ever want to be, you know, we we
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people preachers talk about they'll
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preach on Sunday night and Wednesday
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night and they'll preach about all the
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people that's not there. And I don't
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want to be that way. Never want to be
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like that. And I always want to preach
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to the ones that's here because I can't
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help the ones that ain't. Amen. And uh I
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want to share this truth with you and
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try to encourage you uh with this
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thought this morning. And like I said, I
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want you to see this from positive
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perspective as preventative maintenance.
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All right. And uh we all have this a
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little bit in our life. And so I pray
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that God will help us with it. Hebrews
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chapter 5 11. Hebrews 5 verse number 11.
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The Bible says, "Of whom we have many
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things to say and hard to be uttered."
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Speaking of Christ, seeing ye are dull
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of hearing. For when for the time you
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ought to be teachers, you have need that
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one teach you again, which be the first
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principles of the oracles of God, and
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are become such as have need of milk,
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and not of strong meat. For everyone
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that useth milk is unskillful in the
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word of righteousness, for he is a babe.
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But strong meat belongth to them that
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are of full age, even those who by
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reason of use have their senses
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exercised to discern both good and evil.
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Therefore, leaving the principles of the
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doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto
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perfection, not laying again the
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foundation of repentance from dead
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works, and of faith toward God, of the
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doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on
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of hands, and of resurrection of the
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dead, and of eternal judgment. In verse
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three, the Bible says, "And this will we
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do if God permit." Now, I want to look
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at this these verses that I've read to
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you this morning, mainly just chapter 5,
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11 through 14. And I want to consider
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this thought, okay, just to get your
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mind turned in in this direction. I want
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to talk about what's missing in the
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church. What's missing in the church?
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Now, there's a lot of things that we
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could say this morning, and our mind
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always goes to people, but I'll say this
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this morning. Who God's got here who
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want who he wants here.
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>> Amen. And you say, "Well, of course, he
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wants more here than who's here." And I
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understand that this morning, but it's
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not chance or circumstance that you're
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here. And uh when I think about what's
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missing in the church, you know, we
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could say it's people, but I really
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don't believe it's so much people as it
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is the the right attitude in the people
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that are present. And when I consider
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this text, Paul, the writer here, of
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course, we believe it to be Paul. I'll
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say more about that in just a minute.
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And I believe there's partly a proof
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here in this text as to why Paul did
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write the book of Hebrews. But he begins
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in verse number 11. And this is a
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parenthetical statement that he has
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literally just spent the last five
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chapters up to this point talking about
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Christ. And he is exhorting them to
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learn of his high priestly position, how
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that he's better than Moses, he's better
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than the angels, he's better than men.
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And he is teaching them all these
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truths. And he comes to this point in
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verse number 11 after he has talked
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about Christ being after the order of
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Melzdc in chapter 5 verse 9 and 10. In
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verse 11 he says this. He begins with
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this this statement. He says of whom we
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have many things to say. And his
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introduction to this parenthetical
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statement in verse number 11 is three
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things. And I I think this is what I
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find interesting about this because
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number one he points out their their
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love for Christ. He says, "Of whom we
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have many things to say." You understand
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something? For the child of God, we
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ought to never be able to get done
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talking about him.
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>> Amen. We ought to never run out of
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things to say about who he is. And Paul
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says, "Of whom we have many things to
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say." He says, "There's a lot of things
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that we want to tell you." But then he
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not only mentions the love that they
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have for him, but he mentions the labor
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that's hard. Look what he says. Of whom
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we have many things to say and hard to
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be uttered. Do you understand? Sometimes
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the truths that Christ puts in our heart
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are hard to express. Things that God has
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shown us and taught us in our Christian
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life are hard to relay to others. And
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that's just the truth. Because when you
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really begin to dive into the word of
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God and study, you're going to discover
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the providence of God and the inner
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workings of God and his will in the word
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of God are hard to understand. They're
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very hard to understand, hard to
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express. But that ought not stop us from
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telling it. But I notice what hinders
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here in this text. I consider the love
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that they have for him and the labor
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that he mentions his heart. But then
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this what interests me. What hinders in
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the church in this day and time what's
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lacking is is what he says in verse
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number 11. He says of whom we have many
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things to say and hard to be uttered.
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Seeing you are dull of hearing. You see,
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the problem we have in the church today
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is that listening has been hindered.
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And what this comes back to is years and
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years and years of modern day technology
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that have dulled our ability to listen.
