Are You A Mature Christian? (part 2) - [Hebrews 5:11-14]

Bethlehem Bible Church

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I don't know if you've read this book before, but the full title is The Pilgrim's Progress from this world to that which is to come delivered under the similitude of a dream it is a book that has not been out of print for the last two hundred years.

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Some think it's the original novel written by John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress Bunyan was married for ten years.

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He had four children under ten and his wife died. One of those little ones was blind by the way and a year after his new marriage to a new lady named

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Elizabeth he was thrown into jail because he would not preach what the Church of England demanded for twelve years he could have gotten out of jail but decided to stay in jail because of his conscience that's where he wrote

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The Pilgrim's Progress Bunyan said if nothing will do unless I make of my conscience a continual butchery and slaughter shop unless putting out my own eyes

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I commit me to the blind to lead me as I doubt not is desired by some

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I have determined the almighty God being my help and shield yet to suffer if frail life might continue so long even till the moss shall grow on mine eyebrows rather than thus violate my faith and principles

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I know my wife is there I know my children are there I've got that blind daughter I can get out I just need to renounce the faith but I will not do it now if you haven't read

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The Pilgrim's Progress you ought to for many reasons one there's so much scripture in it you'll be encouraged two wherever you are in the progress of a

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Christian life The Pilgrim's Progress you'll find yourself in the book Pilgrim's Progress it's a great allegory it's a great truth of the first half of the book

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Christian the man how he gets saved and then the second part Christiana his wife you will meet people like faithful hopeful

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Mr. Worldly Wiseman obstinate money love mistrust formalist this is an interesting one

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Lord Hategood talkative and ignorance there'll be many places that you'll see the place palace beautiful the delectable mountains the interpreter's house it's a great book did you know

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Spurgeon said next to the Bible the book I value most is John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress I believe

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I have read through it at least one hundred times it is a volume of which

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I never seem to tire and the secret of its freshness is that it is so largely compiled from the scriptures and you read it and you'll think yes

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I've been through that vanity fair I've been to the hill of difficulty I've been through the enchanted ground

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I've met giant slay good I I've met valiant for truth as I've been a

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Christian and a pilgrim Spurgeon goes on to say read anything of Bunyan's and you will see that it is almost like reading the

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Bible itself he had read Bunyan did till his very soul was saturated with scripture and though his writings were charmingly full of poetry yet he cannot give us his

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Pilgrim's Progress that sweetest of all prose poems without continually making us feel and say why this man is a living

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Bible prick him anywhere his blood is bibling the very essence of the Bible flows from him he cannot speak without quoting a text for his very soul is full of the word of God I commend his example to you beloved the

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Pilgrim's Progress Warren Wearsby said this Christians if you're a pilgrim you should make progress and if you take your

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Bibles and turn to Hebrews chapter 5 that is our message for today pilgrims must make progress

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I ask you the question as you're turning to Hebrews 5 are you making spiritual progress or are you regressing if you're not a believer of course you need to trust in the

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Lord Jesus Christ we've heard about him from Titus from 2nd Timothy chapter 2 we've sung about him but for the

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Christian you're expected to grow in light of all that God has done for you chosen you in eternity past had

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Jesus die for you sealed you by the Spirit of God giving you the word of God giving you friends, family, fellowship, a church you ought to be growing if you're going backwards you're not growing and this passage in Hebrews is one of those some commentators even call it a shaming passage he goads people into progressing and maturing and making spiritual headway can you hear his pastoral concern verse 11 of chapter 5 about this we have much to say he's talking about Jesus as the high priest and it's hard to explain since you have become dull of hearing for though by this time you ought to be teachers you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God you need milk not solid food for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness since he's a child but solid food is for the mature for those who have have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil chapter six therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity so many of you as I said last week are maturing

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Christians and I see where you used to be and see where you are now and I commend you for that but all of us can mature more all of us can grow all of us can kind of feel that goad of scripture by the

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Spirit's conviction because of the greatness of Christ walk in a manner worthy of his calling

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Ephesians chapter 4 every one of us can grow frankly every one of us has seasons in our lives because of temptations and trials where we're complacent where we're stuck in a routine or stuck in sin and lazy and so this is the wake -up call for all of us to keep growing when

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I was a kid I didn't want to oversleep and so I had one alarm next to me and another alarm across the room you ever done that?

