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Good morning.

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Take your Bibles, if you will, and open them to 1 Timothy.

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We'll be continuing in our study of chapter four this morning.

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As we get started, let's begin with a work prayer.

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A gracious Father in heaven, we bow before your throne, grateful for the day that you've
granted to us, for the life that you have blessed us with, grateful for all that you do

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for us each and every day.

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Lord, we pray that as we strive diligently to grow in wisdom and knowledge and
understanding, that we might also grow in grace and mercy.

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Lord, we pray that we might be a conduit to the world around us for that grace and that
mercy that you have provided for the news and the good news of the salvation that is found

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in your Son.

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Lord, help us to be a comfort to those who are sick, to those who are injured, to those
who are

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are home bound to those who are struggling.

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Help us to always strive to do unto others as you would have us or as we would have them
do unto us.

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And even more so, may we follow your son's example and love as he loved us.

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Lord, we ask that you forgive us when we sin and fall short of your glory.

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All this we pray and ask in Jesus' name, amen.

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1 Timothy 4, Paul has told Timothy as he has summed up the things which Timothy needs to
be teaching.

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not that this is an exclusive or exhaustive list, but things that specifically address the
things that Timothy needed to be teaching there in Ephesus as he was there in and working

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with that congregation.

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He says, reject, verse seven, profane and old wise fables and exercise yourself toward
godliness.

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but for bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things,
having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come."

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If Paul is telling Timothy that godliness is required in order to achieve the life that
now is offered by God and the life that is to come offered in eternity, then what if a

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person chooses to live in ungodliness?

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They're getting the opportunity at the life that now is and the life that is to come, and
they're turning it down.

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Now is that God's fault or theirs?

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It's theirs.

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They're responsible for that.

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They're responsible for taking the message which is available to them and doing something
with it and changing their life.

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Now, will God aid them along the way if they choose to do that?

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Will God provide them the opportunity to change their life, the ability and the
information needed to change their life, or is He going to leave them in the dark and let

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them kind of figure it out on their own?

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All right?

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That's part of what the scriptures are.

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It's His aid, His tool, His guide, so that they could do that.

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But He didn't just provide them the scriptures.

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What else did God provide people who are desiring to change their lives from ungodliness
to godliness?

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His son, salvation, what?

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A way to be forgiven, something they couldn't achieve on their own, what else?

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the church, help from others.

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uh Go over to Ephesians chapter 4 because Paul writes this to the same group of people
that Timothy's working with.

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In Ephesians chapter 4,

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Paul was going to write beginning in verse 11, and he himself, Christ, gave some to be
apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers.

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for the equipping of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the
body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of

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God to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

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That we should no longer be children tossed to and fro, carried about with every wind of
doctrine by the trickery of men in cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but speaking

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the truth in love,

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up in all things into him who is the head, Christ." Christ didn't leave us to figure it
out on our own.

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He didn't leave us to our own wisdom, our own devices to figure out how to be like him.

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Paul says he gave us apostles.

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Through the apostles we received what?

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the message, the Scriptures, the authority in the first century church, that also came
through what second category that's in that list of five groups?

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Prophets.

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Did all the New Testament books come from the apostles exclusively?

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No.

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Name one that didn't originate with an apostle.

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Jude, name another one.

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potentially Hebrews, depending on who authored that.

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There's two out of the Gospels.

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Mark, Luke, Jude.

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None of those three individuals were apostles, but they were prophets.

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They were inspired directly with revelation from God to write the records and the letters
that they wrote.

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So apostles and prophets gave us this.

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But what are the other three categories?

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All right, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.

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Do we still have those today?

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Absolutely we do.

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Elders, preachers, and evangelists.

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Elders, teachers, and evangelists.

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Those are all three categories we still have today.

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Did those three categories in the first century require miraculous knowledge in order to
fulfill their roles in the first century?

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No.

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Now, could they have been aided if they had miraculous gifts of prophecy, of revelation,
of faith?

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Could they have been aided in their work if they had those things?

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But are those things qualifications to be an elder?

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No, they didn't have to have any miraculous gifts in order to be an elder.

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So, here are three roles.

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oh

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that we still have in the body of Christ that are to aid us into maturity in Christ, to
become like Christ.

