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In verse number one the Bible reads here I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice wholly acceptable unto God which is a reasonable service. And the reason he starts off obviously in verse number one of chapter twelve he says by the mercies of God well if you look back in Romans chapter eleven in verse number thirty one excuse me verse number thirty two it says for God hath concluded them all in unbelief that he might have mercy upon all all the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out. When you read that you often think about well when I think about when I read that I think about the verse where it says you know that his his ways are higher than our ways you know his thoughts and our thoughts how his mercy is higher than the heavens are from the earth so on and so forth. So he starts off chapter twelve verse number one he says because of these mercies we should live a life that presents our bodies a living sacrifice. Now you think of a sacrifice in the Old Testament sacrifice is something that was killed something that was mutilated right something that was ate up or something that was burned. Well in the New Testament in Romans chapter twelve it says we should be a living sacrifice what does that mean. In other words we die daily right because the sacrifice is something that you kill something that dies whereas the living sacrifice is something that obviously lives but is still dying daily. Now that is a great verse and a great portion of scripture to use to prove or should we say to debunk this false doctrine of sinless perfection after salvation. Right because as soon as you got saved everything was hunky-dory there was no problems against the flesh you didn't have any temptations to fight with well he wouldn't be asking us to have a to present our bodies a living sacrifice. It says holy acceptable to God which is your reasonable service. That's a command okay for us to live a holy and pure life to die daily to do that which is right on the side of the Lord. Go with me if you want to Galatians chapter number two and that's that is a decision that is something that we have to do on a daily basis right to die daily die to our flesh die to our ambitions die to the things that would be contrary to the word of God. And obviously once we get saved especially if you get saved later on in life you come with some baggage right you come with temptations from the old world whether it's the music of the old world it's lust of the old world it's whatever may be of the old world that still comes attached to the sinful body. Therefore God tells us look you got to be a living sacrifice die to those things die to the flesh kill the flesh kill those things on a daily basis so you can live a life that's pleasing unto the Lord. Galatians 2 20 says I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live again you see almost like the the contrast in the paradigm there he's saying he's crucified well someone's crucified is dead but yet he says yet I live right yet not I but Christ liveth in me in the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me go go with me if you want to second Corinthians chapter number six I'm gonna read to you from first Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 31 where the Bible reads I protest by rejoicing which I have in Christ Christ Jesus our Lord I die daily. Now Paul wasn't talking about like he committed suicide daily or something you know or they killed him daily he was simply saying he's dying to the flesh every single day you know and often the most sinful Christians are those who don't die daily right they're always given into their sinful desires they always want to give into their lusts they never could just do that which is right in the sight of the Lord and by the way it's obviously dying to the flesh is not easy but you know what because God commands it it's possible you see God's commandments are not easy to keep all the time but they are possible and with God all things are possible through prayer through the scripture reading through reading the Bible we can overcome the desires of the flesh and of the mind we just have to die daily now look at second Corinthians chapter number six again in verse 14 we see this matter being separated right it says here be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers we often refer to this when we're in reference to marriage but this is true in all aspects of the Christian life right not don't you know don't don't have best friends your BFF should not be an unsafe person oh you know we grew up together that's my homie or whatever you know that's that's that's that's my that's my cousin yeah but you know what if they're unsaved the Bible says you shouldn't be unequally yoked together with unbelievers now look if you're talking to them and you want to get them saved yeah then that's perfectly fine but get them saved but don't use the fact that you're trying to get them saved as an excuse why you have you befriended them for the last five years and you haven't gotten them saved okay you say well you know then what should I do get them saved and if not you know apply verse 1 of chapter 12 of being a presenting your body living sacrifice holy and acceptable you know what happens most of the time they'll just separate from you most of the time you don't even have to separate from those friends you live the holy acceptable life unto God and what happens they begin to separate from you you become a weirdo to them okay you become annoying you become salt you begin to irritate them and you don't even have to worry about separating from them they'll get away from you but look at 2nd Corinthians 4 14 says be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what communion hath light with darkness and what concord hath Christ with Belial Belial or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols for you are the temple of the living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and then they shall be my people wherefore come out from among them and be separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you so you know what God considers an unsafe person when you're like just hanging out with them you're fellowshiping with them you're having communion with them but the bible says that's an unclean thing don't touch the unclean thing it says there in verse 18 and I will excuse me in verse latter end of verse 17 it says I will receive you verse 18 and will be a father unto you and he shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord almighty now someone will look at that verse and say you see that's why you gotta live a clean life because if God's gonna be your heavenly father you know you have to live a separated life because it says right there in verse 18 well first and foremost the bible says in john 112 but as many as received him to them give you power to become the sons of God even unto them that believe on his name so the only requirement to become a son of God is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ what this is referring to obviously is what we see in Romans chapter number eight now hold your place there in second Corinthians and go to Romans chapter number eight Romans chapter number eight Romans chapter eight and verse number nine says but ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit if so be that the spirit of God dwell in you now if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his