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So, we're getting almost to the end here. We've got one more chapter after this. This chapter is actually really interesting. When I think of Romans, the last two chapters are always the chapters where I don't have a specific point that I think about. When I think of chapter 3, I think of the Gospel. I think of, you know, we're all sinners and saved by grace. I think of chapter 9 and 11 as the Israel chapters and chapter 10 is like the soul wanting chapter and chapter 13 is, you know, the government. I think of all these, I can think of one word to kind of just tell me what that chapter is about. Whereas 15 and 16, he's kind of winding down what he's talking about, but chapter 15 actually has a lot of good information in it. Chapter 16 definitely does too, but chapter 16 is more of like a salutation to all the people that are there at Rome and talk about the people that are with him and all that. So, starting off here in verse 1, it says, We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself, but as it is written, the reproaches of them that reproach thee fell on me. So, this is really kind of coming out of chapter 14 because remember in chapter 14 we were talking about how we're supposed to, you know, him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. We were talking about how we're supposed to try to help the weak brother and not cause a stumbling block for that person, and so this kind of ties into that. It's kind of coming out of that chapter and basically saying you that are strong in the faith, you need to basically bear the infirmities of the weak. You need to help out the weak, and basically you need to put others before yourself, as far as we need to try to be servants in the church. Christ is our example. So, Christ, he bear the reproaches of them that reproach thee. So, I mean, he bear the reproaches of those that were approaching him, and so Christ is the best example we can look at this as far as helping those that hated him or helping those that spit in his face as far as all the things that he did in spite of the fact that they were against him. And he died for them anyway, and he helped them anyway, and so Christ is the best example of this. But go to Galatians chapter 6. There's another passage here. So we have those that are weak in the faith, those that don't have as much knowledge as they need to have, and so we're trying to help them so they don't have a stumbling block, and we're trying to make sure that we're not putting stumbling blocks in front of them, knowing that we have a lot more knowledge and that we have a lot more liberty and they just don't know that, and so we don't want them to fall or to do something not in faith because they don't know or don't have that knowledge, and so we need to bear their infirmities and bear them so that we can basically be edifying to them. And so Galatians chapter 6 has a similar point, but it's more so talking about someone that has fallen, you know, basically a weak brother that has fallen. But Galatians 6 and verse 1, it says, Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such in one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted, bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. So we're supposed to bear their burdens, but if someone's taking over in a fault, we're not to basically just push them down even further. We're supposed to be trying to bring up our brother. You know, if someone sins or someone fails at something, we shouldn't be, and Corinthians I think was at fault for this too, but you know, we can be at fault for this, where someone falls and it makes us happy because it makes us look better, okay? We should never have that mindset as far as, well, they failed, you know, therefore, you know, my standard's fine where I'm at. And so people judge their standards based off how good someone else does or if they fall. You know, you think of like, think of somebody that's really high up in your, you know, your thoughts as far as who you look up to, spiritually speaking. If they were to fall, would you say, well, I guess I don't need to do that much, you know, or would you say, you know, I need to help them out, you know, and I still need to be striving where I'm at. And so in this case where someone falls, you know, they fall and they have a fault, we need to restore them in the spirit of meekness. Think of 1 Corinthians 5 where that was a serious sin that that person committed and obviously that person was punished, but then they were supposed to receive him and love and forgive him, right? And so we need it with meekness, you know, we need to restore a fallen brother. And to the end, you got to think that if they're still alive, God still wants to use them. And I'm talking about brethren, I'm not talking about reprobates or like unsafe people, I'm talking about those that are in the faith, you know, a brother, if a brother be taken in a fall, you know, or someone that's of the household of faith, those are the people we need to basically make sure that we're trying to constantly lift them up. Okay. And so, and this doesn't go as far as, okay, someone's, you know, a brother's living in sin that you need to like hang around them and okay, that's not what I'm talking about, but you need to with meekness try to get them back in the church, try to get them back into what they need to be doing. And, you know, but don't, you know, it says, wherefore let him that think, think if he stand to take heed lest he fall, you know, don't think that you're not susceptible to that same thing. You know, if someone goes into a fall, they could be something that you could very well fall into yourself. And so as you're trying to pull them out, don't get pulled in with them. Okay. And it could be something as simple as worldliness, you know, just not even big sins like fornication or drinking or anything like that. It could just be anything as far as getting sucked back into the cares of this life. You know, let's say someone's just getting sucked back into like, well, you know what, I don't want to go to church because I'd rather watch the football game or I'd rather, you know, do my own thing. I'd rather go travel. I'd rather do this. And, and you're trying to pull them back in. Well, in turn they pull you in. Okay. And so you got to be careful with that. And that's why it says, you know, consider thyself lest thou also be tempted. You know, there's no temptation taking you but such as is common to man. And so if your brother has that temptation, it's very possible that you could have the same temptation. So you need to try to restore him. You're stronger than him at the point. But don't let that suck you into that. Okay. So be careful. Be, be careful when you're, when you're trying to help the brother that is at a fault or someone that is falling down that they don't pull you down. You know, the old proverbial, you know, it's easier to pull someone down than it is to pull someone up. You know, that, that's definitely true when it comes to sin or even just the cares of this life. And so I know a lot of people that the cares of this life have gotten them out of church, gotten them out of soul wanting. And at the beginning it's not really, it's not simple stuff. It's just things that aren't that important but it takes you away from what you should be doing. So we go to 1 Corinthians