Encouragement to Persevere - 4

First of all I want to thank you for directing your questions to Pastor Barkman not to me. You're very welcome to continue to do that will be out of town on the morning so while it is very, very good to be here. Enjoyed very much worshiping and fellowship thing and sharing the word of God with the tri-state pastors and some of their wives. Not that they have one more than one each but some of the wives of some of the pastors came and had a great time. I just want to say you're very blessed to have such a good pastor and pastors to hear the word as it was preached today and to hear that word week after week and month after month, year after year and almost half a century you consider yourself very blessed because we traveled a fair bit. There's a lot of dryness there's a lot of darkness there's a lot of disappointment out there and do we always always always love coming to this church fellowship with you worshiping with you. And as I've said to all your pastors. My biggest problem is stopping at a reasonable time because you're so easy to preach to and that's no credit to me that's a credit to your pastors and that they have faithfully built an appetite for the word of God in the sense of intensive that God will speak once again. Well I hope you have your Bible. One day it probably just be a chip or something in our head will just have to snap a finger, but until then you at least up to get out of the device. I guess I'm still old enough, there's something good about holding a book in your hand and please turn again to Hebrews chapter 6. Now the women in my life and only one of them, his wife and I have a daughters-in-law and us daughters and granddaughters. One of the programs they like to watch once in a while is one of those house programs like enough lipid or flop under love it or lose it or whatever it is, and dad. They you know the kind of save the marriage. Every once in a while I want your program with them and it's very interesting as they go from house to go from house to house to start with and then from room to room and all. Well anyways, in a way that's what were doing in Hebrews 6 last part and I and I hope you won't love it and listed II hope you will love it and live it. All of God's word is designed to be of intense spiritual profit for the people of God and we've been kind of doing a house tour just little illustration to kinda help us work through the passage as we've taken it apart since all say room by room member at the end of chapter 5, we kinda came up the front steps to the porch and knocked on the door and we need to remember that the people who are touring the house are spiritually immature that they they got a lot of growing to do. And they got a lot of growing to do because the Christian life is serious. This is kinda just a fun thing. This isn't just a hobby.

This is life, and so we need to be heating always the word of God and then we went in the door, which is chapter 6 in the first room we saw.

Remember, was a crime scene and I deliberately put it that way because it is absolutely crucial that when we come to any text of the Bible we don't ask the wrong questions. If we do we will ultimately get the wrong answers. Does anybody here play sudoku is a couple of us. Why won't even bother with illustration but if you play that game.

It's a math game you. You can think you're going to win it in the end, but you can make a big mistake at the beginning and you don't really get it till you're almost at the end. Then you realize it's all wrong and is the same when we come to the Bible.

It is absolutely crucial that we asked the Bible the right questions that that portion of the Bible is speaking to an answering end of the first room. If you remember, was a crime scene because crimes were committed.

The first is when we come to the text were more concerned about who the preachers talking about than who the preachers talking to and is very important for us to understand that he's talking to us. Those of us who claim to love the Lord Jesus Christ to turn from their sin, who believe that there is a work of God in our heart supernatural by the spirit of God and then the second crime that is committed is that when we come to the word of God. We smorgasbord. We we can't go along the line and we pick up the things that we like and kind of don't really hang around the things we don't like and is very important for us to see that all of the word of God is intended to produce use persevering faith and the only site and the only faith there is that saves is persevering faith, persevering, faith begins the moment you put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ and therefore it is absolutely crucial that we do not pick up the word of God against the word of God and especially as I've been trying to explain that we do not put kinda put the warnings of holy Scripture and try to make them be counteracted to the promises of Scripture.

We all love promises, but both the warnings of Scripture and the promises of Scripture come from God, they're both divine.

