Q&A
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Five from the young people.
And everything more. Goodnight for him.
Well, we have quite a few questions tonight. Some of them we're going to, uh, move rather quickly, uh, And try to give some basic answers from the word of God. We don't have all the answers, but we do have the answer book as often expressed in his prayer. And so we'll give a few thoughts. I'll read the question, perhaps suggest some scriptures, give us a thought or two, and then an opportunity for anyone to uh to add to it. But umm, we're gonna move a little bit quick tonight.
And try to at least get a thought or two in connection with each question. Interestingly enough, I paired some of the questions because they seem to fit together. So sometimes uh, there's two questions together and umm, we'll uh try to get something from the scripture. So this first one said asks is it wrong to want to earn more money or should we be content with what we have? I paired it with another question that says.
00:05:29
How do we properly use our money for the Lord? So, in connection with this first question, let's notice a couple of scriptures, first of all in First Timothy chapter 6.
First Timothy chapter 6.
And verse beginning at verse 6.
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain that we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment, let us let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation, and and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which which drown men in destruction and perdition.
For the love of money is the root of all evil, which while some coveted after they have heard from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. Now let's read a portion in Luke chapter 3 as well.
Luke Chapter 3.
And.
Verse 14. Now these are the words of John the Baptist when they came and questioned him. And this this is an answer he gave.
Well, let me read from verse 12 to get the context. Then came also Republicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which has appointed you, and the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely, and be content with your wages.
So I think these quite these scriptures help to answer this first question.
About and I'll reread the question. Is it wrong to want to earn more money or should we be content with what we have?
I believe in in First Timothy Chapter 6. If you've noticed carefully, it's not money that's the root of all evil. Money is not the root of all evil. We need money to get along in this world, but it's the love of money, and it's what we set our heart on. If you and I set out to get rich in this world, the Apostle Paul said to Timothy. You're gonna get into a lot of difficulty.
And you're going to lose what we were talking about this morning in connection with our focus. We're going to begin to want to get ahead and be great in the in this world. But Paul here said to be content with what we have. You know, the Apostle Paul on another occasion said he had learned in whatsoever state he was to be content whether he was.
On a ship sailing somewhere, whether he was in the home of a poor person or whether he was in the home of a rich person, whether he was in prison, whether he was a free man, whether he was sleeping under the stars, whether he was in a comfortable bed, he had learned to be content. Now you will learn to be content with what you have in a material or monetary way only in the sense in which Christ.
Satisfies your soul. We won't turn to it. You can jot this down in Hebrews chapter 13. I believe it's verse 6.
It says be content with such things as ye have, For he hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. What is going to make us content? It's the enjoyment of the presence of the Lord. So, young people, it's not wrong to work hard at school and get a good grade. It's not wrong to do your your secular work well. And if you're offered a promotion, to pray about it, and perhaps that's what the Lord has for you, and you get a little extra.
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Money because you got a promotion or whatever, or a better job was offered to you. I believe Daniel is a perfect example of what we're saying. You know, under every king that Daniel lived in Babylon, he was promoted in his job and he was sometimes next to the king in his job. In fact, in the 6th chapter of Daniel, that's what invoked jealousy amongst his coworkers. He'd been promoted under King Darius.
And his coworkers thought he didn't deserve the promotion and the position that he had. But you find when you read the story of Daniel, he never lost his focus. He never he. It wasn't that he was seeking to be great under those kings. It wasn't that he was coveting a better position or more money or more status. He honored the Lord. And the Lord raised him up in those situations. So it tells the IT says them that honor me.
I I will honor, Solomon said in Proverbs. Give me neither. Neither poverty or riches. Or perhaps it's Ecclesiastes. You'll have to look it up. Give me neither poverty or riches. Poverty can make us bitter. Riches can make us complacent and self reliant. And Solomon said, don't give me either, just give me enough to get through this world. The soldiers came to John the Baptist and they asked about this.
And you know, I, I, they were under the suppression of the Roman government and I think they probably wanted an answer like, well, you know, you should be demanding more money, the Roman government here and they're making you do things that you wouldn't normally be doing and so on. No, John the Baptist said be content with your wages, what they're offering, what they're giving to you, you take it and be thankful for it. So that's, that's the first question if anybody else has a verse or suggestion.
Of a thought that would be good.
Mm-hmm. OK.
And our hearts are tricky because sometimes we think if we had more, we could do more for the Lord, but if the Lord wanted us to do more, he'd give us more. And if our motive is not right, if we did get more, I doubt whether we use it in the way we first thought we might. Satan can often use what seems like good motives to lead into a bad path.
Give us that reference again so they can jot it down. Thank you. There's a proverbs 30, uh 8:00 and 9:00.
Set.
So the next part of the question was how to properly use our money for the Lord. Let's go to Hebrews chapter 13.
Hebrews, chapter 13.
And verse 16.
But to do good and to communicate, and then other translations, and it's it's accurate put in this to communicate of your substance, or we might say, of our money for our purposes tonight to communicate of your substance. Forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
I think the key to understanding or to answering this question in Christianity is the realization that everything that is entrusted to me in a material way.
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Or or even a physical way, our health and whatever is from the Lord. In the Old Testament there was a requirement under the law to give 10% and a person had no choice in Christianity. It's not that 10% belongs to the Lord and 90% belongs to me. Like under the Law, Christianity always supersedes what you have in the Old Testament under the Law.
In Christianity, everything we have belongs to the Lord. Now, it's interesting that money is referred to in scripture as filthy lucre.