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this one was chapter two this one over here is chapter five

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I still remember the times in Nebraska where my leg would fall asleep when I was sleeping and I would wake up to that second alarm and I would try to jump up to go turn it off but this leg wouldn't work and down I would go slain in the

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Spirit for so many chapters he's tried to encourage he's tried to grant assurance he's tried to say listen

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Jesus is such a great high priest he not only died for you because priests offer sacrifices so all your sins are forgiven but he's also been raised to the right hand of the

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Father where he prays for you and so this is a book that is so encouraging throughout all of the text the thirteen chapters except those warning passages except those goading passages and of course this pastor this preacher of the book of Hebrews he loves the

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Lord and he loves his people and so he knows that every once in a while we need a good motivating exhortation well where are we so far in the book of Hebrews we have some visitors today here's what's happened in the first five chapters this book starts off with this glorious introduction that Jesus is the radiance of God's glory that he makes purification for sins he sets down he's better than angels how is he better than angels well because he he's also human do you see in chapter two verse nine but we see him who is a little while for a little while was made lower than the angels namely

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Jesus crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone just because you suffer it doesn't mean you're not superior you're not great verse ten for it was fitting that he for whom and by whom all things exist in bringing many sons to glory should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering when you suffer you want a suffering servant to comfort you when you're persecuted like these people were you want someone who not just has empathy but sympathy and so therefore

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Jesus yet without sin is sympathetic to temptation and to sin because he was the sin bearer he never sin but he is very sympathetic to this temptation

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Hebrews has changed my life I hear something going on over there but that's okay

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I would never have my phone go off in the service I'm way above that matter of fact I'm so self -righteous that would never happen

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I went to a pastor's conference once and I spoke and then

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I sat in the back and I was just listening to this other guy but you know now I'm checking my messages and for some reason

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I hit like tune in radio and all of a sudden like Greta Van Fleet starts playing I'm glad most of you don't know but some of these young guys know who that is you ought not to know you two done boys people say well just how relevant is

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Jesus being a high priest well it's relevant because we have a legal standing before God that cannot change

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Warfield said we have but one Savior and that one Savior is Jesus Christ our Lord nothing we are and nothing we can do enters into the slightest measure into the ground of our acceptance with God Jesus did it all that's the book of Hebrews and now he says it's time to grow up so let's go back to chapter 5 verse 11 and see what he says there about dull of hearing they become slothful and sluggish their ears are plugged they're sleepy headed chapter 6 verse 11 it says the same thing with verse 12 so that you may not be sluggish what is the cure for sluggish

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Christianity a Christianity that says you know what I've got all the stuff about Jesus down I just need to move on to other things the answer is a call to attentive hearing and some pastoral goading now if all of a sudden

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I change subjects quickly I would get your attention that's what he's doing here he's talking about Melchizedek at the end of verse 10 and then all of a sudden he just kind of like throws a zinger out of left field he wants you to think this morning we're gonna look at the three diagnostic questions to ask yourself and then to answer before the

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Lord to determine your maturity can I teach others can

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I handle doctrine and can I discern those are the three diagnostic questions we just introduced last week we need to finish this week see the problem isn't with the

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Bible the problem isn't with the preacher verse 11 about this we have much to say it's hard to explain since you have become dull of hearing the immature person just doesn't want to take it anymore they've deteriorated they've been backsliding they haven't listened they once were at a spot where they listened well and now they're numb to it one writer said people treat the

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Bible very politely they have a small pocket volume neatly bound they put white pocket handkerchief around it and carry it to their places of worship when they get home they lay it up in the drawer till next

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Sunday morning then it comes out for a little bit of a treat and goes to chapel that is all the poor Bible gets in the way of an airing that is your style of entertaining this heavenly messenger the

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Bible there is enough dust on some of your Bibles to write damnation with your fingers they thought they knew the word they thought they understood the word they've had enough of the word now we've got to go on to life principles and the writer won't let them question number one to ask yourself can

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I teach others can I teach others verse 12 though by this time see that's the key time if you're immature because you're a brand new