Secondly, both the warnings of Scripture and the promises of Scripture are intended to produce persevering faith in you cannot have persevering faith by just zeroing in on the desert part of the FA the promises you need to eat your greens and collards and all the different things that are going to be good for you and the warnings are absolutely essential. As I've said before, the promises point to the design of the goal or the end of what God intends. The warnings are the divine means to reaching that intended goal and so it is absolutely crucial that when we come to the Scriptures unless it saying specifically to children in years seven years old or something. Your deceived that the warnings of the Scriptures are speaking to you for speaking to me and I cannot have that ears are dull ears. I cannot kinda listen, but not really listen, because I think it has nothing to do with me.

The second house for the second room in the house is to look at this particular warning, and we slide trusts last night that this is a very serious warning and if you think this one's tough don't do it now, but no later to chapter 12. It's even worse and worse.

Are there and it is absolutely crucial that we understand as I said with the illustration of the road that has both promises Dunkin' Donuts 2 miles down the road and warnings slow down to 30 sharp curve to the left. The good driver is the person who heeds the warnings, who does what they're instructed to do on the road and so it's crucial that this congregation in the first century in this congregation in the 20 century that we hear the warning and we do not negate it. We do not defuse it because of a preconceived theological position and the position probably is true, but you do not use one portion of the word of God to diffuse the power of the impact of another part of the word of God. Every New Testament letter. In this case sermon is occasional by that I mean it was written or preached to speak to a specific location and I need to understand that occasion we come to the Bible.

It's very much like the old phones that we used to have without speakers and all of that your phone rings your wife, picks it up for your husband picks up she starts to talk you don't really other person and then you get all when it's grandma is not grandma that's her oldest daughter, no. And as as the conversation goes, you begin to try to figure out who's calling and what they're calling about.

So when we come to the Bible were putting the phone up to her ear and respecting what what is this about if they're talking about coming for Christmas don't you make it coming for Thanksgiving. And in this passage of chapter 6, he is talking to people who need to grow up spiritually and they need to hear because you see spiritual immaturity. You don't know where it's going you hope it will go to spiritual maturity, but it could go to spiritual apostasy, and so is Barney Fife would say you have to nip it in the bud. You have to deal with it now were going through Hebrews 6, room by room because we want to see how this pastor preacher ministers to people like us how he ministers to spiritually immature people and tonight we are in the third room. This room is a little more to our liking the door it says encouragement. Marlene said to me this afternoon. How do you feel about preaching the sermon tonight and I said well I'm always loving preaching sermons that are encouraging and so I trust that you will be encouraged tonight, but I trust that you will not with this third room negate room one and two. As I said, is like going into a house you're buying a house. There's a kitchen is the bathroom the living room. The bedroom the dining room and you don't start playing the rooms off against each other. You need all of those rooms to have a full Lord life and we have we need all the what Hebrews 6 says to really understand six now were ready dive into the sermon. People are strange. I'm strange. I've been hanging around me for almost 73 years and you would think I would know me pretty good, but I always kinda confuse me.

I'm not as predictable as I would like to be an especially spiritually.

I'm a pretty disciplined guy I met this person.

I have a list with regards to my list, but the problem is when it comes to the spiritual realm.

You can make the list.

You can make the disciplines you can do all of those things, but it isn't as easy as it you think because it's not all about you.

I have to struggle with my flesh.

You have to struggle with your flash, but you also have to struggle with the mortal enemy named Satan. What's worse is you can't see him and then you have to struggle with a thing called the world and many times that's confusing to hold. There's really some very obvious things. There a lot of other things that aren't so obvious, and then you're in a church with other people like you. If you're having a good day. You can count on somebody else and have a good day and you have all these dynamics going on and and that's why it's not easy to pastor to be a shepherd to care for the sheep because were some home passes got the problem of himself because before is a shepherd. He's a sheep and he not only has to try to figure himself out a little bit but then he has to try to oversee a group of people who let their heart they love Jesus but by.

There's so much push and pull. There's so much up and down you go along great and you get a phone call or text or this or that or the other thing and so the pastor was dealing with this congregation that to some degree a spiritually and immature in the reason they're immature is because there there really struggling with whether it's worth hanging in there pressing on persevering, or should they quit now they were going to go native if they quit they were going all go to a nudist colony. All they were going to do is go back to the Bible. The Old Testament Bible which they were raised on it which sure lessen the persecution and opposition, and after all the Old Testament is word of God is, but all you don't you don't go back.

