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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s word on Bibleline, 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. and 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.

I believe one day we’ll get to heaven and we’ll find out what our unbelief, even as a child of God has cost us. The thing that God looks for in every individual is the word faith. Somebody that believes God with the amount of knowledge or truth that He has given you, then God can give more. Yes, maybe somebody would have done differently had they known more. And that’s why He says, why did the princes of this world crucify Christ?

Had they known? If they had more knowledge and they were so wise, why did they crucify the Lord of glory? And if they had more knowledge, they could have made different decisions. See, there’s some things that’s going on behind the scenes that you and I will not be able to understand. But I want you to see this in verse 22, because it deals with the subject, there is going to be a day of judgment. I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable, more tolerable than somebody else.

It means that some people had more light than what others had. It appears that what he’s saying in context is that what I’ve done here and the miracles that I’ve done gives you more light than what they had. And it’s going to be more tolerable for them because they had less light than what you’ve got. Or it’s because they are going to have greater sufferings when they go to hell because they had more truth given to them, a greater opportunity of understanding, and yet not truly understand.

Now just hold your place right here. Turn me to the book of Matthew chapter 13. Matthew 13, look in verse 10. Matthew chapter 13 and verse 10 he says, and the disciples came, said unto him, why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, because, but see there is a reason why he did it. It is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. Some would be able to understand and some people would not understand, but the reason some could understand and some could not understand it was because of desire.

Some desired to know truth. Some desired as they did in the Old Testament to know and to understand the things that Isaiah had prophesied. So in verse 12 he says, for whosoever hath, means hath understanding, do him shall be given, I believe more understanding, and he shall have more abundance, but whosoever half not from him shall be taken away even that he hath.” I wonder what it’s really talking about. It’s talking about those that understand and can understand more.

And those who do not want to understand will understand less than what they could have had. So there’s a God who I believe balances things out because God is a good God and the righteous God and he has to be just and everything that he does. God can do no man wrong. I don’t understand it all, but I know what his word says and I hope that God will even down the road give me greater understanding. But what I want you to see is this.

You see there in verse 13, therefore speak eye to them in parables because they seen, see not, hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled prophecy of Isaiah, which said, by hearing ye shall hear, shall not understand, and seeing ye shall see, And not perceive. So they lacked the desire to know truth. Because those who want to see, want to hear, want to understand, will be able to. And when he spoke in a mixed crowd, speaking in a parable, telling stories and illustrations the way he did, those who wanted to understand, could understand what he’s talking about.

That search for truth. Now, not all the time that all the disciples understand everything about the parable, but they had the desire to want to know and they would ask them, what do you mean by this? Explain this to us. Sometimes Jesus would even say to them, understand it? Do you understand? So he lists his here in verse 15, for this people, their heart is whacked gross and their ears are dull of hearing, their eyes they have closed. They did it.

So they hear, but they don’t really hear because they don’t want to hear. They don’t understand. See, there’s some people who seek truth, who seek after God. He even talks about search for me with all your heart. There was a time when I was as a lost man, and I found out later that you know, God was the one that was looking for me. We often say, I found the Lord. Well, in reality, He wasn’t lost. He came into the world to seek and to say that which was lost.

Now, who was lost? We were lost. And God sought us. And so there’s things that happens in our life that causes us to want to know truth and we begin to seek. And so we can find something, the truth, and yet all the time God was doing the one that was seeking us. But look what he says here. As you go through this in verse 15, their ears and their eyes, as he says here, they have closed. And then it says it in backwards, lest at any time they should see and hear with their ears and should understand with their heart, should be converted and I should heal them.

But they’ve closed their eye. They are dull of hearing. And so therefore they have lost their desire to understand. Understand this. Is it possible that you could come to church and the preacher could teach the Bible? And if your heart has gotten to the place where it’s gotten hard between you and God. And you hear the Word of God but not benefit from it. You hear but you don’t hear, you don’t understand. Did you know you go through the motions and you can see the Scriptures and not get anything out of it?

