044: Jason Bobis - The Pursuit of Biblical Faith, Class 1 and 2

Automatically transcribed. Accuracy is good but not perfect, and words are sometimes wrong. Trust the audio over the text.

1. 0:13

   Welcome to the good Christian talks podcast. I’m Levi. And I’m Chris. Thank you so much for joining us this week. On this podcast, we select one taco week to help each one of us. Get the Bible in our daily news feed. We post at the start of each week for you to listen. With a short intro beforehand to kind of set the stage for the talk, you’re about to hear.

2. 0:33

   And now let’s hear more about this week’s talk. This is the first two classes from a study done by Brother, Jason vobis in Detroit, that the title of the series is called the pursuit of biblical faith. And I’ve decided to post the both the introduction, which is the first class and the second class, which is the Thorns of our faith of the things that kind of get in the way. I really found these glasses to be super excellent. And I think really building on each other. So I wanted, we wanted to go ahead and try it. Seeing both classes at once.

3. 1:15

   I will post, I will post a little, the music in between the classes. So you’ll know when one class ends in the other class begins but still found the family’s two classes to just to just be really helpful for me actually just studying and that’s what it really is. Is it really feels like a very specific study on faith.

4. 1:35

   Jason does a really good job focusing on the majority of scripture. There’s tons of verses that that touch on this topic of of having a real and biblical Faith having a having a real faith and letting that be active and real and alive in us. And and then that’s that. He makes a lot of assertions in the introduction that I think are actually helpful helpful to hear and helpful to hear all together before. When he goes into the later classes where he kind of explains those points.

5. 2:09

   But then the second class has the has kind of the challenges that will To, to a real faith and how how the message of the Bible and the reality of our faith can defeat those things. So again, I felt it was worth including both of these. That’s what we’ve, that’s what we’ve done here.

6. 2:28

   So really excited to share these classes. This is the pursuit of biblical Faith by Brother. Jason, vobis the introduction and the Thorns of our faith. It’s be useful for me to look again at this time. Topic of faith of biblical faith and really to refine my thoughts since I shared this information with the brothers and sisters at Enfield in South Australia as a pair of Wednesday night, class is about seven months ago or so I say refined my thoughts because in a very real way I have to admit from the outset that what I hope to share with you really aren’t my thoughts and I think, you’ll think that you’ll soon see that these Concepts and thoughts are from scripture.

7. 3:12

   They’re not my thoughts but I Them to be my thoughts. I know how I naturally think. And what I’ll share with you isn’t natural to me by any stretch, I have to admit that even by knowing and sharing some of these principles which can be helpful for working on our faith daily, it’s still difficult to put these things into practice, but it is worthwhile It’s just something that I’ve been confronted with between the time of delivering. These talks the first time in really. Now this time it’s just important to remember that we’re learning and we’re growing in.

8. 3:45

   Sometimes we do better than others, spiritual growth is recursive in other words, it’s three steps forward, and it’s two steps back. And three steps forward, and two steps back. And that’s how fighting the flesh is life, is like that brothers and sisters for all of us myself, very much included. And so, I have to admit that the thoughts that I’ll share have been From a range of sources in trying to answer really one. Rather fundamental question for myself. And that is, what am I doing daily to develop my faith in God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

9. 4:18

   It’s a question that is so basic that I assume that everyone in this room and in Australia, had ask themselves that question at some point, very early in their spiritual life. And yet, ironically, the more that I search for answers or materials like this, in the Brotherhood, the less I seem to find So, you may know that, I teach it Heritage College, which is a Christian School and Adelaide.

10. 4:40

    And if we were there and we’re not, but if we were, this is what the learning intention would be your really, what the aim would be for this. This session, it’d be pretty straightforward. We are learning to develop biblical, strategies for growing our faith in God and the Lord Jesus Christ on a daily basis. I have to admit that really, this question is come from asking another one first and that is well, what can I do for God?

11. 5:06

    What can I give God? As you know the cattle on a thousand hills are his anyway and if we’re honest and reflecting about what it is that we can give God, we realized pretty quickly that everything that we have, God has given us in the first place. So what is it that we can give him? Well, really the only thing that we can give God, who has created the Earth and all things in it is our faith in him in short my confidence, my trust.

12. 5:34

    And from that, trust comes a love for him, that he so desires to seeing his children. And so we want to ask, we want to start the weekend together by asking a simple question. Why is the Bible putting so much importance on this topic of faith? And how important is Faith? Why is it the hinge point for every good work that follows?

13. 5:56

    Well in short faith is the very basis of the expression of God’s character in us. It’s the gateway to that. So we take a look at the verse that Paul just read in Hebrews 11 and verse 6. there, it says, But without faith, it is impossible to, please. God, please God for. He, that comes to God, must believe that God is, and that he is, a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

14. 6:23

    So, so you mean to say that if I give all my money to the poor and and I go and work in a soup kitchen and faith in God, wasn’t the motivating factor, that I haven’t pleased, God really, without faith, whatever that is. I cannot please God, it’s impossible. Is what the scripture says, for example, in a most chapter 5 and in Acts chapter 7 we’re told that God took no, notice absolutely zero notice of the Israelites, sacrifices and their offerings in the wilderness for 40 years. Amos chapter 5 and verse 25 says, have you offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness? These 40 years, o House of Israel. In Acts chapter 7 and verse 22.

15. 7:07

    42. It says, Bowie House of Israel. Have you offered to me? Slain beasts, and sacrifices by the space of 40 years in the wilderness. Hebrews chapter 4, and verse two hints. At the reason, why he didn’t even take any notice. And that’s because the element of Faith was missing. The writer to the Hebrews says that their carcasses, which are akin to dead animals fell in the wilderness and they didn’t enter the promised land because of unbelief.

16. 7:34

    Hebrews 4 verse 2 says For unto us, the gospel is preached as well intended as unto them but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. Without faith, brothers and sisters. It is impossible to please God. Later in Zechariah, God took absolutely, no, notice of the Jews ritual fastings for 70 years. They did this.

17. 7:59

    And so the profit is sent in to rebuke them and to correct them to do, the fasting with humility, which will find is the very basis of faith. And so as we work through this, stay together, what we’re going to find is that if we want to increase our faith, we have to decrease our self-importance.

18. 8:16

    We have to be humbled. That doesn’t mean being downtrodden and wallowing in the mire. That doesn’t mean you having long faces and being miserable. It simply means that we have to see ourselves as we truly are If Christ said, I can do nothing of my own self. Why should we ever think to ourselves, right?

19. 8:33

    I’ve got this. Without Christ, we are nothing but through Christ, we are made to ride upon the high places of the earth. We can do all things through Christ, who strengthens us? In fact, we are more than conquerors. We are the sons and the daughters of the Living. God. We are Mighty ones and how is that possible by faith?

20. 8:54

    So why does the bible put so much importance on this concept and how important is it? Well, you probably know Paul’s famous dissertation about love and First Corinthians 13 and you’ll know that he ends that passage with this he says. And now abideth faith, hope, and love these three but the greatest of these is love. And what I want you to consider is that Godly love is born out of faith.

21. 9:22

    In other words, you cannot demonstrate the love of God unless you first have faith that God exists, you can’t extend the love of God to others until First perceive through faith, the love that God has towards you. And so the range of what we think and know, and thus, what we can do is limited by what we fail to notice.

22. 9:41

    And appreciate this is exactly what Jesus taught in. John chapter 5 and verse 19. He says the son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the father, do for what so everything he does. These also the son does likewise. It was about what the sun noticed, the father doing and the point here.

23. 10:01

    Is that that Faith proceeds Love. Therefore, it’s clear that without faith. It’s impossible to love like God loves. You can have compassion people who don’t know God by all human definitions love their children. For example, but the quality of the love that God is looking for. In his children is one that is inspired by his love and that’s the love of First Corinthians 13, that kind of love mother never fails. It doesn’t get tired.

24. 10:27

    It’s energizing it’s without limit because its source Is unlimited. And if you can tap into that kind of love, you won’t be weary in well-doing because the energy comes from faith in God. Who Powers Your Love, sure we may lose the plot sometimes and need to be stirred up by way of remembrance, but the love of God is a force without limit.

25. 10:49

    It won’t happen without faith first. In Ephesians, 2 8 verse 8. This is what we read. We read for by Grace, you are saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not by works. Lest any man should boast. And so four times in this verse God reiterates to us, that it is his work by grace. But the role of Faith does play an important part. In other words, we cannot be saved by God’s grace, unless we have faith.

26. 11:24

    That’s the process. That’s how important faith is without it. Not only can we not please God, can we not manifest his love, but there is no no salvation.. And that’s exactly what Paul told his son in the faith. Timothy and second Timothy chapter 3, verse 14 and 15 he says, but continue thou in the things which Outhouse known and has been assured of knowing of whom thou Hast learned them that from a child thou Hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. Now, you probably know that the just shall live by faith, have a cook and Hebrews 10 and numerous other scriptures tell us that the just shall live by faith.

27. 12:11

    But, but did you know that? It’s by faith that we Gentiles were brought It into the family of God. And how do we know this? Well, Peter spoke to the judaizers in Jerusalem, when they questioned him about the Gentiles and he told them that God had purified. The Gentiles Hearts through faith and the evidence of this was that God gave the Gentiles, the Holy Spirit.

28. 12:31

    And there was no denying the Miracles that were wrought in them. That’s in Acts chapter 15 and verse 9. He also said to the Jews that the circumcision doesn’t make you special and it doesn’t make you righteous before God. Paul would later go on to say that it was the circumcision of the heart that matters and as we will soon, learn the heart is where Faith takes root the heart. But Peter said, the only thing that avails you anything is Faith working through.

29. 13:03

    Love. That’s what matters not outward signs of religion. Now, it probably comes as no surprise that we find Faith as an integral part of the atonement turn with me. If you would to Romans chapter 3 and we’ll start at verse 23 and will read through to the end of the chapter. And what I want you to do is I want you to look for the concept of faith.

30. 13:26

    I count seven times. If you want, you can put a circle around the word faith or believe which is the same concept. So faith is an integral part of the atonement. Romans, 3 verse 23. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God being justified, freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Christ. Jesus, by whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, why to declare his righteousness, for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God to declare.

31. 14:00

    I say at this time, God’s righteousness, that he might be just and a justifier of him, which believeth in Jesus. Verse 27, where is boasting then? It is excluded by what law of Works, nay, but by the law of Faith. Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the Deeds of the law.

32. 14:24

    Is he the god of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles. Also seeing it as one God which shall justify the circumcision by faith and the uncircumcision through faith. Do we then make void the law through faith by no means. Yea, we establish the law and this is the critical passage about the atonement.