I want you to imagine you've been married 20 or 30 years and then you decide you can start recording your wife and you're going to pick her up at 7 o'clock after you've asked her father's permission going to take her out to be a perfect gentleman you have her invite 10 I you might give her a peck on the cheek and you ask her what she's doing next Friday night and and dollar ready the illustrations is absurd. Like we have four kids. We have 11 grandchildren what you mean, what am I doing next Friday night and you see to go back to the Old Testament and see it wrongly and again one of the biggest problems in Christianity is people going to the holy word of God and asking the wrong question. And usually they're asking the wrong question because that's what they're assuming in the first place in the prejudices, don't you do that you can't go back. You either stay in and go over for all you've got for you get if you get out. There's no getting back in because this isn't about you it's about my son, God the father said I allowed in 30 A.D. the mop and spit at ridiculing condemn my son say that he was worthy to be put to death all that days over. He's been raised from the dead. He's been receiving bodily into heaven he reigns over the universe. That's why this sermon begins in chapter 1 all this wonderful stuff about Jesus Christ and don't even think about packing the sin. This isn't about how you feel or how it's going in your life. This is all about Jesus Christ and God the father says you know II I'm a gracious dad. I'm patient and long-suffering. But there's one thing you don't do.

You don't mess with my son. I sent him here. He was messed with. Those days are over, is the Lord enthroned in heaven. Every angel covers himself and shields himself when they're in his every angel in the universe is asking what the sun would like them to do.

Angels are sent to minister to the heirs of salvation.

There isn't one angel in heaven is doing their own thing is no one angel gets the weekend off. I don't know where Angels would go when you're already in heaven. And so as you think about Jesus Christ in your situation, your circumstance, remember you're either in or you're out now. Tonight we come true. Room three and your thinking. When does the encouragement start loud starting now as we look at these verses that pastor read verses 9 to 12 what we want to do is see how this preacher, pastor, ministers to people like you and me because you know the truth is every once in a while I need to kick in my spiritual path, and every once in a while the whole congregation, need to kick in their spiritual pants but other times you know what we need we need a pat on the back. We need to be encouraged, which we we we need to be motivated in such a way that will press on.

I do love Jesus and my saner moments, what I want more than anything else is his glory and his honor and the delight of just knowing him as my friend as my Savior as my sovereign but all it's it's not easy.

It's very difficult and the pastor knows that the guy preaching the sermon knows that in fact he says throughout the book of Hebrews, God deliberately picked men to be priests because they would understand the weaknesses in the tendencies and even the propensity to go astray. That's why every priest had to first offer sacrifices for himself and then for his people, and I don't know how he did it but Jesus never once send but all he's a sympathetic high priest is. He understands it's a very interesting thing that very few superstars in any sport become good coaches is usually got sat on the bench most of his career as a good coach because he's knows what it's like to sit on the bench superstars. They can skate both ways they can bat right-handed or left-handed edges. All this God-given talent poor just gifted but ordinary person points. I can imagine standing up there at the back. These guys throw 98 9902 miles an hour balls of my head. It looks easy when you're in TV when they're on TV in your sit there in your La-Z-Boy and you see the Christian life looks easy.

From one perspective, and especially if we glimpse it up a little bit of America. Hannah or Canadian black. That is the real world. And so we need to be encouraged. So how is he going to encourage these people and he's going encourage them the very same way they were saved. The very same way their sanctified and that is through words we we become dismissive of words because we think we live in Babylon. It's babbling all the time is that all words are crucial.

God brought everything into existence by speaking. That's power.

I tried it once or twice and said David set out and work. But God said, let there be in there was, and he speaks a word of his gospel into the heart of the dead dark and they live. That word comes to them again and again and again and again sanctifies them. You do see growth just a little bundle than their toddler.

