Thanks for watching!
You
Good evening and welcome to Verity Baptist Church. Let's go ahead and find our seats this evening
Find a seat find a handle close to you turn to page number
421
Song number
421 the first Noel we will open the service with song number
421 and let's go ahead and sing it out
Born is the king of Israel song number 421 sing it out on the first
The angel did say was to certain poor shepherds
And feels where they lay
in fields
They keeping their sheep on a cold winter's night
No
Born is a king
Of Israel song number 421 on the second
That same star three wise men came from
country far to see
for a king
What their intent and to follow the star wherever?
Noel
Born is a king
Of Israel
Number 421 on the third
To the
Northwest or Bethlehem
They took its rest
Stop and see right over the place where Jesus
lay
No
Born is the king
You guys are all warmed up. All right, so number 421 sing it out on the last
On
Is presence there go
And see it out
Born is
Amen great singing welcome to Verity Baptist Church here on our Sunday evening service
We are so glad to see everyone here this evening. Let's open the service with a word of prayer
Dear heavenly fire. We love you. We thank you again just for the opportunity to be in your house Lord
And thank you for a great day you've given us and thank you for these dear people would come Lord and sing praises to your
Name and we just pray Lord that you bless the service
We ask for the singing the preaching the fellowship and we hope Lord that everything that we said and done this evening with only green
Glory in honor to you name. We love you and Jesus my pray. Amen
Alright, it's now time for favorites. Where if you're selected we will sing a stanza from the song that
You picked miss Irene God
427 son number four to seven
We three kings
Orient our son number four hundred and twenty seven
Let's go ahead and sing it out on the first we three kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts. We travel so far
And mountain
Star
You'll be right
Proceeding guide us to die perfect
188 on the last the love of God saw number 188
Not a Christmas song, but it actually is right saw number 188
Could be within sing it out
on the last
Goodly within the ocean
Apartments made every song
And every man
To
Train the ocean
No stress from the sky
Super sky Oh
Just I got
432
So number four hundred and thirty two
Angels from the realms of glory
It's not number four hundred and thirty two
Like this song so let's sing this one out. I saw number four hundred thirty two on the first
Angels from the realms
of glory
playing your fight
For all the earth
Ye who sack
Creation's glory now proclaim
Messiah's birth
worship
Brother Josh guide three five six saw number three hundred and fifty six
I
Must tell Jesus saw number
356 this one you have to sing this one out with some passion saw number three five six on the first
In my distress
He ever
I must
I cannot
Jesus can help me Jesus alone
Let's sing one more song brother Graham good
423
This will be the last song for favorites. You all select the great songs this evening. So let's finish it strong with joy to the world
for to see on the first
And
Great singing
Amen and we welcome you to the Sunday evening service here at rarity Baptist Church. We're so glad that you are with us
Let's go ahead and take our bulletins
We'll look some announcements real quickly
If you do not have a bullet and just raise your hand and one of our ushers can get one for you
If you need a bullet and just put your hand up and we'll get one for you the verse this week
Luke chapter 2 in verse 10 and the angel said unto them fear not for behold
I bring you good tidings of great joy
Which shall be to all people and that's a good verse there
If you open up your bullets and you'll see our service time Sunday morning service 1030 a.m. We had a wonderful service this morning
We're glad of course
You're back out tonight for the evening service
And we do invite you to be with us on Wednesday night for the midweek Bible study
we call the Sunday night service the most exciting service of the week and
For some reason I think you just sing more excited on Sunday night and then on Wednesday night
it's the most encouraging service of the week and it's just a nice time right in the middle of the week to get with God's
people and
Pray and praise him of course and then listen to preaching
So we encourage you to be here for that
You look at our soul winning times
our main soul winning time is on Saturday mornings at 10 a.m. And we'll hope you'll join us for the
Soul winning rally on Saturday morning
And then we have additional soul ring times on Thursdays and Sundays at 2 p.m.
As well and if you're a soul winner just want to remind you
if you would not mind if you have any salvations make sure you mark those on your communication card and put it in the
Offering plate so that we can get that in the bulletin and also if you have a map that you did not finish
Please clearly mark what was done and what was not done and put it in the bin in the foyer
so that we can get that recycled through and get that done and then also if you're running late to one of our soul winning
Times if you would call us or text us at the number there nine one six eight six eight nine zero eight zero
Let us know what your plan on being there
But you're running late that way we can make sure
Our team our soul winning captains can make sure they have a partner for you and a map and get you all
Situated if you look at the announcements and upcoming events, of course on Sunday mornings
We've been going through this Christmas series called the most wonderful time and we'll continue that of course through Christmas
And then we just want you to be aware of some special things going on the Sunday
before Christmas
December 22nd for the 10 30 a.m. Service
We're gonna have special music, of course from the orchestra from the choir the adult choir and the children's choir
And then after the Sunday evening service, we're going to have a hot chocolate and Christmas cookie fellowship
So we just want you to be aware of that
We've got sign-up sheets in the main foyer if you'd like to sign up to bring cookies
we would appreciate your help with that and then
This year Christmas actually falls on a Wednesday and we're not canceling Church. All right, we'll have Church on Wednesday night
Of course, you're welcome to to be here for that and I've never understood this idea
That says let's celebrate the birth of Christ by canceling Church. I don't think that's something Jesus would want
So we'll have Church at 7 p.m. So you can have Christmas dinner, you know five or whatever and and we'll have but that's we're not
We're not gonna have a big
Push for that day the big push will be on Sunday, but we will have a nice service on Wednesday night, of course
I'll preach something related to Christmas and then nine chapters a day. We just want you to be aware of this and
We I'm gonna be pushing this hard for the next few weeks
Because we need it and we need to be in the Word of God and I want to encourage you to take the nine chapters a
Day challenge don't let it scare you people are often when they haven't done it
They hear that like nine chapters a day
You can do it
All right
If there's lots of people that have done it and you're gonna be glad you did so make sure that this is
Something you take on as a goal in January
And what we do is we challenge the entire church family to read nine chapters a day in the month of January
Every day and if you do that and from the New Testament
You'll read the entire New Testament in the month of January and you've got the chart here
You have two grace period days and the way the chart works is you can read through it two different ways
You can do the straight forward or the straight through reading which is just nine chapters
You know Matthew 1 through 9 10 through 18
You just go through the New Testament the benefit to this is
That you get all the big chapters the beginning of the New Testament has the bigger chapters
You get that all out of the way at the beginning of the month while you're still, you know
exercising and you're all dedicated because the new year just started and then by the time you get to the end of the
Of the month you get to those smaller chapters so it becomes easier the split reading
The benefit to that is that it's it's balanced the entire time, but it is balanced the entire time
So you got to make it past, you know, two weeks and still be motivated to do it
So, alright, so just be aware of that
We want you to read and to be in the Bible of course of you if you do the challenge
and then we'll put your name in on a nice plaque and
We will we have plaques for every year of our church we have last year's plaque as well. It's already made
We just don't have I really don't want to hang these plaques up in these terrible looking hallways right now
So we just want you to know we have them
All right
You may have to just do this by faith
Believing that there's a plaque somewhere in a storage room with your name on it
But eventually we'll get everything put up and it'll be nice. All right, so make sure you're aware of that choir practice
They had good practices today. If you look at the back of the bulletin birthdays and anniversaries for the month of
December this week we have brother I go to his birthday is on December 9th and
Brother Aldo's birthday is this week on December 13th?
