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 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. 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 of a fault must be with everybody else. Because he 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’tpleted 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 that God’s Word 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 except, but a perfect will for my life that you may know that it 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, A, 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 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 going to look at it from the point of view of the emotions that are found in the lives of these individuals because we 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. 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 and looking at them and as soon as I did I know it was going to be Mr. Paulson. You know where they go Steve, there you go 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’s just, nothing just getting mad once in a while. She hardly ever gets mad at anything or anybody. I think, yeah, it 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 and 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 turned into 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 When you studied the characters in the Bible, you’ll find out 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. David killed Goliath. Yay! 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 very seldom did 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 turn to 1 Samuel chapter 16. 1 Samuel and chapter 16. 1 Samuel chapter 16 and I want you to look there in verse 14. 1 Samuel chapter 16 and verse 14. Everyone’s heard the story of David and how he, you know, took cure 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 14, but the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him. Now many times it’s just if the Lord takes his hand off of you, you would 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, 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. because he couldn’t, he just lose 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 in 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. Hit 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 work 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, hold fast unto these things, and you will be as stable as that which you hold on to.

And if you hang on to the things of the world, you’re not going to be very strong and you can’t last long. So anyway, says here in verse 16, let our Lord now command thy servants, which are before thee to seek out a man who is cunning player on the harmonica. Let me read that again. To seek out a man who is a cunning player on a harp, and it shall come to pass when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand and thou shalt be well.

Now you and I know that tension really causes all your muscles, the tints up, and it can really affect you physically. And something was wrong with him mentally because he had lost his trust in the Lord and because he would go into great depression. And you and I know that sometimes when we get all up tight that you can play some nice soothing music and you’d be surprised how it can relax you because it affects the mind. And when it affects the mind, it can affect the body and relax you like sitting in a nice big old tub full of nice hot water.

Oh man. When you’re tired and weary and worn and you feel the tub almost where it’s ready to flow over the top and you just sit there for about 20 minutes when it’s just nice and hot aw, what a way to go. And then when you think about the music has in the same effect upon you, it relaxes you. So here’s a man, the king, and did you know that the Lord allowed this to happen? Did you know that God, while he was allowed this, God had been working and preparing a young man?

A little shepherd boy, a nobody. I mean, the the eighth in the family of Jesse, and he’s out there tending the sheep. And the Bible says that he was cunning, skilled. You see, it doesn’t matter whatever it is, whatever thy hands find it to do, do it with all thy might. And some people learn how to play guitar. Some people learn how to play a piano. Some learn how to play a harmonica. But whatever there it is, you should try to do a good job.

Did you realize that out of all the people in the whole land of Israel, do you think David was the only one that could play our harp? But he probably learned the skills and he was very, very good and that God was able to prepare him and here’s a king that needed some soothing music. And it just so happens that somebody happened to know a little shepherd boy. And anyway, God brought him in, and God was able to use him in a great way.

You see there in verse 17, and Saul said unto his servant, provide me now a man that can play well and bring him to me. Then answered one of the servants and said, behold, I have seen a son of Jesse, the blood of him. I, that is cunning in playing a valiant man, man of war, prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the Lord is with him.” You see that little phrase, the Lord is with him. People could tell this kid walk with God.

Something about this young individual. And so anyway, he goes and he plays and Saul is greatly comforted because of that. And he says there in verse 23, and he came to pass when the evil spirit from God was a fond soul that David took a harp and played with his hands. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him. All because of a young boy who just did a job well. Do you think that if we’re going to do anything we ought to do?

You never know how God is going to you something that seems like it’s so small. And yet the Bible tells us about this kid. See there in verse 12, it says, and he sent and brought him in. Now he was ready and with all of our beautiful countenance. Goodly to look to. And the Lord said, arise, unknown him for this is he. And then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him and the mist of his brother and the spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward.

It left in verse 14, it left Saul, but it went to David. And David was going to be the next king. So the Lord knows how to raise up and how to put down. And you remember that even though God may have raised up Saul, God can also take it away from him. God may give you things to date because of your faithfulness and take it away tomorrow because of your unfaithfulness. the Lord works behind the scenes that you cannot see and he has a reason for doing what he does.

You’re not supposed to learn that but these are things that affect our attitudes. Now when you read in the New Testament a long time you can take the word spirit, the human spirit of man and talk about the attitude that a man has. The spirit within him, the attitude that he has, how does he see things? What’s his perspective and all these things are very very important. Now look in chapter chapter 18. Chapter 18. We’ll come at another time and talk about the little battle that they had going on, but there’s other things that I want to talk about.

And I want you to notice there in chapter 18 and verse 5, David went out, whether so ever Saul sent him, behaved himself wisely. Saul sent him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants. It came to pass as they came when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistines that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing to meet King Saul with tabards and music and with instruments of music, and the women answered one another as they played and said, Saul have slain his thousands and David, David has ten thousands.

See anything wrong there? If you saw, and especially when it’s the women, remember at one time Saul was a young man, and Saul was heading shoulders above everybody in the whole nation. He must have been a man’s man. Now here comes this little squirt, and all the women are singing about, hey, Saul has killed his thousands, but he has killed his tens of thousands. Do you think there’s any room here for a little bitterness and hatred? Jealousy starts building up inside of an individual.

Remember this, if you ever see anyone succeed in life because they did something wicked, why would you be jealous of them for that? If they got what they got because of wickedness, why would you want that? Another point, Why would you be envious or jealous of anybody who got what they did because they did right? So jealousy is a loser either way. Regardless of what other people do, it should not cause you to wish them evil and try to exalt yourself as though I’m better than they are.

Well, then let God exalt you and let God humble them. You don’t have to try to do it. You can let God handle it. Now, look in verse 8, look in verse 8. It’s important to see the attitude because this is what causes depression. It’s your perspective how you see things. Saul knows he’s not going to live forever, but he also sees a young man coming on the scene and what scared him the most about David was he said the Lord was with David.

The Lord was with him. See in verse 8, Saul was very rough and the saying displeased him. And he said, they have ascribed unto David 10,000. And to me, they have ascribed thousands. And what can he have more but the kingdom? And Saul eyed David from that day and forward. In other words, he kept his eye on him because he didn’t trust David. The jealousy is the fear of being replaced. Now that can happen on your job. That can happen in a church.

Can you get jealous of what somebody else is doing in a church? And say, well, I’m just as good as they are. I don’t know why I can’t do this or why I didn’t get a chance to do that. What about me? Am I chopped liver? You know how we always said? You’d be surprised how quickly that little demon can build up inside of you and eat at you. And did you know that it can affect you for the rest of your life until you get it settled?

settled, and it can eat on the inside of you like cancer. If you see, see, what about this? Are there not other churches where a preacher has 10 times more people than I have here at Calvary? But they’re not as good as I am. So therefore I’m jealous. They ought not have that many. I ought to have more than them. I’m better than them. And so I could let that eat at me until it destroys me. It can happen.

When you can have a youth group or you can have the choir or you can have, you know, I don’t care what it is. There’s always somebody that can do probably something better than you. But one thing that you can have between you and God is a walk with the Lord that they can’t take away from you and you ought to be as close to the Lord as you want to be. But one thing that will get between you and the Lord is envying and jealousy, because sin will separate you from your heavenly Father in the sense of your walk with the Lord.

And there is a price that you’re going to pay. Look what he also says down here in verse 12, and Saul was afraid of David. Why? Because the Lord was with him. The Lord was with him and he was afraid. But what did David do in verse 14? And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways and the Lord was with him. See that’s more important than anything else in the world. David was not the king. He was submissive.

He behaved himself well. He didn’t do wrong. He didn’t try to attack. He didn’t try to get even. all he did was do right. He didn’t ask for what he received. He didn’t ask to be anointed king. He was just a humble shepherd boy that do whatever the Father wanted him to do. You just be faithful to do what God wants you to do and let God raise you or humble you whatever God wants. God says in his word that he will not put you underneath a bush.

If you will be faithful to shine, he’ll put you on something so that you can shine as a light. Believe the Lord and trust the Lord.” And so it says here in verse 15, wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, not just wisely, but very wisely, he was afraid of him. Why was he afraid? Because he knew that the Lord was with David and he was gonna be replaced. He knew it, he could see it. So what are you gonna do to how to solve this problem?

What should Saul do to solve this problem? Well, kill him. There’s the answer. All you gotta do is kill him. So he did try that. And so a lot of problems. Look at verse 28. Verse 28. And it says, and Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David and that Michael Saul’s daughter loved him. And Saul was yet the more afraid of David because now his daughter loves him. It didn’t matter what happened. David behaved himself. And look what he says now in verse 30.

Then the princes of the Philistines went forth and it came to pass after they went forth that David and Yoda had on the line them behaved himself more wisely. See, every time he gets better and better and better, he disciplined himself more and more. And so the more he did, the more that he was hated him, the more he was hated. Now look there in, get the right chapter here, David now is going to have a big problem, but I want you to take your Bible and look now in the 2 Samuel in chapter 13ll.

Samuel in chapter 13. We know that David had sinned, and because of his sin, the Bible tells us that God was going to have to chase in David because of it. And it looked there in chapter 12 very quickly. And just look up there in verse 6, because a little story was told to David, and his David listened to the story about a man who had taken the next door neighbor’s little lamb and slaughtered it so that he could feed a visiting traveler who came to his house.

He had a lot of sheep, but he took the neighbor’s only little lamb that they had and he killed it. David got mad and in a fit of anger, he said something that he lived to regret. And he says in verse 5, and David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man and he said to Nathan the prophet, that’s the Lord and the liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die. Well, he shouldn’t have said that. And in verse 6, and he shall restore the lamb for full because he did this thing and because had no pity.

And then Nathan looked at him and says, Thou art the man. Thou art the man. You’re the one that did it. And so God said some things to him. But he says down in verse 13, David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, the Lord also hath put away thy sin, Thou shalt not die. Thou shalt not die.” Now, I believe that later on David wished that he had died. He wished he had died.

But right here God says, Thou shalt not die. And he says in verse 14, how bit because by this deed, Thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the child also that is born into the child surely died. This little lamb that this neighbor had died. So God has allowed this little child, uninnocent little child, never done anything to nobody just born. And God let that little lamb that little child die. And David it says, not only because the lamb died, but for a fold.

And so God says, this is what’s going to happen. You and I need to understand these are not just stories in the Bible. There’s biblical principles laid down in the scriptures that you and I are supposed to learn from to guide our lives. There has to be something by which we can apply to our life to make us wiser so that we don’t have to reinvent the wheel or fall to the same hold that somebody else fell into. 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 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 Bibleline Ministries.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.

What is prayer? If you had to give me a definition of what is prayer, what would you tell me? Give me your definition of prayer. What is prayer? You just led somebody to the Lord and you explained it to them what prayer is. Prayer is what? Talking to God. Alright? Is it any more than that? Praise in the Lord? Okay. What else. You think you have exhausted the meaning of prayer? What else could prayer mean? Praise? Yeah? Talking to him?

Yeah? Talking to him about what? Thanking him? Okay. Thank God. Those are examples of prayer, but prayer is asking and receiving. So if you’re asking and not receiving, something’s wrong with the asking, according to the Bible. God says He hears our prayers. Well that’s good. But how do you know that prayer works? How do you know? If you get what you ask for, but I want to be specific, I don’t want to say, Lord bless me because then I won’t know if He did or He didn’t because I didn’t ask for anything specific.

So should prayers be more specific? What are you asking for? So you know whether He answered it or not. Lord I want a can of Brunswick stew, overcomes a can of Brunswick stew. Now if you do that about five ten times you just liable to believe there’s somebody on the other side of that wall. True? But what if after all of your years and you prayed but you prayed such general prayers that you really don’t know if he ever answered them or not.

Have you ever asked for something specific and And God gave it to you and yet when you read the Bible It’s not that God wants us to pray in generalities He wants us to ask for something specific We now go to Walmart y’all walk in there and go up to the manager says out would you please give me some mom? some items I Need some merchandise and Then when you walk out of that store you feel like you’re supposed to God what you went for And yet when it comes to prayer, I don’t know if people really understand what it is What’s it based on?

Whoever told you that prayer works. Who told you that? How do you know it does? Your daddy told you so the basis of prayer is my daddy In the Bible the word prayer is mentioned over and over and over again many many times the word prayers used in the Bible So you find out what is prayer, and it talks about people who pray to God. I mean, they talk to God, they ask God for something and God answered. So people by prayer can move the Almighty God and get God to do something He was not going to do.

Some people say that praying is just asking God to do what God wants to do anyway. But if you didn’t ask, you wouldn’t do it. But He wants to do many things. it’s just you lining up. Do you think how you live helps to influence God concerning your prayer? Yes. So how you live makes a difference with whether God answers your prayers or he doesn’t. Look at Jeremiah chapter 25. Now there’s three words that we want to look at tonight.

One of words is the word prayer. The other one is called promise and in the other word is possibilities. Prayer, promise, possibilities. So we want to talk about prayer and promise and possibility, but take your Bible and look all the way over there into the book of Jeremiah, chapter 25. In Jeremiah, chapter 25, look there in verse 11, this is a prophecy. Remember this, there has to be a basis for prayer. One, you have to understand who is the one who told us to pray to start with.

All right, God. But then you gotta understand what is prayer. All right, it’s asking and receiving. So if you ask God for something, you are expecting to receive. That’s where faith comes in. If you don’t really believe it, why waste your time praying? But if you do pray really believing, then you should expect receiving. True? I have had a very difficult time in my Christian life trying to figure out prayer. I don’t always understand it. It’s like electricity. I don’t like to mess with that electricity because I don’t understand it that much.

But prayer, I don’t understand much about it. All I know is that God says it works. And I know that we’re supposed to do it. And I know that he says that you have not because you ask not. And God says you don’t have something because you asked it amiss or you asked it to consume it upon your own lust. So there are rules. And I don’t know all the rules. I wish I had it very simply laid out where God says, these are the rules concerning prayer, but you can’t find it that way.

You’ve got to study the Bible. You gotta study all the stories. You gotta find out what God did in this case, in this case, in this case, in this case, like a lawyer who bills a case off of the cases. And I just wish that sometime it was just a little bit simpler, but God wants us to study. He wants us to read. He wants us to search, wants us to knock and keep knocking. And then we says ask and keep asking and seek and keep seeking.

Not one time and stop, one time and stop. No, we suppose to stay at it. So we’re supposed to live in an attitude of prayer. Here in verse 11, it says, in this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment. And these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seven years. And it shall come to pass when seven years are accomplished that I will punish the king of Babylon. And that nation, sayeth the Lord for their iniquity and the land of the Calvians, and will make it perpetual desolation.

God said, this is what I’m gonna do, write it in a book and blah, blah, blah, blah. So that’s what Jeremiah did. So this was written 70 years before they were to come back out of captivity. Now take a Bible and look all the way to book it. Daniel, look at Daniel in chapter nine. Daniel was a young Hebrew lad that was taken into captivity along with a bunch of others. So time has passed. They’ve been taking the captivity.

He might have been a teenager, 14 years old, something like that. So 70 years has passed. So you know, the man’s got to be at 85, 90 years old. So Daniel’s got to be an old man. And so it says one day that he was reading the prophet Jeremiah and it says there in verse 2 of chapter 9. He says in verse 2, he said, in the first year of his reign, I Daniel understood by books the number of the years where of the world of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet that he would accomplish 70 years in the desolation of Jerusalem.

So he had the Bible, he had those books, those Old Testament scrolls, and he said he was reading them. And he saw that and he understood by reading what Jeremiah had already written that this thing is going to put the last seven years. Prayer must, must be based upon a promise. God promises something. And so when you pray, you’re basing your prayer up on a particular promise God made. So when it tells us in the book of 1 Peter, he talked about the exceeding precious promises, then your prayers are based upon promises God made.

If there’s no promises, you have no basis for your prayer because God never promised this, this, this, this, this, this, so why should you pray for this, this, this, this, and this? You don’t have a basis for it. You’ve got to have a basis for the prayer. So God has given us precious promises throughout the world of God. The more promises you know, the more things you can pray to God for. And you are simply reminding God and is based upon His Word.

Keep us in mind. If you had a garden, you had some corn, put it in the ground, and you’ve had some oaks and you put it in the ground. You had some tomato plant, you put them in the ground. You had this and you put them in the ground. What is one thing? The promise is that they are going to grow if they get something. They’ve got to have something else. What is it? They’ve been planted, put it in the ground, covered up.

Why? do they now need? Water. They got to have water. Water and prayer is the same thing to the promises of God. Those promises that God made are the seeds from the Word of God that’s been planted and it’s only waiting for something. And see these seeds are promises that God’s made to his children and and only a few of his children will ever put water upon the plant and see something grow. So if this is true, a Christian should want to find out what are the promises and then apply the water.

And the water is him praying. God says, if you will pray, I will do this. Remember all the things that happened to Israel. God has said is, if my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and forsake their wicked way and call upon me and so forth, I will forgive their sin, heal their land. Didn’t that what he said? Chronicles? What he said? That’s a promise. So if you know that promise, you can do something. Do you know what Daniel did?

because he knew what God had promised about the nation of Israel. And how God does this, I’m not sure. How that God can look down the road and see that here’s a man who’s going to read the prophecy that he had Jeremiah right 70 years in advance. And yet this promise is fulfilled because of his prayer. And boy, you ought to read his prayer. Look in verse 3. And I set my face unto the Lord God to seek by prayer and supplication with fasting, sai, klothan, and I prayed unto the Lord my God, made my confession and said, O Lord the great and dreadful God.

And goes through here and talks about what we as a nation have done, how wicked they have been. And he speaks for all of Israel, pours out his heart, whole chapter. And it talks about how just God wants. And God says, this is what the people have to do in order for the promise to be fulfilled. So here’s Daniel, seven years later, and how does God, he has to get him the message through the prophecy, and he’s gonna pray.

But God knows that he’s gonna get the message, he’s gonna pray, and God can make the prophecy according to his prayer. It just bogs my mind. I can’t figure it all out. And yet God says, because of prayer, but God can make a prophecy in advance before you ever read the prophecy or before you ever prayed. But what if Daniel had to pray? Well, there probably wouldn’t have been the prophecy. But I don’t know. See, God knows what would have been had you done something else yesterday.

He knows all the possibilities, all the possibilities of all the options of every decision he you’ve ever made. Don’t that blow your mind? Just think how different your life would be if you just made a a few different decisions in your life. But anyway, as you go down through here, you’ll see many things. Now what I want you to do is look there in chapter 9 and look in verse 12. And he hath confirmed his words which he spake against us and against our judges that judged us by bringing it upon us a great evil.

For unto the whole heaven hath not been done as had been done upon Jerusalem because they were destroyed. As it is written, get this, as it is written, in the law of Moses, all this evil has come upon us, yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand thy truth. Did you know that one of the biggest cures for a wicked life is prayer? If a man truly believes in prayer and talking to God, and you know you’ve got to be right with God in order for God to hear and to answer your prayer, it cleans up your lungs.

The wickedness of God’s people is a dead giveaway that they’re not praying. Christians worry, always in despair and distress, to sign they’re not one. They ain’t praying. No, they know prayer. Believe in prayer, but not praying, not really praying. because there’s certain things that prayer does to a person. He says they’re in verse 14. Therefore, half the Lord watched upon the evil, brought it upon us. For the Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth, for we obey not his voice.

Do you believe that if they had prayed, all that would have been changed? A lot of things would not have happened. Jerusalem would not have been destroyed. The temple would not have been destroyed. None of that would have never, never, could never come in there and destroyed them. that if we’ve been taken into captivity a thousand miles from home, none of that would have happened if the people had prayed. Because if you pray, you keep everything else right in your life, if you really believe prayer.

Because you know you’ve got to live a certain way. You’ve got to be right between you and God. You have to confess what you’re doing that’s wrong. You have to desire from God like holiness. It’s the key. Why do you think in the New Testament Christ told his disciples to pray. He was always telling them to pray. When Christ was here, did he pray? He’s the son of God, and yet he prayed. Even when he went into the garden, there’s going to get him that night.

He told his disciples, pray for me. They didn’t pray, and he said, could you not have bear with me one hour? You could pray for me one hour. What were they supposed to pray for? Him? What do you pray for? If prayer doesn’t work, why waste your time doing it? Who’s listening? So when you do pray, do you really expect somebody to be listening to you? I expect God to be listening when I’m talking, but you know what God expects?

He expects me to be listening when he’s talking. When you read the Bible, that’s how God speaks to you and when you pray you’re talking to God and it’s not to be a one-way conversation. You’re supposed to talk to him. He talks to you. You have a communication going on to what it’s supposed to be. Have you ever prayed for something and then you say, well, you know, I hope, I hope, I hope, I hope, I hope, I hope.

And then you begin to question and doubt or if God answers your prayers, you don’t even thank them for it. you know that Daniel prayed the Bible says three weeks before an answer ever got to him. And it says that the angel had been hindered. You see, there’s a spiritual war going on. That’s why you’re not supposed to stop praying. Keep praying. Always believe it. Take your Bible and turn all the way over there to the book of Luke.

In the Gospel of Luke, there’s a scripture talks about praying. Look there in verse 25 of chapter 2. Verse 25 of chapter 2. Here’s another story of a old man. If you hadn’t lived in that day and you knew the scripture, you really believed him, then you should have been looking for the Son of God to come. Because he knew how long it was supposed to be, knew where the King was supposed to be born. They knew all of this.

A few of them did, a handful of them, and they prayed. Have you ever asked the Lord, Lord, I want to be alive when the rapture comes. I don’t want to die of old age. Did you know that there are some people that are going to pray and that they are going to get their wish? I want to be in that number. I have no desire to die down here and I want to be changed in the moment, the 22 of them, only a handful of people are going to get that honor of all the people that have ever lived.

It ain’t going to happen to everybody, a lot of people are going to die. I don’t want to die. I want to be caught up with the Lord in the air. Now is it wrong for me to pray that prayer? I pray that. I want the Lord to come back in my lifetime but He don’t have to come right now. Just long as there’s a rhythm and a lifetime. Just don’t let me die until the time. I want to do something get for the Lord.

I feel like I still got a little time left. I still got a few good years maybe in this old body and I want to accomplish this whatever I can’t. Then get this. In verse 25, and behold there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon and the same man was just and devout. If he was a just man and a devout man, do you think he was a praying man? Evidently he was a praying man and it says here and the same man was just in about waiting for the consolation of Israel.

And the Holy Ghost was about waiting for the consolation of it. I want to know who he’s waiting on. In the context you’re talking about Jesus Christ being born. He was waiting for the Son to be born. He did not want to die until he laid his eyes upon the Son of God. And he asked the Lord, Lord don’t let me die until I see the Messiah. They’ll think they were some people that believed and they prayed and God answered their prayer.

Now, a lot of people have the same promises and Christ was promised to come. Didn’t God promise that He’s coming back again? Promise about the translation of us being caught up in the wrath of all that’s true? Well, why can’t I pray for that? Did you know the last promise in the Bible is in the book of Revelation, the last chapter? And even that says was a prayer becomes John prayed even so come Lord Jesus Even so come Lord Jesus now he come in his lifetime But it might come in hours But give what he says here.

It says in verse 20 and it was revealed under him by the Holy Ghost That he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ And he came by the spirit into the temple and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him after the custom of a law, which was to be circumcised. That’s mentioned right there in verse 21 to 24. And so he says, then took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, Lord, now let thou buy servant the pardon peace according to thy word, for my eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel.

And Joseph and his mother marvel at those things which were spoken of him. This is what in the world is this man talking about? How did he know? But he had been waiting and looking for the Messiah. And he prayed and God answered his prayer. I think it’s awesome. Look over there in the book of 1 Peter chapter 3. 1 Peter chapter 3. New Testament, 1 Peter chapter 3. And then look down in verse 12. Look in verse 12.

There’s a lot of things about prayer where we don’t have time to cover one meeting. I simply want you to know that prayer is based upon promises of God. So you need to know the promises, which is in the Word of God, so that you can base your prayer upon what God promised. And if you do that according to Israel, then you have possibilities, unlimited possibilities. But when you don’t know that and you don’t really believe that, you will be very limited in your prayer.

And this is where I am. I feel like I am so limited in my prayers because there’s so much I don’t know about the Bible. So many promises that I don’t know where I can forget. I can read the promise and then it’s gone out of my mind. And sometimes I will try to figure out a way to do something instead of one of the greatest things that we have that are disposal is praying. We can pray. When everything else seems to fall apart and there’s no hope, no other way, have you ever seen somebody that goes to the hospital and all they got was bad news and it’s terminal There’s no solution and people get into hey call all the churches get everybody pray it Why do they want everybody to pray because they believe that somehow God may override whatever the doctors say

What over ever my body is saying and then the limitations of it maybe perhaps my prayer God may change it That’s why as you when I go to the hospital or I meet with someone. I don’t mind prayer I believe that God may intervene and because of my prayer How much is my prayer work? How much is the prayer of a righteous godly man worth? Well to a man that’s dying it might be worth everything. What if you need something bad?

See the greatest thing I’ve ever asked God for is to learn lessons, to learn values, to build my character. Everything that our church has gone through. Go through it. Just go through it. Don’t Don’t worry, don’t start to figure out everything you can. We’ll never live long enough. And what’s going to happen now, or I don’t know, I don’t care. Just keep praying and give God a chance to do something that God can do. Something that’s beyond your ability to do anything about.

Faith is born in despair. When you’re totally at your wit’s limit and you have no way of knowing, then you have the idea. Prayer based upon promises that’s based upon unlimited possibilities and that’s where you got to find out what does God want to do and Seek the Lord with all your heart But look what he says here at the first 12 for the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous and His ears are open unto their what?

now if they’re It’s nothing to pray. There’s nothing to that verse. If there’s really no God up there to hear, and it’s not going to change anything, why go through the motion? Why play the game? Unless there is something that is of magnificent, wonderful power at our disposal, and we don’t avail ourselves of it. Well, he says this, his ears are open under their prayers, but get this. The face of the Lord is there. against them that do evil.

So what you do can in effect your prayers and whether God will answer enough and just to give you a clue look up there in verse 7. Now above this talks about the woman but this verse talks about the man. In verse 7 likewise he husbands dwell with them talking about the the wife according to knowledge if you can. If you can understand them, you’ll be doing great. That’s why it says, maybe you have to be an old man before you figure that out.

Anyway, he says, giving honor unto the wife as unto the weaker vessel. Now they say that the woman is the weaker vessel, the man is the stronger vessel. But I really think that the man is the weaker vessel because of his weakness for the other vessel. Anyway, there’s another sermon in here. Get this. He says, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, in other words, the gift of eternal life, your bold husband wife, your heirs together of eternal life.

And you are going to be with each other forever in heaven. Of course there’s going to be a few other people there too. But get what the last part of verse. He says that your prayers be not one. Is it possible that you can do something that would hinder your prayers? Now there’s something in the spiritual realm that can hinder our prayers. There’s things that you can do personally that can hinder your prayers. But it can also hinder the husband and wife, their prayers.

So the things need to be right between husband and wife for their prayers not to be hindered. Yes. If this is all true to the person who really believed it, it would make you want to keep things right between husband and wife, right? For the benefit, this is the greatest benefit. Power of prayer, that’s better to be able to do that than to have social security, money in the bank, health insurance, life insurance, All that security is better to have God through prayer.

That’s better to have. Because when that falls apart, or when the doctors can’t do anymore, and they have their limitations, God is unlimited, and you’ve got greater possibilities. Now I’m not saying you gotta throw the other way, but I’m talking about you all to be strong in prayer. A man who is not strong in prayer is not strong. You’re only as strong as your prayer life, And if you have no prayer life, you are not strong. You don’t have a spiritual life.

You may come to church, you may even read your Bible, but you are not strong if you do not pray. You must pray. That is the word of God. And yet I still don’t understand everything about prayer. I can tell you all of this. And I don’t know whenever God’s going to answer your prayer, it’s not going to answer your prayer. There’s promises that you have to know and you have to believe. 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 first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

But one thing that will get between you and the Lord is envy and jealousy. Because sin will separate you from your heavenly Father in the sense of your walk with the Lord. And there is a price that you’re going to pay. Look what he also says down here in verse 12. And Saul was afraid of David. Why? Because the Lord was with him. The Lord was with him and he was afraid. But what did David do in verse 14?

And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways, and the Lord was with him. See that’s more important than anything else in the world. David was not the king. He was submissive. He behaved himself well. He didn’t do wrong. He didn’t try to attack. He didn’t try to get even. All he did was do right. He didn’t ask for what he received. He didn’t ask to be anointed king. He was just a humble shepherd boy, just do whatever the father wanted him to do.

You just be faithful to do what God wants you to do and let God raise you or humble you, whatever God wants. God says in His word that He will not put you underneath a bush. If you will be faithful to shine, He’ll put you on something so that you can shine as a light. the Lord and trust the Lord. And so it says here in verse 15, wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, not just wisely, but very wisely.

He was afraid of him. Why was he afraid? Because he knew that the Lord was with David and that he was going to be replaced. He knew it. He could see it. So what are you going to do to how to solve this problem? What should Saul do to solve this problem. Well, kill him. There’s the answer. All you gotta do is kill him. So he did try that. And so a lot of problems. Look at verse 28. Verse 28, and it says, and Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David and that Michael Saul’s daughter loved him and Saul was yet the more afraid of David because now his daughter loves him.

It didn’t matter what happened. David behaved himself and look what he says now in verse 30. Then the princes of the Philistines went forth and it came to pass after they went forth that David in order on the line of behaved himself more wisely. See every time he gets better and better and better. He disciplined himself more and more. And so the more he did, the more that he was hated. The more he was hated. Now look there in, get the right chapter here, David now is going to have a big problem, but I want you to take your Bible and look now in the 2 Samuel in chapter 13.

2 Samuel in chapter 13. We know that David had sinned and because of his sin, the Bible tells us that God was going to have to chase in David because of it. And look there in chapter 12 very quickly. Just look up there in verse 6. Because a little story was told to David and his David listened to the story about a man who had taken the next door neighbors little lamb and slaughtered it so that he could feed a visiting traveler who came to his house.

And he had a lot of sheep, but he took the neighbors only little lamb that they had and he killed it. And David got mad and in a fit of anger. He said something that he lived to regret. And he says in verse 5, and David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan the prophet, as the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die. Well, he shouldn’t have said that. And in verse 6, and he shall restore the lamb for full because he did this thing and because he had no pity.

And then And Nathan looked at him and says, thou art the man. Thou art the man. You’re the one that did it. And so God said some things to him. But he says down in verse 13, David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, the Lord also hath put away thy sin. Thou shalt not die. Thou shalt not die. Now, I believe that later on, David wished that he had died. He wished he had had died.

But right here, God says, thou shall not die. And he says in verse 14, how bit because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the child also that is born into the shall surely die. This little lamb that this neighbor had died. So God has allowed this little child, an innocent little child, never done anything to nobody, just born. And God let that little lamb, that little child die. And David, it says, not only because the lamb died, but fourfold.

And so God says, this is what’s going to happen. You and I need to understand these are not just stories in the Bible. There’s biblical principles laid down in the Scriptures that you and I are supposed to learn from to guide our lives. There has to be something by which we can apply to our life to make us wiser so that we don’t have to reinvent the wheel or fall into the same hole that somebody else fell into. So God said the child would die and the child did die.

Now look there in chapter 13. In verse 1, it talks about a young man by the name of Anam, the son of David. Well, Absalom, who was also a son of David while he had a sister. So evidently this half brother, he loved the sister of the other brother. And so it says that it vexed him so bad he couldn’t stand it. And he wanted her very bad. So instead of controlling his passion, his sexual drive, he tried to figure out a way he could do it and he was just sick.

So he happened to share his little information with someone and they told him, says, well this is what you ought to do. And Johnadeva was a very subtle man in seeing verse 4 and he said unto him, Why art thou? Be in the king’s Son, lean from day to day. Will thou not tell me? And sit unto him, I love Tamar, my brother, Absalyn’s sister.” And he says, I’m sick. His countenance has changed. So he’s not being wise in what he’s doing or how he’s thinking, how he’s feeling.

He is down, he is so discouraged, he is depressed. But he’s depressed because of how he’s thinking and he’s not thinking right. When you don’t think right and you get down, sometimes you make the wrong decisions. That’s why I usually tell people do not make decisions, big decisions, heavy decisions when you’re down and discouraged. When you’re depressed, don’t make any decisions. If you can keep from it, try not to make them. Wait until you are You’re up until you’re right and you’re strong with the Lord.

And then you can let the Lord lead and guide you. And always seek to do whatever it is that God’s will is for you. So anyway, he said, I got an idea. He says, you just pretend like you’re really sick. And you’re laying it all. And you want her to bring you some food to eat. And when she gets close to the bed, all you do is get ahold of her and drag her into bed with you. See how the mind can work?

So you begin to steam. Well, in verse 11, and when she had brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of her and said unto her, “‘Come lie with me, my sister.'” And she answered him, “‘Nay, my brother, do not force me. “‘For no such thing ought to be done in Israel. do not thou this folly.” In other words, he’s going to rape this girl. And she says, don’t do this to me. He will make her unclean. And that’s where this could have devastating effects upon her for the rest of her life.

But all he’s thinking about is that one little moment of pleasure for himself. He says he loves her. Then love would wait and love would do what’s She said, look, wait, wait. If you want me that bad, marry me. You know that David will not withhold me from you if you’ll just marry me. So she says her in verse 13, and I will as shall I cause my shame to go. And as for thee, thou shall be as one of the fools in Israel.

Now therefore I pray thee speak unto the king. For he will not withhold me from thee. Howbeit he would not harken unto her voice, but being stronger than she forced her and lay with her. And now look in verse 15, then and hated her exceedingly so that the hatred where would he hated her was greater than the love where would he and loved her. Do you think it can change that quick? It can change. This is what happens a lot of times to people when they get married.

Oh, we just love each other. Just love, love, love, love, love. Everything’s wonderful. They can do no wrong. Mr. Perfect, or Mrs. Perfect. And then they get married, then they turn to hate. They hate them. Can’t stand them. Ah, don’t touch me. Did they change? If people can change. Can they get ugly? Oh, they can get ugly. And it produces such guilt up on Tamar. And guilt upon, because of what it done, and the love turns to hate, and it’s just the opposite of what you expected.

Now you’d be surprised that many people’s depression problems is because of guilt, because of sin. Not all the time, there’s another sermon coming down the road, just be patient. But this is about sin and the guilt and the consequences that takes place in a person’s life. So in verse 21, but when King David heard of all these things, he was rough. So it affected him. In verse 22, Absalom spake unto his brother, and him neither good nor bad. and Absalom hated Adam because he had forced his sister Tamar.

So look how it started to affect the family. Remember David had said, fourfold. Well it’s starting. It’s starting. And so the one the child died. Now one has been raped. And now you have Absalom hating Adam. Do you know what he did? For two years he let that build up inside of him. He pretended that everything was fine. So what he planned on doing was he was going to get King David to have all the sons. The King’s sons come over to us, have to have a big party and even get him to come.

You know the one that he raped his sister. So when they got him all together he had already told John the dad. He told him and said, look, when you get him all together, when I tell you to, I want you to kill him. I want you to kill him.” You see there in verse 28? Now Absalom had commanded his servants saying, Marky now when Anon’s heart is merry with wine and when I say unto you, smite Anon, then kill him.

Fear not have not I commanded you, be courageous and be valiant. So they killed him. And the other king’s sons got out of there, but the message had come back to David. All of his sons had been How do you think David felt when he heard all of his sons were dead? Look at the sorrow. You see, he sowed the wind and he reaps a whirlwind. He says, let it be upon me. And he says, God said, you will not die.

But it’s going to come four times in it, but it did it can’t start coming. And he says, it will not leave your house. The wickedness had come. The damage was being done. And so what, you look down there in verse 32. And Jonah, the son of Shimiah, David’s brother answered and said, Let not my Lord suppose that they have slain all the young men of and the king’s sons, for Anon only is dead, for by the appointment of Absalom, this has been determined from the day that he forced his sister to him, or he planned this for over two years.

He had to wait till the right time. So all this hatred and bitterness Well, didn’t they know anything about love and forgiveness? What about the law that could have handled some of these things? And King David could have done some of this stuff and dealt with issues. Didn’t they know that adultery was a crime? They knew that. They knew the law. But see, wouldn’t carry it out. Wouldn’t deal with it. So when David doesn’t deal with the problem, somebody else deals with the problem.

And it just gets worse and worse and worse. That’s why you’re not to allow things to build up inside of you and field you with hatred and envy and bitterness and all these things that can lead to, yes, all kinds of depression. And then the results you’re not going to like. That’s why there’s scriptures that talks about over and over again, be not afraid, be not afraid because been afraid you take matters into your own hands. When you take matters into your own hands, there’s a price to pay and you’re not going to like the price you’ll have to pay.

You’ll notice there in verse 37, but Absalom fled and went to Telmea and he says, in the last part of verse 13, David mourned for his son how often? Every day, David mourned. Now this is several years after what he had to go through the yellow one and he finally just got through with that. See that in verse 21, but when King David heard of these things, he was mad and he was upset and then he finally gets over some of these things and lo and behold he has to go through it again.

All because when he was supposed to uh, delete his army out there when it was time for kings to go to war he stayed home and looked over a banister and I had a beautiful young woman and he took something that didn’t belong to him. Did he get away with it? He didn’t get away with it. Just because God loved him and God forgave him and God did not take his life, he didn’t get away with the consequences of what he had done.

There was a serious price to pay. Now look at verse 38, and verse 38 an epsilon fled. So now his another son is running. One is dead, Tamar has been raped, and now epsilon is on the run because he’s afraid of David. So he runs. And how long did he run? For three more years, see there in the last part of verse 38, and there were three years. And the soul of King David longed to go forth unto epsilon, for he was comforted concerning Adam, sin he was dead.

So he finally got comfort from the one and now the other one’s gone. So three down and one to go. Look there in chapter 14. Chapter 14 tells us about a problem because of David’s half-hearted forgiveness of Absalom. He wanted Absalom to come back had been gone for several years. So anyway, and Joy Abt-Hanna talked him in to coming back to Jerusalem, and so he came back to Jerusalem. But David wouldn’t see him. Just let him live there, but he wouldn’t see him.

See in verse 28, So Absalom dwelt two, four years in Jerusalem and saw not the king’s face. Five years now has past five years now. Well, Absalom finally says that Joab, look, talk to King David and tell him, if he wanted me here, I’m here. But I want to see my king’s face. And if there’s iniquity in me, then let him kill me. See, that’s mentioned there in the last part of verse 32. And if there be in iniquity in me, let him kill me.

So he finally could send and they got together and they hugged and kissed and smooshed and all that, you know, and everything’s hunky-dory now. Everything’s wonderful. Except now Absalom is burning with hatred toward his dad. He’s upset with his dad. Because he had to run for his life. It didn’t matter because of what he did. You see, you start building up things and imagining things and everything gets said and there’s no forgiveness. There’s no love. There’s no understanding. No communication.

Didn’t even talk to him all this time. So David was a hard man. The sweet psalmist of Israel. when he was right with the Lord. And when a man’s not right with the Lord, he can get ugly very quickly. You’d be surprised how sweet you can be and how ugly you can be. That quick. Really can. So now, Absalom is going to do whatever it takes to take the throne, the kingdom, away from his dad. So now what he does is he tries to play up to the leaders there in Israel.

And as he plays up to the people in Israel, he starts winning them over to him. And they would have problems. And he said, well, you know, if I was king, this is what I would do. So yes, up in verse three down to verse six. And so in verse six, and so this man did absolute to all Israel that came to the king for judgment. He would catch him in the gate, and they’d talk to them inside of the problem.

So everybody looked up to Absalom. So look at the last part of verse 6. So Absalom stole the heart of the men of Israel. So by stealing their heart they became loyal to him. So now David has to be concerned because now Absalom is going to kill his dad. So now David has to leave Jerusalem and run for his life. See that under in verse 12, the last part of it says, and the conspiracy was strong. In verse 13, and there came a messenger to Davidson, the hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.

And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem arise, let us flee, for we shall not escape from Absalom. So, suddenly, now he has to run for his life. This is King David. Why doesn’t he have the peace and the joy of the Lord? Because he played the fool, and he’s reaping it. And he loved Absalom. And Absalom was a very handsome individual. See there in verse 25, look at verse 25, just to show you can see there.

In verse 25 he said, but in all Israel there was none. there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty. From the soul of his foot, even to the crown of his head, there was no blemish in him. He must have been some good looking hunk, as the women would say. Must have been like Peter over there. He’s just smiling.

Hey, that’s pretty high over there now. You’ve got to admit that. But you see, all of these things that happened. And it just gets worse and worse and worse. So look there in chapter 18 and verse 9. Chapter 18 and verse 9. Verse 9 says, An Absalom met the servants of David. An Absalom rode upon a mule. And the mule went under a thick bow of a great oak. and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth and the mule that was under him went away.

Well what got caught? His beautiful flowing locks of hair. That’s another reason why not to have long hair. When you’re trying to get away on a mule and your hair gets stuck in a tree and the The new walks out and he’s hanging there by his little goldilocks in the tree. But it says in verse 10, And a certain man saw it and told Joab and he said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in a milk tree. Joab said unto the man that told him, And behold thou sauchen, why dost thou not smite him there to the ground?

I would have given thee ten shekels of silver and a girdle. And the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand. Yet would I not put forth my hand against the king’s son? For in our hearing the king charged thee and Ebishai and Attiah he said, be where that none touched the young man’s absolent. Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against my own life. For there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thy sub would have had set thyself against me.

Then said Joab, I may not teary thus with thee.” And he took three darts in his hand and thrust him through the heart of Absalom while he was yet alive in the midst of the yoke. Soumerous, number four, message came back and lo and behold, David is told about Absalom’s death. And he says there in verse 33, and the king was much moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. You know, after David’s sin, you don’t, you don’t find much happiness.

You don’t find much joy. This is why David wind up having two years of death. later, David had to go to the Lord and he talks about how it is so heavy upon him and how he had to confess things to the Lord and because of the weight owes upon him. Look what he says here. And as he went, thus he said, Oh, my son, Absalom, my son, my son, Absalom, and you ought to underlying this part in your Bible.

Would God, I had died for thee? Oh, Absalom, my son, my son. Number four. You see, he was the one that should have died. True? But God says, you’re not going to die. But you see, all the damage it was done because he was evidently discouraged. He didn’t want to go. He stayed there. He He looked, He thought, He took something that didn’t belong to Him. And every one of the others did exactly the same thing. And look at the damage and the destruction.

You see, depression can cost you an awful lot. But depression is a choice that you must understand. Depression is a choice. It’s because of how you’re thinking. Why do you think the Bible says, be strong and very courageous? It’s talking about having a positive attitude because of your trust in the Lord. When you don’t trust the Lord and have to trust yourself, you have limited power, limited ability. And therefore, you don’t have the peace or the hope or the joy that you have, what it takes to get you out of whatever it is.

And there’s problems in life. We all have to go through them. It’s one thing if you will go through them with your confidence and your trust in the Lord, or that you will betray the Lord. And you’re going to have depression build up and you’re going to get so down and so discouraged and you’ll think wrong. And when you think wrong, it will not just be you that’s affected. The Lord tells us in the book of Acts, talking about the third and the fourth generation.

Whatever I do affects my kids, and whatever affects my kids affects their kids, and whatever affects those kids are going to affect the next kid. Up to the third and the fourth generation, you don’t do what you do alone. No man is an island unto himself, and this is why this is so very, very important. Guilt is to the soul what pain is to the body. There are things that we think, that are sins of the mind, that causes our depression.

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 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 Bible on 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. So look at the last part of verse six. So Absalom stole the heart of the men of Israel. So by stealing their heart, they became loyal to him. So now David has to be concerned because now Absalom is gonna kill his dad. So now David has to leave Jerusalem and run for his life.

See that under in verse 12, The last part of it says, and the conspiracy haha was strong. In verse 13, and there came a messenger to David sin, the hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom. And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem arise, let us flee. For we shall not escape from Absalom. So suddenly, now he has to run for his life. This is King David. Why doesn’t he have the peace and the joy of the Lord?

Because he played the fool and he’s reaping it. And he loved Absalom. And Absalom was a very handsome individual. See there in verse 25, look at verse 25 just to show you can see there. In verse 25 he said, but in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty. from the soul of his foot, even to the crown of his head, there was no blemish in him. He must have been some good looking hunk, as the women would say.

Must have been like Peter over there. He’s just smiling. Ha, ha, ha. Hey, that’s pretty high over there now. You’ve got to admit that. But you see, all of these things that happened, and it just gets worse and worse and worse. So look there in chapter 18 and verse 9. Chapter 18 and verse 9. Verse 9 says, An Absalom met the servants of David. An Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under a thick bow of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth, and the mule that was under him went away.

Well what got caught? His beautiful flowing locks of hair. That’s another reason why not to have long hair. When you’re trying to get away on a mule and your hair gets stuck in a tree and the mule walks out and he’s hanging there by his little goldy locks in the tree. But it says in verse 10, and a certain man saw it and told Joab and he said, Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in a nooch tree. Joab said unto the man that told him, and behold thou source him, why dost thou not smite him there to the ground?

I would have given thee 10 shekels of silver and a girdle, and the man said unto Joab, though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand. Yet would I not put forth my hand against the king’s son? For in our hearing the king charged thee and Ebishai and Ataya, he said, say, and beware that none touched the young man Absalom. Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against my own life, for there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thy self would have had set thyself against me.

Then said Joab, I may not teary thus with thee, and he took three darts in his hand and thrust him through the heart of Absalom while he was yet alive in the midst of the yoke.” So. Number four, message came back and lo and behold, David is told about Absalom’s death. And he says there in verse 33, and the king was much moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. You know, after David’s sin, you don’t find much happiness.

You don’t find much joy. This is why David wind up having two years later. David had to go to the Lord and he talks about how it is so heavy upon him and how he had to confess things to the Lord and because of the weight owes upon him. And look what he says here and as he went, does he said, oh my son, Absalom, my son, my son, Absalom and you ought to underline this part in your my Bible.

Would God I had died for thee? Oh, Absalent, my Son, my Son. Number four. You see, He was the one that should have died. True? But God says, you’re not going to die. But you see, all the damage it was done because He was evidently discouraged. He didn’t want go, he stayed there, he looked, he thought, he took something that didn’t belong to him. And every one of the others did exactly the same thing. And look at the damage and the destruction.

You see, depression can cost you an awful lot, but depression is a choice that you must understand. Depression is a choice. It’s because of how you’re thinking. Why do you think the Bible says be strong and very courageous? It talked about having a positive attitude because of your trust in the Lord. When you don’t trust the Lord and have to trust yourself, you have limited power, limited ability. Therefore, you don’t have the peace or the hope or the joy that you have what it takes to get you out of whatever it is.

And there’s problems in life. We all have to go through them. It’s one thing if you will go through them with your confidence and your trust in the Lord, or that you will betray the Lord. And you’re going to have depression build up and you’re going to get so down and so discouraged and you’ll think wrong. wrong and when you think wrong, it will not just be you that’s affected. The Lord tells us in the book of Acts, talking about the third and the fourth generation, whatever I do affects my kids.

And whatever affects my kids affects their kids. And whatever affects those kids are going to affect the next kid. Up to the third and the fourth generation, you don’t do what you do alone. No man is an island unto himself. And this is why this is so very, very important. Guilt is to the soul what pain is to the body. And there are things that we think that are sins of the mind that causes our depression. Well, anyway, I got some notes that I gave out to you.

I’ve already given you the first messages and I thought, well, I’ve just jot down a couple of the little notes that I’ve already done and then I wrote some of the rest of them. Nothing that I do is that original, I copy, copy, copy. I get ideas from this person, that person, I read a lot. But sometimes I come across someone saying, you know, that’s good, that’s helpful. And some things help me, and so whatever helps me, I pass on because I’ll have to be honest with you.

There’s a lot of times when I get so discouraged, so depressed. You say, you mean it’s your age? after 51 years, you still get discouraged? Yeah, what about it? And I don’t like myself when I get like that. I don’t like being down. I don’t like being discouraged. I’m almost like Moses that, Lord, I don’t wanna see how wretched I am. I don’t wanna see how bad I really am. Lord, don’t let go of me. Lord, I want you to take down the hedges once in a while and you know, you let the old devil get to me a little bit, but not too much, you know, just enough.

Just to keep me humble and keep me close to you, but don’t overdo it. I used to scare Betty’s dad to death. He says, I’d tell himself like that. And he’s, oh, I can’t believe you pray like that. I said, I just want to learn every lesson that I can learn. I want to be as wise as I can be. I don’t know how long I’m going to live, but I know that you have to go through things to learn things so you can be profitable to somebody.

And I said, I just want to learn as much as I can, so man alive. The lure that time seemed like he had just poured it on thick. And so anyway, the Lord tells us in His word, God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of love. Power and a sound mind. Now all these things about depression, just, you know, down and despair, is really just the evidence of an unsound mind. You’re not thinking right. So God’s always trying to get us to think right.

And so what reveals whether or not you’re thinking right? Well, the problems of life. It kind of reveals what you’re trusting in for sure. Because we’re so easily deceived. So God allows us to be tested in so many ways to reveal to us our weaknesses so that we know what we need to work on. So anyway, look at the first part here. With depression, the alarm clock goes off and we can’t face life. There’s just some people who don’t want to face life.

This is what causes people to commit suicide. a Christian commit suicide. Think about it. Well, they still go to heaven. Yeah. See, if it’s a sin, well, Christ paid for it. So all sin has been paid. So does that mean because I say you’re going to heaven, I’m advocating Christians go commit suicide? No, I’m not saying that. No, I’m not saying that. I do not advocate people to live in sin just because you’re saved by grace. I believe we should serve the Lord and do right.

Not to get to heaven, but because we’re going there. Look at the little box statement here. We can’t sleep or we sleep all the time. You go from one extreme to the other. Can’t sleep or just don’t want to get out of bed. Don’t want to do anything. Or we can’t eat or we eat all the time. You know, depression can cause both ways. Well, you can’t eat and you can’t sleep. And then sleep all the time or just eat all the time.

I’m wondering when I get to heaven I can eat all the time. I do like eating. It is a wonderful invention. The next statement, it’s better to discover what’s wrong before considering the solution. And the reason is because the doctor diagnoses the problem before he prescribes the medicine. So sometimes you need to study yourself, examine yourself, and see how are you doing spiritually? Because I believe that the first 10 things that we’ve mentioned, they all deal with sins, mostly, of the mind.

Things that we have to deal with, things that hit us emotionally. Remember, most sins are taken care of and the anger, the bitterness, all these things simply because we learn how to forgive. But forgiveness deals a lot with the emotional part of it for us. And then there’s the judicial part of it where a person is still held responsible for their actions. See, people may wrong you and you can forgive them. But emotionally you forgive, so it eliminates you having hatred or vengeance to get even spirit back to the person.

But it doesn’t eliminate the judicial part of the forgiveness because a person still should be held accountable for what they do that’s wrong. For example, a guy rapes a girl. Hey, I’m sorry. Forgive me. So if she forgives him, then he don’t have to pay for what he’s done? No, there’s a judicial part of it that he still is responsible for his actions and a price must be paid. The man that killed my son, I can forgive him because I do not want up on my mind the guilt that I harbor, vengeful, hateful, meanness toward the individual.

So me forgiving Him personally relieves me of that emotion that I don’t have to have the guilt of how I feel toward someone because if you hate them, you know it’s wrong, and it’s going to take its toll upon you. But you still judicially want them to realize there is a responsibility that has to be taken care of and that it has to be dealt with according to the law. But look at the first statement, guilt is solved by forgiveness.

Materialism is solved by contentment. If you was content with what you have, then you don’t have to be so materialistic minded. See, some people think that the more they buy, the morePOST they’ll be. And that’s why, you know, they just buy, buy, buy, buy, buy, and they think it’ll make them happy, happy, happy, happy, happy. Well, it doesn’t. Because they got to go out to next week and buy some more and so you don’t have to worry about the deal.

He’s impressed. You see, people have to find a way to relieve themselves of the guilt or the depression, trying to figure out a way to get rid of it. How to make me feel happy because of something else that’s going on. So they try to… try to cover the real problem and they’re just trying to soothe over. And you know, you may have a root problem over here, but it surfaces over here. And there’s a lot of people that give you the impression, this is what’s wrong with me.

And really, it’s not what’s wrong with them. There’s a root problem way down deep. And sometimes you have to try to find out what it is that’s causing the problem. Look at number three, anger is solved by entrusting yourself to the Lord. Because if you can trust the Lord was whatever it is, it’s supposed to make the anger, and you can commit that thing to the Lord. It can really relieve the depression. You know, the discouragement, because it can build up into anger and so forth.

And these are things that destroy the creation. These are the sins of the mind that the man who loses control is going to have to suffer with depression. It means you’re going to be so discouraged that you’ll think quit. Stop. Stop doing what I’m doing. Did you realize if you studied the life of the Apostle Paul and what he went through, I couldn’t think of another man who could be so discouraged more than Paul. And yet he said it was nigh unto death.

I mean, he was really taken down, and he was really hurt and forsaken. And he says, all have forsaken me, except just a couple of people. So what he really went through and the hardships, and yet he just kept on going, but he never quit. He says, because of the ministry, because it was so worth whatever he had to go through. He hung in. Number four, hatred is saw by forgiveness and love. If you can learn how to love, you don’t have to worry about the hate because love, the Bible talks about perfect love casts us out fear.

And fear actually is a result of hating because you’re afraid of what’s going to take place and you hate when somebody steals something from you or says something about you and you can hate another person because they’re like robbing you of something that you’re supposed to get, like maybe from other people, a little praise and honor and glory. And so it causes all kind of jealousy and stuff. Number five, perfectionism is solved by acceptance of human limitation. You and I know we would like everything to be perfect, wouldn’t you like your wife to be perfect for a change?

We just like her to be perfect. Well, wouldn’t she like for the husband to be perfect for a change. Well what if he was just right once in a while? And when you’re like your kids to do right, but we can also easy focus upon the error, the human limitation. Because if you know and you recognize and you can accept the fact that people are human and to air is human. And everybody has limitations. They don’t know it all.

They can’t do it all. So don’t expect it all. It will help you not to be so down and discouraged because of the way people are, because people can be so, so deflating at times, just because they don’t pay you the tension that you think you deserve or the compliment you think you deserve or whatever it might be. And you can be so discouraged and so depressed so quickly, so easy. Look at number six, worry is solved by faith in the promises of God.

That’s why you study the promises of God so that you know what God says so that you don’t have to worry. Most of our worrying is because it’s based upon our own performance of what I can do. Or can’t do. And so my life is totally dependent upon my ability. And when you can’t see how you’re going to do it, you worry. When you can’t see financially how you are going to get yourself out of this, or you’re going to try to solve this medical problem or this whatever it might be.

Well then all those worries come back because you forget the promises of God. God didn’t promise that we’re going to live here forever. He did not promise us that we’re going to have all of us. the money we want. See, you might just live until you die and you can die at any time in any ways. So you don’t worry. Number seven, jealousy is solved by esteeming others better than yourselves. You know, if you read the book of Colossians in chapter 2, it talks about esteeming others better than yourself, seeing them that way so that You’re not jealous because they are lifted up and they’re doing things and God’s using people.

Because you know that if you humble yourself to the Lord, God will honor you. God will bless you. God will use you. So you see, it’s a personal thing between you and God, and all these things reveal where you are spiritually. And some people are not as strong as they think. And I believe sometimes we don’t want to find out how weak we are. We’re scared. We’re afraid there’s going to be a problem come along that I can’t handle.

Well, maybe I can’t, but me and God can. And so whatever it is, you just trust the Lord to walk you through it. Number eight, laziness is solved by meaningful productivity. Now, when we study the book of Ecclesiastes, if you want to see a book that can really depress you, that’s one book that can. All is vanity and vexation of spirit. In other words, what in the world is the purpose of life? Why do I do all this work?

Why has all of this got a meaning or whatever? So it’s always looking at life as a man under the sun, as a man living without the knowledge of God. And so there’s not much hope, not much reason for anything. And so we’re just like the beast of the earth we live and we die and that’s all there is to it. But I do want you to see a couple verses. They’re looking in the book of Ecclesiastes, the book of Ecclesiastes.

In the book of Ecclesiastes and look there chapter 3. Chapter 3 and look in verse 17. A lot of things he goes down through here and talks about there’s a time for this, then a time for that. Time to be born, time to die. Time to love, time to war, and a time to weep, in verse 4, and a time to laugh, time to mourn, time to dance. In other words, all this is what goes on in your life.

And so he says in verse 11, he hath made everything beautiful in his time, also we have set the world in their heart or eternity in their heart so that no man can find out the work that God make it from the beginning to the end. Regardless of how long you and I live, by human wisdom we will never find out or understand God. So, he says down here in verse 13, looking verse 13, and also that every man should eat and drink, enjoy the good of all of his labor, it is the gift of God.

Did you know that God given to you and I, the ability, not only the ability to work, but the need to work is a gift. Now you talk about being bored in life. God has designed life that if you’re not willing to work, then let you die. So, well, I don’t want to die. Then work. Find a way to meet your needs. Till God has designed life and given you a body, gave you a mind, and God says, work is a gift from God.

Now, take your Bible and look there in the book of Genesis, all the way over to the book of Genesis. in Genesis in chapter 2. Genesis chapter 2 and looked there in verse 15. Even before Adam and Eve had sinned, he gave them responsibilities in the garden. So he says in verse 15, And the Lord God took the man, put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. He had a job to do. He also was giving a job of naming all the animals and all the plants, giving everything a name.

You know, he had to be pretty smart to start off with. And yet they want to tell you that the first man, you know, they came walking out of that cave, you know, and with a big old club and beat the woman over the head and drag the back of the head and drag her back in the cave. And, um, didn’t know how to talk, but just grunt, grunt, grunt, grunt, grunt, grunt. Now the first man God ever made was probably one of the most intelligent men ever made.

And so they were very, very smart at the very beginning. Look there in Genesis chapter 3 and verse 17. Chapter 3 and verse 17, you know they had sinned so they had to be placed under a curse. And verse 17, and unto Adam he said, Be cause thou hast hearken unto the voice of thy wife, have eaten of the tree of which I commanded, they say, and thou shall not eat of it.” Now keep us in mind, even though he did listen to his wife, God still held the man responsible for his actions.

True? He was responsible for what he did. God did not accept his excuse. Well, that woman you made me. I mean, he used that excuse, but God did not accept that excuse. Every one of us as individuals are responsible for the decisions that we made. And so he says, Thou shalt not eat of it, cursed is the ground. Why did he curse the ground? And you’ll see those next three words for thy sake. Because man would totally be miserable in life if he didn’t have to work.

Being able to work is truly a blessing because God has placed so much upon the idea of work, of man having to work and to provide. And so he says that this is what God wants us to do and this is what he’s done. But a lazy man, a lazy man, God despises a lazy person, people that don’t like to go, don’t like to produce, don’t like to work, Find a work. Find something to do for the Lord. And try to find out how you can do whatever it is God wants you to do.

But God despises slothfulness and laziness. Those are not too honorable traits that go back here to book of Ecclesiastes chapter 3. I want you to see this in verse 17. He says, In verse 17, I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked. For there is a time, therefore every purpose and for every work. But a man needs a purpose for why he should work. And if a man can find a way to get out of work, most time that will be his purpose in life, trying to find out how to get out of work.

It’s better to have a little and work hard and earn the right to rest. 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, 1-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8- 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.

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 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 first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family. Number six, worry is solved by faith in the promises of God. That’s why you study the promises of God so that you know what God says so that you don’t have to worry. Most of our worrying is because it’s based upon our own performance of what I can do or can’t do.

And so my life is totally dependent upon my ability. And when you can’t see how you’re going to do it, you worry. And you can’t see financially how you are going to get yourself out of this, or you’re going to try to solve this medical problem, or this whatever it might be. Well then all those worries come back because you forget the promises of God. God didn’t promise that we’re going to live here forever. He did not promise us that we’re going to have all the money we want.

See, you might just live until you die, you can die at any time in any ways. So you don’t worry. Number seven, jealousy is solved by esteeming others better than yourselves. You know, if you read the book of Colossians in chapter 2, it talks about esteeming others better than yourself, seeing them that way so that you’re not jealous because they are lifted up and they’re doing things and God’s using people because you know that if you humble yourself to the Lord God will honor you.

God will bless you. God will use you. So you see, it’s a personal thing between you and God and all these things reveal where you are spiritually. And some people are not as strong as they think. And I believe sometimes we don’t want to find out how weak we are. We’re scared. We’re afraid there’s going to be a problem come along that I can’t handle. Well, maybe I can’t, but me and God can. And so whatever it is, you just trust the Lord to walk you through it.

Number eight, laziness is solved by meaningful productivity. Now, when we study the book of Ecclesiastes, if you want to see a book that can really depress you, that’s one book that can. All is vanity and vexation of spirit. In other words, what in the world is the purpose of life. Why do I do all this work? Why has all of this got a meaning or whatever? So it’s always looking at life as a man under the sun, as a man living without the knowledge of God.

And so there’s not much hope, not much reason for anything. And so we’re just like the beast of the earth, we live and we die, and that’s all there is to it. But I do want you to see a couple verses there. Look in the book of of Ecclesiastes. The book of Ecclesiastes, in the book of Ecclesiastes and look there in chapter 3. Chapter 3 and look in verse 17. A lot of things he goes down through here and talks about there’s a time for this, then a time for that.

Time to be born, time to die. Time to love, time to war, and a time to weep in verse 4 and a time to laugh, time the mourn, time to dance.” In other words, all this is what goes on in your life. And so he says in verse 11, he hath made everything beautiful in his time. Also, he has set the world in their heart or eternity in their heart so that no man can find out the work that God make it from the beginning to the end.

Regardless of how long you and I live. By human wisdom, we will never find out or understand God. So, it says down here in verse 13, looking verse 13, and also that every man should eat and drink, enjoy the good of all of his labor, it is the gift of God. Did you know that God given to you and I, the ability, not only the ability to work, but the need to work? is a gift. Now you talk about being bored in life.

