Bible exploration
Examining Christian growth stages
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0:00 [Music] all the glory must be to the lord 0:07 [Music] 0:16 no one on earth 0:21 [Music] [Applause] 0:28 [Music] 0:35 praise the lord beloved welcome back 0:43 last time we had stopped 0:48 at the fourth stage 0:54 of the christian growth stages that we had 0:59 outlined from the scriptures 1:05 we talked about babes we talked about little children we talk about youth or young men 1:14 now we're talking about adults or saints or dear children 1:22 different labels the scriptures apply to this fourth stage 1:31 and as we know that again this four stages are not exclusive meaning 1:36 the lord can show you a seven stage process you can show you three stages 1:44 the word of god is flexible like that these are just 1:49 a characterization of the stages 1:56 as i understand it we're talking about the fourth stage 2:06 when my time ran out last time so i want to pick up on that from where 2:12 we had stopped 2:17 this fourth stage we spoke about 2:25 some of the characteristics we already read romans 1 7 2:32 first corinthians uh chapter one verse two 2:37 we read ephesians five one two eight i don't wanna repeat that so 2:43 uh you can catch the 2:49 edition before this one to uh 2:54 uh to refresh yourself on that 2:59 we're in the middle of first john chapter three verse six to nine so i want to jump back in there 3:06 and as always please please please please i beg of you 3:13 get your bibles out please 3:24 i don't want somebody to say this is what brother josh said i didn't 3:29 say anything i'm just a copycat copy and paste 3:34 this what the scripture said and here it is so what is my name doing in it 3:43 i didn't say anything absolutely zero 3:50 but your father said something and we have to deal with that i have to 3:55 deal with that because like i said 4:01 i preached to myself 4:07 i preached to myself 4:12 first john chapter 3 verse 6 to 9 continuing on this stage 4:19 of adult christians 4:24 whosoever abides in him sin it not 4:30 whosoever seen it has not seen him neither known him 4:38 strong words strong words 4:45 little children still talking to the little children that he was speaking to in chapter one 4:57 let no man deceive you stop meaning there's deception 5:03 in the church there has been there still is today 5:10 let no man deceive you let no man deceive you 5:18 let no man deceive you first john 3 verse 7 little children let 5:23 no man deceive you he that duet righteousness is righteous even as 5:30 he is righteous the first he 5:36 like we said last time is you and i the second he is the lord jesus 5:43 let me read that again first john chapter 3 verse 7 little children let no man deceive you 5:52 he that do it righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous 6:00 no i'm a worm no you were warm 6:07 but god has elevated you and i 6:13 to be in christ jesus after he put us in christ jesus 6:20 the goal is that christ jesus will be formed in us 6:36 little children let no man deceive you he that do it righteousness who keeps saying 6:42 that word it doesn't say he that receive receiveth 6:47 righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous no that's not what he said read it again 6:54 because the receiving [Music] is a given it's done 7:00 god knows that some of us don't want to leave that 7:08 god knows that he is giving us 7:15 and we received it he's not looking for the doing from us 7:21 of what we received please get it please get it please get it 7:27 he that doeth righteousness is righteous like jesus is righteous 7:34 no he's not talking about self-righteousness that's not what he's talking about there are different kinds 7:39 of righteousness he's not talking about that it's not because our self-righteousness it says filthy rags that's a different 7:46 topic it's not talking about righteousness of the law no no no no no 7:54 he's talking about the righteousness that we do because 7:59 we have received righteousness the righteousness of his son 8:09 he that doeth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous meaning the flip 8:16 side is correct the flip side being he that is not doing righteousness 8:24 although he received righteousness he's unrighteous because he's doing unrighteousness 8:33 ah let me say that again first john 3 7 says 8:40 little children let no man deceive you he that do it verb 8:45 verb verb righteousness is righteous even as he 8:52 