let's skip down to verse number let's see here verse number 14 for as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sons of God so what does it say when you're being led of the spirit obviously your spirit is saved it is the son of God okay and then the second okay now when you're led of the spirit you're just confirming the fact that yes that's the son of God right there okay now when you're in the flesh you're not living a life that's pleasing unto the Lord okay so simply it's making the distinction of how you're behaving yourself are you behaving yourself as a son of God are you behaving yourself yourself like a child of disobedience and a child of wrath okay when we walk in the spirit we obey God we obey Christ we're behaving as sons of God and you see that in first John chapter I believe chapter three where it talks about how what love he has bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God right and we we will we will not know what we shall be but obviously when he appears we shall be like unto him and I'm misquoting the verse but you understand what I'm saying here is that when we're walking in the spirit we're obeying God's commands we're simply manifesting the son of God within us okay now go back to second Corinthians second Corinthians chapter six I'm gonna read verse 18 to you again it says and will be a father unto you and he shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord almighty now go to chapter seven and verse number one it says having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the what of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God so it's God the same here look because you have these promises that I just gave to you in second Corinthians or second Corinthians six that's why you should cleanse yourself from the from the filthiness of the flesh okay and of course in of the spirit now go back to Romans chapter number 12 so again we ought to present our bodies a living sacrifice sacrifice ourselves daily you know put ourselves on that spiritual altar right to be sacrificed to die okay to die to the desires of the flesh so on and so forth look having spiritual desires doesn't come easy or should I say it doesn't come naturally right you don't just wake up in the morning like like man I want to read my bible now you may but that's those aren't every single day you don't wake up every single day wanting to pray or do right or not cuss or not sin those things don't come naturally you know the bible tells us in psalms teach me to do thy will we have to be taught to do these things okay and we're going to see how we can do that because look it's often it's not necessarily a matter of the will you know I'm just going to will myself to do these things really it's a matter of just changing your mind okay your perspective renewing your mind verse two of chapter 12 says and be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God now I want you to notice there when it talks about the will of God it's referring to the renewing of your mind and the previous verse which means to present your body as a living sacrifice and the reason I say that is because most of my spiritual life I was taught that the will of God was some like mystical you know specific you know will of God pixie dust type thing where it's just like God calls you to a specific place to a specific people but you know what though that sounds noble though that at times that may sound reasonable really it's just not biblical and the reason for that is because the will of God is not restrained to just a specific thing for specific people no God has a general will for people that if they obey it they can choose freely within the will of God what they want to choose okay you think of the garden of Eden for example God had a rule you out of all the trees of the garden now may as freely eat except for this tree right here that was the rule so they were able as long as they didn't touch that tree they had the freedom to eat out of any tree they wanted and by the way that's a good way to portray the will of God isn't it you know because sometimes people think oh you know you're just restricted to this and you know God is calling you to do this and you're just going to be miserable no in fact the will of God is not miserable God has given me much liberty to choose what to do as long as I'm going in accordance to God's word and these rules that I find within the will of God you say well what is the will of God well first and foremost is to renew my mind you say why is that because the will of God you will know the will of God unless you know what the word of God says okay so it's not a matter of you know I just feel it in my heart and by the way there's nothing wrong with feelings emotions are great even if you have a desire to reach a certain people group that's nothing wrong with that burdens are good that's where it's passion stems from right you have a burden for something but but here's the thing don't say that that God like spoke to you from like a cloud or something and said that he wants you to do that if you don't do that you're involved in sin that's not true okay because what about the person who doesn't have the resources or maybe doesn't have the upbringing to go to so a place like that are they sinning because they can't go there you know it's just that doesn't make any sense whereas if you understand that the will of God is based upon the renewing of your mind because obviously the first thing when it comes to the will of God is that he wants us to be in his word right why because his word has laws it has rules it has thou shall and thou shall not that we need to conform to that we need to obey and obviously obedience is number one when it comes to the will of God but not only that he wants us to live a life that's separated so we can say yeah you know what like the Bible says to flee fornication for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you that you should abstain from fornication right that everyone should every one of you should know how to possess his vessel and sanctification and honor that is the will of God we can look at the Bible and say that is God's will for your life as that you be pure if you step outside of that purity you're no longer in the will of God doesn't mean it doesn't matter if you go to the mission field and go to a specific place where you start where you think God told you to go if you're involved in fornication that's not God's will because obviously if there's a specific will for example pastoring right I want to pasture but you know what if I don't pasture no biggie you know there's other things to do within the will of God where I could be happy with but but but look God has place within me a desire to pasture okay that is a desire that a person has now you say what about a woman who wants to pasture well we obviously understand that's not in the will of God you know and and here's the thing most lady pastures you ask them why are the pastors say well God told me to right well we could look at a person like that and say you're lying and it was a God lowercase g who probably told you that you need to prove the spirits because that's not from God now look we need to make sure that we are following so the bible says to abstain from fornication another will of God is that we give thanks you know that's a big portion of of of finding God's specific will or to be used of God greatly is to have a spirit of gratitude okay to be thankful you