But when you go to the Old Testament, particularly the Book of Numbers, you'll find that money is referred to as the shekel of the sanctuary.
I believe this is the thought if the Lord puts a dollar into your hand.
We think of it as filthy lucre, but if we get into the presence of the Lord and say, Lord, now what do you want me to do with this dollar?
Now it becomes the shekel of the sanctuary. It sanctified in that way with the realization in my soul that this dollar belongs to to the Lord. And so He says here that we are to use our substance, our money, or whatever it is He's entrusted to us in a material way. We are to use it for the work of the Lord, to help the Lord's people, to help the poor.
So many scriptures in Proverbs it talks over and over again about if you see the poor and you don't help them out.
That that's a sin. Umm. So there's any number of ways we can use what we have for the Lord and notice it's a sacrifice. You know, a sacrifice is something we give. And then by we that something that we when we give, we deny ourselves. We deny ourselves something by giving or helping others. Now I'm, I'm gonna speak very plainly and this is just for myself.
But I think it'll make the point when the when the.
Offering or the collection is passed on Lord's Day Morning. My putting a $5.00 bill in the collection is not a sacrifice.
I'm giving to the Lord, but it tells us in First Corinthians where to give as the Lord has prospered every man. And my putting of five or $10.00 bill in the offering on Lord's Day is not giving us. God has prospered me. I I'm not saying that to anybody else, but I'm just saying that's a that's a standard. Do we give now? Putting money in the offering on Lord's Day Morning is only one way of giving. Of course there are multitude, a multitude of ways.
To give, but I want to make one other point before someone else makes a comment by reading first Timothy chapter 5.
Because this will, I hope, temper my remarks on giving and giving as a sacrifice.
Verse eight of First Timothy 5. But if any provide not for his own and specially for those of his own house, he has denied the faith and is worse than an infidel. Now I realize that most of you here don't have your own household yet, but some of you are thinking about it, about it, and the day will come if the Lord leaves us here when? And I'm guess I'm speaking mostly to the young men now.
The day may come when you will be responsible for a wife and in the natural course of things, perhaps for children. Uh, as well. And what Paul was telling Timothy is don't be giving to the Lord's work. If your wife is hungry or needs a new dress, don't give to the Lord's work. If you don't have enough money for school supplies for your children, you're worse than an infidel. That is not what God intends. And I say that because I've known some who have.
Been generous in giving to others and helping others, but really they have withheld from their own family than the some of the necessities of of life. So we're to first of all consider our own households, those who are dependent on us, and then to use whatever we have left to help the Lord's people and the and to further the Lord's work.
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Uh, I've heard the parable of the talent used in connection with, you know, either money or just like work in general. Like, you know, I, you know, it's one thing to be satisfied with what you're getting paid. It's another thing to not like.
Not tape, you know, with opportunities that are available. You know, ever to say that's not stewarding yourself, Well, what, what would you say to that? Don't just apply for that.
Well, I believe that it takes individual discernment before the Lord because on the one hand, we don't want to be careless and not put up for the future. And the man that buried his talent and didn't put it to the users or as we would say, put it in the bank or the investment company, he was reviewed because he didn't earn any interest on his talent. And so we want to be careful.
That well, I knew a brother, and he did, he said. The Lord was coming and he never put anything away for retirement.
Or paid into any kind of a pension fund. Well, that brother, when he got to be 1665 years of age, has had a lot of financial difficulty because he wasn't occupying in the way that I believe the Lord was bringing out in the parable that that you mentioned. Kevin, on the other hand, we don't want to put everything in the bank and say, well, I've got to lay up for the future and ignore the present, the work of the Lord goes on.
There are great needs amongst the Lord's people, opportunities in the gospel. So there's a balance. But again, I think it goes back to what Mark and Joe have said in different ones, and that is that we need to be exercised not to try to get more than the Lord has given us, but to manage what he has put in put in our hand. So it's, you know, the Bible is not a book of rules. Again, the New Testament doesn't say we're to put 10% in the bank and 10% for this and.
So much percent for in the offering on Lord's day. Know it all takes very individual exercise before the Lord, and I believe in many of these things. If you're really praying about it and living before the Lord, the Lord can give you the wisdom and discernment that's needed for each situation. And remember too, don't set yourself under hard rules either. Maybe there's a day, maybe there's a time in your life when you can be generous.
In certain avenues. And then maybe there's other times when you have to readjust and funds have to go in in a different direction. Don't don't put yourself under law and say, well, I have to give so much for this and I have to do this and I have to do to do that. And I'll speak in my own case. I've been thankful for those who supported certain aspects of the work in the Caribbean and the gospel work at a certain time. But then things changed in their situation and they weren't able to and.
The Lord always provides in a in another way as well. So the exercise as to where you're at in your life now and don't worry about tomorrow or what's going to happen down the road. And be willing to adjust if the Lord directs.
Exercise and doing it in the proper spirit. That is important because that's that's the other aspect of not having exercise but still want wanting to do it because we've heard at a camp that is very nice to do it. So now next week I'm going to do it and not do it on the proper spirit. I don't think that's what we we have here.
Uh, I was just thinking a little bit on doing that. Apps won't, won't read. But the story about, uh, some of them.
Giving in all their possessions, selling and giving to the apostles and distributing it. And then we have Ananias and some figure that's doing it in a way they were giving. Not all of course we're handing handling back, but you could say well, they they gave a pretty good part, but not not on the right spirit and not on the proper discernment there. So I think that's there there was judgment in that case.
