THE LIVING WORD TRANSCRIPT    <br> <br>       

PROGRAM AIR DATE – 1-18-15<br> <br>

LESSON TITLE:  “THE WORD OF TRUTH, THE GOSPEL.”

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WELCOME<br> <br>

      TODAY WE ARE BLESSED WITH A WONDERFUL GIFT FROM GOD, THE BIBLE. THIS BOOK IS GOD'S LIVING WORD. IN ITS PAGES WE ARE TOLD “FOR THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING AND POWERFUL AND SHARPER THAN ANY TWO-EDGED SWORD.” IT IS IN THIS BOOK OF BOOKS THAT WE FIND THE ANSWERS TO ALL OF MAN'S QUESTIONS AND NEEDS. THIS MORNING YOUR AREA CHURCHES OF CHRIST WELCOME YOU TO A PROGRAM COMMITTED TO THAT PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY. AS WE PRESENT THE LIVING WORD. NOW HERE IS YOUR HOST RAY SULLINS.	HOW WONDERFUL IT IS TO KNOW GOD AND TO HAVE THE HEALTH, STRENGTH, AND WILL-POWER TO GIVE THIS TIME TO HIM ON THIS LORD’S DAY MORNING.  THANK YOU FOR PUTTING GOD FIRST TODAY AND CHOOSING TO COMMIT THIS TIME OF OFFERING TO HIS SERVICE.   <br> <br>

      TODAY, WE WILL AGAIN BE UPLIFTED THROUGH OUR COMMITMENT TO SERVING GOD AS COMMANDED, AS WE APPROACH HIS ALMIGHTY THRONE.  HOW ENJOYABLE IT WILL BE TO WORSHIP OUR GOD THROUGH PRAYER, SONG AND THE STUDY OF HIS MATCHLESS WORD.  WON’T YOU DO YOUR PART THIS MORNING TO SEE THAT OUR WORSHIP TOGETHER IS ACCEPTABLE SO THAT OUR GLORIOUS CREATOR MAY BE GLORIFIED? NOW, AS WE BEGIN OUR OFFERING TO GOD, WILL YOU BOW WITH ME IN PRAYER! <br> <br>

      PRAYER:  OUR GOD AND FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS DAY AND EVERY DAY OF LIFE. WE THANK YOU FOR THE PRIVILEGE THAT WE HAVE TO BE CALLED YOUR CHILDREN AND TO BE KNOWN AS THOSE WHO DO YOUR WILL. AND HELP US THIS DAY TO GIVE YOU OUR OFFERING TO DO THOSE THINGS WHICH YOU HAVE ASKED THROUGH YOUR WORD, THE BIBLE. THAT WE MIGHT ALWAYS BE FOUND PLEASING IN YOUR SIGHT. BUT NOT ONLY THIS DAY FATHER, BUT EACH AND EVERY DAY OF OUR LIFE. THANK YOU FOR THE GIFT OF JESUS AND WHAT THAT SACRIFICE MEANS TO EACH OF US. IT IS IN HIS NAME WHICH WE PRAY, AMEN. 

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      WELL, IT’S TIME TO JOIN IN OUR SONGS OF PRAISE.  AS WE THINK ABOUT OUR FIRST SONG, CONSIDER THE FACT THAT WE ALL NEED TO STRIVE TO BE PURE LIKE OUR GOD.  FOR JESUS SAID, “THE PURE HEART WILL SEE GOD!”  SO, WON’T YOU JOIN IN THE FIRST SONG OF THE MORNING AS WE SING TOGETHER, “PURER IN HEART O’ GOD.”  

