Faith Finish Lesson 7 Start Lesson 8
Mike Doyle · Apr 12, 2015
Faith, No. 14
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://www.hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/492650352473

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

Notice the last question is, has your definition of faith changed since we began this class? And before you get to answer, just a quick review, and JD had it up here. What's God's eternal purpose? It's right there. All you have to do is read it. To declare His glory. And how does He do that? In the creation? What else? His purpose is to reveal his glory. And what's the number one way that he's revealing his glory today?

Through us. This is all happening to you and you don't even know it. Through faith. Through us. Through us. I thought we had nothing to do with it. With the essence of faith, but we're just talking about glory. There's an engineering test on Monday? Friday. So he's declaring his glory through believers.

Now, we have been studying through that process these four aspects of biblical faith and we have spent the primary time on what the essence of faith is. And Wanda's right, it has nothing to do with you and your personal faith. Although we have hit on personal faith over the last couple of weeks, a little bit. We will spend a couple of classes on personal faith. You've talked about what, when you see in the word the faith, what the the, the the means, and we've talked about that. A little bit about personal faith, we have not talked about the principle of faith, that comes down towards the end. The next step is what Kortney is going to start to cover is all of this.

God's essence, his ways, his thoughts, his wisdom, his knowledge and his mind have to do with Hebrews 11.1. Faith is the substance or the proof or the reality of things hoped for and it's the absolute evidence, proof evidence, of the things not seen. So the things is what he's going to work on. So with that in mind, has your definition of faith changed since you began the class? Because I had no idea that the essence of faith had nothing to do with me, that it's just a rock solid truth. Which is really important to know.

It is. Anybody else? You mean it hasn't changed? We all agree. Oh, well, let's take care of it. You're up. Nobody else has anything. Well, I think breaking everything out like hell on the board there. Just, you know, just a diagram. When we started out, we died. He was 11. I guess in a way it made it a lot more complex to me, but I didn't really look at it in that way. It had nothing to do with me. Anybody else?

The idea that struck me in studying and getting ready for this class was the fact that, and I kind of already knew this, but in God's Word, He lays out facts. He says certain things and because we probably were pretty ignorant about these aspects of faith we always try to couch him or put him in the envelope of personal faith rather than looking at what God is telling us and just taking him at his word. On the Wednesday night group we've been studying Romans 5 verse 1 and 2 There are eight things in there, in those two verses, that God has already done that we just sort of read over it and skip over it and it doesn't make sense. But we don't realize that in those two verses there are eight blessings that are already ours. And if you stop and pull them out, you can say, well, maybe my experience, one of them is that I have access. to God. And I was kidding, Wayne and David, when they went to Sodom and Gomorrah last week, they did not have access to the Oval Office. Couldn't get in there.

But you and I have access to the grace of God, face to face with the God of the universe, any time, all the time. Just that little aspect of faith should take the top of your head off. And he's the one saying, come on in, please, come in. Yeah, and we just jump right over stuff like that.

You know, we don't think, oh, my experience doesn't verify what the Word of God is saying, so either I'm not mature enough or the Word is not telling me the truth. The essence of faith, these things of God, these pronouncements that God just lays out for us, what do you do with them? You rest in them. And that's really what personal faith is, you rest in what God has told you is true. But I think you're right, without understanding what the essence of faith is and how it functions, then that equation doesn't make sense to us. There are times that you just take God at His word. You have no experience to back it up.

We spent a lot of time talking about Abraham. Abraham looks at his body, a hundred years old, in Sarah's womb. At 90, there's no shot that they're going to have an offspring. Guess what? Hoping against hope, here comes Isaac. And he was basing his faith on a promise. We get the privilege of basing our faith on something that's already a fact. Which is really cool. So, OK.

Yeah, I just you know, a long time ago, a pastor said to me, I was talking to him, he said, if we If we had any idea how much God really loved us, it would radically change our lives. And I think that these kind of things, to start to learn those, and who we are, there's a book I read one time that said, and I think it's probably a known saying, it's not what you do that determines who you are, it's who you are that determines what you do. And by us learning who we are, And this big part of it, it's a small part of it, but there's so much more. Actually, you know what I mean by the word appropriation? Anybody not know what that word means?

I do. She's the only honest person in the room. Appropriation is a word that means, how do I gain access to whatever is, you know, I want to appropriate money out of your account. How am I going to do that? Well, I've got to get the account number, which would give me access. How do you appropriate the things of God, these blessings, like you're talking about?