chapter 10. So there's a lot of places this talks about as far as let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. You know, basically looking out for someone else beside yourself. Basically you're looking out for their own welfare before your own. Selflessness is basically what we're dealing with here. But 1 Corinthians 10, and we'll actually be going back to 1 Corinthians 10 eventually. But 1 Corinthians 10 verse 23, notice what it says here. Remember to it, we're trying to do this for their good to edification. Well verse 23 it says all things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient. All things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth. Now that's not saying that you're trying to seek their wealth and try to take their money. What it means is that you're trying to seek their wealth, meaning that they have wealth, that they have prosperity. You know, you're basically trying, don't seek your own wealth or your own well-being, so to speak, seek their well-being. Okay, so the selflessness as far as trying to help them out. You can think about this even in your life as far as being a husband, being a father. You know, you should be always trying to seek the well-being of your family over yourself. And that's the way I kind of look at it, that I'd rather them be well off than me suffering than the other way around. Okay, and so obviously I love the fact that we're all doing good and we're all healthy and we're all doing good, but if I have to suffer need for them to have what they need, then that's the way it needs to be. And the same thing goes with those in the church. You know, if I need to take in less or I need to suffer reproach so that you guys would have more prosperity, then so be it. But that's the mind of Christ. You've got to have the mind of Christ. Go to Philippians chapter 2, and that's what I want to show you, is that the mind of Christ in this aspect, we know because He's proved it to us, that He gave it all. He gave His own life for our well-being, for our salvation. And so we need to have that same mind that Christ had with the brethren. Remember, hereby perceive we the love of God that He laid down His life for us, and we have to lay down our lives for brethren. So just as much as He laid down our lives for every single person in this world, and especially for those that believed, remember He's the Savior of all men, but especially to those that believe, we need to have that same mind for the brethren. So, Philippians chapter 2 verse 1, it says, If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfill ye my joy that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord of one mind. Now notice what it says in verse 3, Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. So now we see the same thing that I was talking about before, Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth. Here it says, In lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Then it goes straight into, Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. So what does that say? That he didn't look on his own things, he looked on the things of others. When he came down to this earth, he came to the end, the whole reason that he was born was to save us from our sins, and to take the reproaches of us on him, to bear the iniquities of the world. He was a man of sorrows, well acquainted with grief. All this about Jesus Christ, we need to have that same mind in us for the brethren. We can think about this too for the lost, as far as we go out soul winning and we struggle through, we put through the toil to try to win people to Christ. Why? Because we need to love those that are lost and try to get them saved, just like Christ did. But notice as it keeps going here, it says, Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant. So Christ came, and this really explains to you, remember how he'd always say, don't tell anybody. He'd heal somebody and he'd say, don't tell anybody, just go to your house, and they'd all noise it abroad, right? So he wasn't trying to make himself of reputation. He said he made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, and being found in fashion as a man. So obviously he took on flesh. He was the word made flesh. He humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. So Christ humbled himself even unto death. And so, think about this, the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the Lord of glory that came down from heaven, and it says that he made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, and so we know that he gave him a lot in glory and all his riches. He was rich and became poor for our sakes, it says in 2 Corinthians. And so it says, wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, and of things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth, and that at every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. So after all that, then he was exalted. Remember, those that are humble, he exalts. Those that exalt themselves, he abases. So if you want to be exalted, and we talked about this with the judgment seat of Christ, with the thousand year reign, with reigning with Christ forever, if you want to be exalted in that time, then you need to be a servant now. Christ didn't come to be ministered unto, but to minister. And so he came to be a servant, and no one is going to beat Christ. So we can strive to be like Christ, but we'll never come close. So that's why in glory we'll be shining like the firmament, like the stars in heaven, but he's going to be the sun. So there's a big difference, but we're striving for that. We want to be as bright as we can be, and be exalted as much as we can be in eternal life, in everlasting life, once we die. That's something we're looking forward to. But in this life, we need to be a servant. We need to be humble. We need to esteem others better than ourselves, and help that weak brother, help that weak brother that is struggling. But be careful at the same time so that you don't get tempted with them. So just know that we're acceptable to that type of stuff. Christ was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin. We're not Christ in that aspect as far as we can definitely fall into that. Christ never did. But we need to be careful when we are helping a brother that is in worldliness, or sin, or something like that. Just remember that we can fall just like them. But in this passage here, it says that the reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. This is actually quoted from Psalm 69. So there's a lot of quotes in this chapter, and so I want to show you those quotes as we go through them. But Psalm 69 verse 9, and actually Psalm 69 itself, there's tons of prophecies about Jesus in this chapter. But in this one verse, there's two prophecies that are quoted in the New Testament in just one verse. So Psalm 69 and verse 9, it says, For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up, and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me. So if you remember, when did He say the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up? When He kicked everybody out into the temple. Remember He made a whip of small cords, if I'm saying that right, and He turned over the money changer's money, and He threw them all out, and then they remembered the scripture. It said the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up. So