09-08-2019 – Choose You This Day Whom You Will Serve (Class) – Authority – Sermon (AM)

we’re going to have even this morning for giving the bar. What? Our youngest son, Aaron, is going to be speaking to us for the Bible Blacks worship this morning. We’re grateful that he and his family are able to be with us. You’re in the Bible class. The subject is personal. Our team is choose you this day. His subject is choose you this day, whom you will serve. Good morning. Seeing as this is the Bible class, our feel free too. It will be a study period.

Feel free to ask questions or make comments as you will, uh, just get my attention as if you’re doing so and we’ll handle those in in the flow of things. Take your Bibles, if you will, and open them to the Book of Joshua. As many of you might recognize, the theme for the lectureship this week comes from Josh Watch after 24 which is where we’re going to begin. Josh, which after 24 is one of those passages that it is important to remember who is speaking when they’re speaking to whom they’re speaking.

And we’re going to use this context and the greater context of Joshua as well as the events surrounding the Book of Joshua to set the focus for our series of lessons this week. In order to do that, we need to become acquainted with the Israel lines of the Old Testament, while we do not live under the Old Testament. And while the majority of our lessons will not necessarily derive themselves this week from the Old Testament, there’s a principle inside this period of the Old Testament. This period of is relying history that lays a groundwork for us understanding.

Look, God expects from us today, So we’re going to begin in Joshua, Chapter 24 verse one. And we’re going to notice the context around this declaration and this choice that Joshua sets in front of the people. Joshua, Chapter 24 verse one. Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to shake him and called for the elders of Israel for their heads, for their judges and for their officers, and they presented themselves before God. As you begin in this text, you need to understand that this was not an assembly of the general people of Israel,

and that’s important. In Chapter 23. Joshua gives his final declaration, his final discourse. His final address to the entire nation. But that’s not Chapter 24. Chapter 24 were told very clearly, who is present. It begins with a list of individuals. Notice Who’s there? The elders are there. That’s the elders of the nation, the general, older population, the leaders of the Nation of Israel, our present, those who have their position because of their patriarch status and their age. But then notice who else is there?

You have the heads of Israel noticed. You’ve got the elders of Israel for their heads and their judges and their officers, the judges and the officers. If you trace that back to Josh, which after 20 are just which, After one and the Book of Deuteronomy, you will find that those individuals worthy individuals who were responsible for leading when it came to the law. If you remember back to Exodus Chapter 18 Moses was given some advice from his father in law. His father in law told him that what he was doing was not good,

because what Moses would do every day there at Mount Sinai is he would get up and all the people who had a controversy regarding the law or a controversy with a brother would come to him and you could just envision this. They’re waiting in a long line. There’s millions of people among among the Children of Israel, and everyone who had a discourse or a discrepancy with a brother is waiting in this line every single day. So from morning until evening, Moses did nothing other than sit and judge. The people and his father in law said,

What you’re doing is not good. You’re going to wear yourself out. You’re going to wear the people out. You need to do something about this. And so Moses, together with what God had instructed him and what advice he had received from his father in law, set up judges, judges over tens and judges over fifties and judges over hundreds and judges over thousands so that there was a period or a a pinnacle appear Amid. There we go. That’s where I’m going for a Pym pyramid off judges, much like our court system today.

If you want to take a court case to a judge, guess what you don’t get to do. You don’t get to start at the Supreme Court. You gotta work your way up there. You got to start at the lowest court that applies to your case and work your way up through a series of appeals before you ever appear before the top court. That’s exactly what Moses is. Father in law told Moses to do so that on Lee, the cases that could not be judged by those beneath him finally made it up to him.

So present in Josh, which after 24 are the elders, notice the elders are the leaders of the homes of Israel. The elders are present, but not only the elders or president but the heads. This references the leaders of the tribes of Israel. So the elders are present. The leaders of the home, the TRIBE leaders are present. But then the judges and the officers, the law leaders, our present. This chapter is a Chapter two leaders, but notice the array of leaders that are present leaders in the home leaders in the nation leaders when it comes to decisions and discrepancies and the law.

Here you have leaders of every aspect of the Israel lights, life, every area of their life that goes on on a daily basis. Their leaders are present for this address. There’s a lesson to be learned there because Joshua is going to set forth the responsibility for choosing the direction of the nation. Joshua is going to set forth the responsibility for choosing the direction of the homes. Josh was going to set forth the responsibility of choosing the direction of even the law and the social aspects of the nation, and he’s going to set that responsibility at the feet of the leaders of that nation.

And yet when you understand the picture that the Old Testament is to the New Testament, the types and the any types of the old and the New Testament, you find that Paul will say that the church is spiritually Israel. We and our congregations are the Israel of today. The Israel of God is not made up of people who were born as a descendents of Abraham per se but is made up of those who are born as descendants of Abraham by Faith Roman’s Chapter four. And so when we connect this chapter to us,

this chapter applies to leaders in homes. This chapter applies to leaders among the congregation This chapter applies to leaders among every aspect of our lives. So mothers as you raise your Children, this applies to you fathers as you lean your homes. This applies to you men, as you direct a congregation is you work towards the goals of the kingdom. This applies to you preachers as we preach and teach and instruct others. This applies to us verse to Joshua said to all the people, All those who were present,

all those who were assembled, they assembled by the way before I forget it, the in diverse one. Where did they come? They presented themselves before God. That’s a specific location. In this point in time, they had come to the Tabernacle. They have come before Joshua and to the Tabernacle. That means they’re before the high priest. That means they’re in the presence off God. Because if you remember your Old Testament history, this is still a period of time where God’s presence was at the Tabernacle.

Joshua doesn’t call the people to himself. Joshua calls all these leaders to stand before God, and they do. And Joshua will address them as God’s representative. Notice what happens first to Joshua said to all the people. Thus, says the Lord God of Israel, your father’s including Thira, the father of Abraham and the father of nature, or dwell on the other side that dwelt on the other side of the river in old times. And they served other gods. Joshua reminds them of their history. Joshua reminds them from whence they came.

