Sam Bailey - Deborah and Barak - Class 6 - Exhortation - Christ - Leading Captivity Captive

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

1. 0:00

   Now we’ll ask our brother Sam to come forward and to speak to us to the theme Christ leading the captive, captive bringing to a close his special effort. Thank you.

2. 0:21

   Well, good morning my dear brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus. Christ. It’s been lovely to be able to share this wonderful week together and to be encouraged, mutually encouraged, by the wonderful things that we’ve been considering. And the examples. That you’ve all shown us in service and diligence in this wonderful week.

3. 0:41

   So we’d like to thank each and everyone of you for all you’ve done for us over the course of our studies on Deborah and Baywreq. We’ve come to see this. Remarkable. Way. In which leadership, and we’ve used that term very carefully. Leadership by individuals can motivate an entire nation. To change the course of history. And we’ve seen the way in which the specific leadership qualities of service demonstrated by a woman, a prophetess, the mother in Israel, inspired and nervous and worried, and an anxious warrior who was struggling with the enormity of the task that he’d been called to and was failing to stand up and take his responsibility. And his responsibility was, as we’ve seen, to. Lead a nation.

4. 1:34

   To victory. And to lead captivity Captive and Deborah’s well executed and insightful leadership brothers and sisters in the nation changed the entire oppression, reversing the problem and sparks a military revolution that led Bairak to motivate 10,000 men. And saw the nation shake off. Their oppressive overlords who had mightily oppressed them for 20 years. All because their.

5. 2:07

   Parents Generation. Failed to transfer the truth to them in the wonderful things of the inheritance that they’ve been blessed with. And so this morning, brothers and sisters, by way of exaltation. We want to draw our. Thoughts. Together around the theme of Deborah and Bayrack in jail. And we’re going to unlock the. One expression I believe on the.

6. 2:27

   Sisters, that sits in Deborah’s song that is going to inspire David and the Apostle Paul to talk about the way in which God works amongst the nation and the way in which Christ’s leadership ought to change us. You see, the psalmist in Psalm 68 is going to take the expression of leading captivity captive and to focus and apply it in the in in in the context.

7. 2:54

   Of Yahweh’s. Great deliverance that David experienced amongst the nation as they sought to seize their inheritance. It’s going to be a phrase that. Paul chooses in Ephesians chapter. Four to highlight the great. Work of Yahweh’s. Deliverance through the work of his Son and our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. And it’s this phrase, leading captivity captive, that more importantly for every single one of us is going to have implications and moral responsibilities for us who are the recipients of Yahweh’s salvation and deliverance through Christ.

8. 3:28

   It’s going to have a moral and powerful implication for us. If we’re going to truly. Understand this expression and this morning we want to appreciate that this morning so the expression we want we. Want to as we’ve alluded to, is found in Judges chapter 5 and verse 2. Awake, awake Deborah, awake, utter a song, arise by wreck and. Lead.

9. 3:55

   Thy captivity captive, thy son of Ebenoim. You see the? Essential problem of Bayrak’s time and Deborah’s time was the challenge of leadership. The nation had failed. Remember we saw that in verse 7. It says the inhabitants of the villagers ceased. Really it’s just the word villagers ceased and the word for villagers, the word for chief or for rulers.

10. 4:18

    There was no leadership in Israel. The nation’s leadership had failed the judges, who were supposed to be the chiefs in each city. The rulers were supposed to be there to help Israel understand the law and to save them, and it was gone. And it was into this leadership. Vacuum that we saw Deborah stand up to inspire and lead Bayreq and the expression.

11. 4:39

    To lead captivity captive. Captures the desperation. Which with? With which? Deborah approached Bayreq in the very first place. Arise. Awake. Awake. We’ve got to get going. She says. We’ve got to. We’ve got to shake off this idea of sleeping and night time. We’ve got to wake. This is their time to get going, she says. She needed Bayrek to awake himself. Stand up, get going, man up and take your responsibility. Seriously, Bayrek.

