Bible Study 3-3-26

The following ((music playing)) presentation is a First Baptist Church of Glennard International production. ((music playing)) ((music playing)) Hey, hey, hey. ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) >> ((music playing)) ((music playing)) >> Heat. Heat. N. ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) >> ((music playing)) ((music playing)) >> Hey, ((music playing)) hey, hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. ((music playing)) ((music playing)) Heat. Heat. N. ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) >> ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) >> Heat. Hey, Heat. >> ((music playing)) ((music playing)) >> Heat. Heat. N. >> ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) >> Hey, ((music playing)) hey, hey. ((music playing)) >> ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) >> Heat. Hey, Heat. party.

((music playing)) Party. Heat. Heat. N. ((music playing)) Heat. Heat. ((music playing)) Heat. Heat. ((music playing)) Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. ((music playing)) Heat. Heat. N. >> ((music playing)) ((music playing)) >> Hey, hey, hey. >> ((music playing)) >> Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. N. ((music playing)) >> ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) >> Heat. Heat. ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) >> ((music playing)) >> Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. ((music playing)) >> ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) >> Heat. Heat. N. ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) >> ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) >> Hallelujah. Lord, we're just going to declare that you're worthy of all of the glory, all of the honor, and all of the praise.

Come on, wherever you are, just begin to offer ((music playing)) up a praise to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Come on, everybody, ((music playing)) clap your hands. ((music playing)) Clap [singing] your hands. Yeah. Here we go. Say, Lord, ((music playing)) you're worthy. >> Lord, you're worthy. >> And we give you >> and we give you the praise. >> Lord, you're ((music playing)) worthy. >> Lord, you're worthy. >> And we give you >> We give you the praise. >> Always make ((music playing)) it way. >> Always make it way. >> And we give you >> And we give you the praise.

((music playing)) >> Lord, you're worthy. >> Worthy. >> And we give you ((music playing)) >> And we give you, >> Lord, you're faithful. >> Lord, you're faithful. ((music playing)) And we give you >> We give you the praise. >> Lord, you're faithful. >> Lord, you're faithful. >> And we give ((music playing)) you >> And we give you the praise. >> Always make it. >> Always make it ((music playing)) way. >> And we give you >> We give you the praise. >> Lord, you're thankful.

((music playing)) >> And we give you >> And we >> Everybody clap your hands. Here we go. Say, Lord, you are. >> Lord, you ((music playing)) are. >> Hallelujah. Let's take it up right here. Oh, Lord, you're ((music playing)) holy. >> Lord, you're holy. >> And we give you >> We give you the praise. >> You're so holy, Jesus. >> Holy.

((music playing)) >> And we give you >> We give you the praise. >> You're always making a way. And we give you ((music playing)) >> We give you praise. >> Lord, you're so holy. >> Lord, you're holy. >> And we give you praise. ((music playing)) Everybody clap your hands. Come on. Say, "Lord, you are >> Lord, you are >> Yeah.

Come on. Let's do ((music playing)) it again. Oh Lord, you're awesome. >> You're awesome. >> And we give you >> We give you the ((music playing)) praise. Oh Lord, you're so awesome. >> Awesome. [singing] >> And we praise your name. >> You're always >> And we give you >> We give you the ((music playing)) praise. >> Lord, you are awesome. >> Awesome. >> And we give you >> We give you the praise. >> Somebody ((music playing)) say, "Awesome." >> Awesome. >> Awesome. >> Awesome. >> And we >> And we give you the praise. >> Say, "Awesome."

((music playing)) >> Awesome. >> He's awesome. >> Awesome. And we give you the >> Somebody say awesome. >> Awesome. >> Awesome. >> Awesome. ((music playing)) >> And we we give you the >> Somebody call him awesome. He's awesome. >> Awesome. ((music playing)) >> And we give you >> Hey, you are worthy. >> Worthy. >> You're worthy. >> And we praise. >> Lord, you're so worthy of ((music playing)) the glory.

Worthy >> and we >> we give you the praise. >> Somebody call him worthy. >> You're worthy. >> Worthy. >> And we give you the praise. >> Somebody ((music playing)) say worthy. >> Worthy. >> He's worthy. >> Worthy. >> And we >> And we give you >> Hey, he's so faithful. >> Faithful. >> He's faithful. >> Faithful.

((music playing)) >> And we >> And we give you the praise. >> Lord, you are faithful. You're faithful. >> Faithful. >> And we ((music playing)) give you the praise. Somebody say he's faithful. He's faithful. >> Faithful ((music playing)) >> and we and we give you. >> Hold on. You are faithful. He's faithful. ((music playing)) >> And we give you Jesus. >> Jesus. >> Say Jesus. >> Jesus. >> Jesus. >> Jesus. >> Say Jesus. >> Jesus. >> Say ((music playing)) Jesus. >> Jesus. >> Jesus. >> It's Jesus. >> Say Jesus.

Everybody call them. >> Jesus. >> It's Jesus. Jesus. >> Say Jesus. ((music playing)) Jesus. >> He's married. The lion of Judah. The ((music playing)) bright morning star. Say Jesus. ((music playing)) Say Jesus. Say Jesus. >> Jesus. Say Jesus. >> Jesus. ((music playing)) >> Jesus. Everybody clap your hands. Say, "All you are." >> All you are.