He says You descended from a people that were idolaters. Abraham worship the Lord, but his father, there’s no indication that he worship The Lord is a matter of fact. The exact opposite is described here by Joshua that T. Rowe was an idolatrous individual. He says your father’s including Tier of the Father of Abraham and the father of NATO, or dwelled on the other side of the river and old times, and they served other gods. Then I took your father Abraham, from the other side of the river,

led him throughout all the land of Canaan and multiplied his descendants and gave him Isaac. Now it’s important as you’re reading this, that you connect this back to the Book of Genesis, not just the story that God is rehearsing here through Joshua, but the fact that God is drawing forward the covenant. If you remember back to Genesis, Chapter 12 and Genesis Chapter 15 God called Abraham out from his country and out from his kindred and out from his family and out from his nation to go to a land where he would be told where it waas,

he says, You come out and you follow me and I will direct you to the land where you’re going and I will give your descendants and inheritance in this land question. Did Abraham have any descendants at that time? No, he’s 75 years old. When he leaves after his father after his father dies, he’s gonna be 86 years old before ish males born. And he’s not the son that was promised. He’s going to be, ah, 100 years old. 25 years later, he’s finally going to receive the son that was promised him.

You’re gonna go to a land and that land is going to become the land of your descendants. But he will get to that land, and God will tell him you’re never receiving this land personally. You won’t receive this land until the iniquity of the AMA rights is full. Well, now Here we are. Here’s the thing that you need to grasp, though, when Joshua dresses this nation, when Joshua addresses these leaders, he’s reminding them of their history of idolatry. He’s reminding them of the Covenant of God that caused them to leave that land of idolatry and come to a new land.

And that covenant had to do with a seed promise. Isaac and the land promise. And that’s where he’s addressing them now. Notice what he says he gave him Isaac the Universe. Three toe Isaac. I gave Jacob and he saw Theresa. I gave the mountains of seer to possess their part of the land promised to the descendants. Three saw, but Jacob and his Children went down to Egypt, and also I saw Moses or I sent Moses and Aaron and I played Egypt according to what I did among them.

Afterward, I brought you out, he says. I promised you a land, and he’s working his way towards the point of saying, I’ve given you the land. I’ve fulfilled the promise. But as he goes through here, I want you to see a single thread of thought. Go back to Verse two verse to God says. I called Abraham out. I called him out when he had no seed when he had no Children. When he came from a household that was idolatrous, I called him out and I gave him what I promised him.

What you’re seeing is God’s provision. Go back and read the Genesis account and read concerning Abraham and all. Throughout the story of Abraham, you find God providing time and again. God is saying Abraham’s father was idolatrous, but Abraham wasn’t and I provided for him. He was faithful to me. Then Isaac. I provided for him. He was faithful to me, Jacob. I provided for him. He was faithful to me, but his descendants went down into Egypt. But then notice also I sent Moses and Aaron and I played Egypt.

What’s that? God’s provision? Then notice again. According to all what I did among them. Afterward, I brought you out God’s provision. Then I brought your fathers out of Egypt and you came to the sea and the Egyptians pursued your father’s with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. So they cried out to the Lord and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, brought the sea upon them and covered them. And you’re I saw what I did in Egypt. Then you dwelled in the wilderness a long time.

What’s he talking about? Provisions. You came to the Red Sea. You were at an impassable barrier. You had an army behind you. You had to see in front of you. And I provided I brought you through. And I took care of the army that was behind you, that I brought you to the mountain and I gave you the law. And then you wandered in the wilderness because of your iniquity. The first generations, but still in the wilderness. What did they have every morning, Mana,

When they were thirsty. What were they given water from Iraq? God’s pointing out to them. I provided for Abraham. I provided for Isaac. I provided for Jacob. I provided for your ancestors in Egypt. I provided when you came to the Red Sea, I provided when you were in the wilderness. I’ve provided noticed, he says, And I brought you in the land Verse eight of the AMA rights, who dwelt on the other side of the Jordan. And they fought with you. But I gave them into your hand that you might possess their land and I destroyed them before you.

So, Cy Hana Dog on the other side of the Jordan River, he says again, I provided Then Bae lack the son of support King of Moab arose and made war against Israel and sent and called Bela. I’m the son of bi or to curse you. But I would not listen to bail. Um therefore, he continued to bless you. So I delivered you out of his hand. Here comes another king. This one’s related to them through a lot. And this king wants to destroy them so he hires a profit to curse them.

But every time Baylin went out to curse Israel, God put a blessing in his mouth and he blessed them instead. Again, God says, I provided I provided. I provided I provided. So he goes on verse 11. Then you went over Jordan and came to Jericho. When the men of Jerico fought against you. Also, the AM writes the parasites of the Canaanites hit tights. The girder shines. The hive fights in the Jeb you sites, but I deliver them into your hand. I provided I sent the hornet before you and drove them out from before you.

Also the two kings of the AMA rights, but not with your sword or with your bow. I have given you a land for which you did not labor in cities which you did not build. And you dwell in them. And you eat of the vineyards and the olive groves which you did not plans. God says I made a promise to Abraham, and I made a covenant with him. And part of that covenant was his seed. And you’re standing here, and part of that covenant was a land.

And now you’re in it. I provided now therefore, fear of the Lord God is saying, having done everything I promised you, I would do fear the Lord. If you turn over the proverbs Chapter three, you know there’s something Salomon and writing the proverbs will give us an instruction in Proverbs, Chapter three and in verse six, actually. Let’s go to verse five, Verse five says trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean on your own understanding. Solomon calls upon his son who is writing these problems too,

so they might understand wisdom in the mine understand instruction to begin with trust. You know, it’s hard to trust someone to a deep level that you’ve just met. Some of us naturally go through life trusting people until they break our trust. And some of us go through life distrusting people until they proven our trust. But the reality is you cannot trust someone at a deep level. Let’s say with your Children, you don’t walk up to a stranger. Generally speaking, if you’re you’re you’re in your right mind.

You don’t walk up to a stranger, hand them your Children and say, I’ll be back in a week. Now some of us with our Children have been tempted to walk up to any stranger head of our Children. It’s Al. Be back in a week, Children. That’s how you know your parents love you. They haven’t done that yet. Now he’s saying trust in the Lord. But how is trust built by evidence and by proof and buy a relationship over a period of time? What is God telling Israel as through Joshua as they’re standing there?

You can trust me because for 450 years I have provided trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding in all your ways. Acknowledge him and he shall direct your path.