12. 5:10

    The entire nation was being bound by oppression and in bondage, enslaved to a Gentile king, lorded over by military commandment. We’ve got to reverse this problem, she says. And Deborah’s plea was that? Bayrak might stand up to. Fulfill his God-given office as Yahweh’s. Judge to deliver them and that he might lead an army against those who are holding the nation hostage in captivity and total oppression.

13. 5:38

    They couldn’t move. They were. They were under his vice like grip. And that God might. Free his people through the work of Bayrak. And his men. By. Taking captivity, sorry captivity captive sister and Jabin were the source of the nation’s captivity, and Beirut was to stand up to free his. People by taking their. Captives.

14. 6:01

    Captive. And the result of Deborah’s Bayrack’s leadership. Is seen in in verse 13 because it says in verse 13. That. Bayrich’s leadership. Inspire a remnant from amongst the people. To. Join him in this conquest against the represses and we saw, didn’t we, verse 13 that the word literally that better translation is literally at that time the remnant came to trample down the Lords and we saw that it really means a unified people of Yahweh came. To trample down the mighty ones.

15. 6:40

    It was those that remained. It was a. Remnant who responded. It wasn’t everybody. As we saw. Some tribes didn’t come at. All. There was a. Remnant who responded. Only a portion of the people came. And these are referred to by Deborah as the. People of Yahweh. And these are the ones who were, as we saw.

16. 6:58

    Were prepared to risk and to jeopardize their lives for the sake. Of their brethren, I want you to notice that expression, The people. Of Yahweh. What does that? Really mean? Doesn’t sisters, the people of Yahweh. What we’re going to see, brother sisters, is that David is going to refer to them as Yahweh riding amongst them and. In what way does that work?

17. 7:23

    Well, you see, Yahweh was going to be amongst them, a unified people of Yahweh. Were going to be those 10,000 men who. Streamed down the heights of Mount Table, risking their. Lives to save their brethren, that they might release the. Oppression that mightily oppressed them. In their nation they were. Prepared to give their lives to save.

18. 7:45

    And Deborah sees the event of this day as remarkably reminiscent. We’ve already seen this remarkably reminiscent of the events that had gone before as Yahweh moved to save and deliver his people from the bondage and the oppression of Egypt and brought them to Mount Sinai. Because she says in verses four and five.

19. 8:05

    And I just want to. Cover this because we’re going about to go back into. Deuteronomy and we’re going to pick up some expressions and carry them through into Psalms. So here we go Judges chapter 5, verse four. Look what she says, Yahweh. When their wentest out of seer. When their marchest. Out of the field of.

20. 8:22

    Edom, the earth dropped. Sorry, the earth trembled and the heavens dropped. The clouds also dropped water. The mountains melted from before Yahweh, even Sinai from before Yahweh, Elohim of Israel and Deborah’s now. Alluding back to the song and the blessing of Moses and Deuteronomy 33, as we’ve already seen. So just come back with me now to Deuteronomy chapter 33.

21. 8:48

    So I just want to reinforce this idea of the unified people of Yahweh. So here we are, Deborah’s song, and she sees not just the floods of Yahweh’s judgement as they’re. Poured out. From the heavens that. Destroy the Chariots and the horses and the men that get. Chewed up by the sword in terms of Bay racks men, but she saw the water that melted the mountain as the nation of Israel.

22. 9:20

    With their 10. 1000 men as they poured off that hill in metaphorical. Language as the. People of Yahweh. And so here she says she’s quoting from Deborah’s from Moses song. Remember, Moses has just finished. Talking about the nation’s current situation, their blessings from the deliverance of Egypt, the provision of food in the wilderness, the entry into the fruitful land, the promotion of Israel as the head of the nation’s riding, remember riding upon the. High places of the earth as Yahweh’s. People.

23. 9:49

    It’s as he’s described. That’s how Moses has described them in Jeremy 32 as Yahweh’s people. And him riding. Upon the high places of the earth. And so we come to chapter 33, verse 1, and it says this is the blessing with which Moses, the man of God, bless the children of Israel before his death.

