Witness Tampering (Part C)

The first steps to growing the submission to the right authorities. The world gets this I maybe I remember in the you know the military up on the walls, body and spirit.

I surrendered hold the harsh instructors and received the soul what would that, but I understand the mindset and why was on the wall because they understood they were going to make progress. Submission was necessary where we in Christ is supposed to know that for them was supposed to know it better. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Mark, please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching today. Pastor Rick will begin in acts chapter 20 with this study called, witness tampering. I don't know why I think this congregation, what I can understand yet it but I also know there's a lot but don't get it.

They don't see how complete it is how necessary it is not to back away from this Scripture alone idea. Some of you have to learn the hard way the younger ones you just can't take the word of of the righteous for you. Gotta go out there and make arrest a wreck of your life and then come back and take me.

Hopefully you come back and then take a skip that step be righteous from the beginning. What's this talk about depression and use my missing something. I was a youth once a lot of anger. I have too much brush so that anger, though. Rico just poured gasoline on that you're angry now. You these drill instructors get through with you anyway to get out of the fleet to really be an angry man was so looking back at that life. So what what what I have done if I had just adhered to Christ was raised to love Jesus Christ.

Why did I walk away many of you men and women you are Naomi's two other men and women, of course, make it fit. I mean women are Naomi's to the girls not to become Samuels you men to other men become this influence nest will be looking at the life of Saul. Saul had Samuel. He threw it all away just the way to the point we would've killed Samuel so you young man. You young women when not be bold in Christ. When I take that energy and be bold in Christ.

When I get the answers said one of the first steps to growing the submission to the right authorities world gets this I maybe I remember in the you know in the military up on the walls, body and spirit. I surrendered hold the harsh instructors and received the soul. What I don't agree with that but I understand the mindset of why was on the wall because they understood that they were going to make progress. Submission was necessary where we in Christ are supposed to know that for them was supposed to know it better. And that's why we get to the end of this this verse as we student read a moment ago Christ will end it with have peace with one another.

There is a hierarchy.

There's nothing wrong with that is a chain of command and liked is nothing wrong with these things.

If the leaders be noble leaders.

These are very good things for for all of us.

So when Jesus says it would be better again in verse 42 for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.

That should make anybody say what I want to make sure this is not was going to happen to me. Luke 10 verse 16 he who hears you hears me and he who rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects me rejects him who sent me. There is a chain there is a link to the throne of God and you can either be on that link.

Part of that link or not of it. When I think about the use hear you for 13 years old and up in your in the sanctuary. Do I have to say you understand what I'm saying is I happen to think is very simple. I go out of my way to keep the syllables at short, in a language that everybody can understand. My son was three or four years old start of reading him about little children stories I go verse by verse with a understood all because it was my responsibility to get him to understand all at the time he was reading as I was reading these things and I read write to the gospel of John. And when I got to words in a newly witnessed central ideas and concepts that others move past them or explain them. I think that the word of God is very understandable and as far as you hearing the pastor preached I don't look at anybody. When I preach. I look at the corners of the room and we would be terrible, terrible, talking about adultery is on the right, at somebody so don't think I'm picking you out. Maybe because I wear the spectacles you can't tell my eyeballs a focus but I'm telling you that the corners of the room.

I want you to get God's word.

You won't have any excuse you won't be able to go out to the world and say well I never heard that before. I did know God said that no will be the other way around.

You heard it had a choice. You are encouraged by people who love and care for you when you do it all all have one millstone, please. You go have I almost had my had one live lug around for years I would Christ like the Pilgrim's progress he had that burden on his back. I had the transmission tied around my neck speaking which we got time. I can get the rest of this frequently is a story about these three teams and walking around and they see this transmission out in the field and they pick up the transmission. First, they come across a well old well and they see this transmission list for the transmission in the well. So the three of them get the transmission up in a leather over the well drop in and out the corner of their eyes.

They see this goat running towards them faster than they've never seen a goat or any other animal. Running the lives right into the well and is scratching their heads in the farmer they see a farmer coming from say you boy see my goal.

Mr. you will believe you goat came running past is right that we are running faster than any animal we've ever seen one before, so that's impossible.

He was chained to a transmission dummies will notice the chain. That's how we are in life we were groomers knowing we don't notice things that would cause damage, forgo running as fast as he could close being told under will anyway I did and I didn't intend to tell that joke I told you before, I love telling maybe you get it again next week. Go left. But anyway this again not disconnected. He says if your hand verse 23 if your hand causes you to send cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched. Okay he's just upped everything with this kind of talk.

Everything is got more serious at this point of this if your hand causes you to sin, of course, that's a vehicle for the heart to get the deed done outward thing that is operating on the strength of something that's inside.

This is still central to being right with Christ. I has other applications but it's all connected and he saying if you're right with me if you believe in me. That's one thing if you don't believe in me whatever's keeping you from not believing in me. You need to cut that thing off. If you want to get into heaven.