jesus is righteous 8:58 but i'm righteous of god in christ jesus god knows that 9:03 he gave you that that's not what he's talking about 9:11 because he gave he's looking for what we are producing from what we from what he gave 9:22 he that do it righteousness is righteous even as he 9:28 is righteous 9:34 jesus well how can i be like jesus you mean i can be like jesus 9:40 uh that's what jesus said 9:45 that's what this verse is saying already before i'm going to read 9:51 it again luke chapter 6 verse 40. luke chapter 6 verse 40. luke 9:58 chapter 6 verse 40. the disciple is not above his master 10:05 but everyone that is perfect shall be as 10:11 his master [Music] 10:16 did you get that 10:22 the disciple is not above his master 10:27 but everyone that is perfect shall be as his master luke chapter 6 verse 40. 10:34 matthew 10 24 and 25 10:40 say the same thing jesus said the disciple is not above his master nor the servant above his lord 10:48 verse 25 it is enough for the disciple that he be as his master 10:56 and the servant as his lord god has made space for us has made room for us to be 11:02 as jesus 11:09 ah 11:15 i hope you get that that is his goal 11:24 paul says my little children of whom I travail again in birth until christ be formed in you 11:34 god wants us to be conformed to the image of his son conformed to the image of his son 11:39 conformed to the image of his son conformed to the image of his son 11:45 let's read that romans 8 29 says for whom did for no he 11:51 did produce need to be conformed to the image of his son ephesians chapter 4 11:58 from verse 11 to verse 13 the bible says and he gave some apostles 12:03 and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints 12:09 for the work of the ministry for the defining body of christ verse 13 till 12:15 we all come in the end of the faith and of the knowledge and son of god onto a perfect man 12:21 well some of us don't like that word but oh well onto 12:26 the measure of the stature of the fullness of christ let me go back to my 12:33 first john chapter 3 verse seven little children let no man deceive you 12:39 he that dwight righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous verse eight he that committed sin is of the devil 12:47 for the devil seen it from the beginning for this purpose the son of god was manifested that he might destroy the 12:54 works of the devil whosoever is born of god does not sin 13:02 for his seed remains in him and he cannot sin because he's born of 13:08 god help me jesus 13:15 again beloved i'm preaching to myself 13:20 i'm not preaching to you it really i'm not uh if it sounds like that forgive me 13:28 i'm preaching to myself 13:34 but is this the same john the apostle of love 13:41 is this the same john that i wrote first john chapter one verse eight to ten if you say you have no sin you're deceiving 13:48 yourself if you say you have not seen you're making a liar is this the same john 13:56 uh yeah in the same book 14:03 beloved god is showing us 14:09 the path the process you're in pre-k and need you in college 14:17 you're in pre-k i need you in the master's program you're in pre-k i need you in your phd 14:24 class some of us are in pre-k and we say bless 14:30 god i have the education of god in christ jesus 14:38 okay praise god i mean you won't be counted among the illiterate anymore you're in school 14:44 praise the lord so you want to sit in pre-k all your 14:50 life really 14:59 he's teaching you he's teaching me why am i learning 15:07 that is a question he's setting tests for me so he can 15:12 promote me to the next class but do i want to 15:18 go to the next class that's that's the question 15:27 version 3 verse 9 let me read that again whosoever is born of god does not sin 15:33 for his seed remains in him and he cannot sin because he's born of god 15:39 this scripture always messes me up 15:47 it has two negatives in it whosoever is born of god 15:52 does not sin now there's a choice 15:59 the second one says and what does he not see because he sees remains in him 16:05 and the second one says he cannot sin 16:10 because he's born of god he does not and he cannot why does he not he says his seed remains 16:18 in him remember when we're talking about the young men in christ the youth in christ 16:26 the word of god abided in him 16:36 yeah the young man in christ is thought is is is 16:41 getting it is starting to get it and that word is abiding richly in him 16:49 so he does not sin does not sin