Question and Answer Program No. 91

Your contact with the questions coming yet serving can be a burden there's responsibility attached to any ministry service opportunity. But if you're serving in the church and ministry. Make sure you're doing it according to your spiritual gifting desire might be in the wrong role.

I think first of the chapter 3 where Paul is recruiting for that office of elder pastor teacher in the office and he says if anybody desires the office of weight just said anybody desires that one day every month. Stephen sets aside his normal Bible teaching to answer questions that have come in from listeners.

My name is Scott Wiley.

Steve and I are here in the studio with our producer Robin play some of those questions for you and give Stephen a chance to answer all come back and give you a phone number that you can call if you have a Bible question. But here's the first question that we received from the right wrong. Being unfaithful part goes to these will not inherit God's kingdom. So my question is about.

You will never ever ever troubled about what I've done those things. I'm sorry I did them find that I do them over and over and over again. So if you question I would initiated. James, thank you so much for calling and with that question, Stephen. That's probably a question that a lot of people have had is read that passage absolutely there a couple of things James. Keep in mind as you study the word. The first word in this context, and if you started. Verse 16 infects God he sees reading from Galatians here. Chapter 5. If we started verse 16 he sets the stage. Paul writes but I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. So right away. The believer has a choice that he can make if he walks by the Spirit.

A little later on. Paul is going to describe what that looks like the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and and on on verse 22 and forward but if you don't walk by the Spirit you can walk by the flash and what is that look like well if you go to verse 19 he described it gives us 15 violations of God's will, but if you are led by the spirit. You're not under the law. What he means is there is no charge against you now verse 19 the deeds of the flesh are evident, immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, outburst of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions envying this drunkenness, carousing things like these.

In other words, this list is not exhaustive. He simply says and other stuff like this guy. The list could be as long as your arm and then he basically says in his James question I'm I'm warning you that those who practice such things are not going to inherit the kingdom of God.

In other words it's possible for a Christian to do them. But Paul inserts this warning that hey we ought to be able to tell a difference between a believer and unbeliever so that leads them to the question, does that mean a Christian doesn't do these things well I gave you the first keyword that context. The second key word is tense.

The tense of the verb is present tense so you could understand it this way, those who practice such things. Those who live for these things those who cherish these things. Those who long to do these things are not on their way to heaven. There is a difference between a believer and unbeliever and unbeliever longs to sin.

A believer longs not to sin and unbeliever thinks the great weekend coming means he's going to get to do all these things that Paul listed in his many using get into a week and the better you feel a believer is smitten is grieved. Hates it. Fights okay so that's the idea here with the with Paula factors another text.

If you go over to Romans chapter 13 you'll find all giving a wonderful parallel text where he says in verse 13 of chapter 13 let us behave properly as in the day why is he asking the Christian to do that. He's asking us to do that because it's possible for a Christian to not behave properly. What is it mean to behave properly. Well, he goes on, not in carousing and drunkenness, sexual promiscuity and sensuality, strife and jealousies taken some of the same words from Galatians chapter 5 is brought them over here and Romans 13 but put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 14.

And make no provision for the flesh, so this is your goal. I like to think of a believer is an individual whose toes are pointed in the right direction.

That doesn't mean you can't trip or fall, you're capable of behaving incorrectly, sinfully, it's possible to grieve the Holy Spirit. It's possible to live and look like someone who is living for themselves. Pulses don't do that. In fact, if that's what you long to do and that is your practice and you never repent, you never feel badly about it, you're not going to heaven anyway.

In fact heaven would be disappointing to you. It would be anticlimactic. There are no weekends in heaven like the one you want. And so James that's the kind of individual he's addressing by the way, if you want to go over Galatians chapter 6 verse one and any follows up this text, Turner, myself, Scott. I know I got I got to wrap this up. We have other questions, but if you look at Galatians chapter 6 verse 20 says brethren. He's right. As Christians, brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness so it's possible the brethren, a brother or sister can be caught that idea by the way isn't the idea of God catching the person is the idea of a person being overtaken entangled caught up in the sinful behavior and so here's the practice of the church rather than kick them to the curb, saying you're on your way to hell no you know they may be a believer who's been caught up in a sinful practice and they need help and restoration partly adequate Scott we should do but that is so helpful. I think Stephen there is not a person listening members not certainly a person in this room who can't look at a list like that and say will wait a minute. I've done some of those absolutely so that is such a helpful answer. James, thank you so much for calling. Then friends.

Let me give you the phone number that James used, to ask Stephen that question. He dialed 910-808-9384 know when you call that number. No one is going to answer it set up simply for you to record your message organ to play that message on a future broadcast and allow Stephen to answer that number once again is 910-808-9384 if you jot that down. You can call that number anytime you have a question about the Bible or the Christian faith. Stephen, here's your next question your program on My question is I was told that if a person sends money they support. Pastor all and evangelists that preaches the true word of God, and when sold by that word that you will receive rewards that we all support would share and do all that and I would like to have you comment on this. Thank you very much.

