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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 msg 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.

You ever hear people talk about you need to dedicate your home to the Lord? You know, you can’t dedicate your home to the Lord unless you dedicate yourself to the Lord. Because dedicating your home to the Lord, are you talking about the walls? You talking about the floor? You talking about the TV? You talking about the dishes? What are you talking about dedicating to the Lord? I want to dedicate my home to God. Well, I would hope that believe that if it is the building you’re talking about, only that which honors God takes place within that home, that would honor God.

But if you’re talking about your family, then you have to dedicate yourself to the Lord. To do the things that reveal that you are dedicated to the Lord. Have you ever seen me do a little so-called baby dedication? Well, they said we’re dedicating the baby to the Lord, but we have to understand that baby is not making a decision. It’s the parents that are making a decision. They are saying we are a vow and before God and these witnesses, we are going to seek to raise this baby in the nurture and the admonition of the Lord.

We want to see that this little child comes on a crisis, Savior, in an early age, and we don’t try to teach this child how to walk with God. So really it’s like a parent’s dedication. Parents are determining they’re going to raise this child for the Lord. I think that can be done. I think that’s honorable to the Lord. I have no problem with that. But also know that sometimes we have children and you want to dedicate your children to Lord, you want God to use your children?

You’re going to have to be the best example you can possibly be. Because see, they will copy you, they will imitate you, they learn from what they see us do. And sometimes that’s scary. Because see, you might have one child that is just a little adorable angel, and then you have the other one. Does everything in the book? You say, where did that come from? like the little girl she asked her mom. Does mom? Did we come from apes?

She says, honey, not from our side of the family. I don’t know about your fathers. Of course you know you can make insinuations, and it often happens. But I want you to look there in Revelation in chapter two. Revelation chapter two, look in verse four. Did you know that each one of these churches, there’s a message to the church? But if you could boil it all down to what is the one golden nugget that you might find in some of these, what is that?

That I can take with me and maybe learn one good truth from this. So in verse 4 he says, nevertheless I have somewhat against thee because in your to underline this, thou hath left thy first love.” Now you’re still working, you’re still doing all the things. Maybe you’re still having your quiet time. Maybe you’re still leaving witness. Go into church, but you don’t love God like you used to. Did you know that it can drift away and slide That way, so easy.

The reason you do what you do is because you love the Lord and then you get so busy doing what you’re supposed to do because you do love the Lord and then you forget to love the Lord. And you could spend time doing everything but no time for the Lord. Sometimes it’s good just to stop and just talk to the Lord. If you’re too busy to talk to the Lord, guess what? You’re too busy. Well, I ain’t got time to pray, then you’re too busy.

You don’t eliminate the most important thing, and that is the love that you should have for the Lord, the time that you want to spend with Him. So I believe in that whole church’s letter to the church, their deficits I would come out with as a child of God as I examine myself. am I losing my first love? The love that I have between me and the Lord. Because, see, that’s the love you’re going to have to sustain you.

Because the love of people will wax cold very, very quickly. You have no idea. In the last couple of weeks, I’ve gotten a few zingers. You know, little barbs. From people that I’ve known for 35 and 40 years. say hurtful things. They think they understand why I do what I do and why I’m coming from the position that they don’t really get it. They don’t understand. And I know that and I can’t probably ever convince them otherwise. But the hurt still hurts.

But you better make sure that you have someone that you don’t have to ever worry about. I’ve had people over the years stab me in the back, but not God. So people may hurt me, but God hasn’t ever done anything to hurt me. God’s never turned His back on me. God’s never forsaken me. God always loves me. You need to have that between you and Him, that you know that. You know that God so loved the world. Well, that’s any love the lost.

Yeah, but God so loves His children too. And he says, My Beloved, it means you have been loved and you still are loved. You are loved with an everlasting love. And nothing shall ever separate you from the love of Christ that’s written to the believers. It is so very, very important. The next statement I wanted to mention to you is found there in verse 10. See in verse 10, talking about the church at Smyrna, I should serve the Lord.

I should and I should be faithful. Okay, I should be faithful. How long should I be faithful? I’m examining my life. I’m reaffirming my love for the Lord. I’m establishing principles in my life that I want to be found faithful to the Lord. It is required in a steward that a man be found Faithful, I want to be faithful. How long do I want to be faithful to a day for a week? But look at in verse 10, fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer.

Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that you may be tried, and you shall have tribulation 10 days. Be thou, and you’re not lying those three words, faithful unto what? Until you die. So I can read that whole portion of scripture, but that’s the one thing out of those scriptures that sticks out to me. Now you may read that and the Holy Spirit will impress upon you another thought.

But that, that means something to me. And because I love the Lord and because I want to serve the Lord faithfully, I know that serve the Lord is dealing with people. So I want you to look down there in verse 14. See in verse 14 he says, but I have a few things against thee because thou hast them there that hold the doctrine of Baelam who taught Baelak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel. So I read this whole thing, but the one thing that I see is I do not want to be a stumbling block to anyone else.

else. I don’t want to be a stumbling block to God’s people. So if that is true and I love the Lord and I don’t want to lose my first love and I want to love the Lord and serve Him until I die, I want to be faithful. And while I’ve got that in my mind, I know that serving the Lord means that I don’t want to be a stumbling block to other believers. So that means I can’t afford to do certain things.

I can’t afford to go certain places. It means I have to watch my attitude in my tongue, the saying things that I shouldn’t say. And I’ll tell you it gets rough at times. Because, you know, there’s always somebody with their little magnifying glass just waiting for you to fall off your little parts, and if you don’t fall off, they want to shoot you off. Always looking for a fault or flaw. And, buddy, it’s so easy to give them something.

But you ought not to purposely do it. And that’s the thing that’s so difficult. Yes, and serving the Lord. See, going to heaven, I’m so glad that’s free. It’s so simple. It’s so easy. All I had to do is trust Him. The Christian life, that’s a different story. But yet, at the same time, God says, my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy lay, and I will give you rest.

So serve the Lord should be easy. But He said, if you don’t serve Him, He said, and I’ll put a yoke of iron up on your neck until it destroys you. Because thou serveth not the Lord thy God with joyfulness of heart. See, God wants us to serve him, but he wants us to serve him joyfully. Not walking on like, well, I got to serve the Lord. I got to go to church today. I got to give money. I got to pray.

That’s not the attitude God wants. cheerful person because they give themselves to the Lord. See people who always begrudge giving to the Lord’s work or begrudging the time to spend with God is because they’re not in love with him. Love is that bond between you and him. Love is action. Love is motivating. God so loved the world that he gave is only begotten Son. So God wants us to love. And so as you go through here and And then look over there in the next verse that I want you to see there in verse 20.

Because it’s so important you got to learn to take a stand of what is right. You don’t want to be a stumbling block, but you also need to know how to stand. And by having the right proper doctrine because there’s gonna be people who are gonna teach false doctrine. So he says in verse 20, not with standing, I have a few things against thee because thou permit us or allow that woman Jezebel, which called herself a prophetess to teach and to deduce my servants to commit for an occasion to eat things sacrificed on the idols and so on.

So you got to be strong enough to withstand the various winds of doctrine that can sweep you off your feet and change you into something else. And that’s why you need to study the word of God because as I determine, this is what I want from my life, then I’ve got to decide I don’t want to be a stumbling block because I’m so weak. So I’ve got to be strong in what I believe. I got to know why I believe it, because if you don’t, then people can push you around and say all kinds of things and you won’t know what you believe after a while.

That’s why it’s so important to read and to study what the word of God says. I mentioned to you there about the church at Sardis in chapter 3, but look there in verse 3. He’s talking about remember that what you do have and hang on to it. In verse 3, remember therefore how thou hath received and heard and whole fast. Now you’ll see that word used in a lot of places, but it’s also talking about whole fast to sound doctrine.

Don’t lose hold of that sound doctrine that you have. See, there in the previous church, you’ve got to have the sound doctrine. Now, don’t leave the sound doctrine because, see, your life is going to be a result of what you really believe. So you need to know what you believe and why you believe in and hang on to that. And then in chapter three and verse eight, if you really want to serve a Lord, because you love the Lord, and you want to be faithful unto death, and you don’t know when death will come.

So that means you want to take advantage of every opportunity that you have, and you don’t want to fall into false doctrine and so forth. You don’t want to be that stumbling block. You want to know what you believe and why you believe it. You want to hang fast onto that. But knowing that all this is true and because you prepare yourself, you want God to use you. So the Lord says, He can open up a door. And God can shut a door.

Opening a door is giving you and I the opportunity that we should have. See there in verse 8, I know thy works. Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shed it. Father, I have a little strength and have kept my word and have not denied my name. See, God can open up doors of opportunity that you and I cannot open. All we have to do is be faithful, keep shining and let God place you wherever He wants on whatever He’ll.