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And the other two roles that involve miraculous work have their completed work right here.

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So the five things that we need in order to become like Christ through

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of the church are combined in that book and the teachers, preachers, and elders in the
church.

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That's what we need in order to become like Christ, in order not be tossed about with
every wind of doctrine.

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Now, go back to what Paul tells Timothy.

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It's worth noting that Paul writes to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4,

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before Paul writes the letter to the Ephesian brethren, because that letter's going to be
written when Paul's in prison in Rome.

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And when Paul writes 1 Timothy, he's not in prison yet, okay?

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So he's writing to Timothy when he has sent Timothy to work with the Ephesians, he's
writing Ephesians after that as a follow-up to what he had taught them through Timothy and

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through his time there.

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So notice what we read.

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He says, this is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance.

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For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who
is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe these things command and teach.

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Paul, as he writes to Timothy,

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draws out a number of things where he says, is a faithful saying and worthy of all
acceptance.

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It's a continual theme if you go back to verse 15 of chapter 1.

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Right at the beginning of this section that we were just studying and just concluded, Paul
says this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into

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the world to save sinners of whom I am chief.

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The faithful saying that's worthy of all acceptance is, Christ came into the world to save
sinners.

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This faithful saying that Paul transitions into this next section with is, for to this end
we both labor and suffer reproach because we trust the living God.

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Paul

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is writing to a minister.

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He is writing to Timothy about his ministry.

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Paul does not tell that young minister, don't worry, the road is smooth and easy and
you'll have no opposition and everything will be great.

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That is not Paul's message to a minister.

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And I think I've probably got three witnesses at least in here that that's not the School
of Preaching's message to ministers either.

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If you're going to be a minister, if you're going to be a preacher, if you're going to be
an evangelist, if you're going to be a teacher, you are not getting a smooth, carefree

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career or work.

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Doesn't matter whether you get paid for it or not.

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The reality is, Paul is telling Timothy, you are going to go through hard times.

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But as he tells Timothy that, he reminds him that this is a faithful saying and worthy of
all acceptance, for to this end we labor and suffer reproach because we trust in the

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living God who is the Savior of all men.

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He says, you're going to go through difficulties.

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You're going to suffer reproach.

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You're going to have those who stand up against you, who revile you, who say things that
are evil against you, who falsely proclaim things against you that you never did.

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And he says, and it's worth it because we trust God, and He's the only Savior mankind has.

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when we realize.

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that it is better to suffer reproach than it is to say nothing to those who are lost.

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we will stop being so bashful about bringing up the gospel.

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And this is an exhortation that begins behind me and goes to everybody in front of me,
includes me.

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There's times where you think, you know what, I don't want, it's not my place to say
something.

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Maybe it's depending on the environment.

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Maybe it's a social environment.

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Maybe it's a school environment.

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Maybe it's a work environment.

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Maybe it's a family environment.

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And you say, it's just easier if I just don't say anything.

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It may be easier, but it's certainly not better for the person who doesn't know the truth.

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Truth is uncomfortable.

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Truth is hard to deal with.

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And many will reject it.

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Many will choose not to hear it.

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Some you will provide the opportunity for them to hear it and they will say, no, I'm not
interested.

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Were there people who were uninterested in the message that Jesus had?

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Yes.

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Were there many who showed up for the miracles that Jesus did but didn't care about the
teaching that Jesus proclaimed?

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Yes.

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Jesus would confront the Jews who traveled part way around the Sea of Galilee just to meet
up with him the very next morning after he had taken a boat and he said, the only reason

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you're here is because I fed you yesterday.

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And as a result of his message, following that statement, many of them went away sorrowful
and heard him no more." So this message is too hard.

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You're going to have people in your life who they hear what the gospel says and they think
that message is too hard.

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That judgment is too legalistic.

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That gospel is too strict.

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That message is too plain.

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It's got to be more complicated than that.

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That doesn't give any opportunity for us to do what we want to do.

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Or I just believe differently.

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And there will be others who will be more like the Pharisees.

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They'll not only reject it, they'll be antagonistic to your work.

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They'll try and cause you to stumble and fall.

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They will attempt to make you the problem so they can get rid of the messenger.

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Then there will be people like Alexander in ah the coppersmith who comes along and starts
a riot just to get you out of town.

