Steve Durham—February 1, 2025

- Video - - PDF | Audio | [Up]

Jesus tells a story to illustrate that the 'Kingdom of Heaven is like leaven. The woman takes yeast—or leavening—and mixes it into the dough, and eventually the whole dough is leavened.

That's what leavening does, it permeates and goes into something and raises it. That's the definition of leavening, as we know, to raise something with leavening or to mingle or permeate.

• What does this parable mean?
• Why did Christ give this parable?

Let's examine this today. I think it's a timely thing that we do with Passover and Unleavened Bread coming up.

He gave this parable—Matt. 13:33—to the religious community, and I believe that they were not happy with it because He was advocating that leaven be used in this.

Leviticus 2:11[transcriber's correction]: "Any grain offering which you shall bring to the LORD shall not be made with leaven, for you shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the LORD made by fire."

We know that Paul says to take the sin out of our lives, to purge out the leaven from our lives.

1-Corinthians 5:6: "Your glorying is not good. Don't you know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore, purge out the old leaven, so that you may become a new lump, even as you are unleavened. For Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us. For this reason, let us keep the Feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of Sincerity and Truth" (vs 6-8).

Matt. 13:33—here Christ uses leaven as symbolically of the Kingdom of God, illustrating the power of the Gospel message to change lives. That's what leavening does. It changes things and the Holy Spirit in us changes our lives.

Matthew 13:33: "Another parable He spoke to them: 'The Kingdom of Heaven is compared to leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour until all was leavened.'"

Notice the word power in Acts 1:8: "But you yourselves shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…"

The power of the Gospel, the Holy Spirit is the power of God to affect change. So, this parable—Matt. 13:33—shows the good use of leaven, not the bad. It is given as a teaching from Christ who never sinned. He was sinless and our perfect Passover. So, it's a good parable!

The Pharisees at that time were not happy with it because they thought it was advocating the use of leaven in the offering, which we'll see later in Lev. 23 and Lev. 2 with the firstfruits that it does.

But this parable is for us today. It was for them and it's for those in the future. It's far reaching, a far reaching lesson for all of us. We learn by it and we grow by it.

Matthew13:33: "Another parable He spoke to them: 'The Kingdom of Heaven is compared to leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour until all was leavened.'"

If we take this verse apart, phrase or word-by-word, and put it back together, we're going to be able to see some of the meaning between the lines in these words of what Christ was saying:

• they are leaven
• a woman
• she hid it
• three measures of flour
• until all was leavened

This is 29 words, one verse, but we're going to be able to take it apart and put it back together and see what it means. So we'll do that today.

We've already seen the impact of leaven had in the offerings. It was an offering that represented the firstfruits; leaven represented the firstfruits. It causes growth and permeates whatever it touches. This parable shows the characteristic of leaven upon the whole world.

This is the meaning of the parable, how the Kingdom of God will reach out and include and encompass the entire world! Let's look at those parts:

Leaven:

• it's doctrine
• it's teaching
• it's God's Word
• it's God's Truth

Leaven is also likened to bad doctrine, but we're not going to talk about that. Rev. 17 shows bad doctrine, false doctrine, and all that. We're going to talk about the good doctrine in:

John 7:16: "Jesus answered them and said, 'My doctrine is not Mine, but His Who sent Me. If anyone desires to do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it is from God, or whether I speak from My own self'" (vs 16-17).

He did nothing of His own. He did everything the Father said to do. His will was Christ's will, and Christ's will was His will! The doctrine was the Father's!

Colossians 1:9: "For this cause we also, from the day that we heard of it, do not cease to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding."

Filled with the doctrine and the teaching backed by the Holy Spirit, which gives understanding. Here's the effect that it causes in our lives:

Verse 10: "That you may walk worthily of the Lord, unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God."

Every good work through the Holy Spirit in us! Not our works.

2-Peter 3:18: "Rather, be growing in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…."

So, once we receive the Holy Spirit in the doctrine, we continue to increase in:

• character
• understanding
• Holy Righteous character

The Woman:

A woman pictures a religious entity. In this case, it's the Church of God. In this Parable of the Kingdom, the woman represents the true Church of God! She is the mother of Jerusalem above; she is the mother of us all.

Ephesians 5:27: "That He might present it to Himself as the glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it might be Holy and without blame."

She has no spot and wrinkle, because she has God's Holy Spirit, which makes her Holy and blameless through the blood of Jesus Christ. That's how we are blameless! The Church is a light to the world; we are to be lights to the world!

It tells us in Matthew that we 'salt set on a hill'; we're to be a light set on the hill so the entire world can see us. See that example and glorify the Father.

Three Measures of Meal:

Meal mixed together and baked makes bread—that's God's Word!

John 6:31[transcriber's correction]: "'Our fathers ate manna in the wilderness, as it is written: "He gave them bread to eat that came down from heaven." Then Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven; but My Father gives you the true Bread from heaven. For the Bread of God is He Who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.'" (vs 31-33)—the Way, the Truth and the Life!

Verse 34: "Therefore, they said to Him, 'Lord, give this bread to us always.' Jesus said to them, 'I AM the Bread of Life; the one who comes to Me shall never hunger; and the one who believes in Me shall never thirst at any time'" (vs 34-35).

Remember what Jesus said to the woman at the well in John 4: 'I give you water, this water will I give you will never end. You will never be thirsty of rivers of living water.'

• Christ is the Word
• He's the Bread of Life

with the Holy Spirit and the Word

• we grow
• the Word increases

So, these three measures of meal, three parts to the bread—or the Word—three equals completeness. You have the entire Word of God. On a physical note, there's the tripartite division of the Law—the Law, the Writings and the Prophets—happen to be three.

Gen. 18 is where Abraham entertained the three men, probably Christ and two angels. There are the three angels in Revelation that take the Gospel and go out and preach it to the to the innumerable multitude. There are three angels that preach the Word. They take it out. They go out to the world, which we are told to do, as well. Also, Sarah brought three measures of meal to them to eat.

Now, the woman hid the leavening in the meal and in fine flour. She talks about fine flour. So, the Gospel is hidden! It's a mystery from the world right now.

2-Corinthians 4:3[transcriber's correction]: "But if our Gospel is hidden, it is hidden to those who are perishing; in whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe, lest the Light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, Who is the image of God, should shine unto them"(vs 3-4).

You can think about the veil over Moses, there's a veil been put over their eyes!When Christ spoke to them, He didn't tell them point blank, He spoke to them in parables!

Mark 4:11: "And He said to them, 'To you it has been given to know the mystery of the Kingdom of God; but to those who are without, all things are done in parables.'" There's a reason for that; it wasn't their time!

So the three measures of flour made with fine flour—represents a refined flour, pure! The purity of the saints!

The purpose of the grain offering was to worship God and acknowledge that He was their Provider. This fine flour, as we grow, we realize that more and more!

Genesis 18:18: "Since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?"

We remember that the Lord took Abraham out at night and he saw the stars and he saw the sand of the sea:

• the physical and the spiritual blessing
• the birthright and the scepter

• we are blessed by that
• we are still recipients of those blessings
• the whole world has been blessed through those nations of Israel

They have received the blessings of Abraham! From a spiritual standpoint:

Galatians 3:29[transcriber's correction]: "And IF you are Christ's, THEN you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."

Romans 8:14: "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God"—we are heirs!

It talks about being coheirs with Him and all those in Heb. 11 who looked for a city. Still, they have not received that promise. They're looking for that, and Abraham is included in that group.

Until All was Leavened

She mixed it until all was leavened and it says encrypted! In other words, you can't find it in there without the Holy Spirit, and without that calling:

• you're not going to know the Gospel
• you're not going to know the Truth

Christ told the disciples and us to go to all the world, to take this out to all the world : the Gospel, the Kingdom of God.

Matthew 28:18: "And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore, go and make disciples in all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you…. [the Word and the doctrine] …And lo, I am with you always, even until the completion of the age.' Amen" (vs 18-20)

There are many other places in the Bible to talk about the three measures of meal and the thanksgiving, the offering of thanks and offering of provision. And each one of them gave an ephod, which was much, much more than they had to. It shows their gratitude in giving more than just the 'seah,' which the smallest amount that you could give.

So why was this sacrifice made with leavening?

Leviticus 2:12: "As an offering of the firstfruits, you shall bring them to the LORD. But they shall not be burned upon the altar for a sweet savor."

We can also think about Pentecost. Those two loaves were made with leaven and then they were they were waved on the 50th Day.

Leviticus 23:17: "You shall bring out of your homes two wave loaves of two tenth parts. They shall be of fine flour. They shall be baked with leaven; they are the firstfruits to the LORD."

We don't have time to go into all of the two loaves and the symbolism there, but they represent the firstfruits to God. They're made with flour. They're refined and pure at that time, the purity of the saints!

Fine meal is a major component of these offerings. The offerings of bread and grain. Fine meal makes up the character, the Holy righteous character of the firstfruits to God, who are the saints.

Once they've been baked, they are set; they have their character set!  That's what will happen! That's become you there for perfect! At the resurrection we are made perfect! We have our character set at that time.

1-Peter 1:22: "Having purified your lives by obedience to the Truth unto unfeigned… [sincere] …brotherly love through the Spirit, love one another fervently with a pure heart."

That's how you do it. You do it with God's Holy Spirit leading and guiding us. Putting out the leavening of sin and putting in this unfeigned brotherly love through the Spirit. Obedience to the Truth, being purified.

Verse 23: "For you have been begotten again, not from corruptible seed, but from incorruptible seed, by the living Word of God, which remains forever."

Likening leaven to the Kingdom of God, leavening—when it is finished—permeates and rises within the loaf. Then when the bread is baked, it becomes permanent. It can't be changed anymore. It is what it is. The character is set. Holy righteous character of the saints is set  through the Holy Spirit you become spirit.

This could not be possible without the Holy Spirit, which is a gift from God. We know the process.

Revelation 17:14: "…and those who are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful."

Acts 2:38 gives us more information: "Then Peter said to them, 'Repent and be baptized each one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you yourselves shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'"

The Holy Spirit works within us! Leavening works from the inside out. It helps us to see our faults and sins and purge them out of our lives—The days of Unleavened Bread through the inner working of the Spirit!

Ephesians 1:16—Paul tells us about that: "Do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him" (vs 16-17). It's giving us that Truth through the Spirit!

Verse 18: "And may the eyes of your mind be enlightened…"

• How does that happen?
• What does that mean?

It means that you're given the Spirit and you begin to see!

"…in order that you may comprehend what is the hope of His calling, and what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the inner working of His mighty power" (vs 18-19)—the Holy Spirit!

• burning up the dross
• becoming therefore perfect
• growing in grace and knowledge
• becoming perfect at the resurrection
• having our character set.

God continues the purification process until we all come to the fullness of the measure of the stature of Christ, unto a perfect man!

• that's the symbolism of a fine flour
• that's the purpose of the parable in Matt. 13:33

We're going to come to a time when the process will be finished and character will be set.

Revelation 22:11: "Let the one who is unrighteous be unrighteous still; and let the one who is filthy be filthy still; and let the one who is righteous be righteous still; and let the one who is Holy be Holy still. 'And behold, I am coming quickly; and My reward is with Me, to render to each one according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. Blessed are those who keep His commandments, that they may have the right to eat of the Tree of Life, and may enter by the gates into the city'" (vs 11-14).

So we see that keeping the Word of God and His doctrines, the commandments of Christ is essential to our future in His Kingdom.

This parable pictures a time in the future when all the world will receive the redemption and the restitution of all things. That redemption that comes from Christ and aided by the firstfruits will receive:

• salvation
• sonship
• glorification of our bodies

in the first resurrection!

Eventually, as leaven continues to expand, it's going to include all of mankind, and eventually all will be in the Family of God.

I end with this Scripture, because it doesn't stop there:

Isa. 9:7 tells us that it continues, the leavening process continues.

Isaiah 9:7: "Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and over His Kingdom, to order it and to establish it with judgment and with righteousness from henceforth, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this."

Scriptural References:

• Leviticus 2:11
• 1-Corinthians 5:6-8
• Matthew 13:33
• Acts 1:8
• Matthew 13:33
• John 7:16-17
• Colossians 1:9-10
• 2-Peter 3:18
• Ephesians 5:27
• John 6:31-35
• 2-Corinthians 4:3-4
• Mark 4:11
• Genesis 18:18
• Galatians 3:29
• Romans 8:14
• Matthew 28:18-20
• Leviticus 2:12
• Leviticus 23:17
• 1-Peter 1:22-23
• Revelation 17:14
• Acts 2:38
• Ephesians 1:16-19
• Revelation 22:11-14
• Isaiah 9:7

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• John 4
• Hebrews 11

SD:bo/po
Transcribed: 2-5-25

Copyright 2024—All rights reserved. Except for brief excerpts for review purposes, no part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means without the written permission of the copyright owner. This includes electronic and mechanical photocopying or recording, as well as the use of information storage and retrieval systems.

(Go To Meeting)

Steve Durham—August 10, 2024

- Video - - PDF | Audio | [Up]

Let's turn to Deut. 6:3 and we see something here where God is inspired Moses to tell us how we are to worship God.

Deuteronomy 6:3: "Hear therefore, O Israel, and be diligent to observe it, so that it may be well with you, and that you may greatly multiply, as the LORD God of our fathers has promised you, in the land that flows with milk and honey. Hear, O Israel. Our one God is the LORD, the LORD. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words, which I command you this day, shall be in your heart" (vs 3-6).

So we love God and we hear his words and we act on that in this relationship and it's an all in relationship and it's from the heart and the mind that's what true worship is. That's repeated again:

Matthew 22:37: "And Jesus said to him… [the young lawyer] …'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.'"

That's an 'all in' total. Worship and commitment in the relationship between us and Jesus Christ and God the Father in us,

John 17:11 and 21 Christ says we are all one! We have His mind in us and we're to come to the measure of the statue of the fullness of Christ.

In Rom. 12, Paul gives us a pretty good definition, if you think about this all-in attitude; another Scripture that we talk about, recite and we think about quite a bit.

Romans 12:1: "I exhort you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice… [a reference to the sacrificial system] …Holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service. Do not conform yourselves to this world…" (vs 1-2).

We're called out of the world we're not to be part of it; we live in it and God is with us.

"…but be transformed by the renewing of your mind in order that you may prove what is well-pleasing and good, and the perfect will of God" (v 2).

This sort of encapsulates are all in attitude of worship. Worshipping God is well pleasing to Him. It shows that He knows that you are with Him, your heart and mind are with Him. He'll transform our minds and our attitudes with the Holy Spirit once we are baptized and has hands laid on us and we see the Holy Spirit. That's the life changer.

So, He shows us all in devotion of one's life to God. This Scripture gives us some insight and understanding about our calling and our purpose to God and in God. As we grow in that we learn more about God and we learn to love Him and we worship and praise Him.

So, today I'm going to talk about just an introduction to worship. There's so many facets to it so many different aspects:

• we've got praise, gratitude and thanksgiving
• we've got gathering together and worshiping
• we've got individual worship of thanks to God
• we have prayer, which is a portion of our worship worshiping God verbally
• we have meditation

So, there are a lot of different things to worship. What is the basic one-on-one worship. I want to talk about both the false worship—because there is false worship—and the true worship toward God and what the Bible says about worship.

Why we as true Christians, with God's Holy Spirit, worship the true God and not a false God. That would be ridiculous for us to do that,  but sometimes we get off a little bit and we don't know it and we are not following God and worshiping God, We are actually headed off into the world into another area of false worship.

Why is worshiping God and worshiping the true God's so important to a true Christian. Sort of an obvious question, but think about it. After all it's the reason why God created us: to worship Him! To glorify Christ and the Father. We're going to see that, but first the definition of worship. It always helps to have a definition, and there are two, the Hebrew and the Greek.

There are a lot of varying shades on this: the Hebrew word literally denotes the active bowing down. When you see the queen or you see the king or you come in the presence of royalty you bow down.

The Greek word 'proskuneo' is worship and it means to encounter God and praise Him. That's what we do we worship, and we've encountered God we built a relationship with Him. We can't help it; it's just amazing.

Both terms seem to define worship as an activity or an action on the surface. It is a physical action. However true worship, or to truly worship God involves more than just activity or action. It's part of it, but true worship comes from a realization of Who God is. That is gained by having a relationship with the true God.

• He has to be in our lives
• we have to be walking with Him

He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, Eternal Life!
He's the life the Eternal Life the hope of the Eternal Life that we're looking for, an abundant life now and in the future. A more in-depth definition of worship would be:

Worship is the reverential response of the creation or the created to the glory and the magnificence of God. Once you realize that, you can't help but worship Him in reverence and fear, which is a reverential fear!

Not a shaking in your boots.!

That's the response, or we could say worship is the believers response of all that He is:

• mind
• emotion
• will
• body

To all that God is, does and says; that's your response! Your whole response your mind your heart. Emotion is part of that will talk about that but we can't be led by emotion only. It is a mind and heart connection!

Again it's a loving response that is balanced by the fear of the Lord and it is a deepening response. We grow in grace and knowledge in this relationship. We grow as we come to know God and Who He is and how He works in our lives, and even more even more in our worship. It becomes more relevant, more real.

That's the reality of this life. It's not the physical; it's the reality the spirit in the heart and mind.

Who should we worship? Sound strange for us, but is not strange to the world! We know what true worship is, but let's look at the other side here. Let's look at how the world thinks and worships.

Sidebar: Satan-worship is the fastest growing religion in the United States and probably the world. It's a religion. It's always been vogue to worship other gods; it's always been the thing to do to worship other gods. The world's Christianity worships a false counterfeit god—the god of this world—Satan the devil.

2-Corinthians 4:2[transcriber's correction]: "For we have personally renounced the hidden things of dishonest gain… [that's what we do when come in contact with the true God] …not walking in cunning craftiness… [witchcraft] …nor handling the Word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the Truth, we are commending ourselves to every man's conscience before God. But if our Gospel is hidden, it is hidden to those who are perishing; in whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe, lest the Light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, Who is the image of God… [we're made in His image] …should shine unto them. For we do not preach our own selves… [very important] …but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake, because it is God Who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, Who shined into our hearts the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (vs 2-6).

The world has been blinded, but the world has a part in this, as well.

Romans 1:21: "Because when they knew God… [What did they do with it?] …they glorified Him not as God… [they didn't worship the true God] …neither were thankful; but they became vain in their own reasonings, and their foolish hearts were darkened."

That's why opinions are so I try to keep them out of Go To Meeting. I try to keep all these political and all these other things keep them out. We think about what God has to say in His Word; that's where we focus so that our foolish hearts won't be darkened!

Verse 22: "While professing themselves to be the wise ones, they became fools and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of an image of corruptible man… [idols of all sorts] …and of birds, and four-footed creatures, and creeping things. For this cause, God also abandoned them to uncleanness through the lusts of their hearts, to disgrace their own bodies between themselves" (vs 22-24).

We're seeing this grow and it's coming becoming more in our face more in the society.

Verse 25: "Who exchanged the Truth of God… [which they once had] …for the lie; and they worshiped and served the created thing more than the One Who is Creator, Who is blessed into the ages. Amen." That's what's happened! That's where they are!

The question in some people's minds who haven't been called, I understand that,  and they're going along happily in their darkened state their darkened mind and heart.

Christianity says, 'We worship God.' They have a counterfeit god that's off not doing what God says to do. Some even ask: 'Should we worship Christ?'

Satan would love to do away with Christ and those that follow Him and the Plan of God. Satan is desperately trying to uproot that and destroy it.

For example: Jehovah's Witnesses. I'm sure all these people are sincere and I'm not trying to put them in a bad light but let's just look at what they say.

Jehovah's Witnesses say that Christ is an archangel Michael, and not to be worshipped. That denies Christ and takes Him out of the picture, takes away the deity of Christ!

• some say Christ was a prophet. 'He was a good prophet. but He wasn't God'
• some say that He is the brother of Lucifer

Look how all these are attempts to take Christ out of the deity that He is, and the God Family. The world worships Satan and has from the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the garden; that's when it started!

Heb. 1—Paul explains the relationship of Christ to the angels. Very important that was going on at that time, and guess what, it's going on again; it's happening again.

The superiority of Christ over the angels the subject of Heb. 1 is very important regarding a problem that the Churches were having about angel worship. I think the converse of that is what I'm going to talk about later:

• How do angels worship God?
• How did the good and the righteous angels worship God?

It's going to help us understand how and why we should worship God in our lives, how His creation worships Him.

To worship the true God, our Creator our Maker our Provider our Sustainer etc., etc. is the ultimate purpose for which humans were created. Again, God said, 'I have created them and made them for My glory.'

Isa. 43 gives us another insight into God, the way God looks at us and how we should then respond to that. If you know somebody loves you, and you begin loving them, you draw close to them, and you're in a much better relationship once you get to know a person.

Isaiah 43:4: "Since you are precious in My sight, you have been honored, and I have loved you; therefore, I will give men for you, and people for your life. Fear not; for I am with you…. [no one is going to take you out of Christ's hand] …I will bring your seed from the East, and gather you from the West. I will say to the North, "Give up"; and to the South, "Do not keep back"; bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the ends of the earth; even everyone who is called by My name; for I have created him for My glory… [to glorify the Father] …I have formed him; yea, I have made him'" (vs 4-7). Just think about that! Meditate on that!

Psa. 29 shows us that we are to give God the glory due to Him. The worship, glory, praise, worship; synonyms. Give the glory to God.

The Psalms are full of praise to God. David was a man after God's heart. He had the thinking with Christ's mind and the thoughts of the Father and praising God. He had plenty of time to look around and see the wonders that God has done and the things in his life. Same way with us.

We take the time to meditate, to pray, to think about Who God is. We're going to go through some of that here. I can't cover it all, but we're going to hit on some of those things.

Psalm 29:1: "To the LORD, O you sons of the mighty, give to the LORD glory and strength."

• your strength
• your time
• your effort
• your mind
• your heart
• your being

Verse 2: "Give to the LORD the glory due to His name; worship the LORD in the beauty of Holiness." With God's Holy Spirit, true worship, Spirit and Truth!

Verse 3: "The voice of the LORD is upon the waters…" Think about these things. This is our God,

"…the God of glory thunders; the LORD is above many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful, the voice of the LORD is full of majesty. The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars…" (vs 3-5).

He talks about the flame of fire (v 7), the wilderness shakes (v 8).

Verse 9: "The voice of the LORD causes the does to give birth and strips the forests bare; and in His temple everyone says 'Glory!'"

The angels sing 'Holy, Holy, Holy. (Isa. 6); it's almost as if it's around the clock Giving praise to God.

Verse 10: "The LORD sits upon the flood; yea, the LORD sits as King forever."

When you come into His presence, you bow down. We'll see that God bows down to you, as well. The King, the Lord, the Creator, bows down and listens.

Verse 11: "The LORD will give strength to His people; the LORD will bless His people with peace."

Christ said in John 14, 'My peace I give you not as the world. I give it to you.' Then right after that, He says He'll send the Comforter. Right before that He says the Comforter will come, the Holy Spirit.

So everything we do. I know this is more than action, but everything we do in word, which is thought and heart, and in deed, we do to Christ!

Colossians 3:17: "And in everything—whatever you do in word or in deed—do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him."

His name is worthy of praise. We do it in His name and giving thanks for Him and the Father. Everything you do, every minute of the day, pray without ceasing, the thought process.

What am I doing? I'm thinking of God! The world doesn't think that way. They kicked God out of everything. Who is God?

This is an amazing subject. It is what we are. That's what our purpose is. Think about worship differently. As we go through this think about:

• Who we're talking to
• why we're talking to Him
• what the purpose of our being is
• what He created
• how He thinks about us, His creation

1-Corinthians 10:31 "Therefore, whether you eat, or you drink, or you do anything, do all things to the glory of God."

• worshipping Him in everything you do
• praising Him
• giving it to His glory

That's how you glorify the Father!

• we are submitting to God
• we're yielding our will
• we're taking on His will

We realize that He is worthy of worship!

1-Chron. 16:23—The Ark of the Covenant had been in the Philistines hand and David had given that back to David and Israel, and they were ecstatic. I think David gave everyone a loaf of bread and something to drink and it was like having a chicken in every pot. It was exciting.

1-Chronicles 16:23: "Sing unto the LORD, all the earth. Show forth from day to day His salvation. Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all people. For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised. He also is to be feared above all gods, for all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made the heavens" (vs 23-26).

• He's the Life-giver
• He's the Law-giver
• He's the Provider
• He's the Sustainer
• He's the Creator
• He answers our prayers
• He listens to us

Verse 28: "Give to the LORD, O you kindred of the people, give to the LORD glory and strength. Give to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering and come before Him. Worship the LORD in the beauty of Holiness. Tremble before Him, all the earth. Yea, the world is established, it shall not be moved" (vs 28-30).

Not one, neither the Law, not one jot or tittle based on heaven and earth. Being here forever, the spiritual Earth.

Verse 31: "Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice. And let them say among the nations, 'The LORD reigns.'"

Verse 34: "O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever."

Jesus the same yesterday, today and forever. Because of that we're not consumed. He is a merciful God!

Verse 35: "And say, 'Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us, and deliver us from the nations, so that we may give thanks to Your Holy name, and glory in Your praise. Blessed be the LORD God of Israel forever and ever.' And all the people said, 'Amen, and praised the LORD'" (vs 35-36). They worship God!

Look, look at all the things we gather from who God is and how He sees us and why He is worthy of praise. That's our responsibility and purpose.

Psalm 145:1: "I will extol You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever." A continual state of worship!

Verse 2: "Every day I will bless You; and I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise Your works to another and shall declare Your mighty acts" (vs 2-4).

We're supposed to pass that on generation to generation to our children.

Verse 5: "I will speak of the glorious splendor of Your majesty and of Your wondrous works. And men shall speak of the might of Your awesome works; and I will declare Your greatness. They shall pour forth the memory of Your great goodness and shall sing of Your righteousness. The LORD is gracious and full of compassion; slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The LORD is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works" (vs 5-9).

He sits on a throne of mercy and comfort. He is a God of mercy and of comfort.

Verse 10: "All Your works shall praise You, O LORD; and Your saints shall bless You. They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom…" (vs 10-11)

That's what we're to seek and God will take care of everything else; seek first the Kingdom of God.

"…and talk of Your power, to make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of His Kingdom. Your Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom… [He's going to be King forever] …and Your dominion endures throughout all generations. The LORD upholds all who fall and raises up all who are bowed down" (vs 11-14).

An interesting cycle here is that wheat has a crown and barley has a crown. What they do, as they ripen they bow:

• the grain bows—barley and wheat
• the first fruits bow
• we bow to God

You even see it in creation in other ways!

Verse 15: "The eyes of all wait upon You, and You give them their food in due season…. [He provides for us] …The LORD is righteous in all His ways and loving in all His works. The LORD is near unto all who call upon Him, unto all who call upon Him in Truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry… [He's listening, He bows down and he listens] …and will save them. The LORD watches over all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy. My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD, and let all flesh bless His Holy name forever and ever" (vs 15-21).

Rev. 5:12—this is the future. Christ is the Lamb now, in the future and forever. Some want to take that name away from Him. An attempt to take the deity of Christ away. He is the Lamb; He redeems us.

• His blood is precious
• He is the sacrifice
• He's the High Priest
• He's our Advocate and Intercessor

Redemption comes through Him. Reconciliation of the entire world, bringing the entire world and all the people back.

Revelation 5:12: "Saying with a loud voice, 'Worthy is the Lamb Who was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory and blessing.' And every creature that is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth…" (vs 12-13).

Even the fallen angels, every creature, every spirit being, every human

"…and those that are on the sea, and all the things in them, I heard saying, 'To Him Who sits on the Throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing, and honor, and glory, and sovereignty into the ages of eternity.' And the four living creatures said, 'Amen.' And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him… [submitting, yielding to Him] …Who lives into the ages of eternity" (vs 13-14).

We worship Him for many reasons. We were nothing. Read the book: From a Speck of Dust to a Son of God: Why Were You Born? {truthofGod.org}

But look, we didn't exist and God chose to create us. He knew us. He has a purpose for us, and He's working that out. That purpose is awesome. Why wouldn't we want to worship Him?

• He created us
• He loves us
• He's given us everything we have

1-Corinthians 4:7: "For what makes you superior to others? And what do you have that you did not receive?…."

Everything you have, everything physically! Then also the talents and abilities and the skills are all to glorify God, praise Him for that! We're a we're an empty vessel. He gives us these things for purpose:

• to praise Him
• to glorify Him
• to grow in Holy, Righteous character
• to become sons of God
• to be in His Kingdom with Him and His Family forever

Verse 7: "For what makes you superior to others? And what do you have that you did not receive? But if you also received it… [which you did] …why are you boasting as if you did not receive it?"