Do not be wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord and depart from evil. Solomon tells his son,

you understand and you come to a knowledge of the facts that when you are faithful to God, when you trust him,

when you rely on him, when you believe that he will direct your path and you don’t rely on your own wisdom,

then the fear of the Lord will cause you to depart from evil. And your reliance will allow God to act.

But if you don’t hear the opposite here, the opposite of if you don’t fear the Lord, notice what Joshua says now.

Therefore, fear the Lord, serve him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your father served on the other side of the river.

And in Egypt, Sir, The lowered Joshua knows something. Joshua knows that among the people standing there there were still ones holding onto those gods.

How many times and they struggled. How many times have they failed? How many times in the book of Joshua Do we read that they weren’t able to drive the people out entirely because they didn’t remain completely faithful to God.

He knew among that leadership he knew among those individuals there were those still holding on to those faults gods,

and he calls on them to make a choice. He calls on them to choose verse 15. And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord,

if you can look back over your history from Abraham all the way to today for 450 years and you can look at that history and say,

You know what? It still seems like a bad idea to me to serve the Lord. If you can look at your history and still deem it wrong to serve the Lord if it seem able to you to serve the Lord,

choose for yourselves this day, whom you will serve whether the gods of your father, which your father served that were on the other side of the river or the gods of the AMA writes in whose land you’d well.

But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua says to the people to the leaders.

You make a choice for your own homes. You make a choice for your own tribes. You make your own choice for your own people.

But as for me and my house, I know the choice we will make. I know the direction we will go.

Question. Do you know the direction of your house as you examine your household is you examine your family.

What direction is it headed? Is it headed towards God? Is it a family that fears the Lord?

Is it a family that prioritizes God over everything else? Or is it a family that is going every direction but to the Lord?

You examine your motivation when you examine your family’s motivations. When you examine the decisions you make, does the first choice come from?

I trust the Lord? I fear the Lord. Now where does that leave me for the rest of the decision making?

Because if the decision is well, I do good or do well. I do evil. If I trust the Lord and fear the Lord,

that decision’s already made. If the choice is between doing good or doing evil, if the choice is between righteousness or sin,

and I fear the Lord. The choice has already been made. I’m going to choose righteousness if the choice is concerning something that is above and beyond that a matter of liberty,

a matter of something that is maybe a matter of judgment or a decision making about the path for my life.

Which direction leads me towards God? Which direction leads me away from sin? Which direction opens the path to greater service of the Lord in which direction closes that door?

Someone comes in one day to a place where you’re working. They say, I’ve got a job. I want to give you that job.

I want you to come work for me and you begin discussing the details. And right now you’re in a decent job.

You’ve got a decent pay. You’re you’re making a decent living. You’re getting by. It’s not always easy.

It’s not always perfect. But you’re getting my the Lord’s providing that individual comes along. They say, I want you to take this job.

You’re perfect for this job. They butter you up one side and down the other. You get into the terms of the job.

Well, you need to spend a great deal of time away from your family, but I’m gonna pay you very well.

Well, you need to be able to miss all those service is on Sunday and maybe some of those Wednesday nights as well.

But I’m gonna pay you well, choose you this day whom you will serve. But as for me in my house,

the decision’s already been made. That’s what he say. That’s what Josh was saying. I’ve already made my choice.

I made my choice years ago. Turned to Josh, which after one we end it quarter to 22 quarter to Josh,

whichever one verse one. This is the background of Josh, which after 24 and for every one of these leaders who standing there this is the background to what Joshua is saying.

Joshua, Chapter one, verse one. After the death of Moses, the servant of Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua,

the son of son of Nun Moses is assistant and saying Moses, my servant, is dead now therefore arise.

Go over the Jordan, you and all these people to the land which I am giving to them the Children of Israel.

Every place that the soul of your feet will tread upon. I have given to you. As I said to Moses Now this is the beginning of the fulfillment of the promise.

But God says it’s already done. I already gave it to you. It’s in your hand. You just got to go walk over there and get it.

Notice what he says from the wilderness of this Lebanon as Faras, the Great River, the river, Euphrates,

all the land of the hit tights in the Great Sea. Toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory.

No man should be able to stand before you all the days of your life as I was with Moses.

So I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. There’s trust. There’s the opportunity for Joshua to place his trust in the lower God says,

I’m not leaving you. I’m not forsaking you. And the one time we read in the book of Joshua,

where Josh will lose his trust in the Lord and cries before him, God says, get up! The problem is their sin in the camp.

I haven’t forsaken you, but you haven’t kept the camp clean, then go on, he says, Be strong and of good courage for to this people you shall divine as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them on.

Lee, be strong and very courageous that you may observe to do according to the law which Moses my serving commands.

You do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left that you may prosper wherever you go.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding in all your ways. Acknowledge him and he shall direct your path.

God says to Joshua’s Joshua begins this journey. You don’t turn, you go straight ahead. You don’t turn to the right hand or the left.

You follow the law. The decision’s already been made. All you have to do is walk the path.

But yet before God ever calls on himto walk the path tow, walk down the straight and narrow path he calls upon him to be strong and courageous leaders in the home leaders in the congregation,

Leaders of families, leaders of Children Did you know that it’s not easy? Oh, it’s one thing to say,

Choose you this day, whom you will serve and decide today and tomorrow. It gets harder tomorrow. That choice isn’t as easy as it is sitting in a pew this morning.

Tomorrow, when you’re faced with a friend who wants you to do something that’s wrong, it’s harder. That’s why God calls upon Joshua to begin with strength and courage.

If you can’t first be strong if you can’t first be courageous than your choice will mean nothing when the hard times come,

he says. Be strong and courageous on Lee. Be strong and very courageous. Verse seven. This book of the law Verse eight shall not depart from your mouth,

but you shall meditate in it day and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it.

For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. What is the pattern that Joshua lays down for us?

What is the path to success? What is the path to the right choice that Joshua is given by the Lord?

Get in my scripture and stay there every day. Get in there and stay there, meditate on it so that when the choice comes,

it’s not a choice. You already know what I have commanded you to do. But then notice verse nine again,

he reminds him. Have I not commanded? You be strong and of good courage? Do not be afraid,

nor be dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go, God says again. Not only be strong and courageous,

not only be strong and courageous, not only stay in my word and read it and meditate on it and make the right choice.