know every once in a while you need to learn how to say thank you okay my son has just learned how to fully say those two words you know within the last couple of months he would just go you know and I understood what he meant by that you know I didn't blame but he would go that's the way he said it but now he says it now he goes says to you know he says that instead he's getting better at it but we're trying to teach him gratitude and the one of the worst things characteristics of any person is a pompous just arrogant ungrateful Christian when they just take everything for granted no thank you they just like they expect everything you should have given it to me that's not the way we ought to behave you see a spirit of gratitude is it requires humility it requires the fact that you don't deserve whatever it is that you got and you're thankful that you got it okay and that's why God says look that's my will for your life is for you to be grateful my will for your life is for you not to be unequally open and obviously those verses that I quoted are actually verses that have the phrase the will of God we can say everything in the Bible is the will of God you know what I mean as far as the commandments are concerned but as far as some something specific like you know I think I'm called to this city you know if you want to think that you're not a bad person but don't teach it as though it's doctrine okay it's not okay now I would say I could say you know what I want to I want to plant a church in Los Angeles because I love Los Angeles I think there's a lot of people in Los Angeles that need to be reached and I would like to start a church in Los Angeles there's nothing wrong with that okay but to say to say that I'd be called there you know as if God spoke to me through some cloud outside of the revelation of God's word that would be wrong okay now go to Ephesians chapter number four and many a times people who do these things are saying things based off of emotions they went to a conference a missions conference a youth conference and look I've been to many youth conferences and I'm and look I I'll even say it from here I'm thankful for you the youth conference oh I can't believe I got saved at a youth conference okay I'm thankful for the pastor who was there who preached a right gospel okay he preached hard on sin and even through the last conferences that he came to he was still preaching hard okay he's one of the guys the old IFBers that I would say has not changed thankfully amen but you know I've been to many conferences and I've seen people come and go I'm talking about people who go to the altar you know and they're crying they're in tears they're like we're going to you know Asia we're going to China I'm gonna go to Iraq or whatever maybe and then it's just like they're out of church you know in the next couple of months so here's the dangerous things they made an oath to the Lord to do that and then they didn't follow through on that that's sinful right there so then what happened what's what's wrong with these conferences often then what's wrong with these conferences is you're causing all these teenagers based upon an emotional thrust to make these decisions and oaths they're not able to keep you know and most of the time they're not saved now thankfully even the youth conferences that I went to they would make sure that you were saved okay but even after that they wouldn't follow through they wouldn't keep reading their bibles they wouldn't live it was simply just an emotional decision that you made you know and again there's nothing wrong with emotions but emotions come and go you know you need to do what you're supposed to do because you're supposed to do it point is simple okay you say are you before youth conferences still no obviously I'm not you know I think the way it's supposed to be done is through simply the local church and biblical preaching okay now has God used youth conferences in the past yes okay I'm a testament to that but does that mean that that's the right way to do it no it's not the way you find the will of God is through biblical preaching or through your own bible reading that's how you find the will of God okay Ephesians 4 21 says if so be that ye have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus that you put off concerning by the way I'm sorry I forgot to mention this even girls okay I've seen girls that are called to like the mission field I'm talking about being like the leaders of the of mission field and then they're they're treated like they're they're actual like pastors and stuff that's not right and you ask these girls you know hey you know why don't you just stay at home and learn how to be a mother and a wife you know I won't because God's called me to this place you liar I was not calling you to that you know what God's calling you to do is become a mother and a wife and to keep the home learn how to do those things don't I can actually point to a verse in the bible in there and say that's the will of God for you right there you know then these girls are lifted up as being these heroes of the faith and then they slam the guys who don't want to go to the mission field but they're staying home and so any you know all these girls are going to the mission field because there's not enough men you know there's not enough men to get out there and go do the work well you know yeah because the men are staying home and they're doing soul winning here you know maybe they don't they don't want to go to the mission field nothing wrong with that maybe they just don't even speak the language and they're trying to save a plane ticket okay but what if they're staying home and doing so what if they're just being a regular faithful layman at the church they're reading their bibles they're giving they're showing up to the soul winning times they're being they're living a pure and holy life you know that guy is more in the will of God than that girl you know yeah but he's not doing great exploits how do you know that the great exploit is done by obeying God's commandments in his word okay regardless of how fancy it looks you know there's no there's no confetti and glitter when it comes to doing things like that but you know what that's still God's will and you can't slam the guy who decides to stay home you know and just do what God told him do at home because he's choosing out of the tree the uh the garden there to eat of this tree you know you can't slam that guy just because he's not going to the mission field or because he's not going to go start a church or whatever it may be now obviously people who like you know they stay home but they're not even soul winning they're not reading them they're not okay that's they're not in the will of God either okay Ephesians 4 21 says if so be they have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus that he put off concern in the form of conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lust how do you do that and be renewed in the spirit of your mind and then you put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness so the way you put on the new man is by renewing your mind and God's word well how do you do that by being taught of Jesus well how do you be taught of Jesus the word of God you know one thing that cleans you thoroughly every single day is simply reading the Bible every single day it's not a mystical process it's simply this you read the Bible you see commandments and you're like oh dang I'm not