Come on say ((music playing)) Lord you are. >> Lord you are. >> Say Lord you are. >> Lord ((music playing)) you are. >> Say Lord you are. >> Lord you are. [singing] >> Say Lord you are. >> Lord you are. >> Say ((music playing)) Lord you are. >> You're so good to us. Jesus. >> You're ((music playing)) so good to us.

Jesus. >> You're so kind. Lord ((music playing)) you're so kind. Lord. You're a good good ((music playing)) father. >> You're a good good father. >> Lord, you are. >> Say, Lord, you are. >> Lord, you are. >> Say, Lord, you are. ((music playing)) >> Say, Lord, you're worthy. >> Lord, you're worthy. >> And we give you >> And we ((music playing)) give you >> praise.

Hallelujah. >> Praise the Lord. God bless our praise and worship team and thank you ((music playing)) all for joining me tonight and on this Tuesday night. God bless you. I'm so ((music playing)) honored, actually humbled that you just pause and ((music playing)) put it on your calendar every Tuesday to join us for the study of God's word.

Thank you so very very much. I'm honored, ((music playing)) humbled, and so thankful. For those who have been with us for the since we resumed just uh last week, we are talking uh about how ((music playing)) to connect with people and get them engaged and stay engaged. I call it uh connecting and keeping saints ((music playing)) getting them plugged into the body.

And uh we really do need ((music playing)) to work diligently to stay connected with people. And so I'm going through some principles ((music playing)) of what I feel and believe are critical steps that we need to take in order ((music playing)) to connect with people and keep them engaged. So um thank you for joining us.

I hope you're taking great notes. If you're new and haven't been here or you don't know, we have a page that ((music playing)) you can go to and uh get to get a place to fill in the blanks for notes. >> ((music playing)) >> helps it helps make it easier for you to be able to uh record and keep track of what we are uh seeking to teach you and share with you.

So again, let me start off again by thanking you. Let me thank our praise and worship team for leading us to the the presence of God. Amen. Thank them ((music playing)) for the worship leading us in worship. I'm so grateful for that. Let's pray with me, please. Father, I give you thanks and glory from ((music playing)) the depths of my heart for uh the opportunity and privilege to share with the people of God.

Thank you for all of those who've joined us online here tonight. Grateful for their commitment to be a part of ((music playing)) our uh our study. We pray that you make it plain and understandable to each person. I want to ((music playing)) pray, Father, that you open their eyes of how to apply it into each one of their lives.

I pray, Father, ((music playing)) that you'd breathe upon this teaching and allow your name to get the glory. We desire more than anything ((music playing)) else to stay connected with your sons and daughters. And so we pray that, heavenly father, we'll be able to understand what to do, how to do it, and keep people engaged ((music playing)) in the kingdom of God.

So we thank you. We give you glory and honor in Jesus' name. Amen. All right. I'm calling this teaching uh connecting and keeping saints. How do we keep people get them engaged and keep them engaged? And so, uh, I'm going to real quickly go over what we covered last week.

I'm going to go through this rather quickly. So, uh, for those who may have, uh, missed last week, you might have to stop and pause to record the the the the fill in any blanks and record any information that you may need to do. So, but I'm not going to go over everything that we covered last time.

So, we're going to just real quickly just uh talk about very briefly what we've covered so far. And we started off with uh sharing some church facts. That's what we started off doing, sharing some church facts. And those facts included, we know has a fact that 20 to 30% of Americans claim to attend religious services weekly on a weekly basis. 20 to 30% of people make that uh make that claim that they attend a church service.

That's down from 49% that was reported in 1991. It's very sad that uh a number another uh 19 to 20% or more of people are not engaged in being involved or connected with the body of Christ. Close to 30 close to 70% report that they rarely or ever attend church or never attend.

So we have a whole mission field. The scripture says, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few." And we're believing that God's raising up some laborers to help us be able to um connect people and let them understand the importance of being involved and connected with the church.

I gave you also 10 reasons why people attend church. Very quickly, we uh highlighted the fact that people go for theological and doctrinal beliefs that they have. they go because they care. Uh uh the care that people have for each other that that we are connected, we love each other, we serve and take care of each other.

Uh the quality of the messages that are preached is a reason that people go to and attend church. The friendliness of the church members, people feel loved and accepted because of the friendliness of the people in the church. The church's engagement with helping poor, helping others that are poor.

That's a very important thing. church. Churches, people in church want to know that their church that they're supporting and the resources that they're giving are helping the least of these. And that's again something that the Lord wants us to be capable and able to do and that we should be doing.

The quality of the programs and the classes that are made available for children is a reason that people go. They want to know what what can you do to help my children develop. Very proud of our church here that this is one of the strong points of First Baptist Church of Glenn Artton. uh people go to a church because of their acceptance and the appeal of the pastor.

That's a very significant and important point that uh people want to know that the uh their pastor um is uh they accept their pastor. They love they respect their pastor. They honor their pastor and that's a very important thing. Some people go to church because of the denominational affiliation that the church is a part of.

Uh we spent a few minutes talking about the denomination that our churches are part of that I happen to be the president of. Uh uh 1,700 churches around the United States of America are part of the denomination we're part of called Converge. And I'm honored that I was elected to be the uh president of that organization and very honored that uh we're helping those churches become everything that God wants them to become.

Uh the ninth reason people go to church is the quality of the Sunday school for adults. And you could probably even say even the Bible study and Bible institutes that are available for adults is a is a again one of those significant reasons and roles of why people would attend a church.

