Greg Robinson – God Hath Made Foolish the Wisdom of this World – Class 6 – The Power of the Cross

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And the power of the cross for
the Greg has asked that we take

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a reading from first of
Corinthians chapter 13.

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So First Corinthians chapter 13.
Though I speak with the tongues

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of men and of angels, and have
not love, I am become as

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sounding brass and or a tinkling
symbol.

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And though I have the gift of
prophecy, and understand all

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mysteries and all knowledge, and
though I have all faith, so that

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I could remove mountains and
have not love, I am nothing.

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And though I bestow all my goods
to feed the poor, and though I

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give my body to be burned, and
have not love, it profiteth me

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nothing.
Love suffereth long and is kind.

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Love envieth not.
Love vaunteth not itself, is not

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puffed up, does not behave
itself unseemly, seeketh not her

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own, is not easily provoked,
thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not

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in iniquity, but rejoiceth in
the truth, beareth all things,

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believeth all things, hopeth all
things, and geareth all things.

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Love never faileth.
But whether there be prophecies,

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they shall fail, whether there
be tongues, they shall cease.

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Whether there be knowledge, it
shall vanish away.

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For we know in part, and we
prophecy in part.

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But when that which is perfect
is come, then that which is in

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part shall be done away.
When I was a child, I speak as a

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child.
I understood as a child, I

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thought as a child, but when I
became a man I put away childish

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things.
For now we see through a glass

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darkly, but then face to face.
Now I know in part, but then

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shall I know even as also I am
known.

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And now abideth faith, hope,
love, these three.

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But the greatest of these is
love.

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This is Watch and Lake Bible
School 2022.

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Brother Greg Robinson is
speaking on the theme God hath

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made foolish the wisdom of this
world in First Corinthians.

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This is his sixth and last class
entitled The Power of the Cross

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for the Greg, please.
Thanks, brother Josh.

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Good morning, my dear brothers
and sisters.

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OK, it’s pretty good, I guess.
All right, so today is to do

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day.
So what I’d like everybody to do

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is to get out a nice clean sheet
of paper.

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And what we’re going to try to
do today is we’re going to try

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to have some takeaways, some to
do’s that we’re going to work on

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after we go home from Bible
school.

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Well, actually you could start
before then, but the idea is to

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take home.
These are the things we’re going

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to get to work on in our lives.
So only a couple, maybe maybe

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even just one of these that
we’re going to go over today is

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great.
Nice clean sheet of paper, right

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to do from watching Lake Bible
School at the top.

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I would tell you to put the year
on it, but no, let’s not put the

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year on it because let’s make
sure we get it done this year,

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right, OK.
And what we’re going to do is

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we’re going to go through some
of the excertational sections,

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which are quite instructive as
well, But we’re going to go

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through some of the sections in
First Corinthians that I think

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give us some really good advice
on how we can put to use what

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we’ve learned this week in our
studies.

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So we’ve been looking then at
the Corinthian ecclesia, and

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from the start we saw that the
Corinthian ecclesia was one that

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was really in trouble, the ways
of the world.

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We’re coming into the ecclesia
and there really wasn’t much

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opposition from the ecclesia.
And God gives us in Corinthians

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a detailed picture of the
problems that they faced, and he

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also shows us the causes of
those problems.

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And I think that we find that
information very helpful for us

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if we start to use it to look at
our own lives.

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If we look at the challenges
that we have today and we look

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at how they were instructed to
solve the problems that they

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had, I think there’s a really
good connection for us as well.

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So I’m going to start out and
I’m going to name what what I

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think are some of the big issues
that face us as Christadelphians

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in 2022.
And the first one that I think

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that we face is really just
about the same as what the

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brothers and sisters in Corinth
faced.

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And that was fornication and the
world’s morality.

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It’s a, it’s a struggle that all
of our ecclesias, I think, face.

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The media, which is so
prevalent, so readily available

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to us, makes it really difficult
for us to stay away from these

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things.
Not so much the participation in

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them, but just the exposure to
them.

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They, they are problems then
that come from this, that touch

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our families, our ecclesias,
and, and for many of us, they’re

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problems that we face.
So that’s the first thing.

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And we’re going to look at how
we can, how we can work on this,

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this and the other problems that
we, that we face.

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The second one that’s really
starting to be a bigger and

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bigger problem is the
alternative lifestyles and the

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alternative families that the
world’s wisdom is presenting to

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us.
That’s being forced into the

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world’s education systems,
that’s being normalized and even

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glorified by the media.
So that’s another big concern

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that we face today.
The third thing is the false

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doctrines that are being brought
into our ecclesia, the changing

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understanding of of creation and
the move towards evolution that

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that we’re facing in the
brotherhood.

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The eroding of concrete
principles like God,

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manifestation and the cross of
Christ that we’ve been looking

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at really in detail this week.
And some of the people that are

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bringing these things, things
into the ecclesia are looking to

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damage what we believe in.
There are websites, there are

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places that that discredit what
we believe in.

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And some in the ecclesia are
actually thinking that by

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allowing these things or
promoting these things even,

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that they’re making the ecclesia
better.

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They’re actually, as we saw this
week, they’re following man’s

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wisdom, trying to help the
ecclesia.

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So that’s a problem that we face
as well.

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The fourth thing, and I think
it’s a particular relevance to

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our studies this week, is many
no longer consider the words of

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Paul to be the inspired word of
God.

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They think that Paul’s letters
are just Paul’s opinions, saying

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that Paul’s words really don’t
apply to our time because our

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time is different.
We saw in Corinth that they

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rejected head coverings in the
ecclesia because they didn’t

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understand what was behind the
symbol of head coverings.

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They didn’t recognize the
submission of the ecclesia to

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Christ as a symbol.
And so they didn’t think it was

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important for them to to follow
through and to to have that

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practice in their ecclesia.
They started down the road then

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by discrediting Paul of, of the
churches that are around us,

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promoting the role of women
beyond what Paul tells us, and

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even going beyond that to having
teachers that participate in

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alternative lifestyles and even
promoting those alternative

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lifestyles.
So there’s a real danger then

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that we take the words of Paul
and we discount them or dismiss

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them as not relevant to our
time.

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Definitely a problem that we
face.

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And then #5 is one that we faced
for a long time.

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There’s it’s one that really
hampers us from dealing with the

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1st 4 and that’s the divisions
that are constantly bogging us

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down in in our ecclesial work.
Contentions are building and

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sometimes the results of these
contentions are are catastrophic

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for our young people as we put
precious time and resources into

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solving these divisions and we
neglect some of the more

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important things of educating
our our young people and our

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brothers and sisters.
So I thought it was really,

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really helpful with what Paul
presents, the connection that he

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makes between the divisions that
they had and solving that by

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bringing into the ecclesia a
greater respect for the word of

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God and a greater effort in
understanding the wisdom of God.

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So the wisdom of God then is
critical to the ecclesia, and

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Paul’s showed us that that’s
what we need to turn to in order

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to solve these problems if we’re
going to strengthen our

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ecclesias.
Now, my sister wife, Michelle

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always tells me when I talk
about problems that the ecclesia

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has problems that we face.
She always tells me that what we

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need to do is we need to teach
those problems out of our

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ecclesias and teach those
problems out of our families and

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teach those problems out of our
lives.

