>>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 men's questions in need. 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.

>>The Apostle Paul once proclaimed, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Ephesians 6:10. Are you strong in the Lord on this his glorious day? Thank you for choosing to be with us today for The living Word program. And let me just say how excited I am that you have given this time to God, your creator, that you might participate in the things of God to thus be found pleasing in his sight. We are glad that you are joining us for this time as we have gathered to sing songs of praise, and also to study from his perfect word. I hope we'll each do our own part to make what we do acceptable and pleasing to our creator. But for now as we begin our offering to God, will you bow with me before his throne in prayer? Our God and Father in Heaven, we are so thankful for this, another day of life, the great privilege that we have to be called children, and to know how much you have loved us to call us children. And Father, we ask this day, that you will help us to focus on you and you alone and to give you our very best, that we may worship you in spirit and truth. And ultimately, that we might be found pleasing in your sight, by doing those things that you have asked in a proper way. And we thank you for the gift of Jesus and we know that it is only through His wondrous act that we today are found justified in this life. But ultimately, that we'll be found justified in the life to come eternally with you. And Father, we thank you, that you are a great and loving and merciful God, and in the name of Jesus we pray, Amen. Have you gone a few days without taking a bath? Certainly, we have all missed our weekly bath so-to-speak before and we might begin to smell fairly quickly. Well, this morning, we want to begin with a song of praise, a hymn that talks about another kind of cleansing that is required in a spiritual sense. So, won't you join in with the congregation at this time, as we sing about the power that is in the blood. ♪ Would you be free from the burden of sin ♪ ♪ There's power in the blood ♪ ♪ Power in the blood ♪ ♪ Would you o'er evil a victory win ♪ ♪ There's wonderful power in the blood ♪ ♪ There is power ♪ ♪ Power ♪ ♪ Wonder working power ♪ ♪ In the blood ♪ ♪ Of the Lamb ♪ ♪ There is power ♪ ♪ Power ♪ ♪ Wonder working power ♪ ♪ In the precious blood of the Lamb ♪ ♪ Would you be free from your passion and pride ♪ ♪ There's power in the blood ♪ ♪ Power in the blood ♪ ♪ Come for a cleansing ♪ ♪ To Calvary's tide ♪ ♪ There's wonderful power in the blood ♪ ♪ There is power ♪ ♪ Power ♪ ♪ Wonder working power ♪ ♪ In the blood ♪ ♪ In the blood ♪ ♪ Of the Lamb ♪ ♪ Of the Lamb ♪ ♪ There is power ♪ ♪ Power ♪ ♪ Wonder working power ♪ ♪ In the precious blood of the Lamb. ♪ ♪ Would you do service for Jesus your King ♪ ♪ There's power in the blood ♪ ♪ Power in the blood ♪ ♪ Would you live daily ♪ ♪ His praises to sing ♪ ♪ There's wonderful power in the blood ♪ ♪ There is power ♪ ♪ Power ♪ ♪ Wonder working power ♪ ♪ In the blood ♪ ♪ In the blood ♪ ♪ Of the Lamb ♪ ♪ Of the Lamb ♪ ♪ There is power ♪ ♪ Power ♪ ♪ Wonder working power ♪ ♪ In the precious blood of the Lamb ♪

>>Have you ever had to do something that you really didn't want to? Well, if you are alive and breathing this morning, we've all been in that situation. Whether it was something that our parents told us to do or something that a friend talked to us, talked, rather, us into, we've all done things that we really didn't want to do. With this in mind, I think of some words which Jesus spoke. In Mark 14:36, consider these words with me when Jesus said, "Abba Father, all things are possible for you, "but take this cup away from me." Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done. You see, Jesus here was praying to his father in heaven, when he asked that he not have to go through the suffering of the cross, and the cruel death of Calvary. Notice here that Jesus was asking his father to take away this cup, or even the event from ever happening. Now then we read perhaps something that is even more precious and instructive in the words that Jesus said. He went onto proclaim, "Nevertheless, not what I will but what you will." You see, Jesus knew that life and the things of it are really not about what we want and desire, but rather about what God commands, what he desires. Wow, what a important but tough lesson. It's not about my will, but the will of the Father in Heaven. Now, how many of us really understand this, and actually practice it? Isn't it hard sometimes? But we learn here that God expects us to do what he wants, when he wants it, and how he wants it. If we could ever learn this lesson and put it into practice daily, how much more pleasing we could be in the sight of our creator. Have you submitted to the perfect will of God today and are you striving to pick and choose the things that he likes, rather than picking and choosing what you like? Why not choose today to obey God fully and realize that life is about God's will and not our own. By doing so, realizing that we'll be blessed now, and as well blessed eternally. Today, our specific top of focus will again be on our series, "Meditate On These Things". Our next and final lesson of the series is entitled, "Meditate On That Which Saves". So, please continue with us this morning, and then after our next song together, I will return and lead this study from God's word. But for now, let's join in the second