In other words, identify the fact that that's why you're the way you are. God gave that to you and you bless Him. The whole purpose is to worship Him and to glorify Him.

• He created us in His image
• He calls us
• He draws us (John 6:44)
• He provides for us

• He meets all our needs, everything (Philp. 4:19)
• He provides for the hungry (Psa. 107:9)

Oh, by the way, He expects us to do this, too. To imitate Him, and to be like Him in character.

• God will take care of you (Luke 12:6-7[transcriber's correction])
• observe the lilies of the field  (Matt. 6:28-30)

And he said, why are you worried? 'I'm going to take care of you. If I do that for them, I'll do it for you.'

• God protects us; He is our Shield (Psa. 91:4-6)
• He protects us from disaster(vs 9-10).
• when things happen or we get in a tight spot, He rescues (v 14)

When we get in those situations, He's always there, and there's there may be a reason why He lets us leave us in there for a while to learn, to grow, to learn the lessons through trials and troubles. That's why Paul said, 'I rejoice in those.' He knew this. He knew the outcome, what God was doing.

• God protects us from Satan, from the evil one (Psa. 37:28)

So. we don't have to worry about that. Not be Fearful, anxious or worried. What can man do? What can what can Satan do unless God allows it? But even then:

• He has you and he has a purpose for you, a purpose for our good (Jer. 29:11). He loves us!
• He watches over us like a shepherd watches over the flock (Psa. 121:7-8).
• He's a loving Father A loving parent, and He corrects us when we need it, out of love (Heb. 12:6)
• We are renewed daily (2-Cor. 4:16)

Our spirit is renewed daily when we're down. And we go to God, He renews us. Every day, His mercy, sir.

Isaiah 40:31: "But those who wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength…"—when we're weak and we're down.

• We can rest in His presence; He gives us rest. He's there with us all the time! (Psa. 91:1).

Psalm 55:22: "Cast your burden upon the LORD, and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be moved."

This is Who our God is. This is who Jesus Christ is: our big Brother, our Friend, and all the things that He is, He says:

Matthew 11:28: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are overly burdened… [which we get sometimes] …and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me… [the whole point] …for I am meek and lowly in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light'" (vs 28-30). He cares for us. He shows us:

• His love
• His kindness
• His patience
• His forbearance
• His blessings and promises

I have a book right here that I read a lot. It's the Bible Promises, and it's encouraging. When you get down, read:

• what He does
• how He blesses us
• how He promises

He's a loyal and faithful God

• He's working to bring all of us to glory
• He gives us grace
• He gives us His love
• it's a gift
• it's the hope of eternal life
• He gives us an inheritance in heavenly places

Ephesians 2:5: "Even when we were dead in our trespasses…"

Before Christ came, we were dead with the sin that we have and the carnal nature, human nature.

"…[He] has made us alive together with Christ. (For you have been saved by grace.) And He has raised us up together and has caused us to sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (vs 5-6).

Romans 4:17 "…Who gives life to the dead, and calls the things that are not as though they are."

We will be sitting together in the Holy of Holies when we pray, we go in to the Throne.

Ephesians 2:7: "So that in the ages that are coming He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this especially is not of your own selves; it is the gift of God, not of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, being created in Christ Jesus unto the good works that God ordained beforehand in order that we might walk in them" (vs 7-10).

Ephesians 1:1: "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace and peace…[Paul says this a lot in his opening salutations] …be to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (vs 1-2),

They want us to have that. They do everything to make that possible.

Verse 3: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly things with Christ; according as He has personally chosen us…" (vs 3-4).

He personally created man; He created it with His hand.

"…for Himself before the foundation of the world in order that we might be Holy… [this is a purpose] …and blameless before Him in love… [He made that possible through His sacrifice] …having predestinated us for sonship to Himself through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His own will… [here's the purpose]: …to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He has made us objects of His grace in the Beloved Son… [there's another gift and benefit] …in Whom we have redemption through His blood, even the remission of sins, according to the riches… [heavenly riches] …of His grace" (vs 4-7).

Verse 8: "Which He has made to abound toward us in all wisdom and intelligence; having made known to us the mystery…" (vs 8-9).

Another awesome thing He's done; opened up our minds to the understanding of the Plan of God for mankind, what He's doing. It's called a mystery!

"…the mystery of His own will, according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Himself; that in the Divine plan for the fulfilling of the times, He might bring all things together in Christ, both the things in the heavens and the things upon the earth" (vs 9-10). Another reason to worship Him!

Verse 11: "Yes, in Him, in Whom we also have obtained an inheritance, having been predestinated according to His purpose, Who is working out all things according to the counsel of His own will."

You know, it's what He does, whatever He wants to do, and this is His will. This is the plan that He's done and he's put into action and it's going to happen.

As we come to understand Him and grow in that and the love back to Him, we want to worship Him, we want to praise Him. The more we do, the more He responds, the more draw we draw close, the closer He draws to us.

Verse 13: "In Whom you also trusted after hearing the Word of the Truth, the Gospel of your salvation; in Whom also, after believing, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise." That's an amazing thing!

You look at the rest of the world, they don't, they don't get it. They don't understand it, but God has chosen; it's His will to call you. Why me? I don't know!

Verse 14: "Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory"—to worship Him! He's given:

• His grace
• His love
• His peace
• every spiritual blessing
• heavenly things
• He personally chose us

He predestined according to His purpose, Holy and blameless before Him in love! That's how we stand!

Verse 6: "To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He has made us objects of His grace in the Beloved Son; in Whom we have redemption through His blood, even the remission of sins" (vs 6-7)—through His Holy Spirit!

We have wisdom and intelligence; we're able to do these things. God helps us with that leads and guides us.

"…hearing the Word of the Truth, the Gospel of your salvation; in Whom also, after believing, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance" (vs 13-14).

WOW! Why wouldn't we want to worship God and praise Him? See the relationship?

• we are priceless in His eyes
• we aren't priceless of ourselves
• we are priceless in his eyes
• we're fearfully and wonderfully made
• God shaped and molded you in your mother's womb

He's talking about that to Jeremiah. God created you in His own image and you were redeemed, and you are deeply loved and valued by God. When you get down and depressed, know that Satan's moods and His attitude are bombarding us. Think about these things

• were deeply loved and valued by God
• we're priceless to Him
• He sees us all the time
• He knew us before we were born

Psalm 139:14[transcriber's correction]: "I will praise You, for I am awesomely and wonderfully made; Your works are marvelous and my soul knows it very well."

When we come to understand that we can praise Him and worship Him even more, and we draw close to Him. We don't want to be in the world. We don't want to be a target of all those negative moods and emotions that come at us from Satan. That's where it comes; not from God!

When you're grumpy and grouchy, when you're down and weary, you're worn out and you're moody. We don't have control of our emotions, they aren't Godly emotions. So we have to we have to ask God for help, and He'll hear us.

Jeremiah 1:4: "And it came to pass, the Word of the LORD came to me, saying, 'Before I formed you in the belly I knew you; and before you came forth out of the womb I consecrated you, and I ordained you a prophet to the nations.'" (vs 4-5).

He appointed us as called out ones, as sons and daughters! (Rom. 8:14-16; 1-John 3).

• we are sons of God
• we are children of God
• we are predestined to be a son

Job 10:8: "Your hands have made me and shaped me, together all around; yet You destroy me."

No! He's not going to abandon His heritage! He began a good work in you and He's going to complete it as a purpose for us, giving us hope in a future.

Genuine worship, true worship by the true believers to the true God is God-centered worship. It exalts God only, nothing else! No other idols, no people, no self. It's God! It is offered for His pleasure alone because He alone is worthy.

Psalm 86:1: "Bow down Your ear, O LORD, answer me, for I am poor and needy…. [David knew that] …Preserve my soul for I am Holy…" (vs 1-2).

• given me Your Holy Spirit
• given me Your character

"…O You my God, save Your servant who trusts in You. Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I cry unto You all day long" (vs 2-3).

• he's thinking of Him all day long
• he needs Him constantly
• he's needy and poor

Verse 4: "Rejoice the soul of Your servant, for to You, O LORD, do I lift up my soul."

• I praise you
• I worship you

Sidebar: The world will have praise-worship, and they'll do praise dancing and they'll do all this stuff emotionally and getting all worked up emotionally. Singing, dancing, music and things like that are elements of worship, but they aren't the things initiated. It's from the heart and from the mind. So, be careful of that Pentecostal emotionalism that goes on in many religions!

Verse 4: "Rejoice the soul of Your servant, for to You, O LORD, do I lift up my soul, for You, LORD, are good and ready to forgive… [IF we repent] …and rich in mercy to all those who call upon You" (vs 4-5). That's what we have to do.!

Verse 6: "Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer, and attend to the voice of my supplications. In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, for You will answer me" (vs 6-7). David knew that, and God will!

Verse 8: "Among the gods there is none like You, O LORD; neither are there any works like Your works. All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O LORD, and shall glorify Your name, for You are great and do wonderful things; You alone are God. Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your Truth; unite my heart to fear Your name. I will praise You, O LORD my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your name forevermore, for great is Your mercy toward me; and You have delivered my soul from the depths of the grave" (vs 8-13).

He resurrects us to be firstfruits, to be on the Sea of Glass in His Family forever!

Verse 14: O God, the proud have risen against me, and the company of violent men have sought after my life, and have not set You before them. But You, O LORD, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and Truth. Oh, turn to me, and have mercy upon me; give Your strength to Your servant and save the son of Your handmaid. Show me a token for good… [it says that heresies must be among you] …so that they who hate me may see and be ashamed because You, LORD, have helped me and comforted me" (vs 14-17).

It's all based God centered on his greatness and his glory. It's an inward posture, an inward attitude and  an inward man of the heart. The attitude of bowing down (Psa. 86); humble, all filled recognition of God's worthiness, honoring Him, revering Him at all times as a supreme authority over our lives.

Psalm 51:15[transcriber's correction]: "O LORD, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare Your praise… [worship] …for You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not take pleasure in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise" (vs 15-17).

Psalm 95:6: "O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker, for He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you would but hearken to His voice" (vs 6-7).

God is worthy to receive praise and worship (Psa. 86; 145).

It's God's Word and His Purpose in us. Worshipping God is central to the relationship and the Word of God; to our lives and the future.

Revelation 4:11: "Worthy are You, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power because You did create all things, and for Your will they were created and exist."

So a simplified definition of worship can be stated as a continual heart attitude. A bowing down in reverence and in humility before the Supreme Lord and Creator of the universe.

Worship is the heartbeat of the believers existence! Or it should be! A lifelong celebration of the worthiness of God and his greatness and His awesome ability, power and presence; Who He is.

To worship is to respond to one's whole being in adoration, exaltation, humble submission and obedience to God.

David says this is what we need to do, as well. Have God in your mind constantly and our relationship with God.

• we are nothing without Him
• we would not exist without Him
• we don't have anything without Him

He gives us everything!

Another key is to remember that when it happens. Some will keep a journal of the things that happen, God's direct intervention in your life. It's very important to do that so you can bring it up in times when you're down or when you're weak, when you're depressed, despondent or in despair—which happens! Bring it back up and look at that. See what He does, how He works with you in life and has, and what He will do.

Psalm 95:6: "O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker, for He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand…." (vs 6-7).

Remember about worship and what it is, and then every opportunity you get worship Him!

Scriptural References:

• Deuteronomy 6:3-6
• Matthew 22:37
• Romans 12:1-2
• 2 Corinthians 4:2-6
• Romans 1:21-25
• Isaiah 43:4-7
• Psalm 29:1-5, 9-11
• Colossians 3:17
• 1 Corinthians 10:31
• 1 Chronicles 16:23-26, 28-30, 34-36
• Psalm 145:1-21
• Revelation 5:12-14
• 1 Corinthians 4:7
• Isaiah 40:31
• Psalm 55:22
• Matthew 11:28-30
• Ephesians 2:5-6
• Romans 4:17
• Ephesians 2:7-10
• Ephesians 1:1-11, 13-14, 6-7, 13-14
• Psalm 139:14
• Jeremiah 1:4-5
• Job 8:10
• Psalm 86:1-17
• Psalm 51:15-17
• Psalm 95:6-7
• Revelation 4:11
• Psalm 95:6-7

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• John 17:11, 21
• Hebrews 1
• Psalm 29:7-8
• Isaiah 6
• John 14
• John 6:44
• Philippians 4:19
• Psalm 107:9
• Luke 12:6-7
• Matthew 6:28-30
• Psalm 91:4-6, 9-10, 14
• Psalm 37:28
• Jeremiah 29:11
• Psalm 121:7-8
• Hebrews 12:6
• 2 Corinthians 4:16
• Psalm 91:1
• Romans 8:14-16
• 1 John 3
• Psalm 86; 145

Also referenced: Book:
From a Speck of Dust to a Son of God: Why Were You Born? {truthofGod.org}

SD:bo/po
Transcribed: 11/15/24

Copyright 2024—All rights reserved. Except for brief excerpts for review purposes, no part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means without the written permission of the copyright owner. This includes electronic and mechanical photocopying or recording, as well as the use of information storage and retrieval systems.

Steve Durham—April 6, 2024

- Video |  - PDF | Audio | [Up]

You know, the spring Holy Days are upon us again. We focus on the Passover and the crucifixion of Christ, His life and His death and resurrection. It is the central event in history.

It is central to the Plan of God for mankind. Yet, the world around us just kept Easter. They celebrated it, but they didn't know what they were doing. They thought they were keeping a day that pictured the true resurrection and the purpose of Christ. But they kept it with eggs and rabbits and the worship of pagan goddess Ishtar. Sort of sounds like Easter. They recognize Christ's death. But through doing that, the Easter celebration, they miss the significance of His death and resurrection for all of mankind.

Actually, are worshiping a counterfeit Jesus in doing that, and they're blinded. They don't understand.

In John 3:16 that we see on billboards and end-zones of football games, it says:

John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish, but may have everlasting life."

Amazing what this time period pictures the Holy Days of God, the Plan of God and the Passover, which is central. They don't even believe in Christ being the Messiah. They didn't then. They don't now.

Things like Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ and the series The Chosen, they bring the story to life, but there are errors in it. There are so many errors and the Truth is not in it. It doesn't allow them to understand.

We have a book called The Day That Jesus the Christ Died. {truthofGod.org}. It's a very good book. You need to get that and read through it.

Today I want to focus on the Truth about Jesus' crucifixion and these six hours that took place on that day. Three major events happened along with witnesses that were there. That's what I want to talk about today. So, we can learn some lessons that are in here by the witnesses and the events that happened.

• What did it mean?
• What impact?
• What amazing Truth and knowledge do we gain from that?

Through these six hours, there was much happening.

Events:

1. the light of day turning to complete darkness
2. an earthquake that opened the graves
3. the temple veil was rent in two

These are three important, very important events that show that Jesus was and is the Messiah. Of course, along with the other 28 prophecies that were fulfilled in that day; we won't have time to go through those.

So let's take a look at the six hours that changed the world.

The Witnesses

There were quite a few people from everywhere gathered to watch. Some had compassion on Jesus and sorrow and grief.

There were those who knew Him and saw His miracles and believed on Him. They were hopeful; they didn't want to see this happen.

His family was there; His friends and followers were there.

Then, of course, as any event, there are those onlookers who just want to see the event and see what might happen.

There were the taunters and the mockers in the religious community. They wanted to see Jesus dead. They were happy to see Him on the cross.

Luke 23:27: "And following Him was a great multitude of people with many women, who also were bewailing and lamenting Him. But Jesus turned to them and said, 'Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children" (vs 27-28).

He was referring to 70A.D. and the destruction of the temple that was coming under Titus. A terrible time.

Then there were those who knew Him.

Verse 49: "But all those who knew Him stood off at a distance observing these things, the women also who had accompanied Him from Galilee."

It's interesting. They were standing at a distance watching these things. They were afraid of the religious leaders. They were afraid of getting in trouble.

Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus; John 19:38: "Now, after these things, Joseph (the one from Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but having concealed it for fear of the Jews) asked Pilate that he might take Jesus' body away; and Pilate gave him permission. Then he came and took away the body of Jesus."

Verse 39: "And Nicodemus, who had come to Jesus by night at the first, also came, bearing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds."

Then there were those that were just doing their job, the Roman soldiers. They were responsible for carrying out the crucifixion. They were very good at it. They played a role in it.

But there was one account that mentions that this crucifixion had a great impact on him.

The Roman centurion—it doesn't tell us, but it could have been Cornelius—maybe so, maybe not.

Matthew 27:54: "Then the centurion and those with him who had been keeping guard over Jesus, after seeing the earthquake and the things that took place, were filled with fear… [these are soldiers] …and said 'Truly this was the Son of God!'"

This had to be a miraculous, dynamic event that took place, the whole six hours. Then there were religious leaders who wanted to see him dead. The chief priests, the Jewish leaders, and they came to mock Him!

They called Him a fake, and He wasn't the Messiah. Maybe Annas and Caiaphas maybe were there, I don't know, it doesn't say.

It says that the people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at Him. They said that 'He saved others, let Him save Himself if He is God's Messiah, the Chosen One'" (Matt. 27:40-42 [transcriber's correction])

Then there were the onlookers.  Some were just looking on and wanting to see the action, didn't care much about the outcome. They just thought He was another criminal being crucified.

Of course, there were the friends, the disciples, and some of his family!

Talks about His mother being there. It says,

John 19:25: "And Jesus' mother stood by the cross, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleopas, and Mary Magdalene."

So, it names at least four, and John also was there. John writes in the third person, 'the disciple who Jesus loved.'

John 19:26: "When Jesus saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, 'Woman, behold your son.' Then He said to the disciple, 'Behold your mother.' And from that time, the disciple took her into his own home" (vs 26-27). John talking about himself.

See, so even while Jesus was suffering on the cross, He made sure to fulfill the duty to care for His mother. He chose John.

This is interesting because He chose John true to His teaching to look after her instead of her biological sons, His half brothers. Because they had not yet believed on Him

John 7:5: "For neither did His brothers believe in Him."

So Jesus picked John, His spiritual brother. It shows us that that spiritual relationship over the biological or the physical are so much more important.

Not that we don't love those who are in our families and such, but we love more the spiritual:

• we have a commonality
• we have a Holy Spirit
• we are a spiritual family

These are lessons that we can learn from this:

Matthew 12:46: "But while He was still speaking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and His brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak with Him. Then one said to Him, 'Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You'" (vs 46-47).

Verse 48: "But He answered and said to him, 'Who is My mother? And who are My brothers?' And stretching out His hand to His disciples, He said, 'Behold, My mother and My brothers. For whoever shall do the will of My Father, Who is in heaven, that one is My brother and sister and mother'" (vs 48-50).

Showing that spiritual relationship so much more over the physical. The will of the Father being done unites us. The Holy Spirit unites us.

Luke 14:26: "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers and sisters, and, in addition, his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not carry his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple." (vs 26-27).

Again, showing that spiritual relationship with that family. So, this was a great honor and a responsibility for John.

I think some sources say that Mary lived another 11 years. Can't verify that.

Next, the Scripture tells us that Christ was to be numbered with the transgressors. Those two criminals we heard about. He was crucified between those two criminals, and this was no accident. Christ was crucified between two thieves. Why?

Here He was, God in the flesh (John 1:14). John 1:1 tells us that He existed before with the Father.

He'd done no wrong; He'd done no sin! But it was determined that he would die between two criminals. Why was all that part of the plan set forth from the foundation?

When God the Father and Jesus Christ made a covenant together, that Christ would die for our sins and the Father would resurrect and bring him back for the sins of the world and be resurrected again. God is in charge!

Isaiah 46:10: "Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things, which were not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.'"

Another place says that God does whatever He wants, He's in control. He sets these events up. It's good for us to look into them so we can learn and see more of the Truth and the understanding of Passover and crucifixion and the resurrection and the Plan of God. The power and the amazing significance of the Passover, which is central to the Plan of God.

When Pilate set that up where the two criminals would be crucified along with Christ, he had no control over that. He thought he did, but he didn't.

John 19:11: "Jesus answered, 'You would not have any authority against Me if it were not given to you from above….'"

He couldn't do anything unless it came from the Father. Christ knew that.

Isa. 53 and Psa. 22 are two areas that we need to read before the Passover.

Isaiah 53:12: "Therefore, I will divide to Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong; because He has poured out His soul to death; and He was counted among the transgressors; and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for transgressors."

Jesus bore the sin of many and made intercession for transgressors. That's what the purpose of Him coming and living a sinless life and dying and going through what He did as our sacrifice for sin.

Why numbered with the transgressors, though? That's ironic that the Holy One of God would be numbered with the unholy! He hadn't done anything wrong. He had not sinned. So, why did God order that His Son would be crucified or determined between these two criminals?

The answer is that crucified with those two thieves fully demonstrates the depth of shame into which He had to descend. It highlighted the shame of sin and what our Passover and Savior went through for each and every one of us in carrying the sins of everyone, and the sin of the world.

Hebrews 12:2: "Having our minds fixed on Jesus, the Beginner and Finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that lay ahead of Him endured the cross, although He despised the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God."

He died so we can live for all His sin and come short of the glory of God. We're under the death penalty without that. What was that place? The place of shame!

• it was a place of sin
• it was where the transgressors were

They were criminals; they were thieves. Place the criminals condemned to death, the death penalty.

Romans 6:21: "Therefore, what fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end result of those things is death. But now that you have been delivered from sin and have become servants of God, you have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord" (vs 21-23)

We see that the crucifixion scene was full of witnesses, a diverse group of people. But back to these three, three events that happened during that six hour period.

There was a uniquely dramatic events that occurred that God the Father had control over for our benefit and for our future.  It showed without a shadow of doubt that Jesus was and is the Messiah.

Understood in the light of the Old Testament, Jesus' own words from the cross help us to understand the meaning of His death.

• What did Jesus say before we get into that?
• What did Jesus say of Himself first?

The God of the Old Testament, the Creator of all things brought light into the world to separate the darkness from the light.

Genesis 1:1: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, 'Let there be light.' And there was light. And God saw the light that it was good; and God divided between the light and the darkness. And God called the light day, and He called the darkness night. And the evening and the morning were day one" (vs 1-5).

We all know that section, but it's very interesting in light of what I'm getting ready to talk to you. It's very interesting in the light of Passover.

Jesus said of Himself; John 8:12: "Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, 'I am the Light of the world; the one who follows Me shall never walk in darkness, but shall have the Light of Life.'"

He said He was the Way, the Truth, and the Life. What did He say about us who have His Holy Spirit and have Christ in us?

Matthew 5:14: "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a mountain cannot be hid. Neither do they light a lamp and put it under a bushel basket, but on the lampstand; and it shines for all who are in the house. In the same way also, you are to let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works… [Why?] …and may glorify your Father Who is in heaven" (vs 14-16).

Event #1—Darkness at Midday

Jesus Christ's crucifixion began around 9 o'clock (A.M.) or the third hour.

Mark 15:25: "Now, it was the third hour when they crucified Him."

For the next three hours, Jesus' enemies mocked Him. It's interesting we read this because it's found in all the Gospels, but what they had to say about Him:

Matthew 27:29: "And those who were passing by railed at Him, shaking their heads, and saying, 'Aha, You Who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself and come down from the cross.' And in like manner the chief priests also were mocking with one another and with the scribes, saying, 'He saved others, but He does not have the power to save Himself. The Christ, the King of Israel! Let Him come down now from the cross so that we may see and believe.'…." (vs 29-32).

Remember what Satan said in Matt. 4:4 and Luke 4:4? If He trusted in God, let Him deliver Him now. If He will have Him. Or He said, 'I am the Son of God.' You could just hear how they said that. And the two robbers who were crucified with him also reproached him with the same words. And then at noon something remarkable happened.

In Matt. 27:45 tells us that for three hours from noon to three—from the 6th hour until the 9th hour—there was darkness over all the land. This was midday darkness! Wasn't a solar eclipse; that only lasts about four minutes. Astronomers say that there was no solar eclipse from 30 to 33A.D.  So, it was not a solar eclipse.

Matthew said it fell upon all the land and even the area of Palestine all the way to Rome, to the Mediterranean area. This is secular evidence. Picture this: Tertullian talks about it. He was a second century historian. He called it a cosmic or a world event! Probably seen in Rome, Athens, all around. At the moment of Christ's death, 'the light departed from the sun and the land was darkened at noonday.

Then Phlegon writing in 137 reported that darkness was on the earth as it was before Christ re-created the world (Gen. 1:5) after Satan's rebellion.

Isa. 14 talks about that. So, both Gospel authors and other historical sources agreed that this midday darkness occurred during Jesus' crucifixion. So, it's a fact.

What does it mean? The answer can be found in light of the Old Testament! You know, Jesus was under God's judgment. He took on the sin of the world and mankind on His shoulders as our Sacrifice and as the Passover Lamb, the Lamb of God.

The atoning sacrifice for mankind. This darkness in the Old Testament signifies being under God's judgment, under sin. The death and the burial, which was foreordained and seen in Gen. 15. We're talking about the maledictory oath. We can't go through the whole thing. But God walking between the parts as Abraham slept and the complete darkness fell upon him.

Gen. 15:12 talks about the maledictory oath. The bloody killing of the sacrificial animals symbolized the brutal suffering and crucifixion of Jesus Christ, which happened in 30A.D. on the Passover Day, Nisan 14, a deep sleep and horror of darkness that Abraham experienced symbolic of Jesus Christ burial in the tomb as Nisan 14 was ending at sunset.

Two thousand years later on that very same day that God ratified His Covenant with Abraham, His dead body was in the tomb. Remember the only sign that He gave was that He would be three days and three nights in the tomb.

He had to carry out his pledge that he would die in order to fulfill the promises that He made. Abraham's experience was foreshadowing Christ's death and burial.

Genesis 15:12: "And it came to pass, as the sun was going down, that a deep sleep fell upon Abram. And, behold, a horror of great darkness fell upon him!"

God Himself confirmed that He would fulfill that covenant through His own death and burial. This event, which took place during the horror of great darkness, also had fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

Remember that the only sign He gave again of His Messiahship was the length of time he would be in the heart of the earth.

Matthew 12:40 by Him lying in darkness of the tomb for three days and three nights. He was confirming that he was the Messiah who would fulfill the promise of the New Covenant.

When you get a chance you should read Psa. 22. We won't go through it. It's very good before the Passover. This was written a thousand years before the crucifixion. Jesus showing His mockers that He is under God's judgment because of sin, but did not sin and did not go against God's will!

His crucifixion proves that He is the Messiah and that He is being crucified because He's obeying God's will. He did everything that God said. God's will was His will. But why would it be God's will to execute His own son the Messiah?

Event #2—The Earthquakes
Event #3—Temple Veil Torn in Two

We go to the torn curtain or veil in Matt. 27:51. It says that immediately after Jesus died the curtain of the temple was torn into from top to bottom. Suddenly the veil of the temple was ripped in two from top to bottom and the earth shook and the rocks were split so that the tombs were opened and many bodies of the saints who had died were resurrected to physical life.

Just as Lazarus was after his resurrection. They came out of the tombs and then they entered into the Holy City and appeared to many.

In The Faithful Version. There's a note there. It says Jesus as a firstborn from among the dead was the first one resurrected to eternal life. This occurred toward the end of the weekly Sabbath. Then the next morning Jesus fulfilled the Wave Sheaf Offering when He ascended to heaven to be accepted by God the Father as the perfect sacrifice for sin for the sin of the world.

This had to happen before any of the other dead saints could have been raised back to physical life and appear to many.

So, it was after his resurrection that this happened. This temple veil was amazing miracle in it. Some of the facts about it was 60 feet long. It was 30 feet high and four inches thick composed of 72 squares sewn together. This is monstrous.

It took 300 men to lift it. For it to be torn suddenly from top to bottom rather than gradually from the bottom up would indeed be a miracle.

So the temple veil did was run into and there are several first century sources referencing a great catastrophe before the impending destruction of the temple.

The temple veil or curtain denied access to the innermost room of the temple, the Holy of Holies, where God's presence was. This curtain symbolized the separation that exists between God and us because of our sins.

Isaiah 59:2: "But your iniquities have come between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear."

God is Holy and we're sinful, we're disqualified from going into His presence and communing with Him.

Worshippers then could only come in with God indirectly to a ritualistic system devised by God. Once each year, the high priest would come in to the Holy of Holies with the blood of an unblemished animal whose death symbolically paid for their sins for that year.

The animals had to be killed every time and that year and again and again. So, the entire temple system was only a prophetic picture explaining our relationship with God and providing a picture of God's answer to sin, foreshadowing that through Christ.

So now we're in a position to understand the meaning of the torn curtain at the temple, why Jesus was being judged by God, the darkness.