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And I think that’s exactly
right.

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She always tells me that, and
it’s always the answer.

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It’s always the answer that I
end up getting to.

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We’ve got to educate ourselves
in the wisdom of God if we’re

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going to deal with these
problems.

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If we work to follow the example
of Christ and the example of the

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cross, if we combine our efforts
in our eccleses and between our

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eccleses and we work together,
we can make a difference, just

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as Paul expected the brothers
and sisters in Corinth to make a

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difference in their ecclesia,
even though their ecclesia was

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facing such difficult times.
Now I often think about the

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times of Jezebel and Ahab.
It was a terribly wicked world

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at that time.
It was full of of the immorality

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that that we face today.
It was full of idolatry.

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But when the prophets got
together and worked together,

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they work together to educate
the people through the school

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schools of the prophets.
And the people were converted,

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weren’t they, by the still small
voice that Elisha brought to the

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people and used to to convert
them and to help them to

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overcome the environment that
they lived in?

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That’s what we’ve got to do
today, brothers and sisters,

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because our world is like that
world.

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Our world is like the world of
the Corinthians.

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And God’s wisdom is greater than
than all of that.

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So we had this picture of the
ecclesia, didn’t we?

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We have a vision here of what it
looked like when Paul was

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writing to them.
We have these leaders which were

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divided.
There were factions.

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We have the contentions and the
divisions that that came from

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that.
And what we have seen, I think,

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this week is that if we can get
rid of those factions, if we can

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work past those factions, if we
can get rid of the divisions and

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the contentions, if we can build
strongly the ecclesia as Christ

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designed it to be, then we can
overcome those problems in the

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ecclesia.
And that’s what our focus is

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going to be on this morning,
just looking at some of these

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problems and looking at some of
the answers that Paul gives us

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in order to do that.
So First Corinthians chapter 13

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is where we’re going to start,
just as our reading was this

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morning.
And in First Corinthians 13,

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Paul describes for us a special
kind of love, a love that comes

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when the focus of our minds is
on the purpose of God.

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We call it agape love, and we
often define agape love as self

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sacrificing love.
It’s a love that comes from

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sacrificing our will for our God
and our will for our brothers

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and sisters.
Of course, there’s another kind

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of love called filial love,
which is brotherly love.

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But agape love is is much more
than filial love.

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It’s a much stronger love, isn’t
it?

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And the agape love that Paul’s
talking about comes only to

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those who have chosen to live
their lives in the service of

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God.
So in the first 3 verses of

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First Corinthians chapter 13,
Paul tells us that we have to

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have agape love to be of use to
God.

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We have to have it.
Now I found a quote from a

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brother, John Allfrey, that I
think is really useful in

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looking what agape love is.
Because agape love isn’t just

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self sacrificing love, it’s self
sacrificing love that’s built on

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something.
It has a strong foundation.

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It has a basis, he says about
agape love.

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He says this kind of love is
based upon a knowledge of God’s

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will and God’s purpose.
It is demonstrated by action.

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It manifests itself by sacrifice
of self.

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You see the the the extension
that he gives it here, it comes

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from understanding what God is
doing and being too willing and

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being willing to sacrifice
ourself in order to further

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God’s purpose.
So not just anybody can have the

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agape love that Paul’s talking
about here.

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If we’re not familiar with God’s
plan and purpose, then we won’t

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be able to have this agape love.
It’s demonstrated by action.

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It’s something that actually has
power in our lives to change the

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way that we act, the way that we
behave.

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So right away, I think we make
this connection with with Christ

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and the love that Christ showed
us to fulfill God’s purpose by

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sacrificing himself.
That was agape love in it, in

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it’s perfect form.
Christ was willing to give his

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life for God’s purpose.
All right, so we’re going to

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start to go through the
different aspects of this love.

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And what we’re going to try to
do is we’re going to try to

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connect each of these aspects of
love to why it’s important for

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us to understand the purpose of
God and to see how understanding

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the purpose of God actually
makes it more likely or more

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possible, more likely to, for us
to be able to, to do these

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things.
Because the list, as you’ll

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know, is a difficult list.
There’s things on there that

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that really are hard for us to
bring ourselves to do.

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So this is where your, your To
Do List, I think starts to come

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00:15:34,040 –> 00:15:36,400
into play.
So as we go through each of

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these, just know that we’re
looking at behind them, the

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importance of, of fulfilling
God’s purpose as we go through

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them.
And I want you to to kind of

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assess yourself on these and see
how you’re doing.

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And at the end, maybe you’ve
come up with one or two of these

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and we’re going to go to a few
other other chapters in

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Corinthians as well.
But you’ll come up with a few

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that maybe you can work on.
And hopefully seeing the

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connection with the purpose of
God will make that even easier

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for you to do.
OK, so the first one is in verse

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4, Paul says, if you have this
kind of love that you will be

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able to suffer long.
So how does the How does knowing

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the purpose of God help us to be
long-suffering?

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Think about that for just a
second.

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How does that help us?
If we know God’s purpose, how

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does that help us to be
long-suffering?

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Well, if we know what God’s
doing, and if we can see it

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00:16:32,040 –> 00:16:36,320
working out step by step, what
can we see?

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00:16:37,400 –> 00:16:40,840
We can see progress, right?
We can see a movement towards

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God’s purpose.
Think about David waiting years

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and years and years to become
king, suffering over and over

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and over again at the hand of
his brother Saul.

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But he could see where this was
going.

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He could see where it was taking
him.

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And that helped him to be able
to overcome.

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All right, so for you, is that
one that you would add to your

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list?
That’s up to you.

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What about being kind?
Love agape Love helps us to be

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00:17:10,359 –> 00:17:12,599
kind or considerate to each
other.

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00:17:14,160 –> 00:17:16,839
How does knowing the purpose of
God help us to be considerate to

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00:17:16,839 –> 00:17:20,040
each other?
Well, if we’re thinking about

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God’s purpose, God’s purpose is
to save people, isn’t it?

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Isn’t that exactly what being
kind to people is is all about?

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We’re going to fill the earth
with people that glorify God.

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We’re going to try to help each
other to be a part of that

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Kingdom.
We’re trying to help each other.

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And I think about the feeding of
the 5000 and the apostles, the,

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the disciples, they were
exhausted and they felt like,

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00:17:48,920 –> 00:17:52,200
oh, do we really have to, to,
to, to feed all of these people?

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Do we really have to spend all
of our energy teaching these

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00:17:54,760 –> 00:17:58,200
people Is, is the type?
And they said, you know what, to

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us, we think we should just send
the people away.

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But what about Christ?
Christ had compassion on them,

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didn’t he?
Christ says you’ve got the words

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00:18:06,760 –> 00:18:09,560
of salvation.
There’s no way we could send

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00:18:09,560 –> 00:18:11,520
these people away.
Let’s let’s show that

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00:18:11,520 –> 00:18:13,360
compassion.
Let’s be kind to these people.

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The purpose is is important in
that, isn’t it?

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00:18:16,840 –> 00:18:19,360
It helps us a lot to to be kind
to each other.

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00:18:20,560 –> 00:18:21,840
Do we need to add that to our
list?