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Christian of course you can't teach but you've been Christians for quite some time chapter 10 would make us think 5 years, 10 years, 15 years, 20 years, maybe even 30 years some of these people have professed

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Christ you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God you ought to be teachers by now you know so much but you're over here in kindergarten land you're over here in ABC land you ought to be teachers now the text is not saying everybody should be a pastor everybody should have the gift of teaching he's saying this have you been a

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Christian for long enough that you know I could teach other people versus you know what

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I just need to go back to class again many of you by the way throughout the years we've had somebody who doesn't show up for Sunday school class and the teachers late or sick or whatever and you'll be walking past the hall and I say to you oh you know we need a teacher for this class would you be willing to teach nine times out of ten that person says yes many of you do this very thing say what's going on here you mean can you learn about Jesus the high priest and then somehow forget it you have amnesia and now you gotta go learn that he's a high priest again

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I don't think that's what he's saying at all here's what he's saying you've understood Jesus as a high priest and how he's a sacrifice and how he's the intercessor and how he is your mediator between you and God but now because of trials you've forgotten about how that applies to your life you think you know what

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I've got marriage problems how does the high priestly work of Jesus apply to that I don't know so I better go back to kindergarten how does it apply to I've got difficult situations at work and with family

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I'm responding to you know what somebody my life has a medical sickness how do

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I respond I can't take this I can't do this I don't understand who is God why have you done this how can you be sovereign don't you love me that's the language of immaturity where you have to go back and think okay

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Jesus is the high priest when I get the call you've I've got cancer how does that affect me if it affects me with I'm completely upside down I probably need to go back and reconsider what does it mean that Jesus is a high priest he's not saying they've forgotten like knowledge you have dementia he's saying you've forgotten how it applies to your life you could ask yourself the question do you know enough that you could teach others it's a good question when it comes to basic principles what does the text say you ought to be teachers but you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God you should be in 11th grade and you're back in kindergarten now

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I don't know how it is today because everybody's a winner everybody gets a special red plate everybody's the best but when

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I was a kid if you were in second grade and they didn't pass you on to third grade you were labeled for quite some time what do they call that didn't graduate didn't move forward didn't what staying back okay thank you what would

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I do without you thank you if you're held back that's what

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I'm thinking about held back if you're held back that was a lot of shame you know how many times

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I mean I'll tell you my shame it took me six years to get a three -year seminary degree basically you know so how slow can you go what's worse is

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I know so much about the Bible I know these doctrines about God but I don't sit and think about how they apply to my marriage and how

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I should love my wife and defend my wife and to self -sacrifice myself to her and all these other things deny myself he says you gotta go back and the oracles of God you see the text is just a probably description of the

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Old Testament scriptures you ought to be teachers but you gotta go back to the

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Old Testament and have us teach you again you're not growing you're slow to learn you're going backwards how long have you been saved do you know enough to teach should you be teaching you going backwards so self -consumed with problems you can't be helpful to anyone else kind of perpetual

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Peter Pan I mean one man said Peter Pan makes a charming play on stage but the man who will not grow up makes a tragedy in real life you don't have to be teaching but you should be able to that's the point you should be able to evangelize someone this person's not here at the church anymore but I was here one day in the building and of all things some

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Jehovah's Witnesses came to the door of the church to proselytize and there was a person here doing some work and again this person's not at the church anymore

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I didn't kick him out for this response I said he came over to get me pastor there's some

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Jehovah's Witnesses at the door I want you to talk to him I said I'm not talking to him you're talking to him well

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I wouldn't know what to say I said you know plenty what to say if you've got a Christian testimony you know what to say if you know guilt, grace, gratitude you know what to say if you know sin, salvation,

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Jesus is the Savior you know plenty of what to say can I teach others should

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I be in a spot where I'm teaching others or am I so consumed with my own problems my own self

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I don't look up and think here's who Jesus is and in light of who he is as High Priest Lord I'd be happy to serve other people question two can

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I handle doctrine? uh oh now we've gone from preaching to meddling verse 12 at the end you need milk not solid food for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness since he is a child there is baby food and there's meat now one of my favorite things in life and I can't wait to do it as a grandpa is you start introducing food into a child's diet and you know you give them some of those smashed up you know