That can happen whenever you have lost the desire to obey. The reason for studying the Word of God and this desire is this hunger for righteousness and they shall be filled. But a lot of God’s children have lost their hunger. They’ve lost their desire. They don’t really want to understand. And because of that, someday we’re going to have to give an account to the Lord. And we’ll think, if I had only, if I had only. So we’re seeing from some of the scriptures that yes, there is a difference and it’s more tolerable for some than for others, and then he talks about some being condemned because of the judgment or the testimony of others.

I don’t believe that God is going to allow an unbeliever to condemn a believer. So therefore, we will, I believe, give testimonies because there’s going to be a day of judgment. And so just keep sowing the seed. Whether you understand how it works, just do it. I have not yet figured out how prayer works. Only that something about prayer works. And you’ll accomplish more through prayer than any other form of work. And prayer is the most powerful tool that God has given to his children because there’s things that you cannot do.

You cannot make happen. But I can pray for somebody in another state or another country, halfway around the world, and miraculously God is waiting to hear for me to ask them what I want. And he says, whatsoever you shall ask, that shall be done. I thought my stars, what have I given up that I could have asked for? What have I sacrificed that could have been mine? . It makes a person want to pray more. Ask God for everything.

Bring all of your care and see what we do is we embarrass God by thinking that he’s not big enough to answer our prayer or that things that we want are so small to bother him with and at the same time he says cast all your cares upon him. The big ones are the little ones. We’re all of them. All of them. them, pray about everything. Sometimes we don’t pray about things we can control and sometimes it will have only what we could have done.

But to have what lies beyond our power, beyond our reach, that can be done by prayer because we believe. What he says here, looking for 17, for verily I say unto you that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see and have not seen them because they were in the Old Testament, but they knew of the promises of God. They wanted to see the Messiah. They wanted to see the credentials of the Son of Man as proof and evidence that He is who He claimed to be.

And all the things that He was able to do and is doing right in front of them. He says, your eyes are closed, your ears, their death. He says, but there’s others who look forward to this day and they didn’t get to see this. You are getting to see it and yet you don’t believe it. So God knows what people desire and don’t desire. He knows who wants to listen and who doesn’t. He He knows who wants to see and who really doesn’t.

He knows who wants to understand and those that don’t want to understand. God knows your heart and you ought to be convinced of that. God knows your thoughts. And look what he says. He says, and have not seen them. And to hear those things which you hear have not heard them. So there’s things that yes, God knows what somebody even desired. Well how did he know what they desired in the Old Testament? Because God knows the desire of every individual.

God knows what you want to know. He knows how much you now understand. And are you walking according to the light that you have? And if you walk according to the truth you already have, God will give you more truth, understanding because you keep your ears open, you keep your eyes open and God will give you more. But to him that will not God will take away even that which he has. But for the other one God will increase it.

Have you ever wondered why some people trusted the Lord way after you did and grow so quickly and mature in the Lord and you’re still wondering now what is the two natures again. The judgments of the Christ, what is that? Somebody else they hear it and they understand it and boom, boom, boom. They really go, they can get things done. Go back here to Matthew. In Matthew chapter 12, I want you to see this, he says here in verse 6, but I say unto you that in this place is one greater than the temple.

Who do you think he’s referring to? He’s talking about himself. You love this temple. You worship this temple. He said, I’m greater than the temple. The Sabbath day? Oh, that’s a great day. But I’m the Lord over the Sabbath. And he says in verse 7, but if there’s that word again, if, if ye had known what this means. I will have mercy and not sacrifice. He would not have condemned the guiltless. These disciples that are with me that came in here and ate this corn, you wouldn’t be casting doubts upon them and calling them guilty for breaking the law if you knew the word.

So they said something that was not true. They condemned somebody when they should not. They were the ones that were guilty. But it says, if you had known, you would not have. That means what they did, they didn’t have to do, but it was based upon what they knew. So as I read this and I say that, you know, there might be a lot of things that I could have done had I known. Do you think it’s important to continually keep studying the Word of God?