Praise report money matters all those things are there for you to look at and then of course
We just want you to be aware of the Christmas gifts for Jesus
You should have one of these inserts there in your bulletin
And if you could help us with that
We'd appreciate it as you're out and about purchasing things for everybody else this Christmas season
make sure you purchase something for the Lord Jesus Christ you give it to him through the local church and
There's just some things there that we use on a regular basis and we've got a sign a drop-off area in the foyer there
If you'd like to just bypass the whole thing and you'd like to just make a special Christmas kiss for Jesus donation
There's a QR code and you can do that there as well. All right, I think that's
It for all of the announcement. So we're gonna go ahead and sing the chorus of the week
Which is this song beautiful star of Bethlehem
We sang it here for the first time this morning and you did a very good job
Alright, so let's say we can do as good of a job tonight. Maybe even better Oh
beautiful star of Bethlehem sing it out on the first Oh
beautiful star of Bethlehem
Shining off our through shadows dim
Giving a light for those who long have gone
And
Guiding the wise men on their way
onto the place where Jesus lay
beautiful star of Bethlehem
Good let's sing it out. Oh beautiful star
Of Bethlehem
Shine
Upon us until the glory
Don't
Give us my light to light the way into the land of perfect
Beautiful star of Bethlehem
Shine on I don't I don't know about you, but it just seems like we sing better on Sunday night
Maybe you need the whole day to warm up, but you're singing
Well, let's sing it out on the second beautiful star of Bethlehem on the second Oh
beautiful star the hope of light
guiding the pilgrims through the night
over the mountain till the break of
dawn
And into the light of perfect day it will give out
Oh
beautiful star of Bethlehem
shine on
Oh beautiful star
of Bethlehem
Shine upon us until the glory
Dawn Oh give us my light to light the way
into the land of perfect day
Beautiful star of Bethlehem
shine on
All right, we're gonna slow it down sing it on purpose on the third. Let's slow it down and sing it with passion. Oh
beautiful star the hope of rest for the
Redeem the good and last
yonder in glory
When the crown is won
Slow it down for Jesus is now that star the vine
brighter and brighter
He will shine
Beautiful star of Bethlehem
Shine on goodness sing it out
Beautiful star
of Bethlehem
Shine upon us until the glory
Dawn
Give us my life
Into the land of perfect day
Beautiful star of Bethlehem
Shine on
Oh
Amen good scene
We'll have the guys come up and help us with the offering at this time and let's go ahead and bow our heads and have
A word of prayer Heavenly Father Lord. We do love you. We thank you for allowing us to gather together tonight
Well, we pray that you'd bless the offering the gift and the giver
We pray that you'd bless the time set aside for the preaching of your word Lord
We ask that you meet with us tonight speak to our hearts through your word in Jesus name. We pray
You
Please open up the first Timothy for
First Timothy chapter 4 if you do not have a Bible, please raise your hand
And I'm not sure you can bring you a Bible
first Timothy chapter 4
Just keep your hand up and as you will come by
First Timothy 4 we were in the entire chapter as our custom
First Timothy 4 being verse number 1
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith
giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils
Speaking lies and hypocrisy having their conscience seared with a hot iron
Forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them
Which believe and know the truth?
For every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving
For it is sanctified by the Word of God in prayer
If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ
Nourished up in the words of faith and a good doctrine whereunto thou hast attained
But refuse profane and old wives stables and exercise thyself rather unto godliness
For bodily exercise profit little but godliness is profitable unto all things
Having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all expectation for therefore we both labor and suffer approach
Because we trust in the Living God who is a savior of all men especially of those that believe
These things command and teach
Let no man despise thy youth
But be that an example of the believers in word in conversation in charity in spirit and faith in purity
Till I come give attendance to reading to exhortation to doctrine
Neglect not the gift that is indeed which was given thee by prophecy with the laying on the on of the hands of the presbytery
Meditate upon these things give thyself holy to them that thy profiting may appear to all
Take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine
Continue in them for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee. Let's pray. Heavenly Father
Thank you for this evening. God I thank you for your word and for a church
I ask you please give us all a tender heart to the message tonight and I ask you to be their pastor
Please strengthen him and fill him with spirit. Lord we love you. In Jesus name pray. Amen
Amen
All right, we were there in 2nd Timothy chapter number 4 and
Last week we came to 2nd Timothy chapter 4. I was preaching a different sermon on a different subject and
We actually came to 2nd Timothy chapter 4 just as a reference in the middle of the sermon and we were looking at
verse number 14 neglect not the gift that is in thee, but when I
Was reading that last week last Sunday night
actually, I
saw these words and I
They kind of captured me and they captivated my thought even in the middle of my sermon while I'm preaching something else these words
captured my thoughts and I
Thought to myself I'd like to preach this Herman just on this subject and just to give you a little bit of the context
Look at verse number 13
1st Timothy chapter 4 and verse 13 the Bible says this till I come this is of course the Apostle Paul speaking
To Timothy and he's giving him instructions
These are the pastoral epistles where Paul is instructing these young men
In the ministry and he says to him till I come give attendance and the word attendance there means
give attention to pay attention to he says give attendance to reading and of course the reference there is in
Regards to the reading of the Word of God
He said I want you to give attention to I want you to give attendance to
Reading and he's talking about reading the Word of God then he says to
exhortation when the word exhortation or to exhort means to warn or to admonish and
Exhortation is a warning and of course
I believe that this is referring to preaching oftentimes when we preach what we're doing is we're admonishing
We're warning and I believe the Apostle Paul here is telling Timothy
I want you to give attendance to reading and he's referring to the reading of the Word of God and
Then he says to exhortation and I believe he's referring to the preaching of the Word of God
And then he says to doctrine the word doctrine means
Teaching and I believe of course he's referring to the teaching of the Word of God
He says till I come give attendance to reading to exhortation to doctrine verse 14
Neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given thee by prophecy
With the laying on in the hands of the presbytery and then I want you to notice verse 15
He says meditate upon these things
meditate upon these things and
If you're looking at that passage and you're wondering what things is he referring to?
He's referring to the things that he just got done telling
Timothy to give attention to to give attendance to give attendance to verse 13 reading to exhortation to doctrine
Then in verse 15, he says I want you to meditate upon these things
What things the reading of the Word of God the preaching of the Word of God the teaching of the Word of God?