keeping that this is the cause and effect of not keeping that I don't want to suffer the wrath of God and by the way we're going to look later on in Romans 12 that even Christians still suffer the wrath of God okay it's still present God is no respecter of persons and if you're outside of God's will if you're doing wrong you know if you're sinning if you're defrauding your brother if you're wronging someone the Bible says God's going to execute vengeance on you okay go to Colossians chapter number three I'm gonna read to you from Ephesians 5 go to Colossians 3 Ephesians 5 says in verse number 8 for you were sometimes darkness but now are you light in the Lord walk as children of light for the fruit of the spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth proving what is acceptable unto the Lord you know the fruits of the spirit prove that which is right in the sight of the Lord and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them Colossians 3 10 says and have put on the new man which is renewed in the knowledge after the image of him that created him so the Bible tells us again the way you get renewed is by knowledge that's why the Bible tells us to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ you see and a lot of people churches liberal churches especially want to want to emphasize the grace part right it's all grace all grace you know but the other side of that spectrum is that there's knowledge you're supposed to be involved in that and by the way grace what is grace well Titus teaches us that the grace of God teaches us to deny ungodliness so both of those help us to live a clean and pure life a life that's pleasing unto the Lord a life that's presentable a living sacrifice unto the Lord now go with me for what's the first peter chapter number two first peter chapter two first peter chapter two is a good what I'm about to look at is good for for people who would want to look down upon us because we're always correcting the false teachers like oh that's not your business you shouldn't be doing that that's not God's will for your life well look at verse 15 for so is the will of God that with well-doing he may put the silence the ignorance of foolish men as free not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness but as the servants of God so the Bible tells us there we're to put silence the ignorance of foolish men and by the way so someone says that to me I say well that's God's will for my life I'm to put the silence the ignorance of foolish men okay and if I don't do that I'm out of God's will I'm disobeying the Lord because God wants me to see God is not some guy who's just like oh yeah you should just you know they're good people just leave them you know just leave them alone and you know God's like no reprove that rebuke it you know why because God is concerned over the souls of men okay and he's not he doesn't want us to fear offending some reprobate you know person or those who who would even sympathize with the reprobates no he wants us to make sure that we expose it for the sake of those who might be led astray by it okay go back to Romans chapter number 12 Romans chapter number 12 so the will of God okay we're talking about the will of God here so what is the will of God the will of God is simply found within the word of God and you can make tons of sermons based upon that subject alone why because there's so much involved within it you know if you're even if you were to break it down into two categories it would be that which you should do and that which you shouldn't okay and both of those are all inclusive they're included in the will of God and look it's going to take a lifetime to even discover all of that you know to grow in that and to obey the Lord in those areas and that by the way thank God for his mercies right not getting what we what we deserve because obviously we fall short of God's glory even as Christians we don't do right when we're supposed to but what God is merciful with us he's gracious with us he's long suffering he's patient okay verse number three for i say through the grace given unto me to every man that is among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think but to think soberly according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith so here it says here and it's going to go into some of the attributes or some of the gifts and talents that God gives to people okay prophesying which is preaching being a servant so on and so forth and it says this to not think of himself more highly than he ought to think what does that mean don't be prideful okay because look all of us have talents and you're good at something that someone else is not good at okay and by the way some of the things that you're good at are not going to be found within this chapter right here but still nonetheless God has given you a talent and if you're not careful you can become prideful about that why is that because you can do it and someone else can't but the Bible says here that we ought not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think but to think soberly okay don't be grateful be humble don't try to think of yourself more better than anybody else don't measure yourself according to someone else's greatness or how bad someone else is doing okay but i want you to notice there it says according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith now here he's talking to obviously in Romans 12 and all of Romans is talking to believers so he's not talking to unbelievers all right so every believer does have a measure of faith some have more faith than others okay and what's the goal the goal is to increase your faith okay and look that's why it's important that we become patient with with one another because you may think why God why doesn't this guy just jump in and just go all in and do it well you might not have the measure of faith that you have okay everyone has a different measure of faith and let me say this someone has more faith than you do okay someone's willing to step out you know on the line more than you they're willing to believe God far more than you they have more faith in God's word than you do but you know what that doesn't make them better or worse it just means everyone's given a different measure of faith and look you're not subject to that measure of faith you can increase your faith faith cometh by hearing hearing by the word of God not just for salvation after salvation as well you increase your faith as you read God's word and you're not subject to just that measure of faith all right look what's the opposite of faith fear right when you fear it just means that you're you're not growing you're not trying to get above that measure of faith that you have okay you think of the areas in your life that you're afraid of right now okay and everyone has fear don't don't tell me no one has fear you know you have to the difference is who acts upon their fear okay what decisions do you make when you're afraid you know if you allow yourself to get out of God's will and not do stand for right and do that which is right in God's eyes then obviously you're acting upon your fears you're not acting upon faith see faith is though is this I'm afraid but I'm gonna obey God anyways because here's the thing that kind of faith is a fear towards God because it's saying I'm afraid but I'm gonna act in faith because I'm afraid of God more okay and that helps us to step out in faith a lot more you know when we when we when we step