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Well tonight I want to talk a little bit about rightly dividing the scriptures if you'll open your Bibles to 2nd Timothy chapter 2. We'll lay the framework for this important message as we look at commonly misinterpreted passages.
I'm not here to step on any toes. I'm picking these commonly misinterpreted ones because They're just easy picking and it also Makes you see how important context is as we read the Bible. We are reading a book of literature.
It is inspired literature. But it is literature with all kinds of genres and all kinds of syntax and diction all kinds of things. We want to make sure we understand what the author intended. It does no good to read the Bible and not understand what God Wants you to understand through one of the men Who he has chosen to write it and so 2nd Timothy chapter 2 15 will give us a springboard of why it's so important To study properly.
This is not a commonly misinterpreted passage but it will be a passage that will remind us how important it is to rightly divide the word and My goal is basically as a pastor. I want to proclaim the truth.
I also want to model good exposition good hermeneutics good ways to teach it. So you'll say the way I've been taught the Bible. I in fact want to study for myself. Now as I approach any passage, I'll just talk out loud as I study.
I come to the passage and I say 2nd Timothy chapter 2 it is written in context. I just go right into a middle of a verse or to a specific verse and I say to myself Paul was writing to Timothy. It was his last book that he wrote, right?
This was his swan song as he is passing the baton to Timothy and will soon be beheaded. Most likely in Rome. We don't know exactly where but this is Paul's final book and he's passing on Critical information to young Timothy the pastor and so we have to realize that from the start that this is pastoral wisdom.
But certainly it can be applied to the congregation at large and in a very famous verse in verse 15 of chapter 2 in 2nd Timothy it says be diligent to present yourself. So Paul is saying this to Timothy Be diligent Timothy to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed.
Handling accurately the word of truth and that is where we get the slogan for our Wednesday night youth ministry called what? Awana a Workman, let's see. I know the verse but I don't know approved workmen are not ashamed.
That's exactly right. And that's where we get a wanna from 2nd Timothy chapter 2 verse 15. And I notice as I start to dive into this a little bit Paul is telling this young apprentice of his with Intense language that he must not spare one Iota's worth of work and toil and sweat in this Herculean task of rightly dividing the word it takes work.
It takes sweat. It takes toil to interpret the Bible and he says if you take a look at the word Be diligent, I believe the King James translates at how study. Study back in those days means be diligent these days.
It's not talking about study scholastics. It's talking about to be diligent and I love this word to be diligent in Greek and you know. You throw Greek words around. I do it for a couple reasons. Not because I want to try to impress you because there are men now at the church who know more Greek than I do pretty Bob Dunn Scott Goddard, they all know more Greek than I do because.
It's been a long ago since I've taken it. But I like to say it because it reminds me then of the word here's the word spudadzo. Spudadzo, you can say it if you want. It's kind of fun Spudadzo, and he is saying I want you to be diligent to study.
You make every effort. You spare no effort. You do your best you work hard. One lexicon says quote to be especially conscientious in discharging an obligation. To be zealous eager take pains. Make every effort.
And then in the original language He uses an infinitive and an infinitive is a word that has to to in front of it with a verb to to make it all the more emphatic you study your self. Till you're tired you study yourself tired.
And you say it's Timothy you do it and Interestingly doesn't it say here in your text as a workman who does not need to be ashamed by the way. That's passive that means God would be doing the shaming.
You would receive the shame and that shame would come from God because he is the one who has said you study this you preach my word. And there's only one meaning to my word, and if you don't do that there would be shame coming to you.
So much for preaching for popularity a gain. Human approval at the end of our days when we stand before God especially preachers. It's not going to be how big the congregation was. How many converts you had.
How many baptisms? You've had. How many people you sent a seminary. Did you rightly divide the word and who. I certainly wouldn't want to receive shame from God because I was lazy. And then another really neat word it says there who does not need to be ashamed.
Handling accurately the word of truth. How many people here have had knee surgery? Or some kind of hip surgery. Bone surgery. What's the Greek word for bone? What's the Greek word to cut? Here he says I want you to handle accurately the word of truth, and it is literally.
I want you to cut it straight. Ortho Tomutan, I want you to cut it straight when it comes to cutting you cut that thing straight. Correctness. Cutting a straight road through difficult terrain one lexicon said and if you can keep your finger on 2nd Timothy.
Go over to Proverbs 3 6 and we get the exact same idea in the Old Testament. Especially when it's translated into Greek Proverbs chapter 3 with this whole idea of cutting straight. You probably know this proverb if you don't have this memorized and with verse 5 I suggest that's a great place to do it because there are many questions that cannot be answered and we do what this Proverb tells us to do.
Proverbs 3 5 trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not lean on your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your what? Paths straight. Exact same Greek that's used in the Old Testament in the Septuagint to cut a path in the straight.
Direction. Timothy you teach truth correctly. You don't get sidetracked. You don't make a deviation you cut it straight. That's what you want out of your pastors. Commentator Hendrickson said Paul Said to this about this man quote the man who handles the word of truth properly does not change pervert.