God has designed life that if you’re not willing to work, then let you die. So, well, I don’t want to die. Then work. Find a way to meet your needs. Till God has designed life and given you a body, God gave you a mind and God says, work is a gift from God. Now take your Bible and look there in the book of Genesis. All the way over to the book of Genesis. In Genesis in chapter 2, Genesis chapter 2 and look there in verse 15.

Even before Adam and Eve had sinned, he gave them responsibilities in the garden. So he says in verse 15, And the Lord God took the man, put him into the garden of Eden, to dress it, and to keep it. He had a job to do. He also was given a job of naming all the animals, all the plants, given everything a name. You know he had to be pretty smart to start off with. And yet they want to tell you that the first man, you know they came walking out of that cave, you know, with a big old club and beat the woman over the head, and dragged about the head and dragged back in the cave.

And didn’t know how to talk, but just grunt, grunt, grunt, grunt, grunt, grunt. Now the first man God ever made was probably one of the most intelligent men ever made. And so they were very, very smart at the very beginning. Look there in Genesis chapter 3 and verse 17. Chapter 3 verse 17, you know they had sinned, so they had to be placed under a curse. In verse 17, and under Adam he said, Be cause thou hast hearken unto the voice of thy wife, and hath eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee, saying, thou shalt not eat of it?

Now, keep us in mind, even though he did listen to his wife, God still held the man responsible for his actions. True? He was responsible for what he did. God did not accept his excuse. Well, that woman you made me. I mean, he used that excuse, but God did not accept that excuse. Every one of us as individuals are responsible for the decisions that we made. And so he says, thou shalt not eat of it, cursed is the ground.

Why did he cursed the ground? And you’ll see those next three words for thy sake, because man would totally be miserable in life if he didn’t have to work. Being able to work is truly a blessing Because God has placed so much upon the idea of work, of man having to work and to provide. And so he says that this is what God wants us to do, and this is what he’s done. But a lazy man, a lazy man, God despises a lazy person, people that don’t like to go, don’t like to produce, don’t like to work.

Find a work. Find something to do for the Lord and try to find out how you can do whatever this God wants you to do, but God despises slothfulness and laziness. Those are not too honorable traits that go back here to book of Ecclesiastes chapter 3. I want you to see this in verse 17. He says in verse 17, I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked. For there is a time, therefore every purpose and for every work.

But a man needs a purpose for why he should work. And if a man can find a way to get out of work, most time that will be his purpose in life, trying to find out how to get out of work. It’s better to have a little and and work hard and earn the right to rest. Some people haven’t earned the right. This year, one business man, he was talking to this hippie years ago back in the 60s. You know, they’re all called hippies.

You know, lay around in one of work, smoke, grass, go to pot. Anyway, talking to this hippie, and he says, why don’t you get up and go to work? He says, why? He says, so that you can have a job and make some money. He says, why? Well, so you’ll have food to eat and a place to live. He says, why? He says, so that you can grow old. He says, why? Well, so that you can retire. He says, why?

So you can take it easy and relax and enjoy life. He says, I’m already doing that, but he hasn’t earned the right to do it. You’re supposed to earn the right to take it easy and to relax and enjoy life down the road. But most people, they want to jump the gun and do it now, and then there’s no preparation for the future. You’ll find out one of the blessings of life is just to keep on working. A lot of people have died after they retire, so you have to be careful.

You’ve got to have something to keep living for, something to keep motivating you. Look down in verse 22. 22, he said, wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his own works. For that is his portion, for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him, for a man to work and enjoy what he’s doing. It is a blessing to man, even for a man that doesn’t even know the Lord, but for the man that does know the Lord to have a purpose in life and to be willing to work.

That’s why he talks about the Lord’s work. He’s a study to show thyself a workman, workman, rightly dividing the word of truth. And so whatever thy hands find it to do, do it with all thy might. So all this is mentioned in the word of God. Now look at number nine, rejection of Christ produces an awful lot of depression because think of the question. There’s so many problems that people have when they don’t know who they are and when they don’t know about death and they don’t know what they are, they don’t know where they’re going and they don’t know where they came from and they don’t know the purpose of life.

That causes so many people to be so down and so discouraged, so depressed. Because, you see, if you’re nothing more than an animal than there is no God, there’s no Creator, there’s no plan, so that requires a planner. There’s no real laws because that means a loggiver. There’s no right and wrong. Everything’s a dirty grade, just whatever you want to do. You’re just an animal. Up on the top of some evolutionary ladder. How discouraging and depressing that would be.

This is why there’s so many people have nothing to live for. And isn’t it a shame that there’s a religion where there’s only hope of going to heaven, and there’s only real hope of going to heaven if they can kill some infidels, then they might get to get some virgins up there in heaven and so on. How stupid. Can you see why there’s no hope in those countries? While those people are willing to die, there’s nothing to live for.

It’s so pathetic. You and I have something to live for. So rejecting of Christ is such a depressing thing, but see, that’s where you and I have hope. You and I have something to offer people because they’re so down and so discouraged, they don’t have the answer. Only through Christ can these answers be given where they can know the truth. And then number 10, demonic depression, believe in the lie causes depression. So when you don’t believe the truth, you will believe a lie.

And if you believe the lie, it’s not the truth and it won’t have the answers and it will not satisfy. Now, very quickly, the non-centfold causes of depression. You see, there are some things that causes depression, but it’s not the result of your sins. You see, those other things we talk about are things because of bad decisions you make on your own. It’s a result of how you’re thinking. But there are other things that can cause depression. Number one, being a victim of sin.

Now in Exodus chapter 6, verses 6, 7, 8, 9, it talks about how that there came a pharaoh who knew not Joseph. didn’t know anything about Joseph. 400 years has passed. Now, the children of Israel, the Hebrew were slaves, and their taskmasters were hard upon them. And the Bible says that they cried unto the Lord because of their taskmasters, how they laid upon them such heavy burdens. And so, being so down and so discreet, what wrong had these Hebrew children done?

They didn’t ask to go down in Egypt. They were taken down there by Jacob, the father of the nation of Israel. Joseph had already been sent down there to give them a place to incubate so they could graze themselves up into a great nation. So now after all these years, they got problems. and they’re so sore depressed. They cried out unto God, and the Bible says God heard their cries and sent Moses down there. But what wrong had the children of Israel in reality?

What did they do to deserve this? They hadn’t done anything. So there’s going to be things that’s going to happen to you and to me that you did not do anything to deserve it. You didn’t cause it. That’s why it’s a non sinful cause of depression. But can you get depressed because of what others do to you? Because of the situation, the circumstances that you find in life. For example, a child that’s abandoned by the mother can cause a lot of depression.

I was really small when I got very, very discouraged, very depressed. And my mom and my dad had taken the other three, and they had gone down into Florida. And I was with my uncle up there in Georgia, and they lived way out in the woods. I remember the house that they lived in. It didn’t have a floor in it. It was just the dirt. And they’d send me out there, and I had to twist, straw, till it breaks off, and then you could bring it in there, and they would put a stick in there and wrap around it, and they would sweep the floor with it.

We did it at our house. So I knew how to do it for them. So they sent me out to do it. But I cried so many nights, and I had no clue where my mom or my dad was. I hadn’t seen my sisters. But it really, it took its toll upon me, because even when you’re a young child, you can feel rejected, dejected. Remember, I didn’t have the best coming into the world, And then after being raised in the world, not everything was, you know, wonderful.

I didn’t have that kind of a childhood. But I know what it’s like to be discouraged, even though I didn’t know how to say it. I didn’t even know what the word was. I didn’t know what depressed was. But I remember crying an awful lot. And I remember them trying to get me to not cry so much. And then I remember one day they took us over to see Jim Elaine and I saw Nett and Lizzy, the one that was older than me, and I saw them coming from the house.

They hadn’t seen me and I hadn’t seen them. We didn’t know where each other was. And we just ran up to each other and we cried and slobbered all over each other and wiped our noses all over each other. And we were just so glad to see each other. But you know, even though that happened to me, over 63 years ago, I still remember that.

And nothing will ever make me forget that. But as you go on in life, you’ll find that there’s a lot of things that’ll happen to you, you did not cause. So you can be abandoned and it can cause you great depression. It can happen because a husband leaves a wife, All the wife leaves the husband. She’s number two there, a husband or wife whose spouse commits adultery. And what can cause such hurt and heartache? And yet it may not be no fault of your own, but it can so discourage you, cause you to be so down because you’ve been so hurt.

You’ve been defrauded. Another kind is a crime victim. You’re the victim of a crime. Somebody can sin against you, do wrong to you. And these are things that can take its toll upon you. And yet it’s not because of something that you did wrong, but it can cause you to have all these guilt feelings. But look at number two, the false guilt. 1 John 3 20, I want you to look at this verse, it’s a very good verse and you need to know where it is and that it’s in the Bible.

1 John and chapter 3, and look in verse 20, because it’s talking about your own conscience, your conscience, and you can have a good conscience, a clear conscience, a defile conscience, a guilty conscience. But it makes a statement here in verse 24, if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things. Now in verse 20 but if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. So there’s things that you and I do that we give ourselves permission to do.

If you give yourself permission to do it with all the Scripture that you know and it doesn’t You shouldn’t bother your conscience because you believe it’s right. Then believe it’s right. And don’t have a false guilt that you place upon yourself, that it’s nothing wrong with it. You see, you can weigh yourself down because of things that can happen beyond your power to control. And it may have nothing to do with what you have done or haven’t done, So you don’t condemn yourself for that which somebody else does, like a child believing that mom and daddy got divorced because it was my fault.

And maybe they’re only five or six years old or eight or ten years old. I talked to when Kitty came from a broken home, he said, yeah, I broke it. But you need to understand that there’s some things that can cause depression that you were not the cause of it. And if you don’t learn how to handle some of these things, it will take its total upon you. So look at number two, guilt feelings that arise when no sin has been committed.

Have you ever had an accident, a car accident, anything? I have turned around quickly and bumped right into people. And the thing, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that. Now should I feel guilty for the rest of the day because of what I did. Yes, I shouldn’t. I knew he was going to say that. If it’s an accident, it means you didn’t plan it. You didn’t plan it. Accidents, mistakes of common human air committed without pre-planning or stressful decisions, stressful decisions.

There’s a lot of decisions you have to make in life and you may not want to make them. But after you’ve made them, you feel guilty for having made it, but you have to do it. And sometimes that takes place with loved ones. For example, you love your mother or your father as some relativist real close and well, you may find yourself because of certain circumstances, you may have to put them in a nursing home because you’re not able to take care of them.

or whatever the reasons. But then you feel guilty because you did it. But why would you condemn yourself for doing what you believe was the right thing to do? So you can lay guilt up on yourself that’s not the result of a sin that you committed, but because of stressful decisions, sometimes you have to make. There’s times when I had to tell my children, No, no. I’ll have to admit now, they had a hard time learning what the word meant.

So even when they were 16 and 17 years old, I still had a hard time convincing them what the word no meant. And it can be very stressful at times because they wanna do something and I didn’t think it was a wise thing to do and I would say no. And then I would feel, I hate to have to say that. I wish that didn’t have to do that. But you see, sometimes you have to make decisions that are filled with stress.

Because you don’t want to have to make it. They don’t want to have to hear it. You don’t know how they’re going to accept it. Do you think that as the pastor of a church that sometimes I make a lot of decisions under stress that I’d rather not make. Sometimes I deal with people and I’d rather not do. Sometimes I cancel with people I’d rather not do it. And sometimes it can be very stressful. Why? Because you don’t know the outcome.

You don’t know how people are going to accept things. You know? I’ve talked to married couples and single people and you name it. I’ve had to do it. but it’s a part of the responsibility. Now I can just stress myself out until I’d have to have a you know a weak vacation. You know this sounds good. I think I need a cruise. I think I need to go on a cruise. You know just to get my senses back and rest a little bit and because of the stressful situation.

Did you know there’s stress a little bit with just having a summer camp. When you think about what it cost, the money you’ve got to raise, the speakers you’ve got to have, all the workers and counselors you’ve got to have, and dealing with the people you’ve got to deal with, and you haven’t got a clue how it’s going to work out.

What about just when there’s Sunday school that can produce stress? I want to can produce stress. Saturday night can have stress. We can be under a lot of stress. I’ll bet you that those little ladies that were playing the piano in the organ for the first time were stressed out. You think so? When Peter had to direct the choir, I’ll bet he had some stress upon him. You don’t think he got a down path. He didn’t bother him at all.

But everybody has stress. You got to go through it. That’s what reveals what kind of strength you have. It’s just like whenever they want to put a gas line into a house or water line, they usually test the certain amount of pressure they put in to see if it’s got a leak. Well, why are they doing that? Because they want to put a lot of pressure on it, and if it doesn’t leak with all the pressure, they’re putting on it, it’s not going to leak with the pressure you put on it.

So therefore it should be okay. God will do a lot of that same kind of testing upon you and I with pressure, pressure. And we talk about time, heat and pressure. And you and I are under that as we go through life and it causes us sometimes to be so discouraged and so depressed. And so there’s some things that we cause because of our mind not being right and we harbor ill feelings. and our emotions are all run away.

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, 1-800-576-36. 371. 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 This teaching will be a blessing to you and your family. But look at number two, the false guilt. First John 3-20, I want you to look at this verse, it’s a very good verse and you need to know where it is and that it’s in the Bible. First John and chapter three. And look in verse 20, because it’s talking about your own conscience, your conscience.

And you can have a good conscience, a clear conscience, a defiled conscience, a guilty conscience. But it makes a statement here in verse 24, if our heart can dim us, God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things. Now in verse 21, if our heart can dim us not, then have we confidence toward God. So there’s things that you and I do that we give ourselves permission to do. If you give yourself permission to do it with all the scripture that you know, and it doesn’t bother your conscience because you believe it’s right, then believe it’s right.

And don’t have a false guilt that you place upon yourself that it’s nothing wrong with it. You see, you can weigh yourself down because of things that can happen beyond your power to control. And it may have nothing to do with what you have done or haven’t done, so you don’t condemn yourself for that which somebody else does, like a child believing that mom and daddy got divorced because it was my fault. And maybe they’re only five or six years old or eight or 10 years old.

I talked to when Kitty came from a broken home, he said, yeah, I broke it. But you need to understand And that there’s some things that can cause depression that you were not the cause of it. And if you don’t learn how to handle some of these things, it will take its toll upon you. So look at number two, guilt feelings that arise when no sin has been committed. Have you ever had an accident, a car accident, anything? I have turned around quickly and bumped right into people.

the thing I say, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that. Now, should I feel guilty for the rest of the day because of what I did? Yes, I should. I knew he was going to say that. If it’s an accident, it means you didn’t plan it. You didn’t plan it. Accidents, mistakes of common human air committed without pre-planning, or stressful decisions. There’s a lot of decisions you have to make in life and you may not want to make them.

But after you’ve made them you feel guilty for having made it. But you have to do it. And sometimes that takes place with loved ones. For example, you love your mother or your father as some relativists real close and Well, you may find yourself because of certain circumstances, you may have to put them in a nursing home because you’re not able to take care of them, for whatever the reasons. But then you feel guilty because you did it. But why would you condemn yourself for doing what you believe was the right thing to do?

So you can lay guilt up on yourself That’s not the result of a sin that you’d committed, but because of stressful decisions, sometimes you have to make. There’s times when I had to tell Supplementary Children, no. No, I’ll have to admit now, they had a hard time learning what the word meant. So even when they were 16 and 17 years old, I still had a hard time convincing them what INFO the word NO meant. And it can be very stressful at times because they want to do something and I didn’t think it was a wise thing to do and I would say NO.

then I would feel, I hate to have to say that. I wish I didn’t have to do that. But you see, sometimes you have to make decisions that are filled with stress because you don’t wanna have to make it, they don’t wanna have to hear it. You don’t know how they’re going to accept it. Do you think that as the pastor of a church that sometimes I make a lot of decisions under stress, that I’d rather not make. Sometimes I deal with people and I’d rather not do.

Sometimes I cancel with people I’d rather not do it. And sometimes it can be very stressful. Why? Because you don’t know the outcome. You don’t know how people are going to accept things. I’ve talked to married couples and single people and you name it, I’ve had to do it. But it’s a part of the responsibility. Now I can just stress myself out until I’d have to have a weak vacation. This sounds good. I think I need a cruise. I think I need to go on a cruise.

Just to get my senses back and rest a little bit and because of the stressful situation, Did you know there’s stress a little bit with just having a summer camp? When you think about what it cost, the money you’ve got to raise, the speakers you’ve got to have, all the workers and counselors you’ve got to have, and dealing with the people you’ve got to deal with, and you haven’t got a clue how it’s going to work out. What about just when there’s Sunday school that can produce stress?

I want to produce stress. Saturday night can have stress. We can be under a lot of stress. I’ll bet you that those little ladies that were playing the piano and the organ for the first time were stressed out. You think so? When Peter had to direct the choir, I’ll bet he had some stress upon him. You don’t think that he got it down. It didn’t bother him at all. But everybody has stress. You’ve got to go through it. That’s what reveals what kind of strength you have.

It’s just like whenever they wanna put a gas line into a house or water line, they usually test a certain amount of pressure they put it in to see if it’s got a leak. Well, why are they doing that? Cause they wanna put a lot of pressure on it. And if it doesn’t leak with all the pressure, they’re putting on it. It’s not going to leak with the pressure you put on it. So therefore it should be okay. All right, God will do a lot of that same kind of testing upon you and I with pressure, pressure.

And we talk about time, heat and pressure. And you and I are under that as we go through life and it causes us sometimes to be so discouraged and so depressed. And so there are some things that we cause because of our mind not being right and we harbor ill feelings and our emotions are all run away. But this is so important. Look there at this statement, children who blamed themselves for parents’ divorce, having to place a family member or a close relative in a nursing home.

Have you ever done things for somebody because you love them? They take everything that you do, that you do that’s good and you do that’s right, and they find a way to twist it to hurt you. And if you didn’t love them, it wouldn’t hurt. But it hurts. Why? Because you love them. And sometimes people are not even aware of what they’re saying and doing. I mentioned to you that time when my sister had come to Colorado, And I had to put her in a locked up facility for almost a year.

And I’ll never forget when I watched her when she went into that room and she looked at me. She said, I hate you. I hate you. And I’m thinking, I love you, Liz. I love you, Liz. I really care about you. And she’s looking at me saying, I hate you. I hate you. Just the opposite of how I thought. And I’m making decisions under so much stress. But the time came after about a year, I said, Lizzy, I said, you want to go home to see Mom and him?

She said, I thought it was ET. me go home. I said, you want to go home? And she just started to balling. And when I brought her back home, let’s see mama, she’s in heaven now. Mama’s in heaven too. Mother, sister, she’s up in heaven too. One of these days we won’t have no more stress. But that will happen when we get to heaven. As long as you live in this world, you’re going to face pressure and a lot of stress.

Look at the next statement, things that happen beyond our control. There are some things you can’t control. It’s out of your hands. And I don’t know what it is because with every individual it’s different. Number three, rejection, betrayal and unfair criticism is solved by our security and God’s love. How secure are you that God really loves you and that all things work together for good to those who love the Lord and you’re securing that. If you’re securing that, then your life is not going to be all shook up based upon whether other people accept you or don’t betray you, don’t abuse you because you know who you are and who you serve, where you belong, and you’re securing his love.

Because in people’s eyes it comes and goes, it comes and goes. So if you stop and think about this, the epitome of all of this victim of sin was Jesus Christ. You’ve never found anybody who was more victimized than that individual. You think of whatever can happen to people, it happened to him and yet he committed everything to the Father and they even put him on a cross, took his life, but he came back from the dead. He’s in heaven now in case she didn’t know that.

And there might have even been time when Jesus was discouraged or depressed. Read how he thought and felt in the garden and how that his soul was sorrowful even under death and how that he prayed even great sweat drops of blood. And he asked his disciples, cannot you pray with me just for one hour?” And they wouldn’t do it. They just went to sleep. How do you think he felt? Could not you have prayed for me one hour? Didn’t they understand the seriousness of the situation?

Evidently not. So there’s nothing you and I are going to do or go through that will ever come close to what he went through as far as been a victim of somebody else. We’re going to be victimized in this world. Look at number four, number four, broken dreams. Or as you’ve heard me preach before, the death of a vision. You ever have a vision, a dream of what you wanted to do or be or accomplish or something? And you know at this point in your life, it’ll never happen.

It’ll never happen. You kind of like give up a broken dream. Did you know that you can work toward something and pour everything you have into it and then it not materialize? Not materialize. I’ve had a few of those over the years. I’ve thought At times when our ministry was going the best in Colorado, I thought it’ll never end, it’ll never end. But just that quick, the economy changed and people had to leave our ministry to go get jobs.

And I lost my workers and I lost 40 students in the Christian school and so many of the teachers had to go and get jobs. And all of a sudden as fast as we went up, we went down. And you couldn’t stop it. It was beyond your control. It didn’t matter what you did. You couldn’t stop it. Just like a lot of businesses today. A lot of schools and colleges and churches dry up. And sometimes it’s nothing to do with anything they could have done.

Some of you’re working for people, then you might lose a job. And your health may be good today, and it’s pitiful tomorrow. And it’s beyond your control. You can do all the right you want to do. And it seemed like everything can be done. fall apart. That’s life. And what are we supposed to do about all of this? Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, laying not unto thine own understanding. All thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.

Just keep getting up. Under number four, I wrote down big dreams, dream big, but honor God above the dream. Because you see, your dream may not materialized, but the God, he hasn’t changed when I order. And he’s just as big and powerful as he’s always been. Because see, if I don’t get my dream, it’s because God had a bigger dream for me. I just couldn’t see all of it. God uses sometimes the depth of my visions to give me a better vision, to help me to see something I would have never seen no other way.

Because you see, it always seems to be easier to challenge and motivate people that are in good spirits and in good shape. But what about all those people that are not there? How many more people you can relate to and help and encourage? Look at number five. Number five, trying to please everyone is solved by first seeking overall to please the Lord. Galatians chapter 1 and verse 10, you got to see this verse. You got to see this verse.

Knock your socks off. In the book of Galatians in chapter 1 verse 10, the apostle Paul had told those people there in Galatia, he says, I marvel that You’re so soon removed from him, they called into the grace of Christ into another gospel, but there’d be not another gospel. He said, but there’s some that would pervert the gospel of Christ. And he said, though we are an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel, then let him be accursed. And then I said before, even so say I now did.

And then he gets down there to verse 10, and he says, does it sound like I’m trying to please people by what I’m saying? No, for do I now persuade men or God, or do I seek to please men, for if I yet please men, I should not be the servant of Christ. Your gold in life is not to please people, it’s to please the Lord. People may not be pleased by what you say and do. They come and they go.

They have different desires at different times, and you never know where they’re going to land. But God is sure He’s rock solid. He tells you what pleases Him. So seek to please the Lord. And buddy, that will help your attitude. That will help you more than anything else. Is it, am I pleasing God? Because you may not please people. And not everybody’s going to be pleased with what you say and what you do and the way you are. But I love that verse.

He says, do I now persuade men or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet please men, I should not be the servant of Christ. You see, you can’t please both. You can’t please God and man. And so if you’re pleasing God, be satisfied. If you’re seeking to please man, you’re wrong, right off the bat. And you ought to be discouraged because you have just chosen the impossible path. True? It is impossible to please people all the time.

The last statement I have down here is, grace involves tolerating other people’s flaws. I’m going to live by grace, then tolerate other people’s flaws. The Bible talks about love covers a multitude of sin. I didn’t say it covers all of them, but it does cover a multitude. There are many harsh critics and trying to please fuss people can cause depression. They can impose impossible expectations on you. True. Now, you may not need this today, but I assure you sooner or later you will, because all this is nothing more than just plain or common sense, just common sense.

Well, they say that common sense isn’t very common anymore, but it’s the Word of God. Principles found from God’s book. Look up here. Welcome to our service. We’re glad to have you. But we want you to know something more than anything else in the world. You can be discouraged. You can be depressed. Not knowing the Lord, not knowing where you’re going to go and you die. Not knowing who you are and what you are, what you’re doing. When you don’t know what happens after death, it can be very discouraging to anybody.

But all of those questions got resolved with me 51 years ago When I heard the best news I ever heard my whole life You know what was interesting today somebody called on my cell phone from up in Georgia somewhere and When I saw the first three numbers I thought oh it’s probably one of my kids, but I didn’t know for sure because the rest of it I didn’t recognize so I said hello may I help you I was in a game good mood.

And the first thing she says was, uh oh, I think I dialed the wrong number. I said, well, who did you call? She says, Patricia, I said, you know what? You are right. You dialed the wrong number. But you might have dialed the right number. She says, what do you mean? I said, well, let me tell you. I said, I know I have eternal life and I know that I’m going to heaven when I die when I want to die.

So wouldn’t you like to know? And she says, well, yeah. And so I talked to her a little bit and I led her to the Lord of the telephone. So I said, see there, you didn’t dial the wrong number after all. And I says, now, if I saw you 10 years from now and I asked you, where are you going to go in your dias? I said, what would you say? She said, I’m going to heaven. I said, well, how do you know?

She says, because I believe he died for me. She said, just like, she said that he died for me. He paid for my sins. And I says, if I never see you in this world, I’m going to see you. when I get to heaven, she says, I’ll see you in heaven. I thought, oh, that was so neat. It’s a wonderful story that God has given to us. Regardless of the problems that we may have, one of the biggest mistakes that we make is saying, well, when I get all of my problems solved, then I’ll think about the other people.

How long do you think it will be before you talk to anybody if you wait till you solve all of your problems? It’ll never happen, why? because you’re always having problems. You’re either in the midst of a problem, coming out of a problem, or getting ready to go into a problem. You know, somebody sent me an email about something that was on YouTube. So I went on the YouTube and I thought, man, it sure would be nice to be on YouTube.

Then that way people could just click on and, you know, anywhere in the world and be able to see my little messages or whatever I’ve got and a little gospel presentation and all that. So Betty walks into the room and she says, Yankee? Why don’t you type your name in there and see if you are on the YouTube? I said, well, I’ve never put anything on YouTube. So I typed in Ralph Yankee Arnold and lo and behold, I mean all these videos.

I had no clue any of them was up there and then it has so many 100 and something clicked on to this one and 90 on to this one and 60 on this one and 50 on this one. And all these people that had been, and this one was three weeks ago, and the other one was a month ago, and I didn’t even know I had anything on the YouTube. Somebody’s doing this. I have taken a lot of my messages, and they put them on the YouTube, and I had no clue.

You go home and you get your little computer, and you type in Ralph Yankee Arnold on the YouTube, and you watch, and see, it just all comes out. And it knocked me for a loop. I had no clue. And here I am preaching the gospel of the people around the world, And I couldn’t believe it. And one of them made a nice comment. It says, powerful message, great sermon, somebody in North London. London. What a wonderful life. What a great God we serve.

What an opportunity. So you never know what is going to be done and how far it’s going to go, but I just get excited about the things of the Lord. God is sure being good to us. Well, anyway, this hand represents you and me, the wallet represents sin. We all have sin on us. You see, God, He loves us. He hates our sin. And because of sin, well, we’ve got to pay for it. The wages of sin is death.

So we all sin that, we all have to die. So that’s just accepting the facts. Everybody lives, everybody sins, everybody dies. 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. So we have built in a natural depression, discouragement, because the greatest place in all the world is heaven, paradise. a perfect place and we’re not. This is why there’s so many religions in the world because so many are frustrated trying to figure out how to get there.

So everybody’s making up their own religion because they haven’t found the truth. You see, you don’t have to make up a religion or join a religion. God says you cannot save yourself. This hand represents Jesus Christ, he’s the Lord, God in the flesh. He came into the world because He loves us and he hates our sin. And the Bible says that our sin separates us from the Lord. So Jesus Christ, who had no sin, did not have to die.

He took all the sins of all the world, paid for it on the cross, and came back from the dead. And God said that if you and I, if we would believe that he did it for us, he would put this death payment that he made to our account, a death payment for my death, substitution. And I get to go to heaven on what he did. He died and paid for my sins. If he paid for my sins, it means I don’t have to pay for them.

I don’t have to pay for one sin. Of all the sins I’ve ever done from the time I’m born to the time that I die, I don’t have to pay for one of my sins. That’s grace. I deserve to die and go to hell. But I’m going to heaven because of his love for me. And God said he’d give me eternal life as a free gift and would never cast me out and never lose me. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.

Now who so ever believe it in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Best news in the world. I’m going to heaven when I die. Let’s pray shav’im. Every head bowed and every eye closed and no one looking around. If you hear tonight or watching by internet, would you right now just talk to the Lord and said, Lord, I don’t understand at all. I have been discouraged. I’ve been depressed. I don’t have the answers. I don’t have any hope.

I realize I cannot save myself. But I believe Jesus Christ died for me and paid for my sins. Tonight I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior. And bring God, said that if you would trust Him, He would save you and give eternal life, and you can go to heaven whenever you die. Would you trust Him? If you will, God will save you. Father, we thank you so much for this time together. Bless each one here and help us, Father, to look to you and to trust you and lay not unto our own understanding.

You said in Your word, trust in the Lord, Jehovah. We’re in the Lord Jehovah’s Everlasting Strength. That will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed upon thee. Thank you Lord for your word and all you’ve done for us 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 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 Matthew. a book of Matthew, and chapter five, Matthew chapter five. Verse 48, verse 48 of Matthew chapter five, it’s a verse that’s enough to scare you to half the dead. And I want you to make sure you listen to everything that I’m saying, very important. Verse 48 says, be there for perfect, even as your Father, which is in heaven, is perfect. God is perfect, and He wants us to be perfect.

Now isn’t that a little on the odd side, especially telling us in this world to be perfect like somebody else is perfect? Because you and I know that’s impossible because nobody’s perfect but God. He’s the only one that’s perfect. Some even said that, you know, what must I do? Good master in reference to Christ. He says, why call us thou me good? There is none good but one, that’s God. So there’s only one that is good, but alone perfect.

Because the Bible says we have all sin, and he says there is none good, no not one. So there’s none good, not one, there’s not one that’s perfect. So why would Christ ask us to do something or be something we cannot be? Somebody mentioned that they thought Jesus Christ had two messages, had two gospels. And if somebody came to him that thought they had to earn their way to heaven, he would tell them, You know how good they had to be.

Perfect. And then when somebody else knew that they couldn’t do it, he would tell them just by grace alone, by faith alone. When you read Matthew, Martin, Luke, it seems like there is two messages, but there really isn’t. Christ used the law to show people that they cannot save themselves by their works. So I want you to look here in Matthew chapter 5, And look what he says in verse 20 verse 20 now. This is when Jesus Christ was here now This is God Jesus Christ is God and he says in verse 20 He says for I say unto you that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees You shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven Unless your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees you cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven So the Pharisees were the law keepers.

Those were the best people in the city, in the whole nature of Israel. If they were the best, and that wasn’t good enough, and yours had to be better than that, well, how are you going to do that? Well, then he went through and he says a few things that also would cause you to have some problems, because he makes a statement in verse 22, But I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.

And whosoever shall say to his brother Raka shall be in danger of the counsel, but whosoever shall say thou full shall be in danger of hell. You mean just something so simple? You fool. You know you go to hell for that. So we finally got, I guess, to the place where parents finally had a good way of trying to keep their kids under control and make them do right. You don’t make up your bed. You’re going to hell. You don’t eat your food, you’re going to hell.

If you don’t go to school and door your homework, you’re going to hell. So it wasn’t long before everybody was told they’re going to hell for everything. So, my luck is to figure that, well, I’m going to hell anyway. I might as well have me up all for a banana. This isn’t talking about… You haven’t earned your way to heaven. But it is showing you that it’s impossible for you to earn your way to heaven. He also made a statement in verse 27.

I want you to see that. Verse 27, you have heard that it was said of them in old time, thou shall not commit adultery. But I say unto you that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath already committed adultery with her already in his heart. He said, well, that’s all for a man. That’s almost impossible. You mean if you don’t do it, but if you think it, you’re going to hell for that, then everybody’s going to hell.

I mean, Jesus is getting a little strong here. I mean, this is impossible. And if you do one little thing, look what he says in verse 29, if I write hand, I offend, they pluck it out. Then they’re by go around blind. He also says, you know, in verse 30, if your right hand offended the cut it off. So whatever you see, if it’s offensive, then what you saw wasn’t the problem, it was your eye, cut out your eye.

And if you do something, I mean, this wrong, then you cut off your hand. Well after a while, you wouldn’t have any feet, you wouldn’t have any hands, you wouldn’t have any eyes. I mean, what could you do? This is impossible. There’s got to be another explanation. I would think, well, there is, there is, there really is. But look what he says also in verse 38. He says, you have heard, and I’m sure you have heard, that it hath been said an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth.

He said, what do they mean? Well, if you knock out my eye, guess what I’m supposed to do to you? Not got your eye. That takes people out of the eye taking out business. You knock out my teeth, I knock out your teeth. Therefore, we start knocking out teeth. Or everybody don’t have any teeth anymore. He makes a statement here in verse 43. You have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy.

But I say unto you, love your enemies. You say, now, this is what, see, he says, unless your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and the fairly, you shall not in any wise enter into the kingdom of heaven. Then he lays all these things out here. This is what you gotta do. Ooh. You gotta do all this, man, who’s gonna make it? But he says, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and he said, but I say to you in verse 44, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, pray for them which spitefully use you and persecute you, that ye may be the children of your Father, which is in heaven, that ye may be the children.

I mean, I gotta do this to be a child of God. They know it just don’t make any sense. It seemed like this is backwards from everything I was always taught. This is, you gotta live a perfect life. You can’t do that. And then he talks about down here and again in verse 48, be therefore perfect even as your father, which in heaven is perfect. You say why people can get so confused? I can see why they can get confused.

Was Jesus confusing? No. It’s our limited understanding. You see, whenever people think they have to live so good to go to heaven, you know what Christ would say? Just be perfect. If you want to be saved by your good work, it shouldn’t then be perfect. If you want nobody to be perfect. What? The point. You sure can. So why try? But during the kingdom of God sits upon the earth, this is what He’s going to require. You have to live like this during the kingdom when He’s up on the earth.

Matthew chapter 19. There was a man who came to Christ. I want you to see this in verse 16. Matthew 19 verse 16. He said, and behold one came and said unto him, good master, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life? See everybody wants to have eternal life. What good thing must I do that I may have eternal life? What do I have to do? He said unto him, why call us thou me good?

there’s none good, but one, that’s God. But if thou will enter into the life, keep the commandments. See there you see, he says you got to keep the commandments to be, have eternal life. All right. And he said unto him, which? He said, which one? Which one do I have to keep? Well, you and I know that according to the book of Galatians, they have to keep the law, you have to keep how many of them? All of them.

And he says, and not only keep them today, you have to continually keep them every day as long as you live from the time you’re born to the time you die, you’ve got to keep the law perfectly. And if you fail at any point, then you blew it. You can’t go to heaven. Well, he says, Thou shalt do no murder, shall not commit adultery, shall not steal, shall not bear false witness, honor thy father, thy mother, and thou shalt love thy neighbors thyself.

And the young man said, all these things have I kept from my youth, up from the youth. I done did all of that. I did it. So I get to go. He says, what lack I yet? In other words, what else do I have to do? Jesus said to him, if thou will be, what’s the word? If thou will be perfect, go and sell that thou hast give to the poor, thou shall have treasure in heaven and come and follow me.

Boy, that’s a whole bunch. So you can see why people think they have to be good to go to heaven and why people think they have to keep the 10 commandments to go to heaven and why people think they have to give up something to go to heaven and give to the port to go to heaven. So people think going to church. given your money and not living a certain way and following the Lord all that’s involved in going to heaven because that’s what he said.

That’s what he said. You can’t ask. He said that. I just read it to you right out of there black and white. But in verse 22, he said, but when the young man heard that saying he went away sorrowful for he had great possessions. Now, whenever Christ used the law and he says, thou shall not commit a adultery and thou shall not steal and thou shall not. You know the one that he didn’t mention? Thou shalt not covet. He left Christ left that one out.

So when he said, well, what do I lack at? You broke the one on covet, he broke all the other and he just didn’t know it, but he covet. And so Christ used the law to show him that he has not kept all the law. So he makes a statement in verse 23. Jesus said unto his disciples, Verily I send to you that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. Why? Because why do you have so much riches?

Covington. You see, most people have a lot of riches if they covet a lot, but you can be a poor man and covet. Can you covet what a rich man has? Mm-hmm. You may be dirt poor here today and guilty of covetousness because you live for greed. You just can’t get it, but if you could you would. But he makes a statement. He says in verse 24, And again, I send you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter to the kingdom of God.

He says, it’s harder to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter. Why? Because the rich man trusts in his riches. As long as you have a lot, I don’t need God. I don’t need God. Because I got money. So many people think that as long as I got money, I can buy anything I want. You’re going to find out one of these days, it cannot buy you life. It may extend your life a little bit because you can afford a good health insurance and a good doctor, but so do they you’re going to die it can’t get you eternal life.

I know that in verse 25 when his disciples heard it they were exceedingly amazed saying now get this he says who then can be saved who can be saved because if you have to be perfect in order to be saved the question the disciples ask who can be saved because this would eliminate how many people in the world. Everybody because none of you in here can meet the standard. You see God gave his law in order for you to look at it and realize you can’t keep it.

You cannot keep the law. There’s not a man that can stop from ever lusting after a woman because you have a sinful nature within you. You cannot always love your neighbor. You don’t always love your enemies. And you don’t always do good to them who persecute you and say evil things about you. No you don’t. You get mad and you get angry and you want to fight back and you want to hurt back and you may not outwardly do it, but inwardly gets brewing and you know it if you’re an honest individual or you could be a liar.

The Bible says we’re all liars. I remember the first time I ever saw Ray Stanford do this in a big old meeting that he had. He said, how many of you in here have never told a lie, raise your hand. I mean, never told a lie, raise your hand. Well, you know, you’ll have a few kids who raise your hand and they’re lying. And so, of course, they’ve got to put your hands down. Okay, nobody’s ever told a lie.

How many of you here have never stole anything in your life? You never stole anything? Well, I can’t, well, I never stole anything. Well, I stole a pencil one time. Well, have you ever stole credit for something you didn’t do? Well, yeah. Okay. He says, so now I need to know that I need to hang on to my wallet because everybody in here has admitted that you’re liars and thieves. Everybody, you’re liars and you’re thieves. We are. That’s what we are.

We’re liars and thieves. And everybody is. And nobody can save themselves. But look what he says in verse 26. Jesus beheld them, said unto them, with men, with men, this is what? He says it’s impossible. You mean the way very one that just told you to be perfect also just told you it’s impossible. And yet you see, people don’t read far enough. And so now many of them taking those other verses, you got to keep the law to go heaven.

You got to be good to go to heaven. And you got to love your enemies and you got to go to church. You got to learn to give to the poor and you got to do all those things in order to go to heaven when you die. And nobody can. You can’t fulfill all of it. You’re not good enough. So God says it is impossible for you. But look what He says in the last part of it. But with God all things are what?

It is possible. possible for me to be saved. By God, but it’s not possible for me to be saved by me. I cannot save myself. You cannot save yourself. Now, I want to show you a verse that many people have heard all so long, almost all their life, but don’t really understand. Look in the book of 1 Corinthians in chapter 15, 1 Corinthians and chapter 15. We often call this the resurrection chapter, and it is. It’s talked about the resurrection.

But there’s something in here that I want you to see. Here in 1 Corinthians in chapter 15, I want you to know there in verse one. He said, Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel, which I preach unto you, which also you have received, and wherein you stand, by which also ye are saved. You are saved by what? The gospel. And he says, if ye keep in memory. So now you know you could not be saved by yourself.

You could not cause it’s impossible. But he says, with God it is possible. So evidently, somehow the gospel is to reveal to a lost man that which was impossible, impossible. The gospel. The story of presenting the gospel to a lost man, a person doesn’t know where he’s going. Shows a man why it’s impossible for him to save himself and why it is possible for God to save him. And the reason it’s impossible for a man to save himself, because God says there’s none good.

There’s none righteous. There’s none perfect. All have sin. man can’t save himself by his good deeds because he don’t have any. He ain’t have any. But yet in that same message is something that reveals the possibility of God saving a man. So the gospel reveals the impossibility of man saving himself. But the good news is that a God can and God will. Now, that’s what he says here. He says in the last part of verse two, he says, by which you are also say if you keep in memory what I preached unto you unless you have believed in vain, you often will how can you believe in vain?

You can believe in vain very easy, how? Well if you believe in Jesus Christ and he really didn’t die for your sins, that didn’t mean. You believe in vain or you trust in vain if he died and didn’t come back from the dead then you’re believe in in vain. Trusting in somebody who’s still dead. And you also see you can believe in vain if you don’t believe what the gospel really says. See a lot of people say, well, I’ve heard the gospel all my life and they say they believe in Jesus Christ, but don’t really believe what he said.

You can believe in George Washington, but that doesn’t mean you’re trusting George Washington to get you to heaven. You can believe that Jesus Christ down the cross and paid for sin and still not you go to heaven just because you heard that that’s a historical fact but to some time that comes the time when you have to believe he did it for you but what is said in verse three variety of living under you first of all that which I also received how the Christ he just died for our sins now stop right there you hear the statement all the time Christ died for our sins all right which of our sins did he die for If He died for all of our sins, there are people who teach that Christ paid for your sins up to the time you believe.

And then after that, you’re on your own. Then commit a sin that He didn’t die for, or a sin that He did die for, but you haven’t been forgiven for it. So there’s two things that has to take place. One is you must believe that He paid for a high man of your sins, all of them. And you must believe that He forgave you of all your sins when you trusted Him. Because if you believe He paid for all of your sins, then you say, okay, I believe He paid for all of my sins.

And He’s forgiven me only for those that I confessed. But now I’ve got to confess all of these one by one. Is it possible for you to commit a sin and not know you did it? Are you aware of every one of your sins that you have committed? So at this point, if you believe that you could lose your salvation because there’s some sin that you did not get forgiven for, then you don’t know that you’ve already lost it or not.

Because you can commit a sin and not know it. Is it possible for a person to be deceived? Yeah. So you could deceive yourself into thinking that what you did was okay and God says it is a sin and he could have already cost you your salvation and you didn’t even know about it. How stupid. So you have to understand this. He died for how many of your sins? All our sins. Now when I say he did it for our sins.

That means mine and yours. Our would be all of us. That means if I believe he did it for all of my sins, well, if he forgave me of what I’ve already done, but then I’ve got to get individually forgiven for all these sins, then I’ve got to stay on track and ask forgiveness for all these sins that I’m going to commit now into the day. So today, or forgive me, or forgive me, or forgive me, or forgive me.

How big of a gap can I have in here what I wouldn’t have to worry about it? How often would I have to keep asking him to forgive me? But make sure that I got them all covered. You don’t really know. So see, your salvation would depend upon you asking for forgiveness over and over and over again. God says, no, you don’t have to do that. You see, when you believe He paid for all of our sins, and you accept that payment that He has forgiven you of all of your sin, all forgiven, He forgive you of all of them, That’s the penalty, which is death and hell.

You have been forgiven of the penalty of your sins. As you live your Christian life, yes, as a child of God, I should confess my sins to the Lord. That’s for fellowship, not for salvation, total difference. But you see, what you have to understand is, is this sin that I commit today, or the sin that I commit tomorrow, or the sin that I commit the next day? Who’s are they? If I did it, I owe it. I own it.

It’s mine. So when I say Christ died for our sins, I must believe He died for my sin. That was mine. That was mine. That was mine. That was mine. That was mine. And He died for my sins. So He doesn’t say here. He died for only those things you’ve already done 10 years ago. years ago, he died for my sins. All of them are included. So they’re all there. And he had forgiven me of all sins from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.

So I have a payment for all of my sins all at one time. Remember that if a man trusts Christ as his Savior and God gives to him as a free gift ever lasting life, if it’s everlasting life, it lasts forever. This is why I am so strong on the doctrine of eternal security. One saved, always saved. And the reason is because, see, that is the gospel. If a man does not believe that he has eternal security, I don’t believe the man is saved.

I don’t believe anybody who’s saved if they don’t believe they’re saved forever. Because Because if they don’t know for sure they’re going to heaven, why should I believe they are? Why should I believe you’re going to heaven when you don’t even believe it? Only way you can believe that you’re going to heaven when you die is that there’s nothing that can keep you from getting there. If you could do something today or tomorrow or the next year that can keep you from getting to heaven, you don’t know you won’t.

If it’s possible, how do you know you won’t? And if that means that you could commit a sin that could lose your salvation, you’re actually say and Christ didn’t pay for that sin and if Christ didn’t pay for it you’re calling God a liar. Any person who does not believe in eternal security calls God a life. Don’t believe him. When Jesus says he that believeth on me hath everlasting life if you don’t believe you have everlasting life then you don’t believe what he said.

I’m not telling because people are wonderful and sweet and kind and all of it. If they don’t believe what Christ said then they don’t believe it. They don’t believe it and if they don’t believe it they call him a liar and so therefore I believe in the doctrine of eternal security. That once you’re saved, you have eternal life as a gift and you’ll go to heaven whenever you die and there is no tricks to that, there’s no gimmicks to that.

It is the best news and all the work. Now because this is truth in 1 Corinthians in chapter 15, I want you to see this verse. Because it is true and he is coming by it. He says in verse 20, but now is Christ risen from the dead so your faith is not in vain. Become the first fruits of them that slept by sense and for since by man came death by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

For in Adam all die, that’s the first man, even so in Christ, the last man shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order, Christ is coming back. And when he comes back, he’s taken all of us out and we can believe that all of that’s Now he can’t do that if he didn’t pay for all of our sins. And here’s why. How many of your sins were in the future when Christ died? When Christ died 2,000 years ago, how many of your sins were in the future?

All of them. You weren’t even born yet. Can Christ pay for your sins before you committed him? Yes, he did. Can Christ forgive you of sins? You have not yet committed. Yes. He can pay for them before you commit him and he can forgive you before you commit him. It’s maybe difficult to understand, but that’s the power of this good news. And he says, we’re saved because he has an endless life, an endless life. He lives forever. And his blood is incorruptible.

And I have a payment that is eternal, eternal redemption, a payment that he made. And then I want to close in this one verse, look at in verse 58, verse 58, because this is true. And life is short and we’re not going to be here forever. Therefore in verse 58 Therefore my beloved brethren be ye steadfast Unmovable always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord Do I believe that a Christian should labor in the Lord?

Yes? Do I believe in good works? Yes? I do but I don’t believe you should do that to be saved or to stay saved I was saved by grace means without my works. I am kept saved without my works. He saved me by His power. He kept me saved by His power. I didn’t have the works, good deeds to save myself. I don’t have the good deeds to keep myself safe. But as a child of God, I believe in certain law with all my heart, not to get to heaven but because I’m going there.

If you have not trusted Christ as your Savior, you are lost. You are going to hell. But it doesn’t have to be that way. as long as you can draw breath, you can trust Christ as your Savior. He said, he’ll never cast you out and never lose you. All you must do is believe that he did it for you. Look up here. This is you and me and this is sin. We all have sin upon us. Now God, keep his mind.

God loves you. Hates your sin, but he loves you. The Bible says we committed the sin, but he paid for our sin. So from the time that I’m born to the time that I die, all my sins that I own, their mind. He died for it. He paid for all of mine. So it doesn’t matter whether it’s past, further future, if they’re mine, he paid for it. He died in my place for mine, that which I owned. These were my sins and he paid for them in four.

Came back from the dead. Now when I believe he did it for me, he forgives me of all that I’ve done, not because of what I’ve done, but because of what he did for me. He paid for my sins. And so now all my sins are paid. All my sins, God don’t have a sin against me. There’s not one sin that can keep me from going to heaven because you see I don’t have any. He died in my place.

I’m going to heaven because of what he did for me. I am as righteous as God in God’s eye. God sees me, he sees me just as righteous and Holy as his Son is just as righteous and holy as God himself because see there’s no sin in heaven But I’m going there See with man, it’s impossible, but with God he can make you perfect and if he can make you perfect Would that be good enough to go to heaven?

Yeah, so I’m going to heaven because I have been made perfect as righteous as God Not because of what I did not because my works, but because Jesus Christ He loved me, took my sins, paid for them on the cross, came back from the dead. And God said, if I believe He did it for me, it’d give me eternal 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 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. 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 you to take your Bible and turn to the book of 2 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, and chapter 4, 2 Corinthians, chapter 4. You have heard most of your life if you’ve gone to church about the gospel of Jesus Christ. You’ve heard that you’re supposed to take the gospel into all the world and preach it to every person. You know, as a child of God, we’re supposed to witness and give the gospel. You know, there’s a lot of churches that are supposed to be gospel preaching churches.

Well, everybody that talks about the gospel doesn’t naturally mean they give the gospel. I want to tell you, point blank, here this morning, in a simple little message, what is it? What is the gospel? And I want you to totally understand it, fully understand it, because the gospel is the greatest story that can ever be told. There’s nothing in this world better for any man to ever hear than the gospel of Jesus Christ. So if you look there in your Bible to 1st, 2 Corinthians in chapter 4, I want you to Look in verse three, where it says, but if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost.

Now, I want you to see a couple things that was mentioned right before this great statement. If our gospel be hid, it’s hid to those that are lost. So evidently the gospel is for the lost. Now the gospel cannot be explained or made clear, understandable by the lost man. He doesn’t know the gospel. That’s why he’s lost. Those who do understand the gospel are supposed to fight for the clarity of the gospel and in defense of the gospel. Because that is our responsibility.

Because God has entrusted you and I with the gospel, even so we speak. Not as pleasing men, but God which try at their heart. So I want you to look there in verse one. Therefore, seeing we have this ministry, and this ministry is about the gospel, not being hid, but being revealed. As we have received mercy, we fate not, we don’t stop, we don’t quit, but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking and crafting this or handling the word of God deceitfully.

In other words, there’s some things that we may hide, but it’s not the gospel. There’s some things that we will manifest, and it ought to be the things that God wants us to reveal. There’s some things that God doesn’t want us to reveal from our lives. You see, there’s sins and so forth that we’re not supposed to boast about or brag about, but we’re all sinners. We know that. But he didn’t say, go into all the world and preach about your sins.

He says, nor handling the word of God deceitfully. You see, you mean there’s people that do? Yes. There’s people who make merchandise of other people. They simply want to pickle your little fancy, pickle your ears, tell you what you want to hear. Don’t talk about sin because that might make you feel bad. Don’t talk about hell because that’s an ugly thing and that makes me uncomfortable. So we won’t talk about that. We’ll just talk about love. If I really love you, I must tell you the truth.

And if I don’t tell you the truth, it’s because I don’t love you. And there’s a lot of people who really have no concern or care about the destiny of anybody. They simply want to make merchandise of people, and all they want is your money and your membership, but they care nothing about the soul of the individual. The last part of that verse is, but by manifestation ofountain truth, commending ourselves through every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

But if our gospel be hid, it’s hid to those that are lost. In whom the God of ): this world hath blinded the mind of them which believed not. Lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God should shine unto them. Now, I want you to look at your notes just a couple of things that I mentioned here. The Lord has placed this treasure, this glorious gospel, this good news into earthen vessels. You see down in verse 7 where he says, we have this treasure in earthen vessels.

This gospel that we have is a treasure. It’s the greatest treasure in all the world. If any man finds everything else in the world, become the richest man in the world, He roams everything in the world, but he dies and goes to hell. He was a fool. The greatest treasure is knowing God, and you cannot know Him except through the gospel. This message that God has blessed us with. We have been privileged to explain to individuals. The gospel is the lens through which we see God.

You take away the gospel and you’ll never find God. never know God. No man can know God except through the story of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the revelation of God in the flesh. And you can’t know anything about God except through his son who came to reveal his father. To Mar the gospel is to deface the portrait of Christ. It talks about the face of Jesus Christ, the face of God. You and I cannot know who God is, what God is like, what God hath done, what God will do, except through that story of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The word gospel is good news. It’s good news about what God has done for man and weoldemort. The third thing I have here is the gospel blinds the minds of those that we seek. So to veil the gospel, these to add things to the gospel that God didn’t add. Try to take away someidav from the gospel that God says put in. So in the gospel therein is the righteousness of God revealed. In the story of the gospel is the wrath of God revealed.

Romans chapter 1, your love and loyalty to Jesus Christ is revealed by your love and loyalty to the gospel of Jesus Christ. And your love and loyalty to the gospel of Jesus Christ reveals your love and your loyalty to Jesus Christ. If you’re not faithful to the gospel, you’re not faithful to Christ. If you’re not loyal to the gospel, you are not loyal to Christ. You cannot love Christ any more than you love the gospel and you can’t love the gospel any more than you love Christ.

It’s an awesome story. It’s the greatest story. Any Phasians 289, I want you to take your Bible and turn there with me. The book of Ephesians chapter 2 verse 8 and 9. These are my two favorite verses in the entire Bible. Probably never seen them before. But if you have a Bible, you ought to underline those two verses in your Bible. Ephesians chapter 2 verse 8 and 9. I want you to read those verses out loud with me. For by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast.

In this verse it tells you what the gospel is and what the gospel is not. So it’s very easy to understand what the gospel is. It says here in this verse that it is a gift of God. It is is the gift of God. For by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Faith is not the gift. Salvation is the gift. The inside is a gift. Now I want you to take your Bible and turn to the book of Romans, the book of Romans.

And chapter five, Romans chapter five and look at verse 15. Chapter five verse 15 says, but not as the offense so also is the free gift. You ought to underline the free gift. For if through the offering of one, many be dead much more the grace of God that they gift by grace in your underlying those words gift by grace, which is by one man Jesus Christ. had to bound it unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift for the judgment was by one to condemnation.

But the free gift is of many offenses unto justification. So in other men, a man can sin an awful lot and still be justified by faith and receive a free gift. And so as you go down through here it talks about the gift of God, the gift of God. Now look there in Romans chapter 6 and verse 23 verse 23 where it makes this statement for the wages of sin is death but the gift of God the gift is eternal life.

So So the gift is eternal life. It’s free. It is a gift. Means you can’t earn it, can’t work for it. And it is by grace undeserved. So no man has ever earned it or deserved it. So that is what we’re talking about. We talk about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Now look there in Romans, while you’re here, and look in chapter 11. Romans chapter 11 and look in verse 6. It’s difficult to explain the gospel to someone when it seems like, well, everybody knows that.

No they don’t. Everybody understand, no they don’t. Majority of church people, I’ve invented to say, in most churches that have no clue what the gospel is, what to say it is or what to say it is not. They don’t know. They hear about it, but don’t know what it is. You see, when he said, going to all the way in preach to the gospel, he didn’t mean going to all the way in preach to book of Revelation, to book of Daniel.

Well everything in the Bible is true, so it’s a good story, so it’s all in the gospel. No, it’s not. The gospel is a specific thing about how a man gets saved. How a man escapes hell. How a man gets to heaven. How a man has eternal life. That story of why Christ came. So just because you teach the Bible doesn’t mean you taught the gospel of Jesus Christ. So here in the book of Romans in chapter 11, look there in verse 6.

If you’ll have verse 6 underlying your Bible, you’re probably not saved. Now young. But underline this verse because it’s such an important verse. And if by grace, then is it no more of works? Otherwise grace is no more grace. If it be of work, then it is no more grace. Otherwise work is no more work. So it’s either by grace or by works, but it can’t be by both. And if it is by grace, then it can’t be by works.

Otherwise grace isn’t grace. And if it is by work, then it can’t be by grace. Otherwise work isn’t work. So how simple it is illustration. I showed you a long time ago, but you probably forgot it with my coat off. Well, that’s grace. My code on. Well, that’s works. But God says if it’s by grace, can’t be by works. Otherwise, grace isn’t grace. But if it is by works, well, then it can’t be by grace. Otherwise, work isn’t work.

So I’ll tell you that is. Now, I mentioned to you before, if I was asked to go see the President Day of the United States, better say, Yankee, don’t forget to put on your coat. Yes, dear. So I go in there to see the President of the United States. Is my coat on? What were my code off?

Yeah, don’t worry about what other people think. You’re an independent thinker. You think for yourself. Nobody tells you how to think. But how many think my code is on? Let me see your hand. Oh, you got a few. A few of you. How many think my codes off? Let me see him. Okay. Okay. Got a few. How many are confused?

Did you know there’s more of you that are confused? Why are you so confused? Because, see, I’ve added works to groups. You see, I give you, it’s free. No, it’s by your works. Are they the same? That’s not the same thing. If it’s by grace, it can’t be this way. If it’s by words, it can’t be this way. They don’t mix. So whenever a man is told that you’re going to have an oh, it’s free, but you got to do good too.

Well, then that just contradicted this. Now, either it’s free or it’s by your works. It can’t be both ways. God says if I grace or it’s by works, but it can’t be both ways. See, that’s what causes so many preachers to be confused. Why? Because their message is confused. The people are confused. It’s one way or the other. And the only way that you really know that somebody really believes and understand what you’re saying, I asked a man this question one time.

Now you listen to this question. Some of you’ll probably get it wrong. Can a practicing homosexual go to heaven when he dies? A practicing homosexual go to heaven when died if he trusts he tries to save you. Well, most of y’all get an A for the day. Did you know if you asked that question in some churches, that would be a total no. And the reason is because they don’t understand the gospel. Because you see, in the back of their minds, he doesn’t deserve to go.

He doesn’t deserve it. Look, what he’s doing. As though what you do in your life determines where you go when you die. It doesn’t. And this is what blows most people’s minds. can’t believe that. You can’t tell me all you have to do is believe. Well, if I can’t tell you, God can’t tell you, it don’t matter, does it? Nobody can tell you. But what if God says it is that way? If a man does trust Christ’s Savior, and if a man doesn’t change his life, If a man still lives like a devil, and if a man dies, and if the man went to heaven, be grace wouldn’t.

And people still will not believe it, because he doesn’t deserve it. Because in our little mind, we still think good people go to heaven and bad people go to hell. And that is not the Bible, and it’s not true. Look during your notes, there’s two things that I have here that I think are very important. the gospel must be free or it’s not the gospel. The gospel must be forever or it’s not the gospel. You either have to be saved forever or it wasn’t the gospel you believed.

You see, whenever you trust Christ as your Savior, are you trusting Him to save you for an hour, a minute, a day, a month? How long? Forever. Because if it’s not forever, what value is it? Is it, oh, I’m trusting Christ as my Savior till I sin the next time? Then I got to get saved again. What’s wrong with trusting Christ to say me forever? The good news is that when Christ saves a person, He saves you forever for all eternity.

Why don’t you take your Bible looking John chapter three in verse 16? John chapter three in verse 16. Now I know that majority of you here, you’ve heard this same message for 30 years, but there may be some of you here that’s never heard it at all. Some of you might need to refresh your course to appreciate what you’ve been given, to understand it. Look in verse 16, for God so loved all the good people that were really trying their best.

Is that what your Bible says? No, no, no, it didn’t say it. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. That’s Jesus Christ. The whosoever, whosoever, keeps the 10 commandments and obey the goal and rule and go to Calvary Community Church and play 25% half everlasting life. Do you see anything I’m doing that’s wrong? Is it wrong to add to what God said? Why not just let God say what He says without me adding to it.

When he says here that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that hosts so ever, believe it, should not perish but have everlasting life. And all he has to do is believe. Look there in verse 36, he that believe it on the son half, present tense, half, right now. What kind of life? Temporary life? Everlasting life. And he that believe if not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abide upon him.

So whether you have eternal life or not, or the wrath of God or not, depends on whether you have the Son or not. He that hath the Son hath life. And he that hath not the son of God hath not life. Look there in verse 18, he that believeth on him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed. Not because he didn’t live up to a certain extent. He’s going to be lost, the literal fire burning hell because he hath not believed.

He did not believe the gospel. What was this gospel that Christ died for my sins? He died for mine. It means I don’t have to pay for my sins because He did it for me. It means I don’t have to earn my way to heaven by my good deeds because He did it. All I had to do was believe He did it for me. And I believe He did it for me. God gives me as a free gift everlasting life.

And I get to go to heaven on what Christ did. Look in John chapter 5 and verse 24 In verse 24 says verily verily. I mean it’s truthfully, truthfully God cannot lie. I Say unto you He that heareth my word and believe it on him that sent me Hat everlasting life. That’s present to me right now. Hat everlasting life and get this in the future nature shall not come in the future into condemnation. Means that if I trust Christ as my Savior today right now, it means that I have everlasting life.

And in the future I can never be condemned. That’s pretty good. That’s what makes it good news. See, it’s not good news to go around the world telling people that, you know, you’ve got to straighten up and fly right. You’ve got to walk out straight and narrow path. You’ll have to endure till the end if you want to get to heaven. You got to keep the 10 commandments to go to heaven. All that shows him and he can’t do it.

And I always tell people you can’t do it. And then I try to let them know, look, let me tell you some good news. The good news is that Christ died for you. He paid for your sins. Will you trust him as your Savior? Will you trust him to take you to heaven whenever you die? And God said he would give you as a free gift ever lasting life. Look there in John chapter six. John chapter six verse 47 says, Verily, verily, I say to you, he that believeth on me hath, present in half what?

Right now, hath everlasting life. See the good news is that when you trust Christ, he gives you everlasting life. Oh, look what he says in verse 37. In verse 37, same chapter. He says, and verse 37, all that the Father giveth me shall come to me, Him that come up to me, I will in no wise cast out God said, I’ll never cast you out. I’ll never lose you. He won’t cast me out. He’ll know. Well, unless you send again, did it say that?

It didn’t say why? Why do people want to add to what? He didn’t say that. I’ll never cast you out. I’ll never lose you unless I send again. Don’t say that. People can’t believe God really means what He says. It just blows their mind. That’s too easy. It’s too easy. It ought to be easy, Dunder. He said, preach the gospel to every creature. Then it must be easy to understand. It’s easy. But the devil makes it so difficult and hard.

