Amen, so we're up to Matthew chapter 7 now and we're basically in the final chapter now
of what's known as the Sermon on the Mount and last week at the end of chapter 6 we looked
at fasting and we spent quite a bit of time looking at fasting, something that we see
a lot of in the Word of God and maybe we don't think about so much or maybe for many they
maybe don't do so much or maybe have ever done and we were looking at the different
reasons we see in the Word of God for fasting, seeking forgiveness, it's a good reason for
fasting when suffering tribulation or about to go through tribulation and also for serving
God especially when going on about to do some big things for God, all good reasons to fast,
fast and pray obviously not just fast on its own and we had a look at that and we then
talked about the need to fast ultimately really in secret and we were saying it's not so much
that you have to you know secret at all costs and be dishonest about it obviously with families
and things that's not easy but we were looking at the fact that you shouldn't be fasting
to then tell people about your fasting, you shouldn't be even if your goal wasn't that
then wanting to lift yourself up by telling people about your fasting because ultimately
you're going to lose whatever rewards you are going to gain from fasting when you do
that and that's a real shame isn't it because you know there is a lot in the Word of God
about the reward system yeah and I know I've come across people that say I don't care about
these you know it's not about rewards you should just want to do this well the Bible
talks a lot about rewards doesn't it it talks about a lot of it talks a lot about rewards
for a reason there is a reward system but of course heaven isn't a reward heaven is
about salvation through grace well sorry grace through faith alone okay and there is it's
not some reward but after that there are many rewards we can earn yeah there are many rewards
we can earn as safe Christians now we looked at sick fast we looked at treasures on earth
if you remembered as well and we're looking at the sort of the sort of things that we
should be avoiding is laying up treasures upon earth where moth and rust are corrupt
and sadly how many people get pulled into just seeking treasures seeking money seeking
riches from from in a small amount to some people it's it's their whole goal their whole
name but either way what we saw in the Word of God is that you cannot serve God and mamma
okay it is impossible to serve both because ultimately you will love one and then hate
the other okay and and and if you start serving money start focusing on money start focusing
on riches start focusing on cash whatever it is you're gonna start hating God now you're
not gonna tell yourself like we saw like I talked about last week that you hate God you're
gonna start telling yourself that you're angry at whatever it is angry at the preaching angry
at the church angry at soul-winning whatever it is you're gonna find a reason to have a
problem with the things of God because really you want cash you want money you want to earn
money so we looked at that and we saw when we went through that then we looked at some
famous verse about how God will provide for you but remember all hinged on on verse 33
in Matthew 6 which was but but seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and
all these things shall be added unto you point being God will provide for you but it's it's
not just the case well I'm saved put my feet up it's a case of seeking first the kingdom
of God in his righteousness and that's doing the will of God that's trying to live for
God and he will he's a faithful God he will look after you but part of that as we saw
was being a diligent worker part of that was not being lazy all of those things we looked
at last week now we're into Matthew chapter 7 now so he's continuing he's been talking
about these sort of practical things he's talking to his disciples here and he says
in verse 1 continuing this sermon he says judge not that ye be not judged now before
we continue I'd like to go to the Lord in a word of prayer father I thank you for this
great chapter of the Bible I thank you for these great verse I'm about to preach through
now please help me to preach them accurately and clearly help me to preach boldly help
me to preach just with you with your Holy Spirit filling me and help those here to just
have attentive ears help them to stay wide awake and alert and to just be edified by
your word and to go on to put it into practice in their lives while in Jesus name we pray
all this amen so judge not that ye be not judged the most widely possibly memorized
verse in the whole of Christianity isn't it now I think especially modern Christianity
but unfortunately they seem to they seem to even fail in the memorization because it seems
most people can remember the first half of this very short verse but not the second half
so you've got a lot of Christianity going around going judge not judge not you know
the old the old parrot impression always makes me laugh about that because that's what you
see a lot in fact not even Christianity in fact people that actually make it clear that
they do not believe in God at all will turn around and say to you judge not judge not
judge not because they just love that first half of that first judge not yeah and and
as we know Bible memory actually if you put a bit of effort into it isn't actually that
difficult is it we have people here that can recite six verses through word perfect
some of them pretty long verses and it seems that the majority of the world can't even
memorize the whole of this verse but it's just the judge not bit and it is quite amusing
that isn't it but it is ridiculous obviously okay so the judge not and and wow what a mantra
that is for so many people so many so-called so many just non-christians just judge not
judge well I don't judge people you will have heard it on the door when you say what you've
got to do well you know I better you know at least you shouldn't judge people shouldn't
judge well I wouldn't judge someone well I wouldn't judge this and judge that but you
could it's so ridiculous because it would be like saying how dare you judge that car
speed as you go to cross the road if you're if you seriously think the Bible's telling
you not to judge anything you live in an absolute dream world don't you okay it's ridiculous
it doesn't make just the first example there shows yes you do have to judge things yeah
of course we judge everything we judge throughout life we judge every situation right now you're
all sitting here judging this preaching and so you should do you should be judging if
I'm preaching the Word of God to you and I'm if what I'm preaching lines up with the Bible
because you if you weren't you'd be a fool wouldn't you if you just sat there oh brother
here must be right well because he's standing behind a pulpit well there's a lot of people
that stand behind a pulpit that preach a right old load of nonsense yeah and don't preach
what the Word of God says yes we should be judging you know the the the judge nots would
be saying how dare you judge that person threatening to punch you in the face you know
