This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. Clearly declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach us toll-free. You can reach us toll free at 1-800-576-3771. One-line donations may be made through the Bible-lined website at calvaryoftampa.org. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, and that today’s first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

You know, and everything that we do, and working with people, you try to persuade people by the way you act, things you say do your attitude, and trying to be friendly, nice, kind, considerate, all those wonderful Christian terminology that helps us to explain who and what we are. But the most persuasive thing we could ever do is persuade someone to trust the Lord. And so, so winning is just doing that. He said, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.”

So the first thing I guess you could start off with is you got to be a saved man. So a person needs to know Christ as their Savior because that’s the key to learning the rest of it. Now the things we’re going to talk about tonight are not for the lost man, this for the saved man, those that do know Christ as their Savior. So number one I have done is be a staying man. You say, what do you mean by that?

It means to abide. The Lord uses the word abide many times in scripture, abiding in Him. My little children abide in Him that when He shall appear, we may not be ashamed before Him and His coming and so on. And He says that He’s the, the vine where the branches is abide in me. And that’s your abiding, we ought to stay where we have been placed. And you are a child of God. And I want you to look at there in Titus in chapter one.

Titus chapter 1. And notice as Paul is talking to young Timothy, most of these things are said by senior daddy, Mr. Paul, to Timothy Jr. But I didn’t want to show this one verse here from the book of Titus in chapter 1. And you’ll see there in verse 4, 2 Titus, my own son after the common faith, grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior. For this cause left IV in Crete that thou should have set in order the things that are wanting and ordained elders in every city.

This is what God won. Now when you study the book of Timothy you’ll find out that it deals mostly with sound doctrine and here when we’re talking about Titus it’s the divine order. So there is an order in which God wants things done. And he says, first of all, he said, I want you to get some elders. Elders don’t just appear. They have to be trained. They have to know the Word of God. They’re usually older saints in the Lord.

And he left them there for a reason because some work has to be done. And Paul was on his way to another place. He would go to a place when people to Christ, turn over to somebody you take that one and I’m going to the next one. I’m going to the next one. But here in this verse in verse 5, for this cause left I thee there. So I believe he was supposed to stay there until he got the job done.

So I wrote down there, when you’re a soldier, you don’t leave your post until orders are received from higher up, learning the chain of command. And when you believe that God leads you to a certain place to do a certain thing, stay there until you do believe that God wants you to leave. Not because of the problems and the hard aches and all the troubles, it’s because you believe this is what God wants. Then you make your decision, always because you believe this is what God wants.

Don’t go tundra to him. But look there in 1 Timothy, I want you to see this first, 1 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 3. He says, as I besought thee, and here’s those two words, abide still at Ephesus. When I went into Macedonians that thou might have charged some that they teach no other doctrine. Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies which minister questions rather than give a golly edifying which is in faith so do. And now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and a faith on faith.

And says from which some having swerved have turned the side under Vain Janglin, you abide where God puts you and you abide in the things that God’s taught you. And don’t be fly by night, be solid, be stable, accomplish something. And whenever you learn the Word of God, you hang on to what you know to be true, and you don’t let it go, and you don’t step aside from truth. A truth don’t have to bend. Truth is always truth.

It’s what it is. 2 Timothy 2. 2 Timothy 2. And look there in verse 3. 2 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 3. Thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Because that’s what you are. You are a soldier. Learn to take orders and you don’t move on until you get some authority from higher up. And as a child of God, your authority should always come from the Lord.

Always come from the Lord. and look to Him, trust Him, walk with Him, and stay close to the Lord, and you’ll be surprised how God may lead and guide you. Now see, everything that we do is kind of taking steps. You don’t know what you’re gonna be doing down the road. But right now you take and stand still and do what God wants you to do, where you are, and when God’s ready for you to move on, God will let you know.

But don’t just always use problems and people as an excuse to get away from a responsibility. But when you know that this is what God wants you to do, then fine, boo. I never have any problem with people that believe that this is what God wants. I may ask them, how do you know? I may want to talk to them a little bit because some people always just want to run from some responsibilities. So you’re always interested in that.

But look at number two, be a standing man. Because we’re talking about how do you persuade people by being what people ought to be? You persuade people to do what you are and see whatever you are is what you multiply. It’s what you reproduce. Everybody reproduces after your own kind. And if you are a soul winner, you will reproduce soul winners. If you’re deadhead, you’re going to produce deadheads. If you’re a winer and you’re going to produce winers. If you’re a soul winner, you produce soul winners.

