Truth in Love. (CALLING OFF CHURCH. HOW TO MAKE THAT DECISION please start at the 3 min mark.)

Greeting, Technical Setup, and Purpose of the Stream

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This is truth and love. Okay. Thank you. Mom dad says I'm on I apologize for all the delay. I'm trying something new trying to see what works best and Obviously trying to. I had to wait before I was live to set all this up and I wasn't sure how to do it.

And I apologize for all that. This is truth and love Ephesians 415 but speaking the truth in love we are to grow up in all aspects into him. Who is the head even Christ? Thank you for for joining me. Thank you for let me Be a part of your family your community.

Thank you for stopping by. I really appreciate it and that's the whole purpose here is I want to be able to Share the gospel. I want to be able to share the truth in love So that we can in all things go up into him not not in our ways not in our traditions not in Not in the way that we want to do things.

But grow up in all state all aspects into him his way his ways of doing things his ways of doing church. So and then the third thing is I want to pray for you and with you. So that's that's my motivation here and that's why I was asking you Before and I want to ask you again this morning if if this is have been if this has been an encouragement This has been any worth to you.

I Would ask that you like share Comment so that we can have a greater reach. I want to check my heart on this so that Motivation is right. I Don't I don't like asking But I didn't want to have a greater reach so that we can get up the gospel.

We can be there for our community. We can pray for one another we can get the truth out in love. So if you're.

If you're willing to do that, I would really appreciate it if I can pray for you this morning.

I'd love to be able to do that. Just type me if you have any questions. Feel free to ask your questions. We can talk about the Bible. We can talk about Church or we can talk about some other issue that you'd like to talk about.

That's good question.

Mm-hmm.

If you would like prayer just like me let me know that I can pray for you or just say hi. Let me know that you're there and I appreciate you watching. What I wanted to talk about this morning.

Was.

What's probably been on the mind of most folks that go to church, especially our our pastors our elders our church leaders. This is a conversation. This is something that they've had to think through for a few weeks now about whether to cancel call off their church services.

And.

I'm not I'm not going to presume what I want to talk about was How do you go about making that decision and what I'm not going to presume. Or say that this is how your pastor your elders your leaders Went about making this decision, I can't know that I haven't spoken with them.

But this is one way. This is a way that that we can go about making that decision when when this time arises this is a way that we can look into how to make that decision and as as Believers as church members.

We are students of scripture as well. God wants us to read his word. To meditate on his word to know his word so that we can know him and know who he is and How we can obey him and how we can live our lives.

So we're to be students of scriptures as well. And when this circumstances like this come up We can know where to go in scripture How to think through these things and how to make the right decision and know that the right decisions are being made.

We are we ought to do that. It's not just our pastors our elders our leaders that that should Be looking into these things. It's us as As believers as students of scripture, we shouldn't be looking into these things.

So how do we go about making that decision? Whether to postpone church, cancel church, call off church. How do we go about doing that? Mm-hmm. Well, there's three places in scripture that we want to that come to my mind that we want to take a look at when it comes to a situation like this where we Are being asked to not gather together in the first place is Hebrews chapter 10 Verses 24 through 25 and let me read that to you.

It says and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds. Now I'd like for us to remember those two words love and good.

There's.

Love one another and. And good deeds circle those things remember those things. They're going to come up again in the other passage that we're going to read verse 25 not forsaking our own assembling together as It is the habit of some but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

So if you've ever been asked the question if you've ever had the thought now that I'm a Christian. Do I have to go to church? Can I just watch it on TV? Can I just watch it online? Can I just have my own worship service outside?

Do I really have to go to church as a Christian? If you've ever answered that question for yourself or given an answer to someone else or someone else has given you the answer. More than likely they have they have taken you or you've taken someone else to this verse.

This is the go-to verse. About going to church. Ephesians 10 25. It says we are not to forsake the assembling together of ourselves. We're not to forsake it we are to assemble to get together as a church on a regular basis.

We're not to forsake it. Not to do it on our own. Just stay at home and watch TV. We are to assemble together as a church but it's for a reason and We can't neglect that see when we when we go to this verse.

We we stop right there. Someone asked do I have to go to church and you say yes, Ephesians 10 25 says You have to go to church. Because it says do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together. But it's for a reason and those reasons are We are to consider how to.

We are to consider it and then we are to do it how to stimulate one another to love and good Deeds and then the other thing is To encourage one another. So we're to stimulate each other to love and good deeds and to encourage one another.

