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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 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 first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

Take your Bible in. Let’s turn to the book of 1 Corinthians, chapter 9. 1 Corinthians chapter 9. Sometimes when you try to understand a book, it doesn’t always give it away to you in the beginning. Sometimes you can’t find the real purpose of the book until you’re at the end. And then when you get to the end, if you’d have known that first, it would have helped you to understand the beginning of the book. Sometimes there’s verses in the Bible that gives you the impression that we have to do something either to keep our salvation or we will lose it.

So Hebrews is kind the book of Hebrews. I wanted to show you something here in the book of 1 Corinthians. In the book of Corinthians, notice what he says in verse 18 UKIP. What is my reward then? So when we come to rewards, we know we’re talking about service. Salvation is always the gift of God. So it’s never by words. You see scripture that talks about us doing something, then we know that it’s in order to get rewards. Every one of us, the Bible says that we are like in a race.

And he uses that terminology. So we’re in a race, so run the race, the race and if you’re going to run the race run to win. But he makes the state of Hebrews 18. What is my reward then? Barely that when I preach the gospel I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel. For though I be free from all men yet have I made myself servant unto all that I might gain the more.

So winning people to the Lord is based upon you making yourself a servant that nobody can make you do this, but you have to determine in your own mind what do I want to do with my life. Paul says that I had been given the gospel, I want to preach the gospel and whoa is unto me if I don’t preach the gospel. But what is my reward then? So when I do this what am I going to get for it?

Because everybody wants to know what am I going to get out of this? If I sacrifice my life. Am I going to get something? So he says here in verse 20 and unto the Jews I became as a Jew that I might gain the Jews to them that are under the law is under the law that I might gain them that are under the law. When he talks about the word gain he’s talking about giving the gospel and winning them to Christ because that’s in relation to the verse 18 that’s what he’s talking about and so he has the gospel and he wants to gain the more.

So So the more you discipline your life, the more fruit you may get. In other words, you may have to do some pruning in your life and cut off some dead limbs, dead things that are not going to help you have fruit. So in your Christian life, one of the things that will help you in making wise decisions is this going to help me spiritually or does this help the flesh get stronger. the words for the love of this world or for the love of Christ.

Am I going to be stronger because I’ve set my affections on things that are above or am I set in affections upon things of the earth? Decisions, decisions, decisions. So he goes down through here and he says all of this. Now notice what he says in verse 23. And this I do for the what’s sake? For the gospel’s sake. So he is talking about the gospel and there are rewards for those who will He preached the Gospel. Now in the book of John in chapter four, around verse 35 and so on, he tells us that if a man will serve the Lord and reap fruit, he says God said he will be paid wages.

God is willing to pay soulwinners for laboring for souls. So you have to understand that you’re not going to get paid now. He’s going to pay you later. Now he will foot the bill. do all the things that, you know, to pay your way and God take care of that. You just be faithful and let God do what God does. But He says He’s going to reward you when it’s all done. So years ago, I preached a sermon called payday someday.

Payday is not here in this life. Payday is not now. It means down the road God is going to reward us and we’re supposed to believe that And so that we keep on running our race. Now how long are we supposed to run the race? Till the race is over. When is the race over? You may have got a clue. When is the race over? When you die. So he says that in verse 24, but no you not that they which run in a race, run all but one receive of the prize.

So run that you might obtain. In other words, run that you may win souls. The reason you want to discipline your life is so that you might win souls. And so he goes down through here and he says this in verse 20 he says, I therefore so run. Not as one like a shadow boxer that just beats the air. He says, I know what I’m I’m doing, I’m kind of disciplined in my life because the flesh, the body has an ole sinful nature and has the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes of the pride of life and so therefore this old body is going to do everything possible that ole sinful nature to keep you from running your race.

You see the devil uses the lust of the flesh that we have to keep us from running the race so that we don’t win the souls. But God says, when you get to heaven after you have run your race, God is going to reward you. Now, it is true that we get a chance to see some of those blessings before we die. But you won’t see all of the blessings or the results of all of the seeds that you’ve sown until you get to heaven and it’s all over with.

So he says in verse 27, He says, I kind of keep my body in subjection, lest it rule me. The body is a good servant, but a terrible master. So you have to be in control of the body, or the body will control you. And then when that happens, you’ve got troubles. Now look there in the Romans in chapter 12. Romans in chapter 12, and understand this, I’ve done this before, but I want to kind of throw it in here real quick.