This is how you do it. You believe. That's the key to opening the door. And you can take God at His word, even though you have no experience or emotion about it, just take him at his word and he, his spirit, will bring you into the fullness of what you believe. But you appropriated what God has already done to you and for you just by believing.

Could you also use the word apply? I like appropriation better because it means that faith is a non-meritorious act and so by faith I open up the door for the blessings to flow into me. I'm not applying, I'm not learning the rules of application. I'm learning how to let God bless me in my everyday walk. But you're also, it's sort of like ownership. That's exactly what it is. It becomes yours as opposed to whoever else. It's always been yours.

You know, if I had an $80 million lottery ticket in my drawer at home, I got a ticket in my drawer, big deal. You know, you can't eat from the tickets. You've got to appropriate what it represents, you know. Just a reminder, my wife got an email this week from the people that bought our house. our mail sometimes, and she had this picture of a check that came for us that ended up in the recycle bin. And I just keep thinking of what it had to have been like for her to be going through this recycle stuff and open that.

And like, oh my God. I think of that. But that's kind of, I think, the realization of what we, to really begin to understand or to really understand what we have. I was looking at Romans 5 there. Sure. A few things in like Ephesians. Same way. The things that we have in it. Sure. It baffles my mind regularly.

And it's amazing how, a guy told me one time that in the epistles of Paul, God owns all the verbs. Which means that most of the pronouncements are in aristotelic perfect tense. Which means that they're all facts. They're not something that's going to be, because we think we're the center of the universe, and if it doesn't experientially happen to me, then it isn't true.

It's nonsense. It's true whether you've had the experience or not. And the way you appropriate it is just by resting in the truth, resting in what he tells us. Okay, you don't get to talk anymore. Courtney's coming. Hey, wait a minute. I want to answer that question too, with this class.

Actually, it started in the Colossians class. realize, and as I've looked at more and more when we started this class, how much, one, we jump to personal faith. That's first and foremost. So this helped kind of set up what faith is, which helps realize everything of faith is of God, and it's true, rock solid. That helps us when we get to the personal faith, for me, to understand when I believe something, I'm believing something that's real. It's from God.

And so, understanding, we've gone painfully through a lot of the essence, but it helps for the bedrock part of when we get to the personal faith, which is, I think, where everybody is chomping at the bit to get to, because that, we're the center of the universe, that we want to get to the personal.

So, it is a little bit tougher to get through this, but, you know, the more I read, and I think I told you, I kind of write my morning routine as, before anything, I get up, and this is not a formula, this is just me. I get up, I read The Hungry Heart, and then I read a chapter, you know, I started John and go through to Revelation. And I just, I take a chapter a day and read it. The more I read, every day I read, the more I see what faith, faith comes in almost daily when I'm reading.

There's something about faith. And again, I think I told you at the beginning of this study, I did a quick gist in my PC study Bible, ended up just doing how many counts of faith. And it was 200 and some odd references to faith. Grace was 100 and some odd. So faith is very important. So I just, you know, getting the foundation of what faith is, so that's important for us.

And understanding, again, just certainty. The other, you know, which not everybody, but I just realized, again, the intimacy with Christ and just the intimacy with Him gives you the trust of all these things He's told us. And, you know, one of the things going to Israel was one of those things was just, it was where He walked, where He was, and the impact that has, not that you all have to go there, but it was, you know, just that the reality of that, that He was there standing teaching. And I have a hard time reading now, you know, personal things from Christ just because of the intimacy that this is real. This is, you know, not again that you have to go there, but it was, it's real. It is real. And that's what we talk about in the essence of faith. It is real. It is God. It is certain.

And the intimacy that we have with it, we'll get to some of the benefits, which somewhat, you know, in Mike's questions, in question eight, I think get a little bit into the personal side, but the benefits of faith. And so we'll get into that maybe. I'm in Alaska next weekend, so he will have to fill in on this one. But let's go ahead. We're in lesson eight of the faith class for those on the tape. And these are the things of God. And question one.

Why don't we interpret Hebrews 11.1 that my faith is the substance of things that we hope for or evidence of things we can't see. We've gone to great pains about the essence.

So let's just, the verse Hebrews 11.1 says, Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. So we basically said that's the definition or the essence of what faith is.

So, does that involve us or our personal faith? Hopefully you know from now. The answer is... No. Right. So, by breaking down its basic components, we saw that the substance meant faith is based on reality. The reality of things hoped for, or that things are a certainty. We also saw who was the originator of the faith and who was that? God. Do we have a verse that says that? I'm sure we do. We have looked at it.