That's the reason. The writer of Hebrew says that we are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. We don't want to forget that. We don't we don't want to just take that little section out of this verse.

We want to know the reason why and it's important and it comes up here in this. In this thought process of thinking through meditating on scripture of when we're asked to to cancel church call off church services.

Should we do that and These reasons come up and they're good to know when we're thinking through that. So that's that's the first passage that we want to go to we want to obey God and not forsake the assembling of ourselves together.

We don't want to forsake you in the church. Good morning, Jeff. Good morning Janice. Good morning, Danny. Good morning, Judy. Glad you could join us. If I can pray for any of you, just let me know just like me if you have a question.

I'd love to Talk about your question. If I don't know I will let you know that I don't know. And I will look it up. If you want to chat or just say hi, let me know that you're there. Let me know that you're watching.

I'd love to hear from you. So Hebrews chapter 10 verse verse 24 and 25. That's the first passage that we go to. When we're thinking through this process and maybe your pastor your elders your church leaders.

Use these same verses when they were thinking about Whether to have a service or postpone their service. The second passage that we want to look at is Romans chapter 13 verses 1 through 4 first. Let me read that to you.

It says let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God and those which exist are established by God so we we are to Be in subjection to the authorities in our life because they come from God and then it gets even harder on us verse 2.

Therefore.

He who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God and They who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. Hey, Danny. Thank you for waving Good morning to you. Hey, hey Judy. Good morning.

Wow. Wow, what a weight on our shoulders. We are to be in subject to the government and if we don't Then we are heaping condemnation upon ourselves. Wow. Serious business. But it gives us reasons for that in verse 3 for rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior.

Remember Hebrews chapter 10. We are to stimulate one another to good deeds. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority do what is good and you will have praise from the same.

For it is a minister of it the authorities for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil be afraid for it does not bear the sword for nothing. For it is a minister of God an avenger.

Avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil. So God places these authorities In our lives for a good reason to reward the good. They give us praise for good behavior and to to punish the evil to protect us to keep us safe.

So it was there for a good reason when it's when it's done correctly when it's done according to God's will. So we have good. If we do good, we'll get praise and we don't have to worry about the authorities and Keep that in mind from Hebrews chapter 10.

And then if we skip down just a few verses look at verses 8 through 10. Own nothing to anyone except to love one another for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. So we're back to our authority.

We're back to the law. And if you love your neighbor you fulfill the law. For this you shall not commit adultery you shall not murder you shall not steal you shall not covet. And if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying you shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Love does no wrong to a neighbor love. Therefore is the fulfillment of the law. So you remember Hebrews chapter 10? We are to stimulate each other in good good deeds and to love one another and to love one another is the fulfillment of the law and If we fulfill the law, then we will receive praise from our authorities.

We don't have to be afraid of our authorities. We we don't have to worry about the wrath of the authorities the punishment from the authorities because we are fulfilling the law. We are we are loving our neighbor and if we love our neighbor, then we are obeying the commandments of God.

But here we have a problem. We have two passages that seem to be saying two different things. On one hand in Hebrews it says do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together. Hey Matt, good morning to you do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together and.

Then in Romans 13 It says be in subjection to the governing authorities because they've been in put in they've been put in place by God. And our governing authorities at this current moment Have asked us to not assemble.

I think maybe there's a still a numbers a number stipulation. I don't know if it's 10 or 50. But at one time it was 50 or or more. You can't gather together. But the governing authorities in our lives right now are asking us not to gather together.

But Hebrews chapter 10 says do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together. So what do we do in this predicament legally? It's 100. Kelly saying Recommended. And the CDC is 10. Okay, so that's the recommendation legally is 100 federally, it's recommendation is 50 and the CDC is recommendation is 10, so There's our that's what's coming from our government governing authorities.

And but Hebrews is saying do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together. So what do we do? How do we how do we reconcile these two verses as leaders as pastors? As elders and as a church member as a student of scripture working through these things.

We've got one more passage that we want to look at before we try to tie all these things together. And this is another popular verse. This is in Acts chapter 5 verses 28 and 29. And we're familiar with Peter and his stance that he took here verse 28 says.

And this is coming from the council that arrested them the Peter and the Apostles. We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this time in this name and Behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.

Wow, you can you can hear the motivation of the council. They want them to stop this teaching because it's bringing the guilt of the death of Jesus on their hands. Good morning morning destiny. Danny excuse me.

