THE LIVING WORD TRANSCRIPT  <br> <br>  



PROGRAM AIR DATE – 4-2-17<br> <br>



LESSON TITLE: “LOVE FOR THE TRUTH”<br> <br>



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.

<br> <br>

      GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO THE LIVING WORD PROGRAM!  THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING TO GIVE THIS TIME TO GOD, AS WE TOGETHER STRIVE TO HONOR HIM ACCORDING TO HIS WILL.  AS ALWAYS, THIS MORNING, WE WILL STRIVE TO WORSHIP GOD ACCORDING TO WHAT WE FIND IN HIS WORD - THE BIBLE.  MAY WE EACH MAKE OUR OWN SACRIFICE TO HIM - SO THAT WE MAY BE PLEASING IN HIS SIGHT!  NOW LET’S BOW OUR HEADS BEFORE HIS THRONE IN PRAYER!<br> <br>

      PRAYER: OUR GOD AND FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS DAY AND EVERY DAY OF LIFE. AND FATHER WE KNOW THAT ALL GOOD THINGS COME FROM YOU AND THAT YOU GIVE US EVERYTHING WE NEED PHYSICALLY AND SPIRITUALLY. AND FATHER, HELP US THIS DAY AND EVERY DAY TO LIVE OUR LIVES IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE LIFT UP YOUR NAME AND THAT WE LIVE OBEDIENTLY TO YOUR WORD. AND FATHER, WHEN THIS LIFE IS OVER GIVE US THAT PROMISED REWARD THAT IS MADE AVAILABLE FOR ALL OF THIS WORLD WHO ARE FOUND FAITHFUL IN THE END. WE THANK YOU FOR THESE GIFTS AND THESE PROMISES THAT ARE ONLY AVAILABLE THROUGH YOUR SON JESUS CHRIST. IN HIS NAME WE PRAY, AMEN.<br> <br>

 	ISN’T IT WONDERFUL TO WALK IN THE LIGHT OF GOD?  IN FACT, WE KNOW THAT THE BIBLE TEACHES US THAT OUR GOD LIGHTS THE WAY OF THE FAITHFUL.   AS WE CONSIDER THESE THOUGHTS, LET’S JOIN IN OUR FIRST SONG OF PRAISE THIS DAY WHICH REMINDS US OF THIS VERY WONDROUS TRUTH.  WON’T YOU JOIN IN SONG TO GOD, AS WE TOGETHER SING, “WALKING IN SUNLIGHT!” <br> <br>

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS<br> <br>

      IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, WE SEE MANY EXAMPLES FROM THE PROPHETS OF THOSE WHO CONTINUED TO REJECT GOD.  OVER AND OVER, WE SEE THESE MEN OF GOD REBUKING HIS PEOPLE, BECAUSE OF THEIR WICKEDNESS AND DESIRE TO BE LIKE OTHER NATIONS.  THE GREAT PROPHET JEREMIAH ALSO SHARED IN THIS BURDENSOME RESPONSIBILITY, AS HE SPEAKS OF THE SPIRITUAL CONDITION OF JUDAH, PRIOR TO THE DAYS OF BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY.  IN CHAPTER 8 AND VERSE 3 OF HIS BOOK, WE SEE THAT HE PREDICTS THAT “DEATH WOULD BE CHOSEN RATHER THAN LIFE,” BY THOSE OF GOD.  IN VERSE 7, HE DECLARES THAT THEY DID NOT “KNOW THE JUDGEMENT OF THE LORD.”  THEN IN VERSE 9, JEREMIAH INDICTS THEM FOR “REJECTING THE WORD OF THE LORD.”  <br> <br>

      NOW, NOTICE WITH ME HIS WORDS IN VERSE 20 OF THE SAME CHAPTER, AS HE SUMS UP THE SITUATION.  THERE HE SAID, “THE HARVEST IS PAST, THE SUMMER IS ENDED, AND WE ARE NOT SAVED!”  THIS MAN OF GOD PERCEIVED THAT THE LORD HAD GIVEN UP ON HIS PEOPLE BECAUSE OF THEIR WICKEDNESS AND UNRIGHTEOUSNESS. <br> <br> 

