- ♪ Give me the Bible ♪

>>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 and need. This morning, your area churches of Christ welcome you to a program committed to that perfect law of liberty. ♪ Thy light shall guide me in the narrow way ♪

>>As we present "The Living Word". ♪ Precept and promise, law and love combining ♪ ♪ Till night shall vanish in eternal ♪

>>Now here is your host, Ray Sullins.

>>James said, "Who is wise and understanding among you? I pray that we are all striving to have the true wisdom and understanding which can only come from God, and which is according to His perfect word. Good morning and thank you for joining us for this time of offering to God, as we together join in the discussion of God's living word, and therefore striving to do those things, which are according to His perfect will revealed for us in His Word, the Bible. I hope we all will have our Bibles handy this day and that we'll be ready to worship God as we sing songs of praise and as we dig in to the text, considering what it is that God would have us to do in order that we might be found acceptable in His sight in this world in which we live. But as 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 approach Your mighty throne and we approach You with great thanksgiving and love, knowing what You have done for us not only in creating us, but in giving us all that we have physically and spiritually. And, Father, we thank You because You loved us even more by giving us and proving that love by giving us Your Son, Jesus. Father, help us this day to respond to that love by being able to show you just how much we love You by obeying Your commandments. Therefore, may we study Your Word and know what You would have us to do that we might truly be found pleasing in all things, knowing that it's more than just the blessings of this life that we will receive, but ultimately the rewards of eternal life in heaven with You someday. Father, these things we pray through Jesus' name, amen. It's now time to join in our songs of praise this day as we together sing our first hymn of the morning. So won't you join in with the congregation as we sing together, "Only A Step". ♪ Hear the sweet voice of Jesus say ♪ ♪ Come unto me, I am the way ♪ ♪ Hearken, the loving call obey ♪ ♪ Come, for He loves you so ♪ ♪ Only a step, only a step ♪ ♪ Come, for He bled for you and died ♪ ♪ He's the same loving Savior yet ♪ ♪ Jesus the Crucified ♪ ♪ Casting your heavy burden down ♪ ♪ Come to the cross, the world may frown ♪ ♪ Yet you shall wear a glorious crown ♪ ♪ When He makes up His own ♪ ♪ Only a step, only a step ♪ ♪ Come, for He bled for you and died ♪ ♪ He's the same loving Savior yet ♪ ♪ Jesus the Crucified ♪ ♪ Open for you, the pearly gate ♪ ♪ Loved ones for you now watch and wait ♪ ♪ Terrible tho't, to cry too late ♪ ♪ Jesus I come to thee ♪ ♪ Only a step, only a step ♪ ♪ Come, for He bled for you and died ♪ ♪ He's the same loving Savior yet ♪ ♪ Jesus the Crucified ♪