And then finally um the times of the worship service, the convenience, the opportunity that's given to them. Those are those are facts that have been researched and developed by the Barner group that does a lot of research um that tells us here are the reasons that people go to church.

Now, having gone through those 10 factors, those 10 facts, we spent the last few weeks also, the last week talking about uh some key factors. The first the second point that we said beyond the uh these church facts is relationships. That's the first thing that we covered is that uh the the people are connected by uh relationships.

This is such an important deal uh again that uh you have meaningful relationships. Uh and I and matter of fact, let me just mention this real quick. I've been sharing even with pastors importance of them uh walking with us this walking with us in this study and come to the realization to evaluate your churches.

I'm telling pastors to evaluate where how your church measure ups measures up to these things. Our people connected by relationships. I'm proud of our church when service is over. People don't just rush out the door. Some people do, but a a huge number of people are connecting with relationships that they have talking with people that are in some of their classes that they're a part of.

Um some of the ministries they get they're connected with people in various ministries. And I'm proud of that. I'm proud that uh relationships are a very very important thing. People are connected by relationship. I got to I got to rush on through this because you know it's it's for me I keep want to talk about these things because they're so important and so vibrant.

Uh so God wants us to to do that. And then uh I also mentioned we went through uh when it relates to relationships and people have to be taught how to resolve conflicts because the fact of the matter is anytime you deal with human beings somewhere down along the line some kind of tension is going to arise.

Some kind of problem some kind of misunderstanding. As a matter of fact, it is the avenue of the enemy to try to bring frustration, disappointment, tensions, disagreements. That's the work of the enemy that he wants us not to be connected because when we are connected, we advance the kingdom of God.

Jesus said in John 13, he said, "By this men know that you are my disciples by the love that you have for each other." The devil doesn't want to see us showing love to each other, demonstrating love, walking in love. That's not a desire of the enemy. He wants to see us fight, argue, disagree, uh be broken up, torn in pieces.

That's what the enemy wants. But the God we serve wants us to recognize and to love each other and work through. And so one of the points I made uh is that Matthew 18 15-1 17 gives us uh God's idea of how to resolve conflicts. What do we do to resolve conflicts?

And I want to make sure that each of us are well aware of um how to do that. Amen. Now, a lot of people won't do it. They know it but they won't do it. But it is a instruction from the Lord Jesus himself that he gave us on what steps we should be taking.

And we gave you even uh during that it's not in the notes. Uh maybe next uh time I teach this I'll include it in the notes. I gave you the the ideas of how the specific steps to take. If you missed last week, I want to strongly encourage you to go back and look at this section because we gave you some tools to apply of how to bring peace in a stressed out situation or relationship.

So that's important. And then under relationships, we also mentioned that uh that ministry engagement or cell groups help to develop meaningful relationships. So, uh, through our ministries, we have 129 of them. Uh, we have a number of cell groups. And by the way, we're trying to even build and develop more cell groups.

It's a passion of mine is to see people cultivate with people that they already have relationships with and develop and cultivate discipling people that you know and and uh wanting you to be able to cultivate real powerful loving relationships um in uh in in with the people that you you that you know and you you regard.

So relationships is an important thing. Let me roll on to the next thing. Then the next one is ministry involvement. This is an important thing too. People, we want to help people be involved in ministry. This was the third bullet that we spent a few moments talking about.

And I walked through that we got to help people discover their spiritual gifts. And I went through uh the motivational gifts. There are three areas. The motivational gifts, the ministry gifts, the manifestational gifts. We looked at those gifts. We went through uh Romans 12 and looked at the seven motivational gifts.

This is what motivates you to do what you do. What what is it that motivates you to be who you are and do what you do? We looked at the eight ministry gifts. These are the things that you do. The motivational gifts talk about why you do it.

The the ministry gifts talk about what it is that you do. And then thirdly in this list, the the manifestational gifts. There are nine of those manifestational gifts. Those are the supernatural demonstrations of God that flows and functions through you when you function and operate in your gift.

Again, I think that's this is a very important section, man. Uh we have we have gifts, spiritual gift classes to teach people in our ministry how to function. A matter of fact, you don't even have to be a member of our ministry to take these classes. They're open to until the classes are full.

And I want to encourage you that if you don't know what your gifts are, learn these, go through these uh spiritual gifts. Take our spiritual gifts classes. We I think people learning what their gifts are and functioning in their ministry with their gifts in the body of Christ is a very significant and important element of the kingdom of God.

And it's what God wants us to do. So I want to tell you to do that. Now going to the next thing again. Uh, how do you get connected and stay connected with people? How do we keep them connected? We do that by virtue of meeting needs. Churches and individuals should serve to help meet people's needs.

Amen. You You help a hurting person. You help a person who's challenged, who's struggling, who's frustrated, who's disappointed, who's defeated maybe in some area of their life. You help meet those needs. Again, that's what the Lord calls us to do. Meet a need. Find a need. Serve a need.

Y'all know in my teaching on the bless principle, let me just mention that for a moment. We talk about serving a need. Find a need of somebody and meet that need. I think that's such an important and a vital part of keeping people connected to the body of Christ.

And matter of fact, some of you, you're in church today because God used somebody to meet a need that you had. they did something to help you at a vital part of your journey and you are so grateful and so appreciative of what they've done that uh you stayed connected relationally with those people.

We by the way I didn't say this a minute ago nor did I say last week. Let me say this that relationship is the currency of the kingdom. Let me say that again. If you don't have that written down write that down. Relationships are the currency of the kingdom.