      TODAY, YOU AND I SEE A SIMILAR SITUATION HAPPENING IN THE SECULAR AND RELIGIOUS WORLDS.  MANY CONTINUE TO REJECT GOD WHO ARE OUTSIDE OF HIS FOLD AND WHO WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH HIS PROMISES.  ON THE OTHER HAND, MANY IN THE RELIGIOUS WORLD CONTINUE TO REJECT GOD IN THEIR WORDS AND ACTIONS ALSO, BECAUSE THEY CONTINUE TO DO WHAT THEY WANT, RATHER THAN WHAT GOD COMMANDS.  IF WE REJECT THE WORD OF THE LORD, AS THEY DID IN JEREMIAH’S DAY, WHAT WILL OUR FATE BE?   I CAN TELL YOU, IT WILL BE THE SAME AS THOSE IN THAT DAY - “THE HARVEST WILL PASS, THE SUMMER WILL END, AND WE WILL STILL NOT BE SAVED!”  DON’T LET GOD’S HARVEST COME WITHOUT BEING A FAITHFUL CHILD OF GOD.  REMEMBERING THAT FAITHFULNESS IN GOD IS SHOWN BY OUR OBEDIENCE - JESUS SAID, “IF YOU LOVE ME, KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS,” JOHN 14:15! <br> <br>

      THIS MORNING WE WILL CONTINUE OUR STUDY TOGETHER ENTITLED, “I PRAY THAT YOUR LOVE MAY ABOUND STILL MORE AND MORE.”  OUR SPECIFIC TOPIC TODAY WILL BE “LOVE FOR THE TRUTH.”  SO STAY WITH US AND AFTER OUR NEXT SONG I WILL LEAD OUR LESSON THOUGHTS OF THE MORNING.  NOW LET’S JOIN IN OUR SECOND SONG OF THE MORNING, AS WE GLORIFY GOD OUR CREATOR.  THE NAME OF THIS HYMN IS “TRUST AND OBEY.” <br> <br>



LESSON <br> <br>

RAY SULLINS<br> <br>

      THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CONTINUING WITH US THIS DAY AS WE NOW GO TO GOD'S WORD AND LOOK AT ANOTHER LESSON IN RELATIONSHIP TO OUR STUDY IN CONNECTION TO WHAT PAUL TOLD THE PHILIPPIAN CHURCH - THAT THEIR LOVE SHOULD GROW MORE AND MORE IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. AND SO AS WE THINK ABOUT GOD AND THOSE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GOD, WHAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH THROUGHOUT THIS SERIES IS TO KNOW WHAT ARE THOSE AREAS THAT WE NEED TO GROW IN LOVE - EVEN MORE AND MORE IN. SUCH AS, LAST WEEK, LOOKING AT THE LOVE THAT WE HAVE FOR GOD HIMSELF. CERTAINLY OUR LOVE FOR GOD SHOULD GROW MORE AND MORE EVERY DAY AS WE KNOW MORE ABOUT GOD AND WE'RE MORE OBEDIENT TO HIS WILL. TODAY WE'LL LOOK AT THE NEED THAT WE HAVE TO ENCOURAGE OTHERS BUT ALSO OURSELVES TO BE THE EXAMPLE OF ALLOWING OUR LOVE FOR THE TRUTH TO GROW MORE AND MORE. <br> <br>