Mutilate or distort it. Neither does he use it with the wrong purpose in mind. Endquote. We are to be accurate. We are to be purposeful and we don't want to be like someone else who did something. Oppositely go to Acts chapter 13 if you would and I want to give you the negative side of this cutting straight.
Acts chapter 13 verse 8. I think you'll find this fascinating. I did acts 13 verse 8 and here we have Passage that is in stark opposition To what we've just been told by Paul to Timothy to cut things straight.
If you're a preacher you cut it straight and by implication. You're evangelizing cut it straight. You're a you're a dad cut it straight to the kids. You're a wife cut it straight for yourself and your children or those you teach you want to make this right?
But there's a magician here Alimus or elements, however, you'd like to pronounce him. But he's the magician and he was opposing them seeking to turn the procounsel away from the faith but Saul who was also known as Paul filled with the Holy Spirit fixed his gaze on him and Said you who are full of all deceit and fraud you son of the devil.
You enemy of all righteousness will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord? Same idea except they're in negative Fashion and the preacher must lay down the trail for others to walk down it.
It is like I'm standing here with the big machete in the jungle and I'm hacking my way through the jungle so that you might follow. You might understand properly so for preachers our job is to Get approval from God for teaching proper doctrine to teach the Bible properly.
So God doesn't shame us and we have to do it as we cut the scriptures Carefully and properly. One even said Paul used to be a tent maker. And so when you're gonna cut animal hides. You've got to cut them perfectly right to arrange all the hides to make your tent you cut everything straight.
So I as a pastor want to cut things things straight and want to show you how to do the same thing. And so let's go to the first commonly misinterpreted passage, which is part two. So I guess it's not the most misinterpreted.
No particular order, but let's go to Jeremiah chapter 29 verse 11. How many people love this verse? I Do anytime I say that you have to raise your hand how many people love Deuteronomy 32 11? I mean whatever the verse might be you have to say I love the verse but so often people say this is their life verse.
And God bless them, you know when you ever hear someone say they want to say something negative about someone. You just have to say God bless them ahead of times and it's like Kings X and then you can say anything you want about.
You know old Jim God bless him and then you can just gossip all you want because you've just said that. That's not what we do. Of course not but here people use this and they just don't know. It's the old story where you just jump back into the Old Testament and there's a specific context.
There's a specific Relationship of the verses and most likely to Israel and we could learn we could see something about God and how he deals with people. We can understand it and see how faithful he was to his people.
Yeah, it's hard for us to go back to the Old Testament, especially this verse and say this is my verse. This is my life verse Jeremiah 29 11 for I know the plans that I have for you declares Yahweh the covenant-keeping God plans for welfare.
Not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Is it true that if you're a Christian God has great plans for you to give you hope and a future? Great plans beyond your wildest dreams in heaven. You could not even imagine what it would be like.
Is that true? But I wonder what the context here is. What would you do if you wanted to find the context of Jeremiah 29 11? Read before and read after and it's very very simple. You do not have to know Greek or Hebrew or anything else.
You can just read and so let's turn to Jeremiah 29 1 and find out about these words to the exiled Jewish community by the way an exiled Jewish community for how many years were they going to be exiled?
70 who exiled him. Ultimately God did. Why did he do it? Lost his temper got real mad. They sinned and God corrects them and God is the one who's done it. Yet God is still faithful because he has promised you can go back to Abraham a covenant if you'd like and He has plans for them after they have been chastened properly.
Verse 1 of chapter 29. By the way, this section maybe contains the first letter in all the Bible. Now these are the words of the letter which Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the rest of the elders of the exile.
The priests the prophets and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. There were human instruments. Who caused the exile but God is the one sovereign over all of course?
This was after King Jeconiah and Queen mother the court officials the princes of Judah and Jerusalem the craftsmen and the Smiths had departed from Jerusalem and so there were some surviving elders there and here now in verse 3 the letter hat was sent by the hand of Elasa the son of Chafin and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon saying By the way before we get into it if you want to get a big crowd.
You preach that you're gonna get a lot of money a lot of fame a lot of fortune the health wealth gospel. You will have lots of people following you and that same thing was happening back. Then people were in exile.
God told him is gonna be seven years 70 years and other prophets were coming up saying no God's gonna let you out. God loves you. God's gonna. You know cancel this out. All kinds of false. Hope all kinds of nullification of these disciplinary Chastising effects of God and it says in verse 4 thus says the Lord of hosts.
What's that word Lord there? It's all caps so it's Yahweh and of hosts this great God of the armies the God of Israel to all the exiles. Whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. I'm the one who's done that.
He's the ultimate cause there may be secondary causes, but he's the ultimate one. God has done that and Judah. Your role is one thing submission. To what I do in chastisement by the way if you chase in your children if you use corporal punishment.
And your kids don't just go lay on the bed and take it you need to rearrange the way you discipline your children because you're losing. Everything that you're trying to teach them eventually you should end up teaching your kids when it's time for discipline.
You go get on the bed, and I will come in when I am good and ready, and I've thought about it properly. I will come in and I'll discipline you then and that kid should just be laying down on that bed.