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DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS<br> <br>

      IF I WERE TO ASK THE QUESTION, “WHERE DOES GOD LIVE,” I WOULD GET A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT ANSWERS.  HOWEVER, PROBABLY THE MOST COMMON WOULD BE, “IN HEAVEN!”  EVEN IF YOU ASK YOUR KIDS OR GRANDKIDS ABOUT WHERE GOD LIVES, THE FIRST THING THEY ARE GOING TO DO IS LOOK UP OR POINT TO THE SKY.  AGAIN, SIGNIFYING THE SAME POINT THEY HAVE LEARNED, “GOD LIVES IN HEAVEN, UP ABOVE!” <br> <br>

      THIS MORNING, I WANT YOU TO CONSIDER WITH ME WHERE GOD REALLY IS!  IS HE REALLY JUST SOMEWHERE ELSE, OR UP ABOVE, AS IF WE NEVER INTERACT OR COME IN CONTACT WITH HIM?   <br> <br>

      LET’S BEGIN IN ZEPHANIAH 3:17, THERE WE READ, “THE LORD YOUR GOD IN YOUR MIDST, THE MIGHTY ONE, WILL SAVE; HE WILL REJOICE OVER YOU WITH GLADNESS, HE WILL QUIET YOU WITH HIS LOVE, HE WILL REJOICE OVER YOU WITH SINGING.”  WHERE IS GOD, “IN OUR MIDST.”  THE PSALMIST DAVID SAID, “WHERE CAN I GO FROM YOUR SPIRIT? OR WHERE CAN I FLEE FROM YOUR PRESENCE,” AND THEN IN VERSE 8 AND FOLLOWING HE ANSWERS HIS OWN QUESTION BY SAYING, “WHEREVER I GO, YOU ARE THERE!”<br> <br>

      AND WHAT ABOUT US TODAY, ARE WE ALONE, OR IS OUR GOD WITH US!  REMEMBER WHAT JESUS SAID IN MATTHEW 28:20?  THERE WE READ, “…AND LO, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, EVEN TO THE END OF THE AGE.”  WHAT AN ENCOURAGEMENT AND STRENGTH THIS MUST HAVE GIVEN TO JESUS DISCIPLES, NOT ONLY TO KNOW THAT GOD WAS WITH THEM BUT THAT HE WOULD BE WITH THEM ALWAYS.  AGAIN IN JOHN 14:23, JESUS TOLD HIS FOLLOWERS, “IF ANYONE LOVES ME, HE WILL KEEP MY WORD; AND MY FATHER WILL LOVE HIM, AND WE WILL COME TO HIM AND MAKE OUR HOME WITH HIM.”  WHAT A GLORIOUS PROMISE!  GOD WILL TRULY BE WITH AND MAKE HIS HOME IN THOSE WHO ARE FAITHFUL TO HIS CAUSE.<br> <br>

      HAS GOD MADE HIS HOME IN YOU TODAY?  WELL, HE CAN NOT AND WILL NOT UNTIL YOU OBEY HIS WILL AND COMMIT TO A LIFE OF SERVICE TO HIM.   ARE YOU WILLING TO OBEY THE VOICE OF YOUR MASTER TODAY?<br> <br>

      AS FAR AS OUR MAIN STUDY OF THE DAY, THIS MORNING WE WILL CONTINUE OUR SERIES ENTITLED, “THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE,” OUR SPECIFIC LESSON OF THE DAY FOCUSES ON, “THE WORD OF TRUTH, THE GOSPEL.” SO STAY WITH US AND AFTER OUR NEXT SONG TOGETHER, I WILL BE LEADING US IN THE MAIN THOUGHTS OF THE DAY.   BUT FOR NOW LET’S JOIN TOGETHER IN OUR SECOND SONG OF THE MORNING.  THE NAME OF THIS HYMN, “REDEEMED.” <br> <br>



LESSON<br> <br>

BY RAY SULLINS<br> <br>

      IN JOHN 17, WE READ ABOUT THE WORDS OF JESUS AND THOSE THINGS WHICH CERTAINLY TELL US WHAT HE FELT FOR HIS GOD AND FATHER AS WELL AS HIS FOLLOWERS. AND WE OFTEN REFER TO THIS PASSAGE AS JESUS’ PRAYER FOR UNITY. AND WITHIN IT WE FIND THAT HE CLARIFIES THE FACT THAT HE IS ONE COMPLETELY WITH THE FATHER. FOR HE IS ALSO GOD YET HE ALSO DESIRES THAT WE BE ONE WITH HIM AND HIS FATHER. IT IS WITHIN THAT GREAT PRAYER FOR HIMSELF AND FOR HIS FOLLOWERS THAT WE REALLY FIND AN INTERESTING STATEMENT WHICH WE HAVE BASED OUR SERIES ON NOW FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. AND THAT IS CONCERNING THE TRUTH. AND THERE WITHIN JOHN 17:17 JESUS MAKES THIS DECLARATION, “YOUR WORD IS TRUTH.” WHO IS HE SPEAKING TO? HIS FATHER. AND HE SAYS, FATHER, YOUR WORDS. GOD, YOUR WORD IS TRUTH. AND SO AS WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THESE IDEAS OF TRUTH WE'VE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT WHAT TRUTH IS. ABOUT REALLY WHAT THE CONCEPT OF HOW WE APPLY TRUTH IN OUR LIVES, HOW WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE BIBLE ITSELF IS THE TRUTH AND CERTAINLY THE ONLY STANDARD OF TRUTH THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW AS WE WOULD KNOW GOD AND DO HIS WILL. <br> <br>

