Lesson 2b
Romans 1:1-18 · Courtney Hemenway · Feb 4, 2018
Romans (2018-21), No. 04
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://www.hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/4926198314398

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

So we are in lesson one of the Romans class. And we got through question four. And I had a couple things. One, I think JD asked Mike last week about the de-faith. Is it verse eight? Yeah. First, I thank my God, through Jesus Christ, for you all, because of your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world. If you look in the Greek, there is the definite article, the, or in Greek it's he, H-E-E, the he. So it references the faith. J.D. was bringing up. What does that mean? I was just curious. I didn't get to look into it as much as you guys did, but it raised the question. Interesting, because the New American doesn't have it in that. But I think, after looking at it a little bit, remember what we went through on faith?

The four different aspects of it? Personal faith, the faith, faith as a principle, and faith its essence. So those are the different ones, but then we broke it down into the faith. Do you remember what the faith could represent? It can be several different things. It can be the essence of faith, the totality of God's revelation to man, a portion of the essence of faith like just the gospel, or it can be personal faith, resting in the essence of faith. So, what do you think this verse is? When it says, first I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world. What do you think of those three different ones? The essence or a portion of the gospel or personal faith. Which one do you think this is? Or what would you think it is? Personal? Any other? Anybody going to be brave enough to say another one?

Well, I originally raised the curiosity around it, because in the Greek it says... I didn't look at all the possessive nouns and so forth, so I wasn't sure, but I think it says, I give thanks to God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because the faith you being proclaimed in the whole, so it reads a little, I mean it reads in Greek, it's pretty transliterated.

And I thought, I wondered if he was giving thanks for the fact that the gospel that they had believed in, and so it wasn't so much their faith, but it was the faith that was being proclaimed, which is obviously the case, but Upon further inspection, it became clear to me that he is giving thanks to Christ for all of you because the faith of you is being proclaimed. That wasn't clear to me. Yes, I went with personal faith because of that. Because it's basically saying your faith. So it was directed at them and what they were doing. Now that may include their faith in the gospel and everything else, but I think here he's bringing up the personal faith of the Roman Church.

So even though it says the faith, and we kind of make that a distinction, I think in this case it's referring to the personal faith of them. So I brought this up at the very last, which I thought was maybe unfair, and maybe crazy, and you want to hit me, but Paul is praising them for their faith, their personal faith. As I was coming in last week, I told you, and it came to me, what would Paul say about Holly Hills? What would Paul say about us? What would you say about Courtney and his faith? I don't even want to get started with you. Think about that. It really hit me hard. He's proclaiming the church in Rome for their personal faith. He says it's all through the world.

Then in Romans 15 he commends them again. But the important thing is, after putting that Debbie Downer on you, what do you think about what will Paul do? But what's he praising him for? And that's the key. Is he praising him for the great works that they've done? That they're doing missionary work? Is he praising them for the great numbers that they have there? What's he praising him for?

What? Their faith. Their faith. That's what he praises. Now, I've gone through just a whole bunch of things about faith, but he's praising their faith. It's not about, you guys are doing it, you know, you went out and you went to Laodicea or you went to and you're great and you're doing this or doing that. It wasn't about works or anything else. He's praising them for their faith.

So what does that mean? He's praising them for what? What they are trusting in. That's the key. When I said last week, if Paul looked at Holly Hills, is it because of our great teaching, our ministry through the tape, or we support X ministries? Is that what he prays this for? It's for our personal faith. Again, that really hits home to me. Actually, I've got a few of them.

This is my fine notebook of all the fine things at some point with faith at the end of the faith class. How is our faith in the Word? There are several things, like what we're going to be coming up on. Romans 6 14 for sin shall not be master over for you are not under law but under grace Do you believe that I? mean There let's see I just went through a bunch of them in first Corinthians 6 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you whom you have from God? Do you believe that I've just been picking out some of these. Let's see. I've got bunches and bunches of them. Philippians 4, 6, and 7. And this is the one.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Do you do that? In everything? But the second part Does it say He's going to answer everything in the way you want? No. And the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. So, I love that one. Everything. Bring everything, even the stupid things to Him.

And He will guard your heart. He will make it known to you. It's not that he's going to give yes to every answer or every prayer that you have, but you bring everything to him and he will guard your heart. He will make known to you, maybe that was a stupid request, or he'll answer it in a way that you couldn't even comprehend.