He says meditate upon these things and then I want you to notice this little phrase and this is the phrase that kind of captured
My attention last week and I want to preach a whole sermon on it tonight
And in fact, if you don't mind marking in your Bible, I'd like you to underline this little phrase in your Bible
He says give thyself
holy to them
Give thyself holy to them give thyself holy to one well to these things. He says meditate upon these things
Referring to reading exhortation doctrine and then he says give thyself holy to them that thy
Profiting may appear to all
When Paul tells Timothy to give himself holy to these things
He's referring to the things of God to the reading of the Word of God to the exhortation of the Word of God to the doctrine
Of the Word of God, but what he's really saying is I want you to give yourself to God
I want you to give yourself to the things that God has told you God has communicated with you through his word
He's communicated with through the preaching of his word
He's communicated through the doctrine of his word and he says give thyself
Holy to them. I like to speak on this subject for just a few minutes tonight
I'd like to give you three thoughts and maybe you can jot these down
I always encourage you of course to take notes and on the back of your course the week
There's a place for you to write down some things and maybe you can jot these things down
The first thing I'd like you to notice tonight from this little phrase give thyself holy to them is the resolve
To give thyself
The resolve to give thyself. See what Paul is telling Timothy is that this is a request
This is something that he's asking Timothy to do he cannot force Timothy to do this
Nobody can force you to do anything
But he says give thyself
He tells Timothy that I want you to consider giving yourself to these things
Giving yourself to the Word of God to the preaching of the Word of God the reading of the Word of God the teaching of
The Word of God he says give thyself
Holy to them and if you and I are going to be Christians and this morning when I spoke about tonight's sermon
I talked about the fact that we're gonna be learning about the maybe second most important spiritual decision
You can make the most important
decision you can make spiritually or any decision period in your life is
with regards to
Salvation you make the choice to be saved you choose to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to call upon him for salvation
That's the most important decision. You're ever going to make whether spiritually or non spiritually. That's that's it
That's the number one thing. I think I'm of the
opinion that the second most important decision you will ever make in your life is who you choose to marry and
I'm not preaching on marriage
But I can tell you this choosing to marry the wrong person can and will ruin your life
So be mindful of that and I've preached on that in the past as well
But when it comes to spiritual decisions spiritual decisions
The second most important thing after salvation that you can decide is to make this decision to give thyself
Holy to God to give yourself
Completely to the Lord and you may think well aren't all Christians haven't all Christians decided to give themselves
Completely to the Lord and to that I would say you must be new around here
Because the truth is that most Christians have not given themselves completely to the Lord
I'd like you to keep your place there in 1st Timothy chapter 4 that's our text for tonight
But go with me real quickly to the last book of the New Testament to the book of Revelation
Revelation chapter number 3 and of course if you're familiar with the book of Revelation, you know that chapters 2 and chapters 3 deal with the
Message of the Lord Jesus Christ given to the seven churches in Asia
He gives them all these different messages and I want to highlight for you
Just one message given to one church the church of the Laodiceans in
Revelation chapter 3 and verse 15 the Bible says this this is Jesus speaking by the way. This is Jesus
He's already ascended up to heaven. He's in his glorified body
He appears to John on the Isle of Patmos and he's giving this message to these churches and though these churches are literal physical
Churches that literally exist in the first century
I think we can all learn from all of these churches and there's lessons for us to learn and in Revelation 3 and verse 15
He says this I know thy works. He's speaking to the church of the Laodiceans
He says I know thy work and then he says this that thou art neither
cold nor hot
He said here's what I know about you. You're not fully
Holy completely on any one side of this thing. He said you're neither cold
Nor hot then he says this he says I would
The word would there it's used in an older way that maybe we wouldn't use a lot today
But it means I will or I desire what I want. Jesus is saying here's what I know about you
I know that thou art neither cold nor hot and then he says I
Want what I want what I desire what my will is. He said I would thou were cold or hot
that's
Jesus way of saying I wish you would choose a side
He said at this point and you know
There's debate as to which one's the good side the cold side or the hot side
I've heard arguments for both now. I don't really think it makes a difference
I personally think the hot side is the good side that he's referring to in the cold
You don't want to be a cold Christian. You want to be a hot Christian?
You don't want to be a cold Christian you want to be a Christian that's on fire for God either way
Whichever side is the good side or the bad side. The point is this Jesus actually says I'd rather you be a hundred percent on the
wrong side or
100% on the right side. He said I would thou work cold or hot so then verse 16 because thou art
lukewarm
And he says here's the problem I have with you. This is Jesus speaking. This is not me speaking to you
This is Jesus speaking to the church of Laodiceans
But it applies to all of us if it needs to apply and he says this the problem that I have with you
And I think the problem that Jesus probably has with most Christians is that they're neither cold nor hot
They're just kind of somewhere in between
They're lukewarm
So then because thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot
I want you to notice what Jesus says he says I will spew thee out of my mouth
and the idea is
And it doesn't say it but the fact that he's saying to spew you out of your mouth whenever I read that I think of you
Know picking up a little just think about picking up a lukewarm
Not really cold not really hot
Coca-Cola or whatever it is you like to drink as long as it's not beer, okay?
And some sort of drink you like to drink and and it's meant to be cold or maybe it's meant to be hot
You know they cold coffee they make hot coffee, but there's just something about lukewarm coffee
They make cold sodas
But there's just something about lukewarm soda that when you drink it you just kind of want to
Spew it out of your mouth, and this is what Jesus is saying he says look. Here's what I know about you
I know that thou art neither cold nor hot
He said I were not were cold or hot so then because thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot
I will spew thee out of my mouth
What Jesus is saying is this he's saying Christians that cannot choose a side make me sick
You
Said I I wish you'd just pick a side. I would not were cold or hot
And then I want you to notice in verse 17. He says this he says because and here he gives us the reason
He says here's here's the reason why?
You're neither cold nor hot. Here's the reason why you've not chosen a side. You've not taken a stand
Here's the reason why you're just kind of riding the fence you're at one foot in you said
We're talking about being one foot in the world and one foot in the things of God
We're talking about being one foot walking with the Lord and one foot walking with the devil
We're talking about just kind of you know
I kind of do this church thing and I do this worldly thing and here's what Jesus says Jesus says the reason
That you live that way. He says because verse 17
Because thou says and I think this applies so well to Christians in the 21st century and especially living in the United States of America
He says here's the problem. He says because they'll say is I am rich and
increased with goods I
Want you to know it's a little phrase. He says and have need of nothing and
That's really the reason
What are we talking about tonight? We're talking about the reason that Christians don't sell out
We're talking about the reason why Christians don't just get 100% in
We're talking about the reason why it is that Christians feel this need to kind of be half Christian and half worldly
We're not talking about salvation. We're talking about how you live your life and and the way that you
Live the lifestyle of your home and your
Personal life and the reason that Christians choose to kind of live this half in half out
half cold half hot
Lukewarm Christianity is because they think they have need of nothing
He says because I'll say is I'm rich and increased with goods and I've need of nothing he says that's the reason you don't sell
out
That's the reason you don't sell out
But here's the reason why you should sell out. I want you to see it
Here's the reason why you don't sell out because I'll say is I'm rich and increased with goods and I've need of nothing
Here's the reason why you should sell out and no it's not and no it's not
Jesus said you think you're rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing
That's the reason you choose not to give yourself completely to the Lord Jesus Christ
He says but here's what you don't know and here's what you need to know
He says and no it's not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked
He says you don't know
your true condition
And what we see in this passage is that many Christians have not
Given themselves completely to God and I believe this what Paul is trying to tell Timothy. He's telling Timothy
He's expressing to Timothy and he's inviting Timothy. He's saying give thyself. Holy
to them
Don't be half in half out. Don't be this Christian. That's neither cold nor hot
They're just kind of halfway in between lukewarm. He said give thyself completely
continue to keep your place there in 1st Timothy and if you would go with me to the
book of 1st Kings in the Old Testament 1st Kings chapter number 18 in
The Old Testament if you can find these the one and two books are all clustered together 1st 2nd Samuel 1st 2nd Kings 1st 2nd
Chronicle 1st Kings chapter number 18
And
Let me ask you this question and I think I'd like for you to answer it honestly
And obviously you don't have to answer it out loud. Please don't answer it out loud. I'd prefer you not
But if the Lord Jesus Christ
Were to look at us
If he were to judge us how he judged the church of the Laodiceans would he say of you?