Don’t depart from it to the right hand of the left, but be strong and courageous three times in five verses.

You think God’s making a point? Joshua. It’s not easy. It’s not easy to lead. It’s not easy to stand up when everyone else wants to go the other direction.

It’s not easy to be in the situation where Moses was when all the people wanted to kill him and go back to Egypt.

God knows Joshua can stand because when 10 spies came back from the land and said, We can’t take that land,

Joshua and Caleb stood up. They said We can take the land God will give it into our hand.

Let’s go now and the people wouldn’t. So God tells Josh would be strong and courageous. But then notice Bursten.

I said that Joshua, 20 fours background is here, even for those in the assembly. Here’s how I know that Joshua.

Chapter 20 chats with Chapter one, Verse 10. Then Joshua commanded the officers off the people. Do you remember the list of people who were present and Joshua,

24 the elders, the heads, the judges and the officers? He says to the officers of the people passed through the camp Command the people saying,

Prepare provisions for yourselves for within three days you will cross over this Jordan to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess To the Ruby nights.

The gas line to the half TRIBE of Manasseh Joshua spoke saying Remember the word which Moses, the servant of the Lord,

commanded you saying The Lord, your God is giving you rest and is giving you this land. Your wives,

your little ones. Your livestock shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on the other side of Jordan.

But you shall pass before the Brethren armed all your mighty men of valor and helped them until the Lord is given your brethren rest as he gave you and they have taken.

And they also have taken possession of the land which the Lord your God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and enjoy it.

Which Moses, The Lord serving, gave you on this side of the Jordan toward the sunrise. So they the off the officers.

So they answer. Josh was saying all that you command us, we will do. And wherever you send us,

we will go. Justus, we heated Moses in all the things. So we will heed you on Lee,

the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses. So whoever rebels against your command and does not heed your words in all that you command him shall be put to death.

And here’s the message from the people to Joshua on Lee Be strong and of good courage. People say to the leader,

we’ll follow you. We’ll go where you direct. You just be strong and courageous and will do what you say.

Turned back to Joshua, 24. Josh, which after 24 verse 15 again says if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord shoes for yourselves this day,

whom you will serve whether the gods which your father served that were on the other side of the river or the gods,

the am rights and whose land you dwell. But it’s for me in my house. We will serve the Lord.

So the people answered and said, Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods.

He’s brought us this far. He’s brought us into the land. He has given us this inheritance. He’s fulfilled the covenant.

Far be it from us that we depart from him to serve their gods for the Lord. Our God is he who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt from the house of Bondage who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we win.

And among all the people through whom we passed and the Lord drove out from before us. All the people,

including the AMA rights, who dwelt in the land, who also will serve the Lord for he is our or see me.

We also will serve the Lord. For he is our God Noticed Joshua’s response. Many leaders would have gone all right.

Great. Good news. You’re you’re you’re onboard, not Joshua. Joshua knows his life is coming to an end.

And Joshua wants them to understand the reality of what they have said. Joshua. Chapter 24 verse 19.

But Joshua said to the people, You cannot serve the Lord. Wait a minute, Yash, will you just called upon us to make a choice.

And we just told you what? Our choices. And now you’re saying we can’t do it? That’s exactly what he’s saying.

Notice what he says. You cannot serve the Lord, for he is a holy god. He is a jealous god.

He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. Now, wait a minute. I heard that God is someone who forgives transgressions.

Who forgives sins, Josh? Well, what are you saying? Notice what he says. If if you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods,

then he will turn and do you harm and consume you after he has done you good. You want to read Deuteronomy,

Chapter nine. I highly recommend it if you make notes in your Bible, Put dude Arana me Chapter nine right here,

because that’s the chapter where Moses tells the entire Congregation of Israel the last year before they cross that Jordan River that God isn’t giving you this land because you deserve it.

God’s giving you this land because the people who are in this land are being judged for their sin. And when you become wicked like they became wicked,

he’ll judge you, too. We do not have the benefit of having God’s grace because we deserve it.

We do not have God’s salvation or his grace because we were born into a family that was faithful to him.

We have it because we continue to trust and obey. But when the obedience stops, it means the trust has stopped.

When the trust in the obedient stop, the faithfulness goes away and when the faithfulness goes away, what comes?

Gods judgment. Joshua doesn’t rejoice in the people’s decision. He warns them. You might be a little overzealous on your own faithfulness,

because when you turn and you forsake the Lord, he will consume you notice what he says Verse 21.

And the people said to Joshua, No, but we will serve the Lord. So Josh was said to the people,

You are witnesses against yourselves, that you have chosen the Lord for yourselves to serve him and they said,

we are witnesses now. Therefore, he said, put away the foreign gods which are among you an incline your heart to the Lord God of Israel.

And the people said to Joshua, the Lord, our God, we will serve and his voice we will obey.

Joshua made a covenant with the people that day and four and made for them a statute and an ordinance and check him.

Then Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God, and he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak.

That was by the sanctuary of the Lord. Joshua said, all the people behold this stone shall be a witness to us.

For it has heard all the words of the Lord, which he spoke to us. It shall therefore be a witness to you,

lest you deny your God. Joshua says you made a choice. You have made a vow. You have made a covenant.

You made a choice. Now go do it. Go put away the gods that are still in your land.

Go put away the guns that are still in your houses. Get rid of them and serve the Lord.

But I’m placing this reminder here by the Tabernacle so that every time you come here and offer sacrifices, you see it and you remember you made a vow and God will hold you to it.

Choose you this day, whom you will serve. But know this If you go back on that choice,

you will being judged. Jesus said the words that I have spoken will judge you in that day. Thank you for your attention.

You’re dismissed. Good morning. It is an honor and a privilege to be with you this morning to have the opportunity to speak.

And it is a joy to speak on. This particular topic is a topic that is needed in not only our brotherhood.

It is a topic that is needed worldwide toe. Understand the authority of God, the authority of the scriptures.

Now we’re not going to del deeply into the weeds of the Greek language or or, uh, logical syllogism,

Zor establishing authority and all of the principals of it. What we want to do this morning is we want to establish very clearly where is the authority and by whose authority do we live and operate and serve The Lord.