But the last one, which I think, if we are faithless, and this is 2 Timothy 2.13, if we are faithless, he remains faithful for he cannot deny himself. So even if we are faithless, He's faithful. But there are just myriad of things that if we have faith in, it's all there in the scripture.

I go on this when people pass away. Boris, I always think, That's a wonderful thing. That's awesome. But what is that? That is really, I think that's a test of our faith. Do we believe? Do we, in the deepest recesses of our heart, believe she's in a better place? It's testing our faith, I think, when somebody passes. They're in his presence. They could care less about us right now. But I think he uses that to test our faith.

Do we truly believe that? So, again, the whole faith issue that came up and the praise of the Roman Church, I think, look at ourselves. We have the full complement of the word, and there are so many truths in there, but do we believe them? I don't think we can believe all of them at one time.

I think that's the spiritual growth and the processing. But He'll walk us through all these truths in His time and He's bringing all of us to different positions about what we... He may be working on one thing in our life to believe and trust in His Word when there's 5,000 different ones. Yeah. So what you're saying is that if I... Here it comes. If I see a truth in the Word and I see it because the Spirit of God shows it to me and if I believe it, now I own it? No, he's going to be working on you from ad infinitum.

But I think what the truth has realized is where all those things, the peace that surpasses all understanding and all those different things, is we rely upon those. I think that's where we get all these other truths, like rest. and all those, if we believe. And that's what he'll bring to us. And what is the fruit of the Spirit? All those things. And I think as we, as the Spirit works on you in faith, you realize that truth. That's what you receive.

The reason I'm challenging you a little bit is because you you're scolding us for not being believers. And that's what I didn't want to come across as, and that's why I was thinking about it after last week. It's not scolding us, and that's why the last part of what I just said, slap him, is that he may be working on one thing, and that's why I ended with that. I don't think anybody has it all. And I think he may be working on one aspect of you, and it may be just now, and he may work on you for your entire life. Or you think you got it licked, you don't. I think that, well, I don't know a better word to say it.

I think the pattern is that God creates a need in the believer, and then he shows him something. And the believer may objectively Or I really am trying hard to believe it. No, it's not you trying. Or I believe it because God said it, but it doesn't initially or immediately change the circumstances under which the trial is there. Everything you said is what I said. Remember in the hungry heart that I said? That you try to work for it?

You don't. It's not working for it. It's knowing Him and looking at Him and the Holy Spirit. So it's not us trying to be or working for it. I think the Lord is using all those things for us to grow. And that's the whole point. It just came across when Paul was praising the Roman church. I just thought about that. Would he praise me for my faith? And I just started wondering about that. How much do I believe? And I think I have 15 pages of things that are just truths about us in the scripture.

I know I don't believe all of those things deep in my heart, but he may be working on me on one thing. And again, the sovereignty is what I, he causes all things to work together, I think to accomplish his purposes, which is what? To conform us. And that is believing in him and who he is. So, again, I think all those things are involved.

I tried to lay it out. And I'm not scolding you. I'm looking in the mirror. And it just hit me that when he's praising him, what about me today? I have the full revelation of God's word. And how much do I trust him? How much do I have in my personal faith in all these truths that he has? And I think He's working on us all the time to have us trust in Him and His Word.

And it's not by work. That was exactly why I read that. It's not by trying to be a better Christian. It is not by working to be. I, which is the first thing that's wrong, I am trying. So it's the Holy Spirit, letting the Holy Spirit work in you. So, not scolding you.

Alright, moving on to question 5 in Romans lesson 1. Explain what Paul means by serving in spirit. So we look at verse 9. For God whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of his Son. So, let me ask first of all, are we just body and soul? I'm hearing body, soul, and spirit. So when he says he's serving in spirit, so we are body, soul, and spirit.

In scripture we'll see that, but one of the things, I just want to relay a personal one on, this was by a secular group. I was at a consulting firm, a large consulting firm, and they had the Greenwood Village Police come in. and talking to us about all the latchkey kids and all the trouble that they had in Greenwood Village.

Now, Greenwood Village is very wealthy and the kids had everything. They had all the money that they could have, you know, this, but a lot of them latchkey. They'd come home and, you know, the parents were leaving money or whatever and this and that. And this is the secular Greenwood Village police. And afterwards he said, you know, they have everything. They have, you know, they have cars, they have all the money, they have everything.