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00:18:26,440 –> 00:18:30,840
He says envy.
If not now that one doesn’t need

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00:18:30,840 –> 00:18:34,640
any explanation at all.
So how does knowing the purpose

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00:18:34,640 –> 00:18:40,240
of God help us not to envy?
Well, if our goal is the success

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00:18:40,240 –> 00:18:45,280
of the ecclesia, then we won’t
be envious of those people that

290
00:18:45,280 –> 00:18:48,080
help our ecclesia to have
success.

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00:18:48,920 –> 00:18:53,160
We’ll be Jonathan who was
excited about the success of

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00:18:53,160 –> 00:18:57,880
David and not Saul who was not
excited.

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00:18:58,320 –> 00:19:01,280
Not Saul, who was furious about
the success of Jonathan.

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00:19:01,480 –> 00:19:06,400
Even when we know and believe
the purpose of God, the success

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00:19:06,400 –> 00:19:09,720
of our brothers and sisters is
our success.

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00:19:11,280 –> 00:19:15,880
We’ll say, hey, they just scored
a goal for the team and we’ll be

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00:19:15,880 –> 00:19:19,360
happy about that.
Do we need to add that to our

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00:19:19,360 –> 00:19:29,280
list?
Love wanteth not itself.

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00:19:30,640 –> 00:19:35,320
So love doesn’t brag.
How does that fit into knowing

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00:19:35,320 –> 00:19:36,960
the purpose of God?
How can we be helped?

301
00:19:37,560 –> 00:19:39,200
Again, We’ll we’ll use the
example of Saul.

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00:19:39,200 –> 00:19:43,960
Saul bragged about what he had
done all the time because his

303
00:19:43,960 –> 00:19:48,800
goal was glorifying Saul.
Wasn’t it our glory?

304
00:19:49,520 –> 00:19:52,200
What we found this week, what
Paul has been trying to show us,

305
00:19:52,200 –> 00:19:55,960
is that our glory comes through
the glory of God, and that the

306
00:19:55,960 –> 00:20:01,000
glory that comes from the glory
of God is far greater than any

307
00:20:01,000 –> 00:20:02,680
glory that we could bring to
ourselves.

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00:20:03,880 –> 00:20:07,080
So again, the purpose of God
plays an important role in that.

309
00:20:08,360 –> 00:20:13,920
He says this kind of love is not
puffed up, it’s not proud, but

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00:20:13,920 –> 00:20:19,120
we know we’re planting, we know
we’re watering, and we know that

311
00:20:19,120 –> 00:20:23,440
the big job, the big part of
what’s happening is actually God

312
00:20:23,440 –> 00:20:28,280
who’s giving the increase.
So everything that we have is

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00:20:28,280 –> 00:20:32,720
from God.
And the real success is God’s,

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00:20:32,720 –> 00:20:35,320
isn’t it?
And we’re happy to be a part of

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00:20:35,320 –> 00:20:41,360
that if we recognize that we are
a part of the plan and purpose

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00:20:41,360 –> 00:20:43,240
of God, that we’re working a
part of that.

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00:20:44,280 –> 00:20:45,760
So do we need to add that to our
list?

318
00:20:45,840 –> 00:20:50,280
Maybe we do.
He says does not behave itself

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00:20:50,760 –> 00:20:55,320
unseemly.
It doesn’t act in a way that

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00:20:55,320 –> 00:21:01,560
discredits God’s work.
How does being how does being

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00:21:01,560 –> 00:21:06,120
part of the purpose of God help
us not to act in an unseemly

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00:21:06,120 –> 00:21:08,440
way?
We’ll think about David.

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00:21:09,640 –> 00:21:14,320
David maybe failed in this on an
occasion he said that he gave

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00:21:14,560 –> 00:21:17,520
others the opportunity to
blasphemy God.

325
00:21:18,320 –> 00:21:23,280
So he’s acting in an unseemly
way actually hurt God’s plan and

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00:21:23,280 –> 00:21:26,560
purpose.
Now for us, how do we act when

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00:21:26,560 –> 00:21:29,440
we’re at work?
What do people see with the way

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00:21:29,440 –> 00:21:32,320
that we behave at work?
Do they know that we’re

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00:21:32,320 –> 00:21:34,560
Christadelphians?
And in knowing that we’re

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00:21:34,560 –> 00:21:37,600
Christadelphians, if they do, do
they, do they think, wow, I want

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00:21:37,600 –> 00:21:39,560
to know more about those people
because they’re different.

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And when they say they’re
different, they mean it in a

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00:21:41,920 –> 00:21:45,120
good way.
Do we need to add that to our

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00:21:45,120 –> 00:21:51,520
list?
He says seeketh not her own, so

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00:21:52,120 –> 00:21:54,040
it doesn’t insist on its own
way.

336
00:21:55,120 –> 00:21:57,920
How does being a part of the
purpose of God help us not to

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00:21:57,920 –> 00:22:03,520
always demand our own way?
Well, we work well with others

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00:22:04,080 –> 00:22:06,080
and we acknowledge their
perspectives.

339
00:22:07,000 –> 00:22:12,320
We’re willing to plant the seed
closer to the hose, right?

340
00:22:13,200 –> 00:22:16,000
And actually, then you end up
with something that’s produced

341
00:22:16,240 –> 00:22:18,480
by it.
We’re willing to go along with

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00:22:18,480 –> 00:22:21,480
what others say.
God does this all the time,

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00:22:21,480 –> 00:22:25,080
doesn’t he?
With us, He uses our ideas to

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00:22:25,080 –> 00:22:29,520
help further His purpose.
So we need to make sure that we

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00:22:29,520 –> 00:22:34,880
don’t seek our own.
He says it’s not easily

346
00:22:34,880 –> 00:22:38,440
provoked.
That means doesn’t get offended

347
00:22:38,440 –> 00:22:41,440
easily.
So how does being a part of the

348
00:22:41,440 –> 00:22:44,040
purpose of God help us not to be
easily offended?

349
00:22:45,360 –> 00:22:50,320
But the purpose of God is so
important that we don’t sweat

350
00:22:50,440 –> 00:22:54,640
things that don’t matter.
We don’t sweat things that are

351
00:22:54,640 –> 00:22:57,800
just a bother to us.
We’re willing to look the other

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00:22:57,800 –> 00:23:01,680
way.
Maybe we realize that we we do

353
00:23:01,680 –> 00:23:04,160
exactly the same things and we
do things that actually bother

354
00:23:04,160 –> 00:23:08,120
others or might provoke others.
But when we look at our our role

355
00:23:08,120 –> 00:23:11,960
in in doing the work of God, we
can easily see how those can get

356
00:23:11,960 –> 00:23:14,280
in the way.
And we work to make sure that

357
00:23:14,280 –> 00:23:19,400
they don’t get in the way.
Thinketh no evil, he says,

358
00:23:20,320 –> 00:23:22,880
doesn’t keep track of another’s
wrongs, is what he’s talking

359
00:23:22,880 –> 00:23:24,960
about here.
So how does being a part of the

360
00:23:24,960 –> 00:23:27,000
purpose of God help us not to do
that?

361
00:23:28,160 –> 00:23:31,800
Well, keeping track of other
people’s wrongs is absolutely

362
00:23:31,800 –> 00:23:35,800
not productive.
We’ve committed a lot of wrongs

363
00:23:35,880 –> 00:23:40,160
ourselves, but the goal is the
focus.