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I think carrots is like the typical thing to start with peas don't really work as the first entree and they start eating the food and you think oh and when mom's not around I like to do the big

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Dairy Queen cones you know and the kids go oh ice cream that's all fine when they're little now short of gum problems and teeth problems what would you think if you saw me at our pot luck pot providence fellowship and I was over there with my kind of Gerber baby food and I was kind of having my little applesauce what would you be thinking you probably think well that's just the way he is that's

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California you'd say is it organic there's something wrong when you've been a

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Christian for a long time and you go you know what down with doctrine no creed but Jesus by the way that's a creed too

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I don't want any polysyllabic words just make it simple and the writer of Hebrews would say it's time to grow up because friend your temptations in life in your struggles with sin are at a graduate level and having kindergarten doctrine isn't going to help you with those trials and temptations here he's using the word milk figuratively for the

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Word of God but it's the intro stuff I mean without getting into details

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I've been a lot of airports before and when I see a ten -year -old kid run over to a mom and climb up her skirt and begin to nurse that's a hard picture to get out of your mind it's weird

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I've seen it done friends you live as you know in a dumbed -down

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Christianity world give us the bare minimum you look at the

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CBD bestsellers it is a world full of purpose -driven prayer of Jabez promise keeper

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Jesus calling TD Jake's crazy love milk world and some of it laced with kerosene you're old enough if you tell me

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I'm a Christian 10 years and I think Sarah Young's a good teacher you're immature you ought to know better by now that solo script or is a doctrine that contains the sufficiency of scripture you ought to know by now that the cannon is closed and when a lady who's 50 years old writes a book about God speaking why does it sound like a 50 -year -old lady you say

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I disagree with you well you just have to say to yourself is this milk or is this the word what does the text say notice in the text everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness yeah you kinda mentally know but the word of righteousness is practical application behavioral implications based on what

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I've learned and who I know God is it's a contrast milk and meat solid food is for the mature you can't give a kid a steak but if you are 15 you better be able to eat something besides baby food now turn to 2nd

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Timothy chapter 4 please and I want to see with you what Paul says to Timothy we'll read this in two weeks why it's so important for you and by the way most of you you're learning you're growing but all of us can go deeper can you say to yourself you know what

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I've gone as deep as I want to in Christianity you can answer that question similarly you can answer this question

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God's shown me too much kindness today the same type of question 2nd

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Timothy 4 to how am I supposed to preach and the answer is doctrinally 2nd

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Timothy 4 to you know the passage preach the word be ready in season not a season reprove this is sin rebuke you're doing that sin exhort comfort come alongside with great patience and what doctrine instruction that which is taught anyone that says down with doctrine has not considered 2nd

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Timothy chapter 4 verse 2 I'm to preach with doctrine life is difficult you need doctrinal scaffolding because life is hard doctrine leads to doxology doctrine leads to praise you say well you know what

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I don't want to believe any doctrine doctrine is simply a statement of divine fact this is true about God that's doctrine this is true about us doctrine

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I don't believe in doctrine I just believe in Jesus which Jesus the

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Mormon Jesus the JW Jesus the Hindu Jesus I'm to preach doctrine and I praise

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God I I'm not exaggerating that you congregation don't want sermons filled up illustrations and and and happy peppy kind of TED talks and and a bunch of I don't know

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I mean probably if you really want to get me going is churches that have a screen and now I have to make an illustration for you and it's like a courage and I play

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Braveheart for you for a while if you can't preach you do that the drama of redemption the drama of of doctrine

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I could ask a question this way was Jesus a doctrinal preacher yes was

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Paul a doctrinal preacher yes are leaders in the New Testament required to preach doctrine

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Titus 1 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching doctrine that he may be able to exhort in sound doctrine and refute those who contradict chapter 2 of Titus but as for you speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine the

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Reformation didn't start with a doctrinal preaching you weren't saved through a doctrinal preaching

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Phil Brooks said preach doctrine preach all the doctrine that you know and learn forever more and more but preach it always not that men may believe it but that may be saved by believing it

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Vance Abner related too many people are stamping their feet and clamping their hands and clapping their hands and singing hallelujah without the slightest idea what they're singing hallelujah about it's not going to do you any good to go down to the rotary and hear a prayer from the people at the rotary or the

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Masonic Lodge or anything else with a God who has no theology people call that the mush God or the cream of wheat divinity kind of beige

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God that doesn't do you any good Heidelberg Catechism at the end of every section says how does this comfort you why?