Since it was torn at the moment of Jesus death, it meant that Jesus was the sacrifice that His death paid for humanity's sins. That everyone could now have personal access to God through Jesus Christ, through faith in Jesus Christ.

The old way of relating to God was over. We now could worship in Spirit and Truth before the father in person going before Him.

John's Gospel records that the content of Jesus' shout just before He died, 'It is finished,' (John 19). And he bowed His head and yielded up the spirit. 'It is finished' means paid in full or it has been fulfilled. That part of the Plan of God had been fulfilled. Now He moved on.

Jesus knew that the death penalty had been paid in full for our sins and fulfilled the Old Testament sacrificial system. God confirmed Jesus' shout by tearing the temple veil.

Hebrews 10:16: "'This is the covenant that I will establish with them after those days,' says the Lord, 'I will give My Laws into their hearts, and I will inscribe them in their minds; : and their sins and lawlessness I will not remember ever again'" (vs 16-17).

Verse 18: "Now, where remission of these is, it is no longer necessary to offer sacrifices for sin. Therefore, brethren, having confidence to enter into the true Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which He consecrated for us through the veil (that is, His flesh), and having a great High Priest over the house of God" (vs 18-21).

So, now we can come boldly before God the Father.

Hebrews 4:14: "Having, therefore, a great High Priest, Who has passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, we should hold fast the confession of our faith. For we do not have a High Priest Who cannot empathize with our weaknesses, but One Who was tempted in all things according to the likeness of our own temptations; yet, He was without sin. Therefore, we should come with boldness to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (vs 14-16). The whole purpose of it!

This high's death has forever removed that barrier that separated us from God. It makes eternal life possible to believe in Christ through acceptance that we've sinned and we've repented of those sins, and that we are forgiven by the blood of Christ and justified to God the Father having the righteousness of Christ imputed to us.

We are seen as sinless before God the Father. That's amazing! Christ's death has freed us forever from having to relate to God through high priests, physical priests and rituals. It's through Jesus Christ. His death means that you never have to be afraid to come to God because of your sins and missing of the mark.

Don't ever think that you've sinned too greatly. You can always go to the Father, always through Christ go to Him. You have an Advocate and an Intercessor and a Mediator to go before Him and explain.

Matthew 27:50[transcriber's correction]: "And after crying out again with a loud voice, Jesus yielded up His spirit. Then suddenly the veil of the temple was ripped in two from top to bottom, and the earth shook, and the rocks were split, so that the tombs were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had died, were resurrected after His resurrection; and they came out of the tombs. Then they entered into the Holy City, and appeared to many" (vs 50-53).

This was not a resurrection to spirit, but to a physical body like Lazarus, as people who had been delivered from death.

Christ tells us that He is the resurrection to life (John 11:25). He is Jesus Christ, and he made that possible. So, what does this mean? Only the Messiah had authority to call people forth from the grave. Jesus announced that as the Messiah He would one day do just this.

John 5:26[transcriber's correction]: "For even as the Father has life in Himself, so also has He given to the Son to have life in Himself; and has also given Him authority to execute judgment because He is the Son of man. Do not wonder at this, for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves shall hear His voice and shall come forth: those who have practiced good unto a resurrection of life, and those who have practiced evil unto a resurrection of judgment" (vs 26-29).

This is amazing, amazing Truth, a mystery. It's powerfully demonstrated that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, and that his death has broken the power of death over sinful mankind, and that He would definitely resurrect those in Christ to spiritual life. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. It is our sins that bring us under the penalty of sin and death.

Since Jesus' death had paid for our sins and delivered us from death's power over us, all who trust in Him and believe in Him, He has begotten us again to a living hope, and we will be resurrected to eternal life. Proof, Christ is the Messiah. These events prove that.

We can have confidence that we'll see our loved ones again, and that we also will be resurrected to life. Jesus' one sacrifice fulfilled all of this. These three events give hope and undeniable evidence and proof to the Messiahship of Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ who offered Himself as a supreme sacrifice of God, the Father for the sins of mankind. Through this one perfect sacrifice, Jesus purchased redemption from sin for all time.

Hebrews 10:10[transcriber's correction]: "By Whose will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."

As we solve these witnesses to Christ's crucifixion and read about the events surrounding the crucifixion that we just read about, we are not like those who expected Jesus to prove He was the Messiah and the world coming down from the cross, and they were disappointed, or maybe they were happy.

Those that loved Him and had their hopes in Him were disappointed, because they didn't understand. But we who believe in him and on him are not disappointed. It's humbling. We are thankful to God Christ that he endured the shame and became our sacrifice for sin, was resurrected, and now sits at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest, our Intercessor, and our Advocate.

We can be forgiven of our sins and enter into eternal life if we repent and believe in Him. God's Word gives us the record of Christ's death and miraculous events that give proof to his Messiahship for all mankind.

So, in closing, I want to read one more Scripture. Remember this during the Passover as we approach it, and as we see those we love die, and as we face death. Let's think about this.

1-Peter 1:3: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who, according to His abundant mercy, has begotten us again unto a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."

We can have hope in this knowledge and belief, especially as we enter into the spring Holy Days this year!

Scriptural References:

• John 3:16
• Luke 23:27-28, 49
• John 19:38-39
• Matthew 27:54
• John 19:25-27
• John 7:5
• Matthew 12:46-50
• Luke 14:26-27
• Isaiah 46:10
• John 19:11
• Isaiah 53:12
• Hebrews 12:2
• Romans 6:21-23
• Genesis 1:1-5
• John 8:12
• Matthew 5:14-16
• Mark 15:25
• Matthew 27:29-32, 50-53
• Genesis 15:12
• Isaiah 59:2
• John 5:26-29
• Hebrews 10:10
• Hebrews 16:21
• Matthew 27:50-53
• John 5:26:29
• Hebrews 10:10
• 1 Peter 1:3

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Matthew 27:40-42
• John 1:14, 1
• Psalm 22
• Matthew 27:45
• Matthew 4:4
• Luke 4:4
• Isaiah 14
• Matthew 12:40
• John 11:25

Also referenced: Book:

      The Day that Jesus the Christ Died by Fred R. Coulter

SD:bo/po
Transcribed: 4/11/24

Copyright 2024—All rights reserved. Except for brief excerpts for review purposes, no part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means without the written permission of the copyright owner. This includes electronic and mechanical photocopying or recording, as well as the use of information storage and retrieval systems.

(Go To Meeting)

Steve Durham—March 8, 2024

- Video |  - PDF | Audio | [Up]

Abraham Lincoln was a man for the hour; he was certainly hand-picked by God, groomed for a time when this country needed someone like him. He went through a lot of trials, a lot of difficulties in bringing the two factions together.

He said, 'I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.' He went to God!

Abraham Lincoln was a man that God used. He was not necessarily understanding the Truth as we have, but he certainly was led by God in good times and normal times, and times of trouble and difficulties, which we have all experienced and will.

We know we can go to our heavenly Father and Jesus Christ for comfort and mercy, the provisions that He provides: blessings, promises and our needs! To thank Him and praise Him for our life and just to acknowledge His great Plan for mankind and our part in it.

Isn't that amazing what we understand the Family of God and our part in it. He's preparing many sons/daughters for glory and He's working with us. We're His workmanship and Christ is our example.

Passover is just around the corner, not too far away, and we talked last Sabbath about the overall purpose coming at it from when outside, where you knew nothing about it, the overall purpose of Passover and what it means. Where did it start?

• Was it Genesis 15?

or

• Was it before that?

Maybe it was from the foundation of the world! Maybe the sacrifice was planned from the foundation of the world, which makes everything different. It's for all mankind, not just Israel, not just the Jews; it's for all men/women! Christ is the only way to salvation!

We talked about that last week and gained a little bit of understanding of the bigger, broader sense of that purpose and the importance of Passover and Jesus Christ: His life, crucifixion, His death, His resurrection and where He is now!

• Where is He now?
• Is He not working anymore?

He's beside the Father as our High Priest, our Advocate, our Mediator, and Intercessor!

That's what I want to talk about tonight. That role that He has and how it pertains to us. What is our part in that? We're to become like Christ: 

• we have His Holy Spirit
• we have His character through the Holy Spirit
• we are His workmanship and we're to become like Him

I wanted to weave that into this message tonight. Let's look at the different tools that He gives us. There's prayer, Bible study, fasting, meditation, but that's just the start. You have God's Holy Spirit and you use those.

We know that prayer is critical in our relationship with God. You stop praying and you're going to drift; you're going to be in trouble.

Abraham Lincoln was on his knees on a regular basis through the Civil War. So, it's paramount for us. I want to speak about the power of intercessory prayer and have maybe an overview like we did with Passover and get a bigger view or a bigger understanding of intercessory prayer.

• What is it?
• Why do we do it?
• Do we do it if we want to?
• Is it something that God the Father wants us to do and it's critical?

Let's look at what prayer is! I know this is going to sound basic. But let's take it apart.

Prayer is acknowledging the Father and Christ in heaven, having an intimate, personal relationship with God and acknowledging Him for these things that He does for us, as the:

• Creator
• Sustainer
• Answerer of prayer
• Fulfiller of prophecy

• we are able to speak to Him and He speaks to us through His Word
• we praise Him
• we show Him honor and glory and worship Him on a regular basis
• we thank Him for everything and all that we will have

IF you understand the scope of all that, that is mind-boggling! We were just this little spot, not even that, just a thought, and before the foundation of the world, He brought that to be! At the end of the age of man, look at what we have to look forward to. It's an amazing, amazing mystery that we have.

• How does intercession come into that?
• How does that play into this?
• How does it play into the Passover?
• How does intercession play into Jesus Christ?

Simply, prayer is a solemn request for help or an expression of thanks to God! We're praying to God and to Christ. But the only way we can get to the Father is through Jesus Christ! There's no other way! That's it! That's the way! (Acts 4 12). It's the only way!

There are different kinds of prayer.

• The Prayer of Faith

James 5:15: "And the prayer of faith shall save the sick one, and the Lord will raise him up…"

In this context, the prayer is offered in faith. All prayers should be that for someone who's sick, asking God to heal that individual and His will to be done.

• we believe in the power of that prayer
• we believe in the power of God
• we believe in the goodness of God
• we believe in the mercy. love, compassion and comfort of God

He says that all things—IF you believe—are possible!

Mark 9:24[transcriber's correction]: "And the father of the little child cried out at once, saying with tears, 'Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.'"

That's a prayer that we all should pray; We should all ask. That faith comes from Jesus Christ, but it can grow as we get out of the way and submit to Him and yield to Him.

• The Prayer of Request or Supplication

We're to take our requests to God.

Philippians 4:6: "Do not be anxious about anything…"

• no worry
• don't doubt
• don't fear

"…but by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God in everything" (v 6).

We're thanking Him and we're asking Him for something. We need to have that belief that He will answer us and He hears us.

But He will hear us, but He doesn't always answer. There's some prerequisites to that. So, we're in a spiritual battle! Part of that winning of that battle is to be praying at all times in the Spirit with all prayer and supplication.

We'll read that Scripture later on because the Spirit is important in interceding and true intercession. I mean, you can intercede, people in the world can intercede, but it's that effective fervent prayer of the righteous and righteousness comes from Christ through the Holy Spirit, and through obedience and belief. It affects much.

Supplication is a specific type of prayer that involves making a humble request or a plea for something. It's often done in times of need or duress. It is used to ask for help or intervention from God for Him to intercede. It carries a sense of urgency and desperation or supplications. It's more intense. It's more focused than it just a general prayer.

• The Prayer of Thanksgiving

"…but by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God in everything" (v 4).

He wants you to ask. He wants you to come to Him and ask for things, but be thankful and be grateful; be happy and positive and sure! Know that your Father is going to hear you. Again, you may not get an answer right away. But He has heard you. He is taking it and is in faith. Those will be answered.

Even the faith of healing. Maybe you're not healed and maybe you pray and pray and pray and someone dies. You say, 'God, why didn't You hear me.

You asked for that person to be healed. When the resurrection comes, that body will be healed. So, He did answer and it was time. The time was right. That was an appointed time for that individual. It was better that He had worked everything out. He is the One Who knows when it's time. We need to believe that and love Him and thank Him for what He does.

So, there are many examples of Thanksgiving prayers and David has the Psalms full of them.

• The Prayer of Worship

A prayer of worship is similar to the prayer of thanksgiving. The difference is that worship focuses on Who God is. Thanksgiving focuses on what God has done.

• worshiping Who He is
• knowing Him

Christ came to reveal the Father

• knowing Who the Father is
• we can worship Him and thank Him and praise Him and really have a focus on
• Who He is
• what He does
• what he has done is thanksgiving and gratitude

• Intercessory Prayer

This one is more, it reflects the character of Christ in that Christ is:

• our Intercessor
• our Mediator
• our Advocate

By us doing that, not only are we reflecting His character, we are continuing the work that He's doing. He is extending that to us and we continue to help in:

• interceding
• being an example
• sharing the agape love for our brothers and sisters
• bearing one another's burdens as we're told to do

In that respect, Christ is multiplying the action of interceding!

It's getting done by the Body of Christ, for the Body of Christ. We also grow, that's the work of God, of Christ!

That's one of the things that he does. He is still working. We'll go over what the High Priest does and why it's such an amazing thing. We say everything is in Christ:

• He's our Sacrifice
• He's the Lamb of God
• He's also our Intercessor

• we're called to sacrifice, as well
• we're called to intercede for people

So, in that we're reflecting the character of God and we're growing.

Christ has made all things possible, made all this possible. He's the sacrifice in our stead for our sins and the sin of the world. That was all put on Him. Through His blood, we have Life. There's life in the blood (Lev. 17:11).

He's the resurrection to Life. He told Martha, I think it was. 'I AM the resurrection.' And she says, 'Oh, I know, I know there's a resurrection.' He said, 'No, I AM the resurrection. Do you believe that?' Then He called Lazarus out.

Sidebar: He's the Lamb of God. He was the Lamb of God. He is the Lamb of God. He will be. There are people who want to diminish the deity of Christ. I had somebody tell me that Christ is no longer the Lamb of God. He gave some big explanation.

There are 11 places in the book of Revelation where Christ is called the Lamb of God. That He is on His Throne with the Father as the Lamb of God. You have to read those, so let me just give them to you for the record here.

Revelation 5:8; 6:1; 7:9; 12:11; 13:8; 14:4; 15:3; 17:14; 19:7; 21:9; 22:1—let's just read a couple of these.

Revelation 22:1: "Then he [the angel] showed me [John] a pure river of the Water of Life, clear as crystal, flowing out from the Throne of God and of the Lamb."

Revelation 21:9: "And one of the seven angels that had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, 'Come here, and I will show you the Bride, the Lamb's wife.'"

If He's no longer the Lamb, then that shoots the whole Bride of Christ thing down!

You have to think about some of the things people say, then figure out where are they coming from and why they are doing it! It's an effort to diminish the deity of God!

Revelation 19:7: "Let us be glad and shout with joy; and let us give glory to Him; for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready."

That's on the back end of this. Just go back into the front part of Revelation and there are other places.

So listen, when you hear something like that and you think 'wait a minute, that doesn't sound right.' Search it out. Find out why you have that feeling. Then you will be ready the next time to give an answer to someone in a nice way.

I just told the individual, 'No, that's not right.'
Oh, yeah it is! I said, 'No, it's not. He is the Lamb of God. He always will be the Lamb of God and that will never change. What other names will you wanna take away from me? You know, once He's named, that's His name!

He is the King and the Lord. He is the High Priest, the One Who makes intercession or prayer requests. for us, that's what the word intercession means:

• prayer requests
• going in and requesting for someone
• interceding for somebody

It's interesting, it calls it prayer requests for us before the Father. On our behalf Christ intercedes for us.

We all know that Paul said, 'All things are possible for God through Christ Who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13).

It's interesting because the duties of a High Priest are—let's just see a couple of them:

• to make atonement for the nation of Israel on the Day of Atonement

You see how Passover and Atonement are so interwoven, they are whole. You can't take one outside the other.

• to participate in the sacrifices
• to provide oversight of the temple
• the Levitical priests had the regulations and teaching the people
• to present the sin offering for the nation as occasionally required
• to perform the atoning sacrifice and offering on the Day of Atonement once a year,  entering into the Holy of Holies with the blood from the sacrifice

Now, He was the Lamb of God; His blood was shed. He is now our High Priest, and He is before the Throne to intercede for us before the Father.

What happened when he died that day. One of the things was the temple veil ripped in two. That signified access to the Holy of Holies where the Father is. Each and every one of us individually can go in now, personally go in; where before the high priest was the only one who w could go in once a year. They even tied a rope around him, so if he died, they could drag him back out. But now Christ now is at the right hand of the Father.

Mark 16:19: "After speaking to them, the Lord was indeed then taken up into heaven, and He sat down at the right hand of God."

They had a lot of work to do!, The duties of a high priest.

1-John 2:2: "And He is the propitiation… [ongoing sacrifice, ongoing atonement] …for our sins, and not for our sins only, but also for the sins of the whole world"—and the individuals in it!

So those are the duties of a high priest, and let's see how this transitions all the things that Christ is and does. He's our Intercessor. The Lamb that was sacrificed, and made it possible for Him to intercede for us. It was planned before the foundation of the world that He would do that. He was interceding before the program even got started. To perform the atoning sacrifice and burnt offering on the great Day of Atonement once a year, entering into the Holy of Holies with the blood from the sacrifice.

These are the duties of Christ, the Intercessor for all mankind, and especially the Church of which He is the Head and the Foundation.

Look those Scriptures up. Heb. 7; actually all of Hebrews is quite a study and so it's an amazing book.

Hebrews 7:25: "Therefore, He has the power throughout all time to save those who come to God through Him because He is ever living to intercede for them."

• that's His purpose
• that's His job
• that's His work
• that's one of the things that He came to do

from the foundation of the world!

Now at the end, there He is to make atonement, a sacrifice once for all. This individual also told me that sacrifices would start and everyone needed to have a personal sacrifice. It says once for all! Sacrificing a lamb is not necessary, IF you believe the Scripture, which we do:

1-John 2:1: "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And yet, if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father; Jesus Christ the Righteous"

Now advocate is an interesting word. I know a little bit about that. The Greek word is 'parakleton.' It's close to 'paraklesis,' which is the Holy Spirit—Comforter[transcriber's correction].

It also means helper, advisor or counselor. An advocate is a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy. For example, he was an untiring advocate of economic reform or she has been a tireless advocate for women's organizations and causes.

Christ is called our Advocate. An advocate is a person who comes to our aid or pleads our case to a judge—to God the Father. Satan is right there accusing us. Advocates offer support, strength, counsel, and intercede for us when necessary, which is all the time. It's necessary all the time. This is how we're made. IFwe are without Christ, we're nothing without His sacrifice, we're nothing.

Jesus Christ is now sitting at the right hand of God, interceding, mediating, being our Advocate before the Father. As His begotten brothers and sisters, we are to emulate, imitate and have the mind of Christ in us!

We're to come to the fullness of the stature of Jesus Christ (Eph. 4:13). We have His mind in us. We are to be as He is, interceding for our brothers and sisters in Christ, as Christ does for us being an Advocate. We are to be an advocate before the Father for others. We take on that role when we do intercessory prayer for someone!

This is the change from where we were to when we have God's Holy Spirit after baptism, and what we're trying to do:

Ephesians 4:22: "That concerning your former conduct, you put off the old man, which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts; and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that you put on the new man, which according to God is created in righteousness and Holiness of the Truth" (vs 22-24).

By doing that, by getting on our knees and interceding when we see that someone needs help, that's how we do that.

I got an e-mail from a former prayer request; it was an update that prompted this thought: the individual referenced the power of intercessory prayer in his life. He gave God the glory for healing him! It included the intercessory prayers of the brethren. He realized that where it came from; that God heard those prayers! He understood its importance because he was the recipient of God's:

• power
• love
• mercy
• kindness
• compassion

from others who had interceded for him before the Father!

About six years ago, it's been—seems like it wasn't that long, but it has been—around 2018, 2019 CBCG put together a prayer list for brethren in CBCG.

We see that if you're on the e-mail list, one of the reasons—the main reason—for Go To Meeting was that we're so scattered; we have people that are all over the place. We don't get to interact and to be with one another, hear one another and talk to one another. We're scattered! Many needs of the brethren were being made known, because when we got together that's naturally what we do.

Brethren, we're asking for the need of prayers from others in the Body and for healing, and for help in different situations, suffering that they were going through.

So, with that, those needs were becoming more clear and being made known to me; so the prayer list was started. It's been in operation for a while. There have been many who have benefited from receiving those intercessory prayers of others. And there have been many who have benefited from giving those prayers. Talk about a reward for that.

I bet you probably don't even think about that; the fact that God looks at that, and He looks at you in a favorable way when you do that for others. So, they have benefited both ways.

I probably shouldn't even tell you this, but it's an interesting fact that I was going through. I was looking back in the records. There have been 12,688 prayer requests that have gone out since then; 12,688 needs, and more than that because this was three weeks ago.

Out of those 12,688, I couldn't help but notice, it gives a click rate and an open rate. They're sent out and there's how many are open and how many just receive it and don't do anything with it. I'm not saying anything about this negatively one way or the other. But how many would you think were opened? It's an interesting number.

If you think about the 10 virgins, there were exactly 50% of the recipients on the prayer list that didn't open their prayer request. People are probably getting it and they're not saying anything. Maybe it's people who have no idea what's going on with it.

But there's an opportunity there to grow and develop the love, and the benefit of interceding for your family members! I'm sure there's reasons for it.

I haven't been 100% diligent in doing it myself either. Actually, I did a lot better. I read them all and I look at all of them and I say a little prayer in my mind when I read it. But my excuse is I'm hitting the ground so hard and running that I don't have time to do this. I started this. This is a professional, a professional holder. It was very professional. What I did was I started printing them out. I had a little ledger and I printed them out and I would read them; that's why it's important to send back in an update, that you're better now and you don't need the prayers to continue. I'm only going to get a number of them here, but I've got to get going on this again.

If you take that on your knees in your room, somewhere in private, and take those and read each one of them and think about that person and what they're going through, it does a lot of things.

First of all, you're going to the Father on their behalf, not yours. That's the power of it! It's like having someone tell you to go to the boss at work and say:

You know, so-and-so over here, he's doing a wonderful job. Did you know that he did this and he did that and it turned out great?

And the boss says, 'No, I didn't know that.' Now, if you go in there and tell the boss:

Do you know what I did? I did this and I did that.

And he says, 'No.'

There's a big difference between someone else going and telling them than telling for yourself.

• it has more weight
• it has power
• it has more the agape connection
• it has also a unifying effect

It's important that when we at least look at them and say a little silent prayer and you see them, it is very important.

Here's another reason why it's so important: It's commanded! God the Father commands that as children of His, made in His image and put on the Holy Righteous character of the Father and Christ when we have:

• Their mind
• Their thoughts
• Their Holy Spirit
• Their character

we're developing Holy Righteous character! We are to love one another! We're told this is what we are to become. By doing this, as Christ did:

• we put on Christ
• we imitate Him
• we have our mind and character transformed to be like Christ
• we imitate Him

James 5:13: "Is anyone suffering hardship among you? Let him pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing praise."

We're talking about the prayer, worship and thanksgiving.

Verse 14: "Is anyone sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the Church, and let them pray…"

Here's the intercession. God set it up this way, and there's a reason why He did it.

People in the past—and I understand why—have been down on elders; but God is the One Who put them in place. It's not the function. It's the one who is in the function that is doing the wrong thing, for the wrong reason with the wrong heart, wrong whatever. Those God will filter out! But don't let that stick to you in how you deal with people, and how you think about people. We are to keep that clean in our head.

Verse14: "Is anyone sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him after anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick one, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him" (vs 14-15).

He is atoning our propitiation, our sacrifice, and the blood of Christ will forgive if you repent and go through that process.

Verse 16: "Confess your faults to one another…"

That is not going like the Catholics do; you sit down with the other confessor and all that.

You say, 'Well, I'm sick. I must've eaten something wrong. I've not doing something right. You know, I'm sorry, I'm sick. Would you pray for me?'

"…and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The supplication of a righteous man prevails much, being effective" (v 16).

There's a reason why it is you're hitting on all of these God playing tendencies and traits.

• God is hearing it
• God is watching
• God is listening

You have God's Holy Spirit, and it's hitting on that plane. Then the righteousness is from Christ. It's not that you're some big tower of righteousness. No! It's from Christ because you're just the opposite of that, and it's "…being effective."

It says in research, the word supplication can mean petition or prayer request! I think that's interesting.

Ephesians 6:18: "Praying at all times with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and in this very thing being watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints."

That's our charge. That's what He tells us to do. So, intercessory prayer is very powerful! It's a very powerful, strong prayer, and it's a powerful unifier. It's a powerful development, character development tool. It gets God's attention.

You pray for somebody else and it's different, because it's a selfless act. It's not about your mate; it's the other person. It's showing love and concern for others. It is powerful because you are not praying for yourself or your own needs and desires. You are praying for the needs of others, and led by the Holy Spirit to do so! Again, it's on a God plane! You're touching that God plane, that spirit plane! When we do that, we'll intercede on behalf of another person. We're fulfilling the Law of Christ.

Effective intercession involves empathy and sympathy. Sympathy is what you've gone through, and Christ has gone and suffered everything that we have; Christ knows. The empathy is:

• the feeling that you have
• the love you have
• the connection you have
• the mercy that you feel

It's all from 'agape' love, and for our fellow. It's a spirit plane. We'll be Christ-like and we're reflecting the mind and character of Christ.

Matthew 22:36—the young lawyer comes to Jesus and says: "'Master, which commandment is the great commandment in the Law?' And Jesus said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment; and the second one is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets'" (vs 36-40).

So, Jesus gave him extra! He only asked for one and He gave him two. He broke it down; you do both. The second one is more difficult, I think, because that's where you're face-to-face. That's where grip and grain and rubber meets the road, and there's more interaction.

There's a human element in it and that's very difficult to make these things that we're told to do in loving our neighbor actually work.

When you have intercessory prayer for someone else with God's Holy Spirit, you have sincere love, that ''agape love for the brethren:

• compassion
• sympathy
• empathy
• a sincere heart
• perseverance
• hanging in there
• praying

until you get the report back that it's okay!

• in knowledge and love of the Truth

We pray in Spirit and Truth! That's another connector because Christ is to Truth that He is the Word. We have Him in us:

• we have a love of the Truth
• we love Christ
• we love God
• we love our fellow man

The Holy Spirit has to be dwelling in us! It's very important. You can do this without that and you can still do that, but the connection is not there as far as Spirit to spirit.

Ephesians 6:18: "Praying at all times with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and in this very thing being watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints."

Romans 8:24[transcriber's correction]: "For by hope we were saved; but hope that is seen is not hope; for why would anyone still be hoping for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we ourselves wait for it with patience. Now, in the same way also, the Spirit is conjointly helping our weaknesses because we do not fully understand what we should pray for… [Have you ever done that?] …according as it is necessary, but the Spirit itself…(vs 24-26).

Here's another point: Sometimes people have to know everything there is about person before they can pray for them. No, you don't! You don't need to know! All you need to know is that So-and So needs your prayers—period! If we get more information, that's okay. When you go to God the Father and you say, 'So and So needs… I don't know what it is You do, will You please intercede for him? Your will be done, etc,'

God knows exactly who you're talking about and what needs to be done. I've had people say, 'Wait a minute, you gotta tell me more.' No, it's not necessary!

If somebody asks me to anoint them, I will anoint them. If they hold off and they don't want to tell me anything, that's okay. It would be nice if I knew; it would give me a direction in the prayer, but it doesn't have to be for God to heal that person, it's a prayer of faith; their faith and our faith, and in this atmosphere of faith.

"…the Spirit is conjointly helping our weaknesses because we do not fully understand what we should pray for, according as it is necessary, but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groaning that cannot be expressed by us. And the One Who searches the hearts comprehends what the strivings of the Spirit are because it makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (vs 26-28).

More intercessory prayer is the will of God. In caring for others and interceding for them before God, we are drawing close to our calling as spirit-led sons and daughters in the family, with the family, and unifying and growing close to the family, God and Jesus Christ. We're fulfilling the will of God through intercessory prayer!

1-Timothy 2:1: "I exhort, therefore, first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men; for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all Godliness and respectability. For this is good and acceptable before God our Savior, Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth" (vs 1-4).

In His mind, He sees everyone as potential sons/daughters and gods, and they will be given an opportunity at some point. He says it's good and it pleases God Who wants all people to be saved, that we pray for all people.

Christ said, 'I'm not praying for them right now; I'm praying for you.' That doesn't mean He didn't have compassion, empathy, sympathy and love to help bring the rest in. That was His main goal; His main thrust at that moment.