364
00:23:40,880 –> 00:23:43,400
We learn we can’t tell another
person’s motives.

365
00:23:44,080 –> 00:23:46,160
We learn to think the best of
them.

366
00:23:47,080 –> 00:23:51,760
And then God’s purpose is is is
much more successful in our

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00:23:51,760 –> 00:23:54,240
lives and in our relationships
with our brothers and sisters.

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00:23:55,800 –> 00:24:01,080
Do we need to add that one to
our list number six or verse

369
00:24:01,080 –> 00:24:02,960
six?
He says rejoiceth not in

370
00:24:02,960 –> 00:24:06,280
iniquity, but rejoiceth in
truth.

371
00:24:07,360 –> 00:24:14,080
Do we find pleasure in sin?
How does being a part of the

372
00:24:14,080 –> 00:24:16,960
purpose of God help us not to
find pleasure in sin?

373
00:24:18,040 –> 00:24:20,320
Well, if if we’re working to the
purpose of God or for the

374
00:24:20,320 –> 00:24:24,680
purpose of God, we realize that
sin gets in the way of God’s

375
00:24:24,680 –> 00:24:28,520
purpose and we don’t want to
mess things up for God’s

376
00:24:28,520 –> 00:24:30,240
purpose.
We don’t want to mess things up

377
00:24:30,240 –> 00:24:32,840
for our family or for our
collision.

378
00:24:33,840 –> 00:24:37,280
And we realized that real
satisfaction comes from the

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00:24:37,280 –> 00:24:40,360
truth.
Do we need to add that one to

380
00:24:40,360 –> 00:24:45,040
our list?
He says Beareth all things puts

381
00:24:45,040 –> 00:24:48,560
up with things that are that are
not counter to the plan of God.

382
00:24:49,480 –> 00:24:52,800
So again, we use the the example
of David, David and Saul.

383
00:24:52,800 –> 00:24:55,200
So Saul was always attacking
David.

384
00:24:56,640 –> 00:24:58,320
What did David want to do for
Saul?

385
00:24:59,800 –> 00:25:03,400
He wanted to.
David wanted to save Saul, even

386
00:25:03,400 –> 00:25:04,960
though Saul was always attacking
him.

387
00:25:05,960 –> 00:25:08,600
The mission was the focus in
David’s mind.

388
00:25:09,160 –> 00:25:11,800
The mission was not the focus in
Saul’s mind.

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00:25:13,000 –> 00:25:15,520
Imagine if we could be like
David and say I want to save my

390
00:25:15,520 –> 00:25:23,280
brother, believeth all things.
He trusts others, this person,

391
00:25:23,280 –> 00:25:26,720
with this, this kind of love.
So how does being a part of the

392
00:25:26,720 –> 00:25:28,840
plan and purpose of God help us
to trust each other?

393
00:25:29,800 –> 00:25:31,960
But we trust that they’re
focused on the mission, too.

394
00:25:32,920 –> 00:25:36,800
We give them the benefit of the
doubt when they correct us.

395
00:25:37,720 –> 00:25:42,440
We accept it even though it’s
hard and we try to learn from

396
00:25:42,440 –> 00:25:45,320
it.
But we put our trust in each

397
00:25:45,320 –> 00:25:48,560
other to do our best and to do
the plan and purpose of God

398
00:25:51,240 –> 00:25:55,560
hopeth all things.
So has an expectation is what

399
00:25:55,560 –> 00:25:59,960
that word hope means, Isn’t it
an expectation in what God has

400
00:25:59,960 –> 00:26:03,400
promised?
So how does being part of the

401
00:26:03,400 –> 00:26:06,680
plan and purpose of God help us
to have that expectation?

402
00:26:08,880 –> 00:26:10,640
Well, we expect the Kingdom,
don’t we?

403
00:26:11,360 –> 00:26:15,920
This one is impossible to have
without knowing the purpose of

404
00:26:15,920 –> 00:26:17,920
God.
It’s the same thing.

405
00:26:18,680 –> 00:26:24,520
We have a vision like Christ
did, endures all things.

406
00:26:25,560 –> 00:26:29,280
So they persevere.
They persevere because they

407
00:26:29,280 –> 00:26:32,000
expect the plan and purpose of
God to come to pass.

408
00:26:34,040 –> 00:26:36,880
It’s quite a list, isn’t it?
Maybe there were a couple there

409
00:26:36,880 –> 00:26:41,320
that you you thought maybe I
need to work more diligently on

410
00:26:41,320 –> 00:26:43,440
some of these items.
Maybe these are things that that

411
00:26:43,440 –> 00:26:46,040
would help us.
But you see, as we go through

412
00:26:46,040 –> 00:26:49,120
the list, we also see what
happens to the ecclesia as these

413
00:26:49,120 –> 00:26:52,200
things are practiced by the
brothers and sisters in a group

414
00:26:52,200 –> 00:26:55,280
or in an ecclesia.
And we can all get better on

415
00:26:55,280 –> 00:26:56,920
these.
And if we do, then many of the,

416
00:26:57,120 –> 00:27:00,360
the divisions and the
contentions and the factions in

417
00:27:00,360 –> 00:27:03,600
the ecclesia will disappear and
will begin to be much more

418
00:27:03,600 –> 00:27:07,120
effective in fighting the the
problems that we face.

419
00:27:08,000 –> 00:27:11,240
And so Paul has just given us
this wonderful list that we can

420
00:27:11,240 –> 00:27:16,360
actually use to measure how the
Word of God, how the thinking of

421
00:27:16,360 –> 00:27:18,360
the Spirit is actually working
in our lives.

422
00:27:21,560 –> 00:27:23,480
Let’s go over to 1st Corinthians
chapter 6.

423
00:27:25,160 –> 00:27:28,920
And here Paul deals with another
problem in the ecclesia, and he

424
00:27:28,920 –> 00:27:31,800
has an absolutely wonderful
answer for this problem.

425
00:27:34,720 –> 00:27:38,400
In Corinth, when a brother or
sister had a dispute with

426
00:27:38,400 –> 00:27:42,120
another brother or sister and
they weren’t able to solve the

427
00:27:42,120 –> 00:27:46,640
problem, they’d sue each other
and then the judges of the city

428
00:27:46,640 –> 00:27:48,480
of Corinth would make the
decision.

429
00:27:49,680 –> 00:27:54,640
So Paul says in verse one, dare
any of you having a matter

430
00:27:54,640 –> 00:28:00,840
against another go to law before
the unjust and not before the

431
00:28:00,840 –> 00:28:03,760
Saints.
So Paul says that it’s crazy

432
00:28:03,960 –> 00:28:06,480
what you’re doing.
He says, why can’t you just

433
00:28:06,480 –> 00:28:08,600
solve the problems amongst
yourself?

434
00:28:08,720 –> 00:28:12,200
You’re actually going to court
against your brother or your

435
00:28:12,200 –> 00:28:15,400
sister.
Verse three, he says, know you

436
00:28:15,400 –> 00:28:19,320
not that we shall judge angels
that might throw us off there.

437
00:28:19,320 –> 00:28:22,080
That word angels, it just means
messengers.