      AND THIS DAY WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO BUILD ON WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT AS WELL LAST WEEK. GOD'S WORD BEING TRUTH, WE WANT TO NOW UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE ALSO SOME OTHER TERMS WHICH ARE USED IN THE SCRIPTURE THAT HELP US TO UNDERSTAND WHAT TRUTH IS. AND REALLY - CERTAINLY SYNONYMS THAT HELP US CLARIFY WHAT WE MUST DO AS FOLLOWERS OF TRUTH. I WANT YOU FIRST OF ALL THOUGH TO LOOK WITH ME AT A VERSE IN 2 THESSALONIANS, THERE IN CHAPTER 2:13, NOTICE WHAT PAUL SAID TO THE CHURCH OF THESSALONICA. HE SAID TO THEM, “BUT WE ARE  BOUND TO GIVE THANKS TO GOD ALWAYS FOR YOU, AND BRETHREN BELOVED BY THE LORD, BECAUSE GOD FROM THE BEGINNING CHOSE YOU FOR SALVATION.” WHAT DID GOD DO? HE CHOSE THE THESSALONIANS AND ALL THOSE WHO WOULD FOLLOW HIS WILL FOR SALVATION. BUT NOW I WANT YOU TO NOTICE WHAT HE SAYS IT WAS BY. HE SAYS, “FOR SALVATION THROUGH SANCTIFICATION BY THE SPIRIT AND BELIEF IN THE TRUTH.” YOU SEE THE OUTCOME OF TRUTH? NOT ONLY WHAT WE'VE LEARNED TOGETHER OVER THE PAST MANY WEEKS THAT TRUTH WILL MAKE US FREE. AND CERTAINLY IT DOES BUT HE SAYS HERE THE SANCTIFICATION THAT WE HAVE IN AND THROUGH JESUS CHRIST IS FOUND IN AND THROUGH THE TRUTH. AND IT LEADS US TO SALVATION. WE HAVE SALVATION AND ARE SANCTIFIED FOR THE SPIRITS SAKE AND THE REVEALED TRUTH THAT HE HAS GIVEN US THAT WE MIGHT KNOW WHAT GOD WANTS AND OBEY IT. <br> <br>

      NOW, THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE LEARN THAT TRUTH IS DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN GIVING FREEDOM OR SALVATION. BUT DID YOU KNOW THERE ARE OTHER TERMS IN THE BIBLE THAT ALSO REFER TO THE WORD OF GOD, WHICH ALSO SAY THEY GIVE US OR OFFER SALVATION. AND YET MANY IN THE DENOMINATIONAL WORLD WILL TRY TO SAY THAT THESE TERMS ARE DIFFERENT TERMS. WELL, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU BUT THERE'S ONLY ONE GOD AND THERE'S ONLY ONE TRUTH THAT WILL GIVE FREEDOM OR SALVATION. AND SO IN THE FACT THAT THERE ARE OTHER TERMS BEING USED AND IT IS SAID THAT THIS WILL SAVE US, DOES IT NOT HAVE TO BE THE SAME THING? OR ELSE WE WOULD SAY THEY'RE DIFFERENT THINGS FROM GOD THAT CAN SAVE US. IS THAT NOT THE CASE? <br> <br>