24. 10:16

    Moses now concludes his song by addressing the. Spirit that they would. Need to receive forgiveness for their sins. The need to call on Yahweh’s mercy with repentant hearts, He says to them. Here’s the blessing, he said. Look, just see this Yahweh. Came from Sinai, and rose up from seer unto them. It dawned. It dawned from seer unto them.

25. 10:47

    He shined forth from Mount Poran and came with 10,000 of his Saints, and from his right hand winter fiery law for them. Yeah, he loved the people all. His Saints are in thy hand, and they sat. Down at thy feet. Every one of them shall receive thy words. And here, Moses. Poetically describes the deliverance. Of Yahweh as He.

26. 11:13

    Recounts the story of the emerging glory coming forth from Egypt unto Mount Sinai as the sun rising from the east, his beams breaking forth to the full of the heavens and earth. And the 10,000 of his Saints, pouring forth with a fiery law built for them to receive. At the base of a mountain that burnt and shook. And he says, yeah, here’s the motivation. He loved the people.

27. 11:42

    God loved those people. It says he brought them out because he loved them all. His. Saints are protected and controlled. They are in thy. Hands, says Moses. They’re being looked after and being protected. Those that were his people and they came, he says, and they sat down at his feet, every single one of them, to receive his words and the point that Moses is trying to say to the nation as he says, listen, God does care.

28. 12:14

    He does love his people. He understands their need when they cry. Yeah, they that understand him in response will come motivated to sit down and to listen carefully to the words of the law that he’s going to give.

29. 12:38

    And Deborah saw the 10,000 men at their time. At barracks motivated by barracks. Leadership streaming down the slopes of table as the reenactment of Yahweh’s deliverance from the bondage of Egypt, the reestablishment of Yahweh and His Law, which was not seen in any of their gates, because instead war was there. Now, she says, we see the Law again amongst the gates, and Deborah’s therefore pleading the nation to once more pick up the book of the Law and to talk of God’s wondrous acts.

30. 13:10

    At the watering. Holes and can now they can see God’s testimony of what he will do. For them and Deborah’s pleading with them to repent and to serve Yahweh once more as their God and to become His. People that God might dwell amongst them.

31. 13:31

    The Psalmist is going to pick up this thoughts, these expressions, the remnant of Yahweh, Yahweh amongst his people, Yahweh, I’m, I’m riding amongst them in Psalm. 68 Come with me now. To Psalm 68, because David is going to see how God is working amongst his people to establish his inheritance and to put his people.

32. 14:02

    In their land. And Psalm 68 picks up the blessing of Moses and this and the song of Deborah and puts them both together in the context of David’s battles. And he’s going to show, firstly, the majestic. Way in which? God cares about his people. God does care, and therefore he’s going to show the way in which God will bring about his salvation.

33. 14:29

    And by this is the context. To Psalm 68 is is probably the time of the writings, probably around the stories of Second Samuel 8 and 10, eight to 10, a time when great conquests were about to be undertaken. To extend. Israel’s control over. The land that had been dominated. By their oppressors around them.

34. 14:48

    This is the Philistines, the Moabites. The Syrians and the Edomites, they’re oppressive people that sat around and that had chewed into the inheritance of Yahweh’s blessing and. David’s going to. Write a song about his army and what his army’s going to do and how God is going to work with his army to establish his inheritance. Verse one, we don’t have time to do the entire Psalm. We’ll just cherry pick along just to prove these points. Look.

35. 15:15

    Let God arise verse one, let his enemies. Be scattered, let them also that hate Him flee before Him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away. As wax melts before a fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God. But let the righteous, let the righteous be glad. Let them rejoice before you, before God. Let them exceedingly rejoice and sing unto God, sing praises unto Him, His name extol him that rides upon the heavens by his name Yah, and rejoice before Him. So here we have the story of David as he sees this is what we see God doing.