And once in a while it seems like He’s put you under a bushel. be faithful to shine where you are with what God’s given to you. Never become envious or jealous of anybody else’s position or ministry. You see, you can do it on a little scale here. I could do it on a bigger scale. I could do it on a bigger scale. Man, look at that church. Look at those preachers running around in them big old Rolls Royce. That’s right.

I got me a Mercedes. Maybe 16 years old, I don’t care. Runs. Gives me from church to home. That’s good enough. Said, where do you live? I live over there in a mobile home. I don’t have to have a mansion down here. I got one up here in Georgia. I have a beautiful home up in Georgia. That’s okay. I’m not in love with anything. I can walk away from that or what I can walk away from a motor home.

I don’t care. It’s whatever I’m doing, wherever I am, that’s pleasing to the Lord. What else could a man want to know that to be used of God? But God’s going to open up doors of opportunity and there’s time when God can close the door. He says, for thou have little strength. See, we’re not taking advantage of these opportunities because I am so strong, It’s because we’re strong in the Lord. God is your strength. I can do all things to Him who strengtheneth me.

And that’s what you have to look at. Look down in verse 15. Here’s what happens to sometimes individuals who get too high on the horse. They want it all. They want to do it. God gives them the chance, opens up doors of opportunity. And then they become, you know, look how great I am. Look how rich I am. Look at me. Yeah, look at you. I’m a self-made man. Yeah, you quit a little early, didn’t you? Sorry, he says in verse 15, I know that works.

That thou art neither cold nor hot. I would thou work cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. because they’ll say it, I am rich. But God knew you’re not rich. I’m increased with good, all you got, the things of the world. And they have need of nothing. And knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. I guess maybe they need to examine themselves.

So you made no Christ as your Savior, you’re going to heaven when you die. And maybe God’s given you a lot of years to live, and there was a time in your life when you said, I’m going to serve a Lord, I’m going to dedicate my life to Him, and years have rolled by, and you haven’t gotten hot for the Lord, or cold, you just look warm, lukewarm. What is God’s opinion of something that’s just lukewarm? God said, I’d rather you be hot or cold, But Luke, warm, offense straddler, somebody can’t make up their mind which side to get on.

If you’re going to serve the Lord, serve Him. If you’re going to walk in the flesh, do it. When I live like the devil, do it. But don’t be hypocritical trying to do both. That’s what God’s saying. Because you give the impression you love Him, but you don’t. That’s why you’ll find Christ was really chewing out the Pharisees. He says, you say the right words, but your heart is far from me. So He says there, I will spew the out of my mouth.

In other words, there’s no fellowship there. He makes a statement there in verse 20, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. Now He’s just talking to an individual. Did you know that you can be busy doing the things that God wants you to do, but you forsaken your first love? You’re not having the fellowship like you ought to. Isn’t it amazing that we started off with you loving the Lord and we end up with not having the fellowship you ought to and all the things that God’s done for?

Did you know you could take all these seven churches and just make it into one person and it’s a story of a person’s life It could be the story of your life God wants so much from us You know, it’s kind of like I’m sure you’ve heard it before This mosquito was on the Ear of a great big ole event and this elephant was going across this big ole swinging bridge when they got to the other side, the Loma Skeeda whispered in that elephant’s ear and says, well, we really shook that bridge, didn’t we?

We really shook that bridge. Do you realize that it’s the Lord that’s working through you? And He wants you to examine your life. Nobody can make you do it. Nobody can make you walk close to the Lord. Outwardly, we can have all the impressions that we want to that everything’s cool. But God knows the heart. If there’s anybody you have to be honest with, it’s the Lord. You can’t deceive God. To mock God, and the Bible talks about do not mock God.

You mock God when you deceive yourself in the thinking that you can do whatever you want and God either doesn’t see doesn’t know doesn’t care and you can get away with it. You mock God when you mock sin when you don’t take it seriously. You mock God make fun of God when you don’t take your life seriously. You’re mocking God when you don’t take Christianity seriously, the church seriously, missions seriously, when you don’t take your own personal life when you don’t take it seriously.

You just tolerate God, tolerate the church. You just tolerate other people. Maybe not love anybody at all. Maybe you do what you do to be seen. God says if you do, you’ve already received your reward. Just a few things to think about. Look up here. If you’re here tonight or you’re watching by internet, these things are so important. A lot of times I preach things that I’m going through in my own mind of what I need. I don’t know if you noticed that or not, but every once in a while you can figure that out.

