WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.000 Well, we'll just go ahead and get started. 00:00:04.200 --> 00:00:12.000 Tonight we're going to go over part 4 of the nature, the purpose, and power of Scripture. 00:00:13.000 --> 00:00:16.000 And if you have your sheet on here, it's a double-sided one today. 00:00:17.000 --> 00:00:22.000 And we're doing part 2 of the titles and the names of Scripture. 00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:29.000 Tonight we'll be going over the Word of Christ from Colossians chapter 3 verse 16. 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:36.000 And we'll be going through a couple other verses today, so just be prepared to go through a few verses. 00:00:37.000 --> 00:00:39.000 We'll learn about the Word of Truth. 00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:45.000 So remember, we've been going over what are the different names of Scripture. 00:00:45.000 --> 00:00:51.000 What is the significance of that, and what does the Bible have to say specifically for these verses? 00:00:52.000 --> 00:00:53.000 So that's going to be really good. 00:00:54.000 --> 00:00:59.000 So remember, we have been going over the divine inspiration of the Word of God. 00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:02.000 We've talked about the role of the Holy Spirit. 00:01:03.000 --> 00:01:12.000 We've talked about the carrying along of the writers, the apostles, the prophets, and how Jesus Christ is the, technically the author. 00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:14.000 He is the Word. 00:01:15.000 --> 00:01:16.000 The Word became flesh. 00:01:17.000 --> 00:01:23.000 And so what I'd like to do, I'm going to start off with an opening question here. 00:01:25.000 --> 00:01:27.000 It's about the living Word. 00:01:28.000 --> 00:01:38.000 It says here, how does seeing Christ as the living Word, how does that influence our relationship with the Scriptures and with Him? 00:01:38.000 --> 00:01:44.000 I want us to think about that. Feel free to... we're just going to go right into it. 00:01:45.000 --> 00:01:50.000 I'm going to do two questions and then we'll go ahead and open with prayer. 00:01:51.000 --> 00:01:52.000 But first, I want to start off with this question. 00:01:53.000 --> 00:01:57.000 So seeing Christ as the living Word. 00:01:57.000 --> 00:02:14.000 I can tell you from last week when we piggybacked off of the implanted Word and the spiritual milk of the Word, it's the idea that faith comes through hearing the Word of God. 00:02:14.000 --> 00:02:26.000 And from that same Word that's living and active, that God breathed His breath of life, so to speak, that knowledge, it helps us to come to know the Lord. 00:02:27.000 --> 00:02:39.000 It helps us with the growing in our faith to mature, to have a better understanding of who Jesus is and what His Word has to say. 00:02:39.000 --> 00:02:45.000 It's the core of our faith. It's coming to Christ through faith by believing in Him. 00:02:46.000 --> 00:02:50.000 When we believe in Christ, we receive the gift of salvation. 00:02:51.000 --> 00:02:57.000 The Word that was brought to us, right, it gives us that knowledge of Him. 00:02:58.000 --> 00:03:05.000 And to grow deeper in our faith, it's certainly when we make a decision for Christ, it's a one-time thing that happens. 00:03:05.000 --> 00:03:09.000 But the continual growing in Christ is a lifetime. 00:03:10.000 --> 00:03:14.000 It happens each and every day that we open our Bible. 00:03:15.000 --> 00:03:21.000 And we go from being a baby Christian, so to speak, to mature adults. 00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:29.000 And the question I want us to think about also is how can we go from milk to solid food? 00:03:29.000 --> 00:03:37.000 And I don't mean as a literal infant, I mean a spiritual infant, where we think of a bottle, right? 00:03:38.000 --> 00:03:43.000 A newborn baby when they are just drinking from the warm milk of the bottle. 00:03:44.000 --> 00:03:53.000 And they are being nourished, they are growing, they are, you know, their whole body is forming. 00:03:53.000 --> 00:04:00.000 So I want you to reflect on this, how can we go from milk to solid food? 00:04:01.000 --> 00:04:11.000 And as we reflect on that, this is going to lead us to part two, where we are learning about the Word of Christ and the Word of Truth. 00:04:12.000 --> 00:04:20.000 So before we go any further, I want us to pray and I want us to then go into our study. 00:04:20.000 --> 00:04:30.000 So let's pray together. Father God, we're grateful that we have this time and this opportunity to come here tonight to open your Word. 00:04:31.000 --> 00:04:35.000 The Word of Christ, the Word of Truth, your living and active Word. 00:04:36.000 --> 00:04:42.000 We are grateful that not only is your Word truth, but that there is life in it. 00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:51.000 And that your Word helps us to come to know who you are, to know your Son, Jesus, the Messiah, and to grow in our faith in you. 00:04:52.000 --> 00:05:00.000 We ask that our minds are open to learning more about you through the connections, but also through the context of your Word. 00:05:01.000 --> 00:05:08.000 In all of this, we also pray that our hearts are open to live and to love like you. 00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:15.000 We ask that you send down your Holy Spirit to be with us tonight as we delve more into your Word. 00:05:16.000 --> 00:05:20.000 May we grow together. May we grow together and may we focus on you. 00:05:21.000 --> 00:05:27.000 There's so much that we can learn and understand and grow in our faith and we're just so grateful that we have our Bibles, 00:05:27.000 --> 00:05:37.000 that we have the ability to come here tonight and that we can just really think about you, focus our minds and our hearts on you. 00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:42.000 It is in Jesus' name that we pray, we all say together, Amen. 00:05:43.000 --> 00:05:48.000 And so I'd like for us to turn, this is our first verse of tonight. 00:05:48.000 --> 00:06:00.000 It's going to be in Colossians chapter 3 verse 16 and this will be found in page 1170. 00:06:01.000 --> 00:06:02.000 My bad, two pages so far. 00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:08.000 Oh, okay, it is correct. It's on my notes that wasn't correct. So 1170. 00:06:08.000 --> 00:06:21.000 It says in here, let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, 00:06:22.000 --> 00:06:28.000 singing songs and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 00:06:28.000 --> 00:06:37.000 And I love that next verse that says, and whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, 00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:41.000 giving thanks to God the Father through him. 00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:47.000 And what we see in here is the word of Christ, right? It says right in there. 00:06:49.000 --> 00:06:56.000 It's the same logos or logos that has been used in previous verses. 00:06:56.000 --> 00:07:06.000 We know that Christ is the word. So the word of Christ, it's speaking of the words of Jesus. 00:07:07.000 --> 00:07:15.000 And it's saying in here that we are to have this word of Christ dwell in us richly. 00:07:15.000 --> 00:07:25.000 I want to ask you, I want you to take a moment to, you can respond or write down or just think about this is, 00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:32.000 have you ever felt the word of Christ? It could be specifically the red letters. 00:07:33.000 --> 00:07:39.000 It could be specifically a verse that stuck out to you and it could be in a time of trial. 