that's definitely talking about Jesus, and then obviously this portion right after that is talking about Jesus. You can go to Isaiah 53 and really see how He bore our sorrows and our iniquities and our infirmities. He was a man of sorrows well acquainted with grief, and He was stricken for it. And so Christ is the perfect example of someone that would take the infirmities of the weak, and He's strong, and obviously He was victorious over it, and so we need to be like Christ. We need to follow in His steps. And so it's always funny to me, too, how people always want to say, well, that's God, though. God did that, but that doesn't mean that you should do that. We should be like Christ in all manner of things. Everything that He did when He was walking down here, we should do. We should try to emulate Christ. So this whole aspect, well, God hates this person, but that's only God. That doesn't make sense that I shouldn't be like Christ in that aspect. And so Christ threw out the money changers. Why should you think that you could do that? And so what Christ did in the New Testament, especially what He did when He was on the earth, is something that we should be able to do because He was a humble servant. He was made a little lower than the angels, and He was made in the fashion of men. He made Himself of no reputation, and so what He did on this earth as a servant is exactly what we should be doing, exactly what we should be doing. And so it baffles me that people wouldn't balk at what I'm saying right here with how you're supposed to be selfless and help each other out, but when Christ does something extreme like rip on the Pharisees and call them vipers, this generation of vipers and foxes and hypocrites and blind guides, why did sepulchers, it's like they lose their minds when you start actually preaching like Jesus did. But He was a man well acquainted with grief. He bore our sorrows, and it says that let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. So what He preached is what I'm going to preach. The way He preached is how I'm going to preach. The way He gave the gospel is how I'm going to give the gospel, and that's how I'm going to follow Christ. And so you can't pick and choose what you want to be like Christ or how you want to be like Christ. And they have this little box where they put in this is who Christ is, and they take bits and pieces from the Bible of what they like, and they don't want to put it all in there. It's like they're trying to hide all, you know, that passage, you don't really want to, you don't want to be like Christ there. Now they don't say that because it would sound ridiculous. It would sound ridiculous to say you don't want to be like Christ. But isn't that what they're saying when you start ripping face on false teachers and on all these Pharisees that are out in the world today, and you start calling a spade what it is, and you start ripping on their sins, you start ripping on leaders, you start ripping on the president, you start ripping on anybody, and they start calling you a Pharisee. But that's exactly what Christ did. That's what John the Baptist did. That's what Christ did. That's what Jeremiah did. That's what Isaiah did. And so it's baffling to me that people try to point that back at us like we're against Christ or we're not being Christ-like. So we're supposed to be like Christ in all manners. Now let's not forget this, though, because we are supposed to be selfless and we're supposed to help our brethren and we're supposed to esteem others better than ourselves. You know, going out soul winning, helping people in the church that need help, all those things are important, but we can't just do just part of that. I'm for all of it. I want to do everything that Christ did. And so, you know, in all manners, let this mind be in you which is also in Christ Jesus. So chapter 16 is where we'll get into that, that aspect of the rebuking part of it. But let's not forget the loving part. You know, we can't throw out the fact that we are supposed to love people and we are supposed to hate certain people and we're supposed to rebuke people, but we're also supposed to love the brethren. We're supposed to love others that need to get saved. And so people go too far on each side of that pendulum. And so we need to be balanced. We need to be just what Christ was. Christ was balanced in this. He would rip face on the false teachers, but then he'd come back to his disciples, explain it to them meekly, lovingly. He'd give the gospel to the woman at the well who's ready to hear it. He'd give the gospel to Nicodemus who's ready to hear it. And so you've got to be balanced. And that's why people mess up and they hear me preach like a sermon. I'll rip face on something and they think that's how I'm going to talk to somebody out door to door. And it's just funny, it's funny because you know me and you know that's not what we're like, but people don't realize that there's a difference. There's a time and place for everything that we do. Sorry, I'm getting off on a tangent. That's not in my notes, but it's on my mind. So in verse four, it says, for whatsoever things were written before time were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one toward another according to Christ Jesus. So we were just talking about being like-minded, being a one accord of one mind. But notice it says according to Christ Jesus. So this whole idea of unity, just unity for sake of unity is garbage. Unity with this, with the mind of Christ. We have the mind of Christ, but it's the word of God. And so I'm all for unity if it's according to the Bible. But I'm not for unity just for the sake of unity. I'm not this ecumenical, let's all hold hands just to hold hands with all the other religions that are in the world. It's according to Christ Jesus. Follow me as I follow Christ. There's nothing wrong with following a leader as long as they're following Christ. But there's that caveat, you know, you don't just follow somebody to follow them. And you don't just have unity just for unity. But in verse four it says whatsoever things were written before time were written for our learning. So the whole Old Testament was written for our learning. It's not something to just throw out, you know, the Old Testament's, you know, done away. Now obviously the cardinal ordinances and those things are done away and the diverse washings. But all that scripture is profitable. And everything about diverse washings and the Sabbaths and all these unclean beasts, they're profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for instruction in righteousness. That a man of God may be perfect through the furnace unto all good works. And so it's all profitable and it's for our learning. Go to 1 Corinthians 10 and I know we were just there. We're going to start at the very beginning there. And you have these people that are like only New Testament Christians, you know, like the only New Testament. Then you got people that are like only the red letters. Only what Jesus said. Then you got the people that are like only what Paul said. It's like good night. Like why can't you just read the whole Bible? It all fits together. It's all congruent with each other. But you always have these people that are like, no, it's only what Jesus said. No, that's a different dispensation. No, it's only what Paul said. Well, that's a different dispensation. So