how dare you move away put your hands up try and get away out of that situation judge not
judge not can't judge someone can't better not judge those those guys in hoods with masks
on holding knives and cross the road I mean how it is ridiculous isn't it really it's
that but but how often do you hear that I mean it's like people are like they've left
all senses because really what they're basically saying is don't judge my sin that's what they're
saying oh don't judge whoever's sin it is don't judge my friend's sin and for and we'll
use a judge not use the first part of the verse to just justify all of that and for
example don't judge the flaming sodomite offering to babysit your kids I mean how ridiculous
would that be but yet there are people that truly believe that don't they're basically
saying don't judge that person don't judge that sin so what are you trying to say we
should just put ourselves in danger put our children in danger put our church in danger
whatever else no that the Bible is very clear that we should judge turn to John chapter
7 where Jesus is showing the their hypocrisy about the Sabbath day John chapter 7 so the
Gospel of John chapter 7 and from verse 21 where the Bible reads Jesus answered and said
unto them this is John 7 21 Jesus answered and said unto them I have done one work in
you your marvel Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision not because it is of Moses
but of the fathers and ye on the Sabbath day circumcise a man now in case you're thinking
what's all this about well circumcision was to be done on the eighth day wasn't it so
obviously there was a one in seven chance of your baby's eighth day circumcision fully
on the Sabbath day and they had judged that okay well it's okay because the circumcision
should be on the eighth day so that means that you know you're going and whoever's doing
the circumcising and so it's a bit of a graphic picture here but that's what the word of God
says that that would be done on the Sabbath day if that fell on the ninth day that's what
they're judged well he's saying look that's what you've judged there he then says if because
they're upset that he's basically healing someone on the Sabbath day he says if a man
on the Sabbath day receive circumcision that the law of Moses should not be broken and
by the way this is an old law don't start getting carried away here and think you better
go and get circumcised are ye angry at me because I have made a man every whit hole
on the Sabbath day he said judge not according to the appearance but judge righteous judgment
so that's Jesus Christ commanding us to judge isn't it Jesus Christ commanded people to judge
righteous judgment he said judge righteous judgment now he is commanded not to judge
according to the to the appearance right okay but he is commanding us to judge righteous
judgment so we are clearly told to judge um turn you can turn if you like turn to first
Corinthians 6 I'll read first Corinthians 5 12 Paul is talking about church discipline he says
for what have I to do to judge them also that are without do not ye judge them that are within now
he's clearly saying this is a rhetorical question here he's basically saying you should be judging
those that are within yeah I shouldn't have to judge them too he's going to get on and judge
them talking about judging church issues as we've seen an example of recently and then in the next
chapter first Corinthians 6 he's saying surely there's someone wise enough to judge church
matters he says in first Corinthians 6 5 I speak to your shame is it so that there is not a wise
man among you know not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren so look the commands
and need to judge in every aspect of life is so blatantly obvious unless you're a fool unless
you're a complete fool who just parrots off half a verse like judge not for what reason just again
just to basically say I don't want people talking about my wicked sin because that's all it's about
isn't it well let's go back to Matthew there chapter 7 because what does the whole verse say
Olga says judge not that ye be not judged don't judge things that you don't want to be judged in
basically okay so you better not be judging things that you don't want yourself to be judged in he
then goes on the same verse 2 for with what judgment you judge you shall be judged and with
what measure you meet it shall be measured to you again now before I carry on you might be sitting
there going look brother we know we know about this yeah we know that the judge not is a load
of nonsense we know it's liberal Christianity but we all get affected by this you'll hear you
don't hear even Bible believe in Christians like people here saying feel well I better not judge
well I wouldn't want to well why unless it's hypocritical judgment we are told to judge right
and and he said it for with what judgment you judge ye shall ye judge ye shall be judged and
with what measure you meet it shall be measured to you again now meet is to measure he's saying
basically whatever standards you're judging by will be applied to you okay just make that clear
if you're gonna judge people yeah those standards will be applied to you now there's nothing wrong
if you can deal with those standards being applied to you point being for example if I stand up here
preaching on say drunkenness yeah I'm gonna be held by the same standard aren't I I couldn't be
standing behind a pulpit going it's wicked to drink wicked to look upon alcohol and then go
home with my family go it's alright for me though you know I'm gonna be judged by that aren't I
and my family sitting there would be judging me and ultimately I'll be disqualifying myself anyway
from even standing behind this pulpit in the first place yeah okay so we we're gonna be judged by
those standards another way of looking at it is is say brother so-and-so in this church yeah I could
probably think of a few people especially that have been like this who are just going on and on
and on about three to five yeah three to thrive you've got to be here Wednesday I'm gonna preach
a sermon on being here I'm gonna do the holier than now on three to thrive and it gets me so
angry when people aren't in church on a Wednesday and then say for example their wife doesn't come
to church for about three months yeah it would be a bit odd wouldn't it people would be right to
judge that hypocrite on that you'd be like that's a bit odd isn't it you're just going on and on
and on yet you don't seem to have your family in order you know that would be a bit odd wouldn't
it yeah so you would you would hold that person to that same standard understandably wouldn't you
and that Sunday morning churchgoer for example that Sunday morning churchgoer is is surely going
to judge him by that standard is that he when he's coming week in week out on a Sunday he's
going that guy just keeps going on and I've listened to him and he just keeps it all he's
amening loudly every time the part that the preacher says anything about kind of you know
Wednesday evenings or something else yeah it's a bit strange because I hardly ever see his wife in
church what's all that about you know that you you would understand that wouldn't you you'd be