In verse one of chapter 12 of Romans, I beseech you therefore brethren that you win souls by the mercies of God that you win souls, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice. Why that you may win souls? Holy, why that you may win souls. Why acceptable unto God? Why that you may win souls? Which is your reasonable service? What that you might win souls? See, there has to be a purpose, a reason behind this race that we’re supposed to run.

It’s just not, I’m here to run a race and keep myself clean until I get to heaven. No, there’s an object to our life, a reason, a purpose. So then he says in verse two, “‘And be not conformed to this world, why that you may win souls. But be it transformed by the renewing of your mind. Why that you might win souls? That you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect, well, of God, why? that you may win so.

That’s why God left us here. And when you do, you’ll read the scriptures and you’ll see so much more and it will be a blessing to you. But if you lose the purpose, you’ve got to lose it all. Now look over there in the book of Hebrews in chapter 13. Hebrews chapter 13. Hebrews 13. I know this is the end of the book. But in Hebrews in chapter 13. Look what he says here in verse 18. He says, pray for us, for we trust we have a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly.

So however we’re supposed to live, we know we’re supposed to live honestly. And honestly we’re supposed to find out what is the purpose of our life because not to live for the purpose God has for us is not to live honestly. You can live a good, clean life for a lot of reasons, but it’s not the one God determined. Don’t look what He says. But I beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.

Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead, our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant. Now you want to understand the main purpose of the whole book of Hebrews? Well, make you complete. Make you perfect. In every good work to do is will. So we know that if this is the conclusion of the matter at the end of the book, then the whole book probably has something to do with accomplishing this.

So then you’ve got to try to get the person to think right. But see, you need to know, well, where am I going? Because that determines what road you get on. So he says here, working in you. which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. So, I believe verse 21 is a very important verse. Now, take your Bible and just look there to your left in Hebrews in chapter 12 and look at verse 25.

Now, you know when you go to the book of Hebrews in chapter 2 when it says, how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation. Well, it’s not talking about how we are saved. He’s talking about a responsibility that’s been given to us. And how can we escape this responsibility? How can you escape the consequences of not fulfilling this responsibility? How are you going to escape not running the race when he talks about laying aside every sin that so easily beset us that we may run the race that is what set before us.

So just like Paul says over there in 1 Corinthians 9, we’re running a race. And so we know we run the race until the race is over. So he says here in verse 25, see that you refuse not Him that speaketh, for if they escape not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape see that little word if now you’ll go back to chapter 3 and so forth and you’ll see that little word if thrown in there sometimes you’ll find in the book or like Colossians it’s in there but the little word if means it’s like a condition upon something now our salvation is unconditional a space upon Christ but what you accomplish in your life, you’re running the race, you’re completing the race.

Obstacles are going to be in the race. Whether you stop or you keep going is based upon, well, if you keep doing this and if you endure to the end it, if, if, if, because it depends upon you. Because God is going to reward you and me for the things that we do, if we do them. you may not. But he says, if they were chasing because of their refusing to do what God says do, and just think when God gave the law Mount Sinai and the whole mountain shook and they refused and people died, they did not obey.

How much more, and he even uses the word, how much more sword punishment, suppose he that those who know the truth and have believed in the Lord and then won’t obey Him. So there is consequences. So notice what he says here, for if they escape not, who refused Him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from Him that speaketh from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth. But now he hath promised saying, yet once more I shake not the earth only but also heaven.

He’s talking and challenging God’s children, not only to run a race, finish the race. Watch how you run. Be careful because there’s so many things that destroys our Christian life that comes because of the sin of disobedience. So he says here, verse 28, get verse 28 because these verses helps you to understand the beginning out the book of Hebrews and some of those difficult passages even in Hebrews. When he says in verse 28, wherefore we receive in a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace whereby we may do what?

Gain salvation. No, serve God. Because not just serve God, with reverence and godly fear. Where God’s children were going to heaven. He’s left us here and he’s warning us. So the book of Hebrew is a tremendous book on the warning of a Christian. Because if a person doesn’t run the race the way God says, until the end, doesn’t the Bible say something about God going to chase in his children? So where do you find that chapter? The chasening. Chapter 12.

God is going to chase in his children. So look there when he makes this statement here. You’ll notice there’s a word that’s used several times, and look in verse 11 of chapter 12. Now, now, no chastening for the present seems to be joyous. Now the only reason God can chasten his children is because when they disobeyed, there’s still his children. And God will chasten his children. So he says, nevertheless, afterwards, that word afterwards you need to mark it or underline it because it’s very important.