>>Read with me from the text found in Job chapter 28, and verse 12 this morning. There it says, "But where can wisdom be found and where is the place of understanding? Man does not know its value, nor is the value of man or the things of life found in the things of life. The deep says, 'It is not in me'; and the sea says, 'It is not in me.'" It cannot be found, the Bible says, when purchased by gold or silver or even weighed for that price, it really can't be valued in anything that we find of a fleshly nature. So what is it that we truly find is really about the value of man. Where does it come from and where does true wisdom come from? Well, certainly what we're beginning to understand even from this text and another place of the Bible is that true wisdom is in the knowledge that comes from God, the knowledge that sometimes is hidden from the eyes of all of the living and concealed even from the birds of the air. It is that knowledge again that tells us that without God we truly are nothing. And really the only thing that matters in this life is not really this life at all, but the life that is to come. Job here is dealing with such a great topic, a topic of wisdom and a topic again that shows us that we not only need to know God and the will of God, but that it has been provided for us in prosperity and in the face of adversity. What is it that God does? He reveals Himself. He reveals His knowledge and He shows us the direction to go. Notice what this great man of God also summarizes concerning wisdom. He stated that true wisdom is hard for mere men to comprehend, because its great value and worth is beyond really what we understand. He even goes so far as to compare it to all the precious stones of the earth and the most valuable things that we find on this planet. But again, the question is asked, so where does wisdom come from? The answer is obvious, one place, and that is God. The reason that proper wisdom is so great is therefore because it is founded in God, the Creator Himself, who is all-knowing and all-powerful and the God who is able to do any and everything according to His perfect will. That's why Paul and other writers in the New Testament sum up these ideas with some of the same types of words as they talk about the importance of wisdom in contrast to the passing wisdom of this world. Earlier, we even mentioned James chapter three, and verse 13, but notice with me the remainder of the words that are found in that same verse. There we read, "Who is wise and understanding among you?" But then it goes on to say, "Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in meekness of wisdom." Here, James begins to compare the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God. Then he clearly shows that the only wisdom of true benefit is that which is founded in God and eternal life. So why not consider with me today what type of wisdom that we each are striving for? Is it a wisdom of the world or is it a wisdom of God? Only one of these wisdoms will bring us true happiness today and eternally. So why not turn to God and focus on the wisdom of God through our creator today and every day until we're able to go to live with Him eternally on high? This morning we have a guest speaker with us, who is one of the ministers for the Kansas Expressway Church of Christ and a full-time instructor at the Bible Institute of Missouri, one who you know as Trey Sullins. And we are thankful that he has again joined us to lead us in the study of God's word. Today, we'll be continuing our discussion on the works of the flesh, and our specific topic of this morning will deal with heresies. So please continue with us this morning and after our next song together, Brother Trey will return and lead us in these thoughts from God's Word. As far as our name of the next song that we'll enter into at this time, sing with the brethren as we sing together, "Unto Thee O Lord". ♪ Unto Thee, O Lord ♪ ♪ Unto Thee, O Lord ♪ ♪ Do I lift up my soul ♪ ♪ Do I lift up my soul ♪ ♪ Unto Thee, O Lord ♪ ♪ Unto Thee, O Lord ♪ ♪ Do I lift up my soul ♪ ♪ Do I lift up my soul ♪ ♪ Oh my God ♪ ♪ Oh my God ♪ ♪ I trust in Thee ♪ ♪ I trust in Thee ♪ ♪ Let me not be ashamed ♪ ♪ Let not my enemies triumph over me ♪ ♪ Yea, let none that wait ♪ ♪ Yea, let none that wait ♪ ♪ On Thee be ashamed ♪ ♪ On Thee be ashamed ♪ ♪ Yea, let none that wait ♪ ♪ Yea, let none that wait ♪ ♪ On Thee be ashamed ♪ ♪ On Thee be ashamed ♪ ♪ Oh my God ♪ ♪ Oh my God ♪ ♪ I trust in Thee ♪ ♪ I trust in Thee ♪ ♪ Let me not be ashamed ♪ ♪ Let not my enemies triumph over me ♪ ♪ Remember not ♪ ♪ Remember not ♪ ♪ The sins of my youth ♪ ♪ The sins of my youth ♪ ♪ Remember not ♪ ♪ Remember not ♪ ♪ The sins of my youth ♪ ♪ The sins of my youth ♪ ♪ Oh my God ♪ ♪ Oh my God ♪ ♪ I trust in Thee ♪ ♪ I trust in Thee ♪ ♪ Let me not be ashamed ♪ ♪ Let not my enemies triumph over me ♪