33. 14:46

    This, this is how God is reconciling. The world unto himself and seven times in seven or eight versus the term faith. And that Concept of faith comes into it. This is how we’re saved brothers and sisters. Now, what are the weightier matters of the law? If I was to make this a pop quiz, I wonder if you could answer that question.

34. 15:06

    It’s in Matthew 23, verse 23. And this is where the Lord, the Lord upgrades. The religious leaders for focusing on small, things like mint, and anise, and cumin. And they miss the importance of the weightier matters of the law. And here they are judgment mercy and Eighth. The Lord says these Bochy have to done. Sorry these you ought to have done and not to let leave the others undone.

35. 15:35

    In the first Epistle of John. What is the victory that overcomes the world? Our faith. Whatsoever is born of God, overcomes the world. It says, and this is the victory that overcomes, the world even our faith who is he that overcomes the world but he, that believes that Jesus is the son of God.

36. 15:56

    And it just goes on and on. And on. Why was the Gospel of John written? For example, tells us clearly at the end of chapter 20, John 20, verse 31 says, but these things are written, that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and that believing continuous. You might have life through his name, be a simply wasn’t written for our learning and our admonition, but for the development of our faith or our connection to God, Now, this is an interesting one, Paul opens, and he closes the book of Romans with this phrase, The Obedience of faith. And while many translators make that the obedience to the faith, which implies that, this is the way the one true Faith. Walk you in it.

37. 16:41

    It becomes very powerful when the article, the isn’t there, the diag lot and many other translations renders it The Obedience of Faith. Why is that so interesting? Because it instructs us that our obedience Is a direct function of the reality of God in our lives. Our obedience is a function of our faith.

38. 17:00

    In other words, without belief without faith, you just can’t be obedience. I believe Paul is saying I am writing this letter to you to inform you. Yes, of the way to life in Jesus Christ, the faith, the one true faith, and he’s saying, but I’m also writing it to you, to bring you into to obedience. And how does that happen?

39. 17:19

    Brothers and sisters by law? No, by faith. Later towards the end of the book of Romans. Paul says in some matters of conscience your conscience has a severe impact on whether or not you sin and if you don’t act in faith yusin he says for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. And there are so many other additional verses that we could add to show the importance of this context. In this content Concept in scripture, and if you’re actively listening, you’re probably your minds are probably ticking over with all sorts of other ones to add to the list. But what’s the point that the topic of faith is a theme that is woven throughout the entire Bible will clearly it, is that you now agree with me and I have your attention moving forward. Well, I hope so but that’s not the point. The point is As a man thinks in his heart. So he is that’s from Proverbs, 23 and verse 7. It sure seems like the point and the intention of scripture is to fundamentally change the way that we think that. By reading the scripture daily, God’s words and Christ sayings are intended to change the way that we think. And what we think about and what we dwell upon and those things will always have an impact on our reality. The more we live in, the more we learn our minds, we figure out that our minds are generative and our minds are creative. And unless we actively choose what it is, we think about, we end up living in situations.

40. 18:48

    We don’t desire In other words, we create our circumstances and by what it is, we think about and what it is that we subconsciously believe or have faith in. Now, we’ve all experienced that very same thing. We’ve made some bad choices, perhaps we didn’t even realize it at the time and we’ve had to live with some consequences that we wish we wouldn’t have to we wish we were more conscious of of when we made the moment made the decision at the moment.

41. 19:15

    You see what we have faith in brothers and sisters and what we actually believe regardless of what it is. We profess to believe creates our reality for as a man thinks in his heart. So is he? Advertisers know this. And so what they do is they layer things over and over, and over into our subconscious mind, to get us to believe lives such as it really doesn’t matter.

42. 19:41

    If we do, what we know feels good. Now even though later down the track, it’s going to harm us and wreak havoc on our lives. And when we can’t also help but ask the question in the Bible, why is God angry with what are called Sorcerers or magicians? We know that there is no such thing as magic or sorcery in the Bible.

43. 20:01

    We know that there’s only one power and all the universe. Isaiah 45 tells us that concept eight times. But why is God so angry and condemning a man like Simon the Sorcerer. For example, in Acts chapter 8, well what he was doing is he was bewitching people with his sorceries and all that. That means This man was meddling with the gateway to God. This man was meddling with people’s beliefs. He was toying with people’s beliefs and that’s serious stuff.

44. 20:30

    That is not something that God lightly dismisses. And so, we understand that this world is very, very capable of shaping our beliefs and that’s why we should have nothing to do with it. That’s why we should guard our hearts and that’s why also Christ in his first public speech in The Sermon, on the Mount, in Matthew, 5, 6 and 7 addresses. The Part of the issue and he teaches us that we have to get our thoughts, right?

45. 20:54

    It’s where it all begins. We have to subject. Our thoughts to God’s thoughts, and we have to seek God’s Direction and in, ask your his insight and prayer to direct our steps. And then we actually have to believe that he does direct our steps. We have to look for God’s hand at work after we pray, you see?

46. 21:14

    Sometimes I think we sometimes I get the impression that we The way that we approach living the truth is that if we can, simply refresh our mind with Godly principles enough. When the challenges of life arise, all we have to do is simply pick the right principle and we have to apply it in love and that we’ve done the right thing by God.

47. 21:33

    And then the great frustration comes in. When we don’t seed widely enough or remember enough biblical principles to make better decisions, we miss the mark and that we just didn’t know our Bibles better. And we self rebuke, And so to keep ourselves from falling, all we really need to do is just get down to the study desk, more and develop a wider perspective. In other words, the problem is that we’re just not disciplined enough.

48. 21:56

    And that exhortation. The one that says, you really aren’t trying as hard as you could, is one, that is always true. We could do more. And each of us would be fools to decry discipline, but but you try it, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll find that it is not about self-will. It’s actually about belief.

49. 22:16

    I should be better, but I’m not. And that’s why I need Christ, because I’m not who, or what I want to be. I’m trying and I assume that you all are trying to keep yourselves from sinning to. But so often what I tell myself and what I hear in exhortations and in classes, it is that we need to try harder to the best of my ability.

50. 22:37

    Well, let a man examine himself, but when I do, I am dismayed with my ability to lead a Godly life. I’m sick with myself. So I can’t help but ask myself the question, isn’t there a better way? I have little to no power to be the man that I want to be in Christ unless unless I apprehended in faith, you see there is a better way and that is the way of faith in Christ Jesus. Our lord who can work in me and do things that I just can’t do. Surely, I’m not the only one who feels frustrated by The Daily Grind of fighting the Flesh and there’s an irony to this because we of all mankind, should be most happy. We are supposed to be, liberated free from sin because of the sacrifice of Christ and sadly we can go on for a long time without feeling the joy of being free from sin and I know that we’re still in this body and we’re going to fight it. Don’t get me wrong.

51. 23:32

    Sometimes I do feel that Joy, a feeling feeling truly forgiven and free from sin. And that’s the joy that Christ talks about in the upper room. And this usually happens for me at the breaking of bread and in the love of Christ, breaks my heart. But I want to live liberated from sin. Not just in the Kingdom age, I want to serve god without fear and faith now, but what happens for so many of us. Anyways, that week by week, we come to the table of remembrance and we fear with a grave fear that we don’t condemn ourselves. By disrespecting the Lord’s table. And so and very solemn self-examination, we scour our mind and we reflect on every rotten thing that we’ve done and we’re really hard on ourselves.

52. 24:12

    And rightfully, so we should hate sin and we walk away committed to try harder in the next week to not keep making the same mistakes and sometimes brothers and sisters, our willpower rides high. And we do, in fact, do better and sometimes by Sunday afternoon, we feel ashamed yet again that we have fallen short of the glory, A of God and we say to ourselves what a Wretched Man that I am.

53. 24:35

    How is it that we end up at the breaking of bread week by week with the same or similar sins? Now I imagine I’m not the only one here that’s had this sport sort of experience in living the truth. And what I want to get across in these studies is that it is not a willpower issue, it is actually a faith issue and yet strangely, we are not talking about fighting the good fight of Faith with faith.

54. 24:59

    And that’s exactly what I believe Paul is talking about when he says at the beginning in the end of Romans The Obedience of faith. Faith. You see faith in Christ has to be the way in which we could become obedience. It has to be the way in which we overcome our natural desires. And so, what I want to do in our time together, this weekend, as I want to talk about fighting the good fight of Faith by faith, and so that’s the aim.

55. 25:23

    That’s that’s the learning intention. We are learning to develop strategies for increasing our faith in God, and the Lord Jesus Christ on a daily basis. And, and so what you see on the screen in front of you is simply a roadmap for how we’re going. Do that. As you can see right there, we have a tree which is illustrative of the principle that if you get the root of the tree, right? It will bear fruits.

56. 25:45

    We know that Christ is the root, the root and The Offspring of David. Sometimes we have to focus sometimes what we end up doing is we focus on the fruit of the spirit and we wonder why it’s so hard to see it in ourselves when what we should be doing is focusing on the route or abiding in the vine is John 15 says it’s a simple analogy, Our Roots in Next is our faith. And then above the line, You’ll see, those are the roots down there and then you see a line.

57. 26:15

    And so above the line are our good works. And those are produced by faith in Christ, The Works, and the fruit But sometimes brothers and sisters are things that choke our faith, thorns and thistles, so to speak. Yeah, they’re small and very Insidious and sometimes we don’t even know that they’re there, which is why David says in Psalm, 19 Lord reveal unto me. My secret faults Now, I think it only makes sense to talk about these Thorns to our faith because we can know how God generates faith in us and we can know what we should do to cultivate our own faith.

58. 26:50

    But if we have thorns choking our faith, or if we have sticking points or obstacles are roadblocks, the other bits might make all the sense in the world and Theory, but they won’t be received. The principal is sometimes. We have to sweep the house clean, before we can put something better back in. And so, we will look at Thorns through our faith in ways that God generates our faith in our time together. Lord willing.

59. 27:16

    And So eventually in our time together will do is we will look at ways in which God works on our faith and ways in which we can increase our faith day by day until our faith is turned to sight. And finally, what we’ll do together. Lord willing, we will remember the Lord Jesus Christ. Tomorrow morning is, we’re going to see how all these Concepts come together in our master.

60. 27:40

    But first, we have to ask the question. What are we even talking about? What, what is Faith? And it’s easy to say, faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of Things Not Seen, but I’m not necessarily sure that that’s clear. So, we’ll begin with the question. What even is Faith and the most simple way I can put it is Faith.