It is what fuels the kingdom. It is what keeps the kingdom going. It is what makes a huge difference in uh the kingdom of God. And I want to I just want to encourage you to meet meet needs. Find the needs of people. You got somebody that you love and you care about meet that need.

If they need a babysitter, help get their kids taken care of. If they need groceries, why don't you just take a moment and go buy them some groceries and deliver it to their home? If they need a ride somewhere, give them a ride. Go pick them up and take them where they need to go.

Look for those opportunities to meet needs. That means so much to the kingdom of God. And it means a lot to other people when you pause and take the time to meet those needs. I just think that's very, very important. Okay. So, those were um the first four areas and I got three more that I'm going to cover tonight.

And I'm I want to ask you to evaluate in your own personal lives whether or not uh you are doing any of these things to help pe help people get connected and stay connected. I I think it's an important vital question that every person should ask themsel am I doing these things?

Okay. Now having said that, let me go to point number five in this which is a very important thing. Recognize that all will not stay. And I and I mentioned this and we spend the time talking about it because I don't want you to get frustrated or discouraged that you do things for people, you serve people, you love on people, you teach people things, but they don't stay. been the pastor of First Baptist Church of Glenn Art now for this is uh my 37th year and I think about all of the people that have come through First Baptist Church and I had to learn that even when people don't stay that I've done my part.

I've done what God would have me do and I don't always know why they they've they've departed. Some have gone and served at other churches. I'm I'm blessed by that that uh God opens up a door of opportunity or calls you to go and serve in another arena and help that church be developed.

I'm proud of that. I celebrate that. Or uh some just fall by the wayside. Matter of fact, that's one of the points I want to make today uh in this point. Let me just give you this sub this first subpoint on uh recognizing that all will not stay.

Let me give you the sub point that 25% of those who came will remain. Out of 100% 25% if you got a 100 people out of the 100 people 25 of them will remain. out of uh out of all of the people that have come through, you know, the the the we we have we at one point have had over 70,000 people on the roles at First Baptist Church of Glard and we've had to go through and clean up though that the the database of of names of people who've come through our church and be a part and I'm hoping that some of them have gone and have gone and uh helped other churches.

I'm hoping that some of them have made a choice or decision to some have started churches. Some have been called to other churches that pastors and ministers been called to other churches. Uh some have uh moved out of the area and gone to a new area. And you know, it's my hope and prayer that they took the teachings that we've given them and utilized them.

And and I a matter of fact, I know this to be a case in so many people. I know that there have been some couples that have left and started couples ministries at a new church that they went and joined. Or maybe they got relocated. Their job took them to another place or another arena to serve and they went there and took the lessons that they learned here at First Baptist Church.

They were impacted by ministries here and they took the lessons down to where uh to the areas that they now live and utilize those teachings in the churches that they are. I'm proud of that. But but I am concerned about uh a number of those people who have fallen by the wayside.

And Jesus talks about this in Luke chapter 8. I'm going to challenge you to go to Luke chapter 8 and I'm going to read read through verses 4-15 because this is I had to learn this lesson. I had to embrace and understand that everybody is not going to function and flow and stay.

And Jesus tells that tells this lesson. Let's look at John 8:4 beginning at verse 4. And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to him from every city, he spoke by a parable. Get this. Jesus is speaking a parable. A serable. Here's the story that he shows to illustrate a point.

A ser went out to sew his seed. And as he sold, some fell by the wayside, and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. So, some came, got the seed, uh, but it fell fell off. It didn't stick. It didn't stay, and it got trampled upon, and birds of the air devoured it.

Yes. Amen. Excellent. That's uh the first one. Some fell on rock, and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. It didn't survive. of it didn't make it. Uh it withered away and some fell among thorns and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.

But others fell on good good ground. Sprang up and yielded a crop a hundfold. When he said these things, he cried, "He who hears, he who has ears to hear, let him hear." Stop this pause here for just a moment. Just back up for a moment. So here he gave four four parts, four stories, four types of seeds being planted and what happened to the different kinds of ground that the the seed fell upon.

Four different types of and of the four only one uh fell mentioned here in verse number eight. Others fell on good ground, sprang up, yielded a crop a hold. It produced fruit. When he had said these things, he cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

Now he goes to explain that. Go on to the next verse. Thank you. Then his disciples asked him, saying, "What does this parable mean?" That's such an important uh that's an important question. What does this story that you're telling me, Jesus? And he said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables that seeing they may not see and hearing they may not understand." >> Now the parable is this.

The seed is the word of God. >> Those by the wayside are the ones who hear. Then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. But the ones on the rock are those who when they hear receive the word with joy, and these have no no root, who believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away.

Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who when they have heard go out and are choked with listen to this cares riches and pleasures of life and bring no fruit to maturity. Stick stop pause for just a second right here. This I this is such an important uh point Jesus is making to some of it he says um fall on the thorns and the cares and riches and pleasures of life choke it out and that's the habits of so many people that the cares of life the things that they are dealing with uh their jobs their careers chasing money uh uh enjoying the pleasures of life uh choke out the word the word is no longer important.

They don't live by the word. They don't embrace the word. They don't follow the word. They don't love the word. And the word gets choked out. But here's the thing it says about that. Here's here's the fruit. They bring no fruit to maturity. That is such a painful thing to hear that here God has taken the time to plant a seed to depart to deposit a seed in them, but they allow all of these other things to choke out and to kill the opportunity for the word to produce something in them and it gets choked out.