And so there’s some kind of preacher’s thing that they have to really help God out. We’ve got to have these people really mean business. God’s the one that meant business. There’s nothing you have to stop. There’s nothing you have to do. There’s nothing you have to promise. It’s so important to get this. Now look at one more verse with me right here in John 10. John 10 verse 28 makes this statement. And I charge them. No. And I give unto them temporary life.

What kind of life? Eternal life. What if it’s eternal life? I want to how long that lasts. Isn’t that a difficult question? How long? That’s like asking somebody, when was the war of 1812? Or here’s another hard question for you. Who’s buried grants tomb? Some people can’t figure this stuff out. This is difficult. I know that. And I give unto them eternal life. And they shall what? Never perish. That means today, tomorrow, I can never go to hell. Never, never, never.

Never. Best news in all the world. You know when he makes a statement here, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. Let me show you a simple little illustration. Here’s me. Here’s God. I want to go to heaven when I die. So I go to church. I go to the front. I pray, beg, hang, let go. Get a grip, grip on God. Tip the Lord of Quarter when they are from plate came by. I’m ready to go.

I’m good to go. And then when I do something wrong. Uh-oh, I’m slipping away. Slipping. I’m lost. Now I gotta get saved again. Go back, back, back, go. Get saved again. And as long as I’m doing fine, where you going? Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’m going to heaven. Now I’m going to hell. Now I got to get saved again. Where you going, Yankee? Heaven? Where you going? Not hell. Got to get saved again. That’s not the Bible. Because, see, God says, if I trust Him, He will save me.

See any difference? He said, He won’t cast me up. He said, He won’t lose me. He says, He gives me eternal life, and no man can pluck you out of His hands. You see, I’m trusting Him, God, who can’t lie, to take me to heaven. And He said, if I would, He would. So I did, and He will. So by going to heaven, it’s about what Christ said and what Christ is doing. He is my Savior, not me. It has nothing to do with me.

Nothing, zero, how I live never affects the Word of God. Now yes, as a child of God, it is the will of God that I as his child serve him. But I do not serve God to go to heaven. I am not here this morning. I am not preaching this morning so that I can finally make it to heaven. I’m going to heaven because 50 years ago in a little-low living room. I wasn’t in a church. The man was not a preacher, but he simply opened up the Bible and explained John 3.16 to me.

And setting there that night, I understood all that I had to do, all that I could do was accept Christ as my Savior and He would save me and give me eternal life. And I’d go to heaven whenever I died. If He gave me eternal life 50 years ago, would I still have it today? And will I have it 100 years from now? I have eternal life. I’m going to heaven when I… But does that mean just because you’re going to heaven, you probably lived a very wicked life.

I live more wicked before I trust the Lord. I guarantee you that. But since I’ve trusted Christ as my Savior and I’m God’s child, I believe that as a child of God, I should serve the Lord, but not to get to heaven. None of my service gets me to heaven. None of my service to the Lord for 50 years helps me secure me in any way. There indeed mean nothing like that. But I serve the Lord because I want to, because I love him.

I love the Lord, and I know he loves 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 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 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.

Looking for 16. For God so loved all the good people that were really trying their best. Is that what your Bible says? No, no, no, it didn’t say that. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. That’s Jesus Christ. The whosoever, whosoever keeps the 10 commandments and obey the goal and rule and go to Calvary Community Church and play 25% half everlasting life. Do you see anything I’m doing that’s wrong? Is it wrong to add to what God said?

Why not just let God say what He says without me adding to it? When He says here that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that hosts so ever, they leave it. Should not perish but have everlasting life. And all He has to do is believe. Look there in verse 36. He that believe it on the Son, half, present tense, half, right now. What kind of life? Temporary life? Everlasting life. And he that believe it not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abides upon him.

So whether you have eternal life or not, or the wrath of God or not, depends on whether you have the Son or not. He that hath the Son hath life. And he that hath not the son of God hath not life. Look there in verse 18, he that believeth on him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed. Not because he didn’t live up to a certain extent. He’s going to be lost, a literal fire burning hell because he hath not believed.

He did not believe the gospel. What was this gospel that Christ died for my sins? He died for mine. It means I don’t have to pay for my sins because He did it for me. It means I don’t have to earn my way to heaven by my good deeds because He did it. All I had to do was believe He did it for me. When I believe He did it for me, God gives me as a free gift ever last in life.

And I get to go to heaven on what Christ did. John chapter 5 and verse 24. And verse 24 says, Verily, verily. That means truthfully, truthfully God cannot lie. I say unto you. He that heareth my word and believe it on him that sent me hat everlasting life. That’s present to me right now. Hat everlasting life and get this in the future shall not come in the future. And to condemnation means that If I trust Christ as my Savior today right now, it means that I have everlasting life, and in the future I can never be condemned.

That’s pretty good. That’s what makes it good news. See, it’s not good news to go around the world telling people that, you know, you got to straighten up and fly right. You got to walk out straight and narrow path. You’ll have to endure to the end if you want to get to heaven. You got to keep the 10 commandments to go to heaven. All that shows He was a man, he can’t do it. And I always tell people, you can’t do it.

And then I try to let them know, look, let me tell you some good news. The good news is that Christ died for you. He paid for your sins. Will you trust Him as your Savior? Will you trust Him to take you to heaven whenever you die? And God said He would give you as a free gift everlasting life. Look there in John chapter 6. John chapter 6 verse 47 says, I said to you, he that believe it on me, hath, present in hath, what?

Right now, hath everlasting life. See, the good news is that when you trust Christ, he gives you everlasting life. Oh, look what he says in verse 37. In verse 37, same chapter. He says, and verse 37, all that the Father gives me shall come to me. Him that come up to me, I will and know wise, cast out God, said, I’ll never cast you out. I’ll never lose you. He won’t cast me out. Well, unless you sin again, did it say that?

It didn’t say, why do people want to add to it? They didn’t say that. I’ll never cast you out. I’ll never lose you unless I sin again. Don’t say that. People can’t believe God really means what He says. It just blows their mind. That’s too easy. It’s too easy. It ought to be easy, he said, preach the gospel to every creature. Then it must be easy to understand. It’s easy, but the devil makes it so difficult and hard. And so there’s some kind of preacher’s thing that they have to really help God out.

We got to have these people really mean business. God’s the one that meant business. There’s nothing you have to stop. There’s nothing you have to do. There’s nothing you have to promise. It’s so important to get this. Now look at one more verse with me right here. In John chapter 10, John chapter 10 verse 28 makes this statement. And I charge them. No. And I give unto them temporary life. What kind of life? Eternal life. What if it’s eternal life?

I want to know how long that lasts. Isn’t that a difficult question? long. That’s like asking somebody, when was the war of 1812? All right, here’s another hard question for you. Who’s buried grants tomb? Some people can’t figure this stuff out. This is difficult. I know that. And I give them eternal life and they shall what? Never perish. That means today, tomorrow, I can never go to hell. Never, never. Never. Best news in all the world. You know So when He makes a statement here, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Let me show you a simple illustration. Here’s me, here’s God. I want to go to heaven when I die. So I go to church, I go to the front. I pray, beg, hang, let go. Get a grip on God. Tip the Lord of the quarter when they all from plate came by and I’m ready to go, I’m good to go. And then when I do something wrong, Uh oh, I’m slipping away. Slipping? I’m lost. Now I gotta get saved again.

Go back, back, go. Get saved again. And as long as I’m doing fine, where you going? Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’m going to heaven. Now I’m going to hell. Now I gotta get saved again. Where you going, Yankee? Heaven? Where you going? Not hell. Gotta get saved again. That’s not the Bible. Because see, God says, if I trust Him, He will save me. See any difference? He said, He won’t cast me up. He said, He won’t lose me. He says, He gives me eternal life and no man can pluck you out of his hand.

You see, I’m trusting Him, God, who can’t lie, to take me to heaven. And He said, if I would, He would. So I did and He will. So by going to heaven is about what Christ said and what Christ is doing. He is my Savior, not me. It has nothing to do with me. Nothing. Zero. How I live never affects the Word of God. Now yes, as a child of God, it is the will of God that I as His child serve Him.

But I do not serve God to go to heaven. I am not here this morning. I am not preaching this morning so that I can finally make it to heaven. I’m going to heaven because fifty years ago in a little-low living room, I wasn’t in a church. The man was not a preacher, but he simply opened up the Bible and explained John 3 16 to me. And sitting there that night, I understood all that I had to do, all that I could do was accept Christ as my Savior and He would save me and give me eternal life.

And I’d go to heaven whenever I died. And if He gave me eternal life 50 years ago, would I still have it today? And will I have it a hundred years from now? I have eternal life. I’m going to heaven when I… But does that mean just because you’re going to heaven? You probably lived a very wicked life. I live more wicked before I trust the Lord. I guarantee you that. But since I’ve trusted Christ as my Savior and I’m God’s child, I believe that as a child of God I should serve the Lord, but not to get to heaven.

None of my service gets me to heaven. None of my service to the Lord for fifty years helps me secure me any other way. Anyway, there indeed means nothing like that. But I serve the Lord because I want to, because I love him. I love the Lord, and I know he loves me. And I don’t do it for rewards. I really don’t even do it for blessings. I do it because of what he hath done, what he hath done.

I’m not going to hell. I’m going to heaven when I die. And I love the Lord with all my heart, and I want to serve with everything that I have. but I don’t serve the Lord to get to heaven. My salvation, my going to heaven was a gift. It was given to me freely. Had nothing to do with how I lived. And if today or tomorrow I live to become the most wicked man this world’s ever known will not change the everlasting love of God toward me.

And he may chasten me, maybe take me home before my time, but I’m still his child and I’m still going to heaven when I die. It never affects the gospel, the good news of salvation. by grace and grace alone. The next statement I have wrote down here is you cannot know that you are really saved until you can say, I have it. Can you say right now positively in your mind? Can you say, I have eternal life? I am going to heaven when I die.

How many of you didn’t hear no positively beyond a shoutout if you died right now, you know you’re gonna heaven. Let me see you hand. If you’re here and you do not know that, You see all these other nuts in Him. You can become one too. Because a man would be a fool to turn down a free gift. Especially when there’s no tricks to it. You see, you don’t have to join this church to go to heaven or any church.

You don’t have to give a penny. When the orphan plate comes by, you can take some out for the heat in any way. Just joking, don’t take it. Look at the next statement. A man cannot know he is saved until he believes in eternal security. In other words, you need to know that you really have eternal life and that you’re going to heaven when you die. That’s the way you know I really believe the gospel, the good news, is that I have what He said I would have if I believed Him.

If you believe Him, God promised you to have something. What? Eternal life. Now either you do or you don’t. So look at the next statement. Since the gospel and eternal security is the same, you can have one without the other. If a person doesn’t believe in eternal security, they don’t believe the gospel. Because that’s what it is. It means that’s why I’m trusting Christ to take me to heaven whenever I die. Not if I died this moment, but I might die a week from now.

I might die 10 years from now. Well, whenever I die, I want to know I’m going there. I’m not there. See what’s down there? I ain’t going to see. It’s a place called hell, a little fire burning place. And this boy wanted firing insurance. The only reason I ever trusted Christ is about saving me, but not because I knew God loved God. I just didn’t want to go to hell. Now if you want to go to hell, that’s just your choice.

I’ll think you’re something missing upstairs if you do. Look in John chapter six, John chapter six. Just turn back to your left, just a couple pages. In John chapter six, there’s a big old story here, but we won’t get into that big old story I just wanted to show you something about bread. In verse 33 says, for the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven and give us life unto the world. They said, evermore, give us this bread.

Jesus said in verse 35, I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth of me never thirst. Two things mentioned here. hunger and thirst, two natural desires of man to drink and to eat. Boy, I love that. Food was one of the greatest inventions of all time, but he uses this to show you something. He says, in the Old Testament, they had manna. And when they ate that manna, Well, they had food to sustain them and to live for 40 years.

But he says, they’re all dead. The Lord gave them temporary light, but he didn’t give me eternal light. They didn’t live forever. He said, I’m the bread that came down from heaven. He said, if a man will eat this bread one time, one bite, taste and see that the Lord is good. One bite and you’ll have bread that will give to you eternal life and you will never from that point on never hunger, never. Never. And if you never hung, it means you never had to do it again.

That means that when you trust Christ as your Savior and He gives you eternal life, you never have to do it again. How many times can God give you eternal life? Now I can figure this out. Now people get something, they can’t figure this out. He said, if you eat this bread, one time, you will never hunger. Never. Isn’t that good news? It means that when I got saved 50 years ago, I never have to do it again. When I accepted Christ as my Savior, When I accepted Christ as my Savior one time, I never have to do it again.

It means that nobody has ever been saved twice. I’ve talked to people who’ve been saved. Oh, I’ve been saved a lot of times. You don’t get it. You have never found in the Bible where anybody has ever been saved twice. Never. No such thing. You’ve never found any Bible, any verse, any story where a man has ever been saved and lost the salvation. There is none, not one. Now you would think if a man could be saved today and lose it and still go to hell in the future, there would be at least a story, a verse, an illustration that said that.

Find it. You can’t. It’s not there. Maybe it’s because it’s not in the Bible, but people will tell you that where they get it from. They make it up because they can’t believe it’s by grace. They really don’t believe it’s by grace. You got to do something. Don’t you don’t? It’s a gift of God. Just believe it. Just believe it. You know what he also did? He says, you’re never thirst. And in chapter 4, John, he talked to the woman at the well.

He says, if thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith unto thee, thou would have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. She says, evermore, give me this water. She says, you don’t have a rope, you’ve got a bucket. How you get this water? He says, you drink the water that’s in this well, and you will thirst again. Look there. He makes a statement. In verse 13 of chapter 4, Jesus answered in Senator, whosoever drinketh of this water.

So first again, she was out there to well. She was thirsty. She was drinking some water. He says, you drink that water, you’re gonna thirst again. Means you gotta do it again and again and again and again. I ate yesterday, guess what I’m gonna do again today? I’m gonna eat again. Because it was temporary. Now God says, I have some water that if you drink this water, one time, you are never thirsted again. She says, evermore, give me this water.

And what did He say just there in chapter 6? You’re never thirsted again. It means it never has to be done again. I have been saved one time in my life. I never have to get saved again because it is totally impossible for me ever to lose my salvation. It’s not in my hands. My salvation is in his hands and he said, I will never cast you out. I will never lose you. No man can pluck you out of my hand.

You cannot ever come into condemnation again. That sounds pretty good to me. Now look at the next statement. Number two, what the gospel is not. It is not of works lest any man should boast. I want you to look there very closely at what I have italicized. To trust in the commitment of performance, regardless of how small constitutes works for salvation. You cannot commit yourself to live a certain way as the foundation upon which God is going to save you.

For example, and I mentioned two things here. One, Lordship Salvation, which teaches you must make Christ the Lord of your life to be saved. It is not true. Mark 12 says that this is the law. This teaches you must promise to start being good. To an individual, a semi-loss man. And I want to go to heaven when I die. And you tell me that I must commit my life to Christ. Or I must make Christ’s life. the Lord and the master of my life.

You just told me I had to earn my way to heaven. You just told me I had to earn my way to heaven. Because I’ve got to commit my life to Christ. It means I’ve got to change the way I’m living. It means I’ve got to stop certain things and start doing certain things. Then I’ve got to make Christ the Lord and the master of my life in order for God to save me. That is not salvation by grace.

That is not the gift of God that’s worked for salvation. And I don’t care how many preaches preach it. And majority of independent, fundamental Bible, even missionary minded, Baptist churches preach it. And I’m not lying to you, but it is not the gospel of Jesus Christ as a child of God, as a child of God. Now, yes, I should submit to the will of God. I shall let the Lord have his way in my life and be my master, tell me what to do, and I should obey him.

And yes, I should do all of it, but not to get to heaven. When you make it a criteria for salvation, you added works to the gospel, and that is an accursed message, and it is a wicked thing for any preacher to do. It doesn’t matter how many of them say it and do it. It’s not the gospel of Jesus Christ. Now, the second thing I’ve mentioned down here is where I am told, let’s see, I’m the lost man.

You’re witnessing to me, or there’s the preacher, and he’s telling me what I gotta do. And he tells me, you gotta turn from your sins to be saved. You gotta repent of your sins to be saved. What they mean is stop being bad. Anyway, you cut it. It means stop doing all those bad things. You’re doing, you gotta stop your sins. And is that the prerequisite? I got to do this before God will save me. If I do, that works for salvation.

I’ve got to deserve to be saved. I got to deserve to be saved by grace. That isn’t a paradox. And so what happened to the song? After they tell you all of that, and then it’s let’s all stand and sing just as I am. Just as I am. But you got to promise to stop this and stop that. Start doing this, start doing that. You’ve got to commit your life, change your life, stop this. And look, you’ve got to deserve to be saved.

Now let’s all seem just as I am. Nippa, crit. Say what you mean, mean what you say. God does, and he says it’s not by word. And see, you will never understand what grace means about what God says the gospel is if you don’t understand what it is not. It’s not of yourselves. It is not by works. And that means there’s nothing that a man has to do as a prerequisite to change in his life or the… What are you willing to be made willing?

You don’t have to be willing to… Well, you got to really mean business. No, you don’t. He meant business. He said, you trust me, I will save you. So 50 years ago, I trusted him as my savior. He is my savior. He’s saving me. I’m not saving me. I’m going to heaven because of what he did on the cross for me. That last little line I got there to definitely know you are truly going to heaven. You must believe in eternal sickness.

You must believe that you’re secure. And you only believe that because you believe what God said. He said it was a gift. Can you believe it’s a gift? It means that when I give it to you, I won’t take it back. It’s free. I’m going to heaven because God loves me that much. Look up here. I’m not really a long winded preacher. I’m commanded to keep you in here until it’s time to eat. And I got three minutes to go.

See, I know you’ve been watching the clock. Some of you sitting there. I told a person one time I said, wake up that person set besides you. He says, you put him to sleep. You wake him up. One man got up and started walking out of the church when I was pracing. I said, where are you going? He says, I’m going to shave. I said, why didn’t you shave before you came? He said, I did. This hand represent you and me.

The wallet represents sin. We all have sin on us. God loves us. Somebody loves us. And the Bible says that if we pay for sin, it’s eternal separation from God. But God loves us once it’s to go to heaven. And to go to heaven, you have to be perfect and none of us are. We’ve all come short of God’s perfection because of sin. Can’t get in. God says, you can’t earn eternal life. It’s not a matter of me trying to figure out what to do with my sins.

I don’t have to stop them, turn from them, change them. Nothing. Let that alone. That’s a done deal. He took care of the sin. This man represents Jesus Christ, God in the flesh. He came into the world because he loves us, but he hates our sin because it separates us from him. So Jesus Christ, who had no sin, didn’t have to die. He took our sins, died in our place, came back from the dead and said, if you and I, if we would believe he did it for us, He would give us as a free gift, everlasting life.

We become one with the Lord. And He said, I’ll never leave you, and I’ll never forsake you. You’ll have to figure out a way to break this. And that’s impossible. And God says that when you trust Him as your Savior, He gives you eternal life. And you get to go to heaven because of what Christ did or the cross for you. There is no other hope. There is no other way. There is no other name. Where you trust Christ as your Savior, doesn’t it make sense?

No tricks to it, no gimmicks. Let’s pray, shall we? You say, preacher, that made sense to me this morning. I’ve never really understood it before. Heard about it. Heard all around it. But it would never make really clear. And friend, if you’re sitting here and you’re not positive that if you were to die, you’d go to heaven. Why not just in the quietness of this moment, just talk to the Lord? You see, God sees you. God knows you. God loves you.

He paid for your sins. Would you just talk to him? Say, Lord, I’m a sinner. And I believe you died from my sins. And I’m going to accept that payment you made for me. And for when God said if you would believe it, He would give you as a free gift everlasting life. And if it’s everlasting life, it lasts forever. And if it lasts forever, where would you go when you die? To heaven. If you hear this morning and you say, that made sense to me.

I mean, I’m trusting Christ as my Savior this morning. I’ve never done it before, but it made sense to me. And right now I’m trusting Him as my only hope of going to heaven and preacher, I’d like for you to pray for me. And just a moment, I’m going to ask you to raise your hand. Raising hand doesn’t save you. It just lets me know that what I said made sense to you. I don’t want anybody embarrassed, so I do it with his bow nice clothes, but I would like to know what I said got through.

And I’d like to pray for you. I really would. So anyone at all say, yes, that made sense to me. to me and I’m on a trust crisis by Savior this morning. God bless you and God bless you, man. You can put your hands down, anyone else, other others. But if you trust Christ as your Savior this morning, God saves you this morning, gives you eternal life, and you get to go to heaven when you die. God loves you that much.

Our Father, we thank you so much for your blessings to us, and for those that indicate about and uplift at hand that they would accept that payment you made for them. Father, by doing so, they become your child, your child for all eternity. There’s no condemnation today and won’t be none tomorrow. And they can know that they have eternal life and they’ll go to heaven. We have to have blessed up on each person here. You’ve been good to us.

We thank you for this church and we ask Father your blessings upon each person and each family. 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 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 Bibleign, 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 a part of the Bible. you 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 something that is maybe a follow-up of last Sunday. Last Sunday was a message on what is the gospel. And today I want to tell you what is my gospel. It’s good to have a good message. But you know, not only want to have a good message, I want to have the best message. I would hate to think that I have lived for 50 years after I trusted Christ as my Savior and preached a message, but it wasn’t the best message.

I would hate to think that there’s another gospel out there somewhere that’s better than the one that I’ve been preaching. I have never in 50 years had to apologize for the gospel that I preach. I believe that it is the gospel, and I don’t believe there is a message better than the one that we have. I am also thankful, very thankful that I have the privilege of following in the steps of a man like Dr. Hank Lindstrom who knew the gospel and believed the same gospel.

And so we have the same gospel. So I want you to take your Bible and turn to the book of Romans in chapter 2. The book of Romans and chapter 2. Here in the book of Romans in chapter 2, I want you to see there in verse 11. Verse 11 down to verse 16 where he says, for there is no respect to persons with God, for as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law. So the Bible says there’s those that are going to perish.

It means that they’re not going to heaven. It means when never Christ says, for God so loved the world that He gave His only be God and Son to whosoever, believe it in Him, should not perish. But there’s a lot of people who do not believe in Him, and they will perish. They will actually be in a literal fire burn and hail for all eternity and they will have no salvation. This is why God says for us who do care to share the gospel, to preach the gospel.

And He makes the statement here in the verse 13 for not the hears of the law or just before God. How many times have you heard somebody say, well I’ve read the Bible, I’ve read the Bible through and through, I know all about the Bible, but just because you don’t mean you understand it. And you’d be surprised how many people, even preachers, that do not understand the truth of the gospel. The Apostle Paul made the statement in the book of Galatians in chapter 2.

He says that the truth of the gospel might continue with you. You see, we defend it because if we don’t defend it against any works whatsoever, One work destroys grace. One work, then it’s no longer grace. So the test of the gospel is it by grace. And he says here in verse 14, for when the Gentiles which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these have a not the law or a law unto themselves, which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts, the means while accusing, for excusing one another.

In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, and you ought to underline the last phrase, according to my gospel, there is no respect to persons with God. And did they or did they not trust Christ as their Savior? Not to do so. There’s a great penalty, great price to pay for not trusting the Lord. Now I want you to look there in your notes that I gave to you. There can only be two options concerning salvation.

One, you can be saved and lose it. or you can be saved and not lose it. Don’t that make sense? You can either be saved and lose it, or you can be saved and not lose it. It’s got to be one way or the other. It cannot be both ways. It can’t be both ways. It’s impossible. When I trusted Christ as my Savior 50 years ago, then I have either done things that would cause me to lose my salvation and then had to get saved again, or I was saved forever that day.

I trusted Christ as my Savior. It cannot be both ways. There are only ways that I can say at this point in my life that I know that I’m going to heaven whenever I die, whether it’s today or tomorrow or whenever, is that it’s free. But if it’s not free and I have to earn it by some performance of mine, then I can’t be sure I’m going because I’m not sure how I’m going to perform. And that would be true with any preacher, any person, in any church.

If they’re eventually going to heaven depends upon their performance, how they live, then their salvation depends upon their works. That means they can’t be sure how they’re going to perform because they’d have to be God to know the end from the beginning. But what if God from the beginning is already declared not by works of righteousness which we have done? Now that blows most people right out of the saddle. But people are not really listening. They have ears to hear, but they don’t hear it.

They have eyes to see, but they don’t see it. And they can be so close for so many years of their life and still not get it. They can’t believe that God will love them that much, that He will give them eternal life without any promises of how going to live. Now I want you to think about this. If I can be saved and lose it, all right, how can I lose it? What would I have to do to lose it?

And if I lost it, what I know when I lost it? See this is one of the problems that most people have when they think you can be saved today and then lose it tomorrow, is they never know for sure when they lost it. Because they don’t really know what sin cost them. salvation or how many of their sins cost them their salvation. So that’s why most people say, well I hope I’m going to heaven. I hope but they don’t really know.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could know positively, be not in the shadow of a doubt that you’re going to heaven whenever you die? That’s good news. If a man could lose his salvation because of some particular sin, well I’ve always been on the impression that when Christ died, they only had to die one time for all the sin of the whole world. Well, if He died and paid for all the sins of the world, what sin didn’t He pay for?

It paid for all my sins. Only thing I had to do was believe He did it for me and He would put that payment He made to my account and I get to go to heaven. So that means it would have to be a sin that Christ didn’t pay for in order to condemn me. But if it’s paid, why would I have to go to hell and pay for the sin if it’s already paid? And I believe he did it for me.

So there is no story in the Bible. There is no verse in the Bible that says a man can be saved and lose it. The other point made here is you can be saved and not lose it. Well, I believe and I showed you this last week that when When you trusted Christ as your Savior, God said, not Yankee, not the preacher, God says, I will in no wise cast you out unless you sin again. No, He didn’t say that.

But that’s what people add to it. Or, you know, you can’t tell me that all you can do is trust Christ’s Savior and you’ll go to heaven when you die. Why can’t I tell you that if God said that? If God said that, is that good enough? The Lord said, the boy was not good. Is it you can’t believe God? People just can’t believe Him. Because, you see, we thank God thinks the way we think. And in His Word, He says, your thoughts are not my thoughts.

Your ways are not my ways. We honestly, in what most people, I would say, believe that you ought to deserve to go to heaven, and that all those bad people, well, they deserve to go to hell. But God says, there are no good people that we’re all bad. We’ve all sinned. We’ve all come short of God’s perfection. So nobody has ever been able to save themselves or keep themselves saved. How can I keep myself saved? I wasn’t good enough to save myself from my sin.

So how was my good life going to keep me from committing some sins? You mean I can’t commit one? If I do, now I go to hell. There is no chapter and verse in the Bible that says it. So it can’t be both ways. Look at number one during your notes. The means of salvation. How is a man saved? You remember last week I took my coat on and I put my coat on. I took my coat on and I took my coat off.

Showing you that you’re either saved by grace or you’re saved by works. But you can’t be saved by both. Because he says, if it is by grace, then it can’t be by works. Otherwise grace isn’t grace. But if it is by your work, then it can’t be by grace. Otherwise work isn’t work. It’s got to be either by grace or by work. Have you ever heard of a verse that says for by grace? Are you saved? That not itself?

It is the gift of God. Not of work. Not of works. not. See, God has spoken, but people can’t believe that. They still believe that you still got to do good works to eventually make it. Not true. So he says, if it is by grace, it must be totally by grace. Totally. Not just that he saved me today. Now I got to earn it for the rest of my life. No, being saved for all my life is by grace.

I don’t work to do anything to save myself by any performance that I do. Now in our mind we think, well, that’s the way to ought to be, but not in God’s word. God is the architect. He is the designer of the plan of salvation and this is what God said. If it cannot be both ways then which way is it? It is by grace and grace alone. Grace means you do not deserve it and this is what’s hard for people to understand.

For example, do I have to go to church to go to heaven? No. Do I have to give money to go to heaven? No. Do I have to be water back ties to go to heaven? No. Do I have to keep the 10 commandments to go to heaven? No. Well then how do I get there? Christ died for me. Christ died for me. He paid my way. And all I had to do was believe He did it for me.

It is so simple that people can’t believe it. And yet that’s all they have to do. And it doesn’t matter how sincere a person may be. you’re still going to be lost. You’ll still be separated from God. I know it sometimes is hard for us to believe that God would literally do this. Let a person spend an eternity separated from God, inhale and never get out. And sometimes we think, well, maybe down the road, you know, after a little ways, God will just, hey, just to get all of it.

Let’s just all go into heaven. But that ain’t what he said. That’s not what he said. He that believeth on the hat everlasting life. He that believeth not. So that’s not the same. The wrath of God abides upon him. Forever. Doesn’t say temporarily. That is forever. Look at number two. The duration of salvation. How long is it supposed to last? Well what is he going to give me? If I do trust Christ as my Savior, what will He give me?

If I trust He Christ as my Savior 50 years ago, what did He give me? He that believeth on me half? Ever lasting life. How long would that last? Forever. If He gives me everlasting life, evidently that’s how long I’ll be saved for. Forever. Why would he give me everlasting life if it doesn’t last forever? He should just give me temporary life, you know, guaranteed for maybe at 24 hours, or maybe maybe a week. He that believed told me half life for a month.

But if he just said what it was, then I know how long I’d be saved for. Don’t you think that would have been fair for God to do for us? But he didn’t even say a year. He just put that word in there forever. You either believe it on me, is saved forever. I’ve never lost in life. It’s not to say forever, forever. You say, you don’t deserve to be saved. I don’t deserve to be saved for a minute.

I don’t deserve to be saved for a day. I didn’t deserve to be saved for a month. I don’t deserve to be saved for a year, let alone forever. But what if God really meant what He said? What if He really meant that? It means that every preacher who teaches the other is wrong. They’re wrong. And there’s a lot of them that are preaching just that kind of a message. Here in your notes, I had fun doing this. Confidence in eternal security.

Consider the following questions, which would be the best news. Here’s the question. See if you can pass the test. Is it best to think, hope, guess, or know that you have eternal life? Which would be the best answer? Boy, y’all are brainwashed. It’s best to know. Well, but does the Bible say that? Where does the Bible say that you can know that you have eternal life? I’m so glad you know where it’s found. Where’s it found? 1 John 5, 13.

Look over there. I want you to see this verse. I did not put this in the Bible, but I was 18 years old when I saw it for the first time. Remember I wasn’t raised in church, but when my father-in-law showed me this verse, man, it didn’t take long before I got big old swollen tears in my eyes. I just, it’s so hard to believe that you can know your happy turnal and know that you’re going to heaven. And nobody says in verse 13, these things have I written unto you that keep the 10 commandments and go to Calvary Community Church and pays 50%.

It says, these things have I written unto you that what? Believe. Believe on the name of the Son of God that you, who, those that believe, you may know that you have eternal life. Not everybody. Those that believe can know this. Know what? Know that you have what kind of life? Eternal life. So I can know I have eternal. Now look what he says in verse 10. Verse 10, he says, He that believeth on the Son of God, hath the witness in himself.

He that believeth not God, hath made him a liar. Not to believe what God says is to call God a liar. He said that if I trusted him, he would save me. For how long? He’s going to give me everlasting life must be forever. And if it’s forever, not to believe that is to call God a liar.

You said, well, you can’t tell, maybe I can’t. Can God, what a person listen to what God says? He said, if you don’t believe what I’m telling you, you’re calling me alive. Look what else he says here. In verse 11, this is the record that God hath given, past tense, not going to, hath given to us, that believe eternal life. And this life is where in the sun. It’s not in the church, it’s not in the Ten Commandments. It’s in Christ.

He that hath the Son, half life. He that hath not the Son of God, half not life. So who has eternal life? Those who have the Son. Not who that has good works. I got my baptism, I’m trusting in it. I got my church membership, I’m trusting in. Well, that can’t save you. You’re trusting in something. Well, work won’t work. Salvation is in Christ. It’s in a person. Look down in verse 20. And we know that the Son of God has come and have given us an understanding.

So not everybody understands it. That we may know Him that is true and we are in Him that is true even in His Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. So he that hath the son hath eternal life. Eternal life is the son. Eternal life is Christ. When you have Christ, you have eternal life. And the only way that I could ever go to hell is for Jesus Christ to go with me. I don’t think he’s going.

And he says that he’ll never leave me and never forsake me. Wherever he is, it’s where I’m going to be. And I don’t care where he is. I’m gonna be with him Because he’ll never forsake me That’s a promise in his word. I Either believe what he says or I don’t believe it and if I do believe it then that’s what I ought to preach What is my gospel that I preach? I? Don’t believe that it’s just a good message.

I believe it’s the best message In other words, I don’t believe there is a message better than this message We don’t have to apologize for this message We don’t have to be ashamed of this message. We ought to be able to stand up against anybody. Radio, TV, I don’t know who they are. Anybody. And say, this is the gospel. This is the message that I believe in what I preach. And I don’t apologize for it. This is the truth.

I do believe that I am eternally secure. There is no other way of knowing that you’re going to heaven. So is it better to think the hope, the guess, maybe, perhaps, or know that I have eternal life, to know that I’m going to have a look at the next question. Is it better to have a payment for some of my sins, most of my sins, or all of my sins? Which would be the best? All of my sins. Well, slap my mouth.

That’s what I believe. So then overdoses, and they say, I must believe the best message. Well, of course I do. We teach the best message, the gospel. That is, so one of all, I want you to look at this verse. Look here in the book of Acts chapter 13. Acts chapter 13, verse 38 and 39. 38 and 39. And just look and see what it says. Verse 38 says, this is on page 1167 1167 in an old Scofield reference Bible, we’re in the church Bible from the pew there.

Verse 38 says, be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this man, Jesus Christ, is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins. Did you know forgiveness of sins is for all my sins? And to be forgiven of all my sins is eternal security. Do you be forgiven of all of my sins? can’t hold them against me. What sin going to condemn me? Hell, if they’re all forgiven, all my sins. See, the penalty of my sins have been forgiven.

And he says here in this verse 39, and by him Christ, by him, get this, all that believe. Now, there’s some people that will believe it, some people will not believe it, they’ll never believe it. All that believe are justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. You could never keep the law of Moses and be justified. You’ll never live perfect enough to say, I’ve kept the law, I deserve to be saved and deserve to go to heaven because I have lived such a good life.

There has never been such a person in this world, man or woman. Now we’re excluding Jesus Christ. Everybody else, nobody has ever lived good enough to save themselves. Not one. That’s why Christ died for all. And just so that you know this, Mary who gave birth to Jesus says, I will rejoice in God my Savior. If she was not a sinner, she would not need a Savior. Think it through. He is the Savior of the world and everybody needs a Savior.

I just heard recently that they’re talking about trying to make somebody a saint. It’s been in the papers. Front page. And they’re just trying to find a miracle that somebody did that can claim and say, yes, he did perform a miracle. And so one person testified, I was healed because of it, and therefore they have the right to be a saint. Now let me just explain this to you. I am a saint and I don’t need your vote. I don’t require your vote.

You see how come you get to be a saint? I’m not a saint Bernard. I’m a saint. I’m a saint because I have been made pure and holy and set apart by the payment Christ made on the cross for me. If you have trusted Christ as your Savior, You are a saint. That’s why the Bible says to the saints that are at Rome, to the saints that are at Corinth. And yet these saints weren’t living like saints. But because Christ paid for their sins, they were sanctified.

The word hagiazu in the Greek set apart, been made pure and holy. And that’s why we call this sometimes a sanctuary. your body is to be sanctified because you are a saint. So I don’t have to worry about, did I perform any miracles? Is there anything that I’ve done that now everybody gonna vote on me being a saint? Three or four hundred years after I’m dead. Who cares? Who cares what people think about you? We’re gonna make, Jay, we’re gonna make Jay a saint.

And let’s say Jay’s been dead for a hundred years. Do you think he really cares? And what do we bestow? What did we do for him? Nothing. It’s a joke. That’s religion. It’s not the Bible. It’s religion. That’s where man says, he was so good. We got to bestow him some special honor. And yet in God’s eyes, if he’d never trusted Christ’s Savior, who Rabbi J goes to hell. But the only reason he’ll get to go to heaven is that he trusts Christ’s Savior.

Have you trusted the Lord yet, Jay? Oh, goodness, that’s great. I hate to hear him the teacher. Bible lesson and read our scriptures for us every Sunday. And it doesn’t even know the Lord. But it says that you’re justified by faith and faith alone from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. People don’t believe the scripture. And look at the letter C. Is it better to be saved for a day, a month, a year, or forever?

Well, forever. See, wouldn’t that be better? I mean, if God can save me for a day. Oh, why can’t God just go ahead and save me forever? What be… What’s the difference? If he can’t say me no longer than a day or a week, then I don’t need it. I don’t need it. But now if it’s forever, now that’s where crossing the ocean for. That’s where missioners going to here and there and around the square telling people how to have something because he got something.

To go into all the world and tell people, you gotta be good. Is that good news or bad news? To tell people to be good, to go to heaven is bad. It causes people to think, I can maybe live up to being good enough to make it. And so they go to church and they do all these good things and give some money, trying to earn their way to heaven. And God’s already said, it’s free. It’s free. And people just can’t believe 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 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 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. Look down in verse 20. And we know that the Son of God has come and have given us an understanding. Not everybody understands it. That we may know Him that is true and we are in Him that is true even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

So He that hath the Son hath eternal life. Eternal life is the Son. Eternal life is Christ. When you have Christ, you have eternal life. And the only way that I could ever go to hell is for Jesus Christ to go with me. I don’t think he’s going. And he says that he’ll never leave me and never forsake me. Wherever he is is where I’m going to be. And I don’t care where he is, I’m gonna be with him.

God he’ll never forsake me. That’s a promise in his word. I either believe what he says or I don’t believe it. And if I do believe it, then that’s what I ought to preach. What is my gospel that I preach? I don’t believe that it’s just a good message. I believe it’s the best message. In other words, I don’t believe there is a message better than this message. We don’t have to apologize for this message. We don’t have to be ashamed of this message.

We ought to be able to stand up against anybody. Ready, O, T, V? I don’t do who they are, anybody. And say, this is the gospel. This is the message that I believe in what I preach. And I don’t apologize for it. This is the truth. I do believe that I am eternally secure. There is no other way of knowing that you’re going to heaven. So is it better to think, to hope, to guess, maybe, perhaps or know that I have eternal life, to know that I’m going to heaven?

look at the next question. Is it better to have a payment for some of my sins, most of my sins, or all of my sins? Which would be the best? All of my sins. Well, slap my mouth, that’s what I believe. So then evidently I must believe the best message. Well, of course I do. We teach the best message, the gospel. That is, so one of all, I want you to look at this verse, look here in the book of Acts chapter 13.

Acts chapter 13 verse 38 and 39. 38 and 39. And just look and see what it says. Verse 38 says, this is on page 11, 67, in an old Scofield reference Bible, we’re in the church Bible from the view of there. Verse 38 says, be it known unto you, therefore men and brethren, that through this man, Jesus Christ, is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins. Did you know forgiveness of sins is for all my sins? And to be forgiven of all my sins is eternal security.

To be forgiven of all of my sins, he can’t hold them against me. What sin gonna condemn it? Hell, if they’re all forgiven, all my sins. See, the penalty of my sins have been forgiven. And he says here in this verse, 39, and by Him Christ, by Him, get this, all that believe. Now there’s some people that will believe it, some people will not believe it, they’ll never believe it. All that believe are justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.

You could never keep the law of Moses. And be justified. You’ll never live perfect enough to say, I’ve kept the law, I deserve to be saved and deserve to go to heaven because I have lived such a good life. There has never been such a person in this world, man or woman. Now we’re excluding Jesus Christ. Everybody else. Nobody has ever lived good enough to save themselves. Not one. That’s why Christ died for all. and just so that you know this.

Mary who gave birth to Jesus says, I will rejoice in God my Savior. If she was not a sinner, she would not need a Savior. Think it through. He is the Savior of the world and everybody needs a Savior. I just heard recently that they’re talking about trying to make somebody a saint. It’s been in papers front page and they’re just trying to find a miracle that somebody did that can claim and say yes he did perform a miracle and so one person testified I was healed because of it and therefore they have the right to be a saint.

Now let me just explain this to you. I am a saint and I don’t need your vote. I don’t require your vote. You see, how come you get to be a saint? I’m not a saint Bernard. I’m a saint. I’m a saint because I have been made pure and holy and set apart by the payment Christ made on the cross for me. If you have trusted Christ as your Savior, you are a saint. That’s why the Bible says to the saints that are at Rome, to the saints that are at Corinth.

And yet these saints weren’t living like saints. But because Christ paid for their sins, they were sanctified. They were the Haggioso and the Greek set apart, been made pure and holy. And that’s why we call this sometimes a sanctuary. Your body is to be sanctified because you are a saint. So I don’t have to worry about, did I perform any miracles? Is there anything that I’ve done that now everybody’s gonna vote on me being a saint? Three or four hundred years after I’m dead.

Who cares? Who cares what people think about you? You’re, we’re gonna make Jay, we’re gonna make Jay a saint. And let’s say Jay’s been dead for a hundred years. Do you think he really cares? And what do we bestow? What did we do for him? Nothing. It’s a joke. That’s religion. It’s not the Bible. It’s religion. That’s where man says, he was so good. We got to bestow upon him some special honor. And yet in God’s eyes, if he’d never trusted Christ’s Savior, Hohrabbai, J goes to hell.

But the only reason he’ll get to go to Heaven is that Savior. Have you trusted the Lord yet, Jay? Oh, good. That’s great. I hate for Him to teach a Bible lesson and read our scriptures for us every Sunday and doesn’t even know the Lord. But it says that you’re justified by faith and faith alone from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. People don’t believe the Scripture. Look at letter C. Is it better to be saved for a day, a month, a year, or forever?

Well, forever. See, wouldn’t that be better? I mean, if God can save me for a day, oh, why can’t God just go ahead and save me forever? What’s the difference? If He can’t save me for no longer than a day or a week, then I don’t need it. I don’t need it. But now if it’s forever, now that’s, you know, that’s where crossing the ocean for. That’s where missioners going to here and there and around the square, telling people how to have something because you’ve got something.

You’re going to all the world and tell people, you’ve got to be good. Is that good news or bad news? To tell people to be good, to go to heaven is bad. It causes people to think I can maybe live up to being good enough to make it. And so they go to church and they do all these good things and give some money, trying to earn their way to heaven and God’s already said, it’s free. It’s free. And people just can’t believe it.

Let her do you have a salvation. You can lose or when you can’t lose. Just think about the question. Is it better to have a salvation that you can lose or you can’t lose? But when you can’t lose, wouldn’t that be better? Why wouldn’t God make it that way if that’s the best? Why in the world would Christ down the cross to pay for my sins to save me for a day or a week, but he can’t do it forever?

In the words, I couldn’t get saved by my worst, then pray to them, how can I keep my salvation by my works? They weren’t good enough to save me, how come they’re good enough now to keep me saved? See, either by grace or by work, it can’t be both ways. As much as I want people to go to church and learn the Word of God, I can’t put that as a requirement to go to heaven. Why? I’m not God.

What right do I have to change the Word of God? Just because I want people to live right. Do I want you to serve the Lord and do right to read His Word to pray to give? Do I want you to do those things yet? But not to get to heaven Because it won’t get you there. It’s a total waste of my time and yours. And yes, there’s some people who trust Christ as Savior. They have eternal life and they’ll go to heaven when they die.

And they may never darken the doors of the church. They may never give a cent. And yet they’ll go to heaven because God loves them that much. Has nothing to do with it, whether you like it or you don’t like it. It’s not in your power. It’s not in your hand. Everybody in this church, if you hated my guts and you wanted me to go to hell, sorry, I’m going to heaven anyway. And you might as well like me here because you’re gonna have to live with me there for eternity.

So you might just start loving me now. Look at the next letter E, to receive eternal life as a free gift or by living a perfect life. If you had a church, which way would you want it? Would you want it as a gift or would you want to try to live a perfect life to get it? And remember, when you want to live a perfect life, that means from the time you’re born to the time you die. How are you doing?

You say, well, I haven’t sinned in 40 years. Let me talk to your wife. I think you’re lying. You’re lying, you’re dying. Now, look at the four things that I mentioned down here on the bottom, the strong points of our salvation. Once you are his child, you’re always his child. It’s kind of like me and Betty had three kids born into our family. They will always be our kids. Okay, I’m born them. Try it. They’re all once you’re born in your family, they’re always your children.

But I’ve tried to tell my kids something that God’s word teaches. You have a choice of being an obedient child or disobedient. Chopped you still as child. When you trust the Christ to say that you can be an obedient or disobedient. And if you’re an obedient child, God said, He’ll bless you here, reward you when you get to heaven. You’re disobedient. He says, I’m gonna have to chase in you, discipline you. Maybe take you home before your time. So can I live as I please?

Yes, I can. I still go to heaven. Yes, I can. And you preach it to tell you otherwise, doesn’t understand it. He’s a compromise, or if he does believe it, he’s afraid to go, you’re gonna turn against him or leave the church. I don’t worry about tiptoeing through the tithers, but I want people to serve the Lord. I don’t want them to be chastened. I want people to do right because I want God to bless him upon you. When you get to heaven, I want God to be able to reward you.

But you don’t do those things to get there. So going to heaven is free what you have. When you get there, it depends upon what you do for him. So I try to challenge and motivate people. Yes, I want you to love the Lord. I want you to serve him with all your heart, but not to get to heaven because that’s impossible. And if you just keep those things strong, but once you’re his child, you are his child forever.

Look at letter B. Once forgiven, always forgiven. Your sins are removed as far as the east is from the west, never to be brought up again. Once a saint, always a saint. Hebrews 10, 14 says, once perfected, always perfected. People that believe you can lose your salvation don’t believe God made you perfect in Christ when he saved you. Now this is what’s difficult. Have you ever seen a perfect person? In Christ, we’re all perfect.

When you trusted Christ as your Savior, you were born in the God’s family without a sinful nature. So I’ve been born twice. The first time, well, that was pretty bad. I got an old sinful nature and messed up an awful lot. Still bothers me, everyone’s in a while. But I trusted Christ as my Savior and God gave me a new birth. The new one. It doesn’t have a sinful nature. It was born of God. Because it doesn’t have a sinful nature, it doesn’t sin.

If it doesn’t sin, it doesn’t die. Second birth lasts forever. It was born from an incorruptible sea, which is the Word of God. So I got two births. The first one, one of these days, they’re going to bury it in the ground. Y’all gonna cry a little bit and, oh, we miss it. But while you’re down here moaning and groaning, I’m gonna be up there. You’ll see, though I die, yet shall I live. I’m going to heaven, my new birth, and it’s perfect.

That’s how come I can go to heaven when I die. Why? Because my second birth is perfect. You see, you have to be perfect to go to heaven and people can’t get this. You’ll never be perfect by trying to get your first birth to improve. You can send it to church and all this thing, but it won’t improve it. You’re still a sinner. Nothing’s changed. It’s whenever you trust Christ as your Savior and God gives you a new birth, you become His child.

And once you’re His child, you’re His child forever. And in letter D, you see, in this life, if you serve the Lord, once God says, lay up treasure in heaven, where thieves can’t break through and steal it. It means you can’t lose it. So if I was to serve the Lord here in a few years that God gives me a live, I’m laying up treasure in heaven. And he makes a statement in the book of Matthew in chapter 10.

He says, and whosoever shall give even unto these little ones a cup of cold water in my name. Verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward. You see, when you do things that God wants you to treasure, rewards, lay it up in heaven, you can’t lose. You could only lose what you could have done, what you could have done. God says He wants us to receive a full reward and serve the Lord all your life.

That means from the time I trust the Lord, until the time that I leave this world, it’s the will of God that I walk with my heavenly Father, that I serve Him. But I don’t do it to get to heaven. But God says, He’s gonna bless me anyway. He’s gonna reward me when I get there. And I figure I just want God to do whatever God wants to do. And if he wants to bless me in this life, Lord, you go right ahead.

And if he wants to reward me when I get to heaven, that’s fine with me. I serve the Lord because of what he had done for me, not what he’s going to do. Just saving me from hell is enough reason for me to serve the Lord for the rest of eternity. I want you to look in your Bible very quickly to the book of John chapter three, John chapter three.

The Gospel of John chapter three. I want you to know that if you do not trust Christ as Savior, sometimes people think, and a verse written in the book of Hebrews in chapter 9, verse 27, it is appointed on the men once to die and after this judgment. That judgment is the great white throne judgment. the great white throne judgment, there is no second chance. There’s no second chance. And the Bible says if their names are not found in the Lamb’s Book of Life, which means the second birth, you trust the Christ of Savior.

Then if your name is not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, then they’re cast into the lake of fire, where there will be forever and ever. There’s no second chance. They don’t get out and get the chance to change mind. That’s why it says, as the tree falls, so shall it lie. When you die, it’s either you’re in Christ or you’re not in Christ. You see, we were born in sin. If you live in sin and die in sin, that’s a position.

Then you’re lost for all eternity. But when you’re born in sin and you trust Christ as Savior, you’re in Christ, not in sin. You’re in Christ. And The die in Christ is to live forever with the Lord. So anyone who trusts Christ as Savior, you have eternal life. And he says in verse 18, he that believeth on him is not condemned. But he that believeth not is, what’s the word? Condemned, condemned. Already. Why? Because he hath not believed. So you can’t make people believe it.

But I want you to understand it. If you’re here this morning, you not trust the Christ as your Savior. You say, well, that’s okay because I’ll get a chance to have, there’s people who call themselves Jehovah’s Witnesses that believe you’re just in soul sleep. And eventually one of these days, God can give everybody another chance. Boy, don’t that sound like, well, it didn’t, it doesn’t matter. I got another opportunity coming down the road. I’ll just wait till then.

That is totally contrary to everything taught in this book. It makes a mockery out of preaching the gospel now, because it won’t really matter. If you eventually can all get there, and there’s people who believe in universalism, that everybody’s going to be there anyway. You don’t need to worry about it now. Is that the Bible? No. It makes a mockery out of preaching the gospel, because why preach the gospel? Why wouldn’t see anybody? Let him alone. When they get a second chance, they’ll all believe anyway.

So see there? But what if it’s not true? The Bible says there’s those who believe and those that do not believe and those that do not believe it. God says are condemned. Look what He says there in verse 30 say, he that believe it on the sun hath whatever lasting life. Look at the other part of it. Don’t forget the other part of the verse. He that believe it not the sun shall not, that’s in the future shall not what?

Shall not see life until he gets a second chance. See people read in the description, it’s not there. Don’t say that. It says he shall not. That’s a promise that’s in the future will not see life but what the wrath of God abideth upon him the wrath of God and how long you think that’s going to be where it says in the book of Revelation the smoke of their torment not the smoke from the fire the smoke of their torment ascended up forever and ever and when he took the bees in the false prophet and cast them into the lake of fire and then later the The devil was cast into the bottomless pit.

After the thousand years was over, the devil was cast into the, like a fire or the beast and the false prophet, are still there. And when you read the book of Matthew, I want you to do this one verse, look in the book of Matthew chapter 25. Matthew chapter 25. Matthew 25. And look at verse 41. Verse 41. You see, I know the devil’s gonna be there. Maybe the angels will be there, but people? Well, look in verse 41.

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand. Now this word them refers to people. People, depart from me, ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepare for the devil and his angels. Look, then in verse 45, Then shall he answer them saying, barely I send you in so much as you did it. I’m not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me. And these, these shall go away into how long is this punishment to last?

Ever lasting punishment, punished for how long? Forever. But the righteous and to eternal life, life eternal. Is there a difference here? Is there a contrast? Yes, there is. Does it seem like we’re all going to be in the same place eventually? No. That’s heresy. It’s not the Bible. It’s not where it’s taught. This means that it’s important for you right now to make sure have you really trusted Christ as your Savior. You can hear it for years. But did you really hear it?

Do you really understand if you don’t trust Christ as your only hope of going to heaven, you don’t go to heaven. You don’t go. You will go to a literal fire burning hell. And there’s preachers that don’t even wanna mention the word hell because it makes people feel uncomfortable. Did you know that it will not be long before me preaching on hell? It’s gonna be against public policy. Because it’s gonna cause people mental anguish. I’m not joking, it’s coming.

And I will probably have myself a jail ministry. Because I will not trim one word of what I believe the book teaches. You don’t need a savior to keep you from going to a place if it doesn’t exist. I believe Christ died and paid for my sins so that I would not go there. That’s why I needed a savior to save me from that place. I don’t want to go to hell. And that’s why when I was 18 years old, I sat there in that living room.

And I ball like a baby. And I bow like a baby. And all I knew is when my father-in-law stopped talking to me, I knew if what he says is true, I am going to hell. I’m going to hell. And I knew I don’t want to go there. So that night I trusted Christ as my Savior, and I know that I’m going to heaven. And I believe that I not only have a good message, I got the best message.

A gospel that has power to it. Because this gospel saves me from all my sins forever. And I can know that I’m going to heaven. It doesn’t get any better than this. God, I have a new commercial on TV. Look up here, this is you and me. This is sin. We all have sin on us. God loves us, hates our sin, but He loves us. So the Bible says that the paper’s sin is eternal separation from the Lord. Since we’re all in the same boat and God is not a respected person, God can’t save one person unless they deserved it.

And there’s nobody that deserves it. So nobody can go to heaven by earning it. So God says to go to heaven, I have to be perfect, because righteous is God, no sin. But I’m not perfect. I am a sinner. And God says, I cannot save myself. This hand represents Jesus Christ. He’s the Lord God in the flesh. He came into the world because He loves us, hates our sin because it separates us from him. So Jesus Christ took the sin, paid for it on the cross and came back from the dead and said that if you and I, 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.

And if you believe this, if you believe it, he says, I give to you everlasting life. It means life that last forever. That eternal security. What it means is once you’re saved, you’re always saved. Once you’re a child of God, you’re always a child of God. And once you’re forgiven, you’re always forgiven. That’s the book. Let’s pray, shall we? If you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior, But if you hear this morning, you say, that made sense to me.

And I want to be certain of going to heaven when I die and preach, I like for you to pray for me. It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve heard it. How sincere you may be. Are you saved? Are you going to heaven when you die? You can know for sure. If you’re not, why not right now? And the quietness of this moment, just talk to the Lord and say, Lord, I don’t understand it all, but I know I’m a sin and I believe Christ died, paid for my sins.

And I’m going to trust him as my only hope of going to heaven. If you’re making that decision, I’d like to know it. I’d like to pray for you. I’m not going to have you forward during the battleship, but right where you’re sitting, you can just slip your hand very quickly and put a right back down. Just God bless you. Anyone else? Anyone else? Just slip it up real quick, put a right back down. Other others. Our Father, we do thank you so much for all you’ve done for us, for the one indicating that by an uplifted hand that they would accept the payment you made on the cross for them.

We ask your blessings upon each person here and Father help us see the importance of why we need to tell people about it. 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 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, 3360. 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.

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 the commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s message will be a blessing to you and your family.

Turn your Bible to the book of 1 Timothy, 1 Timothy, chapter 5. The scriptures tell us an awful lot about the sin of gossiping, tail-bearers devouring one another. All these things that people do when they disobey God. What if some things that people say, and it’s not true? But then people believe that it’s true, and then so then they talk or treat that person as though, that’s a wicked person and it’s not true. Wouldn’t that be a terrible thing to do?

Look there in verse 15, or some are already turned aside after Satan. Remember that you’re either going to serve the Lord or you’re going to serve Satan. There isn’t anybody else. You say, well, I’m just going to do what I want to do. OK, you’re going to serve Satan. No, I’m not going to serve Satan. I’m just going to do what I want. What’s the difference between you and him? So you have a nature just like his. So it’s a fifth rebellion to God.

It’s Satan. So you’re either going to obey God or you’re going to obey the devil who we serve is revealed by the decisions that we make. And then he makes this statement here in verse 17, let the elders that rule well. Now that’s preachers elders in a church. Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor. So what does that mean? Aren’t like this? If a man goes to work and he just say in the church and he makes a hundred dollars.

If the average of the people is $100, then how much should the preacher make if he gets double-honor? $200. If they get 500 average, the preacher is supposed to get twice that. If they got $1,000 average, then the preacher gets $2,000. That is if he has committed himself to the study of the Word of God. Look what he says. In verse 17, let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially day who labor in the Word and doctrine.

Preachers are supposed to give himself to these two main things. That’s the Word of studying, knowing the Word, and prayer. Because that’s a powerful thing to know. Because that’s what you teach the people and that’s what governs their life. It’s the knowledge they gain from what the Bible has to say. And then the prayer that he does on behalf of interceding for people. One of the most powerful things you can have is somebody that can pray and talk to the Lord.

Because he’s either a holy man or a righteous man, Godly man. But look what he says in verse 18 for the scripture sayeth. This is the Old Testament Thou shall not muzzle the ox that should have out the corn In other words the ox that treads the corn ought to be able to eat of the corn and What he’s talking about the preacher that preaches the gospel should live of the gospel And he says this and that the labor is worthy of his reward.

This is what belongs Then he says in verse 19, that was the positive. Now here’s the negative. Against an elder or preacher received not an accusation but before two or more witnesses so that you don’t just listen to what somebody says there has to be witnesses and also in conjunction with this it’s based upon the truth of the Old Testament law to or more witnesses so that it’s established and it’s true because they’re going to check it out and prove before you just believe what somebody says find out if it’s true because what if it isn’t true have you ever heard somebody say something against a preacher and it not be true and yet people believe it that the devil can he doesn’t want people to believe that the pastor is either a good man or a godly man because he don’t want people going to listen to the guy.

The devil will say and do whatever he can to destroy it. Then in verse 20, if it’s true… Then, that sin, the elder, rebuked before all that others also may fear. In other words, can the preacher just do whatever he wants to do and get away with it? No. If he’s wrong, he’s to be confronted. And if he’s confronted, it’s to be between two and three witnesses at least, and to be proven to be true, and then it’s supposed to be known to the people, to rebuke the person, so that at person knows he can’t get away with it.

And then everybody else in the church knows, look, if the preacher got rebuked, everybody ought to get rebuked. If you really did believe what the scriptures teach, then there is to be church discipline. We should challenge and motivate one another to serve the Lord and to do right. Now, look now in the book of John, the Gospel of John. When Jesus Christ came, well, there was the problem of believing Him. And some would believe on them if they saw miracles done.

But there was the religious leaders that they had a problem with Christ. See, they didn’t believe He was who He claimed to be. And the reason the Apostle Paul made the statements that he did is because they had a lot of accusations made against him because people were saying things against Paul. And it wasn’t true. Paul says, look, find out if it’s true first. He said, I’m the guy that led you to Lord. I’m the guy that’s been teaching and training you all the years.

He says, listen to what I’m saying before you just quickly believe something and then you act upon it and it not be true. Well, what about Jesus? Did he have anybody ever say anything like that about him? Oh, yes. Why do you think they put them on a cross and crucified him? Because somebody said, somebody lied about him. Remember, they had witnesses, but they were false witnesses. They lied about him. They said he said things he didn’t say, and then something they said about him, well, he claimed to be God.

Well, he was, and that wasn’t a lie. It was the truth. So anyway, in the last part of verse 18, looking verse 18 of chapter 5, therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him because he not had only broken the Sabbath, but in their opinion, he was wrong, and they convinced the people that he was wrong, but also that God was his father. He’s making himself equal with God. Jesus said that God was His Father. Well, they know that if God was His Father, they know He’s saying He’s God too.

He’s equal with God. If you’re a human and you have a child, your child is human as you. Yeah. If God is God and God has a son, his son is just as good as God. I can say he’s as good as God. He’s as good as God. So when you go down through here and it talks about the judgment, look what he says in verse 30. I can of my 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 had sent me, if I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. In other words, you’re not going to believe me. If I only say what I am, then you’re not going to believe what I say. And maybe they don’t have to. But he says, I’ve got some witnesses. I got more than two. I’ve got more than three. And so they were to believe him.

Hold your place right here and look there in the book of Numbers in chapter 35. In verse 30 says, who’s so killeth any person? The murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses. But one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die. In other words, nobody is to ever die because of what one person says. So you had to have two or more witnesses because you’re talking about taking a man’s life. We said, well, do you mean if two people got together and said something about somebody, they could have them killed?

Well, yeah, but there was something else to it though. And so look there in the book of Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy chapter 17. See, God didn’t tolerate in the nation of Israel anybody believing anything else except the truth. And that was that he was God. They were not to tolerate all religions in America. Everybody can have any religion they want because that’s what slowly wanting to change our laws in our land because we have people here who have different religious beliefs.

They no longer hold the Christian faith. There was articles that I’ve read where the Muslims want to replace the constitution with the Quran. Well, should that be allowed? It shouldn’t be allowed. But you know, if they get it in enough places of leadership, get enough of them voted in, and little by little, they’re wanting to get into places of politics, because they know that they can change our country without having to bomb it. They can just pass laws and take over our country.

But look what else it says here, looking verse two. If there be found among you within any of our gates, which the Lord thy God giveth thee, man or woman. That hath wrought wickedness in the sight of the Lord thy God in transgressing his covenant, and has gone and served other gods and worship them either the Son or the moon or any of the host of heaven which I have not commanded. Whoo, that would take care of all these astrologers in our country and all those who worship their little horoscope and all that stuff again.

See, that’s a wicked thing. The horoscope, something so innocent, it’s just fun. No, it ain’t just wicked. How do you know God says so? You go by what the book says. He says in verse 4, and it be told thee, and thou hath heard of it, and inquired diligently, and behold, it be true. Now keep this in mind. We talk about two or more witnesses. It’s not just because somebody said something. It is to be inquired, searched into diligently, and get this, and it was true.

the thing was certain, and there’s no doubt about it, because you don’t just take a man’s life. But he says it’d be found to be true. And then he makes this statement. He says, and the thing’s certain that such abomination is wrought in Israel, in other words, the man or woman guilty of it, then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing unto thy gates, even that man or that woman and shalt stone them with stones till they what?

Die. This is God’s way of putting away evil from Israel. Okay, you think you can just live like you please and get away with it? They didn’t do it then. You don’t do it now. Get what he says. In verse 6, at the mouth of two witnesses or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death, but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death. Now get this, the hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death.