61. 28:01

    Is your thoughts? Your thoughts, which have substance, your faith is your connection to God and Christ. Your faith is your connection to what they’ve Said with a promise. And everything that we read in scripture, your faith is your belief. It’s your trust and to put it in a modern term or modern parlance. It’s your signal strength to God. One little question is, can it be literal can these things actually shape?

62. 28:29

    Our daily experience? Can our faith have a literal effect on our lives because you wrap your probably remember, the scripture talks about having faith to move mountains. First, Corinthians 13, verse 2. And for example, in Matthew 17 and verse 20, the disciples were not able to heal a boy, who was having these epileptic seizures and they wanted to know why and Jesus said unto them because of your unbelief for The, I say unto you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say unto this mountain, remove, hence To Yonder place and it shall remove and nothing shall be impossible into you.

63. 29:06

    Faith to move mountains. Is that a metaphor must be a metaphor? A mountain is an is an obstacle, for example. And if you have faith that you can do all things through Christ, who strengthens you? Well, well, you will be able to overcome those obstacles that are in your path, but the can it be taken literally.

64. 29:23

    And I think that it actually can brothers and sisters because of scripture Zechariah 14. Verse 4 tells us that our feet shall stand with his on the Mount of Olives and that Which is before Jerusalem on the East and the Mount of Olives show. Cleave in the midst thereof toward the East and toward the west and there should be a very great valley and half the mountain to remove towards the North and half show, remove to the South. And so yes, those that live lives of faith will see the literal combination of their belief when the Lord comes to Reign on Earth and we will be with him by his grace in that day.

65. 30:00

    But moreover, our faith does have a profound impact on our daily experience. And so the question we have to ask next is well where does faith? Find Roots? Where is it generated in Romans, 6, 10? And verse 6 tells us the answer she turn there with me. I’m going to read about four or five verses Romans 10:8 verse 6 and we’ll read down through through verse 10. So where does faith?

66. 30:32

    Find root? Where is it? Generated the heart? Romans 10. Verse 6, but the righteousness, which is of Faith speaks on this wise, say not in thine heart, who shall Ascend into heaven, that is to bring Christ down from above, or who, shall descend into the deep that is to bring Christ again from the dead, but what? Saith it.

67. 30:54

    The word is near unto you even in your mouth and in your heart, that is the word of faith. Which we preach verse 9, that if Thou shalt confess with thy mouth, the Lord Jesus. And shalt believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead. Thou shalt be saved for with the heart. Man, believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

68. 31:20

    And so, where does faith find root? It’s in the heart. In other words, in the Inner Man in your thoughts. And now you see how this presents a problem brothers and sisters because we know Jeremiah 17:9 where it says the heart is deceitful above all things and it’s desperately wicked who can know it and we know it.

69. 31:44

    But if all the challenges to that limit our faith and we’re going to look at these later. Fear, or sin or Pride or looking at oneself. Instead of looking at God wrong beliefs, that choke our faith, or lack of perception, and awareness. The cares of this life, overwhelming us or not understanding our purpose.

70. 32:02

    In our destiny, destiny. The greatest obstacle, I believe to Growing our faith. Is is not believing that God is in every detail of Our Lives. So what limits Faith? What grows Faith, the degree to, which you believe this?

71. 32:24

    That God is active and he is present in our lives. And that’s what I mean. By God being in every detail, God being in everything in the life of a Believer. And yet we know these scriptures brothers and sisters. Psalm 34 verse 7, the angel of Yahweh. Encamps around those that fear him and he delivers them, Isaiah 55 verse 11. So shall my word be that when it goes out from my mouth, it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please.

72. 32:52

    And it shall prosper in the thing. Whereto, I sent it Philippians 1 at verse 6 says be confident of this very thing that he which has begun a good work in you. He will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Now I know that it’s hard to believe from personal experience that God is in every detail of our lives.

73. 33:15

    Especially when there were times in the life of a disciple, in which we hit rock bottom, and we feel like our prayers are only going up to the ceiling and no further. It’s especially difficult to believe in the midst of great sorrow and suffering. And I’m sure at one point, especially in the midst of suffering, I would have found what I’m about to say, quite hard to accept quite confronting. Offensive.

74. 33:38

    But nevertheless, it is true that in the life of God’s covenant people who have surrendered their will to him at baptism. He is in every aspect of Our Lives, even the very hairs of our head are numbered, God is in every aspect of our lives. But how either by creating scenarios in which we grow or at the very least, by allowing situations to come into our life to generate and to grow Faith to bring us to receive the end of our faith, the very salvation One of our souls, The more I’ve looked into scripture, the more, I am convinced that what you believe about?

75. 34:12

    This idea has an enormous impact and whether your faith grows, whether it’s stagnates, or whether it shrinks back, and there are numerous examples of men and women in scripture, who believe that God was in everything in their lives, and they are the people that you and I want to be like in moreover, they are the people that God wants us to emulate.

76. 34:32

    Why? Because that’s the level of connection that God wants to have with his children. Now, it’s important Also to clarify from the outside outset what God is not in. God is not in sin. God has nothing to do with sin, and although he has made provision for it in the lives of his children because he knows our frame that we are, but dust. And that we will, in fact sin, despite our best efforts and intentions, not to let’s be clear. God hates sin.

77. 35:05

    The portrait of Jesus Christ on the cross is God’s view of our sin. It is worthy of death. It is not something to be winked at and never should our Liberty in Christ. Breed license to sin. And as we know when we sin we we separate ourselves from God. He hides his face from us. So to speak the the Caribbean cover their eyes and we are left most alone, we have disobeyed the word of God, it doesn’t mean that God, abandons us forever.

78. 35:35

    He still works with us and reforms us to bring us back to him, but he’s not in sin, he doesn’t permit it, he doesn’t condone it. And although he has made provision for it, let us never forget that that provision is the blood of his only begotten son.

79. 35:52

    We have to understand how God generates or creates faith and it’s critical that we spend some time considering what God thinks of us once were baptized, you see, everything changes when we publicly confess at are baptized baptism that we are worthy of death. When we surrender our will to God. And we make an Everlasting Covenant, with the creator of all the world.

80. 36:16

    There’s been a change of status or his brother. Thomas says, there’s been a change in We are a new creation is what Colossians and is someone that is admitted that there once was a way that seems right unto me but that way LED to death, there has been a significant change. Why is it so important to realize what it is that God thinks of us? Well, sometimes brothers and sisters, we don’t see ourselves as God sees us and seeing how special we are to God. According to his words, generates faith. Next, what we’re going to have to do is we’re going to have to look at, why that’s so hard to believe that God is involved in every detail of our life and one of the great challenges to our faith comes in suffering.

81. 37:01

    We all know that it’s easy to believe that God is involved in the good things. But what shall we shall? We receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive evil? Why is it hard to accept that God is in the great challenges of life? Well, fundamentally it challenges, our sense of justice. The question we all face internally is why is this happening to me?

82. 37:22

    In other words I’m a pretty good guy. I go to meeting three times a week and I care about the things of God. This isn’t fair and that’s where we get derailed and thinking that we should be able to justify ourselves to God. That’s a workspace mentality and one that cannot bring us to the kingdom.

83. 37:41

    An intellectual level. We know that God is the justifier of them that believe in Jesus, that’s the atonement that come. What may God Is Right that Christ died to declare God’s righteousness and that God is a justifier of him, which believe in Jesus. That’s Romans 3, the first 26 but it’s easy, brothers and sisters to lose perspective when were under stress and so it’s helpful to have a reminder of what it is that God says about his people. And finally, what we Endeavor to do together is to look at biblical examples of lives that are transformed by the belief that God is in everything in their life. These are men and women through whom God has done The Impossible by faith will look at examples from Jacob’s life from Joseph. David Elijah will look in the Psalms we’ll look at the Lord. Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of faith and we’re going to look specifically at the mind of faith in the upper room at the breaking of bread.

84. 38:38

    Tomorrow morning. God willing. But before we finish this session, I have some homework to set. And what I’m challenging you to do is to let God in on every aspect of your life. For the next two weeks, put it to the test. Just try when you struggle with something, however, small pray about it. Pray without ceasing how you do.

85. 39:01

    One thing is, how you do everything. He who is faithful in little will be faithful in much when something good happens to you in the next week. Thank God for it. Praise His Holy. He named connect with them and rejoice in his loving-kindness and something challenging happens. We’ll ask for his help. I hope this doesn’t sound too touchy-feely for you or to Pentecostal.

86. 39:21

    I’m not looking for a men’s and I hope you don’t roll in the aisle. Just pray fervently with respects and with, reverence, just just test it out. Have faith, that God is in everything and that he is bringing things into your life, for the development of your faith or allowing things to take place in your life too.

87. 39:40

    A shape and develop you and make you fit for his Temple, call upon His holy name, in faith, whatever it is. Your lot is for the next two weeks, brothers and sisters, the scripture abounds with examples of why we should believe that. God not only wants to be involved in all aspects of her life, but he is crafting and even allowing situations and circumstances to prepare us for the kingdom and one objection.

88. 40:03

    You might have that, I had been thinking along these lines, is he is God Almighty, isn’t he too busy running? Universe holding the planets and places putting the the presidents and dictators in place to bring about the battle of Armageddon. Making stars. Do you seriously think that God wants me to believe that he is interested in my little troubles?

89. 40:27

    In short. Yes, he is. Even the very hairs of your head are numbered. And so we have to start by considering what it is that God actually thinks of us, not what we think, God thinks of us. But what the scripture says, and what God thinks of us, when he looks at us through the blood covering sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, we have to see ourselves as God sees us through the sacrifice of his son, and Lord willing.

90. 40:55

    That’s where we’ll begin our next session in about half an hour. Brothers and sisters. I recognize that there is a lot of information that I hope to share with you in the course of a very short space and time. And that’s part of the reason that there is a handout is because I don’t expect you to take in everything that I’m saying. But really one of the things that has encouraged me about being able to share this is that it’s created a conversation and that’s really one of the goals as well. Just to continue the conversation and if we don’t get to everything, we don’t get Everything. But we’ve made a good start and it’ll give you some food for thought.

91. 41:47

    I pray as we go forward. Over time, I’ve learned that at the breaking of bread when we examine ourselves, there has to be a point in which I shift my thinking from that, which I’ve done a Miss over the last seven days to to thinking about the sufficiency of, Christ’s sacrifice that in him, is the Forgiveness of sins that I so need.

92. 42:11

    I don’t know how it works for you, but At the point of delineation for me, is usually when we take the cup, when I take the bread, I usually think of my Hang-Ups. And when I take the cop, I thank God for the Forgiveness of sins. You see, the emblem of wine isn’t designed only to represent the blood of Christ and thus a life of total dedication and obedience poured out, it’s personal.