And would he say of me?
Thou art neither cold nor hot
I would thou work cold or hot
See we as Christians need to decide
That we're going to give ourselves completely to God
It's a resolution that must be made you must choose to give thyself. This is not salvation at salvation
You got a hundred percent of God, but he did not necessarily get a hundred percent of you
And though you got salvation and you're saved and you're eternally secure in Christ
No matter how you live your life and praise God for that
God still wants us to give ourselves
Completely to him and I think that this is a theme we see throughout the Bible. There's a frustration
I think there's a spiritual frustration you you you see in Scripture about it. We just saw it in Revelation 3 where Jesus is frustrated
He says thou art neither cold nor hot. He said I would I would I would not work cold or hot
He said I I wish to just choose aside. I would not work cold or hot
So then because thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot I will spew thee out of my mouth
Can you sense the spiritual frustration coming from the Lord Jesus Christ?
Because I wish you'd choose a sign
Once you notice in 1st Kings chapter 18
We we find the same sort of spiritual frustration this time not from the Lord Jesus Christ from a but from a great prophet
of God the Prophet Elijah
1st Kings chapter 18 just to set the story for you
This is of course right before the great showdown at Mount Carmel and
Elijah is about to show show that God is God. He's about to face off with the prophets of Baal
in 1st Kings chapter 18 and verse 20 the Bible says this so Ahab this is a bad King the
Wicked King Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel and gathered the prophets together unto Mount Carmel
They're gathering everybody together for this big showdown
And I'm not preaching on this story
But I want you to notice in verse 21 the Bible says this and Elijah came unto all the people and said and I want you
To feel see see if you can hear the frustration in Joshua and in Elijah's
Voice as he speaks to the children of Israel the Bible says Elijah came unto all the people and said notice the words notice the question
He says how long?
How long halt ye
Between two opinions
He said how long are you gonna straddle the fence?
How long are you going to be neither cold nor hot?
Neither in or out not making a choice
He says how long halt ye between two opinions?
And I think there's a question that we should wrestle with tonight
And there's a question that every single one of us should answer tonight. How long will you halt?
Between two opinions
How long
Before you and I give ourselves holy to God
holy to them
And I think it's interesting what Elijah says here because he then gives he gives a reason and I think it's you know
It's easy for us to just read these
Words and we read these stories and we like the stories we read them and we just kind of read over them
but keep in mind that this is a real man talking to real people and
He says how long halt ye between two opinions and then he says this and I think this is where I really sense of frustration
He says this if the Lord be God
He doesn't state to them that the Lord is God now Elijah believes the Lord is God
He's about to show them that the Lord is God the Lord who is God is about to rain fire from heaven and prove that
He is God, but before all that happens Elijah says this if the Lord be God if
God is who he says he is
He says of the Lord be God
follow him
And I know that sounds simple and maybe it's a little more simple than I should be on a Sunday night
But doesn't it just make sense?
I mean think about what Elijah is saying
If you and I are Christians and we're supposedly saved we put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
We ask him to save us. We believe in God. I mean we're I'm not talking to a secular audience here
We're talking to Christians who say they believe that God exists
They believe that this King James Bible is the Word of God is the inspired
Inerrant word that God literally gave us his Bible
gave us his word and what Elijah is saying is this if you actually
Believe there's a God and you actually believe that the Lord the God of Israel
He's talking to the Old Testament nation of Israel is that God if you believe that there is a God and that God has given
You the King James Bible. He says why would you not wholly give yourself to those things?
Doesn't it make sense? I mean if the Lord be God doesn't he make him smarter doesn't that make him smarter than you? I
mean if the Lord be God
Doesn't make his will better than my will if the Lord be God
Doesn't it make sense that we would then just say well, yeah, I mean you're God and you're telling me what to do
So I'm just gonna go ahead and follow you
He says how long hall ye between two opinions if the Lord be God
Follow him and then Elijah say he's making a logical argument. He says but if bail
Because in this story, they're they're trying to decide between the Lord and bail
He says how long but by the way bails the devil
How long are you between two opinions of the Lord be God follow him, but if bail then follow him
And then I want you to notice
the response that Elijah gets
It's kind of the response that a lot of Christians give and the people answered him
Not a word
The question for you tonight is this how long halt you between two opinions I
Mean if God really is who he says he is
If this Bible really is what we say it is
And why not give yourself wholly to it?
Why not give yourself to reading to exhortation to doctrine?
So I want you to notice that we see the resolve
It's a choice that needs to be made
It's not something that just happens. You don't just wake up one day, and you're a super Christian you have to give thyself
wholly
To them so we see first of all they're the resolve. I'd like you to keep your place there in 1st Kings
We're gonna come back to that part of the Bible, but go with me if you want to the book of Psalms
Psalm 63 keep your place in 1st Kings, and if you open your Bible just right in the center
You're more than likely following the book of Psalms
Psalm 63 I
Said number one tonight. We see the resolve to give thyself
Holy it's a decision that needs to be made
The request from Paul to Timothy is this give thyself
Give thyself
Then I want you to notice secondly the requirement
the requirement
Because I think if we were to ask most Christians if we were to take you aside and say hey
Do you want to give yourself to the Lord you want to give yourself to the things of God?
