Audio Archives – Pastor Yankee Arnold

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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. See, a lot of people don’t think, well, Christians can’t do those things because you’re a Christian now. Or you won’t do those things because you know you won’t have the desire to do those bad things anymore. Wait a minute. What is he saying? That there’s believers that are worse than the lost in their life and that he should have his father’s wife.

Now, when you read all of this, and then he says there in verse 9, the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Okay, well, what are you going to do with this? And then he makes the statement, be not deceived, neither fornicators, idolaters, the feminine abusers of themselves with mankind, thieves, covetous, drunkard, revilers, extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God. Now that’s pretty bad. All of a sudden because, you know, hey, Christian, you’re being bad. And then he throws Adam.

Why would he do that? I mean, we know that you’re not supposed to, you can’t lose your salvation. How come then if you can’t lose your salvation, you can’t inherit the kingdom of God. And then he’s talking to these Christians. There’s a problem here. Now I’ll be honest with you. I’d venture to say that probably 90% of most Christians haven’t got a clue how to answer those verses because that’s why they teach that a person has to have a change in their life.

You can’t do those things and live like that and claim that you’re saved. Say people don’t live in sin, okay? What are we gonna do with it? Put it in its context and it’s not quite as bad. Let me show you this. Look what he says here because there’s a few places that talks about it, but look in verse 6 of chapter 5. He says, you’re glory is not good. not that a little 11 11 at the whole lump?

No you’re not. In other words don’t you know this? He’s going to explain something to them but evidently they don’t know it. And then he makes a statement down there in verse 2 of chapter 6, do ye not know that the saint shall judge the world? Verse three, no, he not that ye shall judge angels. How much more things that pertain to this life. So he’s talking about these believers there in Corinth, not being able to judge, not being able to judge the things of this life, not being able to discern.

And because they can’t discern, they’re not making wise decisions for their own lives. So they got a problem. Now look what he says there in chapter 3 and verse 1. He says, and I brethren could not speak unto you as under spiritual. So evidently, they were not spiritually minded. They did not have the discernment that they needed, and therefore they were not as wise as they ought to be, and their lifestyle revealed that they were not making good decisions for themselves.

So he makes a statement here in verse 1, he says, I could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal. Carnal means fleshly minded. Those who are walking in the flesh, Christians that walk like a lost man, Christians that live for the world. Do everything in the book. And yet the Bible says this, they were written to the saints at Corinth. These are saints living like the devil. I’ve had people say, well, you can’t tell me you can go out here and live like the devil and still go to heaven when you die.

Then you don’t know the Bible. Didn’t David do some things that were think he’s living like the devil? How many wives did Solomon have again? 700 wives and 300 porcupines, the concubines. A thousand of them. Did you know that he didn’t get away with it? God still judged, said it’s still wrong. And see, just because, well, they did it in the Bible, that doesn’t make it right, didn’t mean God approved. Sin is still sin. But what else he says here?

In verse 2, he said, I have fed you with milk, not with meat. For hitherto you were not able to bear it. Neither yet. Now are you able? In other words, you should be able. You should be able to be mature and discerning. In other words, when you talk about giving you meat, mean giving you something that you can discern more than what you had before. You see, there’s not real milk in the Bible. It’s not real meat. It’s the teachings of the word of God.

It’s what you’re able to understand. And some people cannot understand the power of discernment of right and wrong. And so he says, don’t you know, don’t you know, don’t you know? And their answer was, no, I don’t know. They didn’t know. They could not understand. He said, I can’t speak unto you as under spiritual. I gotta talk to you like you’re a bunch of babies. These were Christians, babes in the Lord. And look what he said, and look why he said it.

In verse three, he says, for ye are yet carnal. For whereas there is among you, envy and strife and divisions, are you not carnal and walk as men? Or the natural man that doesn’t have the spirit of God? You see, there should be a difference between those who have been enlightened, they can make better decisions. and you’re able to guard your testimony and seek to serve a Lord. Just because I don’t teach, there ought to be a change in your life.

Well, maybe there ought to be, but doesn’t have to be. It doesn’t mean it must be. And you don’t. It’s a sign you’re not saved. No, it’s a sign you’ve got an oaths and for nature. Them not doing right was a sign. They had an oaths and for nature. And so he says, you’re carnal minded. You walk like lost people. You can’t discern. And so when he gets over here in the chapter six, go back to chapter six, an issue had come up, and evidently in these verses, they weren’t doing too good.

They had a lot of problems. These people had about 14 major church problems. Why? Because they were acting like babies. They hadn’t matured. They hadn’t let the Holy Spirit teach them and guide them, and they didn’t yield to it. So they were still acting, talking, thinking like a lost man. So he says here in verse 1 of chapter 6, he says, dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust and not before the saints.

So what is he talking about? Here’s believers in a church. They got problems. He says, among yourselves against one another in the church. So what are they doing? Taking each other to court. Taking each other to court. And so Paul in writing to them admonishes them, don’t you understand you are going to be judging the angels? You are going to be judging the lost the world. You are. are. Can not you judge even the smallest matters among yourselves? Don’t you have any discernment?

Can’t you figure out what’s wrong between two people and solve the problem? Why are you going to the court? Why are you going to the judge in the world? And so he says in verse Or if then you have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church. In other words, isn’t there anybody that you can say, would you help me? Would you give me some spiritual guidance? Is there anybody you can get some good spiritual Godly counseling from without going to the world?

Why would you want to go to the world? Remember. It’s God’s people that have the Holy Spirit to discern right from wrong. And things that pertain to the Kingdom. Because see, the things that happens to us in this life, though you may not solve all the problems, is how you respond to them because God is going to reward you later. And when he rewards you later, because of the Kingdom of God, that’s why you make the decisions that you make.

That’s why you don’t retaliate. That’s why you don’t get even. That’s why you don’t need to be filled with envy and bitterness and hatred and jealousy because you have something more to live for. There’s another reason. And if you’re spiritually minded, you can discern this, but if you’re not, you’re not going to discern it. Why would you want the people in the world that do not no spiritual things judging spiritual things among you. Are you following me so far?

Can you follow my thinking? You go to sleep, you’re not going to catch it at all because majority of people never understand this little bit of portion of Scripture, they get all balled up about it. Now look what he said, Look there now in verse 5, I speak this to your shame. Is it so that there’s not a wise man among you? No, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren, but brother goeth the law with brother and that before the Enuada on the line, that word, the unbeliever.

But remember as you put it into its context, the natural man receiveeth not the things of the Spirit of God because they’re spiritually discerned. And he doesn’t have the Holy Spirit, so he cannot discern spiritual things. So why would you want the natural man, the lost man, trying to give you spiritual guidance? A lot of times I’ve had married people have a problem and they go get him some philosopher, some psychologist that don’t know a thing about God to help solve their spiritual problem.

When they got a pastor that won’t charge him a cent and tell him spiritual answers to their spiritual problems. And if you’ll do what God says, do, it’ll work. But they’ll pay thousands of dollars to some nut to tell me, now tell me what your problem is. You don’t even have to tell me your problem. I can tell you the problem. So how can you do that? Because I can discern. I know what marriage is all about. I know just about every problem you can ever face.

I’ve been doing this for a little while. Plus I’ve been married for 52 years and I got a great spiritual advisor. She’s smart. That’s no lie. She is very discerning because she knows the Lord and she can see things so quickly, a lot quicker than what I do. But now notice. So as you go down through here and he says there in verse 6, but brother goa to law with brother and that before the unbeliever. Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you because you go to law with one another.

Why do you not rather take wrong? Why do you not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? Nobody’s gonna treat me wrong and get away with it. You say something bad about me, buddy, I’ll get you back. That’s the last thing I do. It’s just the way I am. Ain’t nobody walking on me. God did make me no floor mat. God bless you. Boy, you’re sticking up for your rights. And then when you read verses like this, it’s almost totally contrary to my nature.

I do have an old simple nature. I do have a little problem with the plan every once in a while. And yet God says, why don’t you just let people roam you? You don’t have to make it right. You don’t have to get even. Why? Because for the kingdom of God’s sake, we’re not here to win arguments. We heard a wind soul. And you may fight but you’re right. But the way you do it is wrong. And it may not accomplish a thing when it’s all over.

And you can leave a lot of people in your wake while as they see in the news, you know, that’s just collateral damage to what he says. In verse 80 says, nay you do wrong and and defraud and that’s your brethren. And then he says, why don’t you know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the came of God? Who’s he you’re talking about? The unrighteous goes up there to the lost man. The lost man, that unbeliever. Why would you want to go to the lost people that are guilty of all of this?

To solve your problem. God bless you. You’ve got something loose upstairs. See, when you put it in his contact in a way, it’s worth it. There’s no problem. It’s when you take this out and try to say it, well, see, here I am. I’m a Christian. And if I ever do this, that means I’m not really saved. He’s not talking about that whatsoever. The lost man, the unrighteous man, isn’t going to heaven. He’s not going to be inherited in the kingdom of God.

The Bible says over and over again, the flesh are not inherited in the kingdom of God. But you see, that’s the way we were. But now you trust He Christ is your Savior, and God has washed you and made you white as snow. You’re going to heaven now. Those names are not put on you. You’re a child of God. Though you have been guilty of all of those things, And you may still be guilty of all of those things, but God sees you covered with the blood of Christ as though you never committed a sin.

That’s grace. That’s grace. But look what he says. In verse 9 when he says, no, you’re not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Be not deceived. Neither fornicators and all these things that we’ve mentioned several times shall inherit the kingdom of God. In verse 11 says, and such were some of you. See, you were lost And you were the same way? Why would you want to go to people like that to help solve your problems and you’re taking each other to court because of it?

You know, there’s a thing called church discipline where you try to settle their differences in a spiritual way and a godly way, learning to forgive one another and help one another and to pray for one another. I can tell you most of the judges or whoever’s out there that you might have, that’s not going to be their thinking. That doesn’t mean they’re all bad, but God has a better way set up. God says it’ll be wrong to do it.

But many people do what they want to do and they don’t have a clue and don’t really care about right and wrong because they don’t have a discernment. But the more you study the Word of God, the more right you want to be. You want to do what God wants to do. But look what he says in verse 11, and such were some of you, but you are watched. This is where you are not. You’re God’s, you’re washed. You are sanctified.

You are justified how in the name of the Lord Jesus, Not by your works, not by any works you’ve ever done or any works you still do. You were watched, sanctified, justified, get this by the name of the Lord and by the Spirit of our God. Then He says in verse 12, all things are lawful unto me. In other words, according to the legal law of the land, I might be able to take you to court. Okay, you can take me to court.

We can sue each other, but all things are not expedient. You know, for the kingdom of God’s sake, maybe I don’t have to. Maybe I can just suffer somebody to defraud me and wrong me. Over the years I have been so wronged. I’ve had lies told about me. Things said that’s not true. But I just let people say it. And if it didn’t seem like it hurt the ministry that much, I’d just let them believe whatever they want to believe.

I never always wanted to try to defend myself all the time. I’m getting bolder as I go, I know that. But I try to my best to just let people say whatever they want to say. It won’t matter. God knows the truth. We always eat God keeps the books. Don’t you believe God keeps the books? And if God keeps the book, that’s all that matters. It means that He’ll make it right. The day will come, He’ll make it right.

And God knows what you suffered and how you were wronged and been defrauded. And then He makes a statement here. Now I’m not talking about businesses and things like that, that under legal obligations and so forth in contracts that people signed, I’m talking about the wrong done between people in the local church. Notice what else he says here. He makes a statement in verse 12, “‘All things are lawful unto me, but all things “‘are not expedient. “‘All things are lawful for me.

“‘There’s nothing that would hold me back. “‘Doesn’t keep me from doing it. “‘I can do this.’ “‘But he also says, “‘All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” Or here I am, Paul is in, I have no desire to be brought under the power of a lost man, to teach, to guide, to solve my problems in that sense. He stood before kings, he defended himself at times, but that’s because there was forced situations.

But think about all those people who threw stones at him and all those people that put a cat and nine tails against his back. I don’t think Paul ever took vengeance upon anybody or the forty people that swore were the oath that they would not eat or sleep until they killed him. Paul said, hey, I’m taking you to court. You threaten me. You threaten my life. I don’t know of anything like that where Paul did anything like that. He said, I’d rather just suffer the wrong.

Let people say to and leave it in God’s hands. You’re not going to solve everything in this life. But you should know in the back of your mind, I want to be spiritually minded. To be spiritually minded means you mind the spirit. To be fleshly minded, you mind the flesh. Simple, clear cut. And as you begin to be spiritually minded, and you learn the mind of God, then it helps in your judgment, your decisions that you have to make, so that you can be rewarded down the road and for the kingdom of God’s sake.

And this is what Paul is talking about, so get this one more time. In the last part of verse 12, I will not be brought under the power of any yielding to the world concerning spiritual matters. So here you are, you’re gonna have problem with people. Most of the time if all your world revolves around church, guess where you’re gonna have most of your problems? People at church. Because that’s where you see them. That’s the closest people. That’s your friends.

That’s everything. Don’t let the devil destroy you. Don’t let the devil use you. Don’t be found doing the devil’s work. You say, well, they wrong me. So they did. So they did. A lot of times I have to tell people, don’t worry about it. A hundred years from now, who cares? A hundred years from now, there’s a God in heaven that will be taking care of the situation. leave it with the Lord. You’d be surprised what that will do to your peace of mind.

It’ll give you, don’t let somebody else rob you of your joy and your happiness. And see, now when you go back here and you read that verse nine and ten, it’s not talking about me not going to heaven because I did this. No, I did all this. He said, some of y’all did all of this thing and some were still alone in it. But you don’t want those kind of people that are not spiritually minded in leading you. This is what you have to watch with other people in the Lord’s work.

When you want counseling about the will of God, you don’t ask people that are less spiritually minded than yourself. You seek Godly counseling. You seek out the people in the church that are spiritual leaders that know the will of God and will try to advise you in the best way. Don’t trust your own judgment. The Bible says, lean not unto thy own understanding, but in all thy ways. What? Acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths. Do you believe that?

Live like you believe it. Look up here. This is you and me. And this is sin. We all have sin on us. God loves us, but He hates what we do wrong. And since we’ve all sinned, we’re all condemned. We’re all in the same boat. And the Bible says it’s eternal separation from God in hell. But God loves us once we stick to heaven. I’m so glad that there is a God and I’m glad that God is a good God.

I’m glad that God has a of heaven. I’m glad God wants me to be there. Think about that. He could have done all of this and left us out of this. He could have got somebody else, but aren’t you glad that He allowed you to be created and give you the chance and you said, yes, I want to go to heaven. I want to live forever in total happiness, total bliss, streets of gold, walls of jasper gates of pearl.

Yeah, I want it. And the thing is, I have not seen ear-heavened. We don’t know all that God has for us. It’s not all revealed. He says, in Deuteronomy 28, he said, the secret thing belonging unto the Lord. So yes, I want to go to heaven to be with the Lord. But God says, because of sin, can go. So God says, I cannot save myself, can’t deliver myself. This sin 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 it separates us from Him. So Jesus Christ took all the sin, paid for it on the cross, came back from the dead and said, all we have to do is believe it did it for us. And if I believe it, He said He puts this payment to my account. He that believeeth on me have present tense right now, that moment. And that moment God saves me and God never forgets.

God knows them that are His. That’s all the evidence that I need. God can’t forget. God keeps His word. And I know I believe. See, this is the only thing you have to know of why I’m going to heaven. I’m so glad it has nothing to do with my life because when you examine your own life, there’ll be times when you think, well, I deserve it and there’ll be other times you’ll think you won’t. And there’ll be times when you’ll see the signs of the flesh and there may be times when you, I love the Lord.

But if a lost man can live the way you live, and he can, a lost man can do everything a Christian can do in this life, visibly speaking. If the evidence that saves you, I’ll be the same evidence that saves him. But since it doesn’t, the only thing that makes him different than you is, you believe in Christ, you trust the Lord. So if you trust Christ as your Savior, he gives you, he turned life and you get to go to heaven or what he did for you.

So God says, He that believeth on me hath present tense right now, hath everlasting life. And He said, it never cast us out and never lose us. Best news in all the world. Let’s pray, shall we? With your heads bowed and your eyes closed, no one looking around. Or if you’re watching by internet tonight, I pray that what I’ve said made sense. And if you haven’t trusted Christ as your Savior, I pray that you would. See, God loves you.

He died for you. Send His Son paid for all of your sins. And all you have to do to go to heaven is believe He did it for you. If you do it right now, God said He would save you right now. And He said He’d never cast you out. He promised He’d never lose you. See, you’re going to heaven because God said so. That’s all the evidence you need. Fifty-two years ago, that was all the evidence that I needed.

And I knew that day, that moment, I was saying, that’s all the evidence that I have today. It’s all the evidence I have. He said so. Our Father, we thank You so much for loving us so much, for giving us a free gift of eternal life by faith alone. We’ll even know what You did was for us. And I pray, Lord, that You’ll bless those that are in the auditorium and those that are watching by internet, that whoever they are, wherever they may be, we want them to know that You love them, and that You made a payment for them in by faith alone.

in Christ alone. They can have the free gift of eternal peace, blessing Christ in the name of Christ. 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.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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 message will be a blessing to you and your family.

So here in the 139th Psalm, it’s divided into 24 verses. In these 24 verses, there are four sets of six verses each. And each one of these six verses tells us something wonderful, but they’re a different topic. And yet they all relate back to the Lord. In the first six verses, we talk about the omniscience of God. That’s the wisdom of God. And in the next six verses it talks about the present, the omnipresence of God, how that God is everywhere.

And then in the next six verses it talks about the power of God. And then the last six verses talks about from the human perspective, how we are supposed to look at the Lord and life in view of God’s wisdom and in view of his power and in view of his presence. So I want you to look there in verse one. He says, O Lord, thou has searched me and known me. But you’ll notice that the word me is in italics.

It means it’s added by the translators to help the understanding of the verse. But he says, O Lord, thou has searched me and known me. But I believe that that word me, it should be known my heart. To know me, yes, it means the same thing. But it’s that inner me, that real me. Not that one that everybody sees, you know, that image that everybody projects to everyone else. But the reason for that is because in verse 23, look in verse 23, where he also says, search me.

Oh God, I know my heart. So you have the same phrase mentioned twice. One, he’s already done it. And then verse 23, he’s asking the Lord to continually keep doing that, keep searching me because you see it’s not a one-time deal. Like when I was 18 and I trusted Christ as my Savior, Lord, search my heart and know if there’s any wicked way in me, let me know so I can correct it. And then I never have to do it again for the rest of my life.

No. It’s something that we are supposed to do all the days of our life. like when he says, knock and it shall be opened. It means knock and keep knocking. Ask and you shall receive. It means ask and keep asking and seek. It doesn’t mean just one time seek and you shall find keep seeking. So all your life you’re asking and all your life you’re knocking all your life you’re doing this and you’re asking the Lord to search your heart so that you can be honest with yourself.

Because if the heart of man is deceitful and desperately wicked, above all things, and who can know it, who can understand it, and if it’s not within man that walk up to direct his steps, then how is a man supposed to guide his life? He could be so easily deceived. So you need to always keep a knowledge of the Word of God pouring through your mind. Always stay close to the Lord, always keep reading. And we mentioned this before.

The book of Psalms is a book to help reveal to you and I all of our feelings. Because, see, we’re not to let our feelings guide us, but we have feelings. We’re individuals who feel. We have moments of despair. We have trials and testings, and we get, feel with the motions of all kinds. And we have envy and bitterness sometimes. and we have joy and praise all these combinations. Well, the book of Psalms expresses how we feel because someone else has already gone through what you and I have gone through or will go through.

And that’s why when you read the Psalm that makes your heart warm toward the Lord. Of course, when you read the book of Proverbs, it’s to make you wise to seek the wisdom of God in a few words. If you want to do something with your life, yes, then you read the book of Acts because it’s a history of what happened in the lives of people who put up the book. all of that in the practice. But now notice what he says in verse one, he says, Thou have searched me and known my heart.

In verse two, Thou knoweth my down sitting and my uprising, Thou understandeth and underline these two words because we see in verse one it’s my heart, me. In verse two it’s my thoughts. He says there in the book of Isaiah, he says that our ways are not his ways, our thoughts are not his thoughts. His ways and his thoughts are higher than ours. They’re of a different caliber than ours. So that’s why if you want to raise the caliber of your life, you have to raise the caliber of your thoughts.

The word of God is to teach us how to think. So you can think in a divine way and not just the human way. But notice what he says in verse 4, excuse me, verse 3, Thou compass my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. My ways means all my actions. So you have here in these first few verses because of the omniscience of God that’s talking about how that God knows everything but nobody else knows and can’t figure out but it’s God that can look into the heart of man and know your heart knows why.

you do what you do. He knows your motives and he says he knows your heart, he knows your ways, your actions and he knows your thoughts. Look what he says in verse 4, for there is not a word in my tongue, but Lord, O Lord, thou knoweth it all together. Thou knoweth it all together. God knows everything. We should be convinced of that because this is the reason why we should never, never try to hide anything from God. When you do something that’s wrong, don’t think for a moment God didn’t see.

God does see. God knows everything. And this is why He wants you to confess things to Him because it is a way of you recognizing the mission of God means the wisdom of God and all these matters because you believe that. And when He makes statement in verse four. He says, for there is not a word in my tongue. Verse four talked about my words, my words, my tongue. And so whether or not it’s my heart, my thoughts, my ways, my actions, my words, God knoweth all things.

And God says in verse five, he says, thou hast be set me behind and before and laid thy hand upon me.” That phrase laid thy hand upon me. I underlined it in my Bible. I remember years ago, listening to various preachers and they’d say, you know, God laid his hand upon me. Well, God laid his hand upon me. And I believe God has laid his hand upon you. And God has ordained you to live a certain way. We find that in other scriptures.

God hath ordained you, anointed you. God has given to you the Holy Spirit in the Athanointed you. He has laid his hand upon you and there’s a certain way that he wants you to live, a certain way he wants you to think, certain words he wants you to say and not say. God wants to control your life. He wants to control my life. That is the will of God. Then he says here in verse He says, my understanding as a human individual, he says, such knowledge is too wonderful for me.

He says, it is high. I cannot attain unto it. You and I in this life will never totally attain the knowledge that we would like to have in understanding all of this stuff about God. But we’re supposed to understand that God understand all of it about us. So though I don’t know everything about God, I am to believe he knows all about me. And I am to live my life all the time seeking the Lord, asking God not only to know all these things about me, but to find a way, find a way God to reveal it to me.

But if God is going to reveal something to you that you need to correct, does God have a right way to tell you without you being offended. Can God tell you something through someone else without you following the part and getting mad at the source of the information? That’s tough. That’s rough. But if your heart is right, you won’t mind what source it comes from. You won’t mind what avenue, what person God seeks to use. Because God is not just to know those things about us.

He says, search me and try me and let me know if there be a wicked way in me so I can correct that. Alright, how’s he going to do it? Do you know there’s sometimes if a husband has to tell the wife something there’s no right way he can do it? It won’t matter how he does it. There is no right way to do it. Think about it for a moment. Sometimes if the man is doing something wrong and the wife tries to correct him, there’s no right way for her to do it.

Why? Because she’s afraid to say something to him because I don’t know how he’s going to respond. Everyone should be able to say something to someone because they love him without fear of an explosion, without fear of a war. Simply because Because you know that person loves me and that person is telling me because they care about me and they ought to be able to say whatever they need to to me without me losing it. Look what he says now.

In the next six verses, verses seven down to verse 12, these verses talks about something else. It talks about the un-nipresence of the Lord talking about how that God is everywhere. You see there in verse 7, whether shall I go from the spirit or whether shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, up into heaven is an extreme. There’s five extremes that are mentioned here. And one is the height. You can’t get any higher than wherever heaven is.

You can’t get higher than that. He’s talking about the presence of God and where is He? He is everywhere, so an extreme would be the height. Well the other extreme would be the depths. And He says, if I ascend into heaven, thou art there. If I make my dead in hell, behold thou art there. Can’t get any higher? Can’t get any lower. Those are extremes. If I take the wings of the morning and in the wings of the morning when the sun comes up that’s looking east, when they talk about the sea, they always talk about looking toward the Mediterranean, the great sea looking west.

So you can’t get an extremity further than that. East, west, two opposites. As far as it can go. He said, where can you go? You can’t escape God. He says in verse 9, If I take the wings of the morning and dwell on the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me. That’s an extreme, the absence of light. Even though we know and believe that with light we can see all things and light is to to reprove is to help us to see things.

But we also think that darkness covers a lot of things. A lot of sins are done at night because nobody sees, nobody can know what’s going on. But God can see through the night just as good as He can in the day. And the extremity of darkness, which is the opposite of light, cannot hide you from God. So he makes a statement here in verse 11, If I say surely the darkness shall cover me even the night shall be light about me.

Yea the darkness hideeth not from thee, but the night shineeth as the day. In other words, with the Lord there is no night. He says the night is just like the light. So God sees everything. He’s everywhere. He knows all. There is no reason why you and I should not worship somebody like that because of the wisdom that he has. I remember when I was talking to an atheist one time at the University of Miami, he says, I don’t believe in God.

I said, well, I do. And I said, I believe that God is everywhere. He said, I don’t believe there’s a God. I said, well, wait a minute. You ought to be able to go everywhere and know everything because if there’s anywhere that you haven’t been, could be where God is, can you go everywhere? He said, no. I said, and not only that, you have to go everywhere and be everywhere all at the same time, not that you can check on this planet and that planet and that planet and that planet and that planet and that star and that galaxy, no.

You got to cover them all at the same time because when you go to this planet, he might sneak over to this planet. You go to that planet. He might sneak over to that planet. I said, no, no. You got to be everywhere at the same time. Can you do that? So you are a fool to say, there is no God. When you can’t prove there is no God. Because they always want me to prove that there is one.

I said, you prove there isn’t. And I said, not only that. I said, you have to be able to know everything that’s knowable. Because if there’s anything that you don’t know, might be the knowledge of God. So before you can intellectually say, there is no God, you ought to be able to be everywhere at the same time and know everything that’s knowable. And I says, you don’t qualify. So you can’t intellectually state there is no God because you really don’t know there is no God.

He didn’t like that. That’s okay. But I believe there is a God. And I believe that the world that God made is the evidence of it. He says, the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. Now verse 13, down to verse 18, gives us the verses that talks about the omnipotence of God. This means the power of God. You see it’s one thing to know everything. It’s one thing to be able to be everywhere but to have all the power that there is.

Omnipotent, all All powerful means there’s no power in the world anywhere. If it doesn’t come from God, God is powerful. And so he makes a statement here in verse 13, for thou hast possessed my reigns. That means you controlled me. Before I was born, you were in control. CoC you’re the one that brought me life. You’re the one God that took my body and that mother’s womb and God, You’re the one that formed that body. No man can be born without God, without the power of God to do so.

Evolution is not true. The Bible is true. And there is a true and living God. And he makes this statement here in verse 13, Thou has possessed my reign, Thou has covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. That’s the power of God. There might be somebody that looks like you somewhere else in the world, but you are still one of a kind. Nobody is exactly like you. Nobody is exactly like me.

But it says in verse 14, I will praise thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made, marvelous are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right? Well, that last statement, my soul knows that. Whenever you look at this world and you look at your own body, when you look at life, you go down here whenever a little baby is born and they have those little babies there and you got two people that just brought a baby into the world and got no clue of what’s going on and say, that is a miracle.

It’s an awesome, it’s a miracle. And you’re different and you’re unique. And a God who has all the wisdom in the world, You didn’t make yourself. You’re not an accident. You didn’t just happen, but with the knowledge of God. When He makes a statement here in verse 15, my substance was not hit from thee when I was made in secret and curiously wrought in the lowest part of the year. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet been unperfect, that means not complete.

And in my book, all my members were written, which is the continuance, were fashioned. When as yet there was none of them. How precious also are in your underlinedeth thy thoughts unto me. See, God knows my thoughts, but his thoughts are about me. God has to think about me to see and know and everything about me and understand my heart, know what I’m going through and how I think and how I feel and how I heard. See, sometimes people don’t always understand you.

It’s hard sometimes for the husband to understand the wife. the wife. We just don’t understand everything. Be patient with us. The wives don’t always understand. Be patient with them. Kids don’t always grasp it. They don’t understand everything. We live in a sinful wicked world. And so we need to give each other a kind of a little slack. But God, He knows everything. And look how merciful He is to us. How precious are the sum of them. In other words, God thinks about us.

God, He loves us. He knows us. And in these verses talking about the wonderful power of God. If you didn’t have wisdom, you wouldn’t know how to use the power. But God knows how to use it. He’s everywhere at the same time. So he automatically knows how to take care of us in every situation. He knows everything that’s coming down the road. When he makes that statement of bear about before me and behind me, see in verse 5, thou hast to be set me behind and before.

He knows everything in advance ahead of you and everything behind you. That’s wonderful to know. See, there’s three other things that mentioned here. See there in verse seven, verse seven talks about the spirituality of God. In verse seven, where shall I go from by spirit? God is a spirit and must be worshiped in spirit and in truth. But that’s God. But that’s what he is. And when you understand the wisdom of God, then you understand about God as a spiritual individual.

Whenever you trusted Christ as your You were saved, you were made a spiritually alive individual. You were given the Holy Spirit, brought into his family. Look in verse 17. In verse 17, it talks about, I believe, the love of God because of his thoughts that are toward us. God thinks about you. I believe God thinks about you every day, every day. Every moment of every day, God thinks about you. There is no time when you’re not on his mind.

There’s times in my life when I don’t think about God. I get busy doing some other things, but I don’t believe that God’s ever so busy that he’s not thinking about you and what you’re doing and where you are. And he wants to talk to you about things. And I believe it hurts God when we get so busy doing so many things that we have no time for God. We’re going to have problems. We’re going to have aches and pains.

We’re gonna need surgeries. But did you know that God never stops looking at you? Never stops thinking about you. God loves you. And his thoughts toward you as he says here, how precious they are, how great is the sum of them. It means a lot of them. Not just once in a while. I believe it’s all the time. How can God have a moment that he doesn’t think about me? At moment he’s not thinking about me. At that moment he’s not looking at me.

Might be the moment I need to help more than any time in my life. No, he never forgets. If I could count them, there are more in number than the sand. How many grain of sand are there? How much must he think about us? And in verse 19, about the holiness of God. Look in verse 19, surely thou will slay the wicked, oh God. Depart from me, therefore ye bloody men. God is so holy, the day will come. that God will take all those that are wicked, that have rejected Him, and they’ll be cashing to the lake of fire.

But also, it breaks the Psalmist’s heart, because I believe it was written by David, because of the people that are in this world that do not love God. I hurt not only for the lost man that’s never heard the gospel or won’t trust Christ to say that hurts me. But it also hurts me when I see other people treating their heavenly Father in an ungodly manner. That breaks my heart when I see God’s people that don’t love their father, enough to be faithful to their heavenly father.

That hurts. And whenever David says, I hate them that hate me as a human individual, It should bother you, but not everybody loves our Heavenly Father. I don’t like it when I hear people using His name in vain, cursing God, asking God to damn somebody. I’ve never said those words in my life to an individual, and it bothers me when I see people that have such little respect for God’s Word because of who He is and what He’s done, How great he is.

And then they can live in such a way that brings shame to him. Their lives don’t reflect that they love the Lord. Their lack of dedication, their lack of faithfulness, there’s a shame and a disgrace to the God that’s done so much for us. That thinks about us so much that loves us. You see these last six verses talk about in view of all of that. What kind of a person should I be? What do I want God to do?

I want God to use His wisdom to search me. I want Him to understand me. And I want God to always be where God can influence my life. I want him to influence me through whatever means possible. If it has to be through an illness, a sickness, a hospital, a doctor, a friend, an enemy, whatever it takes for God to communicate with me, so be it. Because that’s more important than me living a carefree life down here and no communication with my Heavenly Father in either direction.

I believe it should be. Search me in verse 23. Oh God, and know my heart. Try me. Test me. See if I’m for real. And know my thoughts. Whether they’re about God. You know whenever he makes a statement in Proverbs in chapter 3. Trust in the Lord with all by heart, will not him to by own understanding. In all my ways acknowledge him. him that were acknowledge him means thank God and all your ways think about God. What is God want?

What would God want? And he shall direct thy paths. And verse 24, and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. Leave me in the right way. So I I want God to see it and to reveal it and to have the power to influence my life in whatever way possible. Sometimes you may live your life and not really see the hand of God in your life. Well, remember that verse up there that talks about that we are in his hand?

He says, and laid thy hand upon me. Laid thy hand upon me. I wouldn’t want to live. Well, I believe in that God has laid his hand upon me for something special. I don’t wanna be like the normal average individual Joe Blow that lives his life for himself. You should want to do that which God wants you to do to be different, to love the Lord with all your heart. And God will bless you because of it. Look up here.

God loves us, he hates our sin. For you and I to pay for this sin, And we ought to pay for it. We committed it. And God says that since we committed it, we have to pay for it. It’s eternal separation from God in hell. But He loves us. He wants us to go to heaven and to go to heaven. We have to be perfect. It’s righteous as God. And nobody’s perfect. Nobody is. We’re all sinners. No man can go to heaven because he’s good enough.

We committed a sin we ought to pay for it. And that payment is dead. This sin represents Jesus Christ. the Lord is God in a flesh. He came into the world because he loves us. He hates our sin. It separates us from him. So what Christ did for one person he did for the whole world, he took all their sins, paid for them to cross and came back from the dead. And God said that if you and I will believe that he did it for us, that he did it.

And only those who believe it, that he did it for them. Well, God save and give them eternal life and they get to go to heaven. Now, if you don’t believe he did it for you, then God can’t save you and you can’t go to heaven. But eternal life is the gift of God. It’s not a works that St. Emane should boast. Let’s pray, shall we? 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 Bible Eye, 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.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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

Well, I know you have a Bible because I ain’t no sense coming to this church if you don’t have a Bible. So we’ve got a few things to talk about tonight. Who are those that don’t know where they’re going when they are going to die? What do you call them? What are people called that don’t know where they’re going when they die? They’re what? Somebody says lost. They don’t know where they’re going when they die. What are they? Huh?

Unsaved? Lost? All of the above. I got an article in the mail and it kind of bothered me just a tad. It was written by Bob Wilkins. Now I know Bob Wilkins, I preach for him. He heads up a group called the Grace Evangelical Society and he’s been strong on the gospel of grace for a long time. But he wrote an article and he says, who is the lost person according to scripture? And he says, when we actually go to the scriptures and see how the word lost is used, we find out it rarely if ever refers to those who lack everlasting life.

Now, I had a problem with that. So I thought, well, that was an interesting statement. It caught my attention. And so I began to read a little bit more. And I thought, well, we got a call on something. This is what he said. He said, there is not one place in the epistles where the term lost occurs in English translations with the lone exception of 2 Corinthians 4, 3 in the King James Version, which is translated them that are lost.

Whereas other translations have those who are perishing. There are a handful of places where Paul refers to those who are perishing. My point is that not only is it uncommon for the apostles to speak of lost people in their epistles, they never do so. Then he says, lost people are people, often believers, who’ve lost their way. I believe somebody’s getting confused or they’re going to confuse a lot of people. confusing language to me. He says that God doesn’t refer to the people as being lost that don’t know where they’re going when they die except in one place.

Well let me ask you something. If God said in His Word, I am coming back to the earth on January the 15th, 2010. How many times would He have to say that for it to be true? Well, it only says this one time. Well, is it still true or is it untrue? How many times must the Lord say something for it to be true? Well, I have a problem. He said, I think it is high time we stop referring to unbelievers as the lost.

If neither the Lord nor his apostles ever did that, remember Jesus only referred to one person, Judas, is lost. Why should we? The Lord taught that if a believer is out of fellowship with God, then that believer is lost. He is born again but lost in terms of his walk with God. The practical benefit of this change would be that we understand the Bible better and we come to realize that any time we are out of fellowship with God we are lost people.

Our concerns should be that we not become lost. There is no guarantee that we will stay in fellowship with Christ. But if we become lost, then we, like the prodigal son, will find famine and loss, and that should certainly lead us to come to our senses like he did and return to the Father, it always pays to stay in fellowship with God. Now was that clear to you? That is not clear to me. Now this is a highly educated man.

And I really believe that He loves the Lord and loves the Word and He loves souls. But this is confusing. I had to read it several times to make sure I understood what He was saying. And when I got through, I totally disagree with Him. Yes, I believe that a sheep of the Lord can go astray, but He doesn’t get lost in the sense that He’s lost. He’s not lost. So what I did, it kind of pricked my mind to try to cover a few things.

And I want you to follow along with me because what are we supposed to call those people that do not know where they’re going when they die? Now we can’t call them Christians that I know that. We can’t call them Christians and we can’t call them believers because that would mean they’d be saved. look there in Romans in chapter 5, Romans and chapter 5 and follow me through a little of my madness. And hopefully that’s what makes sense to you because you are going to have to deal with things like this because people are always coming up with something new and they think they’re making it simple and clear and it becomes muddy.

Here in the book of Romans, I want you to look there in chapter 5, Romans chapter 5. And look what he says here in verse 6, for when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. So I guess we could say that the people that don’t know where they’re going when they die would be, but they are ungodly. But that wouldn’t be a very, you know, good term because a Christian can live ungodly. But Christ died for the ungodly, so that whoever is ungodly, Christ died for, so I guess you could call them the ungodly.

Christ died for the ungodly sister right there. Look at the next verse. Look there in verse 8, but God commended his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Okay, so Christ died for sinners. So we know two types of people that you can maybe call them the you know sinners Christ died for sinners. Christ died for the ungodly. All right, but is it wrong to say that sinners and the ungodly are lost.

I always looked at it this way and I asked people the question, do you know where you’re going when you die? And they often say no. Well if they don’t know where they’re going when they died they don’t know where they’re going. They’re lost. They don’t know where they’re going. If somebody was in the woods and I said where are you going? I don’t know. Then you must be lost. You don’t know where you going? I don’t see anything wrong with the word and I don’t believe that I need to change it because Bob Wilkins says I need to stop saying that.

Did you know this is a very powerful man? Very powerful man because he influences an awful lot of people and he is strong on the gospel of grace. He believes in eternal security just like you and I do. A few years ago, I would have let him preach in my church. No questions, I had to because the man was clear. When I went down there to preach for him in Dallas at the Graysy Evangelical Society, they had a seminar down there.

Tony Evans was down there and a few others. Dr. Seymour was there. Freddy Coyle was down there. He didn’t speak there, but I was he was down there. Anyway, they asked me to speak. I spoke. I didn’t detect it as much thin, but then my friend, Danny Adams. He said, Did you catch I said something strong something from but I could put my finger on it at the time and then afterwards I saw it Take your Bible and turn to the book of Ezekiel chapter 3 the book of Ezekiel And chapter 3 all the way back there in the Old Testament There’s a verse here that I want you to see in chapter 3 This is on page 843 in your old school for a reference Bible and it makes a statement here in verse 17 Son of man, I am made thee a watchman unto the house of

Israel. Therefore hear the word at my mouth and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, thou shalt surely die, and thou giveth him not warning. Thou speak to warn, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way to save his life. The same wicked man shall diet is iniquity, but his blood will I require thine hands.” Sounds like we could maybe call the man wicked man. Christ died for the wicked. Would that be true?

He died for the wicked man. And he says to warn the wicked man of his wicked way. So we use sins to show how sinful a man is and how he needs to be righteous to go to heaven and they’re not righteous. So we can use the verses, so I guess we could go on to all the world and preach the gospel to every wicked man. I wonder how many of that would include. Go in the world and preach the gospel to every ungodly man.

I wonder how many of that would include. Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every center. I wonder how many of that would include. I think there’s a trail here somewhere and I think it’s going to lead us someplace. A turn in your Bible to the book of Isaiah chapter 55, Isaiah chapter 55. One of these days I’m going to preach the whole 55th chapter. I love the 55th chapter of the book of Isaiah, loaded with a lot of good stuff in it.

But chapter 55, look in verse 1, verse 1 says, Oh, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye by, and ye come by wine, and milk without money, and without price. Do you know what you could say from this one verse of, well, least several things. Everyone that’s thirsty. Go into all the world and preach the gospel to everyone that’s thirsty. That would include a lot of people. They’re thirsty people. So is that what we call them?

They’re thirsty people. And you notice it also says, come ye without money. So there is a verse in the Bible about preaching the gospel to the poor, preach the gospel to the poor. So whoever is poor, we’re supposed to preach the gospel to them. We’re supposed to preach the gospel to anybody that’s thirsty, anybody that’s a sinner, anybody that’s an ungodly person, anybody that’s wicked. So far I haven’t even used the word lost if we don’t want to use the word lost.

Okay, well, what do we call them? What do we call the person that doesn’t know where he’s going when he dies? Take your Bible and look there in the book of Revelation, book of Revelation in chapter 22, Revelation chapter 22. So once in the Old Testament, and here’s one all the way over here in the New Testament, seem like nothing has changed, nothing’s changed. In chapter 22, you’ll notice there in verse 17, and the Spirit and the bride say, come, let him that hear it say, come, and let him that is a thirst come, let him that is thirsty.

Well, that’s the same thing as of Isaiah chapter 55 whole. Like, ho, ho, ho, ho, got good news. Let everyone that’s thirsty come and buy without money, either they’re poor. And here he’s talking about it’s a free gift because it says, and let him take the water of life, how much does it cost? That word freely, how much does it cost? Nothing. It’s free. It’s free. Go into all the world and preach the gospel. It’s free. So I guess just anybody that’s thirsty.

Take a Bible and look here in the book of John, the gospel of John in chapter 6. The gospel of John and chapter 6. John chapter 6 talks about somebody that’s hungry. Looking for 35 Jesus said Under them I am the bread of life In the words there’s bread that we eat in this world that keeps us alive physically But he has some bread that when you eat this bread You will have eternal life See down here the bread that we eat is temporary Most of y’all had breakfast some of y’all had lunch But chances are everybody’s going to eat something today.

So that means that you don’t have to eat the rest of the week, right? Some of you can’t hardly make it until we get out of here and get to the village end. I’m one of them. So just because I eat a big meal at lunchtime doesn’t mean that I don’t have to eat anymore. I still get hungry. But Christ says if you eat the bread that I have, never have to eat it again. I mean, one meal will do.

One bite will do. That’s all you need. That’s why he says, taste and see that the Lord is good. Boy, that was a good bite that I had 50 years ago and never had to do it again. I’ve never had to get saved again. That one bite did me well. I have eternal life. And he says here in verse 35, and Jesus said unto them I am the bread of life. He that come up to me shall never hunger.”

That’s eternal security. Means once you do it, you never have to do it again. So what would we call the lost man? Somebody that’s hungry, somebody that’s thirsty? Well, somebody that’s ungodly, somebody that’s a sinner. I guess we could preach the gospel to just those people. No, just the back of their adopt, maybe we ought to just preach the gospel to everybody. Maybe we ought to just go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Oh, there’s another word.

So what are the lost men? What do they call creatures? They’re creatures. So whatever a creature is, and we’re not talking about the little crawling creatures, we’re not talking about the four-footed time. We’re talking about human beings going to all their and preach the gospel to them because they can hear and understand and believe. That is, I believe the will of God. Look in John chapter 9, since you’re right here in John, look in chapter 9. We just sung a song, I once was blind, but now I see.

I once was blind, but now I see. Look what it says in verse 25, He answered and he said, whether he referred to Christ is a sinner or not. I don’t know, he says, because they asked this blind man, who did this to you? He said, I don’t know. I don’t know. He says, all I know is I once was blind, but now I see. See what he says? One thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see.

I know that 50 years ago, I could say I was blind, but now I see. I didn’t know where I was going. I was like a blind man. Sorry about that, Ted. I was like a blind man. I was like a lost man. I could not see. But now I see. And I know that it was the Lord that caused me to see. And now I see. So I guess we could say, go into all the world and preach the gospel to everyone that’s blind.

That’s blind. Not with their physical life, but blind spiritually. They can’t see. They don’t understand. And that’s why the question, do you know where you’re going to go when you die? It’s such a good question because most people don’t know. But maybe it’s, we can’t call them the lost man, we could call them the blind man. So everybody going to all run and reach the blind man. And I think that might cause some people a little confusion. So what word are we going to use?

Well, pick your Bible looking Matthew chapter 11. Matthew and chapter 11. Matthew 11 and the Bible says they’re in verse 5 that some of John the Baptist you know he had been placed in jail and he was on the verge of losing his head and he sent a couple says find out is is this raised he really the Messiah and have we followed the right man we pointed it out the right person and Jesus answered them. And I don’t think John questions as much as he wanted his disciples that would follow him to be sure.

That’s my personal opinion. But anyway, when he says in verse 3, and said unto him, are thou he that should come or do we look for another? Jesus answered instead of them, go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see. The blind received their sight. The lame walk. The lepers are cleanse the death here, the dead are raised up. And then look what he says, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. So maybe we need to go into all the world and preach the gospel to the poor.

And is it just those that are poor in this world or just poor spiritually? You know, the same verse or this phrase is mentioned in the book of Isaiah in chapter 61 I believe. Where it talks about the Spirit of the Lord is upon me and hath anointed me to preach the gospel and so forth talking about this very same thing. But there he talks about the meek. Here it uses the word the poor. The book of Luke also refers to the poor.

So what are we going to call those people that you and I are supposed to reach their poor. I was poor. God says that He was rich and He set aside His riches and became what? Poor that we through His poverty might be made rich. So if I’m going be made rich, I must have been poor.” True. You and I were poor, very poor, and now we are rich, very rich. And the Bible makes it simple and makes it clear, I believe, that there’s something that you and I have in our hands.

The Bible calls it, we have this treasure in earthen vessels. This treasure is the gospel itself inside of us and what we know and what we can do for people. You know, I had a ranch meeting up there in Georgia. It never really got super big and we struggled off and all on it. It would be up and down, up and down. And I had some kids come and a lot of them were probably kids. A lot of them, if they were my kids, I would have killed them.

They were brats. Someone was just playing brats. We had one kid that came and he was in the drugs. He was cute and all the girls liked him. He was about 14 years old. And all the girls, they don’t care about anything else, of what he does and how he lives. He’s cute. And I had to constantly keep telling those girls, leave the guy alone. He’s not worth the quarter. No, no, he’s not right with the Lord, no less.

But he trusts the Christ’s Savior. Went to one of my camps, I had to send him home. He’d come to ranch and I had to have him leave. And I kicked him out. I don’t have many times. I’m telling you the truth. Sometimes there’s some kids that you don’t know how to, you can’t help them. I know what I like to have done to him because you can have a couple little brats. They can totally ruin a youth meeting.

And so I have to figure out what I’m gonna do with this kid. But he was so nice. He was like, you can’t help but like the kid. Even when you’re chewing him out, he sat down with a grin on his face, and he looked like the grin off you. But he was just smiling. And the girl just thought he was just, what a hunk. There was a little bitty skinny kid. And the more trouble he got in, the more they liked him.

Can you believe somebody like that? Most of you women in this room, that’s the kind of a fellow you would have went with when you was a teenager. But anyway, I got a phone call this week. I answered my phone. He says, hello? He says, do you know who I am? I says, no, keep talking. He said a few more things and I kind of recognized it, but I couldn’t really recognize it. I couldn’t put a name to him.

I said, I have no clue who this is. He says, my name is Jeffrey. I said, I don’t know any Jeffrey. He says, yes you do. I says, no I don’t. I do not recall knowing any Jeffrey in my whole life. He says, my name is Jeffrey, Jeffrey Hunter. I says, I remember you. He says, it was about seven or eight years ago when I came to ranch. It’s when he trusts the Christ’s Savior. And he was always in trouble.

He calls me up and he says, Yankee, he says, I just want to thank you for all that you did for me. And I thought, what did I do for him? All I remember was kicking him out and chewing him out. But he says, I’ve made up my mind. He said, I’m 22 years old now and I’m going to serve the Lord. He said, now I see, I need to serve the Lord. I want to do something with my life.

I almost come unglued. I almost lost it. And I said, I’m so proud of you. Sometimes you can’t see the result at the time. You just want to strangle a few of them. But years pass, and you see some of the results of some of these kids. And it just blesses your heart. Because at the time, all you were doing was digging up the ground and planting the seeds and nothing grow. Nothing grow. Nothing grow. You know what it makes you want to do?

When you don’t see anything grow, I feel like I just quit. It ain’t worth it. And then sometimes, on down the road, there’s something, have you ever planted something in the garden and you go out there every five minutes and check and see if it’s up yet? And then when you first see the little blade coming up out of there, oh my God, ladies, come on up. So what is it? I don’t know. We’ll have to wait until we get the fruit on it.

And you’re planting all these things and then you have to wait until something happens before you know what kind of work because the winds blew a little, a picture away and you don’t remember what you’re planting. I’ve done that a lot of times. Have no idea. But you know it’s supposed to be some good stuff and to see somebody come along and they finally understand. I’m going to serve the Lord. That’s what you and I are in the business of doing.

We want God to use us to plant seeds. You can’t make it grow. We plant and we water, but God give it the increase. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tappa, Florida, with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. Part 2 of this teaching will conclude with tomorrow’s broadcast. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach by the line and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll free, 1-800-576-3771.

That’s 1-800-576-3771. To listen to today’s message again or to obtain a free download of any of our Bible Bibleline programs just go to our homepage atespieministries.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. BibleLineMinistries.org. broadcast of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.org. Thanks for joining us on Bible Eye, and now, 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.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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.

Take your Bible and look here in the book of John, the Gospel of John in chapter 6. The Gospel of John in chapter 6. John chapter 6 talks about somebody that’s hungry. Looking for 35. Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life. In other words, there’s bread that we eat in this world that keeps us alive physically. But he has some bread that when you eat this bread, you will have eternal life. See down here, the bread that we eat is temporary.

Most of y’all had breakfast, some of y’all had lunch, but chances are everybody’s going to eat something today. So that means that you don’t have to eat the rest of the week, right? If you can’t hardly make it till we get out of here and get to the village in. I’m one of them. So just because I eat a big meal at lunch time doesn’t mean that I don’t have to eat anymore. I still get hungry. But Christ says, if you eat the bread that I have, you never have to eat it again.

I mean, one meal will do one bite will do. So all you need. That’s why he says, taste and see that the Lord is good. Boy, that was a good bite that I had 50 years ago and never had to do it again. I’ve never had to get saved again. That one bite did me well. I have eternal life. And he says here in verse 35, and Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life. He that come up to me shall never hunger.

That’s eternal security. Because once you do it, you never have to do it again. So what would we call the lost man? Somebody that’s hungry, somebody that’s thirsty, well somebody that’s ungodly, somebody that’s a sinner, I guess we could preach the gospel to just those people. No, you just about can narrow down. Maybe we ought to just preach the gospel to everybody. we ought to just go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Oh, there’s another word.

So what are the lost men? What do they call creatures? They’re creatures. So whatever a creature is, and we’re not talking about the little crawling creatures, we’re not talking about the four-footed time, we’re talking about human beings going to all the way and preach the gospel to them because they can hear and understand and believe. That is, I believe the will of God. Look in John chapter 9, since you’re right here in John, look in chapter 9. We just sung a song, I once was blind, but now I see.

I once was blind, but now I see. Look what he says in verse 25. He answered and he said, whether he referred to Christ is a sinner or not. I don’t know,” he says, because they asked this blind man, who did this to you? He says, I don’t know. I don’t know. He says, all I know is I once was blind, but now I see. See what he says? One thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see.

I know that 50 years ago, I could say I was blind, but now I see. I didn’t know where I was going. I was like a blind man. Sorry about that, Ted. I was like a blind man. I was like a lost man. I could not see. But now I see. And I know that it was the Lord that caused me to see. And now I see. So I guess we could say, going to all the world and preach the gospel to everyone that’s blind.

That’s blind. Not with their physical eyes, but blind spiritually. They can’t see. They don’t understand. And that’s why the question, do you know where you’re going to go and you die? It’s such a good question because most people don’t know. But maybe it’s, uh, we can’t call them the lost man. We could call them the blind man. So everybody going to all were and reached the blind man. And I think that might cause some people a little confusion. So what were we going to use?

Well, pick your Bible looking Matthew chapter 11, Matthew and chapter 11. Matthew 11 and the Bible says, they’re in verse 5, that some of John the baddest, you know, had been placed in jail and he was on the verge of losing his head. And he sent a couple, says, find out is this raise, he really the Messiah. And have we followed the right man? We pointed it out the right person and Jesus answered them. And I don’t I think John questions as much as he wanted his disciples that were following him to be sure.

That’s my personal opinion. But anyway, when he says in verse 3, and said unto him, are thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered instead unto them, go and show John again those things which ye do here and see. The blind receive their sight. The lame walk. The lepers are cleansed. The death here. The dead are raised up. and then look what he says, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. So maybe we need to go into all the world and preach the gospel to the poor.

And is it just those that are poor in this world or just poor spiritually? You know, the same verse or this phrase is mentioned in the book of Isaiah in chapter 61, I believe, where it talks about the spirit of the Lord is upon me and hath anointed me to preach the gospel and so forth. talking about this very same thing. But there he talks about the meek. Here it uses the word the poor. The book of Luke also refers to the poor.

So what are we going to call those people that you and I are supposed to reach? They’re poor. I was poor. God says that he was rich and he He set aside his riches and became what? Poor that we through his poverty might be made rich. So if I’m going to be made rich, I must have been poor. True. You and I were poor, very poor. And now we are rich, very rich. And the Bible makes it simple and makes it clear, I believe, that there’s something that you and I have in our hands.

The Bible calls it, we have this treasure in earthen vessels. This treasure is the gospel itself inside of us and what we know and what we can do for people. You know, I had a ranch meeting up there in Georgia. It never really got super big and we struggled off and along and it would up and down, up and down. And I had some kids come and a lot of them were problem kids. A lot of them, if they were my kids, I would have killed them.

They were brats. Someone’s just playing brats. We had one kid that came and he was in the drugs. He was cute and all the girls liked him. He was about 14 years old. But all the girls, they don’t care about anything else of what he does and how he lives. He’s cute. I had to constantly keep telling those girls, leave the guy alone. He’s not worth the quarter. No, no, he’s not right with the Lord and all this. But he trusts the Christ of Savior.

Went to one of my camps. I had to send him home. He come to ranch and I had to have him leave. And I kicked him out. I don’t have many times. I’m telling you the truth. Sometimes there’s some kids that you don’t know how to, you can’t help them. I know what I like to have done to them. Because, you know, you can have a couple of little brats. They can totally ruin a youth meeting. And so I have to figure out what I’m going to do with this kid.

But he was so nice. He was like, you can’t help but like the kid. Even when you’re chewing him out, he sat down with a grin on his face. He was like the grin off of you. But he was just smiling. And the girl just thought he was just, what a hunk. There was a little bitty skinny kid. And the more trouble he got in, the more they liked him. Can you believe somebody like that? Most of you women in this room, that’s the kind of a fellow you would have went with when you were a teenager.

But anyway, I got a phone call this week. I answered my phone. He says, hello. He says, do you know who I am? I says, no, keep talking. He said a few more things and I kind of recognized it but I couldn’t really recognize it. I couldn’t put a name to him. I said, I have no clue who this is. He says, my name is Jeffrey. I said, I don’t know any Jeffrey. He says, yes, you do. I says, no, I don’t.

I do not recall knowing any Jeffrey in my whole life. He says, my name is Jeffrey, Jeffrey Hunter. I says, I remember you. He says, it was about seven or eight years ago when I came to ranch. It’s when he trusts a crisis savior. And he was always in trouble. He called me up and he says, Yankee, he says, I just want to thank you for all that you did for me. And I thought, what did I do for him?

All I remember is kicking him out and chewing him out. But he says, I’ve made up my mind. He said, I’m 22 years old now, and I’m going to serve the Lord. He said, now I see I need to serve the Lord. I want to do something with my life. I almost come on glued. I almost lost it. And I said, I’m so proud of you. Sometimes you can’t see the result at the time. You just want to strangle a few of them.

But years pass and you see some of the results of some of these kids and it just blesses your heart. Because at the time all you were doing was digging up the ground and planting the seeds and nothing grow. Nothing grow. Nothing grow. You know what it makes you want to do when you don’t see anything grow into me. I feel I just quit. It ain’t worth it. And then sometimes on down the road there’s something and have you ever planned something in the garden you go out to every five minutes and check and see if it’s up yet.

And then when you first see the little blade coming up out ofCritics, oh look, ladies, come on up. So what is it? I don’t know. We’ll have to wait till we get the fruit on it. And you plan all these things and then you have to wait till something happens before you know what kind of work because the winds and blew the little picture away and you don’t remember what you plant. I’ve done done that a lot of times.

I have no idea. But you know it’s supposed to be some good stuff. And to see somebody come along and they finally understand. So I’m going to serve the Lord. See, that’s what you and I are in the business of doing. We want God to use us to plant seeds. You can’t make it grow. We plant and we water. But God giveth the increase. You and I have never saved a soul. I’ve had people come up and say, Yay, yay, yay.

I want you to meet somebody. I saved them. I’ve had someone say, tell me this is the pastor. He saved me. I’ve never saved a soul. God has saved a lot of them. If anybody gets saved, God saved them. No man has ever saved anybody else. You’ll never save anybody. But you and I have a responsibility to sow the seed. And that’s all we are. Handfuls on purpose. And that’s in the book of Ruth. Sowed handfuls on purpose. And you’re always going to have a bag and you’re always going to have some seeds.

And all we’re doing is going through life casting seeds. Did you realize, and you may not see how important is it, do you realize that if Roger didn’t do what he does, Did you realize that there’s a who know how many people that will hear the word of God? Those are seeds. And people may have already trusted Christ to save you, but they may hear something that will challenge Him to serve the Lord. And we won’t know until we get to heaven the results of that or the CDs that we have.

All the messages we have on the radio, you realize every day of the week I have a different message on the radio. True, how many of y’all have ever listened to you, Mario? Oh, some of y’all have. Now you can turn me off, huh? You know, I like that. But every broadcast, different messages. And we had to go through our kind of glean through what we’ve already done and so forth. But God has been good to it. But all we want to do is keep so in seat.

Just keep so in the seats. But here in the book of Matthew, I want you to look there in chapter nine. chapter 9 and verse 36. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them because they fainted and were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepherd. They were like what? Sheep. Go in all the world and preach the gospel to all the sheep. This is what God says, all those people that don’t know where they go into, they’re like sheep Without a shepherd a sheep without a shepherd has no way of determining where it’s going he lost either way and However, you want to cut it and every one of these situations a man that is blind is Just like being lost Let’s see has something or some way in which can guide him and when you and I can’t see spiritually

where it’s left, where it’s left, where it’s left. And when you don’t know where you’re going, when you die, you’re lost. And I don’t see anything wrong with using the word myself. Look in the book of Luke chapter 19. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Luke chapter 19. And why he didn’t even mention this verse is beyond me. It’s like it must not be in his Bible. But lo and behold, look there in Luke chapter 19 and verse 10. For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Now do you think this is referring to the believer who went astray? I don’t. I think he’s talking about a lost man that doesn’t know where he’s going when he dies. I think he’s talking about the ungodly, that sheep that goes astray, that person that’s a sinner. That creature that he says is going to all the world and preach the gospel to him. I believe this is a reference to that. And why somebody else can’t see that unless they get these new versions that they say is not so bad and they’re taking these words out so that it doesn’t refer to anybody.

in particular, and next thing I know you come up with some garbage like that. I despise it. Bible talks about using great plainness of speech. Great plainness of speech. And I think that’s pretty clear. He came to seek and to save that which was lost. And in chapter 15 he talks about things that are lost. Look there in chapter 15 very quickly. The reason he refers to these three items, whether it was a lost sheep, a lost coin, a lost son, they all demonstrate one thing.

It answers the question in verse 2. The Pharisees and the scribes, murmuring, saying, this man receiveth sinners and eateth with them. And it says, they come to see, why is he doing this? And he answers the question, and all three of these illustrations point out one thing. He came to seek and to save that which was lost, like a man who has some sheep, and he loses one. He goes after that sheep trying to find that one lost sheep.

Or a woman who has a dowry, and she loses a piece of that diary and she searches and tries to find that one little coin or a man who has two sons and one left home and he was lost as far as the man is concerned and he came back and he says my son was lost and now he’s found. You see whenever you start off with the human race you had Adam and Eve. From that point on everybody from them has been lost.

They’re like lost. And I don’t believe they know the way. Unless somebody tells them, somebody shows them, somebody helps them, they will be eternally lost. And the word is used about the word lost as the word perishing, the word perishing. Look there in John 10, verse 28. John chapter 10 and verse 28. Where it says in verse 28, page 1129, and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish. That word perish means never be lost. Once you are saved, and once you have eternal life, you can never be lost.

So the word perish, and and lost from Apaluma is a same that can be used in a number of scriptures in which he says it’s not even found in the New Testament. And I haven’t been to Dallas Theological Seminary and I don’t know all the Hebrew and the Greek. All I know is King James Version English, but I can read. And I believe I can understand what God is saying. And I don’t agree with what somebody writes just because they put it in print and they’re well known.

I have an issue with it. I will say so. And this message that I’m preaching here tonight, a copy of this will be sent to him because I believe in letting them know how I think and how I feel about it. I believe it’s dangerous to start stuff like this, to confuse people. Well, the loss aren’t really the loss. The loss are the saved man who’s not walking with God, that’s the lost man. Who’s the lost man? Who’s the safe man?

Now is that clear to you? It’s not clear to me. I believe it’s going to cause a lot of trouble. Look in 1 Corinthians in chapter 1. 1 Corinthians 1 and chapter 1. And look there in verse 18. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 18 says, for the preaching of the cross is to them that perish. There’s that word perish, foolishness. Parrish can also be lost. Parrish. But unto us which are saved, it is the power of God. So look there in 2 Corinthians and chapter 4, 2 Corinthians chapter 4, and look in verse 3.

See if this verse is in your Bible. It’s in mine, now it may not be in your Bible. Verse 3 says, but if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost. Do you believe this word lost here is referring to the believer? I don’t. I believe he’s talking about those that do not know the Lord. And even though there are some of the translations that take this word lost and put perish. Well, turn over there to the book of 2 Peter, chapter 3, 2 Peter and chapter 3.

And look in verse 9 and verse 9. Verse 9 says, The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness, but is long suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish. And if the word perish can refer to the LOST man, then he’s not willing that any should be lost. I have no problem with it. Have none whatsoever. But that all should come to repentance to believe, to change your mind, reconsider, think differently, see God is a God of love that paid for your sins and trust Him as your Savior.

Now, in John 3, 18, it makes the statement that he that believe on him is not condemned, but he that believe if not is condemned already because he have not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. So I guess you could say that a man who is lost is an unbeliever. So going to all the world and priests the gospel to every unbeliever, we could call him that. But I really don’t see anything wrong with saying that that we’re here to reach the lost man.

In our minds, we believe that the word lost in referring to the lost man, to the person who doesn’t know where he’s going when he dies, yes he is a sinner. Yes you could say he’s a heathen. Yes he’s a wicked man. He is a sinner, He is a sheep and he’s all these things, but when you’re born and all down, he’s a lost man. And I believe that if Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost, then that’s what we ought to be doing.

To seek and to save that which was lost. Now we can’t save them, but we can sure plant the seas by which you can hear and understand. Look up here. When I do this, what am I doing right now? I’m fishing for the lost man. I’m fishing for the lost man. I’m hoping that whether you’re here or watching by video, that if you had not trusted Christ as your Savior, that you would, and that if you already know the Lord, you’ll go fishing.