up against the sodomites you know when we preach messages against reprobates or when you just take a stand for right whatever it may be you know when you're afraid to do those things you need to check yourself and say man am I more afraid of the reprobates than I am of God you know reprobates what can they do take my life yeah but you know what God can do God can God can take all my blessings away from my life you know God can my my breath he can take my breath for me I remember a long years ago I saw on YouTube one time this one Hindu guy it was like a Hindu conference and he was like some guru and he was just talking and you could literally see God just taking that guy's breath out of him he was like talking and he was just like and he just died the dude just died right on the spot he was saying some foolish doctrine and I don't you know God is omnipresent but obviously during that time he's like he just he just took that guy's breath and just the guy just died killed him right on the spot okay and you know what God is just amen but here's the thing is God can do that to Christians if he wants to you know so don't think to yourself more highly than you ought to think you know you ought to be humble because though we serve a merciful and gracious God he's also righteous he's just he's holy okay and he's no respecter of persons he will take your life if he has to worry out here go to second Corinthians chapter number 10 don't compare yourself to other people okay if you're a better soul winner than others you know praise the Lord use that to help others to be better soul winners but don't don't boast like you like you're like the the bag of chips all that in a bag of chips like you're the business okay because here's the thing someone's out there is better than you you may look don't compare yourselves even in here right you know he's like well I think I'm like the best orator here I'm thinking I'm like the best preacher you know you might be the best preacher here but the fact remains is there's probably out there someone who's better than you in fact there is someone out there is better than you there's always someone better I heard a preacher one time in my old church he got up and he said that and he ticked off so many people he's like he goes how does this feel he goes there's out there someone who's better than you yeah he goes they're better than you at preaching they're better than you at singing they're just better than you and it ticked off a lot of people he just kept and he knew he knew and this guy changed later on but he was he was a hard preacher then he knew that he had hit a button that no one really liked and so he just harped on that one point he goes they're better than you he goes and guess what they're probably already here and people are going to recognize them for being better than what you do and it's just like oh you know they're just like they didn't like it you know but it was true it's a sobering thought but it's true but here's the thing if all you think of is I want to be the best I want to be the best at everything at my church then you're not you're prideful you know you ought to be the best at what you do measuring yourself according to the measure of Christ right but it ought to cost it ought to cause you to be humble okay and have a desire to want to help others to be better as well okay look at second corinthians chapter 10 verse 12 for we dare not make ourselves of the number or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves but they measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves among themselves are not wise so if you're not wise what are you you're a fool and so the person who says I'm better than that person way better than him when it comes to singing or preaching or soul winning you know the Bible says you're a fool to think that way because God can remove that talent from you anytime he wants and if you're talented and by the way it's owning is not a talent but obviously the ability to to to communicate the ability to speak some have a greater talent than others right and if you have that talent don't boast let him that glory let him glory in the Lord okay you want to boast about that because God can remove that from you at any time verse 13 says but we will not boast of things without our measure but according to the measure of the rule which God has distributed to us a measure to reach even unto you for we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure as though we reach not unto you for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ not boasting of the things which without our measure that is of other men's labors but having hope when your faith is increased that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you and not to boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hand but he that glorieth let him glory in the Lord for not he that he that commendeth himself is approved but whom the Lord commanded and by the way that's a verse taken from Jeremiah where it says he that glory let him glory that he understandeth and knoweth me you know well how do you understand and know God through God's word okay go back to Romans chapter number 12 it says there in verse number five so we being many are one body in Christ and every member is one of another we can go to Corinthians where it talks about how there's uncommly parts but every every member is important okay when we get into this night verse six says heaven then gifts deferring according to the grace that is given to us whether prophecy let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith now prophecy when you see that word prophecy it means preaching okay now obviously in the old testament because the word of God was not complete there are prophesying of things to come but there was still prophesying they were preaching the word of God that was given unto them okay and then in the new testament obviously we have the complete word of God and we don't need to foretell anything God's not given us any new revelation there's no such thing of that okay you have these charismatic pentecostal type churches they want to always go outside of the bible they always want to get some extra biblical revelation you know they had a dream you know last night well you know what it is you had too many onions on your burger that's why you had that dream you eat some you eat something late night you're gonna have some crazy dreams okay and a lot of people they attach that to God and say you know God gave me this no arts gave you that right in and out gave you that but they like to have these extra biblical revelation when they haven't even read the bible cover to cover okay now let's just pretend for a second that we would believe them if they said they had an extra biblical revelation most of these people even who say they have not even read the bible cover to cover so how do you expect God to give you extra biblical revelation when you haven't even read the revelation of God already it's already given to you that's foolish you know God it's it's going to take a lifetime an eternity we're going to be learning I think that we're going to be learning the word of God for all of eternity because because it's inexhaustible you know you so you're so prideful and so arrogant to think that God would show up at your doorstep at night to reveal some dream to you you know oh but it came true no you know often these things the ones that come true you're making them come true okay you're