Open it as much as you can, read it as much as you can. If you don’t use it, you lose it. It is so very important to have a respect for this book. But look what he says. He says, you would not have condemned the guiltless. In other words, if you knew this, you wouldn’t have done this. But they did do it. Well, why didn’t Jesus, because he knew how they were going to respond? Why did he give them more knowledge?

because it’s still based upon what are you doing with what you know? Do you really want to know the truth? Now, look there in Matthew, chapter 12, and look there in verse 36. But I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. There is a day of judgment coming, For by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” Hmm. Now, hold your place right here looking the book of Luke chapter 11.

Luke chapter 11. Don’t lose your place where we were now. Look in verse 29. When the people were gathered thick together, he began to say this is an evil generation. They seek a sign. There shall no sign be given it but the sign of Jonah the prophet. For as Jonah was a sign unto the Nineveh, he was a sign to them, says he was a sign. So if he was a sign, what kind of a sign was he? I believe he was a sign of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, which is a good possibility.

But he says, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation, the queen of the south. to rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation. Now, she didn’t come up at that generation. She’d already been dead for a thousand years because she was back there during the reign of Solomon. And he was after David, and David was about a thousand years before Christ. So you’re talking about a long time ago. Well, she didn’t come back then.

So this is a future judgment in the future. There’s gonna be this day of judgment. And she’s gonna rise up and give testimony against these people they’re talking to right here. And what is she going to say? What is she going to do? Well look what it says. The queen of the South shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and do what? Condemned them. But why? Well, because they wouldn’t believe. And says, you know, that lady, She came from a long ways away, far off, just to hear the wisdom of Solomon.

He says, and behold, a greater than Solomon is here. I wonder who he’s talking about. Any clues? He’s talking about himself. He was greater than the temple, and he’s greater than Solomon. that something for a man to boast about if it wasn’t true. I’m greater than the temple. I’m greater than Solomon. And Solomon in all of his glory. But give what he says, and condemn them for she came from the utmost part of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon.

And behold, a greater than Solomon is here, greater, utmost part. SheSupplement. She came and with lesser light because she had a lesser man Solomon than the one they are listening to. You see those people at this time were listening to somebody who was greater than Solomon and she came all that distant just to hear the wisdom of Solomon and here I am and I’m greater than Solomon, and you show me no respect. They wanted to kill him. They wouldn’t listen to what he had to say.

He says in verse 30, the men of Nineveh shall rise up in the judgment with this generation and shall condemn it, for they repent at the preaching of Jonah and behold a greater than Jonah is here. I am greater than Jonah. Greater light means easier opportunity. The potential of better understanding. Because you understand more. You saw more. You heard more. But because your desire is not to know the truth, to understand the truth, doesn’t mean leave the truth. And God says somebody else with less knowledge is going to set in judgment on you and going to condemn you.

Go back to Matthew in chapter 12. So here in verse 38, then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered saying, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, an evil and adultery of generations, seek it after a sign, but there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah. Now we know what that was, and that Jonah was a sign to the people at that time.

Verse 40, for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the wheels of belly, so shall the son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation. So these men of Ninhala, they’re going to be there too. And they’re going to condemn the people of Jesus’ day of this generation. Now there is a possibility. See God knows how much light I recede when I trust the Christ as my Savior.

See some people are raised in church and they hear it all their life. And the gospel could have been preached, but because they don’t have an interest, don’t care, and it just goes in one ear and out the other, they never see it. I believe that I’ve had a multitude of people that’s heard me preach the gospel, whether in the church or whether on the radio or on television, and they’ve heard more truth, clear than what I had when I got saved.

that his dad wasn’t the clearest, but what he showed me was enough that I understood. I don’t present the gospel the exact same way that my father-law did that led me to the Lord. But God used him to explain it to me. I believe that you can do it a better way. But regardless of when you can do it a better way or not, God knows whether or not if you had heard more truth, would you have believed the truth?

See, God knows all these things, and God works out all these things. But I do believe in what the Word of God says, we are to be faithful to sow the seed, and God is gonna take and hold people accountable for what they’ve heard. So therefore, yes, we need to make sure that we try not to say or do something that would cause them not to believe the Word, because there is going to be a judgment. I don’t believe any believers will be judged at the Great White Throne judgment.