This hand represents you and me. The wall of represents sin. We all have sin upon us. God loves us. H.R. Sin. And the Bible says the pay for the sin is eternal separation from the Lord. And God loves us and wants us to go to heaven, but to go to heaven we have to be perfect and we’re not perfect. We’ve all come short of God’s perfection, we’re all sinners. We cannot save ourselves. We’re lost. We don’t know our way.

And the Bible says Jesus is the way. He came into the world. So Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. He came into the world because He loves us, hates our sin, because our sin separates us from the Lord. So Christ took sin, hatred on the cross, and came back from the dead. God said if you and I would believe that He did it for us, He would put the payment to our account and we’d get to go to heaven on what Christ did for me.

I once was lost. Now I’m found. I was blind. Now I see. Let’s pray, shall we? We head bow nice clothes and no one looking around. I know most of you here have trusted Christ as your Savior. You know you’re heavy turned alive. But we must always defend the clarity of the gospel, the truth of the gospel. And however you look at the person who doesn’t know where he’s going when he dies, whatever you want to call him, that’s fine with me.

But I’m going to keep calling him a lost man. I want to help him to be found. God is doing the seeking and he wants the lost man to respond to the gospel. If I can’t call him a lost man, what pray tell do I call him? I don’t see anything wrong with it. But if you’re here or watching by internet, if you’ve never trusting Christ as your Savior, friends you’re lost. It means you’re going to perish and spend an eternity separated from God in a literal fire burning hell.

But God loves you and He proved it by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to down the cross to pay for your sins. And He said, if you would believe He did it for you, He would give you as a free gift everlasting life that He had never cast you out and never lose you. Is there anyone at all say, yes, I will trust Christ as my Savior tonight and and preach on light for you to pray for me. Is there anyone at all?

If you will, just to be in it very quickly, and put it right back down. Our Father, we thank You so much for all You’ve done for us, for the privilege we have of no onion, love in You and serve in You, and we pray that You’d help us to keep the gospel clear and simple. And we just pray, Lord, You’re will to be done in our lives. Thank You for each person here for all that You do for us 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 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, 336-34. 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.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. Clearly declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the Internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue to be able to help you. 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 first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family. So you have a Bible, open it. You’re supposed to always bring your Bible to church. What good is a soldier without a sword? How are you going to learn to fight if you don’t know your sword? The sword of the spirit is the word of God. So you need the word of God.

You want the Holy Spirit to use you? Use the sword. Learn the sword. Learn how to use the sword. Be skillful with the sword. sword. And in turn with me to the book of 1 John and chapter 3, 1 John and chapter 3. The title of that little song we just did was, Better Things to Do. Yeah, Better Things to Do. I cannot think of a poor excuse for not serving the one who died for me and you. He saved us from a place called hell and I don’t know about you, but I’m so glad that Jesus didn’t have better things to do.

I guess we need to keep our vision on what is the main thing and keep the main thing the main thing. So we’re going to talk about the main thing tonight. Here in the book of 1 John chapter 3, I want you to look with me there in verse 16. Verse 16, Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But who so hath this world’s good, and seeeth his brother have need, and shedeth up his bowels of mercy, or a compassion from him?

How dwelt the love of God in him? That’s a good question. My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but indeed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before Him. Where if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts and north all things. So the word of God tells us that you and I are supposed to demonstrate what real love is in this world, especially to those that are of the household of faith.

Now, in the little paper that I just handed out to you, some of these things I cover at different times, but I want to hit it from a little bit different viewpoint tonight. Because I know that as we go through life, the preacher’s supposed to challenge you, motivate you, exhort you all these kind of wonderful things. But what if I can’t? What if I don’t have the ability to challenge and motivate you to do the things you’re supposed to do?

Well, if I simply did nothing more than a read a scripture, you’ll have to figure out how to get out of obey in that command, regardless of my inability to challenge and motivate you. You might say, well, I’d serve the Lord, but I just not motivated. I need somebody to really challenge me. Why? I don’t have anybody in almost 50 years to challenge me to serve the Lord. Nobody has to motivate me to serve the Lord because I know the command of Scripture.

Go into all the world and preach the gospel. That is a command. Whether I have the ability to challenge you or not. Are you getting my drift yet? You kind of get an idea of what I’m talking about. It is so important. Look there to note, the difference between a missionary challenge and a missionary command. The point, number one, we are not challenged to take the gospel into all the world. Why? Because we have been commanded to do so.

A challenge is something that you could either take or leave. I’m just not challenged to do it. I’m not motivated to do it. So we feel like I should only do that what I’m challenged to do. I should only do that what I’m motivated to do. I believe I have a responsibility whether I want to or not. A dispensation of the gospel is still committed unto me. I’m still responsible regardless of how I feel about it. Now am I still telling the truth?

All right. I just want to know if you’re still with me, or if you’re going to sleep on me or not. But I do believe it’s very important. Look at number one, we’re not challenged to take the gospel into all the world. If I challenge you, I am encouraging you, exhorting you, trying to persuade you to do what I am asking you to do. If you do it only because I, Yankee Arnold, pastor of the church, talked you into it.

But what if I don’t have the ability to do so? I mean, you don’t have to do it. If you don’t have to do it, why do it because of me? Who am I? You and I are supposed to do what we do because the word of God tells us what to do. Not because of the pastor’s ability in relaying the message. No, I do believe I have a responsibility to try to do all those things. But the real reason, keeping the main thing, the main thing is God said so.

Regardless of how I present or deliver the message, if you had nothing more than the word of God itself, and you read it, and not another soul was around to challenge or motivate you, to exhort you, would you still have the same responsibility? Yes, you would. And that’s why it’s so important to keep these things in mind. See, there’ll be a challenge is not an order. It puts you under no obligation. I may challenge you to, hey, let’s all go down to IHOP tonight, or to VI tonight.

Well, there’s no command, and you could take it or leave it. I may challenge you to do a lot of things, but there’s no command. But see, the gospel is a command. To preach the gospel, to tell people that is a command. And keep this in your mind also. I do not depend upon the Holy Spirit to lead me to witness. I depend upon the Holy Spirit to lead me as I witness. I do not depend upon the Holy Spirit to tell me who to talk to.

I depend upon the Holy Spirit to lead me to whoever I talk to and what I say because it’s already a command. You don’t need a leading to obey a command. We have been told, this is what you do, obey. Now I depend upon the Holy Spirit to lead me as I go. I depend upon the Holy Spirit to lead me in what I say and how I say it. But to do it or not, that’s already a command.

And that’s why you do the other. But if you waited on the Holy Spirit to tell you who to talk to, I guarantee you, you won’t have very many people to talk to. Because now you become the judge of, Well, I don’t want to do this in the energy of the flesh. Because that sounds so spiritual. I don’t want to do this in the flesh. I only want to do it in the spirit. So when the spirit moves me, then I know.

I wonder how long you’d have to wait. You might wait forever. So lo and behold, that’s why somebody like James will talk to those stick guys out there by that sign out there. because it’s a command. And some people obey the command. Some people you don’t have to try to challenge and motivate them to do certain things because they already know what to do. Are you supposed to read your Bible? Does God’s word say steady to show thyself approved unto God?

Why should I have to challenge and motivate you to do that? What you already know you’re supposed to do that? Well, what if nobody challenged you to do that? Then you don’t have to do that because nobody challenged me to do it. You know, you could use everybody under the sun as an excuse not to fulfill your God-given responsibilities. But I’m glad you’re not like that. Because that’s why you’re here tonight. You come because you do know the Lord and you love the Lord and you wanna study more and you wanna be stronger in the Lord.

What about prayer? Do you think prayer is something that God wants us to do, tells us to do? Or just, well it’s an option, you know, it doesn’t really matter. I believe that praying is a command of God. When He says, pray without ceasing. That’s a command. Why not? There are commands in the Word of God. We are commanded to love one another. It’s a command. And it’s not based upon feelings, but upon commitment. Like I said before, a man who loves his wife, that’s a commitment.

It means you’re committed to fulfill the responsibilities as a husband or as a father. And you fulfill that commitment. And if you’re not ready to come fulfill that commitment, then you are not married again. girl or that girl that may marry you if she’s not willing to fulfill the responsibilities of the wife. So that’s the way she goes. Take your Bible and turn to the book of Matthew in chapter 24. The book of Matthew in chapter 24. Are there going to be hungry people in this world?

Oh yes they’re gonna be hungry people. They’re gonna be poor people in this world. There’s all kinds of people in this world. But I want you to look there at number two in your notes where we have, we are facing the largest task any generation has ever faced. The largest task any generation has ever faced. Look at letter C, we are dealing with the deepest need, the deepest need of the human race. A letter D is we are dealing with the greatest opposition and done in letter eat, we have the greatest message in the world.

In letter F, we have the greatest means. And then in letter G, we have the shortest time. We believe that we are the generation living when Jesus Christ could come back and shorten all of our opportunities. It’s just one thing if I knew I could live to be a hundred, but I believe the Lord may come back before I get to be 70. So I may have my time cut short. You know one thing about the book of Revelation in the book of Matthew in chapter 24, it says, and unless God shortened those days, shortened those days, no flesh would be left alive.

And I wondered if the shortening of those days would change the time schedule of Ted. Well, it’s interesting to think about some of these Matthew 24, look there in verse 6, this is what Jesus said, is coming down the road. So you and I ought to know we are not going to make this world a utopia. We’re not going to bring in the kingdom upon the earth. The church is not going to win the world of Christ, it’s not going to happen.

Why? I’ve already cheated. I’ve done read what he says happens in the future. So he says in verse 6, and you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. Do you know this world is getting shakier by the year? I mean it’s getting worse and worse. It’s not getting better and better. We’re not establishing peace around the world. Boy, if everybody was just in democracy, yeah, right. That ain’t working out too well either. He says here, see that you be not troubled for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

So we know these things are going to happen, but this is the beginning of the tribulation period. That hasn’t even got here yet. Verse 7, nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There shall be famines, pestilence, that means viruses or diseases and incurable things, earthquakes and diverse places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Well, I think a lot of these things could take place before the rapture takes place. And I believe that if you look around the world, we’re having catastrophic events all over the world.

You know what all these various things are doing to the government of America? Every time something goes on a tornado hits or a hurricane hits or a flood hits or a fire hits, a snow blizzard. It’s a national crisis and so government gives millions and millions and millions and millions to bail out all these people. Do you ever wonder where they get all that money from? Do you know there was a time in this country where the government would not give a dime to help out any state on any problem?

But of course they started taking the money from the states and we’ll give you some help back. So now we got 50 states helping out that one little state that has that trouble. What happens when it’s 10 states or half the continent? Well, we have dug ourselves a hole, and now they’re even having trouble trying to figure out where they get the money from to bail out these crisis that’s all over the place. Fires on in Texas or blizzers up in Northeast or, you know, dry dust storms that are happening.

All these things, you know what it does? All it does is just drain the resources right out of our country. And we’re gone, Nicole broke our government. This is why. A loaf of bread is going up in price. Everything going up in price oil goes up in price. Everything’s going up in price. It’s not that you’re paying more money. It’s just mean the money you have isn’t worth as much. Anyway, that’s another sermon. But I want you to see that what Jesus said is going to happen and this is in the future.

But now look there at letter B. We are facing the largest task any generation has ever faced. And from a human perspective, we believe that the doctors and the scientists work together to find cures for diseases. They’re always trying to figure out, you know, give money for this, money for that. And they have been able to prolong life and have some cures for cancer and diabetics and all these various things, high blood pressure. They have figured out some ways to help solve some of our problems.

So the day we don’t have to worry about what we do or don’t do, just take a pill. And then you take another pill to solve that pill that creates those crisis is in your life. And if you ever listened to some of the side effects of some of the pills that you’re taking for something that’s supposed to be just a little bit of a thing and they’re not, I could, I could die ten out of the ways. This is enough to scare you to death.

Oh, I’m so depressed. I got to have another pill. Give me another pill. What were you taking up here? Oh, I got to have another pill for that pill because of that problem. There’s no end to it. and wouldn’t it be neat if God’s people knew how to trust the Lord and God will take care of things and when he made the statement that if you had served me he says as a nation he said I put none of these diseases upon you but because our nation is gone astray from God then as a nation and when God chastens this nation he’s gonna chasten us right along with it God’s people will suffer right along Now, and but God knows how to deliver the just out of problems, and He may just do that.

One of the best ways that I know of is just take us on out of here, and that day will come. Look at letter B under number letter B. Kings and presidents have sent delegations and ambassadors to foreign lands to establish political relations, solving problems. We have ambassadors over there, and they send their ambassadors over here. And so we all can talk and fellowship and solve all of our political problems. And so that’s why we have peace all over the earth.

That’s working real good, isn’t it? Let us see. Corporations have sent business professionals to expand their interest in world markets. Did you know one of the biggest problems I think right now in America is people that have corporation businesses? They are not only, in most cases, unable to hire, but they are afraid to hire because they are afraid to fire. You see, when you hire somebody, you have to have a way if you no longer are able to support that person.

You got to find out, well, how can I get rid of this person? Because now, if you fire them, now you can get into trouble because you fired me because of the color of my skin. You fired me because of my religion. You fired me because, and I had seniority, and you fired me, and it goes on and on and on. What some people they find out, it’s better not to hire because you have trouble having to fire because everybody’s so happy.

Now let me just kind of give you a little yank-yology. No charge for this. I do believe, and you may not totally agree with me, but it’s still what I believe. I believe if I want to start me a business of my own, I believe I ought to be able to hire whoever I want to hire, for whatever price I want to pay. And if I don’t like their work, fire them without an explanation if I so desire. And somebody said, well, that’s not fair.

So what? So I don’t like that big deal. Get over it. You’re discriminating against my religion. So what if I am? Who says living in America, I don’t have the right to discriminate? What happened to my opinion? What about what I want to do? When did I give up all of my freedoms because it offends you or it offends you or it offends you or it offends you? I wonder if anybody ever thinks about what a friend’s me. What’s wrong with I hire a person and they don’t do their job and I say I’m firing you and I’m going to hire this person?

Oh, sue you! Because we have on the federal level passed a little amendment you can’t discriminate on the base of religion or race and sober. Why not? So now you are locked in and it traps the people and they can’t get rid of some bums that can’t do the job and they refuse to do the job and teachers that can’t educate and principle that won’t discipline. And you can’t get rid of them. And don’t tell me I don’t know what I’m talking about.

I most certainly do. I had a Christian school in Colorado and I had 42 full time people working for us. And if I wanted to fire the mud fire them and I owe you no explanation. This is what I’m paying if you want to work for it, you work for it, if you don’t like it, you leave. Period. And I didn’t have to give anybody any explanation if I didn’t want to. Oh, I loved having a Christian school. Say that don’t sound very Christian.

Yes, it does. It most certainly does. And by the way, who’s the one that says that you have to like everybody? Like every race, as a Christian, I do not put one race above another. But if somebody wants to start a restaurant and hire only black folks, well, they’ll bless you. Hire only black folks. If you start a Mexican restaurant, what probably kind of people would you like to have? Japanese.

You have an Italian restaurant in your old Germans. What’s wrong with having people that you want? And if you want to discriminate, well, do it. Government needs to get out of the business of trying to tell people how to run their business. Anyway, that’s my humble opinion. I just thought I’d tell you that. This will probably be on the YouTube tomorrow. Anyway, as we’re moving right along, turn over the page. I probably never finish all this anyway. Look into your Bible to the book of Luke, chapter 21.

Luke, chapter 21. Luke 21, and look in verse eight. And he said, take heed that you be not deceived. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and the time dropped near. Go ye not therefore after them. But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions be not terrified, For these things must first come to pass, but the end is not by and by. Oh, by the way, do you remember that I’d said about a year and a half ago that they’re gonna have protests in our streets?

And then after they have their peaceful protest, it’ll come to some violence. You just watch and wait and see. And then they’re gonna have to have the police step in and if it gets too bad, we’re gonna demand government do something and buddy, they are going to. It was interesting. I was in the office and Peter says, Pastor, put the CD in there. I put it in there. He liked telling me what to do. He said, now play it right there.

And I played it right there. And it was a year and a half ago that I said exactly what’s going on right now. So I got it on tape on video. I mean, on the CD. And so I’m not making it up. I told you before it ever. I told you before Glenn Beck did or Rush Limbaugh. But anyway, the Bible is true and tells us where it’s going. So all I got to know is the book and you win.

You don’t have to back up and you don’t have to apologize. But it says here in verse 11, And great earthquakes shall be in diverse places and get these famines, pestilence and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. But before all of these, they shall lay their hand on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogue and into prisons, and brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake. And verse 13, you ought to underline this.

This is a great verse. And it shall turn to you for a testimony. In other words, when they do this, this gives you an opportunity to give a testimony. So as you and I serve the Lord and sometimes it seems like things go wrong and but here things are going to go wrong and God says you don’t have to worry about what you’re gonna say. You don’t have to meditate. Oh what am I gonna say? What am I gonna say?

God says I’ll give to you at the right time what you need to say. It’s just like God giving you new grace to face moments that lies ahead that you and I have never experience before. Trusting and believing that God who gives me grace today will give me grace tomorrow and it’ll be new grace. Grace to face things I’ve never had to face before. So anyway God says they become opportunities. Just like Jesse gave a testimony this morning about the car, about the flat tire and it led to an opportunity.

So that’s what he’s talking about and God is going to give us an awful lot of opportunities in the days that lie ahead. So, regardless of what happens in the world, you and I are not to be afraid. Look there in verse 25, and there shall be signs in the sun and in the moon and in the stars and upon the earth distress of nations with perplexity. And seeing the waves roaring in men’s hearts, failing them for fear, those are simply opportunities for you and I that know the truth to be able to help.

We should always be looking for the problems in life to give us opportunities to show people the truth, what God’s word says. So yes, even though it might get dark in the world to come, you and I are supposed to be the lights and the light shines the brightest when it’s the darkest. And the light shines the brightest at home. So if you can’t shine at home or at church just a sense you’re not gonna shine out there. Keep your testimony right and do right.

But just so that you see this, look there in verse 35. And as a snare shall it come upon all of them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Now look in Revelation chapter six. to turn into Bible to Revelation chapter six. Revelation chapter six, this is after the rapture takes place. This is the opening of the seals. And so here in Revelation chapter six, and look there in verse, verse seven of chapter six.

And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth be say, come and see. And I looked and behold a pale horse. And his name that set on him was Death and Hail followed with him. Power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth to kill with the sword, with hunger, death, and with the beast of the earth. Now this is doing the tribulation period and that people are going to be starving to death.

There’s going to be great famines, as the Bible says. So we know that there is always this humanitarian need that people have all over the world. And so that’s why in Mark chapter 16 and verse 15, where he made the statement, go in ye into all the world and install a sanitary sewers and do humanitarian things. Now those are good things to do and people need things. But we as God’s children must keep the main thing, the main thing.

And the main thing is what God says they need. He says, preach the gospel. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. Part two of this teaching will conclude with tomorrow’s broadcast. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing tool free, 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 Bible and 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

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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 a 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. Wouldn’t it be neat if God’s people knew how to trust the Lord? And God will take care of things. And when he made the statement that if you had served me, he says, as a nation, he said, I’ll put none of these diseases upon you. But because our nation is gone astray from God, then as a nation, and when God chastens this nation, he’s going to chasten us right along with it.

God’s people will suffer right along. now. But God knows how to deliver the just out of problems, and He may just do that. One of the best ways that I know of is just take us on out of here, and that day will come. I’ll look at letter B under number letter B. Kings and presidents have sent delegations and ambassadors to foreign lands to establish political relations, solving problems. We We have ambassadors over there and they send their ambassadors over here.

And so we all can talk and fellowship and solve all of our political problems. And so that’s why we have peace all over the earth. That’s working real good, isn’t it? Let us see, corporations have sent business professionals to expand their interest in world markets. Did you know one of the biggest problems I think right now in America is people that have corporation businesses? They are not only, in most cases, unable to hire, but they are afraid to hire because they are afraid to fire.

You see, when you hire somebody, you have to have a way if you no longer are able to support that person. You’ve got to find out, how can I get rid of this person? Because now if you fire them, now you can get into trouble because you’ve fired me because the color of my skin. You fired me because of my religion. You fired me because, and I had seniority, and you fired me, and it goes on and on and on.

What’s on people they find out it’s better not to hire because you have trouble having to fire because everybody’s so happy. Now let me just kind of give you a little yank-yology. No charge for this. I do believe, and you may not totally agree with me, but it’s still what I believe. I believe if I want to start me a business of my own, I believe I ought to be able to hire whoever I want to hire for whatever price I want to pay.

And if I don’t like their work, fire them without an explanation if I so desire. And somebody said, well, that’s not fair. So what? So I don’t like that big deal. Get over it. You’re discriminating against my religion. So what if I am? Who says living in America I don’t have the right to discriminate? What happened to my opinion? What about what I want to do? When did I give up all of my freedoms because it offends you or that offends you or that offends you or offend you.

I wonder if anybody ever thinks about what offends me. What’s wrong if I hire a person and they don’t do their job and I say I’m firing you and I’m gonna hire this person? Oh, I’ll sue you! Because we have on the federal level passed a little amendment you can’t discriminate on the base of religion or race and sober. Why not? So now you are locked in and it traps the people and they can’t get rid of some bums that can’t do the job and they refuse to do the job and teachers that can’t educate and principal that won’t discipline.

And you can’t get rid of them. And don’t tell me I don’t know what I’m talking about. I most certainly do. I had a Christian school in Colorado and I had 42 full time people working for us. And if I wanted to fire the mud fire them and I owe you no explanation This is what I’m paying if you want to work for it. You work for it if you don’t like it you leave Period and I didn’t have to give anybody any explanation if I didn’t want to oh I loved having a Christian school So that don’t sound very Christian.

Yes, it does it most certainly does and By the way Who’s the one that says that you have to like everybody? Like every race as a Christian, I do not put one race above another. But if somebody wants to start a restaurant and hire only black folks, well, thank God bless you, hire only black folks. If you start a Mexican restaurant, what probably kind of people would you like to have? Japanese! You have an Italian restaurant, you know, you’re old Germans.

What’s wrong with having people that you want and if you want to discriminate, well do it. Government needs to get out of the business of trying to tell people how to run their business. Anyway, that’s my humble opinion. I just thought I’d tell you that. This will probably be on the YouTube tomorrow. Anyway as we’re moving right along, turn over the page. I probably never finish all this anyway. Listen to your Bible to the book of Luke, chapter 21.

Luke, chapter 21. Luke 21, and look in verse 8, and he said, take heed that you be not deceived. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and the time dropped near. Go ye not therefore after them. But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions be not terrified, these things must first come to pass, but the end is not by and by. Oh, by the way, do you remember that I had said about a year and a half ago that they’re going to have protest in our streets?

And then after they have their peaceful protest, it’ll come to some violence you just watch and wait and see. And then they’re going to have to have the police step in and if it gets too bad, we’re going to demand government do something and buddy they are going to. It was interesting. I was in the office and Peter says, Pastor, put the CD in there. I put it in there. He likes telling me what to do. He said, Now play it right there.

And I played it right there. And it was a year and a half ago that I said exactly what’s going on right now. So I got it on tape on video. I mean on the CD. And so I’m not making it up. I told you before it ever. I told you before Glenn Beck did or Rush Limbaugh. But anyway, the Bible is true and tells us where it’s going. So all I got to know is the book and you win.

You don’t have to back up and you don’t have to apologize. But it says here in verse 11, “…and great earthquakes shall be in diverse places, and get these famines, pestilence, and fearful sights, and great signs shall there be from heaven. But before all of these, they shall lay their hand on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the Senate, God, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake. And verse 13, you ought to underline this.

This is a great verse. And it shall turn to you for testimony. In other words, when they do this, this gives you an opportunity to give a testimony. So as you and I serve the Lord and sometimes it seems like things go wrong and but here things are going to go wrong. And God says you don’t have to worry about what you’re going to say. You don’t have to meditate. Oh, what am I going to say? What am I going to say?

God says I’ll give to you at the right time what you need to say. It’s just like God giving you new grace to face moments that lies ahead that you and I have never experienced before. Trusting and believing that God who gives me grace today will give me grace tomorrow and it’ll be new grace. Grace to face things I’ve never had to face before. So anyway, God says they become opportunities. Just like Jesse gave a testimony this morning about the car.

About the flat tire and it led to an opportunity. So that’s what he’s talking about and God is going to give us an awful lot of opportunities in the days that lie ahead. So regardless of what happens in the world, you and I are not to be afraid. Look there in verse 25 and there shall be signs in the sun and in the moon and in the stars and of on the earth distress of nations with perplexity. see in the waves of roaring men’s hearts failing them for fear.

Those are simply opportunities for you and I that know the truth to be able to help. We should always be looking for the problems in life to give us opportunities to show people the truth, what God’s word says. So yes, even though it might get dark in the world to come, you and I are supposed to be the lights and the light shines the brightest when it’s the darkest and the light shines the brightest at home. So if you can’t shine at home or at church just a sense you’re not going to shine out there.

Keep your testimony right and do right. But just so that you see this look there in verse 35 and as a snare shall it come upon all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Now look in Revelation chapter 6, turning the Bible Revelation chapter 6. Revelation chapter 6, this is after the rapture takes place. This is the opening of the seals. And so here in Revelation chapter 6, and look there in verse verse 7 of chapter 6, and when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the forth be say, come and see.

And I looked and behold a pale horse, and his name that set on him was death and hail followed with him. Power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth to kill with the sword, with hunger, death, and with the beast of the earth.” Now this is doing the tribulation period, and that people are going to be starving to death. There’s going to be great famines, as the Bible says. So we know that there is always this humanitarian need that people have all over the world.

And so that’s why in Mark chapter 16 and verse 15 where he made this statement, go in ye into all the world and install sanitary sewers and do men who menitarian things. Now those are good things to do and people need things. But we as God’s children must keep the main thing, the main thing. And the main thing is what God says they need. He says, preach the gospel. Because even if we was to feed everybody in the world, they’re still going to die.

And according to the Word of God, when the raptor takes place, there’s still to be the tribulation period. There’s still to be one-fourth of the world population and it’s going to die because of these things. And you’re talking about several billion people. It’s gonna be a very bad time. All right, look there in your notes there. I wanted to show you this. Let her see on top of the page. We are dealing with the deepest need of the human race, the physical, social and humanitarian needs.

They are truly great. And I wish that first of all, we would lead people to Christ, challenge and teach them how to love their husbands or their wives, their children, and to work and to develop the skills that they need so that they can meet their needs. Many people don’t know how to do things. We have been blessed as a country, but if we only feed the poor, they will always stay poor and dependent. And this is why once you get people on the so-called welfare roles, sometimes it’s hard to ever get them off because they become dependent upon it.

It diminishes their integrity and their dignity as an individual. So this is why these things are so important. But look at inside the first little box. Most of the world lies in poverty. Famines has ravaged through third world countries. Infectious diseases run rampant when there is not enough medical supplies. Wars and natural disasters have left hundreds of thousands of homeless and hopeless. But number five, You ought to underline that word. But man’s greatest needs are forgiveness and justification and eternal life.

The church must never forget her first calling. This is always and should be number one. Because see, a man is still, regardless if you met all those needs. Is he still going to die? By giving him food and taking him medically? Are you keeping him from dying? Will he ever die in the future? Well, yes, he’s still going to die. Now would you rather have him go to heaven poor or to go to hell on a full stomach?

He’s still going to die. So his greatest need is still to know the Lord. And then if we can help in other ways, I think it’s wonderful. I think it’s great. I’m not against those things. Let her die. We are dealing with the greatest opposition. There are so many that are opposing the clear gospel of Jesus Christ. You think of how many preachers there are on radio and television and how many churches there are. And most of us do not have the same message.

We’re not preaching the truth. And there’s people that are contradicting the clear teaching of the Word of God that salvation is the gift of God. They’re adding works to the message. And so they’re in opposition to the truth that we have and what we believe. Islam claims 1.3 billion followers. Did you know that they have some of their Muslims that are going to Catholic University? And now they are complaining because they have Christian symbols. And they don’t want those Christian symbols because it offends their religion.

So they go to a Catholic University and they see the cross or a statue of Mary and then And they want them to change because it’s offensive to them and it discriminates against them. Well, la dida. I wondered if you went over there to Iraq and went into their mosque. I wonder if they would, please don’t mention the name of Mohammed. It so offends me. I wonder if they would accept a Jewish man in their fellowship. They talk about they’re trying to get the Justice Department now to make it a crime about saying or doing anything that offends their religion.

I’m not joking. This is true. This is coming down the pike because it’s offensive to their religion because they say it causes people to hate Muslims. Do they hate Jews? Oh, but that’s different. That’s different. Do they hate Christians? Yes, that’s different. It’s okay for them to hate everybody else, but you’re not supposed to hate them. Now I believe that I don’t need government telling me who to love and who to hate. God’s Word tells me love the whole world.

I can love everybody in the world, but I don’t have to love their religion. and neither do I have to love people’s sins. Because now see, the government’s gonna tell me, I can’t say anything about the homosexual because that offends them and that’s a hate crime. No, I can love the person and hate the sin. They said, no, no, no, if you hate the sin, you hate the person.

So now you can’t do that. So government’s gonna tell you who you can and cannot hate. Or what you can and cannot hate. Or what you must, I guess, love. Who gave government the right to tell? I believe this. I think, hey, whoever you wanna hate, I don’t care. You wanna hate me? Go ahead, I don’t care. They hated Christ. You wanna be in their company? Go ahead. If you wanna hate the blacks, hate the blacks. You wanna hate the white, hate the white.

Who am I to tell and to make somebody love? I’m gonna pass the law. It don’t work. It is when you trust Jesus Christ as your Savior and you know that God so loved the world. That’s what causes a white man to spend all those years traveling and trying to reach the Indians and going into the ghetto, trying to reach the Spanish and trying to reach the blacks and we pulled them all in on our buses. We didn’t care.

Why? Because they’re a soul. So we don’t have to worry about that. But I still don’t like somebody telling me what I can and cannot do. There’s something inside of me that just makes me crawl. I can’t stand it. Because it’s not right. And nor am I supposed to try to control all the actions of every other individual. But when you realize there’s all kinds of religions in the world, I don’t think you ought to pass a law that makes me love all those religions.

I can love the people. And I want everybody to have eternal life and they go to heaven when they die. Let her eat. We have the greatest message the world has ever known. And it is a message of love. I want every Muslim, everybody in the religion of Islam. I want every Catholic. I want every Baptist. And I want every foot wash in that originally. I want them all to trust Christ as their Savior. I want all of them to go to heaven when they die.

But I don’t want them to have the right to kill me. Because they don’t like me. And just because I may not like their religion doesn’t mean that I’m going to get an AK-47 and go blow them away. Because of what I believe, I’m not going to do that. Let her f. We have the greatest means available than ever before. You see, because we have radio and we have TV. Do you know that the disciples were able to reach the known world at that time?

No automobiles, no telegraphs, no tell star, and yet they were able to reach the world. We have all those things, and I don’t think we’re doing too good of a job, but a little about a little, we’ll make an impact. We won’t know until we get to heaven to see just how much has been accomplished because of the fathance of various ones. Different ones of y’all have gotten creative. trying to figure out ways in which you can do something and reach somebody, you know.

And I think Fred, when it saw that little children’s track, now we got a nice little colorful children’s track. Y’all seeing that? Isn’t that a nice little track? That’s because, you know, Fred, this thing that we had just day for the Fall Festival, they worked together on that and Jan, and look, I mean, people were involved in doing it, but see, somebody had an idea. That wasn’t my idea. That was these guys. But they’d be getting creative. They want to do something, think of something, the ways they’d do something.

And because they are motivated because they believe the command. Did I make y’all start going on Friday night? I didn’t make them do that. Well, why did they do it? I didn’t have to challenge them to do it. I didn’t have to tell them to do it. I didn’t have to boss them to do it. It’s because they know the command themselves, the command motivates so that you’re not always at the mercy of who’s going to make me do something.

Well, maybe nobody’s going to make you do it. Now, what are you going to do? Not obey God because, well, nobody else is doing it. In fact, but you realize be creative and find out. Wonder what I could do. Maybe I could write a book. Maybe I could write a track. Maybe I can go to the rescue mission or maybe I can go to the nursing home. Maybe I can go to the prisons or maybe I can go here and try to think, well, what can I do?

You got a couple hours on Sunday afternoon. There might be a nursing home that would just love to have somebody come there and just give them the gospel. I have done that so long and so many times, different nursing homes around the country. I go up in the Minnesota and they say, yeah, can we go to the nursing home today because the guy led to the Lord? That’s what he decided. I never told him to do it. He just knows it was another fishing home.

So I’d go to the nursing home and bring a guitar and I’d sing a couple of rants song and lay it down down and give the gospel and these little old ladies are sat there and some of them have no clue where they were. But some of them are, I love that preacher. Some of them are sleeping on you. It don’t matter. But you give the gospel, give an invitation and you’ve got to be careful. Buy your heads. I’m serious.

It’s funny, but yet there might be one that paid attention and says, you know, that makes sense to me and trust the Lord. And I used to go down there to see Wally, a doctor, Stanford’s wife, so she was down there and they were caring for her and she was in this nursing home, beautiful place. I thought, man, if I ever go to the nursing home, this is where I want to go. And it was just a beautiful place.

And so me and Wally would go in there and we’d have our get, he’d have his get turned. I’d have my harmonica. And it introduced me and say, Yankee, play the harmonica for me. I don’t know, I’d play a couple songs and they’d just like to make clap, you know. And they’d bring him in wheelchairs and they’d go, listen, that’s such an, anybody could do that. Anybody can do that. You don’t have to be a preacher. All you got to do is love souls.

Just want to find a way that God can use you to get a few. Hey, we’re running out of time. Because of all these things, see that letter G, we have the shortest time. I believe the Lord might cut our time short. Whatever generation it is that’s going to be alive when Jesus comes is going to have their lifetime cut short. You’re not gonna finish living. You’re not gonna go to the grave, but wouldn’t it be great to be found busy serving the Lord, doing what you came or what you have, where you are?

That’s so important. Look up here. This hand represents you and me and this wallet represents sin. We all have sin on us. God loves the whole world. God is not interested in man’s religion, no religion. You see there’s Christianity and that’s all there is. All the rest of them are false and not worth the quarter. The Bible says God loves us, but he hates our sin. And to pay for this sin is eternal separation from God in hell. And it doesn’t matter what anybody else says or any other religion says God says there is a hell.

And you and I are sinners and that’s where we’re headed. But God wants us to go to heaven, everybody. There’s some religions teach that God doesn’t want everybody there. There’s some religions that teach that Christ didn’t die for every man. Well, I disagree with them because the Bible says otherwise. So God loves the whole world and God wants the whole world to go to heaven. But He doesn’t want to make you, He doesn’t want to force you. He wants you there because you want to go there.

You see, you didn’t ask to be born into this world, but He is asking you if you want to go to heaven. And He kind of gives you a choice. There’s a heaven and there’s a hell. And anybody with any intelligence at all would say, hey, I want to go to heaven when I die, except there’s a few hardheaded people that will not believe. So God says that because of sin we can’t get in. We cannot earn eternal life.

We cannot work our way to heaven. This hand represents Jesus Christ. He’s the Lord God in the flesh. He came into this world and there is no other name given among men whereby we must be saved. There is no one else. He says, I am the way, the truth in life. No man comes unto the Father except through Him. You don’t go through Him. You don’t go. Any religions that teach contrary to that, it’s wrong. Period. Who says God says?

I just happen to stand where he stands. And I do not have respect for other people’s religions. I’m sorry. No, I’m not either. This is the truth. Christ had no sin. He loves us and our sin separates us from Him. So Christ took all the sin of all the world, paid for it on the cross, came back from the dead and said if we would believe that He did it for us, He would put this payment to our account and we get to go to heaven on what Jesus Christ did for us.

It is the gift of God. It’s not of works, lest any man should boast. And whenever you believe that he did it for you, he says, these things have I written unto you that believe in the name of the Son of God. You may know that you have eternal life. And he said, I’ll never cast you out, and now I’ll never lose you. Ah, best news in all the world. Let’s pray, shall we? Every head bowed, and every eye closed, and no one looking around.

If you’re here tonight, and you’ve never trusted the Lord, would you do that? Yeah, if you’re watching by internet, what I’d write now, the quietness of this mind, just talk to the Lord and say, Lord, I don’t understand at all, but I know that I’m a sinner. I believe Christ died, paid for my sins, and I will trust Him right now. That’s my only hope of going to heaven. Friend, it doesn’t matter who you are, what color you are, what your religion is.

If you don’t accept Christ, you don’t go to heaven. But if you do trust Christ as your Savior, you will go to heaven. So would you do that right now? Would you trust Jesus Christ as the one who died and paid for all of your sins. And God said, if you’ll trust Him and believe it, He will save you and give you as a free gift of our lasting life. Our Father, we thank you so much for all you’ve done for us for this time together.

Bless each one and those that watch by internet in Christ and 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 were 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 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.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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 message will be a blessing to you and your family.

God knows me. God knows me. Now you may not know a lot of people and a lot of people may not know you, but God does know you. And the scripture is Psalms 139 and verse 1, O Lord thou hast searched me and known me. You know my heart, you know me. Now this is speaking mainly in creation. This is as God is your creator. God created you, God knows you. Now the other verses down there in verse 14, 15, just talking about in your mother’s womb how that God had formed you.

God made you. God’s the one that decided whether or not you’re going to be male or female, but you were going to look like the cover of your hair and the eyes, the shape of your body. He fashioned that body. He said, laws in the motion. But this is a God of creation. God created us. God knows you. You didn’t just happen. You’re not an accident. You’re specially designed by God. Now I want you to look there in 2 Timothy chapter 2.

You know that once you trust Christ as your Savior, you and I are born again, born into God’s family. And once you become a child of God, it’s great to be able to say, God is my Father. The Bible tells us in Galatians in chapter 4 that we are His children and we can call Him Abba, Father. That’s a great thing to know. You see, moms fail us here and dads fail us, brothers and sisters will let us down.

That doesn’t matter too much. You have a new Father. You’re in a new family. And one of the greatest things to always remember in verse 19, where he says, nevertheless, the foundation of God stands at sure. The foundation of God is what we’re standing upon. We’re resting upon this foundation that is so sure. So rock solid is the knowledge of God, that God knows something and God can’t forget something. And God says and gives his word upon something and it makes this statement, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them and that are his.

This is your new birth. The first one is you are known by God because God is your Creator. Now God knows you as His child. It’s great to say I know the Lord, but it’s greater that God knows us because you and I have a tendency to forget God, but God says He can never forget us. He fathered you. He fathered me. He is our Father, our spiritual dad. Number two is God loves me. It’s just one thing for God to know you.

It’s another thing for God to love you because God can know something and not love something. We know people, but we don’t have to necessarily love people. may know you and not necessarily love you. God not only knows me, God loves me. Now of course you could turn to John 3 16 in quite a few verses on where God loves us. But I want you to look in Jeremiah 31 and notice what he says there in verse 3. Now yes he’s talked mainly to the nation of Israel, but Israel is made up of people and many times when it refers to Jacob he’s referring to the whole nation, just like what’s going on over in Israel.

God loves his people. But the main reason that the Arab nations hate Israel is because Israel is God’s chosen people. That’s it. They’re God’s chosen people. And because they rejected their Messiah, God said they’re going to be hated and persecuted all over the world. And they are. But now notice what he says here in verse 3. The Lord hath appeared of old unto me saying. Yay, I have loved thee with an everlasting love. Now if God loves you with an everlasting love, how long will his love last?

This is a very difficult question. You’re to know that God loves you. But see, God doesn’t love you just when you’re obedient. He loves you even when you’re disobedient. I’ve talked to Christians that because they go astray at times, they think after God doesn’t love them anymore. God never stops loving His children. God loves you. Always believe, even in the harshest of times, when everything seems to be down, no value to life, when everything’s going against you, where you’re totally filled with despair.

God still loves you. But it’s so easy to get to where you think, nobody knows, nobody cares, nobody loves me, whether I live or I die, well, I’ve been there so many times. But you always have to keep in your mind. God knows me. God loves me. Now, this is a very simple message, but it’s deep at the same time. Because there’s things that we as Christians seem to forget. Now, I want you to look at the last part of this verse, because the last part of this verse, how does God draw you?

Christ says, if I be lifted up, I will what? Draw all men to myself. What does he draw with? Is it a rope? Is it with fear? It’s with love. God says, I am going to draw you with my love. Therefore with loving kindness, have I drawn thee? Now you and I, we should, yes, we should love the Lord because we have been loved. God loves us. How do you know God loves you? How do you know God loves you?

Well, he doesn’t love me because I ask for a pink Cadillac and I didn’t get it. I know God doesn’t love me because I asked for a million dollars and I didn’t get it. I played the lottery and I told him I’d give him 10% if I wanted and he didn’t help me win. I proved God doesn’t love me. Well, you know how God said that he would prove to you that he loved you? By him dying on the cross, sending his son to die for you on the cross.

That’s how God said that he proved that he loved you because he did for you something you could not do for yourself. He did the greatest thing he could ever do. He gave his life. And this is what is mentioned in the book of 1 John, how that God is the propitiation for our sins, that he loved us, and he loves us with an everlasting love. And this is how he draws. Now let me mention this to you. You and I are supposed to, whether it’s with our wife or with the husband or with the kids, we’re supposed to draw them to us by our love for them.

And you know the devil will take the love that you try to give and show to somebody and the devil gets into a person’s mind and can take every good deed that you do for somebody as an expression of your love and can turn it into hate. The very deed that’s to prove that you love the devil can call them the thing that just he just hate me. And people can say I hate you I hate you I hate you.

But that’s because see something else is going on. There’s a battle going on. But should you stop loving because somebody twists your love, puts a spin upon your goodness, and it can always happen. But you and I are supposed to love genuinely, as the Bible says sincerely. Love one another. And we are to draw them to us because we love. And I believe that if us as a church would show people we really love them, we can draw them by our love.

But if we act like we’re superior, we’re better, you’re no good, that’s not gonna draw because it’s with loving kindness. A lot of people have a rough time. Be kind to people and draw them with love. You’ll get so much better and more out of it. And even though your love may be rejected and your kindness is rejected, somebody else might receive it. So don’t stop being loving and not being kind just because somebody doesn’t respond, not away. Now, number three, the thing I want you to write down is God accepts me, God accepts me.

Ephesians chapter one, we often sing that song just as I am without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me, just as I am. Not just as I ought to be but let me tell you this The very day the moment you trust Christ as your Savior because God accepts you as his child Because of what his son did for you in satisfying God’s wrath against the sin that you committed against him So God accepts you and it says in verse 6 to the praise Of the glory of his grace wherein he had made us accepted in the beloved.

Now in this life you’re going to be rejected. There’s people that will reject you. At work you’ll be rejected. Sometimes family people will reject you. But you’re always going to go through this. It doesn’t matter. You know in your heart. Though all forsake me and all reject me, It doesn’t matter because God accepts me, because I’m in his son. I trusted Christ as my Savior, and you are accepted in Christ. That’s a wonderful thing to remember, because it’s so easy to forget.

And whenever we get down and discourage, the Bible says, consider him talking about Christ in Hebrews in chapter 12, how that he endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, given the death of the cross, but he didn’t quit. And God says, do not become faint and weary in your mind. They call it so easy to do so. This is amazing what I’ve seen sometimes kids do, trying to be accepted by their peers. They want to be recognized, looked up to, they want to be part of the group, a part of the gang, just so they can belong to something.

There’s nothing better than belonging to the Lord and then accepted by God. You see, your status in this world doesn’t really matter too much. It’s just where do you stand with God? Because sooner or later, say, this world will pass away. He says, my word will never pass away. And the day will come, we’ll stand. And the Lord, that’s what counts. That’s what matters. Keep that in mind. The fourth thing I want you to write down, God will be with me.

And look in Joshua chapter one, book of Joshua in chapter one. Yes, God knows me. God loves me. God accepts me. And God will be with me. Now, you can go through life and you don’t always have everybody able to walk around holding your hand. Every one of us has to learn how to walk with God ourselves. and walk with God for you. You can’t do it by proxy. Remember in the great commission where he says, going to all the world and priests to gospel to every creature and baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son of the Holy Spirit, and lo I am with you, always.

Well look there in verse 9. Joshua chapter 1 and verse 9, have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage. Be not afraid. Neither be thou dismayed, for the Lord thy God is with thee. You ought to underline that verse. Though in this world you can be with a thousand people and still feel alone. I used to go to one school up in Pennsylvania. There was 3,000 students in that school. It was something I didn’t tell like I had a friend.

Like I was totally alone. I wasn’t alone, but I felt like I was alone. But with the Lord saying, you’re never alone. God is always with you. That’s why He should be the dearest friend that you have. You ought to love His word, talk to Him, and let Him talk to you all the time. Be the closest friendship or relationship that you’ve ever had. Nobody should be more precious the you, then the Lord. Now you can have a friend, but a friend can’t do all the things for you that God can do.

Right down the next statement, God will not fail me. God will not fail me. God makes many promises in his word. Let me ask you a question. Who created the heavens and the earth? God, who does it belong to? God. Can God give this land to whoever he wants? Yes. And if God says, I want this piece of land here, that’s going to be for Israel. Now it doesn’t matter whether anybody else likes it or don’t like it. It doesn’t matter about the United Nations.

God has spoken. He says, this land belongs to you. I gave it to you. Now notice what he says in verse 3, every place that the soul of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you as I said unto Moses. So God is reaffirming what he said to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and Moses, and now Joshua. He’s not promised. And God said, all that land belongs to you. If Israel had served the Lord and honored the Lord, Israel would be a kingdom today that’s unmatched by any nation on Earth, but they became disobedient.

And they lost it. Now look in verse 4, from the wilderness and this Lebanon. What’s that word? Lebanon. Have you heard of Lebanon in the news lately? That belongs to Israel too. But Israel forfeited Lebanon for the sake of peace. They even moved out of the Gaza Strip for the sake of peace. By them giving up this land for the sake of peace, did they get peace? No, they don’t get peace. There shall not any man be able to do it.

able to stand before the all the days of my life as I was with Moses so and you ought to underline this statement because it goes with the other one that we mentioned while ago in verse 9 I will be with thee now look what he says in the last part of his verse I will not fail thee now look up here God will not fail you. In your Christian life God never fails. Is He an answer to my prayer?

God failed. God can not fail. God does not fail. We may not do all that we can do. Shoulder the blame, take the fall, confess the sin, but never blame God. The Lord forgive it and the Lord what? Take it the way. Blessed be the name of the Lord. If God gives you praise the Lord, if God takes it away, praise the Lord. Never get mad and upset and bitter at God. God cannot do wrong. God is perfect. God is righteous.

Remember that because our serving the Lord is going to be in direct ratio to the caliber of our attitude that we have about God. And when you have a bad sick attitude, peeling toward God because of what God did or God allowed or what God didn’t do that you think you should have done, it’s going to affect your service for the Lord. It will affect God, will, not, fail. The sixth thing I want you to write down, God will answer me.

God will answer me. And that Psalms 138, it Psalms 138. And notice there in verse 3. In the day when I cried, without answered me, when I cried, if God answered you, then he knew what produced the tears. He knew what you were going through. He knew how you hurt, how you felt. He knew the anguish of your soul. God answered and get what he says in the last part of this verse and strengthen it me with the strength where in my soul.

You see it’s not always God answering and giving you the things that you think you need to get out of a jam. It’s the strength of your character, the strength of your soul. You’ve been strong enough to handle it. God does not have to do everything that I want him to do for him to be still Lord in my life. He doesn’t have to please me in all areas because God is God. He is free to do whatever he wants to do with me and should be free to do with you.

He will strengthen you. He doesn’t mean you’ll solve all of your problems but he’ll give you the strength you need to bear the problems. Some things you want to escape from, like the temptations of the world. You want to escape from those. But there’s other heartaches and so forth that God maybe wants you to go through. And therefore God won’t deliver you from them. He just wants to give you the strength to go through them. Keep it in mind.

The next thing I want you to write down is God will strengthen it, me. I just mentioned about strengthening my soul, but I want you to look in Philippians in chapter 4. Philippians chapter 4 and verse 13. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Now remember it’s not talking in this verse about Christ strengthening me. I’m going to do the things through Christ which refers to those things. Otherwise it was said through Christ, who strengtheneth me?

Doesn’t say who, says which. I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me through the things that God allows into your life, or to make you a stronger person. You may get sick, but you can get spiritually stronger. You can lose money, but become spiritually stronger. You can lose friends, but become spiritually stronger. What do you think is the most important thing in your life. It’s the strength that you have in the Lord. In the book of Ephesians in chapter 6, it talks about the strong and the power of his might.

That’s talking about spiritually. It’s not talking about the physical body. It’s talking about what God means to you. And God will use those things to make you strong. And that’s why you can do all things because they strengthen you. The resistance in weightlifting is what builds your muscles. It’s the resistance so God will send you resistance in this life, but they can make you stronger all things work together for good to those who Love the Lord to those are called according to his purpose But isn’t it easy to forget this when things happen?

The next thing is God will provide for me number a God will provide for me He says, my God shall supply all your need. It doesn’t say all of your greed, or all of your wants, but all of your need. Now God can very easily separate needs from greed and wants, desires. excluding DevOnline%” AUTHORPopezinski%% God knows what I need. And our hearts prayer desire should be Lord, meet my needs. Help me to lean upon you, to have the strength that I need to maintain the testimony that I ought to bear at all times.

My God shall supply all your need according to His riches and glory by Christ Jesus. In other words, whatever it is that I need is something that God has that He is rich in and And that’s not necessarily talking about money. It’s not talking about vehicles. Now, God can meet those needs. But the greatest need that you have is like Paul says, the things that I need is the strength to do the will of God. Will God give me the strength to have the right testimony at all times as long as you’re living in this life?

Because things are going to happen. Number nine, God will bless me. You should live under that umbrella. Believing that God got up out largeDownload this morning, if you want to believe he got out of bed, for the sole purpose of blessing me today. Why did God get up this morning? Because he’s got it in for you, bud. And he’s going to get you if it’s the last thing he does. No. You and I are supposed to believe God wants to bless me.

Do you reallyCompare? Do you really believe God wants you to be happy? There isn’t anybody that wants you to be happier, more than God. God’s the one who designed this life. God wants to bless you. He wants to bless me. And look what he says in verse 8 of Malachi chapter 3. Well a man robbed God, yet he robbed me. But you say, where in have we robbed thee? He says in tithes and offerings. What’s a tithe? A tenth.

What’s offering over that? How simple it is. In verse 9, ye are cursed with a curse For you have robbed me even this whole nation you robbed God in the words you didn’t pay what you’re supposed to pay Did you know that God when Christ was here used money as the? Thermometer of a person’s love What you do to get it? Save it to spend it invest it everything it does with money reveals an awful lot about you God says that So if a man makes a hundred dollars he owes God 10 as offering trouble above that.

If you don’t do what God says do, then according to the word here, you might be a little thief. And you want God to bless? He says, I have to curse you. I believe a lot of churches are under a curse because God’s people don’t tithe like they should. They don’t get like they should because they don’t trust God with a 90% of sleep. They don’t, God ain’t going to meet money. God won’t take care of me. God will they know God won’t.

But people are afraid. And so they hold back and they think just given to the Lord’s work is just out of their abundance whatever they want to just give them a little tip here and there just trying to keep God off their back. No God says you don’t get it. You don’t get it. You do what God says do. Then he says in verse 10, bring you all the ties into the storehouse. I’m not saying the church is the storehouse.

I’m going to say this is a principle that God laid down in the Old Testament and he never stopped that in the New Testament that says that we ought to give. I know that what God has given us. He said, improve me. The word prove me is test. Prove me now here with, say, at the Lord of Host, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

You want God’s blessings upon you? You should live every day. I want the blessings of God. Does the love of God for you and it desire to bless you? Does it do anything to that little penguin in your heart that says, I want to serve a God like that? He knows me and he loves me and he accepts me and he’ll never cast me out. He’ll never lose me. He’ll never fail me. He will answer me. And God will do all these wonderful things for you.

Why not serve a God like that? The last thing I want you to look at is Matthew chapter 11 and verse 28, number 10, God will give me rest. We all need a little rest. I’m not talking about rest of body. I’m talking about rest of soul because the strength that we need is for the soul. For you, that’s you. And you need to have the peace of God. He says in verse 28, Now we often use these verses talking about a lost man and the heavyweight and the guilt of sin.

But it says in verse 28, come on to me. All ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you what? Rest, I’ll give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find what? Rest unto your soul, your soul. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Do you believe that? What should you and I do when the rest of the world is falling apart?

We should have rest in our soul because we’re God’s people. God won’t fail us. He’ll never leave us. He’ll never forsake us. Doesn’t matter what happens in the Middle East or what happens in America. I’m God’s child. He knows me. He’ll take care of me. He’ll provide for me. He’ll never let me down. God’s a wonderful God. You and I are to have peace in our soul because we have trust in the Lord. This is you and me, this is sin.

We all have sin on us. God says He loves us, but He hates our sin. And for you and I to pay for this sin is eternal separation from God in a place called hell. Let this hand represent Jesus Christ. He’s the Lord, God in a place. He came into the world because He loves us, hates our sin because it separates us from Him. So what Christ did is He took our sin, paid for them across, came back from the dead.

And God said, if you and I, We’ll believe that he did that for us. He’d put that payment to our account. We get to go to heaven on what he did for us. Best news in all the world, no tricks to it, no gimmicks. God does love us. Let’s pray, shall we? Every headbound, every eye closed, no one looking around. If you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior, friend right now, just talk to the learn, say something simple like this.

But I know in my center, I believe Christ died, paid for my sin, and I will trust Him as my Savior. If you’ve never done it before, do it now, and if you will, Would you just let me know by an uproot to the hand, just slip it up very quickly, but right back down, is there any more at all? Now, if you have trusted Christ as your Savior, your God’s child, seek to remember these things. Our Father, we ask Your blessings upon each one here, and Father upon this message that it would help each individual to love you and to walk with you.

We ask Your blessings upon Him in Christ and 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 Bible line 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.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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

in your Bible to the book of Jeremiah, the book of Jeremiah. I want to talk to you a little bit about understanding the heart issue, understanding the heart issue. Everybody has a heart, at least I sure hope you do, but a lot of people have a little trouble with it. I’m not saying I understand all about it, but the heart in the scriptures is used in several ways. One refers to your old sinful nature and sometimes it refers to you, you know, the way you are.

And there’s time when it seems like, you know, the heart of man is a good thing. And then in other places, it’s like a bad thing. Well, you got to read the context and you put it in the context. It’s fine. No problem. One thing that caused a lot of problems years ago is we heard preacher that made the statement. Some people are going to miss heaven by 18 inches because they believe it in the head, but they don’t believe it in the heart.

So 18 inches you’re going to miss heaven by 18 inches because you didn’t believe it in the heart. You got to believe it in your heart. Well, I had trouble with that a little bit years later, but the first time was because Betty heard a preacher that said that and he sounded like he was serious about that that he literally meant that. So my wife says you know I believe it but I don’t know if my heart believes or not I don’t know if my heart believes it.

Well you got to believe it with your heart. Well how do you know if it’s your heart that’s believing it not you? So she couldn’t separate it too. So can it cause trouble? It can be very misleading and so anyway we got that taken care of. I was down here in Belgrade, Florida one year and I mentioned this to you before. Dr. Hank Lindstrom, back then it was just Hank Lindstrom. Nobody called him Doc or Pat. He was at Hank and my name was just Hank so we were Hank and Hank and we were in Belgrade, Florida and he asked me if I’d go up there with him to speak at this migrant camp.

So I, sure, I went. And a few of the other students from the college went up there. So we’re out passing out some flyers and inviting kids to come and so we’re to the meeting that night. So I saw these two little girls walking down the dirt road. And so I walked up to them, you know, I’m in college, I know everything. I mean, I know the Bible. I’m bold as a lion, and I walk up to two little victims.

I’m going to get them. They didn’t know I was going to get them. And I walked up to them and I said, are y’all going to heaven? I said, you want to go to heaven? Didn’t you say nothing? I said, well, you got to ask Jesus to come into your heart. You say you didn’t say that. Yes, I did. I said, you got to ask Jesus to come into your heart. And they looked at each other. I said, don’t you want to go to heaven?

I said, would you ask Jesus to come in your heart? I never had nobody said yes. I said, well, go ahead. Well, they didn’t know what to do. That ain’t nothing. They didn’t lie. I said, go ahead. So they bowed their head and glededed, and let’s head down on what they said. And then they looked up at me. I said, did you do it? I said, did he come in? He said, uh-huh. I said, how do you know? And one of the girls she grabbed her heart, I feel it right here.

I thought to myself, Yankee, you’re not very clear. I didn’t like this. I didn’t feel comfortable at all. I hadn’t even gave the gospel. I had said it. I just asked, will you, last Jesus to come in? Because see, I was mimicking, quoting what I’d heard so many people say. No, I had led people to the Lord using the Roman road and praying through on the sinner’s prayer, but that’s the first time I’ve ever done that. I heard it from somebody where I have no clue.

Anyway, I didn’t. like the results of it. So can it cause trouble? Yes, it can cause trouble. With the person who hears and with the person who tells. So there’s a lot of people who asked kids and teenagers, well, you asked Jesus to come into your heart and then you got to conclude, okay, how do you get him in? And then if you did, how do you know he’s there? I feel it right here. No, you can’t feel him because he’s a spirit.

Uh-oh, got a problem. So you try to figure out is there a better way to do things? There’s always a good way. It’s called the right way. The right way will work. The right message will work. All you have to do is believe it. But I want you to see here in book of Jeremiah, Jeremiah chapter 17. Jeremiah 17 looked there in verse 5. Thus saith the Lord, cursed be the man that trusted in man and make it flesh his arm or his strength, his power, what he’s leaning on trusting in and whose heart departed from the Lord.

Cursed be the man that put his confidence in man. In other In other words, you shouldn’t trust yourself to save yourself. Now, it can apply in many other areas, but at least you should not trust in yourself to save yourself because God said cursed be the man who put his confidence in man. People who go to church in order to go to heaven is under a curse because he’s trusting in his good works to get him to heaven. So he’s not under the blessing, he’s under a curse.

That’s why God says it’s not of works. Why? Because works of man is a curse. It’s not a blessing because all works are under the law. It’s what you can do, what you can perform. That’s a curse. Curse it as every man or every one that does not continually fulfill all the works of the law. Now look what else he says. And verse six, for he, that man, that man that trusts in some, he shall be like the heat in the desert, the heat in the desert, I should say heat the heat in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh.

Now the person who trusts in himself, trusts in the flesh, can’t see when good comes. But now something that’s totally opposite of this is the man who learns to trust right. Look there in verse eight. It follows that verse seven where it talks about blessed is the man that trusts it in the Lord. So you see there’s two ways of trust. You can trust yourself or you can trust the Lord. If you trust the Lord, you’re blessed. Means you get eternal life, you get to go to heaven, you die.

You tie that in with the book of Galatians in chapter three. But look what it says in verse eight. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters.” This is similar to the book of Psalms in chapter one. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters and that grinned out her roots by the river and shall get to not see when he’d comeeth. That means just the opposite of the person who trust in man.

He can’t see when good comes and the man who trusts in the Lord can’t see when the evil comes Because you see, you’re trusting in the Lord and that trust in the Lord helps you to see better. And you think on positive things, the other things on negative things. It affects how you see life. And some people, all they focus upon is they’re a pessimist. They can’t do anything. They’re always negative and always down. And a person who learns to trust the Lord is positive, wants to go out on on the limb, try, listen, you take for example, I am willing to run risk.

I am what they call a risk taker. If you say it, Yankee, you can’t jump over that cliff. I might try it 20 years ago. But you don’t double dog dare me on something because I’m going to try it then. You don’t tell me what I can’t do because then I’m going to try to show you that I can do it. I don’t mind going out on the limb and was the camp or a radio broadcast or ranch or any of the ministry.

I just do it because, see, when you get to where you trust the Lord, you just want to give God another chance to do something big. And God can’t do something if somebody doesn’t try something. He can’t get me out of something if I never get in anything. Therefore I don’t mind God boxing me in and lead me into dead ends and detours and dry holes because I know that God’s going to get me out somehow. Because He promises so many things.

Look at verse 9, the heart, the heart is deceitful above all things, desperately wicked and who can know it? In other words, who can understand? Why man does what he does, thinks the way that he does. There is a way that seems right unto a man, but the ender of are the ways of death. No, but it seems right because you use all your wisdom, all your logic, all your reason in power, but it’s just it’s just still wrong.

And that’s why you go, got to go according to the Bible and what God says. Now look there in verse 10. Verse 10 says, I the Lord search the heart. I try the range. In other words, God’s the one that sees and reveals to us what’s guiding us, what controls us, what’s leading you. You know, when you put the bits in a horse’s mouth and you can steer that horse, well God says he tries to range. He wants to see how sensitive are you to his control.

And this is sometimes things that people don’t understand that God is always testing you. And are you hard for him to maneuver around? Are you always arguing with God? Are you very easy and sensitive with God? And God can just whisper in your ear. With a soft word or does God have to get your attention every time with a two before because you won’t listen? Now you’re the one that decides whether or not will I will I not be sensitive or teachable pliable in the hands of God Now I want you to take your Bible and turn to the book of Ephesians in chapter 3 The book of Ephesians chapter 3 Now you’ll notice in the book of Ephesians chapter 3 there is a verse here that talks about Christ dwelling in your hearts and so forth, but look in verse 16, verse 16, that he would grant you according to the

riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith. So you got to admit the Bible says that Christ dwells in your heart. Well, what’s wrong with asking Jesus to come into my heart? But what? This is not talking about salvation. You see, this is talking about those who have already trusted Christ as Savior and dwelling in your heart is dwelling in your mind so that God can control your life.

Remember, he says it, and be not conformed to this world, but be you transform by the renewing of your mind. So this is what you think with, that little brain up there. And so the inner part of the man himself, whatever you want to say, this is me. God wants to indwell you and control you. Now he may live in you because you trusted Christ a Savior, but He has no control of you. In the words, mom and dad may have a little boy, but that don’t mean you can control that boy.

Now, he’s in the family, but you may not have control. I know a lot of parents who’ve had a lot of teenagers and have absolutely no control over them. In other words, most teenagers are raising their parents. They tell them what they’re going to do. That’s not the way it’s supposed to be. But he makes a statement that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that ye, you’re already saved. So this is not talking about how to be saved.

Being rooted in ground and in love may be able to comprehend or to understand all the things and so forth that God wants you to know and to do. So yes, there’s verses in the Bible talks about Christ dwelling in your hearts by faith. But we’re talking hear about how he’s living within you. He’s dwelling with you, you in him, he and you, and without him you can do nothing but he’s talking to those who are saved and not to those who are lost on how to be saved.

There’s no verse in the Bible that says, ask Jesus to come into your heart in order to be saved. Now it’s a wonderful little statement, but it just doesn’t have any foundation to it. It is not clear. And it’s very difficult to explain to little children because we had in Colorado in our youth meeting, the little kids were sitting down in the front row and just crying his eyes out. And the reason because somebody made the statement, you know, these wonderful little children workers and told the little kids that they had to ask Jesus to come in the heart, but he can’t come in unless you undo the latch.