it's only what the revelation says. So, you know, all this garbage of trying to cut up the Bible. That's not what rightly dividing the word of truth means, my friends. And that's, you know, these dispensationalists that are out there saying, you know, rightly divided the word of truth. Talk about someone that just takes scripture and turns it on its head. You know, rightly dividing the word of truth, you know, would understand the fact that salvation in the Old Testament, New Testament are separate entities. That's rightly dividing the word of truth, but they can't get it through their thick heads because maybe they're not saved themselves. And anybody that preaches another gospel, let him be accursed. And all these dispensationalist morons out there like Bill Grady, like this Andrew Sluder who says there's three different gospels, let him be accursed because he's too stupid to understand the Bible. He's either too dumb to understand the scriptures or he's not saved. He's a devil and he can't understand the scriptures. He's never learning, never able to come into the knowledge of the truth. And so, but they can't rightly divide the word of truth to understand that salvation is always by faith and that God had different covenants with how he dealt with people. And these people are always trying to find somebody like, oh, you're dispensational then. You know, they try to pin something on you like you're dispensational, by your definition. You know, so show me in the Bible where it even talks about dispensations in the way that they do. Dispensation just means that how you dispense something, like a Pez dispenser. So, 1 Corinthians 10, it says in verse 1, it says, Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant how that all our fathers were under the cloud and all passed through the sea, and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and did all eat the same spiritual meat, and did all drink the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ. There's Christ in the Old Testament, my friends. They all drank of it, that spiritual drink. And it's not talking about the actual water that came from the rock. They're talking about spiritually Christ, the living water, the everlasting living water. And so, in verse 5 there, it says, But with many of them God was not well pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Notice what it says in verse 6. Now, these things were our examples to the intent we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. So all this was written, and all this stuff is written down to be our examples. Keep reading there. It says, Neither be ye idolatrous as were some of them, as it is written that people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted. That's interesting how they tempt Christ if he wasn't there. So as they tempted Christ, and it says, and were destroyed of serpents, neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for in samples, and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come. All the Old Testament are examples. So this whole idea of, you know, that's Old Testament, we just got done going through Revelation with all the wrath of God that God's going to pour out that he hasn't done yet. So to tell me that the Old Testament's too rough and he's different now, it's hogwash. Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever, it says, I am the Lord, I change not. So this whole idea of God being different in the Old Testament than the New Testament is just garbage and all that stuff is written down in the Old Testament so that we know, hey, don't commit fornication because God killed twenty three thousand people in one day. You know, don't murmur against Christ because maybe he'll send, you know, the destroyer after you. Don't murmur, don't tempt Christ, or maybe he'll send serpents after you. So, all of this was written for our admonition. It's all for our warning. Go to 2 Peter chapter 2. 2 Peter chapter 2. And specifically, it says this twice in the New Testament about Sodom and Gomorrah. And it's interesting because that is one of the biggest things that's being pushed today and how our country is trying to push Sodomy. Listen, when this was written in the New Testament, this was two thousand years ago, right? This was written, that's what people will say, Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed thousands of years before that was written and it's saying to them, thousands of years after it was done, that this is an example and all this stuff was an example in admonitions when it was written in 1 Corinthians 10. It was thousands of years after it happened and it's saying to them this is an example in admonition to you now. But 2 Peter chapter 2 and verse 6, it says, in turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemn them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly. This was an example back to them in Jesus Day and it's an example to us today. Just as much time, it was probably passed from when they wrote it down from when it actually happened and from when they wrote it down to where we're at now. So it's just as much as is applied. Jude chapter 1, Jude verse 7, the same thing, these are parallel passages and Jude verse 7, it says, even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Sodom and Gomorrah was put to ashes and God rained fire down from heaven to destroy the wicked sins of sodomy and the pride and arrogance of all those wicked reprobates that were in Sodom and Gomorrah and it's set forth for an example and it's something, it's a warning to us and for us to not take heed of it would be foolish. And so the Old Testament is great and that's why we're going to be going through Genesis because guess what's in there? Genesis 19 and there's other passages in there, warnings, think of the flood and the two things that we're going to be looking for as far as end times prophecy goes, what? You have the flood in Noah's day, what was it like in Noah's day and what was it like in Lot's day? And those are two of the biggest examples as far as what it's going to be like and so there's nothing new under the sun and I think we should study those things to know, hey what are we looking for? And so it's interesting that the earth is starting to be filled with violence and it's starting to be like Sodom out there. Those are the two things that the Bible says it was going to be like in the end times and so, but go to verse 8, so back to Romans 15. So, and don't worry, I know this chapter is a little longer but at the end, I really, there's one point that I want to get across here, it's that, what we were just talking about as far as the Old Testament is for our admonition and esteeming ourselves, you know, esteeming others better than ourselves. But this next part is very interesting because in verse 8 here, notice what it says. It says, now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister for the circumcision, for the truth of God to confirm the promises made unto the fathers. Now this is a big point, especially for dispensationalists where they say, well Christ didn't come for the Gentiles. He only came for the Jews and the Gentiles were plan B. Now, what the Bible does teach is that his ministry was focused on the circumcision, focused on the Jews and I want to show that but notice what it says, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers. Okay, and so this