means is a choice whether 16:54 he wants to sin or not now if the lord stopped there that would have been fine with me 17:02 but it's the second one that just ah 17:08 lord help me he cannot sing and he gave me two examples 17:15 i don't know if you guys know anything about chickens i don't know too much about them but i 17:21 know a little about them i mean we used to have chickens as a kid 17:27 you know get one at the house he walks around when it's when we want to eat it we catch it and 17:34 we kill it okay if that offends you i'm sorry you know the chicken nuggets you get from 17:39 the fast food store it came from a real chicken okay well let me not digress 17:47 a chicken is a bird but 17:53 usually they don't fly at least the ones that i that i dealt with as a kid 18:01 at home they don't fly not that they cannot fly 18:07 but they usually choose not to fly they like walking around the yard you 18:12 know picking stuff up bugs insects corn grains whatever they can eat 18:20 verse 9 we just read in first john 3 says who's the vibe one of us is born of god does not commit sin 18:27 so it's a choice issue because they have the capacity to commit sin 18:35 but they don't because that seed remains in him the seed of the word of god 18:41 remained in joseph when potiphar's wife came 18:48 he said how can i do this thing and sin against god no i can't do that 18:56 the psalmist said that what have i heed in my heart that am i not saying against you i can do this but i won't do it 19:05 because god's seed is in my heart 19:11 i can't but i won't the new testament calls 19:16 it temperance 19:22 temperance i can but i won't but 19:28 first john chapter 3 verse 9 says father that 19:34 not only does he not commit sin he says and he cannot sin because he's born of 19:41 god 19:47 a chicken walking around can fly but 19:53 we'll usually choose not to fly but it has the 19:58 capability to fly a goat on the other hand we've had goats 20:05 at a house also as a kid a goat cannot fly 20:13 even if he chooses to fly 20:19 well unless of course he's a paratrooper with 20:25 uh some military somewhere 20:30 what a digress a goat cannot fly 20:37 even if he chooses to fly because because 20:43 his parentage is not 20:48 from flying creatures 20:55 let me say that again a chicken can fly 21:01 because its parents are chickens 21:07 because like beguts begets like a chicken can't give birth to a 21:14 uh to a baby goat no a chicken begets a chicken 21:20 so a chicken can fly but we choose occasionally not to fly 21:28 although it has the capability to fly on the other hand a goat 21:35 cannot fly even if it wants to fly 21:41 because its parents are not birds 21:50 what begat the goat did not bestow on the goat 21:57 the capability to fly so it says in verse 9 of first john 22:04 chapter 3 whose wise man of god does not commit sin there's a choice issue 22:11 for his seed remains in him and he cannot sin because he is born of god 22:20 why is that important because he is born of god 22:25 why is that important let me said it third time because he is born of god 22:32 god cannot sin god cannot walk on righteousness 22:41 all his ways are pure and right because we are born of god 22:50 not the old josh but the new josh 22:57 because we are made in the image or 23:02 let me state that better because we have the image of our parents 23:10 not the natural man now adam and eve but a spiritual man 23:19 because when the image of god because we are born of god 23:26 we cannot sin that's what john is saying the saint john that wrote chapter 1 23:32 verse 8 to 10 often quoted often abused 23:37 the saint john in the same book wrote first john chapter 3 23:44 verse 6 to verse 9. 23:50 now while we cannot camp at first john chapter 1 verse 8 to 10 24:02 we cannot we cannot at the same time 24:11 jump and land in first john 3 6 to 9 the instant we 24:19 are born again 24:29 the word of god checks itself 24:36 in the same john between those two that journey that god wants us to take 24:43 is set out because grow we 24:49 must john outlines this journey 24:56 in christ for us to see he says i know you are here little uh uh 25:01 uh you baby in christ i know you're here little child i know where you are don't lie to me 25:08 don't say you haven't done that i know you did that uh-huh mm-hmm no no no don't act don't don't don't 25:15 don't put up that act with me i know where you've been 25:21 but okay thank you lord 25:28 god is a god of truth when we deny stuff