Rookie Mistakes Series: #1 Withholding the Gospel (Part A)

These standards must come with convictions. A conviction is something you are convinced of you believe it. You don't have standards and goals. Just because you're old. I have you have them because you believe you don't understand them. You believe them because of the one gave them and then the doors open up for exploration and development is a natural process. So even if they resent your standards are different from theirs.

They will respect this is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Ricky is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through a series called rookie mistakes. Please stay with us after today's message here. More information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in Matthew chapter 7 as he begins his message with holding the gospel you have your Bibles please turn to Matthew's gospel chapter 7 sermon on the Mount. That means, buckle up because now it's not very kind to the flesh of carnal nature that part of us that wants to sin, and will sin if it's given the chance. Verse six and if you would stand for the reading of God's word. We will read Matthew chapter 7 verse six. Do not give what is holy to the dogs nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet and turn and tear you in pieces with holding the gospel that is the title of consideration, but let's define what I mean by rookie mistakes. We all make mistakes is nowhere around that and there's no mistaking that. But it is our high task to drastically reduce the amount of mistakes that we may now there are amateur mistakes and again from time to time we make them but not so much. If we work hard. We we would we do eliminate the amateur ones.

They're the easiest to avoid butter rookie mistake is one that is made by someone who is experienced and knows better and yet they do something that they know they should not of done or should've caught and we can hear ourselves say when we make a rookie mistake. I knew better. I can't believe I did that. If you look online. You see the poster that we have on Facebook for this series. It is accompanied by the leaning Tower Tower of Pisa because that is a rookie mistake concerning civil engineering. Somebody made a basic mistake. It took advanced engineers to correct or stabilize the mistake but if you going to build all builders know you have to have a solid foundation all the way around the structure and they felt their leaving leaving the builders saying can plead we did that and as a Christian I hope that I reduce the rookie mistakes it matters in marriage matters very much. Especially when you attach it to the text that we just considered a moment ago. We do not want to justify criticisms. We don't want someone to say you should've known better and we say you're right, although again it happens from time to time. It should not happen all the time but unfortunately Christianity. Too many of us make the rookie mistakes routinely and there are several reasons, some of it is pride. Some of it is self of stubbornness, insistent and stubborn stubbornness. Some is ignorance and hopefully with no these are the things we will correct in our lives when we are exposed to the preaching of the word Jesus said to them, do you not understand this parable. How then will you understand all parables.

In other words he wanted his disciples, his followers, those who love him to understand him enough. That's what he was looking for. So when he says again in John six he says words that I speak to you are spirit and they are life. When I talk to you when I'm telling you things, this is all about man and God. You and it is the right way.

It is life, not death, not destruction the thief. He comes to steal and kill and to destroy the word of God comes to bring life and sincerely wanting to save souls is no excuse for violating the rules that the soul saver saver that is the Lord has established. He does the soul saving.

We are to do the obeying and not take things upon ourselves if I'm going to get these lives around me saved. I must be bound by rules I must know what works and what does not work. I must consider who tells me it works and does not work. I must obey the Lord you want to save souls. You should if you say you are a born again Christian. If you say you are a believer in Jesus Christ. I don't think there's any way you can say I have my salvation.

I care about anybody else. I think it's the other way around.

I think we say I have my salvation. I care about everybody else I want to be used by God to reach as many people as I can. All right, not the formula is to me. Not very complicated want to be used to save souls be blameless enough we all cannot be blameless. None of us can completely, but we can be blameless enough be approved by God. Follow his word rightly divide his word, open it up. Don't just take things upon yourselves by presumption be a student of Scripture, listen, pay attention, develop what you believe in, learn how to articulate it.

That will make you ready be blameless enough be approved unto God, be ready in season and out of season. That pretty much covers all the time that we have here in this life knowing our message knowing it enough that the gospel is not this deep, deep, complicated thing to share the Bible can go deep as you want to go, it will always go deeper than we can go.

But the basic message of evangelism saving souls is very simple and we must not feel that we have to go to seminary or have a commentary on every single book of the Bible before we are ready to share our faith journey of faith, the sharing of the faith you tell the people that are before you about the one you love and why you love him does not have to take long at all and many times we are afraid of their questions or their challenges, which I would encourage you not be too moved by because, as a rule, also half-baked, false defenses, they will throw up. The Lord will help you with it. Now I am not telling you things that I do not live myself and in this case I've been a good part of my life in industrial construction where I had so much opportunity to witness to share my faith. In fact, as a pastor now having someone a linear life from home to church in the stops that are associated with the church of almost always round believers now and II look back at that time in my life and I say you had so many lives to preach the gospel to and I did.

God open the door. 99% of the time that one time one time that I recall taking it upon myself to share the gospel with somebody, as opposed to my standard method of waiting for them to initiated the one time it wasn't a disaster. The person did not get upset and and and or anything like that. They simply just weren't interested in change the subject and I knew instantly. This was not the leading of the Spirit. This is me. I wanted to finish and follow-up what I started the day before with this person. So I brought it up, but as a rule rule for me was I will not preach Christ unless the door opens and it would usually open.

