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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s Word on Bibleline. Everywhere, every time, here God’s truth on Bibleline. 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 at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage.

We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s concluding message of this teaching will be a blessing to you and your family. Then He goes down to verse 20, for our behavior or manner of life is in heaven, our citizenship, from which also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body. According, according to the working whereby, and you ought to underline that statement, He is able, even to subdue all things unto Him.

Now God is able to take the body that we have and make it like unto His body. He took our soul and washed it white as snow, but He never changed the body. But the one that can wash the soul white as snow can also make the body whole. To where we can have a body that will live for all eternity. The new body that he says as he makes a statement, he’s going to change our vile body. What makes our body vile is our old sinful nature.

So he’s going to give us a body that does not have a sinful nature. He’s able even to subdue all things unto himself. He can bake everything under his feet. You and I have a God who is able to do anything he wants to do. And he’s told us a few things that he will do. And he is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and he is unchangeable. And he continuously live. He liveeth forever. That’s why you and I can have and rest in the fact that I have eternal security.

Because I am in him that is eternal. So if I am in Him that is eternal, how long am I going to be around forever as long as He is? And I can’t go to hell if He don’t go. I don’t think He’s going. I think I feel pretty safe, pretty secure. In the Bible, in the book of Daniel in chapter 3, we’ll have to turn it right now. Why not? Go there. Daniel chapter 3. ever heard of the three Hebrew children, but the three Hebrew children, they refused to bend to bow or to burn.

But Nebuchadnezzar was very mad upset with them because they just didn’t bow to him. And he really didn’t want to set them on fire. Nothing like being on fire for the Lord, but this is not kind of firing on the Lord. I like the man. But he He says in verse 15, he says, after he talked to them, he said, now listen you fellows, if you be ready that at what time you hear the sound of the cornet, the flute, the harp, the cyborg, and the soft-reedend, all kinds of music, he fall down and worship the image which I have made well.

But if you worship not ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And then look what this statement is. Who is that God? that shall deliver you out of my hand. What God can deliver you out of my hand? That is what their test really is. The test is about who’s God is God. Who has the power? And so, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, they were, no, I didn’t say that. One guy said, this is my shack, you’re shacking the bungalow.

But anyway, he says, He says, they said to Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer the in this matter. In other words, we’re not worried. We’re not worried. Are you worried? Are you worried? He said, I’m not worried. Wait a minute. Why shouldn’t they be worried? They’re fixing to be cast into a burning fiery furnace. Shouldn’t that cause everybody to be worried? We’re not careful to answer you in this manner. If you throw us into the burning fiery furnace.

Looking for seven and he says, if it be so. Our God whom we serve and you’re on the line that is able. Our God is able. He is able to deliver us. To deliver us from the burning fiery furnace. If he doesn’t, so be it. But I know that I have a God who is able to do it. And if he doesn’t do it, it means God has a higher purpose. And I can accept that. So he may let me lose my health, and he may lose, I lose wealth and he might lose, who cares?

But my God is able to keep it from happening. And if he doesn’t keep it from happening, then maybe he has a reason he just never told me about. And I’m just going to be faithful regardless. Now God hadn’t told the three Hebrew children that he was going to deliver them because what he says. He says, if it be so our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery He will deliver us out of thine hand, O King, one way or the other.

But if not, be it known unto the O King, we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up were not going to do it. God is able. God is able to do what God says that He can do and wants to do. That doesn’t mean he’s going to do something just because he’s able to do it. Unless he has a higher reason. Not everybody is delivered out of the fiery furnace. Not everybody escapes death.

Not everybody escapes poverty. Not everybody escapes bad health. Not everybody escapes it. But sooner or later we all die. And that’s true. Look in Acts 20, the book of Acts in chapter 20. The book of Acts in chapter 20. I know the apostle Paul knew that the people he was talking to here at Ephraus, he knew that this would probably be the last time he’d ever talked to him. This is kind of like a farewell address to them. And he loved these people, but looked there in verse 17, and from my leaders he sent to Ephraus and called the elders of the church, and when they were come to him, he said unto them, ye know from the first day that I came into Asia.

what manner I have been with you at all seasons. In other words, you know me. You know what I was like. You know how I approached you, what I did and I didn’t do. And he really goes to it pretty good here. But let’s just look what he said. In verse 19, serving the Lord with all humility of mind and with many tears and tim day. In other words, this is what he said what I had to go through and serve in the Lord.

