Grace Bible Church
Pastor Teacher
Robert R. McLaughlin
Sunday
February 2, 2020
Principles to live by for if we going to serve our Lord.
We noted HOW our Lord began to reveal to His disciples some deeper truths or advanced doctrines concerning what the Bible has to say about these two important doctrines; Pruning and Divine Discipline.
We begin with some of the warnings that all believers need to learn and to live for if we are ever going to serve our Lord Jesus Christ along with the other Two Members of the Trinity, Father and Spirit.
We have been searching and studying the difference between Pruning and Divine Discipline.
Unity is what gives us the spiritual power and the invisible assets needed to please our Lord and to execute the spiritual life that the Lord graciously bestowed upon us.
When we dwell together in unity, it is at that place of unity where the Lord commands happinesses (plural) and blessings forever.
We are gathering together not for fellowship but to hear the Word of God and to encourage one another as we go through certain problems and certain situations; Heb 10:22-26.
If we live before the Lord, we need to live before Him with a sincere heart that filled with the assurance or the confidence of faith or pistis, which refers to doctrine.
This is the sincerity of the truth being manifested as Joshua taught those who desired to know the truth in spite of what it says even when its negative.
Here sincerity is being tested with the Word.
JOS 24:14 “Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth;
1PE 1:22 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart,
HEB 10:25 — we are commanded not to forsake our own assembling together = This is a result of the unity that exists because of those who truly worship and honor our Lord.
This entire passage is really dealing with the Jews who kept on going back in the Temple to sacrifice an animal for their sins.
Why did they go back in the temple to sacrifice animals and offerings for the sins of the people?
The reason why is that the Jews, especially those who were living in Jerusalem, went back to animal sacrifices because of one word – UNBELIEF.
They lacked PVTD, they lived in the lie that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ apparently was not enough.
What do you think gives you the right to act like the Keystone Cops of the church of the Carnal Corinthians?
What do you think gives you the right to repeat the sins of others to other weak carnal silly women like yourself, whether you are male or female because it doesn’t really matter?
Even though, just like many believers to this day, they say one thing with their tongue and another with their legs.
The big question is what does God do about sins?
God does not do a thing because he already did more than enough for us including the sins of the silly feminine cowards and the flaky fluffy females.
HEB 8:12 “For I will be merciful to their iniquities, And I will remember their sins no more.”
HEB 10:17 “And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
Sometimes we need pruning and sometimes we need discipline, but no matter what the need it is from a God, the God, the only true God, loves us and treats us as a father treats His sons or children.
They are anti-grace.
They are anti-doctrine.
They love judging others!
They love murmuring and complaining;
They reject spiritual authority.
They have no idea about the basic doctrines of the Christian faith.
They claim to know God but reject His commands.
They don’t respect the Lord’s Supper.
They willfully sin as they reject the spiritual authority that pastors have to teach everyone the word of God.
They don’t give to a church or to a ministry and therefore sin against God who commands them to do so; 1Co 16:2.
They don’t have true doctrinal fellowship which is based upon doctrine also known as the Word of God which is alive and powerful; Heb 4:12.
As far as their spiritual gift is concerned, they could care less about it as well as those who the gift was for which is for me and you as well as other believers.
They don’t even realize how arrogance and bitterness is destroying their spiritual life; Isa 44:20.
The gift is from the grace of God but as we noted this past week the gift is useless without preparation or training.
- Isa 44:20 = “They feed on ashes or on those elements that have no substance and therefore, no energy, either in the natural realm or in the spiritual realm.
- There is also the Cosmic System of Religion, Legalism, or antinomianism along with self-deception that contributes to us having a deceived heart.
- Even though problems and sufferings may be found out, that still doesn’t solve how we are to rebound and recover.
Not only does this carnal believer have a deceived heart, he also is said that he cannot deliver himself, nor say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”
This individual not only has allowed himself or his OSN to take control over the situation, but he still has to deal with the problems of how to deliver self from any condemnation.
Not only does a deceived heart turn him aside but he cannot deliver himself, nor say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”
These types of individuals, both females and males, can still get a real picture of what the apostle Paul called them in 2Ti 3:7.
Cosmic Christianity is their specialty, not doctrine, which is why they are so easily deceived.
He told us about the present state of affairs that would exist in the last days; 2TI 3:1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.
The fact that people would not want to hear sound doctrine, instead they accumulate for themselves teachers that they desire.
You should understand that one third of the Bible talks about prophecy, the Second Coming of Christ and the rise of the anti-Christ and the Millennial reign.
The average person can’t believe the Bible, but they sure believe what the media is telling them, the newspapers, the T.V. etc.
PSA 101:2 I will give heed to the blameless way. When wilt Thou come to me? I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart.
PSA 101:3 I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not fasten its grip on me.
People might call us wackos because we talk about the end times and such things as the Mark of the Beast and the Second Coming of Christ.
2PE 3:3 Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming?
- Pruning is necessary for the proper redistribution of the energy that we all need for the production of agathos (good works) Divine Production in the natural realm along with the spiritual.
- Spiritual pruning enhances spiritual growth by removing whatever inhibits spiritual growth.
- There are times when pruning is very beneficial to us even though being pruned may hurt us and the some of the ones we love.
- Spiritual Pruning is not discipline for believers but, it is a reward not a penalty, a gift not a payment, a result of blessings earned not by cheating or stealing but by kneeling and healing.
- Pruning is aimed to provide more space, to cut out older wood, and allow the development of new vigorous roots and shoots from the base of the plant.
- Pruning is not a punishment for sin, but it is a reward from God who is the vinedresser who prunes the life of everyone who abides in Christ; Heb 12:27-29.
- God envisions us becoming part of His Royal Family especially when He prunes us and He has that vision in mind.
- God’s Word is the perfect tool for pruning us.
- God’s Word is sharp so that it can remove the unwanted “branches” in our lives without harming us.
- God’s Spirit guides us “into all truth,” helping us to study what we need; Joh 16:12-14.
- Pruning also helps us to see what God is working out in our lives; Phi 1:6; 2:13.
- The Holy Spirit encourages us and directs us we are pruned in our spiritual lives, for we must “seek those things which are above; Col 3:1).
- God is the vinedresser who prunes the life of everyone who abides in Christ and bears the fruit of Christ.