thinking fair enough and you see this we see this hypocrisy all over the place yeah and it doesn't
just apply this is a point here to the exact same sin issue or standard being judged look at verse
three it says and why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye but consider us
not the beam that is in thine own eye now a moat is something very small think of a splinter okay
kind of like a splinter some sort of blemish whereas a beam is a big length of timber okay
so the picture here is someone basically with this huge length of wood sticking through their
head yeah and they're going to look you got a splinter in your eye you know and like trying
not to smash them with a bit of wood while you're taking that splinter out and Jesus
has given this picture it's you know Jesus got a sense of humor here as well isn't he just say
like can you imagine how ridiculous it is but that's how ridiculous it is when you get this
hypocritical judgment now are they the same thing it's a splinter and a beam the same thing
they're not are they but so let's apply it to sin is this saying though that then you can't judge
any sin if you're a sinner because people try and use that one you've got the judge nots and
then you've got the every you know he who is without sin casts the first stone and you cannot
judge any sin if you have any sin you're well that's that's all that's all judgment of any
sin gone then because everyone's a sinner right okay because there's not there's none righteous
no not one so what's he's talking about well what what it would be saying by the way is that all
those verse about judging would be pointless wouldn't they so Paul was just kind of just you
know is this a bit redundant just kind of just spouting off for no reason when Jesus said judge
righteous judgment he didn't really mean that he was just kind of saying well you could do if you
were sinless that's not what it's talking about is it so a splinter in the eye beam in the eye
are both similar issues with the eye though aren't they yeah are they not they're both similar
issues so yeah one's a pretty extreme issue yeah one's a whole bit of wood coming out your eyes
opposed to a splinter but they're both issues with the eye one is mine and one's a massive deal it's
it's basically like this like say I don't know say and you know if you are you are but say say
brother Dan was a smoker okay say brother Dan was a smoker and brother Andre was going to try
and reprove Dan and say to him you really need to cut that out but brother Andre was a 50 a day
man yeah brother Andre is literally right lighting cigarette butt off cigarette but you know he's
like you know he's like the next one sorry off the cigarette but he's just like non-stop just
like like we say smoking like a chimney brother Dan you know has a couple in the evening and he's
going look brother Dan you really need to sort this out yeah that's the sort of thing we're
talking about it's basically an extreme of that you need to make sure look okay so I you know I
might have an issue with some other sin that maybe you know I battle with sometimes that doesn't mean
I can't preach on sin from behind the pulpit now there are certain sins that I better not have an
issue with to be able to be preaching and to be leading a church yeah okay that's clear but but
it's about the so I can't I can't stand here though and start preaching on railing if I'm
some wicked railer okay I can't stand here and preach on sins that I'm involved in myself yeah
okay that would be hit a hypocritical judgment and it's not just preaching it's just trying to
counsel people it's just trying to I can't go home and say to my kids you know you know you
need to sort out your gluttony but I'm just kind of you know just stuffing the cakes and the pies
and everything else and I'm just like in it I'm just living with the fridge door open yeah okay
that sort of thing yeah okay so and this applies to all sorts of sin because people do that don't
know and look it's amazing but people do do that and they will have an issue themselves and they'll
be preaching to you or to other people about an issue and you're thinking really like and it's
amazing it's amazing and I don't know why people do that but maybe it's just something on their
mind or it makes them feel happy about their own issue if they preach to other people but this is
what he's talking about here he says in verse 4 or how wilt thou say thy brother let me pull
out the moat out of thine eye and behold a beams in thine own eye thou hypocrite first cast out the
beam out of thine own eye and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the moat out of thy brother's
eye so Jesus is saying to get yourself right first and then you'll be able to judge clearly
yeah so did he say if you've ever had a problem without sin you can't deal with that no he said
if you can so look sometimes they could be the best people can't they yeah sometimes look someone
who's who's maybe we use the smoke example let's use let's use someone who's maybe had a had a drink
problem sometimes they might be a really good person to help someone to encourage them not to
ever drink now I would say in a church we shouldn't even be at that point yeah because people
shouldn't be drinking at all okay look and let's make that clear again if you're boozing I you have
to convince me that you're not a drunkard because I don't see why you would be drinking and coming
to a church like this unless you're a drunkard okay because why would you not just avoid any any
sort of appearance of evil right because you're a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump right
okay well what's drunkenness well I would say if you're getting drunk it's drunkenness and I would
say that alcohol makes you drunk so for me if you're drinking you better be convincing or you
better be stopping quick otherwise I don't know how you're gonna convince people in this church
you're not a drunkard okay so examples like that though look let's go to then a less a non church
discipline example let's go with I don't know gluttony okay gluttony is quite a good one say
I was I was a real glutton yeah and I just had a real problem with that and someone else you know
and I managed to get through that and I managed to like really get a lid on that and it was
something that I had a problem with I used to just like really find it I had comfort eating or
something else and I might be very good I might be a good good person to then talk to other people
about how to get that out of their lives right if I first cast that beam out of mine art I'm gonna
be more able to deal with that and help people with that and sometimes it could be annoying when
someone comes up to you about something maybe they've hadn't they've never had an issue with
right and obviously the Word of God will preach on that anyway so I'm not saying you can't preach
things that you haven't had an issue with but it can be helpful can't it can be helpful to have
people that maybe have said look actually I did experience that problem I did experience where I
was really fearful about making that step into soul winning yeah I had a real fix some people
don't do they some people look they got saved and they were like well let's go out and preach
