Brother Gary Sunday Morning 8/25/13

Brother Gary Sunday Morning 8/25/13

Heb 6:1  Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

Therefore – whenever you see this word it is building on the foundation of something that has already been said.  I’m not going to go back to chapter one and read through but in Hebrews five verse 6 through 10, God ordained that Jesus Christ be the High Priest forever.  He has an unchangeable priesthood.

Heb 5:11  Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.

“Dear Hebrews, I have a lot of things that I would like to talk to you about but you have become dull of hearing.” 

How did they become this way?  How did the thrill of worship become lost? 

They probably had gone only so far and then either drew a line or became distracted and didn’t go forward. 

He said, “It is important that you mature to the position that you are able to teach.  It is unfortunate that you are not able to and are back to needing milk again. 

Individuals that don’t go on to perfection become a prisoner.

Heb 5:12  For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

Heb 5:13  For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

Heb 5:14  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

People often become a prisoner to self: in bondage to themselves, or to others or to whatever it might be.

Strong meat belongs to those that are of a full age. 

The experience of losing to win!  Every one of us has experienced the benefit of God saying, “My son or daughter there is some measuring that I want you to do.”  When we looked at what He was asking we knew that this was going to cost us something. 

In view of what God was dealing with us on, He came back and said, “It is time that you give up some things that I am not pleased with.” 

God says, “Gary it is time that you grow up.  You are not Doris’ and Helice’s little baby any more.  It is time that you mature.”  We find that it is as the songwriter wrote, “I lost it all to gain everything.” 

The Hebrews were experiencing the thought of God saying, “I am glad that you came to me; I want to begin a work in your life.

Full age brings us to a place of discerning that we must lose to win.  By reason of use we can have our senses exercised to discern both good and evil.  It brings us to a place of discerning what is profitable for the Body of Christ.  We are all members one of another.  No man lives to himself and no man dies to himself.  There is the head Jesus Christ and every one of us is a member in particular.

Every one of us hungers and thirsts after righteousness and God deals with us.  I still remember praying at the old church, “God I want to be genuine.”  That is a normal experience for everyone that is past being forgiven: past their sins being forgiven and cast into the depths of the sea. 

After we experience this wonderful experience we have the desire, “I want to be genuine.”  God tells us, “Son there are some things that are not good for you.”  God deals with us to lay aside things in our lives that are unprofitable to us. 

Discern what is evil:  there are things that affect us negatively spiritually.  We realize that God wants us to be thankful so when we feel that we want to complain then we realize, “Every time I complain I feel bad on the inside.” 

We are glad to be in Montana but even in Montana everything isn’t perfect.  Spiritually there are things that we discern, “Too much of this isn’t good for me.  I need to separate myself from that which produces leanness in my soul.”

Heb 6:1  Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

Speaking of Jesus:

Heb 5:9  And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

Eternity begins when we get saved.  Eternal salvation!  Salvation means:  deliverance, help, safety, victory, and health.

Christ is the author of eternal salvation.  Let us go forward spiritually.  However high you have gone spiritually I congratulate you.  Go on to perfection which means full growth. 

After being saved the Word teaches us to be baptized.  It is a representation that I am dying out to that old life.  I am rising to a newness of life.  The baptism is plural.  We must be baptized in the Holy Ghost and ask God to take out the nature that leads us back to sin.  He cleanses us and removes the nature so that we can serve Him.

There is the laying on of hands for healing, the laying on of hands for a special work.  George Muler after about fifty years of working in an orphanage and other places felt burdened to let someone else take over that work and to become a missionary. 

If God calls, it doesn’t matter what your age or strength.  In my view the mission field is really close to this area.  You cannot drive through the agency without having a burden for souls.

When God lays a calling and that individual qualifies for that calling, we want to qualify for what God has called you to.  If there is a still small voice calling you then when the full consecration has been made then there is the laying on of hands.

There is the resurrection and then the eternal final judgment.

Speaking of leaving the principals and going on to perfection:

Heb 6:7  For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:

This is in the natural and it is true: the dew has a marvelous affect on the things that grow in the earth.  There is more to it.  We are earthen vessels.  We have this treasure in an earthen vessel.  When the seed of the Word of God is planted into this earthen vessel and the water of the Word of God falls gently on our soul.   We are to bear forth fruit to perfection.

That which bears thorns and briars is rejected.  The cares of life will crowd out the things of God.  The love of pleasure will do the same.  God must come first.  We enjoy many of the blessings of living life in Western Montana. 

The deceitfulness of riches: one thing I have learned about living is that money is just a tool.  I was taught this by Brother Turnbow and my parents.  As a boy I was a very selfish individual and had not time for anyone but myself.  I would put the money that I made mowing lawns into a sock and wouldn’t share with anyone.  God spoke to my heart, “I want you to give your life to me.”

Being rich didn’t buy Frank peace and contentment.  We don’t know where his money went Bob dug around a bit and looked in the attic.  Al Gephardt made a book of the ‘best of everything’.  He had the best of everything.  He brought out the book and began leafing through it to show me the best of everything and he told me, “That doesn’t satisfy.”

The lust of other things entering in:  whatever would try to enter your life and cause a thorn to choke the things of God out of your life.

Heb 6:8  But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.

Heb 6:9  But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.

Paul had confidence in this thought.  There were those to whom this epistle was addressed that desired the better things than accompanied the briars and thorns. 

Walking the spirit:  if we walk in the Spirit let us also live in the Spirit.  You can walk with God and with the Holy Spirit of God.

1Co 9:27  But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Being able to control our emotions and keep our body under accompanies salvation.  We need to get the door shut so that the plague of flies cannot get into the secret closet of prayer. 