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because doctrine's so... John Knox is on his deathbed they read him

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John 17 and his his attendant said do you still believe what you taught on your deathbed?

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he couldn't talk so the guy said raise your hand once to tell me that you believe it and three times did

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John Knox raise his hand yes I believe it say well you know what this whole idea of high priestly prayer high priest of Jesus justification those words are too big for me

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I think I'll settle with Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so if you're a brand -new

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Christian great if you're not you need to grow Jim Eliph and the preacher says no more doctrinal sermons they won't hear them

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Eliph said how can a preacher use the same Bible that spawned the Protestant Reformation launched the modern missionary movement and put his forebears on the block to be martyred and never stir up anybody in doctrine is a mystery to me so let me suggest that you go to your pastor and say something like this pastor

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I'm ready ready to listen to something deeper more substantial even more difficult if you'll explain the terms that I have put up with before late on thick

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I'll listen intently as for me in my house we are going to grow yeah but I had this experience and I want a story that's not what

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Paul's gonna give he knows what they need to grow sometimes

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I meet with people they're gonna leave the church in I do a lot of dumb things in my life that's for certain and I met with them

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I said why you leaving they said we don't get anything out of your sermons I mean

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I thought it was a Babylon Bee for a second satire I know I can be a better preacher

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I strive to be a better preacher I think I'm better than I was 10 years ago and hopefully there's tons of room to grow

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I'm just I said what do you mean we just don't think we're getting fed and I'm thinking that's because I will not put that food in my mouth chew it up and put it into your mouth because I'm trying to give you meat if you mean spoon -fed it's time for you to grow

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I don't get anything out of your sermons I mean to me that is a people magazine

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Christian I don't wanna read a manual I don't wanna read a journal I don't wanna read an article

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I don't wanna read a newspaper I just like to sit in 32 B and read people magazine and I'm off to the

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National Inquirer next the Lord wants you to grow the

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Lord wants you to mature just give me the bare minimum so I can get on with my life thank you no question 3 can

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I teach others can I handle meat can I discern or as my French -Canadian friends would say discern can

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I discern what's he saying verse 14 back to Hebrews please by the way the language of Hebrews is if you're going backwards there's plenty of time to say

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Lord forgive me it's time to buckle down you don't always have to be this way

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I should know enough that I could teach an FOF class I should know enough that I should say

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I need doctrine from the pulpit I should know enough to know right from wrong verse 14 for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil now when you have a little kids what do they do they put anything in their mouths and everything in their mouths

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I can give my son my watch when he was little and if they're old enough to grab it they put the watch in their mouth right jacks knives

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M80s whatever seriously they will put anything in their mouth well I don't

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I'm not mad at them I mean when Luke put something in his mouth once and he's choking we can't Heimlich him it's not working

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I remember driving from our house in sterling to the sterling fire department Luke's choking and we're holding him upside down in my car driving there to try to find some help because I didn't want to wait for the ambulance

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I wasn't mad at Luke of course I was mad at myself that I let him put something in his mouth but they're little they're immature but if Luke now at 21 years old wants to gargle razor blades he's got a serious problem the ability to discern good and evil is important remember these

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Hebrew people were in the wilderness they couldn't even discern good from evil they were saying you know what

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Moses you've got us out here in the wilderness remember Egypt remember the garlic remember the lakes remember those good old days we were slaves without straw for our bricks don't make the same mistake by the way

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Satan is real and Satan wants you to be tricked if I was a

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Jehovah's Witness first thing I would do is I would get a list of evangelical Christians and I would go to their house because they don't know how to discern and Spurgeon was right discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong it's the knowing the difference between right and almost right and this takes training you see the text trained gymnazo to exercise that's where we get the word gymnasium it takes practice you wanna bench press 315 it's going to take you some time the mark of maturity is discernment what people do on the internet is they're like oh that's a discernment ministry thank you for the compliment this is right this is wrong everything

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I see my life I hear some politician that's right that's wrong is what the Bible says over and over and over I want to distinguish things and again if you don't know