00:07:40.000 --> 00:07:43.000 It could be in a time of just when things were good as well. 00:07:43.000 --> 00:07:48.000 So I want you to think, have you ever felt the word of Christ dwell in you? 00:07:49.000 --> 00:07:53.000 Because the verse is saying, let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. 00:07:54.000 --> 00:07:59.000 So I wanted to ask, has there ever felt that way? Have you ever, has there ever been an experience? 00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:07.000 That's very good. You know, when we're thinking about the word of Christ dwelling within us, 00:08:07.000 --> 00:08:12.000 I think of kind of this idea that the word of God is living, right? 00:08:13.000 --> 00:08:19.000 When you think of a dwelling place that it's living within you, that it's in your heart. 00:08:20.000 --> 00:08:25.000 And I think that's, it could be a verse you've memorized. 00:08:26.000 --> 00:08:32.000 It could be maybe a particular, a parable or a certain story that maybe is just really, 00:08:32.000 --> 00:08:41.000 it comes up, you know, out of the blue or, but it's really this idea of reflecting on it and having it within you. 00:08:42.000 --> 00:08:45.000 I know last week we talked about the implanted word, right? 00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:51.000 Having the word be like a seed that's planted in you. 00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:57.000 And when we think of the seed and the soil, we want to water those seeds. 00:08:57.000 --> 00:09:04.000 We want to be open to letting God work on our heart, work on our mind. 00:09:05.000 --> 00:09:09.000 And we think about transformation. 00:09:10.000 --> 00:09:14.000 I think I would say a big part of it is, are you open to God working to you? 00:09:15.000 --> 00:09:23.000 I think very often, sometimes we say we're open to the Lord or the word of Christ changing us, 00:09:23.000 --> 00:09:26.000 but sometimes we're not. It just really depends. 00:09:27.000 --> 00:09:30.000 And so, you know, each situation is different. 00:09:31.000 --> 00:09:39.000 When we're looking at this, the apostle Paul, he's talking about the new identity that exists in Christ, right? 00:09:40.000 --> 00:09:44.000 We are a new creation. We have our new identity in Christ. 00:09:44.000 --> 00:09:52.000 When we become believers, we are to focus our minds and our hearts, not on the things of this earth, 00:09:53.000 --> 00:09:55.000 but to focus on things that are higher. 00:09:56.000 --> 00:09:58.000 It's in the back of your notes. You'll see in here. 00:09:59.000 --> 00:10:03.000 There's Colossians chapter three, verse two. 00:10:04.000 --> 00:10:12.000 And it says here that set your mind on things that are above, not on the things that are on earth. 00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:15.000 And I've always found that is very challenging. 00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:23.000 But certainly, you know, it's when we think about how we live our life for the Lord, 00:10:24.000 --> 00:10:27.000 we're thinking about things that are not fleeting, right? 00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:31.000 Things that are not temporary. We're focusing on life after death. 00:10:32.000 --> 00:10:38.000 We're thinking about heaven. We're thinking about, you know, what's the goal of our life? 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:41.000 You know, what's going to happen at the end of our life? 00:10:42.000 --> 00:10:44.000 And it's certainly very difficult. 00:10:45.000 --> 00:10:50.000 We think of all of the friendships or family and we think of our pets even, right? 00:10:51.000 --> 00:10:54.000 We think of the beauty of nature and what do you mean, God? 00:10:55.000 --> 00:10:59.000 You want me to think about things that are above this, not dwell on things on the earth? 00:10:59.000 --> 00:11:14.000 But when we begin to think about life after death or we think about heaven, we think how beautiful God has set the heavens, so to speak for us. 00:11:15.000 --> 00:11:21.000 And how we should at least get more excited as time goes on about heaven. 00:11:21.000 --> 00:11:29.000 And that's, to me, like, that's very, like, difficult, but it's not a bad thing. 00:11:30.000 --> 00:11:35.000 And so, yeah, he's talking about the new identity, right? 00:11:36.000 --> 00:11:39.000 Set your mind on things that are above. 00:11:40.000 --> 00:11:47.000 And I would further add, so often we get so tied up in just the little petty things, right? 00:11:47.000 --> 00:11:53.000 We get so focused on, let's just say, drama, right? 00:11:54.000 --> 00:11:55.000 Or just things that are going on. 00:11:55.000 --> 00:12:19.000 I can't tell you how many times you're at the gas station or you go by a magazine stand or you go into a bookstore and you see celebrity images and you see, like, certainly there's some good things out there, new discoveries or whatever. 00:12:19.000 --> 00:12:28.000 But sometimes they get so focused on, you know, what did this celebrity wear on this day and why was it not fashionable, you know? 00:12:29.000 --> 00:12:36.000 Or you think of just things that are not the most important thing, I would say. 00:12:37.000 --> 00:12:44.000 It's not that you never want to focus on them, but certainly have your mind on that, you know? 00:12:45.000 --> 00:12:47.000 Be mindful of it, I would say. 00:12:47.000 --> 00:13:05.000 The focus is to focus on being more like Christ, to focus on the love of Christ, to focus on what is heaven like, how can I share my faith with others? 00:13:06.000 --> 00:13:13.000 How can I grow in Christ and be able to share that with my family or my friends or help other people grow in the Lord? 00:13:13.000 --> 00:13:27.000 And one question I want to put on here, there's a lot of questions and a lot of verses, but is how can we enter into an environment where we dwell on the word of Christ within us? 00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:30.000 So I want us to think about that. 00:13:31.000 --> 00:13:34.000 Feel free to take a moment to write down an answer or at least to think about it. 00:13:35.000 --> 00:13:36.000 Memorizing. 00:13:37.000 --> 00:13:38.000 Yeah, memorizing is very important. 00:13:38.000 --> 00:13:49.000 I mean, going to Sunday service, going to Bible studies, I mean, those are the most common that we can think of. 00:13:50.000 --> 00:14:01.000 But I also think of sometimes you have someone that's in a situation where they may have a 24-hour shift or maybe they have a high-stress job, 00:14:01.000 --> 00:14:14.000 or maybe they have a strange situation that they're in. The idea of this question is how you answer that may be different than how someone else answers that. 00:14:15.000 --> 00:14:21.000 How someone enters into an environment to dwell on the word of God. 00:14:22.000 --> 00:14:23.000 It takes a lot of intention. 00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:25.000 Sometimes it takes planning to do. 00:14:25.000 --> 00:14:41.000 You know, it's, but when you go in with the focus, I'm going to focus on God's word and allow for God to speak to me, or I'm going to focus on just reading scripture. 00:14:42.000 --> 00:14:43.000 I'm going to focus on praying. 00:14:44.000 --> 00:14:46.000 Where can we find peace and quiet? 00:14:47.000 --> 00:14:49.000 Where can we find a place where we're not distracted by technology? 00:14:49.000 --> 00:15:05.000 Where, you know, some people, when they go for a drive, some, I'm just going to go drive in the evening, and I'm just going to take some time to pray. 00:15:06.000 --> 00:15:07.000 It might be that. 00:15:08.000 --> 00:15:14.000 It might be you have, you know, one room that is away from everybody else and you go to that room. 00:15:14.000 --> 00:15:20.000 It could be, I always enjoyed nature as a good option, right? 00:15:21.000 --> 00:15:24.000 Being by a river or a lake. 00:15:25.000 --> 00:15:33.000 I mean, usually I don't, at least I don't think of many times where there's too many people by trails. 