Would someone saying something like, what did you do Sunday I went to church and they said anything else about that then I would then start sharing with them.

Usually what the message was oral, or other things about Christ. What I always determine to not cast pearls before swine because I thought that was up and I still do a principle of Scripture and we going open that up now. But before I do one more line be blameless enough be approved under God. Be ready and be led because your fed the word of God, be led by the spirit of God that abides in you. If you believe the New Testament teaches this and emphasizes it, then you have to develop. It is going to take participation going to have to adhere to what God says or at least desire to do it. I have learned that having high principles eventually brings unpleasant experiences because of those principles have a high standard is going to be challenged.

Satan's going to come your way. At some point as a pastor you would like to have a pastor that sets policies because the Lord has directed him to set those policies in his particular field of ministry in this chart. For example, ended with the sanctuary, which we tried to keep the sanctuary as a distinct environment that is no place like this on earth. We don't we don't allow folks to bring sandwiches in LSU and Sharon. We don't allow people to bring watering.

I mean here this week there a swig everywhere, a swig swig just that it's a distraction to what's going on. Surely you can watch with me one hour Jesus, it could you not watch one hour.

There are those that want to pass will have a canoe I'm sorry we give you a buddy pass you begin to erode the principles, rules the policies the directives from the throne we all we all will have to have these principles in our life before going to be effective in sharing Jesus Christ, which we all want to do, so that one policy okay no water there initially. Another core group of believers are I will what you pastor and then that time goes on its chat because we want to bring people into the house of God.

We want to feed them. We would like them to stay if God is bringing them here, but another policy is we don't grow the church ever. That is the exclusive role of the Holy Spirit to get these things in the mail grow your church. It's not it's not a man-made enterprise, the Lord added to the church, such as those who were being saved not mend added to the church. We have to be blameless in this before the Lord. We were not trying to pick up, dismantle the church either. But we have our directives we follow them, and we should have this as individual Christians.

Rules of sharing the faith we make these rookie mistakes and the whole thing falls down. Matthew 26 verse 33 Peter answered and said to him, even if all are made to stumble because of you I will never be made to stumble.

What I am noble cause Peter amen brother make everybody falter thousand and 10,000 of my right hello thousand and 11. They all polish and not come near me. Well, Satan hears that is see about that. We are going to see. Of course, Peter did because was pride based Peter did stumble. Isaiah the prophet had to deal with those who did not want the rules they did not want the precepts they mocked the prophet. They marked the Bible teaches present must be upon precept line must be up on line here little their little is he going to talk to us like little children with they said prof called him out on this precept upon precept is rule public is what is the antithesis.

What is the opposite lawlessness helter-skelter everybody's doing what they wanted to impulse becomes the sacred cow in this Christianity that we know if the intentions are good, though I do not waive the notice.

If you feel it brother just do it because the cause is good that becomes a sacred Sacred cow takes many hours to bring it down. It is wrong.

It is not scriptural, we are not commanded to be impulsive recommended to be led by the spirit that is not synonymous with being emotionally driven, no matter how good the cause is going to take discipline.

What other kind of truths are successful against other troops who are disciplined, see the Satan. Satan's forces are disciplined. Jesus had a house divided cannot stand Satan second cast out Satan, he has his agenda.

He's going to stick to you that I have yours that you are to match what he is doing to be effective against it. You better have your principles in place, casting out the gospel without the spirit is common and ill-advised. In fact, Jesus uses very strong words will come back to our text or maybe now would be a good time to be reminded of it. Do not give what is holy to the dogs not cast your pearls before swine list. They trample them under their feet and turn and tear you and peace cites a pretty serious and that statement I don't think he was think of the hero as he moved on with the sermon. Forget about that point I made back then I didn't mean it meant every word of it and it is up to us to find out where it belongs in our lives precepts rules, principles they form within us. Our useful approaches, lost souls doing the business of the Lord without a purpose without rules without standards. Without these teachings from the Scripture. Can we count for anything in the world. What can we do for the kingdom. We have nothing that binds us scoffers. It will come along, they will encounter these high intentions that we have. It will laugh they will pretend to seem to mock and they will sneer, but at the one that has standards they will still respect. Nonetheless, these standards must come with convictions.

A conviction is something you are convinced of you believe it. You don't have standards and goals. Just because you're told to have them you have them because you believe the and if you don't understand them. You believe them because of the one who gave them to.

And then the doors open up for exploration and development. These are natural processes. So even if they resent that your standards are different from theirs. They will respect they will they will in their heart, respect, and that gives opportunity for them to hear you when the Holy Spirit opens the door to share the gospel.

Again, I'm not sharing something that I've read in books as far as its application goals is something that I get from the Scripture and I've been allowed to apply it, and I find that it works in each individual has to make some adjustments not violations adjustments because of the personality circles that they find themselves in. But the basic principles are the same and if you mess with the foundation. Your tower will lean and fall we get these things not from organizations, seminaries, higher education, theories, programs, activities, each of these can never make up or match the leading of the Holy Spirit.