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And what I mean by that is it's not so
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much that we can't hear it. We've got
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ability to hear. There's people now that
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couldn't hear and have hearing aids to
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hear. That's not the problem. The
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problem is not the physical ear, but is
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this the the ear of the heart. It's the
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the answer, the obedience of a heart to
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the word of God. He says you're dull of
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hearing. And the truth is for the child
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of God, there is so much for us to learn
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in this life about who he is. And I
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believe at best we could only learn
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about half of what really the scripture
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teaches. I don't think we'll ever learn
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the full extent. I think those that are
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the smartest in the word of God and had
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given their life to the scripture would
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tell you that they are eternities away
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from knowing everything that there is to
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know. But what I'm afraid of is is that
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because we have decided that we can't
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know everything. We are unwilling to
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learn anything else.
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We are satisfied with the status quo.
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We're satisfied with the basic truths of
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Christianity. Well, I'm saved and I'm
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going to heaven and that's good enough.
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And you know what? In the flesh, that is
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good enough. But if we're going to go
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forward for Christ, it's going to
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require us to know more than just the
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basic truths. Because if you do not
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learn more than just salvation, you will
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never be effective in the ministry that
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Christ has given you. Now, I want to
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relay these truths on your heart. And
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when I say what's missing in the church,
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I would say it's this. We're missing
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servants. We're not missing souls.
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There's plenty of people that will come
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to the house of God, but we're missing
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servants. We're missing people who are
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faithful. We're missing people who are
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fervent. We're missing people who are
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focused on the work of God. You see, all
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of us as a whole, we are really, and I
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want to just be nice when I say this
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this morning, when it really comes down
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to the ministry, we are disinterested
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compared to what Christ teaches in his
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word about the interest we should have
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in ministry. You say, "Preacher, well,
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how could you indict all of us in that
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way?" Well, I know the time that we all
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spend on ministry across the board. We
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don't spend enough time doing the things
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of God. You say, "Preacher, you don't
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know what I do at my home. I don't have
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to know."
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This is the day that we live in
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as a whole. The church is complacent.
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The church is carnal. The church is
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disinterested in the things of God. And
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that needs to change. Notice verse 12. I
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want to I want to re lay some truths on
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your heart. Like I said, this is not
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meant to be a discouragement to you this
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morning. It's meant to be an
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encouragement. It's a it's an
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exhortation for us to get serious. Amen.
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Notice this verse 12. For when the for
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the time you ought to be teachers, you
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have one need that one teach you again,
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which be the first principles of the
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oracles of God. Now, I want to highlight
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first of all, and we consider this
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thought here. Note the purpose that's
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not been fulfilled in verse 12. Note
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that first phrase, for when the time you
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ought to be teachers.
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When for the time you ought to be
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teachers. Now you say, well, what's the
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emphasis of that? Well, he has just told
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them here, he says, look, I've got a lot
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of things that I want to teach you. I've
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got a lot of things that I want to tell
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you, and I'm going to admit to you, this
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thing's hard to understand. But the
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reason it's that I can't tell you is not
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because it's hard to understand. It's
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because you don't want to hear it. You
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don't want to listen to it. I think
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preachers hands in many places are tied
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in this damn time because they have
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congregation that's just satisfied with
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what they know and they don't want to
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learn anything else. They don't want to
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do anything else. They don't want to be
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any more than what they are. And so when
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I consider this, Paul is saying when the
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time you ought to be teachers, what is
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he pointing out? Well, he's pointing out
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their age. Number one, look what he
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says. for when for the time
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he's saying look you've been saved long
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enough you ought to be doing something
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for the time you ought to be teachers
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notice that not only their age here they
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they're in Christianity they've not met
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up with where they should be in the will
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of God and in the work of God but they
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also have missed the academia look what
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he says for when the time you ought to
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be teachers
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it is there is no reason for a child of
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God to be saved 10 15 20 years and they
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can't give you a Bible lesson. There's
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no reason for that. You say, "Preacher,
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how can you say that?" Because if you
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are living and walking with Jesus
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Christ, you ought to know this book.
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We ought to know this book. Hey, this is
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the truth this morning. We ought to be
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able to give the word of God. If you've
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been saved many, many years, there's no
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excuse. There's no excuse. Look what he
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says. For when the time you ought to be
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teachers, you ought to have the ability,
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you ought to have the academia, your age
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shows that you are far enough along to
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be teaching. Look what he says. Ye have
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need that one teach you again, which be
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the first principles of oracles God. So
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there's the purpose that's not been
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fulfilled. They ought to be teachers.