Let’s begin in Matthew, Chapter 15. We’re going to approach this from the position of first noticing where it is not because when we notice where it is not,

we can then go through the process very thoroughly of establishing where it is because that really lays the foundation for everything else and every other lesson that will occur this week.

The reality is, is we’ve established in the first lesson we have a choice to make. We will have to choose between God or anything else.

We will have to choose whether we will serve the Lord or whether we will not. Jesus made it clear you cannot serve two masters.

You will either love one and hate the other. You will hold with one and despise the other Man cannot serve God and Mammon got.

Man cannot serve God and anything else. He will either serve the Lord or he will not. Matthew,

Chapter 15 there’s a choice or Excuse me. There is a discussion laid forward here between the Farris ease that have come from Jerusalem and Jesus.

They come from Jerusalem and they ask question verse two. Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders,

for they do not wash their hands when they read the elders being referenced here or not, Elders in the body of Christ.

They’re not elders in a church. The church has yet to be established. The next chapter to these air,

the elders of the Israel Lights, go all the way back to Josh, which after 24 you might remember is we were discussing this morning that the elders were present.

At that time. These were the leaders in Israel. They were leaders by nature of their age. They were leaders by nature of their patriarch status.

They were leaders among the people, and over the periods of the centuries they had established a series of rules.

And those rules were rules that the Israel lights lived by quite often in the first century. And so the Farris he’s come as those who are rule keepers.

They come to Jesus and they say the rules of the elders say that you are to wash your hands before you eat.

Now, these are not the rules of the mothers. This is not about eating with clean hands. This is not about making sure that the germs are removed from your hands before you eat your food.

That’s not what this is about. This is about Jews versus Gentiles. This is about when you come in from the marketplace.

When you come in from a place where you might have come in contact with a gentile or you might have been caused to become unclean,

you needed to ceremonially cleanse yourself from the filth that was outside so that when you e you don’t cause yourself to become unclean.

Now this was not a law of Moses. This was not a law of God. And they even admit such they say,

Why do you not follow the traditions of the elders? They know where the original the origination point is.

It comes from the elders, but they held that that was enough authority to make it a practice in their daily life.

Jesus response begins in verse three. He answered and said to them, Why do you transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition.

Notice first and foremost, that there is the possibility there is the possibility of transgressing God’s law with mans traditions.

If we don’t first come to a realization that man’s traditions, man’s laws, man’s ordinances can transgress and cause us to transgress.

God’s law will never see the need for the rest of this lesson until we come to a realization that if we make a law that causes God’s laws to not be fulfilled,

then we have transgressed God’s laws. Until we come to that realization, we won’t understand the importance of what we’re about to say.

Jesus said their laws, their traditions there, ordinances had transgressed, had gone against, had done damage to the law of God.

Noticed what he says, he says, for God commanded, saying, Honor your father and your mother.

And he who curses father, mother, let him be put to death. Jesus goes back and quote the law.

Jesus goes back and says, This is what God commanded. Not a man, not a group of elders,

not as a council. This is what God commanded. But then he says, Verse five. But you say the Faris ease as leaders.

As teachers among the people taught the traditions of the elders, they taught the commands of the elders, and Jesus said,

This is what you say, he says. You say whoever says to his father, Mother, whatever profit you might have received from me as a gift to God,

then he need not honor his father nor mother. Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect.

By your tradition. God commanded you to honor your father, Mother. The honor here, by the way,

is not saying yes, sir. Yes, man. Being respectful. That’s not what he’s talking about.

He is talking about that when your parents are of old age and needs someone to provide for them. You as a child,

you as a descendant had a responsibility to show them honor and provide for them in their old age, Jesus says.

But what you’ve done through your tradition is you’ve said if you’d say that what you have belongs to God,

it was a process that was called corbin. If you said that this thing and my possessions are dedicated to God,

you can’t give what’s dedicated to God to your parents. You can honor your father and mother and provide for their needs because you’ve made what you had,

something that was dedicated to God. Now here was the Here was the loophole. It was dedicated to God.

You could still use it for you, but you couldn’t give it to your parents, he says. What you’ve done through your tradition of calling something dedicated to God is you have,

through your tradition, nullified God’s command. Then he says this. He looks at those Farris ease and he says,

Hypocrites. Hypocrites, he says. Well, did Isaiah profits? I about you saying These people drawn near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips,

but their hardest for fun, far from me. But in the in vain they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.

Jesus accused these individuals these Farris ease of taking man’s teachings man’s instruction man’s ordinances and placing it equally on the same plane with gods and Jesus,

said Isaiah 700 years ago, condemned you for this. Now, before we go any further, before we delve any further into what Jesus says,

Let’s go back to Isaiah and notice what Isaiah said. Turned Isaiah, Chapter 29 Isaiah, Chapter 29 beginning in verse nine,

We read this. This is in the middle of a series of lows. There’s five woes given against the leadership of the Northern and southern Kingdom of Israel by the prophet Isaiah.

And if we had time, we would go through all of them. But we don’t. In this series of lows,

this one is in the middle. This is number three out of five, but notice the end of the second.

Whoa! As we read in verse Verse nine, he says, Pause in wonder. Blind yourselves and be blind.

Gone calls upon Israel to put out their eyes. God calls upon Israel that calls themselves to be blind.

Why? Because he wants them to listen to him. He says, Blind yourselves and be blind. They are drunk,

but not with wine. They stagger, but not with intoxicating drink, for the Lord has poured on out on you.

The spirit of deep sleep. He has closed your eyes, namely the profits. He has covered your heads,

namely the Sears. He’s informing them that they have been duped. He’s informing them that they’ve been deceived there like blind people,

allowing someone else to lead them around there like deaf people, allowing someone else to be able to tell them what someone says.

And they’ve been lying to buy their profits. They’ve been lying to buy their Sears because their seers and their profits haven’t been telling them the truth.

Verse 11 The whole vision has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed, which men delivered to one who is literate,

saying Read this, please. And he says, I cannot afford to seal. Make the mental picture in your mind In the book we’re referring to.

Your two in this paid day in time would be a scroll, so they get a scroll. The scroll is handed to an individual,

and God’s illustrating this. Isaiah is making this a word picture, he says. You get a scroll you handed,

it’s handed to you, and you want someone to read it for you. So you take it to someone who can read because not everybody could in that day.