He cried when He saw Jerusalem. He said, 'Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, I have brought you under My wings.'

He did have compassion for everyone, but He spent His focus on those individuals that were in it, that He was brushing ahead of a job to do and get them ready.

Ephesians 6:18: "Praying at all times with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and in this very thing being watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints." Keeps us focused on them.

1-Tim. 2 talks about who we can be praying for, praying for the household of God. But what about the president or the government? Should we pray for them so that we have peace and we can do the things we need to do? Yeah!

1-Timothy 2:1: "I exhort, therefore, first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings… [look at them laid out there] …be made on behalf of all men; for kings and all who are in authority… [Why?] …in order that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all Godliness and respectability. For this is good and acceptable before God our Savior. For this is good and acceptable before God our Savior, Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth. For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men—the Man Christ Jesus" (vs 1-5).

Why is he calling the man Jesus Christ? John 1:14 talks about Christ coming in the flesh!

If you think about why He came as a man—God in the flesh—with the law of sin and death, so that when He died, ate and lived a perfect life and was crucified. That one sacrifice for all mankind! There's nobody else that could do that! The Creator and the Designer, the Sustainer of all mankind, of all creation came and died for that! That is powerful!

"…the Man Christ Jesus, Who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony of which is to be preached in its appointed times" (vs 5-6).

True intercessory prayer seeks God's glory, not our own. The following is only a partial list of those that we probably don't have time to go through them all, but let me give you the list, and I'll give you the Scripture and you can look that up, it'd be a good study. Who we should offer intercessory prayer for? The Household of God is first! Those whom we fellowship with and associate with are brothers and sisters in Christ; that's very important. But as we just saw, all in authority, and there's a reason for that:

• all in authority—Tim. 2:2
• ministers, elders—Phil. 1:19
• friends—Job 42:8
• fellow countrymen—Rom. 10:1
• the sick and poor—James 5:14
• our enemies—Jer. 29:7; Matt. 5:44
• the beatitudes talks about that, and those who persecute us; those who forsake us

• Have you ever been forsaken?
• Have you ever been stabbed in the back?

• all the things that go along with being in the colony more than being where we are—2-Tim. 4:16.
• all men—1-Tim. 2:1
• one mediator between God and man, the Man Jesus Christ; one Advocate, there's one Intercessor; one High Priest—Heb. 7:25

It says He is able also to save forever!

Hebrews 7:25: "Therefore, He has the power throughout all time to save those who come to God through Him because He is ever-living to intercede for them." That's the point:

• that's His job
• that's His work
• that's why He came

See how intercessory prayer plays in this; it is big. It's more than just, 'Oh, I get this!' No, it's big! Not only for the person you're praying for, but for you.

• What does it do to you?
• What is it doing in your mind?
  • it's a selfless act
  • it's a God-plane spiritual level
    • thinking
    • binding
    • growing together
    • unifying

Not only with the individuals here, but with Christ and God the Father!

Christ came, He secured salvation of the elects. That part of it, He said, 'It is finished.' 

Well, it wasn't done. He said that part of it, the physical part of it was finished (John 19:30). But it continues. It continues in heaven beside the Father on the Throne on our behalf until we come to the glory that He has prepared for us as inheritors.

We actually inherit all things with Him, co-inheritors. His care for His redeemed children will never be finished. Even when we become spirit and the age of man is done and we're in the Family and go out, He's still going to care about us and everyone else. We're all in the Family together.

Ephesians 4:13: "Until we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."

That's what intercessory prayer does! It links us to one another and to Christ all in one. What did John say? You talk about an intercessory prayer!

We're going to go through John 17 here in a few weeks; it is power.

1-John 3 is talking about inheritors, talking about part of the family, God wants us to be one!

1-John 3:1: "Behold! What glorious love the Father has given to us, that we should be called the children of God! For this very reason, the world does not know us because it did not know Him. "Behold! What glorious love the Father has given to us, that we should be called the children of God! For this very reason, the world does not know us because it did not know Him, because we shall see Him exactly as He is" (vs 1-2).

There are preparations going on right now in developing that Holy righteous character.

"…because we shall see Him exactly as He is." Part of seeing Him is that we will be like that, because we'll be like looking in a mirror. By interceding for others, we're showing Christ's mind. His mind in us and His love for the brethren, our family members. Being a family that cares for one another is pleasing to God. Caring for our family, helping God and Christ to complete the work of God. Do you think that they don't need us to do that? Then why Eph. 2:10?

• Why are we His workmanship?
• Why is He the Master Potter?
• Why is He the Creator?
• Why is this like a school?

When we graduate, we can move on. We get our parts, we're put in the ground and then resurrection day We're going on to whatever, whatever's next. But we do this, we learn this by burying one another's burdens.

Galatians 6:2: "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the Law of Christ."

It's more than just an occasional or a big deal.

Verse 10: "So then, as we have opportunity…"

• every time we get one of these,
• every time we hear something that somebody needs

"…we should do good to all, and especially to those who are of the household of faith" (v 10).

How do we bear one another's burdens? One way is through intercessory prayer! We become more like God, like Christ, our big Brother. Christ is our Intercessor, Mediator, Advocate and High Priest.

Ephesians 4:13: "Until we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."

Philippians 2:5: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus."

Matthew 5.48: "Therefore, you shall be perfect, even as your Father Who is in heaven is perfect." Growing in grace and knowledge!

All those are indicators that we're on the right path.

• He's our Intercessor
• He's our High Priest
• He's our Atonement
• He's our Passover for all

Hebrews 4:14: "Having, therefore, a great High Priest…" 

Revelation 5:10 "And did make us unto our God kings and priests; and we shall reign on the earth."

We have to learn to be a priest. What does that mean? Look at the duties of Christ, the High Priest, has, and look at our opportunity to follow in His footsteps and be following His example.

Hebrews 4:14: "Having, therefore, a great High Priest…"

The high priests went into the Holy of Holies one time a year. He was the only one allowed to go in. That was going before the Father and represented Christ going before the Father for an atonement for our sins. In Israel it foreshadowed Christ in His position now, where He is now.

"…Who has passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, we should hold fast the confession of our faith" (v 14).

• keep your eye on the goal
• hang in there
• hold fast

Verse 15: "For we do not have a High Priest Who cannot empathize with our weaknesses, but One Who was tempted in all things according to the likeness of our own temptations…"

He went through everything we went through. And you think, 'Oh no, but He understood that.'

"…yet, He was without sin" (v 15).

Because of all this, even though you're going through these problems, we started out with Abraham Lincoln, we started out with the young; you talk about a man that was under stress. We have that, too. We have those things personally in our own lives and the whole world does.

Even though you have these difficulties, Christ is there at the right hand of God the Father. The temple veil of the Holy of Holies was split in two. You now could go in personally to Abba, to our Father, crawl up on his lap and say, 'Daddy, I need to tell you these things. I am asking you this.'

And you know what? He's there! He stops everything and He listens to you.

Christ said, 'Don't ask me. Why are you asking me? Go straight to the Father in My name and He'll hear you.' ( John 17).

Verse16: "Therefore, we should come with boldness to the Throne of Grace…" That's available to us! We can do that, a rule for ourselves.

But more importantly, we can do that and show Christ in us that we're developing Holy righteous character as we go before Him for others interceding for them.

All that goes out from God in grace, God's love to you and the heavenly things  that come down to you, they're all there for you. They're all available.

"…so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (v 16).

That's an everyday need, everything that goes on in our lives, every concern, every suffering, everything that happens, He tells us to come before Him boldly.

If we see someone in need or if we hear of someone in need, if we have God's Holy Spirit and the love of God, we can make a difference! He wants us to, and that's pleasing to Him. We want to make a difference because we're part of the Body, we're part of the family and we're part of the group. It builds unity!

John 17:21[transcriber's correction]: "That they all may be one, even as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us…"

Christ intercedes for us, we intercede for one another. We unify the Father, Christ and us

"…in order that the world may believe that You did send Me" (v 21). Glorify the Father!

In other places, Christ talks about the Body being one in unity.

Malachi 3:16: "Then those fearing the LORD spoke together, each man to his neighbor. And the LORD listened and heard. And a Book of Remembrance was written before Him for those who feared the LORD, and for those who thought upon His name. 'And they shall be Mine,' says the LORD of hosts, 'in the day that I will make up My own special jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.' Then you shall return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between the one who serves God, and the one who does not serve Him" (vs 16-18).

Read John 17 with this idea in mind: of the intercessory prayer that Christ gave to the apostles and to God on their behalf and on our behalf.

You'll read that Passover, but read it before and think about it this way:

Psa. 133—this is how God sees the escape of people who were pulling together. He sees them in a certain way. He's excited about it, about the fact that we pray for one another and that we think about the problems we have.

He says that we're going to be in the world and don't take them out of the world, but leave them in the world. They don't let them be part of the world. Hold Satan back from destroying them.

Psalm 133:1: "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" It is one that we do that through intercessory prayer.

Let's think about that it's really powerful. So, we need to think about that and institute it in our lives for other people and you'll see a major change.

Scriptural References:

• James 5:15
• Mark 9:24
• Philippians 4:6
• Revelation 22:1
• Revelation 21:9
• Revelation 19:7
• Mark 16:19
• 1-John 2:2
• Hebrews 7:25
• 1-John 2:1
• Ephesians 4:22-24
• James 5:13-16
• Ephesians 6:18
• Matthew 22:36-40
• Romans 8:24-28
• 1-Timothy 2:3-4
• Ephesians 6:18
• 1-Timothy 2:1-6
• Hebrews 7:25
• Ephesians 4:13
• 1-John 3:1-2
• Galatians 6:2, 10
• Ephesians 4:13
• Philippians 2:5
• Matthew 5:48
• Hebrews 4:14
• Revelation 5:10
• Hebrews 4:14-16
• John 17:21
• Malachi 3:16-18
• Psalm 133:1

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Genesis 15
• Acts 4:12
• Leviticus 17:11
• Revelation 5:8
• Revelation 6:1
• Revelation 7:9
• Revelation 12:11
• Revelation 13:8
• Revelation 14:4
• Revelation 15:3
• Revelation 17:14
• Philippians 4:13
• John 1:14
• Romans 10:1
• Philippians 1:19
• Job 42:8
• Romans 10:1
• Jeremiah 29:7
• Matthew 5:44
• 2 Timothy 4:16
• John 19:30; 17
• Ephesians 2:10

SD:bo/po
Transcribed: 4/7/24

Copyright 2024—All rights reserved. Except for brief excerpts for review purposes, no part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means without the written permission of the copyright owner. This includes electronic and mechanical photocopying or recording, as well as the use of information storage and retrieval systems.

Steve Durham—November 11, 2023

- Video |  - PDF | Audio | [Up]

The fields are white to harvest! Now, I especially understand this phrase found in the Bible. In Indiana, fall is harvest time, and it is especially beautiful this time of year. Leaves change colors and different reds, yellows, shades of brown and some orange. It's a gorgeous, gorgeous time.

It's also a time when the crops are being harvested in Indiana, and there are a lot of laborers, a lot of workers in the fields. Many workers are needed to get the job done of harvesting today. Not like it was back in the time of Jesus, but still there's quite a bit of work that goes on in getting these crops in.

In all the seasons, again, I think that the fall is the most interesting and the most beautiful time of the year for me anyway, especially in Indiana. But harvest time in the Bible teaches us many things.

One of those lessons is that workers and laborers are needed to complete the work. The preparation for the harvest actually begins long before the fall. Planning for the harvest begins way before the sickle even is placed to the stalk, so to speak.

You have to purchase seed, and you have to get the right kind of seed and fertilizer to make sure the soil is the best having the most proper minerals for a good crop. Then you pray for rain and sunshine.

Many farmers spend time maintaining their tools and taking care of the machinery at this time. It takes a lot of planning for that and a lot of care and a lot of effort to make sure that these plants grow healthy, that they bear fruit and are worthy of a harvest.

Now, once all that is completed, the time to prepare, the seed is planted, and now you have a long wait. Time to do a lot of preparation and work in between. That is when the labor begins. This is when the workers really begin in earnest.

To get this job done and enjoy the fruit of the labor, they must be dedicated. They must be hardworking, conscientious, and have a sense of urgency about them. Hardworking men and women, hardworking laborers, focused on finishing the harvest. Ecclesiastes tells us a little bit about this, and I enjoy this section.

Ecclesiastes 3:1: "To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heavens: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted" (vs 1-2)

Verse 11: "He has made everything beautiful in its time; He has also set eternity in their heart..."

God has placed in the hearts of men a desire to have a relationship with Him.

"…so that no man can find out the work that God makes from the beginning to the end" (v 11). It's really a miracle!

Also, that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor. It is the gift of God. So, throughout the Bible, in many cases, God uses agriculture to teach us about His Plan for mankind.

In that Plan, there is a great harvest coming. An individual harvest, but a great harvest, as well. The harvest is a common Biblical theme associated with the Kingdom of God.

So, I want to ask you a couple questions. You've heard these questions before. It's good to think about.

• Why did God call me? We've heard that many times! We've even said that!
• Why did God call me?
• What part do I have in God's Plan for mankind?
• Is it just me?

or

• Do I have anything to do with the preparation and getting other people into the Kingdom, into the Family of God, into that harvest?
• What part, if any, do I have in God's individual harvest?

Good questions, questions I think that can be answered in God's Word.

We're going to focus on John 4 to answer some of these questions. You'll notice the story of Christ and the woman at the well. There's a lot more that takes place after that interaction when she runs back into the town. It'll help us answer some of these questions about God's harvest that I just asked.

John 4:35—Jesus was telling them: "Do not say that there are yet four months, and then the harvest comes. I say to you, look around. Lift up your eyes and see the fields, for they are already white to harvest" (v 35).

When grain is harvested, it's ripe, it looks light brown, and in the sun it looks almost white. So you see this field of wheat that looks just white, white to harvest.

Luke 10:2: "And so, He [Jesus] said to them, 'The harvest is indeed great, but the workmen are few. Therefore, beseech the Lord of the harvest that He may send out workmen into His harvest.'"

God is calling people to that, to that particular job. All of us have that job that we need to take seriously and be dedicated about.

At another time Jesus taught the disciples about being a workman for the harvest of God.

Matthew 9:35: "Then Jesus went around to all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, 0and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every bodily weakness among the people."

Now this could be sickness, it could be just being weak, run down, or emotional. Isa. 61 talks a little bit about that.

Verse 36: "And seeing the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them..."

He truly set the example, Christ set the example for us in His attitude, in His heart, the way He dealt with, threw in and was dedicated and convicted about the work that God had given Him to do, about wrapping up this Plan of God, His phase of it.

He had the heart of a servant. We've heard before Churches say a Christ-centered servant. Well, Christ was centered on loving one another and being a workman and a laborer, setting the example for us to see what we're supposed to do just by watching Him.

The people then are like we are today. They were wearied, they were scattered, they were confused. They were sheep without a shepherd. The shepherds were false shepherds and they were out for their own gain. They didn't care about the sheep.

Verse 37: "Then He said to His disciples… [and He's saying this to us, too] …'The harvest is truly great, but the workmen are few; therefore, beseech the Lord of the harvest, that He may send out workmen into His harvest" (vs 37-38).

That is certainly what CBCG is doing in getting the literature, videos the media that we have, the many books and booklets that have been put together and sent out. We're certainly getting that information into the hands of individuals, but there's more that needs to be done! There's that personal touch when we can do that.

Second best is the online, the things that we're doing there. We are focused on being a workman and being a laborer to get the harvest done that God has given us to do. Jesus uses the example of a woman at the well, and it shows us that God is looking for laborers to assist in the harvest of individuals into the Family of God. There are a lot of people out there being called right now that we don't even know about. I've got some examples of that if I have time to give them to you.

There is a harvest being done today, and we have a part in it. Those were some of the questions I asked. Yes, we do have a part in it, and yes, there is a harvest being done. We've been called as workmen to participate in it, to assist Christ in doing the work of a laborer for the harvest, to care for, to nurture, bring individuals that He calls to maturity into that harvest.

Help them make it. Help them make it into the family and help us make it. Bear one another's burdens. Be conscientious of one another. So, before we go back to John, let's read a section of Scripture in Luke. It sees what John the Baptist had to say about this work of a laborer. He certainly was quite the laborer of bringing people into the harvest and the Family of God.

Luke 1 is talking about John the Baptist. He was a true workman for the harvest.

Luke 1:15[transcriber's correction] "…but he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord" (vs 15-17).

• to make ready the harvest
• to make ready a people

These are all ways that we can prepare a people. This is an explanation of what a workman or a laborer in the harvest of God will be.

Make ready a people prepared for the Lord. This is an explanation of what a workman or a laborer in the harvest of God will be doing in preparation for the harvest.

(repeated audio)

It has been said in our generation, and we've heard it in the Church, that we have that mission or charge to do as Christ did. I believe it still holds true for us today!

Let's go to John 4 and look at the first section that comes before the statement, the fields are white for harvest.

For time's sake, I'm just going to read through it very quickly, but pick out some of the dialogue that goes on.

He had christened leaves from Judea, and He parts to Galilee. It was necessary for Him to go through Samaria."

You've got to know about the Samaritans. In 721B.C. Israel went into captivity; Assyria took them into captivity. What they would do is transplant people from Assyria into the conquered area, and they sent them to Israel. They intermarried, and they had pagan ways. So, because of some lion troubles, the people thought they needed to be worshiping God.

The king sent back a Jewish rabbi to help them with the religion, and they brought the Pentateuch, but that was about it. So there was this mixture of idolatrous ways and pagan ways. Seventy years later, when Israel was allowed to return with Nehemiah and Ezra to rebuild the temple, the Samaritans fought against them, and they even built their own temple on Mount Gerizim.

The Samaritans were usually very universally, very much adamantly despised by the Jews.

John 4:5: "And He came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. And Jacob's fountain was there…" (vs 5-6)—a well!

So Christ comes up and sits down at the well about the sixth hour (v 6), which is noon.

Verse 7: "A woman came out of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me some water to drink.'"

It says that the disciples weren't there, they had gone into the city to buy food (v 8).

Verse 9: "Therefore, the Samaritan woman said to Him, 'How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, to give You water to drink? For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.'"

Verse 10: "Jesus answered and said to her, 'If you had known the gift of God, and Who it is that said to you, "Give Me some water to drink," you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.' The woman said to Him, 'Sir, You have nothing with which to draw water, and the well is deep; how then do You have the living water?'" (vs 10-11).

Boy, this got her attention! You don't have anything to draw water with, and the well's deep. How do you have living water?

Verse 13: "Jesus answered and said to her, 'Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; rather, the water that I will give him shall become a fountain of water within him, springing up into everlasting life'" (vs 13-14).

Verse 15: "The woman said to Him, 'Sir, give me this water, so that I will not thirst or need to come here to draw water.'"

Now Jesus tells her something that only He would know, a private bit of knowledge that a stranger wouldn't know about her.

Verse 16: "Jesus said to her, 'Go, call your husband and come back here.' The woman answered and said, 'I do not have a husband.' Jesus said to her, 'You have spoken well in saying, "I do not have a husband"; for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband. This you have spoken truly.' The woman said to Him, 'Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, but you say that the place where it is obligatory to worship is in Jerusalem'" (vs 16-20).

Verse 21: "Jesus said to her, 'Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you shall neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem worship the Father. You do not know what you worship. We know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. [because all the apostles were Jews] But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth; for the Father is indeed seeking those who worship Him in this manner. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and in Truth'" (vs 21-24).

He was giving her quite a bit of information. He was giving her an opportunity to have God's Holy Spirit and to be given the Truth.

Verse 25: "The woman said to Him, 'I know that Messiah is coming, Who is called Christ; when He comes, He will tell us all things.'"

And here He was, sitting right in front of them.

• the Word
• the Way
• the Truth
• the Life

with the Holy Spirit and the opportunity for her!

Then Jesus says something that he didn't tell anyone else. He said it a couple times, but not very often.

Verse 26: "Jesus said to her, 'I Who speak to you am He.'"

He said, 'I am the Messiah, the Christ.' WOW!

She just left her water pot and ran into the city and told them, 'Come, see Who I've seen, this Man. He knows everything about me. Can it be that He's the Christ?'

They all came out from the city to see Him. Meanwhile, the disciples had come back from the city with food, and it stops there.

But see, the Samaritans had been given a really rough way to go by the Jews. They were called 'dogs,' and they were seen as low-life individuals. No Jew would associate with them except for Christ. Christ was about to give them the Gospel and the Truth, which they had not had before.

We are faced with the same situation in the world today! We have individuals that are in bad shape, they have never known the Truth, and their lives reflect that. We are to teach all who come to find the Truth, all who are weary, tired and worn out by the world and the hassle and the confusion that's in it.

• we have that opportunity
• we have that responsibility
• we have that calling

To be a workman and a laborer in this wonderful Plan of God.

There can't be a harvest unless there's a planting, caring for the crop, and tending the crop: Teaching and caring for people, preparing the people for a harvest!  That's what a workman does. That's what a laborer does. We need to take that seriously, dedicate it. There's an urgency to it. They were looking for the Truth, and they were looking for the Messiah.

Here He was right in front of them, both the Truth personified and the Messiah. It's the same today. There are people looking for God and for the Truth in bad situations in this world, because they don't know God the world's falling apart.

• marriages are in trouble
• children aren't being taught about God or how to act
• governments are failing; they're corrupt
• medical situations are dire
• education is falling apart
• the financial situation's bad
• religious leaders aren't leading the people to God in the way of the Truth

Yet, God has given us this calling to be workers and laborers with the Truth, with a way for them to be prepared for the Kingdom of God, the Family of God and eternal life! What a wonderful, wonderful blessing!

Christ wants us to be laborers or workmen of the harvest. He calls us lights to show the way, to lead the lost to the Light of God and His Truth, to give them rivers of living water.

That's what we get to do, to heal and to prepare them for the harvest, which leads them to the family of God and eternal life.

Matthew 5:14: "You are the light of the world."

Verse 16 "…you are to let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works, and may glorify your Father Who is in heaven."

Then begin in that relationship with Him. We get to be that light, that example.

• How are we doing with that?
• How are we doing with being a workman and a laborer in doing this; in leading them to God and to Christ?

We are doing the work of the laborers and workmen found in John 4,

• caring for the weak, the downtrodden, the widows and the fatherless
• learning His Word
• learning to teach and be ready to give an answer for the hope that lies within us.

• you've got to know the Truth
• you've got to study it
• you've got to be able to rightly divide it, showing them life and life more abundantly

It says to pray for the workmen that God would add more and increase the abilities and the skills of those that are there so that we can show others how to live as God would have us live and glorify God in the process:

• to bear one another's burdens
• to love one another

He says, 'As I have loved you.' 1-Thess. 5 says to:

• admonish the idol
• encourage the fainthearted
• help the weak
• be patient with them all

This is what a workman does. This is what a laborer does, to make sure that crop and that harvest is plentiful and worthy of the harvest.

There are others that are laboring as well, other Churches, and we work together with them. He says that we are all one and all showing the light and how to get there.

In Psalm 119:105: "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

It shows the correct way, the Truth and eternal life! We bring people to the right way of living. Workmen of the harvest must be teachable:

• not stubborn
• not headstrong
• not hard-headed
• not hard-boiled
• not obstinate
• not hard to deal with

but

• teachable
• submissive
• yielding
• being able to handle the Word of God properly
• rightly dividing with a sound doctrine, with a sound mind
• ready to give that answer of hope that lies within us

Preparing the people for the harvest and becoming a workman or laborer involves teaching and being taught.

Paul tells Timothy that this time period between the seed going in and the harvest is a time for:

• teaching
• training
• loving
• caring for your neighbor
• doing these things

2-Timothy 2:2—Paul tells Timothy: "And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, these things commit to faithful men, such as will be competent to teach others also."

Verse 6: "Moreover, it is necessary for the husbandman to labor before partaking of the fruits."

2-Timothy 4:1: "I charge you, therefore, in the sight of God, even the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is ready to judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His Kingdom."

Then Paul tells Timothy what to do as a laborer, as a workman!

Verse 2: "Preach the Word! Be urgent in season and out of season; convict, rebuke, encourage, with all patience and doctrine."

The job and responsibility of a workman is preparing the people for the harvest.

John 4—the contrast between the woman at the well who was fired up. This was her first love. She was she had found the Messiah. She found the Truth and she's going back to tell her friends and they hear and they see her enthusiasm and they're coming out. Here are the disciples. They just came back.

• What are they concerned about?
• What are they thinking about?

They were more concerned with the physical food and water and rest. They were thinking that Jesus must be tired and hungry. They didn't see the excitement of the woman and the opportunity to engage the city of Sychar and the people coming out with the Truth about the Kingdom of God.

John 4:31: "But in the meantime, the disciples were urging Him, saying, 'Rabbi, eat.' And He said to them, 'I have meat to eat that you are not aware of.' Then the disciples said to one another, 'Did anyone bring Him something to eat?' Jesus said to them, 'My meat is to do the will of Him Who sent Me, and to finish His work'" (vs 31-34).

His food or my nourishment or my sustenance was the will of God who had sent Him. That's what that was the urgency and the dedication that Jesus had to do the work and to prepare the people, especially the disciples for the harvest and to become laborers.

Jesus' example shows us the way to be a proper workman. When he was younger, He said to His mom and dad, why? Why is it when He was at the temple that they were looking for Him? 'Don't you realize that I must be about My Father's business?'

That was serving God and fulfilling and finishing the mission that God had sent Him on was far more important than the physical. So, we can ask: What drives us? Yes, we need to be refreshed with food, water, clothing and a job!

We need to have some recreation in our lives. But:

• What is our overall goal?
• What really drives us?
• Are we full of the work of God?
• Desire to get that job done?
• Do what we can and help people wherever they are?
• Do we have a sincere heart of a servant, of a laborer and a workman with what He's given us to do?
• Are we passionate about it?
• About accomplishing the mission God has given to us as workmen in His harvest?
• To see others lives change?
• To get excited when we see someone in their first love with the Truth?
• Are we praying, studying, fasting, meditating and being concerned for others and not ourselves?

asking:

• What can I do for you? Not what you can do for me!
• What kind of skills are we asking God to allow us to develop?
• What kind of fruit are we developing?
• How are we doing with that?
• Are we developing the skills of a workman, an effective workman, so that we can help with the harvest of God?
• Are we helping others see the Kingdom of God as well and let that be their goal?

Matthew 6:33: "But as for you, seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

Christ was telling them to be urgent and diligent, be fired up about this.

John 4:35: "Do not say that there are yet four months, and then the harvest comes. I say to you, look around. Lift up your eyes and see the fields, for they are already white to harvest."

There's an urgency here. Here they come. Here comes the townspeople. Lift up your eyes. He's stirring them to action. He's saying, 'Focus on these who are coming out down the road from Sychar. They're hungry for the Truth. Care for them. Prepare them for the Kingdom of God and the harvest.' Prepare a people for the harvest and the Family of God!

2-Corinthians 6:2 has an urgency: "For He says, 'In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.' Behold, now is an acceptable time. Behold, now is a day of salvation."

God is working with each individual on His individual time, His own individual appointed time. He has a purpose for us, to give us good things and not bad. What is the reward of a workman? or A laborer in the harvest? There is a reward. Just seeing people fired up, seeing their lives change is a joy.

John 4:36: "And the one who reaps… [the workman or the laborer who reaps] …receives a reward, and gathers fruit unto eternal life; so that the one who is sowing and the one who is reaping may both rejoice together."

There is a reward in doing the work of God! It is enjoyable to see someone with the first love get excited about the pearl of great price or that they found; the great treasure. And they'll enter into the Family of God. Once they get that, it's exciting to see that.

Daniel 12:1[transcriber's correction] tells us about a reward: "…And at that time your people shall be delivered—everyone who shall be found written in the book."

Our job is to help them be written in the book, help them along that path.

Verse 2: "And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt…. [that's a future harvest] …And they who are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they who turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars forever and ever" (vs 2-3).

Isn't that a great reward for a workman and a laborer? Christ tells us that he'll give us a reward!

Revelation 22.12: "And behold, I am coming quickly; and My reward is with Me, to render to each one according as his work shall be."

And he says in another place, 'I will give you a crown of life'

The preparation and the care of the grain is a joint effort and can be participated as laborer or worker and will work with other people and all will be partakers of its joy. It's a team effort.

John 4:37: "For in this the saying is true, that one sows and another reaps. I sent you to reap that in which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labor" (vs 37-38).

1-Corinthians 3:5: Paul says: "Who then is Paul? And who is Apollos? They are but ministers through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave to each one. I planted and Apollos watered, but God gave the increase" (vs 5-6).

We have to remember that. God gives the increase.