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There's been a few church members who started riots in churches to get a preacher out of
town.

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There have been a few elders that have started riots to get a preacher out.

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Not literal riots, well, a few.

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I happen to know there was a man preaching in North Arkansas back in the late 1800s, early
1900s, who was preaching in a small church building, and I've been to the church building.

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where there was a man in that community so angry with what he was preaching that that man
lit a stick of dynamite underneath the building, underneath the pulpit, and to this day no

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one knows why it did not go off.

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I happen to be kin to Joe Blue, who that happened to in Salem, Arkansas.

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Do you think that there are people who will not resort to that if the message of the
gospel is preached with boldness and plainness and clarity?

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They will in this country and they will in many other countries.

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Paul says.

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uh

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We both labor and suffer reproach.

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because we trust in the living God.

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Now, I've focused on the sufferer approach side.

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Take a moment and focus on the labor side.

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Someone says, you know, that works just, it's too involved for me.

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I don't have time for it.

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I can't possibly be effective in evangelism or in ministry.

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I don't have the right resources.

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I don't have the right skills.

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I don't have enough time.

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I don't have eloquence.

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I don't...

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What excuse do we want to insert?

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Some may say, well, you know, I can't quit my job.

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Where's there a passage anywhere in the New Testament that says you have to?

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Are there people at your job who are lost?

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If there are, your field that you want to be sowing is maybe right there.

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You don't have to quit your job to be evangelistic.

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You don't have to travel to India to be evangelistic.

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What about evangelism here?

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What about evangelism in the people you already meet?

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What about the people in your family?

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What about the children, grandchildren, grandparents, parents?

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What about the people that you already associate with?

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We labor because we trust in the living God.

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who is the Savior of all men.

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Now, some will come to this and they'll do a little bit of dissection here and say, God is
the Savior of all men, especially those who believe, which means God's gonna save

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everybody.

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Isn't that what it says?

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He's the Savior of all men.

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And isn't that what it says?

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Or is it not exactly what it says?

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Let me help you with this passage because this is one of those where it sounds like it's
saying something, but Paul says the same thing to Titus in essence and gives greater

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clarity in how it translates into the English because, by the way, this is not hard to
understand in the Greek.

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It's much harder to get in the English, okay?

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So Titus chapter two.

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uh

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Verse 11.

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For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to who?

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To all men.

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God's grace that brings salvation has appeared to all men.

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Does that mean that all men will be saved?

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No.

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Notice what else he says.

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teaching us the grace that appeared to all men.

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that brings salvation to all men, teaches us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we
should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age, looking for the blessed

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hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself
for us that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own

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special people zealous for good works.

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Speak these things, rebuke, and exhort with all authority, Latin."

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no one despise you.

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Paul writes to Titus and he says, God's grace has appeared to every man.

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It's brought salvation to every man.

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That doesn't mean that every single man's going to accept it.

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Because the grace and the salvation comes with qualifications.

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It comes with requirements.

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It comes with things you must do.

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00:22:17,483 --> 00:22:32,752
Paul's emphasis is if you travel to a far-off country and meet a group of people who've
never been in contact with anyone else in the last hundred years, Christ still died for

218
00:22:32,752 --> 00:22:33,492
them.

219
00:22:34,633 --> 00:22:39,716
If you travel to Spain, as Paul desired to go to,

220
00:22:40,062 --> 00:22:43,420
and you want to preach the gospel, Christ died for them.

221
00:22:43,420 --> 00:22:45,643
He didn't die for just the Jew.

222
00:22:45,905 --> 00:22:47,849
He didn't die for just the Gentile.

223
00:22:47,849 --> 00:22:50,995
He died for all men.

224
00:22:54,348 --> 00:23:12,439
but the labor and the reproach we suffer is in view not exclusively of who Christ died
for, but the value of those who will be saved by a sacrifice because they're obedient to

225
00:23:12,439 --> 00:23:13,599
the message.

226
00:23:14,760 --> 00:23:17,061
Notice, read that one more time.

227
00:23:17,862 --> 00:23:21,836
He says, for to this end, we,

228
00:23:21,942 --> 00:23:35,062
both labor and suffer reproach because we trust in the living God who is the Savior of all
men, especially of those who believe.