But, and this is a secular cop, there's just a hole in them. There is something missing. It's not for physical or for anything, but there's a hole in them. And she said, it's something that's missing from them. And I'm like, I'll tell you what it is, but it was interesting that they knew that they had everything that the world could offer, but they were missing something, the spiritual side of life. So again, just that a secular cop could see that there is body, soul, and spirit. And so I was like, wow, that they could even see that. And it is scriptural.

1 Thessalonians 5.23 May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely. May your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. So again, scripture clearly identifies that there are three parts to us. Body, soul and spirit.

Also in Hebrews 4.12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit." We know we have a body, so dividing between soul and spirit. So, constant witness of scripture is that man exists as a spirit living in a body, possessed of a soul. Paul's service to God was in his spirit, and therefore in the Holy Spirit. And he never, he doesn't serve from the soul. He's serving from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. So he is serving by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

So again, it just shows that there are three aspects to every individual. Yeah. I think it also has to do with the fact that the former believers are kind of dead. The new creation within us and the Holy Spirit kind of as a theme with the spirit doing the work. Yeah, the spirit works with our spirit and that's how we have the relationship we have as a new creature in Christ. And that's, you know, but it is interesting though that, you know, body, soul, and spirit, you know, I think we've talked sometime, and this is still one of those ones, I don't know if I've ever gotten a really good answer. When we step into eternity, What steps into eternity? Our spirit. But what about our soul or who we are?

It has to. But then I think, what a rotten scoundrel I am. How does that... Oh, it is. I won't have it. But it's like, you know, and this is maybe a really bad confession. What is left of me, my soul, if this sin nature is gone? You know, I function a lot in the sin nature and wanting and this and that and who I am and how I was developed. When that goes over, if all that is gone, that is totally sinful.

What's left of me, actually? I hate to confess that, but how am I changed? Because my brain goes in spiritual thoughts of the Lord, but it also wanders in Never Never Land. When I step into eternity with my soul, that part of me is gone. What's left? I hate to say that I probably have more Or the memory of all the bad things, or life, and that. It's just one of those unanswerable questions, I think. I want to point out too, Newell made a very interesting comment about this verse.

He said, Paul did not depend on music, architecture, oratory, or rhetoric. He did not hold inspirational meetings to arouse the emotions, to mystic resolves. He served God directly in his spirit. It was the truth of the Holy Spirit he ministered and the results were that which is of the Spirit. The Spirit of his hearers were born again and the Spirit witnessed to their spirit that they were the born ones of God. I really like that because we have in contemporary Christianity put solely enthusiasm in the place of things that are spiritual. I think it's a problem.

So do I. That was the next thing that I was going to read. That is it. Paul didn't rely upon really nice power points and a band behind him and a whole bunch of supporting cast that were doing posters before or billboards, come and see Paul doing all this stuff. It wasn't out of soulish things.

He served in the spirit. So, as Mike was saying, what do we do today? I mean, you go to a lot of these megachurches and it's all about the performance. You know, it's all about bringing people in because of the music or the kids program or, you know, whatever. Paul didn't have any of that. He served in the Spirit. And yet, he impacted Christianity for millennia.

Question, are those things wrong? No. I think it's the intent or purpose behind it. And you know, what is it in the Corinthians, where it says even people who wanted to profit from scripture and all that, still used it. So, isn't that 1 Corinthians? I think.

But it's where even people who want to profit from talking about the Lord, Paul says, He uses all that. And again, if you think sovereignly, God may use those methods to bring people in, even though it was on an emotional level. So I always, that's mine, I always err on that God is in control of all, even if the intent may have been to just get numbers, God used it to get people in. Even if their intent was not solely focused on the Lord.

So, I think he uses all things, all things. So, but that, you know, basically is what he's saying, you know, Paul is saying, here, I served in the spirit. I didn't use all these methods or anything. I was, you know, I served in the spirit. That's who I serve. So, all right. Okay.

In response to what JD asked, I would say there's nothing wrong with it, but I think that there's a difference. between spiritual activity and soulish activity, and I think it's a matter of priorities. If we, in any sense, say, well I can be soulish because there's nothing wrong with it, I think we've missed it. Well, I think, and that's why I say the intent and the people who are doing it, they're wrong, but God uses it all.

So, how would you describe serving God in spirit? What does that look like? I think it's focused on Him, solely focused on Him. You know, once it's on me or the ministry or anything else, it's not in the Spirit, I think. Because the Spirit, it only focuses on Him. So if anything is outside of that, of not drawing people to Him, then I think it's, serving in the Spirit is just bringing people to Christ. I was kind of just thinking about it. We've all probably been involved in different kinds of ministries.