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Number two, there's the problem that
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showcases their failure. Look what he
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says. You have need that one teach you
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again. Well, look what he's saying here.
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He says there's an essential need. That
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word need means something that is that
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is imperative. He says you have need
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that one teach you again. So, it's not
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something that they didn't know, but
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it's something they had forgotten. Isn't
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that interesting? You know, if you don't
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int continually invest yourself in
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truth, you know what'll happen? You'll
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forget it. And I know about 30 of
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y'all's turn me off this morning, but
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listen to me, okay? If you do not
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continually invest your life in truth,
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wake up every day of your life making up
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your mind, I'm going to learn something
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out of that book and I need God's help
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today. You know what you'll do? You'll
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lose what you already have.
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>> You will. That's the reason why people
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that's been saved 10, 15, 20, even 30
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years will come up in a to a place in
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their life and you know what they'll do?
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They'll start to doubt their salvation.
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Why is that? They'll do that because
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they have not been faithful to study the
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word of God because they've not fed the
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spirit of God. And he says, "You have
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need that one teach you again." It's
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essential, but it's for an explanation.
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Look what he said. You need to be taught
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again. We should never have to be taught
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the same truth twice.
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We ought to be able to hear the truth
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one time. And you know what? But we
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ought to be able to rehearse that thing
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in our mind over and over again and
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allow that growth to take place. Truth
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is like a seed that's planted. You know
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what happens when that truth gets put
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in? You know what it's supposed to do?
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It's supposed to grow, isn't it? So, you
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know what happens if we need to be
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taught again? That means we've choked
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out the seed in our life. We have
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allowed the word of God to become
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unfruitful. We have refused to bear
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fruit for the Lord Jesus Christ. And he
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says because of that your essential need
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is that you need to ex be you need an
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explanation again of these truths. He
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said you need to be taught again which
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be the first principles of the oracles
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of God. That phrase first principles
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literally means this. It means
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elementary
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the basic things.
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It's the one two threes and the ABCs of
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Christianity so to speak. You know what
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I see across the board in this day and
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time? People are so ignorant of Bible
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truth. People are so illiterate when it
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comes to the scriptures. And you know
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what that's an indictment on? That's an
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indictment on parents.
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Amen. That's an indictment on parents.
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When we refuse to train our children the
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word of God. When we refuse to teach
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them the word of God, you know what
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happens? There's a generation that rises
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and they don't know. And in this text
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here, he says, "You have need to one
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teach you again, which be the first
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principles, the elementary things, the
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things that you learn right after you
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get saved.
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You're going to have to be taught them
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again." Those first principles. I want
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to move on here and give you this
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thought. Okay? I I consider the purpose
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that's not been fulfilled. The problem
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that showcases their failure here in the
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text, they need to be taught again the
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first principles. But then I consider
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the provision in verse 12 of their
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feeling. Notice this. He says, "And are
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become such as have need of milk and not
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a strong meat." And I can't emphasize
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this enough. He is telling them on this
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text, look, he's telling them, he's
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saying, "Look, you've become this way.
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You've not always been this way." Look
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what he says. He says, he says, "For the
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time you ought to be teachers, you have
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need one to teach you again. So you've
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you've learned, you've you've been
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taught, but you've forgotten it." He
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said, "You've become such as have need
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of milk and not of strong meat. You've
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become a baby again, so to speak." What
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does he contrast in verse 12? Such as
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have need of milk and not of strong
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meat. What's the difference here in this
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text? Well, he's dealing with those
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basic things that are different from
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those deep truths of the word of God.
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You see something? When you get saved
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and when you live any amount of time and
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you learn like you're supposed to learn
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as a child of God, when you live the
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Christian life the way that you're
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supposed to, you're going to come to
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find the milk don't satisfy you anymore.
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>> You're not going to be satisfied with a
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sippy cup. Amen. And and and mashed up
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potatoes or apples. Amen. You're going
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to have to have something a little more
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than that.
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And our churches are dying because
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people are sitting on pews and they do
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not want nothing more than that. They
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want something that's easy to stomach.
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They want something that's palatable for
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a child with no teeth. Amen. You say,
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"Well, how is that?" Well, notice what
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the contrast is. He says that you've
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become such as have need of milk and not
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of strong meat. You know what that word
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strong there means? It's mentioned
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again, verse 14, but strong meat
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belongth to them that are full age. That
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that phrase strong meat, it means
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strong, hard, solid, rigid, immovable.
