The School of God — Keith Daniel

Out of love for Christ, no other reason, no other desire in our heart, but that our God will see in we who took a step toward thee, with one desire, to be saved, not from hell, but from wasting our life on self and on things that don't matter.

Thou who dost see us take that first step, dost see us here tonight, some of us battered, wounded, some of us crippled, hurting, confused, and some of us still lost in spite of attempts in the past. And so we come to thee, each one of us, for only God knows our hearts and what we really are.

Come thou God and visit our hearts, every one of us, as only God can. Wash me in the blood of Christ, afresh from any thought, any word, any reaction that was not holy and Christ-like, and that grieved thee, that I overlooked in my baseness in humanity.

Forgive and cleanse and wash me in the blood of God the Son, which cleanses us from all sin. Come therefore now, anoint, fill me with the Holy Spirit, beyond my comprehension how or why God would do that, but without thee we can do nothing.

And that I might be a vegetable meat for the Master's use, please wash me in the blood, fill me with the Holy Spirit. Anoint thy word and comfort every heart through thy sacred word, for thy glory. Rebuke Satan away, our only enemy, our only enemy.

Rebuke thou thyself him away by the risen, resurrected power of Christ and the Holy Spirit. By the angels of God surround us with a hedge of protection and brood over this building and over our hearts that so much has hardened.

Break through the crust, the hardness, to reach the flesh of the heart and to turn us again to seek thee with every breath in our body as never before in our lives. Come do this for thy glory and do this in our hearts tonight each one.

We ask these things in the name of Jesus Christ and for his glory. Amen. The subject, the subject of my sermon tonight is the school of God, the school of God, the school of God. There is of course an entrance exam, an entrance exam which most applicants tragically fail, most applicants tragically fail.

In Luke 13 verse 24 we read, strive to enter in at the straight gate. That is the narrow door, the difficult door, literally. Strive to enter in at the straight gate for many will seek, many will seek to enter in and shall not be able, many will seek and shall not be able to enter in.

Ever learning, ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. To Timothy 3 verse 7, clouds they are without water. Jude verse 12, now there are different reasons given in the sacred book as to why so many applicants fail this essential exam.

Many fail because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the law. Romans 9 32, a man is not justified by the works of the law but by the faith of Jesus Christ. Galatians 2 verse 16, by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Galatians 2 verse 16, but the main cause, the main cause that so many have failed this critical essential examination. The main cause is given to us in Luke 14 verse 28 where we read, which of you intending to build a tower sitteth not down first and counteth the cost lest after he hath laid the foundation he is not able to finish it.

And all that behold it mock him saying this man began to build but was not able to finish. The vast majority, the vast majority are sadly not able to finish this essential examination. But why? It is a fearfully acknowledged dilemma that many have tragically experienced when facing critical examinations in secular schools and institutions.

It is termed a mind blockage, a mind blockage. Now in his parable of the sower showing his seed which is the Word of God in Luke chapter 8, Jesus said in verse 18, the seeds that fell by the wayside are they that hear then cometh the devil and taketh away the word out of their hearts lest they should believe and be saved.

Satan cometh immediately, Mark 4 verse 15 adds, and taketh the word that was sown in their hearts. God had reached out to them, God had reached out to them to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God, Acts 26 verse 18, to turn them from darkness to light, to come out of darkness, to come out of darkness into his marvelous light, 1 Peter 2 verse 9.

But upon their failure, upon their failure at this entrance exam most retreat back into darkness. Upon their failure at this entrance exam most retreat in disillusionment back into darkness. But there are great and fearful dangers.

There are great and fearful dangers attached to failing this critical exam. In Matthew 12 verse 44 we read of the tragic aftermath of a soul who sorrowfully failed. Then he saith, I will return, I will return to my house from whence I came out.

I will return from whence I came out. And when he is come, he findeth it empty. He findeth it empty. Verse 45, then goeth he and taketh with himself seven other spirits, more wicked than himself. And the last state of that man is worse than the first.