In other words, who’s the one that’s got to throw the first stone? The one that brought the accusation before you make an accusation. Am I willing to take this man’s life? Is it true? You see, this was to stop gossip. But in verse 7, the hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death and afterwards the hands of all the people. So thou shalt put the evil away from among you.” You see the ones that were the executioners or the people themselves.

Remember the hangings in the Old West? Outside where everybody can see it. Why do they want everybody to see it? This is what happens to those who commit crime. Crime doesn’t pay. Well, lo and behold, we live at a time where a crime does pay. Everybody does something and get away with it because our laws protect the criminal and they let the victim suffer the consequences. I go back to the book of John in chapter 5. You see, whenever it just in the New Testament says to be established in the mouth of two or more wits, this is what it’s referring to, but it’s to be searched into and verified to make sure that it’s certain it’s right and a person most of dying.

So when they said these things about Jesus, see, they were trying to get Jesus to be rejected because, you know, stirring up the people and the people were to have them stoned or crucified them. But now look what he says in verse 30, I can of my 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 him or the Father which have sent me. But he says this, there is another that bear with this of me and I know that the witness which he witnesses of me is true.

In the words, I’ve got somebody that knows what I said and will bear witness and say that what I’m saying is the truth. Who was it? Well, he says right there in verse 33, he says, you sent unto John and he bear witness unto the truth. For I receive not testimony from man, but these things I say that you might be saved. He was a burning and a shining light. And you were willing for a season to rejoice in his light at first, but because they found others talking about Jesus and Jesus claims to be God.

See, either the Pharisees, these hypocrites, had to either believe that Jesus was telling the truth, or then they’d have to believe on him. And that would mess up their little, I guess you’d call it their scam because they were religious scam artists. They were scamming the money off the people because the scriptures would always lead to Christ. So he, Christ, says, I’m going to give you some witnesses, not just what I say, but it’s also John said it. He says, and you know John, you heard John.

John said that I was the light. John said that. John’s the one that said you ought to believe on me. John’s the one that said that he was not even worthy to step down and get in and did Ty’s shoes. But I have a greater witness than that of John. For the works which the Father had given me to finish, the same works that I do, their witness of me, that the Father had sent me, he said, look, I’ve already raised the dead, I’ve turned water into wine, I can walk on water, and he said, I fed the 5,000, I’ve raised the dead, I called the blind to see and the deaf to hear, he said, what else do you want?

He says, what I’ve done, my works, that tells you who I am. You think, well, that ought to be enough. That ought to be convincing. No, I didn’t convince you. Some people, you’re never going to convince. Even when we witnessed the people, some people we went, some people, you’re never going to win. Just accept the fact. Jesus couldn’t convince them. I mean, if I saw somebody do all those things, I know that there’s no normal man. Something’s going on here.

I’d want to investigate. I want to find out. I want to listen to this guy. and the Father Himself, which hath sent me hath borne witness of me. You have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His shape, and you have not His word abide in you. For whom He hath sent Him, you believe not. He says, you don’t believe what God says, because God bears witness of me. And He makes the statement a little bit further.

He says, I am the light of the world. He says, when you put me on the cross, He says, my Father will tell you who I am. That’s why whenever Christ was on the cross, what happened to the lights in the world? They were all turned off. He got dark. He said, when you put me on the cross, he said, my father will tell you who I am. He said, I said, I’m the light of the world. You don’t believe that.

My father’s going to tell you who I am. He bear witnessed me. My father turned off all the lights and they got dark while he hung on the cross. He says, my father’s going to do that. Now, you did with all these testimonies, these witnesses, they would really believe it. Man, that would have scared me to death, not to trust the Lord. He says in verse 39, search the scriptures. Now what is the scripture? Scriptures is the Old Testament.

He says, for in them you think you have eternal life. You think you have eternal life just because you have the scriptures. He says, search the scriptures. He says, and you’ll find out they testify about me.” See what he says? And they are they which testify of me. The scriptures tell you who I am. And if you really know the scriptures, really believe the scriptures, then you would believe that I am truly the Son of God. I am the Savior of the world.

I am the one that’s come to make the death payment for the sins of all mankind. You would believe that I am what I claim to be the Son of God. He said, if you believe the Scriptures, but you don’t believe the Bible. You know the people who believe that you can be saved and lost, lose your salvation, you got to be good, you got to go to heaven and all that stuff. They don’t believe the Bible. They don’t believe the Bible.

Because see, they don’t believe the gospel message. The message of the gospel is that when you believe it, you have eternal life. If you don’t know you have eternal life, you don’t believe the message. You don’t believe the message. You’re not believing in Christ unless you know you have eternal life, unless you know that you’re going to heaven when you die. If you don’t know, for sure you’re going to heaven because you don’t believe it. Look there in verse 40.

And this is a very, very important verse. And ye will not come to me that you might have life. It’s not that they cannot come, it’s that they will not come. He says you will not come. He just says you could not come. Because Christ will save anybody. He says you will not come that you can have life So the reason they don’t have life because they won’t come it’s their fault not cause I’ve had people say well God chose to save some and let the rest of go to hell God came to save the whole world If they will believe it, but they won’t come to him.

They will not believe they will not trust him He says and ye will not come to me that you might have life. I I receive not honor from men, but I know you that you have not the love of God in you. You don’t have the love of God in you. See, that a lot of people live their lives and they love a lot of things in this life, but they don’t love God. One of the greatest things you and I can do is love the Lord.

How come Jesus Christ could say to them that you do not have the love of God in you because he knows every man? God know right now whether you really love him or not. If you really love the Lord. That is the key to loving him and being found faithful to him. If you’re not faithful to the Lord, you don’t love him. You’re deceiving yourself. You’re deceiving yourself. Because love is what makes you do anything. It’s like a man saying, I love my wife, but then you’re not faithful.

Something’s wrong with that. You love God, you’ve got to be faithful to God. You’re not faithful to God. You’re something wrong with a love problem. All these scriptures are dynamite. He’s in verse 40. I am coming my father’s house. name. You receive me not. If another shall come in his own name, him you will receive.” Now remember this, since Jesus Christ has been here, there’s a lot of people come and go and people claim to be prophets and so forth.

But there’s never been one, not really, a real prophet that came on the scene and claims to be sent by God until we have this guy named You ever heard a guy named Mohammed who started the religion of Islam? Did you know there’s a day coming when the people of Israel, I believe, are going to accept that religion? Someone’s going to accept. He says, I came in my father’s name. He’s going to come in his own name. There’s only been one.

This is why there’s a good possibility that the Islamic religion could be what leads into to the great tribulation period and be the worst religion that’s the world’s ever known. What would happen and what would this world be like if the Muslims were totally in charge of this world? What kind of freedoms would we enjoy? And would it be true that chances are you would lose your head? And the Bible says that the revelation that we saw the souls of him that were beheaded for his name’s sake.

It looks like everything is lining up just like God said it would. And they’re going to make his peace treaty with Israel. He says in verse 44, how can you believe which receive honor at one of another and seek not the honor that coming from God only? In other words, they were so hip on themselves that they looked upon each other. Oh, I honor you and you honor me and we honor each other and we’re somebody and we’re the do dads, I mean we really got it made.

We’re the big shots around here. He says, you don’t seek honor from me and you don’t seek to give honor to me. So whenever you’re like that, you’re a thief. See, they were not as righteous as they thought. They were self-righteous in their own mind. They sought to justify themselves even before man. And so there were some great thing and God says, you don’t want to be like a the Pharisee, which is a hypocrite. In verse 45, do not think that I will accuse you to the Father.

There is one that accuses you, even Moses, in whom you trust. In other words, you trust the law. You say you believe the Bible. You believe the law. You believe the Scriptures. Yet the Scriptures tell you about me and you don’t believe it. Moses told you in chapter 18 of the book of Deuteronomy that a prophet like unto him will come one day. And it’s talking about Jesus Christ. You’re on the 18. He says Moses told you about me and you don’t believe him.

Do you think Jesus was a wimp? He stood up and knew that these people wanted him dead. See over there in verse 18? They wanted him dead. And this is his answer back to them. He didn’t run. He didn’t have to hide. He says what I’ve done and what I’ve said has not been done in a corner. Jesus was a man’s man. Now look what he says there in now in verse 46, for had ye believed Moses, you would have believed me for he wrote of me.

That’s powerful. So he’s saying you don’t believe the Bible. You don’t really believe what you say you believe. You say you believe the Bible, you don’t believe the Bible. And this is why I say to people today, you don’t believe the Bible. I told a preacher that I said, you don’t believe the Bible. I said, read and you’re going to hell because you don’t believe the Bible. He believed you’re saved by what you do, and you have to live right.

And I said, you believe that? Your loss is a hound dog in the end of the soup bone. And people that get up here and can talk about getting the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and all that. They’re funny. They don’t believe the Bible. They don’t believe salvation is totally, really, truly by grace. And they believe you can lose your salvation if you ever had it. They don’t believe what Christ said. You don’t believe the Bible. You believe what you think the Bible says.

believe what you think the Bible ought to say but you don’t believe what the Bible says. It doesn’t say all that stuff. So a lot of people just do not get it. When I say they don’t get it and they don’t get eternal life they ain’t going to heaven when they die. Look up here. Letting this hand represent you and me and this wallet represent sin. Now we all have sin on us. Everyone here is a sinner. Just like me.

We’re all sinners. God loves us. Now he hates our sin, but he loves us. All of us are in the same boat for all have sin. All have come short of God’s perfection. The wages of sin is death and since every man sin, every man is condemned. And God wants every man to be saved and to go to heaven. So Christ is a sin. die for all men. You see, to go to heaven you have to be perfect, but nobody’s perfect.

Nobody’s righteous. So that’s why no man can save himself. And so a man cannot do any good deeds to get to heaven because you see it can’t be bought. We’re already condemned to pay for what we’ve done. So a man has to be saved. This is Jesus Christ. God’s Son. God chose His Son to come into the world because he had no sin. He was his righteous servant. He took all of our sins, the sins of the whole world upon himself, came back from the dead.

And God said that if we’ll believe that he did it for us, God is bound by his word. He has to save everyone who believes, whosoever believe it. For God so loved the world that he gave has only be gotten son that whosoever be leaveth in him should not perish, but have it a lasting life. God from the foundation of the world has predetermined to save all those that will believe. And all those that will not believe, God has predetermined, they’ll spend an eternity separated from God in a literal fire burning hell.

Salvation is free. It’s a gift and it’s whosoever beleiveth. Let’s pray show him. With every head bond, every I close and no one looking around. I hope you understand what I’m saying. I have no axe to grind. I just want to preach the book. And I want you to understand that God loves you. He’s in his son to die for you, to pay for your sins. He said, if you’ll trust him as your savior, he’ll give you eternal life as a gift.

You don’t earn it. You don’t work for it. You don’t buy it. And God says, once He saves you, you’re His child forever. You’ll never cast you out, never lose you. If you have trusted Christ as your Savior, I hope you understand the importance of telling people, getting them out under the sounds of the gospel. Let God use your power of influence in the lives of other people to get them under the sounds of the gospel. It’s so important.

Our Father, we ask Your blessed upon each person that’s here to help them to understand that you have chosen them. They have been elected, unknowned by you, called to serve you. Not to be saved, but because we are saved. And I pray, Lord, that each person here would respond to you, correct anything in their life that needs to be corrected. I love you with all their heart. 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 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 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. 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.

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 Gospel of John, the Gospel of John. A couple of weeks ago, I preached a sermon on the tabernacle, and I used the auditorium as an illustration. How? That there’s the outer court, and they had the brazen altar, and they had the altar of incense, and they had the labor, and they had a veil, and this was called a different room, it was the holy place. And in the holy place was, well, the table of show bread and the lampstand.

Then there was another veil that went into the holy of holies. And this veil, only the high priest got to enter into that veil once a year to offer a blood upon the mercy seat once a year for the sins of himself and for the sins of the people. And And that the Ark of the Covenant was in that holy of holies. And there on the top, the lid was what the mercy seized over the Ark. And in this Ark of the Testament, well, there were three things in there.

One was the Jar of Manah, and then the Aaron’s Rod that butted in the Ten Commandments. And so we went through that and took the whole service that night. I made a statement that as you studied the gospel of John, you will see it looks like Christ is walking through the tabernacle. So I want you to take your Bible and turn to the gospel of John and I want to show you what I was thinking about because you’re looking at the gospel of John as it’s laid out as though he was walking through the temple.

John chapter 1 looked there in verse 14. When it makes the statement in verse 14, and the word was made flesh and dwelt among us. That word dwelt among us means to tabernacle among us. See, Jesus Christ had been prophesied to come and that he was the righteous branch. He was my righteous servant. And so in the Old Testament, They knew the Messiah was coming. They didn’t all understand the difference between the suffering of Christ and the glory that should follow and how the timing of all this was to be done.

So there was a lot of things they didn’t put together. Well, even today there’s a lot of people that don’t put some of these things together. But in this verse when it says that the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory. glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Now look there in verse 1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. Now He was the life of the world, and He came into this world, and the Bible says that the earth is like a dark place. And he’s the light that came into the world and talks about John the Baptist and says there was a man named John who was sent to be a witness of the light that all men might believe in him.

And he says he made the world and came into the world, but the world received him not but to as many as received him to them gave he the power, the right, the authority to become the sons of God. And then in that famous verse that we talk about in verse 14, where it says, the Word in the beginning was God and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God, and the word was made flesh.

God manifested himself, took upon himself a human body, and lived upon this earth, and refers to his body as the temple. Because this was the Lord living inside of an earthly tabernacle. And so this explains a little bit at the beginning of where it’s going to head. Soon as all this takes place, you’ll notice there in John chapter one, and he makes the statement in verse 21, and they ask him, what then are thou Elaius? And he’s answered, I am not.

Or thou that prophet and he answered, no. And this is a question that were asked to John the Baptist. They said to him, who art thou? That we may give an answer to them that sin is. What sayest thou of thyself? He says, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. straight the way of the Lord as says the prophet Isaiah, and they, which were sent were of the Pharisees and they ask him, instead of him, why baptize the style then?

If there’ll be not that Christ, nor Elijah, neither that prophet John answered them saying, I baptize with water, but there stand one among you whom you know not. He it is who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoes latches I am not worthy to and loose. These things were done in Bathabara beyond Jordan where John was baptizing. Now look in verse 29, you ought to underline this verse in your Bible because it says, the next day John seeeth Jesus coming unto him and sayeth, Behold, the Lamb of God which take it the way the sin of the world.

He’s done to be the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world. You remember of the story where Abraham was going to offer up his son upon the altar and actually slay his son. And the Bible says that God stayed his hand and there was a ram caught in the thicket. And right before that it made the statement because the concerned son had asked the question, Dad, I see the wood and I see the altar, I see the fire and where’s the lamb.

And he says, God will provide himself a lamb. Not that God would provide a lamb. God would provide himself a lamb. And that’s written all the way back there in the book of Genesis. So this isn’t some new idea that come along. Jesus Christ was the Lamb of God slain from the foundations of the world. And so as you go through here and you notice in this chapter, talks about somebody that he met. This was not the normal man.

This was not just a regular individual. He had supernatural abilities. Look what he says down here in verse 45, Philip findeth Nathaniel and said unto him, we have found him, of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did right. So even they understood that Moses back there in the first five books the Messiah that was going to come, the Christ that was going to come. Because they said they wrote about it and get the rest of it. Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Joseph, and Nathaniel said unto him, can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?

Philip said unto him, come and see. Jesus saw Nathaniel come and set him to Him, and said unto Him, Behold, and Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile. Nathaniel said unto Him, winch noest thou me. into him, went to knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, before that Philip called thee, when thou was under the fig tree I saw thee. Jesus didn’t have to be there, but he could see him. Now that would let me know right off the bat.

There’s something different about this guy. He has supernatural abilities. It says her in chapter 2 in verse 24, Jesus did not commit himself unto them because he knew all men and needed not that any should testify of men, for he knew what was in man. This is not your average individual. Jesus Christ is that righteous servant, that righteous branch the Bible talks about that is going to come someday. And he is going to go into the temple and the reason he has to go into the temple is because he is going to offer some blood upon the mercy seat.

The mercy seat was the lid over the ark. It wasn’t a big place, it was a small little place. The ark of the covenant was a small thing and the lid had two cherubim that came over it. And inside of it was those three items and the blood was to be sprinkled by the high priest. Now the thing is, in order to do that, you had to be of the tribe of Levi, but Jesus didn’t come from the tribe of Levi.

Came from the tribe of Judah. So where does he get the right tact as a high priest? Well, the Bible says he was not going to be a high priest after the order of Aaron or the Levites. He would be one that would be after the order of Melchizedek, who the Bible doesn’t say we have any knowledge about his beginning or his ending or anything about him. He just shows up. And Jesus was going to be one that had no beginning and no ending.

And this is going to be a totally different different kind of a high priest. You see, those high priests in those days, they had to offer sacrifices for themselves. And then they go into the presence of God in that holy place, for the Shekana glory, and they didn’t know if they would live or die. So it was always done with fear and trembling. And that was only done once a year, and nobody else got to do that. So Jesus is the one that’s going to take and make our way for you and I to enter into the presence of God.

How can a holy God meet with a center on what grounds? And so that’s why the Bible says there’s only one man that’s a mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. So Jesus was going to come and do this. Now in chapter two you’ll notice the first thing right off the bat is he goes into the temple. As he goes into the temple he sees all these people, these money changers in been there. And I got a good hunch that not only did they change money, make profit, but they probably sold some animals.

They weren’t probably the best, but they would make deals, bargains. And Jesus, when he came, was very upset. And he says, the zeal of the Lord had eaten me up. In other words, I think he was mad as a hornet in Georgia language. So he says there in verse 15, and when he had made a scourge of small courts, he drove them out of the temple and the sheep and the oxen poured over the changers’ money and over through the tables and said unto them that so does take these things hence make not my father’s house a house of merchandise and the disciples remembered that he had written to the zeal of thine house had eaten me up then answered the Jews instead of named him what signs sure style unto us seeing that thou doest these things in the words who are you where’d you come from what right do you

You have to do this. I mean, this ain’t your party. Nobody invited you. But all the things about the temple pointed toward Christ coming. And here he is, and they whisked not who it was. And so he says there in verse 19, Jesus answered and said unto them, destroy this temple, and he’s not talking about the literal temple that had been built after 46 years. He’s talking about his own body because his body was the temple. God was tabernacle in this body.

And that’s why Jesus was present. He was God. And that’s why he said, he that have seen me have seen the Father. Because nobody could see God, but he was veiled in a body. And get this. The Jew said, four years six years this temple in building will thou reared up in three days, but he spake of the temple of his body. And therefore he was risen from the dead. He disciples remembered that he had said these things into them, and they believed the scriptures in the word which Jesus had said.

So he starts off right off the bat with the ideas about this temple and how he thinks about the temple. Because the temple, see, was the way the people were supposed to have a way by which they could approach God, but only through that high priest. So Jesus Christ is called the king. He’s called the high priest. He’s called the son of David, son of God, and he’s the priest. He’s the prophet. He’s the king. And so to be the high priest, it means he has to offer the blood upon the altar.

Now, in the Old Testament, somebody tried to take that honor upon themselves, and that was a no-no. You didn’t do that. As you would enter into the temple, there was this brazen altar by which they had the burnt offerings made to consume at time the total flesh, which was a sin offering. There were other ones that were like guilt offerings and trespass offerings by which people who sinned against each other had to come and make a sacrifice. So there were different kinds of offerings that were made.

There was the the labor and the labor was the water where they had to wash themselves. And the very next chapter, in chapter three, he’s talking to Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews who came to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God, for no man can do the miracles that thou do us except God be with him. In verse three, Jesus answered instead of him, Verily, verily I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

And then he talks about that which is one of the flesh is flesh, that which is one of the spirit of spirit, but the new birth as you wind it on down through. You’ll find out that when he gets to chapter 4, he talks to the woman at the well and he said to her, he says, if thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith unto thee give me to drink, thou would have asked of him and he would have given thee living water.

And she says, give me this living water. And he makes a statement there in John chapter 4 and verse 13, he says, whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again. But in verse 14, but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst. But the water that I give him shall be in him a well of water, springing up and everlasting life. God said, I have water that when you drink this water, you’ll never thirst again, never thirst again.

And so as you go through the temple, you’ll find out there’s certain things that are all referenced toward the Lord. the washing of the water by the Word. Because see the priests had to bathe themselves or wash their hands and their feet before they could enter into the holy place where they had the table of show bread. The table of show bread, well there’s the bread and 12 loaves for the 12 tribes of Israel. And there was the, some call it the candle sticks but it’s not candles because they didn’t use candles.

that was oil, they were oil lamps. And the oil, they had to take care of these things every day. So there was priests who had to minister in the temple every day that had to go on. But only once a year did they go into that veil. And that was where they had the holy of holies. So in John is talking about the washing of the water by the word. Now that’s where we get when you trust Christ as your Savior and you drink of the water of God’s word, you have eternal life, once and for all, forever, to be forever clean, to know that you’re going to heaven whenever you die.

And the Bible makes the statement in chapters 7 and verse 39, I believe it is, on that great day of the feast Jesus stood in Christ and if any man thirsted, let him come into me and drink and as the scripture hath set out of his belly, shall flow rivers of living water. water. This make he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive. See, in John chapter three, when he’s talking to Nicodemus, he’s talking about the Holy Spirit.

That which is more of the Spirit is Spirit. And that which is one of the flesh is flesh. There’s two different kinds. But the Holy Spirit is talking about the Word of God and the water of the Word. So it’s laid out in a wonderful way as you make your way down to the temple. Take your Bible and turn there to the book of John in chapter 6. You’ll notice in John chapter 6 we have it talking about the bread now.

How that Jesus Christ says that He is the bread of life and man cannot live by bread alone in this world, but by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God. There’s something more important than bread, but God wants us to understand if Jesus can do this, He’s not just your normal man. He’s not just the average guy. This man is the God man. And it says here in the book of John in chapter 6, he says in verse 5, when Jesus then lifted up His eyes and saw a great company coming to Him, He said unto them, Philip, when shall we buy bread that these may eat.

Now Jesus knew why he asked the question. He knew what Philip would say and he also knew that there was a little boy there. He already knew this because he’s God. He knows what’s in man. He knew there was a man there, a little boy that only had two little bitty fishes, five loads of bread. Jesus knew that. But he asked the question because he was going to do something. He was going supply fish sandwiches for everybody. But look at verse 6, and this he said, to prove him to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.

He knew in advance what he would do. Philip answered him, 200 pennies worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said it to him, there’s a lad here which had five barley loaves and two small fishes. But what of a among so many, what are we going to do? And Jesus says, make the men set down. Now there were much grass in the place.

So the men set down in number about 5,000. Now I don’t know how many women and children were there, or it’s just a really a reference just to the men. There’s a lot of people there. How would you like to feed 5,000? Peter Amato. He He has fun just with a couple hundred at times, five thousand. And here’s Jesus out there on the seaside, the northern part of the Sea of Galilee. And there’s two fish, five little baritos. This guy is not your normal guy.

You know, as I read this and I see what he says behind the scenes of these things about it, he knew what was in man and he knew already what he was going to do. I love reading stuff like that because it works on my mind. If that’s true then that’s true now. That means he knows what I’m thinking. Not just what I say. Not what I do. He knows how I think. He knows my motive because he didn’t lose all of that just because he went to heaven.

If he knew it then, He knows it now. True, scary, huh? Look what he says. He said, tell everybody to sit down, 5,000 of them. Jesus took the loaves and when he had given thanks. This is one of the reasons we do it. We should give thanks to the Lord for the food we’re about to eat. You remember after his resurrection and he had those two guys on the road and they didn’t know who he was? And then when they got ready to eat, says he broke the bread and gave thanks.

Ah, I know who he is. So he says there in verse 11, and Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given things he distributed to the disciples, the disciples to them that were set down, and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore they gather them together, fill twelve baskets with fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.

In verse 14, he said, hey, we just saw a miracle. Did you know a lot of the people follow Jesus only because of the free handouts? They could get something for free. It wasn’t because of him, it was worth a day, get from him. There’s people like that. They don’t need God. They don’t want God until they’re in trouble. And then they wanna take and pray some magical prayer. And God’s supposed to, voila, here I am. And then do it.

You can’t use God like that. It won’t work. God wants to use you, not you use him. There’s a difference. Yeah, God wants to use you for his purpose, his honor, his glory. Not you using God for whatever you want. Like he’s my little, my sugar daddy, he’s my little, um, miracle working guy that I keep in my back pocket. And I only call upon him once in a while when I really want him. And you think, okay, now you made a bunch of bad decisions, you got yourself in a lot of problems and then you’re just gonna quote some nice little prayer God doesn’t love me.

God didn’t answer my prayer. You think he’s just some millionaire uncle that suppose you call him. He told to give you whatever you need. Won’t work. Sorry. But he worked a miracle and many have because they saw the miracle. They followed him. But is he the bread of life? He is the bread of life. You see, he is more important to me than my necessary food. And I like food. I love food. But the Lord is to be more important to us than bread.

They keep us alive. And then in this whole rest of this chapter talks about how that he says your fathers were in the wilderness and they had manna from heaven. He’s on the true bread that came down from heaven. That’s why in the Old Testament, yes, they had the manna come. It was a pipe. It was a them to understand that the the bread that caused us to live forever is the bread that came down from heaven. And it was the man in the Old Testament.

But when Jesus literally came, he watched the bread from heaven. See there in verse 33, for the bread of God is he, which come down from heaven and give a life, eternal life to the world. And that’s why he says in verse 35. And Jesus threatened him, I am the bread of life. He that come up to me shall never hunger. He that believeth in me shall never thirst. See, that’s why when you go into that temple, that’s the bread and there’s the water.

And he’s all of these things. Because it’s a picture of Jesus Christ. They had a vivid picture of the Lord in the Old Testament so that they would understand these things. Because see, the Bible says he had not yet been manifested. He hadn’t revealed himself yet. Hold your place right here. Look there in the book of Hebrews in chapter nine. Hebrews and chapter nine.

I want you to see a verse there with me. And just take a quick look at this. Look in verse one, then barely the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service. and a worldly or earthly sanctuary. And there was a tabernacle made. The first wherein was the candlestick and the table in the showbread, which is called the sanctuary. That’s in the holy place. And after the second veil, the tabernacle, which is called the holiest of all, the holy of holies, which had the golden sensor in the art of the covenant overlaid about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded and the tables of the covenants.

See, I didn’t make that up. I was getting it from the book. See, the Bible says this. What else is it? And over at the cherubim of glory, shadowing the mercy seed of which we cannot now speak particularly. in detail. Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle accomplishing the service of God. But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood which he offered for himself and for the heirs or the sins of the people.

The Holy Ghost, this signifying, and Yara on the line, this, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. Christ hadn’t come yet and made the way and explained it all. Everything hinges upon Jesus Christ. Now he has been manifested in the Bible, tells in the book of Timothy in chapter 3, and obviously, verse 16, where it says, concerning the order of the church, how that God was manifested in the flesh.

It’s been done. And he has gone into the temple. It’s been done. The veil has been writ. He has entered into heaven and offered his blood upon the altar in heaven because the one upon the earth was made after the pattern of the one that Moses saw in heaven. You say, is that in the Bible? I’m glad you asked. Look in verse 23. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves were better sacrifices than these.

For Christ has not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but in the heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God for us. So He is our High Priest. And He has done these things. It had been manifested, Revealed so we can see and understand how you and I now have the right to enter boldly to the throne of grace Because of what he did he made a way He made a way there was no way before there’s no way for you or me to enter into the presence of God We had no standing We had no right no authority We’re not on the same level The only way you can face God without dying is to be just with God.

No fault, no sin. Christ was the only one that had that right, that authority. So that’s why all this is so interesting. 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. 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. 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. Did you know a lot of the people follow Jesus only because of the free handouts they can get something for free It wasn’t because of him It was worth a gate get from him There’s people like that they don’t need God They don’t want God until they’re in trouble and then they want to take and pray some magical prayer and God supposed to Here I am and Then do it You can’t use God like that.

It won’t work God wants to use you, not you use him. There’s a difference. Yeah, God wants to use you for his purpose, his honor, his glory. Not you using God for whatever you want. Like he’s my little, my sugar daddy, he’s my little, um, miracle working guy that I keep in my back pocket. And I only call upon him once in a while when I really want him. And you think, okay, now you made a bunch of bad decisions.

You got yourself in a lot of problems. And then you’re just going to quote some nice little prayer. But God doesn’t love me. God didn’t answer my prayer. prayer. You think he’s just some millionaire uncle that’s supposed to, you call him, he ought to give you whatever you need. It won’t work. Sorry. But he worked in miracle and many have because they saw the miracle. They followed him. But is he the bread of life? He is the bread of life.

You see, he is more important to me than my necessary food, and I like food. I love food. But the Lord is to be more important to us than bread to keep us alive. And then this whole rest of this chapter talks about how that he says your fathers were in the wilderness, and they had manna from heaven. He says, I’m the true bread that came down from heaven. That’s why in the Old Testament, yes, they had the manna come.

It was a pipe. It was a them to understand that the bread that caused us to live forever is the bread that came down from heaven. And it was the man in the Old Testament. But when Jesus literally came, he watched the bread from heaven. See there in verse 33, for the bread of God is He, which cometh down from heaven and give a life, eternal life to the world. And that’s why he says in verse 35. And Jesus said unto him, I am the bread of life.

He that come up to me shall never hunger. He that believeth in me shall never thirst. See that’s why when you go into the temple to see you, that’s the bread and there’s the water. And he’s all of these things because it’s a picture of Jesus Christ. They had a vivid picture of the Lord in the Old Testament so that they would understand these things. Because see the Bible says he had not yet been manifested. He hadn’t revealed himself yet.

Hold your place right here. Look there in the book of Hebrews in chapter 9. Hebrews in chapter 9. I want you to see a verse there with me. And just take a quick look at this. Look in verse one, then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service and a worldly or earthly sanctuary. And there was a tabernacle made. The first wherein was the candlestick and the table in the showbread, which is called the sanctuary, that’s in the holy place.

And after the second veil, the tabernacle, which is called the the holiest of all, the holy of holies, which had the golden sensor in the art of the covenant overlaid about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenants. See, I didn’t make that up. I was getting it from the book. See, the Bible says this. Look what else he said. And over at the cherubim of glory, shadowing the mercy seat of which we cannot now speak particular in detail.

Now, when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle accomplishing the service of God. But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the heirs or the sins of the people. The Holy Ghost, this signifying, and Yoda on the line, this, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. Christ hadn’t come yet and made the way and explained it all.

Everything hinges upon Jesus Christ. Now he has been manifested in the Bible tells in the book of Timothy in chapter 3 and I believe verse 16 where it says concerning the order of the church, how that God was manifested in the flesh. It’s been done. And he has gone into the temple. It’s been done. The veil has been writ. He has entered into heaven and offered his blood upon the altar in heaven. Because the one upon the earth was made after the pattern of the one that Moses saw in heaven.

You say, is that in the Bible? I’m glad you asked. Look in verse 23. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves were better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God for us. So He is our high priest, and He has done these things.

It had been manifested, revealed so we can see and understand how How you and I now have the right to enter boldly to the throne of grace because of what he did. He made a way. He made a way. There was no way before. There’s no way for you or me to enter into the presence of God. We had no standing. We had no right, no authority. We’re not on the same level. The only way you can face God is without dying is to be just with God.

No fault, no sin. Christ was the only one that had that right, that authority. So that’s why all this is so interesting. Now I want you to look there in John chapter 6, where he made the statement in verse 37, all that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that come to me, I will know wise cast out. He will never cast you out. And there was a problem that if they came into the holy place and it wasn’t right, they had to tie our rope around the high priest because nobody was going in there to get him and they would drag him out.

But you and I can enter into the presence of God because the Lord had made a way. He is the way that when he says, I am the way, the truth and the life, he’s telling the truth. That’s why he did it. That’s why he came. But now in verse 44, I want you to see this. No man can come to me except the Father, which have sent me, draw him, and I will raise him up at the last day.

So everybody think, well, okay, now this means that nobody can go to learn unless God draws us. And so they believe in predestination and a false idea of predestination. But Christ says, if I be lifted up, I will draw all men. And that’s why he says, preach the gospel to all men, because through that message, he wants every man to know that God has paid for his sins, and that all men, the good news is that they can be saved and have eternal life.

So the drawing is there, and that’s what we do when we present the gospel. But some people respond, some people do not. It is a choice of what people will or will not do. Now, he says, that’s what I’m saying. Does it offend you?” And everybody seems to get a little offended. But looking verse 63 of the same chapter, it is the spirit that quickens or makes alive. The flesh prophetate nothing, the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life.

That’s why he said, he that hearth my word and believeeth on him that sent me half everlasting life. And so he says in verse 64, but there are some of you that and you ought to underline it. That believe not. Some you do not believe. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believe not and who should betray Him. He already knows. He’s God. And he says in verse 65, therefore said, I unto you that no man can come unto me except that we’re given him of my Father.

In other words, so how does he draw? He draws with the gospel and those that believe. Go and those that do not believe, don’t go. And that’s why he made the statement from that time, many of his disciples went back. Because they only followed him for the one reason, because they liked what they were getting. And so he says, will you also go away? And look in verse 68, Simon Peter answered, said unto him, to whom shall we go?

Thou hast the words of eternal life, and we believe, And are sure that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. He said, we believe it. Some did believe it, and some did not believe it. Now take your Bible and turn me to the book of John chapter eight. John chapter eight, remember as you go through the tabernacle, there’s also what is called the lampstand. The lampstand was made of pure gold. And it had one single place for the light and three on the sides, and the Bible talks about they put oil in them.

And this is where they, because of the Maccabees, Mathew Maccabees, because the people were so cruel to the Jewish people. This is between the Old Testament and the New Testament, and there had been such persecution and Antiochus Epiphanes sacrificed a pig upon the altar. And so they cleansed the temple. They got together and they had a little war and they defeated the enemy. But whenever they wanted to rededicate the temple, which took eight days, they didn’t have enough oil because they didn’t have enough oil.

They only had it for one day. But the oil miraculously kept burning for those eight days. And even to this day the Jewish people talk about the festival of lights, or they call it Hanukkah, which is the last three weeks of the month of December. And so that’s what they’re doing, that’s called the dedication of the rededication. And so it’s a festival time for them. But it’s talking about this lampstand. Christ says, I am the light of the world.

See there in verse 12? In verse 12, where he says, he’s spoken to them, I am the light of the world. He that followed me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. See, everything in the temple was a picture of Jesus Christ. It’s the type of Him. He is the fulfillment of it. You take Christ away, and that’s such a meaningless thing that they were doing and what they were going through. Unless there’s a purpose behind all of it.

And many times people don’t see what’s behind it. What’s the real reasons? But he says, I am the light of the world. And to be a light of the world, he said, you have to die. Look in chapter 12 real quick, chapter 12. He says in verse 23, and Jesus answered them and said, the hour is come. On many occasions they tried to kill him and he kept saying, my hour is not my hour is not yet come. But now the hour is come.

And he says, very, very I say unto you, except the corner of wheat, fallen to the ground and died about it alone. But if it died, it’d bring forth much fruit, talking about himself, talking about the death that he’s going to die. And he says in verse 27, now is my soul troubled. What shall I save? Father, save me from this hour. But forFlor this cause came I into this world, unto this hour. So this was the cause of why He came.

He came into the world to die for the sins of the whole world. And not to pay for the sins that you did this year. And then you got to do it again next year. And then in the next year, that’s all a type of works for salvation, which can never pay for sin. And so Christ was going to make a payment for sins, which would last forever and only have to do it one time. And my water will wash you clean forever.

And you’ll never thirst again. And my bread, when you eat that bread, which is the type of me, I’m the bread that came down from heaven. He didn’t believe it than me, hath everlasting life. Never has to be done again. He’s a different kind of a high priest, not after the order of Aaron, or the tribe of Levi, but after the order of Melchizedek. And so he says down here, and I want you to see this, where he makes the statement in verse 32, he says, and if I be lifted up from the earth, we’ll draw all men unto me.

This he said signifying what death he should die. So he told him before he died, he knew it. And it says in verse 34, the people answered him, we have heard out of the law that Christ abideth forever. So they knew from the Old Testament that when Christ came, he would live forever. So that’s why they couldn’t understand, how was he gonna die? If he’s going to live for them, they knew from the Old Testament Scriptures. When you study about what God said about today, but in his son, which later on we put a lot of those verses to Solomon, but there was another son that’s been referenced to, and is a son that will live forever, and he’ll rule forever.

Take your Bible and look very quickly to Psalm 72. I want you to see this. The 72nd Psalm. Psalm 72. And look what he says here in verse 17. His name shall endure forever. His name shall be continued as long as the sun. This is talking about the Lord. When he comes, he will endure forever. Look in Psalms 89 and look up there in verse 29, verse 29, where it says in verse 29, his seed which is a reference to the Lord, the Messiah, Christ Himself.

Also will I make to endure forever and His throne as the days of heaven, forever. Look down there in verse 33, nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffered my faithfulness to fame. My covenant will I not break, nor all to the things that has gone out of my lips. Once have I sworn by my wholeness that I will not lie unto David. His seed, from David, his seed shall endure forever.” So they knew that the Messiah was supposed to live forever.

Well how’s he going to live forever if he’s going to die? And Jesus says, believe in the light while you have the light. You see, sometimes And we think we have to understand it in order to believe it. And it’s kind of like the Lord says, I want you to believe it so that you can understand it. Did you know if you’ll believe that this book is true and it is the word of God, then you’ll begin to understand it.

But if you think you’ve got to understand it all before you can believe it, it’s backwards and it won’t work. This is not a normal book about a normal man. This is totally superior. There’s nothing like this book. This is truly the Word of God. Look at in verse 36, why you have light, believe in the light that you may be the children of light. So Christ is the light and He says that once we have believed on Christ and we have eternal life, He says ye are the lights in the world.

Look down in verse 46, I am come a light into the world that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. Verse 48, he that rejects me, and he received, if not my words, have one that will judge him. So can you reject it? Yes, you can. Can you accept it? Yes, you can, but that’s your choice. So you believe what he says in order that you might understand. You don’t try to figure it all out in order that you might believe what he says.

God has made the gospel simple and clear, but you will never understand everything about it. And that’s why I usually tell people, sometimes with questions and even with doubts. You don’t understand it all. But you can understand enough that you’re a sinner and God loves you. He died on the cross and paid for your sins. If you believe it, you can have eternal life. I don’t understand how he’s going to do it, but I’m going to believe him. And because you believe it and as you begin to read and study, you’ll understand more and more and more.

But if you wait till you try to understand everything in the Bible, before you can believe it, it’s not going to work. Because he says the things of God are spiritually discerned. It means a lost man can’t understand all of this stuff. Most Christians don’t even get all of it, even if you’ve been studying it for a number of years. Do you know what’s really neat? As you go through here and then all of a sudden you find, well, there was the altar of incense.

It’s where they would take and put different kind of spices and so forth and kind of a sweet smell because see, in this room, in that room, it was totally dark. There was no light. If it hadn’t been for the lampstand, there was no light in the room. And they went into the other one, the only light they had there was the Shukana glory. That was probably bright enough. But here there’s no light and that’s why they had to take and keep changing, putting the oil in and trimming the lamp and so forth.

But it talks about the altar of incense. Did you know in the book of Revelation in chapter 8 it talks about a scene that takes place in heaven and it talks about the prayers of the saints that are offered unto God. And see you and I need to understand there’s somebody who enters seeds for us and that’s why look in chapter 17 chapter 17 You have the intercessory prayer of Jesus Christ, where He prays to the Father, intercessory prayer, the altar of incense where that becomes the sweet smelling savor in the nostrils of God.

Now you’re not, we’ll never understand all this stuff, but when we get to heaven, it’s gonna be like God, you know, like all this comes to life and we’re gonna see so much more, but we didn’t understand it because of our, our old flesh birth that we have that blinds of some time. That’s why it’s so difficult for us to trust the Lord fully in everything in life because we have this whole sinful nature and just won’t let us alone.

That’s why our love is not as pure as that ought to be. Our understanding is not as pure as that ought to be. Our forgiveness is not as pure as that ought to be. Nothing is the way it ought to be because we’re battling with this old flesh that we got. here in Gospel of John and look in chapter 17 where he says, these words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come.

Glorify thy son, that thy son also make glorify thee. As thou have given him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou have given him. This is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent. So Jesus is now talking to the Father and says, glorify thou me with the glory that I had with thee before the world was. That’s the next verse, looking verse five.

And now O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world began. Jesus didn’t start that day that he was born into this world. He already existed. I have manifested thy name, he’s done all these things. And he is talking to the Father, why? Because Jesus is now entering to the presence of God. See, none of us was ever qualified. None of us could ever do this. But see, he was a perfect individual who never sinned.

He’s the only one that had the right to enter into the presence of his Holy Father. And he intercedes for us. He made a way for us. Now in the gospel of John when he says, you believe in God, believe also in me. He said, in my Father’s house or many mansions, If it were not so, I would have told you. He said, I go to prepare a place for you. And many believed when he said, I go to prepare a place for you.

I mean, I go to prepare a way for you, a way for you to get into the presence of God. I got a place with all these mansions. He said that where I am, there you may be also. Now, twice he had made that statement to those that would not believe it. He says, and where I go, you cannot come. But he told Thomas, he said, where I am, there you may be also. that where I am, you may be.

But the other, he said, you can’t come. You can’t come. So are there gonna be people that will be with them? Yes. Are there gonna be those that will not be with them? Yes. And that’s a shame. Because he made a payment for the sins of the whole world. And that’s why I’m always trying to get individuals to trust Jesus Christ as their savior. The best news in all the world. Let me just show you a couple of the universities before we close here.

You see there in verse 20, neither pray I for these alone,” in verse 20, but for them also which shall believe on Him through their word. You see, this is why I believe it’s so important for us who know the word, know that we’re going to heaven because we want others to believe and hear through us. So that’s why we persuade and we witness and we preach the gospel and do whatever we can do because there’s a lot of people that’s never heard how to have eternal life.

They just don’t know. And yet the Word of God says that, looking verse 24, he says, father, I will be that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory, which thou hath given me, for thou love us me before the foundation of the world. This is an awesome intercessory prayer. You see, he made a way. And whenever he says, I’m going to leave you now, I’m going to go and they say, well, we don’t know how to get there.

He said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except through me. If you reject Christ, you cannot have eternal life. You will not go to heaven. You cannot be saved except through Christ and Him alone is your only hope of ever going to heaven. Look up here. This hand represents you and me and the wall of represents sin. Now we all have sin on us. Everybody knows everybody does things wrong, but God loves us.

He hates our sin. And because of sin, we can’t enter into the presence of God. We have no stand in no right. We’re not justified. We would die in His presence. And so the Bible says because of sin, we’re all condemned, but that He loves us. Wants us to go to heaven to be with Him for all eternity. way. And by your works is not the way. Go in the church to try to earn eternal life or give money to try to get eternal is not the way to do it.

It will not work. He says, it’s not by works of righteousness which we have done. This hand represents Jesus Christ, God in the flesh. He came into this world. He tabernacles among us. And he lived a perfect life and had no sin, didn’t have to die. But because of his love for us, he took our sin that separates us from him. He took our sin, paid for it on the cross. He died for our sins. And all that you and I have to do is believe he did it for us.

He puts that payment to our account. We go to heaven because he died for me. I don’t have to pay for my sin. He paid for my sin. But God says the payment’s not put to your account unless you believe it. This is a decision you have to make. You can accept it, you can reject it. He prayed for those that would believe it. He says that where I am there you may be also. But if you don’t accept it you will not be there.

I hope you understand it and it makes sense to you. Let’s pray, shall we? With every head bowed and every eye closed and no one looking around. If you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior, Where’d you trust Him right now? You’re not going to understand at all. You believe that you might understand. You can understand this much. There is a heaven. There is a hell. There is a God. You have sinned against Him. You will die. Will you trust Christ as your Savior?

Will you trust Him, depend upon Him, to take you to heaven whenever you die? I’m not talking about you trusting some normal man. This is the God-man. We head by nice clothes that anyone would all say, yes, that made sense to me. And preach at this point, and I will accept Jesus Christ as my Savior. Would you skip your hand very quickly and put a rut back down? And say, yes, I will trust the Lord this morning is my only hope of going to heaven.

If you’ve never done it, would you do it right now? Just slip it up very quickly and put a rut back down. I’m not gonna embarrass you, not gonna have you forward, not doing anything to you. And one of the all, if you have trusted Christ as your Savior, understand that God’s will is for you to realize that you now have the right to enter into the presence of God through Jesus Christ. Father, we thank you so much for this time together.

Bless each one for being here. 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 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. 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 first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

Thanks for being here today. Got a few things I want to talk to you about. You know, I’ve had people ask me if there’s a pet heaven. You know, a heaven for, you know, their little animals. You know, they got dogs and cats and birds and things like that, and they want to know if they’re going to go to heaven. Well, I guess I can tell you the truth now. There’s a pet heaven. This little boy, he had five gerbils.

They all died and they went to pet heaven. Got up there and St. Pete opened the gate for them and they went in there and the men, they were just having a ball. You know, all that gold floor to run around on, had a good time. They came to St. Pete and says, this place is so huge. And it’s just we’re not our feet. Can you do something for us? So he gave them roller skates. And so they were in hog heaven now.

Anyway, this little girl, she had a cat and the cat died. The cat goes up there and Saint Pete, come on in. After about six months, Saint Pete walked up to the cat and says, well, how do you enjoy this place up here? Oh, I am having a blast. This is wonderful up here. Well, what do you like the best? He says, what I like the best is those meals on wheels. You’ve got to have a little humor along the way.

Look there in the book of Luke. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, the book of Luke chapter 19. Luke chapter 19, I preached this a couple of Sunday nights ago about the purpose of Christ coming into the world. Why did He do any of it? Well because it says here in verse 10, Luke chapter 19 and verse 10, for the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. It means he came to go fishing. I had Mr.

Zizmore come up here and he just handed me this, fishing. It’s time to head out for speckle trout. I’m speaking on fishing today and this is the first time he’s giving me one like this on fishing. So now’s the time to go fishing. It really is time to go fishing. I believe every time I get a chance to preach, I’m fishing. My weddings that I’ve done are, I’m fishing. Funerals, oh, I love to go fishing in a funeral. That’s a nice fishing hole.

Sometimes God gives you opportunities you know, one-on-one here and one-on-one there. But sometimes it’s good to get a whole bunch at one time. the most I ever had at one time was about four or five hundred at one time. And I really love that. But that’s rare, it don’t always happen. Most times it’s just one here, one there. In the ranch meetings that we used to have when we used to run four or five, six hundred kids, we’d have 25 to 50, trust the Lord every Thursday night.

And that went on for several years. That was a lot of fish. But now a lot of people never go fishing at all, just don’t really know how to fish. Some people just just don’t care to fish. Now I believe that God loves fishing. God is a fisherman. He only had one son and caught him out of fish.

He only had one son and he was a missionary. When Jesus came into the world, he went fishing. That’s what he was doing. You and I see, or we’re just the, oh, I guess, a fishing pole. We have some special bait that God’s given us. See, the fishing pole is to be in the hands of the Lord, and God wants to just use us as fishing poles and place us wherever he wants, but you have to use the right bait.

The bait that goes on the hook is the word of God. God, because God knows what will catch what fish. He’s a good fisherman. All he wants is a few people that will yield themselves to him so that he can use you. And he’s got a lot of fish in rods and he’s got a lot of bait. He’s got a lot of lands in the water. Jesus is a fisherman. Take your Bible and turn to the book of Matthew chapter 4.

Just turn to you to laugh. Matthew chapter 4, now the message today is not going to be a root and tutens, super-duper high-profile, exciting message because I just feel like just talking to you if you don’t mind that. So I just want to talk to you. And here in Matthew in chapter 4, you’ll notice there in verse 18, and Jesus walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon, Paul, Peter, and Andrew, his brother, cast in a net into the sea, but they were fishers.

He said unto them, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Follow me and I will make you fishers of men. Now it seems like that if you follow Christ, you should become a fisher of men. You say, well I’ve been following Christ for 20 years. Well, have you been fishing for 20 years? My whole life is about fishing. Every time I preach, I’m fishing. And the reason we always give the gospel, and if you remember Dr.

Hank Linson would always probably give the gospel and weave the gospel through the message and always explain the difference between salvation and service, quite because he’s fishing. And if a person’s sitting there and they’re lost, they’re not sure of going to heaven when they die. By the time he gets through, he wants to be sure they understand how to go to heaven when they die. Why? Because he’s fishing. When he was on his radio broadcast, chances are he would present the gospel and he could take any question.

It didn’t matter what question you ever asked a preacher that knows this and you can turn it and get right back to the gospel. I don’t get what the question is. Ask me any question on anything that you want and I can find a way to get to the gospel. Well, that’s what we do. Why? Because we’re fishing. Christ sent us into the world to be fishermen. So we try to figure out ways in order to win people to Christ.

And that’s why by all means be creative. Try to think of something that might work. Ways that you might be able to train somebody else how to be fishermen. This is what God wants us to do. And look in verse 20. And they straight way or immediately after 20 years left their nets and followed him. When you take a match and strike it and it lights and then you’re going to light a candle, when do you expect that candle to start giving light?

Immediately. When you light it, it should give light. How How long do you think God wants you to be saved before you witness to anyone? Forever? And ever? Twenty years? Thirty years? Did you know that I started witnessing immediately, right after I trusted Christ as my Savior? Man, I couldn’t wait to let people know I trusted the Lord. And yes, I thought that the whole world was waiting on me. And I find out the world wasn’t waiting on me.

I really was kind of rude at times. I didn’t know how to explain the gospel very clearly. I was reading in the paper this morning how that there was some preacher that was in this gas-barillo, whatever you call that thing. I’ve never been to it, but telling people and holding up the signs, and repent and talking about all their sins and things like that. That might be part of the message that you need to give, but you don’t want to forget the part about that God loves sinners.

And that warning people that about their sin, yeah, but you need to tell them the good news of how to have eternal life and that God so loved the world. And I believe a lot of people. We’ll judge the majority of preachers by the way some people try to present the gospel and try to knock them over their head like with a 2×4 and tell them how bad they are, wicked they are. Now, they may know that, but did you also tell them how God loves them and they can have eternal life and go to heaven?

Or is it just about trying to get people to change the way they live and never get saved? I think it’s very important. We’re supposed to go fishing, but some people take the pole and they go fishing and then just splash the water. And wonder why the fish don’t get on the hook? Well, you’re not supposed to do that. I’m not a very good fish. But but I know that you’re not supposed to take your pole and splash the water.

If I was a fish, I’d get away. And that’s what I think a lot of people are. We’re supposed to win them, win them. So I believe there’s a lot to it. Look there in John chapter 1, the gospel of John in chapter 1. When would you think a good time it is to go so winning? I’ll bet you if I was to ask those in here, people in here, are saved on different days, in different ways, different times, but it seems like now is the accepted time.

The whole now is the day of salvation. You can get saved anytime, anywhere. If that’s true, then that means you can be saved and preach the gospel anytime, anywhere. You never know because you’re so inseeds and you want people to hear it, to understand. Hearing the book of John in chapter one, I want you to look at verse 40. In verse 40, in verse 40, he says, one of the two which heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.

He first findeth his own brother, Simon, instead of him. We have found the Messiah, which is being interpreted to Christ. And in verse 42, and he brought him to Christ. He brought him to Christ. You know what we call so many is bringing people to Christ. You see, you and I, we’re not the Savior’s. We’ve never saved anybody. But all we’re seeking to do is bring people to Christ. The other part that I like about this is he first findeth his own brother.

When I trusted Christ as my Savior, I became concerned about my family. I wanted my brother and I wanted my sisters, and I had four of them. But I had six kids in our family. There were six of us. And I wanted everyone in my family to go, now it didn’t matter how many fights we had had. And buddy did we have fights. We hardly ever got along. And we’d fight like cats and dogs. And that was okay.

But don’t somebody else pick a fight with my brother or one of my sisters? Because then we’ll fight you. It’s just that you didn’t do that. We stuck together, but it was okay for us to fight. But when I trust the crisis by Savior, I didn’t want my brother and sisters to go to hell. I didn’t want my mom to go to hell. So of course I wanted to talk to them and witness to them. And I believe that that’s a good thing.

Did you know if everybody only reached their family, only reached their family, with when the world? You’d win the world if everybody just reached their family. Because you reached this family and that family reaches this one and that buddy, there’s no end to it. You could win the world just by reaching your own family. But it says here in verse 42, and he brought him to Jesus. How many have you brought to Christ? You’ve known Christ as your Savior.

You know you’re going to heaven. Have you ever brought anybody to the Lord? Now remember, you can’t save them, we understand that. But have you let God use you to bring somebody to Christ where they trust it, Christ that they’re Savior? One of the good ways to do it is this, you ask them, do you know where you’re going when you die? Or have you ever had anybody take the Bible and show you how to have eternal life? And they say no.

And then when you talk to them and when you get through and then you ask them the question, If you died right now, where would you go? And they say, I’m going to heaven. You brought somebody to Christ. Because if the first answer was no, in the next thing, you know, they say yes. . . . . . . You’d be surprised what that does to them, but what it does for you also is kind of like those lays potato chips that you used to talk about, but you can’t eat just one.

Because when you catch one of those fish, you want to catch another fish and another fish. That’s the way God has designed it. Look in John chapter 3, John chapter 3, and you’ll notice sometimes, sometimes you can go fishing at night. Jesus went fishing at night time. Sometimes God will bring people to you. Sometimes He’ll bring people across your path and you see it as an open door, the great opportunity. And so there was a man named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews who came to Jesus by night and said to him Rabbi, we know that thou art a master from Israel because of what you’re able to do and all that.

And Jesus was very impressed with what? Thank you. you. No, he says, you must be born again. You must be born again. I’ve talked to a lot of people, but I don’t chase rabbits, and you have to be careful of all the compliments and praises you get sometime because it could cause you to be tied up into that instead of what your job is. Get back on the trail. And he says, you must be born again. He’s well, how can a man be born when he’s old?

Could he even his mother’s womb and be born again like that? No, that’s not what he’s talking about. He said, that’s what you’re born of the flesh, just flesh. That’s what you’re born of the spirit of spirit. Behold, I said, you must, you must be born again. So he was letting, Nickodemus know, you have to be born again. Now this was a religious bench. So sometimes you’ll win people to Christ at night, sometimes they’ll come to you and sometimes they’ll be intelligent people.

they might in the world eyes be somebody.” Well, that’s good. That’s good. But now, when he asked the question, then he deserves an answer. So if you look down there where he’s supposed to know and understand, he gave him an illustration in verse 14. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the son of man be lifted up. Well, he ought know about that story in the wilderness because he was a rabbi. He was a Pharisee.

He should have known this. And the Bible says that when the people murmured, God sent the snakes, the serpents, and they were biting the people, and they were dying. So he said, make a brass and a serpent, and put it upon a pole, and who’s to have it, but just look would live. I mean, it’s all I got, just look and it lived. No work should it all. Just look and you’d live. I imagine there was something that would not do it.

But it’s that simple and that easy to be saved. Just look and live. When I explained the gospel and I said, look, Christ paid for all of your sins. All you have to do is believe He did it for you. Will you believe that? Yes or no? So simple. You see, most people try to get somebody what you got to change your life. You got to promise how you’re going to live. You have to commit yourself to give money and to go to church and you got to do the, well look at all that you got to do.

Take forever to convince a person of that. I know Christians who are not convinced they ought to go to church or to give or to live holy lives. Why no, where would you want to try to get a lost man to do it? There’s Christians that don’t even do it. So don’t hang that yoke of iron upon their neck.

So all you gotta do is just look and live. So John 3, 16 is the answer to the man that came to Jesus by. See, Jesus could catch fish at night and they could be somebody. It did matter. Nobody else around. That’s okay. He didn’t have to tune his own horn. If I go someplace with you and there’s There’s an opportunity to witness. Chances are I will just stay back and let you win them. I want you to catch fish.

I do not want to rob the honor or the glory. You see, because you don’t know how to do it. Yeah, that’s the way it is. I don’t know how to do it. But I want people to learn how to catch fish. Now look what he says. In verse 16, this is the answer on how to catch a fish. Tell him this story. This story catches a lot of fish. It’s one of the most used pieces of bait in the Word of God to tell a lost man, God so loved the world.

That’s you. That he gave his only begotten son. That’s Jesus Christ. That who so ever, anybody, you or me or anybody, believe it in him. That’s all you got to believe it. Should not perish means you won’t go to hell, but have everlasting life. Would you believe it? Hear that believe it? Have everlasting life. He that does not believe the wrath of God abided upon him. Now look there in chapter four. Chapter four, well, you see chapter three, you had this religious man, the Up-a-D-Up.

And he led him to the Lord because he came to him. Well lo and behold, Jesus says, I must needs go to Samaria. Now why did he have to go through Samaria? Because there was a woman that was going to be at the well at a certain time and he knew it. So he sent his disciples away into the city because he knew you don’t need a whole bunch of people to jump on and attack this woman. A lot of time when I go so in and I’d rather nobody be with me.

I just want to do it by myself. Sometimes I’m afraid I might get some help that I don’t want. Have you ever seen somebody start witnessing somebody and then somebody else jump in and try to steal the honor and the glory after you got him ready to fall and a person who starts to let him finish you sometime. You may say a little bit here and there but you want them to catch the fish. Don’t rob it from them.

And also you want to pray and keep in everything else quiet and so forth so that nobody interrupts. Be wise. But Jesus went to a woman who had five husbands. She had had five husbands and was living with a man that wasn’t her husband. And this was in the middle of the day. So can you catch fish at night? Yeah. Can you catch fish in the daytime? Sure. Well, nobody else is around. It doesn’t matter. Did you know that you and I are not supposed to be a respecter of persons?

That it doesn’t matter. They’re status in life. They’re a soul. God loves them. God loves all those people that are standing on all these street corners asking for a handout. The sometime when you drive by is how much they wouldn’t do that. Look what they do to this city. Do you realize that in Israel’s time, there were beggars everywhere? Most countries you go to, you’ll find a lot of beggars. Well, one of the reasons we don’t have as many beggars we use most countries have is because we’ve got a welfare program that they don’t have to beg.

They just get it from the government. But what if that none of that existed? You’d be surprised how many people would be out there and begging. When I took my kid down in the old Mexico, 25, 30 years ago, I gave each one of them some money to buy a few things. We didn’t get two blocks until all their money was gone because there was people asking for it and they just gave everything to hand. I was thankful for their compassion, but I had to inform them that Daddy didn’t have an unlimited money tree.

I gave them a little bit more money and says, you can’t give to everybody. You remember when Peter and John was going down the road there and went get ready to go into the temple It’s called beautiful. It says, this year, a guy asked him, arms, arms for the poor. He said, silver and gold have I. Now this was the first pope. Silver and gold have I? None. None. He didn’t have a fancy robe on, didn’t have a pointed thing on his head.

And he didn’t have any silver and gold. Well, I could go somewhere with this. And neither did he tell him, you’ll be all right, just kiss my ring or my toe.” You say, you make me mad, I don’t care. Doesn’t matter. But it says, if thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith unto thee, give me to drink, thou would have have asked of him and he would have given thee living water. So did Jesus go fishing?

You see, one came to him at night and he went to one in the daytime. You’d never know where you’re gonna catch fish, but remember Jesus was a fisherman. And you and I, he says, follow me. And the words he wants us to do what he does. And that’s why you find in the Bible about us taking the gospel to the world. Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Means go fishing, go fishing. Go fishing.

Look in Acts chapter two, the book of Acts in chapter two. Acts chapter 2, and look there in verse 41. Verse 41 says, then they that gladly received his word were baptized. And the same day they were added into them about 3,000 souls. Jesus went fishing and he had his disciples and he gave them the ability to speak in a language that everybody could understand. Why? into the Gospels. Well, I can’t say what you’re doing. And there’s no one here that thinks.

I love that. As you say, I have been fighting for a little bit, but I’m happy to see. I’m happy to see what the Gospels are like. So I’m going to talk a little bit about that. I’m sorry. But I’m going to talk a little bit about that. I’m going to talk about that as I’m going to talk, saved one day. You say, well, I’m not interested in numbers. God is. He even wrote a book in the Bible called Numbers, didn’t he?

And who’s the one that wrote these numbers in the Bible? The Holy Spirit of God? Why do you think this is in here? To give us examples. When you read the book of Acts, it is is the continuation of the book of Luke. And it’s a beginning of what Jesus began to do. It’s like a continuation. It’s a history. And in the book of Acts, it tells you what happened. It is an evangelistic book about some evangelist who was fulfilling the Great Commission.

Now going into the world, and that’s why you find all these soul-winning stories in the book of Acts. Acts. Acts. Even the word itself seems like it means I’m supposed to do something. Doesn’t it sound like action to you? Maybe it is. Because you see, if the Holy Spirit is involved, there should be action. You and I have been blessed by God to be given the indwelling Holy Spirit to call us to action, to do something. Now, I like the various ministries that we have, but the greatest ministry in this church is individual soul-winning.

Nobody knows about it. In other words, you don’t have to always toot your own horn. But there’s nothing wrong in letting people know that, yes, you had somebody trust Christ of Savior, but you know, you know that you’re giving the glory and the honor to the Lord. You’re just thankful God is able to use you. I think it’s a great thing. Some of you will give out CDs, some of you will give out tracks, some of you talk to people, some of you give money to make things possible so you can get on the radio and so on.

But the reason that I want you to do it is because I want you to do it for the Lord. You’re doing it for the Lord. This is what the Lord wants you to do. You have been called under this. You that are missing Sunday school on Sunday morning, you’re missing some good teaching. It will help you tremendously. Remember, when you’re limited in knowledge, you’re limited in ministry. So the more you know, the more you can do, the more you can explain to help people to see.

God wants you to do this. 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’sFINEST 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 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 theottest gospel of Jesus Christ, and that today’s concluding message of this teaching will be a blessing to you and your family.

