Examining Christian growth. Hindrances to growing into the image of Christ
Auto generated
0:00 [Music] all the glory [Music] 0:11 must be [Music] 0:16 no one on earth 0:21 [Music] [Applause] 0:28 [Music] praise the lord 0:35 praise ye the lord hallelujah 0:40 oh i will bless the lord at all times his praise shall continually be in my mouth 0:48 beloved let us pray father we thank you again today thank you for your faithfulness thank 0:54 you for your mercies thank you for your goodness thank you for your compassions that fail not thank you father 1:01 for the goodness that you continually extend to us father god we are grateful and we bless 1:07 you in jesus name thank you for this time of breaking bread of fellowship in your word 1:14 i ask that you give me utterance and i pray that you give us understanding 1:20 mix with faith so that your word will be profitable for us 1:25 in jesus mighty name amen god bless you beloved 1:32 we are back again to continue by the mercy of 1:38 god where we stopped at the last episode on christian growth 1:49 last time we spoke about hindrances 1:55 to christian growth which will be continuing on today by the mercies of god 2:02 again i want to or just to not jump in the middle of this 2:07 recordings but start from the beginning 2:13 and move from one to another sequentially 2:21 okay we spoke last time we had stopped 2:27 at where the children of israel joined themselves 2:34 to the moabites we're talking about how the lord saved 2:41 the children of israel from egypt in one day 2:46 in one day because my bible says that 2:51 god has translated us from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of his dear son 2:58 one day but afterwards like we said in the last 3:03 episode the lord gave them a road map 3:09 what he wanted them to be exodus 19 verse 6 3:15 and you shall be unto me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation 3:23 verse 5 i should have read before that says now therefore if you obey my voice 3:29 indeed and keep my covenants then it shall be a peculiar tradition to me above all people for the for all the 3:36 earth is mine hallelujah 3:44 we're going to continue on that we saw 3:49 last time how balaam could not destroy the children of israel 3:55 from the outside he wanted to place a curse on them 4:02 so that the moabites could now 4:07 go against them physically but the 4:12 curse that bala money took place never materialized because god converted it to 4:18 a blessing now [Music] 4:24 balaam the prophet of god balaam 4:29 the man of god now join himself 4:35 with the moabites and advise them 4:40 hey the way you can get these guys 4:47 is not to place a curse on them so that god's favor 4:54 on them will be turned away no the way you can get them 5:00 is to get them the israelites 5:07 to turn away from god 5:13 by displeasing god 5:18 in their dealings we see that 5:26 when balam advised 5:31 balak king of the moabite you know what 5:37 cause israel to hook up you know with the ladies 5:44 or vice versa let them come in hardens with the moabites 5:50 let them go have a good time let them have fun quote unquote 5:58 invite them to your feasts where you have sacrificed 6:06 your food to the idols and let them eat basically what moab 6:12 was to do was to cause the chain of israel 6:18 to defile themselves 6:23 [Music] don't forget now balaam is a prophet of god 6:37 oh well maybe i'm running ahead of myself 6:44 before this period before this time oh lord help me please 6:52 before this time of mingling with the moabites 6:57 let's look at the mindset of some of the israelites on this matter 7:03 we see that in numbers chapter 16 verse 1 to 3 7:10 numbers chapter 16 verse 1 to verse 3. 7:15 now korra the son of iza the son of kohat 7:21 the son of levi and dattan and abiram the sons of eliab 7:29 and on the son of pellet sons of reuben took men 7:35 and they rose up before moses with certain of the children of israel 7:42 250 princes of the assembly famous in the congregation 7:48 man of renown these are men that the whole 7:55 congregation looked up to these are men that were well known 8:00 in society these are key figures 8:05 these are the elite of the society 8:12 this man verse 3 and they gathered themselves together against moses and against aaron 8:18 and said unto them you take too much upon yourself listen now 8:26 seeing all the congregation are holy 8:31 [Music] every one of them and the lord is among them 8:38 wherefore then lift you up yourself above the congregation of the lord 8:45 let's look at that a little bit this man of renown in society