00:15:33.000 --> 00:15:49.000 I mean, I guess if it's a popular trail or a popular lake, but, and you know, we are, we are led to Christ by the preaching of God's word, by the teaching of God's word, by our own reading and study of God's word. 00:15:50.000 --> 00:15:53.000 And we come to know who, who is God? 00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:55.000 Who is Jesus? 00:15:56.000 --> 00:15:57.000 Who's this Jesus guy? 00:15:58.000 --> 00:15:59.000 Right. 00:15:59.000 --> 00:16:07.000 And once we know enough about the Lord, we hopefully all make the decision to believe in the Lord Jesus. 00:16:08.000 --> 00:16:15.000 And in receiving salvation, we enter into that new life, that new identity, the new purpose. 00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:19.000 God gives us a new direction for our lives. 00:16:19.000 --> 00:16:27.000 And Paul mentions about how we are to put away the old self, right, and to put on the new self. 00:16:28.000 --> 00:16:37.000 And that leads us to where we're talking about this idea of the word of Christ dwelling in, inhabiting us, as the Greek would say. 00:16:38.000 --> 00:16:43.000 It's defined as dwelling or inhabiting, right, living within us. 00:16:43.000 --> 00:17:00.000 Now we know that the word of Christ, it is the word of God, and we must allow for God's word, the implanted word, the spiritual food to dwell within us, richly, abundantly. 00:17:01.000 --> 00:17:09.000 That is done through hearing the word of God, reading the word of God, seeing, think of the senses, right? 00:17:09.000 --> 00:17:17.000 Using our senses, I don't think you can smell the word of God, but certain senses you can do. 00:17:18.000 --> 00:17:22.000 We allow for the word of God to mold us. 00:17:23.000 --> 00:17:31.000 I always think of the idea of how God is the great potter, and we are the clay, we are the work of God's hands. 00:17:31.000 --> 00:17:43.000 And since Christ is the word, we let the words of Christ dwell in us, just as we would have any of Scripture dwell within us. 00:17:44.000 --> 00:17:57.000 Now, I have mentioned about Jesus being at the creation of the world, and when you're a baby Christian, that may be a little hard to learn that. 00:17:57.000 --> 00:18:06.000 You're like, I thought God was there and said, let there be light, and there's the Trinity verse where it's saying, let us make, what do you mean Christ is there? 00:18:07.000 --> 00:18:09.000 We know that Christ is a part of the Trinity. 00:18:10.000 --> 00:18:16.000 We have God the Father, we have God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, three in one. 00:18:16.000 --> 00:18:33.000 It helps us with our understanding of the word and the roles that they play, thinking about how God has spoken through the prophets, how Christ being the word and the Holy Spirit working through us. 00:18:34.000 --> 00:18:36.000 It's all connected with each other. 00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:46.000 And I am reminded of, it's in the back of your notes in John chapter 10 verse 30. 00:18:47.000 --> 00:18:53.000 It's a famous one where Christ is saying, I and my Father are one. 00:18:54.000 --> 00:19:00.000 Right, but learning what in the world is the Trinity and how are they all connected? 00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:09.000 Yeah, it's definitely, and that's one of the things when you read the Bible. 00:19:11.000 --> 00:19:21.000 But the way I've understood it and the way I always recommend to people is looking at the context, but also looking at the connections. 00:19:22.000 --> 00:19:25.000 Sometimes you find people that are so focused on only the context. 00:19:25.000 --> 00:19:29.000 Sometimes you find people that are only focused on the connections. 00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:32.000 You need to look at a balance between both. 00:19:33.000 --> 00:19:34.000 What is Paul saying here? 00:19:35.000 --> 00:19:38.000 What is Jesus saying here in this parable or in this teaching? 00:19:39.000 --> 00:19:44.000 So it's having a fine balance and other things to consider is the culture of the time. 00:19:45.000 --> 00:19:49.000 What were the traditions of the Jewish people? 00:19:49.000 --> 00:19:56.000 Why were things or understanding that the culture was very different than it is now? 00:19:57.000 --> 00:19:58.000 So that would be part of it. 00:19:59.000 --> 00:20:07.000 And I really like as we start from being going from milk to solid food. 00:20:08.000 --> 00:20:11.000 First and foremost, it's learning about Jesus Christ. 00:20:12.000 --> 00:20:15.000 But as time goes on, it's like, okay, what is justification? 00:20:16.000 --> 00:20:17.000 What is sanctification? 00:20:17.000 --> 00:20:19.000 What is the Trinity? 00:20:20.000 --> 00:20:24.000 What do you mean the fulfillment of prophecy? 00:20:25.000 --> 00:20:27.000 What do you mean the end times? 00:20:28.000 --> 00:20:30.000 Like you start getting into those kind of things. 00:20:31.000 --> 00:20:35.000 You start getting into like when we talked about the mystery of Christ. 00:20:36.000 --> 00:20:38.000 That would be more of a deeper thing. 00:20:39.000 --> 00:20:41.000 And it's all part of our growth. 00:20:41.000 --> 00:20:50.000 And so we let the word of Christ as the verse says to teach us and to admonish us. 00:20:51.000 --> 00:20:56.000 So this means this is back in our verse Colossians 3 16. 00:20:57.000 --> 00:21:01.000 So let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, right? 00:21:02.000 --> 00:21:08.000 Abundantly teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom. 00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:12.000 So let's just focus on the teaching and the admonishing part. 00:21:17.000 --> 00:21:18.000 Did I just skip that? 00:21:19.000 --> 00:21:23.000 It means that we let the word of God, the knowledge of who he is. 00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:26.000 Like we've talked about molding us, right? 00:21:27.000 --> 00:21:30.000 Like the potter and the clay help us on our spiritual growth. 00:21:31.000 --> 00:21:32.000 It's to be taught. 00:21:33.000 --> 00:21:34.000 And so we know the teaching part. 00:21:35.000 --> 00:21:36.000 That's pretty self-explanatory. 00:21:36.000 --> 00:21:44.000 The admonishing part is to be the translate the translation of the Greek is to be warned or to be corrected. 00:21:45.000 --> 00:21:48.000 To be corrected in our walk towards the Lord. 00:21:49.000 --> 00:21:53.000 And that's nobody likes hearing that being corrected as you're growing. 00:21:53.000 --> 00:22:06.000 But as you grow, you it's like when you're training as an athlete, having the correct form for when you're working on your muscles or when you're, let's say you're setting sail on the ocean. 00:22:07.000 --> 00:22:08.000 Well, you have to course correct. 00:22:09.000 --> 00:22:10.000 You're not always going the wrong way. 00:22:11.000 --> 00:22:14.000 You just may have to change just a little bit one degree. 00:22:15.000 --> 00:22:20.000 If one degree is not course corrected, then it goes pretty far off. 00:22:20.000 --> 00:22:24.000 So you kind of have to constantly correct, be corrected. 00:22:25.000 --> 00:22:28.000 And so when we're talking about the word of God, it's correcting us. 00:22:29.000 --> 00:22:30.000 It's warning us. 00:22:31.000 --> 00:22:33.000 It's part of that transformational power. 00:22:34.000 --> 00:22:43.000 And I would like to add that as you study the word of God, you start knowing God more, you start knowing his word more. 00:22:45.000 --> 00:22:47.000 You develop the sense of discernment. 00:22:47.000 --> 00:22:51.000 You develop the sense of what is right and what is wrong. 