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And look what he says. He says, "You
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become such as have need of milk and not
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of strong meat." He said, "You're
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needing something that babies need."
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And really, you should be eating meat.
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You ever seen children
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get up in years and they'll get, you
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know, 8, nine, 10 years old and they
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still talk like a jibberjabber little
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baby.
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It's all right. Y'all can loosen up a
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little bit. Amen. And just like like
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that.
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There's a man, there's a young man that
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I know. He's actually about three or
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four years older than me now that I
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think about it. But I remember being in
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school with him. He was he was u high
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school. He was several years older than
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me. I think I remember middle school he
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was like a sophomore, a junior in high
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school, but his grandparents had raised
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him and it's no indictment against this
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young man. He just his he was a little
17:05
bit a little bit slow in his mind and
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that wasn't his fault, but his
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grandparents had raised him and and
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they'd always talked to him like a baby.
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And I remember in high school that poor
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boy got made fun of so much because he
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he he his names for stuff like he he
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called a truck a tu and and just spoke
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like a little child even he's 18 17 18
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years old still speaks that way and I
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remember thinking about that and and
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seeing him and and how embarrassing that
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was you know because everybody looked at
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him and said you know he should be
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farther along than he is you know what
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that's the way that you look when you
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are illiterate in the things of God.
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When you're ignorant of the things of
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God, when there is simple truths that
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you should know, things that we should
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be acquainted with and understand. And
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what happens when you're called upon to
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present something to somebody that's
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been just saved for, you know, a few
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weeks or months and you can't answer a
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simple question that they have. You know
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what that is? That's that's unnatural.
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When you've been saved, like I said,
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when you've been saved 10, 15, 20 years,
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you ought to be on from the bottom.
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You ought to be teaching. You ought to
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be teaching.
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Really was hoping this would be received
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better than it's being received right
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now. But but you see this contrast here.
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Now note not only the contrast, but note
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secondly the character it's mentioned.
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Verse 13.
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He said you're become such as have need
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of milk and not of strong meat. Verse
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13. For everyone that useth milk. All
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right. If you're still on the bottle, if
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you're still taking those baser things,
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if you're still constantly having to
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have reassurance, constantly having to
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um deal with basic things in
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Christianity, look what he says. He
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says, "For everyone that useth milk is
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unskillful in the word of righteousness,
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for he is obeyed." Now, I find
18:55
interesting here. He points out the
18:57
contrast in verse 12. But the character
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in verse 13, I think is what's
19:01
interesting because he says, "Everyone
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that useth milk, everyone that consumes
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milk is unskillful." That word in
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unskillful literally means ignorant or
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immature.
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Everyone that useth milk. If you find
19:15
somebody that is constantly living off
19:17
of John 3:16
19:20
or Philippians 4:13, taken out of
19:23
context, God help us.
19:25
I can do all things through Christ which
19:27
strengthenth me. Those people will take
19:29
that and use it to go get a beer down at
19:30
the ABC store. I mean, it's just godless
19:33
the way people take scripture and
19:34
misapply. I'm saying when you just take
19:37
basic truths and people are just living
19:40
off of those things, you know what that
19:41
is? That's a baby. That's a baby
19:43
Christian. You say, "Preacher, they've
19:46
been saved 20 years." It doesn't matter
19:48
if they do not if they will not take
19:52
hard truth. If they will not listen when
19:56
a preacher just preaches it gun barrel
19:58
straight right by the book and don't
20:00
leave nothing laying on the side. Okay.
20:03
When he preaches it that way and they
20:04
will not accept that. You know what that
20:06
is? That's a baby. That's a baby. Look
20:08
what he says. He says everyone that
20:10
useth milk is unskillful
20:13
in the word of righteous. That means
20:15
they do not know the truth. What did
20:17
Jesus say? He said the truth shall set
20:19
you free. Didn't he? But what was the
20:21
stipulation on that? He said, "You shall
20:24
know the truth, and the truth shall make
20:27
you free." You see, the truth doesn't
20:29
make you free by itself.
20:31
You say, "Well, I'm saved. I'm free." Of
20:33
course, you are positionally, but
20:35
practically, let's just be real. You can
20:37
be saved and be as locked down
20:41
fleshly, physically, you can be as
20:44
locked down, locked down just as bad as
20:46
a sinner because you do not know the
20:48
truth. That's why people do not
20:50
understand, preacher, why do you
20:51
emphasize so much the knowledge of the
20:54
scripture? Because it's by the knowledge
20:56
of THE WORD OF GOD THAT YOU GROW.
