Major Doctrines of The Bible: The Purpose of God’s Word | Steve Benson

started a new series

on sound doctrine.

Last week we looked at the word of God,

all the important things the Bible has

to say about that.

They're all throughout the Bible.

It's an important subject and a very

very

in-depth subject

is the word of God. It's from God

himself.

So it's a

profitable as we saw in Timothy

for us to study the word. And this

morning we're going to look at the

purposes of the word of God. the

purposes of the word of God.

And we have with it here, open your

Bibles to the book of Ephesians.

Don't have any certain context

in this series or in this message, but

we're going to look at a few

important verses this morning.

And we come to the purpose of the word

of God

this morning.

And the Bible says that it is the the

mind of God. It's the mind of Christ.

It's the mind of God. It's his thoughts.

It's his will. It's his purposes.

And it's his word. And it's important

for us to see beyond the written word

and to see the great God behind the

written word.

And he's the living God. And he gives us

a living word.

And the Bible mentions building

and laboring.

So as we build and we labor

in this life, we want the word of God to

be our guide.

So that the purposes that we are

involved in and with

are from God himself and from his word.

So the word of God is uh the psalmists

over and over

you know many folks in the Old Testament

you know it it it was their abode. It

was where they stayed, you know, they

didn't get distracted from God and from

his word. It was their place that they

dwelt. It was David said it was a

lantern to his path, a light into his

path

in this dark world in which we live.

So those are the comparisons that we

have as we begin to look at the purposes

of God and and and these great things to

know that that the word of God is God's

mind. It's God's will. It's God's

purposes.

So, we should be involved in what those

purposes are. And here in chapter 2 in

verse 19,

you guys are familiar with all these

things, but we are so strangers and

sojourers and fellow citizens of of the

saints in the household of God. That's

who we are. This great book of Ephesians

is uh all about that

for us Gentiles to see.

And there were many Gentiles in Ephesus.

And Paul spent a lot of time there.

And Paul says also we are built upon the

foundation of the apostles and the

prophets, Jesus Christ being the chief

to cornerstone in whom all the building

fitly flamed together grows unto a holy

temple unto the Lord. So here here's

that thought of growing. Here's that

thought of building. Uh here's that

thought of occupying and being in God's

word.

And he then he says here's a verse that

I wanted. In whom you also built

together for a habitation of God through

the spirit. So the word habitation means

to be inhabited by. So we're inhabited

by God. We're inhabited by God through

the spirit.

as we build, as we're on these uh we're

on this journey that he talks about up

there. As we are strangers and

sojourers, we're citizens of heaven and

we build uh here upon the earth and God

is our the one who come and inhabits us.

He dwells in us. He's he says he is our

dwelling place and that's what he wants.

You know, that's what he has longed for.

And to neglect this is sin.

And if you will turn over to chapter 4

and verse 12

here are here's the purposes of the word

of God. Here's the purposes of knowing

uh these things about God

and and the word of God for the

perfecting of the saints

for the work of the ministry for the

edifying of the body of Christ. So

that's what God wants. That's God's

will. That's God's uh desire is for us

to be doing these things. That's how he

dwells in us as we uh you know, we're in

the word of God. We uh we're in church.

We're a part of the body of Christ.

And he says there in verse 14, here's

the great sin. Here's here if we neglect

this, if we don't do this, if we don't

do verse 12, here's what's going to

happen. that we be henceforth no more

children tossed to and fro, carried

about by every wind of doctrine by the

slight of men and cunning craftiness by

which they lay in wait to deceive. So

there's the you know the the the

antidote to that is that we do what

verse 12 says. So if we neglect verse

12, verse 14's going to be the result.

And this is, you know, we don't want to

neglect God nor his word.

And again, that's the result. So the

pastors and the teachers up there in

verse 11 have a great responsibility not

to neglect the word of God so that we

know the purposes of God. And we're

building this building as we saw over

there in chapter 4. So, and we're

building for eternity someday. You know,

that's what Paul told the Corinthians.

Someday, you know, our lives are going

to be judged, you know, not for sin.

Jesus died and paid for all our sin, but

for our good works. And you know, how

how we build bel

you know, and that's what Paul said to

the Corinthians, take heed how you

build.