basically formulating so it can happen all right but these Pentecostals want to think that they can prophesy no prophesying in the bible simply preaching God's word that's what that means okay here's the thing is there's some people who just have the ability to preach and some who don't now are those who don't worse than those who do no everyone's just as important but obviously the office or those who can preach is needed right and I think of numbers 11 28 you don't have to turn there the bible says in Joshua the son of Nun the servant of Moses one of his young men answered and said my lord Moses forbid them talk about the people who were prophesying they were preaching verse 29 Moses said unto them envious thou for my sake would God that all the Lord's people were prophets and that they would put his spirit upon them you know lord willing many preachers could come out of faith for a Baptist church amen many pastors but if you don't you're not worse you're not any less you're in fact you could probably do greater work still okay prophecy and the ability to preach is simply a talent that is given that is necessary within the local church okay verse seven says or ministry let us wait on our ministry now I believe some people have a talent of ministering now I believe everyone ought to be a minister obviously a servant but some people are just wired in a certain way where they just want to serve and what I mean by that is they're wired to things they come into a room and they automatically they see a need you know some people come in a room and they have the the talent of exhortation okay talent exhortation is simply the ability to encourage someone you know what they do they go to people they get to know them they encourage them and those people are necessary in within the local church then you have people who are just servants maybe they're not even the most talkative people but you know what they see that the trash needs to get taken out they're cleaning they're just they don't like to be in the limelight necessarily they just like to minister now again just like prophesying for instance preaching preaching the gospel everyone should be preaching the gospel right but some people have an ability to speak better than others well same goes with the ministry some people have that gift but you know what everybody ought to be a minister of the lord go to matthew chapter 20 in verse 20 excuse me matthew chapter 20 verse 25 the bible says here but jesus called them unto him and said he know that the princess of the gentiles exercise dominion over them and that they that are great exercise authority upon them but it shall not be so among you but whosoever will be great among you let him be your minister and whosoever be chief among you let him be your servant even as the son of man came not to be ministered unto but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many so again we see that god obviously has ordained everyone to be a servant okay to be a servant to serve in the church whether you're gifted in that area or not all right go back to roman chapter number 12 the bible says or he that teacheth on teaching now teaching obviously prophesying would be like preaching god's word to proclaim god's word teaching on the other hand i guess would fall into the category of someone who is able to break something down and almost in a sense put the cookie on the bottom shelf for you right they're teaching you god's word now a obviously this is a characteristic that a pastor must have because if you look at the qualifications of a pastor they need to be apt to teach right but go to second timothy chapter two if you would so a pastor needs to be apt to teach they need to be able to take the word of god break it down compare scripture with scripture and make it plain however the servant of the lord as we're going to see in second timothy chapter two also needs to be apt to teach okay look at verse 23 but foolish and unlearned questions avoid knowing that they do gender strives and the servant of the lord must not strive but be gentle unto all men apt to teach patient now you say well he's not he's talking to timothy he's supposed to be a pastor yeah but this can be applied to any christian because here's the thing is he's just saying that the pastor should not strive they shouldn't debate he's saying that everyone right that that that principle applies to everyone well likewise the ability to teach should be applicable to everyone he said well how do you know that well simply for the fact that matthew 28 says this go therefore and what teach all nations right how do you preach the gospel by teaching someone now this can be applied simply by saying this when you're preaching the gospel you need to learn how to effectively present the gospel of christ putting the cookie on the bottom shelf you need to know the verses that you're going to reference you need to know the illustrations you're going to use why because you're trying to make playing the gospel the death baron resurrection of jesus christ to the person you're witnessing to right so the ability to teach not only falls under the category for a pastor but it should be for even soul winners as well okay don't be a genesis to revelation teacher be a simple teacher who's able to proclaim the gospel teach it so on and so forth go back to roman chapter 12 verse number eight says or he that exhorteth on exhortation all right this is the encourager this is needed these are people who those we would call them exhorters they just you kind of leave a conversation with them feeling encouraged they just know how to say the right thing at the right time they encourage you they just have a word philly spoken in due season how sweet it is apples they're like apples of gold and pictures of silver they're just people who they just lift up your spirit you know you could have a bad day and it's just like man this is a crappy day but you talk to that one person and you just leave with a little bit of hope you know and we all need people like that okay because because often what we have an abundance of is people who just put people down you know what i mean like you're having a bad day it's like yeah bro are you sure you're not in sin you know it's probably because you're in sin brother you know have you read your bible you did did you read 10 chapters you know it's just like just getting on you whereas the exhorter what does the exhorter do is just like man don't worry i've gone through the same thing it's like really yeah don't worry about it this will pass you know like oh man i don't feel i don't feel as bad anymore you know and we need people like that okay exhorters are very much needed they exhort they build up is what they do okay and it's not look it's not bad to encourage people okay that's necessary that's needed that's needed to to to help propel christians forward when maybe they're going through a rough time all right he that giveth let him do it with simplicity that means without guile you know there's a lot of christians sometimes in churches who they give deceitfully or they give with ulterior motives okay or they give a lot because they want influence over the pastor okay they want to be able to dictate things in the church so therefore they give you know what i mean to be able to have influence over the pastor i've seen that before okay but the baba says to do with simplicity without guile he that ruleth with diligence he that showeth mercy with cheerfulness all