00:22:52.000 --> 00:23:01.000 So another way to look at this of being corrected is if we have an improper understanding or if we hear an improper understanding. 00:23:02.000 --> 00:23:09.000 I would say definitely when you hear something that just doesn't sound right. 00:23:09.000 --> 00:23:15.000 You'll be convicted if you will, you'll be moved. 00:23:16.000 --> 00:23:21.000 There's something wrong about what, you know, we'll just say someone on YouTube, right? 00:23:22.000 --> 00:23:28.000 We'll just say someone that we're hearing is like, yeah, that's true, but I don't know about this part. 00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:32.000 It's just like how we think about Genesis, right? 00:23:32.000 --> 00:23:38.000 When the snake was saying, did God really say that? 00:23:39.000 --> 00:23:54.000 And, you know, very, I mean, that's how when we think of Satan, the devil, the adversary, that's how he works is by kind of, if you will, putting that seat of doubt in your mind. 00:23:55.000 --> 00:24:00.000 But when we're empowered with the word of God, well, we'll know, well, wait a minute, that doesn't sound correct. 00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:10.000 I know what the word of God says, and this is clearly a false, a blatant lie, if you will, or it's a twisting of scripture. 00:24:11.000 --> 00:24:19.000 So that's a very good benefit of knowing the word of God is to be able to be corrected in our walk and to be taught. 00:24:20.000 --> 00:24:24.000 It's all part of the transformation that comes from scripture. 00:24:24.000 --> 00:24:36.000 Now, a question that I'm going to put up here is, can you think, because, okay, we've talked about this as being taught by the word of God are corrected. 00:24:37.000 --> 00:24:44.000 So I want to ask you, can you think of a time or an experience that you've had where the word of Christ taught or corrected you? 00:24:44.000 --> 00:24:56.000 It's definitely a question to think about the times where the word of God, the word of Christ is teaching you or correcting you. 00:24:57.000 --> 00:25:10.000 You know, I think on a very personal note of how I used to think that God could tempt me. 00:25:10.000 --> 00:25:16.000 I used to believe that I used to think God could tempt me to do wrong. 00:25:17.000 --> 00:25:23.000 But in scripture, it's testing, as opposed to tempting. 00:25:24.000 --> 00:25:29.000 And I wouldn't say I recently learned that I learned that a couple years in as a Christian. 00:25:29.000 --> 00:25:43.000 And I think a lot of it just came from my upbringing, like, oh, you know, kind of the fire in brimstone mindset, so to speak, where I thought, you know, am I going to hell? 00:25:44.000 --> 00:25:45.000 Am I going to hell and always thinking that way? 00:25:46.000 --> 00:25:48.000 Like, oh, what if God's tempting me to do evil? 00:25:49.000 --> 00:25:52.000 Well, then one day going through James, wait just a minute. 00:25:52.000 --> 00:26:00.000 And I remember how that it taught me and corrected me because I'm like, oh, wait a minute. 00:26:01.000 --> 00:26:05.000 What do you mean God won't tempt me? 00:26:06.000 --> 00:26:12.000 And it's like, oh, man, I've nobody likes admitting when they're wrong or they were taught or they had a misunderstanding of scripture. 00:26:13.000 --> 00:26:19.000 But I just remember when I when it finally it was like a light went off and I was like, oh, and that's okay. 00:26:19.000 --> 00:26:21.000 You know, that's part of learning, right? 00:26:22.000 --> 00:26:26.000 Just like how I was talking about an athlete when they're training. 00:26:27.000 --> 00:26:32.000 Sometimes they may have been doing they may be very strong and they may have had improper form. 00:26:33.000 --> 00:26:36.000 They needed to correct something or whatever it is. 00:26:37.000 --> 00:26:45.000 But that's that is something that for all of us, there may be a time where that happens. 00:26:45.000 --> 00:26:51.000 Even if you've been a Christian all your life, you know, I didn't I didn't look at it that way or I didn't think about it that way. 00:26:52.000 --> 00:26:58.000 But yeah, that was that is something I've thought about. 00:26:59.000 --> 00:27:03.000 I'm like, sometimes you'll hear Christians say that like, oh, I'm being tempted. 00:27:04.000 --> 00:27:05.000 Why is God tempting me? 00:27:06.000 --> 00:27:07.000 I'm just wait a minute here. 00:27:08.000 --> 00:27:09.000 Like, what? 00:27:10.000 --> 00:27:13.000 Yeah, you're just like, wait, where did you hear this from? 00:27:13.000 --> 00:27:14.000 You know, right? 00:27:15.000 --> 00:27:16.000 Exactly. 00:27:17.000 --> 00:27:18.000 Exactly. 00:27:19.000 --> 00:27:30.000 So when we talk about the implanted word, we talked about that last week, the seed that is dwelling within us, helping us come to know the Lord and growing. 00:27:31.000 --> 00:27:33.000 They use the language growing in our salvation. 00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:35.000 Well, we're saved, right? 00:27:36.000 --> 00:27:37.000 We're saved. 00:27:38.000 --> 00:27:39.000 We were saved by belief in the Lord. 00:27:39.000 --> 00:27:42.000 There's the ongoing salvation. 00:27:43.000 --> 00:27:53.000 It's the ongoing process of becoming more holy, becoming more Christ like it's the idea of sanctification or purification growing in your faith. 00:27:54.000 --> 00:28:07.000 We start by believing in Christ, where we have everlasting life and we grow from there in the back of your notes in the additional verses, John chapter six verse 47. 00:28:07.000 --> 00:28:11.000 It's, it's, this is basic, right? 00:28:12.000 --> 00:28:14.000 Whoever believes has eternal life. 00:28:15.000 --> 00:28:16.000 It's belief. 00:28:17.000 --> 00:28:19.000 It's not taking membership classes. 00:28:20.000 --> 00:28:21.000 It's not how much you give. 00:28:22.000 --> 00:28:23.000 It's not about the things that you do. 00:28:24.000 --> 00:28:25.000 It's belief. 00:28:26.000 --> 00:28:34.000 So going back to our, our verse in, let's see here in Colossians chapter three verse 16, right? 00:28:34.000 --> 00:28:46.000 So we're talking about the word of Christ dwelling in you richly teaching and admonishing each other in all wisdom, singing Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 00:28:47.000 --> 00:28:52.000 Well, here in the Bible, singing Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. 00:28:53.000 --> 00:28:54.000 It's such beautiful language. 00:28:54.000 --> 00:29:05.000 In the New Testament, we do see that talking about singing the congregation coming together and singing to the Lord. 00:29:06.000 --> 00:29:09.000 So that's definitely, it's pretty self-explanatory. 00:29:10.000 --> 00:29:12.000 We don't need to go much further into that specific one. 00:29:13.000 --> 00:29:18.000 Great hymns of the faith, spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 00:29:18.000 --> 00:29:26.000 When you're coming to worship, right? When you're coming to sing to the Lord, it's being thankful, right? 00:29:27.000 --> 00:29:31.000 Coming and offering your burdens to the Lord is very appropriate. 00:29:32.000 --> 00:29:38.000 Being thankful for the life that you have, being thankful for God sending his son. 00:29:39.000 --> 00:29:41.000 So part of it is, yes, the melody. 00:29:42.000 --> 00:29:44.000 Sometimes it's, you get an emotional feeling from the music. 00:29:44.000 --> 00:29:48.000 It's also the lyrics that you're reading, right? 00:29:49.000 --> 00:29:51.000 There's a song, We Worship the God Who Saves. 00:29:52.000 --> 00:29:54.000 I know that's a, it's a repeated verse, but that's a very good one. 00:29:55.000 --> 00:29:56.000 I love that one. 00:29:57.000 --> 00:30:02.000 And then of course, I know there's, in some places there's debates, oh hymns versus, you know, which one. 00:30:03.000 --> 00:30:07.000 But the main idea is to come before the Lord with Thanksgiving, right? 