Then there before you know it there taller than you, and eating twice as much and so he will speak words in this place called encouragement two kinds of words. First of all, he will speak words of comfort and then secondly, words of counsel. First of all, he will speak words of comfort. II was very shortly into the ministry. If that's the right way to put it. I've been shortly about everything so I hadn't been in the pastorate long when I heard these tremendously insightful words spoken by Charles Swindoll.

People don't care what you know until they know you care and that is always stuck with me.

People don't care what you know until they know that you care and I thought a lot about the pastorate obviously had been in it for over 40 years and to me, the pastorate is ultimately being able to do the two great commandments that is to love God and to love people.

I know wonderful Christians who love God, but they're not that great with people and I know other people who are great with people and is not that they don't love God, but theology and books and things like you know neither of those people, while their true believers should be pastors or elders.

I don't care how much you love theology if you don't love people and I don't care how much you love people. If you don't love theology truth and doctrine because the calling the pastors to love God with all of his might. Heart, mind and strength and to love people like he loves himself. So he comes to these people. In verse nine with the word of very fine tender care. Notice what he says in verse nine, the we speak. In this way. Yet, in your case, beloved, this would beloved is obviously a derivative of the Greek word if you know any Greek word you probably know, agape and what he is telling these people.

Even though he's had speak some very difficult things and he will speak more difficult things through the rest of the sermon he loves these people I don't know about you but I really am not overly motivated to change. If I sense the person trying to change me doesn't love me and I've had people who really love theology and doctrine tried to convince me of truth but it was obvious that they didn't love me. On the other hand I have met people who genuinely love me and I have found not to sleep physically but spiritually ops I've had growth spurts under those kind of people because you seem to be concerned about another person so that they would grow and mature and develop. You gotta love them take her kids my Hollenback you take him, but take your kids for 20 years. Your investing in these children. If you didn't love them to be terrible when what's really terrible is by the time there any good. They go off and get married and which is what you want and you invest all of this time in this effort and prayers and sacrifice and being up late at night and all kinds of and you do all of that because you love them and what you find out when you become 21 or two or three and get married and you start having kids yourself. You figure out man. My parents really did love me. I thought I was God's gift to the world but I realize I was close.

You know I never walk toys eight do not can even wipe my bottom is eight I had broadcast from the hips down my mother and father had carried me literally everywhere.

I was in the hospital many, many times for months and months and months.

My parents had two other brothers are two other sons were my brothers.

And then we had children and not even close to what my parents went through the really did love me really did love me and I had pastors who really love me. I graduated from Bible college in 1972. Trenton was four hours driving through Windsor. My pastor came all the way from Windsor came to the graduation which was at 7 to 10 at night and drove all the way home and then preach Sunday morning and Sunday evening and knowing him. They probably had somebody in Sunday afternoon.

I said thanks and then I became a pastor while Amanda and what motivates us to grow is to know that the people who want us to grow really love us and it seems this preacher knows these people and is very clear that he loves and if we're going to minister effectively to our children to her husband or wife. People in the congregation. They lay they need to know that we really love them. I was listening to a song the other week I guess.

And in this gal sang a song to the greatest man about the greatest man I never knew it was a song about her father who did this this this this, but never once said he loved her not.

It said both ways is said both ways.

It's clear from the Bible that Paul or Peter or James or whoever. These men loved your people in love is a powerful thing is that the most powerful thing that motivates people to change into persevere and to press on.

When I was a teenager I played the alto sax. I loved music. There was a man in our city who on Saturdays gave me free saxophone lessons he played in that Windsor Symphony taught in high school never took any money used is Saturday morning to teach a guy the saxophone. He never said anything except practicing work on those scales your fingering go to work on that embouchure. Whatever it might be, will see you next Saturday. 20 years later I was talking with my best friend and we hadn't seen each other in about 20 years and and he said to me you know Mr. Curry really loved you since a high school teacher who would ever thought a high school teacher really loved kids that meant so much to me even at that age I was in grade 11. I realize that this man obviously cared about me that he would sacrifice his wife would sacrifice their Saturday mornings so that some goofy little kid could come saxophone and so what we need to understand here is where working through and see if we get side tracked with the wrong issues will miss the good stuff and he says I want you to know I'm shifting this a little bit though we spoken this way. Yet, in your case, beloved, those are words of comfort and the word comfort doesn't mean you cuddle up on the couch with that an Afghan or something. The word comfort means you put fortitude you put strength into people and there's nothing more powerful than to know that the people who come to you and at times have to say difficult things that they really love you but there's more to his comfort, then expressing his love and care.

