Each week I see how the Body, when brought together, fitly joined together, produces a whole word. Some have a song, some a hymn, some a scripture, a teaching and so forth, but when it is all brought together it makes a much bigger picture. It really is amazing to see how much the Holy Spirit is moving and how we are flowing in the Spirit. Today we were talking about Bro.Teryl's word on hearing. He makes some very good statement about hearing vs. Doing. Brother Pat Hayes said:"Having wisdom is thinking like God, Being wise is behaving like God!!!". That's what I think so many people don't truly understand. The past couple of months so many people have come and gone in our body. The last two weeks have just shown me that these people who have been serving God for 10, 15, 25, 30 years, the reason why they're leaving is because they feel uncomfortable. The reason is because for the past 10, 15, 25, 30 years all they have done is heard the word, but never put that word into action. Brother Teryl says in his article, "Our knowledge of God must produce obedient behavior or we will be judged for it!!!". That's a big thing. It makes you step back and truly look at your life. Am I just a hearer and not a doer? Does my life produce obedient behavior? If not we need to search our hearts and pray that God would reverse the judgments that are on us and open up our hears. Jesus said over and over when He was teaching "He that has ears, let him hear." I believe Jesus's definition of hearing and our definition are two different things. When Jesus said "hear" he meant hear and obey. It's one thing to hear how tie your shoe, it's another thing to actually do it. So many people for so many years have head and thought that was enough and Jesus is shining light on it. He's saying that hearing isn't enough. The Word says you have WORK out you salvation. It says we have to BEAR FRUIT unto righteousness. It all comes back to obedience. Jesus was obedient, why can we be like that? Why can't we just DO as we're told?
Philippians 2:27- 2:18 explains everything we talked about today. The communion even came out of this.
"Only let your conduct be as becomes the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you, or else am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, striving together with one mind for the faith of the gospel, and terrified in nothing by your adversaries. For this is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God. For to you it is given on behalf of Christ not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me. If there is therefore any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if antendernesses and mercies, then fulfill my joy, that you may be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord and of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves. Do not let each man look upon his own things, but each man also on the things of others. For let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Therefore God has highly exalted Him, and has given Him a name which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of heavenly ones, and of earthly ones, and of ones under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, cultivate your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Do all things withoumurmuringgs and disputings, so that you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation. Among these you shine as lights in the world,
holding forth the Word of Life, so that I may rejoice with you in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain nor labored in vain. Yea, and if I am offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all. And you also rejoice in the same, and rejoice with me."
Amen.
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