So many people have replaced, you know,

doctrine for something else or the will

of God or the word of God for something

else. And there's not another

alternative here. You know, this is the

will of God. This is what what God

wants. And then if you recall down in

verse 15, he says, "Speak the truth in

love." There's that word grow up into

him in all things. So there's that

growth. There's that maturing. There's

that building that Paul spoke of back

there and God dwelling in us and and and

us knowing him and his will even Christ.

So we we dwell in Christ. He is the the

one.

And then this the building is as well

mentioned again in verse 16. from whom

the whole body fitly joined together and

compacted by that which every joint

supplies according to the effectual

working in the measure of every part

making increase of the body to the

edifying of itself in love. So, we have

all the positive things here that are

going to happen if we do what the Bible

says to do, which is to study it and to

know these sound doctrines and to know

Christ and to know all these things.

It's important for us to not only are we

going to, you know, stay away from being

tossed to and fro, it's going to build

us up here and increase us here as he

talks about in verse 16. So there

there's no substitute for this. There's

no there's no other thing here. God

didn't say here's plan B. You know this

is God's plan here. So as we look at the

importance of the word of God and we

look at the purposes of the word of God

there there are many benefits to knowing

what these purposes are and here some of

them are we're going to increase. Um,

and then over in chapter 4, verse 7,

while we're here,

we have these gifts that that uh God has

given us. So,

you know, these gifts are supernatural.

We we didn't go to, you know, to to

Walmart and get them. Um, we didn't, you

know, our parents didn't leave these to

us in their will.

The gifts that we have in the body of

Christ, these all come from God.

So we need these gifts in order to do

this, to be doing what God wants done.

He says in verse 7, but unto every one

of us is given grace according to the

measure of the gift of Christ. So you

know there's a supernatural gift that we

have. Each one of us has as he says

there, everyone has this and we all we

all need each other. We all need these

very important things. And then Paul

says over in chapter three about, you

know, the mystery of God being revealed

and, you know, he was in a, you know,

God was going to use him to uh bring it

to the Gentiles and, you know, so this

is a great thing. You know, how are why

should we find something else instead of

what God has intended?

And then in verse nine

here is that the mystery of Christ here

and to make all men see all Gentiles,

Jews, all of us wherever we live. This

is the solution. This is the answer. Why

would we you know trade this in for

something else

uh which God at the beginning of the

ages had been hidden in in God who

created all things by Christ. So the the

mystery is Christ. The person is Christ.

God's work is Christ. Why would we, you

know, go and try and, you know, get rid

of him and come up with something else?

It's would be very foolish. Um, one man

said this about about missions and about

the evangelism of the church. He said,

"If a church has forgotten the great

commission, she is not under the

direction of her savior and lord."

So, you know, that's what we give up

when we don't do things God's way. we're

uh we're off track and you know there

there's only one interpretation

of the word of God. Turn over to

Galatians chapter 1

Galatians 1 · chapter mention

whether we arrive at it or not.

There's only one interpretation

of the word of God and and the apostles

did.

You know, people tried to say, "Well,

you know, Paul said something different

than Peter, or Peter says something

different than John."

That's not true. Not in the word of God.

Anyway,

these men all agreed.

And they dealt with that. They dealt

with people saying, "Well, you guys

don't agree." And they said, "Oh, yeah,

we do." They met together in Jerusalem

in Acts 15. And Peter at the end of his

life says, "The apostles are still

together." And we're united on this one

interpretation of what this book means

and what it says.

And you know, whether we arrive at it or

not, I mean, there are people that

struggle. That's what Ephesians chapter

Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

4 says. If you don't get good teaching,

if you don't get good sound doctrine,

you're going to be tossed to and fro.

You're not going to know what to

believe. But if you are, you're going to

know what to believe.

So the apostles did that. And you know,

there's only one interpretation of this

book, and it's the one that the apostles

gave and the Lord Jesus gave. And my my

old brother Thornton, he and I were, we

were like the apostles. We were in a

total agreement on every doctrine in

this book that we talked about. It

linked. He and I. It was a was a

wonderful thing to be united with

somebody on what you believe and what's

in this book.

And um it's so important. And why is

that? Because you know that's what the

Bible does. It it unites us and it

unites us in Christ. It unites us in

this one interpretation of this book.