the gospel yeah knock doors way other people it's like you're knocking doors it takes them like
three years to even like contemplate going out and knocking on the door but I'll tell you what
that person is much better to talk to the new person in the church who feels like that there's
somebody's I don't even know what your problem is yeah it's knocking on the door yeah so what
you took some it's strange you don't have to see them again yeah right so you can see what he's
talking about here okay so being a good example is another tactic though so look it to help someone
remove that beam you don't have to remove that splinter you don't have to be going up to people
in the church though and going oh I think I could see us in here how can I help you with that because
I've removed it out of my life yeah how do we do that because the people don't want unsolicited
advice either okay so look if someone trusts you and believes that yeah actually that person can
help me they're more likely in and maybe like God might guide that conversation or something else
where you can help people but in other ways just by being a good example as well isn't it because
you might you might look around and see maybe like maybe you know brother or sister so-and-so maybe
had a bit of a maybe had a bit of a pride issue or something else then you could just slowly see
them kind of getting it out of their life and they might be someone that you think actually they could
be you know a good help to other people that have had that or other issues like that so look what
this isn't talking about though when it says first cast out to be around alone I then shout
that's included to cast out the moat out of thy brother's eye this isn't talking about the wicked
this isn't talking about God haters this isn't talking about reprobates you're not going to help
remove that little splinter of sodomy okay okay you know oh well you know I'm gonna go and I'm
gonna really like help them with a bit of preaching about that I'm gonna help them remove that splinter
out of their eye if I just show them what the Word of God says that's gonna deal with that that's not
how it works with things like that it's a complete waste of time that's what the Bible is about to
teach it to give any sort of biblical guidance to these sorts of people look at verse 6 give not
that which is holy unto the dogs neither cast ye your pearls before swine let's say trample them
under their feet and turn again and rend you now what's this about dogs then it's Jesus talking
about Fido is he saying don't give you know don't don't you know have your Bible there don't preach
don't preach the Bible to Fido and by the way I guarantee you they're people in this day and age
some around this world that preach the Bible to their dogs okay this isn't what he's talking
about people that maybe read the Bible you know around their pets hoping that maybe that's gonna
help it it's not what it's all about turn to Deuteronomy 23 to help understand what the word
dogs is referring to so dude Deuteronomy 23 you're gonna turn to while you turn I'm gonna
read Psalm 22 16 which is a prophetic Psalm but it's David is obviously talking about as well
something that's going on in his life where he says for dogs have compassed me the assembly
of the wicked have enclosed me they pierced my hands my feet so he's he's calling the assembly
of the wicked yeah that's a con a group of wicked people he's calling them dogs right yeah you got
that for dogs have compass me the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me it's used interchangeably
and while you're telling me as well Philippians 3 2 says beware of dogs beware of evil workers
beware of the concision so again he's talked about dogs as evil workers as the concision yeah these
are like really used interchangeably they're the same sort of people beware of these dogs beware
of these evil workers but considering just another word for the circumcision talking about these
basically these Jews yeah okay now it seems as you see to go hand in hand the word dog with
evil workers right yeah evil workers now look at Deuteronomy 23 among all the statutes and
commandments we see this from verse 17 there shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel
nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore or the price of a
dog into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow for even both these are abomination unto the
Lord thy God so we see the word sodomite and dog being used interchangeably here did everyone see
that there look at verse 17 there should be no whore of the daughters of Israel nor sodomite of
the sons of Israel then he says thou shalt not bring the hire the whore or the price of a dog
into the house of Lord thy God for any vow okay so he's basically saying no whores or sodomites
amongst you he's talking to the nation of Israel here and there's no letting them in just because
they've got the money basically just because they're coming forward with the cash you know
to pay some sort of vow they're an abomination yeah they do not come into the house of God okay
and that's a rule that every church should have however they're going to work that rule depending
on what nation they're in there shall be no whores and sodomites what the Bible also calls
dogs coming into the house of God okay so yeah this is ironic though isn't it this is quite
ironic considering that the the judge not half a memory verse gang out there which a lot of them
out there often this they use this verse so often to defend sodomites it's absolutely bizarre because
they constantly say judge not judge not yet yet just further down a few verses down he's saying
give not that which is holy unto the dogs neither cast your pearls before swine so he's make it
clear to judge who are dogs and who he calls swine here right yeah and obviously you know I
don't think anyone here is in is in any kind of you know confusion about that I'd hope because
Jesus said don't judge hypocritically help your brother but don't waste your time with filthy
dogs okay that's what he's saying don't waste your time with filthy no good dogs and again we're not
talking about Fido here for any of you dog lovers here verse six like we said like we saw they said
give not that which is holy unto the dogs neither cast your pearls before swine let's say trample
them under their feet and turn again around you so for me sodomite and doggy is interchangeably
that's what but that's also what we're seeing here with dog and swine so and and again bear with me
with this because this is something I've just been thinking about looking at this and this is
not something that I'm particularly dogmatic about in fact not at all dogmatic about this
it's only something that I'm musing about and and honestly I'd love people to give me their view on
this afterwards but it's just something I think about when I was going through this is it's
interesting is another place that we see both animals yeah the dog and and the sow or swine
is in second Peter to when talking about reprobates so here just before you go there but I would like
you to turn to second pizza but just before you do just look one more time by six give not that
which is holy unto the dogs neither cast your pearls before swine let's say trample them under
