THE LIVING WORD TRANSCRIPT
PROGRAM AIR DATE: 12-19-2021
LESSON TITLE: HE WHO LOVES LIFE – THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE ON THE RIGHTEOUS
WELCOME
THE PSALMIST ONCE PROCLAIMED, "SOME TRUST IN CHARIOTS, AND SOME IN HORSES, BUT WE WILL REMEMBER THE NAME OF OUR LORD GOD." HOW EXCITING IT IS TO HAVE YOU WITH US ON THIS WONDROUS LORD'S DAY AS WE AS WELL REMEMBER OUR LORD GOD. AND AS WE STRIVE TO KNOW OUR GOD AND OBEY HIM, MY PRAYER IS THAT WE ARE ALL PUTTING HIM FIRST AND FOREMOST IN OUR LIVES. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US ON THIS THE LORD'S DAY DURING SUCH A SPECIAL TIME OF THE YEAR AND WE ARE THANKFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE TO ASSEMBLE BEFORE GOD'S THRONE AND TO STUDY GOD'S LIVING WORD. IT IS MY PRAYER THAT WE WILL ALL DO OUR BEST THIS DAY, AS EVERY DAY, TO ACCOMPLISH THOSE THINGS THAT ARE ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD, AND ULTIMATELY TO DO HIS ETERNAL PURPOSE. WON'T YOU, THEN, DO YOUR PART THIS MORNING TO TRULY OFFER PRAISE AND WORSHIP THAT IS ACCORDING TO THE TRUTH OF GOD'S WORD, AND THEREFORE BE FOUND ACCEPTABLE FOR THAT WE DO ALL IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH, JUST AS GOD COMMANDS. AND WE DO THESE THINGS AND AS WE BEGIN OUR WORSHIP TO GOD THIS DAY, LET ME ASK YOU TO BOW WITH ME BEFORE HIS THRONE IN PRAYER.
PRAYER: OUR GOD AND FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE ARE SO THANKFUL FOR THIS DAY AND EVERY DAY OF LIFE. WE'RE THANKFUL FOR THE PRIVILEGE THAT WE HAVE TO BE CALLED YOUR CHILDREN AND TO BE SERVANTS IN OUR KINGDOM. AND FATHER, WE ASK THIS DAY THAT YOU WILL HELP US TO GROW TOGETHER IN YOUR WORD, THAT WE MIGHT BETTER EQUIP OURSELVES TO BE LABORERS AND TO ACCOMPLISH YOUR PURPOSE, AND ULTIMATELY, FATHER, KNOWING THAT WHEN WE DO WHAT YOU HAVE ASKED, WE ARE FOUND FAITHFUL AND AS THE FAITHFUL, WE WILL RECEIVE THE REWARD. FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR CHRIST, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE ONLY IN AND THROUGH HIS HOLY NAME. AND IT'S IN JESUS' NAME WE PRAY, AMEN.
LET'S JOIN TOGETHER IN OUR FIRST SONG OF THE MORNING, A HYMN THAT REMINDS US OF THE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE TO BE A PART OF GOD'S KINGDOM. SO WON'T YOU JOIN IN WITH THE CONGREGATION AT THIS TIME AS WE SING TOGETHER "I LOVE THY KINGDOM, LORD"?