So the Bible, it doesn't tell us what's

wrong.

You know, sometimes it just comes right

out and tells us what's wrong, but it's

it's it's not about always about what's

wrong. It's always about what is right.

And the truth is greater than the lies

that are out there and the the cults

that are out there.

And uh you know the Bible doesn't tell

us everything that is false. It only

helps us to see in the word of God.

That's why it's so important to bring

all our questions here to the word of

God, to the authority of the word of

God, to the sufficiency of the word of

God until we all come into that

perfecting, till we all get to that

point that we're all united in Christ.

And we do have this great warning

from Paul here about anything else other

than what this book says.

And he says here in verse eight, by the

way,

many of the cults that were started by

men

uh fall into this category. Some of them

even said they got their their their

writings and their information from

angels. And Paul covers that. He says,

"Though we, an apostle, Paul, or an

angel from heaven, preach any other

gospel unto you than that which you have

been preached unto you, let him be

accursed. let him be damned. It's

damnation. Paul says, "For anyone who

who preaches any other gospel than this

book, any other sound doctrine than this

book, it's all united in one."

So, we have great warnings like this

here that rest upon those who pervert

the gospel. And there we can't number

them all, can we? There's so many of

them. But the warning is here. And this

is uh this is not a popular thing to

say, well, there's only one way to

heaven. Well, you know, who do you guys

think you are? Well, it's not that at

all. It's a it's thus sayeth the Lord.

It's the authority of the word of God.

It's the sufficiency of the word of God.

This is from God himself. God said it.

If anyone preach any other gospel than

that which you have preached, let him be

accursed here, Paul says. So, you know,

this is going to, you know, this is

going to ruffle feathers, you know, and

Jesus said that, didn't he? You know, he

said that the enemies, your enemies are

going to rise up. They're going to be

your own they're going to be from your

own friends. They're going to be from

your own family.

So, you know, people that are close to

us, you know, as well may be the ones

that

um are trying to to to preach another

gospel. We're trying to go another way.

There is no other way than God's way.

And you know, Jesus said the enemies are

going to rise up and they're going to be

of your own household.

And you know, we're going to we're going

to toss around with our relatives over

these very things,

but we can't give in.

And Jesus lamented over Jerusalem.

Remember in in Matthew chapter 23, his

Matthew 23 · chapter mention

great lament over Jerusalem, he said,

"Woe unto the Pharisees."

He called them a generation of vipers.

He says, "How shall you escape the

damnation of hell?"

And Paul says a similar thing here to

the Galatians.

What God said and the the sound doctrine

of this book, especially this gospel of

grace, don't pervert it.

And that's what he mentioned up there in

verse 7. Another time Paul says

um in 1 Corinthians 16

at the end of the book of Corinthians

Paul says something

that we want to look at here. You know

that's that's what love does. It warns

people.

Get out the you know the building's on

fire.

Get out of the world that's on fire. You

know the the only way out is through

Christ.

That's what the word of God says. And

here at the end of the book of

Corinthians, Paul says a similar thing

here. He says in verse 13, "Watch, stand

fast in the faith. Quit you like men. Be

strong.

Let your things be done with love." So

love warns people. Love says, "Hey,

there's only one way to heaven.

And I beseech you, brethren, that you

know the house of Stephanus, that he is

the fruits of Aaya,

and that they are devoted themselves to

the ministry of the saints, and that you

submit yourselves unto such that

everyone that helps us in the labor. So,

we submit to the word of God. We submit

to what it says. This is not what we

said. This is not what we think. This is

not our opinion.

And I'm glad at the coming of Stephanus

and Anakas and those things that are

lacking on your part and they have

supplied for they have refreshed my

spirit and yours. Therefore acknowledge

them as such.

The churches of Asia greet you. Aquilla

and Priscilla greet you

much in the Lord

with the church that is in their house.

All the brethren greet you. Greet one

another with a holy kiss.

We got a few of them in South America.

If any man love not the Lord Jesus

Christ, let him be an at Marinatha. So

Paul says that here again, you know, and

Jesus said it in his ministry. Woe unto

the Pharisees. You know, woe unto the

Jerusalem. You've killed the prophets.