And the latch is on the inside, so you have to undo the latch so you can Let Jesus in. Now don’t that sound just wonderful. And the little kid was crying. Finally talked to him. He didn’t know how to undo the lock. The door was locked on the inside and he didn’t know how to undo the lock. Well, that’s not what I really meant. Then don’t say it. Say what you really mean. Don’t give a kid something they have to try to figure out.

What do you mean by that? Whenever you tell somebody you’re going to miss heaven by 18 inches. Really? That’s not the truth. That’s the way. lie. This thing down here, it pumps blood. Now, a lot of times people when they get scared, the heart beats, or they feel love and the blood flows. Yes. Oh, panellopey. Oh, panellopey. Yes, your heart beats. And that’s because of your mind controlling how you’re thinking and that affects everything else. Like I told you one day, I’ll never mind up.

I have to be careful around y’all. This boy kisses his girl. She got chills up from down in her back and his pop circle was dripping. Oh well. Deuteronomy chapter six, turn all the way over to Deuteronomy chapter six. Deuteronomy chapter six. And look there in verse five. Deuteronomy chapter six and verse five. It makes a statement. Verse four, first of all, says, here O Israel, the Lord Jehovah, our God, El Hymn is one, Adonoy. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all vine heart and with all my soul, with all my might.

And they said, Yay, we will do that. Well, they didn’t do that. How do you know you really love the Lord thy God with all my heart, mind, body, soul, and strength? How do you know when you obey the law perfectly? Okay, how you doing? Nobody ever did for 15 years, 15 years, 1500 years. First mistake of a remade. But does God want us to love them with all our hearts? Well all of your being, it’s not very romantic to say I love you with all my mind.

It just sounds more romantic, I love you with all my heart. Yes, now the girls or toenails will curl up and all kind of stuff. But you’ve got to be right. Something just don’t sound romantic. But anyway, take your Bible and turn to the book of Psalms 119. 119 Psalm. Psalms 119. Now there’s a lot of interesting verses in 119 Psalm. There’s more than two or three, but quite a few. But in the one we just looked at in Deuteronomy, that they’re supposed to love the Lord.

Lord thy God with all thy heart and so on.” Well, they didn’t and they can’t and they won’t. And you have to admit total bankruptcy. I can’t do what the law requires. And so I trust Christ as my Savior. That’s the only way because you cannot perform and live the way God wants you to live out a new birth. It’s totally impossible. That’s why you need a new birth. But here in 119 Psalm, look there in verse 11, thy word have I hid in mine heart.

I hid it in my heart. When you start memorizing scripture, it’s probably going into your computer up here, into your mind. I put God’s word in my mind. Now if you think it’s down here, one of the problems I used to have with the kids, and they would always ask the question, what if Jesus is in my heart? Jesus is in my heart. And then what if you have a heart transplant? And you have a heart transplant and somebody who didn’t have Jesus in their heart, and they gave you the heart of an unbeliever.

And they just took your heart out that goes, Jesus, in comes zero. And what if you died right after Jesus has gone? Now what happens to you? You got a problem? So… I’m glad that I don’t have to get into all of that stuff, you know. It just complicates things. You just know that I believe it. The heart sometimes reaches for, it’s me. I believe it. Now, I don’t care where God put that little brain of mine. You’re going to put it in my toe.

I don’t care where it’s at. But I believe. I was, I’d been over the other day. I was going to see if I could, no, tie my shoe. You know, Betty can spend all the way over and stand up and tie her shoe. Now, if God’s one of the man to do it, he’d have put my feet on my knee. It is a long way down there. And I get a creak in my… No worries, you that are older in here, you kind of get the idea.

But I don’t know where everything is. Christ is living in me. The Holy Spirit is living in me. Now where He wants to roam, I don’t care. If He wants to spend one day in this room, or this room, or that room, or that room, or in here or up there, I don’t care. He’s in me. And how much room He’s got to run around it, I don’t care. Christ is in me, the hope of glory. And I know it and I believe it.

And I don’t try to get it so complicated that it becomes a bog to my mind. I know this, he says, I want to hide God’s word in my heart that I might not sin against thee. And the Holy Spirit bringing things to your remembrance because it was been put into your mind. So we study the Word of God so we can put the Word of God up here. The Holy Spirit uses the Word that’s stored up in the brain, in the mind.

And they said that most of us never use 90% of our brain. Well, that’s the part I got from my new birth then. I don’t really know and don’t care. But it’s not wise to try to get a lost person to ask Jesus to come into the heart because now you got to find out, okay, now how do you know when he did? And what verses would you use to verify it? So you’ve got automatic problems. Look in Psalms 44.

Psalms 44 has turned to you left a few pages there. Psalms 44 and looking in verse 21, you ought to underline this verse. He says, shall not God search this out? For he knoweth the secrets of the heart. God knows how you think, knows how you feel. Knows what you know, knows what you don’t know. Knows what you’re hiding, knows what you’ve done, haven’t done. God knows everything. John chapter 2 when he was talking about Christ and the temple and so forth, he knew what was in man.

Wouldn’t you like to be able to read people’s thoughts? I wouldn’t mind reading people’s thoughts. I just don’t want them to read in mine. But God can. As you said here right now, do you really understand? Can you grasp the God knows what you’re thinking? God knows what you’re thinking. Isn’t that scary? He knows. And does he know if you’re trusting him or not? Does he know if you’re really worried or not? I’m just trusting the Lord. God says you are not.

You can’t fool him. You can’t lie to him. But God knows the heart of man. Knows everything about us. Look in Psalms 34. Just turn back 10 saw chapters there. Psalms 34. And look in verse 18. Psalms 34 and look in verse 18. There’s two verses here I want you to look at. But verse 18 says, the Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart. A broken heart. Now in the book of Psalms 51 and around verse 17 it talks about David praying to the Lord because a broken heart, a contrite heart, God will not despise.

It’s talking about a person who has humbled himself before God. It’s the humility that you have between you and God. God hates pride and a person who exalts himself, God will humble you. But if you humble yourself, God will exalt you. So keep that in mind. And look in verse 19. Many are the afflictions of the righteous. But the Lord delivered them out of most of them. You know, that’s enough to scare the deficit, said that. But it isn’t a great consolation of that He delivered them out of them all.

Because see, God knows your thoughts. God knows how you’re thinking. God knows what you’re going through. God knows what you face. God knows what I’m facing. And He says that we can look to Him and He will deliver us out of them all. out of them all. So that’s why you don’t have to worry about what’s coming down the road because God’s going to deliver you out of all of them anyway. And the man who trusts the Lord doesn’t see all the evil, as it says in Jeremiah 17.

But if you’re not really trusts the Lord, all you see is the problems and they scare you to death. And the fear produces torment and a lot of people are tortured, but they do it to themselves. Take your Bible And look in Proverbs 17, since we’re so close here to Psalms. Proverbs 17. And look there in verse 21, first of all, he that begateth a fool, doeth it to his sorrow and the father of a fool hath no joy.

That’s why we as parents don’t like for our children to be fools, because it doesn’t bring you any joy. But look what in verse 22, a merry heart doeth good like medicine, a merry heart, doeth good like medicine, but a broken spirit drath the bones. Did you know that I’ve had people say that when they come to Calvary and we’re all standing and we’re all singing And then he says, greet one another and 50 to 100 people are moving all over the place.

Now there are always, you know, some people they just stand there and wait until you come to them and shake your hand. But then there’s others who get out of their seat and go meet somebody and then sometimes they’re scared to death but they do it. But by being friendly and with a smile and walking up to somebody saying, how do you do? Glad to see you shaking their hand. You know, at least it makes a person feel welcome, warm, that’s good, glad to see them.

Or you walk up somebody, hi, you’re here again. What’d you come for? A merry heart is not only good medicine for you, it’s good medicine for somebody else. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, A Teaching Ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. Part 2 of this teaching will conclude with tomorrow’s broadcast. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach by the line 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 six 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.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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 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.

Oh, what’s wrong with asking Jesus to come into my heart? But once this is not talking about salvation. You see, this is talking about those who have already trusted Christ as Savior, and dwelling in your heart is dwelling in your mind so that God can control your life. Remember, says it, and be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. So this is what you think with that little brain up there. And so the inner part of the man himself, whatever you want to say, this is me.

God wants to indwell you and control you. Now he may live in you because you trusted Christ the Savior, but he has no control of you. In the words, Mom and Dad may have a little boy, but that don’t mean you can control that boy. Now he’s in the family, but you may not have control. I know a lot of parents who’ve had a lot of teen natures and have absolutely no control over them. In other words, most teen natures are raising their parents.

They tell them what what they’re going to do. That’s not the way it’s supposed to be. But he makes a statement that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that ye, you’re already saved. So this is not talking about how to be saved. Being rooted in ground and in love may be able to comprehend or to understand all the things and so forth that God wants you to know and to do. So yes, there’s verses in the Bible talks about Christ dwelling in your hearts by faith.

But we’re talking here about how he’s living within you. He’s dwelling with you. You in him, he and you, and without him you can do nothing but he’s talking to those who are saved and not to those who are lost on how to be saved. There’s no verse in the Bible that says, ask Jesus to come into your heart in order to be saved. Now it’s a wonderful little statement but it just doesn’t have any foundation to it. it is not clear.

And it’s very difficult to explain to little children because we had in Colorado in our youth meeting, the little kid was sitting down in the front row and just crying his eyes out. And the reason because somebody made the statement, you know, these wonderful little children workers and told the little kids that they had to ask Jesus to come in the heart, but he can’t come in unless you undo the latch. And the latch is on the inside, so you have to undo the latch so you can let Jesus in.

And don’t that sound just wonderful. And the little kid was crying. Finally talked to him, he didn’t know how to undo the lock. The door was locked on the inside, and he didn’t know how to undo the lock. Well, that’s not what I really meant. Then don’t say it. Say what you really mean. Don’t give a kid something they have to try to figure out. What do you mean by that? Whenever you tell somebody you’re going to miss heaven by 18 inches, really?

That’s not the truth. a lie. This thing down here, it pumps blood. Now, a lot of times people when they get scared, the heart beats, or they feel love and the blood flows. Yes. Oh, panellopey. Oh, panellopey. Yes, your heart beats. And that’s because of your mind controlling how you’re thinking and that affects everything else. Like I told you one day, I’ll never buy that. I have to be careful around y’all. This boy kisses his girl. She got chills up and down in her back.

His pub circle was dripping. Oh well. Deuteronomy chapter 6, turn all the way over to Deuteronomy chapter 6. And look there in verse 5. Deuteronomy chapter 6 and verse 5. It makes a statement. Verse 4, our God, ill him, is one. I don’t know it. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all of mine heart and with all my soul, with all my might. And they said, Yay, we will do that. Well, they didn’t do that. How do you know you really love the Lord thy God with all my heart, mind, body, soul and strength?

How do you know when you obey the law perfectly? Okay, how you doing? Nobody ever did for 15 years, 1500 years. First mistake of my life. of a remade. But does God want us to love them with all our hearts? Well all of your being, it’s not very romantic to say, I love you with all my mind. Just sound more romantic, I love you with all my heart. Yes. Now the girls or toenails or curl up and all kind of stuff, you know, it’s just got to be right.

Something just don’t sound romantic, you know. But anyway, take your Bible and turn to the book of Psalms 119, 119 Psalm, Psalms 119. Now, yeah, there’s a lot of interesting verses in the 119 Psalm. It was more than two or three, but quite a few. But in the one we just looked at in Deuteronomy that they’re supposed to love the Lord thy God with all of thy heart and so on, well, they didn’t and they can’t and they won’t and you have to admit total bankruptcy.

I can’t do what the law requires and so I trust Christ is my savior. That’s the only way because you cannot perform and live the way God wants you to live without a new birth. It’s totally impossible. That’s why you need a new birth. But here in 119 Psalm, look there in verse 11, thy word have I hid in mine heart. I hid it in my heart. When you start memorizing scripture, it’s probably going into your computer up here, into your mind.

I put God’s word in my mind. Now, if you think it’s down here, one of the problems I used to have with the kids and they would always ask the question, What if Jesus is in my heart? Jesus is in my heart. And then what if you have a heart transplant? And you have a heart transplant and somebody who didn’t have Jesus in their heart. And they gave you the heart of an unbeliever. And they just took your heart out to go, Jesus In comes zero, and what if you died right after Jesus is gone?

Now what happens to you? You got a problem? So I’m glad that I don’t haveFINEST to get into all that stuff, you know. It just complicates things. You just know that I believe it. heart sometimes it’s just for it’s me. I believe it. Now I don’t care where the body. God put that little brain of mine. He could have put it in my toe. I don’t care where it’s at. But I believe I’ve been over the other day. I was going to see if I could know the time I shoe.

You know, Betty can spend all the way over and stand up and tie her shoe. Now if God’s one of the man to do it, he’d have put my feet on my knee. It is a a long way down there. And I get a creek in my… There were a few that are older in here. You kind of get the idea. But I don’t know where everything is. Christ is living in me. The Holy Spirit is living in me.

Now where He wants to roam, I don’t care. If He wants to spend one day in this room, or this room, or that room, or that room, or in here or up there, I don’t care. He’s in me. And how much room he’s got to run around and I don’t care? Christ. And I know it, and I don’t try to get it so complicated that it becomes a bog to my mind. But I know this. He says, I want to hide God’s word in my heart.

That I’m not sin against the. And the Holy Spirit bring in things to your remembrance because it’s been put into your mind. So we study the word of God so we can put the word of God up here. The Holy Spirit uses the word. that stored up in the brain, in the mind. And they said that most of us never use 90% of our brain. Well, that’s the part I got from my new birth then. I don’t really know and don’t care.

But it’s not wise to try to get a lost person to ask Jesus to come into the heart. Because now you got to find out, okay, now how do you know when he did? And what verses would you use to verify it? So you’ve got automatic problems. A look in Psalms 44, Psalms 44, this turn to you left a few pages there. Psalms 44 and look in verse 21, you ought to underline this verse. He says, shall not God search this out?

For he knoweth the secrets of the heart. God knows how you think, knows how you feel. Knows what you know, knows what you don’t know. knows what you’re hiding, knows what you’ve done, haven’t done. God knows everything. John chapter 2, when he was talking about Christ and the temple and so forth, he knew what was in man. Wouldn’t you like to be able to read people’s thoughts? I wouldn’t mind reading people’s thoughts. I just don’t want them to read in mine.

But God can. As you said here right now. Do you really understand? Can you grab the God knows what you’re thinking? God knows what you’re thinking. Isn’t that scary? He knows. And does he know if you’re trusting him or not? Does he know if you’re really worried or not? I’m just trusting the Lord. God says you are not. You can’t fool him. You can’t lie to him, but God knows the heart of man. That was everything about us. Look in Psalms 34, just turned back 10 saw chapters there.

Psalms 34 and look in verse 18. Psalms 34 and look in verse 18. There’s two verses here I want you to look at. But verse 18 says, the Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart. A broken heart. Now in the book of Psalms 51, in verse 17, it talks about David praying to the Lord. into the Lord, because a broken heart, a contrite heart, God will not despise. It’s talking about a person who has humbled himself before God.

It’s the humility that you have between you and God. God hates pride. And a person who exalts himself, God will humble you. But if you humble yourself, God will exalt you. So keep that in mind. And look in verse 19. He are the afflictions of the righteous. But the Lord deliverth Him out of most of them.” You know that’s enough to scare the deficit, said that. But it isn’t a great consolation of that He deliverth them out of them all.

Because see, God knows your thoughts, God knows how you’re thinking. God knows what you’re going through. God knows what you face. God knows what I’m facing. He says that we can look to Him and He will deliver us out of them all. So that’s why you don’t have to worry about what’s coming down the road because God’s going to deliver you out of all of them anyway. And the man who trusts the Lord doesn’t see all the evil. That’s what it says in Jeremiah 17.

But if you’re not really trusting the Lord, all you see is the problems that are scared to death and the fear produces torment. And a lot of people are tortured. But they do it to themselves. I’m looking at Bible, I’m looking at Proverbs 17 since we’re so close here to Psalms. Proverbs chapter 17. And look there in verse 21, first of all, He that begateth a fool, doeth it to his sorrow, and the father of a fool hath no joy.

That’s why we as parents don’t like for our children to be fools, it doesn’t bring you any joy. But look what in verse 20. Two, a Mary heart doeth good like medicine, a Mary heart doeth good like medicine, but a broken spirit drive the bones. Did you know that I’ve had people say that when they come to Calvary? And we’re all standing and we’re all singing and then he says greet one another and and and fifty to a hundred people are moving all over the place.

Now there are always you know some people they just stand there and wait and wait. until you come to them and shake your hand. But then there’s others who get out of their seat and go meet somebody and them, sometimes they’re scared to that, but they do it. But by being friendly and with a smile and walking up to somebody saying, how do you do? Glad to see you shaking their hand. You know, at least it makes a person feel welcome, warm, just be glad to see them.

Or you walk up somebody, hi, you’re here again. What did you come for? A Mary Heart is not only good medicine for you, it’s good medicine for somebody else. That’s why somebody, you know, let’s say for example, a peer of model, he just finished singing a beautiful song. I mean, he poured his heart out, gave it all he had. And 10 people came up and said, boy, Peter, that really blessed my heart. That was such a wonderful song. But God really touched me through that message and he can go back to the back.

And one person walk up and say, that’s stunk. Did you know that one remark will have more weight than those 10 good ones? And he’s liable to get in his car, cry all the way home and run his car into a ditch because that one nasty con man, there is power and having a merry attitude, a Merry Spirit. It’s good medicine, but you go the opposite direction and it’s dry to the bone. It eats up your body. It’s like cancer, it’s the up inside, the bitterness.

It doesn’t do you very well, but it’ll help you to stay healthier longer. Let me give you this. The reason that I do not like to use that phrase of asking Jesus to come into heart because that response asks Jesus to come into your heart. It’s not in the Bible. That’s one reason that I don’t use it. That’s one of the reasons that I don’t use it. It’s not in the book. It doesn’t say do that. Now there are verses in the Bible that says believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.

So I don’t mind telling people just to believe that what Christ did on the cross books for them and that they trust Christ is Savior. They can have eternal life because the Bible says that. Bible says that. The Bible says that. You say, well, doesn’t the Bible say, behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man will open, I will come in and sup with him. Well, yes, in the book of Revelation chapter 3 and verse 20, but that’s not talking to the lost men.

That’s talking to the believer. So you see, you’ve got to separate, you know, what’s about salvation and what’s about service. That’s something that believers ought to do. We ought to, as a child of God, dwell with the Lord. Means to abide in Him. It says that in the book of John chapter 15. We’re to abide in the Lord. And so when it comes to the phrase itself, it’s not good to use. It’s not in the Bible. The second reason is not how someone is saved.

Asking Christ into your heart is a result that you should not ask for, you’ve got to do what will bring the result. In other words, Jesus came into my heart. They don’t come. My lungs. My liver, my toe. You could ask Jesus to come in any part of your body you want to, but he doesn’t do that? Well, how am I going to get him to dwell in my heart? Him indwelling you is the result of you trusting Him.

You have to know who He is and what He did and trust Him as your Savior. And then by doing that, Christ will indwell you. You never have to ask the Lord to indwell you because that’s automatic. That takes place because you trusted Him. But if you don’t trust in him, you’re asking for the result and it won’t work that way. So.

Asking people to ask Jesus to come into your heart. It requires no understanding of the gospel. You don’t have to understand the gospel at all. Just ask Jesus to come into your heart. But see, that’s not clear. Then you don’t know if he did. And then how do you know he doesn’t leave? Well, he was there yesterday. Well, how do you know he’s there today? So when you don’t understand anything, oh, you know, I’m saying, because I asked Jesus to come in my heart when I was a little kid.

And a lot of people put incompetence in that. That’s not a good foundation to trust in. Because that doesn’t mean that you understood you are a sinner and you have to pay for your sins and you’re lost and you’re going to hell. And Christ died on the cross and paid for your sins. And only by you trusting Him and Him along for what He did. But if you don’t know what He did and you don’t know how bad you are And you think just asking Jesus in the heart is going to get you to heaven?

It won’t work that way. Christ has become of no effect under whom so ever that is seeking to be saved or justified by anything that they say or do. You’re saved only because you’re trusting Christ as your Savior. So it does confuse the means of salvation with the result of salvation. It results in no assurance of salvation and it becomes a false assurance if anybody thinks they’re going to heaven. Because when you stop and think about it, there’s no verse that says, God will save you if you do such a thing.

Now, it doesn’t matter how many children workers there are that love the little kids. If the message is still unclear or false, it’s still unclear and it’s false. That’s why you’re supposed to fight for the defense of the gospel. This is why Paul says, This is why Paul says in the book of Philippians and Chatema, I am set for the defense of the God, defend the message. God did not say, go into all the world and ask kids, or teenagers, or adults to ask Jesus to come in their heart.

You have to understand the gospel message. And that is a poor substitute for understanding. And some little children, that’s all they know because that’s all they were told. And I’ve heard a lot of little kids give testimony as I ask Jesus into my heart. And they even might be very sincere. But wouldn’t it be a shame for a lot of kids to be lost and go into hell because they trusted in something because some adult told them this is what you had to do.

And they got it all mixed up, trying to get the results of salvation instead of the means of salvation, how a person is saved. Asking Jesus into your heart does not clarify the conditions of salvation so it doesn’t make it simple, it doesn’t help it to be clear, it doesn’t do anything for the gospel. Therefore, I do not do it at all. I told you when I started, I did it at one time. As far as I know, that was the only time that I ever did do it.

And as far as I know, that was the last time I ever did it because I saw that myself. I stood there looking at those two little kids and knew they were lying to me. I feel it right here. I’ve been saved for four years and I haven’t felt it right here yet. So maybe I wasn’t saved, but you’re not saved because you feel it. You’re saved because God said it and you accept it. That settles it. So it’s the easy thing for a person to know and to do is just use what God says the way God said it.

Look up here. Letting this hand represent you and me and the wallet represents all the bad things that we do. And everybody’s done bad things. God calls us, this is our sins. This is you and me. Now God says that we’ve all done things wrong because we have an old sinful nature. So everybody does things wrong. So we’re all in the same boat. Nobody’s in it better than anybody else. God is not a respecter person’s and he said, all have sinned.

All have come short of His righteousness, everybody. So we’re all in the same book. God says that the pay for that is eternal separation from God and hell. So since everybody sins, everybody’s condemned. Now to go to heaven, you have to be perfect as righteous as God and none of us are perfect, none of us are righteous. But you can’t have sin in heaven. So we’ve got to do something about this and this is why most people believe that if you go to church and do good things, those good things will take care of these bad things.

So these good things in reality in their mind is paying for the bad thing they’ve done. But God doesn’t say to pay for these bad things you did is do a lot of good things and those good things will take away the bad things. And when you die, it depends on do you have any left or did you have more good than you had bad? That’s not the Bible, and it will not get you to heaven. God says you cannot earn eternal life, you cannot work your way to heaven.

This hand represents Jesus Christ, he’s the Lord God in the flesh. He came into the world because he loves us. Now he hates our sin because it separates us from him. So Jesus Christ, who had no sin, did not have to die. He took hours, paid for it on the cross, and came back from the dead. So he died for the sins of everybody and all that we have to do is believe that he did it for us So when you believe that he did this for you He puts that payment to your account and you get to go to heaven on what he did why because all my sins are paid There’s no sin for me to pay for he already paid for him.

You don’t have to pay for it twice So when he died on that cross he paid for my sins. I I believed it and that settles it. I’m going to heaven on this foundation, this truth, Christ died for me. If He died for me, then that means I don’t have to die and pay for my sins because He did it for me. Don’t that make sense? So now I’m going to heaven. I have eternal life. I’m going to heaven when I die and I’ve known that for over 50 years.

thing in the world. Let’s pray, show me. Every headbound, every eye closing, no one looking around. If you’re here tonight and you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior or if you’re listening by internet, remember right where you are. God knows who you are. God knows what you’ve done. God sees all. He knows your thoughts. He knows how you think, how you feel. He knows if you believe it or you don’t. He said if you He would believe it, that He did it for you.

He would put that payment He made to your account and you get to go to heaven on what Christ did for you. Don’t put trust in man. Curse it as the man who trusts in man. That means in you too. Because God says you can’t save yourself. You don’t have the power to save yourself. You’d have to live a perfect righteous life from the day you were born. You’ve already blew that. So why not right now in the kindness of this moment, talk to the Lord and say, Lord, I’m a sinner.

I believe you died for me. And I’m going to trust you as my Savior. And friend, if you’ll make that decision, I’d like to have prayer for you. So we’ll head by nice clothes. Anyone at all say, yes, that made sense to me. And tonight, right now, I will trust Christ as my Savior. And I’m not going to have you forward, not going to embarrass you. I’m not going to do anything to you. But you say, you preach that made sense to me.

And I want to know I’m going to heaven. And I’d like you to pray for me. We’ll just I’m gonna slip you in it very quickly and put it right back down. Is there anyone at all? Anyone at all? Just slip it up, put it right back down. You that are watching by internet, if you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior by listening to the radio broadcast or the internet, would you please let us know, would love to hear from you?

Just email us or whatever way you can, but we’d love to know it’d be such a blessing to us. Father, we thank you so much for this time together. Bless each one for being here. And for the study of you, word, in Christ and 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 Bible Line and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing tool free, 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 Bible line 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.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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

Anyway, I want you to take your Bible and turn to the book of… Well, what’s a good book? Genesis, let’s go. We’ll go from generation to the book of revolution, all right? The book of Genesis, in chapter 5, Genesis chapter 5, you know, every one of us like to go to church and sit there and the preacher just make us feel all kind of warm and fuzzy inside and real nice and comfortable and cozy and we leave, we just feel so good.

That’s me. I want you to meet a preacher, not just one, a whole bunch of them. When you study the Word of God and you see how some of these preachers preached a very unpopular message, you would think, well, I wonder what the people thought of that. Now you know that God had told Noah that there was going to be a flood, going to be some water and going to be some mud. And lo and behold, it happened. But I want you to look there in Genesis in chapter 5, Genesis in chapter 5, and verse 21, Enoch lived 60 and 5 years and begot Methuselah.

Anoch walked with God after he begot Muthuzla, 300 years and begot sons and daughters. And all the days of Anoch were 360 and five years. Now you and I know that he must have been a preacher. Well, he walked with God, if he walked with God, he must have been obedient to God, so he must have preached, right? Well, it doesn’t say that right here. But I do want you to hold your place here because we’ll come back to Genesis in chapter six here in just a minute, but take your Bible and turn all the way over there to the book of Jude, the book of Jude, and there’s a scripture here that I want to bring to your attention.

In the book of Jude, in, oh, there’s only one chapter, but I want you to look there in verse 14, and it kind of gives you an idea of the message that a man like Enoch preached. Now if you were on the earth at this time, remember that Noah was also here, and Noah was preaching, Enoch was preaching, and they lived a long time, so they had a long time ministry. And I believe that Enoch was used by the Lord to preach righteousness, and wicked.

So look what he says here in verse 14. And Enoch also the seventh from Adam prophesied of these. Say and behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints. So even before the flood Enoch knew about the Lord Jesus Christ coming back in the end time with ten thousands of his saints but you go back to the Old Testament and you don’t find that there. See they knew a lot more than what we give them credit for, because the Word of God says so.

But what kind of a message did he preach? I mean, was he a good preacher? Did he tip toe through the tithers? Well, look what he says here in verse 15 to execute judgment. So he preached before and prophesied, this is what’s going to happen. To execute judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds, which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches, which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

Do you think that God knows all those people that spoke against him? God says he does. And God is going to deal with all those people that did all those bad things. You know we have people today. They go to church and there’s one thing they don’t want to hear. Don’t talk about sin because that upsets people. Don’t talk about standards of right and wrong because half of God’s people are disobedient to God and they’ll get their feelings hurt so you can’t see anything that would upset them.

Because after all, we’re supposed to feel good. That’s why we go to church. When you go to church, you’re supposed to go because you wanted to learn what the Word of God said. When you go to church to hear the Word of God, you’re supposed to go because you want to know if there’s anything in my life that’s not right. Search me, oh God, and see if there be any wicked way in me so that can correct it. But most people don’t have that kind of an attitude.

See, many times it’s just they’re just playing games. They just want to do enough good to keep God off their back. So they can do whatever they want to do. But they’re not serious about the thing. They’re not really committed to anything. And so church isn’t a priority in their life. It’s just something that they can do once in a while if they got time for it. Or they can work it into their schedule. I’ll interrupt anything else. But look what he says.

These are murmurs, complainers walking after their own lust and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, Having men’s person and admiration because of advantage. Does it seem like that Enoch was probably a hard-nosed preacher? Do you think he was pretty hard-nosed? He would hit him right between you. I bet you. I’ll bet you. He made people mad. I’ll just bet you he upset people. I’ll bet you. Now remember, He’s living right before the, the flood. He’s preaching and warning people about judgment coming.

And I’ll betcha people mocked him. I’ll just betcha they did. Take your Bible and look here in the book of Genesis in chapter 6. Genesis chapter 6 and look in verse 5. And God saw the wickedness of man was great in the earth. but he didn’t want to say they don’t because he didn’t want to hurt their feelings.

You know what God was always looking for? A man that would do what God said do, preached the way God says to preach and give them the message God wanted them to hear. And he had nothing to do whether they like it or they don’t like it. Truth is truth. But some people can’t handle truth. They are so deceived and being deceived, They live in a world of their own making, and they don’t want to think about God. So they isolate God out of their mind, and they live in this little compartment that they’ve got in their own world, and they’ve got bricks around it, and you can’t get in.

And they want to live there. And God sees all the wickets. Do you think if God saw it back in Enoch’s day, do you believe he might see what’s going on in the world today? God sees what people think about Christianity. God knows what people think about God. Do they want Him in our schools? Do they want prayer in our schools? Do they want all these things? No. Well, do you think God in heaven knows that? And yet God tells us that He ought to be in all of our thoughts.

And all thy ways acknowledge Him. Except when you go to school or if you’re in government or government property or it’s… No. Look here in verse five. God saw the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart were only evil continually. This is what God saw. That, but not in verse eight, but Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. So there’s a lot of people, wicked people, but Noah found grace.

And then he says here that God was going to bring judgment upon the earth. Gonna judge the earth. See there in verse 11, the earth also was corrupt before God and the earth was filled with violence. Buddy, it sounds like the world today. He’d be surprised all the things that are going on. And the Bible says in the last days, earthquakes all over the world, and Buddy, they’re everywhere. And it’s multiplying. And tragedies that are happening, it’s … You would think we must be living in the last days or something.

You would think that maybe the Lord’s coming back soon. But there’s people who mock that also. . And don’t believe that story. And so sometimes the preacher’s supposed to preach what God says even though people don’t believe it. You see, God didn’t say that people had to believe what we say, but we are supposed to say it anyway. Now, take your Bible and turn to 2 Peter, 2 Peter in the New Testament, and 2 Peter 2. 2 Peter, right after 1 Peter.

2 Peter, 2 Peter 2. There’s some things that God had said about false teachers and false preachers and so forth in the last days. But it talks about how God is able to judge all the wicked people. And God did. He judged the angels that sinned against them. He judged those that sought them in Gomorrah. But look there in verse 5. And he spared not the old world, but he saved Noah, the eighth person, and you ought to underline this in your Bible, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly.

Now the ungodly were there, ain’t it, was preaching to them. And he talks about ungodly, ungodly, ungodly, all the way down to there in the Book of Jude. And so Noah was a preacher of righteousness. Do you believe everybody listened to what Noah had to say? Do you believe they believed his message? Well, he had to tell him about why he was built on this big old boat. They were building a big boat so that he would float because he had knowledge that there was going to be some problems coming.

How would you like to pray? Hey, it’s going to rain. They say, what’s that? They believe that the earth had just been, you know, good dude and came up. I don’t know if they ever had any rain clouds or not. I don’t know. But it’s going to be a flood. So he builds a boat, 120 years and preaches, and eight people get in the ark. eight people get in the ark. Now, was Mr. Noah and Mrs. Noah, three sons and their wives, eight people, a few, got into the ark.

And you think, well, after preaching that long, that everybody would have believed him. Because it was God’s message. But see, there’s people who do not like to listen to what God has to say. And so, his message doesn’t get through. It doesn’t sink in. But God tells his men, preach the truth, preached the Word. Because, see, we’re living in some end-time days and I don’t believe people really believe it’s as serious as it looks like. I think everybody’s gonna get better and better and better.

But according to the Bible, it says, it’s gonna get worse and worse and worse. And we’re heading for some dark days in the future. So, he said, this is what I want you to know. Look there in chapter three. in chapter three, where he makes a statement in verse one, this second epistle, beloved, I’m now right unto you in both which I stir up your pure mind by way of remembrance, that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before of the holy prophets and of the commandment of us, the apostles of our, the Lord and Savior, knowing this verse that there shall come in the last days, scoffers walking after their own love.

And what are they scoffing? the message that the preachers were preaching. So there’s people they’re gonna laugh and mock at the message that we pray. There’s people that don’t believe the rapture is going to take place. You’d be surprised all the things that I get about people who believe that they said, they believe the rapture is gonna take place. Well, I’m one of them. I believe the rapture is gonna take place. I believe Christ could come back very soon.

But you believe that the Lord is coming back. And I believe the Lord’s coming back. When you look at all the things that are happening in this world, it ought to be enough to scare the average person, but you that know the Lord, and your hope is in the Lord. You know you’re looking for the upper taker. You know that Christ is coming back, and it could come back at any moment, and that is exciting. But anyway, there’s those that hear the message and mock the message, mock God’s people.

So if you will preach the gospel and you tell people what you think that’s going to take place in this world and prophecy. Did you know that there’s people that may not believe you? I know that’s hard for you to believe. People may not agree with you and they’ll disagree with you and that’s going to happen. Take your Bible and turn to the book of Exodus in chapter 8, the book of Exodus all the way back there in the Old Testament, Exodus and chapter 8.

Now Moses was a great man, and God used him in a great way. But God had told him and gave him a message. Now, his wasn’t a great big message. He didn’t have to memorize a lot of stuff. He didn’t have to worry about memorizing the Bible. He didn’t have to learn the Torah at that time. God gave him a simple message. I want you to go down into Egypt and tell Pharaoh, let my people go. Simple message. Sure, Lord, sounds like a piece of cake.

All I got just going on, tell them to let my people go. And everything’s going to work out cool. Because he’s going to obey the Lord. And of course the person’s going to hear the message is going to obey, right? Well, not exactly. He says in verse one, and the Lord spake unto Moses, go unto Pharaoh, say unto him, thus saith the Lord, let my people go, that they may serve me. Told them what to do and why? why?

I want you to tell them, let my people go that they may serve me.” And of course, he says in the next verse, if they refuse, if they refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs. I would like to preach a message like that. And you don’t know if God’s going to come through with it or not. I’m supposed to tell you that if you don’t let his people go, he’s going to send frogs after you.

Hey, I’m scared. and he told him over and over and over again. Look at him in verse 9, and Moses said in the favor of glory over me when I shall entreat for thee and for thy servants and for thy people to destroy the frogs from thee and thy have, but they came. The frogs showed up. I am going to be a preacher of the Lord. I’m going to not tell a little favor, oh, you let God’s people go, or I’m going to send frogs on you, would you be afraid to believe what God said?

Would you like to go over there and look at Sodom, who’s saying he’s not dead, and say, let the people have freedom off with your head. Or go see somebody else and say, let the people have freedom. Would you be scared? That’s like Moses going down there because remember they wanted to kill him when he left. He says the one that sought your life is dead now. It’s God even knew that. God knows everything. Look in verse 20, in the Lord said unto Moses, rise up early in the morning, stand before Pharaoh.

Low he cometh forth to the water and say unto him, thus saith the Lord, let my people go that they may serve me. In the Lord God didn’t change the message. He didn’t change the message. One time this guy was preaching as a candidate for this church, and they thought he was pretty good because he talked to us on, you must be born again. So the hired a guy and till the next Sunday he preached the sermon on, you must be born again.

Sunday night he preached the sermon on, you must be born again. Wednesday night he preached on, you must be born again. the deacons came to see him and says, preacher, we enjoyed that message on you must be born again. But do you have another one? He says, the reason I preach on you must be born again is because the Bible says you must be born again. So that Sunday morning he preached a message on you must be born again.

And if they will trust the Lord and be born again, I guess he could go on to another sermon. Whenever Pharaoh let the people go, he could change the message, but he never changed the message. It always stayed the same, even though he would not obey. And it took a while, but lo and behold, he finally came through and he says, I’m going to let the people go that they may serve you. And so he finally gave in and it all worked.

I look in chapter 9 and verse 1, then the Lord said unto Moses, go in unto Pharaoh and tell him, thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, let my people go that they may serve me. See, God never changed his message, stayed the same. How would you like to have only one point in your sermon? Let my people go. Let my people go. How would you like it if every Sunday morning I came here and I only have one sermon And it’s always just one verse, and I’ll correct it and change that whenever I get the results from the other sermon.

You see, people today, they want to be tickled. Tickle my ear. Tell me what I want to hear. Make me feel good. Sin doesn’t make people feel good. I can preach on certain things and make people squirm because they don’t like that. And if you make them mad, they don’t come back. That shows, did they come because they love the word and really want to do whatever the word of God said? See, when you’re right with God, it won’t matter what the preacher says.

If you’re right with the Lord and you’re doing right, it won’t matter what I teach. You’re going to love the Lord and love His word and you can be found faithful. But you can’t agree with everything that everybody says. But if you’re convinced that this is what God said, you ought to obey what God says. And your heart should be warm toward the things of the Lord, not warm and fuzzy, but I’m talking about you. When you’re sensitive to what the Holy Spirit is teaching you through the Word of God, always quickly obey.

Delayed obedience is disobedience. Take your Bible and turn to the book of 2 Samuel, 2 Samuel, and look there in chapter 12, 2 Samuel and chapter 12. Have you ever heard of a guy named David, King of Israel? You know, one day he did something he shouldn’t have done. He had responsibilities, but he didn’t do it. He stayed home. And that day he just happened to look over this little banister and lo and behold he saw a woman and thought things that he shouldn’t have thought.

And because of that, he committed adultery with her and then she gets pregnant and now Now he’s got to hide that sin. So what he does is he has her husband come home from the battle and hoping that he’ll spend the night with her and then they’ll think it’s his baby. See there? See there? Now Christian can’t think things like that. This one did. David. You know, the one that has, he’s the apple of God’s eye. I mean, this is God, the lover of the Lord.

I mean, this sweet pomice of Israel. He would do anything wrong like that. And if you’re really saved, you’re not going to want to go out here and do those bad things. Yes, you do. That’s another sermon, we’ll get into that some other time. But look in verse one, God had a man and God sent a man. He sent a man to see David and the Lord sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him and said unto him, there were two men in one city, one rich the other poor.

Rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds, but the poor man had nothing. say, one little Ulam, which he had brought up and nursed of. And it grew up together with him and with his children. It did eat of his own meat and drink of his own cup and lay in his bosom and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveler unto the rich man. And he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd to dress for the wayfaring man that was coming to him, but took the poor man’s He was a lamb, dressed it for the man that was come to him.

And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man. And he said to Nathan, as the Lord liveth, the man that have done this thing shall surely die. And Nathan looks at King David and says, Thou art the man. Thou art the man. Don’t you know that would be like a dagger in his heart? How would you like to be the preacher that had to deliver the message to the king? Who has the power to take on your life? And it takes a great, better courage to do what God says, do.

When you know that he could get mad. But look what he says in verse 7. And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man, thus sayeth the Lord God of Israel, I unknown the king over Israel, and I delivered the out of the hand of Saul. God said, I did all of this. I gave thee thy master’s house and thy master’s wives and to thy bosom and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah. And if that had been too little, I would much more have given into the such and such things.

Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord? To do evil in his sight, thou hath killed Uriah the hit tight with the sword. Thou hast taken his wife to be thy wife. Hest slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. So, see, God blamed him for that man’s death. Even though he told Joab, take and put him in the heat of the battle so he’ll die. Yeah, he died by them, but he said it was your fault.

You did that. So here’s David, the man after God’s own heart committed murder and committed adultery. How would you like to be the preacher to have to go preach the sermon to him? Do you think he’s really waiting to be told this? Confront this? I don’t think so. But you see, a lot of times God’s people, they do things that they shouldn’t do. And they come to church and they don’t want the preacher to say anything because it could offend them.

So instead of confessing things between them and the Lord and getting things right, they try to cover it or hide it. But it says here in verse 10, Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house, because thou hast despised me. You see, the reason he committed adultery, he said, because you despised me. The reason you committed murder is because you despised me. The reason people do what they do and don’t correct me because they despise God. They despise his word.

They want to mock God. And God says, you won’t mock me and get away with it. That’s why there’s a warning of judgment. And it will take place. Take your Bible and turn to the book of Jeremiah chapter 10. 28. Jeremiah is called the weeping prophet. Boy, he had a sermon that I wouldn’t want to preach. He had a ministry that I wouldn’t want. Not everybody loved Jeremiah. But in Jeremiah, chapter 26, I just want to know there was a guy named Anania that…

He says, look, there’s nothing wrong. Everything is okay and you don’t need to listen to Jeremiah. Everything’s gonna be cool. He says to never connect, they’re not gonna come and that’s all taught. Jeremiah’s a false prophet. You don’t not listen to him and he confronted him and Lord to boom on looking verse 15. Then said the prophet Jeremiah under Hananiah, the prophet Here now, Hananiah, the Lord hath not sent thee, but thou makeest this people to trust in a lie.

You see, sometimes God’s people have to confront, to deal with things. Say what’s right, say what’s wrong, and it hurts feeling. See, it’s not that the preacher Jeremiah was wrong, or Enoch was wrong, or Noah was wrong, or Moses was wrong. It’s that people don’t want to listen to what God says. That’s what’s wrong. That’s what’s wrong. And so he says here, Thou have made the people to trust in a life. Therefore thus saith the Lord, behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the year.

This year, Thou shalt die because Thou have taught rebellion against the Lord. So Hennenai, the prophet, died the same year in the seventh month. Did God deal with me? Oh, God dealt with him. Jeremiah was telling the truth. You see, Jeremiah didn’t pull any punches, he just told the truth. And he wound up in a pit. They wanted to kill him. I mean, just so many things that happened to the poor guy. And all he was trying to do is what God said.

And you know what? He got so discouraged at one time, he says, I’m not going to say anymore. Let them do whatever they wanted to. I’m not going to say another word. And he says, but his word was in my bones as a fire that I could not stay. In other words, I couldn’t stop from preaching. I had to do it. So he did it. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tappa, Florida with Dr.

Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. Part 2 of this teaching will conclude with tomorrow’s broadcast. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Watch 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 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.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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. ever Pharaoh let the people go, he could change the message, but he never changed the message. It always stayed the same, even though he would not obey. And it took a while, but lo and behold, he finally came through and he says, I’m going to let the people go that they may serve you.

And so he finally gave in and it all were, but look in chapter 9 and verse 1, then the the Lord said unto Moses, go in unto Pharaoh and tell him, thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, let my people go that they may serve me.” See, God never changed His message, stayed the same. How would you like to have only one point in your sermon? Let my people go. Let my people go. How would you like it if every Sunday morning I came here and I only have one sermon and it’s It’s always just one verse and I’ll correct it and change that whenever I get the results from the other sermon.

You see, people today, they want to be tickled. Tickle my ears. Tell me what I want to hear. Make me feel good. Sin doesn’t make people feel good. I can preach on certain things and make people squirm because they don’t like that. And if you make them mad, they don’t come back. That shows, did they come because they love the Word and really want to do whatever the Word of God said? When you’re right with God, it won’t matter what the preacher says.

If you’re right with the Lord and you’re doing right, it won’t matter what I teach. You’re going to love the Lord and love His Word and you can be found faithful. But you can’t agree with everything that everybody says. But if you’re convinced that this is what God said, you ought to obey what God says. And your heart should be warm toward the things of the Lord, not warm and fuzzy. But I’m talking about when you’re sensitive to what the Holy Spirit is teaching you through the Word of God always quickly obey delayed obedience is disobedience Take your Bible and turn to the book of 2 Samuel 2 Samuel And look there in chapter 12 2 Samuel and chapter 12 Have you ever heard of a guy named David?

King of Israel You know, one day he did something he shouldn’t have done. He had responsibilities, but he didn’t do it. He stayed home. And that day he just happened to look over this little banister and lo and behold he saw a woman and thought things that he shouldn’t have thought. And because of that, he committed adultery with her and then she gets pregnant and now he’s got to hide that sin. So what he does is he has her husband come home from the battle and hoping that he’ll spend the night with her and then they’ll think it’s his baby.

See there? See there? Now Christian can’t think things like that. This one did. David. You know, the one that has, he’s the apple of God’s eye. I mean, this is God, the lover of the Lord. I mean, this sweet pomice of Israel. He would do anything wrong like that. And if you’re really saved, you’re not going to want to go out here and do those bad things. Yes, she do. another sermon, we’ll get into that some other time. But look in verse 1, God had a man and God sent a man.

He sent a man to see David and the Lord sent Nathan unto David and he came unto him and said unto him, there were two men in one city, one rich the other poor. Rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds but the poor man had nothing. Say one little you lamb which he had brought up and nursed up. And it grew up together with him and with his children. It did eat of his own meat and drink of his own cup and lay in his bosom and was unto him as a daughter.

And there came a traveler unto the rich man. And he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd to dress for the wayfaring man that was coming to him, but took the poor man’s lamb, dressed it for the man that was come to him. And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man. And he said to Nathan, as the Lord liveth, the man that have done this thing shall surely die. And Nathan looks at King David and says, thou art the man.

Thou art the man. Don’t you know that would be like a dagger in his heart? How would you like to be the preacher that had to deliver the message to the king? who has the power to take a good life. And it takes a great, a great, better courage to do what God says, do. When you know that he could get mad. But look what he says in verse 7. And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man, thus saith the Lord God of Israel.

I unknown the king over Israel. And I delivered the out of the hand of Saul. God said, I did all of this. I gave the I gave thee thy master’s house and thy master’s wives into thy bosom and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah. And if that had been too little, I would much more have given into thee such and such things. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord? To do evil in his sight, thou hath killed you right of the hit tight with the sword.

Thou hast taken his wife to be thy wife. Have slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. And so, see, God blamed him for that man’s death. Even though he told Joab, taken, put him in the heat of the bottle, so he’ll die. Yeah, he died by them, but he said it was your fault. You did that. So here’s David, the man after God’s own heart committed murder and committed adultery. How would you like to be the preacher to have to go preach the sermon to him?

Do you think he’s really waiting to be told this? Confront this? I don’t think so. But you see a lot of times God’s people they do things that they shouldn’t do and They come to church and they don’t want the preacher to say anything because it could offend them So instead of confessing things between them and the Lord and getting things right They try to cover it or hide it But it says here in verse 10 now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house because thou has despised me You see, the reason he committed adultery, he said, because you despise me.

The reason you committed murder is because you despise me. The reason people do what they do and don’t correct me because they despise God. They despise His Word. They want to mock God. And God says, you won’t mock me and get away with it. That’s why there’s a warning of judgment. And it will take place. your Bible and turn to the book of Jeremiah chapter 28. Jeremiah is called the weeping prophet. Boy, he had a sermon that I wouldn’t want to preach.

He had a ministry that I wouldn’t want. Not everybody loved Jeremiah, but in Jeremiah chapter 26 I just want to know there was a guy named Hananiah that he says look there’s nothing wrong everything is okay and you don’t need to listen to Jeremiah everything don’t be cool he says the Nebuchadnezzar they’re not going to come in that that’s all talked Jeremiah’s a false prophet you don’t not listen to him and he confronted him and Lord the boom on looking verse 15 then said the prophet Jeremiah the prophet here now, Hananiah, the Lord hath not sent thee, but thou makeest this people to trust in a lie.

You see, sometimes God’s people have to confront, to deal with things. See what’s right? See what’s wrong, and it hurts feeling. See, it’s not that the preacher Jeremiah was wrong, or Enoch was wrong, or know was wrong or Moses was wrong, this that people don’t want to listen to what God says. That’s what’s wrong. That’s what’s wrong. And so he says here, Thou have made the people to trust in a life. Therefore, thus saith the Lord, behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the year.

This year, thou shalt die because thou have taught rebellion against the Lord. So, Hennenai the prophet died the same year in the seventh month. Dope. Did God deal with him? Oh, God dealt with him. Jeremiah was telling the truth. You see Jeremiah didn’t pull any punches. He just told the truth and he wound up in a pit. They wanted to kill him. I mean, just so many things that happened to the poor guy and all he was trying to do is what God said.

And you know what? He got so discouraged at one time. He says, I’m not going to say anymore. Let them do whatever they wanted to. I’m not going to say another word. And he says, but his name is Jesus. word was in my bones as a fire that I could not stay. In other words, I couldn’t stop from preaching. I had to do it. So he did it. Take your Bible and turn to the book of Mark chapter 6.

The book of Mark and chapter 6. Now this is mentioned in several places, but I like the Scriptures on this. It explains it just a little bit better. Mark chapter 6, and look at verse 14. And verse 14, you’ve heard of a guy named John the Baptist, a man that God says, there’s no man born of a woman greater than this man. Must have been some man. Well, you know he didn’t have a big ministry because he started, right, about six months before Christ did, started his ministry.

And so he was a forerunner of Christ, so he didn’t have a long ministry because Christ’s ministry was only three and a half years and he was dead before Jesus was crucified. So he didn’t have a long ministry a couple years and yet to have all that said about him, what a man. But what did this man do? Well, he looked like probably a wild man out of the wilderness. He probably didn’t have one or three pieces without it.

He probably didn’t have any degrees after his name. But you know what John the Baptist, he said, I’m just the voice of one crying in the wilderness. He was the forerunner Christ. He says, I am not the Christ. He says, there cometh one after me, whose shoe latches I’m not worthy to bow down and tie shoes. He says, I baptize you with water, but he that cometh after me shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit. So he had a message and he did preach and he preached repentance to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

What he preached. And everybody loved him. Well, not exactly, but he preached what God wanted. You see, too many people today are seeking people’s approval. Forget people’s approval. You better seek God’s approval. You do what you believe God wants you to do. Now what everybody else thinks you ought to do? You do what God wants you to do. But look what he says in verse 14, and King Herod heard of him, for his name was spread abroad and he says that John the Baptist was risen from the dead and therefore mighty works do show forth themselves in him.

Other says this is Elijah. Other said that is a prophet or one of the prophets but when Herod heard therefore he said it is John whom I beheaded he is risen from the dead. See he thought he was Jesus was John Baptist. This guy would have a nightmares. This guy would have problems. And so he says here in verse 17, For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, bound him in prison for Herodias’ sake. His brother Philip’s wife, or he had married her.

But seeing God’s eyes, she was still Philip’s wife. He took somebody, he didn’t have a right to take and married her, and he says, you took another man’s wife. And he says there in verse 18, for John had said unto Herod, it is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife. And did he make anybody mad? Evidently. Not everybody loved John the Baptist. And so they had a big party. And Herod was going to do whatever this little young lady you want to get up here and dance around.

That’s right, you don’t go to parties like that. And anyway he says here in verse 19, therefore Herodians had a quarrel against him and would have killed him but she could not. For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and a holy and observed him. And when he heard him and and did many things, he did many things, and heard him gladly. And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday, we ought to sing happy birthday to Herod.

Well, maybe we’ll just bypass that. This is birthday. So you see, even back then, they celebrated birthdays. I guess it must be all right, it’s in the Bible. And made a supper to his Lord’s High Captains and Chief Estate of Galilee, and when the daughter of the said Herodias came in and danced, and pleased Herod, and then that set with him the king said unto the damselm, ask of me what so ever thou will, and I will give it to thee.

And he swear unto her, what so ever thou shall ask of me I will give it to thee unto the half of my kingdom. Must have been some dancer. Must have been some dancer. In verse 24, and she went forth and sent unto her mother. What shall I ask? And she says the head of John the Baptist. Now remember, what wrong had John the Baptist done? He hadn’t done any wrong to anybody. He was just a forerunner of Christ.

Jesus says, no man, born of a woman, greater than this man, in prison. And he preached because he was in prison because he said you don’t have a right to do that. That’s wrong. And he confronted. You think people were just corrected, but they don’t correct it. See, when you’re wrong on something, it burns inside of you and you hate the person who tells you that will confront you with that. This is why we have people today that want to pass laws making sin right because it helps them to feel better about themselves.

Everybody does it. everybody else don’t think the way you think. If everybody would just think the way God thinks, then everybody would be all right, but people don’t. So they want to sin and uncover the sin. What is an abortion? A sin to cover a sin. A sin to cover a sin. Say, well, that free choice, you made the choice when you committed adultery, you committed for an occasion when you had sex together, you know what, not do it.

You save yourself for marriage. Sex outside of marriage is wrong. I didn’t make that. I’ve God says that. Now, should I be timid in saying what I believe the Word of God teaches? Because, well, we’re living in a time and age when, you know, that’s old-fashioned talk. Well, until I get a new Bible with an update. I’ll just have to keep teaching the one that I got. Still says it’s wrong. So he says here, I’ll give it to you.

And he says in verse 24, and she went forth and asked for verse 25, and she came in straight way with hasten to the king and asked, and I will give what thou give me bind by in a charge of the head of John the the Baptist. And the king was exceeding sorrow, yet for his oafsake, and for the sake which sat with him, because he had already given his word, he could not reject her. And immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought, and he went and be headed him in the prison, and brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel, and the damsel gave it to her mother.

And when his disciples heard of it, they came and and took up his corpse and laid it in a tomb, all because he made somebody mad. You see, this guy had his head cut off. Moses, when he went to face Pharaoh, could have cut off his head. You see, there’s all kinds of things that can be the consequences of us taking a stand for doing what’s right. Yours might be that you might witness as somebody and it might cost you your job.

But many people today don’t take and run the risk of anything. We just go ahead and try to soften things down and just love. The key is just get along because we don’t want to confront people. I’m not talking about being mean. I’m not talking about being unkind. I’m not talking about being ungodly. I’m just talking about just do right. Just do right. If there’s things in your life that are not right, don’t you want the Lord to reveal it to you so that you can correct the problem?

Because if you don’t, your heavenly Father’s going to beat the Torah out of you. Now, what would you do other have? Correct the problem or beat up? You see, God can send all kinds of things into your life that you don’t see and understand where it’s coming from. And you don’t know why is this happening? Why is this happening? Why is this happening? God may be trying to get your attention on something. You ever heard, you know, sometimes God may have to use a tube before to get your attention?

Might be what he’s doing. Look there in chapter four of the book of Acts. The book of Acts in chapter four. And you’ll notice that in this fourth chapter, they had been told not to do something. And so people were upset, especially the leaders. But look at verse five, and it came to pass on the moral that their rulers and the elders in the scribes and then it’s the high priest in Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and as many as were of the kinders of the high priest were gathered together in Jerusalem.

When they had set them in the midst, they asked, by what power or what name have you done this? Then Peter filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, ye rulers of the people and elders of Israel. If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man by what means he is made whole, be it known unto you all and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of the guy that lives in Nazareth, whom ye…

Now some people tell you, you can’t say the name Jesus Christ, you know. Do you know you can talk about every religion in the world? You mention every name you want to, but don’t mention Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the best name in all the world. He is my Savior. He is my Lord. He is my God. He is my King. I am not to be ashamed of Jesus Christ. Anyway, as he stand there and answer their question, I guess he could have said a lot and beat around the bush, but he came out and he said it, be it known unto you all in the name of the people.

He said, and by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God hath raised from the dead, even by him that this man stand here before you whole, whom ye does he point the finger? Do you think it made him mad? Upset? Yeah, it made him mad. You ought to read this sermon that Stephen preached in the seventh chapter of the book of Acts. What did he make him mad? As far as I know, it was only sermon he ever preached, and they stoned him to death.

Because they got so upset with what he said. I thought, now, Stephen, no, if you just only had read the book by Del Carnegie on how to win friends and influence people, it would have really helped. You just didn’t do it right. You must have done something wrong. Do you know, to some things, you can’t do anything right with some people. I don’t care how you do it, it won’t be the right way. Because whenever somebody doesn’t want the truth, you can’t get the truth to them the right way.

There is no other way to make them accept it. No. So he says in verse 12, neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. He’s answering their question and letting them know there is no salvation in any other except the name of Jesus Christ. But that’s preaching right between the eyes. That’s not holding back. That’s telling it like it is. That’s because, see, when people do not fear man and you fear God, you can deliver, like God says to deliver.

You can live the way God wants you to live if you fear God instead of man. But the only thing that holds you back and fear will keep you from doing the things you ought to do It’s because you fear man. You’re afraid of man. You’re coward. You’re weak. You run. Confidence in God’s what gives a man boldness. Learn to trust the Lord with your fear. See courage is feared that says it’s prayers and goes ahead. Now, I don’t have time to go into some of the other places I wanted to, but just to understand Sometimes a preacher preaches a hard sermon.

We don’t try to hurt nobody. I want you to understand where I’m coming from. I believe that everything God told his men to preach is because God loved the people. And God wants to warn, God wants people to trust him. But God wants people to know that God doesn’t tolerate sin, and that God will judge. And I believe that America, unless there’s a great spiritual revival in this country, that there is going to be a great judgment upon this country.

But all I want to do is try to help people. I don’t want to hurt nobody. But I know sometimes the things you just say do, it does hurt. But personally myself, I don’t want to. But I love telling what God’s Word says. And I hope you enjoy listening to it. Look up here. This hand represents you and me. The wallet represents sin. We all have sin on us. God loves us, but He hates our sin. And since we’ve all sinned, we’re all condemned, and the wages of sin is death.

We have to pay for it. We’ve got a death payment. We owe. We’re in debt. But God says to go to heaven, you have to be perfect as righteous as God. You have to be perfect, and nobody’s perfect. We’ve all sinned and come short of God’s perfection. And God says, you cannot earn eternal life. You can’t work your way to heaven by your good deeds. So this hand represents Jesus Christ. He’s the Lord. He’s God in the flesh. He came into the world because he loves us.

Now you hate what we do wrong, but he loves us. But he says, our sin separates us from God. So Jesus Christ, who had no sin, didn’t have to die. So he took all of our sins, not some of them, all of them paid for them on the cross, came back from the dead. Now this payment, though it’s been made, is not put to your account, to you believe he did it for you. So if you will believe that he did it for you, then he puts this payment to your account and you get to go to heaven on what he did.

All you had to do is accept it, just believe it. And God says these things have already written under you that believe on the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. You see, this is the most important message in all the world. This story, there’s power in it. Because when a lost man hears and understands it, and trust Christ is Savior, his destiny is changed. He becomes a child of God. He’s going to have money to die.

So much just by that place in his faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. He shed his blood on the cross to pay for all the sins of the whole world. I have entrusted Christ as my Savior, and I hope that you have. Let’s pray, shall we? With every head bowed and every eye closed and no one looking around. If you’ve (); trusted Christ as your Savior, understand this, God says there is no difference for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Everybody is a sinner, we all are. But God loves us, He loves us. And sin is the Son to pay for your sins, and instead if you’ll trust Him, He’ll save you and give eternal life. Would you do that? Would you trust Him? If you’ve never done it, do it right now. With heads bowed nice and closed and no one looking around, if you’ve never trusted Christ, I urge you right now. The quietness of this moment, just between you and the Lord, would you trust Him?

If you’re making that decision, I would like to know it only because I’d like to have prayer for you. And so I’m gonna ask you in 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. And you’re saying, preach it, that made sense to me. I know I’m a sinner, and I believe Christ died for me, and I want to trust Him to take me to heaven whenever I die.

And friend God said, if you’ll believe it, you’ll do just that much. He would give you the free gift of eternal life. Never cast you out and never lose you. He’s our new one at all. Just live it up very quickly, but rub it down. New one at all. Our Father, we thank You so much for this time together. Lord, we just are thankful that we have the freedoms that we presently enjoy, but we also can see that we’re on the verge of losing them.

We pray for wisdom, help each person here to do right, to look to you for guidance. And Father, we pray that those that are in Congress now in the White House, that you would help them to make the right decision, that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life. 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 1030 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.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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 message will be a blessing to you and your family.

I want you to take your Bible and turn to the book of Genesis. The book of Genesis. I want to speak very briefly on 101, especially playing basketball. It’s, you know, 5 against 5. But a lot of guys like to hone their skills, and so they like to play 101. When it comes to you and the Lord, did you realize how it’s just going to be 101? Can you imagine that here was Adam in the garden? Adam in the garden was able to go one on one with the Lord.

Adam didn’t have any sin. He was in a perfect paradise. Everything was wonderful. They fellowshiped together. Their relationship was great. The Bible says in the walk in the cool of the day, well, what if it had been you? Wouldn’t you have loved that to be put into the Garden of Eden? And then to be given the most beautiful woman in the world. she be the most beautiful woman in the world. She was the only woman in the world. And that’s why he said to Adam says, do you love me?

He says, who else? Tell me did you get that. And of course you know what happened. But let me ask you a question. How many chances did God give to Adam and Eve to get it right one time. Think about this for a moment. How wonderful it was and how bad it became for a little bitty sin. They ate an apple. Was it an apple? I don’t know. Some people say they think it was a banana because they had a peel.

I don’t But whatever it was that they ate, it was such a simple little bitty thing. It was no big deal. It was just one little thing. I mean, why punish him so bad? Think for a moment. God is perfect. God is perfect, then he cannot tolerate any sin in his presence. And the Bible says that the Lord walked in the cool of the day. was in the garden. God talked to Adam and Eve. So now everything’s changed. Everything changed because of one little deed.

Not two, not three, just one. One sin, it’s all she wrote. And when he made the statement, look in Genesis in chapter 2 and verse 16. in verse 16. And the Lord God commanded the man saiyan of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shall not eat of it for in the day that thou eatest there thou shalt surely die. Now a lot of you say, well he didn’t die that day, but remember this.

There are three deaths that we talk about in the Bible. There is the depth of a relationship because isn’t it true that God and Adam walk together, talk together? Now that relationship has been destroyed. It was the death of a relationship. They could no longer participate together like they once did. One little sin, so much damage. Think of all the consequences in the world because of that one tree, one fruit, one sin, and look at all the results. Have you ever thought about some of the things, little things, that you tolerate in your life and don’t even think about the consequences of one little sin?

and yet one little sin in your life and my life can make a lot of difference. Because we can’t always see how it relates to everything. We can’t see all the cause and effects down the road. But sin is sin. Sin is imperfection. God is perfect. God cannot tolerate sin. So there is the death of a relationship. A man by the name of John Cross. He was a missionary to Papua New Guinea. He took his wife and his son, named Andrew, It went all the way over there to Papua New Guinea.

We’ve had several missionaries that have come through here that have been to this place. To bend to these tribes. They had a little house built on stilts, not far off the ground, but just enough that a person could wieze a little way underneath it. They loved their little hut that they lived in. They loved every morning waking up in that fresh air and the beautiful greenery that they they had and they loved being there, they loved what they were doing, they loved the people and everything was great.

Kind of like being in a paradise. One day a big old rat crawled under the house, got about in the middle of the house, underneath it, died. How many of you have ever been to Colorado or out west where you’ve seen as you’re driving long and you can tell lo and behold there must be a cattle farm around here somewhere because there’s an odor about it and you say to certain people how can you live so close to this cattle farm because of the odor what do you smell it says money smell money and if you stay around it long enough you know after what you don’t even you don’t even notice it anymore I’ve noticed been down here in Georgia, there are a lot of chicken farms around.