229
00:23:36,304 --> 00:23:51,896
He's saying God's grace has appeared to all men and we're laboring and suffering reproach
because we trust God to do what He said, that is to save all who believe.

230
00:23:52,738 --> 00:23:54,509
Now what does belief require?

231
00:23:55,790 --> 00:23:56,591
Obedience.

232
00:23:56,591 --> 00:23:57,951
It always has.

233
00:23:59,092 --> 00:24:09,098
Do you think that Adam and Eve believed that if they ate of the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil in the midst of the garden, they would surely die?

234
00:24:10,319 --> 00:24:11,720
Was belief enough?

235
00:24:13,496 --> 00:24:17,656
No it wasn't, because when they violated the law, they died.

236
00:24:18,876 --> 00:24:21,816
Because they disobeyed, they died.

237
00:24:23,548 --> 00:24:32,716
All the way from Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 to the end of Revelation, God has required more
than belief.

238
00:24:34,037 --> 00:24:40,101
Belief alone has never done anything for anyone in view of God's commands.

239
00:24:40,983 --> 00:24:46,227
It always must be coordinated and joined with obedience.

240
00:24:46,728 --> 00:24:48,029
How do I know?

241
00:24:48,630 --> 00:24:51,252
Jesus said, if you hear these sayings of mine,

242
00:24:52,116 --> 00:24:54,557
and you do not do them.

243
00:24:55,298 --> 00:24:56,319
What is that?

244
00:24:56,319 --> 00:25:01,462
Heard, believed, did nothing.

245
00:25:03,183 --> 00:25:07,066
Notice he didn't say you hear these sayings of mine and don't believe me.

246
00:25:07,466 --> 00:25:09,607
He says you didn't do them.

247
00:25:10,628 --> 00:25:16,682
If you hear these sayings of mine and you do not do them, what is your house like?

248
00:25:21,316 --> 00:25:38,095
And when you look at that and contrast it with the one who hears these sayings of mine,
implying he believes them just like the first one did, but this person does them, belief

249
00:25:38,095 --> 00:25:39,876
plus obedience.

250
00:25:41,279 --> 00:25:42,860
How does that turn out?

251
00:25:49,910 --> 00:25:53,291
His house is built on the rock.

252
00:25:55,648 --> 00:26:04,795
So go back to uh verse eight, because this context is godliness.

253
00:26:04,976 --> 00:26:11,862
This context is working on behalf of Christ and living like God.

254
00:26:12,843 --> 00:26:16,268
By the way, same context as Titus 2.

255
00:26:16,626 --> 00:26:23,544
He says, remember, the grace of God that brings salvation to all men teaches us that
denying oh

256
00:26:23,544 --> 00:26:27,964
ungodliness, we must live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.

257
00:26:27,964 --> 00:26:29,366
It's in context.

258
00:26:29,366 --> 00:26:42,252
In this context, Paul says, for bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is
profitable to all, or for all things, having promise of the life which now is, and of that

259
00:26:42,252 --> 00:26:43,192
which is to come.

260
00:26:43,192 --> 00:26:48,354
There's building your life on the rock.

261
00:26:49,975 --> 00:26:52,726
Belief plus obedience.

262
00:26:52,726 --> 00:26:56,300
is assurance in this life and the life to come.

263
00:26:57,001 --> 00:26:57,922
How?

264
00:26:57,922 --> 00:27:00,044
By living a godly life.

265
00:27:00,185 --> 00:27:03,368
By building a godly life.

266
00:27:03,609 --> 00:27:09,836
So, Paul says these things command and teach.

267
00:27:13,270 --> 00:27:28,599
Can a minister, be careful how I ask this, can a minister of the gospel command an
eldership to do something?

268
00:27:46,385 --> 00:27:56,963
responsibility as a teacher of the Word if there was an issue to be able to in a right
manner go to them and say here is what God's Word says and it should never be the preacher

269
00:27:56,963 --> 00:28:07,581
commanding in his own authority or the preacher saying this is what I think it should
always be based with the command that God gave them.

270
00:28:10,424 --> 00:28:11,296
All right.

271
00:28:11,296 --> 00:28:13,640
The attitude and the mindset in which it's done.

272
00:28:13,640 --> 00:28:15,192
Okay.