He here Paul says, woe unto those who

preach any other gospel or any other

doctrine than what Paul preached. So, we

want to make sure that we are preaching

what the word of God says. Um, just a

couple warnings as we begin. Turn over

to John chapter 5. Well, how do we

John 5 · chapter mention

approach the scripture? If it's from

God, it's of God. It's it's full of

these warnings. It's full of this truth.

It's full of this sound doctrine. How do

we approach the word of God? Well,

I'd like to look at what Jesus did

here in John chapter 5.

John 5 · chapter mention

You know, the Bible's not like any other

book.

You know, you don't start in in chapter

one and read to the last chapter and

you're done. You know, that's not how it

works. The Bible, it says everything in

this book is profitable. So wherever you

want to open your Bible, the Bible says

you can gain from that. It's profitable.

Every verse.

So the Bible's not like any other book

in that matter. And we're never finished

when it comes to this book.

And here in John,

you know, a lot of people had a problem

with the deity of Christ. And if you got

a problem with the deity of Christ,

John's your gospel because that's the

very subject of this book.

So here we have uh some of the witnesses

to Jesus.

I wasn't there. You weren't there. How

do we know we can believe him? I mean,

he there were

all kinds of people that said they were

Jesus. And even Jesus said all kinds of

people were going to say they're me.

Well, we have the witness from heaven.

We have a the Bible says where two or

three witnesses are gathered together,

you know, let the testimony be

established. So, that's what we have. We

have here John the Baptist. We have here

uh we have here the father's witness.

And we have here the the witness of the

scriptures. So here we have three

important witnesses to this the the

deity of Christ who he is and what he

says.

And

if we begin in verse 30 he says that I

can't of my own self do nothing.

As I hear I judge my judgment is just

because I seek not my own but the will

of him that sent me. So you know even

people said that to Jesus. Well, who do

you think you are?

And Jesus says, well, I don't think I'm

anyone. I don't want I'm not here for

honor. I'm here for my father.

And he says, if I bear witness of

myself, my witness is not true. There is

another that beareth witness of me. And

I know that witness which he witnesses

of me is true.

And you sent unto John, and he bore

witness unto the truth. But I receive

not the testimony of man.

For these things I say that you must be

saved.

And he was a burning and shining light.

And the willingness was a reason to

rejoice in the light. So, you know,

John's testimony was not enough. He's

another human being. Maybe he got it

wrong. Well, Jesus says, "My father is

my witness." He never got it wrong.

greater witness than that of John. For

the works which the father has given me

to finish the same works that I do bear

witness of me that the father has sent

me. So Jesus points to his to his works

as witness to who he is like he did with

John.

And the father himself who sent me has

borne witness of me and you have neither

heard his voice at any time nor seen his

shape. We haven't. I know there are a

lot of people that say they have, but

nobody has heard the voice of God. Can't

hear from God and live.

And he says here, "And you have not his

word abiding in you. For whom he has

sent you have believed not." So Jesus

points to the Old Testament

and says, "My father's word bears

witness to me."

And then here's here's how we're to

approach the scripture.

Search the scripture, for in them you

think you have eternal life, and they

are they which testify of me.

So Jesus says, I'm the living word from

the living God. You know, you want to

listen to me and you won't come to me.

He says in verse 40, that you might have

life. They reject him. They won't come

God's way. You know, that's the problem.

If you come God's way, you'll you will

know the truth.

And this word search here means to

examine closely and inquire carefully,

you know. So every scripture uh on every

page um is profitable for us. And Jesus

says they are that which testify of me.

Well, if the Old Testament testifies of

him, how much more does the New

Testament testify of him? So we need to

examine the scriptures. uh with the

utmost care. You remember Peter said

last week, you know, he said that's what

the prophets did. They searched the

scripture

because it was profitable. So

both Christ and the apostles say we need

to search the scripture.

Look at chapter 7

and verse 52.

John chapter 7 verse 52.

John 7:52

And they he said here they answered and

they said unto him, "Are you also

Galilee? Search and look for out of

Galilee arises no prophet." It's the

same thing. Search the scriptures. Look

at the scriptures. And uh every man went

to his own house. Well, then here we go

in chapter 8, one of my favorite

chapters

uh here. And if you will look down in

verse 17,

he says, "And it is also written in your

law that the testimony of two men is

true." So we're he's still talking about

the word of God here and the and the law

and that the the word of God. That's why

we search it. It bears witness,

you know, and that's what Jesus said for

us to do. Search the scriptures. For in

them you think you have life. They speak

of me. They testify of me. They witness

of me.