I believe we are going to stand at the judgment seat of Christ and God is going to reward us for what we’ve done. And we’ll probably see what our unbelief has cost us, what we could have had, if I had only known. So that’s why the most important thing you and I can never do is to know the will of God. So we studied the Word so we can know what God wants us to do. and the more I know, the more I can accomplish, the more obedient I can be.

So when you wanna serve the Lord, learn as much about the Word of God and many things you can in life so that you can be used in a greater way. Because the day will come when you’re wished. So you know, if I had only, if I only knew how to use that measure and say, I could have measured some wood. And if I knew how to measure, I could have cut it right and I could have nailed it right, I could have built my own home.

But God wants us to do our best with whatever we put our hands to do. And God said, he would bless us. But look at this verse one more time, verse 42. The queen of the South shall rise up in the judgment with this generation and shall condemn it. For she came from the uttermost parts of the year to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, a greater than Solomon is here. greater than Solomon is here. So you and I, yeah, got a lot of things to understand.

Keep your ears open. Keep your eyes open. Stay with the desire to grow, to do, to be, whatever it is God wants. And don’t get to the place where just because you get old, well I’ve paid my dues. I don’t need to learn anymore. I know it all. It ain’t going to happen, Cam. If you have a pulse, you have a purpose. Just keep serving the Lord. Look into the Lord and trust in the Lord. Look up here. This hand represents you and me.

This is sin. We all have sin on us. God says He loves us. Hates our sin. And says that because of sin, the way sinned being death, we’re all having to die. But God loves us and wants us to go to heaven. To go to heaven, you have to be perfect. perfect as righteous as God, none of us are. We’ve all done things wrong. We’ve all come short of God’s perfection. This end represents Jesus Christ. He’s the Lord. God in the flesh came into the world because He loves us.

Hates our sin because it separates us from Him. So Jesus Christ, who had no sin, did not have to die, He took all the sin of all the world, paid for it on the cross and came back from the dead. He said if we would believe that What he did was for us. If I believe he’d paid from my sins, then God would put that payment to my account. I get to go to heaven on what he did. And every person that believes this, he says, you can know that you have eternal life.

You can know that you’re going to heaven whenever you die. Best news in the world. Just keep sowing seeds. Let’s pray, show him. With heads, bow, nice clothes, no one looking around. Would you right now in the quietness of this moment? Just talk to the Lord and say something simple like this. Lord, I know I’m a sinner. I got questions. Maybe I got doubts. But no, just trust the Lord. Say, Lord, I know I’m a sinner and I believe you died for me and I’m going to trust you.

It’s my only hope I’m going to heaven. Friend God said, if you would do that, He would save you. And you go to heaven on what Christ did. You don’t earn it. You can’t work it. You’ll never be good enough. Salvation is free. It’s a gift. If you would trust Christ as your Savior tonight, I’d like to know it, and I’d like to have prayer for you. So I’m going to ask you just a moment to raise your hand.

Raising your hand does not save you. It just lets me know that what I said made sense to you. You’re saying, Pricha, I will trust Christ as my Savior, and I’d like for you to pray for me. We’ll just slip you in it very quickly and put it right back down during the winter. Our Father, we thank You so much for the privilege we have to come before You. But there’s so much that we don’t know. There are some things that we can see that looks like a good possibility that we’ll wish we had done more.

And it looks like there’s a good possibility that a man’s going to be judged according to the light that he had. And also the light he could have attained because he could have gotten more. His eyes could have been open more, his ears could have been open more, his understanding could have been increased. Father, we just commit ourselves to you. We don’t have all the answers, but we look to you and we trust you. Lord, there’s so many things that we’re limited in.

Help us to sow seeds. But Father, we know that we have to look to you and trust you to do what we can’t do. But our faith is in you. We believe you brought us this far because you have something for us to do. Does Lord just continue to bless us? We’ve seen so much that you’ve done for us, and we do give you the credit. We do praise you. We honor you. We thank you, Lord. And bless us each one here tonight in Christ’s 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 tool 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 10-30 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast 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.