438
00:28:22,960 –> 00:28:26,680
He talks about these messengers.
He’s talking about in the

439
00:28:26,680 –> 00:28:31,480
Kingdom, the fact that we will
judge the mortal rulers of the

440
00:28:31,520 –> 00:28:34,440
earth.
He says, how much more than if

441
00:28:34,440 –> 00:28:36,680
you’re, if in the Kingdom we’re
going to be able to judge these

442
00:28:36,680 –> 00:28:40,120
rulers, how much more ought we
be able to do and, and to judge

443
00:28:40,120 –> 00:28:42,320
the things that pertain to this
life?

444
00:28:43,040 –> 00:28:45,320
And he’s simply saying we should
be able to solve our own

445
00:28:45,320 –> 00:28:48,040
problems if we’re actually
working towards this other

446
00:28:48,600 –> 00:28:51,920
objective.
And then he says in verse 4, if

447
00:28:51,920 –> 00:28:54,760
then you have judgments of
things pertaining to this life,

448
00:28:55,640 –> 00:28:59,760
set them to judge who are least
esteemed in the ecclesia.

449
00:29:00,480 –> 00:29:02,640
Now, that’s a bit difficult for
us to understand the way that

450
00:29:02,640 –> 00:29:06,200
the King James puts that, it
sounds like it’s saying that,

451
00:29:06,200 –> 00:29:08,880
look, if you if you have
problems that pertain to this

452
00:29:08,880 –> 00:29:11,960
life, we’ll take the least
capable in your ecclesia to

453
00:29:11,960 –> 00:29:14,360
solve the problem, doesn’t it?
Isn’t that what it sounds like

454
00:29:14,360 –> 00:29:16,080
it’s saying?
But that’s not what he’s saying

455
00:29:16,080 –> 00:29:17,920
here.
And here’s a, a more helpful

456
00:29:17,920 –> 00:29:21,040
translation in the, in the New
International version, it says,

457
00:29:21,280 –> 00:29:25,320
therefore, if you have disputes
about such matters, do you ask

458
00:29:25,320 –> 00:29:29,720
for a ruling from those whose
way of life is scorned by the

459
00:29:29,720 –> 00:29:32,440
ecclesia?
So he’s saying, do you go to

460
00:29:32,440 –> 00:29:35,720
people that are not in the
ecclesia whose way of life is

461
00:29:35,720 –> 00:29:38,720
scorned, which we’ve been
talking about all week long,

462
00:29:38,720 –> 00:29:40,600
haven’t we, about the ways of
man?

463
00:29:40,760 –> 00:29:43,640
Do you go to somebody who’s
whose judgment is going to be

464
00:29:43,640 –> 00:29:47,800
based on the wisdom of man?
And do you accept their judgment

465
00:29:48,160 –> 00:29:53,920
on ecclesial disputes?
Skip down to verse 7.

466
00:29:54,720 –> 00:29:59,520
Here’s what he says.
He says now, therefore there is

467
00:29:59,640 –> 00:30:02,840
utterly a fault among you.
How would you like somebody to

468
00:30:02,840 –> 00:30:04,680
say that about you, right?
They have Paul say that about

469
00:30:04,680 –> 00:30:06,120
you.
There is utterly a fault.

470
00:30:06,360 –> 00:30:09,960
This is this is craziness.
What’s happening here because

471
00:30:09,960 –> 00:30:14,760
you go to law with one another.
Paul says, actually, you’ve got

472
00:30:14,760 –> 00:30:19,480
it backwards.
Not only is it wrong to ask

473
00:30:19,480 –> 00:30:21,960
someone who doesn’t know the
wisdom of God to make the

474
00:30:21,960 –> 00:30:26,640
decision, but really you should
just take the wrong.

475
00:30:27,880 –> 00:30:31,120
You should just take the wrong.
Why don’t you rather take the

476
00:30:31,120 –> 00:30:31,800
wrong?
He says.

477
00:30:32,160 –> 00:30:36,320
Why don’t you rather suffer
yourselves to be defrauded?

478
00:30:37,520 –> 00:30:40,680
Now, if the plan and purpose of
God is foremost in our minds,

479
00:30:41,600 –> 00:30:43,200
that’s a lot easier for us to do
right.

480
00:30:43,200 –> 00:30:46,760
This this life is not important.
How much money we have now is

481
00:30:46,760 –> 00:30:50,040
not important.
We should be able to to move

482
00:30:50,040 –> 00:30:52,760
past that.
Don’t worry if your brother

483
00:30:52,760 –> 00:30:55,920
wrongs you suffer yourself to be
defrauded.

484
00:30:57,000 –> 00:31:00,200
If your brother borrows money
from you and he won’t pay it

485
00:31:00,200 –> 00:31:04,280
back, what should you do?
Suffer yourself to be defrauded,

486
00:31:05,320 –> 00:31:06,800
right?
A brother told me once that you

487
00:31:06,800 –> 00:31:09,840
should never lend money to your
brothers or sisters that have

488
00:31:09,840 –> 00:31:12,800
have a need.
Just give them the money and

489
00:31:12,800 –> 00:31:14,400
tell them I don’t expect this
money back.

490
00:31:14,400 –> 00:31:17,040
So if, if you don’t give it back
to me, that’s fine too.

491
00:31:18,400 –> 00:31:19,880
It’s great advice.
I think it helps.

492
00:31:19,960 –> 00:31:23,440
It helps that that situation
when that come up, comes up and

493
00:31:23,560 –> 00:31:25,360
and someone might not pay back
their brother.

494
00:31:26,440 –> 00:31:30,600
It’s helpful then if we see the
big picture, because seeing the

495
00:31:30,600 –> 00:31:33,960
big picture helps this to become
obvious to us.

496
00:31:34,440 –> 00:31:36,160
We should suffer ourselves to be
defrauded.

497
00:31:36,160 –> 00:31:38,360
That’s what it’s all about.
It’s the cross of Christ.

498
00:31:38,560 –> 00:31:43,360
And how could we not go through
and follow the example of the

499
00:31:43,360 –> 00:31:47,120
Lord Jesus Christ?
OK, do you need to add that one

500
00:31:47,120 –> 00:31:50,040
to your list?
Maybe we all need to add that

501
00:31:50,040 –> 00:31:51,200
one to our list a little bit,
right?

502
00:31:51,320 –> 00:31:52,760
Suffer ourselves to be
defrauded.

503
00:31:53,960 –> 00:31:59,000
You see now how the ecclesia of
Corinth is, is now making

504
00:31:59,080 –> 00:32:02,240
disappear the problems that they
have of these factions, these

505
00:32:02,240 –> 00:32:05,400
contentions, if they’re actually
putting God’s plan and purpose

506
00:32:05,680 –> 00:32:10,120
into their minds, understanding
it, and then following what it

507
00:32:10,120 –> 00:32:14,040
can do to our thinking as Paul
directs us in these verses.

508
00:32:15,160 –> 00:32:21,280
Let’s go to 1st Corinthians 5 S
1st Corinthians 5 is about

509
00:32:21,280 –> 00:32:23,760
removing sin from the ecclesia.
We’ve talked about it a couple

510
00:32:23,760 –> 00:32:28,000
of different times already, and
a growing tendency in the

511
00:32:28,000 –> 00:32:32,600
ecclesial world today is to
allow sinful behavior to

512
00:32:32,600 –> 00:32:35,960
continue in the ecclesia rather
than removing it.