The last state of that man is worse than the first. The latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 2 Peter 2 verse 20 warns, It had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

But it is happened unto them according to the proverb, the dog is turned again to his own vomit. The soul that was washed to her wallowing in the mire, returning to wallowing in the mire. God says in grief over these souls.

One of the most feared, one of the most feared but tragically misunderstood verses in the sacred book is Hebrews 6 verse 4, where we read it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, if they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh.

That is again. Now many interpret this verse to mean that they can never seek God's salvation again, but I disagree. For in this verse the word seeing is correctly translated while, while they crucify the Son of God.

It does not say or imply that you cannot with confidence, with courage attempt to face this entrance exam into God's school again. Oh soul, you need not retreat back into darkness if you have failed. And another pivotal verse, another pivotal verse is Matthew 7 verse 7, ask and it shall be given you, God promises.

Seek and ye shall find. Knock and it shall be opened unto you for everyone that asketh receiveth, he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Now the Greek word for ask, seek, knock is literally in the present continuous tense, literally saying keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking until the doors open.

This is what God is saying. Oh soul, if you have failed, if you have failed at this entrance exam, don't believe that you will not be lovingly welcomed and encouraged to try again. But we all need to be very careful at this point of my sermon, for there is a great distinction between those who failed, those who failed at the entrance exam and those who have passed, those who have passed but then experience failure in tests that immediately follow.

In the secular schooling or institutions, they are looked upon and sadly referred to as non-achievers, poor achievers and are soon challenged and reproved by their teachers. Who watch for your souls, Hebrews 13 verse 17 says, who strongly confront them with the words found in Hebrews 5 verse 11, ye are dull of hearing for when ye ought to be teachers yourselves ye have need that one teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God, the basics of Christianity and to become such as have need of milk and not of strong meat.

Chapter 6 verse 1, therefore leaving the principles, that's the elementary or basics of the doctrines of Christ, let us go on, let us go on unto perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.

2 Peter 1 verse 4, having escaped the corruption that is in the world, having escaped the corruption that is in the world, beside this verse 5, beside this giving all diligence, add, add to your faith, to your saving faith, virtue and to virtue knowledge, knowledge and to knowledge temperance, that is self-control, you will essentially need to pass this exam, to retain, to retain credibility in the school, self-control, someone who's not easily provoked, 1 Corinthians 13 verse 5 and to self-control, that is temperance, patience, that is steadfastness, desperately needed to retain, retain credibility here, steadfastness and to steadfastness, godliness and to godliness, brotherly kindness, brotherly kindness, many swiftly fail badly here, many fail this, these tests that follow after salvation, brotherly kindness, be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as Christ, God for Christ's sake forgave you, Ephesians 4 verse 32, add to your faith, your saving faith now, giving all diligence, all these things, brotherly kindness, this is an exam, you have to pass or fail and become a non-achiever, to brotherly kindness add charity, that is love, 1 Corinthians 13 teaches us that this gives us distinctions in the school of God, you can have all the gifts, you can have things that can make people shout hallelujah, that are sensationalist, emotional people, when you achieve this, when you don't fail with love that suffereth long in this kind, beareth all things, endures all distinctions with this, for if these things be in you, if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge, but he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off and has forgotten that he was purged from his old sins, wherefore the rather brethren gives diligence to make your calling and election sure, goodness me, I've got something to do with election and calling, oh yes, wherefore the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure, for if ye do these things ye shall never fall, if ye do these things ye shall never fall, you will achieve straight A's in the school of God.

Now there are many essential lessons, there are many essential lessons in the set work book, there are many essential lessons in the set work book of the school of God on which you will soon face difficult examinations, student, but if you study, if you study to show yourself approved, you will not need to be ashamed in this school.

Through Timothy 2 verse 15, the first lesson, the first lesson you must give attention to and diligently apply your life to is found in James 4 verse 7, resist the devil, resist the devil and he will flee from you.

I repeat, resist the devil and he will flee from you. Neither give place to the devil, Ephesians 4 verse 27, for he that is faithful in that which is least is faithful in also in much. Luke 16 verse 10, but he that is unjust in the least is also unjust in much.