came to meet 8:54 moses and aaron and said listen guys 8:59 [Music] you guys are you're trying to be 9:06 boss over us you're trying to be holy adanda or whatever else you guys 9:11 think you are listen to me guys the whole congregation is holy 9:20 we're holy what you talking about every one of them 9:25 and listen to what is said in verse 3 and the lord is among them 9:33 emmanuel 9:39 god is with us don't you see that cloud over there 9:44 during the day don't you see that fire by night moses 9:52 um the lord is with us 9:57 the lord is among us we are holy 10:04 what you talking about 10:15 this man equated the manifestation of god 10:24 the presence of god to the holiness of the people 10:32 mm-hmm this 10:38 is a number 16 and this is after the rebellion of unbelief 10:47 in numbers 13. think about it 10:52 in numbers 13 the congregation 10:59 that korah says is holy the whole congregation 11:04 other than a few joshua and caleb and 11:10 those under 20 that the lord did not hold it against the congregation 11:17 were in a rebellion of unbelief they disbelieved god and believed the 11:24 report of the ten spies that said that the land the lord spoke of could not be 11:29 taken because there were giants in the land 11:34 this is the same congregation that kora 11:40 and his boys are saying is holy 11:45 because the man will because god is with us there's a cloud 11:54 by day there's a pillar of fire by night so god is with us most surely 12:02 most certainly mm-hmm 12:20 we can leave as we want and we still be god's people 12:29 we'll still be acceptable to him 12:34 see this was the same mindset 12:40 that the children of israel had in the book of first samuel chapter four verse three to five 12:47 this was the time of eli the priest first samuel chapter four 12:52 verse three to five bible says and when the people were come into the camp 12:57 the elders of israel said wherefore has the lord smitten us today before the philistines 13:04 let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the lord out of shiloh unto us that when it comes amongst us it may 13:11 save us out of the hand of our enemies 13:18 hmm i want us to think about very think 13:23 about that a little bit 13:31 let me read it again and when the people were come into the camp they went to battle and 13:37 they had been defeated the elders of israel said wherefore has the lord smitting us today 13:44 before the philistines let us fetch the ark of the covenant of 13:49 the lord out of shiloh unto us that when he comment among us it may save us out 13:54 of the hand of our enemies 14:00 beloved no repentance 14:07 zero repentance 14:13 they had lost about four thousand men that's in first summer chapter four verse two i didn't 14:18 read verse two but they had lost about four thousand men in battle and their response to that was 14:24 questioning god how come we lost people 14:30 they didn't repent for their sins no 14:35 but rather they said listen let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the lord 14:43 out of shiloh unto us that when it 14:48 comes amongst us what's the it is talking about they're not talking about god they're talking about the ark of god 14:55 act of the covenant of god so that when it comes amongst us 15:02 it not god now the covenant not the ark of the covenant 15:09 that when it the ark comes amongst us it the ark may 15:14 save us out of the hands of our enemies we don't need the lord saving us anymore 15:22 the it of god can save us 15:27 we have access to the things of god so let's bring out one of those things 15:35 that it will save us mm-hmm 15:41 we have access to praying in tongues uh help me jesus 15:48 shandara bababosha yes we have access to god's word 15:54 and the righteousness of god in christ jesus and we can claim 16:02 every promise we can pinpoint i am the head and not the tail 16:11 but forget about god 16:18 um 16:23 first summer chapter 4 3 to 5. 