513
00:32:36,520 –> 00:32:39,520
I think we’ve probably all seen
that that is is a tendency that

514
00:32:39,840 –> 00:32:41,920
that’s something we have to work
against.

515
00:32:42,720 –> 00:32:46,600
But Paul’s very clear.
Paul says we should in verse 5,

516
00:32:47,040 –> 00:32:49,480
deliver such an one suit to
Satan.

517
00:32:49,480 –> 00:32:54,240
So they’ve got to be removed.
He says, for the destruction of

518
00:32:54,240 –> 00:32:59,120
the flesh to help them to stop
walking after the flesh.

519
00:32:59,160 –> 00:33:02,960
That’s the purpose of all of
this, that the Spirit may be

520
00:33:02,960 –> 00:33:06,600
saved in the day of the Lord
Jesus so that they’ll be saved

521
00:33:06,600 –> 00:33:08,920
when Christ returns.
Big picture, isn’t it?

522
00:33:10,000 –> 00:33:12,400
That’s what we’re trying to do.
That’s the the goal that we have

523
00:33:12,640 –> 00:33:18,040
is to try to help them.
And removing sin is part of that

524
00:33:18,040 –> 00:33:21,320
exact process.
So verse six, he says your glory

525
00:33:21,320 –> 00:33:23,560
Ings are not good.
But we’ve already seen that,

526
00:33:23,720 –> 00:33:25,960
haven’t we?
The glory Ings and the fact that

527
00:33:25,960 –> 00:33:28,120
they all wanted to be leaders
and they wanted to have their

528
00:33:28,120 –> 00:33:31,600
own their own factions in the
ecclesia made it so that some

529
00:33:31,600 –> 00:33:33,840
would accept practices that they
shouldn’t have.

530
00:33:34,560 –> 00:33:38,080
And they couldn’t come to a
consensus or to an agreement on

531
00:33:38,080 –> 00:33:41,520
that because they really were
more concerned about their their

532
00:33:41,600 –> 00:33:46,600
factions prominence than about
the work of God.

533
00:33:47,440 –> 00:33:48,640
So what does he say in verse
seven?

534
00:33:49,040 –> 00:33:54,400
He says purge out there for the
old leaven that you may be a new

535
00:33:54,400 –> 00:34:01,480
lump as ye are unleavened.
So he’s telling them simply, sin

536
00:34:01,560 –> 00:34:05,880
has to be removed.
Sin has to be removed from the

537
00:34:05,880 –> 00:34:09,480
ecclesia.
Sin has to be removed from our

538
00:34:09,480 –> 00:34:13,080
lives.
We need to be fighting the

539
00:34:13,080 –> 00:34:17,679
battle against sin.
And he talks here about Christ,

540
00:34:17,719 –> 00:34:20,520
our Passover.
He says for even Christ, our

541
00:34:20,520 –> 00:34:27,440
Passover is sacrificed for us.
So if Christ was sacrificed to

542
00:34:27,440 –> 00:34:33,600
defeat sin, why would we keep
sin in our lives is what he’s

543
00:34:33,600 –> 00:34:35,239
trying to tell us.
So the whole purpose of Christ

544
00:34:35,239 –> 00:34:39,040
was, was to eliminate sin.
So why would we then keep it in

545
00:34:39,040 –> 00:34:41,560
our lives?
And he compares it to the

546
00:34:41,560 –> 00:34:44,920
Passover.
We’ve all in the Passover.

547
00:34:44,920 –> 00:34:48,239
We have the example of those
that were committing to

548
00:34:48,520 –> 00:34:50,960
participate in the battle
against sin.

549
00:34:51,600 –> 00:34:54,760
They, they painted the blood on
their doorpost to say that I am

550
00:34:54,760 –> 00:34:58,120
a part of this group.
I have joined this battle

551
00:34:58,120 –> 00:35:01,040
against sin.
So how could those people that

552
00:35:01,040 –> 00:35:03,800
have then put this blood on
their doorpost, how could they

553
00:35:03,800 –> 00:35:10,200
then leave sin in their lives?
Are we allowing sin then to

554
00:35:10,200 –> 00:35:14,520
remain in our lives is the
question that Paul asks us?

555
00:35:15,840 –> 00:35:19,800
Are we allowing that to continue
or we fighting against it?

556
00:35:23,760 –> 00:35:25,480
Come over to 1st Corinthians
chapter 10.

557
00:35:29,560 –> 00:35:32,800
So in First Corinthians, Paul
spends a lot of time dealing

558
00:35:32,800 –> 00:35:39,400
with idolatry.
It was a tough problem for the

559
00:35:39,400 –> 00:35:44,680
brothers and sisters because
their whole previous life was

560
00:35:44,680 –> 00:35:49,640
based around idolatry.
Their whole social life was

561
00:35:49,640 –> 00:35:51,720
centered around the idols
temples.

562
00:35:53,080 –> 00:35:55,720
The temples had eating
facilities in them.

563
00:35:56,560 –> 00:35:58,120
They had theaters for
entertainment.

564
00:35:58,840 –> 00:36:02,440
They had idols on display inside
of these temples.

565
00:36:03,160 –> 00:36:06,200
There was feasting, there was
drinking and and there was

566
00:36:06,200 –> 00:36:09,640
immorality.
And so it was really difficult

567
00:36:10,120 –> 00:36:14,600
for a new believer to separate
themselves from everything

568
00:36:14,600 –> 00:36:20,040
linked to idolatry.
If you conducted business that

569
00:36:20,040 –> 00:36:25,000
was often conducted at the
temples, you’d have meals with

570
00:36:25,000 –> 00:36:29,880
with business people that you
were doing business with at the

571
00:36:29,880 –> 00:36:33,040
temples.
Coworkers after work would get

572
00:36:33,040 –> 00:36:37,600
together at the temples.
Social events were held at the

573
00:36:37,600 –> 00:36:41,240
temples, family events were held
at the temples.

574
00:36:42,240 –> 00:36:47,800
And so some in the ecclesia
thought that it was OK to go to

575
00:36:47,800 –> 00:36:51,880
these temples still because they
thought these these gods are

576
00:36:51,880 –> 00:36:54,320
nothing.
Why does it even matter if we

577
00:36:54,320 –> 00:36:56,360
go?
We know that these gods are

578
00:36:56,360 –> 00:36:59,480
nothing.
But others in the ecclesia

579
00:36:59,480 –> 00:37:02,040
thought that it was really
dangerous, that this could be a

580
00:37:02,040 –> 00:37:03,800
real problem for the brothers
and sisters.

581
00:37:05,160 –> 00:37:08,560
So in chapter 10, what Paul does
is he uses the example of Israel

582
00:37:09,320 –> 00:37:12,800
to help them to come to a
conclusion about this question,

583
00:37:13,680 –> 00:37:18,680
to help them to see the danger
of getting too close to the ways

584
00:37:18,680 –> 00:37:23,160
of the world or to sin.
So in chapter 5, he’s shown us

585
00:37:23,160 –> 00:37:27,840
that we’ve got to to remove sin.
And now he says that don’t even

586
00:37:28,200 –> 00:37:32,880
stop, don’t stop just with
removing sin, but you’ve also

587
00:37:32,880 –> 00:37:37,160
got to to work very carefully to
not even get close to sin.

588
00:37:38,840 –> 00:37:41,040
First Corinthians chapter 10
verse 1.