21:00
>> NO, it's not appealing always. But I
21:02
understand the truth is if there's going
21:04
to be effectiveness in this thing, it's
21:06
going to come through the learning of
21:08
the word of God. For everyone that useth
21:10
milk, for everyone that consumeth the
21:13
basic things is unskillful. What is he
21:15
unskillful in? In the word of
21:17
righteousness,
21:19
a baby talks like a baby because they're
21:21
a baby. But an adult should not talk
21:24
like a baby. Somebody say, "Amen."
21:27
>> Verse 14.
21:29
Notice not only the contrast, the
21:31
character, but not the completion that
21:33
he calls for here. He says, "But strong
21:35
meat belongth to them that are of full
21:36
age." At full age, that means maturity,
21:39
even those who by reason of use have
21:42
their senses exercised to discern both
21:44
good and evil. Now, this verse is powerp
21:46
packed. All right. Now, get this, okay?
21:49
He says, "Strong meat belongth to them
21:52
that are full." So, I'm thankful that
21:54
there are truths that can sustain us.
21:56
You You realize that life is more than
21:59
just storms and suffering. I swear 95%
22:03
of Baptist preachers I hear anymore,
22:04
that's all they know how to preach on is
22:06
storms and suffering. I'm thinking, we
22:08
don't know nothing about suffering in
22:09
this country. We really don't. I mean,
22:12
we talk about cancer and I realize that
22:14
that is a suffering of the flesh. But
22:15
I'm talking about when you compare
22:17
suffering in that book to what
22:18
suffering, what we think suffering is,
22:20
it's not even close.
22:22
>> The storms that we face, the issues that
22:25
we deal with are so small compared to
22:28
what scripture teaches. And this strong
22:30
meat, if it's good enough for those that
22:32
were burned at the steak, for those that
22:34
had their heads chopped off, if this is
22:36
what caused them to go all the way to
22:38
their death, unwilling to step back or
22:42
to turn around, it's that that we need.
22:45
The reason why we're so soft and so
22:47
sensitive is because we're on the milk.
22:53
Because notice this, strong meat
22:54
belonging. There's a people. There's a
22:56
group. There's a position that deserves
22:59
this. What is what what is that
23:01
qualification? It belongs to them that
23:03
are of full age. Complete maturity. Look
23:07
what does he look what he says. What
23:09
defines this maturity? What defines this
23:11
crowd who is of full age? Well, look
23:14
what he says. Even those who by reason,
23:16
notice this little phrase here, of use,
23:19
by reason of use have their senses
23:21
exercised to discern both good and evil.
23:23
So first of all, if you're going to be
23:26
of full age, if you're going to be a
23:28
perfect man, as the scripture teach,
23:30
this completeness that Paul is calling
23:32
for, number one, there's got to be
23:34
determination,
23:36
discipline. What is that? Well, look
23:38
what he says. Even those who by reason
23:40
of what? Use. Use. You know the reason
23:45
why people are not effective in the
23:46
ministry? Because they've never done
23:49
anything.
23:52
I do not know why it's so quiet this
23:54
morning. Y'all going to have to liven up
23:56
a little bit.
23:58
The reason people can't do anything is
24:00
because they've never tried to do
24:02
anything. And this is the excuse we use
24:03
in this damn time. Well, that's just not
24:05
my personality, preacher. I'm not loud
24:07
and boisterous. I'm not really I'm just
24:09
to myself. I'm not going to go talk to
24:11
people. Well, let's just back up on that
24:14
a minute, okay? If you want, you find
24:17
something you want to buy, you wouldn't
24:19
care who you had to talk to
24:21
>> to get it. Amen.
24:23
And I'm going to pick on you ladies for
24:25
a minute, okay? But when you go in the
24:26
store and you see that piece of jewelry
24:28
in there, it don't matter what the
24:29
cashier looks like. It doesn't matter.
24:32
If you like it, you going to go talk to
24:34
that person cuz you want what's in the
24:36
case. Amen. What I'm saying is is that
24:39
person's got a soul. And we use excuses
24:42
so many times wherever we're at. We
24:44
can't minister. we can't do this, we
24:46
can't do that. Men are the same way,
24:48
man. We'll we'll we won't we won't
24:50
witness to somebody. We won't talk to
24:52
somebody about the Lord, but we'll go
24:54
down to the dealership and we'll talk to
24:55
the roughest looking dude that there is
24:58
so we can buy us a truck.
25:00
>> We're without excuse.