So John 3 16 is the answer to the man that came to Jesus. See, Jesus could catch fish at night. And they could be somebody, they did better. Nobody else around, that’s okay. He didn’t have to tune his own horn. If I go someplace with you and there’s an opportunity to witness, chances are I will just stay back and let you win them. I want you to catch fish. I do not want to rob the honor or the glory.

You say it because you don’t know how to do it. Yeah, that’s the way it is. I don’t know how to do it. But I want people to learn how to catch fish. Look what he says. In verse 16, this is the answer on how to catch a fish. Tell them this story. This story catches a lot of fish. It’s one of the most used pieces of bait in the Word of God to tell a lost man God so loved the world.

That’s you. That he gave his only begotten son. That’s Jesus Christ. whosoever anybody, you or me or anybody, believe it in him. That’s all you got to believe it. It should not perish because you won’t go to hell but have everlasting life. Would you believe it? He that believeth hath everlasting life. He that does not believe the wrath of God abideth upon him. Now look there in chapter four. Chapter four, well you see chapter three you had this religious man, the up and the up.

And he led him to the Lord because he came to him. Well lo and behold, Jesus says, I must needs go to Samaria. Now why did he have to go to Samaria? Because there was a woman that was going to be at the well at a certain time and he knew it. So he sent his disciples away into the city because he knew you don’t need a whole bunch of people to jump on and attack this woman. A lot of time when I go sewing, I’d rather nobody be with me.

I just want to do it by myself. Sometimes I’m afraid I might get some help that I don’t want. Have you ever seen somebody start witnessing somebody and then somebody else jump in and try to steal the honor and the glory after you got them ready to fall and a person who starts to let him finish you sometime. You may say a little bit here and there, but you want them to catch the fish. Don’t rob it from them.

And also you want to pray and keep in everything else quiet and so forth so that nobody interrupts. Be wise. But Jesus went to a woman who had five husbands. She had had five husbands and was living with a man that wasn’t her husband. And this was in the middle of the day. So can you catch fish at night? Yeah. Can you catch fish in the daytime. Sure.

Well, nobody else is around and it doesn’t matter. Did you know that you and I are not supposed to be a respecter of persons? That it doesn’t matter, they’re status in life. If they’re a soul, God loves them. God loves all those people that are standing on all these street corners asking for a handout. The sometime when you drive by is how I wish they wouldn’t do that. Look what they do to this city. Do you realize that in Israel’s time there were beggars everywhere?

Most countries you go to, you’ll find a lot of beggars. Well, one of the reasons we don’t have as many beggars as we use most countries is because we’ve got a welfare program that they don’t have to beg, they just get it from the government. But what if that none of that existed? You’d be surprised how many people would be out there and begging. When I took my kid down in the old Mexico, 25, 30 years ago. I gave each one of them some money to buy a few things.

We didn’t get two blocks until all their money was gone because there was people asking for it and they just gave everything to him. I was thankful for their compassion, but I had to inform them that daddy didn’t have an unlimited money tree. I gave them a little bit more money and said, you can’t give to everybody. You remember when Peter and John was going down the road there and went and got ready to go into the temple called beautiful?

And says, this year, the guy asked him, arms, arms for the poor. He said, silver and gold have I. Now this was the first pope. Silver and gold have I, none. None. He didn’t have a fancy robe on, didn’t have a pointed thing on his head. And he didn’t have any silver and gold. Well, I could go somewhere with this. And neither did he tell him, Well, you’ll be all right. Just kiss my ring or my toe.” You say, you make me mad.

I don’t care. Doesn’t matter. But he says, if thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith unto thee, give me to drink, thou would have have asked of him and he would have given thee living water. So did Jesus go fishing? You see, one came to him at night and he went to one in the daytime. You’d never know where you’re gonna catch fish. But remember, Jesus was a fisherman. And you and I, he says, follow me.

And the words he wants us to do what he does. And that’s why you find in the Bible about us taking the gospel to the world. Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. It means go fishing, go fishing, go fishing. Look in Acts chapter two, the book of Acts in chapter two. Acts chapter two. And look there in verse 41, verse 41 says, then they that gladly received His Word were baptized. And the same day they were added into them about 3,000 souls.

Jesus went fishing and He had His disciples and He gave them the ability to speak in a language that everybody could understand. Why? Evidently, they must have preached the gospel because you can’t get saved without the gospel. So whatever else happened on that day, it was for the main purpose of preaching the gospel and God, God, going fishing. You see, God drew them in and God had the bait and he had a few poles there and he used them and 3000 people got saved at one day.

You say, well, I’m not interested in numbers. God is. He even wrote a book in the Bible called Numbers, didn’t he? And who’s the one that wrote these numbers in the Bible? The Holy Spirit of God? Why do you think this is in here? To give us examples. When you read the book of Acts, it is the continuation of book of Luke. And it’s the beginning of what Jesus began to do. It’s like a continuation. It’s a history. And in the book of Acts, it tells you what happened.

It is an evangelistic book about some evangelist who was fulfilling the Great Commission. Now going into the world, and that’s why you find all these soul-winning stories in the book of Acts. Acts. Even the word itself, things like it means I’m supposed to do something, doesn’t it sound like action to you? Maybe it is. Because you see, if the Holy Spirit is involved, there should be action. You and I have been blessed by God to be given the indwelling Holy Spirit to call us to action, to do something.

Now, I like the various ministries that we have, but the greatest ministry in this church is individual soul winning. Nobody knows about it. In other words, you don’t have to always toot your own horn. But there’s nothing wrong in letting people know that, yes, you had somebody trust Christ to save you. But you know, you know that you’re given the glory in the honor to the Lord. You’re just thankful God is able to use you. I think it’s a great thing.

Some of you will give out CDs. Some of you’ll give out tracks. Some of you talk to people. Some of you give money to make things possible so you get on the radio and so on. But the reason that I want you to do it is because I want you to do it for the Lord. You’re doing it for the Lord. This is what the Lord wants you to do. You have been called under this. You that are missing Sunday school on Sunday morning, you’re missing some good teaching.

It will help you tremendously. Remember when you’re limited in knowledge you’re limited in ministry. So the more you know, the more you can do, the more you can explain to help people to see God wants you to do this. Look in Acts chapter 10, the book of Acts in chapter 10. Acts chapter 10 and look in verse 24. Acts chapter 10 verse 24. Peter had gone to talk to a man by the name of Cornelius who was a leader of an Italian band.

See, they had bands back in those days. And it’s a good story. See, they’re in verse 1. There was a certain man in, a cesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band. See, there’s, they had a firehouse fire back in those days. Called the Italian band. But anyway, we’re moving right along. But this man was a devout man, a religious man. He was just a lost man. and he was searching. So God had to find him a fishing pole.

He already had the bait. He just needed a fishing pole. So he found Peter and told Peter, this is what I want you to do. And Peter went to his house. And the Bible says there in verse 24, and tomorrow after they entered in the Caesarea and Cornelius waited for them and had called together his kinsmen and near friends. So he got everybody together in his house and here comes Peter that’s got a prey to him. In verse 25, and as Peter was coming in Cornelius made it, fell down at his feet and worshiped him.

But Peter took him up saying, I’m not the pope, stand up. Well that was in the Hebrew, agree. He said, I myself also am a man and he’s no more than a man. He’s never been more than a man. We’re just people. We don’t fall down to worship any man. There’s only one that deserves to be worship and that’s the Lord. And he makes the statement here in verse 27. And as he talked with him, he went in and found many that were come together.

Now, what do you think all this is going on? God wants Peter to go fishing. And there was a man that was lost and he called them to come together. Now up in Georgia when I got down there I was on the radio and our services was broadcast live, one hour every Sunday morning live. A hundred thousand watt radio station, FM covered all of North Georgia up into the mountains and parts of Tennessee and North and South Carolina and Alabama.

So I was talking to a lot of people every day. small church, but we had a big mouth and we were reaching a lot of people. Well, there were some people that had asked me if I would come down and have a little Bible study with them. It was on a Monday or Tuesday night. So my brother, I asked him if he’d go with me, he says, fine. So I went down there and lo and behold, they had about 15, 20 people together and they met in his house.

We out there in the boonies and there was no church around close enough on them, but so they had gotten their relatives and so forth to come together. Now I wonder what I should talk about. I wonder what I should talk to them about. All great I am. No, I don’t think so. I talked to them about how great he is. And I gave him the gospel and we had some people trust the Lord and they wanted me to come down again.

I said, I can’t do that. I said, I got too many things going. So my brother says, I will. So my brother went down there and lo and behold, they wind up starting the church and still going on now, all because of somebody who heard the radio broadcast and wanted me to come down here to it. I was out there one day I came through Georgia and I had a great concern for all of my relatives, all my relatives.

And buddy, I have a lot of relatives up in the flatwoods of Georgia. And most of their parents were just like mine. They were bootleggers. My daddy was called Shine because he was a moonshiner. And anyway, they had been out there in the bunnies. They asked me, they knew that Yankee was a preacher. So we agreed on, we’d get that old Methodist church, there’s no Methodist church. Little white church, right out there in the cemetery all around it. My dad is buried there now.

I am. I said, I’ll come. And I went there and we got the relatives together. I had my aunt and my aunt did everything. She knew everybody, knew where everybody lived, and she got together. And buddy, we packed that little church. And I pleaded with them. I told them what I found that I had come to know Christ as my Savior and I wanted them to know what they knew my dad. They knew my mom. They knew my sisters.

Most of them knew who I was. And whenever I gave the gospel, I had a bunch of them trust Christ to say. I’ll never forget the day that one of those guys that sat there was a guy named Crazy Luke Graham. Crazy Luke Graham, he used to be a wrestler, a professional wrestler, a mean wrestler. He was blonde headed and years ago he was even on television and they would get in the ring and they would wrestle and fight and throw each other out of the ring and all that stuff and but he got beat up sometime.

Now my mama, she couldn’t stand him. go to the wrestling and she’d watch that stuff. I said, Mom, most of it’s fake. I said, most of it’s fake. I said, they got to be in good shape, but it’s fake, huh? And Mom wouldn’t believe it. That’s real. And she’d go there and she’d sit on the front row because of my cousin. That was, he was my first cousin. And he was in there and he’d rassel. And they’d tried to pick him up and throw him out of the ring and all this stuff, you know.

And my mama, she was hollering, yelling, screaming. And I thought she’s going to die. And others that went with my mom. And he couldn’t believe it. My momma would get so excited about this. Well, that ain’t nothing. My momma’s sister, ain’t I lean? She was watching it on a Saturday night, watching the wrestling. And my aunt, even though she’s sitting in the living room, she’s like getting in the rain with them. And she says, and they always do something dirty in the wreaths, always on the other side.

And never can see what the guy’s doing this dirty. He’s He’s right, it’s wrong. And my aunt’s trying to get the referee to see what’s going on. Do you realize she died of a heart attack watching that? I did her funeral. My aunt died watching the wrestling that was fake. Died of a heart attack. Can’t believe it. Well, there’s always something that goes on, but the key thing is you want to reach your family. And here’s this great big rastler.

He had trust the Lord. I believe I led him to the Lord. And his kids asked me if I would do his funeral. So at the funeral, here’s all his relatives, all his kids. I hadn’t had a chance to talk to them, but they got them together and I gave the gospel and they trusted Christ as Savior. One of the highlights was after I had told my mom that that I had trusted the Lord, she’d get up and walk out of the room and she wouldn’t listen to me.

Just broke my heart. And I wanted my mom to know how to go to heaven and she just wouldn’t listen. My stepdad told me, he UKIP and if I want to hear preaching, I go to church. I guess I didn’t do it right, but I was trying. See, a poor attempt is better than none at all. But my stepdad, he wound up having heart trouble and he was in the hospital in Atlanta. And I went up there and I didn’t know if I’d get a chance to get in to see him.

And I was standing outside looking through the glass. And my stepdad, he had tubes all over him, heart machines and stuff. My mom was standing there beside the bed and I looked in and I could see him and he saw me and he pointed to my mom and he says, he said, you want Yankee to come and pray for you? And he was moving his head like this. So my mom asked me to come on in and he was the same one that told me to shut up my mom business Leave me leave him alone, and I went in there and talked to him and he trusty Christ of Savior It wasn’t long after that that he died But I’m glad he’s but he’s in heaven That big old wrestler.

No, he died. I did his feet. Well, he’s in heaven. I got a lot of relatives that have passed off And I’ve had funeral for about 20 of them But I went fishing I went fishing some of y’all have got a lot of relatives Don’t take it for granted that somebody’s gonna win him. It may not happen that way. I told him in ranch last night that I had an Ant and uncle. I drove over 450 miles one way to talk to my ant and uncle and they told me to leave him alone.

I Got in the car broken hearted and I drove all the way back 900 miles, but I tried I tried. Have you ever gone fishing? If fishing a certain hole not catch anything Do you quit fishing or you just move to another spot? You just move to another spot. My catch went here. My catch went over there. And sometimes lo and behold, you get your whole bunch. I’ve been with my uncle and he always let me paddle the boat while he fished.

But he would give me a quarter for everyone he caught over three pounds. I didn’t get many quarters. I did a lot of fishing, riding a boat. But some of you are missing out on the greatest opportunity in the world and that’s to talk to somebody. If you can’t do with a lot of people around, then get somebody when there’s nobody else around. And just share it with them. Have you ever had somebody explain to you how to have eternal life?

And a lot of people say, well no, no I haven’t. Do you mind if I take just a moment? tell you what happened to me or what I found out. So if you keep it personal, you’re not preaching at him, you’re just talking to him. Because you want to be a fisherman, you want to explain things to people. Well, he went and he did this and lo and behold, people trusted the Lord. Look what he says in verse 34, we’ll just see that.

Then Peter opened his mouth and said of a truth, I perceive that God is no respecter of persons. But in every nation, he that feared him and work of righteousness is accepted with him. The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ, He is Lord of all. That word, that word is what He’s talking about. And down in verse 40, Him, God raised up from the dead and so forth. In verse 42, and He commanded us to preach unto the people and to testify that it is He which was ordained of God to be the judge of quick in the dead.

To Him give all the prophets witness that through his name, whosoever, believe it in him, shall receive remission of sin.” You know what soul winning is? Is people having their sins taken away. See, the payment’s been made, but it’s not put to their account. Eternal security is the forgiveness of sins. See, all my sins have been forgiven. That’s why I am eternally secure. When Christ died, He died for me. And He did that a long time ago, 2,000 years ago.

And He loved me. He paid for my sins. And I’m going to heaven because of what He’s done for me. Jesus Christ was a fisherman. And the stories are about fishing, about so winning. You see, the book of Acts is to show you and I what He meant. And he says, going to all the world, I’m preaching, this is what he meant. You can see what the apostles understood by what they did. What did they do? They did what he said do.

Well, I wonder if he meant that just for them, just for them. If he meant it just for them, how come if I believe that I can do that too, I can fish? And because I believe that, how come I’ve caught a lot of fish? And a person who doesn’t believe it hasn’t caught a lot of fish. Sometimes it depends upon what you really believe. Do you really believe you can catch fish? Now I’ll admit, when it comes to catching real fish out here in the water, I’m not a very good fisherman.

I’ve caught a few, but not like some people do. I think the devil goes down to him, yank is out there fishing, don’t bite on his. And he’ll bite on everybody’s mind. But everyone’s in the wild, I’ll catch a fish. And it makes me so happy I was fishing with my brother one time up there in the lake up in top of Buneavista in Colorado and In him and somebody else was fishing and they were just a pull on the man.

I couldn’t get anything And so I would take theirs off and throw it down and throw the hook back out and I’d do the same thing with him And I finally caught a fish and I got the fish put it in my hand and put thing off of him through the fish up I threw that I threw the wrong thing I finally caught a fish and then through the only fish that I caught back in the water. I know, I know, I know.

I didn’t tell you I was a bride this kid. My mama said I was good looking, but she never said I was smart. You see, mama was wrong on both accounts. But that is even I was born. I was the eggless kid who had never seen in his life. That’s on. My dad never seen Peter. Said I had long, straight black hair all over my body. He said, he’s going to put me in a burlap sack and throw me in the river and drown me.

Can you believe that? Sweet in us and a little baby like me. I was just born. And I remember that happening. My mama told me the story. Now what am I fixing to do? I’m fixing to fish. See some of y’all didn’t get too smart for your own good. I’m fishing. In other words, if you’re here and you’ve never trusted Christ to save you, did you realize There’s a God in heaven who is fishing for you. He means he wants to catch you.

And he wants to give you some bait. So listen up because… I want the Lord to catch you. He caught me. I want him to catch you. How many of y’all in here have been caught? How many of y’all have been caught? Let me see. Look at that. See there? They heard something. Here’s what they heard. This is you and me. This is sin. We all have sin on us. God loves us, hates our sin. And for us to pay for sin, eternal separation from God in hell.

God loves us, wants us to go to heaven. But to go to heaven, you have to be perfect. perfect is righteous is God and none of us are perfect. We’ve all sinned. We’ve all come short of God’s perfection because of this sin we can’t get in sin. So God says you can’t earn your way to heaven. You need a Savior. This hand represents Jesus Christ, God in the flesh. He came into the world because He loves us. He hates what we do wrong.

Our sin separates us from God. So Jesus Christ took the sin, paid for it on the cross and came back from the dead. This little love story is because God wants you to know, I love you. I love you. And everybody wants to be loved. But He said, I love you so much. I’ll pay for your sins. And I will give you as a free gift everlasting life. Isn’t that some pretty good bait to catch a person? Because most people want a happy turn of life.

Most people want to go to heaven. people don’t want to die and go to hell. So why not tell them the story that they would love to hear? Love to understand. This week, let’s all go fishing. I want you to fish. I want you to try to catch somebody this week. Just think how many we would have trust, Christ to save you. If everybody in here only had one person that you led to Christ this week, but like how many of that would be?

I think we can do it. I believe it’s the will of God that we’re fishermen. Now you may not always catch the fish, but I think you ought to fish. Y’all at least try fishing. Let’s pray, shall we? With the headbound nice clothes, no one looking around. Why not right now? The quadrants of this moment just say something like this between you and the Lord. Lord, I’m a sinner. I know I’ve done things wrong, but I believe you love me and that you paid for my sins.

And friend God says right now that if you would except Him as your Savior, He would save you and give you as a free gift everlasting life. Would you do it? Would you trust Him if you will? Then I’d like to know and I’d like to have prayer for you. So I’m going to ask you in just a moment to raise your hand, but raising your hand doesn’t save you. It just lets me know that what I said made sense to you.

So before we close in prayer, is there anyone else who says, yes, I’ll trust Christ as my Savior this morning and preach a life for you to pray for me. We just slip you in a very quickly and better affect down, Zane, we’re at all. And we’re at all. Our Father, we thank you again for your blessings to us. We’re thankful that somebody one day went fishing, and we were caught. They told us the greatest story that’s ever been told.

And help us to share that with others, bless each one here. 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 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 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.

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 be able to receive the help of the Bible. 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.

Take your Bible and turn to the book of 1 Corinthians. Corinthians in chapter 13, if you’re going to write down anything, I’ve got six things that I think will help you. First thing I want you to write down is enjoy this precious moment. Enjoy this moment. Don’t ruin it this moment. I mean this day, this hour, this time. Learn to appreciate the very moment that you have. I think you’ll be happier when you learn how to do that. Many people live in a dream world that will never be.

When everything is right. Like some people say, well, when I get everything right, then I’ll come to church. When everything is right, I’ll do this. It’ll never happen. You have to learn to enjoy the ride. Happiness is not a destination. Boy, I’ll be happy when I get this or when I get that. No, you won’t. You’ve got to learn how to be happy in the process on your way. So look what he says here in verse 11. 11 I want you to look at verse 11 Paul says when I was a child I Spake as a child I Understood as a child I thought as a child But when I became a man I put away childish things So the first thing you need to do is Put away childish things You’re not a child anymore grow up So when it says when I became a man

I spake as a man. I understood as a man. I thought as a man So if you don’t want to act like a child Grow up and become a man first crinkies in chapter three And you’ll notice what he says in verse one He says and I brethren could not speak on the you as on the spiritual But as on the carnal even as unto babes in Christ I have fed you with milk, not with meat. For hitherto you were not able to bear it.

Neither yet, nor are you able. For you are yet carnal, like a babe. Well, where is there among you envy and strife and divisions? Are you not carnal? Or are you not a child? Children, wine, and complain, and moan, and groan, and murmur, and are usually down in them out. But he says, when I became a man, I put away these childish things. Put it away childish things is put in the way of sippel little stupid things that ruined your life.

I’ll look in Philippians in chapter 3, Philippians and chapter 3. In order to enjoy the moment, there’s something you have to do. He says in verse 13, brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended. In other words, I’m not complete. I haven’t accomplished everything that God has for me. It’s not over yet. But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before. In other words, you got a race to run, so run the race and let God have his way and however he wants to lead and to guide you.

And you’ll accept that. You do not want to be found fighting against God, but I would be foolish to take on God. And what really irritates God is when for the time you ought to be a mature child of God, you’re still just a babe. But when you grow up, he says, put away these childish things. Now, look in Matthew chapter 6 and verse 34. Verse 34, take note therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.

Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. In other words, don’t borrow evil from the past and don’t borrow evil from the future. Just expect God to give you the grace that you need today to solve the problems of this day. Because it’ll be sufficient. God will not require of you anything you can’t perform. If you can’t do it, God would be wrong to give you more than you can handle. God doesn’t give you more than you can handle.

Every Christian can do exactly what God wants him to do every day. That’s the book. That’s the book. And God says that all you have to do is be found faithful, but it’s learning how to think. The second thing I want you to write down is this, have a positive outlook. Now, there’s people who have negative outlook. What it is, they’re negative. Okay, what is it? They’re getting it. Lawyers always look for what can go wrong. Do you understand or know what Murphy’s law is?

What is Murphy’s law? If it can go wrong, it will. Well, there’s Christians like that. They never think of anything positive. They’re always negative. Some people just don’t like change. In other words, if there’s a big old ditch, big old mud puddle, don’t dare me to jump over it. Because you dare me, I’m going to show you how you can do it. If I fall right in the middle of the mud. Now there’s other people that are finding another way of getting around it.

I’ve got to try to show you that I can do it. I’ve lived long enough now that I shouldn’t do it. So take your Bible. I want you to look at this over in the book of Nehemiah. Got Nehemiah, Esther, Job. Nehemiah and chapter eight. This is on page 549 in the Old Testament. in Nehemiah chapter eight, look in verse one, and all the people gathered themselves together, and Yod on the line is, as one man. It’d be like all of our church coming together, and we’re like one person.

We’re all on the same page. We all believe the same thing. We all want to do the same thing. And we all work together for the same thing. And we pray concerning the same thing. And what a power that would be. Like they say, the world has never seen what God can do through one man that’s totally yielded to God. I don’t know if the world has ever seen what could be accomplished with one church totally yielded to the Lord.

What they could do, the impact they could make. I’d like to find out. Luke what he said in verse 2, and Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and and and and women and all that could hear with understanding. Look at verse 3, and he read therein before the street that was before the Watergate from the morning until midday. That was not a one-hour sermon. I don’t even think it was a two-hour sermon. From morning to midday.

Early in the morning probably till noon? Well, that’s a long church service, isn’t it? And Ezra described stood upon a pulpit of wood. This is where we get it from, which they had made for the purpose. I like that. So he got all the people together, made him a pulpit out of wood. And then he says in verse five, and Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people. And when he opened it, all the people stood up in verse three.

And And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday. So while he read they all stood. So what are you doing setting down? While I’m preaching you ought to stand. I’m standing. Why can’t you stand? How would you like to stand for the hour that I’m preaching? And look down in verse eight. So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly. That means they started probably in the book of Genesis, they named Red, and they read, and they read, and they read.

And he says, and look at the last part of this verse, and gave the sense in the words and caused them to understand the reading. So it not just that they read it, Then they explained it so that they would understand it. Don’t that make sense? That’s what preachers do today or supposed to do. Look in verse 10, they said, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared. For this day is holy unto our Lord. Neither be ye sorry and ye ought to underline this part of the verse.

You heard that song before and we showed it to you in one of the verses. Psalm. The joy of the Lord is my strength. The joy of the Lord is my strength. The joy of the Lord is my strength. The joy of the Lord is my strength. I mean, you all ever heard that before. And all over. Everybody ought to sing. He fills my mouth with laughter. Ha, ha, ha, ha. Alright. Look in verse 12 now. And all the people went their way to eat and to drink and to send portions and to make great birth.

And you ought to underline this, underline it. Why were they so happy? So fill with joy because they had understood the words that were declared unto them. When you understand what God has said in his word and you can believe them, It can cause you great joy and peace and happiness. That’s where it comes from. But anyway, Proverbs chapter 17, take your Bible and turn to Proverbs chapter 17. And verse 22, it says here, a merry heart doeth a good like a medicine but a broken spirit dryeth the bones.

Now I believe this. I believe a lot of people’s medical problems is because they don’t have a merry heart. You let yourself become a bitter person and you’re gonna have more health problems. It will affect your your body physically. Haven’t you ever been to the doctor and he said well what your problem is you’re under too much stress. But why are you under stress? See a Christian is supposed to have somebody we can cast all of our cares upon.

So if you cast your cares upon the Lord, I know that that’s easy preaching and hard living. I was on the road one time and we just traveled on preaching. This was 20 years ago or more and we had a great big motor home back then. It was a continental trailway bus and so we’re boogin around the country and Betty had to go to the doctor and the doctor says I don’t know what kind of work your husband does but you need to change jobs or do something differently.

He says, you’re in a lot of stress. So I went off the road and took a church. That man doesn’t know what he’s talking about. There is no stress like being a pastor because you’re dealing with people of all shapes and sizes, all different levels of spirituality. And they all want you to say just exactly what they want to hear, but don’t get on my case, don’t preach against sin. Help me spiritually, but don’t tell me what I’m doing wrong.

And they want to preach it with 50 years experience, but only 40 years old. Stress? Do you notice, even though I say and I hit things seriously and sometimes hard, I still have it with a little sense of humor, don’t I? Because I love to laugh. If you don’t love to learn to laugh, you can do a lot of weeping. I have been in such a jam that I had no possible way of getting out of it. And I said, Lord, this is going to be fun.

I’ve got to see you get me out of this mess. And I’ve got to just wait and see what God’s going to do. But I’ve never been afraid of getting anything because I always know God get me out of them. But learn to have a merry heart. Learn to laugh a little bit. Remember that sermon I preached on the woman stands there in the in the mirror. She’s hung up with me for 30 years. And I’m old and I’m gray.

And I’m sagging. Give me a compliment. He said, well, there’s nothing wrong with your eyesight. Let’s see that, but it’s humorous. But see how you laugh? Laughter is good medicine. Laughter is good medicine. It will help you physically. It really will. Proverbs in chapter 15. and look there in verse 13 verse 13 says pretty much the same thing but he says a merry heart make it a cheerful countenance you want to improve your countenance did you know if you don’t learn to smile you’re gonna look older smile you said well I’ll get wrinkles yeah but they’ll be in the right place They’re mirror on the wall, crack.

Anyway. A merry heart, make it a cheerful candidate, but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. Let up a little bit, because if you don’t, you may never be a happy person, because there’s always sorrows. There’s always something to upset the apple cart. I don’t care what it is going on, there’s always some problems that you have. Now I’m not talking about walking around with a smiley face all day long. There’s times that you’ll have to be sorrowful and you’ll grieve.

But don’t let it overwhelm you to the place where you can’t smile anymore, but you can’t be happy. Number three, I want you to write down. Slow down. You don’t need to do all that you think you have to do. Slow down. The Bible says God has given us all things freely to enjoy. There’s nothing wrong in joy in life. Rest in the Lord. Rest in the Lord. Wait patiently for Him. Learning how to depend upon the Lord. The only reason you become a workaholic is because you think it all depends on you.

And you just work yourself to death and never have any free time to do what you really want to do. So you have to be careful. There’s time, I mean you got responsibilities. You got to be able to figure these things out and look to the Lord for guidance. I believe that you ought to do with your life. life what you really enjoy doing it. It’s possible. Enjoy it doing what you’re doing. Learn to wait and depend upon the Lord and look to Him and believe in that God is going to do what He says He will do.

I waited patiently for the Lord and He inclined to meet her in the cry. He brought me up also out of a horrible pit out of the mighty clay set my feet upon a rock, established my goings, And he had put a new song in my mouth. They’ve been praising to our God. Minish, I’ll see it in fear and trust in the Lord. God put a song in your heart. Sing it. Does God done anything for you lately? But he put a new song in my heart.

If I could, I ought to learn the sing. You don’t have to sing. Somebody, I was singing today and somebody says, but is that what you call a joyful noise? Oh, it’s coming down the hallway. Somebody stuck their head out and says, that way you call a joyful, who did that? Hurt my feelings. I could have been a professional singer now. He’s discouraged me from doing it. See there? What I could have been. All right, look in Psalms 126, 126 Psalm.

See if you should slow down and smell the roses, I did in a beast stung my nose. Psalms 126, look at it. When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. That was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue would sing Him. Then said they among the heathen, the Lord hath done great things for them. The Lord hath done great things for us. We are glad. Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the south, they that so in tears shall reap in joy.

He that goeth forth and weep at bear in precious seed shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” Oh, that sounds good. Well, that sounds good. People in captivity learned the same. Some things you may not be able to change. You may not be able to change the situation where you work. You can’t change the situation concerning your health. told me it, one of the day we’re going to die anyway. Learn to be happy and fill with the joy of the Lord until you’re no longer here.

You’re going to have problems, you know it. You’re going to suffer, you know it. I already know it. And sometimes you’re going to hurt. But when you can muster just a little bit of a smile, do it all. Aren’t you impressed with people when they’re really going through the fire? And they say, praise the Lord. I don’t understand it. I can’t help it. I can’t change it. But praise the Lord anyway. There’s people who can do that. And there are other people who find it very, very difficult to smile through anything.

And some people just don’t know how to express themselves. But it doesn’t hurt to say, God’s been good to me. And like Jobah, he did not sin or charge God foolishly. He simply said, the Lord, give it. The Lord, take it the way. Blessed be the name of the Lord. I still got the Lord. You know, the most precious thing in all the world is to have the Lord. Now, you can lose everything else, but you can’t lose Him.

So you see, you still got the best. You still got the best. I want you to write down this statement. Number four was the small laugh which was Psalms 126. Number five, live expecting a miracle at any time. Live expecting a miracle at any time. And you can write down the scripture reference, James chapter four and verse two. Because it talks about ask and receiving. If you prayed, you should expect. You prayed, expect. Live every day expecting God to work some little miracle.

You know if God can work a little miracle, God can work a big miracle. If God does it. And God delights and performing for us when we’re totally helpless and there’s no other way no other visible means of support. When there’s nothing else you can do, so that way he definitely will get the honor, the glory, and the credit. When you’re totally in despair, true faith is serving God when it appears that God has let us down, when it seemed like God has failed us.

Look at this verse over in the book of Psalms, since we’re right here in Psalm. Look in Psalms chapter 50, the 50th Psalm. And look at verse 15. Verse 15 is a good verse underlying in your Bible. Call upon me in the day of what? See it’s like saying you’re going to have that day of trouble. You’re probably going to have a lot of days of trouble. So what do you do, call upon the Lord and And get what he says, I might deliver thee.

I will deliver thee. And thou shalt glorify me. That’s why you had the day of trouble. So that he could deliver you before the trouble. But he let you have the trouble so that you cry out to the Lord, so that you would brag on him when it’s all over with. Now, sometimes I believe God’s children cry out to God, God, He delivers them and they never thank Him. So since you didn’t pass the test, you might have to take it over again.

You know, you always have to come up against something that’s bigger than your faith, in order to challenge your faith to grow, to get over that obstacle. God’s not going to lose the obstacle. He wants to give you the faith that you need to accept the challenge. That’s what forces your faith in the Lord to grow. Otherwise you and I would never grow. Would never mature. Never be the way God wants us to be. Number six was just write this down very simple.

Just never give up. Believe that failures and dead ends and dry holes and detours and all those things are They’re just stepping stones to success. They’re just stepping stones to success. I said, your failures and your dead ends and your dry holes and your detours. They’re just stepping stones to success. Because you believe that God works all things for your good. You want to be strong in the Lord. God wants you to be strong. Tribulation worked with patience. Patience is a strength of a strong man of God, but tribulation is what develops the patience.

But many people don’t let tribulations perform its work. It’s to build you strong in the Lord. Alright, look up here. Letting this hand represent you and me. The The wallet represents sin. We all have sin upon us. Now God says that He loves us. He loves you, loves me. He hates our sin because our sin separates us from God. So the payment for sin is death, eternal separation from God in hell. And God loves us and wants us to go to heaven.

And to go to heaven we have to be perfect because righteous is God. But God says that we’re not righteous. We’re not perfect. not good enough to go to heaven. He says, there is none righteous, no not one. All have sinning Him short of God’s perfection, the glory of God. So God says, we cannot save ourselves. Going to heaven is not by my works. I’ll never be good enough. This hand represents Jesus Christ. He’s the Lord. God in the flesh.

He came into the world because He loves us. He The H are sinned because it separates us from him. So Jesus Christ took the sin, paid for it on the cross, came back from the dead. God says that if we would believe that He did it for us, He would put this death payment He made to our account as the payment for our sins. Then I have no sins to pay for. All my sins are paid. They’re all forgiven.

And if they’re all forgiven, then I would have as a free gift eternal life and get to go to heaven whenever I die. That is not because of any good deed that I’ve done. It’s all because of the work that he did. So all I had to do to go to heaven was believe that Jesus Christ paid for my sins and trust him as my only hope of going to heaven. That’s the best news in all the world. Let’s pray, shall we?

For every head bowed and every eye closed and no one looking around. If you’re here tonight or if you happen to be watching by internet, right where you are, you don’t have to do anything as far as your good works or concern. You don’t have to do anything about your sins. Price already took care of that. And he says that if you’ll believe that he died of that cross and paid for your sins, he said he would save and give us a free gift everlasting life.

So why not write down the quietness of this moment just between you and the Lord. Say something simple like this, or I’m a sinner. I know that. And I believe you died on that cross and paid for my sins. And right now the best of know-how I will accept Jesus Christ as my Savior. For in God’s it, if you’ll trust Him, He’ll save you. Give you eternal life and you can know that you’re going to heaven whenever you die.

I pray that you will. But heads by nice clothes, if you have not trusted Christ as your Savior, would you trust Him right now? I’d like to have prayer for you in closing. And we’ll all just slip your hand up very quickly and by that you mean just pray for me, I will accept Christ as my Savior tonight. I want to be certain I’m going to heaven during one of all. Our Father, we do thank You so much for giving us the clarity of these things in Your Word so that we can be found faithful.

And Lord, they help us concern in our attitudes to know that you love us. And we live in a troublesome, sinful, wicked world. But Father, you said, we are going to have these troubles. But to call upon you and you would deliver us. And then we would give you the praise and the glory and the honor because of it. We thank you so much for all you’ve done, and I have your blessings upon us in Christ’s name. Amen. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr.

Ralph Arnold. We pray that you are blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bible Line and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll 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.

Don’t you turn in your Bible to the book of Psalms, a book of Psalms? Try the 118th Psalm. Let me see how well y’all can follow the leader. This is the day that the Lord hath made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day that the Lord hath made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day, this is the day that the Lord had made. We’re going to talk about this is the day that the Lord had made.

You know that’s a verse in the Bible. You know it talks about this is the day that the Lord had made and he says when he was referring to the Son and the resurrection of Christ from the dead. And it says, this is the day that God hath begotten His Son from the dead. And that was a special day when Jesus Christ came into the world for this particular time, this day. And He came and He died on the cross, was buried rose again from the dead.

And we are to pose a preach about that day when all these happen. Such a great thing, great story. But I want you to look there in 118th Psalm and you’ll notice there in verse 20, the gate of the Lord into which the righteous shall enter. I will praise thee, For thou hath heard me and art become my salvation. The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is a reference to Jesus Christ.

This is a reference to the nation of Israel rejecting the Messiah. And Christ becoming the head of the church. So what he was rejected by one was accepted by the other and so you and I are part of the church. Even though this is recorded in the Old Testament, it’s a reference to that and mentioned in the book of Peter in chapter 2.

This is the day that the Lord hath made. Look what he says in verse 23, this is the Lord’s doing. It is marvelous in our eyes. When you stop and think about the plan of salvation, that you and I were not called into the secret chambers of the Lord and and he asked us our counseling. What do y’all think about this? This is something that the God had did. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit all met together came out with this super plan and each one had a role.

Each one had something to do. I think it’s the great plan. I kind of like it myself. The plan of salvation. Now if you and I were going to design this plan of salvation, well we would have had it to where the good people go to heaven and the bad people don’t. We would have decided that there’s got to be certain rules and regulations and those who met the qualifications, well they get to go and the other ones don’t.

I mean that’s the way man that when man makes up a religion, that’s what he did. Think about it. All the man-made religions adds works to the gospel. There’s only one true gospel and there’s no works required. Because see, this is marvelous in the sight of God. God’s the one that designed this and He said that going to heaven would be a free gift that nobody could earn it. No one could work for it. This is the day that the Lord hath made.

This is a plan that the Lord hath planned. And as he says here in verse 24, This is the day which the Lord hath made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Every day is important. You and I know that. The Bible says that our time on Earth is but a vapor, a puric for a little while, and then vanishes away. We don’t have much control over this little period of time that we have. None of us know exactly how long this period of time is that we’re going to have.

But it is a gift from God every day. It’s got 1,440 minutes in a day. 86,000 seconds. You know how many seconds are in a year? I asked a guy that one time. He says 12. January 2nd, February 2nd, March 2nd. Well, I guess it’s all perspective. Ah, you look at some things. Now, remember when you dedicate your life to the Lord, You expect God to interrupt your schedule. So I want to bring your attention to this fact that this day is a provided day.

Let’s don’t talk about yesterday and let’s don’t talk about tomorrow. Just this day, this day, this day is a provided day. It was especially prepared just for us. You see, the sun came up and lo and behold, we’re alive. And God has already planned a lot of things that’s going to happen on this day, Baba will of God, that you and I have absolutely no control over, but God does. So God has prepared a day for us. So it is a provided day that God provided for each and every one of us.

But this day comes with trials and tribulations, troubles. But it’s okay because God knew this day in advance. So there’s nothing that’s going to happen on this day that takes God by surprise. is not going to be shocked by anything that anybody can say or do on this day. Because this is the day that the Lord hath made and we will rejoice and be glad in it, right? Regardless. So it is a provided day. And I want you to take your Bible and turn with me to the book of Lamitation.

The book of Lamitation. It’s a little bitty book. It kind of hides itself in there between Jeremiah and Ezekiel. But just look at this book, Lamentation in chapter 3. If you feel like it had a bad day, read the book of Lamentation. It’ll pick you up a little bit. Or read the story of Job. That’ll really exalt you a little bit. Because nothing that you face today will probably as bad as what they had to go through. Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet, and he’s still lamenting all the things that have happened.

So it’s a very sad story. But in the midst of all of this sadness, there is these words of encouragement. So he says here in the book of Lamentation, chapter 3, look here in verse 21, This I recall to my mind. Therefore I have hope. Now let me tell you, some of the things that you perhaps will learn today, you may not need it today, but tomorrow or the next day, you will recall some of those things that you have heard.

And they’ll give you hope. Or maybe you are going through something now and it might give you just a little bit of hope, a little bit of confidence in the Lord to help you to be bold in the Lord. Sometimes it’s hard to wear that smiley face when everything seems like it’s falling apart. But now I want you to get this in verse 22. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed. Now, this day has a lot of things coming in this day.

And in spite of all the things that will go wrong in our viewpoint, or have gone wrong, would consume us if it wasn’t for the mercies of the Lord. So in God, given us this provided day, provided this day for us, it comes with a lot of things that you and I didn’t plan on. But along with this day comes the mercies of God. I was talking to someone just recently and they told me how close they came to maybe being killed.

And this was just somebody who was happened to walk in the fellowship hall. And there was some water on the floor and he hit that thing and he went down and he says in his face, stop that close to the concrete to that floor and he says it just scared him to death. Tell us how close he came. One day at a church up there in Georgia, God bless my deacons. They were supposed to get the tub ready for a baptismal service.

So that morning on Saturday morning I wanted to check and make sure that the water was nice and warm. You know I hate cold water when I’m gonna baptize. I did that one time and the water was down almost zero. Well it would have been ice but it was cold it was cold and I remember when I walked and into the water. I didn’t even think about it being cold. I just thought it was gonna be nice and warm.

And when I walked into the water I got down to about my knees and realized this is ice cold water. And I was, it kind of takes your breath. But I could see the people out there and I didn’t want them to see me losing it. So I walked on into the water like nothing was wrong. And that first person I had the girls on one side and the guys on the other side, I made a mistake and took the girl first.

The girl came down and she had on her little robe and her foot touched that cold icy water and she went, and everybody was watching but they couldn’t see her yet. She hadn’t got down into the tank. It’s okay, it’s okay. And it’s so cold. Well anyway, I had about 15 to baptize that day. I was numb. I thought I was gonna die. I was ready to kill every deacon. They forgot to turn the heat on. And so I didn’t want this to happen again.

So, Saturday, I’m going to check and I went to check the water and the water was cold. So I wanted to see if it was on, maybe something’s wrong. So I stuck my hand underneath some of the pipes and some of the wires and stuff. I had my hand all under there. And nothing. I couldn’t feel it. Nothing was warm and nothing. So I called up one of the deacons and he says, Pastor, he says, there’s a switch on the wall.

Just flip that switch. He says, I don’t know who turned it off. That switch is always on. So I flipped the thing on and it got the water warm. And then I realized, if that switch had been up, I would have been dead. They told me later, says, pastor, whatever you do, don’t ever put your hand underneath there. I says, why? He says, that’s where all the wires are. It goes to that heating element. He said, it electrocutes you just like that.

Boom. This is the day that the Lord hath made. Every day there’s something that could take you out of this day if it wasn’t for the mercies of God. And you and I are supposed to believe that God has provided for us this day. Only what he says, and his compassion, get to your underlying these two words, fail not his compassion fails not. He says in verse 23, they are new, win. Every morning, every morning God’s going to have enough mercy, enough compassion to get you through this day.

Now it doesn’t matter what comes this day. God has already provided this day with all kinds of things and there’s nothing’s going to happen to you that God didn’t know about and God’s already given you all the strength and the grace you need. All you have to do is accept it. Appropriate to believe it. You You just don’t know what I’m going to. I don’t have to know what you’re going through. God does. I just can’t take no more.

Yes, you can. Yes, you can. God’s grace is, it says, is sufficient. Not might be sufficient, it is sufficient. You don’t have to fall apart. You don’t have to have a nervous breakdown. All you have to do is learn how to trust the Lord. Believe it and walk with him and trust him. and God will take care of you. I also want you to know this. This is a present day. Now it’s good to talk about the past. Sometimes it’s good to have views for the future, but realize on this day, this is a present day.

You have it now. You see, some people, they always living in the past or they’re trying to live in the future and never enjoy the present. The moment that you have. Be happy for this day. Don’t worry about, happen is coming down tomorrow or the next day. Be happy today. Happen is not a destination. It’s a way of travel. It’s learning how to enjoy what you go through. Realizing that I’m God’s child. God has provided for me a day.

And this is a present day I’m alive today. I may not be alive tomorrow. tomorrow and all this that I have, I have it now. So therefore I will rejoice and be glad in it in this day that the Lord hath provided for me, that the Lord has given me this present moment. It’s not was or shall be, it’s is right now. Two things that destroys this day is living yesterday that is past. And living tomorrow that may never come.

You can live in the past guilt, and you can live in the past glory. You see, there’s always things that we have done, and they may be glorious things, you know, in the days of our youth, or we could do this, and this, and this, and this. But there are also things that we’ve done that we don’t want to remember. And there’s guilt. And those things can destroy this day because you’re living in the past. And if you live in the glory of the past, you can ruin this day.

And if you’re living in the guilt of the past, you can ruin this day. And many people are living miserable lives because they have not learned. This is a new day, a new morning. And what happened yesterday was yesterday. And I don’t know about tomorrow, but I have this moment. I have this day, this time. This is the day that the Lord hath made. I will rejoice. I will rejoice and be glad in it. Take your Bible and turn to the book of Philippians in chapter three, the book of Philippians chapter three.

Like this woman, she’s bragging on her husband. My husband’s been a deacon, choir member. My husband has been a preacher. My husband’s been a banker. He’s been a lawyer. My husband is the greatest has been that there ever has been. But you know, it doesn’t matter what you have been. It’s what are you now? What are you doing now? And so you need to have confidence in your own mind that you’re doing with this provided day what God wants you to do with it and many people never seem to wake up and realize it in time you are always going to have grief in life but see it’s something that you need to know that God knows all in advance about the grief that you’re going to have.

You can have a loved one pass away and it produces some grief. But am I supposed to still rejoice in that day about this thing? You see, it doesn’t matter how sorrowful the events may be. There is still to be a certain amount of joy between you and the Lord that you know everything’s all right. Everything’s fine. God is still on the throne. He didn’t quit. He didn’t resign. He’s not sick. I talked to him this morning. He’s well.

and you and I don’t have to worry. Can you take everything in your life and put it into God’s hands? If you do, it won’t be long before you’ll see God’s hand in everything that you do. Some people can’t see the Lord working in their life, but I believe He’s working in my life, and I can see the hand of God moving and working in my life, and that’s been going on for about 50 years now. God is good to us.

Here in the book of Philippians in chapter 3, I want you to look there in verse 13. He says, brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth under those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus every day to be pressing toward that which God has for you. You see, I don’t have to worry about tomorrow.

God will give me the strength and grace that I need to bear the burdens of today. When tomorrow comes, God will give me the strength and grace that I need for that day. Now, can I believe that or not? If I can believe that, then I don’t need to worry about it. I don’t need to worry about it. You see, you don’t have to have all these, you know, uppers and downers, all kind of medicine to pick you up, put you down.

You got the word of God. You’ve got the greatest counselor in all the world. He is the great physician. He knows what you’re going through. He knows how you think. He knows how you feel. You see, this is a special day. It’s a provided day that he provided for you and I. It’s a present day. We have it right now. And this day, one day we’ll pass. But right now we have this day in this moment. I wrote something down that I’d like to share with you a long time ago.

Worry does not take the sorrow out of tomorrow. It just takes the strength out of today. Worry doesn’t take the sorrow out of tomorrow. It just takes the strength out of today. But people need to think about that. There was the story about this one man. He worried all the time. Always stooped over sad countenance for years. And then one day somebody saw him on the street and he was singing and smiling, standing up straight, cheerful, excited. And they said, what happened to you?

He says, I found a worrying company. He says, this worrying company does all my worrying for me. So now I don’t have to worry about anything. He said, what does that cost you? He says $1,000 a month. He says, where are you going to get $1,000 a month? He says, that’s their first worry. You’ve got one day, and you and I ought to try to squeeze everything out of it that we can. There was this strong man one time built like James Hayslip.

And he was up there on the stage and he had a lemon in his hand and he would squeeze that lemon. He says, I’m going to squeeze all the juice out of this lemon. He said, now I’ll give a hundred dollars to any person that can come up here and squeeze one more drop out of this lemon. So he squeezed it and it says, any takers. And there were some big guys around there, you know, some of those red necks and muscle and tattoos and all that kind of bit like myself, you know.

They’re all over there. And nobody would step forward, finally this one little old scrawny woman, she came up there and he laughed. Thought this was so funny. So he gave her that old lemon and she took that lemon and she held it up and she started squeezing. One drop. Two drops, three drops, five drops. He says, ma’am, what do you do for a living? She says, I’m the secretary of the treasure to first Baptist Church. Now you and I need to squeeze all the life out of every day, every day.

And you say, well, I just can’t get any more. Have you ever heard people say that my plate is full? I heard that one time and I thought, I’m gonna start using that. That’s the best way to tell somebody no. I’m sorry, it was my place for. I had something I wanted some people to do in the church and it’s a preach I’d love to but my plate is full. I said, you got a bunch of scraps on your plates what you got.

Cause I knew they had time, it’s just, you know if you wanna get something done, find a busy person. A busy person always has time to get something done. lazy person just doesn’t have the time. Because he just can’t find the time. But a busy person can always find time to get a little bit more, just a little bit more. There’s some people looking for opportunities because they want to get something done. And then there’s other people that run from everything.

But you should want to try to see just how much can I get out of this life. God gave me this day. And it’s a precious day. And I want to live it to the fullest and get everything I can out of every moment of my life. I believe God will bless you for doing so. I want to give you number three. This day is a precious day. What makes it so precious is that God made it. Think about it.

God made this day. You and I didn’t have anything to do with it. God made this day. And if He made this day, then we should rejoice and be glad in it. The art of being successful is learning how to spend time wisely. Killing time is a slow form of suicide. If I was asked most people, do you believe in suicide? Most people said, no, I don’t believe it’s right. I think it’s wrong. I think it’s a sin. Isn’t it a sin to slowly kill yourself?

To slowly kill it all that time that God gave to you? And you waste it and waste it and you don’t get any more of it. You don’t get any more of it. You see, yesterday is a cash check. You can’t use that. Yesterday, well, tomorrow that’s a promissory note. All you have is the cash right now. You got this moment that you got to spend. And some people, they’re trying to draw from the past or, you know, there’s a danger of trying to borrow into the future.

We got people in Washington who haven’t figured that out yet. And you know why we’re in such a mess right now? Because they put off and keep pushing it off into the future. And then when we’re dead, our kids will have to pay all that off. So you’ve got to cure for all the eyeshooter, too. But you don’t want to hear it, because it would make somebody mad. And you know how I hate that. I’m not one of those kind of guys that makes people upset.

Spend each day with 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 toll free, 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771.

To listen to today’s This 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 got one day! And you and I ought to try to squeeze everything out of it that we can. There was this strong man one time, built like James Hayslip, you know. And he was up there on the stage and he had a lemon in his hand and he would squeeze that lemon.

He says, I’m going to squeeze all the juice out of this lemon. He said, now give a hundred dollars to any person that can come up here and squeeze one more drop out of this limit. So he squeezed it. And he says, any takers, and there were some big guys around there, you know, some of those rednecks and mussels and tattoos and all that kind of built like myself, you know, they’re all over there. And nobody would step forward, finally this one little old scrawny woman, she came up there and he laughed.

thought this was so funny. So he gave her that old lemon and she took that lemon and she held it up and she started squeezing. One drop, two drops, three drops, five drops. He says, ma’am, what do you do for a living? She says, I’m the secretary of the treasure the first Baptist church. Now you and I need to squeeze all the life out of every day, every day. And you say, well, I just can’t get you much. Have you ever heard people say that my plate is full?

I heard that one time and I thought, I’m gonna start using that. That’s the best way to tell somebody no. I’m sorry, my plate’s full. I had something I wanted some people to do in the church and it’s a preach I’d love to, but my plate is full. I I say, you got a bunch of scraps on your plates what you’ve got. Because I knew they had time, it’s just, you know, if you want to get something done, find a busy person.

A busy person always has time to get something done. A lazy person just doesn’t have the time. Because he just can’t find the time. But a busy person can always find time to get a little bit more, just a little bit more. There’s some people looking for opportunities because they want to get something done. And then there’s other people that run from everything, but you should want to try to see just how much can I get out of this life.

God gave me this day, and it’s a precious day. And I want to live it to the fullest and get everything I can out of every moment of my life. I believe God will bless you for doing so. I want to give you number three. This day is a precious day. What makes it so precious is that God made it. Think about it. God made this day. You and I didn’t have anything to do with it. God made this day.

And if he made this day, then we should rejoice and be glad in it. The art of being successful is learning how to spend time wisely. Killing time is a slow form of suicide. If I was to ask most people, do you believe in suicide? Most people said, no, I don’t believe it’s right. I think it’s wrong. I think it’s a sin. Isn’t it a sin to slowly kill yourself? To slowly kill it all that time that God gave to you, and you waste it and waste it and you don’t get any more of it?

You don’t get any more of it. You see, yesterday is a cash check. You can’t, you can’t use that. Yesterday, well, tomorrow, that’s a promissory note. All you have is the cash right now. You got this moment that you got to spend. And some people, they’re trying to draw from the pass or you know, there’s a danger of trying to borrow into the future. We got people in Washington, they haven’t figured that out yet. why we’re in such a mess right now because they put off and keep pushing it off into the future.

And then when we’re dead, our kids will have to pay all that off. So you’ve got to cure for all the I sure do, but you don’t want to hear it because it would make somebody mad and you know how I hate that. I’m not one of those kind of guys that makes people upset. Spend each day with the Lord. And try to learn how to use your time wisely. You know the Bible says, redeeming the time. Be in wise, redeeming the time.

Using your time wisely, using your days wisely. Composing something for the Lord to be stronger in the Lord. To teach something, to read something. Always trying to use every day to make yourself stronger in the word of God. to be spiritually strong. You see a lot of people, they make provisions for the flesh. Opportunities to get in trouble. And then when they get in trouble, I don’t know what happened. Why don’t you know what happened? Most people never learn.

There is enough time in every day to graciously do what God wants you to do. Think of that. There is enough time in every day to graciously do everything God wants you to do. To utilize a 24-hour period is the same for all of us. And every one of us has exactly the same amount of time on this day. And some will waste that time and some will utilize that time. To learn things the day that when tomorrow comes, I’ll be wiser and can do better with tomorrow.

and to buy more things with my wisdom, to lay up treasure in heaven. So every day should be spent like money buying something, a value that will last for eternity. Learning to lay up treasures in heaven. This day is a passing day. This day will pass. It’s not gonna be here forever. Now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. Because this day will come and go, and what will you do with it? What will you do with Jesus Christ?

Have you trusted Christ as your Savior? You see, well, I intend to. Well, you mean tomorrow. But tomorrow for you may never come. It may come for some, but it may not come for you. You don’t have a guarantee on how long you and I are going to live in this life. And that’s why it’s so important for you and I to know what the word of God says. And to trust Jesus Christ now, this day will go into the tomb of time.

I was mentioned into y’all not long ago about some pups that we had and the sorrow that I had in my life because of those stupid little pups. Because my son had a couple of rot-wilers and he was going to raise some pups and then sell them. And he begged me for the rot-wilers. So I got those two rot-wilers. All they were friendly and nice and kind. And I have pictures of my son rasling with them all over the floor, all over the bed.

I mean these dogs, they were supposed to be outside dogs. But he went up with them getting them in the house. And they were all over everything. And they weren’t real old. They were nice, size little wrongwilers. And I told them, I said, I don’t like these kinds of dogs. But dad, there’s nothing wrong with the dogs. what people do to these dogs and they make them mad and somebody else said they’re up there fine I said yeah but I don’t like the idea of those dogs I could just go to sleep and wake up and see one of those right-wing.

Anyway the boy decides to join the Navy so he joins the Navy and now I’m stuck with his two dogs but anyway he said they’re gonna they’ll breed and they’ll have pups you can sell the pups We’ll make money. Ah. Huh? Did you know it wasn’t long before my daughter who was living in Colorado. She decides to come down and see Daddy for Father’s Day. So she had this little daughter of hers named Melanie. So before they came down, Melanie calls me on the phone.

Well, Mommy did. And says, Melanie has something she wants to do. to tell you. I said, okay. She said, pop, guess what? And I said, what’s that? She says, ask me where I’m going when I die. I said, okay, where are you going to go when you die? She said, go on to heaven. She asked me another question. I said, well, how do you know you’re going to heaven? She says, cause I trust Jesus as my Savior. Ask me another question.

I says, well, what did he do for you? She said, he paid for all my sins. Ask me another question. And this went on. My daughter already He set her up so she knew what God answered on the questions. So I was excited, she was excited, and Mama was all excited too. So we’re happy that our little granddaughter, trusted Lord, can’t get any better than that? Well, it wasn’t long. You know, some things makes a certain day a special day.

It’s the day that the Lord had made. that Lord knew all about that and let us be blessed this way. So they came down to Georgia where we were at, and they came to the house and I says, hi and all that kind of stuff and we hugged and all that. I said, I’ve got to go to the church, which was right across the parking lot there, with that Parsonage there. So I went over to the Parsonage. And when I went over to the Parsonage, I sit down in my office and got a study.

It wasn’t long before I heard my wife Betty. She come running across the parking lot and she’s screaming bloody murder. And it scared me because I had never heard my wife scream like this. So I jumped up and I ran out and she says, Yankee, hurry, Melanie’s is the dog’s got Melanie. The dog’s got Melanie. So, I ran over through the fence and my daughter was coming out of the fenced area and she had little Melanie, a little four-year-old Melanie, and she was limp in my daughter’s arms.

And I looked and there was blood all over her. Her right shoulder was just barely hanging on. And they were scared. I was scared and we threw her in the car and took it down to the emergency room. And she was always swelling her arms and so forth. And she had over a hundred places on her where the dogs had scratched them with those big old nails of theirs. And she’s laying there on the table and I looked at her and I said, how are you doing Melanie?

She says, I’m freaking out. I never heard a kid say that before. She said, I’m freaking out. And now that was not a happy moment. That was not a joyful moment. See, this year, surprise God. See, God didn’t know this was going to happen. This is the day that the Lord hath made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. You know, she could have died, but she didn’t. They had to do a lot of stitching, saved her arm.

But see what little Melanie was gonna do was, she was gonna surprise Papa. She went into the Finston area, and she went all the way back in the one corner where she knew that we had some blackberries. And she was gonna pick some blackberries and get them for Papa. When she got the blackberries on the far end, she started back and the dogs came and just knocked her over and pushed her. They didn’t bite her, but those sharp nails that she couldn’t get up and every time they did it, and they were just ripping her.

Had over 100 places on her body. And she still has a few of those scars today, but now today she’s 25 years old, I think 25. God provided enough compassion for that day, and he also provided enough mercy for that day. And in every day there’s always some grace, some strength. But say you don’t need a God of provision unless you become a child of need. I never forget that day when my brother called me up on the phone and he says Yankee, he says, your son’s dead.

David’s been killed. And he told me that a guy had taken a hammer and killed my son, he was 28 years old. And we flew to Colorado and we never saw my son again, never saw his body, always saw with the pictures. This is the day that the Lord hath made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. I can rejoice that he knew the Lord, he knew he was going to heaven when he dies. A lot of things I don’t understand.

But see, God didn’t say I have to understand. God didn’t even say I have to agree with him. But God does say that I should trust him. and to look to Him, and that He will never fail me. And it will give me the strength and the grace that I need. Now either God’s telling the truth, or God’s lying, I just happen to believe Him. And that doesn’t matter what has happened in my life. You say, well, you’re the preacher, you probably get exempt from all those things.

Yeah, yeah, I get exempt. Nobody’s exempt. Everybody will have their moments. And every day is designed by God, and every day there’s something that can happen, that God will test you in certain ways, and God’s gonna try you. See, God wants you to love Him more than the day that He gives to you. More than the mercy He stows upon you, and more the compassion that you have. He wants you to love Him more, that if He took everything away from you, You can still praise the Lord.

He’s God. He makes no mistakes. He does no wrong. He doesn’t make any errors. No slip ups. You can’t find one fault with God. So God has done all these things, but this day is a passing day. And those days that I do recall that sometime brought some sorrow with it. They came to pass. In the Word of God, one of the greatest promises, as you’ll find as you read it, it came to pass. And I don’t care how dark the moment, it will pass.

It will pass. But do you believe that? Can you walk with the Lord when it seems like everything is falling apart? I told you one day about my daughter when I walked into the trailer that we lived in at that time. And she had made a surprise cake for daddy. It was an upside down cake. It wasn’t supposed to be. It had fell off the table and it was upside down on the floor. And she was sitting there and she was just a boo-hoo and just a ball.

I said, Serena, what’s wrong, honey? Oh, I said, I’m losing it. And she wanted to surprise me. I said, honey, I’m surprised. But the cake was upside down and it was, I said, honey, I said, you don’t have to fall apart just because a cake falls apart. I said, I hope we’ve helped put you together a little bit better than the cake. But did you know that when you take certain parts of a cake, if you take them individually, that it doesn’t do you too good?

How would you like a mouthful of lard? a mouthful of bacon soda, mouthful of salt, or a mouthful of flour. Individually, see those things are terrible, but you know, if you take the right amount of each one of those ingredients and put it together with a little time and you realize you can make something like a cake, do you realize that there’s some bad things that might happen in your life, but God said, now you need a little pinch of this and a little pinch of that?

You see, God’s the only one that knows what he’s trying to make out of your life, and he knows exactly how much to put in and what to take out. God is God. And he loves you enough that he’s going to give you personalized attention. Can you live with that? I had a radio broadcast up in Georgia every Sunday morning I’d go on live from eight o’clock to nine o’clock before I went to church. So I had this hour calling program called Get a Life.

That was a title of my radio broadcast. Get a Life. and often I would say in there. I said, how you doing this morning? You down discouraged? Get a life. Stop whining and pining and moaning and groaning. Get out of bed. Look to the Lord. This is the day that the Lord hath made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.

Maybe that’s why nobody called me. Oh, they did it times. The last thing I wanted to give you was this. This is a praising day. Do you know what it says? I will. Rejoice and be glad in it. So it doesn’t matter what happens in this day. I’ve already determined I’m going to praise the Lord for this day. And I’m going to rejoice in this day. So this is a praising day because this is the day that the Lord had made.

I will rejoice and be glad in it. So God has been good for us. Did you know the words? It says, we will. In 118th Psalms. we will rejoice. But you need to personalize it also and say, I will rejoice. Me. I will rejoice. Right now in your own mind, you don’t have to do it out loud, in your own mind say these words, this is the day that the Lord hath made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.

I will. because it’s my choice. I got a choice. And some people will not rejoice in this day. They will not be glad for this day. And yet, well, out this day, you wouldn’t be here. Do you understand that? God gave you this day, this time to live. It’s a wonderful thing to know the Lord and to know that God has provided something so wonderful and special for us. Because you see, time is what life is made out of, and time is what life is made out of.