Can you tell when you get close to a chicken farm when the wind is just right? You say, what is that smell? Say, money, money. That’s what it is. And some people that are not used to that, it is foul. It’s a bad over. It’s a bad omen and they can’t, they try to hold their breath. If you’ve been driving the car and you come across something like that and try to hold your breath but you hate to take a deep breath and then see how long you can hold it.

They had a a rat. Well the stench got so bad they couldn’t stand it. So they moved to the back part of their house to try to get away from the stench but it They permeated the whole house. Andrew got the job. They told him to put a plastic sack around his hand. And he was small enough he could crawl underneath the crawl space. And he finally got to the thing trying to hold his nose and get a hold of that dead rat.

Crawling underneath the house on his belly and engine his way. Finally got to this rat, got it by the tail. He looked at it and realized that there were maggots all over this rat. So he got it by the very end of the tail and drug it out as he crawled underneath that thing, trying to get out from under there and the smell was terrible. And he took that thing and he swung it over his head and he let it go out into the woods.

Now if that rat could have come to life at that moment, that rat could have known that Andrew was angry. He probably could have heard him say if he could hear. You’re out of here. And the rat would have probably said for how long? And Andrew would have said forever, forever. Well, when can the rat come back? What would you want the rat to come back? Never, never, because you don’t want to be in the presence of such a gross file smelling stench for the rest of your life to someone that is perfect.

That’s what you and I smell like in the presence of God from one sin. God could not stand for any sin to be in His presence. He often talks about the sins of man as a stench in his nostrils. His son that he sent into the world, well, it was a sweet smelling saver. It talks about the sacrifices that were made in the Old Testament as a sweet smelling saver, sweet to the nostrils of God. But God does not like sin.

He hates sin. Adam and Eve only had to commit one sin to be cast out of the garden. How long were they cast out of the garden? Forever. They couldn’t go back. Even put a angel with a flaming sword to keep the way so that nobody could come back in. I want you to take your Bible and turn to the book of Habakkah in chapter 1. I want you to look there in verse 13. There is also not just the depth of the relationship because now that had been severed.

Thou art of pure eyes than to behold evil. Canst not look on iniquity. You ought to underline that statement in your Bible. The Lord’s perfection cannot tolerate imperfection. That’s why you and I were not able to live in the presence of God. So you and I, when we were born into this world because of this old sinful nature that has been passed on to us, we are separated from God. We are spiritually dead, separated from God. And so what the new birth is about is you being connected back to God, God restoring life because he says, thou shalt surely die means that you were cut off from the very source of life.

I’ve used the illustration before if these plants were real and I was to take a flower and I cut it off. Well, the flower has been cut off from the source of life. It’s dead. Now, it doesn’t look dead. It still smells good. It looks good. just that it’s dead because you and I know once it’s cut off from the source of life it’s dead. It’s going to take a few days before it withers. You and I have been cut off from the very source of spiritual life.

We’re spiritually dead. It means that God is a spirit and being spiritually dead, we can’t communicate with God. And that’s why we have to be made spiritually alive. So when you trusted Christ is your Savior, you were born of the Spirit made spiritually alive. So now you have a body soul and a spirit. So your body is what makes you world conscious and your spirit, what makes you God conscious and your soul is what makes you self conscious. But being spiritually minded it means that my spirit can communicate with God who is a spirit.

He also says that concerning the body, Eventually, the body of man will die. It will die. There is the death of the body. Look in Psalms 104, the 104th Psalm. Verse 29 says, Thou hitus thy face, they are troubled. Thou takeest away their breath, they die, return to their dust. That’s the body. Now the spirit of man lasts forever. Death is simply the spirit from the body. Whenever you lost that relationship in the garden from God, it was you were made spiritually dead.

You were separated from the presence of God. That’s why they were cast out of the garden. Later they were cast out of their body. And one day at the second death, they will be cast from the very presence of God forever. That’s the second death. But here he makes Saban, thou take us away their bread. Now keep this in mind. It is God that gives life. God gives life. The right to life comes from God. God is the one that can take and let us live and God can let us die.

What is supposed to be a mature man and woman? Well, mature people that are married and they’ve got responsibilities. So we often say they are responsible for their own actions and what they do. If I was to ask you how many of you think you ought to pay your legitimate debts? Well most people raise your hand, yes everybody ought to pay their legitimate debt. But whenever we have bills to pay, we just believe that that’s a normal, a right thing to do.

So whenever the gas bill comes due we got to pay the bill. pay the bill. So one of the advantages of being an adult on our own is if we get to pay our own bills. This is why some kids like to stay at home because they don’t have to pay many bills. I know some kids they’ll never get out of home. They’re smart enough to figure this thing out. Some kids never grow up and figure this out. But can you figure out why a man and a woman will look at each other and have such wonderful dreams for the future?

And they want to talk about getting married someday and getting out on their own. Getting out on their own. What do you mean getting out on your own? You get your own set of bills. You get to pay. So you got to get a job. Work. Make some money so you can pay your own bills. Or you can stay at home and live off mom and dad. But have you ever seen a… A mom, a dad that hates to pay the last bill.

Well, what is the last bill we’re gonna have to pay? Well, the wages of sin is what? Debt. Debt means you earn the right. You have to die. You have a debt to pay. You have a debt. And because you sinned, the soul that sinned that shall die. So we have to die. That’s really, is nothing more than a bill we have to pay. Now, wouldn’t it be neat if the Lord came back before we died? Now, you know, there is some people that are going to be alive when Jesus Christ comes and they’ll never have to pay that bill because they won’t die.

I don’t want to live forever down here. I just want to live long enough to bury everybody else. Why is it that everybody knows they got that one bill to pay but nobody wants to talk about paying that bill? Nobody really looks forward to death and yet it’s the last find out. You know when you pay that bill, you don’t have to pay a light bill anymore? You don’t have to pay no more bills anymore. Think about it. Our final enemy is death.

As a final bill that we have to pay down here, God says that soul that sent that shall die and there’s a payment to be made. Do you realize that there was a day upon this earth when if man had not touched that fruit, we would have been living, we are still being born, but we would have been living in total paradise. Do you realize that death is also the death of future joy? To realize that what you are going to have and could have had by the disobedient.

One sin is going to keep you from all of that. It caused the death of a relationship that you had between you and God. Caused you to death of a body that God gave and made that could have lasted forever. body and my body could have lasted forever. For eternity our bodies were designed to last forever. But because of sin, look what it’s cost. And then for the joy that we would have had for all eternity death of a dream.

You know there’s some time to a guy, he looks at a girl and he thinks, boy, we need to get married. And it takes everything he’s got, the muster up, that courage to say, will you marry me?” And she says, yes I will. I will marry you. And the joy at that moment whenever he’s asked and she says, yes and there’s a ring put on her finger and they are so thrilled and happy. Now are they thinking about the future or thinking about the past?

They’re thinking about the future. They’re thinking about how it’s going to be wonderful and happy and they’re lived together because they the kindness of cowboy movies as they ride off into the sunset and they live happily ever after. And they’re engaged. They’re thinking about who they’re going to invite to the wedding. They got to get a preacher. They got to take and get all the things together, the flowers, and who’s going to be in the wedding, the best man, the best girl and all this stuff, and the bridesmaid, whatever.

And all these people and who’s going to be invited and the party and the food, and they’re all excited about all these things. cards got to be written out. They think about the house they’re going to have, where it’s going to be, you know, and who’s going to work, who’s not going to work, or whether they’re going to pull the money together, or her account, his account. How many kids are going to have? It’s all about the future. They’re all excited.

And it’s good, and they’re happy about it. But for some reason, if they decide to call off the wedding, they broke the relationship. Does that change all the plans? You think they’ll go through with all the plans? It changes everything. Did you realize how little decisions can affect so much in our lives that we don’t think are really that big? And yet it can affect everything, affect so much. But what Christ did was to restore everything that was lost.

All the death of a relationship, to restore the death of a physical body that was designed to live forever, but now 50, 60, 70 years, maybe a few more, but it’s still sorrow. And then we are cut off and then fly away. And the death of the joy of the future. individual wants to be happy. But we don’t want to be happy in heaven, we want to be happy now. So what would it be great if we could get a little bit of that happiness and that joy and bring it into the present?

Well, God says we’re supposed to believe him so much. You see, a little faith in Christ. Takes the soul to heaven. But a lot of faith in the Lord, after we’re saved, can bring a lot of heaven to the soul. So by believing God and trusting God, we can be happy now. We can have peace now. Even while the world is at such turmoil, we can have joy. Things that the world can’t give and things the world can’t take away.

But if one lives, we can have peace. bitty sin can cost so much. Think what one little bitty obedient decision can bring. So that’s why the offer is made to every individual because it’s a one-on-one. It doesn’t matter what everybody else did or are doing. It’s what am I going to do. What is going to be my decision? Here’s Christ. He died on the cross from a whole world. I can either accept it or I can reject it, but it’s my decision.

Not yours. It’s mine. You can’t make it for me. I can’t make it for you. It’s a personal one-on-one decision. And if I choose, I can have eternal life. I can become a child of God. And God will give me a new birth. The new birth that’s born without a sinful nature. See, my first birth was born with a sinful nature. My second birth was born without one. So I not having a sinful nature, my second birth, it can’t sin.

If it can’t sin, it can’t die. So that means I’m a child of God forever. And my greatest relationship is now with the Father and I am related to Him as His child. Now I have a relationship that can never be broken. That relationship can’t be broken. My fellowship with God can be broken, but not my relationship. So I have an eternal relationship because I am an eternal Son of God. He is my eternal Father. I belong to Him.

That can never be broken. Now or tomorrow or on an eternity it can never be broken. I am a child of God. That is a relationship that’s better than the one they had in the garden because that one could be broken. It wasn’t so much that Adam and Eve were so perfect. They had the capacity to sin. They just hadn’t sinned, but they had the capacity to sin. You and I in our new birth will not have the capacity to sin.

Like a cup, it has the capacity to hold water. We will be created in our new mercy without the capacity to hold a sinful nature. we can’t see and we will not be able to tolerate sin no more than God would. The closer you get to God, the closer you stay with the Lord, the more you walk with the Lord, the sins of the world become a stench in your nostrils. You can’t stand it. You can’t stand it when people take God’s name in vain.

You can’t stand that. And you’ll see things that other people won’t see. You’ll hear things that others won’t hear because see the closer you are with the Lord, you’ll wind up loving and hating the same thing that God does. Now some people get so far away from the Lord, see they have gotten it used to the stench, the rebellion of people, the way the world is. Everybody’s like that. And so they just become like the world. They’ve lost the shock value.

And we ought to stay where we can still be embarrassed, still be ashamed still get read faced because you see if you don’t that dead rad under the house you’ll get to where you can just live with it it’s all right after a while or you can get it out of there I’m talking about in this life there’s some things we can’t change with other people but it’s a one-on-one it’s what do you want what do you accept because as a chalap God we have a day coming where we’re going to stand before the Lord and He’s going to reward us.

Now He doesn’t reward us in groups. He doesn’t reward a committee. He won’t bless us in heaven as church members. Would y’all please come up here? It’s individually. What did you do? What did you do? What did you do? Remember He faced Adam and says, Adam, what has style done? Well you know that woman you made? Eve, what did you do? Well the serpent, you know the serpent you made? The blame game began. Now while we’re down here we blame everything everybody for my sorry lot in life.

But with God see it was one on one. In spite of what Adam said, the woman that you gave me, God put a curse on Adam. And the woman, God cursed the woman. And the serpent, do you ever wonder why God never asked the serpent, what did you do? Some people say because he didn’t have a leg to stand on. Some of y’all get dead after a while, you know. But he cursed the ground. God cursed the whole earth, one loves sin.

This is why as much as possible, and nobody can do it for you. Who is going to make you read the Bible? Because that’s how God speaks to you. Prayer, well that’s how you talk to God. It’s a one-on-one. See, nobody can do this for you. It’s an individual thing. And when we get to heaven and God rewards everybody, God’s going to reward one on one. It’s what you did. And blank game won’t work. God said, what did you do?

Why didn’t you serve me? Well, nobody else did. And I worry about that. What did you do? And God’s going to reward us for what we as an individual. And every man shall receive his own reward, according to his own labor. That’s one on one. God’s going to do it, and it’s a personal thing. Has nothing to do with your wife, your husband, your children. It’s you. It’s me. It’s a personal thing. It’s one on one. And I think we need to keep it in mind because God’s not looking for the committees.

Don’t worry about the committee. This ends with you and me and the wallet represents sin. all have sin on us. God loves us, but He hates our sin. And the Lord tells us that because He loves us, He wants us to go to heaven. But because of sin, we can’t get in. God says that to pay for the sin is eternal separation from God in a place called hell. God wants us to go to heaven, and we can’t get into heaven because heaven is perfect.

We cannot save ourselves. If you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior, would you trust Him right now? Just say simply, Lord, I know I’m a sinner. I believe Christ died, paid for my sins, and I’ll take and trust Him to take me to heaven whenever I die. Friend, if you’ll do that, God will save you, give eternal life. If you’ve never trust the Lord, I urge you to do so. So why not right now in the quietness of this moment, say something simple like this?

I know I’m a sinner. I believe Christ paid for my sins. Right now I’ll trust Him to take me to heaven when I die and preach I like you to pray for me in closing. So we hit by a nice close so that I can pray for you. Would you slip in here very quickly and put it right back down, Zim, where’s all? If you’ve never trust the Lord, would you trust Him now? Yeah, what is all? If you have trust in Christ as your Savior, realize how one little sin in our life can alter so much in our life.

The things that we don’t think are important, Steady in the word of God is what keeps your discernment sharp, where you can see and understand and see how God thinks and feels about things. Because it’s a one-on-one, nobody can do this for you. You can be as holy and as godly as you choose to be. Or you can be currently minded. Do right, serve the Lord. Father, we do thank you so much for all you’ve done for us. We ask the blessings upon each one here, and have a Father to put you first in every area of our lives.

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. 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 Bible line 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

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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

If you have a Bible, turn to the book of Mark, the book of Mark chapter 14, Mark chapter 14. Most of us in this room have insurance. You have insurance on your car for several reasons. One, because if you want to drive, you have to have license. then the state demands that you have insurance. Now why do you have to have insurance? In case, in case you hit somebody, or in case somebody hits you, in case somebody wants to sue you.

So we take out insurance to cover that. And then of course you need medical insurance. And most people have a little bit of some kind of medical insurance. Now why do we want medical insurance? Just in case something happens. You might get sick. And if you get sick, you might have to go to the doctor or the hospital. And it might cost more than what you have to pay so you carry insurance just in case. As you’ve seen in many of the ball games, they’ll have this blimp going over with Snoopy’s.

Snoopy blimp, you ever seen Snoopy blimp? And it had on their met life for the if in life. So you have the word life, and in the word life is those two letters, if for the if in life. And I thought about that one day, and I thought about what about the ifs in life? From another perspective, what about the ifs in the Christian life? The insurance that we buy down here is for everything that deals with us concerning our first birth.

Think about it. We have death insurance. Well it’s not the death of the second birth because it doesn’t die. And it can’t be that we have health insurance for the second birth because it doesn’t get sick. And it really doesn’t need the drive. What just happened to be trapped in a body that needs all this protection? So for the ifs in life, for the if in our Christian life, did you know that whenever you trusted Christ as your Savior, God gave you eternal life?

Now this eternal life that He gave you is kind of like in this life, because I’m not I’m not dead yet. I’ve got insurance. I have got insurance. Not when I die, I get to go to heaven. Now you know if you have car insurance, you have to make payments. And if you have health insurance, you’ve got to make payments. And then of course you’ve got house insurance. And you’ve got all kinds of insurances. You can be, if it wasn’t for paying all those insurance payments, You might have enough money to live on.

But everybody pays so much in just in case something happens. Well do you know when God took the children of Israel out of Egypt into the wilderness they didn’t have any insurance? They had absolutely no insurance. They had no guarantee they would get any food or water. There was no health insurance. There was no clothes insurance. There was no shoe insurance. There was no insurance at all. All they had was God’s Word. And you know what, that’s worth.

But that was all they needed. All they had to do was trust the Lord. Now, when you and I trust Christ as our Savior, God gives us eternal life. But down here, we have to keep making these payments on all this insurance. And that’s why I believe some people think that when you supposedly get saved, Christ paid all the payments up to the time you get saved. And now you have to make those regular payments in order to to keep your insurance.

And if you don’t keep making the payments by your good life, then he’s going to take and drop your insurance. And you never know at what point he’s going to drop it. And you’re going to get stuck. And if you die without the insurance, you’re going to hell. But what about the if in the Christian’s life? What I like about the insurance premium that we have when he says, these things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life is that when He made the payment, He paid all the premiums in advance.

All the payments have already been made for my whole life. The premium has already been paid. I don’t have to make one payment for this insurance that I’ve got. Now I like that. Mark and chapter 14, I want you to look in verse 26. Verse 26, you know and I know that there are people who teach that you must make Christ the Lord, the master of your life in order to be saved. Some tell you that if Christ is not Lord of all, then he’s not Lord at all and if he’s not Lord at all, then you’re not saved.

And so they say, you must commit your life to Christ and Him be the Lord of the Master of your life. He had some disciples and look where they were in verse 26 and when they had sung a hymn, they went out into the Mount of Olives. When it says they sung to Him, I believe Jesus sung with them. They all sung this hymn. In verse 27 and Jesus said to them, all ye shall be offended because of me this night.

For it is written, I will smite the shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered.” He was the shepherd and they are the sheep. And he was going to be crucified and they’re going to be scattered. Jesus already knew what they were going to do. Of course, they didn’t know that, but in verse 28, but after that, I am risen. I will go before you in the Galilee. But Peter said unto him, although all shall be offended, yet? Well, not I.

Isn’t that wonderful of Peter? I mean, though everybody else might deny you, Lord, you’re wrong on this one account. Because Jesus had just said, all shall be offended because of me. And Peter says, not so Lord. Now, he said that later too. He got in trouble as usual. But he says in verse 29, yet will I not. And Jesus said unto him, verily I sinned to thee, that this day, in this night before the cockroach twice, thou shalt deny me thrice, but he spake the more vehemently, but I should die with thee.

I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all. Now I’ve asked those that believe that you can lose your salvation because they believe you you have to make Christ the Lord and the master of your life, because you’ve got to serve the Lord. What would cause you to lose your salvation? First thing you always say, sing black is, well, you’ve got to, if you deny the Lord, if you deny the Lord. Well, let me ask you a question.

Did the disciples deny the Lord? Every one of them denied the Lord. He says, you are all denying me. Likewise in verse 31, they all said that. So when they said, we will not deny you, are they saying that Christ, you’re the Lord and a master of my life, we will serve you even to death. We will not fail. Well, doggy, as you go down through here, you’ll notice there are several things that are mentioned. See there in verse 34, and he said unto them, my soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death.

And this is all he asked him to do. He said, watch. Watch. And as he went forward a little and fell on the ground and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee. Take away this cup from me, nevertheless not what I will, but what thou will. And he cometh and findeth him sleeping and said unto Peter in Simon’s sleepest thou? Couldest thou not watch one hour?

So this Lord and Master business Were they saved because they had committed their life to Christ and whatever you tell us to do we will do it He says watch Did they do it they didn’t do that Then he says there in verse 38 8. Watch you and pray. So there’s two of them added together now. Watch and pray. Did he give him a second chance? Yeah he did. So whenever Christ is supposed to be the Lord and the master of your life, does that mean you’re supposed to obey Him?

Because if you’re supposed to obey Him in order to be saved, then they should have obeyed Him, but they didn’t obey Him. So they must have been lost. All the disciples weren’t saved, is that right? You see, it’s a ridiculous teaching, because you’ll notice what he says here in verse 38, watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The Spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. And again, he went away and prayed and spaked the same words, and when he returned, he found them asleep again.

For their eyes were heavy, neither was they what to answer him. So he says, watch, they didn’t do it. Watch and pray. And they didn’t do that either. I doesn’t sound like he’s in charge or he’s the master. And it sure looks like they didn’t have him as the Lord and the master of their life in every area of their life. So I guess all of these, now remember, he had just had a meal with them. They just sung a hymn together.

And now all of them have denied him. Look down in verse 50. Verse 50 says, and they all forsook him and fled. All of them did. They had just said they wouldn’t. So now, okay, Christ is now not the Lord and the Master of their life. Does that mean they’re not saved? See people who teach that you must make Christ the Lord and the Master of your life and serve the Lord. And if he’s not Lord of all, he’s not Lord at all.

all are going to have problems with this. They always do. And that’s why some people cannot understand that when Christ died, He paid for all of their sins and all you’re doing is accepting what He did for you. Now after we trust Christ as our Savior, there’s a lot of ifs in life. What if I don’t serve the Lord? What if I don’t grow? What if I’m not what God wants me to be? Am I still saved? Now according to the Bible, yes we are.

But I do want you to take your Bible and look there with me in the book of Hebrews, the book of Hebrews and chapter 2. Hebrews and chapter 2. Make sure you follow me in the scriptures on this because I want you to look at the if in life. the if in the Christian life. What if the Christian doesn’t do everything the Christian is supposed to do? And you’ll notice that there are several verses in the Bible that will deal with this issue.

And it says here in verse 1, therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard less at any time we should let them slip. Now this is the apostle, and he’s including himself talking about we and what we know, what we’ve heard, what we’ve learned, not to let these truths slip. And there’s a reason. In verse 2, for if, if the word spoken by angels was steadfast and every transgression and disobedience received they just recompense of reward.

In other words, in the Old Testament, God gave His word and people obeyed or disobeyed, and if they didn’t obey the Lord, there were consequences and God dealt with them. So if they could not escape the chastening hand of God, should a Christian think that he can escape. The chastening hand of God. See, once you trust Christ’s Savior, yes, you’re His child forever. But there’s many of God’s children that do not reach maturity. You see, the only thing that separates a child of God from a man of God is the word of God in between.

And so some Christians do not grow because they don’t believe what God says. So just like unbelief, So a lost man can keep a lost man, lost. But to a Christian unbelief can cause a Christian not to grow and to mature. So we have to know where is God leading us? What does he want? So hold your place right there and look in chapter 6 where he’s talking about where is he leading us? And verse one, therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection or to maturity, wanting us to grow up, wanting us to mature so that we can do the thing that God wants us to do.

Many of God’s children are not able to eat meat. They’re only able to drink milk. And then chapter five right above this is talking about how that those who cannot eat meat and only can drink milk are still babes in the Lord. He says, for when the time you ought to be able to teach others, you have need that one teach you again to cause you to grow. So you have to understand that in the context, where is this taking us?

What is God trying to accomplish? And so he says there in verse three of chapter two, How shall we, the believer, escape if we, the believer, neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken of by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him. God also bearing them witness them, both with signs and wonders and with divers, miracles, gifts of the Holy Ghost according to His own will. So those that heard Him confirm the word unto us by signs and miracles.

But once the word had been confirmed unto us, as I said in the book of Mark chapter 16, you don’t need those signs and miracles anymore because the word had been confirmed. So as you go through and you read it, you find out there’s a reason why God says what He does. And so for the ifs in life, as you go through the book of Hebrews that deals with the ifs in life, you’ll find out in Hebrews in chapter 12 that God’s going to chasten His children.

He chastens if we don’t serve Him and if we don’t grow, if we do not mature as we should, if we do not fulfill God’s will for our life, There are consequences. Now, we’re covered, we have eternal life. That’s all been paid for. But there also are consequences in our life, in this present life, if we do not serve Him. But if I do serve Him, there are some extra writers that He has in there, benefits that that I can have that’s covered.

So I have to be wise in knowing what’s covered and what’s not covered. I know that if I serve the Lord, I don’t have a care in the world, but I know that if I don’t serve the Lord, I’ve got good reasons to live in Holy fear. The chasting hand of God is gonna come down, And I don’t know when and I don’t know how, but I know it’s sure. So notice, he has given us some things to think about.

Now look in chapter 3. Chapter 3, it makes the statement in verse 6, but Christ as a son over his own house, whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the whole firm until the end. That means until the end when you reach maturity so that you can enjoy it, the rest that this chapter is talking about. How that the children of Israel in the Old Testament, in the wilderness, many of them died in the wilderness and never got to enter into the rest.

The rest was the land, the promised land that they never got there. Now, the promised land in the Old Testament, the land of Canaan, in reality, is not a type or a picture of heaven. It’s a picture of Christian victory. And a lot of Christians never learn enough of the word so that they can enjoy Christian victory in their life and never get to where they learn how to trust the Lord and rest in the Lord. So that causes all the worry and the impatience.

And we’re like children, tossed to and fro by every wind of doctor or every trial and tribulation that comes along. And we’re not solid. So God says, I want you to know Moses had his house, Jesus has his house. There’s certain things that the law tries to build you into and there’s some things that Christ wants to build. And he says, whose house are ye? If you will allow the Lord to build you. You see, that’s why Christ lives within us.

And he says, building up yourselves in your most holy faith. So it means that I, as a child of God, God wants me to be built like a house. Cause he wants to live in this house with me. And remember, there’s a story in the book of Matthew in chapter seven that says, a wise man built his house upon the rock. The teachings of Christ. The foolish man built his house upon the sand. Is it possible for a child of God to build a house upon sand?

But God wants us to build on the rock. And he says, but you need to continue doing this and walking with the Lord and becoming strong and discipline your life so that you can grow and to be the way God says to be, because if you don’t, if you don’t, these ifs in life, he says, you’re gonna find yourself hardening your heart. Now, this is to the believer, not to the lost man, it’s to God’s children. So look what he says in verse seven, wherefore as the Holy Ghost sayeth, today if you are an underliner, sure could that little word if you will hear his voice, hard not your hearts as in the day of provocation when they provoke God in the wilderness.

When your fathers tempted me, prove me and saw my work 40 years. He said, I was grieved with that generation. He says down in verse 11, so I swear in my wrath, they shall not enter into my red. They never got into the promise land, or they left Egypt, which is the type of your salvation from the Red Sea and passing over. And the Christian going through the wilderness, learning how to walk, but some Christians never mature and never able to enter into the promised land that flows with milk and honey.

And so because of their unbelief, a Christian wanders around in the wilderness all the days of his life and never matures. Never learned how to take God as a word and trust the Lord. And because you see, to grow in the Lord, you must keep believing and continue believing in the faithfulness of God, in the Word of God. That’s why in these chapters, if you look there in chapter four, look in verse 12, he’s talking about what? For the Word of God is quick.

It means it’s alive and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. Pearson even to the dividing a sunder of soul and spirit and another joint in the moral. That’s the body. So you got body, soul, and spirit and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intent of the heart. The Word of God is able to meet the need, body, soul, and spirit. The sever, all three, and teach you things that no other book can teach you because this is a spiritual book for spiritual people, to God’s people.

And look what he said in verse 13, neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight, but open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. And is he still talking to the believers? Of course he’s talking to believers. This book is to the believers. It’s not to the lost man. It’s talking about the believers growing in the Lord. Now you know what most people have a problem with is they think you can be saved the day and then lost when you’re when you’re sin against God.

And then you get saved again, then you do something wrong now you lost again. Well at that rate you’ll never get out of your diapers. You’ll never get out of diapers. You’ll stay a baby all you’ll like vim’t grow. Because if every time you fall and stumble, Well, now you no longer saved, then you’ll never grow up. How many of, did that happen to you? Ah, the little nut he fell again, put him back.

You can’t put him back. You might like to, but you can’t put him back. And when you trust Christ as your Savior, you’re born into God’s family. Now learn how to walk. And you’re going to stumble, you’re going to fall, and you’re going to sometimes lay in the mud, and you’re still sinned. You do all these wicked things you’re not supposed to do. And sooner or later, you just keep struggling and you’ll learn how to walk with the Lord.

But many of God’s people, they go astray. of walking with the Lord and growing up and being mature. And it makes so much sense when you keep the gospel as the lens by which you study the rest of scripture. If you get mixed up on that then you take all these scriptures and make it say something it doesn’t say. And then nobody would know. Let’s say for example all these verses really means that you’ve You’ve got to earn it.

You would be so confused and so mixed up. You wouldn’t have a clue whether you’re coming or going. You would know if you had it today and lost it tomorrow if you ever had it or you… That’s stupidity. It leaves you with a big fat zero. You don’t know anything because that means you can lose your salvation because it depends on you. And all of these… What does it mean that nobody knows for sure where they’re going with they die?

I can say, I know what God says when He talks about salvation, that’s free. That’s a gift. It always is. But when He talks about serving the Lord, yes, I may stumble. I can fall. I can get up. And God will clean me off and keep going again. And He’s gonna be with me and He’s my Father and He’s gonna correct me and lead me and guide me and spank me. It may even take me home before my time.

See that way, we’ll explain scripture the other way, does not work, because it’s not scripture. So anyway, as you go through here and you see all of this, look down there in chapter 3 again, down in chapter 3, where it makes the statement in verse 13, but exhort one another daily. While it is called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. So can Christians still be hardened to the deceitfulness of sin? Yes, you still can.

You can still become rebellious and walk away from the Lord. And verse 14, for we are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end, to the end of what? Where are you going? Till you get to maturity where you can learn to grow and to rest in the Lord. you rest in his work and not trying to make it happen on yourself. See there in chapter four, look down there in verse nine, where he says, there remaineth therefore a, what’s that word?

Rest to who? To the people of God. But a lot of God’s children never enter into that rest. Now you’ll see that when you get over in chapter 10 and chapter 12, and gives us an illustration in the whole chapter 11 of those who listen to what God said and live by faith. Live by faith means believing God. We say, you’re man, you’re saved by grace. You’re saved by faith. What did you do to be saved by faith? You believe God.

You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. Part 2 of this teaching will conclude with tomorrow’s broadcast. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach 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 Broad 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. The Trumpet will sound and we will be changed. Caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day, believe in that the Lord is coming soon and just keep looking up.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. Clearly declaring the GospelOSPEL of Jesus Christ through the radio and the Internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the Internet. The regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for a 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. grow in the Lord, you must keep believing and continue believing in the faithfulness of God, in the Word of God. That’s why in these chapters, if you look there in chapter 4, look in verse 12, he’s talking about what? For the word of God is quick. It means it’s alive and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword.

Pearson even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, And then another joint in the moral, that’s the body. So you got body, soul, and strength, and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intent of the heart. The word of God is able to meet the need, body, soul, and spirit, to sever all three and teach you things that no other book can teach you because this is a spiritual book for spiritual people to God’s people. And look what he said in verse 13, neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight, but open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

And is he still talking to the believers? Of course he’s talking to believers. This book is to the believers. It’s not to the lost man. It’s talking about the believers growing in the Lord. Now you know what most people have a problem with, they think you can be saved the day and then lost when you’re when you’re sending in God. And then you get saved again, and then you do something wrong, now you lost again. Well, at that rate, you’ll never get out of your diapers.

You’ll never get out of diapers. You’ll stay a baby all you like you can’t grow because if every time you fall and stumble, now you’re no longer saved, then you’ll never grow up. How many have, did that happen to you? Ah, the little nutty fell again, put him back. You didn’t put him, you can’t put him back. Youaditional might like to, but you can’t put him back. And when you trust Christ as your Savior, you’re born into God’s family.

Now learn how to walk. And you’re gonna stumble, you’re gonna fall, and you’re gonna sometimes lay in the mud, and you’re still sinned, you do all these wicked things you’re not supposed to do. And sooner or later, you just keep struggling, and you’ll learn how to walk with the Lord. But many of God’s people, they go astray instead of walking with the Lord and growing up and being mature. And it makes so much sense when you keep the gospel as the lens by which you study the rest of Scripture.

If you get mixed up on that, then you take all these scriptures and make it say something it doesn’t say. And then nobody would know. Let’s say for example, all these verses really means that you’ve got to earn it. You would be so confused and so mixed up. You would have a clue whether you’re coming or going. know if you had it today and lost it tomorrow, if you ever had it, or you… that’s stupidity. It leaves you with a big fat zero.

You don’t know anything because that means you can lose your salvation because it depends on you. And all of these words, what does it mean that nobody knows for sure where they’re going with they die? Or I can say, I know what God says when He talks about salvation, that’s free. That’s a gift. It always is. But when He talks about serving the Lord. Yes, I may stumble. I can fall. I can get up. And God will clean me off and keep going again.

And He’s going to be with me and He’s my Father. And He’s going to correct me and lead me and guide me and spank me. It may even take me home before my time. See that way we’ll explain scripture. The other way does not work because it’s not scripture. So anyway, as you go through here and you see all of this, look down there in chapter three again, down in chapter three, where it makes the statement in verse 13, but exhort one another daily.

While it is called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. So can Christians still be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin? Yes! You still can. You can still become rebellious and walk away from the Lord. And verse 14, for we are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end, to the end of what? Where are you going? till you get to maturity where you can learn to grow and to rest in the Lord and You rest in his work and not trying to make it happen on yourself.

See there in chapter 4. Look down there in verse 9 Where he says they remain if therefore a what’s that word? rest to who? to the people of God But a lot of God’s children never enter into that rest now you’ll see that when you get over in chapter 10 and chapter 12 and gives us an illustration in the whole chapter 11 of those who listen to what God said and live by faith. Live by faith means believing God.

When you say you’re man you’re saved by grace, you saved by faith. What did you do to be saved by faith? You believe God. Unbelief is not to believe God and there’s children of God that will not believe and trust them. See they’re in verse 19? So we see in chapter 3, so we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Enter into what heaven? We’re not talking about heaven. We’re talking about the Old Testament people that were in the wilderness and they could not enter into the Promised Land because of their unbelief.

Remember there were 12 guys that went out and they spied out the land. They came back to who believed, 10 of them believed you couldn’t. Who got to go into the Promised Lamb? The two that believed. And God let all those people that did not believe it, He let them die in the wilderness and raise up another generation. 40 years later, they got to go in. Did Moses believe? Yes, Moses believed. But what did he do? He was supposed to talk to the rock.

And he smoked the rock. What was the wrong with that? He had already told him one time to strike the rock. That’s the type of the crucifixion of Christ. He was smitten once for us and the water came out. The next time he was told to just speak to the rock. But because of his anger, he didn’t speak to the rock. He spoke the rock again, which is a wrong thing. It’s like Christ being crucified over again. Now then chapter six, it refers to that.

You crucified Christ over again. You see, it’s like Christ died for my sins up to the time I believe. And then if I do something wrong, I’m gone. Go in hell again. So if I got to get saved again, I can get that sin paid for because evidently he didn’t pay for the first time and if he has to die again, then you’re crucifying them over again. How many times does Christ have to come down and pay for our sins?

Only one time. Why? Because he paid for all of them when he did it once. And you’ll read that in the book of Hebrews in chapter 10. So as you go through here, you see all of this, and you think, what is all of this talking about? See, God wants something more for us. And there are some ifs in the Christian life. And if you do not apply yourself, and if you don’t believe the word of God, there are consequences.

This insurance plan that God had gives you eternal life when you touch a crisis, your Savior. There’s other things that God has guaranteed that if you serve him, he said, I’ll bless your life. And there’s other things he said, if you don’t, I’m going to beat the tar out of you. And you better believe what God says, but I heed it and not let this so great salvation just slip through your fingers like it’s no big deal. No big, it is a big deal.

That’s why everything that we do is a big deal. Well look there in chapter 6, chapter 6. You’ll notice when he says here in verse 6, If they shall fall away to renew them again into repentance, If they shall fall away. Alright, I wonder what that means. Well, it goes up there to the verse that says in verse 3, and this what we do, if God permits, Well, what’s that there for? Well, it goes back to verse 1. You see, all of it flows together.

In chapter 5, the last part of it, because there’s children of God that had not been studied, they had not been growing. There’s still babes in Christ. As you’ll see there in verse 13, where it says in chapter 5, for everyone that uses milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness. He’s a babe. He’s unskilful. He’s a babe, he’s in Christ, but he’s not mature and can handle spiritual responsibilities. But in verse 14, strong meat belong to them that are full aid.

So we’re talking about people growing up in the Lord. Those who by reason of you have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. So you know right from wrong because you have matured in the Lord and you’ve learned. But what about those that haven’t? What about the Christian that hasn’t learned? So in verse 1 he says, therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection. In other words, you don’t have to lay the foundation again.

It means you don’t have to get the person saved again because he’s already saved. He’s already born. You don’t have to unborn a baby because they did something wrong. You got to clean up the little child and teach him how to behave himself and how to use a little potty and how to do this and how to teach him everything, how to walk and how to talk and spend the rest of your life kind of a sit down and shut up.

Now look, in verse one, not layin’ again the foundation. Why? Because the foundation’s not gone anywhere. You see, once you trust Christ as your Savior, you’re on the foundation which is Christ. There is no other foundation. There’s only one and that’s Christ. And then he says, not lay in the foundation of repentance from dead work. See, to get saved you have to change your mind and not trust in dead works to give you life. It means you don’t trust in your works, you have to trust in Christ.

So this verse is showing you what the word repentance means and how it relates to salvation. So the Christian doesn’t have to lay that foundation again. You don’t have to get them saved again because they already are. So you’re able to leave that and go on to something else. And this is what he says in verse 3, and this we will do if God permits. Well how come God wouldn’t permit it? Because of your unbelief. If you don’t believe the Word of God you can’t grow.

You can’t mature. You do not mature it in the Lord because you come to church. You mature in the Lord when you learn the Word and and believe it. That’s what causes you to grow. That’s why some people can go to church all their life and never grow. There’s still babes and some can learn the word of God. They devour it and they believe it and they become strong in the Lord. And he says, and this is what we do.

And here’s why. You don’t have to get him saved again because he said in verse 4, it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, made partakers of the Holy Ghost, tasted the good word of God, the powers of the world that come, if they could fall away to get saved again. It is impossible for somebody to get saved, lose their salvation, and then get saved again. Because the only way you get saved again is that Christ has to come back and die for the sin that He didn’t pay for the first time, because how can that one sin that you commit after you’re saved cause you to go to hell?

Christ died for my sins so that I don’t have to pay for it. It means I can’t go to hell to pay for a sin if he paid for it. Why can’t people see that? And yet you be surprised the very verses that you will use to show them that it’s free and that last forever are the same verses they try to show you that mean something else. But anyway, so in verse six he says, for if they shall they shall fall away to renew them again unto what repentance?

To another change, in other words, you got to change your mind and get saved again. He said, it’s impossible. Can’t do it. So he says here, seeing they crucified to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame. What they’re saying is that when Christ died, He did not die for all of my sins. only up to the time I believe, and now I’ve got to really watch it because from here on out it depends on me.

Oh, they say, yeah, I’m trusting Christ, but, and then they butt him all over the place. He says, you’re crucified them over again. And that’s why you find out in chapter 10. Hold your place right here and look in chapter 10. Hebrews 10. And notice they’re in verse 10, where he says, where he says, by the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ. What’s the next words? Once for all. Look in verse 12.

But this man, referring to Christ, after he had offered how many sacrifices? One sacrifice for sins, plural, for how long? For ever sat down. It’s done. Look in verse 14, for by one offer and he has perfected for how long Forever them that are sanctified. Those that believe it are made pure and holy for forever. There is no more sacrifice ever going to be made. That’s why he said when Christ comes the next time he comes without sin and the salvation.

He did that the first time he come, but the second time he doesn’t come back to make a payment for sin. It’s already done. And because of that we can have the free gift of eternal life and be assured. We’re going to heaven when we die. Now, take your Bible and look there in chapter 10 and verse 26. Look at verse 26 where he says, for if, see that, if we sin willfully, now I got you. You know what I enjoy?

People who try to throw verses at me like, I’ve never heard that before. But they’re going to shock me. Like they know something I haven’t never heard. And then they can’t quote it right. They don’t know where it’s found in the Bible. And then I have to tell them. I can not only tell them where it’s found, I can quote it for them. And then I show it to them. And this is what, look, now the we here is the believer, not the lost man.

We, for if we believers willfully sin after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remain, what? No more sacrifice for sin. He’s not coming back to pay for the sin. So that means he either had to pay for it the first time he did it, or it’ll never be paid for, and if it’s never going to be paid for in the future, then that’s why you can’t get saved again. So if you could ever get lost, you can never get saved again.

But what can I look forward to if? I do this willfully. In verse 27, a certain fearful looking for a judgment and firing big nation because God is going to beat the tar out of his children. You said, this is not talking about the believer. Well, blessed be God. What does he say in verse 30? For we know him that hath said, vengeance belong with them to me. I will recompense sayeth the Lord. And again, the Lord shall judge his people.

Is that what he said? Lord’s going to judge his people. Why do you think in chapter 12, he’s talking about God chasing his children. How can he chasing me? If I do something wrong, I’m no longer his child. Can’t touch me. I did something wrong. Can’t touch me. How would you, would that work with your child? Johnny, take out the trash. I will not. Okay. You’re not my child anymore. Don’t work there. Why would it work in God’s family?

So you want your God’s child, your his child, forever, forever. You mean even if you’re disobedient, even if you’re disobedient. God has a ways and means committee. And he knows how to deal with disobedient children. And that’s the purpose of the book. So that for the ifs in life, you know what’s going to take place. And you better obey the Lord and serve him. And that’s why he said up in verse 29, of how much sore punishment, suppose he.

So he’d be thought worthy of who have trodden underfoot the son of God, have counted the blood of the covenant. Where would get that he was sanctified? You see, when you go back there to chapter 10, where he talks about he is forever sanctified, them that are sanctified or perfected forever. You’re his child forever. Now he’s talking about his children being disobedient and he says, those of his children that have been sanctified made pure and holy because of the blood of Christ and then for his children not to serve him, to walk and rebellion to him, to sin willfully and they know it’s wrong and still do it.

Are they still safe? Yes, still safe. But God’s gonna chase in them. So what does God want us to do? He wants us to walk by faith and to live by faith. Look down here in verse 35 where he says, “‘Cast not away therefore your confidence, “‘which hath great recompense of reward.'” You see, those who do know the Lord, and if you will serve the Lord, you have rewards that you’re going to get. Don’t cast away your confidence in the Lord.

Believe the Lord, keep serving the Lord, and it will be worth it. And then he says here in verse 38, now the just shall live out by faith. And now he takes the whole 11th chapter and gives us illustration after illustration, not of so-called perfect people in their life where Christ was the Lord and the Master of every area of their life. No, it wasn’t. These are people. That I believed and many of them had failed in their life and God used them and God still blessed them.

And so we have illustrations of those who believe what God said. It wasn’t that after the flood that Noah got drunk. It wasn’t that David that committed murder. adultery. But you see here in the 11th chapter you don’t find any of their faults mentioned. Only the areas where they had believed God and they did what God says do. Did you know when you get to heaven everything you’ve done wrong God’s not going to reward you for none of that.

He’s going to reward you for what you did do. What you did do by faith because you did believe him. So we got a whole 11th chapter trying to encourage you and I to live by faith, live by faith. Look Look there in chapter 12 very quickly. And notice what he says in verse seven, if, if ye endure chastening, why would you have to endure chastening if whenever you did something wrong, you lost your salvation? Why is God chastening me if I’m no longer his child?

But evidently I must still be his child, and my heavenly Father is still gonna chasten me. See there in verse five, looking verse five, where he says, and you have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, my son, despised not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuke of him. Why would God do that? Because you’re still his child and you can still faint and you can still quit and you don’t want to do what God says to you.

You don’t want to read. You don’t want to obey and you still can live like a lost man, but it’s not the will of God, but people do it. And God says, I’m going to have to chase in you. But why would God chase in me because he still loves us? I’m so glad that God will never cast me out and never lose me. And that God is going to give me all the personalized attention that I need, whether I want it or not.

And when you go astray, he’ll never let you go. There’s consequences. And you can’t run anywhere away from God. Where can you go that your heavenly Father cannot see and go? There’s a guy in the Bible. I think his name was Jonah, wasn’t it? That tried that little shenanigans. And how did it go with him? He got down in the mouth, didn’t he? But he came out all right. And see what he says down here in verse 9, Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them reverence.

Shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirit and live? So you You see the connection between a father who has children and God who has children and how the father disciplines his children and so God is going to discipline not correct us. You see up there in verse 12 and now no chastening for the present seems to be joyous. I mean have you ever enjoyed getting a whooping? He said, nevertheless afterwards it yielded the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

So you see, God is looking down the road and He sees where you’re going. He knows what you ought to do and He knows how you ought to be. He knows your potential. He’s the one that knows what you’re capable of accomplishing. And your heavenly Father wants to bring you to the desired end. He wants to mature you and only he can teach you and mature you. See, preacher can’t make you strong in the Lord. All I can do is teach the Word.

You’re the one that has to decide whether or not you’re going to listen to it or not. Or you’re going to obey it or apply it in any way. That’s between you and God. Nobody else can walk your spiritual life for you. Nobody can make you a strong Christian. And they can’t make you a weak Christian. That’s a choice that you can make. So I encourage you that yes, you may have Christ as your Savior, and you’re His child, and you have eternal security.

You have an insurance plan that covers it at all. But understand, there’s a few of these little writers that you need to understand for the ifs in life. There’s consequences. I have a few other verses that I wanted to cover, but time slowly gets away. Anyway, look up here. If you’re here tonight or if you’re watching by internet, understand that God does love us. And no man is capable of saving himself. This hand represents Jesus Christ. Excuse me. This hand represents you and me.

And this wallet represents all the bad things that we do. We’ve all done things wrong. And God says that we have to pay for it and that’s eternal separation from God in hell. But God says He wants us to go to heaven and to go to heaven we have to be perfect as righteous as God. But you and I will never be perfect in our life. We can’t live good enough to go to heaven. So God says that heaven is perfect and we’re not.

So we cannot earn our way to heaven by our good deeds. This hand represents Jesus Christ. He’s God in the flesh. He came into the world He loves us. He hates our sin because it separates us from Him. So Jesus Christ who had no sin did not have to die. He took ours, paid for it on the cross and said if we would believe that He did it for us, He would put this payment to our account and we get to go to heaven on what He did.

All that we have to do is the only thing we can do is believe it. If you’ll believe that He did it for you, that He died and paid for all of your sins, He would give you as a free gift everlasting life and they’ll never cast you out and never lose you. That’s the best news in all the world. Let’s pray, shall we? With every head bowed and every eye closed, no one looking around. Why not right now, just between you and the Lord?

Whether you’re here in the auditorium or you’re watching by internet, would you believe that Christ died for you, that He paid for everything you’ve ever done? And if you trust Him and Him alone, not this preacher, not the church, just trust him. He said he would save you and give you eternal life. And you’re going to know positive, but know that you’re going to heaven when you die. If you make that decision, I’d like to know it, and I’d like to have prayer for you.

So I’m going to ask you if you just slip your hand very quickly and say yes, pray for me. I will accept Jesus Christ tonight as my savior. And friend, if you’ve already done it, you don’t have to do it again. Is there anyone at all before we close? Anyone at all? Our Father, we thank you so much. again for your word that you’ve given us. And Lord, your word is so simple, it’s so, so clear. And we just pray for wisdom and all these matters.

There’s so many people that don’t know it, don’t see it. And we pray Lord, we could win as many as we can. We know that time is running out. We believe you’re coming soon. Help us to be faithful. Remind us Lord of those things that we need to know. Let’s each person here, each family representative, Use them for your honor and glory. Christ name be pray. 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 home page 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

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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

My mama was a little bitty woman and She was dying she not much left from just getting bone and I would you go back in my mind? When I would talk to her about the Lord and I was asked if I would speak at this one church It was five years after I had trusted the Lord and mama came out to this little old church We out in the boonies right in the woods small church pine trees And I was preaching to everybody that was there, but I was really only talking to one person.

You know how that goes? I was honing on one person. That was my mom. And I gave the gospel over and over again and trying to explain it. And I asked for a raise of hand and my mom took that little hand of me and put it right back down and on. I talked to her many times after that. So anyway, I want you to take your Bible and turn to the book of Ecclesiastes. book of Ecclesiastes. Way back there in the Old Testament after the book of Proverbs, you know where it’s really wise in talking to people, Proverbs, and then uh oh, Ecclesiastes.

As you read the book of Ecclesiastes, you’ll find one of the key phrases under the sun, under the sun, under the sun. What it means is as a man without God, how you see life without God. Now, let’s just pretend, we’re going to do a little pretend in the name, pretend that there is no God. Now, according to the 14th chapter of Psalms, 14th Psalm, verse 1, a fool has said in his heart, there is no God, but let’s just be foolish for a moment and say there is no God.

If there is no God, what would become the purpose of life? Why are we here? Now you’re going to have to do a lot of search and try to find a purpose in life, a purpose for life itself. So take your Bible and turn to the book of Ecclesiastes chapter 3 and look there in verse 19. So you’d have to come to the conclusion that if there is no God, And there is no real difference between man and animals.

For in verse 19, for that which befall of the sons of men befall of beast. Even one thing befall of them as the one dyath, so dyath the other. Yeah, they all have one breath so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast for all his vanity. Same thing happens to animals, it happens to people. You ever look at an animal? They got eyes, we got eyes. They got a nose, we got a nose. They got a mouth, we got a mouth.

They got ears, we got ears. They can walk, we can walk. I mean, so what makes the difference between you and animal? They die, we die. You see, when you can’t see God, you can’t see what happens when something dies. Then it’s left up to your imagination while if there is no God, then death is the end of everything. So we just pretend there’s no difference between us and an animal. Take your Bible and look there in the Ecclesiastes chapter 2.

Just turn to your left or chapter 2. And look in verse 17. Verse 17 and verse 19. Therefore I hated life because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me. For all is vanity and vexation of spirit. That’s because there’s no purpose. When the sea of the sun is no purpose, why do it? Why do anything? There’s no purpose. So then you had to try to figure out how to just make you happy. And this is where I really believe it or not.

Most people are. They live like an atheist. They have no purpose in life. So they go from one thing to the country of what will make me happy because it all will revolve around themselves. What do I want to do? Sorry, says in verse 18, yay, I hated all my labor, which I had taken under the sun because I should leave it unto the man that shall be. after me. Why should I work and slave and build all of it and just all of them do is leave it till the person comes after me?

Why? Well, we’re just pretending that there’s no God. No difference between us and animals and the purpose of life is gone because there is no purpose Because that means a planner, unintelligent, designed, reasons. Well, there can be none of that. We’re just a bunch of accidents. And, oh, we’re just a big bang. Lord, behold, the blob flipping around in the ooze of a now. And, Lord, behold, here we are. But we’re just an accident. And there is no God.

There’s no purpose to life. So power would make right. Just do whatever you want to do. Where would morals come from? Who was standards? What right does one dog got to tell another dog what a dog can and cannot do? I mean, what right would a person have to tell somebody what they can and cannot do? So what’s wrong with, you know, if you want to kill somebody, you just kill somebody? You know, they’re just an animal anyway. Even if you want to treat somebody wrong, steal, lie, cheat, so what?

Who says it’s wrong? According to who? She, there would be no right and wrong. But we’re just pretending because there is no God. So the fair is no God, all these other things that I’m saying would be true. So, in verse 19, he says, And who knew of whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? Yet shall he have ruled over all my labor wherein I have labored and wherein I have shown myself wise under the sun?

This is all so vanity. In other words, I may have been wise and produced all these, this wealth only to leave it to a fool. What’s the purpose of that? So it’s kind of deflates the purpose of life, kills the will to live. You know, there’s a lot of people that live under that assumption because they don’t believe there is a God. There’s no purpose to life. Why should I make my marriage work? If I don’t want to, I don’t.

Who cares how the kids turn out? Who really cares? What’s right and wrong? What’s my goal? What’s my purpose in raising children? So I’d just do whatever you want to do. Most parents do. Nothing matters. Look in Ecclesiastes chapter 4. Chapter 4. Look there in verse 1. In verse 1, so I returned and considered all the oppressions that are done. done under the sun. You keep noticing that phrase under the sun. It’s like a lost man’s viewpoint. A lost man who has no hope in God.

And this is what the conclusions will be. This is how you’re going to think. And behold, the tears of such as were oppressed. They had no comforter. And on the side of their oppressors, there was power, but they had no comforter. Because see, You and I, we know, okay, there’s the Holy Spirit, He’s a comforter, He helps us God. Oh, but for those, there’s no God, there is no such thing. A lot of people get a lot of comfort out of believing, you know, in what God said, but there is no God.

And so if there is no God, He didn’t say anything. And if He didn’t say anything, we’re on our own. You’re on your own. So we’re all on this globe, I hear in the middle of space, where are we going? What’s the purpose? What’s behind all of it? Look in verse 2, Wherefore I praised the dead, which are already dead, more than the living which are yet alive. In other words, the dead person is better off than the person that’s alive.

You know if all this is true, if there is no God, then the people that are dead are better off than those that are still living. You realize how much longer you might have to live, and you may have a lot of sorrow and a lot of misery coming down the road. road. So this is why people who have no hope. What I end it sooner. So that’s all there is, you know. So where are you going? You die.

We just go to the grave just six feet under and That’s what a lot of people think There is no hope all is vanity and vexation of spirit means everything’s empty. It’s all hollow. There’s no no purpose to anything So here in verse three says yay better is he than both they, which had not yet been, who have not seen the evil work that is done under the Sun. In other words, a man that’s dead is better than the person that’s alive or the person who is yet to be born.

Doesn’t this sound very encouraging and uplifting. I mean, this is the way it is when you live without God. But I got some news for you. There is no purpose, not only there’s no purpose in life, but without God’s it, there’s no purpose in death. What’s the purpose of death? Why? If there’s no God. It’s not why is there life? Why is there death? Explain it. They can’t explain it. Why does anything die? What’s the purpose of death? What’s accomplished by death?

Well, so if there is no God, then you’ll have to admit that there’s no heaven, then there’s no hell. and we are of all men most miserable. And then, and then, Christ came, and then Christ came. That changes everything. If Christ is real, and if He is who He claimed to be, It changes everything. It means that there is a God. Jesus coming into this world proves there is a God. Because God had it wrote in the Word and told all this in advance.

So if there is a God and Jesus is God, then there is a purpose to life. And there is a Creator, and we were created. And if we were created, then a God created you and I for a purpose. That means that I have a purpose in living, and there is a purpose in dying. There’s a purpose. The key, of course, is always to find out what it is. 1 John chapter 1 and verse 7 says that your joy may be full.

They’re saying that God wants us to know about Him. So what would you think would be the total reason for being, for living, our goal? The purpose of a man’s life. What is the duty of man? What is the duty of man? What does God want him to do? So Christ’s coming says that there is a God. Christ’s coming says that there is a difference between man and animal. And that there is a purpose to life and the purpose to death.

There is a reason. It also means that there is hope beyond the grave. And there’s something that man needs to listen to. I want you to take your Bible and look there in the book of Ecclesiastes chapter 12. You’re in the same book, just turn over there to Ecclesiastes and chapter 12. Now I believe that Solomon living under the law because David lived under the law. And this is a conclusion, a sum of the whole matter. Look at verse 13.

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. God keep His commandments for this in your underlyingness in your word in the Bible. This is the whole duty of man. Now since we’re not under the law and we’re not living, you know, 3,000 years ago, we still understand from the teaching and the principles laid down in in the book of Ecclesiastes that there is a God. And that man should fear God. And the whole duty of man is to know his word and certain.

In verse 14, for God shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be bad. God will. So there is accountability. There’s accountability. You know, there’s a lot of people who think that, well, I’m a self-made man. I don’t need God. I don’t need God. Let me just kind of give you a little bit of an idea how stupid that statement is. A man to say, I don’t need God. All right, let me ask you this.

Do you need food to live? All right, you do. Who made it? God. So. All right, you do. Who made it? God. So God made the food, and you need food to live. So you don’t need God, But God made the food. Okay? See if you can live without the food. Because you don’t need God. Another point. Does a man need air to live? You need air to live. Okay question. Who made the air? So God made the air that you need to live.

But you don’t need God. So let’s do away with what God provided. Let’s do away with the air. Are you still so independent? I don’t need God then you don’t need food and you don’t need air. You see, I need God because God supplies the air. God supplies the food and without God there would be no food, there would be no air. Do you need water? I think you probably need water. Question. Who made the water? God?

But you don’t need God? Do you need water? Then evidently you need God. Because God is the one that made the water. Do you realize I could go on and on? And yet there’s people that I don’t need God. Okay, take away everything God provided. See how well you’re doing. Maybe you don’t need that body you got either. Maybe God could take that body away from you. And then what? Well, so I must admit to be an inferior and I must admit that I am dependent upon God for life.

My life came from God and I depend upon God for sustaining my life. Remember in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and he made that garden and took the dirt of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul and God put him in this beautiful beautiful beautiful garden? God has provided everything that we need, because we could not exist without God. And you don’t need God. Sounds a little like a man’s deal with.

He’s arrogant. Besides being a fool, he’s dumb, stupid, ignorant. Because anybody with reasonable thinking power knows that without the Lord there there would be no life. I was looking at that little baby that Betty was holding yesterday at the wedding. Little old bitty type, little bitty thing. And the little boy was there and I had told him this earlier and I says, is that is that a real baby?” I said, that’s not a toy. I said, it means it’s real.

And you look a little baby and you think, how in the world could anybody think that this was created by a man? God had to do this to make a baby. He realized that everything has the power to reproduce after its own kind, just like God said, to reproduce. The power to procreate, it’s unreal. It’s a miracle because you could not have designed it. What part of this baby could you have developed without the other parts being developed in the baby live?

You see, it was all one time. He got his ears, nose and eyes, and all that. All at once. It’s all there. Arms and legs, it’s all there. I consider it to be a miracle. Turning your Bible to the book of Romans in chapter 14, the book of Romans, and chapter 14. Romans 14, and look there in verse 12. You don’t have verse 12 underlining your Bible, you maybe could should consider it. But you-see, there is a God, and because there is a God, I am different from animals.

And I do have a purpose in life and there is a purpose in death and The whole duty of man is to find out what Does God want man to do? And Romans in chapter 14 look there in verse 12, so then every one of us shall give a count of himself to nothing to God because there is a God, man is accountable, man is responsible. That means that I’m supposed to do something that this God wants me to do.

So the key of course is to find out what is it that God wants me to do with my life that he gave to me. I love these verses. Look at in verse 10. Well why does Thou judge Thy brother? or why said if not thy brother, for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. This is those that no Christ is Savior, yes? And all the people that don’t know the Lord, they still got a given account to the Lord.

It’s appointed unto every man once to die and after this, the judgment. So there is accountability. Man does have to, he’s going to have to do it. So I am personally responsible to God. And I wrote something down in my little notes here. This is what I wrote to him. No power or another line of authority can relieve me of a God-given responsibility. Nobody has the right to relieve me of my God-given responsibility. I am personally accountable. I am personally responsible.

And there is coming a day of recognition. Payday, someday. We’ve got to give an account to God. So life is just getting ready, preparing to meet God. You know that’s a verse in the Old Testament that says, prepare to meet thy God. Dum, dum, dum, dum, dum. Matthew chapter 13. Matthew chapter 13. You know this talks a little bit about the parables and all in chapter 13. But look in verse 38. Verse 38. Just kind of give you a little bit of an idea as God looks at this world.

He says, the world is a field and God has placed us into the world means into the field. So he says, the field is the world, the good seed are the children of the kingdom. Now that would be a reference to those that know the Lord. But all I know is that here is the world and I’m in the world and there’s two things I need to find out about this whole world in which I live. One, what am I doing here?

And where is it that He wants me to do it? So what is my job? And where does He want me to do my job? The Bible talks about us being sores and reapers. You’ll find many illustrations given where sowing and reaping, sowing and reaping. The 126 Psalms is about sowing and reaping. There’s another verse found there in the book of Galatians in chapter 6. Look at this verse real quick. Galatians in chapter 6. And look there in verse 7, verse 7.

If you see and understand just a few simple things, you’ll notice there as he talks to those who know Christ is Savior, verse 7, be not deceived. God is not mocked. So how do you mock God? By thinking you can do whatever you please and get away with it. It’s what it boils down to. There’s a price to pay. Bad decisions will reap certain consequences. consequences. Good decisions will reap certain consequences. But in verse 7 He says for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap.

So we’re put into this world for a purpose and I believe that main purpose is sow and to reap. So you and I are going to sow things and we’re going to reap things. So you said, well, I didn’t ask to be born. Who did? But here we are. And so you and I, while we’re in this world, for the last 50 years, I have been sowing. Now, when you read the book of Ruth, you’ll find that it talks about sowing handfuls on purpose.

In other words, She’s sewing seed on purpose. Why is she doing that? Because she has a purpose. It’s going to be sewn and something’s going to grow and something’s going to come up and somebody’s going to reap something. Every time you go to work, you’re sewing a certain amount of work. You’re dispensing labor. and people are paying you for something that you gave. So you are sewing and reaping a paycheck. Everyone that’s in this room, if you’ve ever held a job, you sew and you reap.

When it comes to a wife, you are sewing certain things and you’re gonna reap certain things. So be careful how you sew. And the wife is sewing and reaping. Children are learning how to sow and reap. To the Christian. Is it not true that we are to sow and to reap? That’s what the word of God is talking about. Now you and I know that we’re in a field and we’re supposed to sow the good seed, the good seed.

Now wonder what that is. and it tells you that the seed, the good seed, is the Word of God. So you and I have a perfect word to sow the good seed. If I’m sowing good seed, then I expect certain things to come from that. You know why over the years I have sought to be faithful to sowing and sowing on purpose. In other words, doing it deliberately, not accidentally, but deliberately. In other words, it’s something that I do because it’s a right thing to do.

It’s something God wants me to do. And I do it because everyone should do it that knows the Lord. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida, with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. Part 2 of this teaching will conclude with tomorrow’s broadcast. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach by the line 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 Bible and 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. 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.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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 a 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 see, I need God because God supplies the air. God supplies the food. And without God, there would be no food. There would be no air. Do you need water? I think you probably need water. Question, who made the water? God? But you don’t need God. Do you need water?

then evidently you need God. Because God is the one that made the water. Do you realize I could go on and on? And yet there’s people that I don’t need God. Okay, take away everything God provided. See how well you’re doing. Maybe you don’t need that body you got either. Maybe God could take that body away from you. And then what? Well, so I must admit to be an inferior and I must admit that I am dependent upon God for life My life came from God and I depend upon God for sustaining my life Remember in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and he made that garden and took the dirt of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul, and God put him in this beautiful, beautiful, beautiful garden.

God has provided everything that we need, because we could not exist without God. And you don’t need God. Sounds a little like a man’s filled with, he’s arrogant. Beside being a fool, he’s dumb, stupid, ignorant, because anybody with reasonable thinking power knows that without the Lord there would be no life. I was looking at that little baby that Betty was holding yesterday at the wedding. little bitty type, little bitty thing. And the little boy was there and I had told him this earlier and he says, is that a real baby?

I said, that’s not a toy. I said, it means it’s real. And you look at a little baby and you think, how in the world could anybody think that this was created by a man? God had to do this to make a baby. He realized that everything has the power to reproduce after its own kind, just like God said, to reproduce the power to create its unreal. It’s a miracle because you could not have designed it. What part of this baby could you have developed without the other parts being developed in the baby live?