>>Good morning and thank you so much for joining again with us as God's people. It's such a pleasure that we have to be able to study from His Word and to sing the songs of praise and to be His people, to worship Him as he would have us too. We've been looking at a lot of the sins of the flesh from Galatians chapter five in the last few weeks. We've come now to one of the last few that's in this list of Galatians chapter five, there in verse 20. The beginning there in verse 19 of Galatians chapter five says, "Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wraths, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies." The word heresies is what we're going to focus on now at this time as we've arrived at this word. And as we think about that word, it probably isn't a word that we use too much in our day and time and actually contextually here, if you look at the original Greek language, the word itself really has to do with the idea of disunion or even choosing sides. Today we might call it the idea of tribalism. It's this mentality that we as people sort of have in so many areas where when something starts to happen, a rough situation or problems arise, people start to break up and separate into groups so that they might confront one another and have conflict with each other. This is what heresies is by nature and it seems that typically in life, anytime those problems arise, people start to divide. Well, he said this and she said that and whose side are you gonna be on? Well, of course that's not the way that a Christian should act. A Christian should be the kind of person who seeks the truth in all matters and seeks to know exactly who's right no matter who is on whose side. It doesn't matter if your friend is here and your father is there, who cares? Ultimately, what is right is what is right. In fact, as we look throughout the scriptures and we see more of this word divided out for us and used in so many different places, we find that to be exactly the case, that as people who want to do what's right, we should never focus on who is saying what, but rather, where is the truth? Where is the right side of whatever's happening? That's where we need to be, because that's what God commands us to do, and so heresies ought to be something that we stay away from. It should also be noted here as we're talking about seeking to be people who don't divide, seeking to be people who have unity that this is not a reason or a cause to just openly accept things that aren't right. God doesn't want us as people to accept sins or condone wrong actions in the name of unity. That's not what he's saying here. And we'll look at some examples to prove that in just a moment. But what God desires is as we've said a moment ago, that He wants all of us as His people to do what's right and when we do what's right, then we're all together as His people. And when some don't want to do what's right, well, they have separated themselves from the group. And as long as everyone else stays on what's right, then there's nothing to worry about except hopefully bringing this person back in. But that is no cause, again, for staying unified for the sake of unity. God wants what's right. If you jump over here to Acts chapter 15, in verse 15, this same word is used, or rather verse five, this same word is used there in the situation that arose. And just like what we're talking about here, these people had started to divide, started to separate and faction themselves. Tribalism set in so that they were wondering, well, who's saying what and whose side am I gonna be on? Well, Acts chapter 15, verse five, look there it says, "But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up saying, 'It is necessary to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses.'" That word sect is the same word in the original language that we find in Galatians chapter 5, verse 20 as heresies, and the idea is just the same. These were Pharisees who were converted to Christ and now we're trying to bring in some of the old law of Moses into the law of Christ, and this wasn't something that God commanded. And certainly, we find in this context that that's exactly the case. They started to bind their teachings on others to create more and more of this factioning among people thinking that they were right, most likely, but yet still not doing as God would have them to do. And the matter was straightened out even in this very chapter, because of the problems that they had created. If you jump there to First Corinthians chapter 11, we find the same exact word being used again in the original language, First Corinthians chapter 11. And I want to notice here specifically what happens when people start to divide themselves. Remember how we were mentioning a moment ago that if everyone is unified on Christ, then when someone wants to do something that's not right, they are the ones who get separated. Well, that's actually exactly what happens here. First Corinthians chapter 11, verse 19, it says, "For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you." What Paul is identifying here contextually is that there was a problem going on amongst these brethren in how they handled certain acts of worship, and as the way that they handled it wasn't proper, it so revealed some of the people who were thinking wrongly on this and doing wrongly on this. And so it says that when the people divided themselves, or as this text says, that there must also be factions among you, there's our word again. Well, when these people started to do things that weren't right, it revealed them to the rest that everyone else could see. They have separated. They are the one in heresy as the word is that we're using and talking about at this time. And so we can see who's approved, we can see who is not right, which helps us then to identify: here's the person that we need to help, here's the person that we need to bring back in to doing what's right. And that's how it should be. The rest of everyone else is staying solid in God's word. And this person over here is wrong and he's not pulling anyone with him. He's not bringing followers out of what's right, because everyone else is so strong, so solid in the Word of God. Now, the problem that we know is typically the way that it goes is this person who separates himself from the group then begins to bring others and others start to, well, I like that guy so I guess I'm gonna go with him. And then all of a sudden a trickle effect of people starts to join his faction and contentions and conflict. It should never be that way. It should only be that we unite on what is good. We unite on the Word of God right here as he's told us to follow and given us exactly to follow in our lives. Now, the other thing to think about, what's the problem with this? Well, obviously, we've already identified a few things but just