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But I think that's that's important to to seek direction from the Lord so that it can be done with a proper spirit. Yes, that's helpful. And and it says God loves a cheerful giver. And it wasn't that I, Ananias and Sapphira had to give any everything. Nobody told them in the early days of the acts to give everything. They did it out of a willing heart. There was such a work of the spirit of God.
The sin with Ananias and Sapphira was not that they didn't give everything, but they lied about it.
And another one other comment and that is that.
We, uh, we want to be careful that when we give, we don't do it again for the wrong motive. That is to get a pat on the back. Take some time, some time to read Matthew chapter 6 because he rebukes the Pharisees and the religious leaders there, because they were giving their arms or their money in public. They were making a big display about it so that they could get a pat on the back as to how much they gave and and how generous they were and so on.
But he said, when you give your arms, when you use your money to help others, do it in secret. And if you do it in secret with the right motive, then you'll get your reward of the Lord. Otherwise you just get a pat on the back, your reward of men. And it's only for for time.
OK, the next question, I'm wondering about the passage in Genesis 32 verse 24. Let's read that.
Genesis 32.
And uh, Kyle, if you have it there, can you read verse 24 to the end of 30?
When Jacob was left alone, and the rest of the man came until the breaking of the day. But when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh. And the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go for the day, break it. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob but Israel.
For as a Prince hast thou power with God and with men?
And has prevailed. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee thy name.
And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place. For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. So this question is is very simple. Did Jacob wrestle with God in verse 24? In verse 30 Jacob says, I have seen the face of God. What does that mean? Well, the simple answer to this is yes.
He did wrestle with God. He did see the face of God. Now let me just explain what happened in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, God or the Lord appeared to various individuals in various forms. For instance, when Abraham was sitting in the tent door, he looked up and three men approached, and Abraham recognized one of them as the Lord. We find in the Book of Judges that the Lord appeared in the form of an Angel to Manoa and his wife to announce the birth of Samson.
And there are another occasion that comes to mind is on the banks of the Jordan, where Joshua is standing, and he sees a man with a drawn sword, And he says to him ourselves, for us or for our enemies. And he says, as captain of the Lord's host, am I come. This is another occasion where the Lord appeared to an individual, but I want to make it very clear that this was not in what we call incarnation.
This was a temporary thing. Again, the Lord appeared to different individuals in various forms in the Old Testament, but the Lord did not come in incarnation until.
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He was born in Bethlehem S Manger, and there as a babe we have God manifest in the flesh and the Lord. Jesus grew up as a boy. As a young man, he went about his public ministry from about 30 years of age and on, and when he took that when he came in, incarnation came in human form. It was something that was, was, and is permanent. In the Old Testament, these instances were temporary.
With the Lord Jesus coming as a man in incarnation, it's a permanent thing, because the Lord Jesus is still the same man today at the right hand of God as he was when he walked here on earth. A glorified man, yes, but the same man, He rose bodily from the dead and he bodily left this world and went back to sit at the right hand of God. And we are going to see the Lord Jesus as the same man again, a glorified man, but the same man.
That came into this world and whose birth was originally announced to the shepherd. So yes, Jacob wrestled here with God in the form of this man. He saw the face of God, and it was rather a terrifying thing to those in the Old Testament.
In fact, Manoa and his wife said, we're going to perish because we've seen the we've seen God, but God acted in grace and veiled himself in the form, in human form, in that way, uh, in on different occasions in the Old Testament.
OK, I think that one was fairly straightforward, but it was a good question.
This next question is, is it a sin to be addicted to something?
Let's go first of all to 1St Corinthians chapter 6.
First Corinthians chapter 6.
And verse 16.
Well, that's.
Actually.
Verse 12 Let's back up to verse 12. All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. I'm going to stop there.
Sorry, First Corinthians 6.
Sorry, speak up if I don't make it clear. Verse 12.
So the last part of this verse is really the Apostle Paul.
To put this in today's language, saying I don't want to be addicted to something, I don't want to be under the power of something. There are many things that are not wrong in themselves, but to be under the power of it is what is what is wrong.
So he says I will. You know he's talking about all things are expedient and and and so all things are lawful, but not expedient and and so on. But he won't be brought under the power of any. But now let's drop down. Well, let's drop down to verse 19 just for the sake of time. What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.
And in your spirit, which are gods. Now, we don't read in between here, but he cites something fornication, which is sexual activity outside the marriage tie, and God prohibits it. And there are things, other things too, that are are going to harm our bodies, things that we take into our body that are going to harm our body.
I suppose smoking is one of them.
How the UH research has shown over the years that smoking, inhaling cigarette or cigar smoke is harmful to the body. It defiles the Temple of the Holy Ghost. Our bodies are the dwelling place of the of the Holy Ghost and to take something into our body that harms and defiles the Temple of the Holy Ghost. Scripture prohibits it. Again, there are other things.
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That aren't wrong in themselves, but it is the excess of it. It's to be held under the power of it. And before I let somebody else comment, I want to read a verse then in the 16th chapter of First Corinthians.
There's only one time in our English Bible that we have the word addiction or addicted and.
Verse 15 of the last chapter of First Corinthians, I beseech you, brethren.
You know the House of Stefanus, that it is the first fruits of IKEA and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the Saints. So is it wrong to be a? Is it a sin to be addicted to something?
Yes, in most cases it is. But there is one addiction that is scriptural and that is in the service of the Lord's people. You know, it tells us in First John chapter 3, verse 16, that we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. What does it mean to lay down your lives for the brethren? We think of laying down our lives for the Lord as martyrs, and many do, But what is it to lay down our lives for our brother?