was all to fulfill scripture. Remember, everything that he did was to fulfill scripture. The scripture, what did the scripture prophesy from the foundation of the world? That Satan was going to bruise his heel? That his own friend was going to lift up his heel against him? Like all these prophecies, this wasn't out of this, I mean out of nowhere, this was prophesied that Jesus was going to come unto his own, his own was going to receive him not. Go to John chapter 1 to see that. But the thing is, is that this whole plan B stuff, now this has been prophesied from the very beginning that salvation was going to be, that Christ was going to come, he's going to be denied by his own people and he's going to be going to the Gentiles, meaning that the ministry of the gospel is going to be given to all nations. And we're going to see that Gentiles, it just means nations. And so, the kingdom of God is taken away from the Jews and given to the nation, bring forth the fruits thereof. But in John 1 and verse 10 it says, he was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew him not. He came unto his own and his own received him not, but as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name, which were born not of blood nor the will of the flesh nor the will of man, but of God. So this whole idea of the Jews, you know, well I'm the seed of Abraham, that counts for nothing in the sight of God. Your genealogy means nothing in the sight of God. It's not by blood, it's not by the will of the flesh, it's not by the will of man, it's only by God and it's only by faith. And so, he came unto his own received him not, but notice there were people that did receive him. You know, his disciples did, minus Judas, and a lot of other people did. Thousands of other people. Think of Pentecost, those were all Jews, like Jews from all nations, but most of those were all Jews and they were supposed to go out into the whole world. But, notice that there are cases here where it talks about, like basically his ministry with his disciples in this three year period. Now think about this, it's not that long of a period that you're just a ministry in Jerusalem. It'd be kind of like here where I said, you know what, we're going to focus on West Virginia right here in this area and then we start expanding. Because you got to understand he had a localized ministry there for those three years and then it was to go throughout the whole world. And so, it's not that he didn't care about the Gentiles or that he didn't want them to be saved, but there is a story in Matthew, go to Matthew 10 first and then we're going to go to this story about this woman, the Syrophoenician, the Greek woman, and just understanding the fact that he was to come to his own first. Remember it says to the Jew first and also to the Gentile. The reason is to fulfill all scriptures, that all things would be fulfilled. That he came unto his own, he came unto the promises of the fathers. That he'd come unto the fathers, you know, for the fathers sake. But in Matthew chapter 10 verse 5 it says, these twelve Jesus sent forth, so he's sending the twelve out to preach the gospel. These twelve Jesus sent forth and commanded them saying, go not into the way of the Gentiles and into any city of the Samaritans, enter ye not, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. So this is something that at the beginning here, remember it was different because after when he was going to the cross he says, remember when I sent you without purse or script or anything like that? He's like, but now I say unto you, you know, take a coat, take shoes, if you don't have a sword, buy a sword. So when Christ died that ministry has changed to where it's not just a local ministry and basically what you've got to think that he wanted everybody in Jerusalem to hear it. His whole mission while he was walking the earth is that they would all hear that they would reject him, that he'd be rejected of his people, they'd kill him, and then basically the kingdom's taken away from them. It's like there's without excuse at that point. Their savior came to him, they rejected him, and then, you know, that's why the kingdom God was taken away from them. This was all prophesied, he knew it was going to happen. And so, but it had to be fulfilled. And so, that's why his whole ministry was to the lost sheep of Israel. It's not because he didn't want the other people to get saved, it's just that this is his focus at this point saying, hey, I'm going to preach the gospel to them, some are going to get saved, but by and large they're going to reject me, and then it's going to the Gentiles. And so, Matthew 15 is a good example of this of where his ministry wasn't to anybody but Israel, but he still saved people that weren't of Israel. Don't believe me, read John chapter 4, when he went to the Samaritan woman at the well and was giving her the gospel, she got saved, she got a whole bunch of people saved in her town, and they came out and then they got saved because not everybody believed what she said. And so, this whole idea that Jesus, you know, didn't care about anybody else, he almost got stoned or thrown off a cliff because he was talking about how Elijah and Elisha both went to people that weren't of Israel and helped them and no one else at the times of like famine and all that other stuff. So, he put that in their face. So, in Matthew 15 it says in verse 21, Then Jesus went thence and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Zidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came out of that same coast and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David. My daughter is grievously vexed with the devil. But he answered her not a word, and his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away, for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Sound familiar? That's what he told his disciples. Then came she and worshiped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not me to take the children's bread and to cast it to dogs. Now, when I read this, I'm always perplexed by this, okay. This was like a perplexing passage to me just as much as before I understood the reprobate doctrine, understanding the fact that when he said, you know, I've closed their eyes so that they wouldn't see. I speak to them in parables so that they won't see and that they won't get saved. That was perplexing to me. And it says, And she said, Truth, Lord, yet the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master's table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith, be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. So what he's making, he's making a point that he's going to the children first, meaning the children of the fathers of Abraham, right? So the children of Israel. And the Canaanites or the Samaritans or the Greeks, they're pretty much a heathen nation that worshiped idols. Even the Samaritan woman, remember, he said, You worship, but you know not what? Salvations of the Jews. Meaning that your country is worshiping something that's not right. And the only people that have salvation are those of the Jews. Not everybody, obviously, but there's still that remnant that believed. You know, you think of Simeon, you think of Anna, you think of Zacharias, you think of Mary. Like a lot of people did understand the gospel or were preaching the gospel to people. And so, but