None of this you know the kids six years old and too big and you got to put one leg over their legs and another leg. Over here, and you're around all some kind of thing like that, and you can't even use the rod properly.
It should be you go lay down on the bed when daddy comes in we'll take care of it. I'm not mad at you. I love you, but you have disobeyed daddy and your job is submission. People go. Well, how many swats does a kid get kids in our family get swats until you just finally go okay?
Uncle just my soul relax and just accept it and so you've got 70 years of exile. God's the one doing it and he did it because he wants them to recognize what they've done. Wrongly repent of it and then receive the justice of God's chastening hand and just submit.
You didn't know it's gonna be a parenting seminar tonight. Did John spanking. Now when they're really little sometimes you have to hold them down. Right because they just their their minds can't do that.
When they're older three four five six and on up they should just be able to lay there verse five if you were the prophet and You knew they were supposed to be there for 70 years. What would you tell them to do?
And this is what basically the Jews have done throughout the centuries whether it's in the Bible days or days like now. You know what they do. Here's what they do verse 5. Build houses and live in them.
Plant gardens eat their produce. Take wives of course from your own people. Become the fathers of sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands that they may bear sons and daughters.
Multiply there and do not decrease. Just live a regular life. That's kind of weird advice, isn't it? Very strange. Verse 7 seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile. That's no fair.
That's almost like praying for Nero and his salvation in New Testament times. Seek the welfare of these people and pray to the Lord on its behalf for in its welfare. You will have welfare. You're gonna be there 70 years.
Is that city prospers? You will too. You almost don't want to do that because they have they have gotten you and to put you into exile. You almost want to be Jonah like and say when it comes to Nineveh.
I hope those people get it. They deserve judgment, but they're gonna be people telling you the opposite verse 8 for thus says the Lord of hosts the God of Israel. Translation listen to me don't listen to these other people.
Do not let your prophets who are in your midst and your diviners deceive you and do not listen to the dreams. Which they dream for they prophesy falsely to you in my name. I have not sent them. Declares the Lord they're trying to tell you 70 years.
You don't have to stay in that long. It's just a quick little hop skip and a jump and you're out. I'm saying at 70 years and it's me the Lord of hosts the God of Israel and don't trust those false prophets.
I have not commissioned them. I have not sent them. For thus says the Lord verse 10 when 70 years had been completed for Babylon, I will visit you. Boy, if you could have a king visit you a lord visit you and fulfill my good word to you.
To bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you you exiles there who've been there 70 years when it's up I've got plans for you. Plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope literally to give you an end and a hope hope in a future and.
Of course, you'll respond then you'll call on me and come and pray to me and I'll listen to you. You'll seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart. I will be found by you declares the Lord and I will restore your fortunes.
And we'll gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you declares Lord. And I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile. So as we see this has nothing to do with New Testament Church and you could say well I'm out in the middle of Massachusetts and I feel like I'm in exile and the last seven years have seemed like 70 years To me and you could try to get there all the different ways you wanted to.
But this is not intended for you. How about this for a Bible quote a biblical truth true or false? All the Bible is for you, but not all the Bible is to you. True or false? Every verse in the Bible is for you.
Is it profitable and good inspired it can correct it can rebuke. It can train you in righteousness every word, right? Even verses about girls and you're a guy. Even verses about kings and you're a serf whatever it might be.
It's all for you. But is it all directly written to you? We know better than that because there are pastoral epistles. There are other things true or false. We can learn from every verse of the Bible how God relates to his people.
Are some truth like that? That's exactly right. So if you have Jeremiah 29 11 as your your life verse. Maybe you're Jewish or maybe you've been in exile. Maybe you can trace your lineage back all the way.
I don't know, but I would rather have you have something like Romans 828. Let's go there for a minute. And if you don't know about Romans 828, I think you do but It's the same kind of thing God can take the exile of his people for 70 years and turn it into good because God is a great God and all-powerful.
But something like this I think would be a better New Testament verse as these verses were written to churches. From Romans to Jude we have letters to churches and we are now Still a church. I Love something like this, and I don't know if you've thought about Romans 828 in much detail by the way.
It is so was it hot this morning, too. It's like 76 degrees and I just saw a bunch of people sleeping and nodding off and it's the weirdest thing when you preach. And you watch somebody go like this. It is just the most fascinating thing you think I Try not to be boring.
I think it's a sin to make the Bible boring when you preach. I try to be enthusiastic and still it's the oh. So I remember one time this is a good story for Steve Cooley's Commendation. Steve Cooley, I think was coming to Candidate or no, I think it was before that you were just coming out.
We'll hang out together and you were so tired. He had to work nine shifts in a row and seminary and everything and so Steve was gonna fall asleep. So we went to the back of the sanctuary here. I know you probably couldn't shouldn't call the sanctuary.
This is not a stage. What is it Steve? No, that's the narthex, this is the chancel. But anyway, he was in this room here this auditorium. And he just went to the back and stood up because he knew if he sat there he was gonna fall asleep.