00:30:08.000 --> 00:30:10.000 Enter his gates with Thanksgiving, I think of that verse. 00:30:10.000 --> 00:30:20.000 It's just a great reminder of us to let the word of Christ dwell within us when we come together, when we sing songs to the Lord. 00:30:21.000 --> 00:30:28.000 So the next question that comes up here is, have you ever feel convicted to do or not do something? 00:30:29.000 --> 00:30:33.000 It's piggybacked off of the word of Christ. 00:30:34.000 --> 00:30:36.000 So let's think about that for a moment. 00:30:36.000 --> 00:30:42.000 I'm sure we all have felt convicted at one time or another to do something or to not do something. 00:30:43.000 --> 00:30:48.000 It might be speaking to someone, not speaking to someone, right? 00:30:49.000 --> 00:30:51.000 So let's take a couple moments to think about that. 00:30:52.000 --> 00:31:01.000 I know when we did communion last week, talking about Christ being creator, redeemer and sustainer just fit really well. 00:31:01.000 --> 00:31:08.000 Because it's talking about the idea of bread, right? 00:31:09.000 --> 00:31:11.000 The ingredients that are used, right? 00:31:12.000 --> 00:31:14.000 When God is taking the ingredients and making us, right? 00:31:15.000 --> 00:31:23.000 And then you're thinking of the kneading of the bread when you're preparing it, just like how the Lord is going to mold us, right? 00:31:24.000 --> 00:31:27.000 We make the decision and it's not through with us, right? 00:31:27.000 --> 00:31:31.000 And then when we're being placed into the oven, oh, that's a tough one, right? 00:31:32.000 --> 00:31:34.000 You get going to the oven, right? 00:31:35.000 --> 00:31:41.000 Well, the fiery furnace, but knowing that God is going to be with you in the testing of your faith. 00:31:42.000 --> 00:31:51.000 I think I mentioned in that sermon that you don't put bread out in the oven and walk away. 00:31:51.000 --> 00:31:58.000 I mean, you might walk away for a little bit, but you're not going to leave it in there for hours and just hope it comes out all right. 00:31:59.000 --> 00:32:01.000 You're there constantly checking in on it. 00:32:02.000 --> 00:32:04.000 And that's much like how God is there with us. 00:32:05.000 --> 00:32:08.000 He doesn't abandon us even though we may not feel like he's there. 00:32:09.000 --> 00:32:11.000 He's still there with us. 00:32:12.000 --> 00:32:19.000 So going on, we have Psalm 96 verses 1 through 2 in the additional verses section. 00:32:19.000 --> 00:32:25.000 You know, biblically, singing Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. 00:32:26.000 --> 00:32:31.000 I love how there's connections, especially with all of the Psalms that are out here. 00:32:32.000 --> 00:32:34.000 I always think of sing to the Lord a new song. 00:32:35.000 --> 00:32:37.000 Sing to the Lord all the earth. 00:32:38.000 --> 00:32:44.000 Bless his name and tell of his salvation from day to day. 00:32:44.000 --> 00:32:48.000 All right, we thank God singing a new song. 00:32:49.000 --> 00:32:50.000 I always love that lyric. 00:32:51.000 --> 00:32:52.000 What is the new song going to be? 00:32:53.000 --> 00:32:58.000 You know, so now we're going to go ahead and turn to our next verse. 00:32:59.000 --> 00:33:03.000 So it's going to be James chapter 1 verse 18. 00:33:04.000 --> 00:33:05.000 We'll start at verse 16. 00:33:06.000 --> 00:33:09.000 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 00:33:09.000 --> 00:33:22.000 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 00:33:23.000 --> 00:33:24.000 Verse 18. 00:33:25.000 --> 00:33:34.000 Of his own will, he brought us forth by the word of truth that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. 00:33:34.000 --> 00:33:38.000 And James is talking about the testing of faith. 00:33:39.000 --> 00:33:42.000 Count it in joy when you're enduring trials. 00:33:43.000 --> 00:33:44.000 That's a very hard verse. 00:33:45.000 --> 00:33:49.000 But contextually, he's talking about what happens when we're facing trial. 00:33:50.000 --> 00:33:52.000 If we lack wisdom, we need to ask God for it in faith. 00:33:52.000 --> 00:34:03.000 And in verse 18, James is talking about, well, right before verse 18, every good and perfect gift is from above. 00:34:04.000 --> 00:34:09.000 And that God brought us forth in verse 18, the word of truth. 00:34:10.000 --> 00:34:16.000 It is God's will that he brought forth to us his word. 00:34:16.000 --> 00:34:21.000 That means to us that the word of God was not given by mistake. 00:34:22.000 --> 00:34:26.000 It was given to us, for us, from him. 00:34:27.000 --> 00:34:33.000 In other words, it's divine purpose for divine inspiration in our Bibles. 00:34:34.000 --> 00:34:36.000 The word of truth. 00:34:37.000 --> 00:34:40.000 It's something that is found in other places in scripture. 00:34:40.000 --> 00:34:48.000 And you'll see in your notes that in the original outline, it was just Colossians and James, but there are other verses. 00:34:49.000 --> 00:34:55.000 You'll see that it's italicized because there's other verses that use this phrasing, the word of truth. 00:34:56.000 --> 00:35:01.000 When we study the word of God, again, context and connections. 00:35:01.000 --> 00:35:12.000 So in context of James, enduring trials, seeking wisdom, that every good gift comes from the Lord, and that God intentionally gave us his word. 00:35:13.000 --> 00:35:18.000 So the word of truth, it's found here, helps us with our understanding. 00:35:19.000 --> 00:35:22.000 The word of truth is the word of God, and you'll see what I mean here. 00:35:22.000 --> 00:35:32.000 So there's more insight on the specific wording of the word of truth. Let's turn to Ephesians 1-13-14 in your Bibles. 00:35:33.000 --> 00:35:37.000 This is going to be page 1159. 00:35:40.000 --> 00:35:45.000 So Ephesians 1-13-14. 00:35:45.000 --> 00:35:50.000 We can start at verse 11. Why not? 00:35:51.000 --> 00:35:57.000 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined, uh oh. 00:35:58.000 --> 00:36:05.000 Having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will. 00:36:05.000 --> 00:36:14.000 So that we who were first to hope in Christ might be able, uh, might be to the praise of his glory. 00:36:15.000 --> 00:36:16.000 Verse 13. 00:36:17.000 --> 00:36:30.000 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. 00:36:30.000 --> 00:36:39.000 Who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it to the praise of his glory. 00:36:40.000 --> 00:36:45.000 So we're focusing on verses 13-14, hearing the word of truth. 00:36:46.000 --> 00:36:51.000 What is the word of truth? It is the gospel of your salvation. 00:36:52.000 --> 00:36:56.000 So what a beautiful connection here, right? 00:36:56.000 --> 00:37:00.000 That the word of truth is the gospel. It is the good news. 00:37:01.000 --> 00:37:05.000 Well, the gospel of your salvation, what is your salvation? 00:37:06.000 --> 00:37:11.000 Well, the gospel of your salvation is the gift from the Lord. 00:37:12.000 --> 00:37:17.000 Salvation is free. It is available for all who believe. 00:37:18.000 --> 00:37:21.000 And this language is saying here that we are sealed. 00:37:21.000 --> 00:37:28.000 We're sealed with the promise of the Holy Spirit and that we will have our inheritance. 00:37:29.000 --> 00:37:32.000 We have this guarantee of this inheritance. 00:37:33.000 --> 00:37:39.000 Well, when we went over Hebrews chapter one versus one through three, this is not in your notes. 00:37:40.000 --> 00:37:43.000 We learned about how Christ is the heir of all things. 00:37:44.000 --> 00:37:45.000 Right? 00:37:45.000 --> 00:37:52.000 And that Christ is the heir of all things and that we receive the inheritance. 00:37:53.000 --> 00:37:55.000 So think about this. There's a beautiful connection here. 00:37:58.000 --> 00:38:04.000 That we receive this inheritance to the praise of his glory. 