You see, it was all done. It’s all at one time. It got its ear, nose and eyes, and all that they’re all at once. It’s all there. Arms and legs, it’s all there. I consider it to be a miracle. Turning your Bible to the book of Romans in chapter 14, the book of Romans in chapter 14. UPDATE Romans 14 and look there in verse 12. You don’t have verse 12 underline in your Bible. Maybe you should consider it. But you see, they’re a God.

And because there is a God, I am different from animals. And I do have a purpose in life. And there is a purpose in death. And the whole duty of man is to find out what does God want man to do. Romans in chapter 14 looked there in verse 12, so then every one of us shall give account of himself to nothing, to God, because there is a God, man is accountable, man is responsible. That means that I’m supposed to do something that this God wants me to do.

So the key of course is to find out what is it that God wants me to do with my life that he gave to me. I love these verses. Look at verse 10. Why does thou judge thy brother? Why, said if not thy brother, for we shall all stand before the jedman said of Christ. This is those that know Christ is Savior, yes, and all the people that don’t know the Lord. They still got a given account to the Lord.

It’s appointed unto every man once to die and after this, the judgment. So there is accountability. Man does have to, he’s going to have to do it. So I am personally responsible to God and I wrote something down in my little notes here. This is what I wrote now. No power or another line of authority can relieve me of a God-given responsibility. day. Nobody has the right to relieve me of my God-given responsibility. I am personally accountable. I am personally responsible.

And there is coming a day of recognition. Pay day, someday. We’ve got a given account to God. So life is just getting ready, preparing to meet God. You know that’s a verse in the Old Testament that says, prepare to meet thy God. Dum, dum, dum, dum, dum. Look in Matthew chapter 13. Matthew chapter 13. You know this talks a little bit about the parables and all in chapter 13. But look in verse 38, 38. Just kind of give you a little bit of an idea as God, God looks at this world.

He says, the world is a field and God has placed us into the world, means into the field. So he says, the field is the world, the good seed are the AUTHOR of the Kingdom. Now that would be a reference to those that know the Lord. But all I know is that here is the world, and I’m in the world, and there’s two things I need to find out about this whole world in which I live. One, what am I doing here?

And where is it that He wants me to do it? So what is my job? And where does He want me to do my job? The Bible talks about us being sores and reapers. You’ll find many illustrations given were sewing and reaping, sewing and reaping. The 126 Psalms is about sewing and reaping. There’s another verse found there in the book of Galatians in chapter six. Look at this verse real quick. Galatians in chapter 6. And look there in verse 7ael 7.

If you see and understand just a few simple things, you’ll notice there as he talks to those who know Christ to save your verse 7, be not deceived. God is not mocked. you mock God by thinking you can do whatever you please and get away with it. It’s what it boils down to. There’s a price to pay. Bad decisions will reap certain consequences. Good decisions will reap certain consequences. But in verse 7 he says, for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also…

So we’re put into this world for a purpose. And I believe that main purpose is to sow and reap. So you and I are going to sow things and we’re going to reap things. So you said, well, I didn’t ask to be born. Who did? But here we are. And so you and I, while we’re in this world, for the last 50 years, I have been sowing. Now, when you read the book of Ruth, you’ll find that it talks about sowing handfuls on purpose.

In other words, she’s sowing seed on purpose. Why is she doing that? Because she has a purpose. It’s going to be sown and something’s going to grow and something’s going to come up and somebody’s going to reap something. Every time you go to work, you’re sowing a certain amount of work. You’re dispensing labor and people are paying you for something that you gave. So you are sowing and reaping a paycheck. Everyone that’s in this room, if you’ve ever held a job, you sow and you reap.

When it comes to a wife, you are sowing certain things and you’re going to reap certain things. be careful how you sow. And the wife is sowing and reaping. Children are learning how to sow and reap. To the Christian, is it not true that we are to sow and to reap? That’s what the word of God is talking about. Now you and I know that we’re in a field and we’re supposed to sow the the good seed, the good seed.

Now wonder what that is. And it tells you that the good seed is the Word of God. So you and I have a perfect word to sow the good seed. If I’m sowing good seed, then I expect certain things to come from that. You know why over the years, I have sought to be faithful to sowing and sowing on purpose. In other words, doing it deliberately, not accidentally, but deliberately. In other words, it’s something that I do because it’s a right thing to do.

It’s something God wants me to do. And I do it because everyone should do it that knows the Lord. And we are anticipating that when we so somewhere down the road we’re going to reap. There’s going to be results to what we’re doing. And the only reason you do that is because you believe that the seed that I’m sowing is going to profit.($In the book of Isaiah it says that God has sent forth his seed into the world. And he says, he expects something to come from that which has been sown.

And he’s talking about his word and he’s talking about souls. So here in Galatians when he’s talking about this, he says, what soever man soeth that shall he also reap? For he that sow up to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he that so of to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting. So it is about sewing and reaping. Sometimes we reap where we have not sown, and the Lord refers to that in the 25th chapter of the book of Matthew.

I knew I’d heard that somewhere before. And sometimes we sow and we don’t reap exactly what we sow. So as we sow, we live with the expectation we’re going to reap. So we sow on purpose because there’s a reason for it. God in heaven has a purpose for our sowing and God wants to reap. So there’s a purpose. We are looking forward one day to go into heaven because we believe that it’s all true. There is a God. It does make a difference.

There is a purpose to life and that there is a reason for me to die. There is a purpose in my dying because I haven’t figured out a way to get there without leaving here and the body is not sufficient to live for eternity unless God intervenes and gives me a glorified body before I die which is my request. I’m looking forward to the day when the rapture takes place. And if I die by the way of the grave, that’s okay too.

Either way, but there’s a purpose in it. And God works all things according to the good pleasure of His own will. So you and I are not supposed to live like the lost people. We’re not supposed to live like there is no God. That is the purpose of everything in our life. Why do you want a good marriage? Because God wants it. Why do you want to be a good wife? Because God wants you to be a good wife.

Why do you want to be a good husband? Because God wants you to be a good husband. Why do you want to be a good father? Because God wants you to be a good father. Why do you want to be a good mother? because God wants you to be a good mother. Why do I want to be a good pastor? Because God wants me to be a good pastor. Why do you want to be a good member? Because God wants you to be a good member.

It’s all about Him. It’s what He wants. And you’re not here, and I’m not here for our own little bitty purposes. We’re here as one conclusion to fear God and study His Word and sow the seed. And if you look there in the last part of verse nine, it says, but let us not be weary in well doing. It means in the sowing because sometimes you don’t reap right away. It takes patience. A farmer does not sow today and reap tomorrow morning.

There could be a long time in between the sowing and the reaping. And the patience of you and I is that we’ll be patient until we get to heaven. And we’re going to wait and we don’t become impate. We just keep on sowing and keep on reaping because that’s the will of God and that’s the purpose. So you and I are, says here, in new season, we might reap, we shall reap, if we faint not, if you don’t quit.

This is talking about your service to the Lord. Don’t stop, don’t quit. Don’t let the philosophy of the world permeate your mind. it will so depress you, so humiliate you. Cause your whole life to look at it as nothing, but vanity and vexation of spirit. It destroys the will to live. It can kill the will to go to church. Kill the will, the spirit, the study God’s word, to pass out a tract, talk to people about the Lord. It totally destroys.

It’ll rip the life right out of you When you get away from the main purpose, there is a God. We are responsible. And that’s what God wants. Let me close with these verses. I want you to look there in John chapter 4. The Gospel of John and chapter 4. Look there in verse 35 verse 35. This is what Jesus said. as though it was the part of his life, the reason for his life. He says, say not ye, there are yet four months and then comeeth harvest.

Behold I say unto you, lift up your eyes, look on the fields for they are white already to harvest. And he that reaperth receiveth wages. In other words, God will pay a sow in her. God will pay you to win souls. Can you believe them? I did this one time in ransom. I said, how many of y’all, if I was to give you $1,000 for every person you led to Christ, how many of you would feel like God wants you to be a full time soul winner?

Let me see your hand. My hands went all over the place. And you do it here too. If I would pay you $1,000 for every person you led to Christ. All of a sudden the Lord’s leading me and you wouldn’t Don’t worry about all of the other stuff. You would just do it. You would just do it. But I’m not going to give you a thousand dollars. So don’t try this with me. But there’s a God in heaven that will pay you a lot more than a thousand dollars.

It’s just that we can’t see what the wages are. We can’t see, we can’t even fathom what it’s going to be like when And we get to heaven and God rewards you for your faithfulness. I wonder what it’s going to be like. Would you like to be there? And God says, okay, where’s all the ones that blah blah blah led to Christ? Let me see your hands.

Let me see your hands. Well, where are you? I gave you 30 years to live and you’re trying to tell me that you don’t have anybody. See this room over here? All these treasures, rewards, and all that stuff? That’s what I was going to give you. And you don’t get anything? Now, you’re in heaven, or you’re glad about your being there, but there’s going to be something that takes place because God has to wipe away tears from our eyes.

And it says in the book of 2 Corinthians in chapter 5 that we’re going to stand at the Genesis of Christ and the next verse talking about knowing therefore the tear of the Lord we persuade men. We persuade men. You persuade men. It’s not just a matter of sowing the seeds. We’re supposed to try to persuade a person. You can’t make them, but can you use the word of God in such a way and bait them and convince a person to trust Christ as Savior.

Whatever it takes. But I do believe that it’s worth it. Look what he says here in this verse. In verse 36, he that reapeth, we see, of wages and gather a fruit, fruit that lasts forever. You see, when a person trusts Christ as Savior, they have eternal life. That’s fruit with life everlasting. That’s why it’s so important. Look there in verse 37. Here in is that saying true. One saw another reaps. I sent you to reap that whereon you bestowed no labor.

Other men labored and you’re entered into their labors. So you’re going to get to reap some of the benefits because he had already also, you know, sent them out two by two and they went in all the cities and they spread the word and blah, blah, blah. And sometimes somebody else has already been witnesses to somebody and you might come along and it’s like the fruit just dropped in your hand. They were right. They were right. Yeah, but somebody else may have already been talking to them about the Lord and you just got the benefits.

And then you’ll talk to somebody else until you’re blue in the face and spend two or three hours with them and they won’t trust the Lord. And then somebody else comes right behind you and picks the fruit. You see, you’re rewarded because of your faithfulness. You’re rewarded because of your faithfulness. Just be faithful. It will be worked at all. But anyway, it’s just something to kind of keep in mind because as we go through life, there’s always a lot of things in this whole world that gets into our minds and we wonder whether or not is it worth it, is it worth it?

And you can become so discouraged because of all the problems you have that you get your eyes off the purpose, off the goal. A friend of mine named Greg Steer, he says, I always keep and I was trying to drive the cause into people’s minds. True. Drive the cause. What’s the cause? The great cause. The cause is the great commission. About three years ago, I met with him out there in Colorado. I had flown out there for something. So we sit down and we talked and he was laying out all this stuff that he’s going to do.

And I thought, this guy comes up with more ideas on trying to get the same job done, but he hits it from this angle. And the next time I see him, he’ll come at it from another angle. but he’s always, he’s always after it. And I learned something from him. He challenged me, yeah. He encourages me. And so we do have fruit that will last forever. Keep sowing. Don’t get weary and well doing. Put a smile on your face.

Don’t always be down. Somebody told me this morning and said, you know, you should have been a stand-up comedian. Do you know, I didn’t plan half of that funny stuff that I said this morning. Maybe some of it was, some of it wasn’t. But it’s the way that I am. I enjoy life. Don’t you enjoy being alive? It’s so short, this little period of time that we have to live, it’s not gonna last very long. We’re gonna be out of here.

So we do what we can while we can. And we’re not supposed to think that, my God died and he’s sick and I’m, You know, now he’s alive. Talk to him this morning, he’s feeling fine. This is you and me. This is all the things that we do wrong. And God says all of us are sinners. The reason we commit the sin, because we have an owe-sin for nature. And God says all have sin and come short of his perfection.

That means we’re all condemned. To go to heaven, you have to be perfect. It writes, this has got a none of us are perfect. God says you can’t earn eternal life, you can’t work your way to heaven, you can’t buy it. So a man needs a Savior. This man represents Jesus Christ. He’s the Lord. God in the flesh. He came into the world because he loves us, but he hates our sin. She, our sin separates us from the Lord.

So Christ took the sin, paid for it on the cross and came back from the dead and said that if we would believe he did it for us, he would put the payment that he made to our account. And we get to go to heaven on what Christ did for us. That’s the best news in the world. world. That’s the best news to keep telling people about. So let me encourage you, don’t get weary and well doing. Just hang in and keep going.

Just always stay at it. And love your husband, love your wives, love your kids. You know, they’re gonna be gone one of these days and they won’t be around for you to love anymore. I mentioned this morning, I wish I I knew a lot of stuff years ago, but it was kind of late. I know I could have shown my mama and my brothers and sisters. I could have loved them better than I did. My son David, it’s in heaven right now.

I think I could have done a better job. I could have loved them more, showed it better. There’s so many things that I wish I could go back and undo it. I can’t do it. So why you can’t or what you have, love what you have. And love the Lord. Let’s pray, shall we? If you have never trusted Christ as your Savior, understand it. Yes, God loves you. And He paid for your sins. All of them, not some of them, all of them.

And the only thing that you have to do is believe that He did it for you. And God said, if you’ll believe that He died and paid for your sins, that payment He made, put to your account. You get to go to heaven or what He did. And He said, it never cast you out, it never lose you. So would you trust Him? Would you believe it? There is a God. There is a God. And everything that I’m telling you is the truth.

And if you’ll trust Christ as your Savior right now, God would save you right now and give you eternal life. So we head by nine’s clothes as anyone at all. Say, yes, pray for me. I will accept Christ as my Savior. And I’d like for you to pray for me. Anyone at all, before we close, anyone at all. Our Father, we thank You so much for all that you’ve done for us, forgiven us that hope, that joyful anticipation. That one day it’s all going to be over here and we’re going to be in heaven.

That there was a purpose in our being born. There’s a purpose in our life. There’s a purpose in our death. We prayed Lord that we would understand, except whatever you have for us, to be used for your honor for your glory. Thank you for this church and these good people. And Father, this could be a hard week for some people. And some may face financial problems and some health, but whatever it is. We know that the great comforter of the Holy Spirit will walk us through it.

Father, there’s a lot of people that don’t believe that there is a God. They don’t have a comforter. They have no one to show them compassion and to forgive the Father we do and help us to share that as we sow and as we reap in Christ and 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 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. Believe in that the Lord is coming soon and just keep looking up.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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 message will be a blessing to you and your family.

I want you to take your Bible and turn to the book of 1 Corinthians and chapter 15. 1 Corinthians chapter 15. You’ll notice what he says there in verse 1. Moreover brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received and wherein ye stand, by which also ye are saved. you keep in memory what I preached unto you unless you have believed in vain. Now two things in this verse is very scary or was very scary to me a long time ago.

One is if you keep in memory and the other one is believe in vain. I thought well you mean if I trust Christ is my Savior today but I have to keep remembering that I did in order to stay saved because if you don’t think you’re saved any more than you’re not saved anymore because you got to remember it. What if I forget? The other part of that verse that scared me was, unless you have believed in vain, I thought, well, how can the man believe in vain?

You mean I can trust the Lord in vain? I mean, I believe Lord, but then God won’t save me. Why? So I had a problem with those two things and I think a lot of other people have problem with that and that’s why they add things on to the gospel. I’m sure you’re like, I was, I’d heard that Jesus cries and died on the cross that he paid for sin But I never really understood what does that have to do with me going to heaven?

I Still thought I have to be good to get there and if I wasn’t good. I wasn’t gonna make it So I never really understood the gospel But the one of the greatest things that could ever happen into anybody’s life is to trust Christ as their Savior But you see, it’s not in vain if you forget. And it’s not in vain, whenever that verse says, unless you have believed in vain. How do you believe in vain? We see your faith in the Lord is in vain if Jesus Christ did not come back again from the dead.

You see that whole chapter, the 15th chapter, 1 Corinthians, is talking about the resurrection of Christ from the dead. Him coming back from the dead is our security. That’s what gives us eternal life, is the power that He had to come back from the dead. And that’s why He says, your faith is in vain if Christ is still dead. And if Christ is dead, then our preaching is in vain. Your believing or trusting is in vain. In other words, it’s to no avail.

And then He says, we are found to be Jehovah’s Witnesses. I mean false witnesses, if we do not teach and believe that Jesus Christ came back from the dead. So since I do believe that Jesus Christ came back from the dead and He did come back from the dead, then my faith in Him is not in vain. Now I want you to take your Bible and turn over there to the book of Romans and chapter 4. Romans chapter 4.

Here in the book of Romans in chapter 4, I want you to look there at a good definition of what faith is, since we’re saved by faith. Here in verse 21, he says, and being fully persuaded. Faith is taking God at his word, being fully persuaded that what he had promised, he was also able to, what, to perform. Being saved is not something that you perform. Being saved is something that he performs. And when He makes this statement, then fully persuaded means that you have to totally trust Jesus Christ as your Savior.

It’s not trusting Christ 90% and you 10%. You have to totally trust the Lord and be fully persuaded that what He promised to do, He will do. He is the Savior and He saves us. We cannot save ourselves. Now, in verse 22, it makes a statement, and therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. To impute means to put to your account. It means that what Christ did on the cross, that payment that He made for the sins of the whole world is put to your account.

But when is that payment put to your account? When you believe. Just because Christ died and paid for all the sins of the world, doesn’t mean that everybody the world not going to heaven. No, the payment is not put to your account until you believe that he did that for you. See there in verse 23? Now it was not written for his sake alone, talking about Abraham here, that it was imputed or put to his account because you see he was saved about 400 and something years before the law was ever given.

So Abraham could not have been saved by his works. The law had not even been given. So Abraham was saved by faith. So before the law, people were saved by faith. Under the law, people were saved by faith. See there in verse 6 of the same chapter referring now to under the law, David even made this statement also described the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputed what? Righteousness without what? Without works. And yet wasn’t he living underneath the dispensation of law when the law had been given?

Yes, he was the king of Israel. But David was not saved by the law. He was saved by grace having God’s righteousness put to his account without works. Now look what he says in verse five. Well, it was before the law or under the law or after the law, but to him that worketh not, but believeeth on him that justifyeth the ungodly. Here’s what? His faith is counted for righteousness. In other words, it’s just like when you believe that what Christ did on the cross, that He did that for you, you believing that puts that payment to your account as though you did it.

So all the righteousness, the sinless life that Christ lived, his perfection, his righteousness is put to your account. He doesn’t impart the sins that you committed to your account. They were put to his account. Christ paid those and gives you his righteousness the moment that you trust him as your Savior. Now look there again in verse 23. Now it was not written for his sake alone that he was imputed to him, but for us also, not just him, but not just David, but everybody.

Look what he says now in verse 24. But for us also to whom it shall be imputed. That means it shall be put to your account, his righteousness, to your account if we do what? If we believe, if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, if we believe. Those three little words, you know, that’s all you have to do to be saved. If you’ll believe that what Christ did was for you. You see, a lot of people believe that He died and paid for sins, but are still not saved.

You have to believe that what he did was to pay for your sins. Oh, I believe he paid for the sin of the whole world. I know, but you got to believe he paid for yours and accept that as your payment. That means that you stop trying to earn your salvation. You’re not trying to work for something because you realize it’s been bought and paid for. And all you have to do is accept it as a gift. Faith is the ability to trust.

Being fully persuaded that what he has promised, he will perform. The reason you trust Christ is because you’re believing that He is able to perform that work of salvation saving you from hell, giving you eternal life, making you His child and take you to heaven whenever you die. That’s what you’re trusting Him to do. Now notice the next verse. In verse 25 it says, who was delivered for our offenses? In other words, you and I have offended God. We have offended Him.

In other words, God made these laws. God is righteous and perfect and holy. So God gave the law. But the law was not given to save us. The law was given to show us that we are sinful and we have broken God’s standard of righteousness and that we have offended a holy God. So the law is like a mirror that we look at. To see what we have done against God. Therefore the law condemns us because the wages of sin is death.

And because we’ve all sinned or broken God’s law, we’re all under the sentence, the condemnation, to an eternity separate from God in hell. So we have all offended a righteous God. And now because we have offended God, we’re enemies of God. Look what he says down in verse 10 of chapter 5. For if while we were in your underlyingness, we were enemies. We’re enemies because our sins separated us from God. So that’s why he says we have offended God.

And God is going to take judgment or wrath upon those who have offended Him. So what he did is sent his son into the world to take all of our offenses. offenses, then our offenses is what nailed him to the cross. In other words, all that list of things that we have done, God said that that was nailed to the cross and Christ was there paying for our offenses. So instead of us taking the punishment and the judgment, his son died in our place under the wrath of God the Father.

Now, when he makes the statement here. He was delivered as a lamb for our offenses, then he says, and was raised again for our justification because he just Christ died on the cross, didn’t save anybody. It makes it possible for people to be saved. The good news is that a man can be justified by his faith. That’s Good news, that’s gospel. That a man who is a wicked man can be justified just as if he’d never sinned by his faith alone.

Raised again for our justification. That means that if you trusted in Jesus Christ who has not risen from the dead, your faith in him is in vain. And he can’t save you or justify you from all those offenses that you have made against him. Therefore, your faith is in vain. you are not saved and you’re still yet in your sins and we’re of all men most miserable and we’re without hope. But because Christ came back again from the dead, he’s a living Savior.

How can he be a Savior if he’s dead? But he’s not dead. He is not here. He is what? Risen. He is alive. And so now Christ who is alive from the dead can save us. So we accept him as our Savior and we’re justified. Now remember this simple illustration. This is the Lord and He’s perfect, righteous and just. The Bible says that you and I have sinned. That means that we have come short of God’s perfection. Since we’ve all come short of God’s perfection, we are short of His glory.

The glory refers to the perfection of God. So therefore you and I are in a heap of trouble. And God says, buy your good deed, your good works. You’ll never be justified. You’ll never be perfect by your good works. The brain-forth perfect works, you’d have to be what? Perfect. A good man can only bring forth good works. A bad man can only bring forth bad works. And God says, we’re all bad. So how can you even be good? You can’t.

There is none good, no not what? One. Now by our works, we’ll never be justified. That’s why we needed a Savior. So Christ dies, pay for our sins. When we accept that payment that He made for us, His righteousness is put to our account, and if God gave us His righteousness, that would make us as righteous as who. That’s God. Therefore we are equal. That’s why when Christ was here, it says it was not Robert for him to be equal with the Father.

because you see he was equal. He was God. There was no fault, no flaws in the Son of God. So when Jesus Christ took upon him the sins of the world, he died in our place so that we could be raised up to be equal or justified with God. That means when you trust that Christ is your Savior, God no longer sees any sin in you. You have been given a new birth, a new birth, new creation born of God, no sinful nature and if it cannot sin, then it cannot die.

And that’s why once you trust Christ as your Savior, you are his child forever. Now look down here in verse 6 of chapter 5. In verse 6 it says, for when we were yet without strength, that means you did not have the strength, the ability to live up to the standard that God has demanded. So the law becomes a mirror that lets us see that we have sinned and come short of God’s perfection, so the law was given. To point us to Christ.

So then instead of trying to save ourselves by our works, we trust Christ as our Savior. So the law leads us to Christ. Then he says this in the last part of it. In due time, and you are on the line these little words, Christ died for who? The ungodly. Well, who’s the ungodly? That’s everybody in the world. There’s only one that’s perfect. And that’s the Lord. So Christ died from all the sins of all the world. Now, verse seven is very interesting.

For scarcely for a righteous man will one die if there was a righteous man, or by his so-called deeds he has achieved, and we looked upon as a righteous man. Yet per adventure for a good man, somewhat even dared to die. But God committed his love toward us in that while we were yet what? Sts. Sinners, not saints, sinners, Christ died for us. a little illustration that I used about a week ago, two weeks ago. Simple illustration, but let’s just say for example, we take John Reynolds back here.

John Reynolds is hanging over a cliff, and John Reynolds is only hanging on by a little branch and it’s about ready to go. He knows he’s fixing the plunge to his death. You know, it’s about a thousand foot drop. Sure, death, he has no hope. I come by and I see John in his situation. And I say, John, you’re going to die, aren’t you? He said, well, it looks like way,but I said, you know, if that thing breaks loose with you, you know, you’re mashed potatoes.

He says, yep, yep. I said, would you like to be saved? He said, I sure would. I said, I’ll make a deal. I got a lot of work that I need to have done. See, I want to move this mountain over here. And I’m not going to live long enough to get it all done by myself. I’ll make you deal. If I save you, would you promise to give me your life so that I can have you help move this dirt pile?

And he says, you mean you want me to work the rest of my life helping you move a dirt pile? Yeah. I mean as a token of your appreciation, I want you to promise that you’ll help me to do that. And John looks him in and he says, just let me fall bud, just let me fall. I have no desire to be your little slave for the rest of my life. I’d rather just die. All right. Now what if I went by and I talked to Mr.

Bray, Mr. Bray’s in the same position. And I say to Mr. Bray, I said, Mr. Bray, I said, Mr. Bray, I said, Mr. Bray, I said, you know, you’re gonna die. You’re gonna die. You need to be saved. He said, yes, I know that. And I said, I’ll make you deal. Would you serve me for the rest of your life and help me move this dirt pile? I mean, I just want you to do it from one until night for the rest of your life faithfully and do nothing else.

Only what I want you to do, be my little slave.” And he says, I sure will. I promise I’ll do anything you want me to do. And I says, okay, and I save him. Now he gave his word and he promised, and then he didn’t do one lick of work. He wouldn’t do it. And I say to him, you never really meant business. You lied to me, you didn’t keep your word. Now I could do that, and he could do that.

Couldn’t he? He could deceive me. Now another one is I come by and I see Milton Hale. I say, look, you’re dying and you’re going to fall over that cliff and you’re going to be mashed potatoes. If I save you, will you promise that you’ll help me move that dirt pile? And he says, yes, I will. And then you’ll work faithfully from the time that I get you up for the rest of your life. You owe me. Will you promise to do that?

Milton says, yes, I will. So I pull Milton up, save his life. and he goes to work and he works faithfully. More than until night, I mean, he is like clockwork, and he does everything that he is supposed to do. And boy, I tell you, but inwardly, he despises me for what I did to him, because he knew that I took advantage of him. And he hates me for it, but he does the work, but he hates me and despises me.

He’s there, and it’s just a drudgery, it’s just a job, and he hates every minute of it, but he’s faithful because he gave his word. And then lo and behold, I come by and there’s Tim King. And I say to Tim King, I says, Tim, you’re going to die. I says, you got no hope. And I says, look, if I save you, will you promise to help me move at dirt pile? For the rest of your life, you’ll work helping move at dirt pile.

I says, after all, you’re going to die anyway. So your life is nothing. So if I save you, at least you’ve got to, you know, you’ve got a good reason to live. He says, all right, I’ll do it. And I bring him up and lo and behold, he does the work. and enjoys it all the days of his life. Just always singing with a smile on his face. He’s all happy and he works faithfully all the days of his life for me.

That would be very rare, wouldn’t it? Virtually impossible, wouldn’t it? Now you see, there’s people who are saying this is what Christ does and thinking they’re making deals with the people on salvation. None of those is the gospel, not a one. All four of those is misleading. They’re wrong. It’s not that, you know, where you promise God that you’re going to live for the Lord if I save you. No. It’ll produce the same results that we’ve just mentioned. And that’s why you have some people say, no, just let me fall, or I’m not ready yet.

I’m not ready. Not ready to what? I’m not ready to promise that I’m going to live for Him yet. And so they’ll rather just reject. the Lord because of what they’ve been told. That’s false. That’s not to be taught. That’s not the gospel. That’s not good news. On none of these was good news. None of these was totally free. True? None of it was free because they had to promise what they would do if I delivered them. If they had to promise to me and make a commitment in any way about how they’re going to live their life once I saved them, then they were not saved as a total free gift.

When it comes to salvation, if I come by and I see John Reynolds hanging over the edge, I still have that mount in the dirt to move. And I reach down here and I save him, and he has made no promise of no commitment of anything and I set him free. If he appreciates what I’ve done and he wants to do anything for me, that’s his choice. I can beseech Him. I can even plead with Him. I may even beg Him.

But it cannot be a stipulation on me saving Him. Christ died for us while we were yet sinners. And then He says for us to stand fast in the freedom that He has given to you and I. When Jesus Christ died on the cross, it’s not less make a deal. He gives us salvation and then we have the freedom or the choice after we’re saved to either serve him or not to serve him. But all of our service to the Lord should not be in bitterness.

It should not be because we are vindictive toward him because now that I’m a Christian or child of God and I don’t have a choice if I don’t he’s going to beat the tar on me anyway and I resent every minute of it. No, you’re not to live that away. The Bible says in the book of 1 Corinthians and chapter 5, because we thus judge that if he died for all, then we’re all dead, and that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him who died for them and rose again.

So I should serve the Lord because of what he’s done for me, but it cannot be a condition for my salvation. My salvation is free. It is a total gift. He was raised from the dead so that he qualifies as a Savior. He can save me, give me eternal life, and I’m going to have a look in verse 1 of chapter 5. Therefore, being what justified, made righteous with God, made being made eco with the Father, so that the Father finds no fault in His sons not just his son Christ but even in us it’s like you never sinned But that was given to you freely was his righteousness put to your account And then he says therefore being justified by what?

by faith That means you taking your Confidence your trust and putting it in the payment that he made on the cross for you and he saves you and gives you as a free gift eternal life. Look there in verse 15. But not as the offense, so also is the what? Free, what is it? Free gift. For it through the offense of one, many be dead much more the grace of God and the, what’s the next word? Gift by what?

Grace. Look there in verse 16 of chapter 4. Therefore, it is of faith that it might be by what? Grace. Grace is unmerited. The reason that God saves a man by grace is so that it can be offered freely to everybody. If he charged us, none of us could have it. Because then it takes you out of the realm of grace and it becomes works. And God says salvation is by grace through faith and that not of yourself, it is the what?

Gift of God, not of works. So you cannot be saved putting faith in Christ and in your good works. You have to totally trust Jesus Christ and Him alone as your only hope of salvation or you do not get salvation. That payment cannot be put to your account unless you’re fully persuaded and trusting him that he will perform this act of salvation and saving you and giving you eternal life. Now, looking verse 16 of chapter 5, for not as it was by one that senteth so is the gift, and over and over again, the gift, the gift, the free gift, the free gift of grace, and a saved by faith, and it is not by works.

And we’ll close with this one verse, look again there in verse 5 of chapter 4. But to him that does what? Worketh not. but does what? Believe it. That’s how we know that believing on Christ is not a work. Why? Because the Bible says it’s not. Believing on Christ means trusting Him to save us. So He says, but to Him that work if not but believe it on Him, that justify it, the who ungodly His faith is counted for righteousness.

Let me show you a simple illustration. I know most of you’ve never seen this before, but let the sin represent you and me, the wallet represents sin, we all have sin upon us. Now God says he loves us. He hates our sin because you see our sin separates us from the Lord and the wages of sin is death and since everybody’s sinned everybody’s condemned. Now to go to heaven we have to be perfect as righteous as God, what none of us are perfect.

So we have to be justified made to the place where we’ve never send. But we have to pay for these. And God says, you cannot earn your salvation and all your good works will never take away your sin. It won’t justify it. Now this is Jesus Christ, his hand represented the Lord. He came into the world because he loves us, hates our sin because it separates us from him. So Christ took the sin, paid for on the cross, came back from the dead.

Now how many of our sins did Christ pay for when he died? All of them. If If He paid for all of our sins, how many sins do we have yet to be paid? None. So when you accept this payment that Christ’s made for you, you have a payment for how many of your sins, all of them. So that means from the time that you’re born, till the time that you die, you have a payment for all of your sins, past, present and future.

Christ has already paid for the sins you have not yet committed because when He died on the across 2000 years ago, how many of our sins were in the future? All of them. So that means that Christ has paid for all of your sins. So when you accept the payment He made, you have a payment for all of your sins. So whenever you believe that He did this for you, that He paid for your sins, He gives you as a free gift eternal life.

Now if it’s eternal life, how long would it last? Forever. If it lasts forever and all you sins are paid, where will you go and you die. You go to heaven. So you go to heaven on what Jesus Christ did for you. He not only paid for your sins and was buried, that wouldn’t save you because there’s no Savior unless He could come back from the dead for you to trust, for Him to give you eternal life. So He was raised for our justification to make us as righteous as God.

And so we go Go to heaven on what Jesus Christ did for us. 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. live today and every day. Believing that the Lord is coming soon, and just keep looking up.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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

Well tonight’s gonna be just a tad different, not a lot, but I want to show you something that I Pray will be a blessing to you because I’m gonna speak on how to know the will of God and you know some things are in the will of God Clear and direct. There’s other things that are well It’s progressive revelation God doesn’t always tell you up front everything He wants you to do. He just wants you to submit to His will and do whatever He says do.

A little do me and understand that when they get married. Sometimes He tells you everything that you’re supposed to do and then sometimes you just have to go through and He reveals more as you go. And if you make a mistake you have to correct it and go back and do it again. I want to give this to you because I think it’ll help you and be blessing to you because of how important it is for the will of God because when you stop and think about it, that’s one of the most important things in the whole world.

For the lost man, the man that doesn’t know where he’s going when he dies, it’s the will of God that he hears the gospel, the good news of how he can have eternal life. And simply by trusting Christ as Savior, he can know that he’s going to heaven when every dies. And so turn in your Bible to the book of Hebrews and chapter 10, Hebrews and chapter 10, because the Lord says that he came into the world not to do his own will, but the will of him that sent him.

And so God prepared a body and then Christ submitted the body, and then Christ offered the body. You see, we were born into this world into a body. Christ was born into this world into a body. Now, our bodies has an old sin for nature, but Christ did not have an essential nature, but we do. And so because of that, we are bent on doing our own thing, our own will. So that’s why we’re so rebellious because of our sinful nature.

We want our own way. We do not like it when anybody tells us what we can and cannot do. Now when it comes to you and the Lord, is He someone that you can totally trust? Can you trust the Lord? And can you commit your whole life to Him? This is after you’ve trusted Christ as Savior. See whenever you get Savior committing your soul into his care for his keeping. And that’s why he says, I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

So whenever you trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, you were trusting Jesus Christ to save you, to give you eternal life, and take good heaven whenever you die. So that’s how we know we’re going to heaven when we die. It’s not because we’re good, because he’s good. And you can’t earn it, can’t work for But after you trust that Christ is your Savior, what is the will of God for me? So you look at just a couple things and realize what God did for His Son, and then He was our example.

So there’s some things that we can learn from it. So Hebrews chapter 10, look there in verse 5. Verse 5 says, when therefore when He cometh into the world, so that means He came into the world, but He existed before the world began. The Bible teaches that and says, sacrifice and offerings thou would if not, but a body has stopped or paired me.” In other words, God was not satisfied with all the sacrifices that had been made by the bulls and goats and all these animals.

It wasn’t satisfied with that. And so that’s why it was just a covering, a tome, at one minute. It’s simply meaning that it just appeased the anger of God until Christ came and then the full anger and wrath of God fell upon his son. And so he says here in verse five, a body has now prepared me. Now, when he says a body has now prepared me, Hebrews 928, just look there real quick, just one chapter back, chapter nine verse 28.

So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin on the salvation. So when he came into the world, he came for a reason. He came to bear the sins of individuals. words to pay for what we have done wrong. So he says, a body has stopped prepared me. Now in offerings and sacrifices in verse 6, for sin thou have no pleasure. God was not pleased with him.

But then he says in verse 7, then I said, lo, I come in the volume of the book, it is written of me. And these words, to do thy will, O God. So I come to do thy will. We know he came into the world and God prepared for him a body. And then he was to take that body that he had and he had to commit himself to the Father, to do whatever the Father wanted him to do so that he would have, I guess, the test of of everyone, whether or not is he without sin, what was required?

How was he tested? So he says that he was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin. So Christ came into the world, took upon himself a body, and then in that body he had to submit himself to whatever the Father wanted to put him through. And so there was a lot of trials and testings and and so on. And then the Bible says here in verse eight, above when he said sacrifice and offerings and burn offerings and offerings for sin, thy would have not, neither had pleasure therein, which are offered by the law.

Then said he lo, I come to do thy will, O God, says it again, I come to do thy will. Whatever was the will of the Father, that’s what he did. Now you and I know the most difficult thing it is for us is when we have children, teaching the children to obey their mother and father, and not always having to use philosophy on them, but to tell them to do something without them questioning, to quickly and humbly obey without back talk, without sass and their mom or their dad, You sweetly, whatever thy will, O mother and father, whatever you say, dear is dead.

And to never challenge the authority in the home, like your children do, like you see your grandkids do, no like you were. Would it be neat if everyone simply learned how to obey authority? And so if we could obey authority and authority would obey those that are in authority over them, you know, we would have a wonderful world in which to live, even with a sinful nature. But this whole sinful nature that we have in us gets the best of us.

And so after a while, that little darling that you know is a little angel and you probably think that they weren’t even born with a sinful nature. realize how fast they can turn ugly and that sweet pretty little girl, that little darling, become a mean and ugly little witch and you’ll want to spank that little child. Now we’ve gotten to the place today where you can’t do that. I believe that’s one of the things that’s really harm in our country is because there’s no discipline at home because they’ve taken away the power structure.

They’ve taken away the rights of parents to raise their children, to discipline their children. I’m not talking about killing the kids, but I am thinking about, I believe that it’s good, good. God has built all the little children with a nice little padded area back there, and I believe that it’ll be met once in a while with the Board of Education. Boom! You say, you don’t believe it? Yes, I do. Why? Because it’s in the Bible. God knows more about how to raise kids than Dr.

Spock. I believe in Dr. Spank. And I believe that there ought to be better authority in the homes. The where the children have learned how to submit themselves to authority. And the reason is because when they get a little bit older and they got to go to school, they got to learn how to submit to a family. authority in the school classroom. When they get a job, they’ve got to learn how to submit to authority. We have people the day that it just plain rebellious.

They don’t want anybody telling them how to live. And look at the world today and how we’re going. It’s all over the world. You see all these occupies sit in, all those things like that. All it is is nothing more than rebellion. It’s rebellion. And they want everything done according to their will. And they want to take away your will or your right or your assets. And they want it. Any time somebody usually says, you know, you have too much power.

You have too much money. What they mean is I want some. I want some of the power and I want some of the money. You owe me. And so we have rebellion in our country and it’s going to get worse and worse and worse. I just showed him a little clipping in the paper that was there this morning. The world is looking for a leader. The world is looking for a leader. This week they were over there in Europe and everybody getting together and they need a leader.

I wonder who it’s going to, it’s not going to be me. But the world is looking for a leader. And you know where that’s going to lead to sooner or later. We know how things are going to have to get in this world. We know the tribulation period lies right ahead of us, and it’s going to get worse and worse and worse. Now, if you’ll notice there, the Bible says that this body has to be offered. See there in verse 12, but this man after he offered.

So he prepared a body and then he humbled the body, submitted the body and then offered the body, even unto death. So now when you and I come along and we trust Christ as our Savior, it is the will of God that we learn that we’re supposed to submit to the Lord. Take your Bible and turn to the Gospel of John in chapter six, the Gospel of John and chapter six. The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ in referring to his Father, we often talk about verse 37, and we often talk about verse 38, 39.

But I want you to notice right between this verse 37 and 39, a wonderful little statement. And verse 38 says, for I came down from heaven, and you ought to underline this, not to do mine own will. Now, thank for a moment for yourself because as we read scripture, we’re always supposed to seek to apply it to our lives. And Christ was our example on how you and I are supposed to live because now God, the creator of heaven and earth, is our Father.

I am not here. You are not here here, according to our own will. We’re not here to do things according to our own will, but the will of Him that sent us. You see, when you trusted Christ as your Savior, your citizenship is in heaven. That’s because that’s where you were born of God. And it’s like you’re sent here into another world, just like Christ was sent into the world and went to heaven. And then we were born of God and sent into the world.

And he says, as the Father hath sent me, even so send I you. So all of us in this world have been sent into the world To do his will. So we simply simply find out what is the will of God and then we’re supposed to do that. Wouldn’t it be neat if all of us… All of God’s children believe that. And we would seek to try to influence people to serve the Lord with all their heart. So in the midst of thatValidness, We have some things to think about.

Look there at letter A at the beginning of his ministry. This is what he said. Now he didn’t say this at the beginning, but it’s referring to the beginning because he talks about when I came into the world. That’s what he wanted to do. Look in John chapter four, just turn your Bible to the left a couple pages. And you’ll notice there in chapter four and verse 34, Jesus said unto them, my meat is to do the will of him.

that sent me and you ought to finish his work.” See, it’s his work. It’s not our work. Look at all the things that Christ did while He was here. But it wasn’t his work. It was the Father’s work. You and I in this world, we’re not here to do our own thing. We’re not here to seek and to do our own will, but the will of Him that sent us. So if that is true, then we’re here to do his work.

Whatever the work is that he has for us, that’s what we’re supposed to do. And so he says, my meat means that which satisfies me. You see, when you were looking for physical food because they’d ask him, do you have you had anything to eat? And they thought he’d done somebody that brought him a McDonald Hamburg or something. And he says, my meat, that which satisfies my soul, is to do the will of him that sent me. There’s more satisfaction in that than all the food in this world will ever do for you.

There’s something that means more to you, that you want to chew on, that you want to swallow, that really satisfies. And if I could only get people to taste and to see that the Lord is good, good. And in your own soul, you say, this means more to me. This is what I want. You don’t usually have to worry about a person who understands that and gets a taste of it because they want more and more and more. It’s those that never have really tasted and seen how great God is.

And I’m not talking about your salvation. You’ve already trusted Christ’s Savior. I’m talking about in the joy of serving the Lord, the joy of surrendering your will to His will so that you’ll do whatever God wants you to do. Such satisfaction that’s there. Now look at John 5.30, John chapter 5 and verse 30. And notice what he says here in verse 30, I can of mine own self do nothing. As I hear I judge and my judgment is just because I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me over and over and over again.

This is what he says. At the beginning of his ministry in the midst of his ministry, and yes, even at the end of his ministry, this was what Christ was about, just doing the will of the Father. See, when you begin to get a little lost in your life and you’re not sure what you’re doing, go back to the drawing board, go back to the basis, go back to the fundamentals, get back to the Word of God and find out, now, wait a minute, who am I?

Why does God allow me to live. What is the purpose of my life? From God’s point of view. What does He want me to do? So I’ll know what my responsibilities are. And then you’ll know whether or not you’re succeeding or been a failure. Your faithfulness to the Lord is judged upon and according to the revealed will of God. Because if you don’t know what that is, all the intention of the world, the motives, it won’t matter. You need to know what is the will of God, and that’s why you do what God wants you to do.

John chapter 18, look there real quick, John chapter 18. John 18 and verse 11, then said Jesus on the Peter, put up thy sword into the sheaf, the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it. In other words, whatever this refers to, and there’s different opinions about what it is, it could be the cross, it could be the premature death in the garden. But whatever it is, regardless of how bad it is, regardless of what the devil was doing to him in the garden, or because of seeing what’s going to take place on the cross, regardless of how bad it was, nevertheless.

Not my will, but thy will be done. Now, if you can say this and mean it with all your heart, it’ll help you. If you want his will for your life and you believe that the one you’re listening to and following and obeying is going to lead you and guide you and protect you, then when it comes up to something in your life, well, it seems like this is so terrible. I don’t want to go through this and believe it or not, there’s going to be a lot of things you do not want to go through in life.

But you may say, Lord, I wish this would pass. I would rather not go through this, but nevertheless, thy will be done. And if you can always say, Lord, I just want your will, regardless of what it might be, how bad it might be. I am going to sacrifice my body, my life, to your will and trust you. When it comes to the Lord, regardless of how at times it seems like this is not what you want, but whenever you decide to serve the Lord, you don’t know where you’re going.

You don’t know how it’s going to end up there. And some things will be wonderful. parts of this plan of God you’re going to love every bit of it. And then there’s parts of it, it seems like God you must have made a mistake. But it could be the will of God that you’ve got to go through it. So it might be physical, it could be emotionally, mentally, I mean who knows? And you’re going to suffer in this life.

And God will allow you to suffer. But Lord, whatever your will is. That’s what I want. So he did what the father wanted him to do. Now, won’t you look at number two, things the will of God will do for you. Now, there’s six things that are mentioned here. It will give you real substance to your life. It’ll bring enlightenment to your mind, rest to your soul, guidance for service, protection in life, and it’ll get comfort. That sounds like a wonderful reason to serve the Lord.

Look what it’s going to do for you. Now take your Bible and turn to the book of James. I want you to see this verse, the book of James. And chapter four, James chapter four. Because as you and I live in this life, there’s things that we’re going to have to do. There’s things that you’re not going to understand. But notice what he says here, and starting there in verse 13, Go to now, ye that say, today or tomorrow we will go into such a city and continue there a year, buy and sell and get gain.

You don’t know if you’re going to get gain or not. You don’t know the future. You can’t accurately determine what’s going to take place tomorrow. You cannot accurately 100% say what’s going to happen tonight. You probably are not even aware of what really happened today because of perspective and where you are. You don’t see everything, you don’t know everything. There could have been a lot of things happening today you haven’t even heard about. Sometimes I never even watched the TV, I don’t never know what’s going on.

Now sometimes after three or four days I find a little bit about what’s going on and then I’m not sure I like what’s going on. So I don’t… But I like to read the paper once in a while, but I don’t trust just about I don’t hardly trust anything. I trust the Bible But look what he says in verse 14. Whereas you know not I didn’t say that God did he know not What shall be on tomorrow and then what he said?

You don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. You don’t know what’s coming tomorrow You don’t know the course you’re gonna have to run tomorrow. You don’t know what you’re gonna have to face tomorrow But I know someone who does. See, I don’t have to be the smartest man in all the world. I don’t have to know everything. I just know the one that does. I don’t have to know everything in those library books. All I got to do is go in there and read a few of them once in a while if I want to, but I don’t have to know everything in the world.

I don’t have to know what everybody else knows and believes. I do think it’s why if I just understood my father’s will. What does he want me to do with my life? And then trust him to lead me as I go. That’s why sometimes you’ll study the Bible. See, you’ll learn a here a little, there a little. That’s progressive revelation. Understanding where it grows little by little. You’re growing in the Lord. The Bible makes this statement in the book of John chapter 17.

It says, If you will do the will of God, you shall know of the doctrine. God will teach you if you will do it. In other words, God wants you to commit first to do his will and then he’ll reveal it as you go. But see most people, they will do it. see most people, they want to know this whole thing laid out so they can decide whether or not they want to do it or not. Now in this light that might be wonderful.

But can’t we trust God? Do you believe He’s going to lead you down the wrong path? Do you believe it’s going to be nothing but trouble if you serve the Lord? Well it might be, but it’ll be worth it. Anytime you sacrifice anything for the things of God, it means you just sacrifice something for something better. It means you gave up something in this world that you are going to lose anyway, to gain something that you’ll never lose. Sounds good to me.

But look in verse 14, where as you know not what shall be on the moral, for what is your life? It’s a vapor that appear for a little time vanishes away, for that you ought to say, if the Lord will, we shall live and do this or do that. But only if God allows it to happen. Because do you realize that God has all power, all authority, and He can intervene into your life anytime He wants to? Did you know that if you dedicate your life to the Lord, expect God to interrupt your schedule?

You see, we have our plans and we dedicate our life to the Lord and then get upset with God because that’s not what I planned. That’s not But the way I wanted it, well, it doesn’t matter. It’s not according to your will, it’s according to his will. He has a purpose, He has a plan. The other night when we’re talking about the depression, first of all, we have a perfect God. Two, we have a perfect book. And three, God has a perfect plan.

Now remember I said that Wednesday night because it’s true. Now I’m supposed to believe that God can work out His will in my life. I didn’t ask to be born into this world, but here I am. I had no clue when I was that little snout in those brat growing up that God had anything for me, or that God could ever use, oh barefooted Georgia boy, from the sticks. But God can do miraculous things. God delights and works in miracles.

He says that He’d rather take some dedicated nobodies, because He says the high and the mighty God doesn’t use them. Oh, He can use them, but most of them are too big for their britches. So many are so filled with pride, God can’t use them. God rather rest, reach down and get a dedicated nobody that He can use because He knows if He can’t do anything. And He knows that if it wasn’t for the Lord, nothing would get accomplished.

God is looking for some people that will just say, Lord, here I am, whatever your will is, that’s what I want. I just want to be whatever you want me to be and life is short. You don’t get a chance to run this way again. We get one trip through. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. Part two of this teaching will conclude with tomorrow’s broadcast.

If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach 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 Bible line 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.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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 a 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. Look at John 5.30. John chapter 5 and verse 30. And notice what he says here in verse 30, I can of mine own self do nothing. As I hear, I judge and my judgment is just because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which have sent me over and over and over again.

This is what he says, at the beginning of his ministry in the midst of his ministry, And yes, even at the end of his ministry, this was what Christ was about, just doing the will of the Father. See, when you begin to get a little lost in your life and you’re not sure what you’re doing, go back to the drawing board, go back to the basis, go back to the fundamentals, get back to the Word of God and find out, now, wait a minute, who am I?

Why does God allow me to live? What is the purpose of my life from God’s point of view? What does he want me to do? So I’ll know what my responsibilities are and then you’ll know whether or not you’re succeeding or been a failure. Your faithfulness to the Lord is judged upon and according to the revealed will of God. Because if you don’t know what that is, all the intention of the world, the motives, it won’t matter. You need to know what is the will of God, and that’s why you do what God wants you to do.

John chapter 18, look there really quick, John chapter 18. John 18 and verse 11. Then said Jesus on the Peter, put up thy sword into the sheaf, the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it. In other words, whatever this refers to, and there’s different opinions about what it is, it could be the cross, it could be the premature death in the garden. But whatever it is, regardless of how bad it is, regardless of what the devil was doing to him in the garden, or because of seeing what’s going to take place on the cross, regardless how bad it was, nevertheless, not my will, but thy will be done.

Now, if you can say this and mean it with all your heart, it’ll help you. If you want his will for your life and you believe that the one you’re listening to and following and obeying is going to lead you and guide you and protect you, then when it comes up to something in your life, well, Well, this is so terrible. I don’t want to go through this. And believe it or not, there’s going to be a lot of things you do not want to go through in life.

But you may say, Lord, I wish this would pass. I would rather not go through this. But nevertheless, thy will be done. And if you can always say, Lord, I just want your will. Regarves of what it might be, how bad it might be. I am going to sacrifice my body, my life, to your will and trust you. When it comes to the Lord, regardless of how at times it seems like this is not. What you want. But whenever you decide to serve the Lord, you don’t know where you’re going.

You don’t know how it’s going to end up there. And some things will be wonderful. There’s parts of this plan of God you’re going to love every bit of it. And then there’s parts of it. It seems like God you must have made a mistake. But it could be the will of God that you got to go through it. So it might be physical. It could be emotions. mentally, who knows? And you’re going to suffer in this life and God will allow you to suffer.

But Lord, whatever your will is, that’s what I want. So he did what the Father wanted him to do. Now once you look at number two, things the will of God will do for you. Now there’s six things that are mentioned here. It will give you real substance to your life. It’ll bring enlightenment to your mind Rest to your soul, guidance for service, protection in life, and it’ll get comfort. That sounds like a wonderful reason to serve the Lord.

Look what it’s going to do for you. Now take your Bible and turn to the book of James. I want you to see this verse, the book of James, and chapter four, James chapter four. Because as you and I live in this life, there’s things that we’re going to have to do. There’s things that you’re not going to understand. But notice what he says here and starting there in verse 13, go to now, ye that say, today or tomorrow we will go into such a city and continue there a year, buy and sell and get gain.

Now you don’t know if you’re going to get gain or not. You don’t know the future. You can’t accurately determine what’s going to take place tomorrow. You cannot accurately 100% say what’s going to happen tonight. You probably are not even aware of what really happened today because of perspective and where you are. You don’t see everything, you don’t know everything. There could have been a lot of things happening today you haven’t even heard about. Sometimes I never even watched the TV, I don’t never know what’s going on.

Now sometimes after three or four days, I finally find out a little bit about what’s going on. And then I’m not sure I like what’s going on. So I don’t, but I like to read the paper once in a while, but I don’t trust, just, I don’t hardly trust anything. I trust the Bible. But look what he says in verse 14, whereas you know not, I didn’t say that, God did. You know not what shall be on the moral.

Isn’t that what he said? You don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. You don’t know what’s coming tomorrow. You don’t know the course you’re gonna have to run tomorrow. You don’t know what you’re gonna have to face tomorrow. But I know someone who does. See, I don’t have to be the smartest man in all the world. I don’t have to know everything. I just know the one that does. I don’t have to know everything in those library books. All I got to do is go in there and read a few of them once in a while if I want to, but I don’t have to know everything in the world.

I don’t have to know what everybody else knows and believes. I do think it’s why if I just understood my father’s will, what does he want me to do with my life? And then trust him to lead me as I go. That’s why sometimes you’ll study the Bible. You learn a here a little, there a little. That’s progressive revelation, understanding. Where it grows little by little. You’re growing in the Lord. The Bible makes this statement in the book of John chapter 17.

It says, If you will do the will of God, you shall know of the doctrine. God will teach you if you will do it. In other words, God wants you to commit first to do his will, and then he’ll reveal it as you go. But see, most people, they want to know this whole thing laid out so they can decide whether or not they want to do it or not. Now in this light, that might be wonderful. But can’t we trust God?

Do you believe he’s going to lead you down the wrong path? Do you believe it’s going to be nothing but trouble if you serve the Lord? Well, it might be. But it’ll be worth it. Anytime you sacrifice anything for the things of God, it means you just sacrifice something for something better. It means you gave up something in this world that you are going to lose anyway to gain something that you’ll never lose. Sounds good to me. But look in verse 14, where as you know not what shall be on the moral, for what is your life?

It’s a vapor thatabase for a little time vanishes away. For that you ought to say, if the Lord will, we shall live and do this or do that. But only if God allows it to happen. Because do you realize that God has all power, all authority, and He can intervene into your life any time He wants to? too. Did you know that if you dedicate your life to the Lord expect God to interrupt your schedule?

You see, we have our plans and we dedicate our life to the Lord and then get upset with God because that’s not what I planned. That’s not the way I wanted it. Well, it doesn’t matter. It’s not according to your will. It’s according to his will. He has that purpose. He has a plan. The other night when we’re talking about the depression, first of all we have a perfect God. Two, we have a perfect book. And three, God has a perfect plan.

Now remember I said that Wednesday night? Because it’s true. Nowror I’m supposed to believe that God can work out His will in my life. life. I didn’t ask to be born into this world, but here I am. I had no clue when I was that little snotting those brat growing up that God had anything for me or that God could ever use. Oh, barefooted Georgia boy from the, I hit from the sticks, but God can do miraculous things. God delights and works in America.

He says that He’d rather take some dedicated nobodies because He says the high and the mighty, God doesn’t use them. Oh, He can use them, but most of them are too big for their britches. So many are so filled with pride, God can’t use them. God rather rest, reach down and get a dedicated nobody that He can use because he knows if he can’t do anything. And he knows that if it wasn’t for the Lord, nothing would get accomplished.

God is looking for some people that will just say, Lord, here I am, whatever your will is, that’s what I want. I just want to be whatever you want me to be. And life is short. You don’t get a chance a chance a chance a chance a chance a lot, it’s a lot statement. He says in verse 15 for that you want to say, if the Lord will, we shall live and do this or that. And therefore in verse 7, he says, therefore to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not to him, it is sin.

Now take your Bible look there in John chapter 7. John chapter 7 verse 17, the gospel of John and look in verse 15. Verse 14, first of Well, just see this. The Gospel of John in chapter 7, and you notice in verse 14, now about the mist of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple and he taught, and the Jews marveled, saying, how noeth this man ledder having never learned. Well, though he didn’t go to their university, how did this man learn all this stuff?

Because he’s the Son of God. He gave the law. You imagine how brilliant he must have been, how authoritative he had to be, and that nobody could trap him in anything. You’re talking about somebody that knew the Word, and he was able to do that when he was 12 years old. 12. Not making that up. But as he says here in John chapter 7, in verse 16, Jesus answered them and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

You see, he always referred back to his Father. The Father’s words, the Father’s will. The Father’s way, everything is about the Father. And that’s why he says that the world may know that I love the Father, that’s why I do what I do. And so he was totally committed to doing everything that his father wanted him to do. And so he says in verse 17, if any man, just like Jesus was willing to do the will of the father and the father would reveal the will and Jesus learned, there’s things that he didn’t know at the beginning.

And he says that he grew in wisdom. He grew in statue. He grew. He listened. He learned. And the Bible says that he just did whatever the Father wanted him to do with his life. And here you and I are. You see, well, I’d love to have a chance to do what he did. We do. We do. And so he says, if any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine. You’ll know the will of God.

You’ll know of God. what He wants you to do. And that is to those who will do it. Is He God in heaven knows who will obey and not obey? God knows those who love Him and don’t love Him. And in John, he talked about how that He revealed His will to those that love Him. Now you know Christ is your Savior. You’ll go to heaven. But God’s talking about those who love Him. And He says, and I will love Him.

I will love Him. And He will love me. In other words, there’ll be a relationship there, a fellowship there that nobody can give to you and nobody can take away. Nobody can walk for the Lord for you. Nobody can get close to the Lord for you. That’s a personal thing. And so He makes a statement. whether it be of God or whether I speak of myself, you’ll know that if you will do the will of God, means if you will obey the word of God, you’ll know whether or not is this from God or is this from man.

It will give you insight. You’ll gain divine discernment. To discern right from wrong, what is the will of God and what is not? be able to say, this is the flesh and this is the spirit. This is right and this is wrong. And the more you learn, the more you’ll want to do what God wants you to do and just take a stand and to be strong. Just look at this next verse here in verse 18, he that speaketh of himself, seeketh his own glory.

Anytime you rebel against God and you seek your own will in your own way is because you want your own glory. That means you’re no longer He’s not interested in giving Him the honor and the glory because you’re not doing what you’re doing for His sake, for His honor, for His glory. God gets all of that by your obedience. And when you’re not obedience, He doesn’t get it. Oh, because you don’t get it. And He makes a statement, but He that seeketh His glory that sent Him, the same is true and no unrighteousness is in Him.

God is in person of Christ, is teaching them some very valuable lessons and simple things, and sometimes it’s so easy just to read right over that and never really see what God is talking about. I want you to look at number three real quick. Things the will of God wants from you. In other words, what does God want from me? God wants your dedication. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies the living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

That’s what God wants from you. That’s what He wants from me. And if He can get that, then He wants your whole body and soul and spirit. The word sanctification, found here in 1 Thessalonians 4-3, talks about what God wants to do and how you and I are supposed to possess this body of ours. We are to keep it clean and keep it pure for his honor and for his glory.

Your appreciation, I thought about this whenever I was thinking about for tonight. I thought about it’s kind of like, you know, have you ever seen an old cowboy movie where they lasso this, the good guy and they, they drag him behind the horse? The horses are running And this guy’s rolling and he’s turning all over the place and he’s eating dirt, dust flying. And then he’d drag him through the briars and the cactuses and he’s funny, he’s all wrapped up and he’s left there.

He’s half dead. Sometimes I picture the Christian life a little bit about like that. We think the Lord is just going to let me sit by the swimming pool with my tea. and just sipping my iced tea and that nice warm sun. And just to relax and enjoy my life. And then lo and behold, it’s like, lassoed me and pulled me out of my little chair and drugged me through the dirt, through the briars, through the cactus. Until I feel like sometime I’m half dead.

And then on top of that, he finally stops riding a horse and he looks at me and says, I want your appreciation. And I’m supposed to say, thanks, I needed that. Thanks, I needed that. So what kind of hard time have you been going through lately? Like dumb pulled you through a knothole backwards? And you’re Sounders to say, Lord, thank you, I needed that. You should be a commercial on our thing. Thanks I needed that. Anybody remember that? Well, when the Lord has done drug you through some of the muck in the mire Category and some of the pitfalls in this life and it seemed like there’s no outlet, there’s no let up, there’s no daylight, and everything is just dark.

They will at every end and then God says, I want you to praise me continually. Thank you Lord for those storms. Thanks for the cactus Lord. I really needed that. You see, God wants you to praise Him all the time in every situation regardless. Why? Because see, you’re going through all of those things. For His honor and for His glory, not yours. If God is God, does He have the right to mow the clay into whatever kind of vessel He wants?

And to put it wherever He wants. Yes or no? Have you been whining lately? Complaining a little bit lately? What a sorry lot God has for you. Have you ever looked at somebody else and it seemed like they don’t go through nothing? They got a life of these. I mean, here I am, Roland, I love you and I’m doing all this stuff. And it’s like everything falls apart.

You need to go back and read the 37th Psalm and the 73rd Psalm, where David says, my foot had well, nice-ldatabase. When I looked at the prosperity of the wicked. And I thought it was all over with until I went into the sanctuary of the Lord. and I saw their, but you see, when we get to heaven, when we get to heaven, did you realize that God has been watching you and keeping the books? And when you get to heaven, he is going to make it worth it.

And that little short time upon the earth of all of your hardship and all of your struggles, this light affliction, which is but for a moment, shall be exceeded in glory. No comparison for the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which I’ll be here after. And some of those people that you say, they don’t go through this, they don’t go through that, and they don’t hurt like it. And they may not get the rewards you’re going to get either.

What would you do other have? A life of ease now and a little rewards later? Lord, pour it on, because it’ll be worth it in eternity. And the closer you get, the more you ought to say, Lord, he put on me, whatever you want, you have the freedom to do. Now that’s scary. That’s scary. Because you really don’t know where it’s going to lead. to believe that my heavenly Father knows the way and he will never leave you and he will never nil never forsake you and that he has a perfect will for your life.

Residents, that’s what we’re supposed to believe. But you know how God is. You can’t trust him, can you? Or can you? Look up here. Just in case somebody’s watching or if you’re here tonight and you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior. He represents you and me. Other wallet represents sin.Thankfully we do the wrong. What God says is that He EDITION us. Now He hates what we do wrong but He loves us. And the Bible says that we have to pay for that in the wagesof sin is death.

That means eternal separation from God. But God wants us to go to heaven. And to go to heaven you have to be perfect as righteous as God and none of us are perfect, none of us are righteous. Because of sin we can’t get in, we’ve all done things wrong. And God says you cannot save yourself. This church can’t save us all. This preacher, I’ve never saved anybody in my life. You have never saved anybody either. But I know somebody who can save.

This hand represents Jesus Christ. He’s the Lord God in the flesh. He came into this world because He loves us, hates our sin, because our sin separates us from God. So Jesus Christ who had no sin didn’t have to die. So He came into the world, took all the sin, paid for it on the cross, and came back from the dead. And God said that if we would believe He did it for us, He would put this payment to our account.

We get to go to heaven on what Jesus Christ did for us. You don’t earn it, you don’t work for it. Today, after the service, I got a nice little, I can’t say a nice one, but a guy sent me an email and told me how bad I was this morning. How terrible I was this morning, and that I ought to tell the people the truth. Anyway, it made me feel real bad about that long.

Because I know that I hadn’t lied to anybody, and I did tell the truth. And he similarly mailed James chapter 2. As though I never read that before. I didn’t know James chapter 2 was in the Bible. But aren’t you glad to know that salvation is by grace? And that when Christ died, how many of my sins did He die for? All my sins. somebody says, well, what if you commit adultery and you murder somebody and you lied and you still, yeah, all of my sins, you put them right there, all of them.