their feet and turn again and rend you now I think it's talking about the same types of people here
look at second Peter chapter 2 second Peter 2 and second Peter 2 is a famous parallel passage with
Jude talking about reprobates of which often reprobates the sodomites all sodomites are
reprobates not all reprobates the sodomites although they're perfectly capable of that
sort of thing second Peter 2 and verse 21 says for it had been better for them second Peter 2
verse 21 for it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness then after
they have known it to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them so rejecting the gospel they
had the chance they rejected God verse 22 but it has happened unto them according to the true
proverb the dog is turned to his own vomit again and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in
the mire now look I understand it's talking about a proverb here and then just returning to basically
wickedness having given the chance having heard the gospel or having had at least a knowledge of
God or something else yeah having having had that sort of drawing possibly whatever you want to call
it but there is still a picture of a dog and a pig represented reprobates agreed yeah okay so we
see that picture of a dog and a pig represented reprobates now with all that in mind and with the
verse that we've just seen in Matthew 7 now I'd like you to turn to over to mark 5 which is the
story of Legion everyone's probably pretty familiar about this story so mark chapter 5
and there we see this this story obviously in a couple of the Gospels here mark father is quite
a kind of although it's quite a few verses they're very quick succinct verses and covers everything
I want to cover from this Matthew 5 and from verse 1 sorry mark 5 so in from verse 1 mark 5
1 says and they came over unto the other side of the sea into the country of the Gadarenes
and when he was come out of the ship immediately they met him out of the tombs a man with an
unclean spirit who had his dwelling among the tombs and no man could bide him no not with
chains because he had been often bound with fetters and chains the chains being plucked
to sunder by him and the fetters broken in pieces neither could any man tame him now this is a
possessed man here okay this guy's possessed he's able to break chains that look there's some
amazing stuff you hear about sometimes with people that are possessed some go oh they're just out of
their mind like you see you see you know sometimes it takes like three burly people in some mental
hospital to pin these people down okay so we've got this possessed guy here okay and always night
and day he was in the mountains in the tombs crying and cutting himself with stones but when
he saw Jesus afar off he ran and worshipped him and cried with a loud voice and said what have I
to do with thee Jesus our son of the most high God I adjure thee by God that thou torment me not
for he said unto him come out of the man thou unclean spirit so this guy's clearly possessed
right and he asked him what is thy name he answered saying my name is Legion for we are
many and he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country now that now
this is a bit that I'm interested in okay so we see there that this guy's possessed he's got like
he says Legion we are many like this is probably more like something like six thousand of devils
yeah this guy is possessed by I mean this this is just unbelievable no wonder he's just kind of
completely just a mess he's cutting himself he's he's got all this strength they can't bind him
that the whole town is scared of this guy okay now he besought him much that he would not send
him away out of the country now the the person besaulting here is the devil's okay so the devil's
are saying to Jesus they're pleading with Jesus obviously that the devil's is not like like this
sort of battle with Jesus like Jesus is God right so they have to answer they have to respond to the
command of Jesus okay what does Jesus say to them now well look now there was nigh unto the mountains
a great herd of swine feeding and all the devil's besought him saying send us into the swine that we
may enter into them and forthwith Jesus gave them leave and the unclean spirits went out and entered
into the swine now look at this and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea they
were about two thousand so two thousand pigs these thousands maybe six thousand of devils are just
cast into and were choked in the sea and they that fed the swine fled and told it in the city
in the country and they went out to see what what it was it was done and they come to Jesus see him
that was possessed with the devil and had the Legion city and clothes and in his right mind and
they were afraid and they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the
devil and also concerned the swine they began to pray him to depart out of the coast now again
like this is just a thought okay and I just thought I'd share this thought with you have you
ever read this story here or in Matthew or Luke 8 and wondered why the swine anyone wondered that
anyone just what's the point what was the point in the swine what was the point in thousands of
swine anyone wondered that before yeah a few people now bearing in mind that we've seen dogs
I believe use interchangeably with swine as a description of reprobates of sodomites yeah
of just dirty lowdown good-for-nothing dogs yeah dogs sows whatever you want to call them Jesus
heals this guy and casts all of the devil's into this herd of swine that then self-destruct yeah
and end up basically dying straight away and they just you know almost like they're twice dead right
yeah they just have it cast into them they just run down this steep ravine and die yeah choked and
die in the sea and everything else this may be a picture of reprobation yeah it's maybe see that
it's picture of reprobation that he's basically that the devil's that are possessing people when
they're getting cast out are just going into what is a picture of basically reprobate swine
dogs in the Bible and they're just basically it's just self-destruct yeah and that's what these
people do don't know they just self-destruct they die I don't know the value of you know the
value of one guy saved over 2,000 dirty good-for-nothing reprobates about that could be a
good picture there as well how about the town cared more about the swine than the safe guy see
that don't we and you'll see many cultures throughout history where you've seen that as
well choosing the swine over Jesus yeah choosing the reprobates choosing the sodomites over Jesus
how many people do that how many people how many people even will get saved and because of the
stance of a real church preaching the Bible they will have to steer clear and go to repent of your
sins you know community you know not even Baptist but nom de nom or whatever else because at least
they won't preach what the Bible says about about sodomites and look there are many pictures I think
you could see there that's something I was thinking about really I might be I might be off there maybe
I'm reading too much into that but I've found that quite interesting because I have always