00:38:05.000 --> 00:38:07.000 So Christ being the heir of all things. 00:38:08.000 --> 00:38:10.000 Well, think for a moment. 00:38:11.000 --> 00:38:13.000 What is our inheritance? 00:38:13.000 --> 00:38:15.000 How do we know what it means? 00:38:16.000 --> 00:38:22.000 Well, I want to put, I want to point you real quick on the back of your notes. 00:38:24.000 --> 00:38:27.000 First Peter, because there's the mention of the inheritance in there. 00:38:28.000 --> 00:38:30.000 First Peter chapter one versus three through four. 00:38:31.000 --> 00:38:32.000 It's the one before the key takeaways. 00:38:33.000 --> 00:38:36.000 Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:38:36.000 --> 00:38:49.000 According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance. 00:38:50.000 --> 00:38:52.000 Well, what about this inheritance? 00:38:53.000 --> 00:38:54.000 It is imperishable. 00:38:55.000 --> 00:38:56.000 It is undefiled. 00:38:57.000 --> 00:38:58.000 It is unfading. 00:38:59.000 --> 00:39:01.000 And it is kept in heaven for you. 00:39:01.000 --> 00:39:07.000 The inheritance is everlasting life in Jesus Christ. 00:39:08.000 --> 00:39:15.000 So the word of truth, it is the gospel and certainly it can be viewed upon as also the word of God. 00:39:16.000 --> 00:39:19.000 So it has, if you will, two meanings. 00:39:20.000 --> 00:39:27.000 All of these names that we are going over, the titles of the word, they point to the story of the redemption. 00:39:27.000 --> 00:39:31.000 They point to Jesus Christ and they are all connected. 00:39:32.000 --> 00:39:37.000 And that leads us to our second Timothy chapter two verse 15. 00:39:39.000 --> 00:39:40.000 I'm going to put that up there. 00:39:41.000 --> 00:39:47.000 Second Timothy chapter two verse 15 page 1182. 00:39:47.000 --> 00:40:01.000 So it says, I'm reading from verse 14, remind them of these things and charge them before God, not to quarrel about words which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. 00:40:02.000 --> 00:40:14.000 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 00:40:14.000 --> 00:40:27.000 Verse 16, avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness and their talk will spread like gangrene. 00:40:28.000 --> 00:40:30.000 Very interesting. 00:40:31.000 --> 00:40:41.000 So going back to verse 15, present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 00:40:41.000 --> 00:40:48.000 Well, the question then comes up is how can we handle with the word of truth? 00:40:49.000 --> 00:40:51.000 Well, let's think about that. 00:40:52.000 --> 00:40:57.000 The verse is Paul is writing to Timothy about being a soldier for Christ. 00:40:58.000 --> 00:41:02.000 He uses language for a soldier, an athlete and a farmer. 00:41:02.000 --> 00:41:11.000 So Paul goes on to mention that the word of God is not bound with chains. Let's actually go back to there. 00:41:12.000 --> 00:41:14.000 Hopefully you didn't close it like I did. 00:41:15.000 --> 00:41:16.000 Let's go back there. 00:41:20.000 --> 00:41:21.000 Go to verse nine. 00:41:22.000 --> 00:41:25.000 So we're still in second Timothy. 00:41:26.000 --> 00:41:29.000 Second Timothy, we were at two fifteen. 00:41:29.000 --> 00:41:32.000 So we're going to go to verse nine here. 00:41:33.000 --> 00:41:36.000 Yeah, so let's actually go to verse eight. 00:41:37.000 --> 00:41:42.000 Remember Jesus Christ risen from the dead the offspring of David as preached in my gospel, right? 00:41:43.000 --> 00:41:48.000 For which I am suffering bound with chains as a criminal. So Paul is in prison, right? 00:41:49.000 --> 00:41:51.000 But the word of God is not bound. 00:41:53.000 --> 00:41:56.000 Just a short little, short little piece right there, right? 00:41:56.000 --> 00:42:04.000 So he's writing to Timothy saying to rightly handle the word of truth. 00:42:05.000 --> 00:42:15.000 It has to do with accurately preaching and teaching the word of God, being mindful of the things that you're saying when he's talking about not babbling. 00:42:16.000 --> 00:42:19.000 Well, you got to have substance to what you're preaching. 00:42:20.000 --> 00:42:24.000 You got to have depth into what you are preaching or teaching. 00:42:24.000 --> 00:42:33.000 Don't just use a bunch of fluffy words if you will, which is something we all have to be mindful of, right? 00:42:34.000 --> 00:42:35.000 You got to have substance to what you have. 00:42:36.000 --> 00:42:43.000 We can learn from this passage about how important it is to study the word of God and to have a proper understanding of it. 00:42:44.000 --> 00:42:50.000 And this is most especially, well, Paul is writing to Timothy, who is a leader in the early church. 00:42:50.000 --> 00:42:58.000 So certainly this applies also most especially for those who are in leadership, pastors, preachers, teachers and evangelists. 00:42:59.000 --> 00:43:01.000 You have to be mindful, right? 00:43:02.000 --> 00:43:06.000 Doesn't scripture say that you will be judged more strictly? 00:43:08.000 --> 00:43:09.000 That's a very difficult one. 00:43:10.000 --> 00:43:14.000 I know whenever I think of those verses, oh, I got to be careful, right? 00:43:15.000 --> 00:43:16.000 But it's a good reminder, though. 00:43:16.000 --> 00:43:21.000 It just means it means you're accountable to God and the things that you teach. 00:43:22.000 --> 00:43:24.000 And certainly you should take some seriousness in that. 00:43:25.000 --> 00:43:29.000 And so having that proper understanding of the word of God. 00:43:30.000 --> 00:43:37.000 And so look, in the in the early church and even now there are those who teach something that is contrary to the word of God. 00:43:38.000 --> 00:43:42.000 That's why you have to let the word of God speak for itself. 00:43:42.000 --> 00:43:46.000 Okay, you have to find those connections. 00:43:47.000 --> 00:43:48.000 Okay. 00:43:50.000 --> 00:43:56.000 When I had this outline, it was originally Colossians 316 and James 118. 00:43:57.000 --> 00:44:01.000 But the more I studied it, I'm like, wait a minute, that's not the only one that says the word of truth here. 00:44:02.000 --> 00:44:03.000 There are other verses. 00:44:04.000 --> 00:44:09.000 So certainly we could have just gone into James and the context of all that rightfully so. 00:44:09.000 --> 00:44:15.000 But finding where else in scripture do we find word of truth? 00:44:16.000 --> 00:44:19.000 And this helps us with our understanding. 00:44:20.000 --> 00:44:21.000 Think of it like this. 00:44:22.000 --> 00:44:34.000 For every false teacher and they're teaching something that's contrary to scripture, they have to reconcile with the verses that are saying one thing, right? 00:44:34.000 --> 00:44:49.000 What do you do when you're teaching that it doesn't really say whosoever or it doesn't really say Jesus rose from the dead or it doesn't really say whatever the false teaching is, you have to reconcile one way or another. 00:44:50.000 --> 00:44:51.000 So what do you do? 00:44:52.000 --> 00:44:53.000 Ignore it? 00:44:54.000 --> 00:44:55.000 You cut it out? 00:44:56.000 --> 00:44:57.000 I mean, what do you do? 00:44:58.000 --> 00:45:01.000 And that's why I will always say this, let the scripture speak for itself. 00:45:01.000 --> 00:45:03.000 Right? 00:45:04.000 --> 00:45:07.000 It's not about what I believe in. 00:45:08.000 --> 00:45:09.000 It's not about my own agenda. 00:45:10.000 --> 00:45:12.000 It's about what the word of God has to say. 00:45:13.000 --> 00:45:19.000 We now go to 2nd Corinthians chapter 6 verse 7. 00:45:19.000 --> 00:45:28.000 That's going to be on page 1148. 00:45:35.000 --> 00:45:41.000 Now this is an interesting one because you'll find in it, at least if you're using your ESV. 00:45:44.000 --> 00:45:46.000 Is anyone not using an ESV? 00:45:46.000 --> 00:45:48.000 I'm using the New King's. 00:45:49.000 --> 00:45:50.000 Okay. 00:45:51.000 --> 00:45:53.000 I'm using the American standard. 