I deserve to pay for my sins. But grace is that I won’t, because he did. He died for me so that I don’t have to pay for them. So I don’t have to pay for my sins. I don’t have to go to hell. I’m not going to hell. I won’t go today. I won’t go tomorrow. I will never, at any time in the future, ever go to hell. Why? Because Christ paid for all of my sins, and I don’t have any left to pay for.

I believe that. Let’s pray, shall we? With every head down, every eye closed, no one looking around. If you have never trusted Christ as your savior, If you’re not sure you’re going to go to heaven, would you right now in the quietness of this moment? Just talk to the Lord. God knows your thoughts. So Lord, I know I’m a sinner. I’ve done things wrong. I want to go to heaven when I die. And I believe Jesus died on that cross and paid for my sins.

And Lord, right now I will accept Jesus Christ as my only hope of going to heaven. And friend, if you’re making that decision, I’d like to know it and I’d like to have prayer for you. And I asked you to do it with your heads bowed nice close, because I’m not interested in embarrassing anybody. But I would like to pray for you. Is there anyone here tonight? Say, preach it that made sense to me. And I want to be certain I’m going to heaven when I die.

And I’d like for you to pray for me. We’ll just let you in very quickly, but right back down. Anyone at all. Our Father, we thank you so much for this time together. We ask Your blesses upon each one. Help us to understand the will of the Father. and to be willing to present our bodies to submit, and Father to sacrifice even unto death, if necessary. Not to get to heaven, but because we’re going there in your our Father.

Let’s each one 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 were blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment 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 Bible line programs, just go to our home page 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.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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

Anyway, I want to talk to you about a little subject. Take your Bible and turn to the Gospel of John, the Gospel of John in chapter 19. As you read in the Scriptures you’ll find over and over again this phrase mentioned, the hour is not yet come, the hour is not yet come, the hour is near, the hour has come, and then it is finished. But that’s because He was here for a reason. There was a purpose in His life.

One ultimate goal, and that was to go to the cross, to die for the sins of the world. Everything in between, He was fulfilling many scriptures, but there was an ultimate goal in that He fulfilled. You and I are supposed to believe that we have a purpose in life. So as we live our life, you’ll find out as we look at a few of these scriptures, I always like to take scriptures that apply to Christ, or even to somebody else, but mainly to Christ, and see how he obeyed his Father.

And then I take his name out of there and I put my name in there. But if that ain’t convicting, you stop and think he did always those things that pleased his Father. That’s a hard one to put your name in your anor. But there are things in there that will help you to make application. Because otherwise, you can read the word of God and it make no effect in your life. I believe that the study of the word of God will change how you think.

And it changes how you think. It’ll change how you live. And the reason a lot of people’s lives don’t change It is because they don’t change the way they think. That’s why he says, be not conformed to this world, but be a transformed. Talkin’ about your life. By the renewing of your mind that you may consider and understand the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God. So here in the book of John in chapter 19, John chapter 19, I just wanna show you a couple verses here.

One is in verse 30, where it says, when Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He says, it is finished. Bowed His head gave up the ghost. So you have the death of Christ. And then you have the burial of Christ from verse 38 down to verse 42 because of Joseph of Arimathea that came and took the body in verse 40, then took the body of Jesus, wound it in the linen cloth with the spices as the manner of the juices to bury.

And then they placed him in a seprechaun. So you have that. Then in chapter 20 you have the resurrection of Jesus Christ. So Christ came back again from the dead. So in chapter 20 I want you to look there in verse 27. Jesus has been crucified, buried and rose again. And here he talks about in verse 27, then said he to Thomas, reach hither thy finger and behold my hands, reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side.

And be not fateless but believing. Thomas answered and said unto him, my Lord and my God. Jesus said unto him, Thomas, because thou have seen me, thou hath believed. Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed. Many other signs truly did Jesus into presence of his disciples which are not written in this book. But these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, that believing you might have life through his name.

A wonderful portion of scripture that talks about the death, the burial, and the resurrection. of Jesus Christ. What I want you to do is look there at your notes because I just took those two phrases. One is, the hour is come and it is finished because he came to complete to finish the work that God the Father gave him to do. Now if you took only those things and realized the hour is come means that time that God had designed for Him to fulfill God’s perfect will was upon Him.

If you believe that about Christ then you also mustn’t understand that as we live our life the hour is come for you and I. This is our time. It is our hour. We are supposed to fulfill that which God has for us at this time, at this moment. So in Daniel 3 6, just look here at your notes, you don’t have to turn to your scriptures on all of these because we will never get to all of these verses if we did.

But look at the first part up there in verse 6, and who so falleth not down and worship shall the same hour be cast into the mist of a burning fiery furnace. Now you and I know that there were three Hebrew children that were cast into the burning fiery furnace. That was their hour of testing. That was their moment. Sometimes you never know when that moment will come. But you should live in such a way that you know that well today may be your hour of testing for the fiery furnace.

We would love to go through life without any testing at all. Everything just wonderful. No problem whatsoever. But as the way it’s going to happen. And so God knows the hour of your testing. So therefore you and I are supposed to prepare for that moment. On hour of time, this moment that God says, this is your hour is another way of saying, this is your opportunity, your opportunity to prove your faithfulness to the Lord. So look at the next one.

Verse 13, and Jesus said unto the centurion, go thy way. And you ought to underline this part in your notes there, as thou have believed. As thou have believed, so be it done unto thee. Now I get an awful lot out of just that statement alone. In other words, he was going to get what he believed God would do for him. Be it unto you and you’ll find in other places, Christ says, be it unto you according to your faith.

Do you really believe? If there’s anything God’s looking for, he’s not looking for your talent and all your abilities and so he’s looking for your faith. Do you trust him? Do you look to him? Remember the other day I preached a sermon on God is looking for the man that’s looking for God. Y’all already forgot that sermon. God is looking for the man that is looking for God. God is wanting to bless the man, use the man, on the man that’s looking for God.

And that’s why he says, the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth seeking for a man that he can make strong on his behalf. So God is looking for faith. Somebody that believes what he has to say. And so he says, as thou hath believed, so be it done unto thee. Do you believe that that is a possibility for your life? That you’re going to get out of life what you really believe in entrusting God for?

Well, that’s between you and the Lord. But you’ve got to have faith. F-A-I-T-H, for saking all I trust Him. Even when it doesn’t seem like it makes any sense whatsoever, but you trust Him because you’re not putting your confidence and trust in anything else. Just the Lord. Look down at the next one. Verse 36, but of that day and hour, no if no man nor nor the angels of heaven but my Father only. So we know from this verse, we’re supposed to believe in you way that no man knows the day of the hour.

I believe as a man here in this world, maybe Jesus did not know. I bet you He does now, but at that hour He may not have known. But I do believe this, you don’t know the extent of any trial. You do not know how bad it’s going to be. You don’t know the day and you don’t know the hour when you’re going to be tried to your limits. And you’ll think, I can’t take any more. That hour is coming.

That moment may be today, it may be tomorrow, but there are going to be moments. Things that you can’t change, you can’t alter, you just got to go through it. And you’ll think that God has forsaken you. True faithfulness to the Lord is remaining faithful when it appears God has failed you or left you, deserted you, let you down. And there will be time to when you will believe that. If it’s not today, there’s a testing coming down the road.

And if you listen to what I’m saying now, it might help you at that time because that time will come. We’re all men of like passion. We all have a sinful nature. We all have weaknesses. All the men in the Bible were not supermen. They were men just like us with problems, just like us. And they had all the difficulties and testing, just like we do. And so we’re going to have that. Look at the next verse. And verse 42, because you don’t know the day or the hour, therefore watch, watch therefore for you, no not.

Do you look for opportunity? There’s some people that are always looking for opportunities to serve the Lord and the Passout tracks, talk to somebody. And other people say, well, I never have any opportunities. I just never get any chances. I mean, I never get an opportunity like you do. Well, if you’re living, you have an opportunity. If you’ve got a pulse, you’ve got a purpose. If you get, suck air, you’ve got a reason for living. And God will take care of taking you home when he’s through with you.

Evidently he’s not through with you yet. So you’re getting chances and opportunities that God is allowing to come your way. So remember that. So look there at verse 40. And he cometh unto the disciples and findeth them asleep. And saith unto Peter, what? Could you not watch with me one hour? He was going to the cross. This was the night. This was the big moment. His hour is coming, so he asked his disciples, would you pray for me? Would you watch with me?

And what did they do? They went to sleep. They went to sleep. Over and over again, you’ll find out the script talking about awake out of sleep. And he’s not talking about us literally sleeping. He’s talking about your numb to the cause of Christ. You are asleep to the responsibility that God has given to us. And we don’t take advantage of, that’s why he says, redeeming the time. Redeem in the time because the days are evil. Redeem in the time he’s buying up all the opportunities you possibly can, serving the Lord with all you’ve got while you can.

Because there will come a day when no man can You will not have any more chances, no more opportunities, that’s all gone. Now, it doesn’t matter whether or not Christ says in that verse, could you not watch with me one hour? What if he’d have put in that verse, your name? What could you not witness for me one time? Could you not have prayed one time? Or whatever that might be in that verse? It’s whatever it is that you’re disobeying God in.

Wouldn’t it be great if we all serve the Lord with everything we had all the time, but we fail at times? Are you aware of your failures? Or do you take it seriously? Or not at all? Just things to think about. Look in verse 45, where he says, then cometh heed to his disciples and said unto them, sleep on now, take your rest. Opportunities are gone. The hour that I needed you, it’s gone. I wanted you to watch, I wanted you to pray, you didn’t do it.

Go ahead and sleep. Take your rest now. So as he goes to the garden, Peter was really sharp spiritually. So he took a sword and cut off a man’s ear. Jesus, you can count on me. Yeah, boy. I asked you to watch and you didn’t do it. I asked you to pray and you didn’t do it. And then you wonder why you’re not a spiritually strong. Do you know right after this? I think he denied the Lord a couple of times too, didn’t he?

I mean, three times. You know, maybe if he’d have done what God says to do, he might have been spiritually strong enough and that wouldn’t have happened. But remember, I’m just covering verses that I want you to think about because every one of us will have your hour is come. There may be some great testing that you have got to go through. And doing the mist of that testing, are you going to pass? Are you going to look to the Lord?

All I ever want any of you to do is what God wants you to do. You make sure that you do whatever it is God wants you to do. And if you don’t have that confidence that you slow down, just slow down. Maybe you’re going too fast. Maybe you make a decision, try to get you out of something instead of going through something that God has for you. Just something to think about. See you in that verse 35? And he went forward a little, fell on the ground and prayed if it were possible the hour might pass from him.

Later on he says, should I pray that this hour would pass from me? For this hour I came into the world. It looks like a contradiction. But there is a possibility when man brought out a long time ago. He says, while he was in the garden and he was sweating great sweat drops of blood and he needed the prayer that he believed that Satan was probably trying to have a premature death in the garden and That’s was what he was praying.

I Don’t want to drink this cup, but nevertheless thy will be done because he says a little bit later, for this cause came out into the world, should I ask God to remove this cup? It’s like, wait a minute, going to the cross was no question or doubt. That’s why he came, but a premature death in the garden possibility. I don’t know. And that’s why the Bible says in the book of Hebrews in chapter 5 that he prayed for he feared death and that he feared.

But now, not the cross, but something premature. We don’t know the battle that went on in his life when he was facing that greatest hour of his whole life. And that’s when he needed somebody to stand with him. You see, everybody needs a friend. Everybody needs somebody. And the best way to have a friend is to be a friend. You say, I don’t have any friends. Well, be a friend. Be a friend to somebody. And you’ll be surprised how that it kind of reciprocates.

Anyway, the next verse I wanted you to look at here, and that is in verse 41, He comeeth the third time instead of the hand, sleep on now and take a rest. It’s enough. The hour and here is come. The hour is come. Behold, the son of man is betrayed into the hand of sinners. He knew this moment was coming. You and I are supposed to know that we are going to face fiery trials down the road. And lo and behold, you’re not always able to pick and choose what trial you’re going to have.

You can go to school and choose this subject, that subject, that subject, and you know you’re going to have a test on that. And I’m not going to have a test on that. But when it comes to the Lord, you don’t know where the testing is going to come. You don’t know when it’s going to come. You don’t know how severe it’s going to be, but your hour of testing will come. Think it’s not strange concerning the fiery trial, which is to try you.

It’s not strange things happen to you because it’s not strange. Everybody has them. And you’ll think nobody knows what I’m going through. Yes, they do. But at that time you may not think so. Now look in verse 53, when I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth, no hands against him, but this is, and you ought to underline this word, this is your hour. This is what you’re doing, because Christ, he knew that he would be turned over to wicked men.

He knew the Scriptures. He knew what was going to happen, but he also knew that this is what they were going to do. He knew that when he went to the cross that they were going to put a crown of thorns on him, he knew they were going to scourge him. He knew there’s going to pierce his hands in his feet. He knew all of that. But this was their moment to do what they’re going to do. They had a choice.

You and I have choices. You can either serve the Lord or not serve the Lord, but your hour is every moment that you and I live. This is that time, that moment. See hours is such a short period of time to live. much it needs to be done. Look down at the next verse, I wouldn’t just see this. Look in verse 30, verse 30, then they sought to take Him, but no man laid hands on Him because, here, see, it wasn’t ready yet.

His hour was not yet come. You see? The Lord knew at a certain time what was going to take place, and there were times when they tried to kill him, and he was able to kind of scoot out of their way, or he would be able to hide, get away from the crowd, because they wanted to kill him at many times, in many places. One of his first sermons in the book of Luke was when he went into the synagogue and he read the description, says, Because this day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

Well right after that they wanted to kill them. They wanted to kill them from the very beginning. That wasn’t the end of its ministry. That was at the beginning. So there were times when they wanted to do away with Jesus Christ. There’s people who believe it or not will rise up against you. And sometimes like Jesus says in the house of your friends, sometimes it’ll be the closest people because they’ll hurt you the most. The ones you love the most can hurt you the most.

People that don’t love you and you don’t love them really, don’t hurt you as bad. It’s people that you know and you care about and they say things that’s so hurting, so cutting. Go so deep, last so long. And sometimes you wonder if you’ll ever heal from it. But the Lord has a, as it says, is a bombing gillion. There’s some medicine, there’s some healing that the Lord can help heal your mind. Look at the next one here. In verse 23, and Jesus answered them saying, The hour is come that the Son of Man should be glorified.

So Christ knew there was a time when all these scriptures had gone to be fulfilled and He came for a particular reason and He says, the hour is not yet, the hour is not yet, the hour has come. If you stop and think about it, if you knew, knew you had cancer and you had a couple of weeks to live, what would that do to you mentally, emotionally? Would it change how you lived or what you’re doing? I don’t know if it should change my life at all.

I just keep doing what I’m doing until that moment comes. But are you afraid? Are you afraid to die? You’re a Christian. You know the Lord. Lord, but are you still afraid? Now I’ve come close so close so many times that I thought I’m not going to make it this time. I actually laid in a hospital bed and I’m not going to make it. I have been in swimming situations, scared to death. I didn’t think I was going to get out of this.

I was down at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. We went down there with about five of us who were checking out a campground. the bottom of the Grand Canyon. We’re going to take a couple of our diesel buses we had, and we could take 80 kids on buses, two big diesels. We’d go down to the Grand Canyon. But we went down there exploratory committee, and we went down there, and we went down in there, and oh, just beautiful camp top for a couple of days.

They have two great big waterfalls. One was about 90 feet, one’s about 60 feet. And so we had gone down to the second waterfall and was down at the bottom and we decided to walk around behind the waterfall. Eddie was kind of small so he just stayed out there. So we all walked around it and I’m last. I was like the guys go first until they went around and I’m walking. We got behind the waterfall we’re looking out there and it was just beautiful, just gorgeous.

And so they decided to dive through the waterfall and go on the other side there. So each one of them dove through the waterfall and they went on them. I’m the last guy. Nobody’s back there with me. The old man. And so I didn’t die. That was my mistake. I didn’t die through the waterfall. I just got into the water and just went into the water and started going. And I kept thinking I should be through the waterfall. And I kept going.

I wasn’t through the waterfall. And I noticed it was getting dark and darker. I had gone under the water, but the waterfalls had been pushing me down. I hadn’t planned on staying long so I didn’t take a lot of air with me. And I started hurting. And I was trying everything I could to come back up and the water was pushing me down. And I thought, I’m going to drown. This is it. And it was getting darker and my lungs were hurting.

And I know if I took a breath of water, I was scared. And just so that you know, I didn’t die. I didn’t die. And so I had enough sense to start going this way and get away from the water. And then I started going up as fast as I could. Now I was pumping whatever they had. And when I got to the top, I took a deep breath. And I was hurting. And I looked over there and all four of the other guys and my son were looking down the hill where the waterfalls was going on.

And they had no clue what was happening to me. And I finally just swim over to him and acted like nothing had happened. And I come through. So since that time I have never taken a bath. But you can get scared. And you might say, well, I’m not scared. Wait to the moment. Wait to the time. If you could pick how you’re gonna die. So I just decided, and I talked to the Lord about this, I’m just gonna wait to the rapture.

Pull the hat in this afternoon, three o’clock. Don’t hold me to that, okay? But it wouldn’t bother me, none, if it did. But looking number 27, for this cause came I unto this hour, this time, this moment. Did you know there’s a lot of things that goes in your life, but God may have had you for one moment, one time, and all the other times is not as important as one time, one moment. When you read in the Old Testament, a lot of things happened to some of these guys, but they were there for one time, one moment, and that was it.

You don’t know which is that one great moment God needed you to stand and to do right. And you didn’t think it was that important. You see, faithfulness in little things is a great thing. Faithfulness in little things is a great thing. Look at the next statement. And verse one there, Now, behold the feasts of the Passover when Jesus knew that his hour was come and what was it that he should depart out of this world? He knew he was going to die.

And he was 33, maybe 33 and a half years old, and he knew he was going to die. But did he know he was gonna come back from the dead? I think so. He knew he would come back from the dead, but he still had to go through it. And you and I know we’re gonna live with the Lord, but we still may have to die. We would love not to, but that might come. Look at the last line on this page where it has that thy son also may glorify thee.

The hour of testing, however it may come in your life or my life, is that we would glorify the Lord, that God would get glory out of it. And what that means is if you wine and pine and moan and groan about your sorry lot in life, that does not glorify God. It means that you think God made a mistake by letting that happen to you and you’re mad and bitter at God. See, you usually don’t really get mad and bitter toward people.

You’re just using them because you can see them and you can bless them out. But your real problem is a spiritual problem. You’re upset with God. You’re upset with God. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. Part two of this teaching will conclude with tomorrow’s broadcast. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach by the line and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll-free 1-800-576-3771.

That’s 1-800-576-3771. To listen to today’s message again or to obtain a free download of any of our Bible line 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. 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.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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 Bible line 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. There’s people who believe it or not will rise up against you. And sometimes, like Jesus says, in the house of your friends, sometimes it’ll be the closest people because they’ll hurt you the most. The ones you love the most can hurt you the most. People that don’t love you and you don’t love them really, don’t hurt you as bad.

There’s people that you know and you care about, and they say things that’s so hurting, so cutting, go so deep, last so long. And sometimes you wonder if you’ll ever heal from it. But the Lord has a, as it says, is a bomb in Gilead. There’s some medicine. There’s some healing that the Lord can help heal your mind. Look at the next one here. In verse 23, and Jesus answered them saying, The hour is come that the Son of Man should be glorified.

So Christ knew there was a time when all these scriptures was it going to be fulfilled? And he came for a particular reason, and he says, the hour is not yet, the hour is not yet, and the hour has come. If you stop and think about it, if you knew, knew you had cancer and you had a couple of weeks to live, what would that do to you mentally, emotionally? Would it change how you lived or what’s it doing?

I don’t know if it should change my life at all. I should just keep doing what I’m doing. The last that moment comes. But are you afraid? Are you afraid to die? You’re a Christian. You know the Lord. You love the Lord. But are you still afraid? Now, I’ve come close, so close, so many times that I thought I’m not going to make it this time. I actually laid in a hospital bed and I’m not going to make it.

I have been in swimming situations. Scared to death. I didn’t think I was going to get out of this. I was down at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. We went down there with about five of us, we were checking out a camp ground at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. We’re going to take a couple of our diesel buses we had, and we could take 80 kids on buses, two big diesels. We’d go down to the Grand Canyon.

So, but we went down there, exploratory committee, and we went down there, and we went down in there, and oh, just beautiful camp top for a couple of days. They have two great big waterfalls. one was about 90 feet, one’s about 60 feet. And so we had gone down to the second waterfall and was down at the bottom and we decided to walk around behind the waterfall. Eddie was kind of small so he just stayed out there. So we all walked around it.

And I’m last, I was like the guy till first until they went around and I’m one. We got behind the waterfall we’re looking out there and it was just beautiful, just gorgeous. And so they decided to dive through the waterfall and going the other side down. So each one of them dove through the waterfall and they went on there. I’m the last guy. Nobody’s back there with me, the old man. And so I didn’t die. That was my mistake.

I didn’t dive through the waterfall. I just got into the water and just went into the water and started going. And I kept thinking I should be through the waterfall and I kept going I wasn’t through the waterfall. And I noticed it was getting dark and darker. I had gone under the water, but the water falls. It was pushing me down. I hadn’t planned on staying long, so I didn’t take a lot of air with me. And I started hurting.

And I was trying everything I could to come back up, and the water was pushing me down. And I thought, I’m gonna drown. This is it. And it was getting darker, and my lungs were hurting. And I know if I took a breath of water, I was scared. And just so that you know, I didn’t die. I didn’t die. And so I had enough sense to start going… This way, and get away from the water, and then I started going up as fast as I could.

Now, I was pumping with everything. And when I got to the top, I took a deep breath. And I was hurting. And I looked over there, and all four of the other guys and my son were looking down the hill, where the water falls going on. And they had no clue what was happening to me. And I finally just swim over to him and acted like nothing had happened. And I come so far. So since that time I have never taken a bath.

But you can get scared. And you might say, well, I’m not scared. Wait till the moment. Wait till the time. If you could pick how you’re going to die. So I just decided, and I talked to the Lord about this, I’m just going to wait till the rapture. I suppose I happen this afternoon, three o’clock. Don’t hold me to that, okay? They wouldn’t bother me, none if it did. But look in number 27, for this cause came I unto this hour, this time, this moment.

Did you know there’s a lot of things that goes in your life, but God may have had you for one moment, one time, and all the other times was not as important as one time, one moment. When you read in the Old Testament, there are a lot of things that happened to some of these But they were there for one time, one moment. And that was it. You don’t know which is that one great moment that God needed you to stand and to do right.

And you didn’t think it was that important. You see, faithfulness in little things is a great thing. Faithfulness in little things is a great thing. Look at the next statement. And verse one there. Now, behold, the feasts of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come, and what was it that he should depart out of this world? He knew he was going to die. And he was 33, maybe 33 and a half years old, and he knew he was going to die.

But did he know he was going to come back from the dead? I think so. He knew he would come back from the dead, but he still had to go through it. And you and I know we’re going to live with the Lord. we still may have to die. We would love not to, but that might come. Look at the last line on this page where it has, that thy son also may glorify thee. The hour of testing, however it may come in your life or my life, is that we would glorify the Lord.

That God would get glory out of it. And what that means is, if you wine and pine and moan and groan about your sorry, lot in life, that does not glorify God. It means that you think God made a mistake by letting that happen to you, and you’re mad and bitter at God. See, you usually don’t really get mad and bitter toward people. You’re just using them, because you can see them and you can bless them out. But your real problem is a spiritual problem.

You’re upset with God. You’re upset with God. But anyway, look at the next page. You won’t have time to look at all of these here, but just the second one down, 1st Chronicles 28, 20, it has a wonderful statement in there. And I want to read this to you. David said to Solomon, his son, be strong and of good courage. And do it. Well, I like that word. Do it. You thought Nike came out with that. No. Just do it.

That’s right here in the Bible. Fear not nor be dismayed. For the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee. He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hath, and you ought to underline that word, finished. All the work for the service of the house of the Lord. Now, where God has a job to be done, and God will protect you until He is finished with the work that He’s given you to do. you could only believe that.

But God has a purpose for all of us, why we live, the context we make, the influence that we have in other people’s lives. And you never know who it is, that you might shake, that might shake the world. That’s why you got to keep doing what you’re doing and be found faithful. Look down there where it has number four, John 17, four. This is where Christ prayed to the Father. And even though he hadn’t gone to the cross and It wasn’t over yet.

He looked at it as though it’s a finished job because he was determined. He’d made up his mind. He’s going to faithfully obey the Lord. He’s not going to turn to the left or to the right. His face is set like a flint. He’s not going to be moved. And he says, in this verse, I have glorified the on the earth. I have finished the work which God gave us me to do. We hadn’t totally finished it, but it’s written in such a way that he is the great I am.

can see it’s already done. Did you know that God already knows the future and knows what you’re going to do and not do? Isn’t that scary sometimes? And then sometimes you wonder just how much of everything that happens to me is because of the will of God or the direct results of my choices. You’ll never figure that out down here. But you just go ahead and faithfully serve the Lord and believe and trust Him and know that it will be unto thee according to thy faith.

What do you really believe? What do you trust in God for? Do you really want to be used by the Lord? Look at the next one in John 19, 13. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he says, it is finished. Wait a minute, what was finished? What was finished? What was finished? What did he do? What did he come to do? He says, it’s finished. So what did He finish? Nobody in here has a clue. I mean, this wonderful church of Calvary Community Church, nobody has a clue that when He says, it is finished, you don’t know what He meant.

He paid for what? He paid for our sins. That’s why He came. That’s why He died. And He gave up the ghost. He died. gave it up willingly. So therefore it is finished. That means if He paid for my sins, there’s nothing more that has to be done for my sins. They’re all paid. He did it 2,000 years ago and you cannot improve upon the payment that He made. You can’t add anything to it. Take anything away from it.

All that we have to do, it’s the only thing we can do is believe He did it for us. And when you You and I believe He did it for us. He puts that payment that He made to our account. We get to go to heaven on what Christ did. He finished it. He hath by Himself purged our sins. Where’s that found? Hebrews, one, three. Hebrews, one, three. Great verse. Look at the next thing. Because of that, you and I should serve the Lord.

And you’ll notice there at number seven, the next verse down. I have fought a good fight. That’s what Paul said. I have finished my course. I’ve finished. You see, it’s easy for people to begin a race. We’re gonna have a race I hear, thousand-mile race on your hands. Somebody holding your feet. All of us could probably start. I don’t think any of us would finish it. But we could all start. But you know it’s something else to finish the race.

See, you may have trusted Christ of Savior years ago. You could have even said, I’m going to dedicate my life to the Lord. I’m going to serve the Lord. And then some reason or other, you got sidetracked. You had a couple hours of testing, little moments of time where something didn’t go your way and you got mad and bitter toward God and God is not worth it. And there’s people who quit church. They quit serving God altogether. They don’t read don’t pray don’t do anything for God and they can have many many Years that are called wasted years Wasted their life Now because they they’ve missed the opportunity that came disguised as a problem Problems are opportunities for the believer So don’t curse all your problems Those are nothing more than Opportunities disguised as work Look at the next one down here.

Number seven, verse seven, and when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascended out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them and shall overcome them and kill them. But not until their testimony was finished. Do you see that? It’s just not that the, you know, the the Antichrist is able to kill him and his will. No, no, no, no, no, no. When they finished their testimony, then he was able to do this and this and this, and then God raised him from the dead.

You see, whenever you serve the Lord and you put God first, did you know that God puts something around you that protects you? His will of not letting anything or whatever that can destroy that until you’ve done what God wants you to do? You and I are supposed to believe that the God we serve is able to minister to us, to keep us, to protect us, to provide for us. And God says that He will, and we’re supposed to believe that.

At least I believe that. Let me read something to you that’s kind of interesting. And if God can create the world, and He did, and if He can walk on water, and He did, and And if it came back from the dead, and it did. Do you think that this God knows who you are and where you are and what you’re going through and that he can make your needs? He even got a throne in heaven called the throne of grace just for his people so that you can get all the help you need when you need it.

Now isn’t that wonderful? I think that’s wonderful. But somebody sent this to me and I read it and I thought this is, this is quiet. I never really thought about some of this. I’m not saying it’s all true. It’s just what somebody wrote. Moses and the people were in the desert. But what was he going to do with them? They had to be fed and feeding two to three million people requires a lot of food. Now we have a dinner back here.

Think what has to be put into that and all the food that comes just to feed a couple hundred people on a Sunday morning. Now, what if you had a couple million people? Where are you going to get all this food from? Now, I don’t know if Moses scratches his head and says, Lord, how are we going to feed him and how are we going to clothe him and how are we going to, you know, water and how are we going to do all of this?

But it says, according to the Quartermaster General in the Army, it is reported that Moses would have to have 1500 tons of food each day. Do you know that to bring that much food each day to freight trains each at least a mile long would be required? Besides, you must remember they were out in the desert. So they would have to have firewood that is if they cooked the food. And that would take, let’s just pretend that they had to have I would to cook all this food.

Four thousand tons of wood and a few more freight trains, each a mile long just for one day and just think they were 40 years in the wilderness. And oh yes, they would have to have water to drink. Remember they did get thirsty at times and when they got thirsty, they really showed their character, didn’t they? You do fine too, don’t you? Until you’re maxed out and you had enough up to here It reminds me of mine every day when I’m driving.

I don’t know why it’s always when I’m driving. And I’m always afraid to say do something in the room or fly and pass them in. I’m afraid it’s going to be somebody from the church. So I don’t do it. That’s probably why you don’t either. But if they only had enough to drink and wash a few dishes, I don’t know if they had any dishes, it would take 11 million gallons each day. A freight train would tank cars, 18 miles long just to bring the water.

How would you like that responsibility on your shoulders? You’re the leader. And you remember, this is why over and over again, they complained to Moses and says, you led us out here. Look what you did. And Moses says, God, take me home. I can’t take us anymore. Take my life. He said, I don’t want to see how bad I am. Well, they had to get across the Red Sea at night. Now, if they went on a narrow path, double-file, the line would be 800 miles long, would require 35 days and nights to get through.

So there had to be a space in the Red Sea, three miles wide, so they could walk 5,000 of breasts to get over it in one night. Somebody didn’t have anything better to do than sit down and figure this out. I mean, you talk about a miracle. It has to be, God really opened up that thing and it wasn’t a little allow for two people to walk through. And then there’s another problem. Each time they camp at the end of the day, they camp ground two thirds to the size of the state of Rhode Island, or total about 750 square miles.

Think of it, this much space for camping. Well, how many people you think live around here? And you know, Tampa, St. Pete, and Clearwater and all. I was told between two to three million people. But think of all the people that’s living in all these high rises. Put them all flat. You know, that’d be a lot of area to cover. And they had to have that much land, just a camp at night. And then they had to pinch all those tents.

That’s quite an undertaking. Did you ever see somebody, they just want to get away for the weekend and go camping up in the mountains? They got to work like a dog to get everything that they got put it into their vehicle They go up to the mountains and by the time they find a place and they work trying to put up a tent Which they don’t know how and then they don’t know how to start a fire and then then so they started to death and And then all the work they got together again and by the time I got through they get maybe an hour to walk around do something You know and then they get the car and come home They did this for 40 years 40 years and get this Do you think Moses figured all this out before he left Egypt?

You think he foresaw all the problems before he left? He didn’t have a clue. What if God had told him all the problems in advance? You think he would have went? I don’t think he would have went. He didn’t want to go as it was. He argued with God. You see, what it must have been like in such a relief for God to let manna come down from heaven? Where did he come from? Says a little wafer. little honey like wafers.

I love honey. And yet it must have had everything they needed. Everything that that body needed to be sustained and their clothes never wore out for 40 years. Can you believe this? A woman wearing the same clothes and the same shoes for 40 years. The Bible says that. I think we ought to get back to the old times.

But when you stop and think that is a riot and How God was able to sustain them and told Moses that all he had to just strike a rock and there comes the water And think of how much water it would take to feed everybody and all the animals and everything that they had and If he can do all of that Moses had to trust God huh Do you think you got problems? Moses had problems. I Wouldn’t want his problems.

See I’d love to be used like the great man of old. Yeah, go for it. God’s looking for a few and the ones he found wanted to run. You see a lot of times, you know, they don’t always want to do what God wants them to do. You may not always want to do what God wants you to do or go where God wants you to go. Oh, me and Betty on the way back down the road. A lot of things she remembers that I don’t remember it.

And we went through and she says, we just covered, I don’t know how many years in just a short period of time. She went through and she was rehearsing because of the stories that we’ve got, all the adventures that we’ve had. And it was exciting listening to her just tell one event after the other event after the other. And she remembers the days and times and all that, God forgot. She even remembered things I don’t even remember happening. She actually says that I asked her to marry her.

I don’t remember that. No, just joking. But there’s so many things, you know, that we just don’t always remember. But God wants us to remember what He’s done for us and we’re supposed to read the Bible so that we’ll know what He will do for us. So do you think God has any problems taking care of all of your needs. He did it for a couple million people in the middle of a desert for 40 years. And we’re worried?

That didn’t mean they didn’t get hungry a little bit. It didn’t mean they didn’t get thirsty at times. But God never failed. Did he? This hand represent You and me. The wallet represents all the bad things we’ve done. Are we done in you, those? Everybody has failed. Everybody, flesh and blood, have all sinned. And because we’ve all sinned, we’re all condemned. Because we’ve all sinned, we have a debt to pay. The wages of sin is death. But God loves us, and He wants us to go to heaven, but to go to heaven, not one sin can get in.

So God has got to work away. This plan of salvation, the plan on how God can get us who have no right to go to heaven. How is he going to do it? Man could not have figured out this plan. You see, if it was left up to us, we would just try to improve our lives by not doing some of these bad things. And then just the good ones you get to go in the bad ones. Oh, see, that’s religion.

Almost all religions teach the same thing. You’ve got to be good. And it won’t work. God had a better plan than what man has. Here’s God’s plan. God says, you can’t earn it. You can’t work for it. You don’t deserve it. I got a good idea. I’ll send my son into the world. And he’ll live here for 33 years. and he will not commit one sin, so he won’t have to die. I’m going to let my son be sacrificed and die in your place.

So Christ came and took our sins and died in my place. And God says that he raised him from the dead. And he says, if you and I would just believe he did it for us. There nomine somebody said in here right now or watching on the internet that never really have accepted Christ as their only hope of going to heaven because!. They believe they have to have a part. They gotta be good a little bit.ioxid. They gotta help when GodUsed said no.

No help needed594 It is finished, paid for and for. Would you simply accept it as a gift? And when you do, God says you become His child, you get to go to heaven. Wash from all of your sins by giving you a new birth that has no sinful Tsukahuberty1970. You have been made pure and holy. You have I have been justified just as if you have never said declared righteous. So when God Cunning me,ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ a righteous manresist..OSED. When God sees me,parseapter, not becauseSimilarly, I live like\”>, Scyth, )]!, butStats,bool, Very such.

If you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior, friend right now is probably the best time to do so. Not tomorrow. Right now. Cooldown You see, Godclude who arcity you are and heverty you are and he loves you. Heouston you},{” orneys you are andı nvlaimulner And Yanukovych, you become his child. Isn’t that good news? That’s the compensator in the world. Let’s pray. Father, we are thankful so much. You’ve been good to us. We’re thankful for this day NOTICE. We ask your blessings upon us and realize that because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we have hope.

We have a belief. We know what’s truth. And Father, because of that confidence we have in your Word, we know that there’s nothing that you cannot do for us. And you’ve made so many promises to us and we believe you’ll keep your Word. And we pray Father, as your children, we know that that hour that we’re going to pass away is coming when we’re going to leave this world. But you’re not going to forsake us. And we know that there’s times in our life when we have all the trials and tribulations and those hours come.

And some time we think you’re // going to letExper But according to your word, you cannot say, you cannot say, look here. So we look at you and we trust you 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. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach by the line and pledge your Ammunition supportviron the air in your area by dialingthood-freeAAFocumented-3771 nomine attRot.

That’s one hundredriminal 5763771. To listen to today’s message again or to obtain a free download of any of our Bible line programs, just goupp to our home page at bybelineministries.org and click Rebell Broadcast link. If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. For the community church, it=> 11 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 3, 3, 4, 4. 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 andbyterians will be changed. Caught up to meet the Lord in the air. live today and every day1965 Believe in that the Lord is coming soon, and just keep looking up.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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 Bibleline Ministries dot O-R-G homepage.

We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s message will be a blessing to you and your family. Take your Bible and turn to the book of John, the Gospel of John in chapter 20. Of course we read a little bit earlier, talked about Jesus, and when he would be born he would be called Wonderful Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting father of the Prince of Peace. The Bible says that his name would be called Wonderful, Wonderful because there’s many things that are different about him, totally unique about him.

Even a man in his best state is still a center. The best person you know is still a sinner. Jesus Christ was not a sinner. Jesus Christ was not just a man, but if he was just a man, what a man. No man was like this man. Let me just mention to you very quickly. The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ did many signs, miracles, wonders, in order to get people to believe that he was who he claimed to be.

The Bible says that there were to be external revelations, external revelation that means outside of the natural man, that God was going to reveal by these miracles that He was able to perform an internal response inside of a person, an internal response in order to produce within us an eternal result means that lasts forever, the gift of eternal life. So God wants us to believe, but man doesn’t believe unless he can see something, hear something that’s totally unique. Jesus Christ being born to this world, his birth was not like the normal person.

He did not have an earthly father. The Bible says the Holy Spirit came upon the woman Mary, and the Holy Spirit placed the seed within the womb of Mary, so that that which was born of her was a holy thing. He was wonderful in His birth because nobody was ever born like this man was born. And the thing is that was so neat is not only was His birth, it was planned because God had planned this before the foundations of the world, called the plan of salvation.

And the Lord prophesied what He was going to do. He told in advance that Jesus Christ, when He came into this world, that He would be born of a virgin. We read that verse. It says in the book of Genesis in chapter And 3 verse 15 talking about the seed of the woman, Christ, bruising the head of the serpent. But God foretold these things and prophesied of it. And because of that, nothing is quite like Jesus Christ. No man ever had any of these things told about Him.

When you stop and think about it, since no man can produce His own birth in order to create an individual without sin. You see, you cannot. You can get you and you can get your wife and you can produce a baby. Babies can have babies. Youngens can have youngens. But you can never produce a perfect child. This was a perfect child. No sin, no fault, no flaws in this child. And in his life, the Bible says that he went about doing good.

So he had a wonderful life. Years ago they had a man, I guess, James Stewart that made a movie that called it, It’s a Wonderful Life. Anybody seen that? Most people see that at Christmas. It’s a wonderful life. There is no life of any person who’s ever lived quite like this man’s life. The Bible says everywhere he went he went about doing good. He never wronged anybody. He never wronged his mother. He never wronged his earthly father. We’ll see you in the next video.

Bye. Joseph, who was not his real father, but he never wronged anyone. He never wronged a brother. He never wronged a sister. He never told a lie. This man was unique. He was different. Never been another one quite like him. He was wonderful in his birth, but he was wonderful in his life. And the Bible says that thing that happened in his life had been planned. He was totally in the hands of his father. And the thing that had happened in his life prophesied thousands of years in advance.

And to realize the power that it takes to live above sin, no other man has ever done it. When you take about people talking about keeping the law, out of 1500 years, not one person ever kept the law, yet Jesus Christ kept the law perfectly. Means he never failed. He lived a perfect life. He could look at an individual and say, Which one of you can convince me or convict me of sin? Point to one sin that I’ve ever committed.

Now you and I wouldn’t dare do that to anybody. But Jesus was different. He was unique. And the Bible says that this man was wonderful in his birth. He was wonderful in his life. When you talk about the death on the cross, most of us didn’t determine when we would be born. Most of us are not going to determine when we died. the very day we’ll die, or by whose hand we will die if it’s that away. This is different about Jesus Christ.

See, he was wonderful in his death. You see, his death was planned. He was born that he might die. His death was not an accident. You might have an accident. Oh, you had a car wreck and you accidentally got killed. His death was no accident. His death was planned by God from the foundations of the world. And it was prophesied in the Old Testament and even in the 22nd Psalm told about how he would be pierced in his hands and his feet.

In other words, looking forward a thousand years to the day when under the Roman government he would be crucified. You see, not just anybody could be held accountable by two governments, two nations, and rejected by both. What a man. And yet this person died a unique death. Not only were there other people who died on the crosses, but nobody died like this man. So how come? You see, they died for their sin. They did do wrong, but this man had done nothing amiss.

There was no fault found in him. Paulus says, I wash my hands from this man. This man has done nothing wrong. This man’s done nothing worthy of death. The only thing they could come close to accusing him of was blasphemy because he said he was God. But the thing was, he wasn’t lying. He told the truth. That’s who he was. And he told him, he says, when you put me on the cross, my father will tell you who I am.

He says, I bear witness of myself. I bear witness of myself. I said, I am the light of the world. I am the Son of God. I am the way, the truth and the life. That’s who I am. I am the Son of God. I am the Messiah. I am the Savior of the world about my testimony is not to be believed by one alone. Everything had to be established in mouth of two or more witnesses. He said, but there’s another one he’ll testify.

He says, one that you have listened to, one that you have followed. He says, a man named John the Baptist came on the scene and he was a bright and shining light. He testified of me and you went to his baptism and he baptized many of you with the baptism of repentance. He said that man that you hold up in very high esteem withd man, his character, his integrity, that man says that IGROUPS that I’m the son of God that takes away the sin of the world.HEAD He witnessed for me.

He said if you don’t219 believe it be called what I say or maybe not be called what John says, he said what about the works, my very works, the way I live, the things that I’ve accomplished, tells you who I am. No other man is able to make a blind man see. Nobody else can make the lane to walk or the depth to hear. But listen, Christ making the blind to see did nothing for me. It can’t do anything for me.

Just because He wasUrl to make the dumb to speak, that didn’t save me. That didn’t pay for my sin. That doesn’t get me to heaven. Just because Christ would walk on water. That didn’t save me. That didn’t give me eternal life. That didn’t make me God’s child balconies. But yet Jesus Christ would walk on the water and he could feed to 5,000. He could do all the miracles that he did. And the Bible says that Jesus Christ did all the things.

He says, believe me for the works that I do. The what I’ve done tells you who I Swordsman. I’m not a normal man. I’m not the average Joe Blow. Many people think Jesus, oh, he was just a good man. He died for a good cause. Jesus Christ was God. He was God in the flesh. He had a body like ours. But this man was different. He was wonderful in his birth. And he was wonderful in his life. And he was wonderful in his crucifixion.

When he died, his death was foretold. It was prophesy. side. It was planned and it was powerful because he says, I have the power to lay my life down and I have the power to take it up again. No man take it my life from me. And yet when he came back from the dead, it was by the quickening power of the Holy Spirit. No man died like this man. But not just wonderful in his death. You stop and think about this.

What’s the most powerful thing in the world? Now it’s wonderful that when we can look out and be whole and we could see maybe a man walking on water because we know that’s that’s America. That’s supernatural. The Bible says that Christ did these things so that we could be lead. Looked there in verse 30. And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples which are not written in this book, signs or a miracle, signs or external revelations to produce inside of a person an internal response.

What does God want from me? Why did He do that? That I might believe that He is the Christ, the Son of the living God that I might believe that. And so Christ was allowed by the God the Father to produce the miracles that in an individual He might be leave. And if he will be lead that, an internal response, he would have the eternal results, which would be eternal life. So the miracles was to produce believe so that we could have eternal life.

But I wasn’t there to see all those miracles that were done. I never saw one miracle. But the Bible says, concerning the woman at the well, in chapter four of the gospel of John, it says that the men in the city that came out He says, we believe, not because what the woman said, but because we heard Him hours, that we heard Him. So it’s not only by seeing, it’s by hearing the greatest message in the world. Remember this, there is no story.

There is no message, as great, as powerful, as moving, as the story of Christ’s death on the cross. You listen to the story of what happened to Him when he was persecuted, when he was mocked and hung on a tree, what he went through and what happened and the story behind it, there is no story as moving as that story. To know that here was a perfect man in the hands of sinful men and had the power of all heaven behind him and what he could have done and the Bible said he could have called 10,000 angels, and yet he allowed man to do what they did to him.

And he did it for a reason. That took power. The power to refrain himself from power that he had, lest he used it and not accomplish the purpose by which he came. They said, if you’re the Christ, come on down from the cross and we’ll believe you, but they didn’t understand. He couldn’t come down from the cross. If He had came down, He couldn’t have saved them. He could not have paid for their sins. He could not be intimidated by them.

What a man. Every person in this room would be filled with bitterness and hatred toward anybody, whoever wronged you. And yet in Him, He says, forgive them, for they know not what they do. They don’t know what they’re doing. See, He’s not like you and I. He was God in the flesh. The miracles that he did was to produce the leaf in us. But he says, there are those who were able to see like he told Thomas. And he says, because thou hast seen, thou hast believed.

But blessed are those who have not seen yet believe because they all hear the story. And that’s why the Bible is written. That’s why the gospel of John was written. So that we might be leave because of what we heard, and that’s why he says in not only in chapter 4 when they said, we’ve heard in ourselves. Chapter 5 verse 24 says, as many as, here is the word, here the word, and believe it on him that sent me half everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but has passed from death unto life.

You see, you and I, we don’t have to see the miracles. But we have evidence that it is true. And the evidence is not only what Christ said, it’s not only what John the Baptist said because everything has to be established in the mouth of two or more witnesses. It’s not only that his work bear witness of it, but he says, my Father, my Father also bears witness of me in chapter 8 verse 18 and chapter 8 verse 28.

He said, my father tells you who I am. He said, when you lift me up, when you lift me up, my father that created the heavens and the earth, my father’s going to tell you who I am. And when he hung on the cross, when he had said, I am the light of the world, the world went dark when the light went out. He says, I am the temple of God. And he said that they all was rent from the top to the bottom.

That was another miracle. Because it opened up the door way into the holy of holies so that you and I can have access to God and go to heaven whenever we die because his body was the veil according to Hebrews in chapter 10. You see, God the Father spoke because when he was on the cross, he said, when you lift me up, my father will bear witness that I’m who I said I was. The Bible says that the earth shook and the graves were open and the people that were For in the grave came out after his resurrection and walked through the city of Jerusalem.

Now wouldn’t that scare you half to death? To see some uncle or some ant that’s been dead and all of a sudden they’re walking the streets of Jerusalem. He started to know that was in the Bible, chapter 27, a book of Matthew, read it sometime. So what is all that proof? He is God. It proves that He is who He claimed to be. And he says these external miracles, is to birds that inward response. Why? So that you’ll believe it.

You will believe it. There is no story you have ever heard that has more documentation than this story that’s in this book right here. He says, search the scriptures. For in them you think you have eternal life and they are they which testify of me. They’ll tell you, if you’ll read it, they’ll tell you in the Old Testament scripture they’ll tell you who I am. They told you where I was going to be born. They told you how I was going to live.

They told you how I’m going to die. And they tell you about my resurrection. It’s all in the book. Read the evidence. And written before he ever came into this world. So I didn’t have to see anything, but I was 18 years old when I heard the greatest story I’ve ever heard in my life. Somebody told me the story of Jesus Christ. They told me that Jesus Christ was God’s Son, that He came into this world, that He died on that cross to pay for my sins, came back from the dead.

And my only way, my only hope of going to heaven is if I accept that payment He made for me. Through Christ is the only way of going to heaven. You cannot get there any other way. I, today, I don’t have to live looking for some miracle, some sign to convince me. There is no story like this story. No man could write this story. This story took 1600 years to write and it’s perfectly woven together. No story quite like it.

You see, all this is wonderful because you see, Jesus was wonderful. He was wonderful in his birth and he was wonderful in his life. He was wonderful in his death and he was wonderful in his resurrection. You know the greatest power in all the world? If a man could kill you, it would be the greatest power you could have to come back from the dead. I mean, if you had the power to make a blind man see, okay, but if you can kill him, I mean, so what?

I mean, if you could feed the fire files, but if a man can die, you can’t come back. So what? But the power to come back from the dead to live forever. You know, they always try to make some movies, you know, something like vampires and eating drinks with somebody’s blood, so that they can live forever and all that kind of stuff like that. You see, they can get stories like them, but in the Bible, it’s real. It’s a real story.

Christ says, if you’ll eat my flesh and drink my blood, my blood, you’ll live forever. I literally believe that if Christ had gave us a bite of his flesh to eat or a drop of his blood to drink, we would lift forever. His blood was precious blood. It was incorruptible blood. And when he died on the cross and shed his blood, it was the very blood that he shed that he took to heaven and offered on the mercy seat in heaven.

I believe that. His blood might have failed to the ground, but when he left, he took every drop of it with him. How much of his blood did he have to shed? He shed all of his blood, but one drop would have been enough the pay for the sins of thethumbnails of the whole world. Because of the quality, the value of that blood. It was pure blood. It’s the Bible called the_> blood of Jesus Christ. In the book of Leviticus, 7th and verse 11, it said, For the life of the flesh is in the blood and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your soul, for the blood making the atonement for your soul.

It is a wonderful thing to know that without the shitting blood there is no remission of sin. Christ had to come, He had to die to pay for our sins so that we could have as a free gift everlasting life. life and to think that somebody could a man, a natural man, come back from the dead, go out to your cemetera and see how many of them have the power to come back. When I do your, why don’t you just go ahead and get out of that casket?

Don’t you have to have any funeral services? Wouldn’t it be wonderful, but you ain’t got the power to do it. You can’t do it. You don’t have the power to do it. And if there is no resurrection, there is no And there is no savior. There’s no resurrection. There is no proof because he prophesied that he would. He says over and over again, they’re going to kill me. Three days later, I’m coming back from the dead. Now, if he hadn’t kept his word, he was a liar.

But he came back from the dead. And the thing is also wonderful is to think for a moment. Get out here someday. Get out here in the parking lot and jump up in the air and say, how high you can jump. So if you can jump clean off the earth. Ha, How can you get up in this air on your own steam, on your own power? On the Mount of Olive, they were all standing there watching them, and all of a sudden, on his own power, a man began to go up off the earth and they watched him ascend up into heaven.

That ascension was a wonderful thing. Wouldn’t you like to see it? To see a person do something no man can do. He’s not just a man. From the beginning to the end. not just He was a man, but not just a….” He was perfect man and he was perfect. He was the perfect God man. He was God manifested in the flesh so that you and I could, see the greatest miracle of God is the power to come back from the dead.

And that’s why in the New Testament they preached the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That power, the power that saves us, can give us eternal life. The greatest news in all the world. You take away the resurrection of Christ. We have no story. You take away the resurrection. We have no Savior. This hand represents you and me. This wallet represents sin. We all have sin upon us. Now God, He loves us, but He hates our sin. Now get this. You and I committed the sin we ought to pay for it.

The payment for sin. to pay for the wrong we’ve done is eternal separation from God in hell. You see, you’re going to die. And if you have not accepted the payment Christ made for you, you will go to hell. That’s where you’re going. To go to heaven, you have to be perfect as righteous is God. None of us are perfect. None of us are righteous. That’s why you and I needed a Savior because we can’t save ourselves. If we could save ourselves, we don’t need a Savior.

But God says you cannot save yourself. It is impossible for a man to save himself. sin represent Jesus Christ, God in the flesh. See God cannot die. So God sent his son Jesus Christ into this world. He took upon himself a body and through this body he became a sacrificial lamb. That’s why he called the lamb of God that taken away the sin of the world. Jesus Christ came into the world because he loves us. He hates our sin because our sin separates us from him.

So Christ took the sin, paid for it on the cross, came back from the dead and in the041 world, in the whole world would be lead that he did this, that he paid for their sins. He would give them as a free gift everlasting life and you’ll go to heaven on what Christ did for you. Now, what miracle am I supposed to perform for you today? Am I supposed to walk on water? No. Am I supposed to feed to 5,000?

No. Am I supposed to make the a man who did live and could do all of that. And the greatest miracle of all is he came back from the dead, seen of over 500 at one time, 500 people at one time. There’s enough witnesses. I can’t make people believe this story. I can’t see it, but I heard about it. The Bible says Stay Tymeth, by what? Hearing, and hearing by the Word of God, if you have not trusted Christ as your Savior, then you are not saved and you will not go to heaven.

But if inside of you is the desire that you want to go to heaven for all eternity and you don’t want to go to hell, you must accept Christ as your Savior. offered you my wallet and you accepted what would you have? Empty wallet. I offered you this Bible and you accepted what would you have? A Bible. If Christ walked in here and offered you eternal life and you accepted what would you have? Eternal life. If it’s eternal life, it lasts forever.

And if it lasts forever, all your sins are paid and you’re going to heaven whenever you die. It’s the greatest news in all the world. I don’t need any miracles to convince me what I’ve heard about it. It’s good enough for me. Blessed are they who have not seen yet believe because they heard about it. And that’s why he says going to all the way on preach the gospel to every person because all you’re going to get today and all you’re going to get on any day of any day during the rest of the mankind upon the earth is the story.

That story. That’s why the Bible says the gospel, good news, that story itself is so powerful. That story is able to break down every man, every woman. That story is why you’re supposed to tell it and tell it you should. Let’s pray, shall we? Every head bowed, every eye closed, no one looking around. If you’re here this morning and you have not trusted Christ as your Savior, Let me encourage you. If you’ve never done this, do it now. Just talk to the Lord in your mind and say something simple like this, Lord, I am a sinner.

Be honest, God already knows it. Lord, I’m a sinner. I believe Christ died that He paid for my sins. And right now the best on Ohio, I will accept Him as my Savior. And bring the fuel, trust Him right now as your Savior, God will save you and give you eternal life. And you can know that you’re going to heaven whenever you die. die. If you’ve never done that, do it right now. I’m not going to have you forward, not getting embarrassed, but I am going to ask you in just a moment to raise your hand.

Raising your hand does not save you. I’m not going to embarrass you. But I do want to have prayer for you and raising your hand lets me know that what I said made sense to you. And that’s why I do it with hedge bow nice clothes. So if you will, if you’ve never done it before and you want to go to heaven when you die, you must trust Christ as your Savior. Will you trust him right now, depend upon him to take it to heaven.

Not the preacher, not the church, not your good works, you can’t earn it. It’s free. It’s a totally free gift. So you say, yes, I’ll trust Christ as my Savior and preach. I like you to pray for me. Friend, would you just slip your hand very quickly and put it right back down to the end with it all? You’ve never done it beforeusercontent wouldrequency. Would you do it right now? If you have trusted Christ as your Savior, your God’s child, if your God’s child, you’re going to heaven when you die.

And the power that raised Him from the dead is the same power of the Holy Spirit that lives inside of you to help you to do the things that you should do, not to get to heaven but because you’re going there. Serve the Lord. Honor Him not just on Easter Sunday, but every day of your life because you have divine power living within you, His power, His life. 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 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 Bible line 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 believe in that the Lord is coming soon and just keep looking up

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida, clearly declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the Internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to come to you. 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 first part of this two part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

Take your Bible and turn to the book of Exodus, book of Exodus years ago, 1964. I met a man by the name of Dr. Mark Cameron. He was the vice president of Florida Bible College. So he was a friend of Dr. Linstram and myself and every student that came. Just fell in love with Dr. Cameron. He was a jolly man. He He loved the Lord. He studied the Scriptures. He prayed Scripture. You touched Him and you go Jesus. But He was just one awesome individual.

And He became the president of Seaside Mission, which was a Jewish ministry. And He would always be sharing in chapel and our classes because I had them for hermeneutics. And He said, what’s that? That’s just the art of biblical interpretation and also Bible doctrine but the man he knew his material and he knew it well he loved prophecy and Got to go to Israel with dr. Stanford and but anyway, he would always be talking about the people who came to seaside mission and Jewish people would come in and they would invite others that didn’t know the Lord and they also always talking about the Messiah on, you know.

And he says, it’s amazing that he would be explaining the Passover because that’s something that they all knew, because they all did it. And they participated in it most of their life. And they would, you know, have the Seder, which is the symbolic meaning of the Passover, of the defeat that they had. And he would tell about different ones and how that right in the middle of it sometime when he was talking about the matzo that was broken and the piece that was hidden and all he’d go through it.

And actually he didn’t know Dr. Mark Henry. He would start crying because somebody that came would start crying and then have all the students all crying and it was just like it was contagious, you know. you try to picture the little meeting that he’s talking about and the table that he said he had and he would go through it and he’d have on his little… Yama ha… Tamako? Yama ha… Jay, what did he call it? That’s what I said.

Anyway, that little thing that you get, you know, a little… this… you know, bigger than an upside-down cereal bowl. I mean, and they would put it on their head. I’ve been and Israel all these times and I’ve seen them, they’re all they’re running around with the thing. And Dr. Cameron, he wanted Jewish, but he looked Jewish and he loved the Jewish people and he would always talk and he would tell so many of us, some of the stories and how he would go through.

And I wanted to share some of that with you because see, we talk about resurrection Sunday, it’s really, it has to do with Passover. And if you understand a little bit more about the Passover and I don’t understand everything, I’m still learning and growing, but I know it’s a precious time. But I know that many of the people and the Jewish people, even though they went through the ritual of it, didn’t understand the meaning of it. And sometime whenever they see that, you’re talking about the Messiah.

You’re talking about Christ. And it’s hard to get through it whenever somebody who really knows it and can point all that stuff out. And Dr. Camille would just go, hey, go. If you cut his suspenders, he would say, He just goes straight up. And he just loved the Lord, a great man. But in the book of Exodus, I want you to look there in chapter 12. In looking verse 12, for I will pass throughmunition the land of Egypt this nightrely smite all the first born in the land of Egypt.

Both man and beast and against all the And we’ll smite all the first born in the land of Egypt. Both man and beast and against all the gods of Egypt, I will execute judgment. I am… I amoutheastern. be to you for a token upon the houses where you are and when I see the blood I will pass over you. This is the Passover. When I see the blood I will pass over you. So, just picture for a moment. No, the table up here.

There’s a big old table. You can use a communion table if you want to. But there’s things that are on this table and it’s the symbolic representation or celebration that they would go through and the passage of the people of Israel out of bondage into freedom. And so Dr. Mark Campbell would always Tell us about. Iurrection. I’m municip%”Parserocial About how Israel was in bondage in Egypt and about going through the Red Sea and all that. So we hear the story, we’ve heard it.

WARN Riy-, Iername You’ve already heard and sometimes you can’t but you just love to hear it one more time. It’s kind of like the gospel. Just tell me one more time. And I don’t get tired of hearing the gospel. I don’t get tired of hearing about the Passover and thatoğ storyPope coming certificated […] STATSulnerated Zi. }, Carbuncle Really what’s happened to us, we were all enslaved, we didn’t have ansic chance, we couldn’t deliver ourselves and the Lord performed a miracle and He brought us forth into a new life.

ulnergues I want you to take your Bible quick anRogues And I trust the crisis by Savior. What a wonderful time. I want you to take your Bible very quick in the book of the Luke. The book of Luke. And chapter 22, I was in this portion of Scripture earlier this morning when we had our communion service. But in chapter 22, I just want to refer to just a couple verses here, verse 15 and verse. Verse 16, because he had told him, he says, prepare the, the table.

Prepare for the, theDeclover. So Jesus was going to celebrate the Passover. And little did they know, he is the Passover. He was the Lamb. And here he was with his disciples, and so he says there in verse 13, his is made ready for the Passover.Similar to them, with desire I have desiredternal to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I say unto you, I will not eat anymore. thereof until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.

In other words, this was a type of what was going to take place, and the fulfillment is yet in the future the total fulfillment. Because it’s not just this resurrection from the dead. You see, there’s another part of the story that we’ll get to when we talk about the matza. And it’s a wonderful story. But I wish that sometimes I wish I could have been Jewish. I wouldn’t have mind being Jewish. I’d have a big little star David or a Monday.

But I’m a glory. I’m a Gentile. But I love the story about what God has done. And sometimes I wish that I could. But you can’t change things the way it is. But I want you to just kind of set the table for you and some of the things that they would have on the table because of what they were going to do and what each one symbolizes. And so these five things that was on this table was there for a reason and they represented”},” something.

And one was the lamb which they were to remember the sacrificial lamb. See, whenever they were in Egypt and there was going to be the death that night. Well, see, the firstborn was going to die. And so in order for theOnline children of Israel, protection of them, they were tocock the lamb and take the hissip a little branch and dip it in the blood and put it upon the the lintel in the door post. And therefore, when I see the blood, I’ll pass over this house.

And so this lamb was to remind them of the sacrifice that was paid for the first born that night, not to die. So it’s a wonderful story and something they should be remembered. You see, they’re also they had the hard boiled egg, which simply represented the symbolic of life. And so they did this and mainly whenever they went into the temple and Jerusalem of that became more prevalent. But then they had the bitter herbs. The bitter herbs, if you ever had horseradish, you ever get a nice steak and have horseradish?

That goes perfect with a steak horseradish. Try horseradish all by itself, full strength. You talk about opening you up. up. You talk about a bitter taste in your mouth, but it was symbolic and it was for a reason and to remind them of the bitterness of the slavery they had when they were in Egypt. Remember how they cried out to God, for God to do something and God heard them and sent Moses down? It was because God told Moses, I’ve heard the cries of my people because the taskmasters were laying up on them and then they had to build bricks without straw and just made it so terrible for them to be a slave, to have no hope, no way of delivering yourselves.

And it was only by the mighty power of God that was done. You see, they had to have the remembrance. Because, see, as people, we forget things. We forget all the answers to prayer, and we worry about the ones that’s coming up. And we just don’t seem to remember. Do you remember how good God’s been to you? If he can save you and give you eternal life, don’t you think he can give you a hamburger from day to day?

If he’s blessed you all these years and kept your life, don’t you think God could be worthy of your trust? hasn’t he earned the right to be trusted to be believed? And then they had the spring vegetables, and it wasn’t much, a little spring, maybe, of parsley and something, something like a little potato. And, but they were for a reason, because in the spring, spring of life, new life. And so everything that they had and everything that they did was for a reason.

And so the table would be spread. And they had a little dish of saltwater. And the little dish of saltwater was for also a reason. And that was to remind them of the tears of their slavery. See, there was bitterness. And the bitterness brought tears. And so God wanted the people of Israel to always remember the way it was so they could always focus upon the one who delivered them from all of that. lest you forget. There’s a whole song that talks about, lest we forget.

And they did forget. They did not remember just how good and wonderful God had been to them. And then there was also three other things that they had, and they had the matzah. And they had three pieces. So you can pitch a three pieces of matzah, this was unleavened bread. And because of the haste of having to get out of Egypt and to leave quickly. They had no time for the bread to sit with the yeast in it and to rise.

So they had to just get the stuff and leave in a hurry. And it was unleavened, no yeast in it. And leaven is a type of sin. And so they had to do this. And so they had the bread. They had a cup for each person in order to drink of the fruit of the vine and then the candles. I want you to take your Bible and look here in the book of Exodus in chapter 10. All the way back in the Old Testament, Exodus and chapter 10, remember in the ninth judgment, the ninth judgment, they would also do some things because of remembering the plagues that had come.

And they had to cite the plagues, the various plagues. And the plagues, as you recall, you ought to know this because you watched the movie, Ten Commandments with Charleston Heston. But if you didn’t see the movie, it’s Send a book. It’s in the Bible. And there was the plague and a blood. There’s a thing turning the blood. And there were several miracles before this and the Egyptians were able to copycat some of the miracles. They did the okay on the first two.