93. 42:34

    It also represents the fact that my sins are covered by his blood and he did it for us. Paul felt this. In Galatians 2, where it says the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and he says, who gave his life for me.

94. 42:56

    You see it was intensely personal for him, but there has to be a point at which I personally stop looking at myself and all my Hang-Ups and I Endeavor to remember the Lord Jesus Christ for me, personally, that’s when I would take the wine. I say that I had to learn that over time because there was a portion of my life in which the breaking of bread, wasn’t a very joyful thing that the scrutiny with which I would examine myself consumed me.

95. 43:21

    And it made me feel immense guilt. And while that is critically important to the part of examining oneself at the breaking of bread Christ, initially instituted it for us to remember him, it’s a memorial service. So there has to be a break from looking at oneself in, clear terms and Loathing the flesh to looking One that saves us from what we deserve, the Corinthians they were guilty of not even looking at themselves whatsoever and thus, they didn’t even realize that the spirit of Christ was not at their memorial.

96. 43:51

    This was proven by the fact that Paul had to write them a letter to instruct them as to what the whole thing was even about that, they shouldn’t get drunk at the memorial and that they should share their food with one another and that they should Terry. Or wait for one another. You see the problem that I was dealing with is that I was not actually seeing myself as God sees me, but when you go back through scripture, it’s quite astonishing what God says about Those who commit their lives to him.

97. 44:18

    Through a rather simple, yet serious acts called baptism. It’s amazing. How God views you once you make a covenant with him. We know from acts 15 that God is calling out a people for his name. And while we know from the first chapters of Romans that the holy Oracles of God were initially committed to the Jews.

98. 44:39

    The Gentiles were grafted in and since the Jews largely rejected the teaching of the Apostles low, they turn to the Gentiles and that’s how you and I have come to know the plan and purpose of God you see God has been calling out a people for his name, a Remnant throughout time. You probably know the metaphor that the sun is lifting up little droplets of water out of the oceans of humanities to make up his cloud of witnesses and that cloud of witnesses doesn’t just include the faithful of Ages past, but God is continuing to do it. I was just talking with Jerry Asbury. My sister’s father-in-law earlier this weekend. We were talking about the new Return of the Lord Jesus Christ. And it dawned on me that so long as God continues to call out a people for his name, I can patiently endure and wait for Christ’s return.

99. 45:28

    I very personal reasons why I want the return of Christ, but people are still being baptized and being brought into the family of God. And what I want to show you is what God thinks of you and me, once we make a vow unto him at baptism when we make a covenant with the Living God and the blood of his only begotten son covers our sins.

100. 45:49

     Thing changes in clear. Terms, we go from Death to life as I mentioned, brother, Thomas is taught that we undergo a change in Constitution. Scripture says we are a new creation created in Christ Jesus unto good works. And once we emerge out of the waters and new, we are called Saints. Now the majority of the letters of the New Testament open with to the Saints at Corinth, for example, to the Saints, in Ephesus to the Saints at Philippi to the Saints it classy and so on.

101. 46:19

     On and it’s rather clear that the Saints are the Believers now. The Catholics believe something that’s completely different, they believe that that a canonized Saint in their tradition, not from scripture but from their tradition as it can and I st. You have to perform two Miracles after you’re already dead and you’re up in heaven, they have been, they have to be thoroughly corroborated by the Vatican and proven.

102. 46:41

     And then that Saints is alive and can receive prayers from those that especially like you and want to pray to you instead of Christ. So Have this raft of Patron, Saints. And so, if you were fond of, for example, the Virgin of Guadalupe you could pray to that Saints. Now, we know that that’s absurd. Because we know what happens to someone when they die, they return to dust and they await the resurrection and the Judgment.

103. 47:05

     But if you do a simple word study using Strong’s, Concordance, it teaches us what that word Saint means. If you have any idea what it means, this is what it means. It means sacred It means that, as a baptized believer, you are sacred to God, which is why the psalmist in Psalm 116 tells us precious in the eyes of God is the death of his Saints.

104. 47:30

     So, Paul tells Ephesians now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners but fellow-citizens with the Saints and your part of the household of God in Chapter 2, he says you are the Holy Temple a habitation of God. How is that possible? It’s through the spirit. Roman says that once you’re baptized, you are made free from sin and you became a servant of righteousness that’s in chapter 6. Jesus says Pence forth from here on out. I call you not servants for the servant knoweth, not what the Lord do it.

105. 48:03

     But I call you friends for all things of my father, having made known unto you and that is exactly the moniker that’s used of Moses. The friend of God, he was, in fact, the friend of God because he Did but the Lord commanded brothers and sisters, it’s even more intimate than that. And you can understand this because you have friends and you would do a lot for your friends because you really care about them. And if you need help, you help them and they call upon you for support and for strength.

106. 48:30

     But then there’s family. And that’s supposed to be on another level of connection all together. And if you didn’t grow up in a particularly loyal and loving family, we can all get some sense of what Christ mean means. When he says, we are his brethren. We find this in Hebrews To at first, 10 through 13 and he quotes Psalm 22 there, this parallels Matthew 12, where Christ asked the question? Well, well, who are my brethren and this is where does found that we take the name.

107. 48:58

     Chris delphine’s, is a body of Believers, the brethren in Christ Brethren being a word, that incorporates, both males, and females. And in other words, we are ones who will do the will of God or we intend to. Now, what’s so interesting, is that Hebrews chapter 2 says The Christ is not ashamed to call us his Brethren but God takes it one step further in and Isaiah chapter 8, verse 18.

108. 49:24

     It’s quoted and it’s describing the Saints of the Sacred ones to be gods and Christ’s children. I know that children can drive parents crazy in the same manner, which students Drive teachers crazy. But I also know that good parents love their kids to B and how much more does a lot, Lord. Jesus Christ loved us whom God has Given him as his children.

109. 49:48

     And as Christ is God’s son and we become the children of God. This is precisely what the nation’s for says, and it teaches us. It says it, once we are baptized, we have received the adoption of sons because we are Sons and Daughters of God, God has sent forth the spirit of his son into our hearts. And we cry.

110. 50:08

     Abba Father And then Paul concludes with something that we already know from Christ where he says, wherefore thou are no longer a servant but a son and if a son then you are an air through Christ. John in his first epistle, has this beautiful verse that has been turned into a song and I can sing it for you. Okay, I won’t say I was thinking for you but you know this song and it’s a it’s something that we can we can sing. When we lose sight of what it is, that God thinks of us, it goes like this.

111. 50:41

     It goes behold what manner of love the father has given unto us that we should be called the sons of God and it repeats five times or three times or whatever and then it tells next important part of the story and so on. And John reminds us, he says when he shall appear we shall be like him.

112. 50:59

     I’m not going to sing that song. We shall be like thankful. You probably thinking Galatians 3 says, you are all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For his many of you have been baptized into Christ. Have put on Christ, there is neither Jew, nor Greek nor Bond nor free. There is neither male nor female for you are all one in Christ Jesus. You see, we are the family of God and that trumps any identifier that we would have had previous. Actually, you see, we are Christ’s Paul finishes and if you be Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed and you are heirs according to the promise.

113. 51:33

     And this is why in first Thessalonians 5 verse 5, Paul reminds the Thessalonians and us, he says, you are all the children of light and the children of day we are not of Darkness. We are not of the knights and there’s another song or a CD. And so again the level of detail, the level of care that God has for us continues to become even more pronounced in scripture and Matthew 10 and in Luke 12 Christ, teaches us, that we are more valuable to God Than The Sparrows. And that even the very hairs of our head are numbered, it goes beyond that, to almost defy.

114. 52:08

     Our ability to understand. Again, in Ephesians, we learn that God has chosen us in Christ before the foundation. The world and that we should be holy and Without Blame before him in love that. He predestinated us to be adopted by Christ according to the pleasure of his Goodwill and to the praise of his grace. We see, I cannot help but wonder why God included this concept of predestination and election in the Bible. You know, sometimes it’s hard to wrap your mind around when you start considering the idea of Free Will and it can be very tricky.

115. 52:45

     Sometimes I You’re why God include stuff like that in his word. I know a brother that got so tangled up in this city left the truth. I cannot. But wonder, why would God bring up the idea of predestination? Is it just to Simply say, I’m powerful and I knew you before you were in the womb, I don’t think so. I think he, I believe that he included it because it’s intended to relay its intended, to make us realize how incredibly special we are to him. It’s there to comfort.

116. 53:12

     Our souls is, we rest our thoughts in the stability of God steadfastness. It’s there to make us feel incredibly special in to indicate the depth and the height, and the breadth of his For us, he knew us before we were even in the womb, like he told Jeremiah and he told him that to comfort him and to give him something to believe in.

117. 53:32

     And so sometimes we believe that we have chosen God and in some sense, that’s correct. But it’s actually that we have been chosen by God, that’s what Colossians tells us, God hath from the beginning, chosen you to Salvation through the sanctification of the spirit and the belief of the truth, we can’t just believe whatever he wants just as Christ told the woman at the well and Samaria, it’s not just enough to have faith, we have to have faith in true things, we have to worship, not only in spirit, but in biblical truth.

118. 54:08

     And so we are exhorted in Colossians that as Elect of God. Holy and beloved put on the bowels of Mercy. Kindness, humbleness of my meekness and long-suffering, see see that’s how he wants us to respond to his love and we can if we first accept his love in faith, What does God think of, as brothers and sisters? In Romans 8, it says that there is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit, and if she can believe that that you’re that, you’re not condemned and you won’t be the Judgment seat. How would that make you respond if you knew you were going to be in the Kingdom?

119. 54:47

     In other words, how would that make you feel? And what would that inspire you to do? Well, the New Testament, it inspired men and women to turn the world upside down because they fully believe In the sufficiency of God, God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

120. 55:07

     God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but rather that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is already condemned because he hath. Not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God. And yet sometimes brothers and sisters, we act like we’re already condemned, but right here, John says that God loves us and he’s given his only begotten son for me and you.

121. 55:33

     And so we have to stop acting like were condemned. We have to start acting like our names are actually written in the book of life. This is the admonition of the Apostle, Paul where he says walk worthy of your High Calling Brothers and sisters, Christ, came to Deliver Us From Fear, specifically, the fear of death. And therefore, if you don’t have to fear death, well, what do we do at?

122. 55:57

     What do we have to fear? It says that he tasted death for every man and, you know, the verse because it’s the one that separates us from the throngs of trinitarians. But, let’s take a look at the verse afterwards. It’s in Hebrews 2 chapter 2, verses 14 and 15.

123. 56:17

     This is where it talks about Christ coming to Deliver Us from the fear of death verse 14, is a first principle verse one that we know quite well. It says Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of Flesh and Blood. He also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him. That had the power of death.