It's to give ourselves in sacrifice and service to one another.
And there was a household in the days of the Apostle Paul, where the whole household, the parents, and the young people were addicted to the service of the Lord's people. So there is one, one form of addiction that's good, but generally speaking, we ought not to be under the power of anything.
Director focus to something else?
Other than the ward.
Several stages of addiction, you know, I have no medical authority or anything on it, but.
Speaking of things like drugs and heavy alcohol abuse, you know, it starts it's something to.
Make you feel good.
And maybe provide that distraction and then and then it becomes something to prevent you from feeling, feeling bad.
Uh, that's when it tightens the grip.
But it's it's something to cause you to look away to, to divert your attention to the things the Lord would have us focus on.
Yes. And and it doesn't have to be something that we take into our bodies either like drugs or smoking or excess of alcohol.
Will be very plain. It can be video games. It can be some hobby that we spend so much time at that we're not spending time with her for the Lord or in in the Lord's service. So it can be any number of things that we set our heart on.
And often I think what Austin said is good because often it's because our hearts are not satisfied with what they should be satisfied with. If our hearts and minds are not focused and satisfied on Christ, we're going to seek for for something else. And before we know it without even realizing it, we may be so under the power of it that we find it very difficult to get out from under that. But remember for every addiction.
That there is, there's deliverance. Now that doesn't mean we don't reap what we sow. And there are many Christians who, even before they were saved, were addicted to certain things, and now they're suffering physically or even mentally because it. God doesn't promise us always physical or mental deliverance from even those things that we delve into before we're saved. But there can be deliverance from it and the Lord's help to get through it, perhaps even with even suffering from.
00:40:12
Something physical or mental that we may not be rid of till the Lord comes.
We can, we can relate addiction to excess. I'll take a different passage here in Ephesians 5 that talks about one type of excess.
Starting on.
On verse 15.
Patience 5:15 see then that give walk circumspectly not as close but as wise redeeming the time, because the days are evil. But the first thing about excess or addiction is that it's taking taking time from us in one aspect, and that continues very far. Be not one wise but understanding what the will of the Lord is and be not drunk with wine. We're in is success, but this deal with the spirit. So as I mentioned here is 1 type of.
Except, but Gmail's mentioned can be good things. We can have excess in sport or news or work or school.
Or even unhealthiness. All good things.
Rachel should be looking to fulfill the Spirit and walk.
Yes, and don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong. I I like to play a game of Scrabble on the computer from time to time myself and and different things. But.
That's very helpful to see.
Addictions can start out as something you know that's not.
Bad, but if it goes unjudged or on if you don't take it to the Lord and ask for help. It can lead to stuff.
That is very harmful.
So, you know, if you have, I mean, I I would say, you know, I think everybody struggles with something and you could almost call it an addiction probably. And it's something you really need to take to the Lord.
Because it can snowball.
Similar to all the the financial discussion we had earlier, it's all balancing and moderation, yes.
Judging ourselves in the light of Scripture, and in taking corrections where necessary, the Christian walk is not a.
Umm, a straight line. No deviations, no problems. It's it's a it's a an experience.
And we need to be aware of what's going on in our lives and make corrections from time to time and and be open to those corrections.
Umm. I can't think of any verses right now, but I I remember coming across quite a few that talk about those corrections. Umm.
How that that's a normal?
And one good moderator for everything in our life is, whatsoever ye do, whether you eat or drink, do all to the glory of God. Am I doing this to the glory of God? If it's in excess and keeping me from my enjoyment of Christ, it's not to the glory of God. So that's always a good moderator in our lives.
Want us to have pleasure, I being a parent you?
You get illustrations thrust upon you.
Just the act of eating.
00:45:28
Those pleasures. But there's a place for it.
That's why we keep the soda pop and the coffee flowing at camp.
We better move on to another. There's more could be said about all these, but I would like to just make a brief comment. Get us to make some brief comments about each one of these questions. This next question is in connection with Romans 6, verse 17. Let's turn to it.
Romans 6 verse 17 But God be thanked that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart.
That form of doctrine which was delivered unto you. So the question, they quote the verse here and then the question is what is the form of doctrine that's mentioned here? Well, the form of doctrine is what we have in the book of Romans, and what Romans takes up is fundamental truth as to our salvation and Christianity. And so the Apostle Paul says you were once the servants of sin.
But now having obeyed the truth of salvation.
You've been brought into a position now where we're no longer to be the servants of sin.
But we are. We've been delivered. It's it's the teaching that the Apostle Paul has given in the book of Romans as to.
Fundamental Christianity, that is the form of doctrine here, and that's why.
It's important to read the book of Romans and to understand as much as we can. We know in part and prophecy in part, but to understand fundamentals, the fundamental doctrines of Christianity and what we have been saved from and what we have been brought into in in another scripture. Paul. I think it's in second Timothy three. I think it's the tenth verse. Paul speaks of my doctrine. What is Paul's doctrine? It's again.
The fundamental truth of Christianity that were given to Paul to lay that he was given to lay the foundation of Christianity. And that's why we need to go back to what Paul wrote by inspiration or will never understand the liberty that we have in Christ. Now we might wonder, well, what does the word doctrine really mean? Doctrine is simply another word for teaching. So it's Paul's teaching. It's the form of doctrine. Here is the teaching that is laid out.