You've got to start severing some things from your life. That is the main point as other applications and you can read them in your study Bibles this is the application that I see standing out as were considering this. Otherwise, I have a fragment of what he's been talking about and I see no room for that is making a distinction and this is a big distinction. Everything in the preceding verses had to do with tampering with a witness says cut it off take radical measures better cause yourself fleshly pain not getting what you want. That's pretty tough then spiritual judgment meant now might be a time through bring up Thomas Cranmer who was a reformer in the 1500s and he is one of the Oxford martyrs. There were three men Vladimir Nicholas Ridley and Thomas Cranmer. These men were all of the youngest was mid 50s or others were in their 60s and they were burned at the stake. Each one of them.

They were part of the reformers in England during the reign of blood. He married and Cranmer. He was the Archbishop of Canterbury, but he was against the Pope while he recanted. He said okay I'm not against the Pope anymore, not against the Massey PEs wrote this out and signed while he saw what happened to his buddies.

They made him watch as a birthday burned Ridley and and Vladimir at the stake made him watch and imprisoned him. They put a lot of pressure on them to break him and after he signed. Okay, I, I, I don't resist you anymore is okay anyway let you have your last public statement submit your sermon to us read it out and give you illegally. This was done, but it was done. Anyway, he makes his public statement in his prayers and then towards the end he renounced his renouncing.

He said he I think back I do. I am not on the same page going to kill me. Anyways, limited what I really think that I should've done it the first time, but I cowered under the pressure. Now I have a chance to redeem myself and he said, as will the Pope. I refuse him, he's Christ enemy and the antichrist. With this false doctrine. That didn't help the big big distressed about of the pulpit. When he started speaking these things in the God of him often where six months earlier. These other two men were burned at the stake here said that he would put that hand that signed these recantation's of the faith, he said I'm gonna put that hand in the fire first and that's precisely what he did as he was burning at the stake yelled out that unworthy hand and his last dying words were Lord Jesus, receive my spirit as it was with others who were being exit murdered by the henchman of blood he married anyway we talking about if your hand causes you to sin and Cranmer illustrated that for us literally just straight out his hand, caused him to sin. It was a mistake. It was wrong and he repented and so Christ says continuing in verse 43 it is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands. This is logical. You believe in the spiritual world, the Lord is asking us to consider painful obedience but is saying to the unbeliever.

It is better for you to cut off those things that keep you from getting right with me. That's the main thrust of this uses the visas having two hands to go to hell that Greek word there Kahana comes from the Hebrew.

It's a translation of the Hebrew Valley of him no and Christ uses the word 11 times for help. James uses it once. It doesn't show up anybody from anyone else as a metaphor for the wrath of God and Christ is telling us listen. Satan hates humans and he you should expect him to do what hurts humans, God loves you should expect God to do it the love to do what would you expect from someone who loves them choices into the fire that shall never be quenched. Hell and eternal fire. Here are used interchangeably for the same thing so we know that hell is real place and it is in contrast to eternal life. But there's more that comes out of this in verse 44 pieces where their worm does not die and their fire is not quenched. She's quoting Isaiah 66 and is going to quoted three times and is quoting it three times for emphasis say pastor you see your repeating yourself, what sort of Jesus. He is repeating himself because it is that important because he feels that if he doesn't repeat it three times on this subject that somehow this message is going to be lost on the ears of his listeners. The fire and the worm. Of course they are not literal because a worm could not endure the fire just as metaphor together they depict an eternal hell it is eternal it is gnawing is horrific and it is state of consciousness for those who do not believe in Christ who have rejected him or heard the gospel message and said I rejected God has no right to those people to dictate terms. They can dictate terms to God. That's what idolatry is idolatry says I don't want to hear what God says about himself.

I want to tell God what he is. I'm going to make this little man with a go-ahead or something and say that's what my God is and God is going to say that's kooky but okay going to be a punishment that second Peter three verse nine, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance, so message world tampers with that trust to make you afraid to say that any of you afraid to say that to somebody if you get into a conversation in the workplace and if you afraid to say Jesus is the way the truth and life, and there is no other way to heaven.

You been tampered with your witness that's been tampered with, say, I am afraid, but I do it anyway you overcome the tampering.

So Paul writes, knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we persuade men. Second Corinthians 511 we persuade them because there is a Tara verse 45. Now in Mark nine and if your foot causes you to send cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having 2 feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched in. So if you're not a believer. It is better for you to take steps to become a believer and cut off those things that lead you down the wrong path. Thus, to foot the metaphor of the foot where you stand in verse 46 where their worm does not die and their fire is not quenched.

This is the second time and it refutes annihilation as a teaching that goes around that with the unbelievers will be annihilated. That's not what this is saying this is saying is ongoing. It doesn't stop otherwise mean the worst thing I had to worry about is I wouldn't exist anymore. Where would be the incentive to and obey God. There would be no punishment if they are tormented and they are not annihilated. Verse 47. If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out, it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.