      YOU KNOW, WE LIVE IN A WORLD SOMETIMES THAT DOESN'T SEEM TOO INTERESTED IN RIGHT AND WRONG AND KNOWING WHAT TRUTH OR WHAT REALLY IS RIGHT IN RELATIONSHIP TO GOD IS. AND WE KNOW THAT BECAUSE WHEN WE LOOK AT THE LIVES OF EVEN SOME WHO CLAIM TO BE RELIGIOUS THEY REALLY DON'T DO WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS AND THEY DO A LOT OF THINGS THAT REALLY THEY LIKE OR THEY FEEL GOOD ABOUT RATHER THAN REALLY WHAT GOD COMMANDS IN HIS WORD - THE BIBLE. AND SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE TRUTH OF GOD AND WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THE TRUTH IS THEN PERHAPS WE MIGHT HAVE A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE TRUTH BEING FROM GOD. THEREFORE, THE NEED WE HAVE TO LOVE THE TRUTH. NOT JUST SOMEWHAT BUT EVEN MORE AND MORE AS WE GROW IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD EVERY DAY. I'M REMINDED OF A STATEMENT THAT THE GREAT WISE MAN SAID BACK IN PROVERBS THERE IN THE 23RD CHAPTER AND IN THE 23RD VERSE. HE SAYS THIS, “BUY THE TRUTH AND DO NOT SELL IT.” HE CERTAINLY INDICATES TO US HERE SOMETHING OF GREAT POSSESSION OR WORTH. IN FACT, IN LIFE AREN'T THERE TIMES THAT WE GO AND WE WANT TO BUY SOMETHING BECAUSE WE REALLY LIKE THAT THING OR WE COLLECT THOSE THINGS AND WE COLLECT THEM AND WE HAVE THEM - THEY HAVE GREAT VALUE TO US. WE DON'T EVEN WANT TO SELL IT SOMETIMES FOR ALMOST ANY AMOUNT. WE WANT TO HOLD ON. WE WANT TO KEEP THOSE THINGS THAT ARE PRECIOUS TO US. SO HERE HE MENTIONED SOMETHING THAT WE WILL BUY OR SHOULD DESIRE TO BUY THAT WE'LL NEVER SELL. WE DON'T WANT TO SELL. KIND OF MAKES ME THINK OF SOME OF THE STORIES THAT JESUS TOLD IN THE PARABLES. LIKE THAT MAN WHO WENT AND BOUGHT THAT FIELD BECAUSE HE KNEW THE TREASURE WAS THERE. OR THAT INDIVIDUAL WHO SAW A PEARL OF GREAT PRICE AND HE SOLD ALL THAT HE HAD THAT HE MIGHT WHAT? THAT HE MIGHT OBTAIN AND HAVE THAT ONE PRECIOUS PEARL. <br> <br>

      YOU SEE, THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE SHOULD BUY THAT ARE OF THE SPIRITUAL NATURE - THAT ARE SO DEAR AND PRECIOUS, THAT ONCE WE BUY THEM, WE SHOULD NOT SELL THEM. BUT EVEN HERE THE WISE MAN INDICATES THAT THAT TRUTH IS ATTACHED TO SOMETHING. HE SAYS THAT WE SHOULD ALSO BUY WISDOM AND INSTRUCTION AND UNDERSTANDING. YOU SEE THE TRUTH IS THE ABILITY TO KNOW NOT ONLY WHAT GOD HAS SAID BUT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS RIGHT ACCORDING TO GOD'S WILL. AND THEREFORE, OBEY WHAT GOD HAS ASKED OF US. THAT'S WHY, AS WE BEGAN TO MOVE OVER INTO THE NEW TESTAMENT, WE BEGIN TO SEE THAT EVEN IN THE VERY WORDS OF JESUS HIMSELF AS HE WAS ON THE EARTH THAT HE BEGAN TO DECLARE WHAT IT WAS TRULY THAT THE TRUTH OF GOD WAS. IN FACT, IN JOHN 17 AND VERSE 17 WE FIND THERE THIS STATEMENT IN THE WORDS OF JESUS. HE SAYS, “SANCTIFY THEM BY YOUR TRUTH.” WHY? “FOR YOUR WORD IS TRUE.” SO IF GOD'S WORD IS TRUE AND TRUTH IS GIVEN BY GOD THROUGH HIS WORD, WHAT DOES THAT TELL US? IT MEANS THAT TRUTH IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND. THAT WE CAN KNOW. IN OTHER WORDS, GOD, IN HIS WORD, TELLS US WHAT IS RIGHT - WE CAN READ IT - WE CAN UNDERSTAND IT AND, FINALLY, WE CAN OBEY IT. <br> <br>