So without one, you don’t have the other. You can’t have one without the other, not in this life. Because see, that’s what time does. Time is valuable. Time is your life. When you run out of time, we often say you run out of life. You’re no longer here. You’re going to die someday. This day is a passing day. But it’s also supposed to be a a day that we’re thankful for. You see, we have troubles just like people in the world that don’t know the Lord.

But we’re supposed to be able to accept things because we have the Lord. We got God’s grace. We have got His mercy. We got His compassion. They’re new every morning. His compassion failed not. And that’s what the book says. But you know, you can’t believe this, can you? you. Cursed is the man who put his confidence in man. But you and I are supposed to trust the Lord and look to the Lord. Let me show you something. It doesn’t matter whether or not you’re talking about the guilt of the past or the glory of the past or the grudges of the past.

Has somebody ever wronged you and you carry a grudge and you will never forgive them puppets? That will keep you from enjoying this day. Worrying about tomorrow? That will keep you from enjoying this day. You see, if everything has to be right for you to enjoy a day, you’re not going to have many days to rejoice, are you? There’s always seemed like a little sorrow that comes with almost every day. But there’s also some happiness that God allows to have coming to your life, and these things are important.

So don’t worry about tomorrow. husband and wives, stop fighting, love each other, time short. Love the kids. Look up here. This hand represents you and me. And this wallet represents sin. We all have sin upon us. Now God says that He loves us. Now He hates our sin, but He loves us. And the Lord says for For us to pay for this sin is eternal separation from God in hell. And God says He wants us to go to heaven.

And to go to heaven we have to be perfect as righteous is God. And none of us are perfect. None of us are righteous. We’ve all done things wrong. We’re all in the same boat. But that doesn’t mean God doesn’t love us. God still loves us even though we’ve got an owe sinful nature. And God still loves us even though we do all these bad things. God loves us so much that He wants us to go to heaven. But He says, you can’t earn it.

You can’t work for it. You can’t buy your way into heaven. You see, going to heaven is not because of how much money you give, or if you go to this church or that church. You see, you have to be perfect to go to heaven. You say, do I have to turn from my sin? No, you don’t have to turn from your sin. You have to die for your sins. You have to die for them. The way the sin is death.

That’s why you got to die. That’s why everybody dies. So the Bible says, God loves us, so He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world because He loves us. He hates our sin because our sin separates us from the Lord. So Jesus Christ who had no sin didn’t have to die. He came into the world and He took all of our sins because the wages of sin is not turning from them but paying for them. Christ paid for my sins for me.

See, that’s the wages I got to pay for it. He took them, He paid for it. Came back from the dead. And He said that if I would believe that He did it for me, He would put this payment to my account and I get to go to heaven on what Jesus Christ did. That’s a gift, that’s free. And God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believe it in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

I have trusted Christ as my Savior. I know that I’m going to heaven when I die. And I’m glad that I know that this is the day that the Lord hath made, and I will be glad and rejoicing it. before I quit. See if you can follow me again. I want you to sing it with me. This is the day. This is the day that the Lord hath made. I have made. I will rejoice. I will Rejoice and be glad in it and be glad in it.

This is the day that the Lord hath made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day. This is the day that the Lord hath made. Let’s pray, shall we? With every head bowed and every eye closed, no one looking around. If you hear this morning and you’re, you’ve never trust the Lord, maybe you’ve heard about it, but just never understood. Friend, I’m not going to have you stand up. I’m not going to have you come forward.

I’m not having you sign anything. I just want you right where you are. See, God knows who you are. God loves you. And he says that if you would be lead that he died on that cross and paid for your sins, that he would give you as a free gift ever lasting life. Would you do that? Would you trust him? If you will trust Christ as your Savior this morning, I’d like to know it. I’d like to have prayer for you.

So I’m gonna ask you 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 I’d like to have prayer for you in closing. Inward at all. Just say yes, I understand it. I know I’m a sinner and I wanna go to heaven. And I believe Christ died for me. And I’m gonna trust him right now as my savior. Is there anyone at all?

Just slip it up very quickly. Just slip it up very quickly. I just wanna recognize. You know what it all. Hi Father, we do thank you so much for all you’ve done for us. We thank you Lord for this time together and help us to appreciate the time that you give us to live. For every day, how precious it is. We don’t know how many of them we got, you left. If any. We ask your blessings also Father, for every person here 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 The Bible is presented by the Bibleline radio by Dialing Tool 3, 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. To listen to today’s today’s message again or to obtain a free download of any of our Bibleline programs, just go to our homepage at BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the radio broadcast link.

If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 10-30 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcasts of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline, and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. 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 Mulcair 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 have mixed emotions on what I want to speak on today, only because it’s supposed to be special day remembrance. But I really wanted to change the tone of all of it and speak on something that I believe is perhaps maybe a little bit more important because see everyone dies. some die of natural causes, some from accidents or declarations of war. And where a person spends eternity is the most important thing in all the world. And I believe that telling another individual how to have eternal life is the greatest act of freedom that we can do for another individual.

You know, a lot of people never learn how to talk to somebody because they’re scared to death. It is. It’s a scary thing to talk to somebody about the Lord. Well I had somebody ask me a question, Pastor, why does it seem like in the Old Testament it seems so hard to see the gospel in the Old Testament. It seems like it’s so complicated or it’s not there. You don’t find Ephesians 2, 8, 9 in the Old Testament. You don’t find 1 John 5, 13 in the Old Testament like that.

And John 3, 16, so clear in the Old Testament like that. And I said, you know, that is a very good question. That’s a very good question. Deserves a good answer, I wish to had one. Take your Bible and turn to the book of Philippians in chapter 3, Philippians in chapter 3. I want to show you a key that opens up the Old Testament. Believe it or not, there are a couple keys. Today I just want to show you one of those keys that if you see this key and it goes into the Old Testament and it will unlock some scriptures and you’ll see some things and I believe it’ll be a blessing to you.

The Apostle Paul had talked about something in his life that he had done, not by himself, it was done when he was really young and it looks like it’s a problem. So in chapter 3, look in verse 1, finally my brethren, rejoice in the Lord to write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it’s safe. Beware of dogs, Gentiles, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision for we are the circumcision which worship God in the Spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh.

Now I want you to underline that in the Bible if you don’t have it on the line. no confidence in the flesh. No confidence in the flesh. That means that you do not have any confidence in yourself that you can buy anything that you do save yourself. So this is Paul, a Jewish man saying this, and he says they’re in verse four. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. In other words, if anybody has a reason to have confidence in the flesh, he says, I do.

If any other man thinketh that he had to wear off, he might trust in the flesh, I’m more. He said, look who I am. Look who I am. In verse 5, circumcise the eighth day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin and Hebrew of the Hebrews as touching the law of Pharisee, Concerning zeal persecuting the church touching the righteousness switches into law blame Boy, I am somebody if anybody He said, look who I am. And I have no confidence in the flesh because of what I’ve done because of who I am.

No confidence whatsoever. But he says, I will circumcise the eighth day. Now take your Bible and turn to the book of Galatians. Just a few pages to the left. Now remember, you must follow me all the way to the left. Now remember, you must follow me all the way through or you’re going to get lost. You can’t leave me for a couple minutes and then come back and think you’re going to catch up. You will lose something in the sequence and it’s so important.

So in the book of Galatians, look in chapter 5. Galatians chapter 5 and now look in verse 1, stand fast therefore in the liberty where with Christ has made us free, be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. So what’s the yoke of bondage? Well, the law, trying to keep the law, trying to earn your way to heaven, that’s slavery. See, if you have to earn your way to heaven, it’s like being a slave. You have to do all these things, and then God’s already said it won’t work.

But you’re a slave to something that won’t help. And that’s people who go to church and try to live a good life and try to be all these things and God says it’s not going to help. So he makes a statement here in verse 2. Be hold, I Paul say unto you that if you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. Well wait man didn’t he just say in Philippians I will circumcise the eighth day. Well if he’d been circumcised and here he says if you’ve been circumcised, Christ won’t profit you anything.

So Paul can’t go to heaven, thought he had been circumcised. He said so. Is there a contradiction in the Bible? No. Because Paul realizes he got into the ram of the Lord and realized that salvation was not by his works and simply by grace. He understood that his circumcision had nothing to do with saving him. So he said, don’t trust in the flesh. Don’t trust in the flesh. And then in verse 3 he says, before I testify again to every man that is circumcised, He is a debtor to do the whole law.

So if you’re going to be circumcised to be saved, you also have to do the whole law to be saved perfectly in every area. And Paul says, you won’t work. No flesh shall be justified by his works, by his deeds. So I want you to take your Bible and turn to the book of Romans in chapter 4. Romans and chapter 4. decision was a sign. And you will find that mentioned end throughout the Old Testament. And that the whole nation of Israel was commanded to be circumcised.

And I have to admit, most people have no clue what it’s talking about or what does that mean and what does it reference to and what’s it in the Bible for? A big deal. Who cares? But it’s in here for a reason. So So in Romans 4, I want you to see there in verse 11, and he received the sign of the circumcision, the sign of circumcision. So circumcision was a sign of something. So the key is to find what was it a sign of?

What was it a sign of? He says, and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet been uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all them that believed, though they be not circumcised, that righteous not be imputed unto them. Isn’t that all clear? You know, you can read that sometime, he said, what? And yet, when you slow down and you look at exactly what he’s saying, it’s clear as a bell.

So there’s something that God told Abraham that is very, very important. So take your Bible and look in Romans chapter four and verse one now, because if it was a sign, what was it a sign of? So verse one tells us something that Abraham found out. And verse one, what shall we say then that Abraham, our Father, as pertaining to the flesh hath found? Paul found out later, well Abraham had alreadyutilsSourceFile]). NOTICEHoustonourningProduction:{href You’re talking almost 2,000 years before, and the message hasn’t changed.

And it’s true today, and it was true back then, and everybody saved the same way. But it doesn’t look like it’s clear in the Old Testament, but it’s because we haven’t studied the Old Testament like we do the New Testament. But look what he said, for if Abraham were justified by works, if he were justified by works that means that a man could earn his way to heaven, right? But he says he hath wear of the glory but not before God.

For what say if the scripture Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness? So all that Abraham had to do not by his works, all he had to do was believe and he would be made righteous. Believe and he would be justified. He believed and it was counted under him for righteousness. God would give Abraham his righteousness if only Abraham would believe. Now there’s a course what did he have to believe? But we’ll explain that in just a second.

So it’s all in here and it’s all very clear. Take your Bible turn to Galatians chapter In Galatians in chapter 3, Galatians in chapter 3, I want you to look there in verse 6. Galatians chapter 3 and verse 6 says, even as Abraham believed God. there in verse 6. Galatians chapter 3 and verse 6 says, even as Abraham believed God. Well, evidently God must have said something and Abraham had to know what it was and he believed it. And because of his faith in what God said, he was justified.

He lived to be 175 years old. But none of his works for 175 years got him to heaven. Only one thing. He believed what God said. Look what he says in verse 7, no ye therefore that they which are a faith the same or the children of Abraham. In other words, you get to be a child of God, just like Abraham became a child of God. Same thing, same way by faith. And verse 8, and the scripture, the Old Testament, foreseen that God would justify the heathen through faith preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In these shall all families of the earth be blessed.

So here’s a verse saying that it’s found in the Old Testament. So we talk about how clear it is in the New Testament, but God is using the Old Testament to help us understand it. So evidently it must be clear also in the Old Testament. Look at that statement again. When he says, in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. You need to understand what it means to be blessed. You see, God cursed everything. And man, and everybody dies, everything dies.

But to be blessed is to live forever. To be blessed is to have eternal life with the Lord. You say, you made that up. No, I didn’t make that up. When you go to the Old Testament and you’ll read and talk about the blessing and the cursing, here He’s talking about the blessing. What word is the cursing? Well, I’m glad you asked. Look at verse 10. as many as are of the works of the law or under the what?

Curse. Why? It is written. Curse it is everyone that continue, if not in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them, for the just shall live by faith. So there’s blessing and there’s cursing, and that refers to salvation or no salvation. So he makes the statement in verse 13, Christ had redeemed us from the what curse of the law, being made a curse for us, curse it as everyone that hangeth on a tree.

What? That the blessing of Abraham might come. So the reason Christ died as a curse under the law was to pay for our sins. He was cursed in our place. And we are blessed in the sense that God has given to you and I salvation eternal life. Because of what Christ did on the cross for us, see there in verse 14, for the blessing of Abraham. Might come on the Gentiles through somebody. Anybody? Through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the seed that came from Abraham.

And that’s why he says that in verse 16. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made, he say if not and the seeds as of many but as of one and to thy seed which is Christ. So when you go back and you see that you’ll understand he’s talking about Jesus Christ. That’s talking about the gospel. That’s talking about how to be saved, justified before God. Now, take your Bible and turn all the way over there to the book of Genesis in chapter 12.

Genesis in chapter 12. Here you find some of the statements that are made in the Old Testament that God uses in the New Testament to explain the gospel. how that God preached the gospel before unto Abraham. And he says here in verse two, and I will make of thee, talking about Abraham, a great nation, and I will bless thee, make thy name great, and thou shall be a blessing. And I will bless them that blessed thee, and curse him that curses thee, and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

So God is going to have, through Abraham, a seed down the road that would make a payment for the sins of the whole world, through Christ. And the blessing is that a man would be justified by faith. This is what this is teaching, that a man is justified by faith and faith alone to be blessed of God. And nobody can get salvation by his works. No man. Now take your Bible and turn to Genesis in chapter 15. Genesis in chapter 15.

Genesis chapter 15, it says there in verse two. Abraham has a problem. You see, he was 75 years old when the Lord told him to come out of the early the counties and years are passing away and he says, hey, I got a problem. Hey, how do I know you’re gonna keep your words? He said, I have to have a child. I have to father a child and I don’t have any. How is this going to work? Abraham knew there’s a problem here because his body was already past the age of being able to have children.

So what am I going to do? How is it going to happen? So he says there in verse 2, and Abraham said, Lord God, what will thou give me? I go cholice and the steward of my house is this eliaesar of Damascus.” And Abraham said, Behold, to me that is, that has given no seed and lo, one born in my house is by an heir. And behold, that word of the Lord came at him saying, This shall not be thine heir, but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.

And he brought him forth abroad and said, Look now towards heavens and tell the stars count them, if they’ll be able to number them. He said unto him, so shall thy seed be. That’s a promise from God. And so in verse 6, he believed in the Lord and he counted it to him for righteousness. So his righteousness was put to his account and Abraham was justified by faith because he believed what God said about the seed and the seed is not seeds as of many, but of the one which is Christ.

So Abraham believed what God said about Jesus Christ coming into the world. So I believe that he understood just like you and I have to understand. And it’s mentioned here and explained very simply and very clearly. Now Genesis, I want you to look in chapter 17, chapter 17 and look there in verse 1. And when Abram was 99 years old, 99 years old, he still does not have a child yet. He’s 99 years old. And God had promised him that he was going to have a son.

So in verse 1, it says, the Lord appeared to Abram and said unto him, I am the Almighty God. Walk before me and be thou perfect of mature. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. Neighbor, I’m fell on his face and God talk with him sin. I’m going to change your name. Made a covenant with him and blah, blah, blah. Then he says in verse seven, and I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after the end their generation for an everlasting covenant to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after.

after thee. And he says, and I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting position, and I will be their God. So God had made a promise to Abraham that he’s going to justify the heathen by faith alone. Because he says, and through thee all families of the earth will be blessed to be justified by faith alone. So he then he makes this statement in verse nine.

Now get what he said, because otherwise you won’t understand it, you’ll hear the phrase of the terminology, but you won’t get the purpose of it. Because you have to remember in the New Testament, the book of Romans in chapter four, when he pays the statement in verse 11, that the circumcision is a key to understanding the gospel in the Old Testament and what it was a sign of. So he says in verse 9, and God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant, therefore thou and thy seed after thee in their generation.

This is my covenant which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee. Every man child among you shall be circumcised, and ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. It was between you, Abraham, and God. It was a sign of something. You see, when Abraham believed God, his righteousness, God’s righteousness was put to Abraham’s account. And he was to be circumcised as a cutting away of the flesh, which was a sign of no confidence in the flesh.

It means that Abraham put no confidence in the flesh, in him, in a man’s works for his salvation, that he was justified by faith and faith alone is how he was justified. And circumcision was a sign of the seal of the righteousness he already had before he got circumcised. So being circumcised was not what saved him. There was no confidence in the circumcision. It was only a picture of something. It was only a sign of something. So every Jewish man who circumcises Jewish little son was because of the faith of Abraham.

Abraham was justified by faith alone and they were to circumcise their sons because of the seal, it was to teach a whole nation that you’re justified by faith without your works, that is simply by trusting Christ and Him alone as your only hope, and to have no confidence in the flesh, because that is what circumcision was a sign of. Abraham had no son for all those years that God promise him he was going to have one. From the time he was 75, until the time he was 99.

No kids. Oh, he had one by Ishmael. I mean Ishmael, who was by Hagar, an Egyptian bond slave, but not his son. That was the promised son. And now he’s 99 years old. And now because he’s 99 years old, he got circumcised within a year. Isaac was born. So God made the promise to Abraham when he was not circumcised, and yet it wasn’t fulfilled until later. So Isaac was born after Abraham was circumcised. So that’s why you find when did God make this promise to Abraham?

When he was circumcised, or before, it was before. Why? So that Jews and Gentiles all understand that everybody say it exactly the same way, and that Abraham can be the father of all of those that believe. Whether you’re a Gentile and never been, or you’re a Jew and you have been, but it was a sign that you understood Abraham was justified by faith. Now, wouldn’t it have been neat and great? And maybe they did. Every father explained to their children as they grew up what circumcision was about.

that Abraham, our Father, did not put any confidence in the flesh, and he simply believed on the Lord about Jesus Christ, and he was justified by faith, and it was a sign of the covenant between God and Abraham. Say, you’re making all that up. No, no, I’m not. No, it’s all here. And he says in verse 11, and you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and so shall it be a token of the covenant between mix and you.

And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you every man child in your generation that is to be born in your house and blah blah blah all the way down through here. Now look over there in verse 20. He said and as for Ishmael I have heard thee behold I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly. Twelve princes shall he beget and I will make of him a great nation. Now this is talking about Ishmael and there’s where the opposition came.

Every one of us have within us. If you have not trusted Christ as your Savior, you have like a little Arab terrorist lives inside you. I can put your whole sermon on that. But when you trusted Christ as your Savior, it’s like having a little Jew inside of you. Now what’s they two going to do? They’ve been fighting for 4,000 years. And if you’ll watch the news, you’ll find out that it won’t be long, something has got to explode in the Middle East.

And you can see it coming. The United Nations are even sympathetic toward the Palestinian statehood. And you watch. Isn’t it something that God said this will happen in the last days? They started all fighting and they’ve They’ve been fighting never since. And it ain’t over yet. I could get sidetracked till you know that. But I’m not. I’m fighting the urge. So he says here in verse 23, And Abraham took Ishmael, his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money every male among the men of Abraham’s house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the same day as God had said unto him.

And Abram was 90 years old and nine when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. And Isaac was born after this, not before this. So that Isaac was like a miracle child, born by faith in what God said because he had no confidence in the flesh. And this was a sign of the seal of righteousness that God had given to Abraham before he was ever circumcised. But that was the teaching and the lesson of why it was done so that everybody in the whole nation would know how Father Abraham got to be Father Abraham and how he got to have eternal life and know that he was going to be in heaven someday.

All this is mentioned. So in verse 25, Ishmael, his son was 13 years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, and then you find out, yes, Isaac was born. 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.

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. 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.

So God is going to have, through Abraham, through Abraham, a seed down the road that would make a payment for the sins of the whole world through Christ. And the blessing is that a man would be justified by faith. This is what this is teaching, that a man is justified by faith and faith alone to be blessed of God. And nobody can get salvation by his works. No man. Now take your Bible and turn to Genesis in chapter 15.

in chapter 15. Genesis chapter 15 it says there in verse 2, Abraham has a problem. You see, he was 75 years old when the Lord told him to come out of the early counties and you know years are passing away and he said, I’ve got a problem. How do I know you’re going to keep your word? He said, I have to have a child. I have to father a child and I don’t have any. How is this going to work?

Abraham knew there’s a problem here because his body was already past the age of being able to have children. So what am I going to do? How is it going to happen? So he says there in verse 2, and Abraham said, Lord God, what will thou give me? See, I go chalice and the steward of my house is this eliaesar of Damascus. And Abraham and said, Behold, to me that is, that has given no seed, and lo, one born in my house is my near.

And behold, that word of the Lord came at him saying, this shall not be thine heir, but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. And he brought him forth abroad and said, look now towards heavens and tell the stars count them, if thou be able, to number them. He said unto him, so shall thy seed be. That’s a promise from God. And so in verse six, he believed in the Lord and he counted it to him for righteousness.

So his righteousness was put to his account and Abraham was justified by faith because he believed what God said about the seed and the seed is not seeds as of many but of the one which is Christ. So Abraham believed what God said about Jesus Christ coming into the world. So I believe that He understood just like you and I have to understand. And it’s mentioned here and explained very simply and very clearly. Now in Genesis I want you to look in chapter 17, chapter 17 and look there in verse 1.

And when Abram was 99 years old, 99 years old. He still does not have a child yet. He’s 99 years old. And God had promised him that he was going to have a son. So in verse 1, it says, the Lord appeared to Abram and said unto him, I am the Almighty God. before me and be thou perfect of mature. And I will make my covenant between me and thee and will multiply thee exceedingly. Neighbor, I’m fell on his face and God talk with him sin.

I’m going to change your name, made a covenant with him and blah blah blah blah. Then he says in verse seven, and I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after the in their generation for an everlasting covenant to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee. And he says, and I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou artest strange. All the land of Canaan, for an everlasting position, and I will be their God.

So God had made a promise to Abraham that he’s going to justify the heathen by faith alone. Because he says, and through thee all families of the earth will be blessed, to be justified by faith alone. So he then he makes this statement in verse 1. 9. Now get what he said because otherwise you won’t understand it. You’ll hear the phrase and the terminology, but you won’t get the purpose of it because you have to remember in the New Testament the book of Romans in chapter 4 when he pays the statement in verse 11 that the circumcision is a key to understanding the gospel in the Old Testament and what it was a sign of.

So he says in verse 9, And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant, therefore thou and thy seed after thee in their generation, this is my covenant which shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee. Every man child among you shall be circumcised, and ye shall circumside the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. It was between you, Abraham, and God. It was a sign of something.

You see, when Abraham believed God, his righteousness, God’s righteousness was put to Abraham’s account. And he was to be circumcised as a cutting away of the flesh, which was a sign of no confidence in the flesh. It means that Abraham put no confidence in the flesh, in him, in a man’s works for salvation. that he was justified by faith and faith alone is how he was justified and circumcision was a sign of the seal of the righteousness he already had before he got circumcised.

So being circumcised was not what saved him. There was no confidence in the circumcision. It was only a picture of something. that was only a sign of something. So every Jewish man who circumcises Jewish little son was because of the faith of Abraham. Abraham was justified by faith alone and they were to circumcise of their sons because of the seal. It was to teach a whole nation that you’re justified by faith without your works. That is simply by trusting Christ and Him alone as your only hope and to have no confidence in the flesh because that is what circumcision was a sign of.

Abraham had no son for all those years that God promised him he was going to have one. From the the time he was 75. Until the time he was 99, no kids. Oh, he had one by Ishmael, I mean Ishmael, who was by Hagar, an Egyptian bond slave, but not his son. That was the promised son. And now he’s 99 years old. And now because he’s 99 years old, he got circumcised within a year Isaac was born. So God made the promise to Abraham when he was not circumcised and yet it wasn’t fulfilled until later.

So Isaac was born after Abraham was circumcised. So that’s why you find when did God make this promise to Abraham when he was circumcised or before? It was before. Why? So that Jews and Gentiles all understand that everybody said exactly the same way and that Abraham can be the father of all of those that believe whether you’re a Gentile and never been or you’re a Jew and you have been but it was a sign that you understood Abraham was justified by faith.

Now wouldn’t it have been neat and great and maybe they did. Every father explained to their children as they grew up what circumcision was about. That Abraham our father did not put any confidence in the flesh and he simply believed on the Lord about Jesus Christ and he was justified by faith and it was a sign of the covenant between God and Abraham. Say you’re making all that up. No, no, I’m not. No, it’s all here. And he says in verse 11, and you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, so shall it be a token of the covenant between mix and you.

And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you every man shall in your generation. That is to be born in your house and blah, blah, blah, all the way down through here. Now look over there in verse 20. He said, and as for Ishmael I have heard thee, behold I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly. 12 princes shall he beget, and now we’ll make of him a great nation. Now this is talking about Ishmael, and there’s where the opposition came.

Every one of us have within us. If you have not trusted Christ as your Savior, you have like a little Arab Terrace lives inside you. I can put your whole sermon on that. But when you trusted Christ as your Savior, it’s like having a little Jew inside of you. Now what’s they’ve two going to do? They’ve been fighting for 4,000 years. And if you’ll watch the news, you’ll find out that it won’t be long. Something has got to explode in the Middle East.

And you can see it coming. The United Nations are even sympathetic toward the Palestinian statehood. And you watch. Isn’t it something that God said this will happen in the last days? They started off fighting and they’ve been fighting ever since. And it ain’t over yet. I could get sidetracked till you know that. But I’m not. I’m fighting the urge. So he says here in verse 23, And Abraham took Ishmael, his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money every male among the men of Abraham’s house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the same day as God had said unto him.

And Abraham was 90 years old and nine when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. And Isaac was born after this, not before this. So that Isaac was like a miracle child born by faith in what God said because he had no confidence in the flesh. And this was a sign of the seal of righteousness that God had given to Abraham before he was ever circumcised. But that was the teaching and the lesson of why it was done, so that everybody in the whole nation would know how Father Abraham got to be Father Abraham, and how he got to have eternal life and know that he was gonna be in heaven someday.

All this is mentioned. So in verse 25, Ishmael, his son was 13Advertisement when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, and then you find out, yes, Isaac was born. Now, go back to the book of Romans in chapter 4. Romans chapter 4, and look at verse 9. So we know that Abraham found something, and we’re talking here in the New Testament about what he found. Well, if he found it back then that a man was saved by grace, But don’t you think he ever told anybody?

What do you think all this is about? That’s the purpose of it. So he says in the book of Romans in chapter four, and verse nine, come of this blessing, this blessedness, then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision, also what blessing are they talking about? about. Look up there in verse 5. In verse 5 says, but do him that work if not, but believe it on him that justify if the ungodly his faith is kind of for righteousness.

That’s a pretty good blessing isn’t it? When I found out that I could not save myself I trusted Christ as my Savior and God gave me eternal life. I became a child of God. I’m going to heaven whenever I die. That’s a pretty good blessing. I have been blessed. That is the blessing of Abraham. And so because of that, come of this blessedness of been justified by faith and have an eternal life and know that you can go to heaven.

Is that just for the Jew or is it also for the Gentile? Well, that’s why he mentions it here. verse six, even as David also described the blessedness of the man and get this, unto whom God, and this is in the Old Testament. This is in the book of Psalm. He said, imputed righteousness without what? Works. That’s salvation by grace. Is it taught in your Old Testament? Salvation’s by grace. Without works. David said that. Abraham knew that. Moses knew that.

There was never any other way. But the Bible says it was like there was a veil over their eyes and they could not see. Their unbelief blinds them and they can’t see the Scriptures. But when you trust Christ as your Savior’s like a little light comes on. Mm. Did you see that little light bulb up above my head there? See? And all of a sudden, I… I see it, I see it. And all of a sudden, this isn’t two books, this is one book.

And he makes a statement in verse seven, saying, blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. I do something wrong. People say, well, you ought to go to hell for it. Yeah, but I’m not gonna go. Why? Because it’s not put to my account. It was put to his account. Christ died for me. He died to pay for all of my sins. So whenever I sin, it’s not put to my God, put to his account.

You said, that’s not fair. I know it. That’s by grace are you saved through faith, that not of yourself. It is the gift of God. Have no confidence in your ability to save yourself. Because going to heaven is not something God gives to you because you earned the right to go there. It’s not because you were good and you went to church and you gave money and you did all that. Don’t you dare trust those things. it will not save you.

Old Testament teaches it, New Testament teaches it. And then he makes this statement in verse nine. Come at this blessing, it’s then upon the circumcision, only or upon this uncircumcision also. For we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. Says it again. In verse 10, how was it then reckoned when he was in circumcision or an uncircumcision, not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. He was justified by faith and given his righteousness from God to him before he was ever circumcised.

So circumcision didn’t save him. And this is why Paul says, I’ve been circumcised the eighth day. But he put no confidence in him. And then book of Galatians in chapter 5, he says, to you that are circumcised, Christ become no prophet unto you. If you’re trusting in your circumcision, they get you to heaven. That means you’re trusting in flesh to get you to heaven, something that you have done or has done to you. You’re trusting in something other than Christ and he’s no prophet to you.

So the scriptures are teaching, don’t you be caught trusting in your works of righteousness. What else? He says, in verse 11, and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet been uncircumcised. So it means that he was justified before he was circumcised and was still righteous. He was justified. And get this, that he might be the father of all them that keep the Ten Commandments and obey the Golden Room.

All of them And then what was it saved? Believe. Jew, Gentile, it doesn’t matter. Everybody is saved the same way. You’re not going to get to heaven any differently than what I will. I’m going to go to heaven the same way everybody goes to heaven. Nobody goes to heaven two or three different ways. There’s only one way to heaven. It’s Christ alone. So when you trust Christ as your only hope of going to heaven, God says He saves you and He gives you eternal life and you get to go over to heaven on what He did for you.

You don’t earn it, you don’t work for it. It’s a gift, it’s free. Look what else He says. That believe, though they be not circumcised, that righteousness might be imputed unto them, what’s the word also? So whether you circumcised or not, Jew or Gentile, everybody saved the same way. But it was taught through the Old Testament circumcision. It was a sign that salvation is by grace and grace alone and not of the flesh. That’s good. Looking for quote. And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision, circumcision, Jews, second gen down, but who also walk in the steps of that faith.

In other words, that faith, what Abraham had, what Abraham believed is how everybody is saved. And that’s why he made the statement here in verse 13. For the promise that he should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law. Why? Because the law wasn’t given for 430 years. It was given to Moses. Abraham’s been long dead before that. But he makes a statement. But through the righteousness of faith, the promise.

And God made the promise to Abraham and the promise was given before the law was given. I showed that in Sunday school on my chart, but anyway. Verse 14, for if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void. The promise made of none effect. In other words, if you can earn your way to heaven, then you don’t need grace. Then you can’t be by faith. You can’t be that you’re trusting Christ to take it to heaven if you’re trusting your works to get you to heaven.

You can’t trust both of them. It’s either Christ or you. Are you able to take yourself to heaven without Him? No, you can’t. Can’t even come close. Don’t even qualify. But look what else he says in verse 15, because the law worketh wrath. Where no law is no transgression. So the law was added to let us know that we cannot save ourselves by our works because the Bible says you have to be perfect to go to heaven and the law shows you that you’re a sinner.

You’re a transgressor. You’ve overstepped the boundary. You’re not perfect. You’re not holy like God is. Now look in verse 16. Therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace. And all this is talking about the Old Testament. This is how they were saved. See, it’s not a new gospel now, a new way of getting to heaven. This is how they were saved. This is how Abraham was saved. This is how David was saved. Therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace to the end.

The promise might be sure to all the seed. It’s the only way to guarantee eternal life is that it’s free. If it’s by works, it can’t be secure. It can’t be sure. See, that’s why once you trust Christ as Savior, God gives you eternal life. You are either eternally secure or you’re not secure. And if you’re not secure, you’re not saved. Well, see, eternal security is the good news. That’s what makes it the gospel. It’s good news to be justified by faith.

Best news in all the world. Look up here, letting this hand represent you and me. The wallet represents sin. We all have sin on us. Now God says that He loves us. Now He hates our sin, but He loves us. And God says that the wages of sin is death, since we’ve all sinned, well, we’re all condemned and we’re all going to die. So God says that to go to heaven, we have to be perfect as righteous as God, and none of us are perfect.

None of us are righteous. We’ve all sinned and come short of God’s perfection. See, God is perfect. You and I, we’ve come short of God’s perfection. None of us are good enough. So the Bible says you cannot save yourself. It’s not by your works. Have no confidence in the flesh. This hand represents Jesus Christ. He’s 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 who had no sin didn’t have to die. But because He loves us and He hates our sin because it separates us, He took the sin so that I don’t have to pay for them. He’ll pay for them, come back from the dead, and say, if I would believe He did it for me, He would put this death payment He made to my account. By my faith in what He did for me, I would be given His righteousness.

I will be justified just as if I had never sinned. Why? He paid for them all. I don’t have any sin to pay for them. I don’t have to go to hell and pay for any sin. Why? Because He died for me. substitution and you don’t deserve it. That’s why it’s called grace, for by grace are you saved through faith that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast. I’m going to heaven not because of any good work that I’ve done.

But only because Jesus Christ, He died for my sins. Came back from the dead and I believe that He did it for me. And if you will believe He did it for you, God will save you and give you the free gift of everlasting life. And you’ve heard John 3, 16, that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him. should not perish. It means you won’t go to hell. But have everlasting life.

We go to heaven on what Christ did for. For God hath made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Can’t beat that. Why in the world would I want to try to earn my way to heaven when he did all of that for me? You say you have to set his grace aside and put your works in its place. Now which one do you think you’re gonna win with?

Will you rather have salvation by works or salvation by grace? There’s only one. Your works won’t do. Have no confidence in the flesh. Let’s pray, shall we? With every head bobbing, every eye closing, no one looking around, I’m not going to have you forward or embarrass you, but right where you’re sitting. If you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior, today would be a good day to do that. I’m not going to have you forward, not going to embarrass you.

But right where you’re sitting, if it makes sense to you, just talk to the Lord so you don’t make a mistake this way. Only the Lord knows what you’re saying. And say, Lord, I know I’m a sinner. And I don’t understand it all because, friend, everybody got questions and doubts. But Lord, the best I know how. I know I’m a sinner. I believe you died and paid for my sins. And I’m going to trust you right now as my only hope of going to heaven.

Friend, God said, if you would believe it, you would have it. Would you believe it? Would you believe he paid for your sins and will you trust him to take you to heaven when you die? Friend, that’s all that you can do. It’s the only thing you can do. There is no other way. And if you will trust Christ as your Savior, I’d like to know it. I’d like to have prayer for you. So I do it with heads by nice clothes.

And so in just a moment, I’m going to ask for raise your hand. Raising your hand doesn’t save you. Just lets me know that what I said made sense. And that I’d like to have prayer for you in closing. So is there anyone that will say, yes, that made sense to me this morning? And right now I will trust Christ as my Savior. And preach how I want you to pray for me. And just slip you in it very quickly and put it right back down.

Yes, God bless you. Anyone else? Just slip it up real quick and put it right back down. Are there others? Our Father, we thank You so much for the individual that indicated by an uplift at hand that they would trust You as Savior. By doing so they become Your child born into Your family. You said You’d never cast Him out, never lose Him. We’re thankful Father for the opportunity we have to preach Your Word. We know there’s people that watch by internet and we pray Lord that if there’s any that have never trust you, save you that they would, we’re thankful for the ministry you’ve given us.

Thank you for each family that’s represented here in this church, for the good people that works so hard and give to make it possible. We know that one day it’ll all be over and we’ll have to give an account to you what we did. We thank you for your blessings in Christ name, Amen. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you are blessed by today’s message.

If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by 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.

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 be a home. 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.

Everybody wants to succeed in whatever they attempt to do. And so of course the key is finding the will of God for your life because not to do the will of God for your life is to be a failure. And so I’m looking at this not in so much respect as the other areas of life as I am spiritually. I’m concerned about a person being successful spiritually. The goal that you trust Christ as your Savior is to mature in the Lord, to grow strong so God can use you.

to find out the talents that you have and the treasures that God has blessed you with and the abilities that you have and how can you use whatever God has given to you for his honor. And you know that at the end of life we’re going to stand before the Lord at the Judgement of Christ, God’s going to reward us. And so you want to be successful. You want the Lord to say to you well done, thou good and faithful servant.

So you want to be obedient, but there’s things to learn. There’s so much you need to understand of what to do and what not to do. There is a philosophy of life, an understanding that every child of God needs. So the first thing I gave you last Sunday night was the attitude determines your altitude. The attitude is so important about how you see things. It determines your perspective on life. Number two was have goal will travel. In other words, you have to have a purpose in your life, a reason for living.

Why do you live? Why do you just go to work? Why do you just come home? Why do you do what you do? There’s got to be an underlying reason. And it should be that in everything that you do, it can be done to honor the Lord. Even a housewife should do what she does because she loves the Lord and wants to do whatever her hands find it to do to do it as unto God. Even your obedience to your husband and the husband’s obedience to God, the children’s obedience to the parents because they want God’s blessings upon them.

There has to be an underlying reason, a foundation upon which you build that is to sustain all the other decisions that you make and therefore you have to have something in order to relate it to. And the plan for profit, in other words, every day should be something that helps you toward the goal that you have set. And we know that God has given to us a course to run, a race to run. And God wants us to finish our course, finish our race with joy and fulfill the ministry that he is given to each and every one of us.

We have a ministry where we serve God, but we are ministering to each other. You may minister to your husband or your wife or your children to the people that you work with. Everybody has problems. Everybody needs encouragement. And so you need to plan to have a profitable day. The other thing was to think big, big, big because God is big. In the lives of a lot of God’s children, they have a small God, a small God that can’t do very much.

They don’t expect God to do anything for them, don’t expect God to work through them, because you see they put God in a little box and they put him aside and put him on a shelf and he’s there whenever you want him or whenever you need him, but you don’t think he can do too much because he’s not going to change anything. You don’t pray because he’s not going to answer your prayers anyway and you already believe whatever will be will be.

You think the devil is stronger than God. You think the flesh nature that you’ve got you can’t win anyway. You’ve got habits in your life that you won’t break because you don’t think he’s going to give you the victory anyway. So you just live a defeated life because you think small. You don’t think big. I believe that God is big enough to do everything he promised to do. I believe that God can take any dedicated nobody and use him for his honor and for is Gloria.

The other thing was fear not control will destroy because the Bible tells us when you’re not trusting the Lord, then fear will rule your heart. And when fear rules your heart, then the Bible says fear produces torment. And on many of God’s children live in fear because they’re afraid of the future, afraid of failure, afraid of health, afraid of money, afraid of everything, afraid of the bills, afraid of afraid, afraid of, and they don’t take thanks to God. And they bear these things and God says that they will destroy it.

There’s a philosophy and understanding that you have to have inside of you that you use in order to guide yourself It’s like having a set of glasses. They help you put things in the focus It’s an understanding basic truth from the Word of God that you understand the law of sowing and reaping and If you want to reap something you have to sow what you want to reap And if you so love you can reap blood you sow peace you can reap peace you sow anger you reap anger you sow malice you reap that and you sow gossip, you reap that.

And so you want the best for your life. You want peace and love and joy and happiness. You want these things. Those are the fruit of the Spirit. And God says, be not deceived. God is not whatsoever man soweth. That shall he also reap. So you and I are going to reap what we sow. And we know that the day will come when God says that every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. So there is a law of compensation that God says that will be in play and every man will receive what he has done.

Enthusiasm is the interest or the excitement that you put into your purpose in life. In other words, your whole life should be an exciting life to you. You should be interested in every day. You should be interested in the people that come into your life. You should be interested in the problems that come into your life. All those things are stepping stones or stumbling blocks. all depends on the attitude that you have toward those things. If people don’t understand how God uses problems, you’ll curse the problems.

But like we said before, you don’t curse the darkness, you strike a match. Let the Word of God be the light that shines in the midst of a dark situation. The other thing, what the environment will be your greatest influence is to help us to have wisdom concerning the company that we keep, the friends that we have. And all these things are important about the places that you go, the reputation that you have, because this is what will influence you and people, peer pressure, this is one of the strongest things that happens to the teenagers when they go to school.

They want to be like all the other kids, like all the other kids. If they were a certain kind of baggy pants, they all want to wear those same baggy pants. And if they wear certain tennis used by certain makers, they all have to have this and they’ve got to look the same and dress the same and talk the same and be the same because they don’t want to stand out like a sore thumb. They’ve got to be cool.

Well, there’s adults that also get 40 years old and 50 years old and 60 years old and they want to look cool too. They want to be like everybody else. I always say don’t try to keep up with the Joneses. Just wait and catch them on their way back. And so we are to share and to bear one another’s burdens because everybody’s got something. And the Bible says those who are taking an a fault and everybody gets taken in a fault center later.

Everybody falls, not everybody stays walking 100% all the time. We all sin as a Christian. And God says those who are strong at that time help that person because you see, if you don’t, who’s gonna help you when you fall? And that’s why he says in the book of Ecclesiastes, that’s good when a friend has a friend because if one falls, then one can help them up. We need one another. That’s the purpose of church. Churches and for all the most dedicated and godliest of saints who has no problems, it’s for the people who have problems.

All of us have them. We’re all weak. We have a flesh nature and we need to pray for one another, encourage one another, so that we stay strong, keep doing the things that we’re supposed to do because one day we’re going to stand before God. Well, that’s why the Bible is so important. A preacher is important. A preacher can tell you things that your wife can’t tell you. The preacher can tell you things that your husband tries to tell you and you’ll get mad at him.

That way when you get mad you just get mad at the preacher but you didn’t get mad at your husband and you still got your wife. You still got your husband. And you can take and listen and learn and be able to correct some of the things in your life. But it’s hard sometimes taking correction from the wolves that are closest to you. That’s why I don’t get too close to you because I want to be able to chew you out.

I got to be able to come down hard on the things that you do that are not wise for you to do. Now, I want you to look in the book of Ephesians in chapter 5. Ephesians chapter 5 and look there in verse 15. Verse 15 says, See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise. Redeem in the time because the days are evil. Now a wise man will redeem the time. Redeem in the time means to buy up every opportunity you can while you can.

the older you get, the more you realize you’re running out of time. So when you’re running out of time, you’re running out of opportunities. Because life is what is all about. And so when you no longer live, that means you’re dead and you’re gone to heaven. And so you know God’s only giving you so much time to live. And it is so important to keep these things in mind. So number 10, if you’ll look there in your notes, don’t procrastinate.

Do it now. The Lord says, serve the Lord in the days of thy youth in the book of Ecclesiastes in chapter 12. So we are not supposed to wait until we’re 90 years old and finally I think now I’m really gonna serve the Lord It’s kind of like getting a car and you got you know good nice rubber on the tires and on your car and And you’ll burn them out while you’re young and then whenever the thread starts showing Well, I think I’ll Start serving the Lord now No, serve the Lord when you’ve got a lot of rubber on the tires When you’ve got more time left serve the Lord in the days of your youth because a time will come when you can’t do all the things that you’d like to do.

You can’t go the speed you used to go. You can’t remember like you used to remember. You don’t have the physical stamina that you used to have. But while you’re young do all that you can and then when you get older you may not do as much that you should be able to do things in a wiser way. Completion more Only because you’re wiser and you’ll make less mistakes because you’ve learned you’ve had 30 40 50 60 years to live To correct things and know how to make wiser decisions at least that’s the way it’s supposed to work Now I want you to look there in your notes because underneath these points Every line every line is packed with some knowledge.

They’re like little proverbs Proverbs is a two words that come pro and vervam means to more than meets the eye You can see it, but then there’s something else behind it. But not on everyone, but these are some things that I think would be good for you. Number one, some fools are quick to rush headlong where angels fear to tread. I remember Mr. Jackson, the one that led me to the Lord. He told me, he says, Yankee, why don’t you slow down?

Slow down. He says, you’re always in such a hurry. And I said, well, when I want to do something, I want to do it now. And when I want something I want it now, I was not a very patient individual. And that’s why men, Betty, after we got married, lived in five states in a year and a half. Think about it. In a year and one half, we didn’t move to five states. Now, I will venture to say that most of y’all have not done that.

Most of y’all haven’t been moved and lived in five states in your life. But we did. Because I was so unsettled, my desires changed so quickly. And it was hard for me to get on the right road, because I jumped on every road that came along. And I was always going down to see what’s down that street, what’s down that street, what’s down that street, what’s down that street, but I didn’t have a main highway. I didn’t know where to go until I got things straight between me and the Lord.

And I thought, I need to let the Lord start guiding me. And some people are going so fast, they don’t stop, slow down. So, crassinate means that you don’t do anything. You don’t move at all. You’re always putting it off. And I want you to look at this. Even too much gas into the carburetor can cause the motor to stall. You try to go too fast, too much, too quickly. And after a while, it’s called burnout. You don’t want to do anything.

You’ll get to where you don’t want to go to church. You don’t want to sing in the choir. You don’t want to do anything for God. I don’t get what it is. You just get tired of it. Burnout. You’ve had enough up to here and you’ll start slowly, you’ll start quitting because you get burned out of the entrance is gone. You forget why you’re doing it and then becomes nothing but a burden, a drudgery, a job. Instead of seeing things as an opportunity, praise the Lord.

Man, look what God’s given me, an open door. Look what I can do for God. And if you don’t keep the attitude right, it will destroy you. Patience, patience, patience, everybody wants it. Everybody knows they need it, but you and I know what brings it. What brings patience, tribulation, work of patience. In other words, the result, the end result of tribulation problems is to produce patience in your life. Because it causes you not to have the answers to the problem.

That’s what made it a problem. You didn’t know how to solve it, or you couldn’t solve it. And God knows that. And so God forces you to wait and let him open up a door or to teach you something that you didn’t know before. There’s reasons. Look at the next statement. To claim patience when action is demanded is disobedience. Delayed obedience is disobedience. Do not squandered time, for that is what life is made from. When you waste time, you waste life.

When you waste life. You waste yourself. The Bible says, and I want you to look this in Proverbs chapter 13. Look there in Proverbs and chapter 13. And look in verse four. In verse four, the Bible says that a wise son hereth his father’s instruction, but a snorner hereth not rebuke. But in verse four he says the soul of the slugger, the lazy man, the man that’s always going to but never does. The Bible says half nothing. He desires nothing but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.

Not wouldn’t everybody in this room like to be made fat. Now we’re not talking about physically fat. The word fat means to be made liberal, to be made satisfied, to have more than you really need or want. But it’s something that you have more because you’re diligent. But see a lot of people, a lot of you probably in this room, Do not diligently work, faithfully, consistently, at the thing you really want to accomplish. Now the same principles can be applied into business, can be applied on your job, be applied to your home or anything that you’re doing.

You see, a lot of people progressing, they’re always putting it off, like one guy says, I never do today what I can do tomorrow. Well, I think it’s supposed to be word of the other way. Always do today what you can and let tomorrow take care of itself, but always try to get as much accomplished. Use every day, every moment, and accomplish something with your life. Let it be something that you’re working toward the purpose, your reason for living.

Some of you like to have more, but you waste what you have. Some of you might go to work and you make good money, but you never have anything. Why? Because you waste it all. You spend half your money maybe on things you really don’t need. That’s not helping you accomplish what you want. You’d be surprised how much God has given to you and I over the years that if we would discipline ourselves how much more we could have, even the quality of life that we have, maybe even the better home that you have or the car that you have, all these things can all go together.

But there’s things that we could do and give more to the Lord and give to missions. You realize that every child of God, every child of God should give toward missions, every child of God. Now we try to do what we can here, even as a church bought it together, but individually to still give toward missions. There’s people that need help. Now the next thing I want you to look at, shunning away from what has to be done is the biggest thief of time.

Success will never knock at the home where procrastination lives. The successful person must faithfully do what needs to be done, whether he likes to do it or not. There’s many things in the Lord’s work. I really don’t like to do and I’ll be honest with you. I don’t like doing editing. Whether for the TV or for the radio, I really don’t care to do it because it gets most time, it’s a big headache. It’s just a lot of work.

And even when we did the TV broadcast, sometimes I would work on the equipment and it would take me sometimes eight, 10 hours doing a half hour broadcast just to do one little half hour broadcast and sometimes the audio wouldn’t be right and then sometimes the machines won’t even work and I will be back in I thought if I have a stick of dynamite right now I just blow it all sky high and I could become very impatient I got irritated a lot of times and I had to dedicate every Monday knowing that it was gonna take that to do everything I had to get done.

But a person doesn’t always do what he wants to do. He does what needs to be done. As a husband, sometimes you will do the things. You don’t maybe want to do them, but you have to do them. So you go ahead and do it. And if you’re going to do it, do a good job. Whatever you want to do, the best you post to him. We can just try to get by. But you know why I want to have a thing tonight?

I want to do better. I want to do it better. Why? Because it represents the Lord’s Word. It represents every person in this ministry. Every song that we have that we put on a radio or we put on the TV, it represents God. We do what we do is for the Lord. And the Lord says, What’s over my hands find to do it with all I might try to do the best you can do on your job. I don’t give what kind of job you have.

You ought to try to do the best you possibly can. When you cut your grass in your yard. I think you ought to try to cut it as best you possibly can when you paint your house or when you sweep the floor when you watch the dishes. You ought to try to do it the best you possibly can. Make sure those dishes are clean. Have any of you ever gone to a restaurant and they give you a knife or a fork and it ain’t clean?

At home maybe it’s just you and your husband. Make sure it’s clean. Clean the house. I don’t think that you yard all the look ugly white because you’re to be a good steward. God has loaned you whatever you have. Be a good steward of what you’ve got. Take care of what you’ve got. Do right. That’s all part of serving the Lord, whether you understand it or not. And so serving the Lord sometimes is not always doing what you want to do.

It’s doing what needs to be done. It has to be done. And if it’s got to be done, do the best you can possibly do it. Your future’s been determined by your obedience to God today. Look at the next statement. Let me read it to you. The road to misery and failure are paved with good intentions. There are two ways to get to the top of an oak tree. You can climb it or set it on an acorn. Wishing for something will not bring it to you.

But the act of doing the right thing, the right way will bring you to it. Do not hope for a brighter tomorrow. Do something today that will make it brighter. In other words, don’t just let everything go. Like it doesn’t really matter what I do. If I want to bright tomorrow, then I need to do today what will make tomorrow brighter because I sow the seeds today that will grow tomorrow. And if you sow the wrong seeds today, the seeds of discord, then tomorrow you’re going to reap that.

If you want good things down the road, you better start sowing good things today because you see your future is being determined by your obedience to God today. I don’t worry about am I going to be in the will of God five years from now. I’m in God’s will today and then tomorrow comes and I’m in the will of God tomorrow and then I’m in the will of God the next year and the next year and the next year well five years from then I’ll be in the will of God.

It’s so easy for a person to dedicate their life to God that they don’t have and withhold this moment, this day that you do have. That’s why he says sufficient for the day is the evil thereof. In other words, whatever you need for this day, this moment God said, I’ll give you all the strength, all the grace that you need to bear whatever is going to come up on you, this moment. But you cannot borrow into the future and bring grace from the future for this moment.

Because when you get there, you won’t have enough for that day and it will overwhelm you. God will give you the strength and the grace that you need as you live. Each day, number 11, adversities are God stepping stone to success. It all depends on your attitude. In the book of Romans in chapter 5 and verse three it talks about tribulation and work with patients. The book of James chapter 1 and verse 12 says that if you as a child of God will endure testings endure the testings.

God says there is a reward that God’s going to give you a crown that He’s going to give to you. So you can’t get that crown unless God allows you to have these testings that you go through and the testings are to be looked upon as the opportunities you’ve been dying for. Wouldn’t it be a shame to have a million dollars in no place to spend it? Women, how would you like that? What if you had a million dollars and you haven’t said you can spend anywhere you want as much as you want and there were no stores?

Stores are opportunities for you to spend your money. And so God says, I want to use you and I’m going to send you problems and these problems are designed with you in mind, different ones for different people at different times, but all of you are going to have some. And they’re designed to reveal to you what you don’t know, so that you’ll come to me and ask me. And I will grant you the wisdom that you need. Now isn’t that wonderful?

And I’m going to allow you to be tested to have these temptations. But if you’ll be faithful, I’m going to reward you when you get to heaven. You’ll win. You’ll win and the goal of life is to win not to lose and Sometimes we prejudge people’s motives too quickly. We think we got the answers to everything We don’t know all that goes on behind the scenes in every person’s life. Look very quickly there 11 11 Problems are unsolved opportunities remember every problem has a solution and a problem once solved is no longer a problem What happens to you is not as important as your response?

problems become stepping stones or something blocks depending on your attitude toward them. You are measured in the eyes of your fellow man by your ability to stand up to an adversity. No man is given more temptations than he has the ability or strength to overcome. If he looks for the way out that God has made 1 Corinthians 10th 13th says so to be knocked down is not defeat but to stay down is defeat adversities, obstacles, and problems are opportunities given by the Lord to help you grow.

You’re underlined that statement in your notes. It’s a tremendous statement. You need to understand. Most people get bitter, sour, because things go wrong. God didn’t say that we ought to be faithful if everything works our way. If we get everything that we want, it doesn’t work that way. It doesn’t work that way. And nothing concerning life. Your husband’s not perfect. Your wife isn’t perfect. Your children are not perfect. Your neighbors are not perfect. Everybody’s got thoughts. Everybody’s got a problem.

And the thing is is learning how to deal with those problems and keep moving ahead. Let me give you this last thing here. Runaway emotions is a life jumping out of gear. I had a car when time kept jumping out of gear. It happened to be that old Volvo that I had and jumped out of gear and I couldn’t hold it in gear and they would jump out of gear and I’d have to pull it out. back in gear and you know if he doesn’t keep it in gear you can’t go to the speed you like to go.

A lot of people in their lives they like to do things but they have this problem with runaway emotions. They get runaway with fear and they see problems and they run off at the mouth and say things that they shouldn’t say and so they have no way sometimes of a control in all these emotions that they have. Well, emotions that will run without control is a dead giveaway to an undisciplined mind. And many of God’s people, maybe some of you, are not disciplined to the point where you will control those things.

And you let them get the best of you. Let me read these to you very quickly. The greater number of dissatisfied, insecure and fruitless lives stem from a lack of self-discipline and God-discipline. Uncontrolled emotions result only from a mind not submitted to the power of the Holy Spirit. Because in Romans chapter 12 and verse one and two, it makes the statement, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable servant, and be not conformed to this verb, but be it transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove or discover, but is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

So it has to deal with the mind of an individual. And many people are guilty of runaway emotions, and they won’t control their tongue, they won’t control their actions, and they’re good for about every once in a while, they’ll run along fine and they get knocked out of gear. They’re not going on that and then they get knocked out of gear. When you get knocked out of gear, see you’re not, you don’t have any power. You’re not going anywhere.

Last statement, it is poor reasoning to lose your head when you are in most need of it. When you throw mud, you lose ground. Have you ever heard somebody say, well, I love this. Give a person a piece of my mind. When you give them a piece of your mind and you have less of it. And so you need to be careful. If you want to be successful as a Christian, there’s things you need to know what to do, what not to do.

And all of it is designed to help you to be a strong Christian. So you think about these things, and you do right between you and God. Serve the Lord with all your heart, why you can. Redeem in the time because the days are evil and time is for you. 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 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 first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family. Now, I want you to take your Bible and turn to the book of Genesis and chapter 2. Last week I spoke a sermon on the clarity of the gospel in the Old Testament. So today is part 2, the clarity of the gospel in the Old Testament. Now a lot of times people say, well, it’s clear in the New Testament, but it’s not clear in the Old Testament.

Well, I beg the differ with you. I want you to see what God had told them all the way back there in the garden. So if you look there in Genesis chapter 2, look in verse 23. Genesis chapter 2, verse 23, boy, you can’t get much further back than the first man in the first woman, can you? My son will start at the beginning and you’ll notice something here in verse 23, and Adam said, this is now boned of my bones, flesh of my flesh, she shall be called woman because she was taken out of man.

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother shall cleave unto his wife and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.” Now whenever you read that little statement there, they were both naked and they were not ashamed. Might make you blush a little bit to read that in the Bible. But I don’t believe it was because Adam and Eve were ashamed of each other. But they were not ashamed before God that they were naked.

And then I want to show you something else. They had been told, you know, free enjoy everything that I provided for you. In other words, God gave them a utopia upon the earth. In other words, it never got any better than that since the day of creation. They had it made. You realize they didn’t really have to work. Just enjoy themselves. And they couldn’t handle it. They were only told one thing not to do and they couldn’t handle that.

And did it. And so it says in chapter 3 and verse 6, when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes and a tree desired to make one wise. Well, what woman wouldn’t go for that? She took the fruit thereof and did eat and gave also unto her husband with her and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were open and they They knew that they were naked and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves apron.

Now they know they were naked. So being naked costs them a little bit of fellowship with God. If you will, I want you to hold your place here because I’m going to come back here, but I’ve got a verse I want you to look at with me. Turn all the way over there to the book of Hebrews in chapter 4. Hebrews and chapter 4. You’ll lose your place now in the Old Testament there, but in Hebrews and chapter 4.

Hebrews chapter 4, and you’ll notice there in verse 12, verse 12, where he says, for the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the divide in the sonder of soul and spirit and then of the joints and the tomorrow. That’s body, soul, and spirit. And is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart. The Word of God is all of those things. That’s why when you read the Bible, it kind of convicts you.

It makes you feel guilty sometimes. It pricks your heart. The Word of God is sharp and powerful than any two-edged sword. That’s why the most powerful thing on the earth is the Word of God. And notice what He says in verse 13. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight, but all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. So there was no place to hide, no place for any man to run because everybody is naked before God.

God sees everything and everywhere. So there’s nothing you can say or do that God doesn’t see. Now let’s go back to the book of Genesis. So when it says, and their eyes were open and they knew they were naked, they knew they were naked before God because they had sinned against God. They knew they now were guilty and they had a reason to be afraid. They had a reason to want to hide from who? God. They did not hide from each other.

They didn’t run from each other. They hid from God because they knew now God knows their sin and they hid. They were afraid. They were naked before God. Now go back here to book of Genesis in chapter 3. And you’ll notice they’re in verse seven and the eyes of them both were open and they knew that they were naked. They knew they were naked. Now I want you to look down in verse eight. And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day.

And Adam and his wife and Yorah on the line, these two were. This is what they did. Why? Because they knew they were naked. They knew that they had wronged themselves. They had wronged God. And he says, and they hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Isn’t it true that whenever we do this little thing with the wallet, one of the first things we try to teach anybody that we’re all sinners?

Or what is the problem here? Is that they were all sinners. There’s only two of them, but they were sinners. And because they had sinned, they had to lead the presence of God. What? present no sin. You have to be perfect. You’ll find the gospel presentation in the Bible, in the Old Testament. They’ve all were sinners and there was a payment for sin. But you’ll also know that there’s always going to be religion that enters in to just about everything.

They say there’s two things you never argue about and that’s religion and politics. It’s the only thing there is. Everything has to deal with what you believe or what you do. So because of what you believe that you want to go for a mental force that takes care of that and allows you to do what you believe is right for you to do. So we try to change people’s mind and educate them on how to think so they know how to live.

So we try to teach even little children how to read and write so they can be beneficial to in society. But now here’s what he says, in verse eight. And they hid themselves and you ought to underline this word from the presence of the Lord, the presence of the Lord. That’s why we say, see, in God’s present, you have to be perfect. No sin. Well, that’s taught right here. So the gospel and the reason for the good news is right here in the Scriptures, and I’ll show it in just a second.

In verse 9, and the Lord God called on the Adam and said unto him, where are thou? What did you think God knew where he was? God knew where he was. He just maybe didn’t know where he was. See, when When you get lost, you don’t know where you are. You’re lost. Where are you going when you died? Well, I don’t know. Then you’re lost. You see, if you ask me that question, pastor, where are you going when you die?

I’m going to heaven. I know where I’m going. So I’m not lost. I know how to get there. And if you don’t know where you’re going when you die, this is because you don’t know how to get there. Are you lost? But let me show you it away. He says, where are you? In verse 10, and he said, I heard thy voice in the garden. I was afraid. Why was he afraid? Remember, God had just told him the day that you eat thereof, you shall surely die.

Now spiritual death done, but now they’re still physically alive. How far is God going to take this thing? Do they deserve to die? Die like die, die dead? I believe so. Why didn’t he just kill him right then on the spot? Let me get this. So he says in verse 10, and because I was naked, and I hid myself, see that’s what sin does. Sin makes you afraid of God. That’s why the people today and even in America, they don’t want the Bible in the schools.

What, because the Bible makes people feel guilty. He said, why? Because they’re guilty. You sure I have an inferiority complex, but you ought to, you inferior. That’s why you feel that way. You have a guilty complex because you’re guilty. The word of God is designed in such a way to make a man feel guilty, works on his conscience, because you know what’s right and wrong, and you know you’re wrong, so God deals with us. But look what else he says, I hid myself.

So some people try to hide from God. But now, there’s also something else that he did in order to hide from God. You see up there in verse seven, looking verse seven. And the eyes of them both were opened and they knew that they were naked before God. And they sowed fig leaves together. Well, who told them to do that? And what were fig leaves for? Well, they, God can’t see them now. They could see each other, but they don’t want God.

They’re hiding from God. But God was not satisfied with their fig leaves. You see, fig leaves is man’s good works to hide himself from God. You see, there’s people who think, you know, God is good, God is righteous, God is holy. So to keep God from being mad at me and sending me to hell, I’ll go to church. And I’ll even put money in the offering plate. Because that kind of keeps God from seeing my sin because he sees all these good little things that I’m doing.

And so I do these good deeds and God won’t see my bad deeds. So I’m hiding in religion. Do you believe that there’s people that actually go to church thinking that that’s going to help get them to heaven? They think God can’t really see them because look how good I have been. Is it going to work? It’s not going to work. Because see, the fig leaves was man’s righteousness. It was man’s way of hiding his sin. It was man’s way of trying to earn favor back with God.

So God can’t see they’re wrong. And I want you to notice that when sin enters in, it causes a whole bunch of problems. Look there in verse 11. And the Lord, who told thee that thou was naked? Who told you you were? Has thou eaten of the tree? Where have I commanded thee that thou should earth not eat? Were they confronted? They were confronted. And look what else he said. And the man said, the woman, now get this. He did not blame the woman.