Hebrews 12.2. fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." So he is the author and perfecter of faith, so in faith the essence is the reality, the certainty of things of God. So, last lesson we looked at how God conveys this faith. So, we looked at Romans 10, 17.

So, faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of Christ. So, does anything so far involve us in Hebrews 11, 1? No. Nothing. Everything we've looked at, everything we see about the definition, the essence, any of this about faith doesn't involve us. So when we say, in verse 11-1, can we say my faith is the substance of things that I hope for and evidence of things that I can't see? Is there any way you can translate that to that way? No, but do we always do that? What's that?

That's what we do. We all do that. I do that. But now that we're breaking it down, it means nothing about us. But we always logically, in our own minds, without looking at all the scripture and the basis of this, we always do. It's mine. Or it's things that I can't see. It's things that I can't see in front of me. We always do that, we always put it in the personal, but that's why we've taken a lot of time to break it down to see that this is based on the reality of God and the things of God, not the things about us. And that's what we're going to break it down into today, about what do the things mean. Logically, if we're thinking about things of us, it would be things about us, those things that we see out there, the personal part of it. But we've looked, nothing relates to us. Question 2.

What do the things in Hebrews 11.1 mean? I think it's facts concerning God. Facts concerning God?

Okay. Those are the things that I haven't thought of. Yeah. Essence, ways, thoughts, wisdom, knowledge, mind. What else? What other things are referenced in the scripture, in the word? Things. Things of God, what he created. Yeah. Things of the law. We talk about things about law. What about things about the flesh? Things about the spirit? We talk about all those different things.

Yes. Seems like while I'm going past things, Don't go past things. Things hope for and when you talk about hope it seems like it always refers to hope of Christ coming again and so the things hope for are all the things of Christ and what he did and what he's going to do. Or did in our eyes. That's what I was going to say, where's the focus on that? Right, but I mean God knows and it's already happened and we're stuck in the whole time feature, so we don't appreciate that it's already been done, but that's where our hope is. Well, try to get on the distinction of here, the things of God. What I want to try to show is there's lots of things that are referenced in the scripture.

I've said flesh and spirit, one of the ones, Galatians 5, 16 and 17. But I say, walk in the spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. For these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. So again, things of the spirit, things of the flesh, things of law.

What are some other things that are mentioned? Can you think of? I guess when I think of things, I think of things that God has done in our lives. Okay. You know, all the way through, you know, the gospel, the things that he is doing. Again, personal things? Personal things, yeah, but I mean just, and the things that are going to happen, the things that he's going to do. There are some things that are present and things that are to come. I guess, because I think, you know, what he's done, what he is doing, and what he's going to do. Yeah. whether it's an answer to a prayer, whether it's, you know, you can take it personal or it can go either way.

Yeah, I'm just trying to get at the different things. Yeah. Like Colossians 3, when we're told to set our minds on things above. Yes, which I'll get to actually. Things above. And it's a little different than what we see here. A little nuance there. That to me is a little bit specific, but I use that also.

In the Colossians class, that was in the end of 2 and beginning of 3, Colossians 3.1, about the things above where Christ is seated. So, other things like things that are seen, things that are unseen, things that are temporal, things that are eternal, things that pertain to life and things that pertain to death.

There are lots of things that are brought out in the Scripture. from Hebrews 11.1, we see faith is the substance of things.

So let's break it down again. What do we say that substance means in this verse? Reality, certainty. Okay, now break it down further. So if it's reality, it's certain. Is there anything of us that is certain? Other than death taxes, no. Is there anything from us, from our side that's certain?

Things. Relating back to the personal part. Basically showing that nothing of this verse deals with us again. The things don't deal with all these other things or are personal. Because when it says it's certain or real, that doesn't mean anything of us. We are as fickle as they come. as uncertain as they come. So the point is none of this can be related to us as far as the things.

We're kind of going through revelations a little bit, or not a little bit, but I guess that when you think of the coming of the second coming, those are things that's the thing that we hope for the ultimate. and that being a thing of God. That just dawned on me as kind of a pretty solid example of something that we have faith in, something that we believe in, something that we hope for, and it is a thing of God in the millennial kingdom, the new heavens and the new earth. Yeah, again, what I would always, you know, wish we could translate it differently instead of hope for, because ours, you know, the current definition of hope is, gee, I hope it happens.