      I WANT YOU TO NOTICE ONE EXAMPLE WITH ME, THE TRUTH OFFERS SALVATION OR FREEDOM, BUT ALSO IN ROMANS 1:16, WHAT WAS IT THAT PAUL SAID TO THE ROMAN CHURCH? HE SAID, “I'M NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST, FOR IT IS THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION.” WHAT WAS PAUL SAYING WOULD SAVE US THERE? THE GOSPEL. WELL, WHAT WOULD THE GOSPEL OR AS WE KNOW THAT TRANSLATED TO BE - THE GOOD NEWS. WHAT WOULD THE GOOD NEWS BE? GOD'S WORD, GOD'S TRUTH. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT CAN SAVE US BESIDES THE TRUTH AND GOD'S WORD?  CERTAINLY NOT, AND SO WHAT IS HE TALKING ABOUT HERE? HE'S TALKING ABOUT THE TRUTH, WHICH IS THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. <br> <br>

      WE'LL, YOU STILL NOT CONVINCED BECAUSE MAYBE YOUR PASTOR HAS SAID WELL, THE TRUTH IS ONE THING AND THE GOSPEL IS ANOTHER THING? TURN WITH ME IF YOU WILL TO WHAT PAUL SAID TO THE EPHESIAN CHURCH. AND I WANT YOU TO NOTICE WITH ME VERY CAREFULLY WHAT HE SAYS HERE AS IS TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH, AND I CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO BEGIN A GRAMMATICAL STUDY TODAY, BUT I WANT YOU TO NOTICE HOW THIS PUT INTO ENGLISH VERY CORRECTLY BASED ON WHAT IS FOUND IN THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE - THE GREEK. WE ARE IN EPHESIANS AND SPECIFICALLY IN CHAPTER 1:13. THERE WE READ, “IN HIM YOU ALSO TRUSTED AFTER YOU HEARD THE WORD OF TRUTH, THE GOSPEL OF YOUR SALVATION, AND WHOM ALSO HAVING BELIEVED YOU WERE SEALED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT OF PROMISE.” DO YOU NOTICE THERE WHAT IT SAYS? DO YOU NOTICE HOW IT'S WORDED CONCERNING THE TRUTH? HE ACTUALLY SAYS THAT WE HAVE FOUND SALVATION OR THAT WE HAVE FOUND THE ABILITY TO KNOW THAT WE ARE SAVED IN THE WORD OF TRUTH, THE GOSPEL OF YOUR SALVATION. WHAT WAS PAUL SAYING OR RATHER THE HOLY SPIRIT SAYING THE WORD OF TRUTH IS? THE GOSPEL - THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST.<br> <br>

       NO WONDER - THEN WHEN WE GO TO GALATIANS CHAPTER 1 AND WE READ HERE ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO ONLY KNOW, PREACH, AND FOLLOW ONE GOSPEL. IT HAS TO BE TALKING ABOUT GOD'S WORD - GOD'S TRUTH BECAUSE HE SAYS THERE SPECIFICALLY BEGINNING IN VERSE SIX THAT SOME OF THEM WERE PERVERTING THE GOSPEL AND FOLLOWING A DIFFERENT GOSPEL. BUT NOTICE WHAT HE SAYS IN VERSE EIGHT, “BUT EVEN IF WE,” THAT IS PAUL AND THOSE WITH PAUL, “OR AN ANGEL FROM HEAVEN PREACH ANY OTHER GOSPEL TO YOU OTHER THAN THAT WE HAVE PREACHED LET HIM BE ACCURSED.” AND HE SAYS IT TWICE. YOU MEAN THERE'S A SUCH THING AS THE TRUE GOSPEL AND A PERVERTED OR A FAKE GOSPEL? YES THERE IS. IN VERSE IT 10 SAYS IS BASED ON GOD'S WILL AND OUR DESIRE TO FOLLOW GOD AND THE OTHER IS BASED ON OUR DESIRE TO PERSUADE OR HAVE MEN FOLLOW US. <br> <br>