I remember growing up in the college church that we met in and we had just an amazing band. And it was a big draw. We would actually go down to Galveston for mission trips and set up on the beach down there and play music and attract crowds and share the gospel. That's actually where I fell in love with S.R. Sharon. Her face with these guys and they were like not having it. They were drunk.

But she was just trusting the Lord with it. And that's maybe an example of my mind serving in the Spirit. I think that when you get together and you're putting a band together and you've got great talent and you're serving the Lord with that, that's one thing. It's when that talent or that soulish exercise becomes the point of attracting people and not the Spirit of God and our ministry in that Spirit, we can we can miss a key, we can screw up on the song, and the Lord is not necessarily working specifically in that song, but working in the Spirit, and where our trust lies in what God is doing through us in whatever way we're expressing it, whether it be music, whether it be a really well-designed PowerPoint, I happen to be a designer, and I'm like, put a PowerPoint up, I want it to look right. And I agree completely with both of you guys. I just had that thought that we can do things well, but when we rely on those things as opposed to the Spirit of God doing the work through us, that's where our focus is off. And we lose the joy that comes from serving in the Spirit. And I think that's really the intent and focus are the two things. If the intent is to draw it to me, it's wrong. If that's the intent, it's completely wrong. God may still use it. I mean, He had the band and He drew everybody. And again, what Scripture says is He will use all those things, and for His purposes.

But I think the real important ministries, which Paul is talking about here, is focused solely on Christ. And I think Mike said too, when you open up a book and all these different methods and modes and whatever, you can see within two or three pages whether it's all about the person writing the book or they're pointing to Christ. You can find out pretty quick where they stand. And so again, I think the intent and focus are kind of the keys.

I go back, but he uses all of it. Why does he allow us to sin? Because he allows us to sin. I think it's to refocus us. You know, when we go on ourselves, we then suffer the consequences or the lack of fellowship or whatever. You know, what about, you know, I hear even at camp I get this, you know, Satan is going to attack us. Satan is going to attack. Let's pray against Satan, you know. Is Satan a free agent? Can he do whatever he bloody well pleases? No. So I've had to kind of tell him that, that, you know, well, if Satan, and he's not omnipresent and all that, if it's a really weird day, if Satan's the one, you know, attacking you, did God allow it?

For his purposes. And all things together for his purposes. And the thing is, is that if you don't know positional truth and what we learn in this church, you can be hyped up to the max on Sunday and Sunday night or whatever. But if you don't know the basics, he chooses I might really save the rest of the week. It's not all that way. I think you're saved, but you're maybe miserable for 90 years. Because you don't understand just how free we are. Right. I mean, you don't know the truths.

And that's where the focus on the, you know, are conforming to Christ. Well, that's all these truths that are in there telling us about who we are in Christ. That's why, again, this is such an important book. This lays the foundation for all of that. For all of our growth is based on this foundational work that we're going to see, especially when we get into Romans 6. And so everything is based on that.

Even the stuff we read about in Christ. How did I get there? What do you mean I'm in Christ? Well, all these things become focused when we get into Romans. So again, very much this is foundational material. And then as you grow, as you know those things, you realize it's not emotion. It's not feelings. It's that. It's knowing Him. One other quick comment about Christian service.

When I came to this class to start teaching with you guys, I had a lot of plans. I knew how to put that PowerPoint together as I was talking about it a minute ago. that having those plans was an important part of being a teacher. One of the things the Lord taught me, rather quickly, through both of you guys, and through the participation of teaching at Holly Hills, is that the Spirit has a direction, and a timing, and a purpose with every single engagement.

And that's no different than us sitting in a restaurant, having a conversation, and being led by the Spirit. It's the same way with class, even with the best written plans and thoughts. The Lord's going to cause us to render to people's needs at certain times, and being led of the Spirit in that way sometimes means that your plans don't go the way you want them to, and you end up where the Spirit wants you. And I think that's an important part of not only being a teacher, but also being a friend, you know, siblings and parents and so forth, is that we want our children to do certain things in a certain way all the time, but the Spirit has different plans for us and I think that service And being willing to recognize the Spirit's guidance in those ways is something that we all have an opportunity to learn more about, given the nature of this question and what we see in Romans there. That's why we really don't have a set schedule. We have to be done by today, Lesson 1 or Lesson 5 or whatever.