wondered why the swine and for me that could be a good picture there for that let's go back to verse
six and have a look at that one more time then with that in mind he said give not that which is
holy unto the dogs neither cast ye your pearls before swine let's say trample them under their
feet and turn again and rend you so trying to impart spiritual things to these people just get
trampled and they will try to destroy you and look you know you'll see you'll see you know many
examples of this in life you'll be you know you've maybe tried to preach someone not knowing that
they're just a good-for-nothing filthy dog sodomite and do they respond to the Word of God was there
any point or do they just turn again and try and render eventually turn again try and render they
trample it under their feet don't they and and look in the same way that normal people wouldn't
give sacred things to some mangy old dog or jewels to some pig that's the way we should look at it
with dealing with these people okay because you know that's something that you we're gonna make
apparent over the next next however many weeks and it's going to become more apparent the more
just amount of things coming out coming out about these these wicked people that we've had in this
church here amongst us yeah sporting themselves with our feasts of charity yeah and and the more
that comes out about them the more you're gonna have to understand that casting your pearls to
these people that anyone that still ends up in contact trying to oh you know just give them a
little verse in the Bible here or try it's a complete waste of time because they will
trample it under feet they will turn again and rend you okay and any of this are well if they
could somehow be restored nonsense and we'll soon be looking at that okay next week any of this are
well if we could somehow is nonsense those people got restored with some fake repentance apology
back into division causing because that's what it is and they should be marked and avoided and
avoided not marked and restored marked and avoided yet those people will turn again and
rend you they've been trampling the Word of God under their feet for 18 months I've been preaching
on every single thing which these people are guilty of for 18 months in this church and those
people have been trampling it under their feet okay so let's just make that clear okay and you'll
be hearing more about that soon coming soon so back to this point here we should not be giving
that which is holy unto the dogs neither casting our pearls before swine because they do and they
will trample them under their feet and turn again and rend you now he then goes on to say in verse
7 ask and it shall be given you seek and you shall find knock and it shall be open unto you
for everyone that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall
be open now this is a great promise about prayer isn't it but but there are a few conditions to
remember with prayer because we can read this verse and go look you just got to ask yeah if
you just ask for anything you will why why am I not getting what I asked for God I was asking for
that brand new Ferrari why did I not get that brand new Ferrari yeah I was asking for whatever
it is you know and I didn't get it I was seeking you know you name it and I didn't find it I knocked
and that door was not I knocked on that door of that promotion that new job and it was not opened
well what about this well there are some conditions and of course you know that the Bibles you know
there's a there's a great principle in the Bible that we should be looking line upon line and
precept upon preset here a little there a little okay you have to compare the Bible with the Bible
okay and we're going to do that quickly here just remind you that so turn to John chapter 1 and when
you turn sorry John chapter 15 and while you turn there I'm gonna read 1st John 514 which says and
this is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask anything according to his will he hearth
us so hear that again well you're turning to John 15 first first John 514 says and this is the
confidence that we have in him that if we ask anything according to his will he hearth us yeah
so firstly the first condition is that it has to be according to his will okay and look praise
God that the God doesn't just ask answer all our prayers okay because those prayers which aren't
according to his will well they're not going to be good for us right okay because God knows what's
best for us and I much prefer God that knows the beginning from the end yeah much prefer God that
that knows exactly what's going on behind the scenes and what's going to happen everything
else deciding which prayers are going to be according to his will and which aren't in my
life right okay so let's remember that but how do we ensure that we're praying according to his
will though as well because maybe you're thinking well I just got to just pray for everything and
then you know some of those things will be answered well that's you know there's a big
waste there isn't there and you can be wasting a lot of time with that and it could be a lot of
vain praying how do we pray according to his will well is a good analogy for this is for example do
you think my kids are going to come to me after this service or next week they're going to drive
home see some advert for the latest Disney movie and ask me to take them to the cinema to watch it
do you think my kids would do that anyone here think my kids would do if you put your hands out
you're getting kicked out now I'm joking okay of course they're not good why are my kids not going
to do that because my kids know me and my kids know that there's not a hope in hell that they
would ever be sitting down watching that wicked pervert company promoting any of their sick filth
to my children yeah that that that company full of sodomites that company which you just openly
push sodomite propaganda on children yeah there is no chance that my children are going to sit
down in front of that rubbish now my kids know not to ask me that why do my kids know not to
ask me that well firstly they listen to preaching like this your kids listen to preach about say
yes my kids are because my kids need to know about that don't know yeah but secondly because
my kids know that I've never taken them to the school I've never taken them to the cinema but
let alone to watch Disney yeah okay and my kids know that they would just know not to ask me why
ultimately because they know me because they know their father yeah now would my kids ask me to I
don't know buy them something that they have regularly at home on the way home yeah they might
has any chance of this because maybe that daddy might give them that yeah okay because they know
their father well in the same way if we're gonna know the will of our father what do we need to do
we need to get to know our father don't we yeah so if you want to pray and you want to make sure
you're not wasting prayers left right and center you need to make sure that you know the will of
your father and how do you get to know the will of your father well by getting to know your father
how do you get to know your father by reading that huge book that's written all about your