We had two flies in our house this week and Karen said, “I must find a fly swatter.”  We hardly finished eating and Karen told me, “That has to go to the laundry because...  The fly swatter was found and you know the rest of the story.

When you begin to pray and seek God and call upon God and enter into the closet, when you get down to pray your mind doesn’t just always focus on prayer.  When you try to pray a swarm of flies comes in, anything to distract.  We must get the door shut and keep our body under.  We must reach the place where we can control our thoughts.  We need to pray.

The wonderful privilege:  All of us are enjoying the journey of traveling with God’s family.  “Sweeter gets the journey every day.  Serving Jesus really pays.” 

“My God and I go in the fields together.  We walk and talk as good friends should and do.  We clasp our hands our voices join in laughter… “

It is wonderful to travel with God and His Spirit and to have friends to travel with. 

Things that accompany salvation:

Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Gal 5:23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

It is a wonderful thing to know the Love of God. 

Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

To think that He loved me enough to send His only begotten Son!  We are so blessed to have the company of His Son as we travel.

How many people in the world that are not saved have peace?  “There is no peace to the wicked saith my Lord.”  It is a wonderful thing to have peace.  I ran onto a man that was looking for a property corner.  He and his wife were thinking of buying 20 to 40 acres and he said, “I am looking for peace.” 

 

There is only one place to find peace.  Jesus Christ is the author of peace.  Peace with our past, peace with the present (God will take care of it), and peace with the future.  I love to think of Jesus and His disciples, He was always going before him. 

Peter was in prison and God had the right situation set up for his deliverance.  Paul and Silas were in prison and there was the right jailor on staff.

Longsuffering:  It is wonderful to not be hasty and rash.  It is wonderful that even if everything isn’t perfect is that you are willing to suffer long.  God has suffered long with us and our family has.

Gentleness is beautiful.  It is wonderful when someone that is gentle trains a younger.  It is wonderful when you have someone older than you that is gentle.  Not everyone that comes through the doors is gentle; it is wonderful that you can be gentle.  That is a fruit of the spirit.  It is wonderful when people are gentle to us as we age. 

As I age I have a hearing problem.  I’m trying to find a nice way to say, “Could you look directly at me when you speak.”  If they do that then I can usually hear.  Don’t you love it when someone is gentle with you?

Faith traveling with faith:  Living by faith accompanies salvation.  Humility or meekness is beautiful.  It is beautiful to be clothed with humility.

Temperance:  it is wonderful to have a balance in our life.

God placed the members in the body.

1Co 12:18  But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

It is wonderful that Christ is the head.  Everyone that is saved is one of the members in the body as it pleases him.

1Co 12:23  And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.

No one around here is dealt with as just the janitor or just the teacher that teaches the little children, or just the one that mows the lawn.  That is just those two sisters that look for the screwdriver and pliers to fix those things that we brothers don’t get to.  Everyone in the body is active.

One thing I’ve noticed about doctors is in times of funerals weddings and heartaches they stand in a special position waiting for someone to come to them.  I thought, “What is wrong with this picture, shouldn’t they be reaching out to try to comfort the family.”

I am just a country pastor; I don’t expect everyone to run up to me and try to shake my hand.  Every one of us should have the same care for each one.  Don’t stand around waiting for everyone to run to you, have the same care one to another.

1Co 12:25  That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.

We drive old Toyotas.  I was talking to a Toyota salesman and told him that I have a ’90 two wheel drive Toyota.  Someone in this congregation told me, “I don’t want to buy a Toyota they last too long.”  That is fine.  We don’t all have to be the same.  You can have a horse and buggy and we will fix a place to tie them up. 

No schism.  We will not all drink the same coffee.  No schism.  There may be different styles of music.  Brother Rick plays classical, Sister Sue plays Sister Maxwell’s style, and Brother Peters plays the guitar and sings at the same time.  No schism.

Have the same care one to another.  It doesn’t matter who gets the zucchini.  We have the same care one to another. 

1Co 12:26  And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

One of our members is suffering, we know it, and we suffer too.  You get a promotion we are excited.  You get a new baby and we are excited.  You get to go on a trip and we are excited.

1Co 12:27  Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

1Co 12:28  And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

1Co 12:29  Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?

1Co 12:30  Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?

1Co 12:31  But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

Then He goes into Chatper 13 verse 1 and speaks of charity.

1Co 13:1  Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

1Co 13:2  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

1Co 13:3  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Go onto perfection, full growth, and maturity.

In Exodus 6:9 the children of Israel did not discern the call of God when they were in Egyptian of bondage because of anguish of spirit.  There are times when things happen that you are hurt so bad that your spirit feels pain and anguish.  They couldn’t hear what God was telling Moses because of anguish of spirit.

Life will put every one of us there.  Pain deeper than words can express: God isn’t finding fault with you for that.  When that pain keeps you from hearing His voice and all you hear is the pain, it is vital that you say, “God I must get a hold of you and hear from you lest this pain brings me to the place that I become dull of hearing, because now I am not hearing but only feeling pain.”

Whatever God is speaking to you about:  I serve a God of challenges.  He always is challenging us, not condemning us but challenging us.  If you have experienced pain, some don’t tell others about their pain others stop you on the street to tell you.  You don’t need to express your pain to any but God.  You understand the Children of Israel that couldn’t hear because they were in pain. 

If you are like my friend that told me, “Everyday I regret what I have done.”  Whatever the story, as you go you must grow.  If you allow your pain to bring you to full growth you will not be warped but may be as Brother Naylor that wrote “the secret of the singing heart.”