right well i don't think we have to explain those those are pretty self-explanatory there verse 9 let love be without the simulation abhor that which is evil and cleave to that which is good now this is a really good verse to expound upon this matter of god hating people okay or us hating those who god hates or those who hate god you say why is that because it says let love be without dissimulation that means hypocrisy so he's saying there let love be without hypocrisy then he follows it up by abhorring that which is evil you see the person who says they love but they don't hate evil is a hypocrite according to god because everyone hates okay and in order to have a biblical hatred your your love can have dissimulation it can be hypocritical you know you can't say well god loves everyone but you keep your children away from certain people that know that you know what would damage your children that's it that's hypocrisy see at least i'm saying yeah i keep them away because i hate those guys you know i don't want my love to be without dissimulation it's not being hypocritical i love those whom god loves and i hate those who god hates okay ye that love the lord hate evil right now go to first peter chapter three hold your place there in roman chapter 12 so in order to have not to have a hypocritical love you have to have hatred okay what's a hypocritical love gandhi love is a hypocritical love that kind of love is hypocritical where it's just like well you have to love every single person even if they murder your mom and you know mutilate them and and you know do all kinds of horrid things to your family or to other people in like manner you gotta love that's that's a hypocritical love because down deep inside even those people can't come to love those people it's a it's hypocrisy is what it is god says in order to not have hypocritical love you have to have you have to abhor hate or excuse me evil first peter chapter three verse 10 says for he that will love life and see good days let him refrain his tongue from evil in his lips that they speak no guile let him is chew evil and do good let him seek peace and ensue it so you see the contrast there okay and by the way it's like well evil is talking about sin no because the bible talks about evil men so it doesn't just say evil sin or evil actions just as evil okay and that's all encompassing to anything that's evil all right whether it's people and by the way people are the ones who commit evil acts so i hate their actions but i don't hate them no it doesn't work that way let him eschew evil okay by the way that's why joe was a righteous and upright man right he's one that has chewed evil verse 10 go back to roman chapter 12 so it says let love be without dissimulation abhor that which is evil cleave to that which is good so don't be a hypocrite when you love you know and by the way according to the measure of your faith right love as much as you can love someone help someone as much as you can but don't be a hypocrite all right verse 10 says be kindly affectionate one toward another with brotherly love and honor preferring one another and we will go through the verses but the bible tells us let nothing be done through strife or vainglory but in the loneliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves okay verse 11 says not slothful in business fervent in spirit serving the lord verse 12 rejoicing a whole patient in tribulation continuing instant in prayer and i want to get to this portion right here verse 13 distributing to the necessity of the saints given to hospitality look given to hospitality so obviously that's a quality that a pastor must have right but that's a quality every christian must have because that's why it says to love one another how do you love one another by being hospitable to them bless them that persecute you bless and curse not rejoice with them that do rejoice and weep with them that weep be of the same mind one toward another might not hide things but condescend to men of low estate be not wise in your own conceits and look at verse 17 says recompense to no man evil for evil provide things honest in the sight of all men if it be possible as much as lie within you live peaceably with all men dearly beloved avenge not yourselves but rather give place unto wrath for it is written vengeance is mine i will repay saith the lord now here's the thing is go go with me if you went to hebrew chapter number 10 so the bible is telling us here obviously by default it's simply telling us that even within us we have a desire to execute vengeance on people okay and god i think i think the lord obviously knows that okay and he doesn't necessarily hold it against us when we want vengeance another word for vengeance is revenge we want to recompense someone according to what they've done to us right that's a natural byproduct there's no christian in this world so i don't want any vengeance on anybody you know obviously everyone has that temptation okay now is it right no but it's a natural inclination if someone wrongs you you want to wrong them back okay now look at hebrews 10 verse 29 it says of how much sore punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden underfoot the son of god and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despite into the spirit of grace for we know him that had said vengeance belongeth unto me i will recompense saith the lord and again the lord shall judge his people it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living god so in that context who is he executing vengeance on christians his people because look if you're a christian for any length of time most of your friends you're going to find within christian circles right well if you're a christian for any length of time you're going to have a christian who wrongs you does you dirty defrauds you you know offends you whatever it may be and your natural inclination is well i want to execute vengeance on that person well that's why romans 12 says this live peaceably with all men as much as possible but also remember vengeance is mine saith the lord i will repay amen okay god will judge his people okay look that's why and look this is all inclusive to everyone pastors included okay god will execute judgment on pastors who wrong other people church members who wrong other people church members who wrong pastors god will judge them i'll tell you a story i remember one time and this wasn't a christian but this is a great example someone jacked my wife's my mother-in-law's bike okay and she's a pastor's wife you know nothing she's anything special necessary but she walked with the lord she walks with the lord she was a lady who's holy she loves the lord i think like i don't know how long after that that guy was found dead i mean they shot that guy dead dead okay and you know don't don't jack box i guess you know don't steal bikes or if you still won't make sure it's not doesn't belong to a christian right that guy was found dead okay you know but here's the thing is the bible tells us that judgment must be getting in the house of god god will judge his people you know so don't think that just because you're the son of god you know that nothing's going to happen to you know because you're the son of god god will chastise you he will punish you okay he's no respecter of persons and look these pastors out there who want to just criticize and wrong christians all over america because they believe like us they need to be careful you say why is that