16:30 verse 4 says so the people went to shiloh that they might bring from things the ark of the covenant and of the lord 16:37 of hosts which dwelleth between the cherubims and the two sons of eli hophni and 16:43 phinehas were there with the ark of the covenant of god 16:48 and when the ark of the covenant of the lord came into the camp all israel shouted with a great shout so the earth 16:55 rang again this is that false emmanuel again 17:03 yeah the ark of the lord is with us so we are holy um 17:13 these are the same people that refused 17:18 to hearken to the dictates of the same god 17:28 again they were saying we can leave as we want 17:33 and we'll still be god's people we will still be acceptable to him 17:45 so what is the doctrine of bala 17:51 that hinders christian growth the doctrine of balaam 17:58 is therefore a subtle teaching 18:05 that makes the people of god believe that it doesn't matter that they are living lives polluted with sin 18:15 it's a subtle teaching is subtle 18:21 it's not frontal it's not brazing in your face 18:29 that's the way of jezebel and god we will look at that 18:35 we'll look at that later the doctrine of balaam 18:42 is subtle don't forget now 18:48 balaam the prophet of god never 18:53 interacted with the people of god 18:59 to teach them to do these things no 19:05 balaam went to the enemies of god 19:10 moab that would represent the world 19:18 and taught the world how to 19:23 pollute the church so that the church will be like the 19:29 world mm-hmm 19:41 balaam taught balak he didn't israelites he taught balak 19:50 see be nice to these people be friendly with them 19:55 invite them to your fists your polluted fists 20:01 to eat these things with you that you sacrifice to idols 20:06 you know and and go on dates with the people mm-hmm oh help me jesus 20:12 did i say that uh okay i did lord help me 20:18 okay you know just you guys mingle a little bit you know get that app you know date them 20:24 you know and you know be friendly you know move around you know 20:30 do all kinds of good stuff 20:35 with the world the bible says come out from among them 20:42 and be ye separate 20:48 instead of israel influencing 20:53 the world to be like them the world was influencing 21:01 israel to be like them and what did that do 21:08 it brought the displeasure of god on his people 21:16 the doctrine of balaam and those that hold the doctrine of 21:23 balaam they forget proverbs 14 34 21:28 which says righteousness exalts the nation but sin 21:34 is a reproach to any people any people 21:39 i don't care if you're a murderer i don't care if you are a deacon 21:47 sin is a reproach to any people i don't care if you speak in tongues 21:52 or i don't care if you're hitler sin is a reproach to any people 22:00 sin is a reproach proverbs 11 19 22:05 as righteousness tended to life so he that pursues evil pursues it to 22:12 his own death sin is evil 22:20 iniquity is a stumbling block look at ezekiel 7 19 22:27 they shall cast their silver in the streets and their goals shall be as an unclean 22:32 thing their silver and their goals shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the lord they shall not 22:40 satisfy their souls neither feel their boils because 22:46 it has been the stumbling block of their iniquity 22:55 ezekiel 14 verse 3 son of man these men have put up idols in their 23:01 hearts and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face 23:06 should i be inquired off at all by them let me read that again 23:12 these men have set up idols in their hearts and put the stumbling block of their 23:19 iniquity before their face should i be inquired off at all by them 23:26 verse 4 therefore speak unto them ezekiel 14 4 23:32 and say unto them thus saith the lord god every man of the house of israel that 23:37 set it up idols in his heart and put at the stumbling block of his iniquity 23:43 before his face and commit to the prophet i the lord will answer him that 23:48 comment according to the multitude of his idols iniquity is a stumbling block we can 23:55 grow with iniquity we can grow 24:01 with sin if we have a mindset that it doesn't matter if we do sin 24:07 we read it in the previous episode we confess our sin to god 24:14 because the bible says when we confess our sins he's faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us of our unrighteousness 24:21 so to have a mindset that it doesn't matter or it's not a big deal 24:28 is a doctrine of balaam that the lord hates 24:35 lord help me leviticus 19 verse one to two and the last spoke unto me saying speak unto all 24:43 the congregation of children of israel and say unto them you shall be holy for i the lord your god i am holy 24:52 leviticus 20 7 sanctify yourselves therefore and be holy for i am the lord your god 25:03 the lord said in uh like we read in revelation 25:10 chapter 2 verse 14 let's let's read that again revelation 2 14 but i have a few things against thee 25:17 because thou has there them that hold the doctrine of balaam 25:23 who taught balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of israel to eat things 25:30 sacrifice unto idols and to commit fornication the lord was 25:36 lamenting that they were believers that were holding 25:41 the