      NO WONDER IN THE SAME BOOK BACK IN CHAPTER 8 OF JOHN WE FIND THAT THIS IS SAID ABOUT TRUTH IN VERSE 32. HE SAYS, “AND YOU SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH AND THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE.” WELL - SOME PEOPLE SAY, “WELL, YOU KNOW THE TRUTH REALLY ISN'T....” DON'T TELL ME THE TRUTH REALLY ISN'T THE WORD OF GOD WHEN JESUS HAS ALREADY SAID IN JOHN 17:17, “YOUR WORD THE WORD IS TRUTH.” AND THEN IN THE SAME TEXT HERE OF JOHN IN VERSE 31, JESUS ACTUALLY HAD SAID TO THOSE JEWS THAT BELIEVED IN HIM, “IF YOU ABIDE IN MY WORD,” MY WORD - THE WORD OF JESUS, “YOU ARE MY DISCIPLES.” AND THEN IN THE SAME BREATH HE SAYS, “FOR YOU SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH.” WHERE DO WE LEARN THE TRUTH? THE WORD. IF YOU KNOW THE WORD AND YOU OBEY THE WORD YOU, YOU ARE MY DISCIPLES. THEREFORE, YOU SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH AND THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE. YOU SEE, THAT FREEDOM - THAT SALVATION - THAT CONCEPT IN THE SAME TEXT DOWN IN VERSE 36 THAT WHEN YOU KNOW THE SON, THE SON CAN MAKE YOU FREE AND HE CAN MAKE YOU FREE INDEED! COMPLETELY! HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE? BECAUSE THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD WE CANNOT ONLY KNOW GOD BUT THE WILL OF GOD WHICH IS THE TRUTH FOUND IN THE WORD, WHAT IS RIGHT BY THE WORD OF GOD, ACCORDING TO THE WORD OF GOD, AND THEN WE ARE ABLE TO FIND SALVATION IN SUCH THINGS. <br> <br>

      WELL, THAT THEN LEADS US OVER TO ANOTHER VERSE THAT I THINK WILL HELP US TREMENDOUSLY IN SEEING NOT ONLY THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TRUTH BUT WHY WE SHOULD LOVE THE TRUTH - AND THAT'S IN EPHESIANS CHAPTER 1. IN EPHESIANS CHAPTER 1 THERE IN VERSE 13 AFTER HE HAS MADE MENTION OF SO MANY THINGS THAT PERTAIN TO WHAT REALLY TRUE CHRISTIANITY IS, THE FACT THAT WE HAVE BEEN ADOPTED BY CHRIST, THAT WE ARE TRYING TO BE THE PERFECT MEN AND WOMEN OF GOD LIVING UP TO THAT STATURE, THAT FULLNESS THAT HE HAS SET, REDEEMED BY HIM. ALL THOSE THINGS HAVE ALREADY BEEN COVERED. AND THEN WHEN HE GETS DOWN TO VERSE 13, NOTICE NOW WHAT PAUL REVEALS THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT. HE SAID IN HIM, JESUS, YOU HAVE TRUSTED AFTER YOU HEARD THE WORD OF TRUTH. NOW, THINK ABOUT THAT FOR A MOMENT - YOU TRUSTED IN JESUS AND YOU HAVE WHAT? BECOME ADOPTED CHILDREN. YOU HAVE BECOME THE SAINTS, THOSE WHO ARE IMITATORS REDEEMED BY HIM - AND HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE? BECAUSE YOU TRUSTED IN THE VERY THING YOU HEARD WHICH WAS THE WORD. THE WORD OF WHAT? NOT JUST THE WORD BUT THE WORD OF TRUTH. IN THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE BOTH OF THESE WORDS - WORD AND TRUTH - HAVE ARTICLES IN FRONT OF THEM. THAT MEANS THE TEXT ACTUALLY SAYS, “THE WORD OF TRUTH.” IT MEANS NOT JUST ANY WORD, NOT JUST ANY TRUTH, BUT THE WORD, THE TRUTH. OF WHAT? THAT TRUST WAS PLACED IN. AND THEN IN THE SAME VERSE HE SAYS, “HAVING BELIEVED AND BEEN SAVED.” YOU MEAN THE WORD OF TRUTH SAVES? CERTAINLY IT DOES! BUT THERE'S ANOTHER WORD THAT IS FOUND HERE I WANT TO ALSO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION. IT SAYS, “IN HIM YOU ALSO TRUSTED AFTER YOU HEARD THE WORD OF TRUTH, THE GOSPEL, OF YOUR SALVATION.” THE WORD OF TRUTH, THE GOSPEL. AGAIN, THERE'S AN ARTICLE IN FRONT OF THE WORD GOSPEL WHICH MEANS NOT JUST ANY GOOD NEWS BUT THE GOOD NEWS OF SALVATION. SO THE WORD OF TRUTH...THE WORD OF THE TRUTH IS THE GOSPEL OF WHAT? SALVATION. AS THE GOSPEL SAVES, THE WORD SAVES, THE TRUTH SAVES - FOR THEY ARE ALL ONE IN THE SAME. INDICATING TO US THE WILL OF GOD, WHAT IS RIGHT ACCORDING TO GOD IN HIS WORD - THE BIBLE - THAT WE MIGHT KNOW IT AND, AS THIS TEXT INDICATES, THAT WE MIGHT BELIEVE OR TRUST IN THAT WORD. WHICH MEANS WE RESPOND TO IT. WE ACT UPON IT. WE DO WHAT GOD ASKS US TO DO. <br> <br>