song of the morning. The name of the hymn, "I'll Live For Him". ♪ My life My Love ♪ ♪ I give to Thee ♪ ♪ Thou Lamb of God ♪ ♪ Who died for me ♪ ♪ O may I ever faithful be ♪ ♪ My Savior and my God ♪ ♪ I'll live for Him ♪ ♪ Who died for me ♪ ♪ How happy then ♪ ♪ My life shall be ♪ ♪ I'll live for Him ♪ ♪ Who died for me ♪ ♪ My Savior and my God ♪ ♪ I now believe ♪ ♪ Thou dost receive ♪ ♪ For thou hast died ♪ ♪ That I might live ♪ ♪ And now henceforth ♪ ♪ I'll trust in Thee ♪ ♪ My savior and my God ♪ ♪ I'll live for Him ♪ ♪ Who died for me ♪ ♪ How happy then ♪ ♪ My life shall be ♪ ♪ I'll live for Him ♪ ♪ Who died for me ♪ ♪ My Savior and my God ♪ ♪ O thou who died ♪ ♪ On Calvary ♪ ♪ To save my soul ♪ ♪ And make me free ♪ ♪ I'll consecrate ♪ ♪ My life to Thee ♪ ♪ My Savior and my God ♪ ♪ I'll live for Him ♪ ♪ Who died for me ♪ ♪ How happy then ♪ ♪ My life shall be ♪ ♪ I'll live for Him ♪ ♪ Who died for me ♪ ♪ My Savior and my God ♪

>>We're so glad you've continued with us this day as we now have really concluded our overall series in relationship to the things that we should meditate on in our daily Christian lives, and know that we are to achieve the goal of striving to meditate on things that help us to be morally excellent and to strive to accomplish what the bible there refers to as a praise worthiness. And certainly when we do that, we know there were many benefits as we've been seeing together even last week, the idea of God's peace that is ultimately with us and his grace and love and mercy. And certainly when we get it right, God showers us with his blessings. Certainly, I see certain, I see certainly rather, has promised from the beginning and has even shown us time and time again in the many faithful of the word of God that we read about, not only in the Old Testament but also in the New Testament. And as is our custom usually near the end of a series, what we like to always return to or to end with, is the idea really of things that pertain to salvation. After we have tried to challenge you for several months to think about what God requires or different types of characteristics or different types of attitudes that we can work on or how that we might be better lights in this world or that we might demonstrate more the love of God or how we might again, meditate as we have seen on the things that are pure and lovely and good report, and so on and so forth. Then we always wanna come back and take a maybe a check, an inventory of self, and make sure that first and foremost, we are true followers of God. I'm afraid so many in the world have a skewed idea of really what it is to be a follower of God, and maybe the fact is that well, as long as I believe there is a God, not even the God, but a God, or somebody might say, well, I was raised in religion and therefore I believe there's a God so that's good enough, that's what really I have to do. And then, another person might say, well, I gotta give God a little bit more, so I'm gonna go to church a few times a year and I'm gonna see what I can get away with. And then we've got people who are very diligent and who might go every week, and are involved in different ways in church, but then they're not living right in respect to maybe some of the things that they're hiding or not living in relationship to the things of God. And so, we've got such a wide spectrum we might say of really confusion that is being taught and lived out, and people practicing their own godliness and their own concept of my kinda church or what I think the church is like or how I can practice my own kinds of worship. Well, again, the idea is is what does God want? And one of the simplest truths that is really taught throughout the New Testament, is the idea of what someone is required to do in order to be saved. We can really go back to the very beginning and we know that in the beginning, even after the sin in the garden, God gave man a plan, a plan of redemption to overcome such things, and we ultimately know that all those things would be brought to a full culmination when Jesus died and shed his blood on the cross. But we find that under the patriarch period, under the mosaic period, and then under the Christian age when Jesus had finally died and shed his blood, we see the new covenant, the Law of Christ being enacted. And it was at that point that we even know according to Acts 20:28, that Jesus said, "I have purchased the church." "I have purchased the church." And that is in relationship to what he actually been prophesying himself and saying even back in the Book of Matthew 16. Even then, he was saying, "I will build my church." And then interestingly enough, when we get to the Book of Acts 2, it says on the Day of Pentecost, that those people who responded and obeyed God and did what he asked, and therefore were saved, it says those people were being added, guess what, verse 47 of Acts 2, says to the church. And then how interesting that in Acts later we find as we've just made reference to, that how are they being added to the church. Well, through the blood of Christ and the church was an institution that had been purchased, Acts 20:28, with that blood. So, I would say that if the blood of Jesus was shed to enact the new covenant, the new covenant's very important, if the blood of Jesus was shed to purchase a church, a kingdom that we're a part of today under the new covenant or law, I'd say that's pretty important. And so, the question that I would begin to ask, is although I might know and believe in God, how or what do I have to