doctrine of balaam the lord was lamenting that deduction of balaam 25:47 was a stumbling block and it was the 25:53 concept of making god's children pollute themselves 25:59 defile themselves by committing fornication and eating 26:04 food sacrifice to idols it's a big deal guys 26:10 as far as the lord is concerned a stumbling block like we said 26:17 prevents progress we cannot get to perfection with 26:23 stumbling blocks a stumbling block 26:28 prevents us from going where god wants us to go 26:36 if we're stopped from going somewhere where is that somewhere we're supposed to be going 26:42 like we said salvation is a day's job it's instant 26:48 but god tells us where he wants us to go there are different expressions of that 26:53 colossians 1 for example 12 13 lets us know that giving thanks unto the father 27:00 which had made us mean to be partakers of the inheritance of the sense in light who has delivered us from the power of 27:06 darkness and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear son that was instant 27:11 but the destination we see in ephesians 4 11-13 27:18 an expression of that destination verse 11 says and he gave some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists 27:24 and some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints for the walk of the ministry for the define of the body 27:30 of christ till we all come in the unity of the fate and of knowledge of the son of god unto a 27:36 perfect man unto the measure of the statue of the fullness of christ 27:42 ii corinthians 3 18 but we all will open face beholding as 27:47 in a glass the glory of the lord are changed into the same glory into the same image 27:54 from glory to glory even as by the spirit of the lord 27:59 first peter 2 9 but ye i chosen generation a royal priesthood and holy nation 28:06 a peculiar people that you should show for the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into 28:11 his marvelous light remember now this was the same exact thing the lord told 28:18 the israelites in exodus 19 6. exact same thing 28:24 the purposes of god have never changed he never changes jesus christ the same 28:30 yesterday today and forever he said in exodus 19 6 and ye shall be unto me a 28:35 kingdom of priests and holy nation a kingdom of priests 28:41 and holy nation a kingdom king dumb so there's a there are kings 28:48 involved princes princesses this is royalty 28:54 you shall be a kingdom of priests priesthood is involved ministering to god and ministering to 29:00 man and unholy nation not an unholy nation but a holy nation 29:07 is the exact same thing the lord tells christians in the new testament 29:12 because he hasn't changed his purpose and his goal the destination has never changed 29:19 let me read that again first peter 2 9 but you are a chosen generation a royal 29:26 priesthood exodus says a kingdom of priests peter says 29:31 a royal priesthood same difference [Laughter] 29:36 kings that are priests royal priesthood 29:41 exodus says kingdom of priests same thing ii peter 2 12-16 29:49 but these as natural brute beasts made to be taken 29:55 and destroyed speak evil of the things that they understand not and shall utterly perish 30:02 in their own corruption and shall receive the reward of unrighteousness as they that count it 30:08 pleasure to a riot in the daytime spots they are and blemishes spotting 30:13 themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you listen now having eyes full of adultery 30:21 and that cannot cease from sin oh wow 30:27 i'm preaching to myself guys i'm i'm not i'm not talking to you really i'm just glad you're over hearing me talk to 30:32 myself the lord expects us to cease from sin 30:37 and is describing some persons and saying verse 14 ii 30:43 peter 2 they have eyes full of adultery and that cannot seize from sin 30:50 but what do those people do beguiling on stable souls 30:56 they are deceiving others to be like them and heart 31:01 they have exercise with covetous practices and they are cursed children god hasn't 31:07 denied them they are children 31:13 his children but they are cursed children so i beg you whenever 31:19 whenever somebody tells you yeah god cannot deny his own children just tell him and so 31:25 what his children here are cursed children 31:30 ah oh lord help me let's let's look at what what sin does to god i'm talking 31:36 about you and me no no no that's that uh i'll probably come to that 31:41 let's look at what sin does to god second samuel chapter 12. you know the story of david 31:48 and bathsheba and the husband uriah that