It’s whatever you are. And the greatest thing you’ll ever build is not going to be a ministry. The greatest thing you’ll ever build is yourself. Let God build you. And all the things that happens is to make you strong and build you and in whatever you are is what you’ll do because you’ll reproduce after your own kind. So learn to let God do some building. And that’s why he says in the book of Jude, talking about building up yourselves in your the most holy faith, building up yourselves.

And it’s kind of like getting, you know, you wanna be big and strong and a lot of muscles, you know, kind of like I am. But you go to gym and you work out and you do some weights and push-ups and all that kind of stuff to try to build yourself up. Well, spiritually, that’s what you have to do. And whatever you are, it ought to be good enough to somebody who says, you know, as a Christian, I wanna be like that person.

But you’re persuading them without having to say the word. You’re discipling people without using the word discipleship. Because you see, you just want to train whoever follows. And you can’t determine how many will follow you. You just lead and train those that will follow. And if you get three or five or 20, maybe a hundred, maybe a thousand. You don’t know how many you’re going to get down the road. just be faithful with what God’s given to you. And God will bless you for doing so.

The stand that you’re supposed to take is about what the Lord has done for you and not forgetting what He’s taught you. And in Galatians chapter five and verse one, stand fast therefore in the liberty where the Christ hath made us free. Learning enough from the Word of God you’re able to stand the way God wants you to stand. And as God’s children realizing that as you take a stand, it’s only because you’re strong enough in the Lord. But in the book of Ephesians in chapter 6 where he makes the statement, stand fast.

And then he makes a statement in the same chapter of 6 about not running, not bending, but standing upon what the Word of God says and having done all to stand. where it talks about the armor of the Lord and put it on the shield and put it on the helmet and the breastplate and all these things and having done all you stand a Lot of Christians are not strong enough to withstand the pressures of the world and if you don’t stand You’re going to fall.

I wrote a little statement underneath there that when the war is over when the war is over and And the smoke clears, you didn’t fought your fight, you want to be left standing. And that’s why he makes the statement that, I have fought a good fight there in chapter four. And he says, I fought a good fight. I finished my course, I have kept the faith. You want to finish standing. You don’t want the devil to be able to destroy you, to knock you down, to get you down.

And that’s why as you live your Christian life, you have to be very careful that you don’t allow the devil to have an opening to get to you and always watching and preparing. But anyway, as we’re moving right along here, look at number three, be a strong man. Now, in Ephesians in chapter six, and verse 10 talks about, and be strong in the power of his might, being strong in the Lord. Now, to be strong, you have to do things that will make you strong.

And being strong is not just so that you can walk around and show how strong you are, so that you can fight battles, it’s so that you can win. It’s because there’s going to be things that’s going to happen, it’s going to challenge you and tempt you, to lure you, to destroy you. And so you have to be strong enough to know your limits, your boundary of what you can and cannot do. And so you get to protect yourself.

And this is trying to persuade a person to be wise, to be careful and don’t play the foolish game where they won’t happen to me. Anything can happen to you if you let down your guard. And that’s why it’s so important. I’ve been married going on 51 years and I’d like to make it until we get to be with the Lord. And to be faithful, you gotta guard yourself and have a testimony of this outstanding. And so that’s, that there’s a war going on.

And so you’re trying to do what’s right. So that’s the only reason I tell you. It’s not because I’m better, it’s because I’m afraid of, I might be weak and I may not stand the way I should. And so a part of my strength is guarding myself and stay away from the edge. Don’t see just how far or how close you can get without going over the edge. Not this guy. I don’t think that’s a wise thing to do.

But I do want you to look at this scripture in Joshua. Look all the way over there to the book of Joshua. I love Joshua. Joshua’s a tremendous book. But look there in Joshua. You know, he was, well Moses is sidekick for a long time, 40 years. He was just second man, second in charge. And then whenever Moses passed off the scene, Joshua got the knot and he says here in verse five, there shall not any man be able to stand before the all the days of thy life.

What did you realize what that says? That’s God giving assurance to Joshua and he says, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee. I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. I will not fail you nor for safety. And the Old Testament was written for our ammunition so that we can learn something from it. Now what can you learn from that? Is there anything you can learn from that where he says I will be with thee?

Is that supposed to be comforting? You tell me, you think about it. God said it. I will not fail thee. Surely there’s something you can get out of that. There must be a point there to be made. And the last part of this says, North forsake thee. I’ll never forsake thee. Oh, look what else he says. In verse six, be strong. See, that’s a choice that you make. You’re the one that has to decide, well, do I really want to be strong?