Look at this.

He says no we speak. In this way yet verse nine. In your case, beloved, we feel sure a better thing now that feel sure, there is almost kind of weak because it I have absolute confidence in you. Don't you like it when someone has confidence in you all. Maybe they have to correct you, but he's going to go on and he is going to point out encouraging things to these people. Look what he says we are convinced of in our word better member that's kind of the buzzword of the sermon all the way through the book of Hebrews better things.

Things that accompany salvation, you know, if you're really saved it works. It takes you, as an empty handed sinner, you have nothing to offer but your sin. It is like one of those old rundown buildings you see on the road and it's Don's diner anything I wouldn't take a dog in their usual by one day and there's balloons. There's those floppy things and there's signs limit under new management. When you think I think I tried that and you go in and you say wow this is great in the Lord Jesus when he saves a person he moves in and takes up residence and it should be obvious that if there is a spouse on your screen.

The nobodies lived in for 10 years, and neighbors move and you'll know specially if they got kids you know and he says you have things that belong to salvation is not encouraging and then not only does the way, there is probably the preacher, and Timothy, and probably others, but in verse 10 he says for God is not unrighteous. God is not unjust so as to overlook your work in the love that you have shown for his name and serving the saints as you still do not encouraging to think that a godly person would recognize the work of God in you, and to point out that God himself is at work and he doesn't overlook it, and what do they see, for God is not unjust to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name and serving the saints as you still do. He points to the track record the past and the real proof that you really love Jesus, is that you love is bratty kids. I use this illustration in our home church and I said what would you think if Joe and Mary would love to have you guys come over for dinner, but don't bring your bratty kids would you come some you would but when you really think about it. No, if you don't love my kids, then you don't really love me and and you see there people who have been to church here is not because a cove is just because he can't stand the people of God but they love and the Bible says and survey says if you love me love my people and I got to hang out with you guys for all eternity.

And you know what's worse to hang out with me yet.

Right now you're blessed they bring me in for for five days and then maybe in a couple years so happy back but to love the people of God. The word there for certain that Ms. Dion plus it's a table waiter. I can imagine a worse job than the waiter or waitress in a restaurant, cleaning up after people, and that's what the Christian life is often about cleaning up after and what God is noticing what the people of God is noticed these people love the people of God.

And they love them, for Jesus sake for his name. When I started dating Marlene courting Marlene I found out she had a family.

She had mother and father and brother and a sister that I really love her love.

I did, I have to start loving her mom and dad and your brother and sister because it's a package deal is the same with the Lord to live in love with the saints, a bubble that would be glory, but to live below with the saints. I know that's another story. But what the preacher has noticed about these people and he's absolutely convinced of this that they have godly track record right up to the present and he was save why we preach those things because they have a godly track record right up to the present. You see what you been driving 40 years they don't stop putting warning signs on the road back the older you get, the more you need to have those things don't you and you may mean never had an accident. Never had to use your insurance and a big part is because you responded to the warning signs all through the years and so she gives him great words of comfort that he cares about them and he's confident the God is work in their lives. That's all I want to know is going to gotta work my life.

I member going back to Benbrook pastor for 18 years. We were gone for 12 we came back I said in the sermon.

I hope that the person you see who's growing the most in this next year is me. I haven't arrived and now hopefully you guys can know just by the aura. I still got a lot of growing to do by live to be old as Methuselah have grown to do but do you see evidence you people see evidence why your nice you know. Yeah, I know you got bad temper in this but yeah no do they see things that accompany salvation.