he killed that david killed from verse 31:55 1 of second summer chapter 12 we see when nathan came to me david but but 32:01 let's look at the key verse here a few key verses verse 13 32:07 the bible says and david said to nathan i have sinned against god against the lord and nathan said unto david the lord 32:14 also has put away thy sin that shall not die however verse 14 32:20 because by this deed thou has given great occasion to the 32:27 enemies of the lord to blaspheme the child also that is born unto thee 32:32 shall surely die let me read verse 14 again howbeit because by this deed thou has 32:39 given great occasion to the enemies of the lord to blaspheme 32:44 the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die 32:50 beloved when ever god's children sin 32:57 we give location we give a platform we give a reason 33:03 we give a ground 33:08 we give a basis for the enemies of the lord to blaspheme 33:15 the lord the lord is holy we are his children now 33:20 if we are his children of necessity by the law of reproduction 33:26 we should be looking like our father because goats 33:32 begot goats lions begot lions fish begat fish apple tree begot apples 33:39 the love of reproduction banana plant can be got oranges 33:45 a monkey can't be got a lion if you think convincingly forgive me it's just it's just way what it is so the children 33:52 of god that god has made his children when we go and sin 33:58 the enemy has a platform to curse god to blaspheme against god and say your 34:05 children look like you but god is holy um i hope you get that let me say that 34:11 again god is holy not just in essence 34:16 but in his doings so his children that he begot 34:23 ought to look like god be holy for i am holy the lord says there's a reason he says that 34:29 i'm your daddy i begot you to look like me i did not okay i'm using the word 34:35 begot i gave birth to you or i made you my child god did not 34:41 begot us forgive my english to look like the devil no 34:47 but when god's children look like the devil the enemies of god can blaspheme 34:54 god and say his children look like him so what david did 35:01 the worst part of it was giving a platform for god's enemies to curse god 35:07 if i go rub a bank and i'm apprehended put in jail 35:12 that's sitting on harvest on the physical side 35:18 [Music] but on the spiritual side i have given an occasion 35:25 to god's enemies to blaspheme god so back to second peter we were reading 35:32 chapter 2 verse 12 to 16. i'm sorry i bounced around a lot beloved just have 35:37 your bible maybe play this again and the lord will give we give you wisdom 35:43 and understanding in jesus name second peter chapter 2 verse 12 to 16 35:49 we are reading verse 14 having eyes full of adultery that cannot cease from sin beguiling unstable souls 35:55 and heart they have exercised with covetous practices cursed children which are forsaken the right way and 36:02 gone astray following the way of balaam the son of besou who loved the wages of unrighteousness 36:08 but was rebuked for his iniquity the dharma speaking with man's voice forbade the madness of the prophet 36:14 what do we do with stumbling blocks i'm glad you asked beloved isaiah 57 verse 36:21 14 and shall say cast ye up 36:26 cassie up prepare the way take up the stumbling block 36:33 out of the way of my people take up the stumbling block 36:39 out of the way of my people take up 36:45 the stumbling block out of the way of my people 36:51 take up the doctrine of balaam out of the way of my people 36:58 take it away take it away beloved the doctrine of balaam 37:04 must be taken away out of the way of god's people because it's a stumbling block 37:10 let me give you one example of the doctrine of balaam it goes like this once saved 37:16 always saved the doctrine of eternal security it 37:22 basically says once a person is saved they can never lose their salvation there's nothing they could ever do no 37:30 sin no iniquity no transgression could ever 37:35 make them go to hell um oh no beloved 37:41 does that sound like the israel we have been describing throughout this episode 37:46 throughout this podcast the false emanuals that they believed 37:52 yeah we are holy yeah god is with us mm-hmm ah god help me 37:59 beloved i have to stop by god's grace we'll pick this up next time may the lord bless you and keep you 38:05 make his face shine upon you around me gracious unto you lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace 38:11 in jesus name amen [Music] 38:18 must be to the lord [Music] 38:35 glory to himself 38:42 [Music]