his ministry was to the house of Israel first and foremost. Did he heal her daughter? Yeah. And notice in Mark 7, you don't have to turn there, but the parallel passage in Mark 7, it says, But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled, for it is not me to take the children's bread and cast it unto the dogs. So, but you understand that Israel is, and a lot of times he uses dark sayings and stuff like that. Israel looked at the Gentiles like dogs, right? And that's something that they struggled with throughout Acts where that the gospel is going to the Gentiles. The Gentiles were part of the ministry and they didn't like that, you know. And so, but he's saying, Let the children first be filled to the Jews first and also to the Gentiles. Meaning that Christ came to the Jews first and they rejected him. Then he went to the Gentiles, meaning that the ministry of it. The gospel was always to all nations. And so, but it did switch when he, basically their focus, their ministry was not to be to Jerusalem anymore once he died on the cross. In Mark, or Matthew 28, go to Matthew 28, this is the Great Commission. But it helps you understand why, okay, why did he say to her, you know, I am only sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Does that mean that he only wants Israel to be saved? No, his ministry though, he was a minister, Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the promises made unto the fathers. That's why. That's why he sent his disciples just to Israel. That's why he was just going to Israel and by and large. Because that's what his ministry was for. And so, but after that, obviously, the ministry got spread out to all the world. So Matthew 28, in verse 18 it says, And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and earth. Go ye therefore and teach, what? All nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all the things which are commanded unto you, and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Now in Mark it says, you know, going into all the world and preaching the gospel to every creature. So we know that the ministry that he gave his disciples after he rose from the dead was what? To the whole world. So it switched from this ministry just to the Jews as far as, you know, that's their main push. But that doesn't mean that other people didn't get saved. It doesn't mean that people came up to him asking for salvation. Think of the centurion. Think of the woman at the well. Think of all these other people that he helped that were coming in from other countries. But remember, he was trying to be a man of no reputation, but he was coming unto his own, his own received and not. That was his ministry while he was here in the flesh, and it was to fulfill all prophecies and fulfill all scriptures that the promise of the Messiah would come to his people. He came to his people. They rejected them. Therefore, that ministry was taken away from that nation, plucked away from that and given to the Gentiles. And really it comes to the fact that it's to all nations. Anybody that believes are made up of that Spirit of Israel. So, but as we, as you go right past that where it says that he is unto the Gentiles to fulfill, it says to, sorry, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers in verse 9, it says, and that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. So it's not like this is plan B. This was his whole mission, that he first go to Israel, that he do his ministry there. It's only three years my friends. Three years that he did this, or so, somewhere around there, because he started at age 30, and if you just go through the timeline of how many Passovers there were since when he started his ministry into when, you know, he can figure it's around three years or something. And so, but basically, this was included, that it would go through the Gentiles and they might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, for this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles and sing unto thy name. And again, he saith, rejoice ye Gentiles with his people. And again, praise the Lord all ye Gentiles and laud him all ye people. And again, Isaiah saith, there shall be a root of Jesse and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles and him shall the Gentiles trust. So it's like, it's almost so repetitive it's just trying to grain it in. Again, again, again, again, again, he says this over and over again, that this has always been prophesied, that it's going to the Gentiles, to the Gentiles, Gentiles are going to trust in him, all this. This was the plan from the beginning. Yes, the new covenant was made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah, but remember he came unto his own and his own received him not. And so the new covenant encompasses everybody that would believe. But Isaiah, I want to show you where these, well, Isaiah, Isaiah 45, 22, and you don't have to turn all these. I know we're kind of getting, actually I don't know what time it is. So we're, we're adding time here. We're probably getting close to, I told you that we're not, we're not, the end of the chapter is more so of his salutation, so we're not going to spend too much time on this. This is really what I want to get into. But Isaiah 45, it says in verse 22, look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the earth, for I am God and there is none else. In Isaiah 52, in verse 10, it says, and the Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. Now go to Acts chapter 13, because this is kind of a quotation to some extent of that in Isaiah 52. And Isaiah 52 is right before Isaiah 53, which is talking about what? Jesus coming to save us. But in Acts 13, and I know I'm kind of going quick, but I know we're getting, we're getting down on time here. But Acts 13 verse 46, then Paul of Barnabas waxed bold and said, it was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you. Who's he talking to? The Jews. First spoken to you. But seeing you put it from you and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. So this isn't plan B. This is just something that God already knew was going to happen, and you can't blame God for being all knowing, and then he just fulfilled scripture. I mean all these things, you know, like Peter wanting to kill the people that were coming after Jesus and he says, this has to happen. This has to be fulfilled. This has to fulfill all prophecy that all this stuff will be fulfilled. And so God knew all this was going to happen and this was his plan, you know, and here's the thing. Yeah, I mean, obviously God made man upright and man sought out many inventions and technically, you know, if Israel would have done what they should have done, then they would have been a light to the world. They would have been preaching the gospels to the world. Jesus would have came to them. They would have received him, you know, and obviously you had to die for our sins somehow, but he would have used them to preach the gospels to the whole world and Israel would be the light to the world, okay? But obviously that didn't happen and so, you know, he made a new covenant. So it's not that God failed. They failed. Remember, they broke the covenant and he regarded it and not set the Lord. And so this whole idea, but salvation has always been the same. It's just the fact that salvation, the hub of where salvation was being, you