In these chapters that we were sinners, born into this world as sinners. But now, based on the work of Calvary, we've been brought in, we've been given new life, and we've been brought into a new standing of liberty before God.
You can drop this reference down. We won't take time to look at it, but in John Chapter 8, verse 32.
The Lord said, Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Now what is the truth? It's what we have in this book. And so again, what's going to really give us, set us free in our souls? What's going to give us liberty in our souls? It's the understanding of the truth of God. You know, the law gave no liberty. It tells us of those that who through fear of death where their whole lifetime subject to *******. That was the children of Israel under the law. But in Christianity we've been set free now.
Now, Christian liberty is not to please ourselves, but Christian liberty is the ability and the resources to please the Lord. And that's that's true liberty for a believer.
Don't let anybody tell you doctrine isn't important. It is. It's very important.
00:50:19
Let me add to that. But having titles speak to other things which become sound doctrine. Is that the other aspect as well? We had in the the little favorite schedule. You know they sell to show proof rightly divided the word of God. So that's another exercise to be able to to go through doctrine because we have doctrines we're talking about here on the from Paul and from the other polls as well. But.
You will hear in the world a lot of different doctrines as well, so it's important to to become familiar with sound doctrine.
Sound doctrine leads to sound behavior We'll never know how to behave as a Christian.
If we don't know the teaching of the word of God, it teaches us how we can and are to live for the Lord.
The next question I've got two questions I I paired together here.
The first one says, how can I encourage your help a young Christian. And then I paired it because I I think it goes along with, uh, that question How can we keep the Lord's coming? For how can we keep the Lord's coming for us fresh every day? Let's go first of all to First Samuel, chapter 30.
Because there's a prerequisite to be able to being able to encourage or help another Christian, and we get it in First Samuel Chapter 30 in An Incident in the Life of David.
No, just we won't read this story. It's a familiar story probably to most of us. It's the story of Ziplag and the battle with the Amalekites. And we find that everything seemed to be against David and the men that were with them, against the children of Israel. And their cities were burned with fire, their wives and their families were taken captive, and so on. Everything seemed to be against them. But I wanna notice what David does in this very difficult situation. Verse 6.
First Samuel 30, verse 6. And David was greatly distressed for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved every man for his sons and for his daughters. But now notice this. But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. Now if you read the rest of the story we find that as a result of David getting into the presence of the Lord and encouraging his own heart in the Lord.
He was able to go down and encourage the men that were with him, and as a result, there was a great victory in Israel that that day. I read this because maybe sometimes we're together with other young people or other Christians, and we come away and we say, you know, we really didn't enjoy much of the Lord and we didn't really encourage one another much and so on. Or I wasn't really able to be a help to that person that I know needed some encouragement and help.
You can only encourage your fellow believer and help them in the measure in which you are encouraged in the presence of the Lord yourself. If you're not reading your Bible and enjoying the Lord, if you're not getting into the presence of the Lord in prayer, then you're not going to be a help to anybody else. So how can I help a fellow Christian by first of all enjoying the Lord's help and His encouragement for me?
Now how do we get encouragement from the Lord? Well, Romans tells us that it is through the encouragement. I know it's comfort in the King James, but the thought is really encouragement. Through patience and encouragement of the scriptures we have hope. So get into the Word, be encouraged from the Lord in the scriptures. Spend time in prayer like David did here and you'll find that without even trying when you interact with other believers, young or old.
Then you'll be an encouragement to them.
00:55:01
And it's not always by what we say either. Sometimes it's just sitting with a person, just listening. So.
Sometimes it's just taking the other end of a board or a hammer and helping someone with a project.
It's not always even just sharing deep things of God, It's just being there for somebody. That can be a real help too.
Good bud. And what you're saying, it's so true. I just experienced that so much in my life. It's something that's been a help to me too, is, uh, I think it's in Timothy. It talks about how to treat other folks. You know, because the body of Christ. And, uh, I don't know the verse exactly. I'm sure somebody else does. It says like, uh, you know, treat older men as fathers. You know, you're in your men's brothers, you know, uh, older women's mothers. You're a woman's sisters. And that's that's been a big help to me. And also like you're saying, you know, like you gotta.
Don't have anything to get if you haven't got anything from the Lord, you know.
And then, uh, the other thing is, you know, just walking along someone you know. So I find in my own life that it seems like with my friends that I talk to, you know, like try to be honest and stuff and, you know, talk about what's really going on. And it seems like a lot of times maybe I can encourage someone else's down, but then I'm gonna be, you know, not doing so well myself, you know, like sometimes, you know, with my walk with the Lord and then a lot. I think it's kind of funny how it works out a lot of times if that happens.
Then friends that I would you know regular communication with will be, you know, doing being a better spot, be able to encourage me.
Now I link this question with the second one because the two are really connected and let's go to 1St Thessalonians chapter 4.
So the second one was, how can we keep the Lord's coming for us fresh every day?
First Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse 17.
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.
And so shall we ever be with the Lord. Now this next verse is the link between the two questions.
Wherefore, comfort? Let me just say this, that often in our King James Bible, the word comfort is really encouragement. You notice in Mr. Darby's translation and some other translations, they translate the word comfort often as encouragement, and that's the way it is here. Wherefore, encourage one another with these words. So again, going back to the original question, how can we encourage another Christian?
By talking about the Lord's coming. How can we keep the Lord's coming fresh in our own souls? By talking about it to other people. So the Apostle Paul in writing to the Thessalonians, he explains very carefully in this epistle about how the Lord's coming is going to take place. And then he says talk about it. When you're together, encourage one another with these words. What works? The fact that the Lord Jesus is coming.