      THE GOSPEL, THE GOSPEL WHICH IS THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION, THE GOSPEL WHICH WE MUST STAND IN AND WHICH WE MUST PREACH AND FOLLOW. IF, WE WILL BE ONE THAT IS OF GOD IT ALL SOUNDS PRETTY MUCH LIKE THE TRUTH TO ME. IT SEEMS LIKE AS EPHESIANS 1:13 SAYS, “THE WORD OF TRUTH IS THE GOSPEL OF SALVATION.” AND IT IS BECAUSE IT IS. AND THEY BOTH REPRESENT THE WORD'S OF GOD AND THE TRUTH OF GOD THAT WE ARE TO FOLLOW, WHICH IS THE GOOD NEWS UNDER SALVATION. THEY BOTH GIVE US HOW PRECIOUS THAT TRUTH AND GOOD NEWS IS. FOR WHAT IS GOD'S WORD BUT THAT WHICH IS RIGHT AND PERFECT, FOR IT IS FROM GOD’S TRUTH. AND ON THE OTHER HAND, THAT WHICH IS GOOD FOR GOD ALONE IS GOOD AND THE EMBODIMENT OF GOODNESS. AND WE ARE FOLLOWING THE GOOD NEWS. <br> <br>

      WHERE ELSE COULD THE GOOD NEWS COME FROM? THE GOOD PERFECT NEWS OF GOD, WHERE ELSE EXCEPT FROM AS PAUL TOLD TIMOTHY - THE SCRIPTURES. THE SCRIPTURES, AS HE SAID IN 2 TIMOTHY 3 WHICH ARE ALL INSPIRED OF GOD AND THEREFORE ARE PROFITABLE. YOU SEE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT WE UNDERSTAND JUST HOW PRECIOUS THE SAVING WORD OF GOD IS? WHICH IS HIS TRUTH UNDER SALVATION, WHICH IS HIS GOSPEL UNTO SALVATION, AND HOW THAT SIMPLY THESE TERMS GIVE US A DIFFERENT EMPHASIS ON REALLY THAT WORD BEING EITHER RIGHT, OR TRUE, OR PERFECT, OR THAT BEING GOOD AS GOD IS GOOD. AND THEREFORE BOTH LEADING US TO THE SAME END RESULT AS WELL AS THE SAME CONCLUSION.<br> <br> 

      WELL, IT'S NOT ONLY THERE BUT WITHIN THE CONCEPT OF THE TRUTH WE ALSO KNOW THAT WE ARE TOLD THE GOSPEL IS THE GOSPEL OF OUR SALVATION AND DOCTRINE IS AS WELL THE EMBODIMENT OF GOD'S TEACHINGS. IF YOU GO INTO THE NEW TESTAMENT YOU'LL FIND VERY QUICKLY THAT THE IDEA OF DOCTRINE IS USED QUITE A FEW TIMES BUT IS ACTUALLY TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL GREEK WORD WHICH MEANS TO TEACH OR TEACHINGS. BUT WHEN WE USE THE WORD DOCTRINE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT TEXT, IT BASICALLY IS BECAUSE THE ENGLISH EQUIVALENT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THE GREEK SO THAT WE MIGHT KNOW THAT HE'S NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT ANY TEACHINGS OR ANY GENERAL TEACHINGS. BUT AS I HAVE STUDIED WITH YOU BEFORE WHEN THERE IS AN ARTICLE IN THE GREEK WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT IT IS A SPECIFIC TEACHING. THAT MEANS A SYSTEM OF TEACHINGS - A GROUP OF TEACHINGS THAT MUST BE FOLLOWED. <br> <br>

      SO FOLLOW ME IF YOU WILL THE WORD OF GOD, THE WORD OF TRUTH, THE WORD OF GOD WHICH IS THE GOSPEL, THE TRUTH WORD OF GOD, GOSPEL OF SALVATION...ALL THESE THINGS LEADING TO THE SAME PLACE. WELL, WHAT DOES DOCTRINE DO? DOES THE DOCTRINE OF GOD NOT SAVE US? IS IT NOT A PART OF WHAT SAVES US? IS IT NOT A PART OF WHAT WE HAVE REVEALED TO US IN THE WORD OF BEING REQUIRED FROM AND BY THOSE WHO WOULD BE SAVED BY GOD? LOOK WITH ME IF YOU'RE NOT SURE IN ROMANS CHAPTER 6. AND LET'S CONSIDER THERE VERSE 17 BEGINNING, “BUT GOD BE THANKED THAT THOUGH YOU WERE SLAVES OF SIN ( BUT THEN HE SAYS ) YET YOU OBEY FROM THE HEART THAT FORM OF DOCTRINE TO WHICH YOU WERE DELIVERED.” WHAT? HE SAYS YOU WERE DELIVERED. YOU WERE DELIVERED FROM WHAT? SIN - YOU CAME OUT OF SIN WHEN YOU OBEYED THE DOCTRINE. <br> <br>