know, promoted from was supposed to be Israel. They were failing at it, therefore God gave that ministry, the ministry of reconciliation, the ministry of the word to all those that are believers, whether Jew or Gentile. And so, but I want to show you these passages that are quoted. So in where it says, for this cause I will confess thee among the Gentiles and sing unto thy name. This is actually David in 2 Samuel 22, but also in Psalm 18. So you can look in, well go to 2 Samuel chapter 22 and then you'll, I mean, you'll know that it's David then, but Psalm 18 is just a parallel. Psalm 22, I mean, 2 Samuel 22 and Psalm 18 are parallel passages. And so sometimes you'll see that like in first, I think it's 1st Corinthians 17 and one of the Psalms is the same. And so, obviously David was the sweet psalmist of Israel, so I just wrote it down in 2 Samuel 22 and it's also in Psalm 18. But in 2 Samuel 22, 50, it says, Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name. He is the tower of salvation for his king, and showeth mercy to his anointed unto David and to his seed forevermore. So we see here that David is talking about this. David is talking about the Gentiles. David also talks about this in many places too where, you know, they, and I can't remember the reference, but it's talking about how people came unto him that were not his own people and all this stuff. So this is something that happened physically with them. If you think of all the people that were his mighty men, they weren't of Israel. Like a lot of those were like outcasts from other people and nations, but they were loyal to David. And so, you know, it's kind of an interesting thing with David, how David also is supposed to picture Christ, but he had like his mighty men ended up being people from outside of Israel, and so that's always interesting to me. But also another place, go to Deuteronomy 32, it says, Rejoice ye Gentiles with his people. So all the way back in the law, this is written. And this is something that in the Old Testament, I know we've already covered this, but in the Old Testament, if people wanted to be a part of Israel, they could. You know, if you wanted to serve God in the Old Testament as far as how you had to do sacrifice, keep the Sabbath, keep the Passover, you can do it. It's not like this was inclusive just of your birth right, okay? So it's definitely better now though, because we don't have to move to Israel, it's okay, we don't have to do all this stuff, but that's the way it was back then. But Deuteronomy 32 verse 43, it says, Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people, for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land and to his people. So he's saying to the nations he's going to avenge the blood of his servants. So this isn't just to the people of Israel, this is a promise to anybody that would be his people. And so, but also notice in both these two passages, remember it, instead of Gentiles, it says Gentiles throughout this in Romans, but in the Old Testament it says heathen or nations, and nations is one thing that it says most of the time, and heathen is just meaning something, you know the nation is a heathen nation, meaning that they practice idolatry, they believe in false gods, stuff like that, right? It's not a nation that's like of the true god. But just like Ruth, it was over the Moabites, she came and became an Israelite, and she, her, you know, the god of Israel became her god, and so that obviously can happen to anybody that wanted to be in any nation that wanted to follow him. But also it says, Praise the Lord all ye Gentiles, and laud him all ye people, Psalm 117, which is actually only two verses, so we're going to read the whole Psalm, so you don't have to really bear with me because it's only two verses, but that's where this is found. But Psalm 117, it says, O praise the Lord all ye nations, praise him all ye people, for his merciful kindness is great toward us, and the truth of the Lord endureth forever, praise ye the Lord. Notice the mercy and the kindness, this was all promised to any nations that would praise him, that would trust in him. And so all this stuff was promised even back then. This isn't something that, you know, back then everybody that wasn't of Israel was damned to hell. You know, that whole idea is just retarded. And then this last portion where it talks about the Gentiles, it says in Romans, it says, There shall be a root of Jesse, go to Isaiah 11, as I'm reading it, Isaiah 11, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, in him shall the Gentiles trust. We actually just went through this when we were talking about the thousand year reign in Isaiah 11, but this quotation is in that. And so, in verse 10 there, it says, And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people. To it shall the Gentiles seek, and his rest shall be glorious. In verse 12 there it says, And he shall set up an ensign for the nation. So, this chapter, obviously it's talking about Christ coming into his kingdom for a thousand years, but it's also showing that he's going to be, you know, the ruler of the Gentiles, all those that trust in him. And so, this has been prophesied that from the beginning, you know, and so this isn't something that's just hidden in the corner. And Paul's making that clear by stating this many passages. And this isn't the only ones, but those are four scriptures he just quoted off there from the Old Testament saying this is the Gentiles, the Gentiles, the Gentiles, the Gentiles. And so, he's making that point because who's he talking to? Gentiles. And so, that's why he starts going on and basically saying, hey, you know, I have trust in you and, you know, because you guys are Gentiles, but these promises are to you. Remember, every time that he would preach that in Acts, the Gentiles loved it. The Gentiles rejoiced over it. But who hated it? The Jews. Okay, the Jews hated it. Every time that he would say this or bring up one of these passages, they wanted to stone him. He wasn't fit to live. And so, but the Gentiles loved it. They were like, oh, you know, we're one of God's people. God loves us. God had a plan for us. And so, don't ever think that we're plan B. You know, God foresaw this and from the foundation of the world, it's been this way. From Abraham, in Abraham's seat, shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. It's always been that way. And nations, Gentiles, you could use the same thing. And Galatians 3 is very clear about that. So, this chapter is really great to just understand, okay, why did Jesus, you know, why was he only, he says, you know, I'm only sent to the lost sheep of Israel. Is it because, you know, that's the only people he wants to see saved? Obviously not. He was rebuking his disciples and apostles because they weren't going out into all the world, okay? But, what was his ministry, why he was here in the flesh, why he was here walking on the earth? It was to the circumcision, mostly, right? That was his big push because he was supposed to come unto them first and to fulfill that promise. And so, but after that, obviously, it was all the push was outside of Jerusalem. Basically, it was like nuts with Jerusalem after that, right? They're without excuse now, go to everybody else. And so, but, that's how they were without excuse because for three years straight, they had the Son of God himself in the flesh