And so he wanted to stay awake while God's Word was being preached. He also wanted me to hire him in a few years. So he knew better than that. But he actually could just just stand up move around get something to drink if you want to walk out and go get something.
I'd rather have you walk out go get a Sanka and come back and stay awake than just doze off but this morning it was 76 when the service ended. So somebody could be remind Themselves and even on Sunday morning come in and turn that thing down to about 62 or 65.
Because when we add 200 hot bodies. Then it goes up. And so now I think it's probably the same and I Don't really care if you listen to me, but when I preach the word I do want you to listen because there's no sense falling asleep.
Romans 8 28. Certainly in the context of a Paul writing to the church at Rome the the magna his magnum opus on salvation. You know chapter 8 is all about security. You know about this verse even what comes before it with the word and but to jump in right here and we know That God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God when you stop there.
Now when I looked at the word all things I've got a variety of different categories. My first category is good things. God's nature his power his wisdom his goodness the word prayer angels saints the local church.
He can cause because of who he is how all these things work together for good. But he can also cause bad things to work together for good. Can't he? Suffering Satan demons struggling with sin. Even sin itself God can do whatever he wants.
And it's tied right into verse 29 for whom he foreknew means whom he foreloved. He also predestined to become conformed to the image of his son no matter what happens in your life God has saved you and he will make you one day perfectly.
Like his son no matter what happens that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Whom he predestined he also called these he justified whom he justified these he also glorified. So if you love Jeremiah 29 11.
Fine, it's okay, but it remember it just doesn't apply directly to you. And how do you remember that just go ahead and go back up to verse 1 of chapter 29 and just read and you'll easily See that as to the exiled Jews in Babylon questions.
Okay, let's go to one of the most popular ones especially on campus and especially in the news media. Matthew 7 1 judge. Not so that you may not be judged. Don't judge. Don't judge Matthew chapter 7 since it'll be three years before we get there in the Sermon on the Mount series.
I thought I would do it tonight. Who knows? By the way next Sunday night. We'll have elder question and answer. We've were given one question last elder question and answer and We didn't answer it and so we want to answer that one and if you give us a question we've given one question rather if you have a Question we'll take those and we will try to answer everything that you've given us and we are sorry We didn't answer that one last time and then in two weeks We'll have Steve's questions and answers that will be for his ordination.
Someone has said it's Mother's Day that Sunday and with Robert Raymond coming and with my family going on sabbatical with me. That's the only day we could really do it. We've already got some other quiz quizzers coming.
It's not like I'm gonna want a leader though the Bible quizzers some other pastors coming and that's just locked in there. So take your wives out for a nice meal cook her dinner or take her out the day before or something.
But we'd love to have you come back and see Steve Cooley grilled. And put on the hot seat. Steve has told me he's hoping you all go out on a Mother's Day Binge and never come back that night. Anyway, sorry.
It's Mother's Day. I Don't know what to do with all these Hallmark holidays. I just can't kind of get around them and make it up to the next day. I don't know. We usually don't go out on Mother's Day because it's so crowded anyway and Sundays for the pastor.
It's just crazy. And so That'll be two Sundays from now. Judge not lest you be judged. How many people have used have had that used on them a lot of people. You're so judgmental judge not lest you be judged.
I mean it is just quick drama graw from these unbelievers. That's just the first thing they do. They know just a little bit of the Bible and they think they know oh, you can't judge anyone true or false.
Jesus here is prohibiting every single type of judgment ever to be made on anyone by Anyone else of course not. If you can keep up with me quickly I'm gonna give you a few verses where there are obviously judgments taught where you should judge.
And so you want to have a Bible drill if you have how many people have ever done Bible drill? Stash you can look them up. Okay, here we go. John 724. John 724. Let me just show you some if you don't want to keep up I'll just go ahead and read them and you can just hear them from the pulpit.
But if you'd like to look them up, that'll be great. Several examples of judgment. So at least we can say to ourself Jesus is not somehow Contradicting himself. John 724. It says do not judge according to appearance but judge with righteous judgment.
And that amazing Matthew 7 judge not lest you be judged. John 7 judge with proper judgment. First Corinthians chapter 5 it's certainly not Jesus writing it, but the Spirit of Christ the Holy Spirit is Authorizing.
Paul has app the apostolic messenger to write this. It's the same author first Corinthians chapter 5 verse 5. Here's some case where we would need judgment. Paul said I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh.
So that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. If Jesus said you can never judge what is Paul the Apostle doing judging these immoral people in the church? Galatians chapter 1 Verse 8 we know this passage very well.
Galatians chapter 1 verse 8. I'd love to teach Galatians sometime, but I Don't know when we'll ever do that. It is my goal to teach every book of the Bible if I live long enough and according to deathclock .com I've got eight hundred and seventy seven million seconds to go so we'll just see what I do.
All the kids had to do that today every single one. Haley Luke Maddy and Gracie type in the information on deck deathclock .com figure out how many seconds they had left and As Solomon would say your life is like a what a puff just air.