36. 15:58

    He’s going to he’s going to do all these wonderful things. The enemies are gone and we’re going to sing just like Moses and sing just like Deborah. Why are we going to sing? Well, look what he. Sees, look at how much care God’s going to show. Well, he’s it, says A. Father of the Fatherless. And a judge.

37. 16:16

    Of the widows, God does care about his people. Is God in His? Holy habitation. God sets the solitary in families. He brings out those which are bound with. Chains, but the rebellious dwell in a dry land. Can you see how these themes are picked up from Moses and from Deborah? Because here’s your proof.

38. 16:42

    Verse 70 God. When thou wentest. Forth before thy people. When they just marched through the. Wilderness consider this. He says zela consider. This the earth shook. The heavens also dropped at the presence of God. Even Sinai itself was moved at the Presence. Of God, the God of Israel. So there’s your quote from Deuteronomy chapter 33. That’s the quote from Judges chapter 5. You see, here he was.

39. 17:18

    We don’t have time to look at it, but look he. This is the. Way in which Deborah and Bayrack and Moses had understood the way in which God worked and. David says. Look at how it. Works for me. It’s exactly the same way. And what happened? Well, O thou descend a plentiful rain, whereby thou disconfirm thy inheritance when it was weary. Thy congregation hath dwelt therein. O God, thou preparest thy goodness for the poor. The Lord gave the word.

40. 17:51

    Great was the. Notice the margin. The army of those that published it, You see, this was David announcing to the people, this is what we’re about to do. And marching is God’s army. King of armies did flee before them. She that tarried at home divided the spoil. Though ye have lined amongst the pots, yet shall ye be covered by the wings of a dove, covered with silver in the feathers of yellow gold.

41. 18:14

    When Almighty scattered kings, it was white as the snow of Salomon, and the hill of God is as the hill of Bashan. The high hills of the hill of Bashan. Why leap you, ye high hills? This is the hill which God desires to dwell on. Yeah, Yahweh will dwell on it. Forever and the. High hills of Bashan that once had lit is a reference to the opposing forces that had stood in David’s way as he conquered the land, flattening them in his path and he removes. The stranglehold of the surrounding nations. Hood enslaved his people.

42. 18:46

    And he sees himself and his army taking full control. Over the land of the. Philistines, the Moabites, the Syrians, the Ammonites. And to take. Spoilers of Chariots and horsemen and Shields of gold, Silver. And brass. As he did in Second Samuel chapter 8 and upon. These taking of the. Territories, David Places. His own garrisons. Bang, bang, bang, bang.

43. 19:08

    This is mine. This is God’s land. And they all became David’s servants. And the psalmist likens these campaigns and Yahweh’s deliverance to his people as it happened in Mount Sinai and Table. Look at what he says, verse 17. Don’t worry about the Chariots of iron, He says. Look at Yahweh’s. Chariots. The Chariots. Of God are 20,000 even thousands of angels, Yahweh’s among them, as in Sinai and the holy place.

44. 19:43

    Really, it means the Chariots. Of Yahweh are myriads, thousands of charges, he says. Don’t worry about the 9. 100 Chariots of mine. There’s nothing. Nothing, just. Like a liceous servant, there’s nothing to be compared with the way in which God can work.

45. 20:00

    They’re Yahweh’s army and they are innumerable, says David. Didn’t matter how many we had, God was there. Right around us. When God is for us, is David, no one’s going to stand in our way. But note who’s among them. Brothers and sisters? Who is among them? The Chariots of God are 20,000 even.

46. 20:24

    Thousands of angels, Yahweh as it should be, is among them. In this in in Sinai, as in Sinai, in the holy place, Yahweh’s. Among them, it’s Yahweh who’s riding. Amongst them, who is that bill and. Sisters, of course it’s Yahweh, but how? How was Yahweh? Riding in the middle of this army, how was Yahweh riding in the middle of of the 10,000 men? How was Yahweh amongst the children of Israel? Well, it was God manifest in them. It was their characters.