And it's not. That's why we go painfully into these about what hope means. It's a certainty. It's a reality. It will happen. Because that's always kind of confused me, you know, when I see hope, it's like, well, That doesn't sound real sure for me. No. And that's why, again, going back to the verse and why this is important is, if it was based on us, would we, that is hope for, I don't know, but if it's of God, It's certain. It's real. Like Nick is hoping he's going to pass his test. I certainly will, but that means nothing. My certainty means nothing.

This is again just pointing to the certainty of the things of God. We're going to get into the things of God, but why this points to it can't be things that I hope for, things that I can't see. It just points back to the fact that it has to be the things of God. Something that's certain, that's real. Anything of us is not certain or real. I was wondering how Jesus and Doubting Thomas had their discussion. And Jesus said to them, you've seen and you believe less of those who haven't seen and yet believe. I think that fits in your system. Yeah, I mean, Again, faith.

He didn't have the faith to believe what had transpired. But none of them did. When you look at them, all of them didn't believe what had happened. They all went home. It's like check-out time. We're out of here. And then the other ten, I guess, at that point had seen. And they believed. Thomas is from Missouri. He needed to see. It's the show me state. So he had to have it.

But again, the certainty of things. I'll go to the question. Who or what is certain or who is true? I already gave you the answer. Hebrews 12.2. Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. concluding that the things are not ours and the things are certain and true, the things which are certain can only be things of God.

So we are setting up to where in Hebrews 11.1 the things of God can only be things of God because of the structure of how this is, the certainty of the reality. The other one I pulled up, because thinking back to the Colossians, is Colossians 1 and 2. Therefore, if you've been raised up, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.

Again, is that things about us? The unseen things, the things that we're dealing with down here? That would include Ephesians 1, 3. every spiritual blessing and magnanimous in Christ Jesus? Yeah, those are things of God. But the point being, it's not about us. It's all that has to do with God and what He has already promised and done.

As Mike said, the era stands perfect tense. These are facts. Some of the things are future, but We have so many things, the 33 things that Lewis Barry Chafer says happens at the cross when we believe, and I think there's another list of 200 and some odd things that are true about us the moment we believe. The moment we believe, that's true, that's fact.

That's the thing that we don't hope for, we know are true about us. So again, just pointing back to the reality of this, the things of God have to be things in 11.1 have to be things of God. It can't be about us. Again, going back to what the essence is, it's not about us. Faith is about what is true of God.

You know, some other verses I looked up too, which are, and maybe it's kind of what, you know, I went back on some of the things, when we, things above in Colossians, is that just, are we looking at the mansions and the furniture and the streets of gold and all that, or what are we looking at? When in Colossians it says, set your mind on things above. Are we looking at, wow, This is a cool place. What are we looking at? Go ahead and read. Well it says that for in hope we have been saved. In hope? In hope we have been saved. The hope that is seen is not hope or who hopes for what he already sees.

Right, and again, Somewhat of that, you know, again, the certainty of, you know, we have to believe, we have to believe based on the word of God. And almost from what, you know, Thomas, he said, blessed are those who believe without seeing. And that correlates to, I think, that verse. For us, the things hoped for, again, it goes back to the reality too, I think. of the things hoped for? Is that an uncertainty? Does that say, I'm hoping for it?

Again, it's the substance of the reality. And it's based on him too. You know, salvation is by what? Grace through faith. It drops back to that same thing. And those were, you know, same thing in the verses there. I don't know the verse, but I know there is one that it says, think on things that are lovely and noble and have something good in them.

Is that Timothy? I think it is. I think it's Timothy, yeah. I have, like I looked, I cheated back here under things, and it said PHI. Is that Philippians? Yeah. Let me see here real quick. Yeah, Philippians 4.8. Is anybody waiting for me to find them? We are. What's Philemon? See, while you're looking for that, again the Colossians thing about the things above, it's not the furniture, it's not the It's the same thing here, but it's the things of where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. So what are we looking at? Christ. What is all this? Exactly the same thing.

So the things of God is everything about Christ, the essence, which are all these different attributes or aspects of the essence. Could you take that in a contrast as, I mean, set your mind on things above, but to be as a contrast to that things of the world, flesh, versus the things of God, the essence of God, I mean, walking in the spirit instead of in the flesh, all of that. That's why I brought the Colossians up, because again, the essence of the things of God. What do we, in Colossians it says, set your mind on things above.