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
THERE ARE SEVERAL WORDS FOUND IN THE BIBLE THAT ARE USED AND SHARPLY CONTRASTED AGAINST ONE ANOTHER IN THE SCRIPTURE: FAITH AND SIGHT. IN FACT, WHAT WE FIND IN SECOND CORINTHIANS CHAPTER FIVE AND VERSE SEVEN IS PAUL SAYING, "FOR WE WALK BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT." I'M AFRAID THAT MANY IN OUR DAY AND TIME DO NOT REALLY UNDERSTAND THE FACT THAT WE ARE THOSE WHO NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT FAITH IS AND THE TRUE FACT THAT FAITH IS IN GOD, AND ON THOSE THINGS, CERTAINLY, THAT ARE ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD. SOME PEOPLE ONLY THINK ABOUT SIGHT, BUT WHAT DOES FAITH REALLY MEAN? TO UNDERSTAND OUR DISCUSSION MORE, WE MIGHT CONSIDER THE DEFINITION OF FAITH THAT IS GIVEN IN HEBREWS CHAPTER 11 AND VERSE ONE. THERE GOD SAYS, "NOW FAITH IS THE SUBSTANCE "OF THINGS HOPED FOR, AND THE EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN." SOUNDS FAMILIAR, DOESN'T IT? FOR FAITH IS FOUNDED IN THOSE THINGS THAT WE REALLY HOPE AND DESIRE AS PROMISED BY GOD. AND THEY ARE REAL AND THEY ARE SOMETHING THAT HAVE, AS WE READ HERE, SUBSTANCE. HOWEVER, THE REALITY IS THAT THE THINGS WE OFTEN HOPE FOR, LIKE GOD'S PROMISES AND EVEN HEAVEN, ARE THINGS THAT WE ACTUALLY CANNOT SEE. YOU SEE THE EVIDENCE, WHICH CONFIRMS OUR FAITH, OR EVIDENCE IS SOMETIMES THAT ARE ACTUALLY NOT VISIBLE. WE KNOW GOD AND WE BELIEVE IN GOD, BUT HAVE WE EVER SEEN HIM WITH OUR PHYSICAL EYE? ANOTHER VERSE THAT WOULD HELP US WITH THIS IS FOUND IN SECOND CORINTHIANS CHAPTER FOUR AND VERSE 18. PAUL GOES ON TO SAY, "WHILE WE DO NOT LOOK AT THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE SEEN, BUT AT THE THINGS WHICH ARE NOT SEEN. FOR THE THINGS WHICH ARE SEEN ARE TEMPORARY, BUT THE THINGS WHICH ARE NOT SEEN ARE ETERNAL." AGAIN, WE HAVE THIS SAME FACT PROCLAIMED. AS THOSE WHO LOVE GOD AND BELIEVE IN GOD, WE ARE NOT LOOKING FOR THE VISIBLE THINGS THAT ARE SIMPLY TEMPORARY OR PASSING AWAY. RATHER, AS GOD'S CHILDREN, WE ARE LOOKING TOWARD THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE NOT SEEN, AND ARE ACTUALLY OF A SPIRITUAL NATURE. THUS BEING OF A SPIRITUAL NATURE, THEY ARE ETERNAL AND APPLY TO THE THINGS OF GOD. SO SEE, WE HAVE A CLEAR DISTINCTION HERE BETWEEN GOD'S WILL AND THE THINGS OF THE SPIRIT AND THE THINGS OF THE FLESH. ON THE OTHER HAND, WE ALSO SEE BY SIGHT THE WORLD THAT WE LIVE IN, BUT IT IS TEMPORARY AND WILL EVENTUALLY PASS AWAY. SO WE HAVE TO ASK THE QUESTION, WHAT TYPE OF FAITH DO WE HAVE? IS IT A FAITH BASED ON THE INVISIBLE PROOFS FROM GOD'S WORD, WHICH ARE FULLY CONFIRMED ACCORDING TO WHAT GOD HAS DONE, WHAT HE HAS PROCLAIMED AND EVEN THE WILL THAT HE HAS GIVEN US OR DO WE HAVE A FAITH THAT IS ONLY BASED ON WHAT WE SEE, AND UNFORTUNATELY, THOSE THINGS THAT ARE PASSING? A FAITH EVEN THAT IS VERY SHAKEN OR WAVERING OR MOVING ABOUT, CERTAINLY THESE WOULD REPRESENT A FAITH THAT IS BASED ON VISIBLE AND PASSING THINGS. SO LET ME CHALLENGE US ALL THIS DAY TO CHOOSE TODAY TO BE FOUNDED IN THE THINGS OF GOD AND TO HAVE A FAITH WHICH IS NOT SEEN EXACTLY AS OUR GOD HAS COMMANDED.