It’s talking about down the road, down the road. The consequences of why God chases His children is so that you afterwards will wake up and realize how important it is so God loves you so much. He doesn’t want you just to do whatever you want to do and then He just takes His hands off and then, you know, God cares. God loves His children. He’s going to chase in his children because he says afterwards there’s a reason. He says it yielded the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them that are exercised thereby.

So God loves his children and if they disobey and they are rebuked and they get disoriented as far as their vision goes. looking chapter 12 and verse 5, looking verse 5, where he says, and ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children. My son despised not thou the chasting of the Lord. Why? Because you’ll quit. You’ll quit running the race. Why? Because it’s hard, because it’s difficult. There’s troubles, there’s heartache, there’s sorrow, there’s all kind of things in Christian life that when you start off you say, man this is going to be a breeze.

Then after a while you can’t hardly breathe and you got pains in your chest and pains in your lungs and pains in your legs and you just they like lead and you can’t hardly and you want to stop. Every Christian gets to the place where it becomes sometimes a very difficult thing to keep running the race and the And the best thing to do is quit. See how much easier it feels? So much joys that, see how much greater it is?

Don’t do nothing. But if you’re running the race, how long shall we run the race? I’m the preacher, alright? 74 years old, right? So should I keep running the race or should I, well you know this thing getting mighty hard. You know we got a lot of problems. You know there’s always things going on. You know a lot of pressure. You know I have to mow my old ticker a bit. I can’t be under stress and strain and all that.

Or do I go until I can’t go no more until God takes me home? I haven’t found out yet how in the world I can retire. You know, quit. You may change your position on the firing line, but you don’t quit the battle. You always keep fighting. Until there’s nothing left. So this is why he says, not to become weary in well-doing. Look what he says there. You need to see this verse. See the verse three, for consider him, because as you and I run our race, we have all the reasons in the world why I’m justified in stopping and quitting and not going any further.

Look what he says, for consider him that endured such contradiction of centers against himself, why? Last ye be wearied and faint in your mind. In other words, you stop running the race. This is why he says in verse one, wherefore seeing that we are encompassed about by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us, will be says let us lay aside every weight and the sin of unbelief, the sin which does so easily beset us and let us do what?

Run with what? Patience, what? The race that is set before us. Now we don’t know what’s coming down the road. We don’t have to. But like Paul says, there is a course. I wanna finish my course, and I don’t know what’s gonna be on this course. I don’t know the obstacles. I don’t know all the problems on the road. But the Lord did tell him that I’m gonna let him see what great things he must suffer for my namesake.

So how long do we pose a run this race? Until the race is over. The race isn’t over yet. Why? Because you still are here. I’m still looking at you. The race isn’t through yet. You’re not through with your race. If you have a pulse, you have a purpose. Remember? You want to check it and see if you got one? Right quick and make sure that you’re still alive. If you’re still alive, you have a reason for living. Always remember that.

So he talks about the race and running the race. And then he says over here in verse 11, he says about afterwards, afterwards. When it’s all done. What have they gone to be the reason? You see, when you do what is right, it produces a peace, a settling, a ability of patience because you’re untrust the Lord, He’ll walk you through it. Enjoy it. Enjoy Christian life. I don’t care how big the problems may be, it doesn’t matter. If you hadn’t been born, look what you missed out on.

Now you get to see your heavenly Father take care of you. And he said, now what’s the worst thing that can happen to you in this life is to die, right? And he says, I’ll never leave you and never say, hey, when you’re time for you to die, I’ll be right there with you. He said, oh great, that’s comforting. He said, I want to die. But you know that sooner or later that day is going to come and God will walk us through it.

Now notice what he says down here in verse 17, when he’s talking about Esau and the Old Testament and how that he sold his birth right for a little old mess of potage. Now, you know, if it was oatmeal, I might do that. But I mean, as long as they had walnuts in it in some raisins, they could, I love that. But he says here in verse 17, for ye know how that get this afterwards, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected.

Now, we’re talking about the Christian running a race and that you could inherit the blessings of running the race. But you don’t get it here, you get it there. But if you quit, though you seek it with repentance, I cheat my mind and all the weeping in a way, then isn’t going to undo the damage. In other words, he’s going to reward you according to the work you did, not through the intent that you never did. He makes his statement.