And young people I know when you're younger, perhaps it's not always uppermost in your thoughts. You know some of us who are a little older and we're experiencing various aches and pains and different things that you haven't experienced yet. Sometimes we're looking maybe for the Lord coming in a little more real way because Jude says looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. And for some of us, it's going to be more of a mercy than for others in various ways to circumstances and physical things and so on, but.
Let's learn to enjoy in our own souls the truth of the Lord's coming every day.
And then share it with others. You know, you never really have something until you share it. If you talk about something from scripture, anything, if you share it with somebody else, it's going to confirm it in your own soul. Now, most of you young people have heard me tell this little story before, but I I I heard of a young man who had on his bathroom mirror a little model, 2 words perhaps today. I thought that was very good.
Because when he got up in the morning and looked in the mirror, he wanted to be reminded that this might be the day of the Lord's coming.
Heard of another young man who, when he closed his desk at the office down at night, he made it the habit of his life before he left his desk to go home for the evening to audibly say Lord Jesus come.
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That was, those were two young men who were seeking to keep fresh before them the fact that the Lord was coming. One realizing that the Lord might come before he went to bed that night, the other realizing that the Lord might come in the night before he had to go back to the office in the morning. I thought those were very good exercises, but learn to share those things, and you'll really encourage others and yourself as well.
Asking my friends where they're at, you know, with their walk with the Lord, you know, how's the relationship with the Lord doing? I've had this done to me quite a bit. You know, how I learned it is? I have a friend. How's your walk with the Lord and being able to be honest, you know, because we're not always doing that good, you know, I mean, if we're not, like, doing anything terrible, you know, I mean, it's really easy for myself, You know, I go through periods of where I really want to read the Bible, You know, I just have like a lot of, I don't know, spiritual interview or whatever, you know? And other times I don't want to at all. I have to, like, force myself, you know. But it's been really helpful to me to have friends that will ask me how, how's your relationship with or, you know?
And be able to ask someone else that or did you enjoy anything today? And and being able to be honest about that. You know, being able to have a friend that you can.
Have a good enough relationship that you can be honest, you know, and say how you're really doing. It's really a big hit. It's my time to be a really big encouragement to me.
And don't think that those of us who are older have arrived, that we're always upbeat and everything is going, going well. I'll make a little confession here at camp. One time, not all that long ago, I was sitting at the end of our kitchen table and I was pretty down and I was kind of crying. And I said to say, I said, whoever calls us to encourage us. And I said no, I'm in a bad state of soul. I realize it, but I'm just saying that because.
We all, it doesn't get any easier as we get older. And I think sometimes when we're young, we look at the older brothers and sisters and we think, well, they've arrived and they've figured it all out and they don't have the problems and the stresses that we have. And I, I don't want to be a prophet of doom, but if the Lord leaves us here, doesn't get any easier. The enemy attacks. In many ways life today is very stressed no matter where where we're at. And you know, I've been encouraged by young people who have.
Spoken to me.
Baby called me, said something between meetings, Help me out in some situation. And we who are older need encouragement. And Timothy as a young man, was to live, to be, to seek, to be an encouragement. He'd been an encouragement to the Apostle Paul, who was an older brother, and he was exhorted to be an encouragement to his brethren, whether they were young or old. So we all need it.
Now again, I've got three questions here, so let's let's move very quickly here. I wish we had more time, but if if you haven't got the answer to your question that you feel is sufficient, talk to some of us after. We'll be more than happy to discuss it further. I'm gonna read this next question. A few years ago I found out that my school friend was a Jehovah Witness.
As we got older, I let my friend know my beliefs and she told me hers. I can see that what she believes is wrong and not the word of God.
And and not the word of God warns against. The word of God warns against these false teachers. It is. Is it OK to simply know her as a classmate friend? How should I approach the situation? Very good question. Let's go to the third epistle of John.
I'm sorry, the 2nd Epistle of John.
The second Epistle of John.
Let me just say this before I read this. Without going into their doctrine, we know that the Jehovah Witnesses do not believe that Jesus was God manifest in the flesh. And in spite of what an individual might tell you at the door, their core doctrine does not believe. They do not believe in their core doctrine that Jesus is God manifest in the flesh and John in the first epistle.
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Warns about those who do not teach that and that that kind of doctrine is blasphemous. If the Lord Jesus is not God manifest in the flesh, we do not have a sure foundation for our salvation and for our eternity. We must tenaciously hold on to that doctrine that He's God manifest in the flesh. OK, so having said that, let's notice some scriptures here.
Uh.
Verse 7 Second Epistle of John Verse 7 For many deceivers are entered into the world.
Who confessed not that Jesus Christ is come in flesh? This is a deceiver and an Antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we lose not these things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, Hath not God He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ? He hath both the Father and the Son.
If there come on, if there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house.
Neither bid him Godspeed or, in our language say goodbye for he that biddeth him. Godspeed is partaker of his evil deeds. Now let me try to be balanced in answering this question. So we often re take these verses, and we say in connection with those that come to our door, like the Jehovah Witnesses, who hold doctrines, blast blasphemous doctrines as to the person of Christ, that we ought not to invite them in.
And that we ought not to wish them well when we when we say when we give, give them leave. I'm not saying we shouldn't give them a verse of scripture. My personal exercise is not to argue with them, because they're only there to argue. If someone genuinely wants to know what you believe from the scriptures, that's a different matter, but you'll just get into a tangle arguing with those kinds better. Just a quote, a verse of Scripture.