It gets killed. It it's destroyed and they're not able to bring fruit to maturity. Ultimately, God wants us to not only bear fruit, but the Lord wants us to bring that fruit to maturity. We want God wants the the fruit in our lives to be produced that it comes to a place of maturity.

That that that means so many things. Ultimately, it's a cry for us to see people saved and developed and grow into the kingdom of God. mature season to where they can take what they've learned, apply it to their life, and then they can take what they've learned and apply it into other people's life.

That that is such a important and profound truth that God wants us to to to hear. Now, verse number 15, this is the final verse here in this section of scripture right here. Verse 15 says this, "But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who having heard the word with a noble and good heart keep it and bear fruit with patience."

I love that. That's that's the will of the Lord that the the the seed falls on good ground. We hear it. Uh we've heard the word. We have a good heart. We are humble. We're noble. And we keep that word. We we purpose to apply it to our lives.

We purpose to walk in it. We won't let the enemy steal it from us. We make it we we we pause to make it an important part of our journey of embracing the word of God and putting it in our lives as a part of how we live and we bear fruit with patience.

Now that word patience is an interesting word because here's what it means. The word patience in the Greek means this. It means I abide with God. I stay with God. I walk with God. I am committed to the Lord. I love the Lord. I walk with him. I'm obedient to God even through trying times, even through difficult days, even through troubled seasons.

Anybody can stick and praise God and worship with the Lord when you got money in the bank and things are going well and all this all things the sun is shining. But can you stick with God and love him and submit to him through difficult times? And that's what the word patience means.

It means I stick with God. I walk with God. I worship God. I love God even through difficult days, even through trying moments in life. So that is uh uh so many uh 75% of the people who have come to church are going to fall by the wayside.

Don't you be one of those. Don't you be one of those that the devil comes and steals it and grabs it out of your heart and you never apply it to your life. Don't you be one of those of those those uh seeds that fall on ground that doesn't become what God wants it to be.

Don't allow the enemy to put you in that kind of posture. I think that scripture is so profound and so powerful, so anointed, so important that I just want to again encourage you to keep the word and bear fruit with patience. Let's let's pray that God helps us to do that.

Now the next verse, the next point in the underneath here is that we want to seek to discern the faithful and assist them to becoming mature. Now what am I saying? Why do I why do I mention that? What is what is the point of this? I'm glad you asked the question because ultimately uh I want you to be able to be a discerner of of people.

This is such again this is again one of those very very important principles of life because I don't want you to waste waste time with somebody who's not serious about their walk with God. So we want to discern who's faithful and how do we assist them in becoming mature.

Second Timothy 2:2 gives us some parameters to take a look at. Again this is this is a very very important uh element here that I want to spend a moment. Uh second, Paul talking to Timothy uh gives him uh some instructions on uh helping people become uh how do you determine who you should be investing in?

Everybody's not serious about their walk with God. 2 Timothy 2:2, he says this, "And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." This is um the apostle Paul teaching his son, his spiritual son in the ministry, Timothy.

And the whole this whole epistle here is giving uh Timothy some instructions of of how to how to grow the kingdom of God, how to develop uh mature seasoned saints. And he says here, what you've heard from me uh what you've heard me teach. Then he says this, commit these to faithful men.

Find people who are faithful, dedicated, committed. Find people who keep their word. Find people who are willing to uh put a focus on the word of God and who have the capacity and the ability to teach what they've learned to other people. You want to find people who are willing to share what they've learned with others and can make a deposit in other people.

That's a that's a principle that we got to learn and see for look and watch people. Are they willing to take a step to the plate? First of all, are they faithful in what they said they're going to do? Do they do what they say they're going to do?

Do they keep their commitments? Do they walk in the ways that God called them to walk? This is this is such a powerful and important principle for us to get a hold of and to understand. And are they taking what they've learned and sharing it with others? Do you see opportunities where they're teaching other people?

Those are the people that you invest in. Those are the people that you take a a heart to [snorts] ser uh helping them uh go on to maturity. Yes. Yes. We have to evaluate those people. We don't want to waste our pe our time with people who are not serious about the things of God.

Amen. So that is uh number five. That's point number five. Recognize. Don't be discouraged when people don't stick and stay. Don't be discouraged. Don't be frustrated. Don't think there's anything wrong with you. Uh and that was such an important that was such a blessing to me in my own personal life when I started getting frustrated and disappointed with people leaving and falling by the wayside and and disappearing.

They're there then all of a sudden they're not there anymore. When I read this passage, uh, when I read Luke, Luke's passage and then second Timothy followed up that to help me when I recognized that everybody's not going to stay. And then I learned from that, I got to be cautious and careful with identifying who are the people that I pour into.

And that principle for me was to find people who are faithful, who are also willing to take what they're learning and teach it and pour it into other people. That's that's number five. Let me go on to number six. Let's take a look at number six. Provide a clear vision and life purpose.

Provide a clear vision and life purpose. So, everybody has everybody here should have a vision for your life. You should have here's what a vision is. Here's what I hope to see God using me in the future. Everybody needs to have a clear vision of what God wants you to do with what he sees in the future.

That, my brothers and sisters, is important that everybody has a vision statement for your life. And and and that vision will help define what your purpose in life is. Uh a vision for me as a teenager, when I first started preaching the gospel as a teenager, I felt motivated to help my friends develop maturity in their life, get to know God.