589
00:37:42,320 –> 00:37:48,080
He says, moreover, brethren, I
would not that you should be

590
00:37:48,080 –> 00:37:53,200
ignorant how that all our
fathers were under the cloud and

591
00:37:53,200 –> 00:37:57,360
all passed through the sea and
all were baptized unto Moses in

592
00:37:57,360 –> 00:38:02,960
the cloud and in the sea.
They were baptized the brothers

593
00:38:02,960 –> 00:38:05,400
and sisters of Corinth.
He’s saying, sorry, the

594
00:38:05,400 –> 00:38:09,600
Israelites were baptized into
Moses and Paul was saying to the

595
00:38:09,600 –> 00:38:12,360
Corinthians, just like you have
been baptized into Christ.

596
00:38:13,480 –> 00:38:16,080
They were saved by the blood of
the Passover lamb as you’ve been

597
00:38:16,080 –> 00:38:21,680
saved by the blood of Christ.
They were an ecclesia in the

598
00:38:21,680 –> 00:38:25,120
wilderness, just as you are in
ecclesia today.

599
00:38:26,120 –> 00:38:30,160
They began a new way of life and
they left their old way of life,

600
00:38:30,280 –> 00:38:35,640
the way of sin, behind in Egypt.
That should sound familiar, I

601
00:38:35,640 –> 00:38:38,160
think, to us too, right?
So not only is he talking here

602
00:38:38,160 –> 00:38:40,120
to the Corinthians, but he’s
talking to us as well.

603
00:38:40,960 –> 00:38:45,560
So God says, Paul says God
provided all of them with

604
00:38:45,560 –> 00:38:49,200
spiritual food.
So they had God’s wisdom

605
00:38:49,680 –> 00:38:53,080
presented to them.
It was provided for them just as

606
00:38:53,080 –> 00:38:54,680
he’s done for you.
He says to them.

607
00:38:55,920 –> 00:38:59,240
Verse three, He says, and they
did all eat the same spiritual

608
00:38:59,240 –> 00:39:04,240
meat.
Note the all there, all of

609
00:39:04,240 –> 00:39:06,920
Israel were provided with that
manna, with that typical

610
00:39:06,920 –> 00:39:11,760
spiritual food.
They were all in a position to

611
00:39:11,760 –> 00:39:17,320
accept God’s teaching because
all of them had it every day, He

612
00:39:17,320 –> 00:39:20,120
says in verse four.
And they did all drink the same

613
00:39:20,120 –> 00:39:24,880
spiritual drink, for they drank
of that spiritual rock that

614
00:39:24,880 –> 00:39:29,320
followed them, and that rock was
Christ.

615
00:39:30,520 –> 00:39:33,560
So the rock that was struck was,
was Christ.

616
00:39:34,280 –> 00:39:38,560
And they could deduce from that
what the sacrifice of Christ did

617
00:39:38,560 –> 00:39:42,200
for them in providing this
living fountain of water that

618
00:39:42,200 –> 00:39:47,400
provided for them life, eternal
life.

619
00:39:49,040 –> 00:39:50,400
But many of them failed, didn’t
they?

620
00:39:51,560 –> 00:39:57,160
Verse 5 But with many of them,
not with several, not a few, but

621
00:39:57,160 –> 00:40:00,840
many of them, God was not well
pleased, for they were

622
00:40:00,840 –> 00:40:04,640
overthrown in the wilderness,
and so they didn’t enter into

623
00:40:04,640 –> 00:40:09,640
the promised land in spite.
His point is of belonging to the

624
00:40:09,640 –> 00:40:13,800
ecclesia, and having all those
spiritual benefits that they

625
00:40:13,800 –> 00:40:20,720
had.
And he says, OK, all these

626
00:40:20,720 –> 00:40:23,640
things were written for examples
to us.

627
00:40:24,920 –> 00:40:30,520
To the intent that we should not
lust after evil things as they

628
00:40:30,520 –> 00:40:35,200
also lusted that our desire
should not be for those things

629
00:40:35,240 –> 00:40:38,520
of the world.
He’s speaking here to the group

630
00:40:38,520 –> 00:40:42,400
that had gone with Moses, but
that weren’t satisfied with the

631
00:40:42,560 –> 00:40:45,800
spiritual food that was provided
Instead.

632
00:40:45,800 –> 00:40:50,760
What did they want?
They wanted the food of Egypt,

633
00:40:51,480 –> 00:40:53,160
they wanted what Egypt had to
offer.

634
00:40:53,200 –> 00:40:56,160
They wanted what the world had
to offer.

635
00:40:57,000 –> 00:41:00,000
And it’s easy for us to fall
into the same thing to, to, to

636
00:41:00,000 –> 00:41:04,400
spend our time on what the world
has to offer instead of on the

637
00:41:04,400 –> 00:41:07,000
word of God, which is, is true
food for us.

638
00:41:08,000 –> 00:41:10,280
So the food then represents the
things that we put into our

639
00:41:10,280 –> 00:41:13,400
minds.
And it was difficult for Israel

640
00:41:13,400 –> 00:41:18,720
to leave behind that sensuous
way of life for us, that

641
00:41:18,720 –> 00:41:23,520
sensuous entertainment of our
past lives or of the world

642
00:41:23,520 –> 00:41:26,000
itself.
It was difficult for the

643
00:41:26,000 –> 00:41:28,360
Corinthian brothers and sisters
to leave it behind.

644
00:41:31,200 –> 00:41:36,320
And many in Israel, he’s telling
us we’re not strong enough to

645
00:41:36,640 –> 00:41:39,840
get close to that sensuous way
of life.

646
00:41:40,760 –> 00:41:42,760
And Paul was telling the
Corinthians that many of them

647
00:41:42,920 –> 00:41:45,600
were not strong enough to get to
that way of life.

648
00:41:47,920 –> 00:41:50,800
They were associating themselves
with with those that were not

649
00:41:50,800 –> 00:41:54,120
interested in the world and in
the ways of the world.

650
00:41:55,320 –> 00:41:58,960
And soon what happened to them
was that they weren’t interested

651
00:41:59,400 –> 00:42:02,760
in the things of God either.
And verse seven, he says,

652
00:42:02,760 –> 00:42:06,840
neither be ye idolaters, as were
some of them.

653
00:42:08,080 –> 00:42:12,480
As it is written, the people sat
down to eat and to drink and

654
00:42:12,480 –> 00:42:18,080
they rose up to play, right.
It wasn’t about the idols here,

655
00:42:19,480 –> 00:42:23,560
it was about the lifestyle that
they were thinking back to and

656
00:42:23,560 –> 00:42:27,360
going back to the lifestyle of
immorality.

657
00:42:29,080 –> 00:42:32,000
And many in Israel were not
strong enough to withstand that

658
00:42:32,000 –> 00:42:35,120
life’s lifestyle.
Many in the ecclesia.

659
00:42:36,640 –> 00:42:40,200
And so he says in verse 8,
neither let us commit

660
00:42:40,200 –> 00:42:46,040
fornication, as some of them
committed and fell in one day.

661
00:42:46,200 –> 00:42:51,000
Three and 20,000 And he
references the whoredom with the

662
00:42:51,000 –> 00:42:53,600
daughters of Moab at the
suggestion of Balaam.