I apologize. The the writing is really really small. So the motivation here the council it seems to be clear. They do not want the blood of Jesus on their hands. So they've told Peter and Apostles to stop teaching in this name but Peter and the Apostles in verse 29 says.

They answer them and said we must obey God rather than me very popular verse. That we when it comes to how we live our lives go about our business. We are to obey God rather than me. God's Ordinances commands to us Trump Anything that can come from man.

But we've got to look at the motivation here the the council the leaders here. They were willing to stop the spread of Peter and the Apostles teaching. Right, we have to be more specific. They weren't they weren't trying to stop Peter and the Apostles from.

Teaching.

They were trying to stop Peter and the Apostles from teaching in the name of Jesus and what does that mean? It doesn't mean. Just like in our prayers when we say our prayers and we say in Jesus name we pray.

Amen. It's not just that simple. When they taught in the name of Jesus, you have to go back to the commands that Jesus gave Peter and the Apostles. Go ye therefore into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature and Baptize them in the name of the Father Son of the Holy Spirit and teach them to obey all that I've commanded you.

For lo I'm with you always even to the end of the age. So it's not just teaching in Jesus name it is Teaching about the kingdom teaching about the gospel teaching about Jesus life death Resurrection and his ascension and how he can save us and what he did for us to bring repentance to Israel and Forgiveness and and to bring repentance and forgiveness to the Gentiles they wanted to stop the message of Jesus Christ going forth and Peter said we must obey God rather than men.

So does that apply in our circumstance where we have? Romans chapter 13 be in subjection to the government to the governing authorities over you for God has put them in place. And our governing authorities are Telling us we don't need to assemble.

But Hebrews is telling us do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together. So, how do we reconcile those two things. How do we put those two things together? It's our circumstance like Peter's and the Apostles and I will say no.

This is my opinion. This is how I work through the these passages how I work through the the circumstances that we're in. And I hope that it will encourage you. And and I hope that you will take a look at it for yourself.

But let me go forward with my opinion and you can let me know what you think about it. I Say that no, we're not in the circumstance. That Peter the Apostles were in that we we are to reject what the government is saying and Say we must obey God rather than man.

Why is that? Well, we've got to look at the reasons. That the author of Hebrews tells us to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together to stimulate one another in love and good works and to encourage one another and we are to Teach in Jesus name, which means all those things that I said before.

So is is the government? Telling us To stop teaching in the name of Jesus stop teaching about the kingdom stop spreading the gospel stop baptizing. Stop having the Lord's Supper. Are they telling us to stop Fulfilling the law of love loving your neighbor.

Which means that we keep all the commandments of God if we if we're loving our neighbor, we're keeping the commandments of God. Is the government telling us to to not stimulate one another to love? To good deeds.

Are they telling us to stop encouraging one another?

No.

The government's not telling us to stop doing those things. From my understanding the government is Wanting to protect the people of this country from the spread of a deadly virus. And if we take the other stance and We say we must obey God rather than man How can we fulfill The obligations of not forsaking ourselves together.

How can we stimulate one another to love and to good works and to encourage one another. How can we teach in the name of Jesus if We become a statistic. It would be hard for us to continue that work here on this earth.

If.

We contract the virus and It doesn't end well for us. To put it mildly we can't do those things.

So.

I think it's a good thing that the government wants to protect its people from the spread of a deadly virus.

And.

I do not think that it is against God's Word for us to heed those precautions and.

And.

Not assemble together. Because they are not forbidding us from teach teaching in Jesus name from loving one another Doing good deeds and encouraging one another in the faith. They are not trying to stop our faith.

They're just trying to stop the spread of a virus. So that's my opinion and if your church in good conscience has decided to continue to gather together and They are abiding by the the number stipulation and they do not feel like that is it is a risk To to spread this virus Then I don't think that you're wrong either.

I think that you are you're making the best decision that you can and You you've prayed and you've sought God and you've you've read scripture and you're making the best decision that you can. If you are protecting the people and you're abiding by the number stipulation if you decide to Call off your services and choose other means other methods to Stimulate one another to to love to good works and encourage one another if you've established different ways to spread the gospel to teach about the kingdom of God and And to to speak the truth and love to everyone then I think you're okay as well.

So that's my opinion. I Have to say about the issue if you think I'm right on or if you think I'm wrong, I'd love to hear that as well Always could be wrong on the issue.