I I had a burden. This my call came from a burden. a burden to see my teenage friends meet Jesus and walk with Jesus and understand Jesus. That's how I that's how my call came. And then I had a vision at some point. I used to I I evangelized and I thought I would be an evangelist for years.

But then God began to place a vision in me that he had called me to help bring people to maturity and uh to help them become everything that God wanted them to become. I could I saw myself doing that. I saw my in my life helping people mature and get seasoned.

That's the vision. And and many of you have God has a vision. He's matter of fact, I want you to identify that God's placing desires in your heart. He's helping paint a picture for how he wants to use you for his kingdom. And and because of that, it it is critically important that you take note of what it is that God may be bringing into your life. it becomes a very very significant and important thing.

And so we say to you, help others to have a clearly defined vision. Help people see why God created them and for what purpose God created them. God has created you for a reason. You have a purpose in life. You have an assignment in life. And the devil don't want you to recognize it, but God wants you to recognize it.

And God wants it to be so crystal clear to you. Here's what Proverbs 29:11 says. This is uh powerful. Verse two. Proverbs 29:18. I'm sorry. Proverbs 29:18. Where there is no revelation, where there is no insight, where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint, but happy is he who keeps the law.

Where there is no vision, one translation says the people cast off restraining themselves. They cast off walking in obedience to God because they have no vision. They have no revelation of why God created them. And once you once you understand that God created you for a purpose and that God created you for an assignment and that God wants to use you to advance his kingdom, once you get a hold of that, once you embrace that, once you know that, it makes all the difference in the world.

Oh my goodness gracious. I want you to get a hold of this where there is none. When you have no no vision for your life, when you don't see an insight of how God can use you, you'll you'll you'll cast off trying to live right. You'll you'll push it to the side.

You'll cast off restraint. But God does not want that to be you. He wants you to recognize who you are, who's you are, and that you have a purpose and an assignment for your future. I don't care what you've done in your past. It doesn't matter how much you have fallen by the wayside in your in your past, in your history.

God specializes. God specializes in using those who have messed up and restoring them for the sake of using them for his kingdom. Paul was the apostle who was killing Christians. He was one who was participating in assassinations and killing Christians. But yet, God gave him another chance at life.

And some of you are listening to me right now. You know, you were doing some wicked things. You were walking in unrighteousness and you were doing some ungodly things. But praise be to God, God gave you another chance. And God chose to use you and make a difference.

And he's making a difference. And he's going to make a difference, even a greater difference, to use you to exalt his kingdom and to help help his name to be elevated and glorified. So, I think it's critically important that you understand why God saved you. Why he brought you out of the drug out of drug addiction, why he brought you out of that prostitution house, why he why he delivered you from your alcoholism, why he took you out of whatever it is you were in and saved you and forgave you of your sins and gave you the opportunity to be able to live a powerful life.

And so understand, have a vision. Listen to what God has placed in your heart and what he's saying to you. What he's repeating. Matter of fact, once God gives you a vision, he'll keep repeating the vision to you. He'll keep saying something to you about it. He he it won't be a oneanddone deal.

You know, anybody tell me they they've been called to do something, but they only heard it one time. There's a problem there. God has no problem. He demonstrates to us. He will repeat what it is he's saying. And so you can't just walk away. He'll keep saying it.

He'll keep calling you to it. So let me give you this second point here I want to make underneath this. Habach chapter 2:3. I want to help you to endure the challenges of living and fulfilling the vision. You will have challenges. You will have issues and problems and and and and you'll have to deal with some situations where it appears as though uh you you won't be able to uh carry it out and the devil wants to frustrate you and defeat you.

But here's what uh here's what God says. Look at this right here. This is Habachok 2:3. Habach 2:3 says, "For the vision is yet for an appointed time." You have an assignment. You have an appointed time, but at the end it will speak and it will not lie.

Though it terries, wait for it. Though it may take a while before it comes to pass. It terries. Be patient. Wait for it because it will surely come. It will not tarry. Oh boy. This was something I I I wish somebody had told me when I was evangelizing and I felt the the passion to start going into to be a pastor.

And I applied at all these different churches and they didn't pick me. They didn't choose me. I applied to churches and they wouldn't even call me back to tell me that I didn't get the selection. Uh and I wish I had this verse in my heart. I want to tell some of you right now, there's a time that God has appointed for your vision to become a reality.

There is a time it will and it will speak. It will come to pass. It will that vision that God has given for you will not lie. Though it terries, though it seems like it's taken a long time to come. And I remember applying at all these different churches and they didn't call me and they didn't call me back to tell me.

They didn't extend the invitation for me to be their pastors. I got so frustrated and I got so uh disappointed and so stressed out and so uh painful that these churches didn't call me. Um uh here's what the verse says. Though it terries, learn to be patient and wait for it.

Though it terries, though it seems like it's taking a long time, wait because it will surely come. It will not terry. It will not be forever. It will not last. There will come a day and a time where God will manifest it and bring it to pass. And and for me, it came by him sending me to a little small church in King George, Virginia, where um I I gave up preaching evangel.

I was going around to different churches preaching, but I felt the call to pastor. and a little small church in King George, Virginia called me to come and be their pastor, which I learned about pastoring. I started learning about pastoring in that little small church, 30 or 40 people.

And uh I'm grateful for I'm grateful for the Union Bethl Baptist Church in King George, Virginia, and the people there who loved me and helped me prepare my life for the ultimate assignment that God gave me to pastor First Baptist Church of Glenn Arden. I'm so grateful for that.