273
00:28:15,293 --> 00:28:17,816
The preacher is not God's word.

274
00:28:17,858 --> 00:28:18,950
He's just the best.

275
00:28:18,950 --> 00:28:20,662
Okay.

276
00:28:21,104 --> 00:28:22,366
Put your pieces together.

277
00:28:22,366 --> 00:28:23,547
Keep coming.

278
00:28:25,664 --> 00:28:27,170
You'll get there, I'm sure.

279
00:28:30,776 --> 00:28:38,151
Can a minister command an eldership to do something?

280
00:28:43,446 --> 00:28:44,685
go to the L.A.

281
00:28:49,634 --> 00:28:51,640
Turn to Acts chapter 20.

282
00:29:08,502 --> 00:29:18,675
When you have a question like that, you must always define your terms in answering it.

283
00:29:20,016 --> 00:29:26,297
Because does the eldership have authority given to them by God?

284
00:29:26,818 --> 00:29:27,838
Yes.

285
00:29:28,258 --> 00:29:33,780
Does the minister have authority given to them by God?

286
00:29:34,060 --> 00:29:35,020
Yes.

287
00:29:35,136 --> 00:29:38,918
Both have derived authority, correct?

288
00:29:38,918 --> 00:29:41,629
It originated with God, it was given to them.

289
00:29:41,629 --> 00:29:46,541
It's not authority in and of themselves, it is derived from God.

290
00:29:48,141 --> 00:29:58,966
In view of that, we should be careful to understand the, and I'm gonna illustrate this
with lanes, the lanes of authority that they have.

291
00:29:59,886 --> 00:30:03,908
For they both have God's authority.

292
00:30:04,909 --> 00:30:12,241
one in one area and one in another, and with some overlap, okay?

293
00:30:13,023 --> 00:30:16,138
So let's begin in Acts chapter 20.

294
00:30:18,072 --> 00:30:26,172
Acts chapter 20, Paul is meeting, interestingly, with the elders from what congregation?

295
00:30:28,032 --> 00:30:29,212
Ephesus.

296
00:30:30,292 --> 00:30:37,192
The same congregation Timothy was at, the same congregation that he wrote the book of
Ephesians to.

297
00:30:37,212 --> 00:30:38,992
All right, same group of people.

298
00:30:41,068 --> 00:30:47,890
We read in verse 17, "'From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the
church.

299
00:30:47,890 --> 00:30:57,492
And when they had come to him, he said to them, You know from the first day that I came to
Asia in what manner I always lived among you, serving the Lord with all humility and with

300
00:30:57,492 --> 00:31:10,776
tears and trials, which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews.'" By the way, that is
him suffering for their

301
00:31:10,816 --> 00:31:12,419
receiving the gospel.

302
00:31:13,082 --> 00:31:16,990
That's the same thing he wrote to Timothy about just a few verses before.

303
00:31:17,212 --> 00:31:20,779
And he says, I lived this when I was in your presence.

304
00:31:20,874 --> 00:31:21,584
He

305
00:31:50,878 --> 00:32:00,020
dear to myself, so that I may finish the race with joy and the ministry which I receive
from the Lord Jesus to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."

306
00:32:00,020 --> 00:32:07,462
And indeed now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God,
will see my face no more.

307
00:32:07,462 --> 00:32:17,345
Therefore I testify to you this day, that I am innocent of the blood of all men, for I
have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.

308
00:32:17,345 --> 00:32:27,228
Therefore take heed to yourselves and all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made
you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which he purchased with his own blood."

309
00:32:28,160 --> 00:32:33,643
That verse right there, verse 28, therefore take heed to yourselves.

310
00:32:33,643 --> 00:32:36,845
Is that a suggestion or a command?

311
00:32:38,586 --> 00:32:39,266
Command.

312
00:32:39,266 --> 00:32:42,288
Is it only effective because he's an apostle?

313
00:32:44,980 --> 00:32:51,342
No, it's effective because it's whose authority to speak the command.

314
00:32:52,222 --> 00:32:53,382
God's.

315
00:32:54,583 --> 00:33:05,526
Can a minister command an eldership to do something by his own authority?

316
00:33:05,746 --> 00:33:07,406
The minister's authority.

317
00:33:08,027 --> 00:33:09,207
No.