I think most Christians would probably say well. Yeah, of course
But the thing about it is this that there is a requirement for this and
The requirement is found in this one little word
You're there in Psalm 63, but I'll just read the verse for you from 1st
Timothy you you go to Psalm 63 1st Timothy 4 15 says meditate upon these things give thyself
And here's what makes it difficult
And here's where the decision really needs to be made he says give thyself, holy
Holy
By the way the word holy there is
W-h-o-l-l-y not h-o-l-y
Although it'd be good to give yourself. Holy h-o-l-y to the Lord as well
We've got other references that tell us that as well, but here the idea is to give thyself. Holy
The word holy or whole means entirely
fully
completely
meaning
Not leaving anything out
Giving it all surrendering it all
Yielding it all
He says give thyself. That's the request give thyself. That's the resolve give thyself
That's the decision but then here's the requirement. He says holy
You know what God wants let me say it this way God doesn't want partial gifts
He doesn't want half of you
He wants the whole thing
entirely fully completely
Give thyself
holy
to them
Like you know Psalm 63 if you would
Psalm 63 in verse 1
I was actually just reading this this week in my own Bible reading. I thought it was
interesting
Psalm 63 in verse 1 because we could go to a lot of passages about giving yourself
Holy to the Lord and when we'll look at some
This is one that I hadn't thought about
In Psalm 63 in verse 1 the Bible says this a psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah
Notice what it says he says Oh God
Does this sound like Elijah Oh
God thou art my God I
Mean isn't that what the argument that Elijah was making if the Lord be God follow him
Well, David made the decision that Lord the Lord really is God
David said Oh God thou art my God
You're not just God you're my God
I've made a decision that you are who you say you are and as a result David says Oh God
That weren't my God notice. He says early. Will I seek thee?
I've got to ask you the question. What do you seek early? I
Mean, let's get real practical first thing in the morning. What do you do?
Turn on the radio
Listen to talk radio. I got to catch up on the news
Immediately. I mean talk radio. What is it the 80s grab your phone and
Begin to do this
What is it that you and I early are seeking?
He says Oh God thou art my God
Early will I seek thee?
He says my soul thirsted for thee
my flesh longeth for thee is
In a dry and thirsty land where no water is
He says he says God my desire for you
it's like when you're in a dry and in a desert in a dry place and
There's no water and you desire you ever been
Dehydrated or just real thirsty and you desire to have a drink. He says that's how I feel
He says my soul thirsted for thee my flesh longeth for thee
This is the speech of a man who's given himself holy
to the Lord and
The idea is this and look I understand that what I'm saying
Maybe just sounds like spiritual talk and preacher talk and people come to church and preachers are supposed to speak this way and I understand
That to an extent but I'm telling you what David is saying is there's nothing else that I desire but God
There's nothing else that I want
There's nothing else that I desire
First thing in the morning what I want what I want is God
What you and I need to do
Is make a decision
Whether we will wholly give ourselves over to God. Oh
God thou art my God
Early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee my flesh
Longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is
Look down at verse number 8 same Psalm Psalm 63 verse 8
He says my soul
followeth
My soul followeth now, I want you to notice this word. He says my soul followeth hard
Now the word hard there is being used. Obviously our Bible is translated in the 1600s
The word hard there is being used in an archaic way
That's not something we use a lot today in our vernacular
The word hard there the way that it's being used is it means to cleave or to stick to
When something is stuck to something he says my soul followeth hard
After thee he said I'm stuck to you
I cleave unto you and if we want to use the word hard in our modern vernacular, it would be this
I'm not following you softly. I'm not following you just kind of a little bit
I'm not in this thing is that I'm in this thing a hundred percent my soul followeth hard after thee
my right hand
uphold me
And I'm saying to you tonight that not only is there a request to give ourselves to the Lord
There's a resolve to give ourselves to the Lord, but there's also a requirement and the requirement I think is what disqualifies
us
The requirement is holy
completely entirely
fully
Let me give you a reference. There's lots of verses about this in the Bible
I'll just give you one go with me if you went to the book of Luke Luke chapter 10
In the New Testament of course you've got Matthew, Mark, and then the book of Luke Luke chapter 10
And I'd like you to look down at verse number 27
Luke chapter 10 and verse number 27
And look I know we read these things and I know we know these things you're a smart crowd. I know you know these things
But
Do we believe these things and
Do we actually do these things?
Luke chapter 10 and verse 27 the Bible says this and he answering said
This is a great command is found multiple times throughout the Bible. I'm just showing you one example of it in Luke
old and New Testament
Here's what God wants and here's what God desires. Here's what God commands of you and I
He says thou shalt love the Lord thy God
with all thy heart
That's not half in half out
that's not
Thou art neither cold nor hot. I would not work cold or hot so then because thou art lukewarm
I will spew thee out of my mouth. He says thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all my heart
Then he says this with all thy soul
Then he says this and with all thy strength
Then he says this and with all thy mind, and then he says this and thy neighbor as thyself
and when he says I want you to give yourself completely to God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your
Strength and with all your mind you might ask the question well, then what's left and the answer is nothing
Nothing's left
He wants us to give ourselves
Ourselves Paul would say it this way to Timothy give thyself, holy
Holy
What does that mean?
To give yourself holy well you're there in Luke chapter 10 if you would flip back to Luke chapter 9 just real quickly
In Luke chapter 9, and I'm not going to take the time to do this
I thought about doing it
But I don't want to at least not tonight
In Luke chapter 9 though if you'd like to read it on your own you have a whole story there of
Followers people that are trying to come to Jesus, and they've got all sorts of excuses and Jesus is kind of dismissing them based off
Their excuses, I'm not going to develop that tonight
But I want you to notice there in verse 62 Luke chapter 9 in verse 62 you said
What does it mean you know exactly? What does it mean to give yourself? Holy?
And if I'm going to give myself, holy
There's a couple of things that we cannot do the first is this there can be no doubts
There can be no doubt
This is why Elijah said if the Lord be God
He says look I get it. I understand
Doubt if you don't believe that God is God then why would you tie if you don't believe that God is God then why would you?
You know raise your children the way that God said if you don't believe that God is God
Why would you risk yourself and do some of these things he says you've got to believe this, but if you believe this
Then he says there can be no room for doubt
There can be no doubt
Luke 9 and verse 62 and
Jesus said unto him
No, man
Having put his hand to the plow
That's a tool to work
Someone has decided I'm going to get in I'm going to get in the fight. I'm going to get in the trenches
I'm going to get in the work. He says no man having put he gives us an illustration here
He says having put his hand to the plow you've taken the tool you're ready to work
He says no man having put his hand to the plow then he says this and looking back
and
looking back
He says it's fit for the kingdom of God
That doesn't mean you lose your salvation
That doesn't mean you don't go to heaven
The word fit there means you're not suitable for the kingdom of God see the kingdom of God is done both in heaven and on earth
And what he's saying is this if you and I are gonna be used by God
We're going to have to give ourselves holy and it can require no doubt
No doubt
You have to give yourself. Holy
If you're here tonight, and you're saying yeah pastor
But if I actually submit it to my husband the way that the Bible says then you no no there can be no doubt
If God is God
Why don't you follow him?
If God is God
Why don't you do what he told you to do, but you don't understand pastor
If I did what you're saying to do then no no there can be no doubt
You and I have to get to the place where we decide do we believe?
What the Bible says?
Do we believe in the God of the Bible and if so then we must give ourselves holy?
completely entirely
unto the Lord
if the Lord be God
If the Lord be God now if bail is God then I understand
Then serve him
Then go to him
Then follow him, but there can be no doubt no man having put his hand to the plow looking back
Is fit for the kingdom of God?