663
00:42:55,120 –> 00:42:59,720
They accepted another religion,
they accepted another God so

664
00:42:59,720 –> 00:43:04,400
that they could satisfy their
lusts and their desires.

665
00:43:06,400 –> 00:43:09,880
Many in the ecclesia, in the
wilderness, we’re not strong

666
00:43:09,880 –> 00:43:14,680
enough to get that close.
Verse 90 says neither.

667
00:43:14,680 –> 00:43:18,880
Let us tempt Christ, as some of
them tempted and were destroyed

668
00:43:18,920 –> 00:43:23,880
of serpents when the people of
Israel spake against God and

669
00:43:23,880 –> 00:43:27,880
against Moses, right?
Why’d you bring us out of Egypt

670
00:43:27,880 –> 00:43:32,400
to die in the wilderness?
And so God sent fiery serpents

671
00:43:32,760 –> 00:43:37,000
among them because they had
loathed the manna.

672
00:43:37,760 –> 00:43:39,880
They’d gotten to the place
because they were so close to

673
00:43:39,880 –> 00:43:44,480
the world that they no longer
had an appreciation for the Word

674
00:43:44,480 –> 00:43:45,920
of God and for the things of
God.

675
00:43:46,760 –> 00:43:49,240
They no longer had an
appreciation for the plan and

676
00:43:49,240 –> 00:43:53,680
purpose of God.
Many in Israel just weren’t

677
00:43:53,680 –> 00:43:59,640
strong enough to associate with
those who live this way of life

678
00:44:01,600 –> 00:44:03,720
because they were looking for
something more pleasing and more

679
00:44:03,720 –> 00:44:07,840
stimulating.
Verse 10, he says neither murmur

680
00:44:07,840 –> 00:44:11,680
ye as some of them also murmured
and were destroyed of the

681
00:44:11,680 –> 00:44:14,520
destroyer.
He’s talking about the murmuring

682
00:44:14,520 –> 00:44:17,720
of the spies.
He says many in Israel were not

683
00:44:17,720 –> 00:44:23,040
strong enough when the spies
brought back a faithless report

684
00:44:24,880 –> 00:44:27,320
and also when Cora led the
rebellion.

685
00:44:28,760 –> 00:44:31,840
And so Paul says in verse 11,
now all these things happened

686
00:44:32,960 –> 00:44:38,440
for in samples, and they’re
written for our admonition upon

687
00:44:38,440 –> 00:44:40,560
whom the ends of the world are
come.

688
00:44:42,160 –> 00:44:46,560
Paul was telling the Corinthians
that they needed to be careful

689
00:44:47,440 –> 00:44:51,440
that they didn’t find themselves
in the same place that Israel

690
00:44:51,440 –> 00:44:54,960
found themselves.
They were part of an ecclesia.

691
00:44:55,840 –> 00:45:00,400
They had all the benefits of the
teachings of God, but they got

692
00:45:00,400 –> 00:45:05,400
way too close to the ways of the
world, and many of them found

693
00:45:05,400 –> 00:45:07,320
themselves giving into the ways
of the world.

694
00:45:08,720 –> 00:45:11,800
They thought they could handle
it, but they couldn’t handle it,

695
00:45:13,800 –> 00:45:16,480
Paul then says.
To those that thought that they

696
00:45:16,480 –> 00:45:20,000
were strong enough, that they
were strong enough to takes the

697
00:45:20,000 –> 00:45:24,960
world’s ways into their lives
without being swallowed up, he

698
00:45:24,960 –> 00:45:28,480
says, do you really think that
you’re strong enough to do that?

699
00:45:30,440 –> 00:45:34,400
Be careful.
Wherefore let him that thicketh

700
00:45:34,400 –> 00:45:39,720
he standeth.
Take heed lest he fall, because

701
00:45:39,720 –> 00:45:42,360
we’re just like them, he says.
And we have the same

702
00:45:42,360 –> 00:45:46,080
temptations, the same desires,
the same lusts, the same

703
00:45:46,080 –> 00:45:49,640
vulnerabilities.
And Paul was, get it, trying to

704
00:45:49,640 –> 00:45:53,800
get them to see how dangerous it
would be for them to get so

705
00:45:53,800 –> 00:45:57,560
close to the Pagan practices of
the world around them.

706
00:46:00,000 –> 00:46:04,280
We need to see the same thing.
We need to be afraid of the same

707
00:46:04,280 –> 00:46:08,960
thing happening to us because
the world’s practices now can

708
00:46:08,960 –> 00:46:13,880
come right into our homes.
We need to be careful that we

709
00:46:13,880 –> 00:46:18,320
stay away from that because it
could easily, easily drag us in.

710
00:46:21,040 –> 00:46:25,000
OK, that was a longer one.
Do you need to add that one to

711
00:46:25,000 –> 00:46:30,400
your list?
That was the last one that we’re

712
00:46:30,400 –> 00:46:32,440
going to look at.
So we’ve all got maybe a few

713
00:46:32,440 –> 00:46:34,960
things written down on the paper
there in front of us.

714
00:46:34,960 –> 00:46:42,360
Our To Do List of things to help
us should be plenty to choose

715
00:46:42,360 –> 00:46:46,760
from from that list.
I’ll say this week that we

716
00:46:46,760 –> 00:46:50,920
really enjoyed being able to
spend time together with you

717
00:46:50,920 –> 00:46:52,520
going through a study of
Corinthians.

718
00:46:52,520 –> 00:46:56,960
I really enjoyed looking more
deeply into Corinthians.

719
00:46:57,560 –> 00:47:00,280
Hopefully for you, you have some
notes in your your margin that

720
00:47:00,280 –> 00:47:04,720
will help you to understand the
things that Paul is saying

721
00:47:04,720 –> 00:47:08,240
there.
I’ll say it’s been also really

722
00:47:08,240 –> 00:47:11,920
encouraging for us to be here
with you, our family, to be here

723
00:47:11,920 –> 00:47:15,400
with you this week.
It’s been it’s been really good

724
00:47:16,080 –> 00:47:19,280
spiritually for us.
We’d like to end with just one

725
00:47:19,280 –> 00:47:22,440
more quotation.
And this was taken from First

726
00:47:22,440 –> 00:47:27,200
Corinthians chapter 15.
And this is some advice that

727
00:47:27,200 –> 00:47:31,960
Paul gives to his brothers and
sisters in Corinth after showing

728
00:47:32,280 –> 00:47:37,280
the Corinthians the sureness of
the resurrection of Christ.

729
00:47:38,200 –> 00:47:44,280
So first Corinthians 1557, he
says, Thanks be to God, which

730
00:47:44,280 –> 00:47:47,600
giveth us the victory through
our Lord Jesus Christ.

731
00:47:49,000 –> 00:47:52,440
Therefore, my brethren, sorry.
Therefore, my beloved brethren,

732
00:47:52,440 –> 00:47:58,680
be ye steadfast, unmovable,
always abounding in the work of

733
00:47:58,680 –> 00:48:03,000
the Lord.
For as much as ye know that your

734
00:48:03,000 –> 00:48:06,600
labor is not in vain in the
Lord.

735
00:48:17,760 –> 00:48:20,480
Thank you, Brother Greg, for
your class today and for the

736
00:48:20,960 –> 00:48:22,200
classes throughout this week.