      WELL, IF YOU COME OUT OF SIN BY OBEYING THE DOCTRINE, DOES THAT NOT MEAN YOU BECOME A FOLLOWER OF GOD, AN INDIVIDUAL WHO DOES HIS WILL, THAT YOU ARE ONE WHO IS SAVED UNTO SALVATION? CERTAINLY IT DOES AND SO HOW IMPRESSIVE IT IS WHEN IT SAYS THERE IN VERSE 18, “AND HAVING BEEN SET FREE FROM SIN YOU NOW BECOME A SLAVE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.” WHEN YOU OBEYED THE DOCTRINE OF GOD YOU BECOME A SLAVE OF GOD. KIND OF SOUNDS LIKE YOU BECOME A CHILD OF GOD - HOW ELSE DO YOU BECOME A CHILD OF GOD THAN OBEYING HIS WORD. OBEYING HIS TRUTH. OBEYING HIS GOSPEL. YOU SEE, ALL OF THEM SAY THAT IF WE OBEY THEM THAT WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD, WE ARE SAVED BY GOD. AND YET AGAIN DOCTRINE IS ONE MORE EXAMPLE THAT HELPS US TO SEE HOW SIGNIFICANT IT IS THAT WE THEN KNOW THE WORD OF GOD, IT'S TEACHINGS, AND DO WHAT THAT SYSTEM OF TEACHINGS IS. OBEY WHAT THAT SYSTEM OF TEACHINGS OR RATHER WHAT THOSE SYSTEM OF TEACHINGS ARE WITHIN THAT WHICH GOD HAS GIVEN US - HIS WORD, THE BIBLE. <br> <br>

      HE EVEN THEN ALSO MENTIONS SOME TEXT. I'LL JUST MENTION THEM. YOU MIGHT WANT TO READ THEM LATER. 1 TIMOTHY IS 1 THERE IN CHAPTER 1:9-11 THAT CAUTIONS TIMOTHY TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT THOSE THAT MIGHT AGAIN SPEAK THAT WHICH IS CONTRARY TO SOUND DOCTRINE. AND THEN HE ACTUALLY EVEN MENTIONS WITHIN THOSE FEW VERSES THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST - DOCTRINE - GOSPEL - THE GOSPEL UNTO SALVATION - DOCTRINE UNTO WHAT WE MUST DO AND OBEY UNTO SALVATION. IT SOUNDS LIKE AGAIN; JESUS, THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND THESE WRITERS ARE HELPING US TO SEE THAT WE'RE BACKING UP TO THE SAME PLACE, THE VERY WORD OF GOD ITSELF. NO WONDER PAUL TOLD TIMOTHY IN 1 TIMOTHY 4:16 THAT HE WAS REQUIRED TO CONTINUE IN THE DOCTRINE. WOULD WE NOT ALSO CONTINUE IN THE GOOD NEWS? THE GOSPEL - WOULD WE NOT ALSO CONTINUE IN THE TRUTH - WHICH IS GOD'S WORD? <br> <br>

      YOU SEE MY BRETHREN MY FRIENDS. WHAT WE ARE CHALLENGED TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT GOD HAS GIVEN US A DOCTRINE. HE HAS GIVEN US A PATTERN. HE HAS GIVEN US A FORM. HE HAS GIVEN US THE BLUEPRINTS THAT WE MUST FOLLOW AND THEY ARE FOUND IN HIS WORD THE BIBLE. AND ALL OF THESE THINGS REFERRING TO THE SAME IDEA YET GIVING US DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES OF THAT IDEA ARE UNTO SALVATION AND GIVE US THE HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE. PRAISE BE TO GOD FOR THAT TRUTH BECAUSE IT GIVES US THE HOPE OF SALVATION. <br> <br>