And so it didn't it came to a time where where uh I moved from King George, pastoring King George to pastoring this my home church, First Baptist Church, Glen Art. Yeah, it took a minute. It took a It took a while, but it will come to pass. And I want to say to you today, some of y'all think that God has forgotten about you.

He has not He has not forsaken you. He has not walked away. It It will come to pass. I know it seems like it's it's forever. Yeah. But God's [snorts] preparing you. Yeah. Whatever lessons, whatever experiences you go through, get prepared. This is your prep season. Let me tell you, that's the deal.

This is your preparation time. It's your time to be prepared. Learn as much as you can. And matter of fact, if you're a me member of First Baptist Church, we have all kinds of classes and trainings. Take good notes. Go take these classes. get the notes so that God can he's preparing you for the assignment he has for you.

So that he can use you for his glory. He can use you for his kingdom. He can use you for his name's sake. He wants to use you for his kingdom. So matter of fact this point I'm making right here in this provide a clear vision and life purpose.

Uh, this second bullet point underneath here says, "Help them endure the challenges of living and fulfilling the vision." We want to help you to endure the pain of whatever it is you're going through. Endure the challenges of living and encourage you to fulfill the vision that God has destined for your life.

Now, I think that's the important thing. Now, let me give you my last point and I'll be finished. And I call that past point, this last point, the message. the message presentation. This is one of those uh points I want to make that becomes important to with with you dealing with people and that is uh present the gospel in a manner that when you share the gospel with people that the ultimate message we have to give is the message of forgiveness of your sins.

This is in fact such an important message to preach and share that the gospel ultimately is the message that God has made it possible for your sins to be forgiven. And I I love I love this point. I love this this principle and this truth that uh every Sunday when you see me preach, I'm always going to talk about forgiveness of sins because that's the power of the gospel.

And that's the message God wants to use you to make to other people that no matter what they've done, how often they did it, how frequently they did it, how recently they did it, God will forgive them. And it is that message that's the power of the message.

Here's here's Acts chapter 13. And you all have some of you have heard me preach on this very powerful point before. Uh Acts chapter 13. I love this passage. I I've preached it a multitude of times and I love it. I I love the the the message. The Apostle Paul goes into a church uh and I'm sorry, he goes into a synagogue after he gets saved.

He goes into a synagogue and uh the priest sees that they have some guests. Read the whole chapter when you get an opportunity. And they ask him if he has anything to say. We see we have some guests. You have anything you want to say? And they they u ask asked Paul and his entourage do they have anything to say say on the scripture says Paul stood up and motioning with his hands said and then for the next 25 verses Paul preaches a little sermon.

I don't know why I call it a biblical sermon. He preached a sermon. He preached a message and and his message was so profound and so powerful that the scripture says when he finished preaching, verse 42, when the Jews went out of the synagogues, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath.

Ain't that profound and powerful? They said, "Can you come back next Sabbath and preach the whole thing?" And then and then in verse 44 it says on the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of the Lord to hear the word of God.

What did he say? He said what it is we need to be saying. Verse 38. Here it is. Let me give it to you right here. Verse 38. Here's the message that Paul preached that caused them to ask him to preach it again. The conclusion of his message is verse 38.

Therefore, let it be known to you, brethren, that through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins. Through this man, through Jesus is preached to you. Here it is, the forgiveness of sins. It means I I I love that uh that passage that God gives us um forgiveness.

God has made it possible for all of our sins to be forgiven. And forgiveness is a profound powerful truth that God cleanses us. He releases us from the guilt of what we have uh what we have done. And and and unfortunately the devil keeps so many people still uh in bondage because people don't know that God has made it possible for them to be forgiven.

And that's what the gospel does. The the gospel has been made po when God forgives us what he does for us. Thanks be to God. What he does for us is the power of releasing us from the guilt and shame of our past. He pardons us. He cancels out what we've our sins have been cancelled and we've been released from the debt of what we did was that was wrong.

That's the power of forgiveness that I've been pardoned. My debts been canceled. I've been released. I'm no longer guilty. I've been pardoned by the blood of Jesus. Jesus blood washes away all of my sins. That's powerful. And I'm free. That's what that's what it means when you are forgiven that you're no longer in bondage to it.

You're also free. It no longer holds you hostage. You're free from the guilt. The devil keeps many of us in uh in the shame and guilt of our past. And it's important for you and I to know and understand and recognize and realize that God has made it possible for us not to carry it.

We have been forgiven. Blessed be the Lord. I I love preaching that message. I love declaring that word. I love saying that thing to everybody that God has made it possible for us to be forgiven. And that's what you need to say to your friends. That's what you need to say to your co-workers.

That's what you need to say to your relatives that you've been forgiven and that they have it. It's available for them to be forgiven. That's what I want to tell you to say and preach to people that your sins can be forgiven. And that's the power. That is the power of the gospel.

I don't care what you did or when when you did it. You and I can be forgiven and pardoned and released from the guilt of our sin. That's powerful. It's lifechanging. But not only are we forgiven, not only are we forgiven, but in verse 39, he says this.

Look at verse 39. Here's a second component that I want to tell you to share and preach to people. and by him. Verse 39, everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. Here's the power of that that Paul was preaching.

He said, "Look, the law that Moses brought couldn't do this for you. What Moses brought just showed us how much of a sinner we were, how much we missed God's standard." 613 laws shows us how much we have we've missed the holiness standard, the holy standard that God requires that God has for us.