He blamed God. Look at it. The woman whom thou gave us me. Lord, you know that woman you brought to me? It’s not my fault. It was that woman you made. It’s the blame game. Don’t people say, well, if God didn’t want me to sin, He shouldn’t have made me like this. I can’t help I’m a sinner. If God created me and I’m a sinner, well God made me so there you go. Why get mad at me for something He did?

It sounds like pretty good reasoning to me. Well, that was His reason way back then. Did God accept his reasoning? No. And he says, the woman whom thou gave us to be with me, she gave me of the tree and I didn’t eat, but she did it, but it’s the one you gave to me. And then number 13, the Lord God said unto the woman, what is this that thou hast done? And the woman says, the serpent begualled me, and I didn’t eat, it was the serpent’s fault.

It wasn’t Adam and these faults, it was God, it was the serpent, it was the devil. they they it’s their fault of why we’re like this. So whenever we as sinners get caught, it’s so easy to lie. God says let God be true in every man a liar. Now I didn’t say that God says that. His word teaches that. So sin separates us from God’s present and sin causes fear. It produces religion and it produces blame. Now look in Genesis chapter 3 and verse 21.

Genesis chapter 3 and verse 21. You’ll notice in verse 21 what God did. He says, the day that you eat thereof, you shall surely die. So did they deserve to die? Well, yes. Well, did they die that day? Well, physically, no, because he lived to be 950 years old. Now, that’s a perted day of grace. But look in verse 21, unto Adam, also and to his wife, did the Lord God make coats of skins and clothe them. Now, you stop and think just for a moment.

Did they at that moment deserve to physically die? Yes, because that’s what God said. So on that day as a substitute for their sin. If they had a coat of skin, then there must have been an animal that died. Huh? Yeah. So something died that was innocent, that didn’t have to die. What does a sacrifice mean? It means instead of God killing them, on that very day, there was something else that died in their place. a substitute, a covering, and they took off the fig leaves and put on the coat of skin.

The reason for that is because the God wanted not salvation by your works of what they sowed together but by a blood sacrifice, a substitute. Now listen, this is with the first man and woman that you’re not saved because of your but by a substitute, something dying in your place. So when there’s a sacrifice made, what does the sacrifice really mean? It teaches the mercy of God. It means instead of you dying and getting what you deserve, this animal died in your place.

And it taught the grace of God. You got to live because of a sacrifice. It taught forgiveness. You see, that sacrifice teaches something. It’s not just, okay, let’s just kill this animal. Why? Because God wanted a blood sacrifice something had to die. The day that you eat there, I’ll surely die. Death was required because of sin. and there was a substitute made because of sin. And who provided it? God did for the first man and the first woman. But look there in Genesis in chapter 3 and looking verse 15.

Looking verse 15. One of the things that’s mentioned here, and we ought to consider this to be the first promise in the Bible, where the Bible says here in verse 15, and I will put in the between the and the woman. He’s talking about the devil here. And he’s saying, and between thy seed and her seed, it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel. So down the road, the woman doesn’t have a seed, but remember that the Holy Spirit of God moved over Mary and placed the seed in the woman.

And it says, that holy thing shall be called the son of the highest, the son of God. And that seed that came from that woman was going to crush the head of the serpent. But in doing so it will bruise his heel. Now if I saw a little rattlesnake calling up here to get me and I lifted up my leg and I crushed it’s head, I might kill the snake, but I’ll bruise my heel. When Christ went to the cross, yes, he was bruised for our iniquities.

The Bible says this, but in doing so, he defeated the devil and came back from the dead. So this is taught in the Old Testament in the very first promise given in the Word of God about a substitution. Now look there in chapter 4 and verse 1, chapter 4 verse 1. And Adam knew Eve. So hello Eve. Well hello Adam. No, this is talking about an a married relationship, the intimacy between a man and a woman. She conceived and barricade and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.

She probably, and I can’t swear to it, she probably, this was the man. That’s going to be the one from God. I don’t know how much you knew or understood, but whatever it wasn’t him. Cain was not the deliverer and he was a keeper of the ground. And his brother in verse 2 was a keeper of sheep. So you have somebody who raised vegetables and you had someone that raised sheep. Somewhere along the line they had to understand. Somebody had to tell them what the sacrifice meant.

And that was a payment for their sin. And that it showed the mercy of God and the grace of God, the forgiveness of God, because God didn’t take it out on you. That’s substitution. But it was a picture of one day the seed of the woman that was going to come is going to be the payment for the sin of the whole world and these sacrifices they made were only a type. A type, a picture of something that was coming down the road.

Now, get what he says here. It says here in verse 4, and Abel he brought of the first lean of his flock and of the fat thereof and the Lord had respect and to Abel into his offering. But under Cain and to his offering he had not respect and Cain got very He brought and his countenance felt. So he got mad, he got upset. But in verse six, and the Lord said in the cane, why are thou wroth? Well, why you mad?

Why you so upset about? He says, why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well? Well, if you bring the right sacrifice, no problem. But if you don’t understand him, there’s an offering at the door. In other words, there probably was a little lamb laying there at the door, and all he had to do was offer the little lamb like God had said, but he wouldn’t do it. And he says, if you do, he says, you, you’ve been ahead of the home, been the first born.

Your brother will wind up serving you. Let’s see, he blew it all. But the truth is still taught to the very first family. This is the first family. She was the first lady. And these kids, one of them was a liberal and one was a fundamentalist. The liberal didn’t want to listen and do what God says to do. They’re going to do it their way. And of course you have Abel. He did it God’s way. And God had respect to that one and not the other one.

And understand this from the very beginning. God does not have respect for all the religions of the world. He has none. He said, don’t you have respect for other people’s belief? No. No. Why? Because God doesn’t. You see, God has given his Son as the payment for the sins of the whole world. And only people who believe that and trust Christ and Him alone have eternal life. You cannot earn eternal life. You cannot work your way to heaven. Salvation from hell is only through Christ.

It’s not through the church. It’s not through the preacher. Not through the priest. Not through anybody. Only through Christ and Him and Him alone. So you can offer your good works. Well, I go to church and I pray and I do my beads or I do this, I do that. Whatever it is you do and give my money and I try to help people and that will not help you. That will not say, that’s a fig leaf. It won’t work.

That’s bringing vegetables. God wants the blood sacrifice, a death for your sins. The wages of sin is death. And he says concerning the body of Christ, the blood of Christ, he says, and the blood of Christ, he says, is it an offering for your soul? And that’s why we understand that without the shedding of blood, there is no remission. There is none. Take your Bible and turn to the book of Genesis in chapter 4. Well, I want you to see this up there in that verse 7, where it says, if thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?

For if thou doest not well, sin, lie at that the door. And under thee shall be his able’s desire, and thou shalt rule over him. But see, he blew it. And it says nine in verse eight, nine in 10, where he killed his brother. Because see, when you don’t do things God’s way, it leads to one sin that leads to another sin that leads to another sin. You see, there’s people today, they’re having abortions. I believe abortion is murder.

I believe abortion is sin. Why? Because it’s to cover another sin. You see, when the Roma had the right to choose, she’d made the choice before you had the baby. Before you had sex. It is wicked for people outside of marriage to live together, to have sex together, to have children out of wedlock. It’s wrong. You can’t make it right. And all the, well, we just love each other. No, you don’t. True love does right by each other. True love doesn’t want to hurt, to shame, to pain anyone that you really love.

So you go by what God’s word has to say. And I know that sometimes that makes people upset. And you say, well, that makes me feel guilty. Well, you are. If I was to preach on the holiness of God and how perfect God is, and you’re sitting there thinking, well, I’m not holy. Of course you’re not. Well, I feel guilty. Well, you should. We’re all sinners. We ought to feel guilty. So when Christ died, He died to pay for our sins to remove the guilt.

So I don’t have to live my life feeling guilty. Did you know that I don’t care what sin you’ve ever committed? God can forgive it. I like that, but you gotta pay by the rules. You have to admit, this is what I am. I am a sinner. Christ died for me, paid for my sins. Now look in chapter 8. Genesis in chapter 8, Genesis chapter 8 and look there in verse 20. Now you know there’s been a big flood.

There was a lot of water and a lot of mud. They finally got off the boat. Did you know that whenever he got on that boat, God told him to take excellent on the boat because he wanted them to offer them as a sacrifice. So when they got off the yard, he had a sacrifice. See there in verse 20? And Noah, build up the boat.

and altered unto the Lord and took of every clean beast and of every clean foul and offered burnt offerings on the altar. Now you don’t offer those except for sin. It’s because of sin. Noah and his wife, his three sons, and their wives, they were sinners and they made sacrifices. There was nobody else. It was for their sins. It wasn’t for God’s sin, he didn’t have any. They were the only people on the earth that had to be for them.

Something innocent had to die for their sin. That’s substitution. You see, that’s what we still teach today, but we all point to Christ. Christ was my substitution. He was the one that paid for my sins, and I don’t have to offer him up as a sacrifice. He offered himself without spot or blemish. He had no cause to die. He was a perfect lamb of God. And so when he died on the cross, he paid for all the sins of all the world.

And you and I get to go to heaven because of what he did for us. Now, turn to Genesis chapter 22. Genesis chapter 22. There’s a wonderful, wonderful story here, and I hope I can bring it out as well as it’s written here. But there’s a story about Abraham, and God had promised that he was going to have a son, and through his son he would have a great nation. And that the families of the earth would be blessed through this son.

the son’s name was Isaac. And so God had told him to leave the early cal days about, oh, when he was 75 years old. His wife now was 90 years old and he was 99 years old. So they had this physical problem. They were past the age of chalbearing. So unless God weren’t American, they wouldn’t have a child. Abraham knew that. So he says, Lord, a one that is born from my loins must be my seed. And I don’t have a child.

And I just happen to be 99 years old. So God told him, says, you’re going to have a child. And lo and behold, it wasn’t long before Isaac was born. 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 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. 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.

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. Now look there in chapter four in verse one chapter four verse one and Adam new Eve So a hello, Eve well hello Adam No This is talking about an a married relationship The intimacy between a man and a woman She conceived and bear Cain and said I have gotten a man from the Lord She probably and I can’t swear to it.

She probably believe this was the man. That’s gonna be the one from God. I don’t know how much she knew or understood, but whatever it wasn’t him. Cain was not the deliverer and he was a keeper of the ground and his brother in verse 2 was a keeper of sheep. So you have somebody who raised vegetables and you had someone that raised sheep. Somewhere along the line they had to understand. Somebody had to tell them what the sacrifice meant.

And that was a payment for their sin. And that it showed the mercy of God and the grace of God, the forgiveness of God, because God didn’t take it out on you. That’s substitution. But it was a picture of one day the seed of the woman that was going to come is going to be the payment for the sin of the whole world. And these sacrifices they made were only a type, a type, a picture of something that was coming down the road.

Now, here’s what he says here. It says here in verse 4, and Abel, he brought of the first lean of his flock, and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel into his offering. But unto Cain, and to his offering, he had not respect. And Cain got very rough, and his countenance fell. So he got mad, he got upset. But in verse six, and the Lord said and became, why are thou wroth? Well, why you mad?

Why you so upset about? He says, why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well? Well, if you bring the right sacrifice, no problem. But if you don’t understand him, there’s an offering at the door. In other words, there probably was a little lamb laying there at the door, and all he had to do was offer the little lamb like God had said, but he wouldn’t do it. And he says, if you do, he says, you, you, been ahead of the home, been the firstborn.

Your brother will wind up serving you. Let’s see, he blew it off. But the truth is still taught to the very first family. This is the first family. She was the first lady. And these kids, one of them was a liberal and one was a fundamentalist. The liberal didn’t want to listen and do what God says, do they’re going to do it their way? And of course you have able, he did it God’s way. And God had respect to that one and not the other one.

And understand this from the very beginning. God does not have respect for all the religions of the world. He has none. You see, don’t you have respect for other people’s belief? No, no, why? Because God does it. You see, God has given his son as the payment for the sins of the whole world. And only people who believe that and trust Christ and Him alone have eternal life. You cannot earn eternal life. You cannot work your way to heaven.

Salvation from hell is only through Christ. It’s not through the church, it’s not through the preacher, not through the priest, not through anybody, only through Christ and Him and Him alone. So you can offer your good works. Well, I go to church and I pray and I do my beads or I do this, I do that. Whatever it is you do and give my money and I try to help people and that will not help you. That will not say that’s a fig leaf.

It won’t work. That’s bringing vegetables. God wants the blood sacrifice, a death for your sins. The wages of sin is death. And he says concerning the body of Christ, the blood of Christ, he says, and the blood of Christ, he says, is an offering for your soul. And that’s why we understand that without the shedding of blood, there is no remission. There is none. Take your Bible and turn to the book of Genesis in chapter four. Well, I want you to see this up there in that verse seven, where it says, if thou doest well, shall thou not be accepted?

For if thou doest not well, sin, lie at the door. And under thee shall be his able’s desire, and thou shalt rule over him. But see, he blew it. And it says nine, verse eight, nine and 10, well, he killed his brother. Because see, when you don’t do things God’s way, it leads to one sin that leads to another sin that leads to another sin. You see, there’s people today, they’re having abortions. I believe abortion is murder. I believe abortion is sin.

Why? Because it’s to cover another sin. You see, when the Roman had the right to choose, she’d have made the choice before you had the baby. Before you had sex. It is wicked for people outside of marriage to live together, to have sex together, to have children out of wedlock. It’s wrong. You can’t make it right. And all the, well, we just love each other. No, you don’t. True love does right by each other. True love doesn’t want to hurt, to shame, to pain, anyone that you really love.

So you go by what God’s Word has to say. And I know that sometimes that makes people upset. He said, well, that makes me feel guilty. Well, you are. If I was to preach on the holiness of God and how perfect God is, and you sit there thinking, well, I’m not holy. Of course you’re not. Well, I feel guilty. You should. We’re all sinners. We ought to feel guilty. So when Christ died, He died to pay for our sins to remove the guilt.

So I don’t have to live my life feeling guilty. Did you know that I don’t care what sin you’ve ever committed? God can forgive it. I like that, but you’ve got to play by the rules. You have to admit this is what I am. I am a sinner. Christ died for me, paid for my sins. Now look in chapter eight. Genesis in chapter eight. Genesis chapter eight and look there in verse 20. Now you know there’s been a big flood.

There was a lot of water and a lot of mud. They finally got off the boat. Did you know that whenever he got on that boat, God told them to take extra animals on the boat because he wanted them to offer them as a sacrifice. So when they got off the ark, he had a sacrifice. See, they’re in verse 20, and Noah built an altar unto the Lord and took of every clean beast and of every clean fowl and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

Now you don’t offer those except for sin. It’s because of sin. Noah and his wife, his three sons, and their wives, they were sinners and they made sacrifices. There was nobody else. It was for their sins. It wasn’t for God’s sin. He didn’t have any. They were the only people on the earth that had to be for them. Something innocent had to die for their sin. That’s substitution. You see, that’s what we still teach today, but we all point to Christ.

Christ was my substitution. He was the one that paid for my sins. And I don’t have to offer Him up as a sacrifice. He offered Himself without spot or blemish. He had no cause to die. He was a perfect Lamb of God. And so when He died on the cross, He paid for all the sins of all the world. you and I get to go to heaven because of what he did for us. Now turn to Genesis chapter 22.

Genesis chapter 22. There’s a wonderful, wonderful story here, and I hope I can bring it out as well as it’s written here. But there’s a story about Abraham, and God had promised that he was going to have a son, And through his son, he would have a great nation. And the families of the earth would be blessed through this son. And the son’s name was Isaac. And so God had told him to leave the Earl of the Counties about, oh, when he was 75 years old.

His wife now was 90 years old and he was 99 years old, so they had this physical problem. They were past the age of childbearing. So unless God weren’t American, they wouldn’t have a child. And Abraham knew that. So he says, Lord, one that is born from my loins must be my seed. And I don’t have a child. And I just happen to be 99 years old. So God told him, says that you’re going to have a child. And lo and behold, it wasn’t long before Isaac was born.

Now there was another one, Ishmael, from a previous relationship with Hagar, the Egyptian handmaid. But now looking verse 1, and it came to pass after these things that God did tempt Abraham and sudden Abraham, and he said, Behold, here am I. And he said, take now thy son, thy only son, Isaac, whom thou lovest and get thee into the land of Moriah. Now remember, we’re reading in the book of Genesis. I mean, this is a long time ago. This is before the law was given.

This is before David come along. This is before Christ came here. But notice what it’s teaching. And he said, I want you to take your son, thy only son. And I want you to take him to Mount Moriah. Now believe it or not, God the Father had a son, his only son. And he offered his son on Mount Moriah, same place. But it’s worded pretty much like God the Father and what he has to go through, what he went through.

But look what he says. He says, and get thee into the land of Moriah and offer him there for a burnt offering. A burnt offering. That means he would be offering him for sins. He was going to offer his own son as a burnt offering. That means he was going to burn him. Now he was going to slay his son and then set him on fire. So that’s what they did with the sacrifices. But see in the temple whenever they was going to do this and they brought them to the place where the burnt offerings to be made, they would lay that little lamb down there and they would tie them to the horns of the altar.

There was four horns around the brazen altar and they would put their hand upon the head of the animal and then they would slit the throat and drain the blood. And it was like this animal is dying for my sin, substitution. And if this was a picture of God showing me mercy, God showing me grace, God showing me His forgiveness. God not imputing my sins to me but to this animal. The animal was innocent. The animal hadn’t done anything wrong.

And so, but that animal that died was a picture of the Lamb of God, which is Christ. And God laid his own son up on the altar. And that means when he was put on the cross. And he bore the sins of the whole world and died for us. But look what he says in verse 3. He says, and Abraham rose up early in the morning and settled his ass and took two of the young men with him. Isaac his son and claved the wood for the burn offering.

Rose up and went unto the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day, isn’t it amazing? Third day. I don’t know what that means. Okay. lifted of his eyes and he saw the place afar off. An Abraham said unto his sons, his young men, a by G here, a by G here, with the ass and I and the lad will go yonder and worship and come again to you. So he said, look, as he told him, me, my son, we’re gonna go there and we’re gonna worship and we are gonna come back.

So Abraham knew, and Abraham believed that if he did offer his only son, that God had promised would be the seat of the earth and produce the great nation of Israel. And through him, all families of the earth would be blessed. He believed that God would raise his son from the dead. Now, when you read the book of Hebrews in chapter 11, it says that, and it says that Abraham received him as a type. Ava, the Father offering his Son as a sacrifice, and believe that God would raise him from the dead.

Abraham believed that. So he knew what he was doing. He understood. He didn’t know how God was gonna deliver all of this, only that his faith was in God. Because he knew God had miraculously worked to give him the Son. And that if it hadn’t have been for God, giving him the Son, there would be no Son. So when God says, I want you to offer this Son upon the altar. And you’re to take his life. Abraham obeyed and he went.

And he says in verse six, and Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it upon Isaac his son. Do you know in the New Testament it talks about Jesus Christ had to bear his own cross? And he was bearing his cross upon which he was going to be sacrificed. This is doing the same thing. Now is this a picture or not? I didn’t write this. But look what else he says. And he laid it upon Isaac his son and he took the fire in his hand and a knife and they went both of them together.

And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father and he said, my father and he says, here am I my son. And he says, behold the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? Now if you were a young child, wouldn’t that make you curious? Dad, I know we’re going to offer a burnt sacrifice and I see the wood and I see the fire, but there’s something missing here. Where’s the lamb? Where’s the lamb? And look in verse 8, and Abraham said, my son, God will provide Himself.

God will provide Himself. Did you know that when Christ went to the cross, Jesus Christ was God in the flesh and God provided the lamb. It was his only son. As he says in John 3 16, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believe it in him should not perish but have everlasting life. So can you know you have eternal life? Yes, you can. You can know it and be certain of going to heaven whenever you die because of the sacrifice that was made.

what else he says here. In verse 9, and they came to the place which God had told him of, and Abraham built an altar there, laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son. I think he’s probably got the idea now, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. Now I wonder if he was rebellious in any way. I wonder if he went kicking and scratching and fighting and cursing his dad, or if he was just plain obedient.

I actually believe that he just laid himself down, and I don’t believe he resisted his dad in any way. But I don’t know, that’s just a little yank-yology, because he was a type of a lamb that was led to the slaughter, and he opened not his mouth. But anyway, look at this. He says in verse 10, “…And Abraham stretched forth his hand, took the knife to slay his son.” I think it’s getting close, don’t you? I mean, this is getting close.

And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of the heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham, and he said, here am I. And he says, lay not thine hand upon the lad, need to do thou anything unto him. For now I know that thou fear is God, see and thou hath not withheld thy son, thine only son from him. There’s something else I want you to see. I didn’t see this until just recently. In verse 13, Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked and behold, behind him a ram caught in a thicket by the horns.

Do you know whenever he was going to slay his son? The ram was caught in a thicket behind him. He didn’t see it. He didn’t see it until God stopped him. So he was going to act in faith and believing that this was the will of God and if God was God, then God would raise his son because God had promised that he was going to be the father of a great nation. This son because God had promised to him in chapter 18, he says, your son Isaac, I see you shall be called.

And also in chapter 22, these things are awesome when you stop and think about them. So there is a substitution here. He was going to die, but he was a pitcher. Down the road of Jesus Christ, going to Mount Moriah, the only begotten of the Father, and making a payment for the sins of the whole world. Look what he says. In verse 13, an Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked and behold, behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns, and Abraham went and took the ram, offered him up for a burnt offer in the stead of his son.

And you ought to underline those were in the stead of his son in place of his son. That is substitution. That’s substitution. When Christ died, he did not die for his sin. He was offered up in our place so that you and I don’t have to go to hell. Now, you may not totally understand everythingachel I’m saying, but I want to explain it one more time. You saw me do this just while youabase watch one more time.{” This hand represents you and me.

And the wallet represents everything we’ve ever done wrong. Now God says that He loves us. Now He hates what we do wrong. He hates our sin. But since we committed the sin, we are guilty. Now either we can admit it and accept God’s forgiveness and so forth, and we don’t have to worry about it anymore, or we can run and hide and try to sew our fig leaves together and bring some of the works of our hands and what we do and go to church.

And I offer God money when the plate comes by, put money in because you think that’s going to help in the day and the future. You know, it won’t help one I older. You mean I just put money in the plate and it won’t help me none at all? Well, what you’ve already given, we got. So you ain’t getting that bad. But anyway, you’ll be wise for the next time, but it will not save you. It won’t even help.

But God loves you. He hates what you do wrong. He loves me, but he don’t like what I do wrong. But God says the whole world is guilty. So he proved that in the very beginning with just two people. They both had sinned and they represented the whole world at that time. And then in chapter nine, when he talks about with Noah and his family, that there were sacrifices made for the whole family. God says all have sinned. So here we are today, and God has judged that the whole world is guilty before God, and nobody is good enough to save themselves.

So God says, I love you. I hate your sin. And for you to pay for sin is eternal separation from God, inhale. So is everybody a sinner? Everybody’s condemned. Now, God says to go to heaven, you have to be perfect, as righteous is God, and no one’s perfect, no one’s righteous. We’ve all failed. We’ve come short of God’s perfection. I was playing golf with a guy one day and I said, I missed a putt. And I said, you know what that is?

I said, that’s harmatano. And he just looked at me. I said, it means I missed the mark. I missed the mark. I put it again and it was a double harmatano. But we have committed a lot of sin, a lot of harmatano. We’ve missed the mark all our life. We’re sinners. And God says, you cannot save yourself. This hand represents Jesus Christ. He’s the Lord, God in the flesh. And these Old Testament stories are illustrated in this great truth.

And they understood about the sacrifice because the sacrifice that was even done under the law and all those sacrifices they made was to show God’s mercy. God’s grace, God’s forgiveness, imputation in place of, instead of substitution. God taught them that all the way through the Old Testament so that they would understand because it was a picture of the day when Jesus Christ would come to the earth and die on the cross and pay for all the sins of all the world.

So Jesus Christ had no sin. He came into the world because he loves us, hates our sin because it separates us from God. That’s why they had to leave the presence of God in the garden. Because, see, in heaven, God is perfect. You and I, we’re not. We’ve come short of perfection. We cannot enter into the presence of God because of sin. And all of your good works, so in your fig leaves together, trying to impress God. Offering Him, the works of your hand will not save you.

God required a blood sacrifice from the the very first man and first woman, the first kids, all the way down. And still today, if you reject what Christ did for you, you will not have salvation, you will not go to heaven. And it won’t matter about your religion. Your religion cannot save you. Your religion can’t get you to heaven. It’s either Christ and Christ alone or you don’t have eternal life. You can’t have it. So God says, if you and I will simply believe that when Christ died, He died for our sins.

Came back from the dead and said, if you and I would believe 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. That’s good news. That’s the best news in all the world. So if you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior, I think that day would be a good day. He says, behold, today is the day of salvation, because see, you don’t have a guarantee of tomorrow.

Wouldn’t it be a shame for you to wait till tomorrow? And it’s too late. But see, there’s no tricks to it. There’s no gimmicks to it. You don’t become a religious hypocrite because you’re not promising to stop anything or join anything. All you’re doing is being honest. I’m a sinner. I can’t save myself. Christ died for me, and I’m going to trust what He did, that it was for me. He was my substitute. He died for my sins. So if He died for my sins, means I don’t have to pay for my sins.

That’s the mercy of God. That shows the grace of God, the forgiveness of God. I think it’s a wonderful idea of myself. I’m kind of kind of like fell in love with this whole plan of salvation because there is no other. If you have never trusted Christ as your Savior, why not trust Christ as your Savior this morning? Let’s pray, shall we? With every head bowed and every eye closed and no one looking around, if you’ve never trusted the Lord, would you just talk to the Lord right now and say, Lord, I don’t understand at all, but I know that I’m a sinner.

And I believe Christ died on that cross and pay for my sins and I’m going to trust him to take me to heaven whenever I die. And friend God said that if you would trust him, he would save you. I can’t save you. The church can’t save you. No church can save you. Will you trust the Lord? Would you believe he died for you? God in heaven knows right now he sees you. Everybody’s naked before God. And he knows whether or not you’ve been clothed with the righteousness of Christ or not.

And if you haven’t, would you trust him right now? If you’re making that decision, I’d like to have prayer for you. So I’m going to ask you with headbound, nice clothes, if you were to trust the Lord. And I’d like to know by your uplifted hand. But raising your hand doesn’t save you. It just lets me know that what I said made sense. And I’d like to have prayer for you in closing. Is it in with all before we close?

Yes, I’ll trust Christ as my Savior and I’d like for you to pray for me. Just slip it up real quick. Yes, God bless you. God bless you, ma’am. You can put your hands down. Anyone else just very quickly. Yes, God bless you back there. Yes, I see your hand. Anyone else. Yes, God bless you. Other others. There’s no tricks with no gimmicks. I’m not going to have you forward. Not going to embarrass you. But right where you’re sitting, sitting, I just want to know.

I’d just like to have prayer for you. It’s a sign of good judgment. Only a fool would turn down a free gift. It’s free. And if you trust Christ right now, He saves you right now, saves you from hell, gives you eternal life, and you can know that you’re going to heaven whenever you die. He did it for you. Anyone else before we close? Our Father, we thank You so much for all that You’ve done for us. We’re thankful for the opportunity to present the gospel.

And for those who hear and understood, we ask Your blessings upon each one of them. We thank You for them. We pray they’ll get a Bible and read and study it and meet with good Christians and father just getting to a Bible believe in teaching church. We ask your blessings upon them. We pray that you bless the fellowship 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 Watch 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. 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 first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

A couple weeks ago I preached a sermon on how to be a failure. Anybody remember that? How to be a failure? Then I preached one last Sunday. How to be a success. How to be faithful. Tonight, we’re going to throw a cog in the wheel. And you need to know how to get it out. But you need to understand what can go wrong. I mean, if you don’t want to be a failure and you’ll want to be successful, what can go wrong?

Absolutely nothing, huh? Well Murphy’s law is that if it can go wrong, it will. And if something can happen to you, they keep you from enjoying life, it will. But I want to explain a few things to you so that you know the consequences of your bad decisions. I have a computer and they have designed these computers to where they can get viruses so they can sell you a program on how to keep the virus out. And then you got to keep paying them so that it can keep it out continually for the rest of your natural born life.

I thought if you could do it, why didn’t you just put it in there so they can’t get in there? They call it a firewall, got to build a firewall that gets a virus. could just eat up everything in there, ruin your whole hard drive. I’ve never lost my hard drive yet. And as I know, I don’t know if I’ve had a virus, but I’ve been told I haven’t had some viruses. I know I’ve had a few viruses in my body too.

And if you get a virus, you can get sick. And so you try to figure out a way to keep yourself well. So you take all these vitamins and all of Let’s not tell us that in the other. Well, there’s one virus that you have. It’s called a sinful nature. You have a sin virus, and you can’t get it out of your body. And drugs won’t help. I might numb you where you can’t think. But you have within you a terrible virus that can ruin your hard drive.

Where you can’t think and you can’t reason. Can’t relate, can’t record, can’t absorb. This old sinful nature that you and I have, we got it from the day we were born. And so, yeah, you need to know, if I want to be faithful, what can go wrong? Well, this is what can go wrong, and you need to know what’s it gonna cost you? Cause it’s going to cost you something if you let that virus run free through your computer.

Now I don’t have to worry too much about up here. All I got is a one gigabyte. Take your Bible and turn to the book of Jeremiah, book of Jeremiah, the weeping prophet. And he had enough to weep about the people he was in charge of were prosthetic. If they could do something wrong, they did it. And it didn’t make any difference what God told them to do. They were not going to do it. They were a bunch of hard-headed, stiff-necked individuals.

Boy, I’m glad we don’t have anybody like that here. But understand that God had told Israel what He wanted them to do, how He would bless them, how much He loved them, how He would protect them and provide for them. And they just so much as just nubbed their nose at God and says, I’m going to do whatever I want to do and live how I want to live. So God says, if you want to have those gods from all the other countries, good.

I’ll just send you to the other country where those gods are.” Well, look what he says here. Jeremiah chapter 5 and look in verse 21. Verse 21, he said in verse 21, here now this, oh, foolish people. And without understanding which have eyes and see not, which have ears? And here not. Fear you not me, sayeth the Lord, don’t you fear me? I mean here’s God, the true and living God made heavens on the earth. Did all these wonderful things for Israel?

He says, don’t you fear who I am? Don’t you know who I am? And they said, no, we don’t know who you are. God had done so much for them. And so he says here in verse 22, fear you not me, sayeth the Lord, will you not tremble at my presence? Which have placed the Holy Spirit. the sand for the bounds of the sea for a perpetual degree. He said that it cannot pass it, and though the waves, they’re up-possed themselves, yet can they not prevail, though they roar, yet can they not pass over it.

But this people have a revolting and a rebellious heart. That looks like a description of the people in America. Everybody’s in revolt. Nobody wants anybody to tell them what they can and cannot do. And everybody’s trying to lay down the law, make everybody else do whatever they want. Wives don’t want to obey their husband, husband don’t want to obey. God, kids don’t want to obey parents. And citizens don’t want to obey the government. And the government doesn’t want to obey God.

Everybody’s in revolt. You just saw this in Congress this last few weeks. Well, the last few years, this pathetic. If we only had men of character. We got a bunch of characters, but I’m talking about men with characters. And it says here in verse 24, neither say they in their heart let us now fear the Lord our God that giveth reign. Both the former and the latter in his season he reservists unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.

To know that the God who made the heavens and the earth determined the boundaries of the sees, can he control the air, the rain? And it says he’s the one that’s promised us the former in the latter rain upon our crop and all this and the abundance and everything that you need. He says you would think that people would have a little bit more respect for God but they didn’t. So he says here in verse 25 and you ought to underline verse 25.

Your in every iniquities have turned away these things from your sins and your sins have withholding good things from you. Now think what that verses says, that your sins is keeping good things from you. So if you only knew what good things you have given up because of sin. Now we won’t know until we get to heaven to see what is cost us, but you can not, against God and win. Nobody ever has, nobody ever will. But to understand that there is a virus on the inside of us and if it gets control of you, he’ll ruin your life.

It’s that old sinful nature that you have, the desire to do your own thing, go your own way, it’s rebellion to God. A few people ever really want to do whatever God wants them to do. But it says in verse 26, for among my people are wicked men. They lay wait as he that said it snares. They said a trap. They catch men. Wicked people catch people. Now the Bible says, follow me and I will make you fishers of men.

We’re supposed to catch men also, but we’re supposed to catch them with truth. They’re catching them with lies. So you’re either submitting yourself to a life of truth or a life of lies whichever where you want to go. And the thing is is the people look up there in the middle part of verse 31, look at verse 31 where it says the prophets prophesy falsely and the priests bear rule by their means and get this and you’re on the line to say but my people love to have it so and the people like it.

You would think that people would be wise enough after a while. Israel was one blessed people. God blessed them with so much, and yet they still did not see and understand it. But anyway, here we are. We’re two thousand years since the time of Christ, and God has given us His Word, blessed us in a wonderful country. We got freedoms that most people around the world never enjoy, and we abuse it. We don’t take advantage of it to use our lives for the Lord the way we should take your Bible and turn to Ephesians chapter four, the book of Ephesians and chapter four.

Now we’re just going to look at a few verses that you already know them. No, this is new to you, but I want you to be sold and convinced that though you may know what will cause you to fail because of attitudes and stuff and you may know that I want to be faithful, you need to know that there’s the devil and he will to use that sinful nature of yours to put a cog in the wheel so it won’t roll so that you can achieve what you want.

So here in Ephesians in chapter 4, look in verse 30. The verse 30 says, and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you’re sealed until the day of redemption. Now the day you trusted Christ as your Savior. When you heard that Jesus Christ died on the cross, paid for all of your sins, you believe He did it for you. God saves you, saves you from hell. That means you don’t get to go to hell. He gives you eternal life.

You’re now His child, and as His child you’re going to heaven. And the Bible says that you were sealed that very moment with the Holy Spirit of God. promise. And it says here, grieve not the Holy Spirit of God. Now the Holy Spirit has power. The Holy Spirit has influence. The Holy Spirit is not power and influence. The Holy Spirit is a person that has power and influence. The Holy Spirit is what we call in the Word of God.

He is the unknown God that most people never know anything about. But the Holy Spirit is God living inside of you when you trust that Christ is your Savior. And God says that we grieve the Holy Spirit. So you need to know and understand that when I choose to sin, I choose to grieve God. Think about it and think it through. When I choose to sin, to rebel against God, to do something that’s wrong, then I know it’s wrong.

I chose to cause God grief. If there’s anyone that we should love, anyone we should fear, anyone we should Respect it ought to be the Lord. He’s the last one that you should ever want to cause grief to And yet God says that we grieve the Holy Spirit of God We’re by your shield until the day of redemption So we know that we’re blessed by God in the heavenlies and There’s things yet that God wants to give us here upon the earth So God has been good to it Well, the Bible says here in Ephesians in chapter 5 in verse 1 where it makes a statement, be followers of God.

It means to be imitators of God. And I thought, wouldn’t it be something that if every time we got ready to do something, we would say, um, something along this line, I’m going to pretend I’m Jesus. Now, what would Jesus do? I said, trying to be like Jesus, pretend nerv Jesus. Will that make you think twice? Before I say, when you talk into somebody, whether it’s the wife or the kids or the husband or boss, anybody, I’m going to pretend I’m Jesus.

Now what would Jesus say? What would Jesus do? How am I supposed to respond? How am I supposed to react or respond to whatever is going on? on. I thought that would make a good sermon, but I haven’t got it done so I can’t preach it yet. But I want you to get this. Look in 1 Corinthians in chapter 6, 1 Corinthians and chapter 6.

I want you to know that yes, you have the Holy Spirit of God living within you, and when you are rebellious you grieve God. When the woman rebels against her husband, it grieves God. When the husband is not a loving husband or a good father, it grieves God. It causes him grief. And I can tell you right now, you’re not going to grieve God and win. I don’t think that’s a wise thing to do. But here in 1 Corinthians in chapter 6 verse 19 says, what?

Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which you have of God and you’re not your own. So whenever you trust in Christ as your Savior, you know you have been bought and paid for. You belong to whoever bought you. Well, Christ died on the cross and paid for my sins. He owns me. I trusted him as my Savior. His death put to my account and the payment he made. I’ve been bought.

I’ve been redeemed, paid for. So I belong to the one who bought me. And the Lord says, what know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, which you have of God? And then he says in verse 20, for ye are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are gods. So it’s like God, he’s got my my body, then my spirit, and me, which is the soul. So he bought my body, soul, and spirit.

I belong totally to the Lord. So if I belong to him, should I want to call him grief? You see, the Lord should be the most important thing in your life. And if he’s not, sin is going to take its toll upon you. You’re not gonna be doing like you should. Turn into Bible 1 Peter chapter three. First Peter and chapter 3, this is the scripture that I usually use with marriage, you know, husband and wife, talking to them about problems.

And everybody has a few problems here and there, but some people maybe have less than others, but it’s a wonderful thing to know that God has given to us an example. And it makes a statement here, and I want you to see this in verse 7. See, he talks about in the first six verses about the way the woman is supposed to be. How godly she’s supposed to be, sweet and wonderful and all that kind of stuff. Then it talks about the man, and it says in verse 7, likewise, ye husbands dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life and you ought to underline this part of the So you need to know what will my sin cost me.

What’s it going to cost me? It’s going to cost you and hinder your prayer life. Because see, when you’re not right with the Lord, you’re not going to be praying like you ought to. When you’re not right with other people, you’re not going to be praying like you ought to. Because it becomes a virus and it contaminates you. And it makes you, where you can’t think clearly. clearly and you get in a fitter raid sometimes and you’re ruled by emotions and you don’t think rationally like you should think.

And that’s why God says I want you to know what it’s going to cost you. I didn’t put these verses in the Bible. God put them in there. I’m just trying to bring them to your attention even though you may already know them and it may not be that you need it today but you might need it tomorrow or the next day because you don’t know what’s going to happen down the road and we don’t know what going to transpire in our life as far as what people are going to say or do or what you’re going to say or do.

I’m glad that there is a verse in the Bible that says whenever we sin against the Lord, though we have a verse that says 1 John 1 9 that if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and the cleansers from all in righteousness. That’s to the believer on fellowship between him and God. So anyway, these are some good verses that you need to keep in mind. Now take your Bible look in the book of 1 Corinthians in chapter 9.

1 Corinthians and chapter 9. The Apostle Paul talks about wanting to win, to gain, and he lays it out pretty strong. talks about us all running a race, he says, and we run because we want to win. He says, but they in the world run to obtain a corruptible crown and we an incorruptible crown. It means that our time running this race is not a waste of time. It means that after you trust Christ as your Savior, the time that God gives us to live that God wants us, as His children, to serve Him, to run the race.

And if we run the race according to the rules, then God is going to reward us when we get to heaven. I play a little football, a little basketball, and a little softball, and baseball, and Chinese checkers. But anyway, I’ve played a few sports. I don’t have to be good at any of them, just enjoy them. But in everything that you do, there’s always rules and regulations. Now, on myself, when I get ready to bat, I really don’t like for there to be an umpire.

And I don’t like it when the pitcher is trying to be the umpire. I wanna call the balls in strike, because the only reason I didn’t swing at those that are high and low and outside, the inside is because they were all balls. I didn’t wanna swing at those. I’d rather be the umpire. But you know, it doesn’t work very good if everybody becomes their own umpire. When I’m running the first base and I get there, if he gets there an inch before I get there, they call me out.

I would rather be the umpires, I’m safe. Now, would I be prejudiced if I was the umpire? Of course not, you know I’d be fair. You’re always out. Me, I’m always safe. And when I get up there to bat, I don’t like the bunt. I want to hit a home run. So every time I hit, I’m trying to hit it as hard as I can, as far as I can, because that’s the way I am. I do everything like that.

But on a team, there comes a time when you have to listen to the… You know, if you’ve got a ref, you’ve got a coach, you’ve got to listen to what somebody tells you for the team’s sake, what you win or you lose. And the last thing I’d want is somebody to say, just run it down to third-day baseline. No. Sometimes you need a coach, somebody that can see what you’re doing and give you some good advice. You see, on our team, the Lord, he’s the coach.

He’s calling the play. He’s doing this, you know, he’s the umpire. And he tells us what to do and what not to do. And make sure that you understand that everybody on his team gets to bat. Everybody on his team gets to bat. Every one of his children will have an opportunity. It may not be that you get to go first. You just sit and be patient. God will use every one of his on his team. But now if you can’t listen to the coach, you know what the coach might do or the ref might do or the, he might just tell you to go sit on the bench.

When it comes to serving the Lord, the apostle Paul says, I play by the rules. Less when I have preached to others, I myself am disqualified and I have to go sit on the bench. That’s what he says there in verse 27. He said, but I bring my body under subjection. I want to rule my body, not my body rule me. Now when I preach to others, I myself, if not a castaway or set aside because it’s talking about what sin can do to you.

Sin can take you out of the game. The game is so important. What we live for, our cause is so important. And you don’t want to have to be set aside or settle in this. You want God to use you. It’s so important. Take your Bible looking Psalms 51, the 51st Psalm, all the way back in the Old Testament, the 51st Psalm. There was a guy by the name of David. Everybody remember David? You know that young boy that went out there and he took a bear and ripped him apart with his bare hands?

Did the same thing with a lion? And took off the head of Goliath? Wouldn’t that have been something that had that on video? Man, I’d show that every day. How the little boy took down the big giant. And when he slung that thing around, the Holy Spirit took that little rock and guided that little rock and he planted it right in the middle of his forehead. It sunken in there and the man was dead. Because he yielded to the Lord.

And God raised him up and says, you’re going to be the king of Israel. A lot of things happen in young David’s life and finally he got to be the king and when he got to be the king well the time came when kings go out to battle that’s what kings do but the came of time when this king didn’t want to go out to battle you see he had been up in his palace and he overlooked and lo and behold he saw this beautiful woman and I I don’t know how far away it was or whatever it was, caught his eye.

And next thing you know she was in the palace, and next thing you know she was in his bed. Next thing you know she’s having a kid, not a cover of that sin. He had Uriah, he had taken and put into the heat of the bottle so that he would die. So he was guilty of adultery, and he was guilty of murder. So God’s going to have to whoop him. Here’s a man after God’s own heart, wouldn’t it? God had greatly used.

And David’s last days of his life, he had misery upon, misery upon misery of all the things that happened in his family. Did he get away with it, didn’t get away with it? And so God took something away from David that David loved. not only taken the child, but he took the joy of his salvation away. He didn’t have any joy. So he says here in Psalms 51, he says in verse 1, he said, Lord, have mercy upon me, have mercy upon me.

And then he says down there in verse 6, Behold thou desire truth in the inward part. In the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom, purge me with histop and I shall be clean, wash me and I shall be wider than snow. Made me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hath broken may rejoice. God done beat the Torah out of him.” And his joy was gone. He was in misery. He says, in a third-something-something.

He said he’d just-he cried day and night. He was dried up like a putcher. He was just-everything was going wrong in David’s life. He was carrying sand that he was hiding. And he hadn’t come clean between him and God. God had to deal with him. So he says in verse 10, create in me a new heart and renew a right spirit within me. Verse 11, cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.

See in the old test with the Holy Spirit was used by God to come upon people to do certain works and then would leave. The promise invu the New Testament in John chapter 14 in verse 16, it says, and I will be I will give you a comforter that may abide with you forever in the comforter. In verse 26 of John chapter 14 is the Holy Spirit. So when you and I trust Christ as Savior, the Holy Spirit indwells us and will never leave us and never forsake us.

The Old Testament before Christ died, yes. But that doesn’t mean that David lost his salvation. David did not lose his salvation, but he did lose the joy. That’s why he says in verse 12, restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then, cause whenever you give me my joy back, he’s the outteached transgressors, thy ways. Sinners shall be converted unto thee. So he was talking about how that God didn’t want to sacrifice from him.

He wanted a broken and a contrite heart. You see, God doesn’t want your sacrifice in the sense that that’s supposed to make up for God wants you when you rebel against the Lord, when you sin against the Lord, He wants you to come broken before Him. He wants you to humble and submit yourself to Him and call it what it is that I send against you. And God says He’s faithful and just to forgive. If you don’t, then you carry around the guilt because you know it’s not right yet.

You try to hide it from God, but you can’t hide anything from God. God knows everything. And it just kind of weighs upon you. And you don’t have that freedom, that lifting off of it, that you’ve got that heavy cloud that just follows you everywhere you go. And you want the bright sunlight. You want the weight lifted off your shoulders. And God can do all of that for you. But if you try to hide your sin from God, it’s going to cost you dearly.

You come straight to the Lord, you humble yourself, and you confess the sin and forsake the sin as a believer. And God will bless you and restore a lot of things to you. But it’s the joy that he was talking about. See that in verse 17, the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart. Oh God, that will not despise. God won’t despise that. That’s what God is after. God knows that we all fail, we all sin.

Just make sure that when you do, you own up to it. And God will take care of everything else. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tapp of 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 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 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. I played a little football, a little basketball, and a little softball, and baseball, and Chinese checkers. But anyway, I’ve played a few sports. I don’t have to be good at any of them. Just enjoy them. But in everything that you do, there’s always rules and regulations. Now, on myself, when I get ready to bat, I really don’t like for there to be an umpire.

And I don’t like it when the pitcher is trying to be the umpire. I want to call the balls in strike because the only reason I didn’t swing at those that are high and low and outside and inside is because they were all balls. I didn’t want to swing at those. I’d rather be the umpire. But you know, it doesn’t work very good if everybody becomes their own umpire. When I’m running the first base and I get there, if he gets there an inch before I get there, They call me out.

I would rather be the umpires, I’m safe. Now would I be prejudiced if I was the umpire? Of course not, you know I’d be fair. You’re always out. Me, I’m always safe. And when I get up there to bat, I don’t like the bunt. I want to hit a home run. So every time I hit, I’m trying to hit it as hard as I can, as far as I can, because that’s the way I am. I do everything like that.

But on a team, there comes a time when you have to listen to the, you know, if you got a ref, you got a coach, you got to listen to what somebody tells you for the team’s sake, what, you know, the way you win or you lose. And the last thing I’d want to say somebody say, just run it down to third-day baseline. No. Sometimes you need a coach, somebody that can see what you’re doing and give you some good advice.

You see, on our team, the Lord, yet He’s the coach. He’s calling the play. He’s doing this, you know, He’s the umpire. And He tells us what to do and what not to do. And make sure that you understand that everybody on His team Every one of his children will have an opportunity. It may not be that you get to go first. You just sit and be patient. God will use every one of his on his team. But now if you can’t listen to the coach, you know what the coach might do or the ref might do or the, he might just tell you to go sit on the bench.

When it comes to serving the Lord, the apostle Paul says, serving the Lord. The Apostle Paul says, I play by the rules. Less when I have preached to others, I myself am disqualified and I have to go sit on the bench. That’s what he says there in verse 27. He said, but I bring my body under subjection. I want to rule my body, not my body rule me. Now, when I preach to others, I myself, if not a castaway or set aside, because it’s talking about What sin can do to you?

Sin can take you out of the game. The game is so important. What we live for, our cause, is so important. And you don’t want to have to be set aside or set on the shelf. You want God to use you. It’s so important. Take your Bible looking Psalms 51, the 51st Psalm. All the way back in the Old Testament, The 51st Psalm. There was a guy by the name of David. Everybody remember David? You know that young boy that went out there and he took a bear and ripped him apart with his bare hands?

Did the same thing with a lion? It took off the head of Goliath. Wouldn’t that have been something to head that on video? Man, I’d show that every day. How the little boy took down the big giant. And when he slung that thing around, the Holy Spirit took that little rock and guided that little rock and he planted it right in the middle of his forehead. It sunken in there and the man was dead. because he yielded to the Lord and God raised him up and says, you’re going to be the king of Israel.

A lot of things happen in young David’s life and finally he got to be the king and when he got to be the king, well the time came when kings go out to battle. That’s what kings do. But the came of time when this king didn’t want to go out to battle. You see he had been up in And his palace and he overlooked and lo and behold he saw this beautiful woman. And I don’t know how far away it was or whatever it was, but whatever it was caught his eye.

And next thing you know she was in the palace. And next thing you know she was in his bed. Next thing you know she’s having a kid. Not a cover of that sin. He had Uriah. He had taken and put into the heat of the bottle so that he would die. So he was guilty of adultery and he was guilty of murder. So God’s going to have to whoop him. Here’s a man after God’s own heart, wouldn’t it? God had greatly used.

And David’s last days of his life, he had misery upon misery upon misery of all the things that happened in his family. Did he get away with it? Didn’t get away with it. And so God took something away from David that David loved. Not only taken the child, but he took the joy of his salvation away. He didn’t have any joy. So he says here in Psalms 51, he says in verse one, he said, Lord have mercy upon me, have mercy upon me.

And then he says down there in verse six, behold thou desire truth in the inward part. In the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom, purge me with histop, and I shall be clean, wash me, and I shall be wider than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones, which thou hath broken may rejoice. God done beat the Torah out of him. And his joy was gone, he was in misery, he says. And a third-something, he said he just, he cried day and night, he was dried up like a potter, he was just, everything was going wrong in David’s life.

Because he was carrying sin that he was hiding. and he hadn’t come clean between him and God. God had to deal with him. So he says in verse 10, create in me a new heart and renew a right spirit within me. Verse 11, cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. See in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit was used by God to come upon people to do certain works and then would leave.

The promise in the New Testament in John chapter 14 in verse 16, it says, and I will give you a comforter that may abide with you forever in the comforter. In verse 26 of John chapter 14 is the Holy Spirit. So when you and I trust Christ to save you, the Holy Spirit indwells us and will never leave us and never forsake us. The Old Testament before Christ died, yes. But that doesn’t mean that David lost his salvation. David did not lose his salvation, but he did lose the joy.

That’s why he says in verse 12, restore unto me the joy of thy salvation. And uphold me with thy free spirit. Then, cause whenever you give me my joy back, he’s outteached transgressors, thy ways. Sinners shall be converted unto thee. So he was talking about how that God didn’t want to sacrifice from him. He wanted to broken in the contrite heart. You see, God doesn’t want your sacrifice in the sense that that’s supposed to make up for God wants you when you rebel against the Lord, when you sin against the Lord, He wants you to come broken before Him.

He wants you to humble and submit yourself to Him and call it what it is that I send against you. And God says He’s faithful and just to forgive. If you don’t, then you carry around the guilt because you know it’s not right yet. You try to hide it from God. But you can’t hide anything from God. God knows everything. And it just kind of weighs upon you. And you don’t have that freedom, that lifting off of it, that you get that heavy cloud that just follows you everywhere you go.

And you want the bright sunlight. You want the weight lifted off your shoulders. And God can do all of that for you. But if you try to hide your sin from God, it’s going to cost you dearly. You come straight to the Lord, you humble yourself, and you confess the sin and forsake the sin. As a believer. And God will bless you and restore a lot of things to you. But it’s the joy that he was talking about. See that in verse 17?

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart. Oh God, that will not despise. God won’t despise that. That’s what God is after. God knows that we all fail, we all sin. Just make sure that when you do, you own up to it. And God will take care of everything else. Look there in 1 Corinthians 3. 1 Corinthians 3, 1 Corinthians 3. Remember that whenever you were born in this world, you were born with sinful nature, you naturally do things wrong.

Everybody’s in the same bone. Nobody’s better than you, nobody’s worse than you. I’m not up here because I’m better than everybody else. I am a sinner. And I ought to go to hell and I know it. But I’m not going to go to hell. Not because I’m good, but because he’s good. Christ died for my sins. Now if He paid for all of my sins, Why should I have to pay for them? If Christ paid for your sins, why should you have to pay for them?

You don’t. All you have to do is believe He did it for you. And if you believe He did it for you, He gives you eternal life. Now, after you trust Christ to save you, you’re His child. God wants His children to grow in the Lord. So when you’re born into God’s family, you are a babe in Christ. But look in verse one, sin will keep you from growing spiritually. So there’s a spiritual price to pay. Verse one, and I brethren could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, mature.

But as unto carnal, that means fleshly minded, a child of God who is a babe in Christ, but fleshly minded. It means you mind the flesh, and you don’t mind the spirit of God. He says in verse two, I have fed you with milk and not with meat. For hitherto you are not able to bear it, neither yet nor are you able. In other words, you should be able, but you’re not able to take meat. So I gotta give you milk.

You know, it’s like a little baby. How would you like me 30 years old and still on a bottle? And that’s why some Christians are, they’re still on the bottle. But you know that it’s going to cost you and hinder your spiritual growth. Just like it can hinder your prayer life because of sin. So that you know that if you don’t guard this and you’re like, remember this, nobody else can guard this area of your life. Nobody can guard sin in your life.

Because it’s an inside job. If your life is wrecked, it’s not from the outside, it’s on the inside. And nobody can control that. You are the only one. And that’s why it’s so important. So take your Bible look in Hebrews chapter 12. Hebrews in chapter 12. Hebrews chapter 12 talks about something that you and I should remember that as we live our Christian life, you know that your rebellion to God will grieve the Holy Spirit, but also in verse three it says, consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself lest you be weird and faint in your mind.

In other words, the reason that you get faint and want to quit and not want to serve the Lord without your heart is because you take your eyes off the Lord. He just finished talking to us in verse one about the sin that does so easily beset us. You’re a person running a race looking unto Jesus. All right, when you look unto Jesus, you’re considering what He did and the race that He run and the victory that He had.

So you’re supposed to give us confidence and courage, but you take your eyes off the Lord and you look at the world and next thing you know, you can fall in love with the Lord. And then you do whatever you want to do. You see, that looking unto Jesus kind of helps you to constrain yourself or restrain, I should say. So we make the statement here in verse 5, and ye have forgotten, forgotten what? You forgot what you’re supposed to look at, and you forgot to consider what Christ did.

He said, but anyway, in verse 5, you have forgotten the exhortations which speaketh unto you, it’s unto children. My son despised not the other chastening of the Lord, nor faint one thou art rebuked of him. You see, my daddy had six kids, And with six kids, the older ones, well not all of them, I can say, he got most of the weapons. The younger ones, I don’t remember them ever getting any weapons. He just took it out on us.

And mainly me, I was always the victim for me. Don’t you feel sorry for me? You knew that I didn’t do anything wrong. I was always innocent. I never deserved one weapon in my whole life. Well, maybe I didn’t see things exactly the way my dad saw things, and it could have been a disagreement there. But my dad chastened me. He whooped me. He didn’t make me want to toe the mark. He did scare the devil out of me, or he tried to beat the devil out of me.

But I know this verse because it relates down there in verse 9 where it says in verse 9, Furthermore, we have had fathers who had corrected us. But it says here for something else. And we gave them reverence. Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of Spirits and live? For they, barely for a few days, chasin’ us after their own pleasure. According to this verse, they enjoyed it. I’m not saying that’s a total truth with all parents, but I think my daddy really got a kick out of it.

He didn’t just how much he could make me holler and how high I could jump. Well anyway, that’s it, moving right along here. But in verse six he says, for home the Lord loveth, he chasteeth and scourgeth every son home he receiveth. Now that’s what the Lord does to every one of his children. So if you have trusted Christ as your Savior and your God’s child, can you live as your pleasing, get away with it? No, can you live as your pleasing?

Oh, you can try it, but you can’t get away with it. There’s a God in heaven that works things in life and it’s going to cost you. You don’t see God coming down here out of the sky and he’s got a great big old paddle in his hand and he holds up like a hero. You just experience things in life you can’t control. And how many bad things that happens to you? See that’s what God was doing to the nation of Israel.

He says because of this, this, this, this is what’s going to happen to you. They never really saw a physical God. They didn’t see his hand coming down out of the sky and blissing their little bottoms. They know there comes this nation with a bad king and they put a siege around them and people were dying of starvation and then they took their own little children and boiled their kids and ate them because of the famine. So God, a lot of all these things that happened and they lost their land, they lost their joy, they lost so much.

But they never did. Wake up and spread the coffee. They just, it was more rebellious. And no matter what God did, they rebelled against Him. And so that’s the way it is with some time, I think, with God’s children. It doesn’t matter how many times God hooks you, you just don’t seem to learn. They don’t seem to wake up. And you always try to put it off on the sum of all that, just a coincidence. Just a coincidence. Just a coincidence.

There’s no coincidence, there’s no accidents with God. And you better wake up. I believe every time I talk, I’m warning somebody in particular. I don’t never know who. I don’t believe that I waste my time and I’m beating my gums for no effect. I believe that I am sending warning signals and if people don’t listen there’s going to be some great consequences to it. Or I totally missed a mark, but I don’t think I’m missing a mark too much.

But I do believe that God’s Word is true and we need to heed it and there’s consequences foroultry. Look in 2 Timothy chapter 2. Timothy and chapter 2. And look there in verse 19. You see once you have trusted Christ as your Savior, your God’s child, you’re going to heaven when you die, but you’re not there yet. God may leave you down here for 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 years. Never know how long. And there’s various teachings in this world and you might even question your salvation after a while, which a lot of people do.

But But in verse 19 it says, Nevertheless, the foundation of God stand to sure having this seal. The Lord knoweth them that are His. Now it’s good to know the Lord, but it’s also good that the Lord knows me. And then he makes this statement in verse 20, but in a great house, there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but of wood and of earth. Some to honor, some to dishonor. He said, if a man therefore purge himself these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified and meet or fit for the master’s use, prepared unto every good word.

So this is the vessel that can be used by God. And then there’s a vessel that might not be used by God because his sum are to honor, sum to dishonor. And if in verse 21, a man therefore purge himself. So this is something God does, it’s something that you can do, but God does want to purge your life. And if you will yield to the Lord and do what God wants you to do and correct the thing that he says to correct, you’d be surprised what God will do for you and through you.

And you’ll be a vessel that’s fit for God to use. Now, see going to heaven, that’s free, that’s a gift. You don’t earn it, you don’t work for that. That’s because he loves you that much. But God says, if you’ll serve me, he says, when you get to heaven, I got all the stuff I want to give you.

So can you rebalion down here, affect that up there? Yes, it does. And your future is been determined by your obedience to God today. And so it’s so very, very important. First Corinthians in chapter 10, 1 Corinthians chapter 10. And look at verse 21. Sin can also affect your fellowship with the Lord because of the companions that you keep. For example, you should make sure that your closest friends are those who know the Lord and love the Lord. If they don’t love the Lord, they’re not going to do right by you.

It just won’t happen. So he talked about fellowship in these verses from verse 16 down. But look at verse 21, you cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils. In other words, you can’t have communion with both. And he talks about being separated. And a lot of people don’t understand this, but the Lord says, if we would take and separate ourselves from those that will bring us down. In other words, people have viruses and they are going to try to do everything they can to transfer that virus into you so it contaminates and ruins your life.

That’s why you have to have a firewall, something to protect yourself. And if you don’t protect yourself, it’s going to bring you down. You’re going to crash. And this is why you hear about people who are just, I just think I’m going to have a nervous breakdown. Well, I don’t know if nerves break down or not, but I believe it’s because of sin. Sin calls guilt. Because, wait, wait breaks you down. And that’s why God says if you will not serve me because of his, his yoke, which is easy, he says, and you rebel against that one of doing what God wants to do.

God said, I’ll put a yoke of iron up on your neck until it destroys you, because it will weigh you down. So you don’t want that to happen. Now, let’s close with this year. Look over there in chapter 11. 1 Corinthians chapter 11, just to your right a little bit. This is what God wants you to do, because nobody else can do it as effectively as you can. God’s Word says, be it unto you according to your faith. What do you believe?

In verse 28, but let a man examine himself, examine himself. Then look down in verse 30. For this cause, many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep. Many people will die because of their rebellion. There’s also in the book of 1 John 5, talk about the sin unto death. So can sin in your life let go, not check, bring you physical harm and physical death? Yes. God’s word teaches it. So here in 1 Corinthians 11, he says there in verse 31.

Now look what happens if you will judge for yourself. If we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. In other words, if you’ll examine yourself and see what you’re doing that’s not right, and you will correct that problem, then God doesn’t have to entertain. Now, wouldn’t that be nice? That’s a sign of maturity, where you could do right without being told. This is one thing we notice about teenagers sometime. They wanna do whatever they wanna do. It doesn’t matter if it’s right or wrong, they just wanna do it.

And you say, no, you can’t do that. Now watch the attitude. When they’re told they can’t do what they want to do, their attitude reveals their maturity. Verse 32, but when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. So if you will examine yourself, judge yourself, correct the problem, God doesn’t have to. But you should know that if I don’t, God will. And if He has to, it’s going to be severe.

It could be very hard. And then you’ll wish you had done right to start with. But when you want God’s blessings upon you, know what it’s going to cost you. You can play the fool if you want. I think it won’t matter, but it will matter. And there’s consequences. Look up here. This hand represents you and me. The wallet represents all the bad things that we do. God calls it sin. This is what we’ve been talking about tonight. But now everybody sins.

God loves us though, but he hates what we do wrong. And for us to pay for the sin is eternal separation from God in hell. But God loves us and he 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. We’ve all come short of God perfection. So you’ve got to be perfect to go there and we’ve all come short of perfect.

No matter how good we are, we’re not perfect. So God says that you cannot save yourself. You can’t work your way to heaven. This hand represents Jesus Christ. He is the Lord God in the flesh. He came into the world because he loves us. Now he hates our sin because he separates us from him. So Jesus Christ, who had no sin, didn’t have to die. So he took all the sin of all the world, paid for it on the cross, came back from the dead.

The Sends… Of all the world was paid for it. And all that we have to do, because it’s the only thing we can do is to believe he did it for us. So God says, you can’t earn your way to heaven. It’s not going to church. You don’t have to go to church to go to heaven. You don’t have to get money to go to heaven. You don’t have to stop anything joining. You have to admit you are a sinner.