Anybody want me to apologize for these things that any of you want to send us a little harsh pastor okay let me mark it out of my Bible and you walk it out of your Bible well on the market and out of mind. I will not stand for God's sake, you know what needed to be edited so I took out the sink that I didn't care for because I want to live my life my way. What's it to you you that's your approach to eternity. Then you going to going hold to a judgment that won't stop. Verse 47 and if your eye causes you to send pluck it out, it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. What you learned in church today after hearing Jesus say these things meant Peter going to bed. His wife is also what was the Lord talking about what he said of your eye causes you to sin, rip it out. She wouldn't forget him here. Hearing him say that this very pattern the socket. All truth.

None of this is to be taken literal. As far as the hand in the eye in the foot, but as metaphor because if you pluck out your right eye is Jesus says you still have you left cytosine with if you cut off your right hand. You will have another Hannah, file it just is. Of course that's not the solution would care for a Mame society a bunch of people walking around blind and then maimed is not literal righteous look at this and say this is severe, but I'm not too concerned why Romans 81 there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, according to the spirit they've hacked off the flesh. They've cut off the foot in the hand of the flesh there now lining up with Christ. Salvation is a gift to the guilty. That's what salvation is and Christ as I know you're guilty and I also know this, that you just knowing what not to do is not enough to keep you from doing it is still going to send so I'm going to forgive you in such a way Satan can get to that as a Christian now is not an endorsement to sin, because the love of Jesus Christ will compel you to fight such feelings. The fact is that there is a real temptation that cost David and Bathsheba is just one of many stores Sampson life of Samson is yet another blood of Jesus Christ washes it all away from the believer. Daniel chapter 3 illustrates this. Three men that were cast into the fiery furnace satraps and administrators the governors the king's counselors together. They saw that these men whose bodies fire had no power, the hair of their head was not singed, nor their garments affected and the smell of fire was not on them there in the fire refers they didn't even smell like smoke when they survived it.

That's going to be us in heaven.

This life is a fiery furnace for us loaded with temptations and failures. And yet, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from the smell of the smoke from the evidences of temptation and failure. That's what makes F8 so so powerful verse 40 ongoing old lady limits. B.S because that joke you were begging for verse 48 where their worm does not die and their fire is not quenched. So much for indiscriminate rest in peace brother will depends rest in peace of these walk with Christ world hates that they hated until they repent.

I can understand. I can understand them rejecting Christ. I cannot understand.

Continuing to reject Christ when the evidence is so astounding. Verse 49 for everyone will be seasoned with fire and every sacrifice will be.

Season with salt and other words no one goes through life without testing. Everyone will be seasoned by fire. The fires of temptation. What is the greatest temptation to not believe in Jesus Christ to reject him say it's not so I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God which is your reasonable service. Christ is doing here. Reasoning with them. So that's the contrast for everyone will be seasoned with fire and every sacrifice is the contrast that everyone is tempted, but not everyone brings a sacrifice that is acceptable, just as Cain and Abel brought the one that was acceptable. Jesus said to him speaking to the thief on the cross that submitted to him. Surely, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise. If that guy can get in by just receiving Christ and anybody can get in by just receiving Christ. It was more than a plea. The full-blown outlaw. He surrendered came down to a choice that man severed his hand to witness lied to get into the kingdom. He cut himself off his rights to himself waived and he gave them to Christ. Proverbs 1810 the name of Yahweh is a strong tower the righteous run into and they are safe. Everyone is tested, but not everyone brings a sacrifice that is seasoned with salt that's in line with Deuteronomy 213. You can look that up and on time closing now verse 50 salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another. Salt is a metaphor here metaphors flying all over the place with Christ because the lessons would stick as we do and we talked a little children who try to tell them stories in a way that it sticks with them. Also, Christ salt. Of course it resists rotten decay and Jesus is saying, resist, resist the devil resist the flesh, resist the world. We know that from the rest of the Scripture, that he has offered through this service faultless life. What is that good for salt can't be re-seasoned. The only way I know that you can literally read makes all flavorless is if you overwhelm one speck of salt in a bucket.

You won't even notice it is overwhelmed. That's the point of crisis, making salt is good so I supposed to lose its flavor is not supposed to be overwhelmed. You're supposed to have this resistance towards those things are not wholesome and current and correct. However, when you're young you got all of these hormones flying around. You want to do things a crazy, don't do this is going to be bad for you in the long run.

And when you're young you know you just see you.

Can you just leave when you get old is not like there's a lot of old bombings to community, but there are a lot of righteous old people in your letter righteous young people also surpass you sound harsh.

Who's got time to slow it all down, I'm you know you got Arava Bull Run every comment you can do it well amount of time and have salt in yourself. He says at the bottom of verse 50.

That is life against a corrupt culture. My pastor like to say any dead fish can swim downstream flow downstream tics alive want to go against the current, you younger believers as you face the world trying to lure you when you go against them. Learn how to enjoy serving Christ.

There is a joy answer and have peace with one another that goes back to their argument that started the whole thing.

They did have peace with another when they were arguing about who's going to be greatest move. Thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of Mark cross reference radio is the teaching ministry of pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia to learn more information about this ministry. Visit our website cross reference radio.com once you're there you'll find additional teachings from Pastor Rick.

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