Does that mean anything down here? No. You're focusing on Christ. Because it says, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. So that's why this fits with the essence. It still goes to everything certain about the things of God. So the faith is all based on the things of God, which are all these, and they're all summed up in Christ. Who, in the Colossians verse, we're to focus on.

Not the things here, okay? I found it. It says, finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, If there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things. So all those things that exclude anything that's here. Exactly. I was just going to say, can you name anything here that meets that criteria?

But yeah, Courtney, we have a friend who took that to mean classical music, the mountains, you know what I mean? That's crazy. I was thinking, you know, Nick and I, as he, last week, Nick's punching me as we're going, he's saying, and God's creation, and the witness of God's creation, he's saying that after running my scuba diving stories down my throat, we're saying about how I see God's hand in creation. It's wonderful. And so when you see, when you're scuba diving and you see these fish or the coral, and you realize he didn't have to make it that way. He could have made everything you know, gray and white and bland. All the fish look the same. He didn't. When you look in the stars and you see all that's His creation, He's holding it together. Going back to the Colossians, in Him all things hold together.

You know, when you see that, again going to the Romans 1, all that is great and good, but does that say anything about Christ? No. So my answer is, that's all fine and good. It shows what Romans 1 is saying, that no one is without excuse about knowing that there is a God. But it doesn't say anything about Christ. So you can say about how wonderful and all these things are, but you still need the fact, the knowledge of Christ. But all those things that you referenced are, what are the things of God?

Because nothing on this earth meets those. I mean, we can say it, but it's a fallen world. You know, even though I see a great reef, I know that it will be destroyed at some point. Well, I don't want to get in there. I'm not good at recycling and this and that, and I'm destroying the earth.

I think that very next verse tags on what you're saying. It says, The things which you have learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. What's he referencing? I think he's referencing the manifestation of the resurrected life of Christ through him. And he's saying to the Philippians, you've seen it. You've seen Christ functioning through me. Those are the things that are true and noble and etc. He is not personal.

Yeah, going back on the Colossians one, what was the basis for setting our mind on things above? What was the preceding verses about that? We have died. And what? We now have union with Christ. If we have that union, where is our focus to be? On Christ. Where is he seated? In the heavenlies. At the right hand of God. So again, these things, you know, it all fits together. Go ahead.

I was just thinking of Paul when he had his, you know, conversion. And I know, Mike, you said the first thing that comes out of his mouth is, what do I do now? I kind of interpret that as like, what now? I was Christian killer. I was scum of the earth. What now?

And it's kind of like, well now your new creation thinks on things of God. You know what I mean? It's like a new way of thinking. Think on things above. Don't think of your crummy stuff that you've been thinking about before. Yeah, I'm not going to get to it unfortunately, but some of the benefits. And that's why I was so excited about this class, too, about when we get through and we get through the basis of this, what are the benefits of faith? And I had that sheet, which I can't get to today, but I went through in Colossians class, and the benefits get into what we're going to talk to you later about. What are those benefits?

Joy, peace, all those different things. because we're focused on things above. The things of the earth, quoting him, grow strangely dim in the light of Christ. And that's where our focus is. Our focus on him, are we going to be concerned about the things here?

No. And that's where I just, you know, I'm chomping at the bit to the personal side, but the benefits are incredible. If we have this basis of faith that it's real, what he says is true, it's real, then all these benefits come. So we'll touch on that. Mike has one question on there about the benefits that we'll get down to, but it's, you know, I can't explain how, as you understand those truths and realize they're true.

And the reality is because it's from God. It's not anything about me. then you get these benefits. Joy, peace, rest, all these different things. So, jumping ahead. Question 3. What is the source of truth? And the verse is John 14, 6. Anybody got that or read it? Okay, John 14, 6.

Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him. So, the source of truth. I threw in also John 1, 17. Is that right? Yeah. For the law was given through Moses. Grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. and Ephesians 4, 20 and 21. But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard him and have been taught in him, just as truth is in Jesus.

So, what is the source? Is the I am in that verse a reference to God himself? I think it is because of the Trinity. But this is specific, I am, Christ speaking. I am the truth. But I am does say that he is God. He is God. But then again, when he timed to John 17, truth were realized through Jesus Christ. So the truth is in Christ. Truth is in God too, but Christ speaking, I am the truth.

So the source is... And the Holy Spirit, because I just happened to come across this. Even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot see, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him, but you know him, for he dwelleth in you and shall be in you. But where does the Holy Spirit get everything?