A little leaven, a little leaven, leaveneth the whole lump. Galatians 5 verse 9 warns, therefore make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof. Romans 13 verse 14, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh.

2 Corinthians 7 verse 1, abstain, abstain from all appearance of evil, abstain from all appearance of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5 verse 22, be not conformed to this world. Romans 12 verse 2, be not conformed or influenced by the world, lest Satan should get an advantage of us.

2 Corinthians 2 verse 11, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. Proverbs 1 verse 10, son, evil companions, dark passions subdue. Look ever to Jesus and he will carry you through. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin.

Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin. Romans 6 verse 13, but yield ye your members as instruments of righteousness. Yield ye your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

I made a covenant with mine eyes. Job 31 verse 1, I made a covenant with mine eyes. Why then should I think, that is, look upon or gaze upon a woman, a young woman, whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

Matthew 5 verse 28, having eyes, having eyes full of adultery that cannot cease from sin. 2 Peter 2 verse 14, is a dangerous trait that must be dealt with, child. I firstly made a covenant with mine eyes.

Yield ye your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. Secondly, I made a covenant with my lips. I said, I will take heed to my ways that I sin not with my tongue. I will keep my mouth, I will keep my mouth with a bridle.

Psalm 39 verse 1, the sin of the mouth, the sin of their mouth. Psalm 59 verse 12, O set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth. Keep the door of my lips. Psalm 141 verse 3, if any man, if any man offend not or fail in word, the same is a perfect man and able also to bridle, that is, control the whole body, the sensual aspects of life.

If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, a man who can control the sensual things of life, of his body and being. James 3 verse 2, you come out because of this sin and that sin and this sin, desperately crying to God, come out for this.

Get control of this by the grace of God and you can. You find all these other things you'll have control. If any man offend not, fails not in word, the same is a perfect man, a man able now in his growth and development to bridle, to control the whole body.

Verse 6, so is the tongue among our members that it defileth the whole body and setteth on fire the course of nature. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin. Ecclesiastes 5 verse 6 warns, neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin.

Yield ye your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. Firstly, I made a covenant with mine eyes. Secondly, I made a covenant with my lips. And thirdly, I made a covenant with my thoughts, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

Bringing into captivity every thought, every thought to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10 verse 5, for the thought of foolishness is sin. Proverbs 24 verse 9, you see there are thoughts of evil and there are evil thoughts.

Thoughts of evil and evil thoughts, Matthew 15 verse 19, is a great difference. You see, there's no human, the godliest man and woman on earth, that doesn't have thoughts of evil. I want you to stand up if you say you don't.

Memory is not sin. What you see of filth and depravity that offends you and later on comes back to your mind, that's not sin. That's a memory, it's not sin. You just remember. You don't have to say, oh woe is me.

But you can bring it into captivity. Every thought to the obedience of Christ before it becomes sin. There are thoughts of evil and there are evil thoughts. The thought of evil must immediately be brought into captivity before it becomes an evil thought.

You can't help it if the birds fly over your heads, you know, but you had something to do with the death. They lay a nest on your head and have eggs. The thoughts of the righteous, Proverbs 12 verse 5, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are pure, etc.

Think on these things. Allow your mind to be occupied with these things. Always, always bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Now, lesson two. Lesson two in the school of God.

This, the second important and vital lesson in the set workbook, in our set workbook, we find in 1 Timothy 4 verse 7, where we read these essential words. Exercise thyself. Exercise thyself unto godliness.

Exercise thyself unto godliness. Bodily exercise, bodily exercise profiteth little. Exercise thyself rather unto godliness. In John 17 verse 15, in John 17 verse 15, Jesus made this plea to God, the Father for us all.

I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations.

2 Peter 2 verse 9. Watch, watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation. Watch and pray. Pray that ye enter not into temptation. Matthew 26 verse 41. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Matthew 26 verse 41.