we've been in 25:37 we're peddling in falsehood when we are peddling in falsehood 25:44 we cannot get what we need from the lord a contrite spirit 25:50 that i would not despise contrition can only come 25:56 from admission yes this happened yes this is what i did 26:05 when we walk in falsehood we haven't done it there can be no contrition but pride 26:14 and god despises that so first john 26:20 the apostle of love says i know where you are josh i know 26:25 where you've been i know where you are but don't stay there 26:31 don't stay there chapter two abide in him don't jump 26:36 off of christ abide in him 26:44 abiding him so that you have confidence 26:50 and not be ashamed when he comes yes he gave you righteousness josh you 26:56 need to start doing that righteousness he gave you no no it's not something to put on a 27:01 wall it's not a badge i'm righteousness of god in christ jesus then you're living like a devil are you 27:07 serious really oh when god looks at me he doesn't see 27:13 me uh [Applause] god doesn't use glasses 27:20 he doesn't have an eye disease he sees very clear in fact the scripture 27:26 says darkness is light to him [Music] 27:34 i don't know where all that comes from it sounds good 27:40 but it's a it is an unskillful 27:45 handling of the word of righteousness 27:53 we must grow second corinthians chapter 3 verse 18 2 corinthians chapter 3 verse 18 28:01 but we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the lord are 28:07 changed into the same image what image the image of christ from glory to glory even as by the 28:16 spirit of the lord it is a process guys 28:26 first corinthians 13 11. first corinthians 13 11 the bible says 28:32 paul says when i was a child i spoke as a child i 28:39 understood as a child i thought as a child but when i became a 28:44 man i put away childish things 28:55 beloved who wants to be a baby remain a baby in diapers 29:02 or toddler needing to be changed now and again and we cannot walk or run but 29:08 we must be carried here and there who wants that why do you want to stay why 29:16 it has its disadvantages beloved several disadvantages several 29:23 methibos know mephibosheth yeah yeah yeah yeah mephibosheth yeah 29:29 you heard about him jonathan's son [Music] 29:34 mephibosheth became lame because he was a toddler and was carried about by 29:40 someone else because he could not flee by himself 29:45 somebody else had to carry him and that person dropped him and became lame 29:51 um yes 29:59 you want to be a baby all your life be loving i'm talking to myself don't don't don't don't take it personally i 30:05 didn't call your name no chill chill chill relax 30:10 relax no no i'm not being holier than that i'm talking to myself 30:18 don't get mad i'm i'm talking to myself 30:23 mephibosheth is lame because 30:30 he is not grown 30:36 he got wounded because somebody that was carrying him 30:41 because he had to rely on somebody else to carry him and that person dropped him 30:52 we see that in second samut chapter four verse four and jonathan saul's son had a son 30:59 that was lame of his feet he was five years old when the titans came of saul and jonathan 31:06 out of jezreel and his nurse took him up and fled and came to pass as she made 31:11 haste to flee that he fell now she didn't fall he fell 31:18 the adult did not fall the toddler fell 31:26 and became lame and his name was mephibosheth 31:32 beloved as long as we remain babes we are far 31:39 far from stepping into god's fullness 31:44 for our lives far galatians four verse one to two 31:50 galatians four and now now i say that the air as long as is a child child here 31:58 means a babe that the air as long as is a child 32:04 different nothing from a servant i want to pay attention 32:09 to that though he be lord of all 32:14 but is under 2000 governors until the time appointed of the father 32:20 a babe is not different from a servant 32:27 although he's set as the heir to the throne 32:35 you know an a is an air he's an air doesn't [Music] 32:40 mean he has sat on the throne yet 32:47 gotten that inheritance yet but he's an heir and air means you're in line 32:56 you get it i know you get it let me read again 33:01 galatians 4 verse 1 and 2. now i say that the a as long as 33:08 is a child different not from a servant 33:15 though he be lord of all but is under 2000 governors until the time appointed 33:21 of the father i want us to note some some things there quickly 33:26 number one verse in