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Joe Osteen's a heretic and you really are a Christian you're immature because you can't discern you just put his teachings in your mouth and you think any false teacher that just gets a

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Bible and wags it around and then talks about how to be a better you is good if you don't think

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Rick Warren is unhelpful you're immature if you turn on TBN and think all these people are so good send your money to Jesus here's my address if you think

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K -love is deep you're immature oh they might have some deep songs first John 4 beloved do not believe every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they're from God for many false prophets have gone out into the world question

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Solomon prayed for something God said I'll give you whatever you want what did he pray for be careful before you answer

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I told you it was a trick question Solomon loved the

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Lord walking in the statutes of David his father only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places and the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice therefore that was a great high place

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Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar at Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night

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God said ask what I shall give you Solomon said you have shown great and steadfast love to your servant

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David my father because he walked before you in faithfulness in righteousness and uprightness of heart toward you and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day and now

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Yahweh my God you have made your servant king in the place of David my father although I'm just a little child

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I do not know how to come in or go out and your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen a great people too many to be numbered or counted for multitude give your servant therefore understanding mind to govern your people that I might discern between good and evil for who is able to govern this your great people

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I need understanding so that I might discern that's what Solomon asked for true discernment when you think the

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Lord Jesus that's exactly what he had no wonder John 2 said Jesus would not entrust himself to them for he knew what was in a man do you really want to be spiritually deceived spiritually hoodwinked and by the way friends when you know right from wrong it's freedom it's liberty and then you can even think about things as someone who's not a legalist because you understand

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Psalm 119 I'm your servant David said give me discernment this means you've got to think in black and white terms right wrong heaven hell life death animal human

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Christ Satan sin holiness male -female parent -child authority submission orthodoxy heresy and why is that important because this is the dawning of the age of Aquarius that's what we're living today liberation from ethics liberation from guilt liberation from sexual mores no absolute truth as Timothy Leary said the

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LSD guru reality is whatever you make it wrong yeah but I've had this experience that makes it truth wrong the only tolerance that's acceptable these days is what when a world will not tolerate things that are biblical what does that tell you if you're a person and again

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I don't think most of you BBC people are like this but this is the passage so I must preach it here's where we get into the most trouble simply

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I had an experience therefore it must have been true God told me outside a scripture therefore it must be true its mysticism instead of theology doctrine

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I've had an experience it's called autobiography and that Trump's doctrine it's a bad way to live that's no different than going out to the desert even some peyote listening to yourself have some kind of weird experience and think that's truth that's immaturity doctrine is commanded discernment is commanded the

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Bereans were commended because they what they want a scripture first Thessalonians is commanded examine everything carefully

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I wonder about the heretics been in chapter 4 of 1st

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John and the heretics in Colossians and the heretics in Jude they would have just been waiting to talk to people who are in evangelicalism today easy pickings so I don't like all this kind of like their false teachers there that I don't

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I don't like that talk friends that's the talk of the New Testament and when you say

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I don't want to hear about false teachers I don't want them named I don't want to think about it teach what's good don't teach what's bad that is a sign of immaturity because Jesus Peter Paul John the writer of Hebrews says watch out for that don't put that in your mouth first Timothy 6 if anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words those of our

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Lord Jesus Christ and with the doctrine conforming to godliness he is conceited he understands nothing he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words out of which that arise envy strife abusive language evil suspicions constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth who suppose that godliness is a means of gain

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I know you're not immature but don't let the world say you know what forget all this discernment stuff it's so unloving it's so unhealthy it's so this that or the other we want to be known for what we're for not what we're against that is an immature statement

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I'm against sin I'm against unrighteousness I'm against legalism I'm against the blending of law and gospel

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I'm against anyone that says I can add to the sufficient work of Jesus the high priest I'm against it all

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I don't want to rile any feathers our friends were moving our neighbors and said goodbye to them the other day and couple lesbian ladies and I said well

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I'm gonna miss you and we hugged I don't know how

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I got on the topic I'm just always trying to drive it towards some kind of biblical thing and I just said you know

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I'm a sinful man and she said no you're not I said

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I covet I lust I envy I have self -righteousness I'm wicked on the inside she goes no you're not you're good