47. 21:05

    They saw the need to which they applied themselves and saw God’s Word and his law, and it emanated. Forth as they manifested Him and. All his glory. Wasn’t about them. Yahweh. Rode. Among them and the. Point that David sees is whilst it was David. And his army that went to take Yahweh’s oppressors it was. God.

48. 21:28

    In them doing the work. They were motivated because they saw what God had done for them. And they responded as they. Fought for him with his power, his support, his blessing. And they were there for his people. He was their God who was amongst them, fighting with them. And exactly as he rode from Sinai into the sanctuary, as Josh had conquered the land, so the nations melted before them.

49. 21:55

    And it was God doing the work, not them. David. Says, oh, we fought it, but on us and the psalmist now. Quotes. The every song but it says verse 18. Thou. Has descended on high. Thou hast lead captivity captive. Why? Well, thou has received gifts for men, for the rebellious also, that Yahweh might dwell among them. Thou has descended on high.

50. 22:28

    David had brought the Ark to Zion. Second Samuel, chapter 6. And then proceeded to take captivity captive. 2nd. Samuel chapter 8 You see, God was dwelling among them, but. It wasn’t just an ark, was it, brothers and sisters? It was the ark of God amongst their hearts, just as Moses had. Just as Moses had inspired the people through God’s presence, Bear it did the same.

51. 22:54

    The psalmist adds some additional detail. Thou hast received gifts. Four men, really. Literally there has received gifts. Consisting. Notice the margin. Four says well. In the man what has changed? And the answer is that they received gifts of men. Or. Consisting of men. Or inside men. What were these gifts? You see, David needed the nation to see that.

52. 23:24

    Following. God and choosing to respond was seeing themselves as a gift in response of service and that God had inspired people who would serve because they appreciated what God had done. That was the gift, says David. A nation of people whom Yahweh was walking amongst. Where does David get this idea from? Well, I think the idea of the gift of people being given for God in response to seeing what God’s done and to being motivated by him, why it’s not taken from anywhere other than Exodus chapter 32, is it? You see, what was the gift of men that Moses saw dedicated to God in response to his deliverance? You recall in Exodus 32, as Moses descends Mount Sinai, I wouldn’t think idolatry of the golden calf. He smashes the table of stone in disgust. And he demands the nation.

53. 24:24

    In Exodus 32 verse 26, he says, who’s on the Lord’s side? Who is it? Who will soon let them come to me? And who responds? Brothers and sisters, Well, the answer was it was all. The sons of Levi. Who responded and gathered themselves to him and Moses says to them in Exodus 32 we don’t have time to look at it. Verse 29 consecrate yourselves today to Yahweh. He says you take yourself aside and you. Dedicate your life to Yahweh, every man upon his son and upon his brother, that Yahweh might bestow upon you a blessing. This Day Excess 32, verse 29.

54. 25:05

    And what was that blessing? Those are sisters. What was the blessing of the Levites? From Exodus 32 verse 29. Well, the blessing would come in the form of a special role the sons of Levi would perform in service unto Yahweh by being gifted to Aaron’s sons. Come with me to Numbers Chapter 8.

55. 25:26

    Here’s the proof. Numbers chapter 8, verse 17 The gifts consisting of men in Moses. ‘S time what? Was that it’s the Levites, he says. Numbers chapter 8, verse 17 for all. The. First born of the children of Israel, the mine, says God. So we have the establishment of the blessing of the 1st.

56. 25:57

    Born both man and beast on. Every day that I smote. Every first. Born in the land of Egypt, I sanctified them for myself. Then he sees this. And I have. Taken the. Levites for all the 1st. Born of the children of Israel. So he said. I’m just. Switching them out. So I had asked that I give every first. Born, he says.

57. 26:23

    I’m We’re going to change this. We’re going to switch. This out, we’re going to have the Levites now. That are going to be taken for all the first born of the children of Israel Why well I’m taking those says God do you know what I’m doing with him verse 19 I have. Given the Levites. As a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the children of Israel to do 2 things.