So.

If you would like prayer Type me and I do apologize For the beginning of the video that I took so long. I'm trying something new. It's just Me trying to figure all this out and I had to Work on some things.

Good morning, Nicole had to work on some things after the stream went live. So I apologize for the delay at the beginning if I can pray for you Let me know. I'd like to be able to pray for you and with you just type me If you have any questions about the subject that we talked about love to try to answer those questions.

And again, if if this has been an encouragement to you if you would like to help me have a greater reach. Not not for anything that has to do with me I just want to have a greater reach for the sake of the gospel to speak the truth in love and And to be able to pray for you pray for our community If someone needs prayer.

So if you can like share comment On these videos, I would truly be grateful for your support as we try to have a greater reach To get God's Word out on Facebook. So without any further ado, I'd like to pray As we close and I'll pray for you who've been watching and I'll pray for the churches that are that are Making these decisions that are gathering Live in a person or they've chosen to gather online tomorrow.

We want to pray for those as well, so if you will if you're still with me, please join me in prayer. Father we thank you For this morning that you've given us that you've you've seen us up. You've given us a new day a New day to serve you to look to you.

Thank you for your new mercies that you promised that are new each day. Thank you for the time that you give us to be in your Word and thank you for helping us think through These issues these current Issues that we're facing here in the world.

Father we know that You were very aware you knew about it. We know that you allowed it. We know that you have a reason a purpose for it father help us not to waste This time but to learn What you would have us to learn From the situation help us to seek your face and all things seek your kingdom.

I pray for all those that have scrolled by that have watched this morning. That you will bless them that you will protect their families keep them safe. And and all those who may watch later father. I pray for them As you bless them keep them safe help us to get through this this pandemic this virus and I pray for a great reform a great awakening in this country in this world that we would Not just turn to you in a time of crisis, but father that we would remain with you.

And the gospel would would go forth and you would be glorified in all that we do. Father I pray for all the churches that have may have to make hard decisions whether to assemble or whether to not assemble.

I pray for both and I pray that you would be with all the pastors and elders the leaders that You'll be glorified in the songs that are sung and in the message that that is presented. I pray father for your word.

You promised that your word would not return void. And father there's there's so many live streams that are going to be going on This week tomorrow, and I thank you for that and father I pray most of all that.

If somebody that does not know you. Maybe we'll scroll by hear the gospel message and they will they will turn from their sins and they'll they'll turn to you to be saved. Father we seek your your glory in all that we do.

We worship you we thank you for who you are. And we thank you again for this time. We have together in Jesus name. Amen. And before I leave I don't don't want to neglect to just share the gospel for anybody who's scrolled by.

Prayer for the Churches and the Current Crisis

Good morning Trent. Danny I will pray for you. Thank you, Nicole. Let me go ahead and pray for Danny father. We just lift up Danny and his dad to you circumstances that they're facing. We ask you to bless them and encourage them.

They need your arms they need your hands around them and their family they need your presence. They need your wisdom. They need your love. And father, I thank you for them and who they are and thank you for their their love for you.

And their love for other people. Father, they're such precious people. We We lift them up to you and we thank you for them. And again, we we ask that you would just hold them tightly and help them in this time in Jesus name.

The Gospel, Repentance, and Salvation in Christ

I don't want to neglect to share the gospel for anybody that has scrolled by that has stuck with me this long. Thank you, Judy. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God every single person that has ever lived Is fallen and we need someone outside of this universe to come in and save us and God sent that one.

It's Jesus Christ. We've all broken God's law. We have all stolen. We have all lied on and on and on and on we have missed the mark. James chapter 2 verse 10 it says if you've kept the whole law and yet you even stumble at one point.

You're guilty of it all. So we need a Savior. God sent that Savior. His name is Jesus Christ. And he said that we must Repent of our sins apologize and turn from our sins forsake our sins and Turn to him in faith.

Trusting in him to save us. He says he will give us a new heart a new life with new desires and We can live for eternity with him and that eternity will start as soon as he he saves us. And so you can begin that eternity with him today.

If you will turn from your sins and trust in Jesus Christ to save you. So if you've not done that, I would encourage you to do that today. And if you would like prayer just type me and I will. I'll see that during the week.

And I'll be glad to pray for you. I hope you have a blessed day. Jesus is King go live in victory and go proclaim the gospel. I hope you have a great day.