AS FAR AS OUR MAIN STUDY OF THE DAY, WE'LL BE CONTINUING OUR DISCUSSION ENTITLED, "HE WHO WOULD LOVE LIFE." OUR SPECIFIC LESSON OF THE MORNING WILL DEAL WITH THE TRUTH THAT THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE ON THE RIGHTEOUS. SO PLEASE STAY WITH US THIS MORNING AND AFTER OUR NEXT SONG TOGETHER, WE WILL BE LED IN THE MAIN THOUGHTS OF THE DAY. AS FAR AS OUR GUEST SPEAKER THIS MORNING, WE'RE HAPPY TO AGAIN HAVE BROTHER TREY SULLINS WITH US. BROTHER TREY IS THE MINISTER FOR THE OMAHA CHURCH OF CHRIST IN OMAHA, ARKANSAS. AND WE THANK HIM FOR JOINING US, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO HIM LEADING OUR THOUGHTS FROM GOD'S WORD AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME. BUT FOR NOW, LET'S JOIN TOGETHER IN THE SECOND SONG OF THE MORNING, THE NAME OF THE HYMN, "HOW SHALL THE YOUNG SECURE THEIR HEARTS?"
LESSON
BY TREY SULLINS
GOOD MORNING, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AGAIN WITH US ON THIS LORD'S DAY. IT IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY ALWAYS WHENEVER WE CAN BE TOGETHER, WHENEVER WE CAN STUDY FROM GOD'S WORD AND LOOK INTO THE THINGS THAT HE HAS GIVEN US TO KNOW RIGHT HERE IN HIS WORD. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AGAIN, IT'S ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO DO THESE THINGS. OUR PARTICULAR STUDY OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS, AND OUR THEME HAS BEEN REVOLVING AROUND HE WHO LOVES LIFE. AND THIS TIME WE'RE LOOKING FROM FIRST PETER CHAPTER THREE AND IN VERSE 12. CHAPTER THREE THERE AND REALLY A LOT OF FIRST PETER BEING SORT OF OUR THEME. BUT IN VERSE 12 THERE IS A PARTICULAR PASSAGE WHICH SHOWS US ONE OF THE GREAT REASONS WHY WE OUGHT TO LOVE LIFE. AND BEFORE WE GET TO THAT PASSAGE IN FIRST PETER CHAPTER THREE VERSE 12, AS PARTICULAR STATEMENT THAT WAS MADE BY A PSYCHOLOGIST ONE TIME WAS THAT IF MORE PEOPLE WOULD READ THE BIBLE, HE SAID THAT 70% OF HIS CLIENTS WOULD PROBABLY NOT EXIST. IN OTHER WORDS, HE WOULDN'T HAVE THOSE PEOPLE AS CLIENTS, BECAUSE THEY WOULD LOOK AT LIFE IN A DIFFERENT WAY, HAVING A BETTER OUTLOOK THAT CAUSED THEM TO BE MORE JOYOUS AND MORE HAPPY, LOVE LIFE MORE. IN FIRST PETER CHAPTER THREE VERSE 12, THE BIBLE SAYS, "FOR THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE ON THE RIGHTEOUS, AND HIS EARS ARE OPEN TO THEIR PRAYERS, BUT THE FACE OF THE LORD IS AGAINST THOSE WHO DO EVIL." AND THAT'S GOING TO BE OUR MAIN FOCUS HERE FOR THIS PORTION OF OUR STUDY. NOW PARTICULARLY THE FIRST PORTION OF THAT VERSE, THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE ON THE RIGHTEOUS AND HIS EARS ARE OPEN TO THEIR PRAYERS, THAT'S THE PART THAT WE WANNA FOCUS ON. THAT LATTER PART