58. 26:51

    The first one, notice what it says. To do the service of the children of Israel in the Tabernacle of the congregation. That’s the first job to do the service of the children of Israel on the Tabernacle. And the second. Thing they’re going to do. Is they’re going to make an atonement? For the children of Israel? What for?

59. 27:14

    That there be no plague among the children of Israel when the children of Israel come. Nigh unto the sanctuary. It was their service from the incident of Exodus chapter 32 that ensured Yahweh’s blessing in being gifted to Aaron and his sons. For the service note of the entire nation, that there be no plague amongst the people when they come to worship. They were going to be Yahweh’s special gift for service to His people.

60. 27:53

    Come with me back to Psalm 68. What is David saying in the song? What’s David saying in this song? What had David been taught?

61. 28:14

    You see thou? Has. Descended on high thou has leptivity captivity captive there has to receive gifts of. Men. Yeah, for the rebellious, that Yahweh. Might dwell among them in the lesson that. David was being taught. Was it that although David had led his people to victory, it was their service as gods, ministering people that God was with them?

62. 28:45

    You see, this was. Beyond the Levites. Now, as the Sisters, these gifts of men had expanded from being just the ones that served in the sanctuaries, the ones that served in every part of the empire. And they had given their lives for their brethren. And David says, I see these not just as the Levites anymore that had gifted for the service to make an atonement, but they offered their lives. For the nation, this was the Army, brothers and sisters. The 10. 1000 men of Bairak.

63. 29:14

    This wasn’t Levites, it was the. Spirit of the. Levites, though, that had instilled a change in their hearts. And David says, I’ve seen this expansion from those that were just those that served in the sanctuary, that there’d been my plague amongst the children of Israel, to the entire army, that they ensured that there’d be no enemies left. They each would lead.

64. 29:35

    In response to seeing what God had done for them in their own ways, to serve in God’s nation and to serve Him in purity of mind, to dedicate their lives to worshipping Him. They were God’s gift to serve Him and His people. Do you know you proved? That rather than says, look at the last verse of Psalm 68, look what it says, Oh God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places. The God of Israel, the power, the ale of of Israel is he that giveth.

65. 30:09

    Strength and power unto. His people. God had transferred. To his nation, blessed be God, says the psalmist. What a remarkable thing, says David. Look at how this this army responds and serves. That’s the spirit with which they fought out the inheritance. What a marvellous response. To seeing what God had done for them.

66. 30:38

    So Paul’s not going to pick up these things in Ephesians chapter 4. He’s going to say wow, look at how God works amongst the people in Exodus. Look. At how God works amongst. The. Time of Deborah and Bayrek look at how God works and how people respond. Amongst the time of David, he says, Well, what do you think we ought to do? On the back of what?

67. 31:10

    Christ has done. And Paul’s now going to pick up and show that the work of Christ was the ultimate way, brothers and sisters, in which. God. Would. Bring about redemption and deliverance. From the bondage of sin. And death. That for all the as we saw in our first exhort, that all our lifetime was subject to bondage.

68. 31:32

    Says Hebrews chapter 2. What has Christ freed us? From and how? Should we respond? Paul was going to show how Christ’s leadership should inspire us and. Inspire. People to serve as his people. Ephesians chapter 4 verse one look at how Paul starts and perhaps now in this context and the reason why we’ve waited to give this study to the very end is to see how all these themes Paul’s going to just drop in words in Ephesians chapter 4. Look what he says.

69. 32:03

    I therefore and never wondered. Why it says? The prisoner. Of the Lord. Oh. Now we have a word rich and. Meaning, don’t we, brothers and sisters, a prisoner? Of the Lord He’s bound, but he’s not bound by sin, He’s bound by service. Beseech ye, therefore he says, that ye walk worthy of the conversation wherewith ye are called. In what spirit, in what way are we to respond, to walk worthy of the calling wherewith we’ve been? Called well, he says, well, the spirit that we’ve got to have is not one that says, oh, how?