That’s what you are. And to believe it, Christ paid for all your sins. And if you’ll believe he did it for you, he would put that payment he made to your account and you get to go to heaven on what Jesus Christ did. That’s a gift. That’s free. No gimme. Nothing. God gives it to you. You have it, and he’ll never cast you out and never lose you. Let’s pray, shall we? If you’re here tonight and you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior, friend, I hope that you will.

Listen to me very closely. The Bible says, God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. The hosts who ever believe it but then him should not perish, but have everlasting life. It means that Christ died for you. God gave his only begotten Son for you. And if you’ll believe that, you will not perish, you will not go to hell, but you will have everlasting life. You will go to heaven when you die. So in the quietness of this moment, just between you and the Lord, why not just talk to him and say something simple like this?

I know I’m a sinner and I believe Christ died for me, from my sense. And I believe He came back from the dead. And I’m trusting Him to take me to heaven whenever I die. And then if you’re making that decision just that much, you’re not promising to stop something or join something. You’re not becoming a religious hypocrite. But I’d like to know what I’ve said that made sense. And I’d like to have prayer for you in closing. I’m not going to embarrass you.

But right where you’re sitting, if you are trusting Christ as your Savior tonight, you never did before, but you will tonight. Would you just slip you in it very quickly and better write back down? Is anyone at all? Anyone at all? If you’ve never trusted the Lord before, would you do it right now? Oh wait just a moment. Right where you are, all that you have to do, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. He that believeth on me, half, present tense, half, ever lasting life.

Is anyone before we close? Our father, we thank you so much for this opportunity to come together and to study your word and help us to realize the importance of this message because of how much damage it can cause in our life. The price that we would pay. We ask your blessings upon each one here, help us to do right, help us examine ourselves on a daily basis and to confess things to you that we need to and to do right.

Help us to encourage one another. In Christ, then 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 Each 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 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.

God is still on the throne. He is still ruling today. He is as powerful as he’s ever been. He has not changed. The devil is not winning. The Lord knows what’s going on. People are not getting away with murder. You need to understand what God is doing. Some people’s judgment doesn’t always seem to line up with what truth really is. Within the book of Psalms in chapter 9, it talks about a personal dedication to God, believing that God is on the throne.

See if you don’t think God’s in charge, it’s hard to trust the man if you don’t believe he is. God is the ruler of the universe. He’s the creator of heaven and earth. He made this world and he knows what’s going on. He talks about the kingdom of life, the kingdom of darkness, one where he rules, the other one where Satan rules, but God overrules even in the kingdom of darkness. And so the Bible says here in verse one, if several words are used over and over again, I will, I will, I will.

Well, this is talking about David pouring out his heart and he’s saying, what I’m going to do, and there’s a reason why I’m going to do this. I will praise the O Lord with my whole heart. I will show forth all by marvelous works. And when he says I will praise the with my whole heart, this is not halfway dedication. See the shame of God’s people today is that they’re not truly dedicated to the Lord. Majority of people are not faithful to God.

They’re not dependable to the Lord. And God wants us to be faithful. over it is required in a store that a man be found faithful. That means dependable. And when he says here, my whole heart means I have made it by mine. This is what I’m going to do. And my life is going to be one gigantic praise to the Lord. Would you say that your life is a testimony to the praise of God that you live because you praise in the Lord for what he has done, what he is doing, and what he’s going to do.

You see, many times we can easily accept from God all the things we want and never really thank the Lord for what he’s done for us or is doing for us. But look what he says, I will show forth all my marvelous works. Lord, I’m going to tell people what you’ve done. It’s a shame that so many of God’s people never witness, never testify of how good God has been to them. If God’s been good to you, say so.

Also another Psalmy says, let the redeemed of the Lord say so. Good well, she says in verse 2, I will be glad and rejoice in thee. I will sing praise to thy name, O thy most high. So I’m going want to be glad, I’m going to be joyful, I’m going to praise. Now, does this sound like the typical Christian or the majority of Christians are always discouraged, depressed, down in the dumps, filled with despair? Or do they have hope and joy?

Can they see what God is doing? That God is really working in their life. And the reason sometimes is because we We don’t think that God is in charge because you and I know that if God was in charge, we wouldn’t have such a mess in this world. Well the Bible says that God is still on the throne. Remember this, when he says that if you serve him, he will bless you and if you don’t, he will chase in you.

In order for God to do that, He must be in charge. That means that God must be watching your life. The things you say, the things you do, the things you think. Because God, if he’s on the throne, is going to act accordingly. You see, God is not following some pre-described plan that existed millions of years ago. You’re now living your life. You’re now making decisions. And you’re now getting the consequences of some of your decisions. Some of those will come down the road.

Some of them when we get to heaven. But to understand that God is still on the throne. Look what He says there now in verse three. When my enemies are turned back, does that mean you’re going to have some? Yeah. They shall fall and perish at thy present. Maybe not now, but in time, but always believe in that. You have to live your life believing that serving God is worth it. worth it and that anybody that’s against you, you’ll let God take care of it.

That keeps you from being mean and better and filled with revenge. But look what he says on verse 4, and you ought to unline this, for a vile hat maintained my right and my cause. God hath maintained God knows the cause for which you live. Why do you do what you do? Well, because God knows the cause, God knows the reason, God knows the motive. For that hath maintained my right, my cause. One of the biggest problems we have in America is everybody wants to fight for their rights, but nobody wants to fight for their responsibilities.

The only reason we have rights is because they’re a responsibility that has to be fulfilled. So I want the right to fulfill my God-given responsibility. They don’t come from government, they come from God. And it says, Thou hath maintained my right and my cause, and get this, Thou said it in the throne, judging right. He is now on the throne, making decisions, doing things. God is working in this world. Did not God say what was going to happen in the world when people rebelled against Him?

Yet didn’t He say what was going to happen, doing Noah’s time? Yes. What about in lots of time? Yes. Well, what about even doing the time when Christ was born? Did God already know everything that was going to be done to his son? Yes. Even when he died on the cross, yes. God’s still in charge. God is still ruling. God’s still on the throne. He’s still the Lord. He allows people to have limits of what they can and they cannot do.

In the book of 1 John it talks about the sin unto death. In other words, God will allow you to commit sin. But there is a limit to what you can do before God will step in. And it’s different perhaps with different people because God is given every individual personalized attention. So you can’t just do whatever you want and think that there’s no consequences to it. There’s always consequences. Something is being done. There’s a God in heaven that’s working behind the sages.

Even with the kings of the world, the God says the kings of the earth are in his hand. And even though there’s the water that flow, he says, I’m the one that curves the bank. I’m the one that determines the flow of the water. God’s the one that can bring the floods and the hurricanes. God can bring the fire. God can bring the earthquakes. God can do a lot of things. He says, I’m the one that can do all of this.

I can open up the windows of heaven. I can close the windows of heaven. I can bring people into your life. I can take people out of your life. I can give you a job, take it away. I can give you help. I can take it away. I can give you money. I can take it away. God, I can do anything. God plays by the rules, but He makes the rules. But he always does right. The Bible talks about God judges righteously.

And the last part of this, thou said it in the throne judging right. Means it’s being done at the time David was going through his problems. David, as he wrote the right, most of the Psalms is always talking about some of the things he’s going through. And the hurt, the damage that people were trying to do to him. Many trying to kill him. Yet the Bible says, I know that God’s on the throne and the judge is right and he’s taken up my cause.

Do you really believe Romans 828 for all things work together for good to those that love the Lord? If you love the Lord then things will work together for good. want to have to do that. If you rebel against the Lord, it must be God that knows when and how to chase in every individual. If God is still on the throne, God is on the throne. But we see what’s happening with individuals where majority of God’s people don’t love him like they should.

Families that are falling apart breaking down because there’s no faithfulness to God. Because they don’t believe, evidently, that God is on the throne. And if the home falls apart, we often hear about the nation, because the nation is made up of family, made up of individuals. Would you say that America is on the right course, that we’re getting better and stronger and stronger and more godly, or we’re becoming a wicked, wicked nation? We are in trouble. God is going to chasten our country.

the Bible says that God is still on the throne and he knows what’s being done. Look what he says there in verse 17. The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God. Is it possible for a child of God to forget how good God has been to him and get to live in your life and you stop being faithful like you should because you forget about the goodness of God in the land of the living.

So when you as an individual, if it can happen to a Christian and you forget God, the Bible gives us illustrations of what he does with people that forget God. Whether it’s an individual, a family, or even a nation. All we have to do is study about the nation of Israel. And over the years, the centuries, no nation has ever existed for long as a great power who become immoral, because immorality follows idolatry. When people no longer love the Lord, they no longer care about their morality.

And so when you become steep in idolatry where you either worship yourself or man or life or jobs or money or pleasure, anything you put before God is idolatry. And so many people the day, they worship pleasure, church, if it’s convenient and they’ve lost so much they have forgotten the responsibility. And so God says, because you have forgotten God, that God has not forgotten what to do. He is still ruling. And He says the nations will be turned into hell.

That’s the individuals that live within a nation. Nations will rise, nations will fall, but nations cannot do whatever they want to do. There is a price to pay. Look in verse 20. them in fear or Lord that the nations may know themselves to be but men and regardless of what a man may accomplish in his life he’s still just a man you cannot make yourself into something that you are not you are a man you’re only a man only God is to be worship and I am not God I am not to be worshiped you are not to be worship were not the bow of the feet of any man.

There’s only one true and living God. Look up there and see what he says in verse 7. But the Lord get this. The Lord shall endure forever. He had prepared his throne for judgment and he shall judge the world in righteousness. He shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness. So God is on the throne, and God will hold court when God is ready to hold court. But I guarantee you everybody is going to court. Every Christian is going to be rewarded for what he’s done, suffer a loss of what he could have had.

And I’m glad that Christ took our payment for our sins, so sins will never be brought up for us. But what we could have done for the Lord is going to be ashamed to find out how little we did, because we forget why we’re here. We forget about what church is about. We forget about what the word is about. People are drifting. All we like sheep have gone what? A stray. They go to stray. They don’t care no more.

And yet the Bible says, as you see the day approaching when Christ could come back at any time for Satan not the assembling of yourselves together, but most people do. Only if it’s convenient, if they’re not doing something else, they deem more important. Maybe say this, if I was to miss church today and I’m supposed to give a tent of whatever God has blessed me with. Well, the next Sunday when I come back, should I still give for the Sunday I missed?

Yes. You know, a lot of people won’t do that. That’s one of the best ways that majority of Christians, they rob God. If I don’t go, I don’t have to give. We don’t give because we go. We go because we’re supposed to go and we give because we’re supposed to go. People don’t believe the Bible anymore. They won’t practice it anymore. It is the will of God for people to do right. But nobody can make another Christian do right, but I want you to understand there’s a God who’s still on the throne and God is still judging and God is seeing what we’re doing and what we’re not doing.

And you cannot win going against God. Look what he says here in verse nine. The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Are you going to have troubles? Yes, but he’s a refuge. He doesn’t eliminate the troubles. As you and I go through life, we think our lives are being blessed, is I don’t have trouble. God says to be blessed is to have the strength and the grace to find that place of refuge.

Rest in the time of storm, a person that we can go to that gets us through all the difficulties of life and keep the cause because the Lord knows the cause, the reason, the why, the motive of why we do what we do and we should always be found faithful. Look what he says in verse 10, they that know thy name will put their trust in thee for thou Lord hath not forsaken them that seat thee. See God’s not interested in forsaking us.

Why would a child of God forsake the Lord? Why would you forsake the word? Why would you forsake the church that you need so bad? Why would you forsake the ways of God? He says don’t do away with the ancient landmarks. Keep the old paths. Keep doing what’s right because it’s a right thing to do. Look in verse 13, have mercy upon me, O Lord, consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me. You are going to live, you’re going to have the troubles that the Bible talks about, but there’s a place of refuge.

And he also says that there’s those that will hate you, but you need to understand that Lord consider my trouble. Understand I’m a child of flesh and I’m weak and I don’t have all the strength that I need and trust the Lord to give you that which you need, the bear what you need to bear. And he says that thou lift me up from the gates of death. Let me tell you this. When you accepted Christ as your Savior.

You were delivered from the gates of death, or I should say the gates of hell. But majority of God’s people have never gone to the gates of Zion. The gates of Zion is what we often talk about the joy of the Lord. The blessings of God, enjoying the good things of God. They have that saved from the jaws of death and hell, but they never go to the gates of Zion. And you’ll hear a lot of songs sung about the Mount Zion, the place of joy and happiness, doing the will of God, enjoying the things of God.

A majority of Christians have never understood. Take your Bible now and turn to the book of 2 Thessalonians. But the other night we were talking about 2 Thessalonians in chapter 2. Because there is going to be a one-world government, one-world religion, we often think that if that’s going to happen, then that means that God is not in charge. But understand, the God in heaven that knows everything that’s going to happen, he knew what man was going to do way before man ever did it.

He says, by word is forever settled in heaven. God knows the end from the beginning. And even though God has given to man a free will, God did not isolate himself from his own foreknowledge. He knows what man is going to choose. He knows every person that’s going to heaven. He knows every person that’s going to help, but he didn’t determine it. He gave man a choice. And because God is still in charge, God is letting people suffer the consequences of their decisions.

In this life, we suffer many things because of decisions of other people. But if we understand that God in heaven knows our cause, he knows who the enemy is and who hates us and who does things to us. God says, I am still on the throne. I know what’s going on. I know what’s being done. I just want you to trust me. And I will be your place of refuge in the times of the storm, the oppression. Because of all of that, God says, I want you to know, I know what’s gonna happen in the future.

So here we are right here. We’re right before the rapture. Jesus Christ is going to come from heaven for his saints. Seven years later, he’s gonna come with his saints to the earth. And there is going to be the seven years of tribulation upon the earth where the antichrist is going to roll. God knows what he’s going to do. And God says that he cannot manifest himself because he has been hindered by the church, the Holy Spirit that lives in this world.

When Christ comes and takes us out of this world, there is not going to be any restraint and God is going to let the Antichrist have all the authority he needs to deceive the whole world. God does not deceive people. God does not tempt man to sin. But God will allow the anti-Christ to deceive the whole world and that’s in the very near future. But just because God allows people to do things doesn’t mean God’s not in charge. It doesn’t mean God isn’t ruling.

God has never relinquished his authority. He’s never relinquished his throne. He’s still sovereign God, the right, the power to do whatever God wants to do. But he says, this is what he’s going to do. When it’s all over, who wins God? Who’s in charge? God. Does God know that he’s going to renovate this earth by fire? He’s the one that’s going to do it. When he lets Satan go into the bottomless pit, it is God that put him there.

A little man in our form of government is comes to the top God says promotion come up not from the east or the west or from the south comes from God. God can raise up a man, God can raise up a nation and God can cause them both to fall. And we would do well to remember it and not forget it. How you and I live our Christian life is a reflection of what we believe about God still being on the throne.

He hasn’t quit. And there in verse 8 I want you to look there in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 8. Then shall that wicked be revealed, that’s the antichrist in that tribulation period. When the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming. This is when he comes at the end of the tribulation, parodent power and great glory. This is when he comes with his saints to the earth, even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan after the tribulation with all power and signs and lion wonders.

The Bible says that God will give him and allow him to have the permission to do all this wickedness upon the earth. Why? So that he will be able to convince those people who would not believe the truth, that they will believe a lie. It’s not that they have to believe the life, it’s that they chose not to believe the truth. So he makes the statement and here in verse 10. And with all the sea of goodness and unrighteousness.

Keep it in mind. Unrighteousness is deceptive. All sin is deceptive. People think, I don’t think it’s that bad. That bad depends on whose perspective. If God says something is wrong and sinful, is wrong, it is sinful. He didn’t ask us for a vote. It’s not done according to majority opinion. But He makes this statement and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish. Because, here’s the cause, because they receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved.

The Rapture takes place. People won’t believe the truth. And because they refuse to believe the truth, God’s going to let the anti-Christ, who is the line, so deceived the world. And they’ll believe it. They’ll believe the lie, but they wouldn’t believe the truth. Look at the world today. The reason that many Christians are not in church today is because they believe a lie. The mystery of iniquity does already work. Not that it’s going to in that one little seven year period of time.

It’s all. already being done. People are forgetting God. Nations forgetting God. Families forgetting God. Individuals forgetting God. Is there a price to pay for all that? You read the Old Testament and see what God did to a nation. Get what he says here in verse 10. He says, because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved. For this caused, God, who is still on the throne, shall send him strong delusions that they should believe a lie.

God’s doing this. God is allowing the Antichrist to come to a head into the nations to vote upon having a one-world leader. Our world is getting set up. The world is going to want it. They’re going to want peace, and there’s going to be an individual that can promise them. I’ll give you peace. He says, P.C., he meets a piece of this country, piece of this country, piece of this country, piece of this country, until he gets all of it.

Get verse 12, that they all might be damned who be lead, not the truth. And then you’re going to unline these last few words. Pleasure and unrighteousness. Is there pleasure in sin? Yes. There is pleasure in unrighteousness and God says, I’m still on the throne. I haven’t forgotten. I gave my word. You can do whatever you want to do. But I remember, I promised some consequences and some retribution. There’s going to be judgment coming. Payday’s coming. And I believe most Christians don’t think that it’s that serious of a deal.

It’s a serious thing to me. God’s work is a serious thing to me. Preaching is serious to me. I realize I’ve got to count to God for everything that I teach from this book. That scares me to death. I also realize I’m supposed to be an example of a believer. So are you. We’re the one that has to decide, but we can serve the Lord or not serve the Lord. Be faithful, unfaithful. It’s your choice. The mystery of iniquity is at work.

like Christ was the mystery of godliness, God manifested in the flesh. The mystery of iniquity is the antichrist, the seed of Satan manifested in the flesh. Somebody’s going to be just like Satan and yet so powerful, so good that he can deceive the world. He says it’s already work. Think of how many people are deceived week We get to week because they refuse to obey the truth. Put God first, love him with all your heart and serve. 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. 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, 33 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. 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 first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

Turn in your Bible in where you want. Try Philippians if you want to. I mean, that’s where I’m going to read if you want to stay with me, I’d appreciate it. Let me read to you my greatest Christmas gift that I had this year. It wasn’t in a card, it wasn’t money, it wasn’t a gift certificate. It wasn’t a phone call. It was this letter. And I want to share it with you. They said I could. Because you know the most important thing you can ever do is invest in people’s time in the people’s lives.

Sometimes you wonder if anything you say sticks. Sometimes you have to leave to find out if somebody really got what you said. Like having teenagers. You like to believe that you are the best parents in the world and And know that day comes when you’re scared to death, that they’ve got to turn them loose and see if what you taught will stand. That’s scary. And it’s the same thing with God’s people. Be great if we could protect everybody all the time.

Put you in a nice house, you know, a hot house environment where nothing from outside can get to you, protect these precious little plants. And yet sometimes you have to let them hit it, see whether or not what you taught is going to suffice. Anyway, he wrote this to me. This is a young man that has a wife and two little children. He says, Janki, I have been meaning to write this for quite some time. I have had you on my mind for a while, and I should have done this before now.

I want to tell you how much you mean to me. I know you are humble and that you probably think nothing of it, but you have done so much for me and my family. Let me start by saying I have never known anyone with such a burden for lost people. desire to lead people to the Lord is so great because of that you led Shannon to the Lord and who then led me. I truly miss being at Northside and getting to hear you preach.

I have never heard anyone teach the way you do and such a simple and easy to understand manner. I know this is not easy and I remember hearing you say, being simple to understand isn’t easy. I have learned so much from you that has helped me in my daily life that I thank you for because of the gospel being presented in a clear way, both me and Chrissy were able to trust Christ as our Savior. Now Now in turn we led Abby to the Lord and will start on J.

Swin. He is old enough to understand. Having to be at another church and under another pastor has showed me that I took things for granted. I was blessed with you as my pastor and should have thanked you then. I never realized how much I was learning and being showed. In this day and age, I miss all the things we had at Northside back then, especially how everyone has such a desire for the lost. I just take for granted that you would always be there and that I would get to hear such good teaching and instruction.

I know the Lord has led you to a new ministry and things have been going well there. I knew that the Lord would put you where you will be best used for His honor and glory, and this is how it should be and is right. But know that you are truly missed by us here. I think about you a lot and miss you deeply. All this being said, I just wanted to express how much you are missed and loved by me and my family and how much you meant to us.

I pray that the Lord blesses you and that you are fruitful with the new school. I pray that the Lord leads many new opportunities your way. I did not mean to dwell in the past or to be downhearted in any way because I know the one thing will never change is that there will always be change. The Lord has put you where you can serve Him best and I am so happy for you. Anytime you are up this way, please come by and see us as you are always welcome at my house.

May God bless you and all you strive to do for Him. Thank you so much for all you have done for me and my family. That was from Michael C. Graves and Chrissy. They trusted the Lord through our ministry up there. And sometimes you wonder what’s going on in the lives of other people and you don’t see them for a while. That might be just a letter for you, but that’s a powerhouse letter to me. It makes certain the Lord so much worth it.

When you begin to have questions and doubts, remember the greatest power in your life is the influence that you have in the lives of somebody else. That as you live your life, are you impacting other people’s lives. You like to think that everybody stays the same, that people don’t change. In a sense, change their doctrine. But you know that happens too. You see, what you believe today, you didn’t always believe. And there may become a time down the road where you won’t believe what you now believe.

Do you actually believe that it’s possible for everything you now believe, for you not to believe? it’s possible. I want to read just a simple thing to you because this affects home, it affects us. But you know, before I get there, I always like a little humor. I don’t know if you’ve heard about the Afghan quarterback or not. The coach had put together the perfect team for the Chicago Bears. The only thing that was His missing was a good quarterback.

He had scouted the colleges, Canadian, European leagues, couldn’t find a ringer that he thought could ensure a Super Bowl win. We’re coming up to some of that there pretty soon. One night while he was watching CNN, he saw a war zone, seen there in Afghanistan. In one corner of the background, he spotted a young Afghan Muslim soldier with a truly incredible arm. He threw a hand grenade straight into the 15-story window, a hundred yards away.

He threw another hand grenade, 75 yards away, right down a chimney. Then he threw another one at a passing car going 90 miles an hour, bullseye. He said, I got to get this guy. He has the perfect arm. So he brings him to the stage, teaches him the great game of football, and the bears go on to win the Super Bowl. You didn’t probably hear about all of this. The young Afghan is hailed as the great hero of football and when the coach asked him what he wanted, all the young man wanted was to call his mom.

He said, mom, I just won the Super Bowl. I don’t want to talk to you. He said, the Muslim woman, you’re not my son. I don’t think you understand mom. I just won the greatest prize in all of sports. And I’ve got thousands of adoring fans. No, let me tell you, the mother said. At this very moment, there’s gunshots all around us. The neighborhood is in a pile of rubble. Your two brothers were beaten within an inch of their life last week.

And your sister has to stay inside unless she gets raped. And then she tearfully said, I’ll never forgive you. Never forgive you for making us move to Chicago. Don’t you feel better already? Making us move to Chicago. And buddy, Chicago is the gun law capital of the world, and is one of the worst places to live. So anyway, I want to share this with you. There’s a man. I don’t know if I’ve met him or not. I may have.

Name is Rance Darity. He posted online on the discussion group of the Florida Bible College Alumni Association. He submitted what he called his biblical salvation. He mentioned several things, but one of the points that he made was the announcement of the gospel. Now he had gone to Florida Bible college years ago. The announcement of the gospel, repent, come unto me, believe, confess, turn, follow me, submit, give allegiance, receive him, forsake all else, become a disciple. Now you and I might listen to that and say, now is that what you have to do for salvation?

And you would say, no, that is not the gospel. Now he didn’t always believe this, but he now believed this. You say, well,627 why would a person believe something like this? Well, he says, the disagreements we have on this list seems to be mostly in the area I have entitled the announcement of the gospel. Some seem to think that because Christians use different words to announce the gospel. They are putting the gospel at risk unless it is stated in terms of faith only.

Text like Ephesians 2, 8, 9 and Romans 11, 6 are presented as proof that any presentation that is not clear on the concept of grace and our faith violate the truth of the gospel. Others of us see no contradiction at all. In other words, we say that you’re saved by faith alone, and Christ alone for eternal life. And that’s all that you have to do, and you can know that you have eternal life. When you add anything other than just by faith alone, it becomes a works salvation without any securities, without any guarantee.

It means that now you have to hope that you’re going to heaven because it depends upon your performance. But if it’s by faith alone, in Christ alone, then you know that it can be a sure thing, because it’s based upon what he said and what he did. He makes a statement. The reason in my views lies in confusing the grace of the gospel with the message of the gospel. That’s confusing in and of itself. He makes the statement, when a person turns and seeks to follow Christ, grace is in action.

When a person repents, grace is in action. When a person believes, grace is in action. All these various responses, he says, is just different ways to preach the gospel. I have a problem. He says, in fact, there are many ways to preach Christ and salvation as there are people to preach them. Some of us lean hard upon the book of John. Others on the synoptic gospel. Others upon Acts. Others upon Paul’s writing, yet in all God works. Sometimes we sound the note of forsaken sin.

At other times we sound the note of counting the cost. At other time the note of the Freeness of the Gospel, but all the elements share in the one true Gospel founded upon the work of Christ. In this, let us all unite. We’re not on the same page. Now, understand at Calvary Community Church, when we say by grace, it means that you’re not saved_> by the people. We’re not saved by a combination of grace and work, a little faith and a little work.

Just in case we believe that our only hope is in common. Christ and Christ alone, that there is no other hope, there is no other gospel, there is no other salvation. What causes a person to get so far off base? You say, well, everybody stays the same, not in their theology. This is why you may come here and you’ve heard Dr. Hank Lindstrom for years. I’m here pretty much the same thing. teach the same. But did you know that you can go to a lot of churches?

Now, it usually starts off like this. They’re not as clear as we are, but, but, then they butt, but, but, if it’s not as clear, why would you go there? But let me share this with you. He He writes and he says, my early religious life was in the context of the Southern Baptist denomination. Here often heard about heaven and hell andhler and death and resurrection of Christ and the need to come to him. So I was converted as a 16 year old kid.

Off to university. Here he fellowshiped with Christians of all different backgrounds, active in the student, Union, campus crusade for Christ, we reached out to non-Christians and shared the four spiritual flaws, laws. In other words, God has a wonderful plan for your life. That is not how I start off with lost people. God has a wonderful plan for your life. The only plan God has for anybody is life. You get saved. After you get saved. Now, as a child of God, God has a wonderful plan for your life.

But you see, to get saved has nothing to do with your life. Just temporary little time here. We’re talking about where you’re going to spend eternity and that is important. Then he says, ah, to Florida Bible College, through a friend who was preparing to go to Vietnam. I heard about FBC, sounded good to me. I transferred, eventually bringing along with me. sudden, Kenny somebody, Jim Scudder, Bill Adams. Remember he mentioned Bill Adams the other last week? Jim Scudder that was here.

So there’s other people that went to the same university and wanted to transfer down to Florida Bible college. Anyway, he says, here I learned the FBC way of witnessing. I sounded like a recording of A. Ray Stanford. I was quite good at holding my own, but once a young seminary student wouldn’t crack. So he says, a cousin, from Grace Theological Seminary, hell-firm, that repentance did not mean merely changing one’s mind. I was frustrated because I knew he was a genuine brother in Christ, and therefore his view on repentance changed.

the Pennsylvania. And then he says in verse number five, I became a five point Calvinist. Red author Pink and Puritans like crazy began to realize the FBC way might not be the right way. The FBC way was just simply the Bible way. FBC way was the Bible way. It’s what did the Bible teach. It’s just what we learned at Florida Biblenil College. And then he says, decided to attend Grace College in Indiana. Here I began to take seminary courses as an undergraduate student.

By this time I was quite sure the FBC was just one way among many other good ways. So then he says he lunched into the Bethany Fellowship, a church still upward, and going strong. converted others to Calvinism and to the Plymouth Brethren Style of Church Fellowship. Spinhires and so forth in the seminaries and so forth. So I don’t know how much you accomplished, but he just went from one cemetery to another cemetery. And cemeteries can kill you. Then he says in point number seven, move to Pennsylvania became more interested in leaving my primit brethren, fellowship and joined a reformed Baptist Church.

So he’s moving right along. Then he moved from a Baptist church to join a mega Presbyterian church in America. Spent nine years there. And then he became an Anabaptist and discovered biblical scholarship. Spent another nine years there. Then he left the Presbyterians to worship with the Mennonites. All of that to say this, there were countless conversions along the way. I was blessed by them all, but these Christians all explained the gospel in various ways. Among the Anabaptists, for example, the emphasis is not on justification but upon discipleship and the way of peace.

Among my emergent friends, the emphasis is upon following Christ. Among my FBC friends, Ephesians 2 8 and 9. Among my Catholic friends, baptism and sacraments. my Presbyterian and Reformed friends, total depravity and election by God’s free grace. But among all of them, it has been Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Now, He don’t know what He believes or how long He’s going to believe it. Do you think that you’re going to stay the same unless you stay in the good, strong, sound Bible teaching.

You can drift without ever knowing you’re going to drift. You don’t have to plan it. If I was the devil, all I have to do, if I want to destroy your life, is get you away from good sound theological teaching of the Word of God. Why do you think we want to teach people what the Word of God says? You get into it and you read it and you study it and you believe it. There is a difference between salvation and discipleship.

You see, salvation is simply you come to Christ for salvation. Discipleship is you come after Christ. You follow Christ. So coming to Christ to be saved and then you follow Christ in discipleship and you can be saved and never be a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. But should I be a disciple? Should I as a child of God? Should I discipline my life to be what God wants me to be? So take your Bible and turn to the book of Philippians in chapter 3.

Philippians chapter 3 and look in verse for. I want to give you just a few things on how to discern discipleship. Because you see, salvation is simple. It is clear. It’s by faith alone in what Christ did on the cross for us. Salvation is us accepting what He did. Believe in He did it for us. He paid for my sins. If He paid for all of my sins, then all of my sins are paid. I do not have to pay for any of my sins.

not even one. I deserve to pay for my sins, but Christ paid it for me. That’s substitution. I didn’t deserve that. But He loved me, and that shows me how much He loved me because of what He did for me. As a child of God, it is the will of God that I follow the Lord. And I believe that steps towards discipleship begins with dissatisfaction. There was a time in my life. When I was so dissatisfied with who I was, where I was, what I was doing, and I had no dream or vision about what to do with my life.

So in most cases with most individuals, There is no desire to grow and to do and to be unless there’s some sort of dissatisfaction where you are with what you have and what you’re doing or not doing. And so I enjoy watching as Christians begin to talk about how so dissatisfied they are on their job. Or things are not really totally just wonderful at home all the time. You see, problems make people struggle. Struggle means it makes you stronger and you find something better than what you had than where you are.

I would have never gone to Bible school if there had not been inside of me this desire that I wanted something better. I was so dissatisfied with who I was. I was dissatisfied with my whole life. And I didn’t see anything getting any better. You’re talking about faith is born in desperation. when there’s no other physical hope, no strength left. When you don’t know what you’re going to do or how you’re going to accomplish anything, and you realize if God doesn’t do it, it can’t get done.

It won’t get done. So here in Philippians chapter 3 and verse 4, the apostle Paul lays out his dissatisfaction. He could say, look who I am. But he says, though I might have confidence in the flesh, if any other men think that he hath, whereof he might trust in the flesh, I’m more. Circumcised the eighth day of the stock of his rail of the tribe of Benjamin, the Hebrew of the Hebrews as touching the law of Pharisee concerning zeal persecuting the church, touching the righteousness which is in the law of blameless.

But what things were gained to me in those I counted the loss for Christ? You see, there has to be something better than what I have. When you realize and you come to the end of all of your talent, your abilities, your wisdom, and you realize I still come up so short, how can I in this world ever be satisfied? You can’t. It’s impossible. You just go for one thing to the neck. There’s no end to it. But when I made up my mind to serve the Lord, I’ve been satisfied as I’ve watched God work in my life over the years.

You know, one of the last points I have, but I just can’t stand waiting that long, is the discipleship produces durability. discipleship produces durability. It makes you endure. It gives you a toughness, a strength to do what you thought you could have never done. If there was no discipleship and all I had was just my salvation but no purpose for living, we would still be of all men most miserable. It’s because Christ came back from the dead, that my life is not useless.

My faith is not useless. It’s not in vain. There’s a reason, there’s a purpose. There’s something to be accomplished. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tapp of 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 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. The FBC way was the Bible way. It’s what did the Bible teach. It’s just what we learned at the thought of the Bible college. And then he says, decided to attend Grace College in Indiana. Here I began to take seminary courses as an undergraduate student. By this time I was quite sure the FBC was just one way among many other good ways.

So then he says he launched into the Bethany Fellowship, a church still offered, and going strong, I converted others to Calvinism and to the Plymouth Brethren style of church fellowship. Spinhires and so forth in the seminaries and so forth. So I don’t know how much you accomplished, but he just went from one cemetery to another cemetery, and cemeteries can kill you. Then he says in point number seven, move to Pennsylvania, became more interested in leaving my and joined a reformed Baptist church.

So, he’s moving right along. Then he moved from a Baptist church to join a mega Presbyterian church in America. Spent nine years there. And then he became an anti-baptist and discovered biblical scholarship. Spent another nine years there. Then he left the Presbyterians to worship with the Mennonites. All of that to say this, there were countless conversions along the way. I was blessed by them all, but these Christians all explained the gospel in various ways. Among the Anabaptists, for example, the emphasis is not on justification, but upon discipleship and the way of peace.

Among my emergent friends, the emphasis is upon following Christ. Among my FBC friends, Ephesians 2 8 9, among my Catholic friend baptism and sacraments, among my Presbyterian and Reformed friends, total depravity and election by God’s free grace. But among all of them, it has been Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Now he don’t know what he believes or how long he’s going to believe it. Do you think that you’re going to stay the same unless you stay in the good, strong, sound, Bible teaching?

You can drift without ever knowing you’re going to drift. You don’t have to plan it. If I was the devil, all I have to do, if I want to destroy your life, is get you away from good, sound, theological teaching of the Word of God. Why do you think we want to teach people what the Word of God says? You get into it and you read it and you study it and you believe it. There is a difference between salvation and discipleship.

You see salvation is simply you come to Christ for salvation. The discipleship is you come after Christ, you follow Christ. So coming to Christ to be saved and then you follow Christ in discipleship and you can be saved and never be a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. But should I be a disciple? Should I as a child of God, should I discipline my life to be what God wants me to be? So take your Bible and turn to the book of Philippians in chapter 3.

Philippians chapter 3 and look 2nd verse 4. I want to give you just a few things on how to discern discipleship. Because you see, salvation is simple. It is clear. It’s by faith alone. And what Christ did on the cross for us, salvation is us accepting what He did. Believe in He did it for us. He paid for my sins. If He paid for all of my sins, then all of my sins are paid. I do not have to pay for any of my sins, not even one.

I deserved to pay for my sins, but Christ paid it for me. That’s substitution. I didn’t deserve that. But He loved me. And that shows me how much He loved me because of what He did for me. As a child of God, it is the will of God that I follow the Lord. And I believe that steps toward discipleship begins with dissatisfaction. There was a time in my life when I was so dissatisfied with who I was, where I was, what I was doing, and I had no dream or vision about what to do with my life.

So in most cases, with most individuals, there is no desire to grow and to do and to be unless there’s some sort of dissatisfaction where you are with what you have and what you’re doing or not doing. And so I enjoy watching as Christians begin to talk about how so this satisfied they are on their job. Well things are not really totally just wonderful at home all the time. You see, problems make people struggle. Struggle means it makes you stronger and you find something better than what you had than where you are.

I would have never gone to Bible school if there had not been inside of me this desire that I wanted something better. I was so dissatisfied with who I was. I was dissatisfied with my whole life. And I didn’t see anything getting any better. You’re talking about faith is born in desperation. When there’s no other physical hope, no strength left. When you don’t know what you’re going to do or how you’re going to accomplish anything, and you realize if God doesn’t do it, it can’t get done.

It won’t get done. So here in Philippians chapter three and verse four, the apostle Paul lays out his dissatisfaction. He could say, look who I am. But he says, though I might have confidence in the flesh. If any other men think that he hath wear off, he might trust in the flesh, I’m more. circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin, the Hebrew of the Hebrews as touching the law of Pharisee, concerning zeal, persecuting the church, touching the righteousness which is in the law of blameless.

But what things were gained to me those I counted the loss for Christ? You see, there has to be something better than what I have. When you realize and you come to the end of all of your talent, your abilities, your wisdom, and you realize, I still come up so short, how can I in this world ever be satisfied? You can’t. It’s impossible. You just go for one thing to the neck. There’s no end to it. But when I made up my mind to serve the Lord, I’ve been satisfied as I’ve watched God work in my life over the years.

You know, one of the last points I have, but I just can’t stand waiting that long, is the discipleship produces durability. Discipleship produces durability. It makes you endure. It gives you a toughness, a strength to do what you thought you could have never done. there was no discipleship. And all I had was just my salvation, but no purpose for living. We would still be of all men most miserable. It’s because Christ came back from the dead that my life is not useless.

My faith is not useless. It’s not in vain. There’s a reason. There’s a purpose. There’s something to be accomplished. I wrote a little statement down. Your life is only as important as the thing you really live for. Your life is as valuable as the thing that you live for. What do you live for? Look what he says here in Philippians in chapter 1 and verse 19. Where Paul made this statement for me to live is what? Is Christ. For me to live is Christ.

And the reason that is so important is because Christ is of such value. Put anything else in that place, that word, and that equals your life. What keeps a man’s life from being in vain is not to live for that which is in vain. Living for Christ is not in vain. It’s the most valuable thing you can ever do. And that value is what gives value to your own life. Do you have a rest here? People talk about it.

You know, we need to have men voted into office that have values. You hear them talk about family values. And then therefore, abortion, something’s wrong here. You see, if people had personal values, then you don’t take guns and shoot down little kids in a school. If you had personal strength in your values, most men wouldn’t be walking off and leaving their wives and divorces in each other. It’s because of a breakdown of values. But you know, true, real values comes from God, comes from this book.

But we don’t need this book. See, I’ve decided that we don’t need the Bible. We don’t need God. So without that, how can you have value? There is none. There is none. Outside of the Lord, there is nothing worth living for. Number two, right down, if you’re writing down anything, what does God want me to become? Did you know that being a disciple of Christ, a learner, a follower of Christ, reveals to me what God wants me to become.

I follow a learner of Christ. Take that away. There’s nothing left. There’s nothing left. He’s everything you need to be. He’s everything that you want. should be everything that you desire. When you begin asking that little question, there, there begins value and vision. There begins value and vision. Turning your Bible to the book of Romans in chapter 12. Romans chapter 12, and notice what he says, because you’ll You’ll notice that there has to be a dissatisfaction here. There also has to be vision here.

There has to be purpose. If I told you, I got a clock in my office, it’s worth a million dollars. And I decided to sell it. And Peter Amato will only give me ten dollars for it. I was always told it’s only worth what you can sell it for, what somebody will end the buy it. That’s your value of it. I haven’t figured out yet why all these people on the television are always talking about it. Buy gold, buy gold, buy gold.

Well, why are they selling it? Why would you sell your gold to somebody out there? If it’s so valuable, you’re I’m only gonna go up, up, up, up, up. Why would you sell yours? And get that paper money so they can have that gold coin. But that’s another message from place out. That’s one. I am valued at the price someone was not only willing to pay, but did pay. You realize as you look at your life, what is your value?

Well, it’s valued at the price somebody’s willing to pay. Did you know that God sent His Son into the world and paid the ultimate price? There was no greater price that could ever be paid just for you. Did you realize that in the eyes of God that you are of more value than all the wealth in the world?

God said so. He even says if a man gains the whole world and loses life, he’s lost. What does he gain? He gained the whole world and loses life. What does he gain? So his life. you, you are more important to God than you realize. Do you realize the value? Don’t cheapen your life by living for something so cheap. I want my life to be a valuable life, to mount to something.

And that’s going to be revealed by the decisions that I make, the one that I choose to serve. He plays great value on me. I should place great value on Him.” Now, he says here in this verse, I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. be not conformed to this world. God would not be satisfied if you become conformed to this world.

As you look at your life, are you becoming conformed to the world or is the Lord transforming your life into something better? That’s, I believe is what it’s about. What does God want me to know? What does He want me to know? In discipleship, new desires must replace the old. Look there in Philippians in chapter 3. Philippians and chapter 3. Philippians and chapter 3, I want you to know from verse 8 to verse 11. Look in verse 8, ye doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but done, that I may win Christ.

And to be found in Him not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith, faith, and in verse 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection. To know the power of his life must mean the death of your life. You see, they’re in conflict. You have to decide, do I want his life or do I want my life?

Am I willing as a child of God to say, I want Him to live His life freely as He wants through me. Or do I demand that God leave me alone and let me do what I want to do? It’s my life. And therefore you become the judge and God, and jury everything in your own life. And that’s why I believe that to know the power of another life you must like go the one that you have. True discipleship is the dynamics of the Christian life.

You see it is where you get the power to change your life. But if you don’t become a disciple of Christ, you’ll never have the dynamic, the power, the dynamite. That explodes in your life and gives you all the power that you need to do what God wants to do and to transform you. It’ll never happen. You’ll just be a child of God that you go through your daily life and nothing ever happens. Nothing ever changes. Be the same way 20 years from now as you were 20 years ago, or you can see God changing things in your life because, See, he keeps on changing you.

He keeps on transforming you. He keeps on teaching. He keeps on guiding. We won’t take time to look at this first because of the time. Trying to be aware of where we are. What does God want me to do? Deciporship. Deciporship. Gives the Christian direction. You see, when I say, I want to follow the Lord, I’ve got direction that quick in my life. I know where I’m going. I’m following somebody. Or take that away. Take Christ out of the picture.

All right, now where you going? Who you following? Who’s your God? Who’s your guide? Who’s leading you? discipleship for the child of God is everything. Yes, salvation is free. It gets you into the family of God. It gets you into heaven. You become his child. You’re going to heaven when you die, all because of what Christ did for you. And you can stop right there if you want. many Christians do. But you’ll never know a dynamic life. You’ll never understand.

Because serving the Lord and making up your mind, this is what I want to do. It gives you direction. It has given me direction for 52 years. Because I’ve made up my mind. I don’t care where he leads me. I don’t care what He brings into my life. I don’t care what He takes out of my life. I just want to be satisfied that I’m doing the will of God for my life. It’s a lot easier way to live, so much simpler.

I don’t have to try to manipulate God or manipulate people. I don’t have to try to misuse people or use them for a stepping stone to walk over people. I don’t have to be no dictator to nobody. I want to lead as I am being led. And I want you to follow as I follow. I want you to learn as I learn, because I want to teach you everything that I possibly can that he has taught me. I want to teach you to be as durable in your walk the Lord, as I’ve been in my walk with the Lord.

If that sounds prideful and all the rest of it, that’s your choice. You can believe that. I know God knows my heart. And I don’t know another way or a better way to say it. It sounds prideful. And so be it. Humility is not a position of the body, It’s a position of the mind. It’s a man who submits himself to the will of God. Pride is when you want to do your own thing and go your own way, and God can’t tell you anything.

That’s pride, and God hates pride. But it’s so easy to point fingers at somebody else and accuse him of the very thing that you’re guilty of. Give me a think of that. The last thing I wrote down is, what does God want me to enjoy if it satisfies it last? And when the days are good and when the days are bad, joy is not affected by circumstances. See, He says, my joy I give unto you, the world can’t give it, and the world can’t take it away.

Not real joy. They always say, Joy is Jesus in you with nothing between. Sounds pretty good to me. Good way to look at it. Look up here quickly. This hand represents you and me. The wall of represents sin. This is you and me, and this is sin. We all have sin on us, but God loves us. He loves you, loves me. And He says that for us to pay for sin is eternal separation from God and hell. But He doesn’t want us to go to hell.

He wants us to go to heaven because he loves us. But heaven is a perfect place. There’s no sin there. And God says, we’ve all sinned and come short of his perfection. So God says, you can’t earn your way to heaven. It’s not by going to church and giving money. There’s only one way to go to heaven. Our sins have to be paid. This hand represents Jesus Christ. God in the flesh came into the world because he loves us, hates our sin because of the separation.

from Him. So Jesus Christ took the sin, paid for it on the cross, came back from the dead. So if we would believe He did it for us, He would put this payment to our account and we get to go to heaven on what He did for us. That’s salvation. That’s free. That’s where God gives to you and I the free gift of eternal life. And He says, these things have I written under you that believe. You believe. It’s all you have to do.

That you, that believe it, may know you have eternal life. Know that you’re going to heaven when you die. It’s the best news in all the world. Let’s pray, shall we? With heads bowed nice and closed and no one looking around. If you’ve never trusted Christ as your Savior, why not right now in the quietness of this moment? Just talk to the the Lord and say something simple like this. Preacher, I know I’m a sinner. Don’t understand that I’ve got questions in doubt, but I believe it when Christ and I had He died for me.

And that I’m going to trust Him right now as my only hope of going to heaven. And if you will do that, just that much. I’d like to know it, and I’d like to have prayer for you. I’m not going to have you forward, I’m not going to embarrass you, but right where you’re sitting. If what I’ve said made sense to you, you say, yes, it does make sense to me, and I will trust Christ right now my only hope of going to heaven and I’d like you to pray for me.

Would you just slip you in a very quickly and put it right back down? If you didn’t want to talk, you didn’t want to talk. Our Father, we thank You so much for all that You’ve done for us. We’re thankful for the free gift of eternal life. We ask now follow Your blessings upon this time together as Your people, those that are saved, that have eternal life, that already know they’re going to heaven. We pray, Lord, that each person here would examine their life.

In relationship to their discipleship, what kind of a disciple have they been? With your head still bowed, your eyes closed. You trust that Christ is Savior, yes, you’re going to heaven. But are you that kind of disciple that God is pleased with? These are things in your life that you need to talk to the Lord about. God says, as a child of God, yes, we can confess that. I’m not to it because God knows it anyway. See, serving the Lord has to be done in purity, honesty.

You can’t do it no other way. So why not right now? There’s a reason why you need to talk to Him. Say, Lord, yes, I’ve sinned against you. Name it. Tell them what it is. And Father, I know as your child you said, if I would confess, you would forgive. Father, we just pray that you would watch your reach one here, help them to be wise. And Father, as we examine ourselves, help each one of us to do what’s right in Christ’s name and reprieve.

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 Watch 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.

You are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 40-8-11 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 BibleInemistries.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.

Good to see you all here this morning. Take your Bible, turn with me to The book of 2 Timothy 2 Timothy and we just want to go over some verses that kind of describes you Tells you what you are See if you know who what you are then you’ll know what you’re supposed to do and all of us know and understand that we’re supposed to Explain the gospel to people. I did not know that you know I was gonna have a memorial service Until about Monday of last week of this week, I guess last week Last Monday and I did not know the people but they asked me if I would do a memorial service.

So on Friday I Was here and the guys in the office they always deliver me and One did one thing and somebody else was nice and friendly and invited the men and so they running around getting everything done But anyway, it was a, I guess you could say a profitable fishing time because we had probably 10 or 12 that indicated they would trust the Lord. And it was one little girl in a wheelchair and right at the end, you know, she just kind of, she hardly moved her arm.

They didn’t know she was going to pass away before her mom did, but she said she would trust the Lord. But we had a Jewish man here, some Catholics, but anybody can come and we’d love to share the gospel with them. That’s the thing that’s so powerful about the gospel. The second Timothy in chapter two, chapter two is a chapter we usually try to convince individuals that know the Lord to be faithful to the Lord. And what we mean by serving the Lord, there’s certain things mentioned down through here that kind of gives us some types.

And there’s seven of them down through here that if you see them, you’ll know a little bit more about what God expects from you and I on how we’re supposed to live. So look there in chapter 2 and verse 1, chapter 2 verse 1, Thou therefore my son. Now once you have trusted Christ as your Savior, yeah, you might be the spiritual son of somebody who, because somebody led you to the Lord and they’re your father and the Lord spiritually speaking.

But you are a son of God. So if you are a son of God, you’re his child. He is your father. So you automatically know that as a responsibility as the child, a year to obey your heavenly father. But look what he says, thou therefore my son. And of all the things he says to be strong in, He says, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the word grace, I guess you could say, it refers to that message that we have.

Be strong in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because you can’t be strong in grace if you’re not strong in the gospel. Because the gospel story is the epitome of grace. race. It’s how we understand the will of God. And there’s a verse I’m going to show you a little bit later in church service, but I love it now. I can hardly wait to teach church service because I love preaching. I love teaching the Bible. I really do. And I can just talk on and on and on and on and on.

But there’s just some things that kind of means more to you. And that is the gospel of grace that we have, because we know we have in our hands the most powerful message in all the world. And we see people trust Christ as their savior, and it’s a wonderful thing. But look what he says in verse two. And the things that thou hath heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also.

One thing I found out is you cannot always determine who becomes your disciple. You can pick certain people to follow you, but that doesn’t mean they will follow you. So I decided I’ll just teach those who follow. And if you follow, I will teach you, and if you don’t follow, then I can’t teach you. I don’t try to beg for discipleships. I usually never even mention the word disciple or discipleship at all. though it’s been a tremendous part of my whole ministry, because it’s either winning and training.

If you’re training, you’re training disciples. So you’re training people to follow the teachings of the Lord. Now remember, you can be a disciple of Christ and not a child of God. You can study the principles in the Word of God and follow the Christian character and never trust the Lord. So you can be a disciple and many people are, but he’s not their savior. So you can be saved and not be a disciple, and you can be a disciple and not be saved.

Being saved doesn’t cost you anything. A being a disciple can cost you everything. So they’re two different things. I accepted Christ as my savior, so I became a child of God. Now, he says, the things that thou hath heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men. So as a child of God, we should learn from others who are doing what we’re supposed to be doing. So we need examples. And whether you want to admit it or not, you are an example of the Christian life.

You may not be a good example, but you are an example. And you’re supposed to live in such a way that others can follow your example. If you can’t tell other people to follow your example, why not? What’s wrong with it? Something bad with it? So as the praise is using the scriptures, Paul says, follow me as I follow Christ. And we ought to be able to tell others, follow me as I follow Christ. So you are to be an example.

And he says in verse three, Thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier. So you and I know that we are soldiers. Now the question is, What kind of a soldier are you? Are you a good soldier? Do you know how to use the equipment God’s given you to fight with? Do you dress correctly? Is your mind straight? Do you know how to use the ammunition that God’s given to you? See, a lot of God’s children, God says, we’re to serve Him as a good soldier.

And so everybody should know and understand the responsibilities as a soldier. I remember when I went to boot camp for the first time, I had just turned 17. I was a little, I guess, put off, I didn’t want people telling me what to do. So I ran away from home and joined the Navy. Now I’m not saying I was the smartest or the brightest kid in all the world, but I found that very quickly that somehow I must have lost all of my constitutional rights.

They told me everything to do. They would get in my face and holler and yell and scream at me. Even my mama didn’t do that. And they told me what to do and what not to do and how to dress and How to shave and, I mean, everything. And they would come by and they’d feel if it’s in your roughness, they’re all. And all I had back then was peach fuzz, you know, a little bit. I might have had three hairs here, I don’t know.

But you learn very quickly. You don’t give orders, you just report for duty. So I reported for duty, and I had to learn how to do a lot of things that I had never done before. I remember we had to make our blankets on our beds so tight that he could flip a quarter on it and it would bounce. And if it didn’t bounce, you had to do it again. They’d look for a little wrinkle on the pillowcase, anything.

I mean, but everything had to be in, in, in, in its place. You see, whenever you’re going to serve the Lord as a good soldier, you and I have a lot of things that we’re supposed to be disciplined in. And sometimes we do and sometimes we don’t. But in the service, you don’t, you don’t let down. There’s always somebody on you watching you. But anyway, you know that as a good soldier, this is what you’re to do. But then also have you ever been to a wrestling match?

I remember you should do the college style wrestling. We’d get down here on our knees and our hands and the other guy come up put his arm around you and put his arm on your hair and then he would hit the mat and you knew you had to try to get out of it and the other guys trying to pin you. That’s fun. I was pretty good at wrestling. I didn’t win all the time, but I won a couple times and until she beat me.

But just joking, just joking. Some of y’all believe everything I say. But I love wrestling. And the point is trying to depend someone, depend them, to get them down. Now you know and I know that there is a devil that likes to fight and he’s always after us and his goal is to try to pen us where we can’t move and the more you serve the Lord the more he’s going to try to pen you it means it gets you where you can’t move where you can’t well you’ve ever heard Christians say every time you ask them to do I can’t I can’t I can’t I can’t I can’t and they build a wall around themselves of I can’t I can’t and they become a prisoner They’ve lost all their freedoms.

They’re not free to serve the Lord explan. They don’t have time. They don’t have the means. They don’t have what it takes. But look there in verse 4. Verse 4, no man that wort in taintless have with affairs of this light that he may please him, we have chosen him to be a soldier. And if a man strive for masteries, yet he is not crowned except he strive lawfully and we believe at verse 5 deals more with the wrestling techniques because you see there’s rules that you have to play by and there’s rules that the devil has to play by and he is going to use every trick in the book to try to lure you and I to pin us to trap us to deceive us to cause us to become weak so that he can destroy the effectiveness of our life.

So yes, we’re supposed to be good wrestlers. So if you know that, then you know that you’re supposed to train. And I always realize this. Even when I was in Colorado and sometimes church would be way up. And then it’d be a way down. So one year we tried to have the highest attendance that we had ever had. So we had worked for about, I guess, 12, 13 weeks on a promotion. And we were competing against Florida Bible College and Mel’s Carbonyl and Bruce Porter down in the Keys and a beautiful Adams up in Atlanta, Georgia.

And so each Sunday we would check with each other to see what we did and who was in first place, second place. And so it was a strong competition. And I wanted to win. I hate losing to anybody. But we didn’t have all the college students like toward the Bible college. You know, you always start making excuses. And some, well, they’ve been gone longer than we have. So we worked anyway on our bus route. And the competition ended in October, the last Sunday in October.

That’s the time change. That’s the worst time you’d do it. But anyway, we did it. And living in Colorado, we always have the problem of snowstorms, blizzards. Well, no place else has to worry about that. But we did. But we worked hard. We really worked hard. And lo and behold, on that Sunday morning with a snowstorm that hit, we had about 10 buses that we had to run. And half the batteries were dead. The guy had to get out there early in the morning and get the buses cranked up.

And then the drivers have to show up and then the bus captains show up. And then they have to go out on their routes and you’re talking about, and they had about a foot of snow. But we run our buses anyway. And that Sunday morning we had over 900 in church that Sunday morning. And we had a lot of people trust the Lord and it’s just such a wonderful thing. And then the next Sunday will be the fastest decline in church in America.

Sometimes people really come out when you have a good competition going and this program and so forth and then they come out for all that or free food and all. And then whenever you don’t have none of that there, then you find out what you really got. Sometimes it can be so discouraged, it’s so disheartening. Sometimes I would have ranch and we’d have five, six, 700 kids in ranch. And then sometimes I’m sitting there looking and looking at the park and a lot and wondering, there’s only five cars out there.

Where’s the kids? Where’s the kids? And sometimes the buses will come in and half loaded. And it’s like things would go in a wave. And there’s times of the year when it seemed like everything’s going and then everything is down. You know, the Lord tells us to be faithful in season, out of season. When it seemed like everything’s going great or when it’s going bad. God has required of you and I to be found, what? Faithful. faithfully do what you can with what you have where you are.

And there’s some days it seems like men’s sky’s the limit. Then sometime it looks like you’re below the surface of the ground and a grave is nothing but a ditch that’s open on both sides and you just walk in slowly. So anyway we have the responsibility to look in verse 6. The husband men that labored must be first partakers of the fruit in other words. Now this is a person who does, you know, sowing and reaping. Somebody that takes care of the vines.

Somebody who has some fruit that they’re concerned about. You and I ought to understand that there’s a great responsibility that we have to sow the seed, which is the word of God. And if we We sow the seed, you and I, we should expect to reap. We should expect results. But the results are not what we’re judged by. God is going to reward us for the sowing. We’re not responsible whether or not people come in. We can’t make a person trust the Lord.

When you and I get to heaven is did you sow the seed? Did you sow the seed? You see one sows, one waters. God’s the one that gives the increase. God’s the one that saves the soul. I’ve never saved a soul. You’ve never saved a soul. The teenagers go, I don’t Friday night soul when they’ve never saved anybody. The Lord saved them, but they sowed the seed. You and I are supposed to sow the seed. So yes, there is a responsibility that God’s given to each and every one of us to be a husband to take and not only produce the fruit, but be concerned about the fruit that we have.

I should be concerned about the people in the church. He should be concerned about the teenagers and the Reform is unanimous. I want everybody responsible for somebody. The question is, who are you responsible for? Is there anybody that you you watch in guard and try to protect and help and encourage are you don’t really have anybody. Who’s the individual that’s serving the Lord today because of you? Can you find an individual who is serving the Lord because of you?

Do you think you should have anybody? How much time do you need? See, it would be wonderful, but it’s something we strive for. But the numbers is not in our control. But we are to be found faithful, and God says to go forth weeping, bearing precious seed, and you shall doubtless come again rejoicing. I believe when we talk about go forth weeping, it means all the heartache and the problems that you may have to go through to reach a person.

Because every time I witness to somebody, I’m not crying. Why would you try to describe? I’m not crying. So why are you crying? Well, that’s the only way I can do it. I got to cry. No. It’s some of the hard things and the problems you go through to be found faithful to keep doing what you’re supposed to be doing. And God says sooner or later, you’ll reap. And the fruit that you have is so enjoyable. And God says must be first partakers of the fruit.

See this in verse six. He says, the first partakers of the fruit. You see, the fruit, when you have fruit, it becomes something that you enjoy. Something you enjoy. I enjoy giving the gospel. I enjoy when I see people trust the Lord. The Bible talks about I have no greater joy than to see that my people or my children walk in truth.

First John two. I have no greater joy than no my people walk in truth. So you have a joy and it’s the people that you reach, the ones that you train, lives that have been affected because of you. This is why we win, so this is why we teach the word of God. This is why you’re to be an example on your job at home with anybody you can. You are to use and allow the Lord to use the power influence of your life in other people.

Now look what he says. He makes a statement in verse 7, consider what I say. Think about it. Think about it. And the Lord give the understanding in all things. And then he tells them there’s something I want you to remember. And then I got something I want you to endure down in verse 10. Because there’s all kinds of things that you have to go through and you may not enjoy all of these. Down in verse 12 there’s something you may have to suffer.

Well, but always understanding that he abideth faithful. He cannot and will not deny himself. You see, what if I don’t do all of this. Am I still saved? Yeah, I’m still saved. And if I even get to where I deny the Lord, the right to use me for His honor and glory. Now He can’t deny Himself. He still knows me even when I don’t want to claim Him. And that’s the foundation that we have. See there in verse 21 or verse 19, Nevertheless, the foundation of God’s standards sure having this seal.

The Lord knoweth them that are His. Does God know you? Do you know the Lord? Now, the knowledge that you have about God is supposed to do something to us in our life. Now, the next thing is that you and I are supposed to be students, students of the Word of God. word of God. You’re not going to be a good son and grow correctly without knowing the will of the Father. And you’re not going to be a very good soldier if you don’t know the rules, man.

You don’t know what you’re supposed to do or not do. You don’t know how to fight the battle. So you’ve got to study the word of God in order to know all of these things. And you have to know the Word of God to know how to wrestle against the devil and the things of this life, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. There’s all kind of things you and I have to have to fight against.

And then to be a good lineman, somebody knows how to produce the fruit, learning how to win souls, how to protect yourself so that you’re not caught caught by every wind of doctrine that comes along. So all these things are important. And as he says up here in verse 15, looking verse 15, he says, study, so that means you’re to be a student. Every one of God’s children should study, study the word of God. Now in the book of Ecclesiastes, it says that, studying is a weariness of the flesh.

If you don’t, I should say, if you have a problem going to sleep at night, read the word. You’ll get real sleepy. Because the devil doesn’t want you to study the word, so he’ll let you go to sleep. But learn the Word of God study to show thyself a workman. So you and I know that we’re supposed to be a workman. Working for the Lord. So you study what the Word of God says. And he says here in verse 15, study to show thyself approved unto God a workman that need if not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word.

rightly dividing the word of truth. And there’s some things that you and I are not supposed to do. You’ll see if you’re trying to build yourself up strong, there’s some thing that you should not do. In other words, if you want to improve your health, there’s certain foods that you ought to eat, and there’s probably some foods that you ought not eat. Now this is a dangerous territory to get into. If you really want to make people mad, talk about what you eat and don’t eat.

But anyway, you and I know that if you want to, for example, lose some weight, there’s certain things that you have to do. And like as one person, we’re pretty large and they went to the doctor and he says, if I get this little suction, he says, how much is that going to set me back? He said about three feet, but there’s a price to pay. Everybody has to determine for themselves just what you want for yourself. When it comes to spirituality, you can’t feed yourself the food from the Word of God and then feast upon the flesh.

It won’t work that way. In other words, you cannot feed upon the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life and expect to be spiritually strong. You can’t go to church on Sunday and get spiritually fed and then eat junk food from the world the rest of the week and expect to be strong. You need to feed upon the Word of God all the time, all the time. Every day you should be running scripture through your mind.

Because if you’re a child of the king, you should use the language of the court. You should know how to use the word of God, a workman, rightly dividing the word of God. You should know how to use the Bible. You can have a knowledge of the Bible, but not a working knowledge of the Bible. You can know every salvation verse and not know how to use them. You can know all kinds of verses in the Bible about serving the Lord.

But no, I don’t know how to put it together to help somebody. Because see, there’s the difference between having, it’s like having some tools, you know, the build a house. You got the tools, but you don’t know how to use them. It’s one thing to have knowledge, but not a working knowledge. The knowledge doesn’t work for you. is knowing how to take knowledge and apply it to experience. And so you’re not wise just because you know the Word of God.

You’re wise when you apply the Word of God. And rightly dividing it. So this is what God wants. But there’s other things that you have to watch that you don’t destroy what you’re trying to build. 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 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.