And it's based on everybody's needs and what the Lord is leading. And I am constantly amazed at how many times when we discuss something here, it comes up in the next service. You know, and it's like, wow, that was by accident. But, you know, it's the Lord moving, you know, and working. And that happens on You know, not one time, it's happened on countless times where we discuss something and immediately that verse or something adds right to exactly what we're saying. I tried to get to you. I've been trying. This is what I've been trying to do, but it's not me doing it. It's when the Spirit has not led me to you personally yet. Yeah, we'll get into some of those questions here. Okay, verse 6. In verse 11, what does spiritual gift mean? So in Romans 1, 11. For I long to see you, just expressed, that I may impart some spiritual gift to you that you may be established.

So is Paul talking about the same spiritual gifts as what's explained in 1 Corinthians 12? Those spiritual gifts? Yes, no? It's just singular, so it wouldn't be a certain one, maybe a spiritual gift to establish. So one of the gifts, a gift of whatever, faith, service, all the ones called out, you think that's what he's talking about? That he's going to impart gifts to them?

But, you know, by the tone and the way I'm asking the question, that is not right. See, unfortunately you give away these things, which is, I try not to give away the answer, but as soon as somebody gives an answer, it's like, is there something else? Everybody goes into panic mode.

Maybe a better understanding? not just the Old Testament and the truth, but understand what the gospel message is and how it applies. I think that's more in the vein of what this is, not that he's going to impart the gift of healing or the gift of whatever.

Spirit as a gift I don't think refers to the gifts in 1 Corinthians 12, but such operation of the Holy Spirit when Paul with his message should come among them as we would enlarge and settle them in their faith. So it's basically kind of that. It's the gift of basically encouragement and having them grow in the faith. That's the gift. In the words, some spiritual gift, we see not only the apostles' modesty, but acknowledge that the Romans were already in the faith. Again, remember, they're praising them and there's no real issues brought out in Romans. So he's praising them for their faith and this is that they would be enlarged in their faith, enlarged in what they're doing. And I think that's the spiritual gift he is talking about here, not that he's going to give them the gift of whatever tongues.

I think when you consider the Apostle Paul had information that no other apostle had, like identification, whether the Romans knew it or not, or the position of Christ in heaven, or the body of Christ in formation. I think those are gifts in and of themselves. I think that's what it's talking about.

So you can come and expand their understanding about who they are in Christ. Right, enlarge them in what they already have been growing in. Now I'm going to increase your knowledge, everything about that, and just support them. I think it's more kind of the, I'm going to come beside you. So, not really gifts that we see in 1 Corinthians 12. So, why did Paul want to go to Rome? Question 7. Why did he want to? Basically what Mike just said. The burden of Paul's heart, therefore, is to make known to them this heavenly secret.

They were not connected with the earthly, the Jewish calling, but they were in the risen heavenly Christ, that having died to the first Adam with his responsibility, they were in the second man, the last Adam, by divine creation, and were therefore heavenly. The heavenly truth is not fully developed in Romans, yet it was according to it that they were established.

So again, it's basically, he wanted to go to reinforces and supports them in what they are already growing in. So again, it's more, he wanted to impart the spiritual gift of support, come beside, reveal all that Paul knew. Because again, what we said in the very first on the summary of what do we know about the church or anything about who we are in Christ without Paul's epistles. So Paul is the one who brings this to the Roman Church, all these truths.

So that's why he wanted to do it. So now, interesting, what prevented him from going? in verses 1 through 9 through 13. For God whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of his Son is my witness as to know how unceasingly I make mention of you, always in my prayers making requests. If perhaps now at last, by the will of God, I may succeed in coming to you, for I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you that you may be established. That is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other's faith, both yours and mine. I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often plan to come to you, and have been prevented so far, so that I may obtain some fruit among you, even as among the rest of the Gentiles." So what prevented him from coming at this time? Do these verses say what prevented him? The Holy Spirit wanted him to write Romans. Yeah, he wanted to put it in a letter before he actually... Yeah, because we'd actually get a recording of it rather if he just goes and speaks with them. It's like, ugh, we don't have that. So, I don't... It's not as...

In 1 Thessalonians 2.18, it says, this is again, For we wanted to come to you, I Paul, more than once, and yet Satan hindered us.