If you're saved you'll love the other people God saving sins and all. When I was pastoring I would do a lot of premarital counseling and first session. You know they're all bubbly and excited LK Joe what you like about Susie well you know he's a guy so she's cute she's pretty I say she's cute, you know, okay, okay Susie what you like about this clown and you allow this dimple and you know is going nice car and blah blah blah those things I said okay and I say Joe, what don't you like about Susie naming five things and he's a little shocked then well you know she's I always have to wait. She's never on time. Does that bother you. Charlie Joe names then you may list anything Susie what what don't you like about Joe well they can be insensitive at times. You can barge through the door first take the biggest piece of cake is pop pop on the couch and grabbed the remote never wants to see love it or listed whatever it is and then I'll say to them when you go down that aisle and I pronounce you man, a wife, nothing will change when you come back up the aisle of the proof that you love this guy is not that you like his dimples is what will you do with his because you will live with that for the rest your life and see God loves me in the context of my sin now will move on. I'm not sure how long I have here but until I see Blair's I'll just keep going.

I just won't look over there.

So, how's it going after words of comfort. He has words of counsel and when you know that somebody loves you and somebody sees the evidence of the grace of God in your life. Are you open you want to hear what they gotta say sure you do, and he has words of counsel in the word of counsel is found in verse 11, he says in verse nine where we feel sure were very confident real evidences of marks of salvation in your life. In verse 11 aces and we desire each one to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end what he is saying is that you know what our prayer and desire is for people like you that God loves and we love people like you that we see real evidence of saving faith in God sees evidence of saving faith and will respond to that in his time and in his wake.

What we want you to do is grow up and grow up fast and persevered to see how the warnings fitted to see how the promises fitted our prayer and desire for is you is that a notice here. It doesn't say y'all uses each one of you and I know down here.

Y'all can even meet one person little confusing to me but y'all but what he's saying is that while there is much that the church can do corporately. There are some things that you have to do for yourself. I can't believe for you I can get saved for you. I can't persevere for and we can't persevere for you each one of us is responsible that we haven't eager desire to press on and persevere in the whole and the hope is the certainty in the sureness of this thing, we were not following a fairytale. This is the most true stuff in the universe. That is what is true about Jesus Christ and we want you to persevere to the end and you got a grow got a deli puts a negative because the question is will how do I do that is going to give a negative then is going to give a positive and hopefully will be through then negative in verse 12, is so that you may not be sluggish. This is the same word that is used in chapter 5, verse 11. You become dull or sluggish or lazy or lethargic in your hearing whether you like it or not. God does all of this work through the word, by the spirit and the biggest problem in spiritual immaturity is laziness in the Middle Ages. They guess they didn't have anything better to do. They categorize sins and they said there were seven deadly sins that is sins that would kill grace in one of those sins was named after an animal slot, but if you go to the book of Proverbs you see that Solomon is constantly speaking to his kid saying listen, don't be a sluggard, don't be lazy. Don't be so. We live in a lazy culture doesn't amaze you how lazy our cultures and we see somebody achieve something, whether it's in sports or academic or not. 10-year-old gifted in playing the piano and we think all would be great to be like that in the course at kids practicing like 12 hours a day. Well I don't know if I wanted do that but I loved to build play the piano.

I love to be able to know the Bible like well you won't lazy and we live in a culture assault soft culture because we have so many blessings temper blessings that encourages laziness. I'll get around to it.

I know I didn't have my devotions today, but you know was I just didn't get around to it. I know I should've done that. I know I know I should be reading a book. Everyone's it was it beautiful day too nice a day to be diligent and disciplined, and what we will find on the judgment day is that everybody who pasta size became lazy. First, so he in love tells him he counsels stop.