THERE IS ALSO A GOOD THING TO REMEMBER, THOUGH. AND SO FIRST, WE WANNA BREAK THIS DOWN. THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE ON THE RIGHTEOUS. NOW YOU THINK ABOUT WHENEVER YOU WERE YOUNGER AS A CHILD, IT WAS A GOOD THING THAT THE EYES OF YOUR PARENTS WERE ON YOU, BECAUSE THEY WERE TAKING CARE OF YOU, THEY WERE GIVING YOU THE THINGS THAT YOU NEEDED, THEY WERE TEACHING YOU THE THINGS THAT YOU NEEDED TO KNOW. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU MAY NOT HAVE ALWAYS APPRECIATED THAT AS A CHILD. AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO REMEMBER. WHILE THE EYES OF THE LORD BEING ON US IS A GOOD THING FOR US, SOMETIMES PEOPLE MIGHT NOT LIKE IT, BECAUSE THAT MEANS HE SEES ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE DOING. PARTICULARLY THIS PASSAGE, THOUGH, HAS THE IMPLICATION THAT THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE ON THE RIGHTEOUS, MEANING THAT HE'S WATCHING OVER THOSE WHO ARE HIS. HE'S CARING FOR THOSE WHO ARE HIS. IF YOU LOOK EVEN AT THAT SECOND PART, AND HIS EARS ARE OPEN TO THEIR PRAYERS, IN OTHER WORDS, HE'S LISTENING TO THOSE WHO ARE OFFERING TO HIM PRAYERS. HE'S LISTENING AND WATCHING OVER THOSE WHO ARE HIS PEOPLE. AND WHAT A GREAT BLESSING THAT IS TO TRULY THINK ABOUT. THE BIBLE HAS THINGS LIKE THIS ALL THROUGHOUT IT THAT SHOW US LIFE REALLY IS GOOD, NOT JUST THE SPIRITUAL LIFE, BUT THE PHYSICAL LIFE THAT WE HAVE HERE ON THIS EARTH. IT'S A GOOD THING THAT WE CAN LIVE HERE, THAT WE CAN BE HAPPY, AND THAT WE CAN ENJOY THE BLESSINGS THAT GOD HAS GIVEN US IN THIS WORLD. AND WE REALLY OUGHT TO DO THAT. THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD IN THE WORLD AND CERTAINLY THOSE THINGS COME DOWN FROM OUR HEAVENLY FATHER.
NOW OUR STUDY AT THIS TIME TAKES US TO A PARTICULAR PASSAGE IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 10 AND IN VERSE 30. YOU WANT TO THINK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT OUGHT TO SORT OF GIVE YOU THAT DEER IN THE HEADLIGHTS MOMENT. MATTHEW CHAPTER 10 AND VERSE 30 TALKS ABOUT HOW GOD KNOWS EVEN THE VERY NUMBER OF THE HAIRS OF YOUR HEAD. NOW THINK ABOUT THAT FOR A MOMENT. FOR SOME OF US, I WON'T TO INCLUDE MYSELF IN THAT, ALTHOUGH I PROBABLY SHOULD, BUT FOR SOME OF US, WE DON'T HAVE AS MANY HAIRS AS WE USED TO ON OUR HEAD. AND WHILE THEY MIGHT BE GOING DOWN, OR FOR SOME PEOPLE, YOU'RE GETTING MORE, WHATEVER THE CASE IS, GOD KNOWS THAT NUMBER. NOW HAIRS ON YOUR HEAD DOESN'T MATTER, WHAT'S THE POINT JESUS IS MAKING? HE'S SAYING GOD CARES SO MUCH, HE EVEN KNOWS THAT TINY LITTLE DETAIL THAT NO ONE CARES ABOUT. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WENT AROUND COUNTING THE HAIRS OF THE HEAD, OR ON THE HEAD OF YOUR LOVED ONES? NEVER, NOBODY'S EVER DONE THAT, BECAUSE WHO CARES? BUT GOD LOVES US SO MUCH THAT HE EVEN DOES THAT, HE EVEN KNOWS THAT. THAT'S HIS INTEREST IN US. THAT'S A BLESSING THAT WE HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY FROM GOD. THE OTHER PART TO THIS THAT WE BROUGHT UP A MOMENT AGO IS THAT HE SAYS THE RIGHTEOUS, THE EYES ARE ON THE RIGHTEOUS AND HE'S LISTENING TO THE PRAYERS OF THE RIGHTEOUS, MEANING THAT THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO BE GOD'S PEOPLE ARE THE ONES WHOM HE'S LISTENING TO. AND THAT'S A KEY THING TO REMEMBER AS WELL. WHILE GOD KNOWS EVERYTHING AND HE SEES EVERYONE, PARTICULARLY IT'S HIS PEOPLE, THOSE WHO HAVE PUT INTO ACTION THOSE THINGS THAT HE WANTS ARE THE ONES HE'S WATCHING OVER ARE THE ONES HE'S INTERESTED IN HELPING, ARE THE ONES THAT ARE IN FOCUS IN OUR STUDY THIS MORNING AND IN FOCUS FOR THIS VERSE. YOU MIGHT REMEMBER THAT LAST PART, BUT THE FACE OF THE LORD IS AGAINST THOSE WHO DO EVIL. NOTICE THE COMPARISON HERE, REALLY THE CONTRAST BETWEEN THESE TWO SIDES. ON THE ONE HALF, YOU HAVE THOSE WHO DO EVIL, THAT'S ACTION CLEARLY STATED. IT'S NOT SOMEBODY WHO JUST SITS AROUND AND THINKS, BUT SOMEBODY WHO DOES EVIL ACTION. AND THEN THE CONTRAST TO THAT IS THE RIGHTEOUS, THOSE WHO ARE RIGHTEOUS, ARE THOSE WHO DO, THOSE WHO COMMIT TO ACTION THE THINGS THAT GOD HAS TOLD US TO DO. AGAIN, THERE'S ACTION ON BOTH SIDES, BUT IT'S THOSE PEOPLE WHO DO THE GOOD THINGS THAT GOD WANTS. THIS REALLY IS A SIMPLE MATTER OF THE STUDY OF THE WORD FAITH. IN THE BIBLE THE WORD USES FAITH TO TALK ABOUT US BELIEVING IN GOD, SO THAT WE DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. JAMES CHAPTER TWO IS A GREAT PLACE TO SEE THIS. BUT WE BELIEVE IN GOD AND THEN BACK IT UP WITH THE ACTIONS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS THAT HE HAS DELIVERED TO US IN HERE. THAT'S WHERE WE WANNA BE, BECAUSE THOSE KIND OF PEOPLE ARE THE ONE THAT GOD IS LISTENING TO INTENTLY, ARE THE ONES THAT GOD IS WATCHING OVER WITH FOCUS. AND WHAT A GREAT DEAL THAT IS. NOW BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO SOME MORE PASSAGES HERE THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE TO FURTHER BACK THIS UP AND TO PROVE IT, THERE'S MANY IN THE WORLD TODAY WHO SAY, "YOU KNOW, JESUS WAS HERE 2,000 YEARS AGO, AND GOD IN THE PAST WORKED WITH PEOPLE MORE DIRECTLY AND SPOKE TO THEM AND COMMITTED ALL THESE MIRACLES TO THEM, BUT TODAY, YOU KNOW, HE'S NOT AROUND. HOW REALLY DOES HE WATCH OVER US? HOW REALLY DOES HE SEE US AND LISTEN TO US? HE DOESN'T REALLY INTERACT WITH US." WELL, THINK ABOUT THIS. THERE WAS A STORY THAT I HEARD A WHILE BACK ABOUT A FAMILY, AND IT WAS A HEARTBREAKING STORY.