Be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer. 1 Peter 4 verse 7. Redeeming the time. Redeeming. Protecting. Guarding. Saving. Not losing the time. Ephesians 5 verse 16. Take time to pray every day, and you will find that he will show you the way.

Take time to be holy. Speak oft with thy Lord. Abide in him always, and feed on his word. For man doth not live by bread only. Literally cannot live by physical food only, but by every word. Every word that proceeded out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.

Deuteronomy 8 verse 3. As newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby. 1 Peter 2 verse 2. I have esteemed thy word. I have esteemed the word of his mouth more than my necessary food.

Job 23 verse 12. Sanctify them through thy truth. Contextually sanctify them. Keep them from the evil father. Through thy truth thy word is truth. John 17 verse 17. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed according to thy word.

Psalm 119 verse 9. Thy word, thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee. Psalm 119 verse 11. Exercise thyself. Exercise thyself unto godliness. 1 Timothy 4 verse 7. Who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me?

Saith the Lord. Jeremiah 30 verse 21. Literally who is this? Who is he that devoteth himself to draw close to me? Draw nigh to God. That is draw near to God and he will draw nigh to you. James 4 verse 8.

It is good for me to draw near to God. Psalm 73 verse 28. For they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. Isaiah 40 verse 31. To be strengthened. To be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man.

Ephesians 3 verse 16. The inward man is renewed. The inward man is renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4 verse 16. What is man that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him and that thou shouldest visit him every morning?

Job 7 verse 17. But listen carefully again to the statement student. Exercise thyself unto godliness. Exercise thyself unto godliness. We all with open face beholding as a glass, a mirror, the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image.

2 Corinthians 3 verse 18. We are being transformed into the same image. To be conformed, transformed into the image of his son which was lost at the fall. Romans 8 verse 29. And it doth not yet appear what we shall be.

It doth not yet appear what we shall be. But we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him. Hallelujah. For we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3 verse 2 and 3. I will behold thy face in righteousness and I shall be satisfied.

I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness. Psalm 17 verse 15. So take time to be holy. The world rushes on. Spend much time in secret with Jesus alone. By looking to Jesus like him thou shall be and soon all in thy conduct his likeness shall see.

The most obnoxious thing you will ever see in life is someone who says they're saved and there's nothing of Christ likeness in them. Lesson 3 in our set workbook is found in 1 John 2 verse 1 where we read, My little children, these things write I unto you that ye sin not.

But, that's half a verse, if, if any man sin, any Christian contextually, if any failure occurs here at the school of God, we have an advocate with the Father. Jesus Christ the righteous, he is the propitiation for our sins, contextually for Christian sins or failures.

He is the way to God for mercy. This verse comes from Leviticus 17 where the high priest would come and sprinkle blood as all the people of God gathered for the forgiveness of their sins on the altar and Christ shed his blood he ever liveth to make intercession for us.

He is the propitiation for our sins, Christians, for our failures. And if we confess our sins, he's faithful and just to forgive us our sins to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. You have to know this lesson, child, or the devil will have you crawling down there and never getting up.

We have not a high priest. We have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, our weaknesses, but in all points, he was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin.

This is a staggering verse. In all points, I don't care what your weakness is, lady, child, but the devil tells you, this book tells me something beyond comprehension, but I believe it. Everything anyone in this building has ever faced, temptation, Christ did.

I can't comprehend that, but he tasted death for every man. He was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin, without failure. Hebrews 4 verse 15. Verse 16, let us therefore come boldly, not brazenly, but in humility, but with confidence.

And no doubt, let us come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy of this amazing high priest that promises us a heart toward us. Don't listen to the devil. Get up. Get up. Don't you give up.

Note, if you fail any of these examinations, you will not be disqualified or expelled. Always remember, if any Christian, any man, Christians, sin, fail, not just failure upon failure, then go to 1 John 3 and you never were saved if there's no, no, but anyone who God has set free, who God has transformed, and if any man be in crisis, a new creature, all things have passed away, all things have become new.