      SO WITH THAT THOUGHT IN MIND THEN WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW SIGNIFICANT IT IS THAT WE KNOW THE WORD OF TRUTH, THE GOSPEL. FOR THE GOSPEL CAN DO WHAT? SAVE - ACCORDING TO EPHESIANS 1:13. THIS ISN'T SOMETHING STRANGE BECAUSE WE GO OVER TO THE BOOK OF ROMANS AND IN ROMANS CHAPTER 1 VERSE 16 WHAT DO WE LEARN THERE? THAT THE GOSPEL IS THE POWER OF GOD UNDER SALVATION. NOT JUST ANY GOOD NEWS -BUT THE GOOD NEWS OF GOD IS THE POWER OF SALVATION. THE SAME THING THAT HE SAYS IN EPHESIANS CHAPTER 1 VERSE 13. BUT IN EPHESIANS CHAPTER 1 VERSE 13 WE SAW THAT THE GOSPEL OF SALVATION WAS EQUAL TO THAT MESSAGE OF THE GOOD NEWS, WHICH WAS THE WORD OF TRUTH. SO CAN THE WORD OF GOD SAVE YOU? CERTAINLY YES! CAN THE TRUTH OF GOD SAVE YOU OR FREE YOU? YES, ACCORDING TO JESUS AND WHAT WE'VE READ. AND CAN THE GOSPEL SAVE YOU? YES! WHY? BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL ONE IN THE SAME. THE WORD OF GOD IS THE VERY TRUTH OF GOD! THE GOOD NEWS OF SALVATION, THAT IF WE CAN WHAT? IF WE CAN'T TRUST IN IT AND STRIVE TO BELIEVE AND OBEY IT WE WILL BE FOUND AS GOD'S FAITHFUL. AND WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FAITHFUL. THE FAITHFUL ARE REWARDED. THE FAITHFUL ARE BLESSED. <br> <br>