So we get our witness from the word of

God. We get our testimony from the word

of God about

Jesus. I am the one that bears witness

of myself. The father sent me. He bears

witness of me. And he goes on and says

in verse 19, then say unto him, where's

your father?

And Jesus said, you neither know me nor

my father. If you had known, you would

have known my father also. And these

words spoke Jesus in the treasury as he

taught in the temple. So that's what we

need. We need the teachings of Jesus. We

need the word of God. We need the

testimony. We need the witness of these

things. So no wonder he says up there in

verse 12, John 8:12,

John 8:12

I am the light of the world. He that

follows me will not walk in darkness,

but shall have the light of life.

The Pharisees said, "You bear witness of

yourself. Your witness is not true." And

Jesus said, "Though I bear witness of

myself." Yeah. Yet my witness is true.

For I know from where I've come, where

I'm going to go, and you cannot tell

from where I've come and where I've go.

You judge according to the flesh. Jesus

says, "I judge no man."

So when we examine the scriptures like

Jesus said to do, when we search the

scriptures like Jesus said for us to do,

guess who we're going to find? We're

going to find Christ. The very one the

Pharisees couldn't find. And and the

very ones Jesus says, "You won't listen

to my witness. You want to go some other

way." There is no other light. There is

no other way than Jesus.

and he's in all 66 books uh of this one

book and you know this as I mentioned

that there's only one interpretation of

this book and uh you know there's only

and it's all united in one truth you

know wherever we turn Genesis 1,

Revelation 22 and everywhere in between

it's all united in its testimony of the

truth and its testimony ony of Jesus.

You know, we have secondary

applications and and uh multiple

applications at sometimes with with the

word of God. And and I'm not saying

there aren't verses that we struggle

with, you know, we do. But um anything

that we struggle with, we you know, we

should come to a conclusion at some

point about it. You know, you know, am I

right or is am I listening to this

right? And and that's why we all need

help and we all need uh teaching and we

all want to be exposed to the word of

God. We all want to know what this sound

doctrine is. That's why

second Timothy 3 says that it's it is

all profitable.

So if it's all profitable then it all

must be rightly divided.

you know, we must agree on what what it

says and what it teaches and be united

in that, you know, from cover to cover.

And we have things like, you know, where

Paul said in Ephesians chapter 3 that

Ephesians 3 · chapter mention

God kept these things hidden, you know,

so no amount of looking is going to find

something God hides.

So we want to look where God has put

something, you know, and God has put

something right in front of us. And

that's his son. That's his word. That's

his truth. That's the church age in

which we live in. We saw those verses

back there about, you know, being built

up in the faith and those things. So um,

turn over to Matthew chapter 10.

Matthew 10 · chapter mention

So in the in in all of this ministry

that Jesus had and these workings

in the ministry that he had with his

apostles and his disciples,

you know, he zeroed in on some things

that we as a church need to zero in on,

too. Remember the fellow said, we we're

not following our Lord if we're not

evangelistic as a church. were not

involved in mission.

So here we see Jesus doing this very

thing in Matthew chapter 10.

Matthew 10 · chapter mention

Well, we have to back up verse 36 here

in a second.

He says when he saw the multitude, he

was moved with compassion

because they were faint. They were

scattered abroad as a sheep having no

shepherd.

So here's Jesus compassion on the lost.

So if we're his body and he's the head

of the church, then you know this is

what

when it comes to purposes would be a

great purpose

is for us to remember this and do

whatever he says.

The harvest truly is plenteous, but the

laborers are few. prayed therefore

the Lord of the harvest that he will

send forth the laborers into his

harvest. So Jesus compassion upon the

multitude. So you know we as his church

we should have this and be all about

this.

But remember his direction up here in

chapter 10 that you know they went to

the Jew first. So this is specifically,

you know, a good place to point out

where it it's important to rightly

divide the word of God

because he says, "Go not in verse 5 of

chapter 10, go not in the way of the

Gentiles and enter any city of Samaria.