to outline them plainly, in Second Peter, and chapter two. There's a great passage here saying exactly why we should be wary of this sort of behavior, why we should never go after heresy, never go after tribalism but only seek what is good in God's Word. Second Peter, or Second Peter chapter two and notice there're in verse one what it says. It says, "But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them and bring on themselves swift destruction." Same exact Greek word there, heresies translated again in this text, and the idea is the same. You notice the result of these people though. These are people who snuck in to the body that was solid on God's Word, started to teach things that weren't right and the end result, as it says, they bring a swift destruction on themselves. That's not a good thing. So the next time you see somebody doing something that's not right, you don't think to yourself, "I want to join them." You ought to remember, these people are in the wrong. They need help to be pulled back out of this problem that they've created and put themselves in, too. You notice the next verse there even continues, "And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed." So not only they are into a swift destruction, but those who follow after them are into their destructive ways, and they too will face that destruction as well. That's why it's so important. You should not have the faith of somebody else. You shouldn't have the knowledge of somebody else. Your faith in Christ, which is that belief unto God which leads you to obeying Him, ought to be your own. It ought to be based upon what you know from God and His Word, the existences of His or the proofs of His existence rather, and that causes you as your own person to do what God wants you to do. You don't let anyone tell you how to follow God, but you let the scriptures tell you as God has given us His Word right there. And when your faith is your own, then these heresies will never happen, because when you see something that's wrong, you know it's wrong because the scriptures don't tell you to do it and then you can identify the problems and never follow after those things that ought not to be done. In fact, we find in First Corinthians, again, back to the Book of First Corinthians, these people seems to be having a lot of these very problems. And notice here what one thing that we can do to help us avoid these kinds of behaviors. In First Corinthians chapter one. Now, he starts off this letter to the Corinthians basically outlining and hammering this one big problem that they had, which essentially was committing heresy, which was dividing over silly things, and in this case, it's over who baptized them. That doesn't even matter, and that's what Paul's about to point out. Notice in verse 10 though, what we really wanna focus on, he says, First Corinthians chapter one, verse 10: "Now I plead with you, brethren, and by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." And the context continually will declare that same point that these people who had started to separate need to pull themselves together and unite on God's word once again. In fact, he calls out the question here in this very same context, was Paul crucified for you or did any other man die for you? Of course not. It was Christ who died. It was Christ who brought the Word and it was God who said all these things out before us and the Holy Spirit who even delivered this Word that we might still have it in our hands even today. And with all of this knowledge, we understand dividing over anything is not right unless God said it's right. We don't divide over manmade creeds. We don't divide over doctrines that people have conjured up within our own minds. We only know and stick to what's right. And when that happens, again, we find the solution that those who aren't right will be easily identified, because they don't look like this. And when they don't look like this, then we can help to see those people and help to bring those people back to what God wants them to be. You might look here even in this same context, verse 13, the one we were just referencing there says, "Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you or were you baptized in the name of Paul?" See, many times in our world today we have this idea where we think, well, Christ died for us all so we can have differing opinions. So the grace of God washes all these things away. But notice what it says here, is Christ divided? He wants us to be one. He wants us to not have these heresies. He wants us to not be separated from one another but to be unified in unity on His Word, on His teachings and on the things that He's delivered for us. So the challenge then for us is to make that a part of our lives. Make sure every day that we're solid on His Word, living for Him, and when we do that very thing, the great thing about God is we have such a blessing, a pleasure to meet Him even in heaven someday. ♪ Who at my door is standing ♪ ♪ Patiently drawing near ♪ ♪ Entrance within demanding ♪ ♪ Whose is the voice I hear ♪ ♪ Sweetly the tones are falling ♪ ♪ Open the door for me ♪ ♪ If thou wilt heed My calling ♪ ♪ I will abide with thee ♪ ♪ All through the dark hours dreary ♪ ♪ Knocking again is He ♪ ♪ Jesus, art Thou not weary ♪ ♪ Waiting so long for me ♪ ♪ Sweetly the tones are falling ♪ ♪ Open the door for me ♪ ♪ If thou wilt heed My calling ♪ ♪ I will abide with thee ♪ ♪ Door of my heart, I hasten ♪ ♪ Thee will I open wide ♪ ♪ Though He rebuke and chasten ♪ ♪ He shall with me abide ♪ ♪ Sweetly the tones are falling ♪ ♪ Open the door for me ♪ ♪ If thou wilt heed My calling ♪ ♪ I will abide with thee ♪

>>What a wondrous time we have had together to participate in the things of God. I hope we've all been encouraged through our time spent together, and please remember that you are invited to join us each and every Sunday morning at 7:30 as we gather to worship our Creator. 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 following address: The Living Word, 2540 North Kansas 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. As Christians, we must ever be aware that there are false teachers and those who might deceive us with false words in this world. The reality is heresies are real and they are everywhere. The question is who will we choose to follow and who will we choose to listen to: God and His Word or the deceivers of this world? Will you choose today?

>>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 oversight of the elders of the Kansas Expressway Church of Christ in Springfield, Missouri, with the assistance of the following area churches of Christ. ♪ To seek and save the lost ♪ ♪ Give me the Bible, Holy message shining ♪ ♪ Thy light shall guide me in the narrow way ♪ ♪ Precept and promise, law and love combining ♪ ♪ Till night shall vanish in eternal day ♪