It's a good thing to teach your kids by the way sometimes so the Abendross we like to go to. I've told you this before. But I'll tell you again. We like to go to cemeteries for kind of a little Abendroth field trip and off we go to cemeteries older ones newer ones and We have a little game.
And if you can find a Bible verse on the tombstone you get one point. Whoever gets the most points by the end of the little outing you get a pack of M &Ms. It's pretty good. You work. Oh, you'll work pretty hard for M &Ms it doesn't have to be big, but just anything to work for and You don't even have to share them with your brothers and sisters afterwards and just look for Bible verses.
And you see things on tombstones the death angels. They're gone now. They've got something real pretty and sweet and nice. But you just walk through there, and you think I am a walking dead person as Richard Baxter said I'm like a dead man preaching to dead men.
I would rather have the Lord come back soon and just be done with it all but there is a day that we have to Stand before God. How I got on to that I don't know. So what you do and if you're preaching and that happens.
You just say we'll look down at chapter 1 of Galatians verse 8 see judgment here. But even if we are an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel. Contrary to what we have preached to you. He is to be damned accursed.
Well, how would you know that if you can't judge this guy preaches a this guy preaches B. But we're just sitting here going can't judge. Frozen and paralyzed not being able to judge. Of course you judge things when I preach tonight.
I hope you say that was biblical. He was a little off base here. The death clock thing proves his insanity, but that other verse thing over there. I hope you make the judgments. I hope you turn on the TV and say well when you turn on the TV.
I don't hope you turn it on, but if you do turn on the TV. God bless you. If you turn it on that you're saying that's right, that's wrong. This is incorrect. You go to the Internet. Yes, here's what the Bible says you're always making judgments.
Let's just look at two more quick ones in the Bible. Philippians chapter 3 verse 2 there are many judgments in the Bible. We're just having a little cursory discussion of where we're supposed to judge.
And then we'll figure out what kind of judgment is improper with all of the false teachers out there. We could look at 22. I believe of the 27 New Testament books contain Invectives for false teachers.
Somebody's teaching the wrong thing. How would we know and in this particular case Paul is warning these people? He's warning the Philippians about these particular people. Beware of the dogs and these weren't nice little Jack Russell terriers.
Nice little wire hair dachshunds. Nothing like that. What kind of dog do you have again. Blackstone? Beagles. It's not with those beagles with that kind of funny scent that they have. These were those dogs.
That were bad, and they were vicious. Beware of the evil workers. Beware of the false circumcision. We have to exercise judgment, and I know Sunday night crowd congregation you all know that and. Then lastly this look at first John chapter 4.
And I'm just trying to rivet it into your brain that we have to use judgment all the time. So the next question must be what kind of judgment aren't are we not supposed to have? We could have looked up first Thessalonians chapter 5.
Examine everything carefully, but here we'll look at first John chapter 4 verse 1. Beloved. Here's John saying to his dear people do not believe every spirit. But test the spirits to see whether they are from God.
Let me translate it this way. But do not believe every spirit, but judge the spirits to see whether they're biblical or not. That's what he's trying to say because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
There's one truth, and there are many false prophets judge now. Let's go back to Matthew and figure out what kind of judgment must this be and we will soon find out that Jesus does not want his disciples to be judgmental and censorious.
He wants them Certainly not to be blind, but he wants them to be generous. This is the whole context to be generous. Do not judge so that you will not be judged. And then there's some theological justification verse 2 for in the way you judge He's assuming that they will you will be judged.
If you judge self-righteously, you're gonna have that kind of judgment back on you and by your standard of measure. It will be measured to you. Now many scholars would think this has got a proverbial saying to it that this was a saying.
That was just out there, and Jesus uses it here whether it was a proverb or not. He does say these words by your standard of measure. It will be measured to you, and he is really after Generosity when it comes to being a disciple of Christ.
He gives an example verse 3. Why do you look at the car phos that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the dakas that is in your own eye. Car phos. Sawdust speck of sawdust. Dakas some kind of plank or log and here's this hyperbole.
Why are you looking at this speck of sawdust in someone else's eye when you've got the log or plank in your own eye? That would be something called Hypocrisy. You wouldn't want to do that that is almost shades of David with The little sheep the little you that Nathan confronts him about it's just not right.
Verse four. Or how can you say to your brother your brother? Let me take the speck out of your eye and behold the log is in your own eye. You hypocrite. First take the log out of your own eye. And then you clearly see to judge and to measure and to take out the speck out of your brother's eye.
He wants people to be generous his followers to be generous because left to ourself we might not be. He says, but you can't be undiscerning about this verse 6. Do not give what is holy to dogs. Do not throw your pearls before swine.
Or they'll trample them under their feet and turn and tear you into pieces. So Jesus is the only judgment judge of souls true. I say it all the time I'm ministering to someone and I'll say based on my own observation and based on your own testimony.
I Don't think you could call yourself a Christian and if it was up to me debate to judge what you've said and done. By my own analysis what the Bible says Christians say and do and what you say and do I?
Wouldn't lay your head down on the pillow tonight thinking that if you die you're going to heaven. But I am NOT the judge of the universe and I can't judge your eternal soul. Would that be a good way to say it?