25:02
>> And what I'm coming back to on this
25:04
right here is is it's not just
25:06
witnessing, but the ministry itself, our
25:08
teaching. Well, we're afraid. We're
25:10
afraid of crowds. Well, the ball game
25:12
doesn't bother you.
25:16
I hit a stump right there.
25:19
>> Straw meat belongth to them that are
25:20
full age, even those who by reason of
25:23
use. There has to be discipline.
25:25
Further, it goes further than just use.
25:27
Look what he Look what else he says. Who
25:29
by reason of use have their senses
25:32
exercised. Oh, that's a dirty word,
25:34
ain't it?
25:36
You've got to work it out. What did Paul
25:39
tell the Philippian church? He said,
25:40
"Work out your own salvation with fear
25:42
and trembling." He wasn't talking about
25:44
work out how you're going to be saved.
25:46
He said, "But since you have been saved,
25:48
you ought to be working because you are
25:50
saved."
25:52
>> It should not be so much of a problem.
25:55
Hear me out what I'm saying. All right?
25:57
It should not be so much of a problem to
25:59
find people to teach Sunday school
26:01
classes and to teach classes in the
26:03
church to fulfill ministry positions. Uh
26:06
we should not have to beg and plead to
26:08
get five people to go on visitation on
26:10
Saturdays.
26:11
That's that's not there's no re You say
26:13
preacher, well I just I'm just not that
26:15
way. Well, I'll tell you this. Jesus
26:17
wasn't a sinner. But you know what? He
26:18
became sin who knew no sin that we might
26:20
be made the righteousness of God in him.
26:25
>> I'm saying he did what he did not want
26:28
to do, but he had to do so we could be
26:30
saved. We ought to be willing to do just
26:32
a little bit. He's not asking us to die.
26:35
He's just asking us to live. Have some
26:38
determination. Have some discipline.
26:40
Decide in your heart this morning that
26:43
you're going to do what you have to do
26:45
because God's called you to. You have to
26:48
be disciplined or you're going to spend
26:51
the rest of your life on the milk. And
26:52
you know what'll happen? You'll never
26:54
grow that way. You know what? It burdens
26:57
me. You go places preaching and I used
26:59
to do this a lot more when I was
27:01
preaching out all the time before I
27:02
started pastoring. that you see people
27:04
that's they'll tell you, "Preacher, I've
27:06
been in this church for 40, 50, you
27:08
know, years, years upon years upon years
27:10
and and then you get to having a
27:13
conversation with them. They'll tell you
27:14
they're saved and they got a good
27:15
testimony, but then you just go to
27:17
talking about things. You ever done
27:18
that? You ever just talk about church
27:19
things and you find that they don't have
27:21
a clue
27:24
about anything scripture- wise? They
27:26
can't tell you the reason. They can't
27:28
tell you simple reasons why we should
27:30
testify. They can't tell you reasons. I
27:32
mean, why why do we do baptism? What's
27:35
the purpose of that? Why do we knock on
27:37
doors? Why do we sew? Why do we believe
27:39
in Sunday school? What are the reasons
27:40
for all? And you ask them and they have
27:42
no answer.
27:46
They're a baby.
27:48
And it is not defined by how long you've
27:50
been in church.
27:51
>> And I'll say this, a lot of this falls
27:53
back on the preaching in this country. I
27:55
I'll say this, 75 to 85% of this falls
27:57
back on the preaching this country.
27:58
People will be in a church their entire
28:00
life and a preacher won't never preach
28:02
nothing other than a topical sermon on
28:04
on suffering or storms like I said and
28:07
they never grow. They never grow. They
28:10
never get past the basic things.
28:13
You know what's going to happen to that
28:15
place? It dies.
28:17
It's defined here in this text. What
28:19
happens to it? There's determination. I
28:21
got to move on here. This completion
28:24
it's determination. But out of that
28:25
determination and discipline, verse 14,
28:27
there's discernment. Look what he says.
28:29
Who by reason of use have their senses
28:32
exercised to discern both good and evil.
28:34
They are able to discern between what's
28:37
beneficial for them and what's bad for
28:40
them. And this is the indictment that
28:43
I'm seeing against the church this day.
28:45
People can say the right things and do
28:47
the right things, you know, or say the
28:49
right things, but when it really comes
28:50
down to their actions, they don't really
28:52
know what's best for them.
28:56
I'm being honest with you, okay? When
28:58
you think about people and you know, you
29:00
say, "Preacher, well, I know the
29:01
scripture. I know what I'm supposed to
29:02
do." Let me ask you this. If you know
29:03
it, why aren't you doing it?