Verse 7: "Therefore, neither is he who plants anything, nor he who waters; for it is God Who gives the increase. Now, he who plants and he who waters are one, but each shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; and you are God's husbandry, even God's building" (vs 7-9).

And he goes on to talk about the foundation being Christ's, and if he builds building and endures, he shall receive a reward.

John 4:39: "Now many of the Samaritans from that city believed on Him because of the word of the woman, who testified, 'He told me everything that I have done.'"

Well, a lot of us have entered in, if you can remember back when you were called and one person maybe told you something and you came in and you believed that person.

Well, it wasn't long after that you began to own the Truth and believe God because you began a relationship with Him. It wasn't that person anymore. It was God! So, many of us came in, in that way. But it shouldn't stay that way.

Verse 40: "Therefore, when the Samaritans came to Him, they asked Him to remain with them; and He remained there two days. And many more believed because of His word; and they said to the woman, 'We no longer believe because of your word, for we have heard Him ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Christ, the Savior of the world'" (vs 40-42).

So, once someone comes in and begins to study and they begin that relationship with God, they learn their commitment should be with God and not with the person. I hope that all of us are that way.

Christ is telling us today that the harvest continues. There is a harvest today. There is a need for sincere workmen and laborers that have a sincere heart, that are dedicated and zealous and motivated to get the Plan of God completed and to fulfill their calling as a worker and a workman and a laborer in the harvest of God to help plant, to help nurture, to care for, to harvest the grain that God has planted and is working with, that God has given the opportunity to develop Holy, righteous character in each one of us and in each one of them, to be co-inheritors in His Family as spirit-begotten sons and daughters of Christ and God the Father.

So we know in the resurrection chapter, , it says:

1-Corinthians 15:57: "But thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (vs 57-58). He wants everyone to be in the Family!

Hebrews 2:10: "Because it was fitting for Him, for Whom all things were created, and by Whom all things exist, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Author of their salvation perfect through sufferings."

Christ is going to present both the laborers of the harvest and the harvest to the Father, and we will see Him face-to-face. Christ will finish it Himself. When He thrusts in His sickle and reaps. "Because it's time for you to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe," (Rev. 14).

So listen, don't give up. It gets weary, it gets tired. Hanging into the work gets tough. But don't give up. I'm going to leave you with one last Scripture:

Galatians 6:9: "Now, we should not lose heart in doing well, because we who do not faint will reap in due time."

We will reap a harvest if we do not give up! So. hang in there and don't give up!

Scriptural References:

• Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, 11
• John 4:35
• Luke 10:2
• Matthew 9:35-38
• Luke 1:15-17
• John 4:5-7, 9-11, 13-26
• Matthew 5:14, 16
• Psalm 119:105
• 2 Timothy 2:2, 6
• 2 Timothy 4:1-2
• John 4:31-34
• Matthew 6:33
• John 4:35
• 2 Corinthians 6:2
• John 4:36
• Daniel 12:1-3
• Revelation 22:12
• John 4:37-38
• 1 Corinthians 3:5-9
• John 4:39-42
• 1 Corinthians 15:57-58
• Hebrews 2:1-
• Galatians 6:9

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Isaiah 61
• John 4:8, 12
• 1 Thessalonians 5
• Revelation 14

SD:bo/po
Transcribed: 11/15/23

Copyright 2023—All rights reserved. Except for brief excerpts for review purposes, no part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means without the written permission of the copyright owner. This includes electronic and mechanical photocopying or recording, as well as the use of information storage and retrieval systems.

(Go To Meeting)

Steve Durham—August 12, 2023

- Video |  - PDF | Audio | [Up]

Today we're going to finish up Psalm 23. This is an amazing Psalm inspired by God and written by David.  We've been going through it now. This is the sixth in the series of that Psalm.

We're at the end of the journey. David has all the way through. He's been meditating and he's writing his thoughts and his desires that he's had. He looks back to where he started as a shepherd, as a young boy. When he's writing this, he's king of Israel.

He's also looking forward to the future about dwelling in the house of the Lord eternally, forever with God and being in the presence of the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ forever, eternally.

That's the same thing that we look forward to.  That is our hope. David contemplates his life the same as we do, and the good care that God has shown him.

It's very important that we remember those and we identify the things that God does for us. It really helps us through life and gives us encouragement and gives us that faith and the encouragement to continue on.

David says that he doesn't want anything, looking back. He doesn't have anything as long as he's with the Good Shepherd. The Shepherd helps him to lie down in green pastures. He's led beside still refreshing water. His soul, mind and spirit is being restored on a regular basis. He's getting back on track every day, being renewed, being led in the paths of righteousness and God's Laws and His ways.

Even though he walked through a lot of trouble and difficulty, God was right beside him and always got him through it. He remembers that. It always brings him to the other end and continues on.

So, these are things that we can look to in our lives. He was comforted by the knowledge that God's rod and His staff was there for him and would protect and care for him, keeping the predators away.

Then he stops and he talks about a table that was prepared. Physically on the table lands of the hillsides where the pastures were for the summer grazing, and also the custom in the land about being a guest in the host's house. So, it has a dual purpose.

But God was preparing a table for David in the presence of his enemies. He had been anointed and given special care and a special future. As sheep in God's pasture, we also would have that same opportunity!

So, in retrospect, he's saying that his cup really overflows with the kindness, goodness and mercy that God gives him as a Good Shepherd. He's lovingly looking forward to his hope of living forever in the presence of God the Father and Jesus Christ in His Kingdom eternally.

So, now that's verse six, but I have to go back to v 5 because last time I didn't finish that and I want to finish that up.

Psalm 23:5: "You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over."

So again, this is twofold. It's a custom talking about custom in the Middle East, and it's also something that the shepherd did to the sheep physically at the end of the day.

The custom: The guest comes to the host's house and the custom was always they would greet them and they would anoint their heads with oil and kind of cool and calm, refreshing.

That was showing courtesy and respect to the guest and giving hospitality, loving their neighbor as God shows us in Matt. 22, loving God and our neighbor.

Another thing they would do is that they would give them immediately give them a cup of water; fresh, clean, cool water. Also, they would wash their feet.

Those are customs that David's talking about, showing respect and courtesy to the to the guest. We went through that in part 5. So, he sees himself at the table of an honored guest in the generous host and his house. He's been invited to dinner as a special guest.

Same thing that happens in our lives. Psa. 23 reflects on us, as well. David's writing as much for us as he did for his time in talking about the sheep.

He invites him to dinner, he anoints him, he pours out abundance, beautiful food, table set with lavish abundance. David says that his cup is filled overflowing, looking back on his life and looking at the situation.

Now, as far as anointing the sheep, this is something that would happen at the end of the day. It was a very compassionate event that the shepherd would do. They spent their entire day wandering and feeding and out in the pasture.

The shepherd brings the sheep back and he cares for all of the needs the sheep from the day's journey. this is a last scene of the day; it's called the 'rodding of the sheep.'

And remember that in John 10:11[transcriber's correction]: "I am the Good Shepherd…."—Christ is the shepherd!

Verse 9: "I am the door…."

It says the shepherd stands turning his body and lets the sheep pass.

Verse 9: "I am the door. If anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and shall find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal and kill and destroy… [we need to know the Shepherd] …I have come so that they may have life, and may have it more abundantly. I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep" (vs 9-11).

So, what he does at the end of the day is the door. He brings the sheep up to him and one by one he turns he turns his body and lets one sheep in turns back. With his rod he holds back the sheep while he inspects them one by one. Then he passes them into the fold.

He has a horn filled with olive oil and a container of cedar tar beside him, and he anoints the head to cool down the sheep. He puts the cedar tar on like a knee bruise or on if the rocks they hit it on the rocks, or they scratched their legs by thorns that they were walking through. He checks them over. He talks to them and he caresses them and rubs their nose and pats their head and talks to them for reassurance.

So, it's a time of one- on-one with the sheep from the shepherd and it just gives them encouragement and reassurance at the end of the day.

It reminds us of 2-Corinthians 1:3 where our Shepherd is a God of comfort: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort. Who comforts us in all our tribulation, in order that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trial…" (vs 3-4).

So, as we learn that and are comforted, we are to give that back to others.

"…through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For to the degree that the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so also our comfort abounds through Christ" (vs 4-5).

He is our Good Shepherd. He's a God of comfort, reassurance and encouragement. At the end of the day, this 'rodding of the sheep' is a personal event. It's a very beautiful event that the shepherd does for the sheep. And God does that for us, too!

He gives us peace and joy when we trust in Him. We trust we hear His voice. We react to that voice of the Shepherd. We remember that He loved us first, and we love Him; our heart and our lives are in Christ! When it is that way, our lives overflow with love and acceptance.

Romans 15:13: "May the God of hope fill you now with all joy and peace... [as you trust in Him] ...in believing that you may abound in hope and in the power of the Holy Spirit."

This is for us today, as well. 'Anointed with oil' is symbolic of the Holy Spirit. The Good Shepherd anoints our head with oil by giving us the Holy Spirit. Remember Acts 2:38:

• we repent
• God draws us
• we realize we need to repent
• we need God
• we commit
• we are baptized

then

• the laying on the hands
• we receive the Holy Spirit

So, that anointing of our heads is symbolic. It's done symbolically, but then we receive the Holy Spirit. It also gives us the fruits of the Spirit:

• love
• joy
• peace
• long suffering
• kindness
• goodness
• faith
• meekness

All those help us grow in grace and in knowledge and enjoy an abundant life, now in this physical life and in the future.

Christ says, 'I've come so that they may have life and have it more abundantly.' That's now and that's eternal life.

David was stopping at the end of the day and Psa. 23:6 here he was looking forward to that time, that hope that he had.

With the Holy Spirit—that power that comes from God—he could stay the course and fight the good fight like Paul says.

Jude 20[transcriber's correction]: "But you, beloved, be building up yourselves on your most Holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, so that you keep yourselves in the love of God..." (vs 20-21).

That's how we do that. As you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life, the end of the journey and forever.

Life can make us sometimes weary and the sheep are weary, too. They've been out there. Some of your were not cut. Some did not need that tar, but they were weary. They were just worn out. That happens to us, too. When it does, he bathes our face in our head with that refreshing olive oil. He takes the large two-handed cup, dips it in the water and gets a brimming full and overflowing from the water, the fresh clear water.

That's provided for the purpose of helping us relax and be calm. When we're weary, we need that. We need that attention. We need that drink of water. Again, that water represents Holy Spirit, as he told the woman at the well

He touches them, he caresses them to encourage, comfort and reassure them that everything is okay. As you know, the Good Shepherd and you hear His voice and you follow Him, He comes to you and takes care of you.

That's really what Psa. 23 is all about. It's our journey through life. It's an excellent Psalm to give us the Plan of God for mankind. When we're weary, Christ tells us that in:

Matthew 11:28: "Come to Me, all you who labor... [we do that totally] ...and are overly burdened, and I will give you rest."

Hebrews 4:9: "There remains, therefore, Sabbath-keeping... [a rest] ...for the people of God." There is a Millennial rest. There is a future rest, which the Sabbath pictures!

Galatians 6:9: "Now, we should not lose heart in doing well..." Sometimes we do, don't we?

• we keep plugging away
• we just get tired
• we get weary
• we get worn out

"...because we who do not faint will reap in due time" (v 9). There's that hope, that future!

In Matthew 11:28: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are overly burdened... [Christ recognizes that] ...and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light" (vs 28-30).

Isaiah 40:31: "But those who wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."

Patiently enduring till Christ comes or we are put in the grave awaiting His return and our change The next moment we will be with God living in the House of God forever. That's what David is reflecting on.

Matt. 24:13: "But the one who endures to the end, that one shall be saved."

You have to hang in there! David was weary at times and he always looked to the Shepherd in His present trouble and in the future. Look to the Shepherd, looking for that place of rest in God's House.

As we walk through our journey—this journey called life or three score and ten, more or less—we look to the Shepherd, as well, to have that comfort.

David wrote a lot of these Psalms, and you can go to the Psalms and get the mind and the heart of David. He was focused on Christ, focused on the future, and walking in the way of righteousness, the paths of righteousness, always not deviating from it.

Psalm 73:23[transcriber's correction]: "Nevertheless, I am always with You; You have held me by my right hand." Now there's a good mental picture for you!

Verse 24: "You shall guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.... [there's the hope of the future] ...Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You I desire none upon earth" (vs 24-25).

His focus was on God. Our focus needs to be on God 100%.

Verse 26: "My flesh and my heart fail... [we're going to wear out; tie in Heb. 9:27} ...but God is the rock of my heart and my portion forever"—David's heart was steadfast! He was after God's own heart!

Verse 28: "And me, it is good for me to draw near to God; I have made the LORD God my refuge, that I may declare all Your works."

That's why he's doing in Psa. 23 for us. Then when the day is done and the sheep are snug and within the fold, look at the contentment and the rest that they have under the starry sky at night. They can sleep well.

We meditate on this. The thought of deep rest and comfort comes to us. Sometimes when we can't sleep, we're where we're thinking about things. Have you ever just tried to ask God for Him to give His beloved sleep to us? He will!

David says, 'My cup runs over.' In reflecting all this, he's just so content and happy and full of joy and peace. He had a close personal relationship with God. He was lacking nothing. David loved God and he wanted to have that Godly relationship increase daily and that closeness  with Him. David lived his life in awe and reverence of God and His Laws.

He shows us that throughout the Psalms, and the same can be for us when we make reading the Psalms a daily routine. We will have that heart as well.

David wants to spend the rest of his time on earth in the future Kingdom of God with his God, his Shepherd. He's focused on that and he's looking forward.

• God supplies his every need, as God does for us
• God is looking out for David's welfare constantly, as God does for us
• David had a very special relationship with God, same with us
  • we have a special calling
  • we are the first fruits

David was king over Israel when he wrote this, and he will be in the future. We will be kings and priests to reign alongside Christ, too!

David was a begotten son of God; he said, 'Don't take Your Spirit from me.' He had have God's Spirit for him to say that!

Psalm 51:9: "Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God... [we have to ask this sometimes] ...and renew a steadfast spirit within me.... [that's restoring my soul] ...Cast me not away from Your presence, and take not Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and let Your free spirit uphold me" (vs 10-12).

God has called us and chosen us to be His guests in a family relationship to sit at the table.

• Where? In His house!
• Where is that table? It's in his house!

We're invited to be at His table as an honored guest He's:

• the Provider
• the Sustainer
• the Creator

He's: comforting and merciful

Christ attends to David's every need, caring and sharing him with personal attention and care. He doesn't want any to perish and once he's begun a good work, he's going to complete it. We're the only thing that you get in the way and we have to focus on God daily and read the Psalms and think about Psa. 23!

So, in the light of these great kindnesses and the goodness of God toward David, he realizes his cup runs over and sometimes we need to stop and think about the things God does for us, and the little things that He does. Sometimes we don't pay attention to or we just take for granted!

Matthew 10:39[transcriber's correction]: "The one who has found his life... [in the physical] ...shall lose it; and the one who has lost his life for My sake shall find it. The one who receives you receives Me, and the one who receives Me receives Him Who sent Me. The one who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive the reward of a prophet; and the one who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive the reward of a righteous man. And if anyone shall in the name of a disciple give to one of these little ones to drink a cup of cold water only, truly I say to you, he shall in no way lose his reward" (vs 39-42).

So, it's a principle. It's a way of giving back. What do we when does that water represent? The hope that lies within us and God gives us that as a Shepherd, and we give that back and it's cyclical it goes round and round.

We want everyone in the Kingdom of God. Eventually we'll have part in that and helping everyone to come to God and come to that Family.

Psalm 23:6: "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life..."

The mercies of God are new every morning; it's a beautiful Scripture!

Lamentations 3:21: "I recall this to my mind; therefore, I have hope. It is by the LORD'S mercies that we are not destroyed, because His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 'The LORD is my portion,' says my soul; 'therefore, I will hope in Him.' The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him" (vs 21-25).

Seeking Him daily! Once God draws us and we seek Him, that's from God; He draws us! Once we come to Him and start to know Him we seek Him daily.

God wants to see that! We're doing how we're got coming along he wants to see where our attention is.

It is good that one should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.

Psalm 23:6: "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever."

"...goodness and mercy..." is depicted as attendance in the Lord's household; think about that! They're personified who accompany David for the rest of his life and then into the future.

Another place I read they refer to them as sheep dogs following the herd that "...shall follow me all the days of my life..." one border collie that move the sheep around and get them to where they needed to go, and the other a large dog that can handle predators.

So, it's kind of interesting that we're personifying goodness and mercy, which of course, are traits and things from God, but it's interesting to think about it that way.

The word for goodness in the original language means that which is pleasing or valuable or useful, and there's a the whole section on goodness, which is another study you can do God's goodness

James 3:17: "But the wisdom from above is first pure... [Greek: 'hagnos': Holy pure] ...then peaceful, gentle, reasonable... [Have you ever talked to somebody that wasn't reasonable?] ...full of mercy and good fruits, impartial... [not a respect of persons] ... and without hypocrisy. Now, the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace" (vs 17-18). Blessed are the peacemakers! The term for mercy is sometimes translated as:

• loyal love
• steadfast love
• unfailing love

Exodus 34:6—talks about mercy: "And the LORD passed by before him and proclaimed, 'The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.'" He's:

• merciful
• has goodness
• truth
• gracious
• long-suffering

Verse 7: "Keeping mercy to the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin..."

The same word goodness is used of God's love as it relates to the faithfulness of His covenant with us. Goodness is used as God's love as He relates to His commitment and His covenant with us He loved us first! He gives us the good things, the tools that we need to make it; to continue to walk that path of righteousness and to make it into the house. That's what He wants; that's His whole point.

The verb translated as follow 'shall follow me all about my life' means to accompany or to go with! It's not to it's not to wildly run after something. Although, David says that his heart and mind was fixed, and he pursued that. But They walk with you, beside you. Remember going through 'the valley of the shadow death' God is beside you all the way through and to the other side.

Psalm 23:6: "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life..."

David was giving human like qualities, an abstract blessing, to the Lord. You might say it this way:

Because You, Lord, are good and valuable, and because you love me so faithfully. I am certain that You will be with me all of my life physically and eternally!

What a wonderful thought that is, and to keep that in our mind: the goodness of God, abundant living now in this life and in the future!

2-Corinthians 9:8: "For God is able to make all grace abound toward you so that in every way you may always have sufficiency in all things... [at all times having all that you need; remember 'I shall not want'] ...and may abound unto every good work."

That's the point! Every good work with this Holy Spirit in you, leading and guiding you.

As believers we can trust that God's overflowing blessings are going to remain with us no matter what difficulties or the trials are, they're always there

Psalm 27:13: "I would have fainted unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall make your heart strong; yea, wait, I say, wait on the LORD" (vs 13-14). Just hang in there; endure!

Psalm 31:19: "Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You... [respect and honor] ...which You have prepared for those who take refuge in You before the sons of men! You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence..." (vs 19-20). You, God, are my hiding place!

Psalm 69:16: "Answer me, O LORD, for Your steadfast love is good; turn unto me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies."

God is the perfect Shepherd he's the perfect Host as David uses those two analogies. As our Shepherd the Lord provides:

• personal care
• guidance
• companionship
• protection
• security

But God's ultimate blessing in this life abundant life is eternal life! That's His ultimate blessing that He pours out, and our cup really runs over!

Matthew 19:29—we're talking about living in the future in God's house: "And everyone who has left houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children..."

Now think about that we walk away—we don't physically walk away or emotionally or whatever—but our attention goes to God the Father and Jesus Christ first, and we love less by comparison our houses our brothers or sisters, father. our family!

"...or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall inherit eternal life" (v 29)—eternal blessings!

To dwell in God's house we have to do what God gives to us to do:

• we have to love God
• we have to love the Truth
• we have to follow Him

Then He gives us the gift of eternal life at the end!

1-John 2:25—this is a theme throughout; this is the whole purpose of Christ coming, our calling and why we were created in the image of God to be part of that theme.

1-John 2:25: "And this is the promise that He has promised us: eternal life."

David knew that. David knew His reward and he wrote about it several times

Psalm 17:15[transcriber's correction]: "As for me, I will behold Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Your likeness." He already had the likeness of God when he awoke!

1-Peter 5:4 tells us what that reward is: "And when the Chief Shepherd is manifested, you shall receive an unfading, eternal crown of glory." He had to hang in there and endure; a Crown of Life.

James 1:12: "Blessed is the man who endures trials... [David sure went through them, and we do, too] ...because after he has been proved he shall receive a Crown of Life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him."

Having God as our Shepherd makes life worthwhile, and blessed. When our journey ends on this earth we look forward to that hope that we'll live in His house. with the Shepherd and our Father forever!

So, David ends Psalm 23:6 with that thought: "...I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever."

John 14:2—Christ says: "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were otherwise, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you."

The Good Shepherd at His Father's house is preparing a place in that house for us!

Verse 3: "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; so that where I am, you may be also."

That's the wedding feast! He's coming back to get His bride; going back to the table the banquet after the wedding and sitting at that banquet on the Sea of Glass at that table, not only then but for the rest of our life in that relationship!

David knew this and he wrote about it he was thinking about it and he gave it to us. dwelling in the house not made with hands, eternally in heaven It will be here on the earth in New Jerusalem in the Father's house, in which there are many mansions, sure dwelling places quiet resting places for His people for all eternity. 'I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.' As a shepherd, David spent many nights lying on his back looking up at the stars. Or sitting on a rock looking at the stars and recalling his future. When he laid there looking up at the starry night he must have thought:

That's going to be my dwelling place forever with God at His house.

Psalm 8—sometimes we go camping and we go out and we have an opportunity to look at the clear sky—if we ever get that out in the country away from the city lights—and we look at the stars and David said:

Psalm 8:3: When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained... [what's the purpose] ...what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You care for him?.... [we are the sheep of his pasture] ...For You have made him a little lower than God and have crowned him with glory and honor. You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; the birds of heaven, the fish of the sea, and all that pass through the paths of the seas. O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth!" (vs 3-9).

• David loved God
• he loved His Law
• he knew man's purpose was to live with God and His Family forever
• he was writing about this
• he knew that living with God forever in His house was the reward of the of the righteous
• he was waiting for that city

He's listed in Heb. 11 with the other patriarchs who are waiting for that city!  God's given us the Holy Spirit and a close relationship with Him to help us be there. Paul talks about David in v 32 sojourned in the land of promise like a foreigner dwelling in tabernacles like the feast of tabernacles moving around with Isaac and Jacob and joint heirs of the same promise.

Hebrews 11:13: "All these died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them from afar, and having been persuaded of them, and having embraced them, and having confessed that they were strangers and sojourners on the earth. For those who say such things make it manifest that they seek their own country, as promised by God" (vs 13-14).

You know we are not we are citizens of this country or whatever country you're in but ultimately we are citizens of the Kingdom of God, that's where our citizenship is; that's where our focus is!

Verse 39: "But these all, though they had received a good report through faith, did not obtain the promise." Not yet!

Verse 10: "For he was waiting for the city with the foundations of which God is the Architect and Builder."

Our houses, the House of God, They are the temple and we go there and we live in Their houses. David knew having the Lord as our Shepherd makes life worthwhile and blessed.

When our journey on this earth ends we will be in His house to live with our Shepherd forever. That's the next thought, that's the next conscious thought more changed boom there we are, He knew living in a righteous life was necessary. Keeping God's Law and loving God are necessary in order to be in God's house forever.

Proverbs 21:20[transcriber's correction]: "Precious treasure and oil are in the home of the wise, but a foolish man devours it. He who follows after righteousness and mercy finds life, righteousness, and honor" (vs 20-21).

Psa. 15—when David wrote this I'm sure he was thinking about this in this relationship of what he needed to do and what he needed to get new to get there:

Psalm 15:1: "LORD, who shall dwell in Your tabernacle? Who shall dwell upon Your Holy hill?" Here's what he needed to do, and he's telling us:

Verse 2: "He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the Truth in his heart"—has a love of the Truth in the inward man! It's a circumcised heart, the Truth in his heart!

Verse 3: "He does not slander with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor"—loving his neighbor!

Loving God with all of your heart, mind and soul and your neighbor as yourself

Verse 4: "In whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he honors those who fear the LORD; he who swears to his own hurt and does not change it."

That's beginning to develop the character of God because God does not change; 'He's the same yesterday, today and forever!

• Are we?
• Is our word rock solid like God?
• Are we thinking, operating, speaking, living and walking and with the Word of God?

Verse 5: "He who has not put out his money at usury, nor has he taken a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved."

That house or city is called New Jerusalem, and it has many mansions. David helped to establish the city! Remember when they conquered the Jebusites? He helped establish Jerusalem, and I'm sure it had a special place for him.

Revelation 21:2: "And I, John, saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice from heaven say, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men; and He shall dwell with them, and they shall be His people; and God Himself shall be with them and be their God'" (vs 2-3). That's what David was looking for!

Verse 4: "And God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall not be anymore death, or sorrow, or crying; neither shall there be any more pain, because the former things have passed away." What a wonderful time!

Verse 5: "And He Who sits on the Throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.'...."

That's the restitution of all things, We have that ministry of restitution, restoring all things!

"...Then He said to me, 'Write, for these words are true and faithful.' And He said to me, 'It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the one who thirsts... [that cup of water; the still waters] ...I will give freely of the fountain of the Water of Life. The one who overcomes shall inherit all things... [tie in Rom. 8:14-17] ...we're inheritors and I will be his God, and he shall be My son'" (vs 5-7)—forever in the House of God

That was David's desire, to sit at the table with God and to live in His house in the House of God forever!

Christ told the disciples that, too! So, this for us is today as well as the disciples, as well as David.

Luke 22:29: "And I appoint to you, as My Father has appointed to Me, a kingdom; so that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and may sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel'" (vs 29-30).

David will be there, as well. I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Revelation 3:11[transcriber's correction]: "Behold, I am coming quickly... [go through read all about the Churches of God] ...hold fast that which you have so that no one may take away your crown. The one who overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall not go out anymore; and I will write upon him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem... [they're going to have those names on us somehow] ...which will come down out of heaven from My God; and I will write upon him My new name (vs 11-12). Look what we're going to have:

• He owns us
• He bought us
• He's going to take care of us
• we are His eternally

Having the Lord as our Shepherd makes this life worthwhile and blessed, and when our journey on this earth ends we will enter into that permanent relationship in heaven and inherit this earth to live with our Shepherd forever.

Revelation 7:17: "Because the Lamb Who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them, and will lead them to fountains of living waters; and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

This continues that relationship! That's why Psa. 23 is so valuable. The greatest blessing is in:

Revelation 3:5 "The one who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments; and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels."

Why? Eternal life! David knew that that was that reward waiting for him; he pressed hard after it!

Psalm 63:8[transcriber's correction]: "My soul follows hard after You; Your right hand upholds me."

He's there to take care of us, so nothing can separate us from His love!

We can use trials to make us more aware of God's love and we can grow rather than become bitter;that's a choice David anticipated that at the end of his life he would be resurrected in God's time—at an appointed time—and enter the house of the Lord and live there forever.

David expressed his conviction in his thoughts and remembered in Psa. 23;  all these things that God's goodness will be with him throughout his life whether its green pasture, and still waters lay ahead, or David was required to walk to a valley—a dark valley—and God was with him. God's goodness would accompany him as long as he walked with God in a righteous Crown of Life and was waiting for him and living in the House of God forever awaited him. Over those years, David always found that:

• God was good
• He was the same
• He never failed
• His love was always there

It was present with him on every step of the journey! We need to understand that, as well. Recognize that we call on that and Paul encouraged in:

Romans 8:35: "What shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? Accordingly, it is written, 'For Your sake we are killed all the day long; we are reckoned as sheep for the slaughter.' But in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him Who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (vs 35-39). We can be assured of that we know that to be true!

Hebrews 13:5: "...for He [Christ] has said, 'In no way will I ever leave you; no—I will never forsake you in any way.'"

• God keeps His word
• He's faithful and true
• He upholds that word

Psa. 23 and the rest of the Bible God's Word is a source of our hope, our peace and our comfort. We can draw great comfort from Psa. 23.

I hope you've followed through this series these six different messages.

Be encouraged in the tough times ahead knowing that the Lord is our Shepherd and that we will live with Him eternally in His house forever!