This is what I went through to reach you. You see, whenever the Bible talks about going and sowing the seed with tears shall come with joy, reap with joy, finding the Old Testament of Psalms, talking about sowing with tears. Not the tears, you know, of the people you’re reaching, but the tears that you have to shed to go through all the trials and the troubles and the tribulations in order to get the seed to them, to get the word to people.

You see, you could always find a better way to maybe live life and to have more and without the stress and all the problems and so forth. And you might live like that and then say, well, it’s worth it. But when you think of being the light of eternity, all the tears that’s been shed because of the heartaches that you went through because you didn’t take the easy road. You decide, I’m going to serve the Lord and trust the Lord.

And maybe you’ve hurt and you suffered and there’s been a lot of tears shed. This is what Paul’s talking about. This is what I went to. This is how I heard. This is how I suffered in order that I might get the gospel to you. So he says in verse 19, he says, with many tears and temptations which befell me by the line in weight of the Jews. How I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you and have showed you and taught you publicly from house to house.

Testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greek repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Now he says, Behold, I go bound to Jerusalem. He said, not knowing the things which shall befall me there, the thing that brings those tears. He says, except this in verse 23, that the Holy Ghost witnesses in every city saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. This is what served the Lord. He said, when I came to you, I came in humility of mine.

Serving the Lord. And he says that in verse 24, but none of these things move me, neither can I my life dear unto myself, that I might finish my course with joy and the ministry which I have received the Lord to testify of the gospel of the grace of God. That’s why I did what I did. But he also knew, he says, you’ll see my face no more. See the last part of verse 25? Where he says, shall see my face no more.

Wherefore I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men, if I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Take heed therefore unto yourselves to all the flock, because he’s talking to the elders of the church. And he says, over the wish the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this that after my departant shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

Wolves not sparing the flock. Do everything he possibly can to destroy the church. He’s telling them this and warning them this before he leaves. So he says in verse 31, Therefore watch and remember that by the space of three years, I cease not to warn every one night and day with what? Tears. And now, brethren, I come in you to God and get this. This here part is so important. Because you wonder, well, what will help me to stay strong in the Lord?

Does stay strong in the Lord? What will help build me up to be stronger in the Lord? Well, look what he says. Now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the… And you ought to underline the word of his grace. And you ought to underline the last part of that, which is able to build you up. What’s able to build you up? The word of grace. The word of God is able to make you strong. It’s able to do this.

But see, if people don’t learn the word of God, they won’t become strong. Every sermon that every person in this church misses without hearing it is costing them something. Just think it through. Every message that is designed to help to build the comfort, to encourage, to exhort, to rebuke, Every message that can help a person to become stronger in the Lord because of the Word of God, somebody who doesn’t hear it doesn’t get that strength from that message. So it’ll cost every person something.

They don’t know it now, but down the road, the lack of wisdom, the lack of knowledge, the lack of strength will have its payday someday. It’ll take its toll somewhere down the line. So whenever you come and you read and you study and you hear and you absorb and you obey, you become a stronger Christian. You’re building yourself up to where you can face all the trials and tribulations. And yes, there may be tears that comes with it, but you don’t quit as you just stay at it.

But look what he says down here. He says in verse 30, he says, I want you to know, he said, when I came among you, he said, I coveted no man’s gold. In other words, I don’t do what I do just to be rich, just to get all this money from all these people and all these churches.” He said, that’s not my motive. I have coveted no man’s silver or gold or a paron. Yay, ye yourselves know that these hands have ministered unto my necessities.

And to them that were with me. Paul says, I worked and I labored. I did other jobs. I built tents and things like that and I sold them. Because he talked about Aquil and Priscilla. That’s what he did. In order to pay his way when when people wouldn’t minister to Him and give them the money that He needed to get some place. He never cried and whined and pined. He just went ahead and worked, did what He could, did without.

And He says, I have suffered all things. He says, I know what it’s like to be abased. I know what it’s like to abound. I know what it’s like to be hungry. He says, I’ve learned in whatsoever state that I’m in to be content. And I found out that my God is able to provide my God is able. And then He makes a statement down here in verse 35, I have showed you all things, how that soul-laboring you ought to support the week.

And to remember the words of our Lord Jesus, how He said, it is more blessed to give than to receive. And I don’t think He’s just talking about money, but it’s more blessed to give my life for the cause of Christ, to receive anything from anybody. Because, see, your service to the Lord, it is worth it. And then he says this, these are three little beautiful verses here. Look at the warmth that’s in these verses. And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down and prayed with them all.