That doesn't mean when you're 75. You can do all the things you could do when you were 25 but were talking about spiritual things were talking about disciplining yourself to discern that from good from bad to be able to listen and discern when you're watching a TV program I just kind of semicomatose were you thinking what was the plot line that I don't mean some dirty filthy thing but almost every Disney movie and I'm not saying you should watch it almost every Disney movie says what you've got it in yourself to be whatever you want to be. The Bible says all you've got in yourself as soon that there is help and is found in Jesus so negatively I have to take laziness seriously my laziness.

Seriously, I can't do anything about your laziness positively. How do I persevere read all of Calvin's commentaries before I'm 40 know. Look what he says so in verse 12 that you may not be sluggish or lazy or lethargic, but a word of contrast but be imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises seal the warnings and the promises go together. You know what you need to do is whatever good business does whatever good sports team does, that they may put the rookie to room with the superstar. There are some teams who will get out player whose past his prime and the only reason they still want them is because of the influence. He will be in that block he comes to practice every practice is on time. He's disciplined is in the weight room.

He's doing the things he needs to do, so that he can stay in the leg. Who you like, you become like have you noticed that and I'm defined a person or two in the word imitate. There is the word for my few of you might remember red skeleton. What a good mind. He was in he could do a whole program without speaking. Absolutely amazing and and we could always tell when one of our kids got a new friend and we knew something about that new friend before we ever met them where kid had wore his hat the way he talked the way, because who you like, you become like what you need to do first of all, is defined in the Bible, godly people to imitate now in the book of Hebrews. He is given examples of apostates generation in the wilderness, Esau, but in chapter 11. Person after person after person after person by faith, by faith, by faith, by faith and by faith there and means by persevere in faith despite incredible odds and difficulties and dangers they pressed on and they persevered. If your younger person you find an older person in your church is pressing on may not be the coolest thing but it will be the wisest thing you do you go to that window and see how do you do how do you do it with all your heart ache. How do you come here Sunday after Sunday and sing the praises of the Lord and love the word and are kind to the people of God.

How do you do let you find somebody of your younger that will take you under their wing and make sure you you to find people that will show you how to persevere to the end. That's the most important thing to persevere to the end and then as you get older you be on the lookout for a younger person that can take into your confidence in mentoring and it doesn't mean you got books and you got, you know all the rules is just that you come alongside and you help them press on and persevere. That wonderful I came out of a non-Christian home.

My father was violently opposed to the gospel 17 years old, a couple in our church who had seven kids.

They have a little hardware store and they lived in an apartment upstairs. They kind of adopted me and I was always welcome their and when I was a little discouraging things were difficult. I go and find those stairs.

I was not more able than an and I climbed the stairs. The dad would sit me down and say I want to listen to these him get out his record player and play these great hymns or he talked about theology and his wife would come in with some freshly baked bread, butter, pizza, homemade apple pie, and they just like like I was the kid. Then I went to Bible college.

I don't even say two years of third-year student who is really old. He was about 35 came up to me one day and he says you know, could we meet every week. I said I know who you are.

He says why a Rogerian wife, Joan was just put it on my heart to be your friend on so thankful. Look what he says but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises you want to know how to get to the promises. All he he heed the warnings, please hear them don't don't get them. Don't let your theology throw you off that theology is right and true and good, but it is never intended to keep you from hearing and heeding the warnings because the warnings lead to the promises and notice those promises are about inheritance. These people are losing everything for Jesus, their homes and families through businesses. No one smarted yet no one's died in this church yet for Jesus, but they probably will in the gospel comes and says I can promise that some of this world.

I've written into the will. What a great gospel and of anything about being a Christian is very practical anybody here don't understand what laziness is anyone here who doesn't understand what it means to find good godly friend who will help you to press on the person doesn't say read all of Calvin's doesn't say master you know Luther listened every's CD by RC Sproul and all that stuff's grave, if he appeared able to do that but do with your laziness and find people who will help you to press on and persevere good take you aside and who love you and Sipes fully yourself that are smart enough to hear some chocolate cake. Let's talk about it all. By the way, if you don't have anybody to imitate.

Come back tomorrow night and I'll introduce you to someone you can imitate