Enter not." So he's, you know, very

specific on what he wants them to do. He

said, "Go to the lost sheep of the house

of Israel." So rightly dividing the word

of truth. Here's a good example of

listening to what Jesus said, you know,

and doing what Jesus said, you know. So

what' they do? They all left and went

and talked to the Gentiles. No, they

listened to Jesus. They did what he

said. So profitable Bible study results

in our faith standing in the power of

God and not in the wisdom of men. And

that's the same lesson these men had to

learn. as they followed him and did what

he said. Um,

so God's word, you know, it it has it's

God's power

and we saw that last week and uh you

know that's what they did. They went

forth and they preached the kingdom.

And uh you know there were times when we

have examples of this in the Old

Testament.

Remember and God

told Moses to go tell Pharaoh remember

told him what to say.

So the power God's power is in what he

said and what he says.

you know, for us who are the the

preachers and the teachers and the the

those who are um involved in sound

doctrine, that's what we want. We want

thus sayeth the Lord just when we want

to say God said this and God didn't say

that. So our instruction and our

understanding comes from God himself and

we listen to God like Moses did. We can

go and tell his enemies what he said.

So that's the duty of the spokesman.

No more, no less.

You know, that's what the disciples had

to learn. Remember, they had some

problems. We're going to see some of

those problems that they had here in a

minute. But when they had problems, they

they veered off from what Jesus told him

to do. And he get them right back to

where they belong.

So, you know, the apostles saw this in

Jesus. They saw him say, you know, he

had compassion on the multitude. He he

uh he went about doing good as, you

know, the Bible says and healing, you

know, those who were sick. He he cared.

He had compassion. He legitimately

did. And we just looked at those things

there. And then he says over here, if

you will, turn to 19,

Matthew 19.

Verse 27.

Then answered Peter, "Behold, we have

forsaken all and follow thee. What will

we have thereafter?" So there there's a

there's a you know, there's this for us.

You know, they, you know, I can't ride

on Peter's forsaking

things and and and following Jesus. I

have to follow him. You know, none of us

can get away with that. We can't ride on

somebody else's faith or anyone else's

conviction.

We have to be the ones that say, "Lord,

I'm going to follow you. I don't know

where we're going to end up, but I'm

going to follow you." And Jesus said,

"Verily, I say unto you in verse 28, you

that follow me in the regeneration, when

the Son of Man shall sit on the throne

of his glory, you'll set with the 12

thrones judging the 12 tribes of

Israel." That still blows me away that

things that have happened on this earth

are going to be dealt with in heaven.

So, we need to listen to this to Jesus.

We need to follow Jesus. If we're going

to keep up on this stuff and know this

stuff and be prepared for these things,

there's only one person that we can

follow and only one person that we can

listen to.

And Jesus says, "Whatever you have to

forsake in verse 29, houses, brethren,

sisters, father, mother, wife, children,

land."

He says, "Many will be first and the

first will be last." So

following Jesus sometimes comes at a

great cost.

And then we have the great commission in

Matthew. Turn to Matthew chapter 28.

Matthew 28 · chapter mention

So if we're involved with Jesus in the

ministry and we're being taught by him,

we know the sound doctrine and we're we

understand these things that someday

we're all going to give an account.

Someday everyone is going to have their

own personal interview with Jesus. And

that sort of changes the way we live.

Then he says here in Matthew 28,

you guys know this one. All authority is

given me in heaven and earth. Go

therefore teach all nations, baptizing

them in the name of the father, the son,

and the holy spirit, teaching them to

observe all things whatsoever I

commanded you. Could he be any more

clear?

So the purpose of the word of God is for

us to do everything that it says, not

the things that we want, the good things

and and leave out the other things. We

we want it all and he is with us always

even to the end of the age. We don't

want to lose sight

of these things. And then you know Jesus

repeats this again. You know I don't we

don't have time to turn there. You you

guys already know what happened in Acts

chapter one. He does it again. you know

they're you know I didn't you guys

forget my great commission go into all

the world and preach the gospel Peter

said Lord are you going to set up your

kingdom

so they had different ideas than what

Jesus did but Jesus here is saying go

into all the world and preach the gospel

that's what the church did as best it

could and that's what Acts chapter 1

Acts 1 · chapter mention

starts out with

so you know they went and And it went

very quickly, didn't it? Turn to 2

2 Corinthians 5 · chapter mention

Corinthians chapter 5.