After that it was all down the hill for them. They couldn’t keep up with what the little true and living God could do. Until the day the conclusion was the God of Moses. He is God. He is God. He is the Lord. And so God had to work all of these plagues upon the people, trying to get Pharaoh to change his mind. So he sent the blood, changing all the water to blood. And then came the frogs. Frogs everywhere.

A plague of frogs. Don’t you like frogs, frog legs? But the frogs came, and then the lice, and then the flies, all these things came, and then the disease upon the cattle, and then the boils, all over their bodies, then the fail, then the locust, and then the blackness, and after the blackness, the death of the first born. So God brought all of these plagues upon the people. I want you to look there in verse 21 of Exodus chapter 10, and the Lord said unto Moses, stretch out thy hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.

And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven, and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days, and yod on the line is part of your Bible. But all the children Israel had light in their dwelling. Dark everywhere in the world, but only with Israel and in their dwellings was their light and it was light for three days. They had three candles that they would put on the table that represented that though the world is dark, there’s light with the Lord.

And though Egypt had no light, Israel had light. You know there’s a message in there somewhere, I bet there is. When you stop and think, he says, the world is in darkness. We were born into the kingdom of darkness. But when you and I trusted Christ as our Savior, we were placed into the kingdom of light. Remember Jesus came into the world and says, I am the light of the world. world. He is the light of the world. I don’t have time to look at this verse, but in the book of 1 Corinthians in chapter 5 and verse 6 and 8, it talks about Christ is our Passover, cast out the leaven.

Talking about you and I as individuals, remember that we’re supposed to live a clean, holy, pure life, and that we’re supposed to search and make sure that we kind of get these things taken care of and get them out of our lives. You see, one of the things that they would do is before the ceremony actually started this, get a broom and sweep and make sure they got up all the crumbs of the bread, less there would be some yeast in it, so that there’d be no yeast because it’s the type of sin.

And whenever we come to celebrate our communion service, that’s why we’re asked to search our heart because we want the Lord to search us and then reveal to us any area in our life that needs to be corrected, that needs to be changed. And God will take care of those things for us. I want you to take your Bible, look in the book of John chapter 13, look in John chapter 13. notice in the Gospel of John in chapter 13, something wonderful happened one night.

It was a Passover, by the way, that they were celebrating. And at this Passover, says in verse 1 of chapter 13, in verse 1, not before the feast of the Passover when Jesus knew that his arm was come, that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world. He loved them unto the end. Supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas’ carried Simon’s son to betray him.

Verse 3, Jesus, no, do you think he knew what Judas was going to do? And you’ll notice that. The Bible talks about Judas was sent out that night. You see there in verse 31, therefore when he was gone out, Jesus said, now is the Son of Man glorified. Therefore when he was gone out. Look in verse 30, he then having received, went immediately out. And I wonder why it would just happen to say that. It was night. I could make a sermon out of that somewhere.

It was ninth. See, as I talk and as I reflect upon some of these things, you predec, you might be able to think of something. You know, I bet that means this. You know, that could mean that. And when you gain knowledge of the Bible, you’d be surprised how certain things just kind of comes into your mind. And God can speak and so forth to every individual. individual, but see, this is what some of the Jewish people did. Not everybody did exactly the same thing all the time.

You got people a day, Jewish people a day that don’t even celebrate the Passover. They don’t do anything about it. And some things don’t mean the same thing. And, you know, I really don’t know. I’m not Jewish. I’ve never been to one. I’d like to see it all done. But no one, Dr. Cameron, I just got enthralled just listening to him talk about it because he would relate and refer to so many of these things. And you know, in the same chapter when he’s talking about the Passover, he’s talking to his disciples, and he gets down there, and what does he do?

He gets a basin with some water in it and starts to do something. What is he doing? He’s going to wash their feet. Washing their feet at the Passover. I bet there’s a message in there somewhere. Do you know that he’s bigot? You are not going to wash my feet. Jesus said, I don’t wash your feet. You have no part with me. Well, not just my feet. Washed the whole body. He says, you that are washed. Don’t need a total bath.

Just need to clean your feet. You see, once you trust Christ as Savior, you’ve already been washed. That’s why the snow. But as we go through life, we kind of get a little dirt on us here at times. And God says, you need to wash your feet. First John 1, 9 executes how we wash our feet. One wants to stay clean. But you see what they did in the Passover, there’s always a reason behind that story:::::::: that’s there. So thesudo with the the lighting of the stay clean.

So the seder begins with the lighting of those candles, and then they would be the blowing of the shofar. Remember, they would come into Jerusalem on Passover. And I mean, everybody would be there. I mean, the place would be just back. And whenever they would blow the shofar, then the high priest knew this is when they would sacrifice the lambs. I wonder if there was a shofar that sounded at night. I would love to have known. When I first came here, I remember one of the first services we had somebody had a big old show for a horn.

Who had that? Wasn’t Mary-Ann didn’t you bring that? Somebody had one and I remember I’m not sure if I blew it or not I’m not sure. You can pass out just trying to make that thing sound. But anyway I want you to know that there’s some things that happened at the celebration, the seder, that if you listen closely, you can see Christ. You can see Him and just about everything. Now they had the cup of sanctification and it was filled.

And then there was a prayer that summed up the reason for the celebration and they would all drink. And then the youngest one usually would ask a couple questions. Because, you know, this night was different from all other nights. What’s so different about this night? Because this night, why do we eat lamb? We can eat anything all the other… But why this night? We do this. And then there was a question about why do we have to eat these bitter herbs?

You can use the youngest one or a child, wouldn’t it? Make the statement, ask the question. And why do we have to dip our food twice? Why do we have to eat the lamb? Why do we eat matzah, the unbroken bread? What’s all this about? So they had the questions, and then as they would do it, then they would answer, and at different times, they would have different songs or recite various prayers and so on. I just cut to a lot of stuff and just get to the thing that really interests me.

And then there’s the part taking of the spring vegetables, which represents the new life. And they would take the little sprig of parsley and they would dip it into that little bowl of salt water. Very, very salty, very yucky, as far as I’m concerned. and then they would eat it along with maybe a hard boiled egg and some other stuff. But it was a coming out of the tears because of the bitterness that they had to go through, the lessons that they’ve had to learn, knowing that only God could do this for them.

And Lord walked them through all these things and helped them to see. Then there is the breaking of the the middle matzo, there was three of them, three pieces of unleavened bread. Now, you may wonder why was there three? I think there’s a story there someplace. You know, it could be representative to me in my mind, the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. You know, we call it the Trinity, the Triune God. We’re talking about a Trinity. Our Lord is one God.

And the second one is the Son of God. And the second one is the one that’s taken from the middle and it’s broken. And the smaller piece you really put back down on the table, but then that other one, the larger one, they would wrap it up and then they’d hide it. And the matzah also had to have something done to it to make sure that it doesn’t rise and there’s no yeast in it, you know. And so they would stripe it and then they would pierce it.

So that whenever they baked it, it’d be flat as a flitter. But it represented something. Now, why would you take the matzah, no leaven, stripe it, pierce it. And it’s the second one, break it. I bet there’s a story here. You probably can’t even come close to figuring it out. Who that might represent. I remember someone who said, I am the bread of life. Anybody remember that? Do you believe that there’s a possibility that the one that was broke could be a picture of the Son of God, Jesus Christ?

that he was broken and wrapped in a napkin and hid. And hid. The story ain’t over though. Not yet. It ain’t. The story ain’t over though. Not yet. It ain’t over. So I believe it’s more than just meets the eye. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. Part two of this teaching will conclude with tomorrow’s broadcast. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach 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 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.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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 my Lord. tyard and the Internet. make it possible for a Bible lineesome to continue pornographic. You can reach us toll free at 1-800-576-37 187. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage.

including messageillegal this teaching will be a Santorum################################ to you and your family. I want you toDiscussion Tycoon to you and your family. I want you to lookUGC in verse 21 of Exodus chapter 10 and the Lord said unto Moses, stretch outWednesday and hand WARRANT heaven. *=- that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. And Moses stretched forth his hand toward <@ and there was a thick darkness in all the landgz of Egypt three days.

They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days and yod on the line this part in your Bible. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwelling. Dark everywhere in the world, but only with Israel and in their dwellings was their light, and it was light for three days. They had three candles that they would put on the table that represented that though the world is dark, there’s one. with the Lord. And though Egypt had no light, Israel had light.

You know there’s a message in there somewhere I bet there is. When you stop and think He says the world is in darkness. We were born into the kingdom of darkness. But when you and I trusted Christ as our Savior we were placed into the kingdom of light. Remember Jesus came into the world and says I am the light of the world. He is the light of the world. I don’t have time to look at this verse, but in the book of 1 Corinthians in chapter 5 and verse 6 and 8, it talks about Christ is our Passover, cast out the leaven.

Talking about you and I as individuals, remember that we’re supposed to live a clean, holy, pure life, and that we’re supposed to search and make sure that we kind of get these things taken care of and get them out of our lives. You see, one of the things that they would do is before the ceremony actually started is get a broom and sweep and make sure they got up all the crumbs of the bread lest there would be some yeast in it so that there’d be no yeast because it’s the type of sin.

And whenever we come to celebrate our communion service, that’s why we’re has to search our heart because we want the Lord to search us and then reveal to us any area in our life that needs to be corrected, that needs to be changed and God will take care of those things for us. I want you to take your Bible looking at the book of John chapter 13, you’ll notice in the gospel of,bytes of John in chapter 13. Something wonderful happened one nightMerit It was a Passover by the way that they were celebrating.

And at this Passover, says in verse 1 of chapter 13, in verse 1, now, before the feast of the Passover when Jesus knew that his arm was come, that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world. He loved them unto the end. Supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas’ carrier, Simon son, to betray him. Verse 3, Jesus, no, do you think he knew what Judas was going to do?

And you’ll notice that the Bible talks about Judas was sent out that night. You see there in verse 31, therefore when he was gone out, Jesus said, now with the Son of Man glorified. Therefore when he was gone out. Look in verse 30, he then having received the soft, went immediately out. And I wonder why it would just happen to say that. It was night. You know, I could make a sermon out of that somewhere. It was night. See, as I talk and as I reflect upon some of these things, you’d be surprised.

You might be able to think of something. You know, I bet that means this. You know, that could mean that. And when you gain knowledge of the Bible, you’d be surprised how certain things just kind of comes into your mind. And God can speak and so forth to every individual. But see, this is what some of the Jewish people did. Not everybody did exactly the same thing all the time. You got people a day and Jewish people a day.

don’t even celebrate the Passover. They don’t tell you anything about it. And some things don’t mean the same thing. And, you know, I really don’t know. I’m not Jewish. I’ve never been to one. I’d like to see it all done. But, no one, Dr. Cameron, I just got enthralled just listening to him talk about it because he would relate and refer to so many of these things. And, you know, in the same chapter when he’s talking about the Passover, He’s talking to his disciples and he gets down there and what does he do?

He gets a basin with some water in it and starts to do something. What is he doing? He gonna wash their feet, washing their feet at the Passover. I bet there’s a message in there somewhere. Did you know that he’s Peter, you are not gonna wash my feet. Jesus said, I don’t wash your feet. You have no part with me. Well, not just my feet, wash the whole body. He says, you that are washed, don’t need a total bath, just need to clean your feet.

You see, once you trust Christ as Savior, you’ve already been washed as white as snow. But as we go through life, we kind of get a little dirt on us here at times, and God says, you need to wash your feet. John 1 9 is how we wash our feet. God wants to stay clean. But you see what they did in the Passover, there’s always a reason behind that, the story that’s there. So the Seder begins with the lighting of those candles and then they would be the blowing of the shofar.

Remember, they would come into Jerusalem on Passover and I mean everybody would be there. I mean the place where you’d be just packed. And whenever they would blow the shofar, then the high priest knew this is when they would sacrifice the lambs. I wonder if there was a shofar that sounded at night. I would love to have known. When I first came here, I remember one of the first services we had, somebody had a big old shofar. A horn.

Who’d had that? Wasn’t Barry and didn’t you bring that? Somebody had one and I remember, I’m not sure if I blew it or not. I’m not sure. You can pass out just trying to make that thing sound. But anyway, I want you to know that there’s some things that happened at the celebration, the cedar, that if you listen closely, you can see Christ. You can see Him and just about everything. Now, they had the cup of sanctification and it was filled.

And then there was a prayer that summed up the reason for the celebration and they would all drink. And then the youngest one, usually, would ask a couple questions. Because this night was different from all other nights. What’s so different about this night? Because this night, why do we eat lamb? We can eat anything all the other, but why this night? We do this. And then there was a question about why do we have to eat these bitter herbs?

Usually the youngest one or a child would make the statement, ask the question. And why do we have to dip our food twice? And why do we have to eat the lamb? Why do we eat matzah, the unbroken bread? What’s all this about? So they had the questions and then as they would do it, then they would answer and at different times they would have different songs or recite various prayers and so on. I just cut to a lot of stuff and just get to the thing that really interests me.

And then there’s the partaking of the spring vegetables, which represents the new life. And they would take the little sprig of parsley and they would dip it into that little bowl of salt water. Very, very salty, very yucky, as far as I’m concerned. And then they would eat it, along with maybe a hard-ball day and some other stuff. But it was a coming out of the tears, because of the bitterness that they had to go through. The lessons that they’ve had to learn, knowing that only God could do this for them.

And Lord, through all these things and help them to see. in the middle, there was three of them, three pieces of unleavened bread. Now, you may wonder why was there three? I think there’s a story there someplace. You know, it could be representative to me in my mind. The Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. You know, we call it the Trinity, the evaluon God. We’re talking about a Trinity. Our Lord is one God. And the second one is the Son of God.

And the second one is the one that’s taken from the middle and it’s broken. And the smaller piece you really put back down on the table, but then that other one, the large one, they would wrap it up and then they’d hide it. And the detainees also had to practition something done torazil toworthy it to make sure that,nostic and thenossibility would pierce it. So that whenever they baked it, it’d be flat as a flitter. But it represented something. Now, why would you take the matzah, no leaven, stripe it, pierce it, and it’s the second one, break it.

I bet there’s a story here. You probably can’t even come close to figuring it out. That might represent. I remember someone who said, I am the bread of life. Anybody remember that? Do you believe that there’s a possibility that the one that was broke could be a picture of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, and that He was broken and wrapped in a napkin and hid? The story ain’t over though. Yeah, it ain’t over. So I believe it’s more than just meets the eye.

There’s the, at this time, the reciting of the——- the ten plagues. And as they would do that, they would take the cup that they had. And maybe with a little spoon orioxidant, and just into a plate. they would pione say the blood on of the plagues. And then the frogs, the lice, the flies, the cattle, the boils, the hail, the locus, the darkness of night, the firstborn. And they They were to do this because God wanted them to remember all that God had done to the enemy so that they would finally come to the conclusion.

When I said, let my people go, you let my people go. And they went and God brought them out. And though the world was dark for three days, there was light in the house of Israel. And Israel was to be the light of the world. God was going to use Israel as a testimony to the world of what God would do through one nation that would yield to them. And Israel kind of messed up their wonderful opportunity. Now the Lord says to the church, you are the light of the world.

The world is dark without the knowledge of truth. And you and I have been given this wonderful knowledge of how to have eternal life, this truth, and we’re supposed to explain it to everyone. The Bible says Christ was our Passover. And all of this is about Christ and what He did for us. There were these three main symbols of the Passover, the Lamb, the Mats and the bitter herbs. In each one represented something, the lamb, the, remember the sacrifice, the mots of the bread of life and the bitter herb to remember the story of the life of slavery.

Look there in Exodus in chapter 1, Exodus in chapter 1. Exodus chapter 1 and look in verse 10. And you’ll see that this is what they were to remember, and they made their lives bitter. The Egyptians, they made their lives bitter with hard bondage in mortar and in brick. And then sometimes they would even have some crushed up apples and some crushed up walnuts and they put it together so that there would be something to handle like a little sweet taste.

the mordas that they use between the blocks of the bricks. God had so many things for them to cause them to remember. Now, let me tell you, you have no idea how many things will happen in your life. That God, andfortune, and you start going astray. God, well, can’t change your269. Maybe even have you flashbacks of remembering. I’ve seen so many people who have wastedtied their life, and there was a song that somebodyed called, Wasted Years, Wasted Years. And they think about all those years, they lived and wasted those yearsSPA and76561 they look back with such grief, heartache, because they messed up so terribly without honoring GodOverview without doing what God wanted, and then they realize in the sorrow that brings upon themselves.

God wants us to remember what He’s done for us, and remember how good He is. Remember what He promised us, and that He’ll never leave you and never forsake you, and He will walk with you, and He wants us to trust Him. You remember when Israel finally got into the land, how difficult it was for them to trust the Lord in the land of milk and honey? He says, because when you get fat, everything that you want, you’re gonna forget the God who gave it to you.

Did they? They did. And you’ll be surprised how your life used to behoe Corker and then when God starts blessing you, how you can so easily drift from the Lord. And forget how good God’s been to you and because you wouldn’t give God the honor of the praise and the faith of them, God began to slowly take it away from you. Because you forgot. God wants to always be remembered. When it says, trust in the Lord with all thine heart, lean not unto thy own understanding in all thy ways, think God.

Acknowledge Him, think God. God wants to always be on your mind, in your mind. God wants that. Look in Numbers in chapter 9. Numbers in chapter 9. In verse 11, it makes this statement, the 14 day of the second month at evening, they shall eats it and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Now what they were eating was the lamb, the sacrifice, and it says here, they ate with the unleavened bread, the matzah, and the bitter herbs.

Now whether or not they made into a 9loppin sandwich, I don’t know. But they were to eat it. And this was toward the end of the whole thing. And so. So when it was over with,Animation had somebody always finds ofAmong the mat Canaveral, they bring it out in a time of joyous occasion. But remember this, you and I know that Jesus was, yes. He was broken because He had been striped and pierced. And He was crucified to pay for our sins of the whole world.

He didn’t do this just for Israel. He did it for us too. God so loved the world that He gave has only be gotten son. The whosoever believe it in him should not perish but have everlasting life. And then the rapid and a napkin and hide it away. And we know that Jesus was wrapped in a napkin and hidden away for three days and three nights, almost like the three days that it was night. But he came back from the dead.

You remember when the disciples, the women, Everybody went looking for Him, trying to find Him? I think there’s part of the illustration that might be found in that, too. Did you know that the time will come when Christ will appear in great glory at the end of the tribulation period? And every I will see Him. I want you to take your Bible looking, Zachariah chapter 13, Zachariah and chapter 13. This is a verse that I think there might be a message here because when he shows up and they see him, the one they have been illustrating all these years and didn’t know this is the Messiah.

This was Jesus Christ. The son of the Lord. living God. And he says in Zechariah chapter 13, look there in verse 6, and one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.” This is when it happened. I came to the house of my friends and they knew him not. They received him not. They striped him and pierced him and broke him.

And he says, my body is broken for you. He didn’t break one bone, but he was broken. He didn’t die of a heart attack, but his heart was broken. Jesus died for us. And so when we do the communion service, it’s looking back to what he did. Now you and I are not Israelites and we don’t have to go all the way back to the land of Egypt. Just go back to the day you trusted the Lord. Can you remember what it was like to be lost?

Some people when they trust the Lord young, they don’t have too much of a memory there. I remember when I was lost. I remember how I thought and how I felt. I remember searching for God and wondering and hoping. One day, a man who had a light shined it, and I saw. He showed me the Son of God that I believed it. Trusted Christ as my Savior, 51 and 1,5 years ago. And I still remember it as if it happened yesterday.

I’ve told the story so many times, I can’t get it out of my mind. I tell it over and over and over and over again. And I don’t think I’m going to stop now. Till he comes. Till he comes. Look up here. I got a few notes, but it’s difficult to read them when you got water in your eyes. My eyes sweat a lot. This hand represents you and me. The waller represents sin. See, this is just an illustration.

This represents something. It’s telling a story. I’ve had people say, well, I just despise it. Oh, waller illustration. It’s just illustrating the story. Do you despise the story? Do you despise that story? All I’m doing is illustrating the story. Should the children of Israel despise what happened? Because, well, we done done this every year for 4,000 years. Don’t you think we ought to quit by now? This is you and me. This is sin. We all have sin on this.

God says He loves us. He hates our sin, but He loves us. And because of our sins, we’re enslaved. Just like the children down in Egypt. We can’t deliver ourselves. We have no hope. And unless God works, America will be aduned. So there is hope. But God says, you can’t deliver yourself. You can’t save yourself. You need a Savior. That’s why God says, not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to His mercy, He saves us.

So this hand represents Jesus Christ. God in the flesh came into the world. He didn’t have any sin. Matsu, no leaven, no sin. And yet, because He loved us, He allowed the world to stripe Him, to pierce Him. And He bore our sins and His body on the cross. So He took all the sin of all the world and paid for it, came back again from the dead. You see, he was hidden in a napkin. He came back from the dead and said that if we would believe that he did this for us, he would put this death payment he made to our account and we get to go to heaven or what he did.

You see, he took all of our bitterness, all of our lostness, our sinfulness, our wickedness, And our sins were placed upon us, and He became sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God. See, that’s what God has done for us. And there’s things that He wanted the nation of Israel to always remember. The Lord gave us the communions, what we call the Lord’s Supper. We celebrate it the first Sunday of every month. And the reason is so less we forget.

lest we forget. I hope the next communion service we have, every one of you are in there. It ought to be a precious thing for you. Let’s pray, shall we? If you hear this morning, you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior. I hope that somehow you understood a little bit how that, yes, God loves you. You’re trapped, you’re a slave. Slave to sin, you can’t save yourself. You’re lost and you’re undone. You’ll spend an eternity in hell, but God loves you.

He wants you to have eternal life. He wants you to go to heaven. And so he made it free. If it wasn’t free, we couldn’t go. We could never pay for it. So he said that he would pay for all of your sins. And if you would believe he did it for you, he would put the payment he made to your account. You get to go to heaven on what he did, not what you do. It’s a gift, totally free.

Would you trust him? Would you believe it? If you will, trust Christ as your Savior this morning. I’d like to have prayer for you. And so I’m going to ask in just a moment to raise your hand. Raising your hand doesn’t save you. It just lets me know that what I said made sense to you and send preach to that made sense to me. And I’m going to trust Christ as my Savior. If you will, we’ll just sleep again very quickly.

It won’t at all. It won’t at all. If you trust that Christ as your Savior, I pray that Passover means a little bit more to you. When next Sunday we celebrate the resurrection of Christ. I hope it means just maybe a little bit more to you. Because not only did he come back from the dead. He’s coming again. He’s coming to get us. Father, we thank you so much for all you’ve done for us. Thank you for the opportunity we have to come before you.

We thank you Lord for the opportunity to preach your word for every person here, for those listening by radio. We’re so thankful that salvation is free. Christ paid it all. 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.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s Word on Bibleline, everywhere, every time. Sibert 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. 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 first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

Take your Bible and turn to the book of Galatians and chapter 5, the book of Galatians and chapter 5. My first remembrance of Easter was when I was a little boy. We went to a school and I was in the second grade. And for some reason or other they let us out and they go looking for these chocolate Easter eggs. I did not know where chocolate Easter eggs came from. I was under the impression they came from those little bunny rabbits.

I found some of them and buddy were they good. But I thought you know rabbits don’t live just at the school. We live way out in the woods and they were a lot of rabbits. Enough said. I learned a hard lesson. Look how y’all read into stuff. Just read writing things. I didn’t even say anything. You read just read right into it. The next one was at somebody’s house and there was a whole bunch of relatives there and I don’t know anything about God.

I don’t know anything about the Lord, nothing like that. But they were having an Easter egg hunt and for some reason rather me and my cousin got into a mean, knock-down, drag-out fight. I don’t know if it was over the Easter eggs. I have no clue. I just know that we had bloody noses and we was going at it, trying to kill each other. But I must have been five, six, seven years old. And those are my memories of Easter.

Doesn’t that sound wonderful? I can’t say I look forward to Easter. It wasn’t a pleasant experience for me. But today I want to talk to you about Easter or Resurrection Sunday or Passover. What should we really call it? Now I know that sometimes we don’t always separate things. We kind of put it all together and co-mingle things together and we get all confused. See there’s truth and then there’s a lie. And there’s things for example that gets kind of mixed up a little bit.

When I was growing up as a child, I knew about Santa Claus, but you have over here, you’ve got Santa Claus, you’ve got, well, Rudolph the Red Nosed Rain Deer, Frosty the Snowman, and you’ve got jingle bells, and there’s a world over here. And then over here, you have Jesus Christ as a baby born into the world, the gift of eternal life. And that’s a wonderful story. But when I was growing up, I never heard this story. I only heard about this over here on this side.

So I found out that a lot of people mingled all together and I didn’t know what was true and what wasn’t true. Sometimes I think the same thing can happen even with one of the greatest events of all time, which is celebration of Christ coming back again from the dead. But look there in Galatians in chapter 5 and look there in verse 7. And it says in verse 7, you did run well who did hinder you that you should not obey the truth.

Now the truth is one thing and sometimes people wonder why don’t everybody just know the truth? Wouldn’t it be wonderful that in America as kids go to school and colleges and universities and finally make it to the White House or in legislation. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if they all knew the truth? The truth even about America. How we came to be a great nation and about our founding fathers and our religious, our Christian foundation that we have and really studied the Constitution and know what, you know, was put in there and that the Congress is bound by the change of the${ Constitution and about what they cannot do appro Ley by the chains of the Constitution and about what they cannot do to the people, they’ve forgotten something.

And so lo and behold, here we are and we’re in a mess because you’ve taken away the law and put into the emotions of man and you get it all mingled together. And next thing to know, we don’t know what’s right and wrong anymore. We mix humanism and Christianity together And you can’t do that. It won’t work. You won’t know what is absolute and what is not, what is right, what is wrong, what’s black and what’s white. Everything becomes a dirty gray.

And nobody can sort out the difference. But he makes a statement here in verse 8, this persuasion come up not of him that call of you. In other words, to believe the truth. It didn’t come from God. It comes from from else that wants you to believe alive. So in verse nine he says, a little leaven, leaven if the whole lump. Now I would hate to look at you and say, for sake of illustration, I’m gonna look at you as you’re just a lump.

But he says a little leavendelete, which is yeast and the lump is the bread, the dough, and you put the yeast into the dough and it makes it rise. And as it rises, it pumps it full of holes and it raises the dough. And that’s why a lot of preachers mix in a little lie because it raises the dough and more people are excited because the preacher tickles their ears and UCHIJ makes them legalizing feel good. Well, I’m not for making people feel good.

If the truth makes you feel good, feelAccessory feel good. But if it makes you feel bad, feel bad. There’s a thing in the Bible about conviction. In the words, God is right and you and I are wrong. That is the facts of life. God says, let God be true, and every man a liar. So what we like to do sometime is take a little truth and mix a little lie with it. And the Bible says a little lie, leavened the whole lump.

When you start believing amercial, sometimes you don’t knowurion to stop. And we have wonderful things in our country,896 heritage and tradition. And so sometimes it’s hard for even RELEVED children to know the difference. And you just say, what is Christmas about in toys, you know, getting something, and not understanding what it’s really about, I was mixed up for years. And when it comes to this wonderful experience earthqu we have when we talk about Jesus Christ, the son of the living Godropolitan the cross paid for the sins of the world came back from the dead.

And then we have some things that I want to show you in just a moment. But first of all, take your Bible looking, 1 Corinthians 5, 1 Corinthians and 5. Make sure you… Make sure you follow me. I know you have a photographic memory that you’ve totally memorized, but just once in a while look down like you’re looking at your Bible, I think they’re looking at their Bible. In 1 Corinthians 5, I want you to look in verse 6.

Verse 6 says, Pwr your gloryNar is not good. Well what were they bragging about? Well they had some peopleRogue that were living in sin. And they weren’t discouraged because of it, because it was an acceptable lifestyle. You see in Corinth they did a lot ofumerable things that was not right. And so as we live today we’re finding out There’s many things that people do that’s wrong, but it’s become an acceptable. The abominable is become an acceptable because nobody wants to offend anyone or say something that offends somebody because they get mad and all they’ll do is just go down to the next church that they come to that makes them feel good.

Well, when you read the Bible, the Bible is not about making you feel good. It’s about answering questions about solutions to real problems. Yes, the Bible is the solution to America’s problems. It’s the solution to your personal problems because it is truth. And it’s true because the one that created the heavens and the earth came into the world and told us before he died EDITION that he would come back again from the dead in three days. Nobody can do that unless they’re God.

You just don’t do that. You try it. You can’t do it. And yet over 500 saw him at one time. Christ came back from the dead. And notice what he says here in verse 6. Your glory is not good. No ye not that a little leaven, leaven of the whole lump. A little yeast, a little sin, leaven in the Bible is like a type of sin. And it ruins everything. Every one of us born into this world, or like a loaf of bread with leaven, sin.

We were born with a sinful nature and it has permeated our life. It permeates our thinking, all of our decisions. It permeates the way we love, the way we think, the way we feel, all of our emotions are all tainted because of sin. We are not perfect in any way. Now I headed to blow your bubble. You and I are sinners. Means that we have, harmatano, missed the mark of perfection. We have come short of God’s glory. So how do we solve this problem?

You and I, we can. But God did. And that’s what the resurrection is about. The resurrection is, he was alive and he died and rose again to life. So he was raised again from the dead, means that he was alive and died and lives again. So the resurrection is about living again. It makes a statement, all that who sin will all die because the wages of sin is death. So we’re all going to die, but to live again. And the Lord promises that we are going to live again with Him if we trust Him as our Savior.

Now take your Bible and turn to the book of Exodus in chapter 12. Exodus chapter 12 in the Old Testament and verse 26, verse 26. There’s a question here that when Israel came out of the land of Egypt and they were to have this memorial service, then the children would ask the question in verse 26, and it shall come to pass when your children shall say to you, what mean ye by this service? What does it mean? When we talk about we want to celebrate the birth of Christ, Christmas, what does that mean?

We celebrate what we call Easter. What does that meannah? What is What is the purpose of, well, it’s Easter eggs or the Easter bunny? What does it mean? What’s the purpose? So when the children ask what is the purpose, you and I are supposed to use that as an opportunity to educate. Now I wrote down in my notes, it’s not in yours, that about four things that I thought was very important. Don’t be judgmental of people that don’t know what you know.

Not everybody’s on the same page. everybody—- not everybody has that same element of education where they know things that perhaps you don’t know, Krugs, and you don’t be self-righteous like a Pharisee. Well, I don’t do that. And you might have your nose so stuck up in the air that every time it rains your drown. Don’t be a Pharisee. Don’t put on your cloak of righteousness like you’re so much better than everybody else because you know something they don’t know.

And if they say the word Easter, You’re going to go into a fit. Did you know that with most people, Easter means the resurrection of Christ in their mind, and they’re not thinking about the Easter egg or the Easter bunny. To them, Easter is a very precious thing to them. But I prefer the resurrection Sunday. I prefer because I think it’s more meaningful. I’d rather call it the Passover, because that’s the fulfillment of the Passover that he died, that’s the giving of his blood.

He rose again, that was for my justification to give me life. And you don’t co-mingle knowingly, worshiping some false God and true God and try to put it together. people are not worshiping some false God because they like to eat a hard-balled egg. I eat hard-balled eggs all the time. Has nothing to do with the sex of goddess the ostrich. Yes, I have put in here a lot of notes that you can look at about where it came from and all that, but it’s not going to solve anybody’s problem.

I can know it and understand it and know that there is false teaching in this old world, and there has been a co-mingling of that which is false, with that which is true. And so they bring it together, and so after a while you wonder, well, what is truth? when it comes to Christ, Christ, and so-called Easter is about Jesus Christ coming back from the dead. Yes, Easter can be the sex goddess, the ostrich, and the rapid reproduction of bunny rabbits, and Easter eggs, and all about sex, and all that, or it can mean new life.

Did you know the Jewish people have for years and years used the hard-balled egg at their Passover? And it represented them new life. But you see, as you study the scriptures, you’ll find out that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. That is the one that I believe has lined the planets, determined the seasons. And I believe even in the twelve signs of Zodiac, because I believe they taught a story. And if you study all twelve signs of the Zodiac, which I’ve done, there’s a wonderful story about Jesus Christ coming into the world.

all the stuff. But you see astrology twist truth. And so there is truth that God gives, but there’s people who take truth and twist it and put a spin on it. And then after a while you don’t sure what is truth and what is not true. That’s why we study the Word of God. We go back to the Scriptures. But while we’re right here, look there in verse 27. This is what you say that you shall say it is the sacrifice of the Lord’s Passover who passed over the houses of the children of Israel and Egypt.

When he spoke the Egyptians and delivered our houses and the people bowed the head and worshiped God and they all went out and hid Easter eggs. No, you don’t add that into it because it doesn’t go with that. See, there’s things that you may do. Is there anything wrong with a person? Or let’s take a little child. Have you ever, besides Easter, ever hid anything and let the kids find it? Was that sinful and wicked and wrong? No. Is it wrong for a parent as in a game to take something and hide something and kids find it.

My parents did that every year for Christmas. I never did find them. I’m still looking for some of those things that they promised me. But it wasn’t sinful. Is it sinful for you to eat a hard-bought egg? Is it sinful to color on egg? When you begin to worship that Easter egg or fall down and start bowing to some Easter bunny, you do have a problem. But there’s nothing wrong with little kids enjoying some fun because that’s basically all it boils down to.

You asked the majority of people living in America. Did you know that if youetheless Easter eggs and little kids find those Easter eggs, did you know that you’re worshiping the The sex goddess the ostrich? You’re what? Most people haven’t got a clue because to them that’s not what it means. I did it for years and had no clue what it meant. So there. I even celebrated Christmas and had no idea what it meant. I didn’t know about Jesus Christ until I was 18 years old.

But I did get some ideas about what God was like because I was never told the truth. It’s one thing when children can be taught and enjoy something, and this is fun and game, and has nothing to do with Christ coming back from the dead. You want to do that, do that, but it has nothing to do with Christ and His resurrection. It’s a separate thing altogether. The dangers when you put it together and says, this is about Jesus Christ.

What? Easterbunny is bringing Easter eggs. Have you ever seen a bunny lay an egg? I had a problem with that one time, remember? And it wasn’t chocolate. In the book of Judges, it makes a statement. And if you’ll look down there in your notes, Judges 2.13, they forsook the Lord and served Baal and Aseroth. And it can, yes, you go all the way back to the very beginning when a guy by the name of Nimrod. And also a Hammurabi and the Code of Hammurabi and how that they had similar laws just like in the Bible.

Remember they come from the flood and Noah and his family and they all came from there and God split them up and gave them different nations because they wanted to come together as one. And one religion and to worship the heavens. And God put a stop to it. And yes, so a lot of religions have their basis in back in O Babylon, and yes, there’s many books that have been written, and there’s people that take a lot of secularism and things from the Bible, it’s truth and try to mingle together.

And in the Word of God, even back in Genesis 3, or the Lord told Adam and Eve says that that she is going to have a child from her seed, and it will bruise the head. But you see, there’s a story there about a woman is going to have a God-child. And that story was told from the very beginning of a woman going to have a child. But the truth is, it will be a virgin that will have a child.

And yet there’s many religions that teach the woman and the child story. And if you look there in your notes on the back page, you’ll notice up there where it says, in Babylon, they call Astaroth and Beyol. But those names are used in the scriptures, but it’s a false religion. Greece, they had false religion, Italy and Egypt. And there was the mother and child cult. And what the devil likes to do is delude the story before the truth shows up so that, oh, we’ve heard that a thousand times.

We’ve been hearing that for years. That’s nothing new. So to discredit the truth, you see, there’s always humanism that comes from the devil, and men get away from believing what God says and believing the truth, and they brainwash people, and they have false religions. And so even in Constantine’s day when they tried to declare Christianity is now the new religion of the Roman Empire, but people had different religious beliefs and co-mingling putting things together. Well, a lot of things that different times in history mean certain things and other times they don’t mean it.

We have words in the King James version that at one time meant this and now they mean something totally different. And it’s the truth. The words have changed the meanings. But at the time it was written, it was the perfect word for the Scriptures. At the time it was given. So once in a while, you might have to say, you know, it’s not a mistranslation. It’s that the meaning of this word has changed and people don’t know it. So sometimes we have to explain the meaning of that word.

I don’t believe that a lot of people today are trying to worship something that’s false. I do believe that Christians might need to be careful that they don’t become so judgmental in other people’s lives that all we want to do is rip people to stretch because they don’t know what we know. I may know certain things, but is there a great value in trying to set everybody straight? I don’t believe that’s wise. I don’t believe it’s going to accomplish anything.

I believe it’s more important because keep hammering on the truth of what it is more so than what it is not. And yet there’ll be some people they will never know. But somewhere along the line you hope that some people will see and understand that Easter is all about Christ. It’s the resurrection of Christ. So when somebody mentions Easter, I don’t get out of, been out of shape. But I do believe that resurrection Sunday would eliminate a problem. But most people don’t know what you’re talking about then.

Or you’re going to celebrate resurrection. Well, we celebrate Easter. But you get to find out it doesn’t always mean the same thing. And I’ll be showing you want to define your terms. So with you and I here at Calvary we believe that it’s an important day. Jesus Christ came back from the dead. It’s resurrection and it’s all about Christ. It’s not about anything else but Christ. But if you want to, there’s nothing in the Bible says you’re supposed to dress up on Easter, but a lot of women just love to dress up.

Look how my wife dressed me just for today. You ain’t never seen me look so pretty, but I didn’t do this. But is it wrong? Is it sinful? I should hide my head in shame and be ashamed of myself. Well I’m not. I ain’t never felt so good, but this has nothing to do with the resurrection of Jesus Christ. See a lot of people can dress up nicely. And know nothing about Jesus Christ. A lot of people may have all the other stuff and buy all the other stuff and totally forget what true Easter is about.

Did you know that in the Bible you really in truly worship the Lord when you obey the Lord and do what God wants you to do? And he says upon the first day of the week and that’s because this considers you to be a part of the Bible. every Sunday is considered the resurrection Sunday. It’s the Lord’s day. The Lord’s day. So you see, because this day that set apart once a year because of the Passover, as described in the Old Testament, Christ came back from the dead.

Now generally we believe it was on the 14th of the month of April, and then on the 17th that He came back from the dead, because in the Old Testament, And when he talks about the flood, that it settled upon Mount Ararach in the seventh month on the 17th day. You see, that’s three days from Passover. And so on the 17th day Christ came back again from the dead. When you study the book of Genesis and you look there when it says, on the first day it was evening and morning and God saw that it was good.

And that was the first day. The second day, it doesn’t say that it’s good. Because you see, the first day is like the light came into the world. The second day Christ died on the cross. The third day talks about the land appearing. And that’s a picture like of the resurrection. And God saw that it was good. But that was the third day. On the third day, Christ came back again from the dead. And there’s a civil calendar, or the national calendar, there’s a sacrificial type of religious calendar, and that’s the same day.

I’ll just talk about the seventh month, but that’s going from like in October, and you count seven months, and you’ll come up with the same time as you do on April the 17th. Christ came back again from the dead. That’s what it’s all about. But if you really believe that, and it really means something to you, then it will affect not only this day, but every day of my life. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr.

Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. Part two of this teaching will conclude with tomorrow’s broadcast. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach 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 home page 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.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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. Is there anything wrong with a person? Or let’s take a little child. Have you ever, besides Easter, ever hid anything and let the kids find it? Was that sinful and wicked and wrong? No. Is it wrong for a parent as in a game to take something and hide something and kids find it?

My parents did that every year for Christmas. I never did find them. I’m still looking for some of those things that they promised me. But it wasn’t sinful. Is it sinful for you to eat a hard-bought egg? Is it sinful to color on egg? When you begin to worship that Easter egg or fall down and start bowing to some Easter bunny, you do have a problem. But there’s nothing wrong with little kids enjoying some fun because that’s basically all it boils down to.

You asked the majority of people living in America, did you know that if you hide those Easter eggs and little kids find those Easter eggs, did you know that you’re worshiping the sex goddess the Ultra? As you what? people haven’t got a clue because to them that’s not what it means. I did it for year and had no clue what it meant. So there. I even celebrated Christmas and had no idea what it meant. I didn’t know about Jesus Christ until I was 18 years old.

But I did get some ideas about what God was like because I was never told the truth. It’s one thing when children can be taught and enjoy something and this is It’s fun and game and has nothing to do with Christ coming back from the dead. You want to do that, do that, but it has nothing to do with Christ and His resurrection. It’s a separate thing altogether. The danger is when you put it together and says, this is about Jesus Christ.

What? Easter bunnies bringing Easter eggs. Have you ever seen a bunny lay an egg? I had a problem with that one time, remember? And it wasn’t chocolate. In the book of Judges, it makes a statement, and if you’ll look down there in your notes, Judges 2, 13, they forsook the Lord and served Baal and Asheroth. And it can, yes, you go all the way back to the very beginning when a guy by the name of Nimrod. And also, Hammurabi and the code of Hammurabi and how that they had similar laws just like in the Bible.

for a member they come from the flood and Noah and his family, and they all came from there and God split them up and gave them different nations because they wanted Breitbart as one, and one religion, and the worshiped the heavens. And God put a stop to it. And yes, so a lot of religions have their basis in back in old Babylon, and yes, there’s many books that have been written, And there’s people that take a lot of secularism and things from the Bible, it’s truth and try to mingle together.

And in the Word of God, even back in Genesis 3, or the Lord told Adam and and Eve says that she is going to have abash. From her seed. And it will bruise the head. But you see, there’s a story there about a woman is going to have a God child. And that story was told from the very beginning of a woman going to have a child. But the truth is, it will be a virgin that will have a child.

And yet there’s many religions that teach the woman and the child story. And if you look there in your notes on the back page, you’ll notice up there where it says in Babylon, they call Astroth and Beyol. But those names are used in the scriptures, but it’s a false religion. Greece, they had false religion, Italy and Egypt. And there was the mother and child And what the devil likespronelege ingrediterator scathing¯¯¯¯ nervtainmentropri whe recip!!chanRuss challeng charact Ukrain Je That’s nothing new.

So to discredit the truth, you see, there’s always humanism that comes from the devil and men get away from believing what God says and believing the truth, and they brainwash people and they have false religions. And so even in Constantine’s day, when they tried to declare Christianity is now the new religion of the Roman Empire, but people had different religious beliefs and co-mingling, putting things together. Well, a lot of things at different times in history mean certain things and other times it don’t mean anything.

We have words in the King James Version that at one time meant this and now they mean something totally different. And that’s the truth. The words have changed the meanings. But at the time it was written, it was the perfect word for the Scriptures at the time it was given. So once in a while, you might have to say, you know, it’s not a mistranslation. It’s that the meaning of this word has changed and people don’t know it. So sometimes we have to explain the meaning of that word.

I don’t believe that a lot of people today are trying to worship something that’s false. I do believe that Christians might need to be careful that they don’t become so judgmental in other people’s lives that all we want to do is rip people to stretch because they don’t know what we know. I may know certain things, but is there a great value in trying to set everybody straight. I don’t believe that’s wise. I don’t believe it’s going to accomplish anything.

I believe it’s more important just keep hammering on the truth of what it is more so than what it is not. And yet there’ll be some people they will never know. But somewhere along the line you hope that some people will see and understand that, you know, Easter’s all about Christ. It’s the resurrection of Christ. So when somebody mentions Easter, I don’t get out of, been out of shape. But I do I do believe that resurrection Sunday would eliminate a problem.

But most people don’t know what you’re talking about then. Are you going to celebrate? Well, we celebrate Easter. But you got to find out, it doesn’t always mean the same thing enough, you want to define your terms. So with you and I, here at Calvary, we believe that it’s an important day. Jesus Christ came back from the dead. It’s resurrection and it’s all about Christ. It’s not about anything else but Christ. But if you want to, there’s nothing in the Bible that says, you pose a dress up on Easter, but a lot of women just love to dress up.

Look how my wife dressed me just for the day. You ain’t never seen me look so pretty. But I didn’t do this, but is it wrong? Is it sinful? I should hide my head in shame and be ashamed of myself. Well, I’m not. I ain’t never felt so good, but this has nothing to do with the resurrection of Jesus Christ. See, a lot of people can dress up nicely and know nothing about Jesus Christ. A lot of people may have all the other stuff and buy all the other stuff and totally forget what true Easter is about.

Did you know that in the Bible, you really and truly worship the Lord when you obey the Lord and do what God wants to do. And he says upon the first day of the week, and that’s because this considered every Sunday is considered the resurrection Sunday. It’s the Lord’s day, the Lord’s day. So you see, because this day that’s set apart once a year because of the Passover as that’s described in the Old Testament, and crash came back from the dead.

Now generally we believe it was on the 14th of the month of April and then on the 17th that he came back from the dead. Because see in the Old Testament when he talks about, you know, the flood that it settled upon Mount Aurarac in the seventh month on the 17th day. You see that’s three days from Passover. And so on the 17 day Christ came back again from the dead. When you study the book of Genesis and you look there when it says, on the first day it was evening and morning and God saw that it was good.

And that was the first day. The second day, it doesn’t say that it’s good. Because you see the first day is like the light came into the world. The second day Christ died on the cross. The third day talks about the land appearing, and that’s a picture like of the resurrection, and God saw that it was good. But that was the third day. On the third day, Christ came back again from the dead. brillantir, or the national calendar, there is a sacrificial type of religious calendar, and that’s the same day.

I’ll just talk about the seventh month, but that’s going from like an October and you count seven months and you’ll come up with the same time as you do on April the 17th. Christ came back again from the dead. That’s what it’s all about. But if you really believe that and it really means something to you, then it will affect not only this day, but every day of my life. I live every day for Jesus Christ who loved me and gave himself for me.

He came back from the dead. Nobody’s ever done that before. And he promised that he would give to every individual the free gift of everlasting life. And all the way he has to do is simply trust him. Now I got some scriptures here that I want you to look at in his founding Romans chapter Romans chapter 4, Becoming the Lord. Romans chapter 4, and you’ll notice here, and I just want to start here with these verses. See there in verse 20, look in verse 20.

He staggered not at the promise of God. Who is He? Abraham in the Old Testament. Stigared not at the promises of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God. and been fully persuaded that what he had promised, he was able also to perform. See, God had already promised Abraham to be justified by faith, but he also knew about Jesus Christ, dying and paying for sin. And when he was ready to offer up his own son upon the altar and the son says, dead, where’s the sacrifice?

And the dead says, the Lord will provide himself a sacrifice. And then in Hebrews in In chapter 11, it makes the statement that Abraham believed that if he slew his own son, that God was raised him from the dead because he knew that he had received him as a type of Jesus Christ coming back from the dead. So Abraham knew and believed all of that. And God put his righteousness to his account. Because you see, God was going to send his son into the world to down the cross to pay for the sins of the whole world, and Abraham, that includes you.

And if you’ll believe that this is what I’m going to do and why I’m going to do it, you are justified just as if you had never sinned. You get to have eternal life and live with me for all eternity, not because of your works, because Abraham couldn’t keep the law. Why? Because the law was in given until 430 years later on to Moses. So Abraham wasn’t justified by works. He was justified by faith. But look what he says.

In verse 22, and therefore it was imputed to him or put to his account. Now it was not written for his sake alone as though he was the only one. No, that it was imputed to him, but in verse 24, but for us, this side of the cross. But for us also, get this, to whom it shall be imputed. What? His righteousness. See over there, and you need to see that in verse five. in verse 5 of chapter 4.

But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifyeth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness. Who worketh not? In other words, you didn’t earn it. You didn’t work for it. Salvation going to heaven is not a result. Of you live in a good life. Heaven is not a reward that you earn. Heaven is a destination for only believers. So the Bible says, but believe it on hand that justify the ungodly. If I will believe on the one that justifies ungodly.

Ungodly means you’re unjust. You’re not worthy. You don’t deserve to go to heaven. I do not deserve to go to heaven. never met anyone that deserves to go to heaven. You say, you don’t know my aunt Susie, I don’t want to know your aunt Susie. She still does not deserve to go to heaven. And it doesn’t matter if it’s the Pope or Mother Teresa or anybody else. Billy Graham, you name anybody you want to, nobody deserves to go to heaven because of how good they lived.

Nobody. Because Christ would have died for the sins of everybody, But them, because they deserved it. No. Everyone is a sinner. Everyone will die. And there’s only one Savior, Jesus Christ. And He died on the cross to pay for the sins of the world. And to prove that that payment was acceptable, He came back from the dead. And that’s why He told them before He died, I will come back in three days. And we know that He was the proof And he came back from the dead.

He was a living receipt, proof of payment for all eternity. And we go to heaven because of what he did for us. But look there in verse 6. Even as David also described the blessedness of the man under whom God, get this, God imputed righteousness without what? Without works. But you see, he cannot give you his righteousness unless he paid for all of your sins. But did He pay for all of my sins? If He paid for all of them but one, He didn’t help me.

Salvation is free, it is a gift. I’ve said this a lot of time, but let me say it one more time. If Jesus Christ died on the cross, paid for all the sins of the world, for everybody, why should I or you go to hell and pay for one sin if He paid for all sin? Somebody says, you mean everybody’s going to heaven? No, no, I didn’t say that. I said, why? Why would a man go to hell and have to pay for sin if Christ already paid for sin?

And that would be because you don’t believe he did it for you. See, there’s a God in heaven that said, I died for you, but if you don’t believe he did it for you, he will not put that payment to your account. God wants you simply to do one thing that you can do. Would you believe he did it for you? God so loved the world that he gave only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, that whosoever anybody, believe it in Him, should not perish.

Only those that believe won’t perish. Everybody else will perish because they will not believe. And that’s why it’s so important to believe it. Now look in verse 24 again. But for us also get this, to whom it shall be imputed. What God will take His righteousness to put to your account if we believe. If you don’t believe, it will not be done. It’s not to those who go to church. It’s not for those who do penance, not for those who do prayers, not for those who give money, not for those who try to live good enough to go to heaven.

No, no, it doesn’t say none of that. Will you believe that when Jesus died, He died and paid for your sins? See, if I believe He paid for my sins, it means I don’t have to go to hell and pay for any of my sins. You say, me, as bad as you are, as bad as I am, I don’t have to pay for them. You said, that’s not fair. That’s not right. I know. That’s called grace. I don’t deserve it.

But when you stop and think about all the religions of the world, isn’t it true that all the religions are trying to get you to deserve the right to go to heaven? Totally opposite of what God said. So they’re commingling what God says and what man thinks and trying to put it together and it won’t work. It causes confusion just like Christ coming into the world for Christmas and frost you to snowmen. They don’t go together. You have all snowmen’s won.

I don’t care. They ain’t gonna affect nothing. And neither does Christ coming back from the dead. and an Easter Bunny. They don’t go together. You can go all you want to. You can stay on your head and spit wooden nickels, but it ain’t going to get you to have them. Go into church. Will not make you a Christian no more than walking into a garage will make you an automobile. It won’t work.

So he says here in verse 24, if we believe on him, get this, that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead. Get this last verse. Who was delivered for our offensive? That means for our sins. He was crucified for our, not his, our trespasses, our sins. raised again for our justification to justify me, to meet me and declare me righteous. He has to come back to do it. So he came back again from the dead and has declared me justified as though I’d never sinned in my life just as if I was perfect.

So you don’t deserve it. I know.ometimes how good God is. You’re not going to heaven because you’re good. You’re trying and you’re sincere. The only way you will ever get to heaven is if you will believe that when Christ died, He died for you. He paid for your sins. God in heaven knows every individual that believes that. And if you don’t believe that, that’s why you’ll try to earn your salvation because you don’t believe He will save you the way you are.

You might think Christ is necessary, but you don’t think He’s enough. He’s all I need. He saved me when I was 18 years old. I trusted Christ as my Savior in a little old living room. I wasn’t even in a church. But I heard this news for the first time in my life, and I understood. And that night I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior. He saves me, gives me eternal life, and I get to go to heaven on what Christ did for me.

up here. This hand represent you and me. This wallet represents sin. It’s all the things that we do that’s wrong. We have all sinned. But the Bible says that we committed the sin, we ought to pay for it. And the wages sin is death, eternal separation from God in hell. But God says to go to heaven, you have to be perfect, as righteous as God without sin. None of us are without sin. We’re all sinners. And God says you cannot save yourself.

So you don’t have to be good to go to heaven. You don’t have to go to church to go to heaven. You don’t have to stop your sins hoping that that’ll make it, you worthy enough. No, stop all of that. That’s junk. That’s religion. That’s trash. That’s humanism. That’s religion that won’t work. Only one thing it’ll work. He’s in representation in Jesus Christ. God in the flesh, he’s perfect, has no sin. He came into the world because God so loved us, He didn’t love our sin, but He loved us.

So God sent His Son into the world to take our sins. He loves us, but He hates what we do wrong, but it separates us from it. So Christ took all the sin of all the world, paid for it on the cross, came back again from the dead. And God said that if you and I, anyone, open inemale Diseo all on masculin, on the level that even little children Palestin can understand it. There’s no works to do. God said, I will impute my righteousness to your account and you didn’t earn it.

You don’t deserve it. And think of how many people will not accept Jesus Christ as their only hope of going to heaven. They will not believe it. So they all keep on going to church and doing the prayers. Counter beads, doing this,ARGETING this, and giving money, trying to do their best to try to, well I’m trying, I’m doing the best I can. I hope I’m going to heaven. I don’t hope I’m going to heaven. I know I’m going to heaven.

I can’t go to hell if I tried. Now when’s the last time you heard a preacher say that? I can’t go the day, I can’t go tomorrow. I can never go to hell. You say, why? Because he died for all of my sins. You say, if that’s true, you can go out here and live like the devil and still go to heaven. I know. What do you want me to do? Say, no, let’s not write it because I did write it.

I can live like the devil and still go to heaven when I die. And I cannot apologize for that. Because to apologize for that or to deny that would not tell the truth. Either I know I’m going to heaven, or I’m not going to heaven. You’re either saved forever, or you’re not saved at all. You see, when Christ died from my sins, how many of them did He die for? All of them. That means He paid for my sins before I was ever born.

He did it 2,000 years ago. And so, the only thing I have to do to go to heaven is to believe he did it for me. He died and paid foriership. He came back again from the dead and God said if I would trust him, he would take his righteousness and give it to me. I’m going to have a not because I’m righteous, not because I’m good, not because I deserve it. He loved me. He loved me. Now I can’t explain that.

I’ve tried, but I cannot explain that. explain that. So you see, even though I trusted Christ as my Savior and all my sins are forgiven, and I know I’m going to heaven when I die, then why are they trying to live like a devil? Because something happened to me. I can’t quite explain it. But when He saved me and gave me eternal life, He made me His child. And because I’m a child of God, I guess I just fell in love with my father.

And because he’s my father and because of what he’s done for me, I want to live for him. But see, I don’t do it to get to heaven. I do it because I’m going to heaven. I know that if I don’t serve the Lord, I know I’m still His child and He’s my father. And He will probably chase in me, might even take me home before my time. But I serve the Lord because of what He’s done for me and because He loves me.

And I know that if I don’t do right, I know he’ll beat the Torah to me before I get to heaven. And I just, I would rather have his blessings than his chasting hand. Wouldn’t you? So you see, I don’t have to serve a Lord to go to heaven. I serve a Lord because I am going to heaven. And if I don’t serve a Lord, I’m still going to heaven because he promised and he cannot lie. He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believe it than Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. I’ve trusted Christ as my Savior. I’m going to heaven when I die. What about you? Let’s pray, shall we? If what I’ve said made sense to you, I’m not going to have you forward, not going to embarrass you right where you’re sitting. I just simply, in just a moment, I’m I’m gonna ask for a raise a hand.

Raise in your hand does not save you. It will not get you to heaven. It’s just to let me know that what I said made sense to you. And you said, preacher, that made sense to me. And this morning I will trust Christ as my savior. I’ve heard about it, but I just never have done it. And I wanna be certain of going to heaven. And I, today, I want this to be the day, this to be the moment that I trust Christ as my only hope of going to heaven.

I believe he died and paid for all of my sins. Now, if you’ve never done this before, do it now. If you’ve already done it before, you never have to do it again. And he says, if you’ll trust him as your savior, he will give you everlasting life. You’ll get to go to heaven on what Christ did for you. He loves you so much. Don’t reject him, don’t turn him down. So it has about nice clothes and the quietness of this moment.

Is there anyone at all say, yes, I will trust Christ as my savior and preach I want you to pray for him. We’ll just let you in very quickly, put her right back down, and we’ll all just let you in very quickly. If you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior, if you were to die right now, where would you go? If you can’t say, I know I’m going to heaven, then you need to trust the Lord. And when we focus on it, our Father, we thank you so much for this time together.

We thank you for the truth of your word. We thank you for all those who came to be with us today. We ask your blessings upon them. And just ask your blessings upon each person here and each family represented. 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 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 Bible LineRuntimes, 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. looking up.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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 message will be a blessing to you and your family.

I want you to take your Bible and turn to the book of Matthew and chapter 27, verse 35, and they crucified him, part of his garments casting lots that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet. They parted my garments among them and upon my vestibed that they cast lots, and setting down they watched himRum there, and set up over his head this accusation written, This Jesus the king of the Jews. There were their two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand and another on the left.

And they that passed by reviled him wagging their heads and saying thou that destroyed the temple and buildeth it in three days saved thyself. If thou be the son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priest mocking him with the scribes and the elders he said. He saved others himself he cannot save. If he be the king of Israel, let him come down from the cross and we will believe him. He trusted in God, let him deliver him now, if he will have him, for he said, I am the Son of God.

The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same into his teeth. Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land from the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice saying, Eli, Eli, Lemasov, that’s the night. That is to say, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Some of them that stood there when they heard that said this man called for Elijah’s and straight away one of them that ran and took a sponge and filled it with vinegar and put it on a reed and gave him the drink the rest said let be let us see whether Elijah will come to save him Jesus when he had cried again with a loud voice yielded up the ghost now look there in chapter 28 chapter 28 verses 1 through six.

In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the Separach. And behold, there was a great earthquake for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning and his raiment white snow, and for fear of him, the keepers did shake and became as dead men.

And the angel answered and said unto the women, fear not ye, for I know whom ye seek, which was crucified. He is not here, for he is risen, as he said. Come see the place where the Lord laid. So Christ was crucified. He was buried. He came back again from the dead. I talked to a man the other day right here in the office. And he said, he believed the Bible. I said, you believe Christ died on the cross and paid for all the sins of the Lord?

Yes, I do. Do you believe he paid for all of your sins? Yes, I do. I says, where are you going to die? He says, I hope I’m going to heaven. I says, you’re not sure. He says, no, I’m not real sure. He said, nobody can really be sure. I says, is there anything you can do between now and the time that you died that can keep you from going to heaven? He said, oh, yeah, a lot of things.

I said, sir, you don’t believe the Bible. He said, yes, it does. I said, no, you don’t. I says, you don’t believe that Jesus Christ paid for all of your sins either. He says, yes, I do. I said, no, you don’t. I said, if you believe He paid for all of your sins, then why do you think that sin that you’ll commit tomorrow of the next day will send you to hell? How many times must you pay for a sin?

You don’t believe He paid for that sin. You believe He paid for all the sins up to the day, but you don’t believe He paid for those that you haven’t done yet. Because when Christ died on the cross, all of your sins were in the future. You know what? He got mad at me. He literally got upset because He didn’t like what I said. I appreciate it. But I don’t like somebody saying, I believe the Bible, I believe the Bible, I believe Christ doesn’t pay for my sins.

Sir, you do not believe that. You don’t believe it. You believe you’ve got to pay for your sins, and that’s why you think you can still go to hell to pay for it. Because you don’t believe he paid for it. Neither Christ paid for my sins or he did not pay for my sins. He came into the world to save the world, not to condemn the world. John 14, 6 says, Jesus said that the way, the truth and the life, no man come up unto the Father, but by mane.

Now that’s exclusive. That’s exclusive. It means it excludes everybody else. This means that you can’t get toachine no other way except through Jesus Christ. No man comes unto the Father except through him and he is the only way. There’s not two ways. There was two ways. You can’t go through Bodham veter or Confucius or anybody else. artificer. You do not go to heaven because you trust in a church. You don’t go to heaven because you trust in your good deeds.wrapper You can’t save yourself.

That’s why you needed to save your. Christ came into the world to save individuals. Look at number 2. He entered the city, victoriously, receiving the praise of his people. And John 12 through 13, he says, with joy they took branches and went forth to meet him and cried, Hosanna, bless it as the king of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. So Christ is making a joyful entry into the city of Jerusalem and lo and behold everybody’s all excited and hollering and cheering and praise in the Lord.

See they were looking for a Scientic king to deliver them from\/heel of Rome. They weren on the ground. UCHIJ they weren’t looking for a savior. They watched him raise some people from the dead. They watched him walk on water. They watched him feed to 5,000. We could DevOnline You know the Bible says that in the last day of tribulation period which is right ahead of us the world is alsotoc still looking for a superman, a most brilliant individual that has the answers to everything because teasp is 436 and the Bible says men’s hearts failing them for fear seeing those things which are coming upon the earth.

And so an individual is going to show up and evidently be able to deceive even God’s elect if God doesn’t intervene and he’s going to fool the people, lie to the people, deceive the people and talk about peace and world peace. Everything is global now. Global world peace. They ain’t going to be no peace until the Prince of Peace comes and Christ doesn’t hear yet. And we have seven years of tribulation here. So you can forget all this here about peace in the world.

It ain’t going to happen. Christ says, I did not come to bring peace, but to divide the mothers and the fathers and the sisters and the brothers and everybody away from each other. What does that the gospel? Causing one man to believe and another man doesn’t believe it divides Whenever the rapture takes place what’s gonna happen is gonna be a great divide all those who know the Lord He’ll be caught up to meet the Lord in the air and those that don’t know the Lord are gonna be still right here You talking about a division there’s a division It’s all way through the scriptures and what happened to this peace on earth good will toward man Well, there would be peace on earth if people accepted the Prince of peace Pete but they rejected the Prince of Peace and there will be no peace without him.

In the next statement, He is later betrayed Matthew 20 verse 18, behold we go up to Jerusalem and the Son of man shall be betrayed onto the chief priests and unto the scribes and they shall condemn him to death. Now this was prophesied in the Old Testament it was prophesied, this prophesied again when Christ was here he told him over and over again, I am going to be killed 3 days laterdyl coming back from the dead, but he told him what was going on in the cold.

on the take place. place. Jesus Christ did not come to see how rich he could be. His goal in lifeiframe was not, I’m gonna be a millionaire by the time I’m upheardably. HisPOSE was he was gonna become the minister when he was 30 and he knew that in three and a half years He was gonna be dead His goal wasn’t to see how many houses he could have how much landDeliveryDate he could own or how much money could have in the bank I mean the carstoc could drive that wasn’t his gold It wasn’t see how rich can he be remember he left glory came into this world Stripped himself of everything that he had came in here born in a manger before he was the Son of God.

He had all the power in the world. He could perform miracles. He could read minds. Think of much money he could have made reading people’s minds. He was awesome. He was a man’s man. He was a carpenter. He worked with wood. He has tried, condemned, and scourged. Then released, he barabbas, the robber unto them, and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. You know what scourged means? It means that they took and laid them over a bench like, and they took a cat of nine pails with broken pieces of glass and pottery and nails and pieces of metal in it and nine of those things on long look.