So you take it to someone who can read and they look at it and they say it’s sealed back in that day in time the scroll would be rolled up,

and then they take a wax seal and a stamp, and they put that m boss that seal on the scroll to close it.

And unless you had the authority of the involves stroll unless you had the authority for opening the seal, you couldn’t open it.

So he has a prophecy, has a word from God. He has a revelation. He takes it to a person can reign,

the person who can read says, Sorry, you’re out of luck. It’s sealed. So then noticed what happens?

Then the book is delivered, the one who is illiterate, saying Read this, please. And he says,

I am illiterate. Therefore, the Lord said, inasmuch as these people drawn near with their mouths and honor me with their lips,

but have removed their hearts far from me and noticed this phrase and their fear toward me is taught by the commandment of men.

God condemns Israel and specifically condemns their profits, their seers and their leaders, their teachers because, he says,

You’ve taught the people to fear me through your commandments, but not by teaching them who I am. Here’s where you get what Jesus is saying Jesus is saying the people are obeying you because you’re claiming to stand in the seat of Moses.

You’re claiming to stand in the position of Moses and teach what God says. But instead of teaching them God’s word,

you’re teaching them your own. And when they fear your doctrines, when they fear your commandments when they obey your commandments,

it’s not because they love me. It’s because they’re obeying you. They substituted themselves for God Notice he goes on,

he says. Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work among this people. A marvelous work in a wonder for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish and the understanding their prudent man shall be hidden.

Whoa! Oh, to those who seek deed to hide their counsel from the Lord and their works are in the dark.

They say, Who sees us and who knows us. God says, I know what you’ve done. I know what you leaders and you teachers are doing because you and your secret places have devised these commandments have devised these laws,

and you’ve imagined in your heart I don’t know you imagined in your heart no one’s gonna find out. You’ve imagined in your heart that no one’s gonna know that you swapped your commandments and put them in the place of God’s commandments.

So Jesus calls these heresies hypocrites. He condemns them as liars. He condemns them as those who have put on a face of righteousness.

But inwardly, they’ve changed God’s word out for their own. So we establish very clearly that Jesus said it is possible to replace God’s word with man’s word and therefore become those who sin.

So then the question is, where is our authority? I want to take you to one last passage in the Old Testament,

and I want you to see the severity of what it is that God considers one who will lead people away from him.

Do Deuteronomy, Chapter 13 Deuteronomy, Chapter 13. We have a Siri’s of commandments given concerning what was the happen to a false prophet to an individual who comes into Israel and says You need to obey the words that I speak because I’m a prophet,

but then lead people away from the Lord Noticed Chapter 13 Verse one. If there rises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams,

and he gives you a sign or a wonder. And the signer of the wonder comes to pass of which he spoke to you saying Let us go after other gods which you have not known and let us serve them.

You shall not listen to the words of that profit or that dreamer of dreams for the Lord. Your God is testing you to know whether you will love the Lord your God with all your heart,

with all your soul, he says. If a profit comes and he makes a prophecy and it comes to pass.

But then his teaching is depart from the Lord God’s testing you, God’s testing you to find out. Will you love him with all your heart,

with all your soul? Or will you follow after someone who appears to be right but is teaching what is wrong?

Go on verse for you shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice.

You shall serve him and hold fast to him. But that profit or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt to redeem and redeemed you from the House of Bondage to entice you fromthe way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk.

So you shall put away the evil from your minced gods indictment against a prophet who would make a prophecy and it came to pass and then would try and steal the people away from the Lord.

Lead them away from God is you put him to death. But he doesn’t just tell them you put him to death.

He tells them how. Notice what he says. He says, If your brother the son of your mother,

your son or your daughter the wife of your bosom or your friend who is as your own soul secretly entices you saying Let us go and serve other gods which you have not known.

Neither you nor your fathers of the gods of the people that are all around you near to you are far from you from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth.

You shall not consent to him nor listen to him. Nor shall your I pity him. Nor shall you spare him nor conceal him.

This isn’t just about a prophet who comes from a far land or a prophet who arises, and no one knows if he says,

If your brother the son of your mother or your wife or your husband or your daughter or your father,

your mother comes to you and secretly tries to leave you away from the Lord. You don’t pity them.

You don’t hide them. You put him to death. How serious is God about people changing his word?

He says. If they do it, they die. They’re worthy of death Now. Romans Chapter one,

Paul writes to the church at Rome, and he gives them this instruction. Romans Chapter one, Beginning in Verse one,

he says. Paula Bond, servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle separated to the gospel of God.

First and foremost, Paul says, I have been separated. I have been set apart. I have been sanctified to the purpose of the good news,

the gospel of Jesus Christ, which he God promise. Before, through his profits in the Holy Scriptures,

the gospel was prophesized about. It was told that it was going to come. It was told that the good news was coming and it was coming.

And now Paul says, I am set apart to deliver that good news. Then he says this concerning the son,

Jesus, his son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh and declared to be the son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by the resident resurrection from the dead.

Through him, we have received Grace and Apostle ship for obedience to the faith among all nations for his name notice first and foremost,

that Paul says to the church at Rome, made up of Jew and gentile, that there is one faith to which we should be obedient.

Every nation under heaven has one faith to which they should be obedient. And it is the faith that was prophesized in the Old Testament.

It is the faith that is the gospel of the Son of God. Jesus Christ turned Roman’s Chapter 16 Roman’s Chapter 16.

As he closes this book, Paul writes to the Church of Rome, and he says now to him,

Verse 25 to him who is able to establish you according to my gospel. Now wait a minute, Paul.

Whose gospel is it? Paul will say It’s my gospel. Why? Because he was set apart to deliver it.

But it doesn’t belong to him. He’s not claiming it belongs to him. He’s not claiming he originated it.

He knows where it came from. He’s talking about his relationship to it. He has no other gospel.

He has no other good news. He has no other message, which he will preach. That’s what he told them in Romans Chapter one.

He determined not to know anything else. He determined to preach the gospel because it’s the power of God into salvation.

He knows who’s gospel it is, but he says now to him, who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ,

According to the revelation of the mystery which kept kept since the, um excuse me kept secret since the world began,

but now made manifest and by the prophetic scriptures may known to all nations according to the commandment of the everlasting God four Obedience to the Faith,

to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Paul begins and ends the book of Romans,

one of the most abused books in all the New Testament. When it comes to false doctrines, he begins it with this message.