verse one galatians four verse one 33:31 the e is no different from a servant 33:38 and we'll come to that in a minute the air is no different from a servant 33:46 and that is very dangerous we'll see in a minute 33:52 the heir is no different from a servant verse 2 says but is under 2000 governors 33:58 until the time appointed of the father what does that mean 34:03 means that the father has set a time frame 34:09 for the child to grow out of childhood 34:15 so he won't be like a servant so he becomes 34:22 well a son oh lord help me let me not get in 34:29 trouble um 34:34 let's look at john chapter 8. i have to i'll go back to this maybe as the lord leads 34:41 because we need to get it let's look at john chapter 8 34:48 verse 34:55 verse 31 to verse 35 35:01 john 8 31 to 35 then jesus said to those jews which 35:07 believed on him if you continue my word 35:13 then are you my disciples indeed and you shall know the truth and the 35:20 truth shall make you free if you continue my word 35:25 then are you my disciples indeed and you shall know the truth 35:30 and the truth shall make you free verse 33 john 8 33 now 35:35 they answered him we be abraham's seed we were never in bondage to any man 35:42 why do you say you're going to make us free i'm born again i'm the righteousness of 35:47 god in christ jesus what are you talking about josh 35:53 i am the righteousness of god in christ jesus 36:00 where abraham's seed already we're never in bondage to any man 36:07 i am abraham seed by faith in christ jesus 36:12 verse 34 and jesus entered and said them 36:19 verily verily i say unto you whosoever committed sin is the servant of sin 36:27 remember what we read in first john 36:34 first john chapter 3 36:39 verse 6 to 9. i'm not going to repeat it 36:44 but this is what jesus is saying here 36:51 in the gospel of john first person 36:58 the epistle of john 37:03 john the apostle rephrased and rephrase that and put it 37:09 as the holy ghost led him to put it but now we're in the gospel of john 37:16 and jesus is saying verily verse 34 of john chapter 8 very 37:22 very i say unto you whosoever committed sin is the servant of sin 37:28 now look at verse 30 5 and 37:34 the servant abides not in the house forever 37:39 but the son abides ever what does that mean 37:46 the servant is a tenant 37:51 the sun is the land owner 38:04 let me say that again the servant is a tenant the servant is in the house 38:12 but he does not abide forever 38:18 john 1st john told us first john chapter 2 verse 28 and now 38:25 little children abide in him how do you abide in him 38:33 you can abide in him by not being a servant of sin 38:40 because servants don't abide forever are tenants 38:46 they are in the house with the sons and you can't tell who is what 38:55 but if they remain servants meaning according to galatians 39:02 that we just read galatians 4 the child is no different 39:07 from a servant so the child meaning he hasn't grown up to 39:14 sonship yet oh lord help me 39:19 the gospel of john chapter 3 says as many as believed on him to them gave he power to become the sons of god 39:27 the child hasn't grown up to sonship 39:33 so the child is not different from a servant 39:38 but that's dangerous because servants don't abide forever they are in the 39:44 house the house of god but i heard peter said 39:50 that judgment will begin in his house in the house of god 39:55 not in the world in the house of god so the child 40:02 that is still a child is like 40:08 a servant but the servants in the house 40:15 won't stay forever oh help me jesus 40:24 i'm preaching to myself but don't forget galatians 4 verse 2 40:31 said the child 40:36 is under 2000 governors until the time 40:42 appointed of the father what does that mean 40:48 it means daddy has set a time for josh 40:54 you know what josh got born again in 1920 41:03 yeah by 19 he should be 41:08 at such and such grade yeah in 1920 i put him in pre-k 41:13 in the kingdom of my dear son uh by 19 41:19 25 it should be i should be in first grade at least 41:25 by 1930 josh at least he should be at least should be 41:31 in third grade because that is the time i've appointed 41:37 for him there's a time god has appointed 41:43 for our tutoring for our growing 41:50 ah help me jesus my time is gone again ah 41:57 beloved i have to stop here again and pick it up next time 42:03 until then god bless you my beloved in jesus name 42:08 amen [Music] 42:20 is [Music] 42:30 give glory to himself 42:38 [Music]