70. 32:46

    Great am I? Look how amazing I am as a leader. Look at me up the front, it’s got nothing. To do with that he says look verse two he says this is what the spirit of Christ should do for you he says with. All lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering for bearing one another in love, endeavoring at all times, he says, to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bottle of peas. It was to be a calling.

71. 33:14

    That requires a spirit of self sacrifice. As we have. Seen a spirit that was willing to give their lives for the brothers and sisters, willing care for all of God’s people because God’s working in all of their lives, says Paul. It’s that spirit because why there’s only one? Body. There’s only one spirit, there’s one hope of your calling.

72. 33:38

    There’s one Lord, 1 faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all. Who is above all? Through. All and in you all says. Paul, all brothers and. Sisters, that Yahweh might be among them, that God is above. All through all. And in you and every single one of us, says Paul, that’s what it should be. You see that Psalm 68, verse 18, isn’t it? That Yahweh might dwell among them, that Yahweh, Elohim might be in us?

73. 34:21

    How? Brothers and sisters, it’s not an indwelling of the. Spirit is it? It’s a manifestation of what we do. So Paul is saying in Ephesians, God’s called you to that.

74. 34:38

    How many of us might be bare acts by the sisters? How many of us might be Deborah’s? How many of us might be James? Paul says you’ve got to walk worthy and that walking should show care for one another and the Spirit would be seen by fighting to bond together to remain united. That’s what he says so that God might be seen as the unified. People of Yahweh, do you get the point, Brothers and sisters, the unified people of Yahweh said.

75. 35:22

    Deborah, the Remnant. That came. That’s what we need to see, says Paul. Paul says now that This is why you should respond. There’s something really special, something incredible that’s been given to us to assist us in our walk. What is it, verse 7? And it’s not just given to one. Or to two or to three of. US.

76. 35:41

    No, he says, verse 7 but unto. Every one of us is given grace. According to the measure of the gift of Christ, what does he mean by that under? Every one of us is given the grace according to the measure. Of the gift. Of Christ. The point that Christ is Paul is making. Was this not the?

77. 36:02

    Spirit doesn’t assist this. Wasn’t the Holy Spirit in any stretch of the imagination? They had all received the freedom. That Christ. Had given them they. ‘D all received grace. According to the measure of the gift of Christ. That all received freedom. Each and every one of them had been given the freedom from sin and death Christ has apportioned to each and everyone of us. But how we?

78. 36:34

    Respond is how much we appreciate how much we’ve been given. So what should that inspire us? Well, Paul sees. It and should inspire. Us in the same way that David inspired he saw his inspired, says verse 8. Wherefore he says. When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men, gifts consisting of men.

79. 37:03

    Paul says, OK, Christ led by example, submitting to death and suffering for the Saints. He descended first, he says Now that he ascended, what is it but that he first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He descended first, you see, whilst the volunteers and Deborah and and and Bayrek and. David’s time had jeopardized their lives unto death.

80. 37:29

    Christ actually gave his entirety in service for His brethren, and He descended first. But God didn’t allow him to stay there. In fact, he lifted up on high. He’s now ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fulfil all things. So who were the gifts? Says Paul. Well, just have a look in your ecclesia.

81. 38:00

    Well, he gave if you just get a pencil colour in the word, he gave gifts unto men. And you link verse 11. He gave some apostles. Some prophets, some evangelists and some passes and some teachers. You know, Paul doesn’t say, oh, he gave the gift of the exposition. He gave the gift of faith.

82. 38:19

    He gave the gift. And it’s got nothing to do with the Spirit, says Paul. It’s got to do with what they did with it, and it’s what they served with. He gave some apostles, he gave some prophets, some evangelists, some passes and teachers. He gave people who served.

83. 38:36

    They were touched. By the grace that they’d received as a response to that, they. Rose up to work and Yahweh’s service. Every single. One of them. As Yahweh’s people. Responding to the call with one purpose. What for? He says, Well, not for their own personal glory. Verse 12. For the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. That’s what they were.