If the evidences of everything God says would happen in your life, and then once you're in the school of God, once you've passed the entrance exam, and everyone believes and knows from your worst enemy to your closest loved one, we'll never doubt you've been saved.

But if failure comes, child, whence you in this institute. We have an advocate. Don't ever forget that. Don't listen to the devil. Jesus Christ the righteous. Come boldly, not brazenly. Come in humility to seek forgiveness.

And you have the promise of God, God, who cannot deny himself our forgiveness. Keep short accounts, though, before it just goes in a whirlwind down, a spiraling escalation. No, but, but, we also need to be very careful here, every one of us, very careful here, because unrepentant acceptance and resignation to continual failure, unrepentant acceptance and resignation to continual failure will result in, be subject to severe discipline and fearful correction.

Psalm 39 verse 11, when thou with rebukes dost correct a man for iniquity, when thou with rebukes dost correct a man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth. Psalm 39 verse 11, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke, Jeremiah 31 verse 18, my life is spent with grief, my years of sighing, my strength faileth because of my iniquity.

Psalm 31 verse 10, but happy is the man whom God correcteth. Job 5 verse 17, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord. Verse 18, for he maketh sore and bindeth up, he woundeth and his hands make whole.

Hebrews 12 verse 5, and have ye forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as children, my son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint, don't be discouraged when thou are rebuked of him, for whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons, for what son is he whom a father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards and not sons.

Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence, that is respect. Shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of Spirits and live? For they, verily, for a few days a short time chastened us after their own pleasure, that has seemed best to them.

But he, for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness, that we might be partakers of his holiness. 2 Corinthians 7 verse 9,. Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance.

For ye were made sorry after a godly manner, for godly sorrow worketh repentance not to be repented of. Now throughout your internship in the school, throughout your internship in the school, the Lord pondereth the hearts.

Proverbs 21 verse 2,. He searcheth our hearts. Psalm 142 verse 3,. And like any good father, he will discipline us, he will discipline us in love while there is hope. Proverbs 19 verse 18,. Search me, O God, and know my heart.

Try me and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139 verse 23,. And in closing, I give you the students' anthem, the students' song of this school of God.

I have one deep supreme desire, that I may be like Jesus. To this I fervently aspire, that I may be like Jesus. I want my heart his throne to be, so that a watchful world may see his likeness shining forth through me.

I want to be like Jesus. O perfect life of Christ my Lord, I want to be like Jesus. My recompense and my reward, that I may be like Jesus. His spirit fill my hungering soul, his power all my life. Control my deepest prayer, my highest goal, that I may be like Jesus.

If that is not your daily longing, from the moment you get out of bed to the moment you go back to the bed, and throughout the day, you are a failure in the school of God. In everyone's eyes that witness, beginning with your family, your work, your enemies that could have been one to God, and one to two deep, deep down, if you had been.

And there's no reality in Christianity, sir, apart from Christ's likeness. So, I have seen many lovely hymns, and I was thinking now, perhaps the loveliest would be, take time to be holy. There's another one, teach me thy way, O Lord, in the school of God.

Isn't that lovely? Can we all stand, please? Can you turn to hymn number 90, and we're going to sing this to God. And what a total disgrace you are, if you don't sing this to God from your heart, and not just to be heard with your lovely voice.

So, be careful how you sing it. Verse one, teach me thy way, O Lord, teach me thy way. Thy guiding grace afford, teach me thy way. Help me to walk aright, more by faith, less by sight. Lead me with heavenly light, teach me thy way.

When I am sad of heart, teach me thy way. When earthly joys depart, teach me thy way. In hours of loneliness, in times of dire distress, in failure or success, teach me thy way. When doubts and fears arise, teach me thy way.

When storms o 'erspread the skies, teach me thy way. Shine through the cloud and rain, through sorrow, toil and pain, make thou my pathway plain, teach me thy way. Long as my life shall last, teach me thy way.

Where 'er my lot be cast, teach me thy way. Until the race is run, until the journey's done, until the crown is won, teach me thy way.