124. 56:41

     That is the diabolo through the devil. The false accuser verse 15 is the one I want to call your attention to and this was part of the reason that he came. And and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. Now, can you believe that, that, that is part of the expressed purpose for which Christ came forth. Why should we think that God doesn’t really want to be involved in every detail of her life of Christ came to Deliver Us from the fear of death?

125. 57:10

     Or is it that we don’t know and who invite him in in faith? And so, brothers and sisters in our right Minds. We know that it is God’s intention to save us. And yet in our wrong Minds, we still entertain doubts about whether or not God permits things into our life to develop our faith in our connection to him.

126. 57:26

     Sometimes, we think that God is only in the big things and yet, we don’t use scripture to Define. What is a big thing? What might be a big thing to Me? Maybe nothing to you in vice versa. How do we make that determination on what basis in some sense? It’s akin to saying when somebody says, oh only part of the Bible isn’t Fired in true.

127. 57:45

     You say, well, how are you going to make that determination? And they have no basis the parts that they like, and they understand. Well, they accept that, and that’s true. But the parts they don’t understand. They say it’s not true. And we say, in a similar sense, we use the same logic when we say, God’s involved in the big things, but there’s no criteria on which we bake make that judgment.

128. 58:04

     If you’re going to say that God is only in the big things. How are you going to make that determination? What is a big thing? And so it makes far more sense to say no. God is actually involved. In every detail of our lives and therefore we can call upon him and ask for his guidance and give him.

129. 58:19

     Thanks, when when things go well Curious from the word of God, word of God. This beautiful reassuring verse in Hebrews 7 and verse 25. If you’re in still in Hebrews, you can turn over the page, this is such a stunning verse. It says that Christ is able to save us to the uttermost and all them that come unto God by him, seeing that he ever liveth to make intercession for us. I just think about that for a minute he ever liveth. In other words, one of The reasons that Christ is alive, is to make intercession for me and you. That’s why he laid down his life in the first place. That was his motivation.

130. 59:01

     That was part of the joy, that was set before him. That’s how he could in the same night in which he was betrayed, break bread and drink wine, and leave us a way to remember him. He did it for us. It’s why he gave his life to to reconnect us to God, to make intercession to bridge.

131. 59:17

     The gap that we’ve created between God and us. By our sins, our iniquities have separated us from God but we are brought nigh or near by the blood of Christ and we are saved by his life. Jimmy tells us this is beautiful verse praising. God says, now unto him that is able to keep us from falling and to present us faultless before the presence of his glory, with exceeding Joy to the only wise God and our Saviour, be glory and majesty and Dominion Forever both both now and forever. Amen.

132. 59:52

     And yet we think we think sometimes he’s got to be talking about somebody else. He’s got to be talking about anybody but me, and if you go to Revelation 14, God gives us a picture of that very verse being fulfilled. Us being presented faultless Before the Throne of his Grace singing, a new song, When it comes time for judgment, this is what he says about us. Isaiah 26.

133. 1:00:14

     Tells us What God Says, to his sacred ones, those that are in his family. He says, come my people enter thou into thy Chambers, shut the doors behind thee, hide thyself, as it were, for a little moment until the indignation be over past, for behold, Yahweh comes out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the Earth for their iniquity.

134. 1:00:36

     The Earth also shall disclose her blood and shall no more cover her slain. And he hides us from that this harmonizes with the words of Christ, where he says, fear not little flock, it is your father’s, good pleasure to give you the kingdom. And he tells us that detail so that we can hold the vision sure in our minds.

135. 1:00:55

     It says he adds a little bit more. He says, then the king shall say unto them on his right hand. Come Ye blessed of my father inherit the Kingdom, which was prepared for you from the foundation of the world. And so these things is John States. In his first official epistle, had been written unto us, that we might believe on the name of the son of God and that we may know that we have eternal life and that we may believe on the name of the son of God. And yet we say, I can’t believe it. There must be some sort of qualifier. What do you mean that I have eternal life? My back hurts.

136. 1:01:28

     When I get out of the chair. My neck is stiff. I feel pretty mortal. Brothers and sisters, God calls those things which are not as though they are. The scripture is very clear. It says that we have eternal life and that’s what God thinks of us. You see, just as Paul was teaching, the Believers in Philippi our names, are written in the Book of Life.

137. 1:01:51

     Jesus told his disciples to not be too pleased with themselves, after being able to, to drive out spirits and that the spirits were subject to them. And Luke chapter 10 but he said, don’t Be so happy with yourselves for that. He says, Rejoice, that your name is written in the Book of Life.

138. 1:02:09

     Revelation 3 verse 5 says, a similar thing and we doubting say I might have done some bad things this week and perhaps Christ is erased. My name out of the book. Is that what’s going on Christ, is erasing, our name out of the book and then he’s adding it back in based on whether or not we had a good week. In other words, can we get our names written back into the book of life based on our works?

139. 1:02:34

     Not so you think he’s tearing the page for all the rubbing out and putting back in that we think that he’s doing not so your names are written in the book of life. You are a son and a daughter or a daughter of God and with that in mind apprehended in faith. God is simply saying serve me in love and appreciation. Paul.

140. 1:02:58

     Similarly and treats the Colossians when he says do you not know that you are the Temple of the Living God? And that the spirit of God dwells in you and yet we compartmentalize at to say well yes, as long as we remember God’s spirit word and his word dwells in us and it’s in our mind because we know that the holy spirit is Spirit gifts are no longer in possession as they were amended and have them like they do. Now is they did in the first century, but it’s far more Dynamic than that brothers and sisters. Those who are the sons and the daughters of the Living. God are led by the spirit if they continue to commit themselves to seeking to do the will of God prayerfully. If we don’t lean unto our Not understanding. But we can’t do whatever we want and say well I’m like by the spirit but if we wait on the Lord prayerfully and if we look to him for guidance and Direction, he promises to direct our paths and that’s the way scripture explains how all this works is simply by saying in Colossians 1, he says, well, it’s gotten you.

141. 1:03:55

     It’s Christ in you the hope of glory and truly, it makes sense that God would dwell in us and do works. If we humble ourselves, if we make a little room in ourselves for him, You. So because that’s it precisely the method in which God worked in the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ said I can do nothing of my own self Christ.

142. 1:04:13

     Never claimed that the Miracles that he performed were his in any way. Better said they were performed through him. Philippians 2, says he did not grasp at equality with God but the Miracles were intended to work on the witnesses Faith or on their belief Christ was working on their faith. John 14 says, the Lord says believe is thou not that I am in the father and the father is in me the words that I speak unto you.

143. 1:04:42

     I speak not of myself but the father that dwelleth in me, he does the works. And right at the end of the first chapter of Colossians, Paul is telling that, that his job is to tell the whole world about something that have been hidden for the ages and from Generations. But now he says, it’s made manifest for us the Saints and that is the idea of Christ dwelling in US.

144. 1:05:03

     Colossians 1 a 27. He says the mystery that’s been hidden from the ages. Is Christ in you the hope of glory as a community, we know this we call this God manifestation. But is that really possible that Christ can dwell in US? Of course, it is because God has promised. It, this is God’s promise to work in us, but but we Short Circuit the entire process.

145. 1:05:27

     If we don’t believe it to be possible, you see, you have to have faith that this is even possible for it to happen. But it makes sense brothers and sisters that God would be willing to dwell in us both to Will and to do his good pleasure. Well why does it make sense?

146. 1:05:43

     Well here’s how Romans 8 puts it says he spared. Not his own son but he delivered him up for us all how shall not? He then also with him give us all things freely. If God has not spared his own son for us. What greater gift, can he give us the net? He has given us all things. And yet, sometimes we think like the the second son in the prodigal story, and we don’t even realize that we have access to it by God’s grace.

147. 1:06:15

     You see in the parable of the two lost Sons. We learned that the father tells the other disgruntled son, son, Thou Are Forever with me. All that I have is thine And we know that God’s hand is open. He is the almighty Psalm 84 reminds us the Lord. Our God is a sun and shield.

148. 1:06:33

     The Lord will give Grace and Glory. No, good thing. Will he withhold from those that walk uprightly? First Corinthians 2 shows us. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit, which is of god, why that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

149. 1:06:53

     Second Corinthians, Paul reminds us and he says, all things are for your sake. Why that the abundant grace might through the Thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God, that’s in 4:15 and so we can only conclude that God must be involved in Detail of our lives there. While he may not be the cause of all things in our lives.

150. 1:07:16

     He certainly knows about every detail and that he’s allowing even challenging things. Even that he’s allowing even the challenging things as a mechanism to grow our faith and to deepen, our connection with him on a daily basis. And so, it’s our response to the issues of life that become, especially important. And that the father wants to help us overcome, they were not going to do it in our own strength. And thus, we must be instant in prayer and in everything give thanks.

151. 1:07:49

     Now I’m some of you will probably be wondering if I simply stack, the deck and I just bringing up the verses to the top to make the point that I want to make have I presented only one side of the argument or is this actual in an intellectual sense. We know that God is omnipotent and omniscient all-knowing and omnipresence three armies and yet we run from him, like Jonah, we just have trouble accepting that God is in everything. And when I say that God is in everything, some of you made a debate, the idea, In the God is not the cause of all things, and that’s true.

152. 1:08:22

     Man has a will and he exerts that will and we all know that when man’s will collides with another man’s will. We call that a power struggle? And it causes so much grief from this world. For example, some men have the will to drink themselves drunk and then get in a car and drive and others have been the victim of their drunk driving in have died. And you say, well, how can you say that God is in that? How is God in everything?

153. 1:08:48

     Well, God did not cause the drunk driver to take somebody’s life or to drink beer that, or whatever it is in the first place. But he certainly allowed it to happen. And this is the very idea that makes shipwreck of people’s Faith. This is, this is very personal stuff and naturally we come to questions, like, well why didn’t you stop it?

154. 1:09:08

     I thought you were a loving God. When it comes to suffering cause is not the issue, the effect is the issue. Does it drive you to connect with God? Like never before or does it cause you to go on strike from God, how you respond is not change, the fact that God knows about it that he permitted it to happen.

155. 1:09:31

     And that the only reason that he’s done, so is to strengthen our faith, which is more precious to him than gold. That is the only thing that we can offer him. The only thing that will bring us to sell out to Salvation by God’s grace you see on some level, we know that God is in everything. We know that he’s in the good things, the things that we call blessings which are often just the things that we want. We thank God for the house or the car, the job, or the new clothes are the food.