00:45:54.000 --> 00:45:55.000 Okay. 00:45:56.000 --> 00:45:57.000 So this is good. 00:45:58.000 --> 00:45:59.000 This is good. 00:46:00.000 --> 00:46:06.000 So let's read it and you'll see in just a second. 00:46:07.000 --> 00:46:10.000 So 2nd Corinthians chapter 6 verse 7. 00:46:10.000 --> 00:46:22.000 It says here, by truthful speech and to the power of God with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left. 00:46:23.000 --> 00:46:24.000 Okay. 00:46:25.000 --> 00:46:28.000 I know it's a little bit out of, there's a whole thing going on there, right? 00:46:29.000 --> 00:46:32.000 So to understand that better, you got to go to verse 3 and 4, right? 00:46:33.000 --> 00:46:37.000 So let's go a little bit back because otherwise I'm just pulling it out of a very long list here. 00:46:37.000 --> 00:46:38.000 Chapter 6 verse 3. 00:46:39.000 --> 00:46:44.000 We put no obstacle in anyone's way so that no fault may be found in our ministry. 00:46:45.000 --> 00:46:48.000 But as servants of God, we commend ourselves in every way. 00:46:49.000 --> 00:46:53.000 Now go to verse 7 by truthful speech and the power of God. 00:46:54.000 --> 00:47:01.000 They're just listing a bunch of things that they are, what they're commending themselves for. 00:47:02.000 --> 00:47:03.000 Okay. 00:47:03.000 --> 00:47:06.000 So what does your translation say on verse 7? 00:47:07.000 --> 00:47:10.000 The ESV says truthful speech. 00:47:11.000 --> 00:47:16.000 The main, I'm not, I'm using the word discrepancy, maybe that's not the right word. 00:47:17.000 --> 00:47:18.000 There's a difference in translations. 00:47:19.000 --> 00:47:29.000 So in your notes you'll see on the front page, you'll see that there's different ways this is translated. 00:47:29.000 --> 00:47:33.000 You see word of truth or truthful speech. 00:47:34.000 --> 00:47:40.000 The only one that seems to have even a little bit more different is the new living translation. 00:47:41.000 --> 00:47:45.000 But for the sake of tonight, word of truth and truthful speech. 00:47:46.000 --> 00:47:53.000 So even though, at least in the ESV, it's not specifically saying word of truth, the language that is used, 00:47:53.000 --> 00:48:04.000 the Greek that has been used for word of truth is the same in the 2nd Corinthians passage as it was in James 118, Ephesians 113-14, 00:48:05.000 --> 00:48:08.000 and 2nd Timothy 2 verse 15. 00:48:09.000 --> 00:48:12.000 So it's still part of the same pattern, if you will. 00:48:13.000 --> 00:48:14.000 Okay. 00:48:14.000 --> 00:48:27.000 So you'll see in there that when we're looking at the context here, it's talking about, let me put no obstacle into anyone's way, right? 00:48:28.000 --> 00:48:30.000 So that no fault may be found in our ministry. 00:48:31.000 --> 00:48:39.000 Well, certainly something we can observe is you don't want to put an obstacle into anyone's way. 00:48:39.000 --> 00:48:44.000 You don't want to have a stumbling block, if you will, when it comes to ministry, right? 00:48:45.000 --> 00:48:56.000 So when you think of, I'm going to give a radical example is if I don't want someone to get drunk on wine, if you will, right? 00:48:57.000 --> 00:48:59.000 So it's talking about don't be a stumbling block, right? 00:49:00.000 --> 00:49:02.000 So that no fault may be found in our ministry. 00:49:03.000 --> 00:49:05.000 But as servants of God, we commend ourselves, right? 00:49:05.000 --> 00:49:09.000 So what are we doing in our ministry? 00:49:10.000 --> 00:49:14.000 So we have the word of truth and the power of God. 00:49:15.000 --> 00:49:16.000 That's some very powerful language, right? 00:49:17.000 --> 00:49:22.000 Because you have the word of truth, which is the word of God, the gospel message. 00:49:23.000 --> 00:49:26.000 And then you have the power of God, right? 00:49:27.000 --> 00:49:31.000 And I always think of the verse where it says, you know, if God is for us, who can be against us? 00:49:31.000 --> 00:49:41.000 When you have the power of God with you in your ministry, as you are spreading the word of God, why in the world would you want an obstacle to that? 00:49:42.000 --> 00:49:46.000 Why would you want a stumbling block that is hindering the power of the Lord? 00:49:47.000 --> 00:49:47.000 You know what I mean? 00:49:48.000 --> 00:49:50.000 You don't want to have something that is holding back that. 00:49:51.000 --> 00:49:58.000 Now, granted, God can overrule and overpower the obstacle, but you still don't want to have an obstacle, though. 00:49:58.000 --> 00:50:02.000 So the weapons of righteousness, I love that wording, right? 00:50:03.000 --> 00:50:05.000 For the right hand and for the left. 00:50:06.000 --> 00:50:08.000 Be mindful of your speech, right? 00:50:09.000 --> 00:50:11.000 Be mindful of what you are proclaiming. 00:50:12.000 --> 00:50:19.000 Let the words that you speak, the gospel message, let that be a tool, right? 00:50:20.000 --> 00:50:25.000 So that the Holy Spirit can be used by the words that you are preaching or that you are teaching. 00:50:25.000 --> 00:50:28.000 So that's the idea with that. 00:50:29.000 --> 00:50:34.000 So we're seeing a lot of this, how the word of truth is used in Scripture. 00:50:35.000 --> 00:50:46.000 And it brings us to this question is, you know, the gospel truth is what comes to mind when we're talking about truthful speech or the word of truth being the gospel, right? 00:50:47.000 --> 00:50:51.000 So it's the question then is, how can we speak gospel truth to others? 00:50:51.000 --> 00:50:58.000 Well, we know that when we're looking at this second Corinthians passage, well, we don't want to put an obstacle in someone's way. 00:50:59.000 --> 00:51:01.000 That's pretty obvious. That's pretty cut and dry. 00:51:02.000 --> 00:51:06.000 Don't put a stumbling block to your ministry. 00:51:07.000 --> 00:51:09.000 So that's one thing we can think of. 00:51:10.000 --> 00:51:11.000 Can we think of anything else? 00:51:12.000 --> 00:51:14.000 So take a moment to write or reflect or respond. 00:51:14.000 --> 00:51:22.000 I do want to add something I didn't realize was I did put it in here. 00:51:23.000 --> 00:51:34.000 When that verse is saying they commend themselves, they're talking about having a ministry that is genuine and authentic, right? 00:51:35.000 --> 00:51:42.000 It's talking about an effective ministry by the word of truth or the truthful speech. 00:51:42.000 --> 00:51:47.000 So what the idea is, it is what matters. 00:51:48.000 --> 00:51:50.000 It is what is said to people, right? 00:51:51.000 --> 00:51:54.000 When you're preaching or teaching isn't in alignment with the word of God. 00:51:55.000 --> 00:51:57.000 Is it from the word of God? 00:51:58.000 --> 00:52:01.000 So it's being mindful of how genuine. 00:52:02.000 --> 00:52:04.000 Where is your heart at when you're preaching or teaching? 00:52:05.000 --> 00:52:07.000 So they're just saying here, we're commending ourselves. 00:52:07.000 --> 00:52:15.000 They're not boasting, they're saying that we have real genuine authentic ministry. 00:52:16.000 --> 00:52:19.000 So that was a note that I didn't realize was further down here. 00:52:21.000 --> 00:52:29.000 I certainly pray that and want us to think that the words that we speak to others, 00:52:30.000 --> 00:52:34.000 spreading the good news of the gospel, that it is truthful. 00:52:34.000 --> 00:52:42.000 We want to show people, we want to tell people of the good news, right? 00:52:43.000 --> 00:52:45.000 We speak gospel truth to others. 00:52:46.000 --> 00:52:48.000 Our testimony. 00:52:49.000 --> 00:52:56.000 Maybe it is certain passages in scripture that has helped you. 00:52:56.000 --> 00:53:08.000 But certainly it's a prayer that we should all have, that we speak truth and we speak life that comes from the Lord. 00:53:09.000 --> 00:53:11.000 In our everyday dealings. 