You obey the faith. You become obedient to the faith to the gospel. You don’t change the gospel because it is the power of God and salvation.

And he closes the book with obedience to the faith, the original, the parole office side Faith. That’s the faith to which we must be obedient.

Now, as we conclude, I want to show you how Jesus established in the Book of John, how we can know the authority of the Bible and the authority of the scriptures above everything else.

Take your Bibles, if you will, and open them to John. Chapter one, John, Chapter one.

You as you study with individuals as you study yourself and you determine the doctrines with which you will be obedient,

the doctrines that come from God or the doctrines that come from men. Remember the Book of John because in the Book of John,

God lays out the entire case for the authority of the Scriptures. It’s all there in one book. If you can follow along with me and these passages you can establish for anyone,

anywhere, the authority of the New Testament over every doctrine of man. Here’s the authority for the Bible.

Right here, John. Chapter one, verse one in the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was gone.

He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him, nothing was made that was made.

We understand the context here is talking about the individual who’s referenced in verse 13 and 14 who was born not of blood or the will of the flesh,

nor the will of God of man, but of God. And the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory.

The glory is of the only begun to the father full of grace and truth. The individual who was born in the flesh who was with God in the beginning was Jesus Christ,

Verse 17. Having established that Jesus Christ is deity, that he is the creator. John writes for 17 for the law was given through Moses but Grace and noticed this word truth came through.

Jesus Christ. By whose authority do we obey? God Jesus Christ. Why? Because truth came through him.

He was the word that delivered the revelation of the Old Testament. He was the word that brought forth the revelation in the New Testament.

I’ll prove that. Turn to John, Chapter 20 versus 30 and 31. The reason we re use the Book of John for this is because John said it was the whole point of writing the book,

John, Chapter 20 versus 30 and 31 John writes. And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples,

which are not written in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus Christ, that Jesus is the Christ the son of God and the believing you may have life in his name,

John says. I wrote this book. I rode this gospel so that you might read it. You might believe that he’s the Christ.

You might know he’s the Messiah, and that through his name you might have life. Now turn to John.

Chapter three. You write these passages down and you go back and you notice them As we go through them.

You will see the message of the book of John Chapter three, Verse 28. He says, You yourselves,

bear witness is that I said, I am not the Christ but I have been sinned before him. He who has the bride is the bride room.

But the friend of the bride groom who stands and hears him rejoice is greatly because of the bride grooms voice.

Therefore, this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. Who are we reading about?

John the Baptist John is telling his disciples he Jesus has come and he must increase in. I miss decrease but knows what else John says.

He who comes from above. We already read in John, Chapter one that Christ came from God. He who came from above is above all he who is of the Earth is earthly and speaks of the earth.

He who comes from from heaven is above all. So let’s set this context with one who speaks who originated on the earth.

His word is right here. The one who came from heaven, who is, above all his words,

right here You can have a doctrine of man that’s on equal planes with God. Why? Because they didn’t originate in the right place.

He came from heaven. They didn’t. That’s point number one. But notice he has received his testimony has certified that God is true.

For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God for God does not give the spirit by measure.

The father loves the sun and has given all things into his hand. He who believes in the son has everlasting life and he do does not believe the sun shall not see life,

but the wrath of God abides on him. I’m sure this will be discussed before the end of the week.

But let me just lay out that this is the same context in which Jesus declares very clearly that a man must be born again through water and the spirit in orderto have eternal life.

That’s John, Chapter three, the first part of it. So if we’re going to talk about belief,

understand that Jesus at the context of belief in a new birth in water and button, that’s baptism. So before any discussion happens about whether or not we just believe and have eternal life,

the answer is no, because Jesus said so. But John the Baptist, said. The one who’s coming after me is from God.

He speaks from God. He speaks the word of God and he has the authority of God. Follow with me.

Chapter four, Verse 25 26 as Jesus is speaking with a woman at the well in Samaria. The woman who’s not a Jew,

she’s not under the law. Moses. She’s not obedient to the law of Moses. She’s part Jew,

part Gentile. Or she’s a Samaritan, most likely. But Jesus speaks to her concerning the one who’s coming and she knows this.

There’s someone coming, he says. She says, Verse 25. I know that Messiah is coming. Who is called Christ.

When he comes, he will tell us all things. She knows something about the Messiah. She knows something about the one that the Old Testament spoke about.

She knows something about the one who Moses said, Ah, profit will be raised up from among my brethren.

Like under May him you shall hear she knows something about that. Jesus said to her. I who speak to you m he he says,

I’m the Messiah. I’m the crimes. But then notice Chapter five, Verse 16 Jesus came from God.

Jesus spoke gods were Jesus is the one who was coming as prophesized by the Old Testament. John Chapter five,

Verse 16 Through verse 23 we see derived authority established by Christ. What do I mean? I mean authority handed down Chapter five,

verse 16. For this reason, the Jews persecuted Jesus and sought to kill him because he has done those things on done these things on the Sabbath.

But Jesus answered them. My father has been working until now and I have been working. Therefore, the Jews saw it all the more to kill him because he not only broke the sama but also said that he was his.

That God was his father making himself equal with God. Jesus made a statement that they understood men. He believes he’s on the same level with God but notice Jesus Response.

Jesus answered, said to them, most assuredly I say to you the sun can do nothing of himself,

but what he sees the father do for whatever he does. The sun also does in like manner for the father loves the sun and shows him all things that he himself does.

And he will show him greater works than these that you may marvel for as the father raises the dead and gives life to them.

Even so, the son gives life to whom he will. For the father judges no one but has committed all judgment to the sun That all who should hear that all should honor the son Justus.

They honor the father. He does. He used me. He who does not honor the son does not honor the father who sent him here.

Jesus says that my authority originated with the father. The works of the father are the works that I do and the works he’s done.

You will see me Dio and his judgment is my judgment. Now go forward in the book of John Actually first chapter five,

Verse 24 3 26 I don’t want to get that as well. Most assuredly I say to you. He who hears my words and believes in him who sent me has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment but is passed from death into life more surely I say to you the hour is coming and now is when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live at for as the father has life in himself.