He would have inherited the blessing. He was what? He was rejected. For he found no place of repentance. God could not change his mind. See, there’s certain things that God has determined and God will not change his mind. It talks about the gifts and the calling of God are without repentance. God is going to reward you when you get to heaven based upon what you did. Every man shall receive his own reward according to is on labor. And what does he say?

End of the Hebrews in chapter 6, he says this, God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love. He will not forget what you did for him. And he is going to reward you and it will be worth it all. You and I are supposed to believe that. Now notice, he uses a lot of stories in chapter 11 about people who were told what to do and they did it. And so it’s a great example on what he means by living by faith.

God said, do this and they did it. And most of it refers all the way to the end. Take your Bible right quick and look there in Hebrews 11 verse 4, where it says, by faith, Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than came. He had a testimony. He did what God says do, and God blessed him. But what happened to him? Just because he did write, everything’s supposed to work out great. No, somebody else didn’t like him, and he killed him.

He died. But God is rewarding this guy and blessing him because he obeyed the Lord, He did what God says do, but God allowed able to die. Now look what He says about Enoch in verse 5. Enoch was translated that he should not see death but was not found because God had translated him for before his translation. He had this testimony that he did what? Please, God. So why is he saying all these things? because you’re running a race.

You’re running a race. Please God do what God says do. Though you don’t see the results of everything, you do it by faith. Taking God at His word, that it will be worth it all. And though in this life you will not receive the promise of all that God has promised. You know that because of faith in what God says, you’re going to get it later. Now, can you be patient and wait on the Lord? And if you will, then God’s going to bless you.

But down, you’ll notice down here in verse 9, where he says, by faith he’s so germed in the land of promise. And in the last part of verse 9, he says, the heirs with him of the same promise. In verse 10, for he looked for his city which hath foundation, whose builder and maker is God. God. Now why is that important? That word builder is very important. The word promise is very important. The reason because when you go back to the book of Hebrews in chapter 3, it talks about every house is built by some man.

That’s just an assumption. You drive down the road, you see a house. There’s a house. Who built that? Nobody. It just built itself. Now you know somebody built that house Because you know the house can’t build itself, but God has built. Then he’s talking about Jesus is wanting to build a house. You see, there’s this foundation that you and I are on and there’s no other foundation that is laid. Then that is Jesus Christ. But he says, take heed how you build upon the foundation.

Now, when you trusted Christ as your Savior, you’re on the foundation. Now that you’re on the foundation, take heed how you build upon the foundation. Because you’re talking about the building, something that God wants you to do, and this is why this is so important. Look what he says down in verse 13, these all died in faith, not having received the promises, but they saw them afar off. But they knew that it was something down the road and they embraced it now.

This is why you and I are supposed to embrace the truths of the Word of God, believe in that it’s worth it, and nothing in this world will mean as much. as much. In other words, always think eternity because when you get to heaven, you don’t want to look back with the regrets that you could have and you should have, but you didn’t. If you’ve only just taken God at His Word, wouldn’t it have been greater? Wouldn’t you be more happier?

Do you want to be ashamed before Christ at His coming? You don’t want that. You want to be so thankful that you went ahead and did what God says to you, told you didn’t understand how God’s going to do it. You just believe that He will. And so He preaches us all the way through here and talking about something better. Now look over there in verse 39 of the same chapter, Hebrews chapter 11. And these all have obtained a good report through faith.

That means they did what God told them to do. They received a good report. They got an A on their report card, but they didn’t get the results of the promise yet. And see, that’s coming down the road. One of the greatest things about living by faith is like having God tell you as He walks with you, this is what I’m going to do. Now, this is what I’m going to do. This is what I’m going to do. This is what I’m going to give you, and you believe in.

And you just keep getting up. You’re running this race. Do you a new listener to Bibleline? Do you enjoy the teachings of Dr. Arnold? Well, if you’ve never contacted us before, we want to give you Dr. Arnold’s book, The Gospel Driven Man. Every day we receive many emails from folks who have questions about repentance and salvation, about faith in works, and about how to share the gospel with friends and loved ones. This book, The Gospel Driven Man, covers all those topics, and we want all new listeners of Bibleline to receive a free copy.

There’s no obligation, no donation necessary, simply call us at 1-800-576-3771 or write to us and request your free copy of the Gospel-Driven Man. The mailing address is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Again, don’t forget to include your mailing address, and God bless you and thank you for listening to Bibleline. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline. 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.

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. We’re leaving that the Lord is coming soon. Just keep looking up.