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I said compared to Jerry Springer's guess I'm great no no you're good

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I said you don't know me on the inside you're good but that's what the world is saying why because if I'm wicked and I'm the pastor well you know what this whole preaching thing

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I think what we need is more dialogue kind of you know this monolithic kind of thing and and monologue and you get up and say stuff

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I'd like to share some things you know I wanna contribute things

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I wanna talk and you know the Bible is outdated and just that like you have to be a man to be a preacher if you're really a

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Christian all that talk is immaturity the text is very simple friends if you want to have a different religion

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Christianity's already taken call it something else you are to discern you're to stand for the truth you tell me one man or woman in the history of Christianity who is a

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Christian from Mary Schleser of Calabar to William Carey who didn't want to know right from wrong and didn't want to herald that and tell the truth matter of fact

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I leave in a couple days for sabbatical and some vacation that I didn't have last year because of the issue radiation if I die on that plane let's say

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Steve doesn't take over per deep or Scott you hire somebody else we can look for a pastor somebody who's good with orchestra and drama and handbills those are fine things you wanna

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I know we have handbill people here sorry you know he's a good coach he's a mentor he's good with business you know if you just get some kinda business people around here to figure this stuff out the parking lot probably a lot better true you know what

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I want to be approachable I want to be dynamic come on relevant finally after 21 years of Avondroth we want relevant come on I'm a fast track commuter he's gotta know how to relate to me maybe could have a degree in business and he could sing better than our last pastor too that would help

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I know I'm making a joke about it but if you think that's what you want the pastor to be you're immature because let's just face fact friends when you get the call when you have the marriage problems when you get fired when you're on your deathbed the only thing that's gonna bolster you is the doctrine that says

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God loves me he loved me while I was an enemy he loved me when I was ungodly he loved me in eternity past he loved me at Calvary he loves me now even though I'm sinful he's praying for me now even though I hardly pray at all and then it's not my hold on him but it is his hold on me my faith is found in nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness you're gonna die one day then what remember what

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John DeBriene said right over there he was here as our first conference speaker he said I fell down I had a heart attack I thought

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I was gonna die you know DeBriene was into all the the music down at the Cape and Barnstable Mass and all that and he he said when

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I was laying there dying I wasn't singing shine Jesus shine because that would be immature he said

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I was thinking about my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness. You hire pastors because they preach the word yes there are qualifications but all those qualifications mean nothing if they don't open up the

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Bible and preach the word in season and out of season with reproof, with rebuke, with exhortation with patience and with doctrine.

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Friends, BBC I don't think you're immature as a church but I think all of us can mature more so why don't we study the doctrine of Jesus Christ Christological studies so that if we're ever asked to teach we can so that if we're ever asked to think you know what my flesh wants milk because it's hard to study we're gonna opt for meat and if we ever think you know what

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I don't know about this whole right and wrong things it just makes contentiousness it just makes people picking through little you know jots and tittles that will say you know what

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Satan's real and he's gonna try to counterfeit and I'm gonna stand up for the truth. Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and faith toward God.

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If you're a Christian can you teach others? If you're a

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Christian do you want meat? And if you're a Christian do you know what's right and wrong and do you discern? Those are the three questions.

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Let's pray. I thank you Father for our time and your word. It's a harder message than some of the encouraging messages in chapter 4 and 5 but it's your truth and we ask that you would take that sword we have sin in our heart, we have recalcitrant areas in our life and we would like you to do some divine surgery on us.

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Because of these things we don't have to be unkind we don't have to be ornery and mean but we want to honor you and so I pray for the people that are here today who are just far away from you that is not saved.

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I pray that you would convict them of their sin. I pray that you would give them daily reminders that they're going to die and then what?

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I pray that you'd give them a rest in Christ who finished the work. It is finished and then was raised from the dead to prove how true he was.

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And Father for us, those who are immature and are letting earthly trials affect so much that they're going backward

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Father would you help them, grant them repentance. And for the rest I pray so many people here who learn and grow and want sound doctrine who are teachers and who do know right from wrong.

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I pray that you'd give them joy. I pray that you'd give them a continuance in what they've learned so that they're mature enough to evangelize, to show other people how to treat their spouse and how to work hard at their jobs.