In Hebrews the writer of Hebrews said these words you don't have to turn there Hebrews 11 15
He says and truly if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out
They might have had opportunity to have return, and I'm here to tell you Christian that you and I need to stop looking back
We just not being mindful of that country from whence you came out
We have this tendency to look at the past in a rosary way and say oh, yeah, things weren't that bad
No, they were they were pretty bad
They weren't that bad you mean when you were in prison. They weren't that bad when you're in prison
Things weren't that bad. You mean when you're on the verge of divorce. Is that what you're talking about?
That's it you when when CPS showed up and your children that is that what you're telling me with the dual gaze
We have this ability to look back, and it looks better than it actually was
And you and I need to get to the place where we say there's no doubt no doubt no doubt. No looking back I
Have decided to follow Jesus
No looking back
Some of you young people you say well. I never lived that life
Stop looking back stop looking over wondering. I wonder how it is over there. There's nothing good over there
It's just misery and pain and death and trauma
Give yourself
Holy
Holy to what?
To the reading of the Word of God the preaching of the Word of God the teaching of the Word of God
There can be no doubt
But I want you to notice not only can there no not be any doubt you're there in Luke 9 flip back to Luke chapter 10
there can be no distractions I
Think it's interesting because in Luke chapter 10 and again we could prove this from other passages
I'm not going to take the time to do that tonight
But I just think this is interesting that Jesus here has the 70 apostles, and he sends them on a mission strip
He sends them by two and two the Bible says to go out and preach the gospel
And then he gives him these instructions and to be honest with you in the past when I've read this
I've kind of thought to myself. That's kind of rude, but whatever you're Jesus
So you know well whatever you say it goes
But when you understand what he's saying you you you realize it's not rude and Luke 10 in verse 4
He says this he tells
He tells the 70 that he's sending and I know we usually equate the 72 going soul winning
And they definitely are going so winning that applies, but this is more like they're going on a mission strip
They're going away for a while
They're gonna preach the gospel and they're gonna come back and they're gonna give a report and Jesus says to them
He says carry neither purse nor script. He says don't take any money
And and and this is something he's telling them just trust me. I'm gonna take care of you
I'm gonna we're going to miraculously care for you during the strip. He says carry neither purse nor script
He says nor shoes, and then he says this and this is the part that seems a little rude when you read it
He says and salute no man by the way
Some of you that's how you come to church you so this is your life first when you come to church you salute no
man by the way
Never say hi to anybody. He don't greet anybody
But what Jesus is saying is he's saying look I don't want you to get distracted
You're on this trip to go preach the gospel and get people safe and as you're on the road
There's going to be people and of course in the first century people were a little more hospitable. I think then in
California and the 21st century
And this idea if you've read other portions of the Bible especially like judges 19 if you're familiar with the story there
With the father-in-law when someone saluted you and began to speak to you
They would often offer you food and and and and try to be very hospitable and you end up spending a lot of time there
And what Jesus is telling these people he's telling them. I have you on a mission
He says salute no man by the way what he's telling them is people are going to try to get your attention
Nice people with good intentions not trying to do anything bad not trying to derail you
but they'll derail you if you allow them to
And the idea is this
That to give ourselves holy to God there can be no doubts and there can be no distractions
Nehemiah said it this way. I love it. I've referenced this a lot
When they tried to get him to come down off the wall as he was building the wall
He said I'm doing a great work. I cannot come down
There can be no doubts and there can be no distraction
Why is it that most Christians don't give themselves holy to God well we saw it in Revelation remember?
because thou sayest I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing and
No, it's not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked when God looks at you
That's what he sees when God looks at me
That's what he sees, but you and I say well, I'm rich and increased with goods and in need of nothing
Don't you don't understand I'm busy
And I've got things to do I've got places to go and I've got things that need to be accomplished
And I'm here to tell you that's why you can't give yourself completely to God
Because you have too many doubts, and you have too many distractions
too many shiny things
too many distracting things getting you off course
And what I'm submitting to you tonight
And what I'm trying to do my best to communicate to you tonight is that we need Christians that have given themselves a hundred percent to God
And look I understand why we live in this world and when we we got to work
And we got to make money you got to pay bills. I understand all that and
There's nothing wrong with that to an extent
Let me tell you something if the things of this world are distracting you from giving yourself completely to God
There's a problem there
And you might say well pastor you don't understand
I can't go to church on Wednesday nights, or I can't go to church on Sundays
Or I can't do this I can do that because I you know I'm a plumber
And and we're just busy and and I and I have to work well listen to me listen and I'm look
I'm not mad at you, and I don't even know that we have a plumber here, so I'll just use that as an example
You say I'm a plumber now that makes perfect look that makes 100%
Perfect sense if you're a plumber that happens to be a Christian that makes perfect sense
But if you're a Christian
Who happens to be a plumber that's a different story
You understand what I just said to you
Well, I mean you understand. I'm a carpenter, and I got to go to work, and I got to make money no
Yeah, I get it trust me
I understand if you're a carpenter who happens to be a
Christian if you're a plumber who happens to be a Christian if you're a mechanic who happens to be a
Christian if you're an accountant who happened to have to name all of them just so nobody gets offended or everyone gets offended
I don't really know how it works sometimes. I just offend people that I didn't know it
If you're a whatever you are who happens to be a Christian then that makes sense when that whatever you are
Gets in the way of Christianity, but when you're a Christian who happens to be
Whatever you are
That's a different story
That's a different thing
See when I'm a Christian who happens to be in a league then when the league
Has games on Sunday. I don't play
When I'm a Christian who happens to fill in the blank how about this let the Holy Spirit fill in the blank
When I'm a Christian who happens to be XY and Z and XY and Z tries to take the place of God
That's different than
The people who kind of dabble in this thing
They're not really cold. They're not really hot. They're just kind of lukewarm
See there's the resolve to give thyself holy and there's the requirement
To give thyself holy and the right requirement is this there can be no doubts
You can't doubt it look. I'm not look. I'm not I'm not gonna sit here and tell you that
There are there are many times that this is difficult the Christian life is a difficult life
But you and I have to be convinced that if God is who he says he is and I can trust him
I can trust him with my marriage. I can trust him with my children. I can trust him with my finances
I can trust them with my time. I can trust them with my energy
I can trust them with my health I can trust them all of you so
How much can you trust them if with I don't know maybe with all your heart and all your soul?
And all your strength and all your might and all your mind
Maybe I can just give him all of it
Maybe I can just give myself wholly
to him
So we see the result, and we see the requirements,
and I want you to notice thirdly tonight,
we see the results.
If you can make your way back to 1 Timothy chapter four,
I'd just like you to see these words.
1 Timothy chapter four and verse 15.
1 Timothy chapter four and verse 15,
the Bible says this, meditate upon these things.
What things?
He said give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
Meditate upon these things.
Give thyself holy to them.
And then I want you to notice these words.
Here's the result.
Here's the promise that God gives.
He says, that thy profiting may appear to all.
That thy profiting may appear to all.