156. 1:09:57

     We’re blessed to know the truth is revealed in the Bible, but it’s not particularly challenging to believe that God is in what we perceive is, good. Sometimes it is challenging to be thankful, but that’s another story. We will look at how God grows our faith, in our next session. Lord willing. But have I only presented one side of the argument or is this actually a Biblical perspective?

157. 1:10:18

     You may think that I’m making it sound as though. Once were baptized. There’s nothing we can do to not be in the kingdom and you and I both know that that’s rubbish. We are not Calvinists who believe once were saved were always saved. The point of God telling us over and over and over again of our status.

158. 1:10:36

     In Jesus Christ is to inspire us to build our faith in him to make us feel loved. And it’s not a not to allow us to run. Amok I must conclude by finally saying that it all these verses come with a warning, which can be summed up, simply by saying our Liberty in.

159. 1:10:54

     Jesus Christ cannot breed license to do whatever we want in our own eyes. We cannot say that we’re led by the spirit and do unseemly. Things, can we lose the kingdom? Of course, we can lose the kingdom. How well, what we do is we invert the truth. In other words, what we do is we stop believing In some kind of strange sense. It’s kind of weird to think about how we can disqualify ourselves from the kingdom and to be clear, the Bible doesn’t exactly explain how that happens. Other to Simply identify behaviors. That reveal a mine that stop believing for example, in First Corinthians 6:9 and 10, it says know, ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. You see if righteousness by faith, while the unrighteous are not believing anymore.

160. 1:11:42

     And so we get the description of the actions of the faithless. Mind, when Paul says, be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves. With mankind, nor thieves nor Covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers nor extortioners, they will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19, and 20 says, a similar thing and it outlines the mind of unbelief where it says, Now the works of the flesh are manifest which are these adultery fornication, uncleanness lasciviousness idolatry, witchcraft hatred variance, Emulsion emulations wrath Strife, seditions heresies, envyings murders, drunkenness revellings and such, like of which I tell you before, as I’ve told you in past times that they, which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Paul tells Timothy at the beginning of his first letter that some haven’t held the faith in kept it kept a clean conscience.

161. 1:12:37

     In fact, some have put away those things which have Shipwrecked or destroyed their faith. If you read the letter to Jude, for example you’ll see that he’s using a very similar metaphor to paraphrase. He says, some not only have turned from the one true Faith, but they have also stopped having faith. They’ve stopped believing and so his exhortation is not only to contend earnestly for the faith that was once delivered to The Saints, but it but in verse 20 it says, but you beloved building yourself up in your Most Holy Faith.

162. 1:13:09

     Praying in the Holy Spirit and keep sight of the love of God, which he has for you. And so, what’s the point? The point is that we cannot the point is that we cannot wonder what God thinks of us once were we cannot let God’s God’s what God thinks of us. Breed complacency like it did in those who said off, we have Abraham as our father, but rather the point. Point is that it’s supposed to inspire us and motivate us to love each other and to love our God is he is for shown us but brothers and sisters let us never forget that our God is a consuming fire.

163. 1:13:43

     Now what I want to do with our time together is I want to show you that there is every reason to believe that God is intimately involved in every detail of our lives and that he cares for us and that the way you and I should respond, daily is in faith. So what we going to do next is we’re going to spend a little bit of time, looking at the Thorns to our faith and then, I don’t believe there’s going to be enough time. Sadly to look at ways in which God grows our faith and ways in, which we can increase our faith, Lord willing. Those are things.

164. 1:14:13

     We’ll do tomorrow morning. So, here is the learning attention. We’ve talked about this, which is kind of move through this quickly. We’ve talked about the importance of Faith. We’ve talked about what faith actually is, it’s our thoughts, which have substance, we talked about the getting the root of the tree, right? Which is our faith.

165. 1:14:34

     And we’ve talked about not simply just working on fruit and wondering why it’s not there. And we are now going to spend a little bit of time. Talking about what limits our faith. Here’s just an overview of what’s going to come tomorrow, Lord willing. How does God generate or increase our faith? And then we’ll spend there’s a lot.

166. 1:14:51

     Not sure how we’ll get through it, but we’ll do our best by God’s grace, and we’ll look at how we can increase our faith. So, so what limits faith, and I, we talked about this from the very beginning, the degree to, which you believe that God is active and present in your life, has a profound impact on your faith, the angel of the Lord encamps around round about those that fear him and he delivers them No, I asked you to do some homework and it’s something that I hope you’ll do after.

167. 1:15:19

     We spent some time together this weekend, it’s a challenge, it’s a challenge to make these things tangible. And that’s what the homework is designed to try to do and it helps to ask a few questions. For example, can you suspend your disbelief for two weeks and try to believe that God is in everything? But that he’s permitting everything into your life when something good comes in your life. Do you think out immediately Something challenging occurs will you think to yourself?

168. 1:15:45

     Well, this is about developing my faith my connection in God in sharing this stuff previously. Some have thought that the homework was try to was to try to figure out how God is in everything and and I wish in the past that I had made the homework more clear. It’s very, very difficult to understand how God is involved in everything even though it’s something that we’re all naturally curious about you.

169. 1:16:08

     Remember that? That was the Virgin. Mary’s question he respected of her. Thief. She said, how shall this be seeing that? I know not a man, you see, rarely do we get to understand how it is that God works instead. Our attention must first be placed in the fact that he is working in every aspect of our lives. So just to clarify, it’s not the point of the homework to try and figure out how God’s working.

170. 1:16:33

     It’s just to believe that he is. The goal of the homework, is to develop a mindset which always affirms that that, which is going on right now. Whatever it may be in my My life not only is God aware of but that he’s permitted to happen for the sole purpose of deepening my connection to him part of the Great challenge, especially when it comes to Faith and suffering. Is that our thoughts?

171. 1:16:54

     Generally go into one of two directions. One, why is this happening to me and two? How is God in this? In other words, how is this going to work out? I’ve spent time in both camps and I’ve tried that homework before and it can be disheartening for the simple fact that we just don’t know how God is working. We don’t know the path or the means the mechanisms, by which he works.

172. 1:17:17

     We simply have to have faith that he is working. Now, this isn’t just my thoughts. This is scriptural, when perplexed about, how about how a man could be reborn Nicodemus was not told the process, by which the ministering spirits of the Angels, bring a man to lay down his life, symbolically in baptism, and be reborn, but he was required to have faith. That God could do it, and that God could remake. A man.

173. 1:17:40

     After the spirit, Jesus said to me, Además, the wind blows, where it listed and you hear the sound thereof, but you cannot tell from whence. It comes with her. It goes. So is every one that is born of the spirit. Now, very simple way of making this this practical and viewing eyes through the life of Faith.

174. 1:18:00

     Came to me from a close friend and a brother. And he said, he said that when you go to a Bible school or a steady weekend or a special effort or that kind of thing that God will bring into your life, the very principles that you are just learning about and he said that this would happen within 48 Hours of the completion of the study and that the point of God doing. So in bringing this into into our Green’s is to move our understanding from ideas and Theory to the experiential to where you actually experience it. You see when you experience a lesson, you don’t forget it but if you hear it well you tend to forget 90% of what we hear. So I believe that this is akin to what the Bible talks about is enacted Parable.

175. 1:18:43

     You see, at some point in our lives, we have to go through something that God is going through himself, or what his son has experienced. And the reason that we do so, is that we have a better. Our understanding of his feelings and his point of view, the prophets in the Old Testament, went through this sort of experience to grow their faith and their connection. And so also, the God’s people might recognize the principles in the ways of God manifest in the Physical Realm, in short, and acted parables are a teaching Aid now. Now the skeptic in us would say that well, that just becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy to to a hammer. Everything looks like a nail.

176. 1:19:20

     Once you have that perspective in mind once you’ve got those Bible principles, Rules in mind, you’re bound to see them transpire because you’re simply thinking about them, you’ve put on those sorts of glasses and therefore, the world can’t help. But look the way you expected. Well, I’m at the persuasion that God is active and that he’s present in our lives and it’s his work to draw us closer to him and that he’s preparing us for the kingdom. I believe that those Myriad of angels are actually working and working diligently to bring us to Salvation and not that we’re creating coincidence because the coincidence is because we simply want to see them, but you can test that out for yourself. When I want to look at next is what limits our faith? In spending some time on this topic, I’ve come to conclude that what you and I think about the level of God’s involvement involvement in our lives.

177. 1:20:12

     Has a profound effect on whether our faith grows, whether it stays the same or whether it shrinks back. In other words, the degree to which we believe God is active and present. Our life has an enormous impact on our faith. And we’ve gone over some of these scriptures already. Let me just fast forward a little bit here in my notes for the sake of time.

178. 1:20:32

     Let’s take a look at this first one. One of the great Thorns to our faith is fear. Although I don’t think it’s the opposite of faith. I think pride is the opposite of Faith, but fear is a great detriment to our faith. What really prevents us from growing in faith and drawing closer to God is fear fear in all its many forms and varieties except for Godly fear, which is reverence. And so we read in first John 4 verse 18, the young, the instruction of how to overcome fear and that is to think deeply over and over again.

179. 1:21:04

     What about God’s love for us? You see, John says, there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear because fear has torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. Notice that John doesn’t say because, you know, that God’s loving you will never fear. Again, it’s not what God is asking or expecting when Daniel was thrown into the lions den, did he fear?

180. 1:21:30

     Of course he did. He was human but his faith in God was so Developed that. It overcame, his fear and the angel that encamped around him, shut the mouth of the Lions, to the honor in the glory of God, and to the development of psoriasis, the Kings faith and the faith of countless others, but it’s about faith overcoming fear.

181. 1:21:51

     It’s not that we won’t feel afraid or doubtful her, or stressed out. And so, what we’re learning is, we’re learning what to do when we feel that pointy edge of the thorn of fear and how it can possibly We caused out. What do we do? When we feel fear, what we pray? Lord help my unbelief is Nathan talked to Nate talked about in his prayer few minutes ago. We boldly say the Lord is my helper. I will not fear.

182. 1:22:20

     What shall men do unto me? That’s in Hebrews, in the Psalms as well. Because we have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear as Paul tells us in Romans 8. But what do we do when we fear, we cry out to God, Abba? Father, which is exactly what we see in the example of the Lord Jesus Christ. When he suffered, he threatened not but he committed himself to him.

183. 1:22:43

     That judgeth righteously, that’s what faithful men and women did all throughout scripture. Think of Moses and Joshua, who had fear, think of Paul Hannah, Is a bit thin Mary, there are numerous passages in your notes and your Bibles and examples of faithful men and women, who when they were weak or made strong, we see God doesn’t want us to have a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind, that’s what Paul told his son in the faith Timothy, because Timothy, like, all of us had this had some fear to get around.