Uh uh we can't that that law. First of all, we can't keep the law. We can't keep all 613 laws. And even if we did, we still wouldn't we still would miss the mark. But here's what here's what Paul declares. Everyone who believes, when you when you put your faith in the living God, when you put your faith in Jesus Christ that he died on the cross for your sins, you believe, everyone who believes is everyone who puts their faith and confidence in him.

And by the way, the enemy is doing everything in his power to make you not believe. I talked to a friend of mine recently who said they they don't believe anymore. The devil wants to paint a picture to make you not believe. That's his program is to make you have doubts, to make you question the existence of a holy God.

I I think it takes I I think for somebody to believe that there there isn't a God that made this universe is foolish. That there isn't a God that created the heavens and the earth and and created mankind and all of the things that have occurred. Well, it's foolish to think in my mind and in my opinion to think that that that we evolved or we we're the product of evolution.

To me, I just I can't get my head around that. There is a power that made us who we are. But here's what we believe. We believe that Jesus Christ is God's son and that he died on the cross for our sins. And be and when we put our faith in what he did on the cross, his shed blood, him taking the punishment for us, God does something spectacular.

He not only forgives us, here's what Paul says. He justifies us. Here's the word right here. I'm almost finished. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to preach this sermon, but this is a message I love. He justifies us. And you know what justification means? It means God renders you innocent and holy.

Put those two words together. Innocent and holy. Write that off to the side. Innocent and holy. justification that that God makes you innocent, holy. I used to teach about this that God treated you just as if you never sinned. But it's much greater than that. God put us in a holy status.

He put us in a c category of being holy. Praise be to God. Uh that that puts us in a place where we are we are acceptable to God. Amen. that we are put in a place that we can walk in the presence of God, that we can enter his presence confidently, uh, boldly, courageously in the presence of God.

That's wonderful. And, and what's great about this whole passage, and I love this right here, what's great about it is that God makes the declaration. Uh justification means uh when you when you put your faith in the Lord, there's no more sacrifices, no more works, no more indulgences, no more religious activity that you have to do to be right with God.

You don't get right with God by being an usher, singing in a choir, being a deacon, deaconist, or a trustee, not by what church you belong to, not by paying tithes and offerings. God does for us what he does for us. He justifies us simply on our placing our faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

And that, my brothers and sisters, is great news. And I love it. And I and that's the thing I want to drive in your heart that you share with your brothers and sisters that you share with your relatives and friends and you share with your co-workers that we serve a God that clearly teaches us in scripture that if we believe in Jesus and what he did, God does the spectacular for us.

And I love him for that. I love him for forgiving me of my sins. I missed the mark. I have failed him in so many ways. But he has made it possible for me to have a living, vibrant walk with God where he talks with me and he communicates with me and he directs my path.

I love that that I serve a God that loves me and uses me for his kingdom and he wants to use you. You have a call. You, my brothers and sisters, have an assignment on your life and we're not going to let the enemy take it from you.

Amen. And God wants to use you not only for you to stay connected and involved and engaged, but he wants to use you to make a difference in the lives of some so many other people. Let God use you. Open up your heart to him. Open up your heart to the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, and let him use you.

Now, if you're watching this this Bible study and you don't know the Lord Jesus, I invite you. They're going to put a They're going to put a There it is right there. they put a uh some some information for you to where we can have somebody share the gospel with you or help you accept Jesus.

Or maybe you're backsliding and you want to rededicate yourself. You can reach out to us through the phone number, through an email, through clicking a link. Just reach out. We can help you get in a right relationship with the Lord. We can help you experience this same grace that we've been talking about is available. it's available to you.

And so my encouragement to you today is to uh reach out to one of those numbers, one of those calls, one of those ele one of those ways that we can make the gospel available to you. We are so grateful that you've watched us today. I'm coming I've I've been talking.

I've run out of time. But thank y'all for just watching and we'll look forward to picking up with you next next Tuesday. Uh we're going to give you some news, but we love you and may God bless you. Thank you. I didn't mean to preach so hard so long, but thank you.

Be blessed everyone. I love you in Jesus name. Take care. >> This is FBCG News. ((music playing)) >> Be a disciple and make a disciple. >> ((music playing)) >> Be a disciple and make a disciple. Here's what's happening on our church calendar. Believers from across the nation are gathering at the Museum of the Bible for a National Day of Prayer.

Pastor Jenkins is inviting you to join him Monday, March 9th at 7 p.m. If you plan to attend, please register. FBCG will provide transportation ((music playing)) from the worship center departing at 5:00 p.m. Parking at the museum is limited, so using church transportation is highly recommended. Please register today at fbcg glennard.org/transport.

Resurrection weekend at First Baptist Church of Glenn Harden is packed with opportunities for ((music playing)) community conversations and celebration. Good Friday, April 3rd. Invite your friends, families, and acquaintances to experience Glory to Glory. A powerful production that brings to life Jesus's journey to the cross, his crucifixion and resurrection set to original music that will move your soul.

Then celebrate the risen Savior at one of five resurrection services. Saturday ((music playing)) at 6 p.m. or Sunday morning at 6:00 a.m., 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., and noon. All services will be held at the worship center and streaming online. ((music playing)) So no matter where you are, you can be a part of this celebration because he is risen that changes everything.

That's the news for this week. ((music playing)) To learn more about these events, monthly gatherings, and all things FBCG, visit fbc glenhearten.org. ((music playing))