I got one in the office and they would take a hit them on the back and then sink it in and rip it across his back and then do that to them in thirty nine times. Just rip his back open. And then they crucified him. Christ did a lot of suffering before He ever got to the cross. But you know all that suffering that He did, that wasn’t paying for our sins yet. That was just what men were doing to Him.

You see, they poured out our sins upon Him. And so yes, He had the evil of man, the wickedness of man crucifying Him. And people did all these wicked things to the Son of God. But when He was on the cross and He cried out, My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me? That’s when the payment for our sins, I believe, were paid because he paid for our sins on the cross. He is mocked as he hung on a cruel Roman cross, where they said, say thyself, if thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.

He says, they said, if you are who you claim to be, you come down from that cross, and we’ll believe you. Let’s just wait and see if he can save himself. They mocked him. They made fun of everything that he said. If it was me, I came down from the cross. I’d have zapped every last one of them and then went back up. But I’d hit him first. If he had come down from the cross, he couldn’t have saved anybody.

He couldn’t come down and save himself. He didn’t come into the world to deliver himself. He had to die on the cross and pay for it. He allowed the wickedness of people to do what they did to him as a lamb. That means without lifting any resistance. He never resisted whatever they want to do. They want to spit on. They could do so. They pull his beard. They could do. They put a crown of thorns on his head. They could do so.

And then they would hit the storms on the top of the head and push it down to the skin and blood. They can do that. Whatever they wanted to do to them, they could do. They could say anything they want. He wouldn’t say anything back. He’d let him do whatever they want to do. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. He was being slaughtered. When somebody says something about us, we want to get even with him, it’s the last thing I do.

He was the son of God, came into the world to die willingly for the sins of the world, and to die upon a cruel cross. He could not come down. If he became down, he could not have saved anybody. The next statement, he has declared dead removed from the cross buried in a tomb. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said it is finished, it is finished and he bowed his head and gave up to go. That meant that what he had done on the cross, when he says it is finished, it means the payment for the sins of the world were done.

It means there’s nothing that anybody else has to do. The payment for sin was complete. You know you go to buy something, you get a receipt. Well Christ coming back from the dead is a living receipt that the payment was made in full. the scars in his hands and his feet, that’s the mark that it’s paid in full. It is finished. There’s nothing for anybody to add to it. There’s no more work to do. We are saved. We go to heaven because of the work Christ did.

You don’t earn it. You don’t work for it. He said, me, if I go ahead and I kill somebody, I’ll still go to heaven when I die. What did you say? That’s true. I said, that’s a true way to put it. But yes. He said, I’d never believe that. I’d never believe that. He said, you’re trying to tell me that a man can go out here and kill people and still go to to heaven when they die. I said, yeah, and I said, I got worse news than that.

I said, what’s that? I said, you can go to church all your life and live to be a little saint as close as to God you can live. I said, if you don’t trust Christ, you still burn the hell just like that man that killed all those people. God says, there’s no difference between them. I said, you mean I like the one? I says, but the other one is just as bad. I said, the greatest sin you can ever do, the greatest sin It’s a reject Christ as your Savior.

You can’t get any worse than that. The sin of unbelief, all sin can be forgiven, but the sin of unbelief. See, if you die without believing on Christ, there is no forgiveness in this life or the life to come. There is no hope, because the worst thing you’ll ever do is not because you and I here murdered somebody, raped somebody, robbed the bank. No, the worst thing you can ever do, ever do, the worst is to reject the John 1934 said, but one of the soldiers with a spear appears to his side and forth with him there out brought in water.

And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean, linen cloth, laterrahim Romo his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sacrifice and departed. Three days later, he is absent from the tomb, having risen under his own power. Look at this verse, John chapter 20 verse 1. The first day of the week come at Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark under the Separachum and see if the stone taken away from the Separachum.

And he an angel said unto them, Be not a Friday, ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified. He is risen, he is not here, behold the place where they laid him. guiActiveUn came back from the dead, Christ is alive. He is in heaven and he has eternal life as a gift to give to every person that believes that he died for them. Next statement, he is seen, believed on by hundreds and a sins in the heaven. 1 Corinthians 15 says, after that he was seen of above 500 brethren at one.

This is after he came back from the dead. So this wasn’t something done in the corner. 500 people saw him after he came back from the dead. This is on one occasion. And then it says, without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifested in the place. Jesus Christ was God. was God manifested in the flesh. And get what he says about this. This is a tremendous verse 1 Timothy 3 16. God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, priests unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in the gloryustom.

He came into the world and did what he came to do and left this world. Now he’s in heaven and He has given eternal life to every individual that believes that He did all of that for them. You don’t earn eternal life, you don’t work your way to heaven, and yet there’s a lot of people that go to good independent, fundamental, Bible-given, missionary-minded, Baptist, Baptist, and Christ as their Savior. Lot of preachers do not understand that eternal security is the gospel, and the gospel is eternal security.

And if you’re not saved forever, you’re not saved at all. The best news in all the world is to know that you have eternal life. You cannot know that you’re going to heaven when you die if you don’t believe that once you’re saved, you’re always saved. If you don’t believe you’re always saved, you don’t know where you’re going when you die and you don’t understand the gospel. This is the Bible and the issue is heaven and hell and that is critical.

It’s not a game. This is serious stuff. It would be a shame for you to come and you hear and you say, I heard that a thousand times, but did you ever trust Christ as your Savior? If you haven’t, you’re lost. You’re still lost. It means that when you die, you go to hell. And wouldn’t it be a shame for tomorrow you to wake up in the flames of hell, knowing that you could have gone to heaven, knowing you sit there and you heard it over and over and over again, and you never trust the Lord because you thought you had time, or it really wasn’t that critical.

Not that important. And now you’re in hell and knowing you can’t get out. You’ll never get out. It’ll never be changed. They’ll never get any better. Have you ever burnt yourself on a flame? Touch something so hot it burnt you? I’ve done it a many a time. And how thankful I am. I can not go to hell. If that doesn’t make a man thankful, nothing will. Look at the next thing man. This is Jesus the Christ. God in the flesh, who died in your place, that you may have heaven forever.

1 Corinthians 15, three and four says, for I delivered unto you first of all, that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scripture. He was buried, that he rose again the third day according to the scripture. See this is a clear definition on how salvation is offered to you and I. But you can believe this intellectually and not really trust Christ as you’re saved. You can say, well I believe Christ died, that’s history.

But Christ died from me, that’s salvation. You must believe that when he died on that clause, he died and paid for my sin, mine, that means if I really believe that, then I don’t have to pay for mine. But if you think you’re still going to hell, you don’t really believe he paid for yours. Oh, yeah, I’ve heard Christ out on the cross and paid for sin in the world. I’ve heard it all my life. Where are you going when you die?

Well, the hell, if I don’t change, you don’t get it. You don’t understand. He died to pay for your sins. Forget everybody else’s. Forget the world. He did it for you. Think about it as an individual thing. He did this for me, my sins, so that I could have eternal life. Now what should be our decision? John 3 16 says, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believe it, then Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Now it’s done. It’s finished. Take your Bible very quickly and turn over there to the book of 1 Corinthians in chapter 15. 1 Corinthians 15 is what we call the resurrection chapter. But in this resurrection chapter, notice what he says there in verse 51. Christ can’t come back if he never left. If Christ is still in the grave, you have no hope and neither do I. And everything is in vain. What do we have really messed up? See look in verse 16 Verse 16 says for if the dead rise not of then is not Christ raised and If Christ is not raised your faith is in vain you’re yet in your sins means you’re still lost Your sins are not been paid for how can you believe in vain you can believe in vain if Christ died in vain if Christ Did not come back from the dead

If he didn’t come back from the dead, how can you trust somebody to save you who can’t even get out of the grave himself? What value was that? Or it’s true when he did come back from the dead and my preaching is not in vain and my faith is not in vain and your belief is not in vain and we don’t live in vain because it’s all true. Now, looking verse 51, behold I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep.

That means we won’t all die. If we won’t all die, we won’t all be buried. I really don’t care to be. die. No, not that I’m afraid to die. He said, I’ve never done it before. I want the Lord just to change me in a moment. The twinkle of an eye and caught up to meet the Lord in the ear. Now think about it. Wouldn’t you rather go that away? I do. But he says, we shall not all sleep died, but we shall all be changed.

Verse 52, in a moment, the twinkle of an eye, the last trump of the trumpet shall sound and the dead in Christ shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed. This corruptible must put on incorruption in this mortal must put on immortality. Look at me. I am mortal. It means I’m subject to death, but I’m going to put on immortality means that I won’t die. Those that have already died, their bodies in the grave, that’s corruptible. So they’re going to put on incorruption.

So the resurrection is going to take place. Christ is coming in the air. And then all of a sudden those dead bodies are going to be made incorruptible and we that are alive when this moment comes will be changed in a moment. The twinkle of an eye caught up to meet the Lord in the air and this mortal will put on immortality. That’s what I’m looking forward to. But you see, If there is no such thing as a resurrection, then that can’t be this happening either because the one that did the other is going to do this one.

We’re looking for Christ to return. Therefore He says in verse 58, look in verse 58, you’re on the line, this verse in your Bible, if it’s not on the line. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be your steadfast. See once you trust Christ as your Savior, you have eternal life, you’re going to heaven when you die, you’re just not there yet. But until then, be steadfast, be faithful, do right. He says, My beloved brethren, be your steadfast, unmovable, solid like a rock, always abounding in the work of the Lord.

For as much as you know that your labor and get this is not in vain, it’s not in vain. So I read all of this and I see all of this and I know Christ came back from the dead, so it’s not in vain. My faith is not in vain, my preaching is not in vain. My living for God is not in vain, my witnessing is not in vain, my reading the word of God is not in vain, my praying is not in vain, I’d given the Lord’s work, it’s not in vain.

It will pay off in the long run. I believe it because Christ came back from the dead. He’s coming back again someday. Now look in verse 58 one more time. Therefore, my beloved brethren, that’s the reference to those who know Christ as Savior. You’re going to heaven when you die. Be steadfast, be unmovable. I have tried to stay the same way since I’ve trusted Christ as my Savior and got the clarity of the gospel down. I want to stay rock solid the rest of my life.

I’m thankful the Lord for saving me when I was 18 years old. It would have been nice that if I had been raising a Christian home and I’d have known the Lord at an early age and all that. But that wasn’t my life. That wasn’t what I had. I didn’t want God to save me in vain, to give me eternal life and then leave me here in this life and it’d be for a waste. Oh, I’d go to heaven when I die, but I want others to be in heaven when I get there.

I want people to be in heaven because I passed through this life. God left me here. That was by the grace of God. He didn’t owe that to me, but he did that. And I don’t want his grace of a leaving me here that I didn’t deserve to be totally in vain. I want to accomplish something with my life. And that should be the goal of every Christian to be steadfast, unmovable, always abounded in the work of the Lord for as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

It’s not in vain. Because remember if you have not trusted Christ as your Savior you are what? Lost and if you’re lost and you die Where do you go? Where do you go? Hell, but that’s not a pretty subject to talk about but but you can’t talk about the love of God if you don’t talk about the wrath of God Because you got to see until you know that you’re going to heaven when you die. You’ll never appreciate God really loving me How do I know God really loves me?

He saved me from hell. Now look up here. This is you and me. This is sin. We all have sin on us. God loves us. He hates our sin. He loves us. And the Bible says since we committed the sin, we have to pay for it. Since we committed that sin, we’re all guilty. We all have to pay. And the wages is eternal separation from God. Inhale now God says that he loves us and he wants us to go to heaven God does not want anybody to go to hell he wants us to go to heaven to go to heaven we have to be perfect as righteous as God Nobody’s perfect.

Nobody’s righteous like God is you see God can’t let us in because of sin So we have to pay for this And he says that the wages of sin is death. It’s not going to church. It’s not giving money. It’s not praying through and hanging on and let go and let God. You need a… This hand represents Jesus Christ. He’s the Lord. He’s God in the flesh. Came into the world because He loves the world. He hates our sin because it separates us from Him.

I can’t get to God. He can’t get to me. We can’t have any fellowship. I can’t spend eternity with Him because of sin. So what Christ did? did for one person he did for the entire world. He died and paid for all of the sins of all the world, paid for it on the cross, came back from the dead. And he says, all that we have to do is the only thing we can do is to believe that he did this for us.

He paid for our sins. God says, if I believe he did this for me, he would put that payment to my account. Now, when I was 18 years old and I believe that he did this for me, he put that payment to my account. When you believe it, he put that payment to your account. If you haven’t believed it, that payment is not put to your account until you believe he did it for you. That’s why your sins could have been paid for and you still go to hell because you rejected the payment that was made for you.

Just because you know about it and because you want to go to heaven, don’t make you get there. You won’t get there just because, well, I want to go. You can’t will yourself there. You have to admit to God, I’m a sinner. There can be no pride in you that I’m going to have because I deserve to go. You don’t deserve to go. Nobody deserves to go. Nobody’s good enough to get to heaven. We’re all bad enough to go to hell.

Only took one sin. But that one sin is enough to keep us all out of heaven. So Christ took the sins, paid for them across now. The only way you’ll ever get to heaven is do you or do you not? Will you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior? Will you accept this payment he made for you. Now, if I was to offer you my glass of water and you accepted you’d have a glass of water and if offered you my wallet and you accepted you’d have an empty wallet, if offered you my microphone and you accepted you’d have a microphone.

Well, if Jesus Christ walked in here right now offered you eternal life and you accepted it, what would you have? Eternal life. Now, if it’s eternal life, how long would it last? If it lasts forever and all your sins are paid, where would you go when you die to go to heaven? Can you know that you’re going to heaven before you die. Yes, that’s what it’s all about. Knowing that you have eternal life, these things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.

You have to know it and you have to have it. Have it now. Do you have right now? No, you have right now everlasting life and you will never lose it. God will never cast you out. If you don’t understand that, you don’t believe that, you’re lost. Every head bowed and every I closed, no one looking around. If you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior, I don’t care how many times you’ve heard it, have you honestly, be honest with yourself, it’s a heaven and hell issue.

If you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior, would you trust Him right now? Say, yes, I will trust Jesus Christ as my Savior. I want to be certain I’m going to heaven when I die and preach I like you to pray for me. 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 by the line 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 Bible and programs. Just go to our home page 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. 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.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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

I want to talk to you about a nice little subject. It’s called How do you recognize? depression Now, you know the Bible talks an awful lot about being encouraged Exorting one another and when you get depressed You depress other people in case you didn’t know that when you get excited about the Lord You can get other people excited about the Lord. So what kind of a testimony have you been having? Are you moping? Norn is God died, fell off his throne, been taken over, is he sick?

Now if you get down and discouraged and depressed, does the Bible have anything to say about that? Now when you study the Bible you may not find that much in it about the word depressed, but you will find some things that cause depression and believe it or not, There are individuals in the Bible that were greatly depressed. But there are several things to keep in mind. There are sins that can cause depression. And there’s non-sinful courses or causes of depression.

And there’s false Jews that cause depression. And there’s medical causes for depression. Now, we don’t have time to cover all of those, but just a few that I would like to cover tonight. And it deals with the sins that causes depression. Now, let me just mention some of the sins that causes depression. One is guilt, greed, anger, hatred, perfectionism, because you’ve got to have everything right. worry, jealousy, laziness, rejection of Christ, sex as a God, Satan worship. In other words, sometimes the sins of the mind causes great depression.

And if you do not watch it, these are things that can take its toll up on you. And so these are brought on by your own wicked thinking. When you don’t think right, you can depress yourself very easy. And whenever you do that, of course you do that to other people because most of these sins are things that are also affecting other people because they also see you and hear you. So I wanted to start off with this one word, perfection.

Perfection. And because of perfection, there is a man in the Bible. Believe it or not, that was what we would classify as a perfectionist. Everything has to be right. And you know, whenever you want everything right and it’s not right, you do not want to even see your own wickedness. You don’t want to see your own failures. You don’t want to mess up because you can’t handle it because you want everything right. You want to do everything right and lo and behold you can’t.

Sooner or later you’re going to really disappoint yourself and remember this. One of the most I guess discouraging people in the Bible, most depressed men in the Bible was a man named Jeremiah. You ever heard of Jeremiah? The weeping profit. Everything went wrong in his life. Now I’m not talking about Job, I’m talking about Jeremiah. And I also understand this, because of these sins, the sins of the mind produces guilt. And guilt is to the soul what pain is to the body.

Now, you ever have pain in the body? It’s the way of letting your body know that, and you know, something is wrong. And if you didn’t have pain in the body, you probably wouldn’t last so long. But it’s a way of signaling you to let you know you’re doing something that you shouldn’t do. You’re over exerting yourself. Or you have a pain in my side. I’m going to have an attack of appendicitis. Or you have headaches, and it could be because you have a tumor.

There’s all kinds of things that causes pain, and pain is a way of making you aware of a problem that needs to be resolved. So that’s why when people have pain in their need, they might want to get a new need replacement. Or they might want to get a hip replacement. All because pain tells us something is wrong. What God has given to us another mechanism, and it’s called guilt. Guilt is between you and God. It’s God’s way of telling you something’s not right.

Now you may deny the sin, run from the sin, but the sin will find you out. it will chase you down. It will run after you. And the guilt you can’t get away from. So this is why there’s people in the world that wanna get laws changed. Why? Because they feel guilty when they know they’ve broken the law and they’re doing things that the law says you can’t do or that the Bible says you can’t do. So they want to try to justify themselves so they don’t feel guilty.

That’s why whenever sometimes you want to do something you wanna find somebody who agrees with you because then you feel better. Because now you don’t feel as guilty because, well, so it’s so said it was all right. So we’re always sometimes looking for somebody to justify our wrong way of thinking or think that we do. So sin does take its toll upon us. So look there in the book of Numbers in chapter 11. Numbers chapter 11, way over there in the Old Testament.

Numbers chapter 11, there’s a man named Moses. And some of these things I’ve mentioned to you before, but I want to hit it just a little bit different. You see, he wanted to be a perfect leader. Whenever he had told the people, he says, why do y’all strive against each other? And they said, are you going to kill us like you did the Egyptian yesterday? He couldn’t handle it. Because he had done something wrong and somebody knew it. So he runs and hides in the backside of a desert for how long?

40 years. 40 years. It’s a long time. It’s a long time for guilt to run after him. This is why God had such a hard time getting Moses to go back down to Asia. He went away, away, away, away, away. Who are you? What’s your name? What am I supposed to say? I can’t talk. And he gave all these excuses why he can’t do because he doesn’t want to be a failure. I tried before I failed, I’m not going to do it again.

And that’s the way sometimes the perfectionists will be. They get critical of themselves and other people very, very fast. So whenever you’re a perfectionist, you become very judgmental, very critical. and sometimes even of yourself to the point of great depression. Really down and really discouraged and it happened so easy. So here in the book of Numbers in chapter 11, look in verse 10, then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families. Every man in the door of his tent and the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly.

Moses also was displeased. Moses was upset. Now, the difference between self-righteous anger and godly anger, righteous anger, is if somebody does something against God and you have righteous anger because they offended God, that’s one thing. But sometimes when somebody offends us, we also have anger, but it’s self-anger that can lead to sin very easily. And that’s why the Lord says, don’t let the sun go down up on your wrath. Be angry in sin not because most anger leads to sin.

And so God says, Don’t let it go overnight. Don’t let the sun set with you angry. Try to solve all that you can because you may not sleep too good at night when you get down and discouraged and depressed. You know, there’s a lot of people in our country because they have no clue on how to handle guilt. They’d have to take drugs. Drugs to wake up, drugs to go to sleep, drugs all the time. When you go to the medicine cabinet of the Word of God to the great physician, did you know that God has a way of handling all these depressions that everybody goes through?

It’s just that people don’t believe what God says and they can’t trust him. So that’s why they worry because they’re scared. They feel with fear. They don’t know how God’s going to get them out of something. And then whenever you want everything to be right, you feel with anger. You get mad. You get filled with bitterness. That’s what causes people to become so depressed. And does it affect their lives? Greatly affects their lives. Now look what he says in verse 11.

And Moses said unto the Lord, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? Wherefore have I not found favor in thy sight? That thou last the burden of all this people upon me? Lord, do you realize what you’ve done? You made me the leader of a couple million people and I’m supposed to solve all their problems. This is too great for me. I can’t stand it anymore. This is the straw that broke the camel’s back and there are probably a few camels around there.

He says in verse 12, have I conceived all this people? Have I been gotten them? That thou should have say unto me, carry them in thy bosom as a nursing father, beareth the sucking child unto the land which thou swears under their fathers, when should I have flesh to give unto all this people? For they weep unto me saying, give us flesh that we may eat. I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.

He did not want to see himself fail, and he doesn’t know how to solve the problem. He is down, he’s discouraged, he’s angry, he gets set with God, he’s bitter to people. Moses had an anger problem. He was depressed. And because of being depressed, he doesn’t want to see himself as a failure. And neither does he want the people to see him fall apart because sometimes that’s one of the things that really bothers us. We don’t want to see people see us mess up.

And we’re afraid sometimes we’re going to mess up because the way gets so hard. We don’t want to break down and yet we don’t have the strength to go on. So what do we do? And this is where he was. So look in verse 15. And if thou dill thus with me, kill me, I pray thee out of hand. If I have found favor in thy sight, let me get this part of the verse down. This is very important.

Let me not see my wretchedness. I don’t want to see how bad I am. Did you know that if God took his hand off of us, you would really see how bad you really are. Did you know the truth that you now know from the word of God, or the restraints upon your old sinful nature? Did you realize how bad you would be and how wicked you would be if it wasn’t for some of the truth that you do know?

Did you realize that there’s a lot of people in this world that do not have the truth of the word of God and they don’t have the Holy Spirit and they don’t have any restraints? Look what, how they’re living? Look at the world, look what’s going on. And there’s like there’s no fear, there’s no guilt. It doesn’t bother because everybody’s doing it. You always feel better when everybody else is doing it. Misery loves company. The guilt is shared. Hey, we’re all in this together, but we’re having a great time.

But there’s a time of reckoning coming in. The world will fall into great depression. That’s why most people in America can’t even think straight. They’ve lost the power of reason. They cannot discern the times in which they live. They can’t discern what’s going on and they have no clue on a solution. So it’s very interesting. But it says, let me not see my wretchedness. Now you’re talking about being depressed. There is a depressed man. Here is an a man who has an addiction.

To anger. Anger is an addiction. Just like a lot of times, all of us have certain kinds of addictions and we have to go through it. Take your Bible and turn to the book of Esther, the book of Esther. The book of Esther, right before the book of Job, and Esther in chapter 5, Esther in chapter 5. This is a very interesting little story. Because, see, there’s a man who was also equally depressed, and his name was Jonah. Jonah was depressed, and his problem was with hatred.

He hated the Gentiles. He was a Jew and hated the Gentiles. He did not want to go to Nineveh. He knew that God was merciful, and he knew that if he was to preach to them, that they They would change their mind and get right and God wouldn’t zap them. And what did he want? He wanted God to get them. But Jonah hated the Gentiles. Well, a man by the name of Haman hated the Jews. And because he hated the Jews, he wanted the Jews to be annihilated.

Well, Haman hated Mordecai. And there’s a little story here that kind of talks a little bit about this. And if you look there in chapter 5, the book of Esther, Esther knew that she would have to go to see the king because Haman had got the king to pass a law that would kill all the Jews. And yet she knew that she couldn’t go see the king unless he summoned for her. And if she did go to see him, he would have to hold out his scepter.

That means that she could come on in and she would be spared. And so she even though she was the queen, that she was the Jew. And Hamans decree would have killed her, Mordecai, and all the Jews in the land. So things weren’t going too good. So she went to go see the king and when she went to see the king, he says, what’s the matter, Pokesy? He says, I’m not feeling very well. Her countenance was not, you know, exciting and glorious and thrilled.

And he says, what’s wrong? She says, well, I got a problem, but I want to have a banquet for me and you and Haman. Just as three and she said, I’ll fix it. She wanted to Haman to be there when she tells the king what he wants to do. Now, Haman on the other hand, he thought that everything was going great for him. So he says down here in verse seven, has been answered Esther and said, my petition in my request is, if I have found favor in the side of the king, and if it pleased the king to grant my petition, and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and I will do tomorrow as the king have said.

Then when Haman forth that day, joyful with glad heart, But when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate that he stood not up nor moved for him, he was full of indignation against Mordecai. Now, this is hatred. He hated this man because Mordecai wouldn’t stand and pay homage to him, because after all, Haman was a great man. But Mordecai didn’t worship men. Mordecai worshiped God. Mordecai wouldn’t bow to anybody. So somebody was upset because he would have defied me.

And some people just hate others because they don’t honor them the way they think they ought to be honored. Don’t you know who I am? So he says in verse 10, nevertheless, Haman refrained himself. When he came home, he sent and called for his friends and his wife. And Haman told them of the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children and all the things wherein the king had promoted him. And how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king.

Boy was he one proud man. I mean he was riding high. He was somebody. Well, but he’s had a problem. In verse 12, Heyman said more over, yay, Esther the Queen did let no man come in with the King unto the banquet that she had prepared but myself. Look who I am. I’m somebody. And tomorrow am I invited under her and also with the King. Yet all this availiff mean nothing as long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the King’s gate.

He said, I can’t stand it, man. I hate that. Now this man and it caused him, he is so filled with hate, it blinds him. It doesn’t matter how much he already has, here’s a poor old Jew, that the gate that doesn’t honor him. And what does he want to do? Not just to this one Jew, to all of them. He want to kill all of them. Over Jews. Because one guy didn’t pay him attention. Now I know you’re not, you’re not Haman.

But did you know that somebody can mistreat you and not give you the honor and so forth you think they should and you’d be surprised how you can fit feel with hatred so easy so quickly. Now you talk about why are you depressed? If you get down and you’re depressed you start thinking why am I depressed? Why am I so down? Why am I so discouraged? And you might find out because you’re not impressed with God. You’re not impressed with His will.

So you’re depressed because of yourself. You’re depressed because of people. You’re depressed because of circumstances. Everything is not working out for your honor and your glory. You see, if you were to reverse it and say, I want to do whatever it is for God’s honor and for God’s glory. So as long as I give God the honor and the glory for whatever happens to me, what happens to me? Does it really matter? and they don’t praise you and they don’t exalt you and they don’t bow to you.

This is what causes such a rebellion among people because everybody has a will. Most people do not like to submit their will to anybody. This is what’s destroying marriage because the man doesn’t want to submit to God. Nobody wants to submit to anybody and the kids don’t want to submit to the parents. everybody and the kids don’t want to submit to the parents because all they see is rebellion and more rebellion. And then you wonder why so many people are depressed.

They’re down, they’re discouraged. And this is part of the reason why. So he says in verse 14, then says, jurisse his wife and all his friends on him, let a gallow be made of 50 cubits high by 75 feet high and of tomorrow, speak down unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged on it. Thou then go thou in Mary with the king into the banquet, and the thing please Haman, and he caused the gallows to be made. So he’s already counting his chickens before the hatch.

He’s already building the gallows. He hasn’t even got permission from the kingMicro. So now he’s all cheerful. Why? Because ofutherford he’s thinking. And he was down displayText because of how he was thinking. You see, when you’re happy, it’s because of what you’re thinking and when you’re sad, 😉 it’s because of how you’re thinking. So, it’s how you think very important. It is very important. more of these things. But I want you to get this because it’s so important in chapter 6.

On that night could not the king sleep. He commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles and they were read before the king. Now isn’t amazing just to happens to not be able to sleep this night. The night before Haman and Queen Esther was going to come into a little banquet. And so here’s the king and he’s setting up and he can’t sleep. So what does he do? He gets out to the old records and starts reading the books.

And lo and behold, he reads in there where somebody had saved his life. Somebody saved his life and he hadn’t done anything about it. And all this time was spent. Look what he says there in verse two and it was found written that Mordecai had told of Vindanta. He says, and turish, two of the king’s chamberlands, the keepers of the door who sought to lay hands on King Ha’azarus. And the king said, what honor and dignity has been done to Mordecai for this?

Then said the king’s servant that ministered unto him, there is nothing done for him. Well, though that’s a shame. So the king finds out, hey, there’s a guy in the kingdom that did something for me, saved my life, and nobody’s done anything for him. So what is he going to do? He’s going to ask Haman. Haman, what should I do for the man that needs to be honored? Oh, he thinks it’s him. So the king says here in verse four, and the king said, who is in the court?

Now, Haman was coming to the outward court of the king’s house, to speak unto the king, to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him. And the king’s servant said unto him, Behold, Haman, standeth in the court. And the king said, Let him come in. So Haman came in. The king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honor? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honor more than to myself.

So well, I’m really going to pour it on thick. This is what you ought to do. And buddy, did he eat those words? You know what I like about the Lord? God has to have a sense of humor. This is funny. Serious, but it’s got a little sense of humor to it. So what should I do to somebody to honor such a man in verse 7 and Haman answered the king, for the man whom the king delighted to honor.

Well, let me count the ways. Let the royal apparel be brought which the king uses to wear. And the horse that the king rides upon and the crown royal, which is set upon his head and let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes that they may array the man with all whom the King thee lighteth to honor and bring him on horseback through the streets of the city and proclaim before him, thus shall it be done to the man whom the King thee lighteth to honor.”

Well the king said, hey that’s a great idea, that’s a wonderful idea. In verse 10, then the king said to Haman, make haste, take the apparel and the horse as thou have said, and do even so to morelakai the Jews that saideth at the king’s gate, let nothing fail of all that thou have spoken.” Wasn’t he excited about this? You talking about how to, you know, crawl fish? He hates this guy and he had an open his mouth and what he had said, And see God can take the wickedness of man and turn it around to honor his own.

Don’t worry about what people say about you. You just do right. You just be faithful. How would you have liked to have the part of being Mordecai at the gate? And not to have anything. And yet he has his name written down in the Word of God as a great individual. people to read about him for all these years. Who would have ever thought that? You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr.

Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. Part two of this teaching will conclude with tomorrow’s broadcast. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach 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.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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 a 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. Esther knew that she would have to go to see the king because Haman had got the king to pass a law that would kill all the all the Jews and yet she knew that she couldn’t go see the king unless he summoned for her and if she did go to see him he would have to hold out his scepter and that means that she could come on in and she would be spared and so she even though she was the queen but she was a Jew.

And Hamans decree would have killed her, more to Kai, and all the Jews in the land. So things weren’t going too good. So she went to go see the king, and when she went to see the king, he says, what’s the matter, Pokesy? He says, I’m not feeling very well. Her countenance was not exciting and glorious and thrilled. And he says, what’s wrong? She says, well, I got a problem, but I want to have a banquet for me and you and Haman.

Just as three, and she said, I’ll fix it. She wanted to Haman to be there when she tells the king what he wants to do. Now Haman on the other hand, he thought that everything was going great for him. He says down here in verse seven, then answered Esther and said, my petition in my request is, if I have found favor in the side of the king, and if it pleased the king to grant my petition, and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and I will do tomorrow as the king have said.

Then when Haman forth that day, joyful with glad heart, but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate, that he stood not up nor moved for him. He was full of indignation against Mordecai. Now, this is hatred. He hated this man because Mordecai wouldn’t stand and pay homage to him because after all, Haman was a great man. But Mordecai didn’t worship men. Mordecai worship God. Mordecai wouldn’t bow to anybody.

So somebody was upset because. He was, well, you defied me. And some people just hate others because they don’t honor them the way they think they ought to be honored. Don’t you know who I am? So he says in verse 10, nevertheless, Haman refrained himself. When he came home, he sent and called for his friends and his wife. And Haman told them of the glory of his riches and the multitude of his children and all of things wherein the king had promoted him and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king.

Boy was he one proud man. I mean he was riding high. He was somebody. Well but he had a problem. In verse 12, Haman said more over, ye, Esther the queen did let no man come in with the king unto the banquet that she had prepared but myself. Look who I am. I’m somebody. And tomorrow am I invited under her and also with the king. Yet all this availiff mean nothing as long as I see Mordecai, the Jew, sitting at the king’s gate.

He’s like, I can’t stand it, man. I hate that man. Now this man, and it caused him, he is so filled with hate. It blinds him. It doesn’t matter how much he already has, here’s a poor old Jew, said that the gate doesn’t honor him. And what does he want to do? Not just to this one Jew, to all of them. He want to kill all of them. All of the Jews. Because one guy didn’t pay him attention. Now, I know you’re not you’re not you’re not Haman, but did you know that somebody can mistreat you and not give you the honor and so forth?

You think they should and you’d be surprised how you can fit feel with hatred so easy so quickly. Now you talk about why are you depressed? If you get down and you’re depressed you start thinking, why am I depressed? Why am I so down? Why am I so discouraged? And you might find out because you’re not impressed with God. You’re not impressed with His will. So you’re depressed because of yourself. You’re depressed because of people. You’re depressed because of circumstances.

Everything is not working out for your honor and your glory. You see if you were to reverse it and say I want to do whatever it is for God’s honor and for God’s glory. So as long as I give God the honor and the glory for whatever happens to me, What happens to me? Does it really matter? It’s whenever you want it to be to you and then people don’t honor you and they don’t praise you and they don’t exalt you and they don’t bow to you You know, this is what causes such a rebellion among people because Everybody has a will and most people do not like to submit their will to anybody This is what’s destroying marriages across this country because the woman doesn’t want to submit to the man The man doesn’t want to submit to God and nobody wants to submit to anybody and the kids don’t want to submit to the parents

Because all they see is rebellion and more rebellion and then you wonder why so many people are depressed They’re down. They’re discouraged and this is a part of the reason why So he says in verse 14 Then says jurisse his wife and all his friends on him let a gallow be made of 50 cubits high by 75 feet high and of tomorrow speak down unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged on it. Thou didn’t go thou in Mary with the king into the banquet, and the thing please Haman and he caused the gallows to be made.

So he’s already counting his chickens before the hatch. He’s already built in the gallows. He has even got permission from from the king yet. So now he’s all cheerful. Why? Because of how he’s thinking. And he was down because of how he was thinking. You see, when you’re happy it’s because of what you’re thinking and when you’re sad it’s because of how you’re thinking. So it’s how you think very important. It is very important. People that are really depressed usually bring it upon themselves.

Now like I said, there’s times whenever it could be medical reason. It could be because of non-sinful reasons. And so as time goes on I would like to maybe cover more of these things. But I want you to get this because it’s so important. Chapter 6, on that night, could not the king sleep. He commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles and they were read before the king. Now isn’t it amazing just to happens to not be able to sleep this night?

The night before Haman and Krenesto was going to come into a little banquet. And so here’s the king and he’s setting up and he can’t sleep. So what did he do? He gets out to the old records and starts reading the books. And lo and behold, he reads in there where somebody had saved his life. Somebody saved his life and he hadn’t done anything about it. And all this time was spent. Look what he says there in verse two and it was found written that Mordecai had told of Vindantah.

He says, and to reach two of the king’s chamberlands, the keepers of the door who sought to lay hands on King Herhasaurus. And the king said, what honor and dignity has been done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king’s servant that ministered unto him, there is nothing done for him. Well, though, that’s a shame. So the king finds out, hey, there’s a guy in the kingdom that did something for me, saved my life, and nobody’s done anything for him.

So what is he going to do? He’s going to ask Haman. Heyman, what should I do for the man that needs to be honored? Oh, he thinks it’s him. So the king says here in verse four, and the king said, who is in the court? Now, Heyman was coming to the outward court of the king’s house, to speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him. And the king’s servant said unto him, behold, Heyman, standeth in the court, and the king said, let him come in.

So, Ammon came in. The king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honor? Now, Ammon thought in his heart, to whom would the king delight to do honor more than to myself? So well, I’m really going to pour it on thick. This is what you ought to do. And, buddy, did he eat those words? You know what I like about the Lord? God has to have a sense of humor.

This is funny, serious, but it’s got a little sense of humor to it. So what should I do to somebody, to honor such a man in verse 7 and Haman answered the king, for the man whom the king delighted to honor? Well let me count the ways. Let the royal apparel be brought which the king uses to wear, and the horse that the king rides upon, and the crown royal which is set upon his head, and let this honor be brought to the king.

apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes that they may array the man with all whom the King delightive to honor and bring him on horseback through the streets of the city and proclaim before him, thus shall it be done to the man whom the King delightive to honor.” Well the king said, hey that’s a great idea. That’s a wonderful idea. In verse 10, then the king said to Haman, Make haste, take the apparel and the horse, as thou have said, and do even so to mortify the Jews that siteth at the king’s gate, let nothing fail of all that thou hath spoken.”

Wasn’t he excited about this? You talking about how to, you know, crawlfish? He hates this guy, and he had an open his mouth, mouth and what he had said, see God can take the wickedness of man and turn it around to honor his own. Don’t worry about what people say about you. You just do right. You just be faithful. How would you have liked to have the part of being Mordecai at the gate? And not to have anything. And yet he has his name written down in the Word of God as a great individual and people to read about him for all these years.

Who would have ever thunk it? And here you are, you might not think your life is too important and it might be that for one main thing in your life, one main deed, one person that you touch, you know it’s just kind of like that man where Peter and John and you know they were kind of walking along and they went into the beautiful temple there and lo and behold there was a man there that had problems he had walked in 38 years.

Silver and gold have I none but such as I have given the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. Now wait a minute that man had been here for 38 years. Why hadn’t he been healed by Jesus? Jesus had to come that way a lot of times. Why wait all that time? Why didn’t he do it? But for some reason, he was passed over for such a time as this. And it talks about a blind man that was blind from birth.

He said, why is he like this? What sin hath he done? Was it his mother or his father? He says it wasn’t because of anybody’s sin. It was because of the honor of the Lord, the glory of the Lord. You see, he was going to show somebody something, the power of God, and he needed a blind man. And there happened to be a blind man who was at the right spot at the right time, and God healed him. And it became a story, a testimony, because he had just talked about, I am the light of the world, and the light of the world.

And this is, you’re not the light of the world, you bear record of yourself, and your record That is not true. He says, when you put me on the cross, my Father will tell you who I am. And when Christ was hung on the cross, God the Father told who His Son was. He said, I am the light of the world. He hit the main switch of heaven and all the lights went out. He said, I told you. So here you have the man has to be honored.

So in verse 12, Mordecai came again to the kings gate, but Haman hasted to his house And here’s a couple things you need to underline in your Bible. Morning and having his head covered. Why was he mourning? Why wasn’t he glad for this guy? You see, it’s one thing that reason you should not be jealous and jealousy that leads to depression. When you’re filled with you, remember, these are sins and a lot of the sins of the mind, you’ll find those written in the book of Galatians in chapter 5, in the book of Colossians in chapter 3, there’s sins of the mind that causes great depression.

And when you get depressed, you’d be surprised what it’s going to do to you. Did you know that his depression cost him his life? And his son’s lives cost him an awful lot, didn’t it? It did. And so he says here in verse 13, the Haman told Zarish, his wife, and all his friends, everything that had befallen him. Where when nothing really has happened to him? Nobody’s really done anything to him. All this is built up in his own mind.

You realize that you can build things up into your mind as somebody gets on. Nobody’s wrong, this man. Who did something wrong to Haman? Didn’t more to Kai do anything wrong to this guy? This guy, not really. He isn’t doing anything wrong to him. So what is he upset about? Not really. He didn’t do anything wrong to him. So what’s he upset about? Most people, if they really think things through, are making mountains out of Moheal. How do you make a mountain out of a Moheal?

More dirt. Just more dirt. And some people just add more dirt and more dirt and more dirt. When they did it themselves, most people are destroying themselves and it’s an inside job. They’re on home record. They’re wrecking their own lives and it causes such great depression. It’s always wonderful. We can just always talk about the love of God and the peace and the joy. But you see, we’re individuals and we are human and we have discouragements. We have disappointments.

have despair. And if you don’t watch it, those saying can so pull you down and it can destroy your life. You don’t want that to happen to you. He says here, If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews before whom thou hath begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shall surely fall before him. And when they were yet talking with him came the kings, and hast it to bring Haman unto the banquet that Esther had prepared.

Oh boy, now he gets to go to the banquet. He’s been just dying to go to and die and he will. Chapter 7, so the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen. The king said again on the Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, what is the reputation, Queen Esther? And it shall be granted thee, and what is thy request, and it shall be performed even to the half of the kingdom.” Then Esther the Queen answered and said, if I have found favor and thy side, O King, and if it pleased the King, let my life be given me at my petition and my people at my request.

But we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, Then I would have held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king’s damage. Then King Ahasaras entered and set him to Esther the Queen. Who is he? Where is he? That ders presume in his heart to do so. Who in the world wants to do this? Guess who’s standing there? And Esther says the adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman.

And Haman was afraid before the king and the queen. I wonder why. And the king rising from the banquet of wine in his wrath went into the palace garden and Haman stood up to make requests for his life to Esther, the queen, for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king. And it just so happened, just coincident. He fell. He stumbled. Somehow he fell on the bed. Look at this. Verse 8, then the king returned out of the palace garden to the place of the banquet of wine and Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon esther was.

Then said the king, will he force the queen also before me in the house? As the word went out of the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face. And Hormona, one of the chamber lanes said before the king, behold also the gallows 50 cubits high, which Haman hath made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, stand it in the house of Haman. Then the king said, hang him thereon. So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai.

Then was the king’s wrath pacified. Now, the story goes on, and it gets who got Haman’s house, Mordecai. Mordecai got all that he had. the Lord can take care of God’s people. Now God is going to take care of you. Be patient, but be faithful while you’re patient. Don’t be found like the test was with Job. Maintain thine integrity. Don’t curse God. In the meanwhile, don’t blame God and be upset with God as though God doesn’t know what he’s doing.

If God is God and God is perfect, God can make no mistakes. God does nothing wrong. You just may not see it. And sometimes the timing just seems like it’s way off. And that’s why there’s a verse in Psalms, that Lord, help me speedily. Speedily. It means like right now, Lord, I need help. If you haven’t been there, you will. Just wait, you will. The Lord will see to it that sooner or later, He pulls all the rubs after Monday.

Even He turned off all the lights and He locks all the doors and all four walls sorts moving in on you. And it seemed like the ceiling is like brass and you can’t get through. And then lo and behold, there’s a ray of light. And you look down that long, dark tunnel and there’s a ray of light and you get closer and it’s a gorilla with a flashlight. And you think, just when it’s gonna be deliverance, you’re all excited.

And then it turns ugly again. And you say, well, I thought, I don’t know if I can go on, yes you can. God, grace is sufficient. That’s what he said, but you know, you can’t believe anything, he says, can you? Or can you? You can believe what the Lord says. Now, take your Bible and turn to Psalms in chapter 38. Psalms 38, the 38th Psalm. Psalms 38, look there in verse one, in verse one. Remember guilt, the opposite of forgiveness.

Let me just give you this little point here so that you understand. Remember all of us are sinners and there is a God in heaven who is the judge. So whenever Christ died on the cross, He paid for all the sins of all the world. And when you accept that payment, the God of the world, the judge declared you innocent, declared you righteous. No sin against you forgiven. Isn’t that a wonderful thing? Now, sometimes we wonder why do I have to use first John 1-9?

That if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin. Wait a minute, I thought I’ve already been forgiven. He is faithful and just to forgive us of all sins and cleansse from all unrighteousness. So why have I got to confess again if I’ve already been forgiven? Well, we’re talking about somebody different now. For example, if I sin against Peter Amato, I can go to Peter Amato and Peter Amato can forgive me. Isn’t that wonderful?

Or why didn’t I go to you? Cause I didn’t sin against you, I sin against him. Now, if I was to sin against Steve, should I go to Peter, or should I go to Steve? Go to Steve. And I asked him, I wronged to you, and Steve, will you forgive me? And Steve can forgive me. Well, see, he forgave me. Then he forgave me. And as I lived long enough, I pugbed me to all of y’all, eventually. So would you forgive me?

Will you forgive me? Will you forgive me? Have you ever asked different people to forgive you? Yeah. See, whenever you were lost and you needed to be saved, it was the God of the universe, the judge, that said in the court of law, that says you were guilty, and Christ made the payment for your sins, and so you accepted God, the judge, forgiveness. Now see, he’s my father. I don’t face the judge. I have to deal with my father.

And so as I live my Christian life, I sin, sometimes against my father. So I need to go to my father. Now, if I sin against my wife, I should go to my wife. Doesn’t the Bible teach somewhere forgiving one another? Well, I’ve already been forgiven, so I don’t have to ask anybody else. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. If I sin against somebody else, I should ask that person, if I sin against you, I should ask you. But see, first John 1-9, that’s between me and my father.

My Father. See, it’s not the judge, it’s my Father. And then I might send against James. What’s his name? James. If I send against James, then I should ask James to forgive me because I send against him. So see first John 1-9 is not for salvation. First John 1 9 is not so that I can get to heaven eventually and keep going. No, it’s because I sinned against my father. And he says that your joy may be full, talking about the fellowship with our father.

So that’s why you’ll see in different places, it talks about God, the judge, or God. And then he says, and our father. It’s like there’s different ones. So now as a child of God, I’m a wrong my father. So there is a guilt that in your life because you’ve wronged your father and The joy of your salvation is not the way it ought to be and the guilt weighs upon your shoulder Now we know that David was a man after God’s own heart and so He had gone for about a year, you know since his little shenanigans, you know nobody knows There was a God in heaven and new and And look at it in verse one, oh Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath.

Neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. And you ought to underline these three words for thine arrows, thine arrows stick fast in me. You see, there is a convicting of the Holy Spirit just like little arrows, and they will not let you rest. They will not let you sleep. They will not let you enjoy. And they will be like something just jabbing you and keeping you. That’s why I used to talk about, you know, when somebody’s doing something wrong and they refuse to get it correct him to pray a hedge of thorns around them.

So that they quickly are hurt or pricked and get back to the Lord. Just not because you want them to suffer. You want them to get back to the Lord because you want them to have the joy of the Lord. Look at verse three, there is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger. Neither is there any rest in my bones because of my what? And you are underlined this. See whenever you walk away from the Lord and you don’t serve the Lord, there’s a price to pay.

It’s going to produce a guilt upon you. And when the Lord talks about how put a yoke of iron upon your neck until it destroys you, this is what He’s talking about. there’s not a literal yoke of iron that he’s how many people have you seen with a yoke of iron on their shoulders you haven’t seen nobody with it yet but there is the weight of the guilt of the sin that produces that depression and they destroy themselves and so he says here in verse 4 for mine iniquities are gone over my head as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me my wounds think and are corrupt because of my what?

My foolishness. You see, these are results, consequences because of the guilt that can take place because of the sin. And so between you and your heavenly Father, the Holy Spirit is at work. You see, he is a great comforter when you’re obedient and a great discomfort when you’re 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. live today and every day. Believing that the Lord is coming soon, and just keep looking up.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

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

God is God and God is perfect. God can make no mistakes. God does nothing wrong. You just may not see it. And sometimes the timing just seemed like it’s way off. And that’s why there’s a verse in Psalms, the Lord helped me speedily. Speedily. It means like right now Lord I need help. If you haven’t been there you will. Just wait you will. The Lord will see to it that sooner or later he He pulls all the rugs after Monday.

Even he turned off all the lights and he locks all the doors and all four walls sorts moving in on you. And it seemed like the ceiling is like brass and you can’t get through. And then lo and behold, there’s a ray of light. And you look down that long, dark, continental, and there’s a ray of light and you get closer and it’s a gorilla with a flashlight. And you think just when it’s going to be deliverance, you’re all excited.

And then it turns ugly again. And you say, well, I thought, I don’t know if I can go on. Yes, you can. God, grace is sufficient. That’s what he said. But you know, you can’t believe anything. He says, can you? Or can you? You can believe what the Lord says. Now, take your Bible and turn to Psalms in chapter 38. Psalms 38. The 38th Psalm. Psalms 38. they’re in verse one, in verse one. Remember guilt, the opposite of forgiveness.

Let me just give you this little point here so that you understand. Remember all of us are sinners and there is a God in heaven who is the judge. So whenever Christ died on the cross, He paid for all the sins of all the world and when you accept that payment, the God of the world, the judge declared you innocent, declared you righteous. No sin against you forgiven. Isn’t that a wonderful thing? Now sometimes we wonder why do I have to use 1 John 1-9?

That if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin. Well, you may not thought I’ve already been forgiven. He is faithful and just to forgive of us have all sins and cleansed from all unrighteousness. So why have I got to confess again if I’ve already been forgiven? Well, we’re talking about somebody different now. For example, if I sinned against Peter Amato, I can go to Peter Amato and Peter Amato can forgive me.

Isn’t that wonderful? Or why didn’t I go to you? Cause I didn’t sin to get you, I sinned against him. Now, if I was to sin against Steve, should I go to Peter, or should I go to Steve? Go to Steve. And I asked him, I wronged you, and Steve, will you forgive me? And Steve can forgive me. Well, see, he forgave me. Then he forgave me. And as I lived long enough, I probably would be dull eventually. So would you forgive me?

Will you forgive me? Will you forgive me? Have you ever asked different people to forgive you? Yeah. See, whenever you were lost and you needed to be saved, it was the God of the universe, the judge, that said in the court of law, that says you were guilty, and Christ made the payment for your sins, and so you accepted God, the judge for goodness. Now see, he’s my father. I don’t face the judge. I have to deal with my father.

And so as I live my Christian life, I sin, sometimes against my father. So I need to go to my father. Now if I sin against my wife, I should go to my wife. Doesn’t the Bible teach somewhere? Forgiving one another? Well, I’ve already been forgiven, so I don’t have to ask anybody else. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. If I sin against somebody else, I should ask that person if I sin against you. I should ask you. But see, first John 1 9, that’s between me and my father.

My father. See, it’s not the judge, it’s my father. And then I might send against James. James, if I send against James, then I should ask James to forgive me because I send against him. So see, first John 1-9 is not for salvation. First John 1-9 is not so that I can get to heaven eventually and keep the, no, it’s because I send against my father. And he says that your joy may be full, talking about the fellowship with our father.

So that’s why you’ll see in different places, it talks about God, the judge, or God. And then he said, and our Father, it’s like there’s different ones. So now as a child of God, I may wrong my Father. So there is a guilt that in your life, because you’ve wronged your Father and the joy of your salvation is not the way it ought to be. And the guilt weighs upon your shoulder. Now we know that David was a man after God’s own heart.

And so he had gone for about a year, you know, since his little shenanigans, you know. Nobody knows. There was a God in heaven and knew. And look in verse one, oh Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath. Neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. And you ought to underline these three words for thine arrows. Thine arrows stick fast in me. You see, there is a convicting of the Holy Spirit, just like little arrows, and they will not let you rest.

They will not let you sleep. They will not let you enjoy. And they will be like something just jabbing you and keeping you. That’s why I used to talk about, you know, when somebody is doing something wrong and they refuse to get it correct and to pray a hedge of thorns around them so that they quickly are hurt or pricked and get back to the Lord. It’s not because you want them to suffer. You want them to get back to the Lord because you want them to have the joy of the Lord.

Look what he’s saying in verse three, there is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger. Neither is there any rest in my bones because of my what? And you are underlined this. See whenever you walk away from the Lord and you don’t serve the Lord, there’s a price to pay It’s gonna produce a guilt upon you and when the Lord talks about I’ll put a yoke of iron upon your neck until it destroys you This is what he’s talking about If there’s not a literal yoke of iron that he’s how many people have you seen with a yoke of iron on their shoulders?

You haven’t seen nobody with it yet But there is the weight of the guilt of the sin that produces that depression and they destroy themselves. And so he says here in verse 4, For mine iniquities are gone over my head. As a heavy burden they are too heavy for me. My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my what? My foolishness. You see these are results consequences because of the guilt that can take place because of the sin And so between you and your heavenly Father the Holy Spirit is at work You see he is a great comforter when you’re obedient and a great discomfort when you’re disobedient Understand the difference now go back down here and just look at this verse verse 17 For I am ready to halt, stop, and my sorrow is continually before me.

For I will declare my iniquity,” and you are on the line these words. There’s nothing wrong with the Christian being sorry for his sin. You ought to be sorry for the things you do against your heavenly Father and the things that you may do against God’s children. You’re not free to do whatever you want like it doesn’t really matter. It does matter all of it’s important So let me read that verse to you again for I will declare my iniquity.

I will be sorry for my sin so Whenever a Christian sins against the Lord. What should you do? first John 1 9 And 1 John 1, 9 says what? If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleansse from all in righteousness. That’s because can you and I still sin against our Father? See, He hasn’t always been my Father. He’s only been my Father since I trust Christ as my Savior and I was born in the God’s family.

Now I sin against my Father. And my Father gets upset. And my father is going to chase and discipline me. Look there in the 32nd Psalm, the 32nd Psalms. Just turn back to you left a couple of pages there. Psalms 32. And you’ll notice there in verse one, where he said, Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Now we know where this is talking about in Romans chapter four. You’ll find that verse mentioned. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputed not iniquity, in whose spirit there is no God.

In other words, where God does not take a man’s sins and put it to his account. This is taught in the Old Testament. This is wonderful. I preached this sermon not long ago on that, but now looking verse three. Now we know that David had sinned with Bathsheba and he had also had Uriah killed. And God knew he told Nathan. Nathan the prophet came to see him and he says, ah, thou art the man. And he says, when I kept silent, my bones wacked all through my roaring all the day long.

For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me. My moisture is turned unto the drought of summer. I acknowledge my sin, that’s the act. Onto thee and mine iniquity, my sinful motive. Have I not hid? I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord and thou forgave us the iniquity of my sin. You can confess the deed and yet not take blame for it.” You ever confessed to something? Well, I might have said that and I said that, yeah, but it wasn’t my fault.

That’s a good confession, isn’t it? Oh, yeah, I hit her alright, but she made me. Okay, maybe I killed him, but it’s wrong because I loved him. You see, when you always find a reason why you did the wrong and try to justify the wrong, you might have just shut up. Confess, you ain’t confess nothing. Confessing is when you take responsibility for your action. I did it. It was wrong. End of story. And don’t use other the peoples as a blame for it or an excuse.

Let them be responsible for them and you be responsible for you. I think you’ll come out a little bit better that way. Now, while we’re right here, let’s just close it with this over here. Looking Psalms 51, Psalms 51, and look down there in verse 5. This is where David in confessing to the Lord more about what did say, Behold, I was shaping in iniquity, and in sin did my mother concede me, no means I was born with a sinful nature.

Behold, thou desire’s truth inward part, and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to no wisdom. Purge me with hissap, that I shall be clean. Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness, that the bones which thou hath broken may rejoice. Wash me and I shall be whiter than.” See, this is to the believer. This is really to the believer. I’d die face from my sin and brought out all my iniquities, creating me a clean heart, oh God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. See, this isn’t the Old Testament. Holy Spirit would come on to do a job and then leave. But in the New Testament, see, the Holy Spirit would come and indwell you and never leave. So you never had to worry about it. I’d never have to pray, Lord, don’t take your Holy Spirit away from me. I don’t have to worry about that. That’s the difference between in dispensation.

He says here in verse 12, restore unto me, and you ought to underline this, joy of thy salvation. So you hadn’t lost salvation, but you sure lost joy. And when you lose joy, that’s what causes the depression. Are there a lot of people depressed in this whole world? Can it happen to Christians? Can Christians get depressed? Did you know that God had to do what he did to Joshua and promising him right up front? He said, as I was with Moses, so shall I be with you.

Be there for very strong and very courageous. Because, see, when you’re not filled with courage, you have all the fears that take over and cause you to be depressed, to be down. And it takes away your joy of having faith in the Lord. You’re afraid to step out, afraid to try something. Listen, I have no clue how the new venture of the Bibleline is to… I don’t know how it’s going to go. But I’m willing to see. I know it will not go if we don’t do something.

But I know that might, if we do. So my hope is in the Lord. It’s not in people, it’s not anything else. I don’t know. All I know is it, man, it’s a wonderful walk with the Lord. To live by faith, trusting Him. To see what God’s going to do. Sometimes you want the fruit, but you don’t want to get out on the limb. There’s still a little fire in the gut. I’m getting older, but I’m not that old, not yet.

Let me go down one of these days, but I’m not down yet. I enjoy serving the Lord. And he says here in verse 13, then, then, then. Because when you have the joy, then, well, I teach transgressors, highways, and sinners shall be converted into the, because I believe God will use me. If you feel like things have dried up and something’s not right in your life, It could be because there is sin in your life and the guilt is destroying your will.

It causes great depression. He says deliver me from blood guiltiness. Oh, God, thou God of my salvation and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. Because see, whenever things are not right, it takes away the joy, the singing, the peace of mine. And he says in verse 15, oh Lord, open thou mine lips, and my mouth shall praise, shall forth thy praise, for thou desire not sacrifice, else what I would have given. Thou delight if not in burnt offerings, God didn’t want to sacrifice.

God wants you. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart. Oh God, thou will not despise. See that’s what God’s after. And And so God has designed life in such a way that if you get so burdened down that you become so depressed that could so easily be cured. Cast all your cares upon Him for He cares for you. And if you don’t do it, the weight of the problems and the burdens and the cares and the guilt of not doing it will destroy you.

And you will blame everybody but yourself. You will not look in the mirror and you say, it’s my fault. Because God was sufficient. God was enough. I just didn’t do it like God says I should have done. Remember, we have an advantage over the world. We have a perfect God. Isn’t that wonderful to know? We have a perfect God. So none of us in any time in our life can find any fault with God. So all the fault must be with everybody else, because they can’t be with Him, because He doesn’t make mistakes.

He doesn’t do anything wrong. What can you blame Him for that went wrong in your life? There’s all kinds of things you can blame, but God isn’t one of them. Now, we have a perfect book. a perfect God and a perfect book. And the Bible says the testimonies of the Lord are true, making wise the simple. And Godoultry is perfect. It’s holy. It’s sweeter than honey. All these wonderful things about the Word of God. And you and I are supposed to believe that this perfect God that gave us a perfect book has a perfect plan for our life.

I’m supposed to believe that. Not just a good one, not just an accept, but a perfect will for my life. That you may know what is a good and acceptable and perfect will of God. That’s what it says. I used to take those three words, good and acceptable and perfect will of God, take the G from good and the acceptable and the A and the P and G, P and gap. And I believe that in this world, the perfect will of God is for us to fill the gap between God and man, so that God can use us to reach others.

And so all of the problems that we have, as I mentioned, was to prepare you for greater things, so that God can use you in more areas. Isn’t that wonderful to know? Well, we’re going to talk a little bit more about this subject of… What causes depression? Now some of the stories you’ve heard before, but we’re gonna look at it from the point of view of the emotions that are found in the lives of these individuals. Because we are emotional people.

We have feelings. We react. We respond. Because of what we see and what we hear, what we’re going through, what we feel. And a lot of God’s children do not have the patience that they need. Ooh, I hate sometimes things not working out the way I want it to. And I really despise getting behind a slow driver on the highway. Especially when they ought to know I’ve got things to do and places to go. And it seemed like they’re in no hurry at all.

And one of these days I just felt like just laying on the horn as I passed by asked by and looking at them, and as soon as I did, I know it’s going to be, there’s called Mr. Paulson. You know, or there goes Steve, there goes Steve, you know, because I’m going to be in a hurry and I’m going to see somebody else and I think, you know what, why are they going so slow? Some people have patience in this world and I’m not one of them.

I want things now. So I get very frustrated, angry quick. And Betty would just sit there and she’d just, nothing just get mad once in a while. She hardly ever gets mad at anything or anybody. Nothing. Yeah. Makes me bite my tongue. But anyway, as we’re moving right along, last week we spoke on the guilt, greed and anger, hatred, and being perfect in how it can really cause you a lot of problems and emotion and depression because we get down so easily, so quickly.

But a lot of it has to do with our perspective on life, what we expect and what doesn’t happen. And we don’t know how to handle this emptiness, the void, the shortness of getting what we want. I used to always talk to the people, you know, have a dream! You heard that guy, have a dream! I had a dream. And my dream, turn it to a nightmare. And God says in His Word, be careful of those dreamers who say, God have said, and God said, I didn’t say that.

And God’s going to have to deal with those dreamers. It’s good to dream if it’s good dreams. It’s about the right thing, about what the will of God is and the right that you want to do. But a lot of times we don’t. We don’t do that. But anyway, there’s several other emotions that we have and that’s worry and jealousy. Worry and jealousy. Just those two little words I want to just deal with tonight. Because I want you to see in the lives of individuals what it does to them.

See if you could study the Bible and you studied the characters in the Bible, you’ll find they were real people who really had responsibilities and what their decisions was and what they did and the results. So as you study the Old Testament in Sunday’s school, it was always the positive things. And David Kivolaya, dang them in the lion’s den, the three Hebrew children. You know, good stories that always is positive and on the up and the up. But there’s seldom that we look at the same men later and study how they were thinking.

What caused them to be so down and discouraged and so depressed. So we’re looking at a little bit of that here tonight. So take your Bible and turn to 1 Samuel chapter 16. First Samuel and chapter chapter 16. First Samuel chapter 16 and I want you to look there in verse 14. First Samuel chapter 16 and verse 14. Everyone’s heard the story of David and how he, you know, took care of Goliath. Well, that’s a good story and I like that story and I’m going to preach on it one of these days.

Well, I have many times but I want you to notice here in verse 14, but the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul. An evil spirit from the Lord troubled him. Now many times it’s just if the Lord takes his hand off of you, you’d be surprised at the devastation they can take place. What can happen to you and what God permits to happen to you when God takes his hand off of you? You have no idea how protected you are, how protected I am because the hand of the Lord is upon us.

But you realize if God took his hand off of us, how quickly we would sink, stumble, fall, if God removed that little fence of protection around us, we are not as strong as we think. Remember, last week we talked about Moses. And Moses says, Lord, I do not want to see my wickedness. No, Lord, I don’t want to see how bad I really am because Moses was a perfectionist. He won everything right. And he couldn’t do everything right. And because he couldn’t, he just lose his his temper and get mad and say things he shouldn’t have said, did things that he shouldn’t have done.

Did he cost him? Oh, it cost him. Cost him dearly. But anyway, he makes a statement here, that Saul was beginning to drift away from the Lord. God told Saul, I have reached down and got ahold of you, and I made you the king. I chose you. And he says, when thou was little and thine own eyes I exalted you. But now he’s gotten to the place where he no longer wants to listen to God. He’s becoming too big for his britches.

So his heart begins to stray from the love of the Lord. And God knows this. You see, they were able to do certain things because the Spirit of God would come upon them. And then the Bible says that the Holy Spirit would leave them. Now that doesn’t mean they lost salvation, but they did lose the joy of their salvation and that they were like put on a shelf and not used by God the way God wanted to. So anyway, because of his problem, the Bible says here in verse 15, Saul’s servant said unto him, Behold, now an evil spirit from God, troubleth thee, it troubleth thee.

Remember this, Satan likes to fish in troubled waters. Satan likes to fish in troubled waters. When he can find a troubled soul, an emotional wreck, somebody’s ready for their little breakdown. They can’t take anymore. When you’re all troubled, that’s when the devil really likes to go fishing because he’s going to catch you. It’s so easy for him to catch. And then he can lead you and guide you because you She works off of emotions. See what stabilizes a Christian is whenever he is moved and guided by facts that don’t move.

Things that don’t change. The rock of the Word of God. The Lord that doesn’t move. The Word that is solid. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. Part 2 of this teaching will conclude with tomorrow’s broadcast. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach 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 Bible line 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. 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. 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.