walking around preaching to them. So, at that point, you know, you don't even need to worry about them. So, but Paul's ministry, the one thing I just want to see, show you here in verse 20, it says, yay, so Romans 15 verse 20, yay, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation. But as it is written to whom he was not spoken of, they shall see and they that have not heard shall understand. That's an interesting passage and it's interesting too. I've heard preachers say this, you know, well, you shouldn't have a Baptist church, you know, right on top of each other. And I agree with that if they're doing the work, okay? I have no problem starting a Baptist church in this area with churches that aren't doing anything, okay? You can say that I'm preaching, you know, I'm building upon another man's foundation. Well, no one's doing anything. So, if there was like a soul winning sold out church that was here in Fairmont, then it would be stupid for me to start a church here. Does that make sense? Because there's plenty of other places that don't have anything. And so, but in this case, he's going to places that haven't even heard of Christ, you know, it's going to nations that are heathen nations and stuff like that, so obviously we need to try to do that. But most of the world knows of Christ now. You know, this is, you've got to understand, this is before the New Testament was propagated throughout the world and the gospel was published throughout the whole world and I believe it was in Paul's day and it talks about that. But you go to Isaiah 66, so I was trying to look up where this is quoted from and some verses are kind of tricky to find out where it's quoted from because it's not word for word and you try to figure out what it's quoted from, but I believe I found it. If you find a place that's actually closer to it, although this definitely fits this passage, but if you find another place that's like, no, this is actually probably more closely to what it is, then let me know. So, Isaiah 66 and verse 19. Verse 19, it says, And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, to Pol, to Lud, that thrall the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory, and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles. So if you understand, he's talking about basically a dispersion of Israel, like basically they're being thrown out of their country and he's going to use those people that are thrown out that escaped basically the sword to basically preach the gospel to these other nations. And isn't that what happened when Jerusalem was taken over by Babylon? They went into all nations and stuff like that. Isn't that what happened after Pentecost? They were scattered. You think of all the 12 tribes that are scattered abroad, and James talks about that, how they were all scattered throughout all nations because of the persecution that took place. And so that happened in Acts, but this also happened back in the Old Testament, too, where they were thrown out of the country, but there was always that remnant, you know, that remnant of believers. And to me it looks like this passage is basically saying that when he did come down on the nation, that he dispersed the believers out to be a light unto the world, and to the nations, to the Gentiles, and it says, and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles. And so it's talking about these, I will send those that escaped of them unto the nations. And so, interesting passage in the Old Testament about preaching the gospel or sending that light out to the nations, but there's plenty of places in the Old Testament of prophets that have preached to other nations. Jonah's, the whole book is him preaching to another nation, you know, so there's other, think of Hosea, Amos, how many, you know, Amos, it's like the first four chapters, it's just him like preaching down on all these different nations, you know. And so, at the end of the chapter here, we just see basically he's talking to them about how he wants to visit Rome. Verse 24, or verse 22, it says, for which cause also I have been much hindered from coming to you. Remember in chapter one he says he was led hitherto, and he's been wanting to come there, but he hadn't been able to. And he says in verse 24, whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to you. So basically he's saying, you know, when I go to Spain, I'm going to basically take a pit stop in Rome, and I'm going to come to you. But his journey right now is to come into Jerusalem because those of Macedonia and Achaia have basically made a contribution to the saints. If you look at 1 Corinthians 16 and 2 Corinthians when it's talking about how they were giving to the poor saints in Jerusalem, and so this ties in with that, how he was basically bringing that contribution back to Jerusalem. But he's also saying, you know, basically that they strive together in verse 30, it says, now I beseech you brethren for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me, that I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judea, and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints. So he's basically saying, you know, pray for me because people hate me in Jerusalem, right? Those that don't believe, the Jews, right? The Jews, and that's, isn't it ultimately when he came back to Jerusalem, he almost got torn apart by the Jews, and then that whole thing with basically once you get into Acts chapter 22, 21, 22, from that on is just his excursion of being, you know, in chains and dealing with the Jews, and the Romans are rescuing him from that. But we're almost done with Romans. The last chapter is more of a salutation, but there is information in there that's interesting. Even in the salutations there's a lot of interesting information, and so we'll see that next week with Romans 16. So Exciting Romans is a great book, so I've been loving to go through it, but Chapter 15, if there was one thing that I could think about, Chapter 15, it really does explain, you know, Christ's ministry to the circumcision when he was here, when he walked on the earth to begin with, and just explaining that. It's not like he didn't care about the Gentiles, but that's what his mission was, was to come to his own, his own didn't receive him, they cast him out of the vineyard, right, they killed him, that's what his mission was. And obviously he wanted everybody to be saved, he's not willing to go to any parish, but his ministry, his local, his main mission was that. Just as much as our church, what's our main push here? West Virginia. Now, am I against going out to other countries and preaching the gospel? No, but that's not our main push here. Our main push is locally. And so, I'm sure the church in Jerusalem was the same way, but Christ, when he was here in his ministry, that's what his main focus was. And so, anyway, it's an interesting chapter and let's end with a word of prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for this evening and thank you for your word, and Lord we just pray that you be with us as we go home, give us safe travels, and pray that you would be with anybody that's not feeling well. Think of Kendall, think of the Blackwells and just other families that may be dealing with sicknesses, and Lord we just pray that you be with them and heal them, and Lord we just love you and pray all this in Jesus Christ's name, Amen.