That's the way I try to say it and that's the way I would want you to say it. It's okay to say you live like that and you call yourself a Christian. You could easily say from first Corinthians chapter 5.
No immoral person can will inherit the kingdom of God. Chapter 6. You can't be that kind of person as a lifestyle inherit the kingdom of God. You're not a Christian. But then I always make sure I tell people Jesus is the one who judges and he judges righteously and holy and I'm not the one who will judge.
You pronounce that judgment upon you and then have the authority to have the Angelic beings cast you in the lake of fire. That's Jesus's role and prerogative. So I think that's a good way to do it. But certainly as a church if one of us is stuck in sin we go to them.
We're judging. But we want to go to them in such a way. Galatians 6 would say that we go in a way that is Gentle in a way that we know we could easily fall into that sin. I thought Pradeep did a good job last week and this week reminding us as a church that the church From Pentecost days and even Israel from back in Abraham's days and throughout the ages is full of weak people who will certainly sin and fall short of the glory of God and we need To love them.
Anyway, this is a hospital for sick people. The elders aren't perfect. The deacons aren't perfect. I'm not perfect and we just love one another in spite of not because of true. We love in spite of not because of okay questions about the whole judgment issue.
I'm going too fast here tonight. Yes, Bruce. That's the word he uses for judgment in Matthew 7 1. Yes well there would be a different word for condemnation and a different word for judgment and There may be times where Jesus would use judge for under condemnation.
I'm not sure that would be a good thing that you could study and then present to your home group and then tell me the answer that you get. But for sure that I know there too we've got a word for condemnation.
We've got a word for judgment. How many different applications the word Krino or cry no has. I don't know. Good. Okay, I'll just go ahead and Wesley do you have a question. Okay, let's go to John chapter 8 verse 32.
You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. How many people have ever heard that? Have you heard it properly? Tell me I'm gonna give you a speech and you tell me Whenever you remember who said it you can shout it out loud, but I'll still finish the part of the speech I'll be discussing today one of the most controversial issues confronting our nation.
I am using as a subject from which to preach why I am opposed to the war in Vietnam. Now, let me make it clear in the beginning that I see this war as an unjust evil and futile war. I will preach to you today on the war in Vietnam because my conscience leaves me with no other choice.
The time has come for America to hear the truth about this tragic war. In international conflicts, the truth is hard to come by because most nations are deceived about themselves. Rationalizations and the incessant search for scapegoats are the psychological cataracts that blind us to our sins.
But the day has passed for superficial patriotism. He who lives with untruth lives in spiritual slavery. Freedom is still the bonus we receive for knowing the truth. You shall know the truth said Jesus and the truth shall set you free.
Any guesses? Martin Luther King, Jr. Now he didn't mention something about sin, but I remember I used to get a paper Matter of fact, it was a Catholic newspaper. It was sent to me the pastor here at the church when I first got here and the Caption underneath the newspaper that would give different events and the Catholic perspective on the news kind of like the Christian Science Monitor and other Things I can't remember what it was called.
I wish I would remember and it said underneath the name of the newspaper the truth shall you shall know the truth and the truth Shall set you free and finally I couldn't take it anymore. So I just wrote to them and I said you're using as a capstone verse Week in and week out about your newspaper that you are teaching the right thing.
You are truthful in your newspaper reporting when the whole time you've ignored what this context what the context is in John chapter 8. And it has to do with what? Well, let's find out John chapter 8 verse 32 but to find out what's in 32.
Surely we must have to go backwards a little and we could go back a little or to up to chapter 8. We can go back to John chapter 1, but let's just jump in at John chapter 8 verse 28 and talk a little bit about the context and this amazing dialogue between Jesus and Some false teachers the other day.
I thought when I'm done with the Sermon on the Mount I'll probably just keep going and then going to Matthew 8 9 10 and keep going and then after that I want to go to John. I've been captivated by John.
It's one of the most amazing accounts of Christ. So when Jesus said so Jesus said when you lift up the Son of Man same words in John 3 14 by the way about The serpent was lifted up back in numbers. And that he would be lifted up.
Then you will know that I am he and I do nothing of my own initiative. But I speak these things as the father taught me a go a me three times I am to a verse 24 verse 28 verse 58 and He who sent me is with me.
Four times in this chapter God sent me verse 16. God sent me verse 18. God sent me verse 26. God sent me verse 29. And he has not left me alone for I always do the things that are pleasing to him. Who else in the history of mankind could ever say that he just pleased the father that was his purpose.
And he spoke these things and as he spoke these things many came to believe in him so Jesus was saying to the Jews who had believed in him if you continue in my word, then you're truly disciples of mine and You shall know the truth and the truth will make you free.
Sometimes if you read before the passage it'll help you figure it out. But here we're gonna have to read before and we're gonna have to read after and he will explain himself. If you don't know what to do when you study a Bible passage One of the things you can do is keep what keep reading so we'll do that.
They answered him We are Abraham's descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone. Then we just talk about a 70-year exile. Then we talk about down in Egypt. We've never been enslaved to anyone.