father yeah I mean it's pretty simple isn't it read the book and you know you're gonna learn
from experiences well it may be one of my children before they'd ever realized that daddy hates Walt
Disney yeah and daddy well it's not Walt Disney himself but the company Walt Disney anyone think
that Walt Disney probably wasn't that bad I don't know we looked in yeah maybe we've got one there
maybe okay yeah but what is that what is that turned into now yeah wicked well look if you're
sitting here and you're wondering what I'm talking about please don't show your kids that junk yeah
please don't okay and there's some there's so much about I just got I'm not gonna go on about it
because I'm looking to Walt Disney but okay so but they might have asked me once right and sometimes
we learn from prayer don't we we ask something and then maybe with time we realize yeah okay
because then we see what what daddy's saying in his word yeah where he says clearly no yes no to
things well and we should see him doing that with these other children in in the Word of God now
John 15 7 says this John 15 of verse 7 says if ye abide in me notice he if there and my words
abide in you ye shall ask what you will and it shall be done unto you now I don't think it's
just talking about getting saved here if you abide in me if you live in me if you're basically close
to me yeah if you're in the Word of God if my words abide in you yeah if you're reading that
Word of God so much that the Word of God's coming into your heart the Holy Spirit's bringing to your
remembrance all things that he's spoken unto you then you're much more likely to be praying in his
will right and what does it always come back to read your Bible yeah read your Bible you're sitting
the guy just doesn't answer my prayers do you read your Bible I've never read the Bible through
but God just doesn't seem to answer my prayers I've never tried to memorize a verse of the Bible
I just don't get why he never answers my prayers because you're probably not asking for anything
that's in the will of God because how could you know the will of God if you don't read the Word
of God yeah clear as day isn't it he said if you abide in me and my words abide in you you
shall ask what you will and it should be done unto you so conditions are asking in his will
but to asking God's will it's not just signing off each prayer look nothing wrong with signing
off a prayer with thy will be done or something along those lines or you know but not and you
should but but not just signing off you should you should be praying that with your heart yeah
when you pray and look you should be able to say and I hope everyone here is the hand on their
heart would say when I pray I always say to God look I know that your will is going to be better
than mine here yeah and please if it's your will please give me this please give that happen etc
and look you should be doing that but we also have to ask in faith as well don't we yeah you
also have to ask in faith Turner James chapter 1 James chapter 1 so we have to ask in his will
but James chapter 1 also teaches us to ask in faith and we're going to look at James 1 and from
verse 5 where the Bible reads if any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God that giveth to all men
liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him but let him ask in faith nothing wavering for
he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and toss for let not that man think
that he shall receive anything of the Lord a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways
so he said here if you look at verse 7 there for let not that man think that he shall receive
anything of the Lord so we obviously heard a great 10-minute sermon I think by brother junior
on that didn't we on Sunday evening and preach about look when you're praying you've got to
believe in your heart you're going to get that prayer answered right and you know how you're
going to be more likely to believe in your heart that your prayers going to be answered as if you
know as much as you think you can that you're praying according to the will of God and how
you're going to know that you're praying according to the will of God if you read the word of God
regularly and enough I don't mean reading while I'm doing like one verse a day I mean if you're
reading enough to just be regularly reading through the Bible and getting to know God and
knowing what his will is for for the men and women of God in the Bible and knowing what his
will is in your life right okay so but you have to ask in faith in his will in faith and you will
receive you will find and doors will be open is what it says there so when you put it together
that's the conditions there isn't it and and look when you do that what a great what a weapon we
have not just a weapon what just a great tool we have prayer and the prayers absolutely amazing
how many people just well they pray for their food or maybe they don't look you should pray
for your food yeah give thanks for your food you ask God to bless your food but maybe they
maybe they do a prayer at night you know maybe they pray for a bit of forgiveness and that's it
look you could pray for anything yeah but make sure you're praying according to his will and
make sure you're praying in faith yeah okay so that was that was in James chapter 1 in his will
in faith and you will receive now sorry let's have a look at verse 9 did we look at verse 9
there where it says or what sorry back to back to back to Matthew sorry chapter 7 so we looked at
for everyone to ask if receiveth and he that seeketh fun for dim that knocketh it shall be
open then verse 9 says or what man is there of you whom if his son ask bread will he give him
a stone so look God's gonna give us good things he then says if he asked a fish will he give him
a serpent now that could be quite funny right yeah it could be quite amusing if you know the
kids ask for fish tonight oh yeah we really want some fish and chips or something and then you
turned up with a snake it could be a laugh yeah maybe like one of those you know something you
could put on social media and get some get some get some big viral views in it but really you know
it might be funny but we wouldn't do that would we really unless they really wound you up we're
not gonna give them the opposite and it's same with God isn't it you could trust that he's gonna
give you good things I think sometimes people maybe they worry about praying for if I pray
for wisdom he's gonna make me go through a really hard trial or something else so if I pray I
remember hearing a guy once I wasn't he was saying he didn't want to pray for trying to remember what
it was he I'm gonna butcher what he said but it second I think it was he didn't want to you
didn't want to pay for patience how did you know you don't even know this guy okay but he said I
don't want to pray for patience because if I do I'm gonna end up basically going through a load
of trials and tribulation yeah to get patience but ultimately whatever God gives us it's going to be
right for us isn't it and if you're praying in his will and it's his will to give you patience
he's gonna give you patience in the best way that you're gonna get patient so you don't be scared to