And they all wept sore and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him, soaring most of all for the words which he spake that they would should see his face no more. And they accompanied him unto the ship, because Paul was leaving and they knew they’d never seen him again. But they’ll see him, of course, when they get to heaven. But Paul did what he did because he knew that God was able to sustain him, to give them all that he needed, when people did or when they didn’t.

When people wanted to kill him or whatever. It didn’t matter. Paul just kept on doing what God wanted him to do. Look in Ephesians chapter three, the book of Ephesians in chapter three. Ephesians chapter three, talk to us. about the church and the love that God wants us to know about Him so that we would know how to love others. See, the closer you get to the Lord, then the easier it is to love other people. The further you get away from the Lord, the harder it is because sin abounds when love waxes coal.

So here in the book of Ephesians in chapter 3, you look up there in verse 14, because he talked about the cause, the cause again. For this cause, I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Remember, He just prayed with them and He got on His knees and they all prayed. And where was this at? Now where was He at? Now these were the elders of what church? Where was it at? Oh, that’s right, Ephesus.

The church their inethicists. The book of Ephesians, maybe there’s a connection here somewhere. So he says here in verse 15, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be, get this strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man, strengthened by his power, by his might, by the spirit in the inner man. Now the inner man is that one that was born of God.

See there, just look over there in chapter four real quick and see what he says there in verse 23. And be renewed in the spirit of your mind and that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. You see, your new birth is the new man that you received when you trusted Christ as your Savior. You see, the old man is no good. Can’t be saved, can’t go to heaven. You were born in the God’s family when you trusted Christ as your Savior.

So the new birth has no sinful nature and it cannot sin. My old birth, yes, still got an old sinful nature. But the new one doesn’t. It was created in righteousness and true holiness. And so he makes a statement to put on the new man. So over here in Ephesians in chapter three, when he makes a statement about his spirit and the inner man, look what he says in verse 17, that Christ made dwelling your hearts by faith that ye being rooted and grounded in love.

Maybe, and here’s that word. Boy, that’s a wonderful word, isn’t it? Maybe able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth and the length and the depth and the height. You see, this is talking about you and I now, knowing the Lord in such a way and loving the Lord in such a way and rooted and grounded Him in such a way that we might be able to love and serve others. Because without it, you’re not going to be able to do it.

And so He says here in verse 20, now unto Him, Him that is able, Him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we asker thing according to the power that works at thinnest. So what God is able to do in your life is according to the power that is working in you. And if the power is not working in you and you’re not yielded to the Lord, you’re not doing what God wants you to do, then there’s so much that God cannot do for and through you.

Because as he says in the Old Testament, in the book of Psalm, he talked about, you have limited the Holy One. You limit God. God can’t do certain things. God doesn’t bless disobedient children. So what do you do to solve that problem? Be an obedient child. Doesn’t that make sense? I think that makes sense. Look there in the book of Jude. The book of Jude. There’s only one chapter. But I want you to look there in verse 20. Verse 20.

And the Bible tells us here about you and I doing something that we’ve already read about. But it says in verse 20, but ye belevered. How do you become a belevered? Belevered. You see, to be loved, you simply accept Christ as your Savior and your Lamb the Lord to love you by saving you. So now he’s writing a letter to those that have been loved. And he says in verse 20, but ye belevered, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, building up yourselves.

That’s what I’ve told people. The greatest thing you’ll ever build is not a ministry. That’s just the results of you being built. Build yourself strong in your faith. Study the word, walk with God, because there’s no substitute for it. And activity doesn’t mean productivity. You can be active and not accomplish anything. But it says, build ye yourselves up in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost. It means that you let the Holy Spirit teach you the word of God and you know the things that God is able to do.

So ask the Lord to do the things that He is able to do. You see, you can’t ask God to do things that God isn’t going to do. God’s not going to bless rebellion. He’s not going to bless disobedience. So if you’re yield to Him and know what He’s able to do, don’t let it be because you didn’t ask. Ask the Lord. Talk to Him. Look in verse 21, keep yourselves. Do you see a personal responsibility? Some people just wait, well, I’m just going to I’m just gonna let God do it.

I’m just gonna let God do it.” God said, I done done everything I’m gonna do. You do this and you do that and God will bless. Do what God tells you to do. Keep yourselves in the love of God. Looking for the, in other words, the thing that God can do because He loves you. God doesn’t want to chasten His children. That isn’t what God wants to do. He wants to bestow blessings upon us. Sorry, it says, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ eternal life.