      LOOK WITH ME ALSO THERE AT THE WORDS OF PAUL IN 2 TIMOTHY CHAPTER 1:13. AND NOTICE WHAT HE SAYS HERE CONCERNING THAT DOCTRINE OR THAT WORD OF GOD. VERSE 13 HE SAYS, “HOLD FAST THE PATTERN OF SOUND WORDS.” WHERE WOULD YOU FIND ANY TRUER WORDS THAN THE BIBLE? WHERE WOULD YOU FIND ANY SOUNDER WORDS THEN THE BIBLE? WHERE WOULD YOU FIND A PATTERN OF SOUND WORDS EXCEPT FROM GOD HIMSELF? THE SCRIPTURES, THE TRUTH, THE GOSPEL, THE DOCTRINE. YOU SEE, ONCE AGAIN THAT ABILITY THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE KNOW IS FROM GOD. IN ORDER TO NOT ONLY DIRECT US, AND THAT WE MIGHT OBEY IT, AND THUS HAVE THAT SAME PROOF OF OBEDIENCE UNTO ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH HIS GRACE. <br> <br>

      BUT THEN LOOK ALSO IN 1 PETER CHAPTER 2:21 THE TEXT TELLS US THAT CHRIST LEFT US AN EXAMPLE THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO FOLLOW THAT EXAMPLE AND WALK IN HIS FOOTSTEPS. DOESN'T THAT SOUND LIKE THE PATTERN? WHAT HE LEFT US - HOW HE SHOWED US WE SHOULD GO, HOW HE SHOWED US WHAT WE SHOULD SPEAK AND SAY. MY BRETHREN AND FRIENDS, WHAT I'M TRYING TO ENCOURAGE US WITH TODAY IS TO UNDERSTAND THERE'S ONLY ONE TRUTH FROM GOD THAT CAN SAVE US. AND IT IS HIS WORD, HIS WORD FOUND IN THE BIBLE WHICH IS REPRESENTED AND DESCRIBED IN THE SCRIPTURES AS HIS TRUTH, HIS GOSPEL, HIS DOCTRINE, HIS PATTERN, HIS FORM.  ALL OF THESE THINGS SHOWING US THAT THE WORD OF GOD IS THAT ONLY BLUEPRINT TO BUILD THAT HOUSE, TO GET TO THAT END RESULT, TO FIND SALVATION, AND TO HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. WILL YOU NOT FOLLOW THE TRUTH OF GOD TODAY? WILL YOU NOT STAND IN THE GOSPEL? WILL YOU NOT BELIEVE IN THE DOCTRINE? AND WILL YOU NOT DO THAT WHICH IS ACCORDING TO HIS WILL AND HIS WILL ALONE?<br> <br>



CLOSING COMMENTS<br> <br>

      WHAT A BLESSING IT HAS BEEN TO JOIN TOGETHER IN THE THINGS OF GOD THIS MORNING.  THANK YOU FOR DOING YOUR PART IN MAKING ALL THESE THINGS TO BE ACCORDING TO HIS WILL.  AS ALWAYS, WE INVITE YOU BACK EVERY LORD’S DAY MORNING AT 7:30, AS WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO THIS OFFERING FOR GOD!  <br> <br>BUT FOR NOW, LET ME ASK IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT TODAY’S LESSON?  MAYBE, YOU WOULD LIKE A FREE TRANSCRIPT OR A CASSETTE TAPE OF THIS PROGRAM?  POSSIBLY, WE COULD ASSIST YOU WITH FREE BIBLE MATERIALS OR CORRESPONDENCE COURSES?  NO MATTER WHAT YOUR NEED IS, PLEASE CONTACT US AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS:  <br> <br>

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      WE HAVE BEEN RICHLY BLESSED BY GOD, TO HAVE BEEN GIVEN HIS OWN WORD, WHICH IS FOUND IN THE BIBLE.  IT IS THE TRUTH OF GOD, THE GOSPEL OF OUR SALVATION.  MAY WE TAKE THIS TRUTH AS OUR OWN AND EVER OBEY THE WONDROUS DOCTRINE GIVEN TO US BY OUR CREATOR!<br> <br>