And to leave it for the spirit of God so we don't invite them into our home.
I believe it is not proper to be close friends with them, David said in the 119th Psalm. I am, I am a companion. Well, let's, let's take a minute just to read it because it's an important verse. Psalm 119.
And verse 63.
I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and then notice this next part and the key by precepts. In other words, David for our purposes tonight David found his close friendship or companionship only with those that.
In obedience to the Word of God that held the truth of the Word of God. I know it was.
Wasn't the truth of the New Testament in his day, But I believe the principle is there. Do those that we find our close friendship and companionship with hold fundamental truth principles of the word of God. Now, having said that, we do have to operate in this world and so perhaps you're on a project with someone at work who perhaps is a Mormon or a Jehovah Witness or.
Whatever. You've got to get along with them that you're not seeking their friendship or companionship. In that situation, you're simply working on a project that your employer has set you to. Maybe it's a lab at school, maybe it's sitting next to someone at a desk in the classroom. We are to show ourselves friendly and to do good to all men and so on, but that's quite a different matter.
Our associations.
As to work to school, neighbors, and so on, is quite a different matter than taking up close friendship and companionship. And if they hold doctrines that are contrary to the person of Christ, fundamental truth concerning the person of Christ, we are not to have close companionship with them. Scripture is very clear.
01:10:35
A series of questions you could approach them with.
Is the reaction of in the Bible of people worshipping attempting to worship anybody but God. And there's uh, look it up. There's the Apostle John tried to worship an Angel. Umm.
And he was shut down. The a couple of the apostles in the book of Acts, they tried to worship them. The uh some group I forget and they did everything they could to stop that worship. Uh when Jesus received worship several times he had a very different reaction. He didn't shut them down.
And so.
The 10 commandments tell us we should worship the Lord our God, and Him only shalt thou worship now the Bible telling me to worship a creature or God himself when I worship Jesus.
I found that really helpful.
Yes, so we can be a help to others present the scripture. But I think in the light of the question to form social Co close social uh interaction with them is uh is not according to the word of God. But I think what Mark said is good. We need to be available if there is a genuine desire to know what scripture really says and to counteract that which is false.
Now our time is gone. It's more than gone, but let's just very quickly look at these other two.
Question. This one is in connection with Ephesians 6. Let's go there.
Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 16.
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. So this question is in connection with the shield of faith and.
Before the the person asked the question, they quote. They say Jesus quoted scripture when he was tempted by Satan. That's in the wilderness. And then they quote the 119th Psalm verse 11 by Where have I hid in my heart?
That I might not sin against thee, then here is the question.
Why then, in the armor of God is faith a defensive piece of armor as opposed to the word of God?
When we have those who? When? When we have these other examples of scripture, the verses they quoted ahead that we just read seeming to be defensive against sin.
As we often point out, there are 5 defensive pieces of the armor and one offensive. The offensive piece is the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, but the shield of faith is really one of the defensive pieces of the armor. Because it's a little different here than what we normally think of. It's not so much it's it's not so much using the word of God to.
Counter the devil's attack. But to lift the shield of faith is to have complete confidence in God in every situation. That's why it says above all. So he lists the other pieces of armor and then he says above all, take the shield of faith. Now I'll give you just a couple of examples and we won't turn to it, but you can jot these references down an example first of all.
Of some men who did not lift the shield of faith. And those were the disciples in Mark's Gospel chapter 4 verses 37 to the end, where we find they were in a ship one night the Lord was asleep in the boat, and they didn't lift the shield of faith. They were afraid and they cried and woke up the Lord and cried, Master, carest thou not that we perish.
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Now, why do I say they didn't lift the shield of faith? Because the Lord had told them they were going to the other side. And if they had really believed that, if they'd lifted the shield of faith and believed what the Lord had said, they wouldn't be afraid that they were going to go to the bottom in the midst of the sea. They would have had faith in what had already been confirmed to them. They didn't lift the shield of faith now.
On the other side of the coin.
If we were to go to job chapter two, I think it's verses 9 and 10.
We find there that Job lifted the shield of faith when his wife came to him in the midst of all those trials and difficulties and said, Job just give up cursed God and die, and Job said no. In other words, at one of the most difficult times in Job's life, he lifted the shield of faith. He counted on God, he counted on God's word and that what God was doing.
Was right in his life, and that's what That's why. It's not so much the offense of being on the offensive, but it's to lift that shield, to quench the fiery darts of the wicked. What are the fiery darts of the wicked? They're the darts of doubt. It's in contrast to faith. Faith brings God into every situation in life and trust God for those situations.
The enemy wants us to let down that shield so he can get the fiery dart in, just like he did with the disciples in the boat. But if we're holding the shield up at all times?
Then the enemy is not going to get those darts in, but the minute we let that shield down.
Then the enemy has some doubt in some way, and we're not going to be trusting God in the situation.
Let's think of the probably the first example of that regarding of you or the Garden of Eden.
When Serpent talked to the woman, I'm going to read the in the Darby version.
First awards and it said to the woman is it Even so that God has said and pose a question so that's where he's bringing in doubt and if you guys that's important also for us as at any any time or circumstance in our lives we without something that we see in the word of God. I think that's that's the moment just tough and and see that a dark may have gone through we have to go back to through faith and believing in what.
What is in God's word?
The contrast with is it so is what Paul says in Acts 27 and he was on the ship. Says we're for sirs, we have good cheer for I believe God that it shall be even as it was told me.