because vengeance belongeth unto me saith lord i will repay okay that's how it works but not just for them that applies to us as well we need to be careful that we're not wronging our brothers and sisters in christ and look just like we said on sunday we can't curse those whom god has not cursed we curse i curse the pastor who's not saved okay who claims to be saved who preaches a works-based salvation and you talk about how you can lose your salvation if you don't believe if you believe that the jews are god i gotta be careful because i think i messed it up if you believe that the jews are not god's chosen people that you can lose your salvation you're cursed okay did i say that right i always get those the wording mixed up right there it's such a long phrase i always get mixed up you know what i'm talking about basically if you're not zionist right and you lose your salvation if you're not zionist then you lose your salvation that pastor's cursed and i curse that person who believes that and who will say something like that will teach their congregation that now another pastor who's saved you know i dare not curse a person like that okay look doesn't matter how wrong even if they're wrong on the jews i won't curse the pastor like that you know even if it's a person who you know who doesn't agree with us on anything even on the reprobates he's a safe person i can't curse that person and i can't speak ill of him in a manner that will be cursing unto him because why because i don't want god to smite me okay i'd like to keep pastoring here okay i like to see my kids grow up all right i like to you know grow older than my wife i like to have more children okay so i don't want to be look david that's a perfect example was david and saul saul was like far from god but even he said how i'm not going to touch the lord's anointed and look that's when saul was like backslidden as the day was long when you're going to the witch of endor you're backslidden okay but i'm not going to curse that that person you know what i mean you know let god take care of him god is going to chastise that person okay i'll leave it in the hands of god and that's the attitude that we need to have you say that's a wrong attitude that's the attitude that romans 12 tells us to have okay because if not you're festering up with all this bitterness you're gonna be mad you're like oh i can't believe this person just did this to me and man i just you know rather just say you know what lord it's in your hands you take care of it you know you will repay you promise and by the way god is not a man that he shall lie okay he will execute it all right and look at the same time we ought to hope that these people repent obviously you know what i mean because obviously we enjoy the mercies of god you know what i mean and we want god them to enjoy the mercies of god as well but it comes a point where where they take it obviously too far go back to romans 12 it says therefore verse 20 therefore if that enemy hunger feed him if he thirsts give him to drink for in so doing thou shall heap coals of fire on his head and let me say this this is not just a new testament teaching that's found in the old testament too that's actually found in proverbs 25 okay and we're not going to go into uh that weirdos teaching what's that guy that whole entire story he came up with coals are you actually put coals or what's his name the pope johnny pope weird that's where commentaries take you yeah right insane okay now what is that teaching us there it's simply teaching us that you do heap coals of fire not literally you heap coals of fire in a person when you recompense them good for evil okay when you do good unto someone who has done wrong unto you okay now here's the thing this is a very fine line because if we're not careful we think that everyone who does this wrong is a reprobate yeah yeah that guy's reprobate it's like so easy to just say yeah that guy's just reprobate he's just he's he's a faggot you know he's just a reprobate no maybe he's just your enemy maybe he just doesn't like you you know you have to get like to be a reprobate just keep in mind you have to hate god to be a reprobate they probably just don't like you you know they probably just don't like you is what it is okay but you can't say well everyone's reprobate if they don't like me because i guarantee you there's people in this church who probably don't like you and they're not reprobates you know but that's why the bible teaches us as much lies within you live peaceably with all men what does that mean i like the way god words that because he said look as much as you can as much as you can do it just try the best you can you know in other words he doesn't expect you to just get along with everyone right you we have to love all brothers and sisters in christ but that doesn't mean we have to like everyone okay we don't have to necessarily like everyone why because we have different personalities some people annoy other people more than others etc right so god tells us okay i know he's annoying i know but as much lies within you just try to live peaceably with all men okay just be peaceable you know if you can't go past five minutes of a conversation without getting mad at this person for the foolishness that comes out of their mouth or whatever it may be or their mannerisms then you know what cut it down to two minutes you know all right i gotta go you know or whatever it is what god is saying is as much as lies within you just try your best okay be mature about it all right now uh verse 21 be not overcome with evil but overcome evil with good and we mentioned that already so what's the what's the crux of romans chapter 12 obviously we need to renew our minds understand that everyone's been given a gift a talent but don't think yourself more highly than you ought to think but also at the end of the day recognize those who do your wrong even within christian circles if they're christians they're safe people don't try to condescend to their level in the sense of trying to wrong them as well based upon the wrong of the day that you just leave it in god's hands and look the vengeance that god can execute upon a person is far greater than what you can do your imagination is puny in vengeance in comparison to god god God executes vengeance with style okay he does it creatively all right so better just to give it to him and just allowing him to execute that vengeance upon that person amen let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer father we thank you so much with for your goodness we're thankful for the mercies of god and not getting what we deserve we deserve hell and uh we don't we don't we're not going to hell by the mercies of god and we're thankful for that i pray that that would humble us and help us to be thankful for it lord i pray that you'd help us to be dependent on you and often executing vengeance on someone is often a just a lack of faith because we don't believe that you can execute vengeance on them help us to have faith in you and to leave it in your hands knowing that you will execute vengeance and you will repay for you would judge your people but also on the other side of that coin help us to recognize that we could be that person you're executing vengeance on as well to make sure that we are right with our brethren that we're not cursing anyone or or doing wrong to anyone help us to live peaceably with all men as much lies within us and we praise things in jesus name amen