318
00:33:10,568 --> 00:33:12,320
Can a minister

319
00:33:12,320 --> 00:33:18,402
command an eldership to do something by God's authority?

320
00:33:19,562 --> 00:33:20,582
Yes.

321
00:33:21,743 --> 00:33:26,104
Can, must, and always has.

322
00:33:26,564 --> 00:33:33,306
Before those men were elders, did that minister have the authority to command them in the
Word of God?

323
00:33:34,367 --> 00:33:35,367
Yes.

324
00:33:35,367 --> 00:33:37,587
It's not only his right,

325
00:33:39,160 --> 00:33:43,300
It's his responsibility, 2nd Timothy.

326
00:33:44,560 --> 00:33:46,920
2nd Timothy chapter 4.

327
00:33:55,710 --> 00:34:04,465
I charge you therefore, verse 1, before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the
living and the dead at His appearing in His kingdom, preach the Word.

328
00:34:04,465 --> 00:34:07,707
Does it say preach the Word only to non-elders?

329
00:34:09,008 --> 00:34:09,928
No.

330
00:34:10,289 --> 00:34:11,608
Preach the Word.

331
00:34:11,608 --> 00:34:14,251
Be ready in season and out of season.

332
00:34:14,251 --> 00:34:19,034
Convince, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering.

333
00:34:19,034 --> 00:34:20,064
Accept elders.

334
00:34:20,064 --> 00:34:23,176
You're not allowed to rebuke them because that would be a command.

335
00:34:24,872 --> 00:34:26,733
Isn't a rebuke a command?

336
00:34:27,735 --> 00:34:32,419
A rebuke is a command to change because a person is doing wrong.

337
00:34:32,980 --> 00:34:48,234
If an eldership says, we as an eldership have decided to not obey God's commands
concerning worship, is it the right and the responsibility of the preacher to rebuke the

338
00:34:48,234 --> 00:34:50,335
eldership for their decision?

339
00:34:51,294 --> 00:34:53,726
It is his right and his responsibility.

340
00:34:53,726 --> 00:34:54,306
Why?

341
00:34:54,306 --> 00:34:58,489
Because it's not his authority, it's God's that they're violating.

342
00:34:59,610 --> 00:35:07,216
Is it the right and the responsibility of an eldership to rebuke a minister if he preaches
false doctrine?

343
00:35:08,214 --> 00:35:08,924
Yes.

344
00:35:08,924 --> 00:35:20,809
As a matter of fact, one of the things that Paul is going to emphasize in Titus when he
gives his list of qualifications for elders is they must be able to convince and rebuke

345
00:35:20,809 --> 00:35:21,930
the gainsayers.

346
00:35:21,930 --> 00:35:23,710
Those are false teachers.

347
00:35:24,411 --> 00:35:30,433
They have a God-given responsibility to correct false teaching.

348
00:35:31,614 --> 00:35:36,316
But a minister has the same responsibility if it's an eldership that's

349
00:35:36,716 --> 00:35:38,778
participating in false teaching.

350
00:35:39,881 --> 00:35:45,668
Does a minister have the authority to command an eldership to do something?

351
00:35:45,668 --> 00:35:53,979
The answer is yes, so long as his command is exclusively from God's authority and not his.

352
00:35:56,696 --> 00:36:02,296
And as a matter of fact, if he fails to do that, go back to Acts chapter 20.

353
00:36:05,034 --> 00:36:09,146
Remember, it's the eldership that Paul is talking to.

354
00:36:09,347 --> 00:36:28,688
Acts chapter 20, he says in the earlier passage, he says, verse 26, therefore I testify to
you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men, for I have not shunned to declare

355
00:36:28,688 --> 00:36:32,620
to you the whole counsel of God.

356
00:36:33,788 --> 00:36:44,490
If a minister observes an eldership failing to keep the whole council of God and says
nothing, he's as guilty as they are.

357
00:36:46,710 --> 00:36:48,500
Their sins are on His hand.

358
00:36:48,500 --> 00:36:49,441
Why?

359
00:36:49,521 --> 00:37:04,915
Go all the way back into the Old Testament and God says concerning prophets, the
mouthpiece of God, that if they say nothing, they're guilty of the blood of the one who

360
00:37:04,915 --> 00:37:08,226
dies in judgment because they said nothing.