do to be in that kingdom or in that church? I don't just travel somewhere else in the world and I go to another nation that has, and I just say, I'm gonna be a part of this kingdom, make me a part, I'm gonna be a citizen of this kingdom. Well, if you wanna be a citizen of another country, or to submit to another kingdom, what do you have to do? Well, you usually have a process, requirements that you have to meet, and things that you would have to submit to in order to be what? Become a citizen or one who has submitted to that kingdom and therefore recognized as such. Why would it be different spiritually? You see, there's something obviously that has to be known or believed or acted upon in order that someone migth be a part of the kingdom or added to a kingdom upon their completion of the process for adoption. That's another idea that is given in the scriptures. And we know that somebody doesn't just go and say, well, I'm going to adopt this child, and then it's over, because they said it. No, that doesn't matter. They have to go through a process, they have to have legal representation, they have to before courts and judges, and they have to fulfill all the requirements of that process before finally the gavel comes down and they say that is your child. That is now by law your child. That child is now a legal part of your family. A legal part of your kingdom. The same way someone might choose to become a United States citizen and go through a process. Well, spiritually, that's what we find. And today, I wanted to look in Acts 8, because there are a lot of examples of the conversions of many people throughout the Book of Acts. But I like Acts 8 because here we have a man who really was not a Hebrew, he wasn't necessarily raised in what we would say the Hebrew ways or the Laws of Judaism, or the will according to the Jewish ways. But what we find is that he is described to us as a proselyte. He was a man who was an Ethiopian, he was an African. And he had learned no doubt most likely because of his access to the treasuries of the Queen, and great messages and books and archives that would've gave him access to scrolls like Isaiah that he's reading from. I mean, in that day to have the Scroll of Isaiah in your chariot and to read from it, kinda tells ya who the man was, what kinda acess he had, and certainly the position that he had. And so, this man is there, and he's already a believer, he's already a proselyte, he's actually traveled to Jerusalem to worship God according to the old Jewish ways. So, there's obviously a demonstration of faith and a believe in God, and he's doing some things according to what are right based on his knowledge. So, what is it that God says? Well, let's leave the eunuchs alone. Let's forget the eunuch because he's already a believer. He's already a believer under the old law and he's getting it right and he's doing a pretty good job, and so we'll just save him under the old law. What did Jesus, the Spirit of God, and God the Father do? As we begin to read there in verse 26, it says that an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, and Philip is actually introduced to us earlier in the book around chapters five and six, as one of those individuals who had the Holy Spirit and were chosen to go out and to do the work, the things of God. And we see that he was accomplishing that task well and so as he was chosen, he goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza and there as he is on that road, who does he meet? None other than who the spirit sent him to, the Ethiopian eunuch. Let me ask you a question. Because the eunuch was already a believer in God and already practicing the ways of the old law, why did God send Philip if he was okay under the old law? You see the point? He sends Philip because he needed to understand that there was a new redeemer, that there were new requirements, that there were new things that he should do in order to be saved. And so, when Philip now comes toward the eunuch and Philip begins to address him, it's very interesting what happens, because it is the Spirit of God, verse 29 itself, that tells him to go and to stop the chariot. And when the chariot stops, as it says he has run to him, he asked the eunuch a question. He says, do you understand what you're reading? And what is he reading from? The Prophet Isaiah. And the eunuch says something very interesting. How can I accept someone should guide me. And so, then what does Philip do? He joins him in the chariot and he begins to speak or preach to him from the very scripture of Isaiah that is being read by the eunuch. And guess what he begins to preach; well the text tells us clearly here what he begins to preach, because if we were to drop down to verse 35, it says, "And from the same opening, "he opens his mouth "and he preaches Jesus to him." And at that moment there, verses 32-33, where it says that Jesus was like that sheep led to the slaughter, in silence before the sheer, and we know there that Jesus what? He lived, he was put on the cross, he died, he was buried, and yet rose again. And so, he wants to know who this man is, and Philip preaches to him about Jesus, not about Moses, not about the old law, because why? The eunuch needs to know what the new covenant requires of him in order to be saved. Now, in all this preaching that's going on, they're riding the chariot, and he's telling him about Jesus, and of all things that the eunuch could say, well then, I wanna accept Jesus into my heart and pray and be saved. No. Well, I