00:53:12.000 --> 00:53:19.000 And as we close here tonight, I want us to have kind of a recap of what we've gone over. 00:53:19.000 --> 00:53:26.000 I know this was a lot, this was a little more in depth than normal, but that's just how it happens. 00:53:27.000 --> 00:53:29.000 So your key takeaways on the last page here. 00:53:30.000 --> 00:53:41.000 So it says that the word of Christ, it refers to the words that are spoken by Jesus Christ as recorded in scripture. 00:53:41.000 --> 00:53:51.000 Since Christ is himself in the living word, the word of Christ connects also broadly to all of scripture. 00:53:52.000 --> 00:53:59.000 And secondly, the word of truth is referenced to the gospel message about Jesus Christ. 00:54:00.000 --> 00:54:06.000 The good news of salvation through faith in Christ is considered the word of truth. 00:54:06.000 --> 00:54:12.000 And also it can apply to the breadth, right? All of scripture. 00:54:13.000 --> 00:54:22.000 The third one in here is God's word leads us to salvation in Christ just as it says in Romans that faith comes through hearing. 00:54:23.000 --> 00:54:26.000 From belief, I put a typo there. 00:54:27.000 --> 00:54:31.000 We then continue to shape our minds and our hearts to become more like Jesus. 00:54:31.000 --> 00:54:37.000 Well, that is done through the Holy Spirit, through the word of God molding us. 00:54:38.000 --> 00:54:46.000 And number four, teachers and preachers, and you could even go as far as evangelists and anyone in leadership. 00:54:46.000 --> 00:55:01.000 They have a responsibility to handle and communicate the word of truth accurately so that those they minister to can grow from the spiritual milk of the word to the solid food in their faith. 00:55:01.000 --> 00:55:15.000 So what I'd like to do before we close out in prayer, are there any questions or any thoughts I want to or take some time to reflect before we close things out? 00:55:16.000 --> 00:55:18.000 Let us pray. 00:55:18.000 --> 00:55:31.000 Father, we thank you for giving us this time to learn about the word of Christ and the word of truth. 00:55:32.000 --> 00:55:38.000 For you are there in the pages of scripture. 00:55:38.000 --> 00:55:48.000 We ask that the word of Christ may dwell in us as we go from this place and in the days ahead. 00:55:49.000 --> 00:55:59.000 May we speak the gospel truth to those that we interact with in word, the words that we speak. 00:56:00.000 --> 00:56:05.000 And in our everyday living, we pray that we can live and love like you. 00:56:05.000 --> 00:56:19.000 We are in awe of who you are and what you have done by sending your son Jesus Christ as the sacrificial lamb, the atoning sacrifice. 00:56:20.000 --> 00:56:24.000 For Jesus is the way. 00:56:25.000 --> 00:56:28.000 He is the truth and the life. 00:56:28.000 --> 00:56:34.000 We are just thankful and full of gratitude. 00:56:35.000 --> 00:56:39.000 For you do not abandon us. 00:56:40.000 --> 00:56:42.000 You do not forsake us. You are there for us. 00:56:43.000 --> 00:56:46.000 Your arms are always open for us to come to you. 00:56:47.000 --> 00:56:56.000 We pray for this church, for Ontario Community Church, that there will be transformation. 00:56:56.000 --> 00:57:04.000 The people who don't know you or yet to know you or maybe they've walked away from you. 00:57:05.000 --> 00:57:07.000 May they be drawn near to you. 00:57:08.000 --> 00:57:20.000 May the unbeliever or the non-believer make a decision by knowing who you are and not knowing of you but knowing who you are. 00:57:20.000 --> 00:57:26.000 We pray for those that are hurting, those that are struggling. 00:57:27.000 --> 00:57:33.000 We don't know the full story of everything that's going on with every person in this congregation, but you sure do. 00:57:34.000 --> 00:57:38.000 And we ask that where healing is needed, let there be healing. 00:57:39.000 --> 00:57:42.000 Where forgiveness is needed, let there be forgiveness. 00:57:43.000 --> 00:57:47.000 Where peace is needed, let there be peace. 00:57:47.000 --> 00:57:54.000 We pray that this church will grow in a healthy manner. 00:57:55.000 --> 00:57:58.000 May we be focused on the health of this church. 00:57:59.000 --> 00:58:06.000 That we will focus on the truth of the word. 00:58:07.000 --> 00:58:11.000 That we'll focus on what your word has to say. 00:58:11.000 --> 00:58:24.000 That we will not be swayed by a movement or an agenda, but we stay rooted on the truth, the foundation that exists in you. 00:58:25.000 --> 00:58:29.000 We pray for the city of Ontario. 00:58:30.000 --> 00:58:32.000 We know there's a lot of brokenness. 00:58:32.000 --> 00:58:42.000 There's people without houses, the homeless, those who are addicted to drugs and living their worldly way. 00:58:43.000 --> 00:58:52.000 Your scripture reminds us that there is a way that seems right and that way does not lead to you. 00:58:53.000 --> 00:58:56.000 But we pray for transformation in this community. 00:58:56.000 --> 00:59:01.000 That people will turn away from their sin, that they will come to you. 00:59:02.000 --> 00:59:05.000 That they will see that there is a better way. 00:59:06.000 --> 00:59:11.000 Because a life without you is meaningless as Ecclesiastes mentions to us. 00:59:13.000 --> 00:59:15.000 A meaningless life. 00:59:16.000 --> 00:59:17.000 There is meaning. 00:59:18.000 --> 00:59:19.000 There is purpose. 00:59:20.000 --> 00:59:21.000 There is direction. 00:59:22.000 --> 00:59:23.000 There is life in you. 00:59:23.000 --> 00:59:36.000 We just pray that for those that are suffering from mental illness or disease, there will be healing in this city. 00:59:37.000 --> 00:59:46.000 We pray for the surrounding towns of Fruitland or Vale or Payette or any of the surrounding communities. 00:59:46.000 --> 00:59:53.000 Lord, I don't know everybody in this town and none of us know everybody in this town, but you sure do. 00:59:55.000 --> 00:59:58.000 If there is healing needed, let there be healing. 00:59:59.000 --> 01:00:07.000 If there is comfort that is needed, let you, may your comfort be there for those in need. 01:00:07.000 --> 01:00:23.000 We pray that as Christians, we can be a beacon of hope, that we stand on the truth of the word of God, but we also deal in love and forgiveness and that unconditional love that you have shown to us. 01:00:25.000 --> 01:00:33.000 We pray for families that if there are any broken families that they may come together with forgiveness and with love, 01:00:33.000 --> 01:00:43.000 may you be at the center of marriages, may you be at the center of our lives. 01:00:45.000 --> 01:00:52.000 We pray for those that have walked away from you, ones that are discouraged or disgruntled or hurt. 01:00:52.000 --> 01:01:02.000 Maybe there was sin that happened, maybe there was evil that was done, where there is healing needed, let there be healing. 01:01:03.000 --> 01:01:07.000 May you comfort those that need comfort. 01:01:08.000 --> 01:01:11.000 May there be guidance where guidance is needed. 01:01:12.000 --> 01:01:15.000 And in all of these things we ask that your will be done. 01:01:15.000 --> 01:01:22.000 We love you so much, for you are the God of healing and the God of restoration. 01:01:23.000 --> 01:01:32.000 You are the God of second chances and you give us the chance of having everlasting life through your Son Jesus Christ by believing in Him. 01:01:33.000 --> 01:01:38.000 We just pray that you are with us as we go from this place. 01:01:38.000 --> 01:01:45.000 We ask that you are with us during the rest of this week and prepare us for this Sunday. 01:01:46.000 --> 01:01:57.000 And we ask that as we are preparing for our annual Bazaar that we prepare for that and may we do everything in excellence for you and for your glory. 01:01:57.000 --> 01:02:09.000 It is in Jesus' name that we pray and we all stay together. Amen.