A FAMILY THAT WAS MADE UP OF A HUSBAND AND A WIFE, AND THEN A YOUNG BABY THAT WAS VERY SOON TO COME. WELL SADLY, THE FATHER CAME DOWN WITH CANCER, AND AFTER A BATTLE WITH THAT CANCER FOR AWHILE, HE EVENTUALLY LOST THAT FIGHT. THIS FATHER WAS A GOOD MAN. HE TOOK CARE OF HIS BUSINESS AND DID THE THINGS THAT HE NEEDED TO DO AS THAT MAN IN THAT RELATIONSHIP, PROVIDED FOR HIS WIFE AND HIS CHILD, AND AFTER HE LEFT THIS LIFE, HE LEFT THEM WITH SO MUCH THAT THEY COULD USE TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES, NOT JUST IN INSURANCE, BUT IN HAVING ALL OF HIS AFFAIRS SET IN ORDER PROPERLY. THAT BABY SADLY WILL NEVER KNOW HIS FATHER. BUT WOULD IT BE THE CASE THAT THAT BABY IS SOME DAY GOING TO SAY, "BECAUSE I NEVER SAW MY FATHER, HE NEVER DID ANYTHING FOR ME"? OF COURSE NOT. THAT BABY'S ENTIRE EXISTENCE WAS CAPABLE AND POSSIBLE BECAUSE THAT FATHER HAD HIS BUSINESS TAKEN CARE OF. IT'S A SAD STORY, BUT IT REALLY HELPS US TO SEE THE SAME THING IS THE CASE WITH US. YOU SEE, GOD DOES THINGS DIFFERENTLY NOWADAYS. AS IN TIMES PAST, HE SPOKE TO THE FATHERS AND THEN SPOKE TO THE PROPHETS TO SPEAK TO US, THAT'S WHAT HEBREWS CHAPTER ONE SAYS, BUT IN THESE LAST DAYS, HE SPEAKS TO US THROUGH HIS SON. AND HIS SON BROUGHT US THIS WORD. GOD DOES TRULY CARE. WE KNOW THAT, BECAUSE THINK OF ALL THE THINGS THAT HE HAS DONE FOR US, EVEN BEFORE WE EXISTED ON THIS PLANET. HE BROUGHT US HIS SON. HIS SON DIED FOR US, SO THAT WE MIGHT HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR SALVATION. HIS SON BROUGHT THE WORD, THE WILL OF THE FATHER, SO THAT WE CAN FOLLOW AND DO WHAT HE SAYS TO GET BACK TO HIM SOME DAY. HIS SON SET UP THE CHURCH THAT WE MIGHT BE A PART OF, SO THAT WE CAN MAKE IT IN THAT CHURCH TO HIM SOMEDAY. ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS AND WE COULD KEEP GOING AND GOING. BUT TO THOSE WHO SAY, "GOD DOESN'T SHOW US HIS LOVE, HIS CARE TODAY," IT'S SIMPLY NOT THE CASE. HE'S DONE SO MUCH. AND BEYOND EVEN THAT, GOD WORKS IN WAYS WE DON'T UNDERSTAND PROVIDENTIALLY TO DO THINGS IN THIS WORLD STILL. AND THAT'S WHAT THE BIBLE TELLS US. SO WE BELIEVE THE BIBLE. NOW TO FURTHER LOOK AT SOME EXAMPLES OF THIS, FIRST PETER CHAPTER FIVE AND VERSE SEVEN. ONE OF MY FAVORITE PASSAGES THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE, REALLY BECAUSE THE CONTEXT IS SO POWERFUL THERE TO THINK ABOUT. IN THE CONTEXT, WHICH REALLY ISN'T OUR PURPOSE OF STUDY THIS TIME, IS TO LOOK AT ALL OF THOSE WAYS IN WHICH LIFE MIGHT COME AT YOU, WHETHER THROUGH PERSECUTIONS OR WHETHER THROUGH TEMPTATIONS. AND NOTICE WHAT HE SAYS THERE IN VERSE SIX. HE SAYS, "THEREFORE HUMBLE YOURSELVES UNDER THE MIGHTY OF GOD THAT HE MAY EXALT YOU IN DUE TIME." VERSE SEVEN, "CASTING ALL YOUR CARE UPON HIM, FOR HE CARES FOR YOU." AND THEN VERSE EIGHT IS THAT PASSAGE WE PROBABLY HEARD