Scriptural References:

• Psalm 23:5
• John 10:11, 9-11
• 2 Corinthians 1:3
• Romans 15:13
• Jude 20-21
• Matthew 11:28
• Hebrews 4:9
• Galatians 6:9
• Matthew 11:28
• Isaiah 40:31
• Matthew 24:13
• Psalm 73:23-26, 28
• Psalm 51:9-12
• Matthew 10:39-42
• Psalm 23:6
• Lamentations 3:21-26
• Psalm 23:6
• James 3:17-18
• Exodus 34:6-7
• Psalm 23:6
• 2 Corinthians 9:8
• Psalm 27:13-14
• Psalm 31:19-20
• Psalm 69:16
• Matthew 19:29
• 1 John 2:25
• Psalm 17:15
• I Peter 5:4
• James 1:12
• John 14:2-3
• Psalm 8:3-9
• Hebrews 11:13-14, 39, 10
• Proverbs 21:20-21
• Psalm 15:1-5
• Revelation 21:2-7
• Luke 22:29-30
• Revelation 3:11-12
• Revelation 7:17
• Revelation 3:5
• Psalm 63:8
• Romans 8:35-39
• Hebrews 13:5

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Matthew 22
• Acts 2:38
• Hebrews 9:27
• Hebrews 11:32
• Romans 8:14-17

SD:bo
Transcribed: 9/3/23

Copyright 2023—All rights reserved. Except for brief excerpts for review purposes, no part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means without the written permission of the copyright owner. This includes electronic and mechanical photocopying or recording, as well as the use of information storage and retrieval systems.

(Go To Meeting)

Steve Durham—July 29, 2023

- Video |  - PDF | Audio | [Up]

We've been talking about Psalm 23 and we're up to verse five.

Psalm 23:5: "You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over."

This is a break between Christ dealing with the sheep, caring for them—walking the journey through the day—and the water and the place to lay down in the good grass.

Now David comes to a point where the day is starting to end and he is preparing a table. Symbolism of the table being prepared at the end of the day, and he says he does it "…in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over."

Psalm 23:1 begins with: "The LORD is my Shepherd…"

Notice the word my. David pays personal attention to the relationship he has with the Shepherd, with Jesus Christ.

"…I shall not want" (v 1). I lack nothing!

When you have that relationship with Christ there is nothing that you lack. If you enter into it properly and you seek Him, love Him, and do the things He says, and in a good covenant with Him, you lack nothing.

This is the central theme in Psa. 23. David's saying that with God as his Shepherd in life, and he lacks nothing. It's reinforced throughout Psa. 23.

We'll read a couple of Psalms here that have to do with this table setting that he talks about. David says:

Psalm 40:1: "I waited patiently for the LORD, and He inclined unto me and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of a horrible pit… [look at the trouble that David is talking about that he's in] …out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a Rock… [we know that spiritually is Jesus Christ] …and established my steps" (vs 1-2).

When we keep the Law, we establish the Law, and it's a path. It shows us the path to righteousness, as he talks about earlier in Psa. 23.

Verse 3: "And He has put a new song in my mouth… [look at the joy that he has] …even praise to our God; many shall see and fear, and shall trust in the LORD."

This is something that is for everyone, for others as well.

Verse 4: "Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust and does not respect the proud, nor those who turn aside to lies."

So, those folks are not going to be at the table, are they?

Verse 5: "O LORD my God, many things You have done, Your wonderful works and Your thoughts which are toward us… [God takes a personal attention and personal care with us[ …there is none to compare unto You; if I could declare and speak of them, they would be more than can be told. Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened; burnt offering and sin offering You have not required. Then I said, 'Lo, I come; in the Scroll of the Book it is written of me… [David knew quite a bit, didn't he?] …I delight to do Your will, O My God; and Your Law is within My heart'" (vs 4-8).

Revelation 20:11: "Then I saw a Great White Throne and the One Who was sitting on it, from Whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God; and the books were opened…" (vs 11-12).

This is for everyone. This is at the end of time, at the end of the age of man, The Great White Throne Judgment.

"…and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life…. [the first resurrection] …And the dead were judged out of the things written in the book according to their works" (v 12). So, there's two books.

The Book of Life written for those that live now, and David was referring to The Book of Life.

Talking about sacrifices, God didn't want necessarily. They didn't please Him as much as this:

Psalm 51:17: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise."

David knew that to sit at that table, he needed to have:

• a broken spirit
• a broken and a contrite heart
• a humble heart
  • yielding
  • submissive
  • obedient

To God! To establish the Law and establish that position that he had at that table with God!

David acknowledges that God is always with him. God is looking out for his good, and He does it with us.

Romans 8.28: "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God…" Even in the darkest valley:

Psalm 23:4: "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…"

David is looking toward the shepherd to care for him. Even in the most challenging circumstances, '…in the presence of my enemies, You have set a table for me….' So, David had comfort!

He knew that the Shepherd would care for him. At the end of the day, he would sit down with God. That symbolism, again, is sitting at that table in the presence of the trouble that he was in. God had his back; God was going to take care of him. David lacked nothing. He knew that.

God inspired him to write this Psalm. David loves God and wants to have a Godly relationship with God, just as we should do that. As we grow in the love of God, we want to have that relationship, as well.

David lives his life in awe and reverence of God and His Laws. He writes all the way through the Psalms he tells us that, because God is with him, supplying his every need and looking out for his welfare.

Verse 5: "You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies…."

Symbolizing a close relationship with God. God loved us first. We love Him because He loved us first. He has that personal relationship.

This is using, the example of a guest at the table of the Lord. But it also describes an outdoor situation, too. So, it's dual. It shows the customs of the time where you come in and you sit down at a host house and you are the guest.

But it also shows with the sheep sitting at the table. That doesn't leave the outdoor setting. But first, let's talk about the guest situation.

God has called us and he's chosen us to be His Family, hasn't he? We know those Scriptures; we're invited to be at God's table. That's a special invitation that we're given. It's a special chosen elect. And the word to be faithful and to have that invitation from God to come and to sit at that banquet, sit at that table. We're an honored guest of a generous and loving God, or a loving host: Jesus Christ. He's:

• the Provider
• the Sustainer
• the Creator
• the Comforter
• comforting
• merciful
• faithful
• our Shepherd

Christ attends to David's every need; covering and showering him with personal attention and care, just as He does us. And by the way, we are God's sheep!

Psalm 100:3: "…we are His people and the sheep of His pasture."

So He has personal attention and care one-on-one. Just like Christ does with us, He did with David. God loves us so much that He gave His only begotten son, He gives His life for us!

John 10:9: "I am the door. If anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and shall find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life, and may have it more abundantly. I am the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep" (vs 9-11).

He gives personally everything. He wants us to give everything to him, the heart, mind, soul, and our being, everything 100% completely, because that's how he deals with us. Abundant living he wants us to have physically and eternally.

2-Corinthians 9:8: "For God is able to… [bless you abundantly in all things at all times, even in trouble]] …make all grace abound toward you so that in every way you may always have sufficiency in all things, and may abound unto every good work,"

That's the point, you have God's Holy Spirit"

• He leads you
• He cares for you
• He watches over you

He wants you to sit at His table and grow—feed, eat, and grow—and enjoy.

Philippians 1:6: "Being confident of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."

2 Peter 3:9: "The Lord is not delaying the promise of His coming, as some in their own minds reckon delay; rather, He is longsuffering… [patient and merciful] …toward us, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

We do that on a regular basis, don't we, because we're not perfect. We make mistakes. But when we repent and come to God and ask for that blood of Christ to be shed on our behalf and we're justified and the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us, we're back in the good graces. We're back in the scene as Jesus Christ in God the Father's eyes.

We're back at the table again in good stead. Christ is covering and showering David and us and the sheep with all good things, in addition to protecting us.

Psa.17 is a very interesting Psalm. We talk about Psa. 91 being the protection Psalm. Psa. 17 has an awful lot to say about sitting at a table and being surrounded by enemies and being in trouble and difficulties and God having your back and taking care of you.

Psalm 17:1: "Hear the right, O LORD…"—the righteous! Hear those that are trying, that are repenting. David was; He had a heart for God.

"…attend unto my cry; give ear unto my prayer, for it is not from lips of deceit" (v 1).

So, think about this in your case, in your situation, in my situation. We can cry out to God and He'll hear us.

Isaiah 59:2[transcriber's correction]: "But your iniquities have come between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear."

Our sins separate us from God. If we're trying and we're repentant and we're availing ourselves of that atonement, that propitiation, the blood of Christ, then we're seen in good stead. We're not deceitful. We're sincere.

Psalm 17:2: "Let my judgment come forth from Your presence; let Your eyes behold things that are upright. You have tried my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tested me, and You shall find nothing…" (vs 2-3). Now, isn't that wonderful to be able to say?

Romans 8:1: "Consequently, there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus..."

Those who avail themselves of that process and are repentant that have come into covenant with God. There's no condemnation! So you've tested me and you're not going to find anything.

Psalm 17:3: "…I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress. Concerning the works of men, by the words of Your lips, I have kept myself from the paths of the violent…. [he's trying to walk straight] …My steps have held fast to Your paths, my feet have not slipped. I have called upon You, for You will answer me, O God; incline Your ear to me; hear my speech" (vs 3-6).

Then he asks this of God; v 7: "Show Your marvelous loving kindness, O Savior of those seeking refuge in You… [at that table] …by Your right hand… [by your power and your strength] …save them from those who rise up against them"—those enemies that are around about!

Verse 8: "Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me under the shadow of Your wings from the face of the wicked who oppress me—my deadly enemies who encircle me" (vs 8-9)

Now look at the table and you're eating, and you've got hell around you. You've got these people that want to do you harm. David had a lot of that, and we do, too. "…From the face of the wicked who oppress me, my deadly enemies who encircle me."

Verse 10: "They have closed their pitiless hearts… [no pity] …with their mouth they speak proudly. They have now surrounded us in our steps. They have set their eyes to cast us down to the earth…. ]this is an interesting analogy]: …They are like a lion that longs to tear his prey, and like a young lion stalking in secret places" (vs 10-12).

• What motivates them?
• What are they the children of?
• What spirit is influencing them?

Even members in the Church sometimes are not led by the Holy Spirit, but allow Satan to lead them, guide them in doing things and having jealousy, envy, bitterness and anger. Those are not from God! So, when we let go of those things and allow those to happen in us, we're letting go of the Holy Spirit.

We end up being led by Satan, by this lion that longs to tear his prey apart and like young lion stalking in secret places.

Verse 13: "Arise, O LORD, confront him, bring him down; deliver my soul from the wicked by Your sword, from men by Your hand, O LORD, from men of the world whose portion is in this life, and whose belly You fill with Your treasure. They are full of children, and will leave their riches to their babes. As for me, I will behold Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Your likeness" (vs 13-15).

Again, David knew and understood the Plan of God. He was going to be satisfied at the table. The enemies were not going to harm him. He put them in God's hands. He trusted in God. And then the result of that was an eternal blessing.

"…I will be satisfied when I awake with your likeness."

So finally, God is covering and showering him with eternal blessings. And the greatest blessing we can have:

Revelation 3:5—David understood this: "The one who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments; and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels."

The Crown of Life! That is the eternal blessing that we have waiting for us IF we endure and we stick with it.

James 1:12 talks about that: "Blessed is the man who endures trials, because after he has been proved he shall receive a Crown of Life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him."

That's a promise, a Crown of Life IFwe endure the trials and hang in there and stay with it!

Revelation 2:10: the Church at Smyrna: "Do not fear any of the things that you are about to suffer…."

Now this can be written about us as well. There's a lot more suffering coming down the road. So don't fear that, he says.

"…Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that you may be tried; and you shall have tribulation ten days. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you a Crown of Life. The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who overcomes shall not be hurt of the second death" (vs 10-11).

See that environment that we're in at that table, even though the enemies are around us, we have eternal blessings that are there. As long as we:

• feed from the Bread of Life, the food that God gives us
• walk in that righteous way of life
• avail ourselves of that comfort, peace and enjoyment at that table

So the central theme of Psalm 23:1: "The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters" (vs 1-2).

Look at all the care, the personal care and comfort while we're on this, in these pasture lands, the world, and we walk in this way of life, this journey that He's given to us.

Verse 3: "He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me" (vs 3-4).

What a wonderful Psalm this is, Psalm 23! Then in:

Verse 5: "You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies…."

Christ protecting us, caring for us, loving us! There's nothing that we can want in that situation. He's gonna care for us all the time, take care of us always. As long as we stay close to him and we mess up, we go and we repent and we change. We go back to him and ask for his help. His, the blood that he shed on our behalf for the remission of sins.

Philippians 4.19: "But my God will supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

Then Christ talks in on the Sermon of the Mount. Matthew 6:8: "Now then, do not be like them… [He's talking about the evil ones] …for your Father knows what things you have need of before you ask Him."

Verses 31-32 says, 'Don't worry about things; God knows all your needs.'

• don't be anxious, worried and fearful
• don't be anxious about tomorrow
• don't be anxious about your life
• don't be anxious as to what you shall eat or what you shall drink

As long as you're at that table that's been set for us,

Verse 25: "Because of this I say to you, do not be anxious about your life as to what you shall eat and what you shall drink; nor about your body as to what you shall wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?"

Is not life more than food? Life! Eternal Life! The food that we eat is that Bread of Life—Christ—the words that He gives us, that we live by.

Verse 27: "But who among you, by taking careful thought, is able to add one cubit to his stature?"

Not able to do that. Without God, we're nothing.

Verse 31: "Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'With what shall we be clothed?' For the nations seek after all these things…." (vs 31-32).

The world seeks after those things. They're competitive. It's a dog fight.

"…And your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things. But as for you… [here's what we do; here's what He wants us to do]: …seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow; for tomorrow shall take care of the things of itself. Sufficient for the day is the evil of that day" (vs 32-34).

Sit at the table. Don't worry about it. Enjoy! You have a special invitation to be there, and a special calling, which is that of the firstfruits. It's an amazing calling that we have. Christ is our Good Shepherd. He takes care of us. What a wonderful analogy that is.

1 Peter 5:4: "And when the Chief Shepherd is manifested, you shall receive an unfading, eternal crown of glory."

Stay at that table. don't ask to be excused; stay right there! Our eternal blessings from the Shepherd and the Father in heaven, that's what those are. We have a Chief Shepherd that takes care of us. has our back and in the presence of our enemies. He set a table for us, and wants us to come and eat the Bread of Life. That's encouraging! There's nothing more encouraging than really being able to focus on that in good and bad times, even in the presence of those that would hurt us, in and out of the Church!

I know that may sound surprising to some of you, but at all times, not everybody in the Church is being led by the Spirit. Sometimes we get off. At those times, there are problems.

Trusting God to be there, and that we are in His presence always puts us at peace. He said in

John 14:27: "Peace I leave with you... [right after He says the Comforter will come] …My peace I give to you; not as the world gives…" It's a different peace! This is real peace!

1-Peter 5:7: "Casting all your cares upon Him, because He cares for you."

Again, David had a lot of adversaries. Seated at the table, they posed no threat to David. Why? Because he, and we, have guest rights to that table; it's called family rights. We have family rights with God the Father and Jesus Christ.

Rom. 8.13-16—we know these Scriptures, where children of God are inheritors with God and with Christ.

Romans 8:13: "Because if you are living according to the flesh, you shall die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. Now, you have not received a spirit of bondage again unto fear, but you have received the Spirit of sonship…" (vs 13-15).

That's what gives us that invitation to the table.

"…whereby we call out, 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit itself bears witness conjointly with our own spirit, testifying that we are the children of God." (vs 15-16).

And look at this, the spiritual blessing here:

Verse 17: "Now, if we are children, we are also heirs—truly, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ… [we're right there with Christ at that table, we're family] …if indeed we suffer together with Him… [that's going to happen]  so that we may also be glorified together with Him."

He learned obedience through His suffering. That's what God wants us to learn, as well, to be like Christ. He's our example!

It gives us guest rights, first seat at the table, with God, the Father and Jesus Christ. We're the sons of God!

1-John 3:1[transcriber's correction]: "Behold! What glorious love the Father has given to us, that we should be called the children of God! For this very reason, the world does not know us because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are the children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be; but we know that when He is manifested, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him exactly as He is" (vs 1-2)—as long as that seed of begettal is dwelling in us, and we're not practicing sin!

In the Middle East the custom was that if you were the host and you had a guest, you were obligated to safeguard that visitor from all enemies, no matter what the cost. If he was in your house, that was your responsibility.

So, David's thinking about that when he writes this, but he's also thinking about the sheep.

Just a few things, and I won't go through all the customs, but regarding guest and host's responsibility:

As a house guest, we are preparing to serve and dine with the host at the house. So, we go in and he's going to offer a meal, he's going to offer us water, he's going to give us a greeting, and he bows down, and there are several things that they do, we won't go through all of them.

The host would sit the guest down and then prepare the food and set it at the table, making it ready, the food ready for dinner. The host was considered to be a servant, and the guest was the Lord.

In other words, that house was yours, and they would say that. Lot spoke of himself with the guest when they came in (Gen. 19), remember he said, 'Behold now, my Lord, turn in, I pray unto you, into your servant's house.' He saw himself as the servant.

• What was Christ? Christ was the servant, he came to serve, not to be served!
• What are we to be? Christ like!

We are to be servants, as well, that mentality, and you have a guest, love your neighbor, bring them in. He was given a drink of water, one of the first things done for a guest who had been received is to offer him a drink of water.

Look at the analogy of water with the woman at the well, Christ told her that 'if you knew what this water was'; eternal life! She said, 'Where do I get that water?' He was offering her eternal, life, and she was giving him a drink of water.

Doing this is recognizing Him as being worthy of that reception. When Eliezer, Abraham's servant, went with the camels and saw a welcome at the well, he did so by requesting from the maiden who came to the well to draw water said, 'Let me, I pray you, drink a little water from your pitcher.'

She answered him and said, 'Drink, my Lord.' This was an indication that she was welcoming him to be a guest at her house. All that attached to that drink of water, but that was a custom.

What was one of the things that the shepherd does with the sheep, provides refreshing water, clear water to the sheep.

Mark 9.41—Christ says: "For whoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you are Christ's, truly I say to you, he shall in no way lose his reward.'"

In the lands of the East, when a host accepts a man to be his guest, he agrees that whatever the cost, he will defend him from the enemies, whatever they may be.

The second part of this being set at the table is the outdoor setting in the pasture land. There were 'table lands' they called them, or plateaus within the hills.

Go out to Colorado, it's like this. You go up in the Rockies and then there is this plateau, a long green area. This was the 'table land.'

The shepherd set a table in the presence of his enemies. So, there were dangers and obstructions on this table land that the shepherd had to go and check out and take care of to be sure that the area was cleared for the sheep so they wouldn't be harmed.

From time to time, he'd go through the area that he was going to be leading the sheep, and he would clear out the areas, examine the grass, the surrounding area, and find a good and safe feeding place for the sheep so they would be protected. They'd have good food, and they would be protected from the enemies. It took all of his skill and his courage because there were predators out in the area, and he had to be on guard at all times.

1-Samuel 17:34: "David said to Saul, 'Your servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock. And I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb out of its mouth. And when it rose against me, I caught it by the beard, and struck it and killed it'" (vs 34-35).

So, there were predators that had to be cleared out. David was well aware of that around the feeding grounds in the high hills at these table lands. They lived in caves and different, in the rocks and in the bushes. There were wolves, bears and panthers. So, it took courage from the shepherd to go out and clear this out.

There were also snakes in the holes of moles and golfers and in the grass, and the shepherd would clear them out. He would run them out, beat them out of the grass and run them out so they wouldn't bite the sheep.

The table lands were high in the hills and there were those were the summer ranges for the sheep. Not all plants were good, and that's why they had to be cleared out. The bad plants had to be identified. Some of them were—and I was surprised—acorns, azalea, milkweed. You'd think those wouldn't be harmful, but if the sheep ate those, it would harm them. Mountain laurel and red maple leaves also were not good.

Areas that didn't have any grass were seeded. Poisonous plants were removed. Any obstructions, rocks, sticks, brush, trees, weeds uprooted. Everything was prepared.

That table was prepared for the sheep, and then the sheep were brought in. So, he was speaking from personal experience of clearing that area, the hazards and obstructions and the predators. He prepared the table land of his father, for his father's sheep.

God does the same thing for us, we are His sheep, and as we walk through this life there are times that He wants us to rest and sit down at the table.

In general, we're in that setting through life. He clears it of danger. Where is that 'table land' for us? It's the world, isn't it?

John 17:14—Christ said: "I have given them Your words, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You would take them out of the world, but that You would keep them from the evil one" (vs 14-15).

The setting, the 'table land' and keeping the enemies away. That's what He does for us. Christ said that in John 17 in the final prayer that He gave.

John 14:30—Jesus says: "I will not speak with you much longer because the ruler of this world is coming; but he does not have a single thing in Me."

So, even though they're around, they're not going to harm us if we stay close to God.

Verse 31: "Yet, he comes so that the world may know that I love the Father, and that I do exactly as the Father has commanded Me. Arise, let us go out."

That was right before He, in John 15, talked about the vine, headed toward the last moments of His life.

Satan is one of those predators; he is depicted as a roaring lion in:

1-Peter 5:7[transcriber's correction]: "Casting all your cares upon Him, because He cares for you. Be sober! Be vigilant!... [so we have a part] …For your adversary the devil is prowling about as a roaring lion, seeking anyone he may devour" (vs 7-8).

Anyone who get up away from that 'table' our Good Shepherd is able to shut the mouth of Satan so that he doesn't harm us. A good example that I thought about:

Dan. 6—Daniel got thrown into the lion's den by chicanery and it wasn't his fault, he hadn't done anything wrong, but those that were trying to set a trap for him got him and the king had to throw him in the lion's den.

Daniel 6:19: "So the king arose early in the morning… [he was worried about Daniel because he liked Daniel] …and hurried to the lions' den. 20: And when he came near the den, he cried with a grieved voice to Daniel…." (vs 19-20).

"…The king spoke and said to Daniel, 'O Daniel, servant of the living God, is your God Whom you serve continually able to deliver you from the lions?' Then Daniel said to the king, 'O king, live forever. My God has sent His angel, and has shut the lions' mouths, and they have not hurt me because before Him innocency was found in me. And also before you, O king, I have done no harm'" (vs 20-22).

God able to do that, and there's another thing that He did, He sent his angels to him.

Sidebar: In Heb. 1:13; I don't know how many times this has happened to us, maybe you've seen your angel, I have several times, but God uses them and assigns them to us.

We'll look at a couple of Scriptures that says that to help us when it comes time to be protected, and to be watched after and cared for. In addition to Christ:

Hebrews 1:13: "But unto which of the angels did He ever say, 'Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet'? Are they not all ministering spirits, being sent forth to minister to those who are about to inherit salvation?" (vs 13-14).

As we saw earlier, inheritors, that's us! Angels are sent to be ministering spirits for us, and God sends them.

Matthew 8.10—talking about the blessing of the little children: "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that their angels in heaven continually look upon the face of My Father, Who is in heaven."

So, in addition to our Good Shepherd protecting us and caring for us, he sends us an angel. He says our angel from God to protect us and keep us from injury, from dangers and obstacles that we encounter.

• He's got us
• He protects us
• He watches over us

That setting that we are in is at the table, we're not gonna be harmed if we stay in God. stay at the table and stay with Him and love Him. God will protect us, he doesn't want any to perish.

Psalm 34:4: "I sought the LORD, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant; and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the LORD heard, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him and delivers them. O taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him…. [stays at the table] …O fear the LORD, all you saints, for there is nothing lacking to those who fear Him" (vs 4-9),

That fear is reverence, awe and love. Loving God! He loved us first, we love Him back.

Verse 10: "The young lions do lack… [do not have food, they're not going to get the food they want; that's us] …and suffer hunger, but those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.

Now, all these come from David!

Psalm 121:1: "I will lift up my eyes to the hills: from where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved. He Who keeps you will not slumber" (vs 1-3).

Remember what Satan said at the pinnacle? Cast Yourself down, the angel will stop You and won't let You be hurt.

Verse 4: "Behold, He Who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your life. The LORD shall guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore" (vs 4-8).

So in this life as we live it,  we're walking and feeding and living this life in the 'table lands,' sitting at his table in the presence of our enemies,  the Good Shepherd has prepared a resting area for the sheep; Christ assures us that! Peace, 'My peace I leave with you.'

We can have peace knowing that God has prepared our lives around Him, in Him and with Him. We're in His care. It's interesting because the word prepare has the connotation, the meaning of setting something in place. Setting it in array, to furnish. It has the connotation of a battle scene. The battle is set.

David talks about this; he uses the same word in preparing for battle. But prepare a table has the connotation of a battle scene. The enemy is all around us. The table is prepared in the midst of our enemies, in Satan's world; he's the 'god of this world' and he's the 'prince of the power of the air.'

But in God:

• we have a hiding place
• we have a rest
• we have a fortress
• we have protection

Psalm 32:7: "You [God] are my hiding place…"

• the high tower
• the fortress!
• the place to watch the battle from
• a safe place

"…You shall preserve me from trouble. You have encircled me with songs of deliverance. Selah: (v 7).

• Isn't that awesome?
• Isn't that comforting?

• we have to watch out for Satan, the predator
• we have to watch out for ourselves
• we can be our own worst enemy sometimes

We fall back into getting away from the table, back into the world and we're not supposed to do that. With our carnal nature, we have that sin within, that drags us back. But we're to guard the door of our mind!

2-Corinthians 10:3[transcriber's correction] "For although we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh…. [we have to be on guard and know who our enemy is] … For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the overthrowing of strongholds, casting down vain imaginations… [there we are, get them out, guard the door of the mind] … and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God…" (vs 3-5).

• pride
• vanity
• arrogance
• I'm better than you
• I need to be served

All the self that's in us, get rid of that!

"…and bringing into captivity every thought into the obedience of Christ" (v 5).

Every thought, God says, 'My thoughts are not your thoughts,' they're higher than our thoughts!

Verse 6: "And having a readiness to avenge all disobedience, whenever your obedience has been fulfilled. Are you looking at things according to their appearance? If anyone is persuaded in his own mind that he is Christ's, let him reconsider this concerning himself; for exactly as he is Christ's, so also are we Christ's" (vs 6-7).

So, those enemies can be ourselves. Sometimes they can be one another. They can be those within the Church, not necessarily those outside the Church. They're going to persecute us; we're going to know where that comes from.

But isn't it hurtful when it's somebody within the Church that blindsides us, doesn't it? Gal. 5 talks about the works of the flesh and the works of the Spirit; the fruits of the flesh and the fruits of the Spirit.

But Paul also says; Galatians 5:9: "A little leaven leavens the whole lump."

Verse 13: "…serve one another with love. For the whole Law is fulfilled in this commandment: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" But that doesn't always happen!

Verse 15: "But if you bite and devour one another, watch out lest you be consumed by one another. Now this I say… [this is how we stop that] … walk by the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these things are opposed to each other, so that you cannot do those things you wish to do" (vs 15-17).

There's this fight in him (Rom. 7). You're constantly pulled away. And when others aren't being led, and we have problems with one another, we're not supposed to do that.

Verse 18: "But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under works of law"—talking about traditions and what they are!

Verse 22: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control; against such things there is no law. But those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts. If we live by the Spirit, we should also be walking by the Spirit. We should not become vainglorious, provoking one another and envying one another" (vs 22-26).

Those can be predators, dangers or obstacles in our way; stay at the table. We love God and we put the self out. We put out the flesh. We put out carnality at that table. Sometimes the enemy is less obvious.

1-Thessalonians 3:2[transcriber's correction]: "That we may be delivered from perverse and wicked men, for all are not of the faith…. [that's a shock to some people] But the Lord is faithful, Who will establish you and keep you from the evil one…. [you have a job to do in that as well] …Now concerning you, we trust in the Lord that you both practice and will be practicing the things that we command you. You're sitting at the table. Obviously, you're going to be doing that. That's what God and Christ expect.

Verse 5: "And may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the endurance of Christ."

That's a big verse,  a big statement. We're going through the love of God, into the Love series in Bible study. Big subject!

Verse 6: "Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…"

This is a command; this is important! If you know somebody isn't walking with Christ, you know somebody has a different doctrine—even though they're sweet and nice people, and you just like them so much—

"…that you withdraw from every brother…[not from people in the world] …who is walking irresponsibly…" (v 6).

They may be a brother, they may have God's Holy Spirit, but at the time, they're not being led by it!

"…and not according to the ordinance that he received from us" (v 6).

That's a command to keep us at the table, to make sure we're protected from our enemies. At that moment, they are our enemies. They're not walking with Christ, not walking with God! Christ is our workmanship!

Ephesians 2:4: "But God, Who is rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, has made us alive together with Christ…." (vs 4-5).

He has raised us up together and has caused us to sit together in the heavenly places in Jesus Christ.

"…(For you have been saved by grace.)" (v 6).

Verse 8: "…especially is not of your own selves; it is the gift of God"—not of your own works that you don't boast!

Verse 10: "For we are His workmanship, being created in Christ Jesus unto the good works that God ordained beforehand in order that we might walk in them."

We're fellow citizens with the saints of the household of God. We have that invitation at the household of God to come to the table.