just wanna continue to follow Moses and be saved. No, that's not what he said. I want you to notice actually what he says as they go along, verse 36. It says, "And now as they were going down the road, "they came to some water". And the eunuch didn't say those things, but he said, oh here's water, what hinders me from being baptized? Do you think he had to believe? Yes, we're gonna see the confession in just a moment. Do you think he had to repent? Yes, Jesus said unless you repent, you'll perish. But what does he seem to connect as he puts the dots together? Here is water, I wanna be baptized now. Why? Because it is a part of my opportunity to be added to the church or the kingdom. And so, here's the question that Philip asked him, he says, "I wanna be baptized", and Philip says to him in verse 37, "If you believe with all of your heart, you may." And then eunuch makes the great confession, "I believe that Jesus is the Son of God." You see, the confession, the willingness to submit to God, the what it is to repent of sin, and the desire to what? Here is water, what hinders me from being baptized? And in verse 38, notice what happens. Philip says, well, next month, we're gonna have a baptism and you come and we're gonna baptize you. Or in a week from now, meet me in a certain place and then you're gonna get baptized to join the church. No. Here is water, what hinders me? Immediately, verse 38, the eunuch commanded the chariot to stand still, and Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and he baptized him. And it says, when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away, but the eunuch went on. Why did the eunuch go on his way rejoicing? Because he had just confessed Jesus, he had just repented sin, he had just left all the old dead man behind to become a new creation, and he was a part of the church, and by God Almighty himself, the Kingdom of God. Don't you know that was an exciting day? Haven't you witnessed that yourself? I know in my life, I've had such a great privilege and preaching the Gospel and being able to witness those who obey the Gospel. And when they make that beautiful confession and they repent of their sins and when they are buried in that watery grave of baptism, Romans 6, and when they rise out, the smile on their face, the joy on their face, the laughter in their hearts and their excitement, their enthusiasm, their zeal, because they know, they know they are now a faithful child of God. They know they are now a part of the Kingdom. They know they are now a part of the family of God. And they understand clearly that they have been added by God to a fold of believers that is only available when we do what God says and we accomplish his will according to his specific purpose. So, I challenge you, as I always challenge you, today, obey God, not man, don't be a follower of men and the ways of men and the things of men, except they be of or from God. But go back to the book like Philip did, like the eunuch did. And when you read what God wants, obey God's will knowing that those who love God obey his commandments. And those who obey his commandments are recipients of blessings today, but the great news is, also recipients of eternal reward in heaven someday. ♪ What'er do in word or deed ♪ ♪ Do all in the name of the Lord ♪ ♪ Do naught in name of man or creed ♪ ♪ Do all in the name of the Lord ♪ ♪ Do all in His name ♪ ♪ Do all in the name of the Lord ♪ ♪ In word or deed ♪ ♪ As God decreed ♪ ♪ Do all in the name of the Lord ♪ ♪ Be not deceived by worldly greed ♪ ♪ Do all in the name of the Lord ♪ ♪ The Spirit says ♪ ♪ In word or deed ♪ ♪ Do all in the name of the Lord ♪ ♪ Do all in His name ♪ ♪ Do all in the name of the Lord ♪ ♪ In word or deed ♪ ♪ As God decreed ♪ ♪ Do all in the name of the Lord ♪ ♪ Till toils and labors ♪ ♪ Here are done ♪ ♪ Do all in the name of the Lord ♪ ♪ Dear Christian friends ♪ ♪ If you'd be one ♪ ♪ Do all in the name of the Lord ♪ ♪ Do all in His name ♪ ♪ Do all in the name of the Lord ♪ ♪ In word or creed ♪ ♪ As God decreed ♪ ♪ Do all in the name of the Lord ♪

>>Again, let me thank you for choosing to be with us this day, and I hope our time together has been a blessing and encouragement to us all. Remember that we gather every Lord's day morning at 7:30, that we might give this time of offering and service to our God, so please always join us. But for now, let me ask you if you have any questions or comments about today's lesson. Maybe you'd like a free transcript or free CD or DVD of the program. Or possibly we could assist you with free bible materials or free bible correspondents courses. No matter what your need is, please feel free to contact us at the following address. The Living Word 2540 N. Kanas Expressway, Springfield, Missouri, 65803. Many of these items are also available on our website. That address, thelivingwordprogram.com, or if you prefer you may call us at 417-869-2284. The question of the day is, have you responded to what the bible says is required onto salvation and eternal life? Not according to what men say but according to what God says in his word and as delivered by example. Well, if not, why not obey God today, and do what he commands, that you might be added to the church by God and become a child of his.

>>Our prayer is to help the world know more about God through this television program. The Living Word has been brought to you under the elders of the Kansas Expressway Church of Christ in Springfield, Missouri, with the assistance of the following area Churches of Christ.