29:06
Because here's it's to know it is one
29:09
thing. To have the meat on on the table
29:12
and able to partake of, it's one thing.
29:15
But to eat it is a whole another thing.
29:18
You see, it's not so much what people
29:20
say that tells me where they're at
29:22
spiritually, but what they do that tells
29:25
me where they're at spiritually, the way
29:27
they live their life, what they do
29:28
outside of the church. They these this
29:31
man that's complete, that's of full age.
29:33
He have his has his senses exercised to
29:36
discern both good and evil. He knows
29:38
what's beneficial, but he also knows
29:40
what's bad for him. And he is going to
29:42
follow only what is beneficial for him.
29:46
Now
29:48
talking about this thought of what's
29:50
missing in the church and service the
29:52
reason service is missing in the church
29:54
is because much of the church is carnal
29:58
we are carnally minded and isn't it
30:00
interesting that the other time this
30:02
phrase milk is used Paul was right in
30:05
Corinthians I told you that there's
30:07
there's many proofs but I think this is
30:08
just one that goes to show Paul was
30:10
writing this 1 Corinthians 3
30:13
listen what it says 1 Corinthians 3:es
30:16
1-3. Look what he says. He says, "And I,
30:19
brethren, could not speak unto you as
30:21
unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even
30:24
as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you
30:27
with milk and not with meat, for
30:28
hitherto you were not able to bear it,
30:31
neither yet now are you able, for ye are
30:33
yet carnal." What is what is the
30:35
description of this carnal church? Well,
30:37
look what he says. The problem is for
30:39
whereas there's among you envings and
30:41
strife and divisions. Are you not carnal
30:44
and walk as men? For while one saith, I
30:47
am a Paul, another am I, I am of
30:49
Apollos. Are ye not carnal? You want to
30:53
know, you want to know a description of
30:55
a carnal church? Church is full of
30:56
division.
30:59
Church that's full of envy,
31:02
covetousness, strife,
31:05
backbiting, malignity, all of those
31:07
terms. That's carnality in the church.
31:11
You say, "Preacher, well, we're not
31:12
committing fornication and adultery."
31:14
Praise God for it. But you mad at
31:16
everybody in here.
31:20
I'm saying carnality is not just
31:22
immorality.
31:24
It's not it's not even just being mad at
31:26
somebody. But if you are so consumed by
31:29
your flesh and yourself, that that is
31:31
carnality and that is hindering service
31:34
in the house of God.
31:37
>> This strong meat belongth to them that
31:39
are full age. people who are not carnal.
31:42
The carnal man receiveth not the things
31:44
of God. The Bible says they're
31:46
spiritually discerned. He cannot know
31:49
them because the spirit teaches them.
31:52
And so I would say carnality hinders
31:54
growth, but complacency hinders growth.
31:57
Complacency hinders growth. It's not
31:59
just that you have to be worldly minded,
32:01
but you just can be nothing minded. Men,
32:04
we know all about this, okay? We get in
32:06
our box of nothing, all right? and we
32:08
just don't think about anything. We're
32:10
just decided we're just not going to be
32:11
decided about anything basically.
32:14
And we know this well. And you say,
32:16
"What is that?" Well, he describes it in
32:18
the verses just prior to this in an
32:19
admonition that he gives to the church.
32:21
Notice verse 12 of chapter 6 of Hebrews.
32:24
Hebrews 6:12. Look what he says. What's
32:26
that first phrase? That you be not
32:29
slothful. You know what that is? That's
32:31
laziness.
32:32
That's complacency.
32:35
Brother Jimmy said this during revival
32:37
meeting. And I hope y'all didn't miss
32:38
this. He said, "The Christian life is
32:40
like this." He said, "You're either
32:41
paddling upstream or you're floating
32:42
down.
32:44
>> The moment that you start pressing
32:46
forward,
32:47
you're going backward."
32:50
Because that's just the truth. The
32:51
stream of this world and your life is
32:53
against you.
32:55
And if you're not careful, complacency,
32:57
complacency will hinder growth.
32:59
Slothfulness, unfaithfulness, all of
33:01
these hinder growth. And this is what
33:04
keeps you from being a mature Christian
33:07
of full age.
33:09
Christianity is not for the lazy man.
33:12
The ministry is not for the lazy man.
33:15
And if you are going to do anything for
33:17
God, you will have to decide. You will
33:20
have to decide number one to be
33:22
disciplined.