2 Corinthians chapter 5.

2 Corinthians 5 · chapter mention

And we see this in them, you know, we

see in Peter

what the Lord wanted him to do. I'm

going to do it. You know, I'm not going

to be popular. It's not going to be it's

going to cost me, you know, it's going

to be expensive to follow Jesus, but I

better pay the price.

And that's what these men did and the

apostles all the way to death

except John.

And here we see it in Paul. I mean, Paul

was just,

you know, we've got that one chapter

that we looked at where he just talked

about all the things that he did back in

the one of the other books there and

that whole chapter he

at the end of it he he basically says,

"If you want me to stop preaching the

gospel, you're going to have to kill

me."

You know, so these guys had in them

a hol the Holy Spirit and and this

desire to get the word of God out, to

get the to get the gospel out. They knew

like the Lord Jesus that it was the most

important thing in their life.

And and here we have the most important

thing in Paul's life.

He says in verse 11, "Knowing therefore

the terror of the Lord, we persuade men,

but we were made manifest unto God, and

I trust also made manifest in your

conscience.

For we commended not ourselves again

unto you, but on occasion to glory on

your behalf, that you may have somewhat

to answer those who glory in appearance,

but not in heart. For whether we beside

oursel, it is God. Whether we be sober

minded, it is for your cause. So, you

know, Paul was all about this. He was

all about the glory of God.

You know, that's what the apostles saw

in Jesus. That's what the disciples saw

in Jesus. You know, when they he had

compassion on the multitude

was that he wanted his love spread. He

wanted his gospel spread. He wanted his

truth spread.

And that's what verse 13 says. And

whether we be beside ourselves, it is to

God. Whether we be sober minded, it's

for your cause, for the love of Christ

constrains us because we just judge. If

one died for all, then we're all dead.

And he that died for all that they who

should live should not henceforth live

unto themselves. You know, so we're

Christians. We can't live for ourselves

anymore.

But unto him who died for them and rose

again. That's what Paul did.

That's what Peter did. That's what all

the apostles did all through the book of

Acts and after the resurrection of

Jesus. They knew this what what that man

said goes.

And then here he says, "Henceforth know

we no man after the flesh, that though

we have known Christ after the flesh,

yet now henceforth know we him no more.

Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he's

a new creation." Wow. Aren't you glad of

that?

We're It's a supernatural thing now. You

know, God saved me. God made me a new

creation. You know, God has given me the

Holy Spirit. God's given me a new

nature. God has allowed me to repent and

turn, you know, from the sin and the

life that I was in because those things

are passing away.

And behold, all things have become new.

All things are of God who has reconciled

us to himself by Jesus Christ. He's

given to us the ministry of

reconciliation. So that's what we are.

We're a ministry of reconciliation

in the church because these men saw it

in Christ. These men heard it from him.

They got it from him

and they passed it on to these churches

to what that God was in Christ

reconciling the world unto himself, not

imputing their trespasses

unto them. And he has committed to us

the word

of reconciliation. Now we are

ambassadors for Christ. That's what we

are.

And and God did beg you. And now we beg

you in Christstead. Be it reconciled

to God. For he made him who knew no sin

to be sin for us that we might be made

the righteousness of God in him. And now

Paul's going to talk about the ministry

in verse six or excuse me, chapter six

and the laboring and the building and

and all those things.

He says here, "We are workers together

with him." Remember, he told the

Corinthians that way back there in

chapter one of the first book. We're

laborers together with God. Paul was a

laborer together with God. Peter was a

laborer together with God. The church,

the early church was a laborer together

with God.

He said, "Have you received the the

grace of God in vain if you're not

involved in this?"

And he says,"For he says,"I have heard

uh thee in time accepted in the day of

salvation. Have I helped thee? Behold,

now is the accepted time. Behold, now is

the day of salvation." Remember Paul

said back in verse 11, "I know the

terror of the Lord. I'm going to

persuade men.

Give no offense um in anything that the

ministry be not blamed."

Um and he talks about here all these

things that he went through and um the

the thing that occupied Paul's mind

was the glory of God

and it's right here in front of me

somewhere.