Yeah. Yes, that's that's a very nice contract. That's very good. Thank you.
OK, one last question. It's a very, I put these two questions together, they're very comprehensive. But uh, we'll just give a very, very quick outline here. The question, both questions have to do with the day of the Lord and the day of God.
So he's on. The one question is what? What period of time is the Day of the Lord? The reference is Second Peter 3, verse 10. Just drop drop that reference down.
Then he Then the question says, what period of time is the day of God that Second Peter 312. Then they give a reference 1St Thessalonians 5 two is first Thessalonians 5 two the day of the Lord? Is it the same as second Peter? 310. Now having said that, the second question is when does the day of the Lord begin? Are we in it presently? And then there's the the person gives a little list here, The rapture, the tribulation, the Millennium, the appearing.
OK, it's a very comprehensive question, but the day, to put it very simply, well, before we do that, let's take time and go to 1St Corinthians Chapter 4, because there are four days that it's very important for us to understand. There's a day that we're in right now. There are three days that are yet future.
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Or or two. I'm sorry. Yeah, there's Well, well, let's let let me qualify here. So let's let's notice here.
Umm. First Corinthians chapter 4.
And verse 3. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, Lucas, you have Mr. Darby's translation right there. Read this verse and Mr. Darby's translation. But for me it is the very smallest matter that I be examined of you or of man's day. OK, so he's talking here about man's day. Man's day is the day we're living in right now. It's the day when God is allowing man to assert his rights here in this world.
That doesn't mean that God isn't in control of every situation.
But God is allowing man to go to a certain extent, and he will allow him to do so until man's day is over, and man's day will not be over until the day of the Lord. Well, then the question arises, when does the day of the Lord begin? Well, it begins after the Rapture, after we're called out of this world, but not right away, because the Lord is going. God is going to allow men to assert his rights for a short time, even after.
The Rapture, the day of the Lord isn't really going to start.
Until the middle of what we call the prophetic week, there's a There's going to be after the Lord comes, there's going to be at least seven years of a Prophetic Week.
And in the middle of that week, Satan is going to be cast out of heaven and down to earth because he's and that's the created heavens. He's the Prince of the power of the air today gonna be cast down to earth.
And the Lord is going to begin in judgment to assert His rights here on planet Earth. So let's keep it very simple. The day of the Lord is the time when the Lord is going to assert His rights here in this world. You have it in Revelation chapter 19, where the heavens open up. We've talked a lot today about heaven opening up. The heavens are going to open up in a future day.
And the Lord Jesus is going to come forth in power not not as the lowly babe in Bethlehem, not as the man of grace, but he's going to come forth in power, and he is going to assert his rights here in this world, in in judgment. And so that is the the day of of the Lord. Again, if you make a note, the day of the Lord is the day when man, when when the Lord is going to assert His rights on earth now.
It's not just going to include the tribulation, it's going to include the thousand year reign that we refer to as the Millennium. Because in the thousand year reign of the Millennium, the Lord is going to reign in righteousness. And in fact, if anybody rebels, they're going to be judged every morning and it's going to be the ultimate penalty of death if anybody outwardly sins the Lord as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
He's going to assert his rights and nobody is going to be allowed to do anything out of line to rebel against the Lord without being cut off. So that's the day of the Lord.
In in In a nutshell, now the day of God then is after the Millennium. Now you can read the verses in First Peter where it talks about the day of God it's after.
The Tribulation. After the Millennium, he's going to turn to the 15th chapter of First Corinthians and you'll see how it's going to begin.
First Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 25. For he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
For he hath put all things under his feet, but when he saith, all things are put under him.
It is manifest that he is accepted, which did put all things under him. Now notice this.
And when all things shall be subdued, that's at the end of the Millennium, when all things shall be subdued unto him.
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Then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him.
That hath put all things under him, that God may be All in all.
We call it the Day of God or the eternal state. It's when everything is brought into complete conformity to God and to Christ. There's nothing more needs to be put down, nothing more needs to be ruled over in that sense. And the Lord Jesus as a man turns the Kingdom back to the Father that God may be All in all. That's why in Peter it's called the Day of God in Revelation chapter 21 in the 1St 8 verses of that chapter.
It's the day of God. And the key is God shall wipe away tears. God shall be All in all, When it's God, it's the eternal state or the day of God. So I mentioned there's four days that are important for us to understand. I've mentioned three of them. Let me very quickly give you the other one. So again, I'm gonna summarize that this is man's day today and it will be man's day, really, up until the middle of the tribulation week. Then it's going to be the day of the Lord.
From that point until the end of the thousand years when the Lord asserts His rights in judgment and government on the earth, then it's the day of God forever and ever, the eternal state. But there's also what is referred to as the day of Christ. You get it in Philippians one and other places. Sometimes it's called the day of Jesus Christ. That's a little different day. What is that? That's the time when the believer.
Is going to stand at the judgment seat of Christ and be judged for their works, for their life here. Not judged for their sins, of course. But you'll notice if you look up the times where you have the day of Christ or the day of Jesus Christ, it's always in connection with reward for the believer. So the day of Christ is when we stand before the Lord Jesus. Not a question of getting into heaven, not a question of us being judged.
But our works are going to be judged and manifest and he's going to give reward.
At that time.
Now again, young people, we've covered these questions very, very basically very, very quickly. But you know, sometimes it's good just to get an outline of things and hopefully it will whet your appetite to search it out more for yourself and maybe to ask other questions in private conversation and to share things together with your fellow young person as well.