And of some have compassion, some have that love, they have the compassion. And it’s the last three words, they make a difference, making a difference. And he says here in verse 23, another save with fear, pulling them out of the fire. In other words, all the tears that you shed, all the troubles you go through, and all the debts of your love that that you have between you and the Lord, going deep, Greg Steer talks about going deep and going wide.

I don’t know if this is talking about this, but I think it’s a good point to make. And he says, pulling them out of the fire. You and I are told that God wants to use to pull people out of the fire. See people that do not know the Lord, they’re already on their way to hell. They’re going to hell. And every person we went to Christ is one that we just pulled out of the fire. And isn’t the shame for God to let you live for so many years and you never pulled anybody out of the fire?

Do you know there’s a day coming when those people are gonna be mad, glad. Then He makes the statement here in verse 24, you ought to underline this verse. Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling. How is He able to keep you from falling? He says in the book of Acts chapter 20 that if you will keep yourself in the word of grace, it will build you up. If it builds you up, is God able to buy His word, keep you from falling?

If you keep yourself in the word of God and keep strong and doing what God says to do, you don’t have to fall. You don’t have to mess up your life. You really don’t. I’ve had somebody say to them, well, everybody’s gonna mess up their life. No, you don’t have to mess up your life. No, you don’t. Now I may in the future, but I’m going to stand here and tell you right now, I have not messed up my life.

Now I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future, but I’m going to try to serve the Lord with the same determinationextreme and fervent that I’ve done for the last 51 years. You don’t have to mess it up. You don’t have to ruin your life. You don’t have to ruin your testimony. You can keep a clean life. And when you’re not doing right, you can still confess it to the Lord and keep on going, but you don’t have to quit and stop.

I didn’t say I was perfect, just almost. No. I’m a sinner. I am a sinner, and I know it. And I know the danger of pride, but I also know the power of humility. That when you submit yourself to the Word of God and you build yourself strong, then I believe God is able to keep you from falling, or cut that verse out of the Bible. But it happens to be there and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.

So now that you understand more about what God is able to do, the question comes down, is are you able to trust him? Are you able to trust the Lord regardless of the consequences? Sounds good to me. And maybe somebody here, I never know for sure. If you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior. Remember the first point that we covered in the book of Hebrews in chapter 7 was that He is able to save completely forever those who trust Him.

Let this hand represent you and me in this wallet. Represent sin. We all have sin upon us. God, He loves us. Now He hates our sin, but He loves us. And the Bible says that since we committed the sin, we have to pay for it, and that is eternal separation from God in hell. But God wants us to go to heaven. To go to heaven, you have to be perfect, just as righteous is the Lord. And none of us are perfect, none of us are righteous.

We’ve all sinned and come short of God’s perfection. And God says, you cannot save yourself. You committed the sin, but you can’t deliver yourself from the penalty. So God says, it’s not by going to church, it’s not living a good life. Living a good life does not pay for your sins. There’s only one way for a man to get to heaven. And that’s through Jesus Christ. This hand represents Jesus Christ. He is the Lord, God in the flesh. He came into the world because he loves us.

He hates our sin because our sin separates us from Him. So Jesus Christ, who had no sin, did not have to die. He took all of the sins, paid for it on the cross, and came back from the dead. And God said that if you and I, we would believe that He did it for us. He would put this payment to our account and completely for eternity, save us, give us eternal life, and we’ll never cast this out and never lose us.

We go to heaven all on what he did. That is salvation by grace and grace alone in Christ alone. Let’s pray, shall we? If you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior, friend, would you do it right now? And if you’re watching by internet, there’s nothing for you to do, just something for you to receive, just something to believe. Believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for you, that He paid for your sins. And if you trust Him right now, then God said He would save you right now and give you the free gift of eternal life.

And if you’re here this evening and you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior right where you are, would you simply just talk to the Lord, Lord, I’m a sinner? I believe Christ died for me and I will trust Him right now as my Savior. My only hope of going to heaven, would you do that? If you will, would you slip in it very quickly and put it right back down? I just like to know, I like to have prayer for you.

And what at all? Our Father, we thank you so much for this time together. We know according to your word that you’re able to do so much, help us to learn to trust you. And Father, we thank you for this time together. Bless each person here. In Christ name we pray, amen. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you are blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline 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. To listen to today’s message again or to obtain a free download of any of our Bibleline programs, just go to our homepage at BibleLineMinistries.org. and click on the Radio Broadcast link. If you are 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 broadcasts of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.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, and we will be changed. Caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day, believing that the Lord is coming soon, and just keep looking up.