We know Billy Graham that great evangelist now in the kingdom. Really Graham had a colleague in the faith.

Charles Templeton. They both were preaching the gospel and saving souls, Templeton decided he needed higher education in the faith, and he went on to Princeton University because it wasn't good enough.

Being in the spirit leading people to arise, I have to have an education. I have to have credentials. I have to be accredited. Someone bigger than me and my mind has to approve me well be approved unto God, well he did go to Princeton and soon after became flaming apostate. They stole his faith because having begun in the spirit. He did not think it was worth being perfected in the spirit. It is a rookie mistake it is right here in the Scriptures, and it's been here in the Scriptures for 2000 years, and yet is ignored and passed by, because because of what I don't know so effective is the Holy Spirit's work in our lives that Satan is devoted to hurling everything added to stop it so that people don't get saved strengthen the saved pastor reach for the lost. That's true for the pastor and that's true for the individual Christian strengthen your own faith so that you can be a strength to others. Iron sharpens iron with an abrasive process that is iron sharpening iron. It can be painful sometimes Billy Sunday was a evangelist many decades ago. I quote this often enough. He says settle the question very early that your life shall be directed by principles and not by impulse, how accurate is that I don't go by the impulse rack at the store in all right at the checkout batteries another flashlight she really needed to impulsive.

Now they have funerals, popcorn, soda, candy bars, everything that is just going to appeal to the emotion you go to the store to get that Google's of the stores.

This ghost gives me what you have in your impulse rack.

You'll find out that you find on. I'm sure you get something impulse or something to do with why our text is violated and is a rookie mistake so we now go back to Matthew chapter 7 verse six.

Do not give what is holy to the dogs not cast your pearls before swine list. They trample them under their feet and turn and tear you in pieces. The thought of people responding to holiness or not responding to holiness as dogs and hogs is gonna get anybody's attention when you first read this verse we read that freshening this is were doing this morning.

What stands out to you as you read this why I don't want to be the dog and I don't want to throw to the dog. I don't want to be the hog and I don't want to feed the hall. I don't want to be torn in pieces, especially some I say this is harsh but again Jesus was not interested in appeasing anyone he preached it, you took it or you left it. Those of the terms, then they are the terms now gospel does not need any help from us, except that we follow in Sherrick and Lovett. So the thought of people responding or not responding to holiness and calling them hogs and dogs should alert us that this is a serious issue is not one you just dismiss what if he said not give what is holy to the kittens and the puppies.

Everybody would be happy with that say turn and snuggle with you doesn't do that to the Jews. Listening to this dogs and hogs were unclean animals religiously speaking, that would've gotten their attention, but especially the part about them trampling the holy things and then turning on the holy people.

What am I supposed to do with this rejection of violence that's what's in those that belongs to those words to get our attention on purpose.

The pearl of great price. Not not that parable because that has reference to the church bought with the blood of Christ, but the pearl that he is talking about. In those days pearls were harder to get than they are in these days in the so they had a higher value like diamond. They were precious and for him to say you take this thing that is rare. It is hard to find. It's expensive no one would throw it to a dog or a pig. Why would you do this with the word of God with the things of God with the things that God is pronounced is holy and special. The pearl here is the work of Jesus Christ. Second Corinthians chapter 4 we have this treasure in earthen vessels. Can you not like that treasure is the gospel that is Christ himself is the Holy Spirit. We have him and he goes on to say that the excellence and the power may be of God and not of ourselves that places dependency upon the spirit of God and not my ability to articulate what to be a savvy Christian or to be justice.

Excellent evangelist. I look at some how they go around telling their testimony over and over.

I couldn't do that. I'm here this morning to tell you what I just told them last week in a different place about my testimony. I couldn't do that. That's something fresh. I want the word of God to be more part of him is a time to share your testimony here is not the pulpit but you get fragments of mine because I'm selfish like that about the tribe or if I start using others and always in a beating them up so use me and everybody's happy. Except me zeal for the causes of Christ is not good enough to serve is not good enough to want to do it, but it is critical that that be there.

That is a critical ingredient is sort of like cake making baking a cake.

Butter is a critical ingredient alone, eating a stick of butter not appealing so it is with sugar those spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.

So not only is it ineffective but it is dangerous. That's what Jesus is saying we sell is dangerous to the individual yes but it is also dangerous to the causes of Christ to the next guy that comes along that may have been the one that you may have wardrobe watered the seal planted in the next one comes along this work more work and should be before them because of the damage last Christian did remember not too long ago that was the Christian that decided he wanted to paddle out this island off the coast of India, where there was indigenous people there untouched by civilization pretty much but he is determined to go to them and preach the gospel, kill them, not say a word, they could understand. Concerning Christ, what move we are glad you joined us today to learn how to avoid some rookie mistakes in the thing. Pastor Rick will have more to share. Next time I cross reference radio ministry of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville, Virginia like to listen to more teachings from Pastor Rick. Or if you'd like more information about this program invite you to visit our website cross reference radio.com also encourage you to subscribe to our podcast so you'll never have to miss a program.

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