The word profiting there means your advancing,
your furtherance.
He says meditate upon these things,
give thyself holy to them,
that thy profiting may appear to all.
Now there's an explanation of this in the book of Psalms.
I'd like you to go back there if you go to Psalm 1.
You're familiar with these words, but I just want you to see them.
Psalm 1, if you open your Bible just right in the center,
you're more than likely to follow in Psalms.
Psalm 1.
That thy profiting may appear to all.
Now let me just say this.
God does not promise to give us a life that does not have difficulty.
In fact, God promises that we will, if we give ourselves completely to God,
that we're going to have persecution.
Yea, all that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
That's a promise from God.
That's not usually the promises we like to claim, but it's a promise.
So God does not say that you and I will not have difficulty,
but here's what he does say.
When we give ourselves completely to God, our profiting may appear to all.
That doesn't mean that there might not be setbacks.
That doesn't mean that there might not be times when things aren't going well.
That doesn't mean that there might not be times when it looks like things aren't going the way they're supposed to,
or we're losing, or whatever.
That doesn't mean that, but it means this.
In the long run, in the long run, your profiting will appear to all.
Because the Christian life is not a life of weeks and it's not a life of years.
The Christian life is measured by decades.
Don't tell me how long you've been, I've been soul winning for this many weeks.
Great, God bless you, but we want decades.
We want decades of soul winning, decades of Bible reading, decades of prayer, decades of church attendance.
And what happens is when someone actually gives themselves completely to God,
there will be ups, there will be downs, there will be ups, there will be downs,
but though there are downs at times, there are downs at times.
In the long run, your profiting will appear to all.
So your children grow up, and people will say,
wow, you have family members, you usually make fun of you because you raise your kids in church,
and they'll say, hmm, maybe they did something right.
They're not perfect, no one's perfect, we understand that.
That thy profiting may appear to all.
Are you there in Psalm 1?
Look at verse 1.
I know you know this, but let's just look at it.
Here's the explanation.
Here's a man in Psalm 1, 1, we have a man who's wholly given himself to God.
We know he's wholly given himself to the Lord because he's denied everyone else.
Psalm 1 and verse 1, blessed is the man that.
Blessed is the man that what?
Then we get three things that this man does not do.
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly,
nor standeth in the way of sinners,
nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
This man is 100% God, he's given himself completely to God.
He's not taking the counsel of the ungodly, he's not standing in the way of sinners,
he's not sitting in the seat of the scornful.
Notice verse 2, but his delight is in the law of the Lord.
That's the give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
By the way, have I mentioned nine chapters a day?
Maybe you should consider reading nine chapters a day.
Nine chapters a day in the month of January.
Why wouldn't you? What's it going to hurt you? How's it going to hurt you to read the Bible?
But his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law does he, does this sound like 1 Timothy 4?
In his law does he meditate day and night.
See this individual, all he thinks about, he's almost obsessed with the word of God.
His delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law does he meditate day and night.
1 Timothy 4.15 says this, meditate upon these things, meditate upon these things,
give thyself holy to them that thy profiting may appear to all.
Here he says, and in his law does he meditate day and night, here's the profiting, verse 3,
and he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit in his season,
his leaf also shall not wither, and here's the profiting, whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
That's not a prosperity gospel, that's not you're going to be healthy and wealthy,
you might have difficulties, you might have trials, you might have temptations and tribulations,
we understand all that, but in the long run your profiting will appear to all.
That's what the Bible says. It's the results of giving yourself holy to God.
Now someone gives us the explanation, let me give you some examples,
maybe in examples or illustrations of this in the Bible.
If you would go to 2 Chronicles 26, I'm not sure if you kept your place in 1 Kings,
remember we're in 1 Kings, how long, how between two opinions?
If the Lord be God, remember that?
1 Kings, if you kept your place there after 1 Kings, you have 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles chapter 26.
2 Chronicles chapter 26, the most important decision that you will ever make after salvation,
I'm talking about spiritually, is this, will you give yourself holy to God?
Will you give yourself holy to God?
And if not, then I've got to ask, how long halt ye between two opinions?
Because if the Lord be God, why wouldn't you give yourself holy to Him?
We saw the explanation, notice the example, 2 Chronicles 26, look at verse 5.
2 Chronicles 26, 5, we have the story of Uzziah, Uzziah is the king of the nation here, 2 Chronicles 26, 5,
the Bible says this, look at these words, the Bible says,
And he sought God, I like that, that's what you and I need.
And he sought God in the days of Zechariah who had understanding in the visions of God.
Nothing in the Bible is incidental, coincidental or accidental.
I believe the Bible is telling us here that he sought God in the days of Zechariah
because Zechariah the prophet obviously had something to do with this man seeking God.
Zechariah had understanding in the visions of God, he was preaching the word of God,
and as a result, Uzziah sought God.
Now notice verse 5, notice the second part of verse 5.
Look, this is in the Bible for a reason.
And as long as he.
This isn't eternal security.
The blessing of God is not eternal security.
Your salvation is eternally secure.
I don't know if you're understanding what I'm saying to you.
Your salvation is never at risk.
But the blessing of God, the favor of God, the help of God upon your life is.
And as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper.
Do you know what I get tired of seeing in ministry?
Is people who get a little too full of themselves.
And they start to think, I'm pretty good at this.
I'm something special. No, you're not something special, God is special.
And the only special thing that you and I have in us is what God has done in us
and as long as we seek the Lord, he will make us to prosper.
But don't confuse the blessing of God with eternal security.
You're not going to die and go to hell.
But God doesn't have to be on your side.
He doesn't have to be on my side.
As long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper.
Verse 6, and he went forth and warred against the Philistines
and break down the wall of Gath and the wall of Japneh
and the wall of Ashtad and built cities about Ashtad
and among the Philistines.
Verse 7, and God helped him.
Look, you and I are going to have to get to the place where we want God's help more than we want anything else.
And God helped him against the Philistines and against the Arabians and dwelt in Gerbal and Mahuman.
Look at 2 Chronicles 15, you're there in chapter 26, just flip back to chapter 15.
Here's the story of Asa.
2 Chronicles 15 and verse 2, the story of Asa, the Bible says this.
2 Chronicles 15 2, and he went to meet Asa and said unto him,
Hear ye me Asa and all Judah and Benjamin.
Notice what he says, he says, The Lord is with you.
That's good. I want that.
Sometimes I wish God would send a prophet to me and say,
God, are you still with me? Are we still good?
The Lord is with you.
But that's not it, that's not all he said. Look at what he says.
The Lord is with you while you be with him.
You know what James said? James said, draw nigh to God and he'll draw nigh to you.
I take a step towards God, God will take a step towards me.
But you know the reverse is true as well.
If I take a step away from God, God will take a step away from me.
The Lord is with you, he says, while you be with him.
And if you seek him, he will be found of you.
But if you forsake him, look at it, I didn't make this up,
but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.
That's not talking about losing your salvation.
That's talking about losing the favor and the blessing and the help of God upon your life.