33:23
And out of that discipline will arise
33:26
discernment who by reason of use. You
33:29
got to use it. Here's here's the reason.
33:32
And and I've said this before at the
33:34
church, I think I' I may have mentioned
33:35
this in passion, but a lot of the reason
33:37
why I think ministry has been so
33:39
neglected this d time is because we put
33:42
all the emphasis on training, training,
33:43
training, training. We want to train
33:45
this one, train that. And here's the
33:46
thing about it. I'm all for training.
33:48
Okay? But when it comes down to the
33:50
ministry, if you're ever going to do it,
33:52
you going to just have to start.
33:55
You just have to start. You don't know
33:57
it all at the beginning. You ain't got
33:59
it all figured out. I mean, if you need
34:01
an example of that, just look at the
34:02
pull pit. Amen.
34:05
You ain't going to know it all. You're
34:07
not going to have it all figured out,
34:08
but if you wait until you do, you will
34:10
never start.
34:14
And so, I noticed this in the text and
34:15
I'm done. You see the purpose that's not
34:18
been fulfilled, the problem that
34:20
showcased their failure, the provision
34:22
of their filling. They were drinking
34:23
this milk when they needed to be on
34:25
meat. But notice what he begins with in
34:27
chapter six. And I'm going to deal with
34:29
this again on next Sunday. And I know
34:30
it's going to be the Sunday before
34:31
Christmas, but we're going to deal with
34:33
it anyway. Chapter 6 and verse one. He
34:35
says, "Therefore, all right, therefore,
34:37
because strong meat belong unto them
34:40
that are of full age." He says,
34:42
"Therefore, there's some things we're
34:44
going to have to leave and we're going
34:46
to have to part from some things in
34:48
order that we might finish." Look what
34:50
he says. Therefore, leaving the
34:51
principles of the doctrine of Christ,
34:52
let us go on unto
34:55
perfection. Well, you know what that is?
34:56
That's completeness.
34:58
Can I can I as a pastor put this to you
35:01
this morning? Grow.
35:05
Make it your desire that tomorrow you
35:08
going to be closer to God and know more
35:10
about God than you did today.
35:13
>> And the day after that, you're going to
35:14
be farther along with God and for God
35:16
than you was the day before that. The
35:18
reason why we do not go anywhere for God
35:20
is because we do not have any goals for
35:23
God.
35:24
Get you a burden.
35:26
Find somebody that needs to be saved and
35:29
pray for them and pray for an
35:30
opportunity to witness to them and pray
35:32
until God gives you that opportunity.
35:34
Lead them to God and then disciple them.
35:39
Our churches are dying because we're not
35:41
doing this. And you say, "Preacher, I
35:44
thought this was supposed to be an
35:45
encouragement." Well, let me say this to
35:47
you. It's supposed to be an
35:48
encouragement to you because this is the
35:50
faithful crowd. You are the ones that's
35:53
here for Sunday school. You are the ones
35:55
that were here last night and here for
35:56
visitation and here for the ministries
35:58
of the church. Let me encourage you.
36:00
Grow. Grow.
36:03
There's people that's not going to grow.
36:06
Don't be one of those people. Amen.
36:08
Father, thank you for this time. Lord, I
36:11
pray God you'd bless this thought this
36:12
morning. Help us as we preach today. Get
36:14
glory to yourself. Help us to grow. Draw
36:18
closer to thee. Help us to get off the
36:20
milk, Father. Not be so carnal and
36:22
fleshly, God. We're worried about our
36:24
salvation and worried about this and
36:26
worried about that and Lord carried
36:28
caring about others opinions of us and
36:30
all this that and the other. Lord, help
36:31
us just be settled and grounded. Just
36:34
get busy. Lord, I sure love you. Thank
36:36
you for allowing us to serve you. Bless
36:39
the service today. We pray in Jesus
36:40
name. Amen.
36:42
>> Thank you for joining our service
36:44
[music] today. We'd love it if you join
36:46
us in person the next time you are able
36:48
at Meadows Baptist Church. Our physical
36:51
[music] address is 2988 Stewart Road in
36:55
Walnut Cove, North Carolina. Our service
36:57
[music] times are Sunday school at 10:00
37:00
a.m., Sunday morning worship at 11:00
37:02
a.m., Sunday evening [music] worship at
37:04
6:00 p.m., and Wednesday evening Bible
37:07
study at 7:00 p.m. For more information,
37:10
visit us at meadowsbaptisturch.com.
37:11
[music]
37:13
Thanks again for tuning in.
37:18
>> [music]