We are so great. We are so wonderful. You think we could be enslaved. It's amazing, how is it you say you will become free like most unbelief instead of digesting the truth of Christ and Realizing that we have a need and in love Jesus says this to them.
They immediately twist it around and begin to attack again rationalize defend themselves. John 834. Jesus answered them truly truly I say to you. Here's the context. Everyone who commits sin is The slave of sin.
Matter of fact, that's a part of simple. It's just present tense. It's ongoing. It's continual. It's durative everyone who sins. Everyone who sins just keeps on sinning. They're a slave to sin. It's a habit, you know, just kind of fall into it.
You're stuck verse 35. The slave does not remain in the house forever. The son remains forever and here he's going to be talking about Spiritual slavery in bondage to slavery. So if the son makes you free from spiritual slavery sin, you'll be free indeed.
I Know that you're Abraham descendants yet. You seek to kill me because my word has no place in you. I know that you claim father Abraham and many sons many sons had father father Abraham. I'm one of them and Jesus neither are you?
He said I know that. And I speak the things verse 38 which I've seen with my father therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father like father like son. They answered and said him Abraham's our father and Jesus said if you're Abraham's children do the deeds of Abraham.
We're not illegitimate. They're saying you are look at this verse 40. But as it is you're seeking to kill me. Jesus said a man who has told you the truth. Which I heard from God this Abraham did not do.
You're doing the deeds of your father they said to him. We were not born of fornication. We have one father God. You're illegitimate. They knew there was some kind of mystery about this whole virgin birth deal and they didn't like it.
And so they said you know what Mary wasn't even married and so you are born without a father you. You're ready are a bastard. That's exactly what they called You we have a father and he's Abraham and you are illegitimate to Jesus.
Jesus said to them if God were your father you would love me. For I proceeded forth and have come forth from come from God for I have not even come on my own initiative. But he there it is again sent me.
If you love God, you'll love the one at whom he sent. You do not understand what I'm saying it is because you cannot hear my word verse 43. You are of the father the devil how you like that? And they clapped him and said great oratory Jesus and you want to do the desires of your father?
He the devil was a murderer from the beginning back in the garden and did not stand in the truth because there's no truth in Him there's no truth in you either. Whenever he speaks a lie. He speaks from his own nature.
He is a lather a liar and the father of lies and you are just like the father and you are a liar and you're Giving more lies out now. So when people say we have to tell people the truth and we have to have truth in Advertising and we have to have truth in newspapers and we have to have truth because of the war.
I'm all for truth, but John 8 32 has to do with the truth about God and his son forgiving sinners. Because he was a sacrifice and then raised from the dead has to do with spiritual slavery nothing else.
Okay. In the old days when I would sit and listen I would think I have to prepare a message and I have to get up and preach for 35 or 40 minutes. How will I ever fill the time? There's no way I could get up there and preach for 40 minutes 45 minutes.
I don't have enough time and now I I have 36 pages and I'm on page 17 and in case I didn't finish tonight. And I had ran out of time after the 36 pages I brought another 20 pages just stuck in the back of my Bible in case because I'd hate to get up here and not have anything to say to you last one John chapter 1.
John chapter 1. We'll go quickly. I wanted to get to 2nd Peter 3 about God's not slow about his promises some kind of slowness. But we'll have to do that another time. John chapter 1 again, we have this great book John 7.
I am trying to proclaim that Jesus is the Christ. He's God. True or false. John chapter 1 starts off with the genealogy. What kind of genealogy? The divine genealogy. So in a sense, I think there's a genealogy in John 1 1 but it's not the human side.
Here, it's about his intimate relationship with God and certainly not generation in a way that we would think of but just kind of a trick question. How many people have heard this verse when it comes to evangelism and I'm all for it.
Do I like this verse? I love this verse as many as received him to them. He gave the right to become children of God earlier in the verses just before it. There are people that don't receive him. There are people who were Jews and say no to Jesus, etc, etc.
Even to those who believe in his name. Can you say to people you need to believe in his name and he can make you his child? I don't think there's anything wrong with that you might say receive him and this is Almost the human side of salvation the response of a human unto God and what must 13 be?
Well, I don't think you should ever read verse 12 without reading verse 13. And why is that? There's something at the very end of verse 12 and just a little kind of marking and that markings called the what?
It's a whole verse verse 12, but it's not a whole sentence. So why would you ever quote somebody a half sentence the people that come to me and quote half sentences? I usually go those are the false teachers of the world because they're not trying to give me the whole goods.
They're just quoting a little bit of the Bible here. Let's give people at least a whole the whole verse. It is true that humans have to believe they must receive it is true that Jesus gives the right of people to be children of God, I think King James is sons of God, but better translated children.
Yes to those who believe in his name and all of his attributes. But from the divine side of salvation verse 13 is given. There's no explanation how verse 12 goes with verse 13. We have nothing except a comma there's a divine comma there put in by the translators, but The comma is still there.