184. 1:23:19

     But why is this in Luke 18 verse 70 for Zacharias after not speaking for many months, finally breaks forth. And says that God is performing the oath that he has sworn to Abraham in the birth of the Messiah. And so that we are delivered out of the hands of our enemies. And we might serve god without fear in Holiness and righteousness, all the days of our life, part of the reason that Jesus Christ came was to Deliver Us From Fear.

185. 1:23:47

     Now a second Thorn to our faith is believing untruths or lies and thus, the hardening of our heart. This is exactly what happened to the children of Israel after The Exodus as they March through the Wilderness in unbelief. We get this from a commentary in Psalm, 81 in verses 11 and 12, but my people would not hearken unto my voice and Israel would have none of me. So, I gave them unto their own hearts less, and they walked in their own councils.

186. 1:24:16

     You may have heard it said before that, that God loves us too much to force us into his kingdom, that he will not take away our free will, if we stubbornly and persistently and defiantly choose to believe lies or go our own way. God will give us over to over to that mind for a season.

187. 1:24:33

     I don’t believe that he completely Cuts us off. But he because he hasn’t completely cut off his people. Israel, despite all their unbelief, but he will let us taste the Folly of our own choices. Why? Because he can use it as Teaching tool to recover ass again, it’s not the preferred way. But each of us at times like sheep have gone astray. The other problem with really, really with believing the wrong things is is that it limits our spiritual growth. Now, I’d like to believe that we as christadelphians as Bible students.

188. 1:25:03

     And as Seekers of Truth, have everything perfect. But I’d be surprised if that was the case. I don’t think for a moment that I think that we have wrong Doctrine, I’m not talking about that. My question is, what is so wrong about what is so bad about wrong belief? And what I think the answer that question is that wrong belief stifles, your spiritual growth, wrong Doctrine limits, how much you can grow spiritually.

189. 1:25:29

     Let me give you an example. If, for example, you absolutely believe that Jesus is God that he is the father that he is Yahweh and he’s come down in the form of a man. You automatically are limited and limited in your ability to overcome the Tendencies of And if you consciously or even subconsciously believe this, you can’t help but think on some level that Jesus could do things that I could never do.

190. 1:25:53

     He was God on Earth, he was above Temptation, he was unable to sin. In fact he could never really die. He see the whole method that God has given us to overcome that has been shown to us in. Jesus Christ is null and void. And so what Christ did is he looked to the father and that’s the method that you and I are supposed to do. But if you believe that Jesus is God, that whole method for overcoming Temptation and sin doesn’t really exist in your mind.

191. 1:26:23

     If you understand that he was in fact in all points tempted as we are, then you learn that, he overcame sin and you learn the method and how he did that, and and you can use the same method. It’s the same with the, the supernet, the doctrine of the supernatural. Devil, if you believe that God has allowed a supernatural being to run around and wreak havoc on God’s Earth on some level, you can’t help.

192. 1:26:44

     But wonder how much does this God loved me. The question that you that question subconsciously? Erodes your relationship with God. Why? Do you like this being do this? To me is God really in control, but if you know that the devil in the Bible is human nature and that’s what we’re fighting against in ourselves. Not just in the government and in society in high places, but the age in which we live and in ourselves, you know, what you’re battling and you can learn methods for overcoming and God’s strength.

193. 1:27:13

     If you don’t know this, well, you’re fighting a losing battle and your relationship with the Living God suffers because you’re believing a lie. The problem with believing lies and untruth, is it limits your spiritual growth? Another Thorn. To our faith is our lack of perception and this I believe is one of the expressed purposes of reading God’s word daily, by doing the Bible readings makes us as Brian Styles would say more God, conscious, the range of what we think and do is limited by what we fail to notice. We need to become more aware.

194. 1:27:46

     We can’t help or even pray about that, which we don’t know. And We know about things because of the phone tree or because of Facebook or gossip. No, we have to learn how to be perceptive to the needs of others. And moreover we have to be perceptive to the hand of God in our lives. And so one of the conclusions, the writer of the Hebrews draws and chapter 13 as he draws our awareness to, it says in verse 22, but you are coming to Mount Zion and to the city of the Living God and the Heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of angels, He wants us to be aware of this. Is he says you have come to the general assembly of the Ecclesia, the firstborn which are whose names are written in heaven, you were coming to the god to God, the judge of all the earth into this, the spirits of just men made perfect and to Jesus Christ, the mediator of the New Covenant and yet much of the time we don’t perceive it we’re not aware of it. If we want to grow in faith we have to grow in awareness. Another Thorn to our faith into the growth and development of it is pride and arrogancy her arrogance and really self-will. And this goes hand-in-hand with another potential Thorn. Which we’ll talk about in a minute of having too much ability and relying on one strength. But here’s the classic scripture for this one, Paul Proverbs 8, 16 Verse 18 Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall, you know that it’s the pride of life that is one of the gateways of sin that

195. 1:29:13

     we Have to be aware of. You can also review the pride of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel for and even in Romans the pride of the Gentiles from the respect to the Jews to see how pride is the great enemy of faith. We tend to think it’s fear that the enemy of Faith but really it’s Pride.

196. 1:29:30

     Nevertheless, these are thorns The next one and I’d like you to turn up a queasy astiz 9 verse 11 Ecclesiastes. 911 with me. Now, when we analyze the idea that God is intimately involved in the life of his Covenant people, either by creating scenarios or allowing scenarios into our life to grow our faith.

197. 1:29:54

     Many brothers and sisters will automatically bring up this verse in Ecclesiastes 911. So we got to go there and have a look. You’ll probably know it well or at least part of this verse. Well, the part that says time and chance happens to all men but what about the rest of the verse? What’s the context about You see it’s a bit tricky to quote from Ecclesiastes because we know that Solomon is working things through.

198. 1:30:20

     It’s a work in progress and so the conclusions at the end of the book are especially important. But what about chapter 3? But 9:11, what’s the context of this verse? Let’s read it, slowly and carefully. This is what it says in Ecclesiastes 9 11. It says I returned and saw Under the Sun that the race is not to the Swift, nor the battle to the strong neither yet bread to the wise.

199. 1:30:44

     Is neither yet riches to Men of understanding, nor yet favor to Men of skill, but time and chance happeneth to them all. Hear my questions. Race to the Swift. Is that you? Is that how you think of yourself is the Swift? The second class of people and there are five is nor is the battle to the strong.

200. 1:31:08

     Are you strong? Is that how you overcome in your strength? Third class of people is neither is their bread to the wise. Is that how you get your bread? Because you’re wise, or you’re clever, or is it God? That’s providing providing the bread for you to sustain you The fourth class of people in that verse nor yet riches to Men of understanding. Are you rich because of your understanding or has got blessed you that way.

201. 1:31:36

     Number 5, it says, nor yet favor, two men of skill is your skill so high that everything seems to work out in your favor. In other words, brothers and sisters. Is this verse talking about you? And I, or is it talking about someone who trusts in themselves? If Solomon, looking at Believers in God or everyone else under the sun, I don’t think that we are under the Asun.

202. 1:31:58

     That’s an expression of the countless masses of humanity, who care, not for the things of the Living, God, I don’t believe that this is a verse that’s talking about those who have a covenant relationship with God. You see, I believe that we are under the s0n, the Lord Jesus Christ, the son of God, that our Banner is the Lord, our righteousness.

203. 1:32:17

     That’s what we’re under, and to take it one step further. When the Apostle Paul saw the Risen Lord, on the way to Damascus, he was enveloped in In a brightness that was above the brightness above the Sun and that was the countenance of the Lord. Jesus Christ. That’s an X 26. When he’s recounting the story to King Agrippa, Now notice at the end of that verse, it says time and chance happens to them all.

204. 1:32:44

     That’s a qualifier that’s talking about the five categories of people. In that verse, therefore, I don’t believe it’s that time and chance happens to us all. That doesn’t mean that bad things. Don’t happen to us. Surely, I know that doesn’t mean that a man doesn’t have free will and it opinions Upon Our Free Will, as we spoke about earlier in the drunk driving example. But it isn’t a matter of happenstance in our lives brothers and sisters, it’s not chance. God knows about every detail of our life. Now while we know that he could intervene nothing happens, it’s outside of his control that he can’t reverse. He is the Almighty.

205. 1:33:23

     And so why does God let those things happen to job? For example in 1st Peter 1 verse 7 tells us the answer which is what Paul read earlier. It happens to deepen his faith, which is more precious than gold and by the end of the story, jobs, understanding, and his appreciation for the love of, God is all the more enriched and that’s precious to God.

206. 1:33:44

     If we misunderstand scripture or the idea of Providence or how God works in our life, it can certainly limit our faith. What are other Thorns to our faith? Well, we can have faith in the wrong things and we’ve touched on this already. You see, God didn’t write 1189 chapters of scripture for us to believe whatever we want.

207. 1:34:04

     We can’t just make it up as we go. We’ve already talked about the woman in the well and worshiping in spirit and truth. But really, this is a battle for all throughout. The Bible is God instructed his people from the outset. Not to worship graven images or Idols. That’s exactly what Paul was.

208. 1:34:23

     Was instructing on Mars Hill and in Athens in Acts 17, when they had an altar to the unknown, God ignorant Lee worship this unknown God, and the Psalms rightly conclude the idols of the Heathen are gold and silver. They’re works of men’s hands. They they are a snare unto them. You see, our, our faith must be in biblical faith and that’s why Romans 10 tells us faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God, it must be God’s words. We can’t have faith in the wrong things, you see? Nobody has faith in something.

209. 1:34:54

     You can’t say I don’t have any beliefs because that’s a belief to actually on some level everybody has Faith. Most of the world doesn’t have biblical faith and that’s what you and I have to strive for Having faith in the wrong things. Will certainly be a thorn to our growth and development and our connection to God.

210. 1:35:17

     Another Thorn to our faith can be continually wounding. Our conscience. You see one of the goals are reading. The Bible, must be to develop a Godly conscience to be able to discern, right, and wrong to choose the good. And to eschew the evil, it’s pointless to know the right path and say, well it doesn’t matter, I can do such and such and it really doesn’t affect my connection to God. And so believing a lie one of the most famous of which is it doesn’t really matter is a huge Thorn, two are connected. Should we have God?

211. 1:35:48

     It’s probably the biggest lie ever told effectively. That’s what the serpent told, Eve in the garden. It doesn’t really matter. If you eat that fruit, thou shall not surely die. It’s the biggest lie. And it’s one that we have to become aware of, and it’s so prevalent as young people to be aware of that.