Verse 20: "You are being built up on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief Cornerstone in Whom all the building, being conjointly fitted together is increasing into a Holy temple in the Lord; in Whom you also are being built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit" (vs 20-22).

He gives us that Holy Spirit to help us to stay at the table, to help us to grow and to overcome and to change. Sometimes we fail in that and we have to be put back on track. We need one another to do that and God will give us that.

The Holy Spirit pricks our conscience and keeps us on track if we listen to it. We know that the One in us is greater than the world.

1 John 4:1: "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world."

We have occasion where people bring in doctrines that are not on track. We call them false doctrines, but they may not be a lot off; they might sound right, but they're off a little. We have to discern from that what is the Truth.

Verse 2: "By this test you can know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God."

Some of these things are direct, they deny Christ. They go against that.

Verse 3: "And every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not from God. And this is the spirit of antichrist..."

Verse 4: "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them because greater is He Who is in you than the one who is in the world."

We have to remember that God, as he did with Job, God put a hedge around Job. He does that with us as well.

Satan said, 'Take that hedge down, and I can get to him.' So, God let him do that for a while. Sometimes God lets Satan have his way with us for a purpose, to help us to grow and overcome, to be tested, and to stay strong. After the fact; sometimes in the trial we're not doing real well.

If we're in covenant with God, and reverently and repentantly following Him, He may allow certain things to come, certain trials to come, but they're for our benefit. He controls the events.

He has our best interest in mind, and we'll be able to enjoy the table that is set before us in the presence of our enemies. Much better at the end of it. All things work for the good of those who believe in God.

Psalm 9:9: "The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble."

We can go to Him in times of trouble. When these things happen, we know He's there.

Verse 10: "And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, for You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You. Sing praises to the LORD, Who dwells in Zion; declare among the nations His deeds. For He Who avenges blood remembers them; He forgets not the cry of the humble. Have mercy upon me, O LORD; consider my trouble which I suffer from those who hate me, You who lift me up from the gates of death, so that I may declare all Your praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion; I will rejoice in Your salvation" (vs 10-14).

He helps us overcome with the Holy Spirit!

Revelation 3:5: "The one who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments; and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels."

When we're seated at His table, we don't have to fear. Now, maybe a couple things happen, but we're still at the table. We're still under His care as the shepherd.

Rom. 8—I love this section. We need to remember this always as we walk this way and sit at that table land and that plateau with the Shepherd and the other sheep.

Romans 8:35: "What shall separate us from the love of Christ?…."

Nothing, nothing's going to separate us from that. We might, it might be us that does it. We have to be on guard.

"…Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? Accordingly, it is written, 'For Your sake we are killed all the day long; we are reckoned as sheep for the slaughter.' But in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him Who loved us" (vs 35-37).

We win out, we win if we hang in there! Christ will make sure that we make it. We just have to do our part.

Verse 38: "For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (vs 38-39).

So, David said, You prepare a place for me, a table for me in the presence of my enemies; a close relationship with God, the honored guest at the table.

The called sons of God, children of God, sitting at that table with a capable Host, a gracious Host Who:

• attends to our needs
• showers us with:
• personal care
• abundant goodness
• protection from the enemy
• eternal blessings

What a wonderful picture!

David had many adversaries, we do too, and we will have. But in the presence of the Lord seated at His table, they pose no threat because:

• we have guest rights
• we have family rights
• we are the sons of God

He loves us and He personally cares for us! What a wonderful thought, what a wonderful Psalm.

I want to read this. We read this in a lot at the end of messages, but it's a focus that we have at the end of our lives, eternally:

• where we're going to live
• where we're going to be
• what we're going to do
• the relationship we'll have with God the Father and Jesus Christ

Revelation 21:2: "And I, John, saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice from heaven say, 'Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men; and He shall dwell with them, and they shall be His people; and God Himself shall be with them and be their God. And God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall not be anymore death, or sorrow, or crying; neither shall there be any more pain, because the former things have passed away.' And He Who sits on the Throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.' Then He said to me, 'Write, for these words are true and faithful.' And He said to me, 'It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the one who thirsts, I will give freely of the fountain of the Water of Life. The one who overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son'" (vs 2-7).

Scriptural References:

• Psalm 23:5, 1
• Psalm 40:1-8
• Revelation 20:11-12
• Psalm 51:17
• Romans 8:28
• Psalm 23:4-5
• Psalm 100:3
• John 10:9-11
• 2 Corinthians 9:8
• Philippians 1:6
• 2 Peter 3:9
• Psalm 17:1
• Isaiah 59:2
• Psalm 17:2-3
• Romans 8:1
• Psalm 17:4-15
• Revelation 3:5
• James I:12
• Revelation 2:10-11
• Psalm 23:1-5
• Philippians 4:19
• Matthew 6:8, 25, 27 31-34.
• 1 Peter 5:4
• John 14:27
• 1 Peter 5:7
• Romans 8:13-17
• 1 John 3:1-2
• Mark 9:41,
• 1 Samuel 17:34-35
• John 17:14-15
• John 14:30-31
• 1 Peter 5:7-8.
• Daniel 6:19-22
• Hebrews 1:13-14
• Matthew 8:10
• Psalm 34:4-10
• Psalm 121:1-8
• Psalm 32:7
• 2 Corinthians 10:3-7
• Galatians 5:9, 13-18, 22-26
• 2 Thessalonians 3:2-6
• Ephesians 2:4-6, 8, 10, 20-22
• 1 John 4:1-4
• Psalm 9:9-14
• Revelation 3:5
• Romans 8:35-39
• Revelation 21:2-7

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Psalm 91
• Genesis 19
• John 15
• Romans 7

SD:bo/po
Transcribed: 8/30/23

Copyright 2023—All rights reserved. Except for brief excerpts for review purposes, no part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means without the written permission of the copyright owner. This includes electronic and mechanical photocopying or recording, as well as the use of information storage and retrieval systems.

The Doctrine of Laying on of Hands
Steve Durham—July 1, 2023

- Video |  - PDF | Audio | [Up]

I want to talk to you about something that we've been going over in 'Breaking Bread' recently in going through the Love Series. This is something that has been out there for a while, and this is the third time I've gone through it.

I want to encourage you to go through the Love Series transcript book {truthofGod.org} and study it. What we do is take notes as we got through each of the chapters.

It's brought me to this subject today: The Laying on of Hands! I'm seeing it in a different light and there's an overall principle that God is giving us and teaching us through the laying on of hands.

In Heb. 6 we find all the doctrines laid out, and the laying on of hands is a doctrine and teaching of the Church of God.

Hebrews 6:1: "Therefore, advancing beyond the beginning principles of the doctrines of Christ, we should go on to perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith in God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of the resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment" (vs 1-2).

Here we find laying on of hands listed as a doctrine, which are teachings of the Church of God, doctrines of Christ. What is the laying on of hands specifically? It's tells there in Heb. 6, but it doesn't tell us what it is. It doesn't tell us the principles behind, or the thinking of God's mind behind the laying on of hands.

The laying on of hands doctrine, to understand or get a paragraph description, let's go the Appendix M: Beliefs and Doctrines of the New Testament Church in The Holy Bible in Its Original Order, A Faithful Version {afaithfulversion.org}

I think App. M is probably one of the most used helps; a very, very helpful section for all of us. That's why the Faithful Version is valuable Bible.

Appendix M {afaithfulversion.org}:

Beliefs and Doctrines of the New Testament Church
Teachings and Doctrines of Jesus Christ and His Apostles as Revealed in the Holy Bible

XVII: The laying on of hands is a special act performed by ordained elders (with the exception of baptism which can be performed by senior men who have been designated by elders to baptize), in the churches of God while asking God the Father in prayer to confer a spiritual gift or blessing upon someone. The laying on of hands is required for the receiving of God's Holy Spirit following water baptism, for anointing the sick with oil for healing, for ordination of those selected for spiritual or physical service to the Church, for blessing little children, for a special blessing during a marriage ceremony, and for other special blessings.

I hadn't notice  "…and for other special blessings" before, and we're going to go over one of them.

Here are all these needs and things that need to be taken care of by the Church, that we all need and God wants us to go through these doctrines.

• Why did God give us this doctrine of the laying on of hands?
• Have you ever thought about that?

When I was younger I used to say that it looked strange to put hands on someone. Why are they doing that?

The doctrine of laying on of hands is called a special act! God is teaching us something through this. Of course, there are physical things we know we need. Then there is the spiritual lesson for us.

• Could God accomplish this in a different way?
• Could He do it without having the physical touch of the laying on of hands? Yes, it's possible!

For example, in Rev. 7:3-4 He sends an angel out to the 144,000 at the end time to seal them. It doesn't mention the laying on of hands. They have the Holy Spirit given to them.

Anointing the sick for healing. A Centurion goes to Christ and asks for healing for his servant. Christ says, 'Okay, I'll come and heal him.' But the Centurion said, 'No, You don't have to, just say the world.' Christ was amazed at the faith, but in that moment in that same hour he was healed; without the laying on of hands.

So, it is possible to do that. But there's a reason why God gives us this physical interaction, this physical touch, and it conveys a message to us: teaches us something in addition.

This is a physical act that communicates something that has a spiritual counterpart, meaning or a spiritual lesson for us. It's a relationship builder.

Think about that, the laying on of hands is a relationship builder:

• between one another
• between us and God

and is instrumental in the laying on of hands!

I want to talk you about this principle of laying on of hands and touch and conveys to us and teaches us. Touch is essential! We communicate through touch. God our Creator gave us the ability to feel and have receptors in our fingers and hands, and have skin that holds those nerve endings to the five senses: sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. We communicate and receive information, and God through this communicates His love to us, and our love back to Him and also to one another.

It's interesting that the #5 is… Five fingers on each hands. Five is the number of grace and God's love. Then God is communicating His love through touch. He's given us the ability to feel, hurt, pain, emotion, love joy, happiness, and to take in information through the senses and touch.

That's why the laying on of hands is so important. It's a teaching and doctrine. Those nerve endings are located in the skin, which is the largest organ in the body. It wasn't by evolution that this happened, but God has a purpose for that. He also has a purpose for the doctrines that He gives us.

There's much about touch; there are several Scriptures on God's hand in our lives.

Isaiah 41:10: "Do not fear… [fear takes away love] …for I am with you; be not dismayed; for I am your God. I will strengthen you; yea, I will help you; yea, I will uphold you with the right hand of My righteousness." God's right hand!

God's right hand is going to hold us, and He says He'll never forsake us and never leave us. He wants us to know that He loves us. He made us and teaches us through touch. It's essential in human beings.

There are a couple of articles I want to refer you to:

Article: Can Babies Die from a Lack of Touch?{no exact reference found online}

Can people die from a lack of touch? Touch is essential for human survival. Babies who are deprived of touch fail to thrive. They lose weight and even die. Babies and young children who do not get touched also have lower levels of growth hormones.

So lack of touch can actually stunt a child's growth. When we interact with one another, you see people hugging. We

• hug
• shake hands
• pat each other on the back
• hold hands

We communicate through that touch; it communicates:

• acceptance
• belonging
• affection
• family
• love

All are communicated through touch, both physically and spiritually. That's why human touch is so important.

Article: What Lack of Affection Can Do to You ; Aug, 31, 2013 by Kory Floyd Ph.D.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/affectionado/201308/what-lack-affection-can-do-you

If we don't have touch in our lives. They coined a phrase called 'skin hunger'!

Feeling deprived of meaningful human contact can be referred to as skin hunger.

This happens in adults!

People with skin hunger, or who are affection-deprived, are more likely to experience depression and stress, and in general, worse health.

That's why it's so important, as we're scattered, learn to come together, even if it's in a cyber room or online, as we're doing here today.

Come together, send a card, an e-mail, talk on the phone, and get together as often as you can; it very important.

It actually increases and facilitates the level of oxytocin in humans. This is something that increases the feeling of well-being, health and happiness and acceptance, belonging and love. That's what happens when we touch.

It shows us that we're appreciated, accepted and belong. It's very important in a family environment. We are family and we are the spiritual Church, God's Body. These things go together to communicate love to God and back to mankind:

• laying on of hands
• anointing with oil

which imparts the earnest down payment of God's character and His love to us

• prayer

which communicates from us back to Him! Bible study is Him talking to us, but also He communicates to us through touch. Building a relationship with God through prayer and through these things.

Jesus uses touch, and there are occasions where He accomplishes something without touch. But he uses touch for an example; we already talked about the Centurion and Simon's mother-in-law.

Mark 1:40: "And a leper came to Him, beseeching Him and kneeling down to Him, and saying to Him, 'If You will, You have the power to cleanse me.' Then Jesus, being moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, 'I will. Be cleansed. And as soon as He had spoken, the leprosy immediately departed from him, and he was cleansed" (vs 40-42).

Jesus was showing the leper acceptance, compassion and love! Jesus reached out and touched him and healed him. The leper had not seen that in Israel. Leprosy was a disease that people stayed away from. Leper's were segregated and put off to the side. In love, Jesus healed the leper and made him whole.

He was manifesting that love to him thorough touch, the physical act. Of course, He gave him forgiveness, mercy, compassion and all of that. But through that touch, the leper's life was changed.

Here's an example of Jesus healing many with touch and the laying on of hands:

Luke 4:40: "Now, as the sun was going down, all those who had sick persons with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on each one of them and healed them."

They must have been there a long time. The sun was going down and He was healing and healing, laying His hands on them and setting the example of touch and compassion, all the things that we benefit from.

Remember the special blessing that it talked about in Heb. 6. Reassurance is a special blessing. The laying on of hands gives us the blessing of reassurance. He gives us reassurance that if we are in the Father's hands, no one can take us out of His loving care.

Jesus uses the analogy of the sheep and He's the Shepherd:

John 10:27: "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; and no one shall take them out of My hand. My Father, Who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one has the power to seize them from My Father's hand. I and the Father are one" (vs 27-30).

This love and communication, the fact that we're in His hands and we don't have to worry about anything. No one can take us from Him! That's reassurance. A very important blessing!

Another blessing is the blessing of little children. Jesus lays His hands on the little children who come to Him to bless them, to show that He cared for them and they were special, sanctified, and would be protected. It talks about an angel that is before the Father, each one.

Mark 10:13: "Then they brought little children to Him so that He might touch them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. And after seeing it, Jesus was indignant, and said to them, 'Allow the little children to come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the Kingdom of God. Truly I say to you, whoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child shall in no way enter into it.' And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them and blessed them" (vs 13-16).

In Matt. 19 it says that He laid His hands on them and prayed for them. Here prayer and laying on of hands goes together. But He's showing them touch, hugging and holding them, and communicating to the Father that loving them, as well. It's very essential for human love.

Communicating our love through prayer, and communicating back His love through the laying on of hands. What about baptism? Receiving the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands!

Acts 8:14 "Now, when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the Word of God, they sent Peter and John to them; Who, after coming down to Samaria, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit; for as yet it had not fallen upon any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit" (vs 14-17).

So, we see it's very essential and important: the laying on of hands to receive the Holy Spirit! That is our earnest down payment. Acts 2:38 talks about repentance, and we recognize that we need that. God is drawing and calling us. Then we are baptized, go under the water and come up a new person and receive the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands. Then the work begins!

Another special act, one that we probably don't think about. But remember the special blessings that it talks about through touch and the laying on of hands. The example of Christ to the Church, and the subsequent command for us to do this every year, throughout the year: it's foot-washing.

When you add foot-washing or touching the feet and washing them in an attitude of service and humility from one another, the doctrine of laying on of hands has a different perspective that comes to light. Touch is love and gives additional weight to the laying on of hands. We all do that when we touch feet to wash them.

John 13:14: "Therefore, if I, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, you also are duty-bound to wash one another's feet; for I have given you an example, to show that you also should do exactly as I have done to you. Truly, truly I tell you… [here's the lesson] …a servant is not greater than his lord, nor a messenger greater than he who sent him" (vs 14-16).

Remember that it talked about going onto perfection (Heb. 6). Become you therefore perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect (Matt. 5:48)! We are learning from the example of Christ and His touch that we love one another. God loves us and we are to love Him. That's what He wants; He just wants us to love Him!

We're striving to become like Christ Who came to be a servant and to show us an example of service to our fellow man. That's what the doctrine of laying on of hands points us to. The right example!

James 5:13: "Is anyone suffering hardship among you? Let him pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing praise. Is anyone sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him after anointing him… [with the laying on of hands) …with oil in the name of the Lord" (vs 13-14).

He chooses to administer the doctrine of love through a physical representative. That conduit back to Him and to the brethren, from man/woman to God, and from God back to man/woman.

That's what He shows, that He loves us and that we are to love Him as His children, His sons and daughters. This is how He chose to administer that love, and the doctrine of the laying on of hands. That's why Christ talked so much about loving one another. He uses the family metaphor.

All these things that we do is relational, and He uses men through the ministry with these special acts. The physical representation. Those ministers are accountable and responsible to be loving sincerely from the heart, being sincere and loving. Being available without complaint and truly desiring to serve. Giving and being there to pull alongside in times of need and at other times, as well. Being truly compassionate and sympathetic and empathetic, comforting.

Who does the actual laying on of hands? Taking those requests seriously and the responsibility soberly and conscientiously in God.

Paul tells Titus; Titus 2:7: "In all things you yourself set an example of good works; in doctrine uncorrupted, serious-minded, and sincere."

1-Peter 1:22: "Having purified your lives by obedience to the Truth unto unfeigned brotherly love through the Spirit, love one another fervently with a pure heart."

He wants us to know that He loves us and grow in that love for Him and for others. The doctrine of the laying of hands is a vehicle in which He teaches us that, if our eyes and ears are open. He does it through touch, the doctrine of the laying on of hands for us to:

• become perfect
• grow in grace and knowledge

John 13:34: "A new commandment I give to you: that you love one another in the same way that I have loved you, that is how you are to love one another. By this shall everyone know that you are My disciples—if you love one another" (vs 34-35).

Colossians 3:12: "Put on then, as the elect of God, Holy and beloved, deep inner affections, kindness, humility, meekness and long-suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so also you should forgive. And above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which you were called into one body, and be thankful. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And in everything—whatever you do in word or in deed—do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him" (vs 12-17).

The Church has certain needs, and there are special acts that we need to do. God has assigned that to be done through the ministry and one another:

• foot-washing
• the touch
• the hugs
• the shaking hands
• the acceptance showing that we belong

We're all one body! That body is to be fitly joined together.

The doctrine of laying on of hands teaches us God's love.

Jeremiah 31:3: "The LORD has appeared to me from afar, saying, 'Yea, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, with loving kindness I have drawn you.'"

He loved us first, didn't He? We are the children of God, and He wants us to grow in that. He gives us the laying on of hands doctrine to teach us how to do that.

I didn't have the time to go into it a lot, but I wanted to cover that one principle, the overall principle of laying on of hands. I hope you can see it and apply it, and learn to love God more deeply—'agape' love! That we grow together as a Church in love!

Scriptural References:

• Hebrews 6:1-2
• Isaiah 41:10
• Mark 1:40-42
• Luke 4:40
• John 10:27-30
• Mark 10:13-16
• Acts 8:14-17
• John 13:14-16
• James 5:13-14
• Titus 2:7
• 1 Peter 1:22
• John 13: 34-35
• Colossians 13:12-17
• Jeremiah 31:3

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Revelation 7:3-4
• Matthew 19
• Acts 2:38
• Matthew 5:48

Also referenced:

Transcript Book with CDs: The Love Series

Appendix M: Beliefs and Doctrines of the New Testament Church
{afaithfulversion.org}

Articles:

• Can Babies Die from a Lack of Touch?
• What Does Lack of Affection Do to You? https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/affectionado/201308/what-lack-affection-can-do-you

SD:bo
Transcribed: 7/5/23

Copyright 2023—All rights reserved. Except for brief excerpts for review purposes, no part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means without the written permission of the copyright owner. This includes electronic and mechanical photocopying or recording, as well as the use of information storage and retrieval systems.

In the Valley of the Shadow of Death
(Go To Meeting)

Steve Durham—May 20, 2023

- Video |  - PDF | Audio | [Up]

Today we're going to continue our study in Psa. 23. we are at verse 4 and it's a very well known chapter, probably one of the best known chapters in the Bible. The world quotes it a lot. Verse four is probably the one Scripture they remember very well.

Psalm 23:4: "Yea, though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me."

It certainly is a comfort when we know that Jesus Christ is there as our Good Shepherd to take care, watch us, guide us, lead us and comfort us. It's one of the most often quoted verses. It's read at funerals, and in the mind of many people, v 4 pictures death.

But that's not entirely correct. The actual phrase, while it does refer to death somewhat, does not entirely or directly refer to death. Rather the difficulties and the dark situations that all of find ourselves in from time to time as we go through life's journey.

As we walk this path once we've been called we seem to have a little bit more than the world in some areas. But that's all for our training and for our perfection in bringing us to be developing Holy Righteous character, as God wants us to do.

So, the words "…shadow of death…" in Hebrew it's one word—'tsal maw-veth'—meaning the valley of the deepest darkness! There are some trials that we go through that are like this. This is referring to the really deep, dark situations that we find ourselves in. We certainly do have that.

Yesterday I had to make a decision on my time, it's been a very busy week, I was working on this sermon. I got a call from a member in the Muncie area that her husband had been moved from intensive care into hospice, and they aren't giving him much time. I had to make a decision: what do I do with my time?

I went up there, and God always takes care of things. So, I went up there and spent some time with her and the family. But they're going through a valley of deepest darkness!

Others have called this valley 'a valley of deep gloom. If you don't have the hope that we have, it is deep, it is dark, it is gloom! It seems that despair sets in and depression. You look going down the Interstate, or you're going to a mall and you sit and look; people are just plagued with this. They're plagued with this lack of hope. That's what Jesus Christ is going bring to this world, and we are part of that—bringing hope!

Psa. 23 has a lot to do with our walk personally as sons and daughters of God. This is an actual valley in Palestine. It's called the Wadi Qelt. Wadi refers to ravine. The Wadi Musa is the river or ravine of Moses, and in the spring it fills up with water and these Wadies run with water and become rivers or streams.

So, the Wadi Qelt, the Valley of the Shadow of death is an actual place. It leads from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea, quite a long way. It's near Bethlehem on one end, and Jericho on the other end. It's a very narrow and dangerous path and it goes through the mountain ranges, a very rough path with predators. There are shadows in it. The sun at certain points will hit down in to bottom of this valley and there's a shadow that's cast. Predators lurk in the bushes and wait. Robbers and thieves are in there.

This was an actual path that Jesus Christ took on the last week to get to Jerusalem. He came through the shadow of the valley of death. So, Christ when through that, as well. This is a path that Christ took. It's interesting that He walked that before us, as we walk through it, too. He's already been there, so He knows the way.

The shepherds would travel through the hills and valleys of the areas of Palestine on their yearly circular track that they took with the sheep. They would travel there with the sheep from Judea to the hills of Galilee and through canyons, deep and narrow trails. There again, infested with dangers: robbers and predators that lurked there. The shepherd had to be on guard! The sheep trusted that shepherd because he knew his way; so they followed him.

There were many dangers in this area for the sheep; many dangers, but the shepherd was there with them. The Valley of the Shadow of death is not a dead end. It's not a cul-de-sac. It has a beginning and an end, just like our trials do. There's a beginning and an end, and we walk through it. The sheep are not afraid because the shepherd is there. They don't walk through it by themselves. The shepherd goes in front of them, and they follow him as he walks through the Valley of the Shadow of death.

While it doesn't mean death, it doesn't exclude death. That is another deep, dark situation in which we find ourselves. It's appointed all men once to die, then the judgment. So, everyone has a time-stamp on them. We talked about that yesterday in the hospital. She has a lot of hope. Even though we're grieving, we grieve when we lose someone. We as Christians, sons and daughters of God, we know the hope, the light at the end of the tunnel, the light at the end of the Valley of the Shadow of death. It's very bright for us!

Let's start at the beginning of Psalm 23:4: "Yea…" what does that mean? It means yes! What it is, it's a transition between the three verses before and now this darkness, this dark area. The transition from light into the darkness of the Valley of the Shadow of death that they're about to enter.

In the movies you hear, like in the movie Jaws, da da da, the shark is coming. Everything is bright and cheery and then you have this deep music that comes. Well, they're getting ready to go into the shadow of death! Prior to that, in the first three verse of Psa. 23 we had a tranquil and peaceful picture of a shepherd caring for His sheep daily.

Christ is the Good Shepherd caring for the sheep, providing for all their needs. The still crystal waters that the sheep go to, He takes them to cool—not rushing—water, protecting and caring for them. He gives them green grass, not briars and thickets and things that will harm them, and food at the appropriate time. Then they go and lay down, and he restores the sheep physically and emotionally, giving the sheep rest. He rejuvenates and the restores their soul! Just like Christ does for us.

He leads the sheep in the paths of righteousness, safe passage, just like our Shepherd does for us.

In verse 4 David is transitioning the scene to a more sober and serious event. Life's dark times and difficulties. But he's reassuring us that the Good Shepherd is still with us, even in these difficult times as we walk in the Valley of the Shadow of death.

Notice that this verse in the middle of Psa. 23. So, there is light at the end of the tunnel and we're going to come out of that, and we're going to see that. So, it is a thoroughfare that we go through. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

Again, we have these in life, ups and downs, dark and gloomy times. Sometimes we don't understand why. I refer you to the note of encouragement that CBCG sent out: {https://www.cbcg.org/images/books/A-Note-of-Encouragement-Coulter-May-15-2023.pdf}
Read that over and over again when you find yourself entering into a dark time. It can be anything, but that's a very good basic encouragement that we have, that we hope and hang onto.

As we got through it we don't get stuck in it. There is a way out, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. It's a path that we walk through just as the shepherd and the sheep went daily in their journey.

"…though I walk through…"—which indicates moving on, passing through to a more positive and brighter place! To abundant life, and eternal life, and Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life as the Good Shepherd. He leads us through. The eventual end is eternal life in the Kingdom of God! That's what we're shooting for. Knowing that that is there as we go through:

"…the Valley of the Shadow of death…"—

These situations that we find ourselves in are temporary! The grief is temporary. What it does is teaches us. Christ suffered to learn obedience and perfection. We do the same! We become perfect! Through suffering, following the example of Christ as our Good Shepherd. We rely on Christ to get us through. He's been there before!

"…I will fear no evil… [Why?] …for You are with me…"

Let's look at the word evil. What are we not to fear. We can go into a big, long discussion about fear, doubt, worry; those are the tools that Satan uses to drag us down, to bring us back into the darkness.

There is no fear with the Spirit of God, and with the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ. But the word evil is 'rah'—more than just the moral evil that we read about. The things are listed in Gal. 5; it's more than that! It's:

• distress
• despair
• depression
• misery
• calamity
• trouble

In Psa. 23:4 the whole point is that it removes our fear knowing that we have a Good Shepherd that has gone through this before and we will see that He has a rod and staff that comforts us.

We live under the shadow. What do we live under? We don't live under fear! We live under the shadow of the Almighty; He's the protector! Under the wings, the shadow of His wings, and that protection like a mother hen takes her chicks and brings them under her wings.

We're going to read all the way through Psa. 91 because I think understanding that it's the 'protection chapter.' But if we look at in light of 'the shadow of death'; think about it in that respect.

Psalm 91:1: "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."

We're with God when we have that relationship and we're under His care. He casts a shadow on us of protection, care and love, all the things that we need.

Verse 2: "I will say of the LORD, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in Whom I will trust.'"

That's what the sheep do with the shepherd! They trust him, because he's capable and been there before. They have experience with him providing all these things. They know that he's going to take care of them in these dark times.

Verse 3: "Surely He will deliver you from the fowler's trap and from the destroying pestilence."

In the last couple of years we certainly know what that is; what that can do. I think we're going to see some more of it. So, know that God can deliver us.

Verse 4: "He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge…."

At these times, trust in God, go to Him and seek Him out. We should be doing that daily; it's called supplication, with fervent prayer!

"…His Truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid… [that's what it does, it removes fear] …of the terror by night…" (vs 4-5)

In the darkness you can't see what's coming and it causes terror; don't worry about it, don't be fearful, God is right there!

"…nor for the arrow that flies by day…. [you can see that] …nor for the plague that walks in darkness, nor for the destruction laying waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand; it shall not come near you" (vs 5-7). What can man do to you? God is not going to leave you or forsake you! It's not going to come near you.

Verse 8: "Only with your eyes you shall behold and see the recompense of the wicked."

We will also see on the Sea of Glass the vials poured out. He says that revenge is not for you to take, but it's for Him. We're not going to want to see that, but we're going to be glad to be there to see it.

I want to also make a comment about "…it shall not come near you." That is if it's God's will there are things that will happen to us, because God wants that to happen for our character development, to understand the things that Christ went through. So, some of these things will happen to us, but it's for our perfection and development, though we may not understand that at the time. But that is what happens, and we wonder sometimes why!