BEFORE, WHICH TALKS ABOUT THE ROARING LION THAT YOU NEED TO WATCH OUT FOR, THAT DEVIL WHO'S TRYING TO GET YOU TO STUMBLE, TRYING TO GET YOU TEMPTED, SO THAT YOU MIGHT DO THINGS YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO. BUT DID YOU SEE VERSE SIX AND LEADING IN TO VERSE SEVEN? HUMBLE YOURSELVES BY CASTING YOUR CARES UPON HIM IS ONE WAY IN WHICH YOU DO THAT. NOW THINK ABOUT THAT. IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT REALLY HUMBLES ME TO THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE ALMIGHTY GOD, GOD WHO CAN DO ANYTHING, GOD WHO HAS ALL POWER, WHO LOOKS AT US LIKE WE'RE JUST LITTLE TINY ANTS, OF COURSE. WE HAVE NO AUTHORITY, NO CONTROL, EVEN CLOSE TO WHAT HE HAS. AND YET HE LOOKS AT EACH ONE OF US SO MUCH SO THAT WE CAN CAST OUR CARES UPON HIM. THAT'S A GREAT THING, THAT'S A GREAT BLESSING FROM GOD, AND WE OUGHT TO REMEMBER THAT EVERY SINGLE DAY. THIS CONCEPT IS REPEATED ALL THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE. IN HEBREWS CHAPTER SEVEN AND VERSE 25, THERE'S ANOTHER PASSAGE OVER HERE, WHICH WE WILL READ. ALONG SIMILAR LINES IS THIS, TALKING ABOUT THIS GREAT HIGH PRIEST THAT WE HAVE WHO LEADS US TODAY AND WHO IS THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH THAT WE OUGHT TO BE A PART OF, THE LORD'S CHURCH FOUND IN THE BIBLE. IT SAYS THERE, HEBREWS 7:25, "THEREFORE HE IS ALSO ABLE TO SAVE TO THE UTTERMOST THOSE WHO COME TO GOD THROUGH HIM, SINCE HE ALWAYS LIVES TO MAKE INTERCESSION FOR THEM." DO YOU SEE HOW THAT'S WORDED? THAT JESUS LIVES TO MAKE INTERCESSION FOR THOSE TO COME WHO COME TO GOD THROUGH JESUS. SO IN OTHER WORDS, THOSE WHO ARE A PART OF HIS CHURCH, HE'S MAKING INTERCESSION FOR US. THAT'S A CONTINUOUS ACTION KIND OF A THING. THE BIBLE ALSO MENTIONS THE FACT OF JESUS BEING A MEDIATOR, CONSTANTLY STANDING THERE BETWEEN US AND GOD AND HELPING US COME TO HIM. IN ALL DIFFERENT WAYS, YOU JUST CONTINUALLY SEE, WE OUGHT TO LOVE LIFE SO MUCH, BECAUSE WE HAVE SUCH A GREAT BLESSING. GOD'S EYES ARE ALWAYS ON US.
HE'S ALWAYS WATCHING OVER US. THINK ABOUT EVEN IN YOUR OWN EARTHLY FAMILY, THE FAMILY THAT YOU HAVE HERE, THAT YOU'RE BORN WITH, THE ONES YOU CAN'T CHOOSE. THAT FAMILY IS WATCHING OVER YOU, YOU'RE WATCHING OVER THEM, YOU LOVE THEM, YOU CARE FOR THEM. AND THAT LOVE CAN BE SO DEEP WITH A LOT OF FAMILIES, BUT YET WITH GOD, IT'S WAY, WAY MORE. A LOVE THAT WE CAN NEVER REALLY TRULY COMPREHEND. CAN YOU IMAGINE GIVING YOUR OWN CHILD FOR THE SAKE OF THOSE WHO MIGHT EVEN NOT LIKE YOU BACK? THAT'S WHAT GOD DID FOR US. AGAIN, A CARE SO DEEP. AS WE MOVE ON NOW TO THE FINAL PARTS HERE, WANNA THINK ABOUT ONE MORE PASSAGE, OVER THERE IN SECOND TIMOTHY CHAPTER FOUR AND IN VERSE 12, SECOND TIMOTHY CHAPTER FOUR, VERSE 12. YOU SEE IN THIS PASSAGE AS WE CLOSE OUT OUR STUDY, NOTICE WITH ME THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON HERE IN THE TIME PERIOD. IN FIRST TIMOTHY CHAPTER FOUR VERSE 12, HE SAYS, "LET NO ONE DESPISE YOUR YOUTH, BUT BE AN EXAMPLE TO THE BELIEVERS IN WORD, IN CONDUCT, IN LOVE, IN SPIRIT, IN FAITH, IN PURITY. TILL I COME GIVE ATTENTION TO READING, TO EXHORTATION, AND TO DOCTRINE. AND HE CONTINUES THERE TALKING ABOUT NOT NEGLECTING THE THINGS THAT GOD HAD EVEN GIVEN TO HIM. WHAT THIS REVEALS FOR US IS THE SAME LESSON TIMOTHY WAS BEING TAUGHT. GOD'S WATCHING US. WHAT WE OUGHT TO DO IS TO MAKE SURE THAT HE IS WATCHING US AS THE RIGHTEOUS, THAT HIS EYES ARE ON US BECAUSE WE ARE RIGHTEOUS, THAT HIS EARS ARE LISTENING TO OUR PRAYERS, BECAUSE WE'RE RIGHTEOUS, BECAUSE WE'RE DOING THOSE THINGS THAT HE WOULD HAVE US TO DO. AND REALLY, THAT'S A WHOLE STUDY ON ITS OWN ABOUT THE THINGS THAT A CHRISTIAN OUGHT TO DO, THE THINGS THAT GOD TELLS US TO DO IN THE BIBLE, AND IT'S SO MANY THINGS IN THIS LIFE THAT LEAD TO THAT HEAVENLY HOME SOME DAY. BUT ULTIMATELY THE LESSON COMES BACK TO THOSE SIMPLE PASSAGES THAT WE LOOKED AT RIGHT THERE AT THE BEGINNING. FIRST PETER CHAPTER THREE, OF COURSE, VERSE 12. HIS EYES ARE ON US, HE'S LISTENING TO OUR PRAYERS. AND THEN THE FACE OF THE LORD IS AGAINST THOSE WHO DO EVIL. HE CARES SO MUCH THAT HE LOOKS AT US DIFFERENTLY THAN HE LOOKS AT THOSE WHO CHOOSE NOT TO SERVE HIM. AND THAT'S THE LOVE OF OUR FATHER, A LOVE SO DEEP THAT SOME DAY WE GET TO BE WITH HIM IN HEAVEN. IF YOU IMAGINE THAT HEAVENLY HOME AS THE BOOK OF REVELATION DESCRIBES IT, IT SAYS IT'S LIKE THIS PLACE OF IMMENSE GOLDEN JEWELRY, DESCRIBING IT IN WAYS WE CAN UNDERSTAND. HE SAYS THE LORD'S FACE IS SHINING UPON US. ALL WE NEED TO DO IS BE RIGHTEOUS AND THE EYES OF THE LORD WILL BE UPON US.
CLOSING COMMENTS
LET ME THANK YOU AGAIN FOR CHOOSING TO BE WITH US THIS DAY IN THIS OFFERING TO GOD. AND I HOPE OUR TIME TOGETHER HAS BEEN AN ENCOURAGEMENT AND A BLESSING TO US ALL. WE INVITE YOU BACK EVERY LORD'S DAY MORNING AT 7:30 AS WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO THIS WORSHIP BEFORE HIS THRONE.
BUT FOR NOW, LET ME ASK IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT TODAY'S LESSON. MAYBE YOU'D LIKE A FREE TRANSCRIPT OR A FREE CD OR DVD OF THE PROGRAM, OR POSSIBLY WE COULD ASSIST YOU WITH FREE BIBLE MATERIALS OR FREE BIBLE CORRESPONDENCE COURSES. NO MATTER WHAT YOUR NEED IS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT US AT THE FOLLOW ADDRESS:
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TRULY WE ARE BLESSED TO KNOW THAT GOD IS ALWAYS WATCHING OVER US AND CARING FOR US AS THE FAITHFUL. HOW COMFORTING IT IS TO KNOW THAT WE ARE NEVER ALONE WHEN GOD IS BY OUR SIDE. THE QUESTION IS, ARE YOU A FAITHFUL CHILD OF GOD THIS DAY? AND IF NOT, WHY NOT? PLEASE CHOOSE TO OBEY GOD FULLY EVEN NOW AND SERVE HIM FOREVER.