Intellectually and logically because verse 12 we've got. Here's how men do it. Here's how they respond to the grace of God in verse 13. Here's the divine accounting side. Here's what God does. Certainly verse 13 would tell us that it's not in a man to make himself saved.
And do you remember the Greek word for self? When you drive yourself in a mobile down the street we call that what kind of a mobile an automobile a self mobile. We have what's another word we use for auto Automatic.
I I don't want to use that because I don't know what the matic part is. But again with self we don't believe in self-salvation. We don't believe in here's your big word for tonight auto so terrorism self Salvation.
We cannot save ourselves as Brian Chappelle would say we do not believe in solo bootstraps. Uh where you can save yourself, you can pull your own bootstraps up and you can save yourself. We don't believe that.
Because why would you what? Why would Jesus come and die in the place of sinners if we could save ourselves? Would you do that to your son if somebody could get saved another way. Of course not. God does not believe for you.
You must believe. But there's something going on before you believed and here's what was going on verse 13. It tells us first negatively who were born not of blood. We're not talking about birth here.
My brother yesterday had his fourth child he's got Two girls and a boy and now they got their Second boy born yesterday, so I'm an uncle again, and she wanted Jake for the name. This is Jake a good name by the way.
I think it's a pretty good name. He wanted Ezekiel. And he was gonna name him Zeke. You know there's that kind of a bend or a thing where you go Luke Jake Zeke. But she didn't really like Zeke. He didn't really like Jake.
I mean he likes the name. No no offense. But for their own child he thought well, I don't know it doesn't look like it by the way. He did the same thing we did we had the first two kids. And we knew right away their names and the second two kids.
We had to just let him sit in the nursery for a couple days and see what kind of kid they looked like. She kind of looks like a Maddie to me a couple days later. We had a you know a couple of years later.
We had grace, and we thought what should we name her. We have no idea we call it grandma. We've got a new baby. What's their name? I don't know we're still trying to see how she looks. She looks like a grace anyway.
How did I get into all this. I have no idea. I do have an idea anyway. Josiah Carl Short for Carla my grandfather was named Carl and my mother Carla so to name after those two Josiah Carl Abendroth was born yesterday morning at 530 in the morning a human birth.
But this is not talking about human birth. This is in the context of believing in his name. This is talking about spiritual birth who were born not of blood. Fast forward to John chapter 8 father Abraham were in.
It's not that kind of thing or of the will of the flesh. It is not your will that saves you on. On judgment day and God says why should I let you in heaven you can say it was my will my free will made the choice.
Independent of Satan independent of my own sin and God's certainly independent of your influence. I'm here on my own accord. How about the red carpet? Doesn't that sound weird that sounds horrible. It's not by our own Hereditary background who our dad was not by the will of the flesh or by the will of man.
We most commentators don't even know what the difference between will the flesh is nor the will of man. A lot of times you just add up things like this. If you're in the Hebrew mode and you're just trying to say this emphatically isn't the case.
It's not a blood. It's not the will of flesh. It's not the will of man. Three different ways to look at it it still adds up to you didn't save yourself positive side, but of God. God is the one who regenerates.
God is the one who makes alive again. God is the one who chooses. God is the one who redeems. God is the one who grants saving faith. Acts chapter 14 says they believe by grace and. The list goes on so please whenever you go to chapter 1 verse 12 finish the sentence since the Translators put verses 12 and 13 Independent of each other by the by the verse marking, but they're really together.
They're of one sentence not of they were born not of bloods literally plural nor the will of flesh. Nor of the will of man. God saves us by his good pleasure for his eternal purposes. And we are thankful when he saves us, and I want to have the human side verse 12 and the divine side verse 13.
So we make sure who's on first, and we're not right. All right. Any questions about that? Well next Sunday morning We'll talk a little bit more about evangelism in Mark chapter 4 with the parable of the sowers.
And I'm going to discuss things like a sinner's prayer should you ever lead someone in a sinner's prayer? We'll talk about altar calls should we have people come up to the front our Chancellor calls according to mr. Cooley.
And God's role in salvation, and it will encourage you when it comes to evangelism. You'll be encouraged to know that God's in charge. Your job is to preach the gospel and God does the saving. So let's just bow please in prayer father.
We thank you tonight. We would ask that you would help us not to just be stickler for the right Interpretation, but then you would use that right interpretation to make us transformed. We do thank you tonight even for what we've learned.
Thank you father that we're not slaves to sin. We're slaves to righteousness. Thank you father that we're not outside the kingdom, but we're sons. We're daughters were adopted into the family. Thank you Lord that even though we're not Israel.
And we're not in exile. We were in spiritual exile and that you did have great plans for us and that plan was Salvation and conforming us to your son's image father make these truths alive in our hearts and help us to be Contagious this week to preach the gospel to others.
Lord if Rick is not saved my friend of the pool I pray that you would grant him saving faith. And we know he can't be saved by his own will by his own heritage by his own determination. But it's all of you and Lord.
There are certainly friends and family members here of our dear church. And I pray that you would grant them salvation. That you would let our church be the vehicle of The proclamation that Jesus Christ saves sinners.
And we'd ask this in Jesus name Amen.