      PETER, ANOTHER AUTHOR LED OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, GIVES US THE SAME TRUTH. AND I ALWAYS THINK IT'S GOOD TO SEE THAT, NOT ONLY ONE INSPIRED WRITER, BUT MULTIPLE INSPIRED WRITERS INDICATE THE SAME TRUTH. AND SO WHEN WE GO INTO THE BOOK OF FIRST PETER AND CHAPTER 1 - I WANT YOU TO NOTICE WITH ME WHAT HE BEGINS TO SAY IN VERSE 22 AS HE SPEAKS ABOUT SOMETHING THAT IS ABLE TO PURIFY OUR SOULS, YOUR SOUL, AND MY SOUL. AND CERTAINLY WE WOULD ALL AGREE THAT THE THING ONE MUST DO IN ORDER TO BECOME A CHRISTIAN BESIDES GENERAL OBEDIENCE IS TO PURIFY THE SOUL, TO STRIVE TO MAKE OUR SOULS, OUR HEARTS, OUR LIVES, OUR WORDS LIKENED TO OR IN ALIGNMENT WITH GOD. AND SO HERE HE SAYS IN VERSE 22, “YOU HAVE PURIFIED YOUR SOUL IN (OR BY),” HEAR IT, “OBEYING THE TRUTH.” NOTHING ELSE BUT THE TRUTH. AGAIN THERE'S AN ARTICLE THERE. NOT JUST ANY TRUTH. NOT JUST ANYTHING THAT IS RIGHT BUT THAT WHICH IS RIGHT FROM GOD. WHAT IS RIGHT FROM GOD? THE WORD OF GOD THAT LEADS TO SALVATION. WHAT OTHER THING FROM GOD WOULD LEAD TO SALVATION THAN WHAT HE HAS GIVEN US WHICH HAS BEEN CLARIFIED THROUGH HIS SON, THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND WRITTEN IN HIS BOOK THE BIBLE? SO PURIFYING YOUR SOULS, HOW? BY OBEYING THE TRUTH. BUT HE DOESN'T STOP THERE. IF YOU'LL DROP DOWN HE TALKS ABOUT HOW THAT THE INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS OBEYED THE TRUTH TO PURIFY THEIR HEART HAS, “BEEN BORN AGAIN, NOT OF CORRUPTIBLE SEED BUT OF INCORRUPTIBLE.” HOW AND BY WHAT? HE THEN SAYS, “(BY AND) THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD THAT LIVES AND ABIDES FOREVER.” HOW OFTEN IS THE WORD OF GOD DESCRIBED AS SOMETHING AS LIVING AND ABIDING FOREVER AND THAT IS ALIVE? OFTEN THROUGHOUT THE SCRIPTURE. SO THE WORD OF GOD IS THAT TRUTH OF GOD - THAT GOSPEL - THAT WE OBEY TO PURIFY OUR SOULS THAT WE MIGHT BE WHAT? OF THE INCORRUPTIBLE OF GOD. INCORRUPTIBLE SEED BORN AGAIN OF JESUS CHRIST. HE DOESN'T STOP THERE. HE GOES ON IN VERSE 24 TO TALK ABOUT THE FACT OF HOW THE GLORY OF MAN WILL FADE. THEREFORE, YOU NEED TO TURN TO GOD. BUT HOW DO WE TURN TO GOD? VERSE 25 SAYS, “THE WORD OF GOD ENDURES FOREVER.” HE SAYS THINGS OF THIS WORLD, THE FLESH, THE TENT THAT WE ARE HOUSED IN, IT ALL FADES. BUT THE WORD OF GOD, NOT JUST ANY WORD, THE WORD OF GOD, THE WORD OF THE GOD ABIDES FOREVER! BUT THEN IF YOU'LL LOOK DOWN IN THE LATTER PART OF VERSE 25 HE SAYS, “NOW THIS IS THE WORD WHICH BY THE GOSPEL WAS PREACHED TO YOU. THE GOOD NEWS WAS PREACHED TO YOU THAT WHICH WAS HERALDED FORTH. OH, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL THOUGHT. OH, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL THING TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE BY GOD HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO NOT ONLY KNOW SOMETHING BUT TO BE ESTABLISHED IN SOMETHING SO THAT WE MIGHT BE HIS FAITHFUL CHILDREN HAVING RESPONDED TO WHAT HE REVEALED IN HIS WORD THE TRUTH, THE GOSPEL, THAT WE MIGHT NOT ONLY KNOW BUT RESPOND TO IT. <br> <br>

      THEREFORE, HAVING OBEYED PURIFYING OUR SOULS, TRUSTING IN IT, AND AS WE ALSO SAW BEING ONE WHO HAS BELIEVED UNTO ACTION, THAT IS FAITH, THE IDEA OF YOU AND I BEING WILLING TO PUT OUR ACTIONS WHERE OUR MOUTH IS. IN OTHER WORDS, NOT JUST SPEAKING ABOUT GOD, NOT JUST SAYING THAT WE LOVE GOD, AND NOT JUST CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT THERE IS A GOD BUT DOING WHAT GOD SAID. AND SO AGAIN WE UNDERSTAND JUST HOW BEAUTIFUL THE TRUTH OF WHAT GOD'S WORD IS. <br> <br>