361
00:37:09,086 --> 00:37:16,008
But if they speak and the person rejects it, they're now not guilty.

362
00:37:16,104 --> 00:37:20,286
of their blood because they're the watchmen.

363
00:37:20,666 --> 00:37:28,209
They're the one standing on the tower, standing on the wall, watching for enemies.

364
00:37:28,209 --> 00:37:39,434
And if they see the enemy inside or outside and they say nothing, they're guilty of the
blood of the innocent.

365
00:37:40,634 --> 00:37:44,776
So does a minister have

366
00:37:44,776 --> 00:37:51,780
the authority to command an eldership to do what God has said?

367
00:37:52,501 --> 00:37:53,581
Yes.

368
00:37:53,942 --> 00:38:02,986
Must the minister allow the eldership to choose to do that within their authority?

369
00:38:03,607 --> 00:38:04,667
Yes.

370
00:38:04,928 --> 00:38:12,012
Because, careful, the fact that you have the authority to command it doesn't mean you have
the elders' authority to do it.

371
00:38:14,324 --> 00:38:17,205
You don't get to usurp their authority.

372
00:38:17,566 --> 00:38:19,506
You have your authority.

373
00:38:20,227 --> 00:38:22,868
So you do that when you preach.

374
00:38:23,148 --> 00:38:25,009
You do that when you teach.

375
00:38:25,049 --> 00:38:26,790
You do that in private.

376
00:38:26,790 --> 00:38:32,333
You do that with longsuffering and doctrine, just the same way that Paul told Timothy.

377
00:38:32,333 --> 00:38:37,135
He says, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all what?

378
00:38:37,575 --> 00:38:39,296
Longsuffering and doctrine.

379
00:38:41,238 --> 00:38:50,774
But he also told Timothy there's coming a time in Timothy's own ministry where he said
they will no longer endure sound doctrine.

380
00:38:52,362 --> 00:38:59,902
there were going to be congregations that Timothy was going to exhort and rebuke and
convince.

381
00:39:00,263 --> 00:39:07,402
And there were going be elderships that he exhorted and rebuked and convinced that would
no longer tolerate hearing the truth.

382
00:39:10,464 --> 00:39:11,785
church.

383
00:39:11,785 --> 00:39:15,048
have the exact same responsibility, right?

384
00:39:15,048 --> 00:39:29,450
So the interesting point, and I think where Philip's going with this is, if a member sees
an eldership not keeping God's commands, they have the same responsibility.

385
00:39:30,012 --> 00:39:35,235
If an eldership sees a minister not keeping God's commands, they have the same
responsibility.

386
00:39:35,235 --> 00:39:42,058
If a deacon sees a congregation not keeping God's commands, they've got the same
responsibility.

387
00:39:42,878 --> 00:39:43,959
Why?

388
00:39:44,839 --> 00:39:46,719
Because they're a Christian.

389
00:39:48,554 --> 00:40:00,995
We have limitations that we're going to get into a passage, by the way, where Paul says
you only accept an accusation against an elder in certain circumstances.

390
00:40:01,195 --> 00:40:12,265
They deserve a certain level of recognition and uh you have a certain barrier that you
must meet in order to say this person's doing wrong.

391
00:40:12,265 --> 00:40:15,988
But that doesn't mean that God's authority is not binding on them.

392
00:40:17,428 --> 00:40:25,154
And when you speak the same command that God told you to speak, you have His authority to
do it.

393
00:40:26,276 --> 00:40:36,086
Do you have any authority to withhold the truth from those who are in error?

394
00:40:37,760 --> 00:40:44,585
No, you have the authority to wisely speak when it's appropriate.

395
00:40:44,906 --> 00:40:54,013
You have the authority to not cast your pearls before swine, but you don't have the
authority to withhold the truth from those who are in error.

396
00:40:54,033 --> 00:40:59,877
That's exactly what Paul said right back here where he said, this is worthy of all
acceptance.

397
00:41:00,979 --> 00:41:06,523
We trust in God, we proclaim the truth, and some are going to accept it.

398
00:41:06,523 --> 00:41:07,604
Yes, Eddie.

399
00:41:10,024 --> 00:41:12,510
between what is command and what is opinion.