If I want to be strong in the things of the Lord, then that’s my decision. But I have to commit myself to doing whatever it will take to make me strong. So be strong in of a good courage because it’s so easy to get discouraged. For unto this people shall thou divide for an inheritance, the land which I swear unto their fathers to give them. Get verse seven, only be thou, and here’s that word again, strong, very courageous. That thou mayest observe to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded thee, turn not from it to the right hand or to the left.

That thou mayest prosper, whether so ever thou goeth. So this means that Joshua will never have any trouble, he’ll never have a problem. No, he had problems right off the bat. He had a lot of problems. But he did what God says to do and God never forsook him. And he did make his way prosperous. And so there’s things that I remember reading about Moses. I mean, Joshua’s saying, I know now what others going to do. He said, but for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

We’re going to serve the Lord. And that’s what he did. And he says in verse eight, this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein every once in a while. Day and night. Meditate therein day and night that thou may as observed to do according to all that is written therein. For then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shall have good success. So when he made that promise to him, it’s conditional upon him staying in the word night and day meditated upon the word of God studying the words so that he would be able to do what God told him to do and then God would make his way prosperous and he would have good success and then verse 9 have not I commanded thee and here it is again be strong and of good courage be not afraid neither be thou dismayed for the

Lord God is with thee, whether so ever thou goest.” Now that is a good promise that I believe God’s people ought to hang on to because you’re talking about being strong in his mind, being strong in the Lord. And every one of us should be strong. When we hear that one verse that I can do all things through Christ which strengthened with me, it must be that I can do all things through Christ. Well, if I can, then it means that Christ can do all things.

If I can do all things through Christ, then it must mean that Christ can do all things. True? There’s no limit to what He can do. And all you’ve got to do is just learn to walk with Him and learn to trust Him. And He will do what He promise that he will do. Number four, be a serving man. Remember I made this table one time. I don’t mind serving God. It’s people that I had trouble with. But you can’t figure out how to serve God without serving people.

Because God says to serve him, I have to serve people. So whether you like it or not, I mean, well, I don’t like those people that church. I don’t like my neighbors. They just don’t like anybody. Okay, so that means you’re exempt from serving God because you You don’t have to serve those that you don’t like. And you don’t have to be nice and kind and so forth to those you don’t like. It has nothing to do with who you like and who you don’t like.

You have a responsibility. And you can’t serve God without serving people. And you’re not to be a respecter of persons. But anyway, the next statement is be a serving man. Second Timothy chapter four, second Timothy chapter four, and look there in verse one. The first six verses, I charged thee, therefore, before God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Now I’ve had services where I’ve, because of a Bible college, I’ve had to give a charge to those that were being ordained to the ministry.

When I was over there in India, and I think he had nine or so that was been ordained into the ministry, and I had a part in that service. And these are generally verses that we read to somebody who wants to commit themselves to the ministry of the Lord. But look what Paul says to young Timothy. And you see if there’s anything in there that you can apply to yourself. Because if this is what God wants from the man of God, well, maybe there’s something in here that every one of us ought to have.

Because he says, I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing in his kingdom. Preach the word. Well, you can’t preach the word if you don’t know the word. So you got to know the word. Be instant in season and out of season. Be instant means be ready at all times. Always be ready. In season out of season when it’s time to plant and when it’s not time to plant.

When you’re sowing and you’re reaping. . . . . . . . . . . . It’s not all necessarily done at the same time. There’s times when you will find that you’ll have a harvest of souls and then it seemed like you’ll have dry spells. Sometimes it seems like everything’s going great and sometimes everything’s not going great. But it says be instant in season and out of season. Reprove. It means to charge here. Reprove. Rebut, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.

So this is what we’re going to do. why we’re supposed to reprove somebody when they’re wrong and to rebuke somebody if necessary. And the Bible talks about taking the light of the Word of God and shining it on people so they can see what’s wrong with them. But get what he says. In verse 3, for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. In the words you might know it, but you don’t want to endure it.

You don’t want to stay there. And that’s why some people that get tired, they don’t want to do the work anymore. They just want people to make them feel good. That’s why she’s talking about itching here. Just make me feel good while I’m not doing anything. And so that’s why they want to heap to themselves the kind of preachers that let them do and live however they want without feeling that sense of reprove or rebuke or confrontation where I don’t have to change anything.

And so preachers that do not preach against sin, their churches will be packed. You preach on sin and nobody likes to cause it as personal. And they don’t want you to talk about that. So therefore there’s a price to pay. But he says, and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned into fables. Things that are fiction, stories. They said in verse 5, but what’s thou in all things? Endure afflictions. Do the work of an evangelist make full proof of thy ministry.