If you’re smart, and you are smart, I know you are. Because everybody can have a heavy heart at times because of what you’re going through, So you refresh your mind. As David did in the Old Testament, he says he encouraged himself and the Lord. He encouraged himself. Sometimes nobody else is there to encourage you. Can you encourage yourself and the Lord? You know what God says, and you start thinking about it and you encourage yourself. Start talking about it and getting yourself a pep talk.

Sometimes you ever see coaches half time, they gotta give a pep talk. Give yourself a pet talk once in a while. You know, just you and God, talk to Him and let Him talk to you. Get a good pet talk. This hand represents you and me. And the wallet represents sin. You see, all of us are sinners. The Bible says God so loved the world. That’s us. And that all of us have sinned. And so in order for God to show His love for us, He sent His only begotten Son to pay for our sins.

So that He could save us from hell. That’s where we’re going to pay for the sin. And because God says we’ve all sinned, we’re all condemned. But that God loves us, wants us to go to heaven, wants us to be with Him. And so He says you have to be as righteous as perfect as God, and none of us are perfect. None of us qualify. The Bible says, you cannot save yourself. You cannot earn eternal life. You cannot work your way to heaven.

You’ll never be good enough. This hand represents Jesus Christ. He’s the Lord God in the flesh. He came into this world because He loves us. He loves you. Christ didn’t have any sin, but our sins separates us from Him. So Christ, in order for us to beat together, all we could do is dine go to hell. Christ could take the sin, pay for it, and said, if you’ll believe I did that for you, I died for you. You don’t have to.

You don’t have to pay for those sins. I pay for them. If you’ll believe I did it for you, I will give you as a free gift. In eternal life, you get to go to heaven and be with the Lord for all eternity, all because of what He did. You didn’t do anything for that. You didn’t earn that. You didn’t work for it. It’s the gift of God. For by grace are you saved through faith, that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God not a works list, any man should boast.”

Well, that’s good news. Let’s pray, shall we? Every head, body, and every eye closed, no one looking around. If you’re here tonight, maybe you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior. Maybe you’ve heard about it, but it just never did. Or if you’re watching by internet, understand, yes, God does love you. you. He’s done an awful lot of things to reach you. He wants you to hear, he wants you to understand. You do not have to join this church. You don’t have to be water baptized.

You don’t have to try to keep the Ten Commandments and obey the Golden Rule. All you need to do is the only thing you can do where you believe he died for you to pay for your sins. And if you’ll believe he did it for you, it means you don’t have to pay for them. He paid for them, all of them. And by believing in Him and trusting Him, He gives you as a free gift everlasting life. Is there anyone at all here tonight that made sense to me?

I want to be certain of going to heaven and preach our life for you to pray for me. So with his by nice clothes and no one looking around, is there anyone who will say, yes, I will trust Christ as my Savior and I’d like you to pray for me. Just let me hand it very quickly and put a rep back down. If you’ve already trusted the Lord, you don’t have to do it again. But But if you haven’t, would you do it right now?

Our Father, we thank You so much for giving Your Son the Lord Jesus Christ to die for us. And Father, we pray that as we reflect upon the message of tonight, that Lord, we can only trust the Holy Spirit to reveal the need of each individual. Those that have trusted You as Savior, maybe they’ve kind of lost their first love. the things, but just don’t love you like you used to. And Father, there’s some no doubt that are a little slack in their faithfulness.

They’re not faithful like they used to be. And Father, there’s some that are stumbling blocks. And Christians could stumble over their testimony. And Father, some are not as strong as they ought to be in the doctrines of your word. Some have known your will and walked away from it. And Father, do you tell us in your word to hold fast? And because of our faithfulness to you, you open up many doors for us. We pray the Lord that you would use us.

And Father, unless we do serve you with all our heart, will become lacks in our discernment. We can’t tell the difference anymore between hot and cold will become lukewarm and not even know it. And Father, we won’t be fellowshiping with you like we should and Lord would just be playing games. Help each person here to walk with you to think about these things and correct whatever needs to be done in Red Line. And we thank you for tonight in Christ’s name, 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 The Bible is now available on the Bibleline radio by dialing tool free. 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. To listen to today’s 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 10-30 and at 6 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. Friends, 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.