212. 1:36:05

     He does matter. And what happens when you continually wound Godly God’s conscience, your Godly conscience. The one that God is trying to help you develop through his living word is that you end up. Omitting, all sorts of rubbish into your life.

213. 1:36:21

     You defile yourself and God cannot dwell in a filthy Temple. He’s who too holy for that. So what’s the antidote for that? Are we lost forever once we go down the wrong track? Well, no Hebrews 11 verse 49. Verse 9, tells us the only antidote is the contemplation of what Christ does for you has done for you personally. You see, it’s not the blood of bulls and goats and animal sacrifices that can affect a man’s heart. Like the blood of Christ can.

214. 1:36:49

     The only remedy is to Consider what God has done for you, personally. And then, once the love of Christ is broken your heart and you’ve asked for forgiveness, you do is David describes in Psalm one time when 19, where he asked that very question. Where with wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his ways? And the answer comes back by taking heed according to Thy Word, You see discernment is not the ability to know the difference between right and wrong. It’s knowing the difference between right and almost rights and there probably isn’t a time in history. The history of the world where that ability is been more needed than right now, we live in treacherous times. Now we only have a couple more Thorns to to our faith to go, and we’ll finish up for this evening, but another Thorn to our faith.

215. 1:37:38

     And it might seem to be a little counterintuitive is being too capable. And what I mean by that is leaning on to One’s Own Strength or one’s own. Understanding, God says, in First Corinthians 1, verse 19 for it is written. I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and will bring to nothing the understanding of The Prudent. Where is the wise, where is the Scribe? Where is the disputer of this world has not God, made the fully made foolish.

216. 1:38:02

     The wisdom of this world. For after that, in the wisdom of God, the World by its wisdom. Did not know God. It, pleased God, by the foolishness of preaching, to save them that We’ve you see, even though you may think what you have is a really good solution to an issue, or you may feel really capable of helping somebody in need, wouldn’t the guidance of God In Prayer always improve things?

217. 1:38:27

     Would it make sense to run it by the master of the universe? And so we get this classic principle in Zachariah. Forward says not by might nor by power, but by my spirit saith, the Lord of hosts. Proverbs 3 verse 5 says, trust in the Lord, with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding in all, thy ways acknowledge Him and He Shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes fear, Yahweh and depart from evil.

218. 1:38:59

     Another Thorn to our faith that we’ve discussed in. Great detail is not clearly understanding what God thinks of you and really up until this point. We’ve only talked about what God thinks of those who have made a covenant relationship with him in baptism, but it’s important to realize, especially for the young people that haven’t been baptized that your relationship with God.

219. 1:39:17

     Begins long before baptism. Baptism. Baptism formalizes it. You see, God is the initiator of our salvation and he begins working out in our lives. Long before we ever get baptized. In fact, one of the reasons people often get baptized is because they can’t deny that. God has been working in their life and calling them and their baptism is simply a response to his to how good he’s been to us especially when we well and we don’t deserve it. That’s called the gifts of Grace. This is demonstrated by the simple fact that God heard the prayer of this faithful.

220. 1:39:50

     Albeit unbaptized, man named Cornelius in Acts 10. It’s also shown that while we were yet without Strength Christ died for the ungodly, while we were yet. Sinners that God has no pleasure in the death of the unrighteous, he sends the rain on the just and the unjust got his is calling out a people for his name and while many are called few are chosen. Number 10.

221. 1:40:15

     What are some of the Thorns that choke our faith and keep us from growing in our relationship with God? Well, being overly self-conscious or looking at oneself instead of Christ, and forgive the example from the first class. But that’s what I was alluding to when I said, I had to learn to stop thinking about myself and my Hang-Ups at the breaking of bread and to shift my focus to think about the Lord, Jesus Christ who I was endeavoring to Remember at the breaking of bread.

222. 1:40:42

     One of the easiest ways to find the root of any problem. Is to find the focus and if the focus is self, it’s not going to go. Well and we all do this because it’s human nature. The classic example of this is Peter walking on the water, right? So as long as he was looking at Christ, he was doing the impossible. And as soon as he looked at the Sea and the waves roaring around him, he lost focus and began to think about himself and began to sink.

223. 1:41:09

     Looking at oneself is a thorn to ourselves and to unto our faith. Number 11, the cares of this life have overwhelmed you another Thorn to our faith is that very thing? Thus, we aren’t able to look up lift up our heads to look at our provider. We’re told to cast our cares upon the Lord, we’re told that the Lord cares for us.

224. 1:41:31

     But in this one what I want you to think about is our responsibility is those that are so-called living in the first world to our brothers and sisters who are living in the third world so-called Some of them are so ground down in poverty, that it’s difficult for them to even lift up their head and to God. And so it is our responsibility as the privileged. It’s our duty to give unto every man as they have need. Which is what we get from acts to so that they don’t have to worry about the necessities of life and that they can worship god without worry.

225. 1:42:02

     The ironic thing that is he the ironic thing is that even despite having all of our personal needs met, we can get caught up in the consumer culture, which is this Each and let the cares of this life crowd out our relationship with God and diminish, our faith in him. Well, we’re getting too close to the end, thank you for your patience, but here’s another Thorn to our faith, not understanding your purpose, or your destiny in life. And that’s not to mean that we should be high-minded, but it does help to know exactly why we are on planet Earth. And this hopefully isn’t too mystical or woohoo. What does the Bible say about your future? You see, Christ knew exactly.

226. 1:42:44

     It was very clear in his mind why he was alive. And most of the world has no clue why they’re on planet Earth. Many think well it’s all about eating and drinking and being merry for tomorrow we die. But that’s believing a lie. So clear was Christ. Purpose in his mind that under the great stress of eminent crucifixion. He could clearly articulate.

227. 1:43:04

     Why he was born, this is the famous exchange of pilot and I’m sure you remember it pilot says unto him Are you a king then? Jesus answered. I’ll say it’s time. It came to this end was I born and for this cause came I into the world that I should bear witness to the truth.

228. 1:43:22

     For every one that is of the truth, hears my voice. And this is when pilate asks famous question, the one for the ages. What is truth. When Christ was 12 years old, he told his parents wished. She not that I must be about my father’s business. Samuel also, from a very young age, knew why he was alive and what his Destiny was. And he fulfilled the mission David understood it, Daniel the same and scores of others.

229. 1:43:48

     How long will it take us to figure out and moreover, once we have that based on God’s word, not or not our own, how long will it take before? We actually believe that we are destined to live forever in Christ’s Kingdom. You see brothers and sisters. Our problem isn’t necessarily Bible study. Although each of us can do more, I’m sure the issue is actually believing what we already intellectually know. And while we know that the adversary of the Bible isn’t some Supernatural temper that runs around with pitchfork and scrambles our brain to do things that we don’t really want to do. What that Supernatural devil or what the devil is in, the Bible is that Resident voice in our heads, that hears the word of God and simply refuses to believe it. It’s listening to all these verses about what God thinks about you and me and it’s the response that says well yeah that’s all very well for somebody else, but it has nothing to do with me.

230. 1:44:45

     That’s the Satan of the Bible. It’s the voice inside us, that makes an accusation against God that calls him a liar. And refuses his words, the Satan of the Bible is the doubting voice within each of us. That Slanders the word of God and refuses to believe with the creator of the universe has said about us. It’s the doubt that he can do it, that he is able to present us faultless Before the Throne of his grace and that we can be without sin with him forever.

231. 1:45:12

     More. Now I’m not suggesting that believing is easy. I know from experience that it requires effort in the sense of continually continually threshing, Andre layering these things in our mind because we’re leaking vessels but there is a way to dwell in this new mindset, the mindset of faith in Christ Jesus our lord.

232. 1:45:31

     And that’s what I want to talk about in our session tomorrow morning. How God, generates our faith, just give me three more minutes, maybe five, and I’ll close this session please. The question that we have to ask ourselves is that when this is what God thinks of us, why is it that we have such trouble believing it?

233. 1:45:51

     Well, it’s interesting that on a first principle levels, we rightly concluded that there is no Supernatural devil. There is an entity out there, running around the world, wreaking havoc on God’s creation, tempting and poking. And prodding men and women to do the wrong thing. We know that to be ourselves We know that Temptation comes from man’s hearts and we’re drawn away of our own lust, but it’s important to remember that the Hallmark characteristic of the adversary or the opponent in scriptures.

234. 1:46:19

     One, who denies the truth. One, who hears the word of God and inverts, it, when who makes a false accusation against God If we believe that way brothers and sisters, there’s a problem in our thinking. I believe before the foundations of the earth, God asked a rather simple question and I’m not trying to be facetious here, I’m not being flippant.

235. 1:46:39

     I imagine it’s a question that all good parents ask themselves at some point in time about their children and that question is, what a my children need to be successful. It’s one that I can’t help but ask about my students at Heritage College because I only care about them and want the best for them. In some mushy way.

236. 1:46:59

     I love them right? I’m only a teacher. I’m not a parent but I can imagine that every good parent would ask this question about their own children. What is it that I could provide whatever it is, I would so that they could be successful. And I reckon in all seriousness that God asked his angels before the world began, what would my creation need before? Giving me the free-will offering of their love. What reassurance would they need that? I deeply care about them and desire, them to be with me forever.

237. 1:47:29

     What would be the ultimate expression of love? That would inspire a reciprocal love from them. I think, you know, the answer, He said, I will give them my only begotten son. He will declare my righteousness that sin is worthy of death and that the flesh profits nothing. He will allow himself to be made a sign for all generations and he will lay down his life for his friends.

238. 1:47:55

     That is the gift that I will give them. That is the token of my love. That is the very model of what I want to see in them, love motivated by faith and confidence in me. And that’s the basis for the relationship that I desire to see working in them. And this was the grace that we see Peter, and Paul and and all the apostles in Acts preaching, this was the gift that was on offer. This was the undercurrent of their mind. It’s what gave these men hope and what set the world on fire and it changed the course of human history? It no way.

239. 1:48:27

     Did they set out to prove their love to God by their Works? They wouldn’t have gotten very far. If they did, these men were energized, first 50, the power of the love of God, seen in the face of Jesus Christ, but brothers and sisters, if we invert the process and we try to generate Faith by going out and doing something nice for others without the proper motivation. We’ve deceived ourselves, we will get weary in well-doing because our willpower is unsustainable. The power of God’s love is without limit. So when we come to remember the Lord Jesus Christ tomorrow morning, let us be thankful thankful for him by whom our sins are blotted out, thankful for this unspeakable gift that God has given us in Jesus Christ, and let us go forth in the motivation of the love of Christ. As seen in the breaking of bread, the emblems of bread and wine and let us become humble so that God can work in us and do his good pleasure.

240. 1:49:31

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241. 1:50:08

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