      NOW ALL THESE THINGS BEING TRUE WE HAVE TO ASK THE QUESTION - THEN, HOW MUCH SHOULD WE LOVE THE TRUTH? WELL, SOME PEOPLE TODAY SAY, “WELL, YOU KNOW THIS BOOK IS NOT THAT IMPORTANT. YOU CAN STILL KNOW GOD AND LOVE GOD AND YOU CAN GET ALL THE FEELINGS OF WHATEVER YOU WANT AND YOU SIT THAT BOOK SOMEWHERE AND YOU DO AWAY WITH THAT BOOK AND YOU DON'T WORRY WITH THAT BOOK BECAUSE THAT'S NOT REALLY WHAT IT'S ABOUT.” WELL IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT BOOK HOW ELSE ARE YOU GOING TO KNOW GOD AND THE WILL OF GOD? HOW ELSE ARE YOU GOING TO PURIFY YOUR SOUL OR BELIEVE IN THAT WHICH YOU ARE ABLE TO TRUST IN OTHER THAN KNOWING THE WORD OF GOD? THIS IS THE BOOK. THIS WAS THE PLAN OF GOD TO GIVE US THAT ABILITY TO KNOW THE TRUTH. SO IF YOU LOVE GOD, WHICH CERTAINLY I THINK WE WOULD PROBABLY FOR THE MOST PART ALL AGREE, THAT WE LOVE HIM AND SHOULD GROW MORE AND MORE IN THAT LOVE. HOW MUCH MORE SHOULD WE LOVE THE MESSAGE THAT HE GAVE, THE TRUTH, THE GOSPEL, THAT HE HAS GIVEN US THAT WE MIGHT KNOW HIM AND OBEY UNTO SALVATION? WELL I WOULD SAY THAT LOVE FOR THE WORD, THE TRUTH, IS PARAMOUNT! BECAUSE IT'S THAT TRUTH AS I GO TO THE BOOK OF GENESIS WHERE I LEARNED WHERE EVERYTHING CAME FROM OR CAME ABOUT TO BE IN EXISTENCE. IT'S FROM THAT BOOK THAT I LEARNED FROM ALL THE BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLES OF THE FAITHFUL OF GOD ALL OVER THE DIFFERENT AGES WHO ARE FOUND FAITHFUL BECAUSE THEY OBEYED BY FAITH WHAT GOD REQUIRED. IT'S IN THAT BOOK THAT I LEARNED WHAT IT IS THAT I SHOULD NOT DO BECAUSE THERE WERE TIMES THOSE WHO FAILED GOD AND THEREFORE REJECTED HIS WORD. REJECTED HIS TRUTH. AND THEREFORE, ONCE AGAIN WE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE PUNISHED BY GOD. YOU SEE, IT'S WITHIN THAT TRUTH ITSELF THAT I FIND THAT GUIDANCE AND STRENGTH AND ENCOURAGEMENT AND THAT ABILITY TO KNOW GOD AND THAT HOPE AND THAT REWARD. BUT IT'S WITHIN THAT TRUTH THAT I'M ABLE TO RESPOND IN A RIGHTEOUS WAY TO DO WHAT IT IS THAT GOD ASKED OF ME IN THIS LIFE. THAT I ULTIMATELY MIGHT HAVE THAT WHICH IS PROMISED IN THE LIFE TO COME. <br> <br>

      YOU SEE, THAT WORD THAT ABIDES FOREVER IS SOMETHING THAT I CAN COUNT ON. SOMETHING THAT I KNOW WILL NOT CHANGE. SOMETHING THAT, WHEN I RESPOND TO IT, I KNOW THAT GOD WILL ALWAYS DO WHAT HE HAS PROMISED. THEREFORE, GIVING ME WHAT HE HAS PROMISED IN THIS LIFE AND THE LIFE TO COME. SO I CHALLENGE US ALL THIS DAY - KNOWING THE TRUTH OF GOD'S WORD THAT WE NOT ONLY RESPECT IT BUT THAT WE LOVE THE TRUTH. THAT WE BUY THE TRUTH. THAT WE NEVER SELL THE TRUTH. FROM WITHIN THE TRUTH OF GOD THERE IS SALVATION! <br> <br>



CLOSING COMMENTS<br> <br>

      THANK YOU AGAIN FOR CHOOSING TO BE WITH US TODAY, IN GIVING THIS TIME TO GOD.  I HOPE IT HAS BEEN AN ENCOURAGEMENT AND BLESSING TO ALL OF US.  WE INVITE YOU BACK EVERY SUNDAY MORNING AT 7:30 AS WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO THIS SERVICE OF GOD!  <br> <br>

      IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN HELP YOU WITH?  LET ME ASK YOU 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:  

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      THANK BE FOR GOD FOR HIS SAVING TRUTH, WHICH WE ARE ABLE TO KNOW AND WHICH IS ABLE TO BRING US SALVATION THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. HAVE YOU RESPONDED TO THE PRECIOUS TRUTH OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR?  IF NOT, OBEY GOD’S COMMANDS TODAY!<br> <br>