Because when you give yourself holy to him, thy profiting shall appear to all.
Let me give you another example, 2 Kings chapter 18.
2 Kings chapter 18.
You're there in 2 Chronicles if you go backwards.
You'll go past 1 Chronicles into 2 Kings, 2 Kings chapter 18.
Here's the story of Hezekiah.
I just want to highlight this for you because I think it's interesting that God says this so many times.
He said about Uzziah and he sought God and as long as he sought the Lord, the Lord made him to prosper.
He said about Asa, the Lord is with you while you be with him.
He said about Hezekiah, 2 Kings 18-7, and the Lord was with him and he prospered whithersoever he went forth.
Why did he prosper? Why?
Because the Lord was with him.
But the Lord was with him as long as we're with the Lord.
That thy profiting may appear to all.
Thy profiting may appear to all.
So I want you to consider this little phrase tonight.
Give thyself holy to them.
Because here's the thing, I'm going to try to get you to read 9 chapters today.
I am.
And I'm going to do everything I can to, you know, I mean, people say like,
I'll guilt trip you to read the Bible.
I'll bribe you to read the Bible.
I'll whatever, you know.
I'll pray imprecatory prayers on you.
I'm just kidding. I'll do whatever I can to get you to read the Bible.
Because reading the Bible is good.
And I'll do everything I can to get you to show up to church on Sunday
and show up to church on Sunday night and show up to church on Wednesday night.
Why? Because I'm special? Because you're special? No.
But because the preaching of the Word of God is special
and you need to hear the preaching.
We need to despise not prophesying.
You need to read the Bible. You need to know what the Bible says.
You need to do all of it.
But here's the thing.
It's not going to help you unless you actually give yourself to it.
Give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
Meditate upon these things. Think about it.
And then he says, give thyself wholly to them.
Give thyself wholly to them that their profiting may appear to all.
Here's a question I have for you.
Why are you holding back?
Why not just jump in?
Get in the deep end!
Stop living half in, half out.
You're not really cold. You're not really hot.
You're cold and sometimes you're hot.
I don't know. You're bipolar, I guess.
Why not just get in?
Why not just say, no doubts, no distractions?
I believe it. Even when it's not comfortable, I believe it.
The foxes have holes. The birds of the air have their nests, Jesus said.
But the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head.
That's what he told the follower.
He said, you want to follow me? It might not be comfortable. That's okay.
No doubts. No distractions.
Let me give you one last verse. We'll finish up. 2 Kings chapter 23.
2 Kings chapter 23.
This is a story of Josiah.
Several weeks ago, our deacon, brother Oliver, preached this sermon about Josiah.
And he read this verse and this verse was something that kind of struck out at me.
Obviously, I've seen this before. Every time I see it, I think it's an amazing verse about this man.
Because we see this in 1 Kings 23-25 and it's kind of an Old Testament version of what Paul is telling Timothy,
Give thyself wholly to them.
In 2 Kings 23 and verse 25, the Bible says this,
And like unto him, talking about Josiah, was there no king before him.
Look at it. He was special. Here's why.
That turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might.
According to the law of Moses, neither after him arose there any like him.
Josiah was mightily used of God, but the Bible tells us that there was no king like him.
He was special because there was nobody like him that turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, with all his might.
It's been said that the world has yet to see what can be done when one individual gives themselves wholly, completely to God.
I pray that in this church, there would be a young person, I pray that there would be a not so young person, an old person,
I pray that there would be a pastor who would say, Lord, let it be me.
Give ourselves wholly to them. Give ourselves wholly to them.
So I ask you the question, how long halt ye between two opinions?
I understand it. If you don't believe in God, you're not saved and you're just, I don't know what to think about this, I get it.
But if the Lord be God, why not give yourself completely to him?
That's by our heads in our world of prayer. Heavenly Father, Lord we do love you and Lord we thank you.
And Heavenly Father, we ask that you would help us to be people that give ourselves completely to you.
And Lord, I'm not standing up here pretending like I've got it all figured out. I don't.
But I want to. And I pray that there'd be people in this church that would say, you know what, I'm done.
I'm done standing between two opinions. I'm done being half in, half out. I'm done being cold and hot.
But I pray there'd be some young people in this church who say, I'm done trying to act like the world and be like the world and keep looking over at the world.
I'm just going to give myself completely to God, see what he does.
Lord, I pray that there'd be a sweeping of the Holy Spirit that comes through our church.
And people stop complaining, stop living in the flesh, stop living for the world.
And that we would answer the call from Paul when he said, give thyself wholly to them.
Lord, I pray you'd help us. In the matchless name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
I'd like to sing a song with you if it's okay. I'm going to ask Brother RJ if he doesn't mind.
Say right there because I'm going to have you lead the last stanza if that's okay.
But if you don't mind, I think it's appropriate to sing a hymn along these lines.
I'd like you to take your song books and go to page number 308.
This is a beautiful hymn of invitation. We're not having an invitation, of course, but I think you should have an invitation in your heart.
In 308 the song book says, I surrender all.
308. I'd like for us to sing this song and I want you to sing it not just as a song but as a prayer.
All to Jesus I surrender. All to him I freely give. Let's sing it out on the first.
All to Jesus I surrender. All to him I freely give.
I would ever love and trust him in day.
Sing this out.
I surrender all. I surrender all.
All to thee my blessed savior. I surrender all.
I hope it's more than just a song to you. Let's sing it out on the second.
All to Jesus I surrender.
Humbly at his feet I bow.
Worldly pleasures all forsaken.
Take me Jesus take me.
I surrender all. I surrender all.
All to thee my blessed savior. I surrender all.
Listen to these words.
All to Jesus I surrender. Make me savior wholly thine.
Let me feel thy holy spirit truly know that thou art mine.
Let's sing it out on the third. Let's slow it down just a little bit more.
Sing it with purpose with passion.
All to Jesus I surrender. Make me savior wholly thine.
Let me feel thy holy spirit truly know that thou art mine.
Sing it out.
I surrender all. I surrender all.
All to thee my blessed savior. I surrender all.
We're going to sing it out on the last. Brother RJ come and lead us on the fourth.
All to Jesus I surrender. Lord I give myself to thee.
Fill me with thy love and power. Let thy blessings fall on me.
I surrender. I surrender all.
All to thee my blessed savior. I surrender all.
Amen. Great singing. Of course before we dismiss if anyone here has questions about salvation, baptism or church membership, pastor would be at the door.
And we would love to talk to you directly to someone who's trained to do that. Let's close in a word of prayer.
Dear Heavenly Father we love you again. We just thank you for everything you do for us and thank you for the blessings that you've given us and we thank you for that sermon that we heard Lord and pray that you'd help us remember these things and if there's anyone here Lord that we all need to make these decisions Lord and just pray that you'd help us make this decision every single day of our lives Lord to seek you and to love you with all our hearts Lord with all our strength and all our with all our might.
We just pray that you bless the week and pray that you bring us all back to church on Wednesday. Again we love you and Jesus I pray. Amen. You're dismissed.