84. 39:11

    Trying to do. They were trying to build a unity amongst them. To try and help. Them stand up and to give see each of them for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ. He says. They were all there willing volunteers motivated by grace for the care and the maturing, maturing and the working of building up their accusers. And what were they trying to do?

85. 39:45

    What’s your theme for the year? They were trying to assist the Saints to come. In the unity. Of the faith, the unified people of Yahweh, amongst them in the unity of faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God. Unto a perfect man. Unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Why?

86. 40:14

    So that we don’t be tossed to and fro by everything going on around us, every wind of doctrine, by the slight of men and the cunning craftiness that they’re trying to lie and to deceive. There are people. Seeking self aggrandisement and self glory, he says no, no, no. He says if we really understand what God’s done for us, he says, we will speak the. Truth in love.

87. 40:40

    They’re pursuing truth in love. So that we may grow up into him, into all things, which is the head. Even Christ, from whom the whole body? Fit be joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplies, according to the fictional working of the measure of the part maketh increase. Of the body unto the edifying of itself and love. So he says, mate, walk not as other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind, but you focus on taking. Off all of those former lusts.

88. 41:20

    Renew in the spirit of your mind that you might be a new man, which after God has created in righteousness and true holiness. You see, these brothers and sisters threw themselves into the work of the truth because they each individually valued the fact that they had been freed from. Sins captive grasp. That they had been.

89. 41:49

    Freed by like the captain’s incredible victory, responding with vigor as willing volunteers motored by love to show that love. To their bridge. That’s what Christ’s sacrifice, brothers and sisters. Should have done for them, and should also do for us.

90. 42:14

    And so, brothers and sisters, now, as we turn our mind to the emblems of His love, we now have time to examine ourselves. For we too, as the Ephesians, have received and been. Gifted in abundance, abundant grace by our Saviour’s sacrifice. The question we have to ask ourselves is how have we responded to that grace?

91. 42:49

    What have we done in response to His love? How have we? Given. As we’ve received, brothers and sisters, it’s a litmus, a litmus test question. Sorry. It’s the science. If we think about how much we’ve given, well, that’s just a measure of how much we appreciate we’ve been given. It’s quite simple. Isn’t it? If we truly value what someone gives for us as a gift, oh we should look to try and return that with. Love to the same degree.

92. 43:29

    That’s the test, isn’t it? So the question is, are we like Bayrak and Debra in jail? The willing volunteers, the 10,000 men who volunteered and jeopardised their lives unto death to save the president? Are we like that, buzzing sisters? Are we like? The Levites who stood by Moses’s on the Lord’s side to do the service of the children of Israel, to make atonement for the nation that there. Be no plague.

93. 43:52

    Is that the? Spirit. That we have. Are we the willing volunteers like Paul’s in his time and in Aracleses to? Serve one another in whatever capacity we can for one goal, not just for self, but to perfect one another, to push each other to the Kingdom, to work in administration in aracleses, and to build up the body of Christ.

94. 44:13

    Is that our response? Because, brothers and sisters, if that answer isn’t a resounding yes, then Paul says we need to check ourselves to see if we’re walking. Worthy of the vocation wherewith we’ve been caught, you see, it requires, says Paul, the. Whole body. Not just a couple, not just 20%. The whole body needs to work so that being fitly joined together and united by the means of every assisting joint according to the proportionate energy of each, every single part. Because we can’t all do it.

95. 44:45

    We can’t all do the same. We can’t all. Be a Deborah. We can’t be a Bareac, we can’t all be a jail, but every part can help, says Paul. The whole thing needs to be all working together. By the proportionate energy of each and every single. Part that it might. Affect and desist the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

96. 45:09

    Christ’s work, brother, and. Sisters demands us all to give our. So as we break. Bread and drink wine together this morning in unity. Let’s each one of us commit ourselves to be one of the 10,000 of Yahweh Saints that Yahweh might be seen among us, so that we commit ourselves to walk to show our leadership in any way we can, as willing volunteers in our Lord’s service. To truly.

97. 45:42

    Care for one another and to give as we’ve been given, that Yahweh might dwell among us.