From the Father and the Son. He can only say what the Father and the Son. I think of corroborating verses of 1 Corinthians 2, starting at 9 and probably going through 12. Yeah, we'll get down to that later. Eye hasn't seen, or heard, or even entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love him. But God has revealed them to us through this Holy Spirit, through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God. Yeah, and we'll get down to that later on those verses.

So, is there any other source of truth? No. Is there a corollary to this? First Californians, oh sorry, first New Yorkers I guess now. Is there any corollary that says another source of truth? No. No. So, one, does that give you peace, rest and comfort knowing that there's no other truth but what comes from Christ and his word? Okay? So there's no other way to get out of this.

Excellent, Wanda. That's where the comfort and the peace, the joy, the rest, when you finally realize that, that's where the joy and peace and comfort comes from. Nothing that anybody offers you here gives you the comfort of knowing what the reality of Christ is in our lives. And that's a wonderful place to be. The world can throw all this garbage at you, but it still comes down to the truth is in Christ. And as our focus is on Him, it doesn't matter what the things are going around. Because the reality is all these truths that He's told us.

I mean, that's the joy, the peace, the rest, all those things we're going to get into. So, why do we always seem to go everywhere but to what Christ told us in His Word? You know, things are falling apart and I go to Fred. Fred knows everything. I go to Fred because Fred, Fred's rock solid. You're a mentor. Fred's a made up person.

You know, anybody, and it kind of goes in accord with last week, which, you know, we're a living testimony, you know, and all that, that we were saying we're ambassadors and all that. But as I challenged last week, never put your hope, your faith in an individual. Never. We can be an epistle, we can be an ambassador, but the focus should be always on Christ, not us. And the tendency for us to do is, wow, that's a really good guy. Fred's great. He'll never fail me. Guess what happens on Monday next week? Fred fails you.

That's a great question. It's got to be our sin nature. Anything that we put our faith in, other than Christ God, is doomed to failure. We have certainty in the things of God. Certainty. Reality. Nothing of the human side is real or certain. So why do we always jump to everything but what is revealed in Scripture? We always seem to go, you know, the trials happen and I just got to go figure it out.

Well, he's answered. He's sovereignly in control. He loves you with an eternal love. So whatever's going on in your life, he's still in control. And he's doing it for his purposes. Does that give you peace and rest in the waves of all the trials? That no matter what's going on, he's in control and he loves you. Do you believe that? Do you have faith in that?

That's the personal side. But again, the things of God, real, certain. But it does help to have a friend to comfort you. That's why we're a body. Feet, hands, everybody's to come. That's why I come here. Right. And that's why the body is here, to edify and to help and to support. Right. But what the danger is, is putting your trust in that person. That person should come to you, support you, build you up and point you, not to me, but to Christ. Absolutely. Absolutely. That's what we are to do. That's a body concept. If you whack your thumb, the rest of your body comes and helps you take care of that. We as a body are supposed to do that. But the focus is still on Christ. So again, that's why I say, when we do this, don't put your face in that person. That person is great in being used as a vessel, as an instrument of Christ, but the focus It's not on that person. It's on Christ.

And a person could be used as like being judgmental or being kind of condemning or whatever else, you know. So, yeah. I always look in these things, and I know I'll stop, but the thing is, the thing is, you know, it's like when Mike says, he says the wrong thing to the right people at the wrong time or whatever it is, you know, and I always go back to the point that he's thinking I screwed up because I blew it. I should have said this. Well, guess what? you know, the finger pointing.

He thought this way, three fingers are pointing back at him. God wasn't working on him that day. We always try to make it about us, about what we're doing for that person. Well, God may be working on you that day. So, anyway, we need to stop. I guess my fault. I'll take it next week. Alright, Heavenly Father, we thank you for just this time. We thank you For any time we can just, one, fellowship together, and two, study the word.

We just do thank you that we are a body in Christ, Christ being the head of the body, and we just thank you for the structure that you have put together for us. And we just thank you for these things of God, and that is focusing on the Lord Jesus Christ and all that is true of Christ, all the truths that are about Christ in the scripture and all these things that are not uncertainty but certain. They're real and many of these are facts that are already true of us that we just have to appropriate.

We thank you again just for the Holy Spirit working in us, convicting us and convincing us of these truths. So we just, again, thank you for your word and the indwelling Holy Spirit. And we just, again, thank you for any time we can study your word. And we just pray for Vern in the next meeting. Again, just bring forth the word accurately and just prepare our hearts to receive it. Now we thank you for all these things in Jesus name. Amen.