pray for things because look God's gonna give us good gifts isn't he okay that's the point there
he said if ye then in verse 11 being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children how much
more show your father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him so point being there
that God will give us good things but and in the same way like we say we think we know what's best
for kids I think most parents here probably think they know what's best for their kids and we
probably have a fair idea what's best for our kids well it's the same way with God God does know best
yeah God knows best put it in his hands ask according to his will learn his will ask him
faith don't doubt and look we're gonna get what's best and look you could look at it this way for
example if you're wondering about that because sometimes I don't know sometimes maybe a kid
isn't that excited by that educational toy at Christmas you know or a birthday they're not that
excited about that you know toy that's good but you know a lot of the time it's gonna do them a
lot more good isn't it then the whatever it is then the then the you know cheap Chinese gimmicky
toy that breaks within five minutes yeah sometimes that lifelong book or whatever it is or something
very interesting or something's going to give them a skill help them with some sort of you know way
of building something or making something whatever it is it might not be that exciting when I open
the wrapping right okay in the same way look God knows what's best for us no it's not always you
know the thing that's going to appeal to our flesh but so often God will give you things in
your look back and go wow that thing I went for that trial I went for something else wow have I
got stronger from that well have I developed from that well and we can all look back at times our
life can't with that and ultimately look every perfect gift comes from comes from him above
doesn't it comes from the God above and look in the same way with that though with the same way
that we're asking for good gifts that God gives good gifts same way we should then do good to
others because that's what it goes on in verse 12 therefore all things whatsoever ye would that
men should do to you do ye even so to them for this is a law and the prophets so in the same
way that we're looking for good things that we should do good things for our children everything
else well we should also do those to others now turn of Romans chapter 13 because this concept of
all things whatsoever you would that men should do to you do you even to them for this is the law
and the prophets it's mentioned many times in the Bible this concept Galatians 5 14 while you turn
to Romans 13 Galatians 5 14 says for all the law is fulfilled in one word even in this thou shalt
love thy neighbor as thyself okay and there's all the law fulfilled in that Romans 13 8 to 10 reads
because you know basically well let's read it quickly first Romans 13 and verse 8 says oh no
man anything but to love one another for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law for this
thou shalt not commit adultery thou shalt not kill thou shalt bear sorry thou shalt not still
thou shalt not bear false witness thou shalt not covet and if there be any other commandment it
is briefly comprehended in this saying namely thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself love
worketh no ill to his neighbor therefore love is a fulfilling of the law and the point being here
that look if you love them as yourself you wouldn't commit adultery would you against your wife if you
loved her as yourself or wives against your husbands or with someone else's wife or someone
else's husband if you love them as yourself i'm sure you wouldn't go on to kill them would you
if you love them as yourself you wouldn't be stealing from them if you love them as yourself
you wouldn't be bearing false witness against them and if you love them as yourself you wouldn't be
coveting what's theirs would you wouldn't be wanting their stuff off them you wouldn't be
wanting what they've got if you love them as yourself and again it's quite a simple concept
isn't it but it ultimately goes for all the commandments that's why he said in verse 12
therefore all things whatsoever you would that men should do to you do you even so to them for this
is the law and the prophets look if you just love people as you love yourself you try and just do
good to people you try and do the best for them then ultimately look ultimately you're you're not
going to commit all the many many sins that we're commanded against in the bible right okay and
look i don't know it seems pretty simple that doesn't it but it's a concept that we could
probably all do with being reminded of a lot yeah is do to others as you wish to be done to you yeah
and yeah that's that's a good way of looking at but one thing to bear in mind with that is that
look sometimes there are positions and times and other things where love doesn't mean just
glossing over wicked sin that's not loving yeah loving loving our church doesn't mean ignoring
wickedness in our church yeah okay oh well well i better love all the church so i'll just ignore
that whoever it is he's just full of all sorts of wickedness he's doing this he's trying to
poison the church well we better show love to him just not do anything no the greater good yeah the
greater good is important you have to love love others and ultimately you know they it does come
first and i'm not going to go there for sake of time but we do elevate our brothers and sisters
in christ above all others don't we okay so with that in mind that we love our brothers and sisters
that means that we hate those really that are trying to ruin them and trying to destroy them
and everything else so um okay so we're going to finish there on romans seven sorry on matthew
seven because um and obviously we're in romans 13 there to finish off but i want to finish there
because the second half kind of is going to then go all together hand in hand and there's a lot to
cover in the second half that i'm looking forward to covering next week um so yeah we'll end there
um and yeah let's go to the go to the lord in prayer to finish up now oh father thank you um
thank you for this um this great chapter and thank you for the the lessons we've learned learnt there
about you know about praying and and you know praying in faith and praying with you know also
in the in your will and and also you know those lessons about about just loving each other and
loving others as as we do as we do and we all do ourselves we all want what's best for ourselves
and we should want what's best for other people um and and help us to be more like that amongst
each other here help us to be a a tight close-knit church of people that just want the best for each
other who want to love each other and want to do what's good for each other um help our church
lord help help our help us to be edified by your word and and to want to want to put your word into
practice in our life as well not just be hearers but to be doers of the word as well help us to
have a great rest of the week and to return back on sunday for another day in your house in jesus
amen