400
00:41:14,914 --> 00:41:24,293
think that there is something that's not being done that we first handle appropriately
ourselves by praying about it and making sure that it's not just our opinion that we

401
00:41:24,293 --> 00:41:27,897
really do have scripture that backs up the commands of God.

402
00:41:27,897 --> 00:41:28,718
Absolutely.

403
00:41:28,718 --> 00:41:31,339
And furthermore, it is important to realize

404
00:41:31,638 --> 00:41:40,594
The authority to do something isn't the same as saying they have a process they should go
by in order to do that.

405
00:41:40,594 --> 00:41:48,999
It doesn't mean, you know what, we need 25 lone wolves just going out there telling
everybody what to do and saying, here's the chapter and verse to back it up.

406
00:41:48,999 --> 00:41:50,980
No, that's not the idea.

407
00:41:51,240 --> 00:41:57,524
But if a congregation or if an eldership is in direct violation of God's commands.

408
00:41:58,430 --> 00:42:06,027
It is the responsibility and the right of the minister to command them to repent.

409
00:42:06,929 --> 00:42:10,592
And if they don't have that authority, then who does?

410
00:42:18,986 --> 00:42:30,104
So, there's an interesting, so Ava's question is what happens when you command them to
repent, they don't repent, and then souls are lost as result of what they're teaching.

411
00:42:30,906 --> 00:42:32,967
Turn back to Acts chapter 20.

412
00:42:34,887 --> 00:42:42,472
Acts chapter 20 verse 29, right after he says, "'Take heed to yourselves and all the
flock,' he says, "'for I know this.'"

413
00:42:42,569 --> 00:42:53,084
that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you not sparing the flock also
from among yourselves men will rise up speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples

414
00:42:53,084 --> 00:43:05,360
after themselves therefore watch and remember that for three years i did not cease to warn
everyone night and day with tears so now brethren i commend you to god and to the word of

415
00:43:05,360 --> 00:43:12,763
his grace which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all who are
sanctified paul said i've done

416
00:43:12,763 --> 00:43:20,309
everything I can as long as I've been here and you're not going to see me again while I'm
alive.

417
00:43:21,430 --> 00:43:30,016
So I'm leaving you in the hands of God's Word and God's grace because I've done all I can
do.

418
00:43:30,678 --> 00:43:35,321
There does reach a point where someone has done everything they can.

419
00:43:35,615 --> 00:43:45,472
Doesn't mean that someone else can't possibly be effective at reaching that congregation
or that eldership, but there does reach a point where an individual has done all that they

420
00:43:45,472 --> 00:43:48,974
can, and they have to move on.

421
00:43:49,895 --> 00:44:03,685
And ultimately, the reminder is this, the person whose blood is on their hands for the
innocent who are swept away in false doctrine is the person who said nothing.

422
00:44:05,097 --> 00:44:11,640
the person who just went along, the person who stayed quiet, they knew it was wrong.

423
00:44:12,080 --> 00:44:17,062
They knew it wasn't what God commanded, but they, well, I don't want to rock the boat.

424
00:44:17,062 --> 00:44:18,963
I don't want to cause a problem.

425
00:44:18,963 --> 00:44:23,681
I just think my opinion is no.

426
00:44:26,273 --> 00:44:28,293
That's not what it says.

427
00:44:29,293 --> 00:44:46,993
And there have been, and I know this, there have been a number of good-hearted,
well-meaning, and well-studied elderly women in congregations that are going off who've

428
00:44:46,993 --> 00:44:49,593
done everything they could.

429
00:44:51,531 --> 00:44:58,247
to teach and admonish and exhort and rebuke and eldership to get it to correct.

430
00:44:58,247 --> 00:45:00,568
And they did everything that they could.

431
00:45:01,370 --> 00:45:03,791
And the congregation went off anyway.

432
00:45:04,172 --> 00:45:11,818
And sometimes you do all you can and then you have to focus on you and those who you have
direct responsibility for.

433
00:45:12,039 --> 00:45:19,745
So sometimes you have to say, I can't stay at this congregation anymore because they're
not doing what God commands.

434
00:45:19,745 --> 00:45:21,240
All right, thank you for your attention.

435
00:45:21,240 --> 00:45:22,027
We're dismissed.