Paul's convinced of this

um as he shared these things with us.

And uh look in chapter 4, if you will,

verse 7,

we have this treasure. What treasure?

The gospel, the truth, the sound

doctrine, the word of God.

It's an incredible treasure to have.

It's incredible responsibility. It's an

an amazing thing to be be saved

in this in this life

that the excellent of the power may be

of God and not of us. We're troubled on

every side.

Uh yet not distressed. We are perplexed

but not in despair. Persecuted but not

forsaken. Cast down but not destroyed.

always sparing about the body of the

dying of our Lord Jesus, that the life

also of Jesus might be made manifest in

our body. For we who live have been

delivered unto death, death works in us,

but life in you. We have the same spirit

according and I believe therefore I have

spoken. Therefore, I speak knowing that

he who raised up the Lord shall raise up

up Jesus and he will be present with

you. So Paul got through life by knowing

that he was going to be resurrected by

the same power that brought Jesus out of

the grave. So you know our work and our

labor is alongside the Lord's. And uh

Paul groaned, remember he he says that

over here in verse two, for in this we

groan,

you know, and

groaning is, you know, it's it's a it's

here. It is a Greek word. It's it means

to be moved.

It means to be moved. Paul says, I I I'm

moved,

you know, about these things.

And Jesus in in John chapter 11 when he

John 11 · chapter mention

was at the he was at the grave of

Lazarus it says there that he groaned

within himself.

So you know these are circumstances that

caused these men to groan.

Jesus a dead man. Paul here about

thinking about the ministry and being in

this with God. uh it was so important uh

for Paul and we saw those things back

there in chapter 6

and um you know our work and our labors

alongside the Lord and uh we want to do

it his way and remember the wedding

feast in Canaan.

You remember what Mary said

to everyone at the wedding feast.

Whatever Jesus says, do.

And that's who we are. You know,

whatever Jesus says, we got to do. And

there's just a blessedness in obeying

him. And we're not listening to men.

We're listening to God because he is

God.

Jeremiah 9:27 says, "But let him," this

is from the head of the church, "but let

him who glories glory in this, that he

knows and understands me,

that I am the Lord. I exercise loving

kindness, judgment, and righteousness

in the earth." So when we rejoice, we

rejoice that our name is written down in

the book of life. rejoice for this great

salvation that God has given to us. And

uh you know the apostles had an excuse

uh didn't they back in Luke chapter 10.

Luke 10 · chapter mention

Turn to Luke 10 and I'll quit.

Luke chapter 10

Luke 10 · chapter mention

and verse 17.

This happened to them. And the 70

returned again with joy, saying, Lord,

that even the demons were subject unto

us because of your name.

And Jesus said, I beheld Satan as

lightning. Behold, I give you unto you

power to tread on serpents and

scorpions, and over all power of the

enemy, and nothing shall by any means

hurt you. Notwithstanding

uh in this, rejoice not that the spirits

were subject unto you, but rather

rejoice because your name is written

down in heaven. So that's that's a very

important thing for us to know that

we're saved. That's that's more

important than anything that we are born

again. By the way, Judas is in that

crowd at 70 that come back and said that

all all these great things and Jesus

said this, you know, Judas was in this

crowd

as well.

So, we ask ourselves is our name written

down in heaven?

If it is, it's there because God put it

there. It's there because Christ died

for our sins according to the scripture

and we've been born again by faith and

we trust in him and his work and not any

work of our own. Let's close in prayer.

Father, we thank you for this day and we

thank you for your word

and father it is your word and

we need to hear it, listen to it and do

it. And we thank you for showing to us

the passion of your son upon the

multitude and had a great effect upon

the apostles and the disciples and the

apostle Paul as well. And we know you

want your church to be busy about your

business. So we just pray for our

missionaries

and our outreach here as well that we

might be busy doing these things,

Father. And uh be occupied with the

glory of God. That's what this is. That

the ministry is the glory of God. The

word of God is the glory of God. Your

purposes, your plans.

Thank you that we can be a part of it.

And we pray in Jesus name. Amen.

Lord, as we go from this place,

loving you more,

trusting you more.

May the power of your love and the light

of your word shine

to a sin, darkened world.

As we go from this place,