So he has granted the son to have life in himself. We have derived authority, the authority of Christ Words,

the authority of Christ life, the authority over judgment, the authority of the Scripture. Verse 31 Chapter five,

Verse 31. Jesus says If I bear witness of myself, my witnesses not true there is another who bears witness of me.

And I know that the witness of which he witnesses of me is true. He’s saying, God, the father bears witness of him.

You have sent to John John the Baptist and he is born witness to the truth. Yet I do not receive testimony for man.

But I say these things that you may be saved. Jesus is saying what he’s saying so that they might be obedient and be saved.

Verse 35 He was the burning and shining lamp, John the Baptist was, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his life.

But I have a greater witness than Johns for the works which the father has given me to finish the very works that I do bear Witness of me that the father has sent me on The father himself who sent me has testified of May.

You have neither heard his voice at any time nor seen this form. But you do not have his word abiding in you because whom he sent him You do not believe notice.

Jesus says if you reject my words you’ve rejected the father. You don’t have his word abiding in you.

If you choose someone else’s teaching above mine. But he goes on to say verse 39. You search the scriptures for in them you think you have eternal life and these are they which testify of me.

But you are not willing to come to me that you may have life. I do not receive honor from men.

But I know you that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in my father’s name and you do not receive me.

If another comes in his own name him you will receive. How can you believe who receive honor from another and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God I do not think that I shall accuse you to the father.

There is one who accuses you, Moses, In whom you trust for if you believe Moses, you would have believed me,

for he wrote about me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?

Jesus establishes the authority of the Old Testament. He establishes the judgment of the Old Testament upon those under whom they who lived under that law.

So if we’ve got the origin of Christ being from the father being from heaven, if we’ve got the words of Christ being the words of God,

if we’ve got Jesus establishing the authority of the Old Testament scriptures on those who lived under the law Moses,

then by all means. What authority do we have today, John? Chapter 17 John, Chapter 17 in just a few verses in the prayer that Jesus prays before he goes to be betrayed in the garden we have the authority from that moment all the way forward,

laid out as Jesus praise. He says this John, Chapter 17 Verse one. Father, the hours come glorify your son that your son may also also may glorify you.

You as you have given notice, given him authority over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as you have given him.

And this is eternal life that they may know you The only true God and Jesus Christ whom you sin noticed that Jesus says you have given authority to me overall flesh.

The authority has come from the father to the son. But watch the progression go down over six. I have manifested your name to men whom you have given to me out of the world.

They were yours. You gave them to me and they have kept your word. Who’s he talking about?

The apostles. He’s talking about the 12 because he’s going to talk aboutthe one. Though we’re not gonna take the time to read it.

He’s in talk aboutthe one who had become unfaithful. Judas, he says. I kept those who’ve you’ve given to me and they have kept your word Noticed the pattern of authority.

The father to the son and the son declared the word of the father and the disciples. The apostles kept the word of the father,

the authority from the sun or from the father to the son to the word notice Verse eight. For I have given to them the words which you have given to me and they have received them and have sure have known surely that I came forth from you.

And they have believed that you sent me verse 13. But now I come to you, Christ of the father and these things.

I speak in the world that they may have my joyful filled in themselves. Notice Jesus says that the words that he spoken will bring joy if they’re believed,

if they’re received and if they’re obeyed, if they’re kept by those who hear them. But then notice verse 14.

I have given them the apostles your word. And the world has hated them because they are not of the world.

Just as I am not of the world. Notice that the one who receives the word the one who has given the word and keeps the word instantly becomes different from the world.

He instantly becomes separated from the world. He instantly becomes the enemy of the world. So if you look at the doctrines that you believe if you look at the doctrines that your church teaches and they look like the world.

It’s because you’re believing the wrong person because you’re believing the wrong doctrine. But then noticed this for 17 3 Verse 19 Jesus in his prayer to the father before he is betrayed before he goes to the cross.

Praise this. Sanctify them. Do you remember where Paul wrote in Romans Chapter one? That he was set apart to the gospel?

That’s where the word sanctify means set apart. Jesus, prayed. Set them apart. By your truth,

your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, I have also I also have sent them the apostles into the world.

And for their sakes, I sanctify myself that they also may be sanctified by the truth. The apostles were set apart by the truth.

They were set apart to declare the gospel. They were set apart to declare the words that came from the father through the sun.

To them, their authority wasn’t their own. Their authority wasn’t the commandments of men. Their words came from God.

Verse 20. I do not pray for these alone. I don’t just pray for the 12. I pray for all those who will believe in me through their word.

Well, by all means. What is their word? And do we still have it today? Yes,

we do. Jesus prayed that they might be one completely in unity with him as he was in unity with the father,

and that the avenue of doing that was keeping his word, the word that he would give to the apostles and that they would declare to others.

There is no doctrine, no creed, no commandment of men that can establish unity with Jesus Christ. There is only one word that can the gospel,

the gospel that is the power of God in the salvation to the Jew first and also to the Greek,

to the Gentile, to you and to me and to the descendants of Isaac and Jacob, there is one word that can allow us to have Christ joyful filled in our lives.

And it’s this word. There is one word that we must be obedient to its faith. And it’s this faith.

And there’s one word that if we refuse to hear it, we bring about our own judgment. And it’s this word.

So what is this word command you to do? This word commands you and John, Chapter eight, Verse 24 toe.

Believe that Jesus is the Christ the son of God. Because if you don’t believe you will die in your sins.

This word commands you to hear the word because you can’t believe that which you will not hear and receive.

This word commands you to change your life. Jesus said that there were many who would claim to follow him.

Matthew, Chapter seven verse is 2019 through 21 but they wouldn’t actually obey his commandments. They would call on him,

Lord Lord, but he says I don’t know who you are. This word calls upon you to repent,

Romansh after 10 versus nine in 10 to confess the name of Christ unto salvation and to be immersed in water for the remission of your sins.

To be born again by water and the spirit to rise up the walk and new misapply. And then to live faithful not to the commandments of men,

not to the traditions of elders, not to the commandments of manmade doctrines. But the word Oh God.

Until death that you may receive a crown of life. Well, you do that. Have you been obedient?

to the gospel. If not, nothing stands in your way this morning. But making a choice. Will you obey the gospel?

Will you put Christ on in baptism? Will you become obedient to the one authority that can save your soul?

If you have need of the invitation, the invitation is open now as we stand and as we say