Verse 9: "Because you have made the LORD, Who is my refuge, even the Most High, your habitation."

In John 17 it talks about we will be one with God the Father and Jesus Christ and they will come and live in us. We will be Their habitation, and They will be our habitation. They will live in us through the Holy Spirit.

Verse 10: "No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling, for He shall give His angels… (vs 10-11). Each one of us has an angel that can handle 186,000 Assyrians; one angel!

"…charge over you to keep you in all your ways. They shall bear you up in their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone" (vs 11-12). That's a reference to the temptation of Christ! What did Satan say to Him?

Verse 13: "You shall tread upon the lion and asp; the young lion and the jackal you shall trample underfoot. 'Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore, I will deliver him; I will set him on high because he has known My name…. [that's the hope that we have; we will be set on high] …He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him …. [the Feast of Unleavened Bread pictures deliverance] …and honor him… [we will be humbly and contritely honored some day for living a righteous life] …With long life… [a lot of us are living longer than three score and ten] …I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation'" (vs 13-16).

• Satan is the accuser
• he is the destroyer
• he wants to take us back into captivity, sin and darkness
• back into the 'Valley of the Shadow of death'
• he wants to make a dead-end for us and not let us get out.

2-Corinthians 4:4: "In whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe…"—the entire world is in darkness!

But one day they will be in the Light, they will see the Light at the end of the 'Valley of the Shadow of death.'

Christ sent Paul to the Gentiles; Acts 26:18: "To open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to Light, and from the authority of Satan to God, so that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified through faith in Me."

That's a wonderful promise! Christ—our Good Shepherd—gave His life so that when we find ourselves in the Valley of the Shadow of death, we have a way out.

Colossians 1:13: "Who has personally rescued us from the power of darkness and has transferred us unto the Kingdom of the Son of His love."

We haven't received the Kingdom (Heb. 11); but God calls things what they will be. In His mind we have, IF we stay the course!

Psalm 103:4: "Who redeems your life from destruction… [out of the Valley of the Shadow of death] …Who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies."

He's a God of comfort and mercy! We go through that so that we can comfort others and be merciful to others. It's the growth of Holy righteous character that we're developing to the measure of the stature of Christ, our Good Shepherd!

The sheep do not have fear, they don't have a concept of death. They're weary of darkness, but not when the shepherd is with them. We only have to trust the Good Shepherd.

Psalm 23:4: "…Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me."

The staff is long pole, maybe 7-8 feet tall with a crook on it at the end. In the Old Testament it talks about the walking stick, crutch or some kind of support. The shepherd is leaning on the staff for support. We can lean on the Staff for support as well; we lean on Christ and put our burdens on Him. He will accept it and make it ease for us.

You've seen guys on road construction, where you have several guys leaning on shovels and one guy is in the ditch digging! Or the farmer who is leaning on the rake. He's kind of catching his breath, wiping his brow and looking for support, something to rest on.

Hebrews 4:9: "There remains, therefore, Sabbath-keeping for the people of God." That eternal life is a Sabbath picture! It's a rest for mankind.

So, the staff is to rescue the sheep from dangerous and difficult situations. He uses the crook to rescue them when they get off the path and slip down the hill into the bushes or on a ledge where they could fall. He reaches down with the crook of staff and pulls the sheep back up to safety with the curled end of the stag. Christ puts us back on the path of righteousness when we get off.

The staff is also a guide, helps guide the sheep along the rocky paths and hillsides making sure they stay on track, just like the Holy Spirit does:

Romans 8:14 "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God."

In the darkness of the Valley of the Shadow of death, God is the Light for us to see and leads and guides us so that we don't stumble and fall.

I remember a time when I was younger and going into the Mammoth Cave done in Kentucky. I could remember that we all walked way down into the cave and it got so dark. But the ranger had a light and we followed him. He should us the path so we didn't stumble.

He told us that he was going to turn the light off and told us to be real quiet and he turned the light off for a few minutes. The darkness was so eerie, it was so solid. You could feel the darkness; it was like a pressure. You couldn't even see your hand in front of your face. Three was a lack of sound that was sort of deafening; it sort of had a sound to it. I can remember the 'sounds of darkness' that Simon and Garfunkle sing about. I always wondered what that was, but if you go into the Mammoth Cave and you will see.

Those are sort of like the times the deepest darkness and the gloom that we run into sometimes in life, when we're faced with certain things. But then he turned the light on and there he was and we could see the path again. That's what Christ does! Christ is the Word and the Truth!

Psalm 119:105: "Your Word is a Lamp to my feet and a Light to my path."

1 Peter 2:9: "But you are a chosen stock, a royal priesthood, a Holy nation, a people for a possession of God… [bought with the blood of Christ] …that you might proclaim His excellent virtues, Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous Light."

We're called out of this world into the Light. Eventually we went out of the Mammoth Cave and into the light, and it took a while for our eyes to adjust. When the Father calls us, He calls us out of darkness into the Light of Jesus Christ our Good Shepherd, and our lives changed! We were given into His loving hands to be cared for, protected and guided by a royal, loving, gentle Good Shepherd.

Psalm 107:14: "He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their bands asunder."

Isa. 61 is the very first thing Christ read in the synagogue when He began His ministry. His purpose at this time they He came on the earth:

Isaiah 61:1: The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me because the LORD has anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor… [the Good News of the Kingdom] …He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound." Isn't that coming out of the darkness, coming out of the Valley of the Shadow of death?

Verse 2: "To preach the acceptable year of the LORD and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn."

All of us need that! From time to time we all mourn! It's one of the things that we do and is part of the human experience.

Verse 3: "To appoint to those who mourn in Zion, giving to them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the mantle of praise for the spirit of heaviness; so that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He might be glorified.'

That's what we are referred to as. We're planted by the riverside, beside the water. God takes care of us and we grow in that.

Luke 1:79—one of the reasons that Christ came: "To shine upon those who are sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death, to direct our feet into the way of peace."

John 14:27: "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you…"

He guides our feet in the way of peace, He is the Light unto our path. David knew that there was a Light at the end of the darkest day.

Psalm 27:1: "The LORD is my Light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?…. [no one; there's nothing man can do to you] …The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" The staff leads us! Thinking back to:

Psalm 23:2: "…He leads me beside the still waters.…"

Verse 3: "…He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake." The staff leads us into peace and restoration!

Verse 3: "He restores my soul…" during dark times in our lives. That's what the staff does.

Development of Holy righteous character is dependent on God's staff to lead us gentle—He doesn't push us—drawing us and leading us, showing us the way we should go. He's the Way, the Truth and the Life!

The rod as we read in Psa. 91 is for protection. We used to hear 'spare the rod and spoil the child' and they used it to justify spanking and beating the kid. Of course, that's not what it's for. It's not what it's used for here. It's a tool of protection and also a symbol of God's love for us. God rod is for our protection, to defend the sheep against predators. The rod makes a weapon. Remember when David said, 'I killed the lion and the bear.' He was thinking of the rod that he had. It makes a weapon against those who would harm the sheep.

God goes before us to defend us from the enemies, Satan and the demons and the things that come at us. Sometimes we get ourselves in the valley of that shadow of death by ourselves. But Christ uses the crook at the end of the staff to pull us out.

The rod was used as a method of counting the sheep, as well. He would touch them on the head as they passed under. God is lovingly acknowledging each one of us as he does that. He count's us as His own and part of His Family when we pass under the rod. It talks about sparrows; we're much more than sparrows. He has every hair of your head counted. He knows you and made you personally:

• He knows you intimately
• He's counting you
• He's watching you
• He's taking care of you with that rod
• we're in His loving hands

The entire Psa. 23 shows that we are in His loving care. Even in the Valley of the Shadow of death, the rod and the staff are in His hands to remind us of that. That He is faithful and pays attention to us. He listens and hears us when we cry. He's:

• always with us
• always protecting us
• always guiding us
• always offering us peace and rest

It's there and we just have to turn and obey, submit and yield. Love Him and build a relationship with Him! All of that is there for us.

This world that's in darkness will know the Light at the end of the tunnel; that Light that will break the bands of the wickedness that holds them in bondage.

The entire world at one time, in the future, will be brought in; all will be His sheep. All will be with Him sometime, probably in the near future. We will be there to assist Him on that ground floor.

Isaiah 9:7: "Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end…"

Verse 2: "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great Light… [this is future when Christ comes and establishes the Kingdom] …they who dwell in the land of the shadow of death… [that's what this world is] …upon them the Light has shined."

What an awesome Psa. 23 is for encouragement, but right in the middle of the Psalm it looks like a downer! But it's not! It's positive! We're going to go through those times, but the Shepherd is there to bring us out of it. He's always with us. When we come out on the other end, we come out better, closer to the character of God.

Psalm 23 is about a shepherd, Christ our Good Shepherd leading the sheep—us—to:

• good water
• rest
• care
• green grass
• comfort
• protection

Caring for every need as a good shepherd would do, and is doing for us, the sheep that He loves!

Occasionally, life will have difficulties. All of us are going through them. We send the prayer requests out, and those are probably not even close to the number of things that are going on. It happens, and we're in the middle of that. Some of them are dark, gloomy and dreary! They seem like life is ending and where is God? He's there with us!

When you're in the cave, you can't see your hand in front of you. But you know that the ranger is over there with the light.

When they do happen, and they will, the Shepherd leads us through the dark places in our lives and into the Light. When we are in Christ's hands and close to Him and His shadow, and we're trusting Him during life's deepest and darkest moments, remember that He is there!

He's always there with us. He's gone through this before and He knows the way. Isa. 53 and Matt. 27 talks about the day that Christ died. Everything went black, dark, from 12-noon until 3pm, He was in the Valley of the Shadow of Death during that time. He's called 'a man of sorrows' in Isa. 53. The man of sorrows Who can lead His sheep through this darkness that He went through. He went through everything for our benefit.

He suffered for us! He's familiar with the dark places in the Valley of the Shadow of Death. But He didn't stay in that! He was resurrected and went before God and came back and then went back to the Father and He's there as High Priest, our Advocate, our Intercessor and Mediator for us. All we have to do is think, pray and it's just a thought away. That's all He is, just a thought away.

He's there to help us to come to the Holy of Holies, to crawl up on our Father's lap and talk to Him! Darkness never gets the last word. He leads us through the valley, and wherever that is in the darkest moment—maybe death, pre-death or situations that seem so bad—we know that Christ has been there already.

He's defeated Satan! He says that 'Satan has nothing in Me.' He led captivity captive, and He did it in our place so we could follow Him. No matter how low w get, remember that He was there before us!

Scriptural References:

• Psalm 23:4
• Psalm 91:1-16
• 2 Corinthians 4:4
• Acts 26:18
• Colossians 1:13
• Psalm 103:4
• Psalm 23:4
• Hebrews 4:9
• Romans 8:14
• Psalm 119:105
• I Peter 2:9
• Psalm 107:14
• Isaiah 61:1-3
• Luke 1:79
• John 14:27
• Psalm 27:1
• Psalm 23:2-3
• Isaiah 9:7, 2

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Galatians 5
• John 17
• Hebrews 11
• Matthew 27
• Isaiah 53

Also referenced:
Note of Encouragement from Fred R. Coulter
{https://www.cbcg.org/images/books/A-Note-of-Encouragement-Coulter-May-15-2023.pdf}

SD:bo
Transcribed: 6/4/23

Copyright 2023—All rights reserved. Except for brief excerpts for review purposes, no part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means without the written permission of the copyright owner. This includes electronic and mechanical photocopying or recording, as well as the use of information storage and retrieval systems.

Preparing for the future; stay in the arena

Steve Durham—March 25, 2023

 - Video |  - PDF | Audio | [Up] 

Greetings from Indianapolis. Very happy to be here. Last week (March 12) we had an elder's conference, and I'll just tell you that it was the best elder's conference we've ever had. It was very good!

What I saw and heard I want to pass on to you. What really stuck with me was an additional opportunity that presented itself to the Church during that conference.

The entire Church, not just the elders, but the entire Church. It was an opportunity for us to continue to move forward and benefit from the labors of those who have come before. What I mean by that is, basically Fred and all the writing, research, speaking, books, booklets, and talents that God has put in Fred.

God has made us all individual, and Fred has some individual talents. Fred has allowed God to use him! He's submitted to that and he's been very willing to use those talents. God has taken that and it's benefited the Church. That's the laborers who have gone before. There's a foundation that has been built and that is built on Christ.

• Col. 2:19 says that Christ is the Head of the Church
• Eph. 2:20 says that He's the Foundation, the Cornerstone

That's what we build on!

Fred had built on that, and now we have literature, this wonderful literature more than any other organization. We have reams of books, CDs, sermons, etc. We're branching out and building on that.

This is an additional opportunity for us to continue to move forward in the Church and benefit from the laborers who have gone before us.

Quote by Benjamin Disraeli:
{https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/benjamin_disraeli_129996}

The secret of success is to be ready when your opportunity comes.

I do believe that this is an opportunity that's coming to all of us. Of course, you have to take advantage and recognized it. You have to have the energy and the desire to go ahead and take it, to take advantage of the opportunity. Missed opportunities go nowhere! They become lost and don't come around again.

I can remember one time in Indianapolis years ago in Worldwide Church of God that there was somebody in the congregation that was sick and they made the announcement that they were in the hospital down the road and were asking for a visit. We left and about Tuesday of that week I can remember driving by the hospital and saw the door and a parking spot and I had about an hour and half before my next meeting, and I just kept driving. I didn't go up, didn't go in. It really bothered me, and as you can see I remember it to this day.

By my not taking that opportunity to go up there, the Spirit was leading me, and Rom. 8 talks about the 'sons of God are led by the Holy Spirit.' It was telling me that there was someone up there that needed to be visited and I didn't do it.

There is the parable of the talents, and we know that a man buried his talent and it was given away to the one who had more.

There are the five foolish virgins; they missed an opportunity big time! They knocked on the door, the door was shut, and they were not allowed to go in. Another one of missed opportunities in God's Word.

God gives us these reminders that we need to grab our opportunity when it comes; to step up, take hold of it, and do what is laid in front of us.

Matthew 7:18: "A good tree cannot produce evil fruit, nor can a corrupt tree produce good fruit. Every tree that is not producing good fruit is cut down and is cast into the fire. Therefore, you shall assuredly know them by their fruits" (vs 18-20).

You have to take hold of a good opportunity and that will bear fruit IF you put it in God's hands and you're led by the Spirit, and it's good works. Works of that Spirit through you, through Christ working in you.

Verse 21: "Not everyone who says to Me 'Lord, Lord' shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but the one who is doing the will of My Father, Who is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy through Your name? And did we not cast out demons through Your name? And did we not perform many works of power through Your name?'" (vs 21-22).

That's happening: people think they're doing these things and they're doing these things and 'we're on board, we're okay because we're doing these things.'

Verse 23: "And then I will confess to them, 'I never knew you. Depart from Me, you who work lawlessness.' Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and practices them…" (vs 23-24)

Takes the opportunity to do what they hear; be a doer of the Word. Do the opportunity that is set before us. Then we'll have the benefit that comes.

"…I will compare him to a wise man, who built his house upon the Rock" (v 24)—Jesus Christ:

• the Cornerstone of the building
• the wise Architect
• the Master Builder
• the Potter

Christ is busy; He says, 'I work and My Father works.' They're not sitting back in a corner somewhere. He's hands on with you and me, and with the Church. He knows what's happening with the Church. That's what makes these opportunities so valuable and important.

I've learned that opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.
—Andy Rooney
{https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/178267-i-ve-learned-that-opportunities-are-never-lost-someone-will}

Doesn't that remind you of the crown being lost, that Christ said in Rev. 3, 'let no one take your crown.'

Every minute we spend worrying about the future and regretting the past is a minute we miss in our appointment with life. A missed opportunity to engage life and to see that each moment gives us a chance to change for the better. Isn't that what we're about? To experience peace and joy?

Christ said, 'My peace I leave with you.' We experience that by:

• being active
• being in the arena
• being in there and doing the things laid before us

We have an opportunity now, another building block to the church.

There were many things that happened in the conference, but this is the one that really stuck out with me, it think it shocked everyone. It showed everyone that we are not sitting still. That Fred is not done, and Jonathan is planning and thinking.

Proverbs 29:18: "Where there is no vision, the people perish..."

It takes thought! God gives some visionaries in the Church, the Body. They look and see, plan and schedule for the future. The fact that there are exciting opportunities for all of us in this, for the future for you and me, the elders and the members. Whether you are widow, a widower, single, married couple, young or old, or an elder, it doesn't matter. We're all sheep!

Psa. 23[transcriber's correction] says that 'we are the sheep of His pasture' and Christ is the Good Shepherd. He also is the Lamb of God, so He was a Sheep and a Shepherd; He understands what we go through. He's planning; He has a plan for us for the future and for each of us individually and for the Church.

Matthew 16:18[transcriber's correction]: "I will build My Church, and the gates of the grave shall not prevail against it."

That's a promise that the Church is always going to be here. Why are we worried sometimes? Fred mentioned in the conference: 'What are you going to do when I'm gone?' He's brought it out and has done it before. It's a subject that he talks about. That shows that he's a wise steward of the possession that God has given him. What's going to happen when he's gone?

God has allowed Fred to produce all these, and through Fred God has given us this library or wealth of accurate Truth. I made a trip to Hollister to pick up everything we have, because I deem it very important. That was very important for me to have that. It should be important for you, too. We should be studying and meditating on it, ingesting it and making it part of our lives; walking in it and doing it.

That's an opportunity for us to have good grass, good feed from the Shepherd, and good water, clear crystal water that we can drink and be refreshed, and grow in grace and knowledge so that we come to the 'fullness of the measure of the stature of Jesus Christ. That's the whole point!

The Church is where we have that fortress, that place out of the storm that we can come to and worship and be fellowshipping with one another.

Fred and Jonathan revealed in the elder's conference telling us about all the elders are going to have an opportunity to speak 30 minutes before the live steam. You're going to hear from all the elders, whoever wants to avail themselves of that opportunity. It's open for all the elders. It's a great opportunity for not only the elders, but for you, too. You get the opportunity to hear from those who labor among you, their experiences and what they know and have gone through. You will benefit from that and you're going to have knowledge that you can put into practice. They're going to continue to grow and continue to get better. They're going to study on their own and grow in that so they can be better speakers, and through God's Holy Spirit be better pastors.

A pastor is someone who cares for the sheep; if they have a small flock they're a pastor. They feed the sheep and give them water, shade, taking care of the burrs and cuts and make sure they walk in the right path, the path of righteousness. They care for the sheep.

A teacher and pastor go together. A teacher is someone who feeds, who knows the Truth well and has studied it and feeds others. God has given us as guides, and you benefit from that.

You are learning to be a teacher, ready to give an answer to the hope that lies within you! That means being ready; that's impromptu. We do something on Go To Meeting that at the end we have discussion, and those questions are answered impromptu. You have to be ready to give an answer.

If you're on there, you get an opportunity to hone your skills, to test, 'iron sharpening iron,' to become sharp in the Word of God. Learning to handle it. Not only the elders, but the individual attendees that are there, the members who are there. And 'all things are decently' and honoring one another; 'decently in order,' not confused. I try to monitor that.

Those are the things that we're going to benefit from, by this opportunity of the elders speaking. We're going to learn several things, we're going to have many, many benefits from all of this. This should be something that's very exciting. It was to me and reminded me of:

2-Timothy 1:6: "For this reason, I admonish you to stir up the gift of God that is in you by the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of sound-mindedness" (vs 6-7).

All of these are things that we will receive and grow in. A sound mind:

• How do you handle the Scriptures?
• How do you understand the Truth?

If you've ever had to give an answer for something and you've never done it before and you hear yourself speak.

Maybe I don't know it as well as I thought, or did I say that!

You find out what you understand, but that through practice we're all going to be teachers someday, everyone of us, all of you out there. You're going to be teachers and guides in the world tomorrow. You're teachers and guides now as people come to you and say, 'You're different, tell me about why you're different.' You get an opportunity to share that with people as God leads you to do that.

But in the future very much so. We're learning to be kings and priests. If we're not involved in these opportunities, if we don't tune in to the live stream—and we have something else going on—you're going to miss out!

You have an opportunity with Go To Meeting, we have seats for 10,000 people. If you want to come on, just send me an e-mail and I'll set you up. You can come on and be part of that, enjoy that and interact. We have Breaking Bread, which is a Bible study. I put out an invitation last time for everyone.

Of course, we want to do things 'decently and in order' so we have policies and procedures to love, respect and honor one another. That's not been a problem with the Church of God. It has been a couple that get a little outside of that, but for the most part we're very loving and caring for one another, and respectful.

These are opportunities, building blocks of the Church. The Church isn't going away. Just because it's appointed for all men once to die, every one of us, we're all going to die. Fred is concerned about what's going to happen because it's up to us, not up to Fred. If Fred is gone, there's no action or thought in the grave where you go. And it's over for our loved ones, too, that have gone. They don't think, don't praise God, it's over. They're awaiting the resurrection! Graduation day will come, but they have finished school.

Fred is very wise in his desire to help us prepare of that. God has giving us the tools and the building blocks. Are we taking advantage of it? That's the point! Are we taking advantage of these opportunities that God gives us?

Verse 8: "Therefore, you should not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner; but jointly suffer with me for the sake of the Gospel… [get in there and work, get in there in the arena and fight] …according to the power of God… [the Holy Spirit leading and guiding] …Who has saved us and called us with a Holy calling…" (vs 8-9)—each and every one of us!

• What are we doing with it?
• Do we get into times when we're down and don't quite do what we should?
• Do we get lethargic and weary?

That's understandable, but fire up that Spirit and get back in it!

"…not according to our works, but according to His own purpose… [tie in Jer. 29:11] and grace… [that we grow in, but we have to avail ourselves of these opportunities to grow] …which was given us in Christ Jesus before the ages of time" (v 9). It's always there!

These new additional developments and opportunities that we have gotten at the conference—and we're going to start seeing on a regular basis on the Sabbath on the live stream—are a source of inspiration and encouragement as we go forward in CBCG.

What's going to happen to CBCG when Fred dies? Nobody is like Fred!That's true! But nobody is like you and me, because God personally puts us together! He gives us personal traits and abilities that is different from others to be used in the development and the growth of His Church now and in the future.

The skills and abilities of Fred is unbelievable what he's left us. Now we move to another time when God is done with that. He's provided all this and it's there and we move to the next…

I'd just like to say that I pray every day that Fred will live. I don't want to see him go, and Fred doesn't want to see himself go. But we all know that's going to happen. So, we have to be visionaries! We have to look and see. Jonathan and Fred are preparing, and we need to be part of that. We need to 'kick it into gear' in our personal lives to be part of the operation to make this happen! To make sure that CBCG doesn't go away!

God will provide the leadership in each of us. He has His Plan, and He's laying it out now. He's letting us see that we can work together. Look at what happened to the New Testament Church. There were 12 apostles who all worked together. Churches were held in homes, ministers went around and Paul set elders in different areas. They worked together!

There were some who came into the leadership roles, but God moved those leadership roles around. They had a conference (Acts 15). They came together to discern what needed to be done. God worked it that way.

They loved one another, worked together. I'm sure they had their personality problems, like any group of humans will have, but with the Holy Spirit being common and one Spirit working together in one Body, it was taken care of. God can do that again!

We just need to be here, pray and ask God, put it in God's hands and ask Him to:

• lead us
• guide us in what we do
• guide Jonathan and each
• guide each and every one of the elders to become leaders
• to support one another
• to esteem others greater than themselves
• to raise others up

When that happens, God blesses our efforts. I've seen that! Raise people up and get out of the way, and God blesses it.

He did it in June 6, 2017 when He inspired Go To Meeting to start. It's been six years now, and God has blessed it. He started live stream and has blessed that! Now He's adding to it, another dimension of bringing all the elders together and allowing them to have an opportunity to speak, and you to get to know them. For you to hear them and benefit from them. And for them to grow in their preparation.

Maybe you will have an elder in the town where you live and didn't know it. Then we get a fellowship group or whatever. There are many blessings from it.

It is a very exciting time that we're running into! There are many other things that we can do. I have some ideas, and we all have ideas and things that God can bless and bring to help grow and widen our effectiveness.

Not in numbers! It's not in numbers, it's in the personal growth. We're the workmanship of Christ. He's the Potter and the wise Architect of the building and House of God and the Church of God, the Church of the Firstborn! He is the One Who is doing it!

These are the building blocks He's given us, but in order for us to benefit from it, we have to take advantage of it; we have to be in the arena, both the speaker and the listener have the opportunity. We increase in the understanding of God's Word and speak the Truth in love (Eph. 4 talks about that).

 'Learn to feed My sheep,' Christ told Peter. This is an opportunity:

• to teach the Word,
• to learn the Word
• to learn how to handle the Word—both listener and elder
• to change our lives
• to overcome
• to grow in grace and knowledge

1-Peter 4:10: " Let each one, according as he has received a gift from God, be using it to serve the others as good stewards of the grace of God, which manifests itself in various ways. If anyone speaks, let it be as the words of God… [not something else; not brambles, briars and thistles that hurt the sheep] …if anyone serves… [we should all be doing that, listener and speaker] …let it be as from the strength which God supplies; so that in everything, God may be glorified… [that's what we search for and hope for] …through Jesus Christ to Whom is the glory and the power into the ages of eternity. Amen" (vs 10-11).

Colossians 3:17—what we should be doing on a daily basis: "And in everything—whatever you do in word or in deed—do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him."

Each of us has been given by God certain gifts to be used to edify the Body. We've seen in Fred wonderful gifts, and when he dies God will have something else for us to learn as a Church. He'll take care of that!

We put our trust in Him! We support whatever He does! That's what we do. We support and esteem others better than ourselves. Get in the arena where the action is. Don't sit back!

There are naysayers and people who want to put down, 'Now what are you going to do when Fred dies?' That's not what is going to be! That's not what God has in mind! It's not going to happen!

1-Cor. 12 tells us that everybody has something to contribute. It's just a matter of being given the opportunity to do so, and right now we have the opportunity!

I want to read something to you; it's been on wall and it's something I love and I internalize it, and I do everything for glory of God. I get out of the way and ask God to help me to do this: The Man in the Arena by Teddy Roosevelt

This could also be called The Christian in the Arena or the individual that takes hold of the opportunity that's laid before them. You're always going to have somebody who says they have something else to do, or they don't want to do it.

You have the grasshopper who plays the fiddle and laughs and cuts up and plays music, always a good joker. But when it gets cold he freezes to death, and hears 'I never knew you.' He doesn't take an opportunity seriously; never jumps in and commits himself.

Now The Man in the Arena, and think about if this is you. If it isn't, maybe it should be you:

Teddy Roosevelt—April 23, 1910: The Man in the Arena
{https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/Learn-About-TR/TR-Encyclopedia/Culture-and-Society/Man-in-the-Arena}

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

We know that we will if we strive, stay in the arena and give it everything we have! We ask God to forgive us for failings and errors, and He does through the blood of Christ, reconciled and redeemed, make justified like Christ.

We stick with it, and stay with it! We hold up the hands of the feeble, but also those who are in the arena. We're in there with them, not in the stands criticizing, but in the arena and making the changes.

We have an opportunities before us; take them! Ask God to lead and guide you in them. Put them in His hands and trust in Him. Ask Him what you can to do physically, and trust in Him for the spiritual outcome! He will do it and it will work!

This was a great and wonderful conference! Think about what's coming, and when you see that 30 minute section, listen and get to know these guys, those that labor among you. Learn and grow from them, and let's internalize and be part of—all of us—be one in the Body of Christ and CBCG

Scriptural References:

• Matthew 7:18-27
• Proverbs 29:18
• Matthew 16:18
• 2 Timothy 1:6-9
• 1 Peter 4:10
• Colossians 3:17

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Colossians 2:19
• Ephesians 2:20
• Romans 8
• Revelation 3
• Psalm 23
• Jeremiah 29:11
• Acts 15
• Ephesians 4
• 1 Corinthians 12

Also referenced: Quotes:

• Benjamin Disraeli:

{https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/benjamin_disraeli_129996}

• Andy Rooney

{https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/178267-i-ve-learned-that-opportunities-are-never-lost-someone-will}

• Teddy Roosevelt—April 23, 1910: The Man in the Arena

{https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/Learn-About-TR/TR-Encyclopedia/Culture-and-Society/Man-in-the-Arena}

SD:bo
Transcribed: 3/29/23

Copyright 2023—All rights reserved. Except for brief excerpts for review purposes, no part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means without the written permission of the copyright owner. This includes electronic and mechanical photocopying or recording, as well as the use of information storage and retrieval systems.