So he actually says in that time that Satan was the one hindering him, keeping him from it. I don't think that's the case here in Romans. He doesn't really say that Satan hindered him. It's just, it kind of was everything else going on and I didn't make it, you know, but I really, really want to be there. And also the fact, I think, and I think Newell puts us in. Sometimes Satan hindered it, but here evidently super abundant labors is directed of God in other parts.

Only those carrying God's message of grace fully know these great hindrances, the crying need of donors, their doors already open, the desperate opposition of the devil at the entrance to every door. Basically, remember this was a good church, foundationally it was growing, it was You know, in Romans 15 and in 1, he's praising Him and all the good things, and you don't see major issues with the Roman church. So I think it's basically they already had a lot going on. Meanwhile, Paul is spreading the gospel to all these other cities and regions and places.

So I think part of that was that others were being, he was being drawn away to all these other more kind of needy areas. He wanted to come because he'd heard so many good things, but there were all these other areas that he was being called and drawn to by the Holy Spirit. So I think that's really what hindered him. There isn't a specific reason why so I think I also had If you look at Romans 15, 18 through 26, it kind of touches on it again.

For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit, so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as... I have fully preached the gospel of Christ, and thus I aspire to preach the gospel not where Christ was already named, So again, the focus was in areas where Christ had not already been named. So again, this reinforces the fact that Rome was a very well-established church, no issues. He was being called where Christ was not already named.

So that I would build, so I'd not build on another man's foundation, but it is written, they who had no news of him shall see, and they who have not heard shall understand. For this reason, I have often been prevented from coming to you. So again, I think this is, there are other areas that were drawing him that the spirit was leading him to rather than going to the Roman church which was very well established.

So, quickly, question nine. What's the difference between Greek, a barbarian, wise and foolish? Anybody know what all those things are? Okay. Greeks spoke Greek and they had a Greek culture. Barbarians didn't know Greek or have a type of culture. And I can't read that. Wise and foolish is more personal, not meaning merely educated or uneducated, but all degrees of intelligence. Since Paul is a debtor to all, he's enumerating all. So this is basically covering everybody.

Wouldn't the barbarians, because they kind of went bah, bah, bah, or their speech, isn't that it? Somewhere I heard that too. They called them barbarians because they were like bah, bah, bah. That's in the very deep recesses of my brain. Somewhere I thought I heard that. But they were uncultured, they were wild, they were savages, they were barbarians. Somewhere, that was probably something Vern told me. somewhere.

But anyway, so basically there's all the differences, you know, but basically covering all the Greeks who were very well cultured, knowledgeable and all that. And then you have the barbarians and wise and foolish. So basically covering all of them. So this is an interesting one, real quick.

Seat numbers 11, 1150? I think I'm at 910. I hope I'm not too fast. I'll pick it up next week. Okay. Yeah, because I don't, I mean, Okay, we'll start on, well, if you want, like I said, a 9 in 10, or 9 basically, it's enumerating everybody, from the wise, foolish, covering everybody.

And then the interesting part is, I'll read Numbers 11 through 15. And is there a difference between Paul's attitude and Moses? This is actually what's kind of fascinating when you look at this. The attitude between Moses and Paul. So in Numbers 11 through 15.

So Moses said to the Lord, Why have you been so hard on your servant? And why have I not found favor in your sight, that you have laid the burden of all this people on me? Was it I who conceived all this people? Was it I who brought them forth that you should say to me, Carry them in your bosom as a nurse carries a nursing infant to the land which you swore to their fathers? Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me, saying, Give us meat that we may eat. I alone am not able to carry all this people, because it is too burdensome for me So if you are going to deal thus with me, please kill me at once, if I have found favor in your sight, and do not let me see my wretchedness. Have a great day. We'll contrast that to Paul had just a slightly different viewpoint on dealing with these people. Anyway, let's close.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for this time, again, just to open up your Word, and again, we just constantly rely upon your Word and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We do thank you that faith is based on you, that you are faithful. And even when we are faithless, you are faithful. And we just realize there are so many truths in your word. And again, as we by faith realize these, we do have the joy, peace, patience, all those things promised through the joy or the fruit of the Spirit.

And so we just rest in your word, rest in you and keep our focus on your son, the Lord Jesus. And again, that we may know him. And again, just what that means to each and every one of us to be conformed to the image of your son. And we just, we thank you again for this time, but we also pray for Vern in the next meeting, just to accurately bring forth the word and prepare our hearts to receive it. We thank you for all these things in Jesus name. Amen.