For I am now ready to be offered in the time of my departures at hand, and I need you coming up behind me. I need somebody else to fill the gap. And this is what you’re supposed to do. I fought a good fight. I finished my race. It’s your turn now. a guy named Greg Steer, he wrote a little book called You’re Next, You’re Next. Because you see, me and Dr. Lindstrom were moving on off the scene, one of these days, you know, I’ll be gone.

And we’re hoping that there’s somebody that’s listened to what we’ve said and are going to be strong in the Lord so that they can continue doing and taking a stand the way they should for the gospel’s sake and to do all of this. So that’s the serving man. Colossians 128 simply talks about how that we’re teaching every man, warning every man, because it’s part of our responsibility to serve the Lord. Serving the Lord is serving people. Try on your dead level best to get people to do what’s right.

Try to challenge and motivate them. Number five, be a spiritual man. And be a spiritual man, you must be spiritually minded. So if you’re spiritually minded means you mind the spirit. To be fleshly minded means you mind the flesh. So you and I have a choice. And as we grow in the Lord become spiritually minded, we should become more like the Lord. And that’s found in the book of Romans in chapter eight and verse six. But first Timothy chapter four, verse seven and eight.

Look there, right where we are. 1 Timothy 4 verse 7 and 8. Not 2 Timothy now. And look over there in 1 Timothy 4 and verse 7 where it says, but refuse profane and old wise fables and exercise thyself rather unto godliness, unto godliness. Because see, that is so very important, the word godliness. That’s hard to be spiritual when you’re ungodly. And if you’ll notice here, it says in verse 8, for bodily exercise profit if little, but it does profit.

But godliness is profitable. Under all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. bodily exercise, there is some profit. But evidently, being spiritually strong, spiritual exercise is a lot more important. And this is what causes the person to be a spiritually strong individual. And some people are not spiritually strong. And when you’re not spiritually strong, you cannot withstand the pressures of this life. You will not be able to win against the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life.

There’s a war on, there is a battle, and you will not be able to stand against it. Number 6. Number six is be a studying man. When I was making up my mind to go to Bible school, I was out there in Shreveport, Louisiana. And I don’t know why, but I did. I imagined I pictured myself in college. But for some reason or other, I kept pitching myself in an attic. And there were books on the floor all the way to the ceiling, and everything was crowded all over.

And I had a desk and I’m sitting here at the desk with a little lamp. And all these books are all over and I’m swarmed. And I’m trying to study these books because I’m going to study for the ministry. And it scared me to death. I thought, how will I learn all of this? I used to take the Bible and I look at it. I think, how will I ever learn this book? I said, a man can’t live long enough to learn this book.

So why am I going to go to Bible school? But I knew I got to do something, and that I could not know the will of God without knowing the Word of God, so it was the will of God to know the Word so I can know His will. Makes sense. So I’m going to Bible college, and I remember Betty’s dad, I told him on the phone. He started questioning me, how do you know? How do you know that this is what God wants you to do?

I said, I don’t know, but I’m going to Bible college. So you’re going to be a preacher. I don’t know. All I know is that I don’t want people to go to hell. And I know that I need to know the book. And I had a hunger and I wanted to do it. And he was afraid of me going to Bible college. Because he says, Bible college, you’re just like the seminaries. They’re all cemeteries. He says, no, kill you.

They’ll rip that fire out of your gut and you’re not going to want to do anything.” So I go anyway, I said, well, I’m bringing Betty and the kids to your house. And I want to leave Betty and the kids with y’all. And I’m going to Bible school. So anyway, I got a lot of memories. I know I’m getting old because I do a lot of reminiscing that I used to never even do. Never even thought about stuff. But I knew that I had to study, to study.

And if you want to know the will of God, you have to study and know the Word of God. And I think that was an advantage that it served me well over the years. And I know that if you listen to Dr. Ankelnstrom, his knowledge of the Bible was unsurpassed. I mean, the guy just knew the book and probably could go back and forth all over the place and never have to even probably tell you where it was at, I mean, he just quote him.

But if you don’t do that overnight, You’ve got to study and memorize a lot of scripture. And there’s people the day they want to serve a little, but they don’t want to spend any time in the book. Where you’re going to be limited in knowledge, you’re limited in ministry. You’ve got to spend time with the Lord. Let God teach you the Word of God, and it will be a great blessing to you. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr.

Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. Our two of this teaching will conclude with tomorrow’s broadcast. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the Clear Gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bible line and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage.

If you’re in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 1030 and at six o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold.

Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. We will be changed. Hot up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day. Believe in that the Lord is coming soon and just keep looking up.