It was good to hear from you and we hope you're doing well down there. Thanks for listening to us on BBN faithful ministry partner to us. Stephen you know I think Williams question we need to just acknowledge the fact that we are one of those ministries that supported by the gifts we receive. And so we want to make sure we give an answer that's rooted in God's word to Williams question absolutely, and we might immediately go in my mind to the book of Philippians.

That's probably a good letter for you to read because there's more there than we can cover but it answers your question. Let me at least address the particular part of your question that asked are we sharing in the fruit that comes from ministries, preachers, evangelists that bear fruit for Christ. The answer is absolutely yes and thankfully Paul wrote a thank you letter to his supporters.

We call it the book of Philippians in Philippians chapter 1, as he writes this thank you letter to his supporters.

He says here's how I feel about you. You're in my heart wide well because since both in my imprisonment, and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. You all are partakers of grace with me.

What is that mean partakers of grace he saying that they're going to partake in the blessing of God that he is received, it makes it even clearer in chapter 4.

If you go to verse 15. He explains that at the first preaching of the gospel. After I left Macedonia. No church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving. But you alone. That's got. I can really go off here and just preach a little bit but let me at least say to you William and listeners. Can you imagine no church supporting the apostle Paul, but this church in Philippi while they were the unwanted thought they were the only was a cough division and they were the only church that supported him when he began to preach the gospel. So here's what Paul is saying that in verse 16, you said a gift more than once for my needs. This is a financial gift to support him that Paul quickly clarifies it.

I don't want the gift itself. That's not the main idea here, he writes, but I seek for the profit that is the fruit which will increase to your account. There's your answer. William Paulk very clearly says that that supporting church those believers that financially supported him are also a part of receiving the profit or the fruit and it will increase to their account so simply put, you support someone you tag along as well in the reception of the fruit that God is going to give them and that's very encouraging. By the way is you support missionaries as you support church ministries as you support pastors and evangelists as you said in your gifts to BBN as you support those ministries that are profitable to the ministry of the gospel, what ever there fruit is you're going to be a part of it. One day you stand before Christ and not exciting. Here's a church in Philippi.

By the way those believers are still having fruit increase to their account because were still studying the letter and people are still being saved because of the word of God delivered through the apostle Paul, thank you, Stephen. What a great and helpful perspective and William thank you so much for calling in with your question today. Let me give you that phone number one more time that you can use if you have a question regarding the Bible or the Christian faith's 910-808-9384 that's the number that this listener used Mark verse 24 will be utilized and lauded. Not going to get everything clear to me so I can get the contract.

Explain clearly what Scripture and I will be able to articulate. Thank you for thinking about it. Thank you so much for calling in with your question and Stephen I'm glad that we are getting nothing but easy question is a great question Scott unit and I like the fact that she also wanted to know about the contacts there's that word again Sophie back up in the chapter, Jesus is cursing the fig tree he's wanting to encourage the disciples walk of faith in his word and in the word of God always being fulfilled. I think it's helpful to know that when he says look if you have faith if you trust the word of God, you'll be able to take that mountain and thrown into the sea immediately. All of us wonder if we ever have faith strong enough to uproot a mountain and cast it into the sea. The Lord is obviously speaking with an idiom here easy has a euphemism and that's whites and quotations and to go back to the first century it was the belief in this same expression was used of uprooting a mountain and throwing it into the sea. That expression was used for rabbis and theologians who could solve difficult problems and it was impossible to reconcile those difficult problems in these rabbis had the ability to think through it and that's the idea that the Lord is perhaps suggesting here and that is that there are some impossible situations and some difficult things for you to understand.

You take them to the Lord and the Lord will resolve them. Eventually he will solve the problem eventually is not suggesting you're going to have enough faith to take a mountain literally throw it into the sea euphemism for the ability to think through a difficult impossible situation, but I think Scott she's also just sort of addressing you know that the subject of prayer at large and I think it's helpful to keep the right perspective in prayer.

In fact, if you turn over to Mark. If we stay the same gospel account and we look at the Lord himself praying he says this in verse 36 of chapter 14 in the gospel by Mark and here's the Lord, praying, and what is he praying Abba father. All things are possible for you. That is, you can solve impossible situations. However, for you to remove this cup from me and this is the request of the Lord is there any way around the dilemma of the coming separation is going to experience with his father.

Can we solve this another way, and then he ends by saying, yet not what I will but what you will. When the Lord taught the disciples how to pray.

He did the same thing he taught them how to pray to ask for the needs that they had even daily bread but then he points them back to the will and the glory of God.

So if you can keep that in mind as you pray.

Yes you present your needs to him. Yes, you have some really difficult things that need resolving you present them to him and you trust his word and you know he hears you, and eventually acknowledge the need for his will to be done so I can tell you this in my own personal life no matter what the request is about how difficult the situation is. I'm going to have the thinking the process the perspective of Lord, not my will but your will be done.

You see, my, my prayers are not to have Stevens will done in heaven, but to have God's will done on earth.

And that's the prayer that he delights most in. Thank you Steven and thank you Bobby for calling in with your question. I hope that that bring some clarity to that passage of Scripture and helps you with your own prayer life. I'll give you our phone number one more time.

This is our Bible question line and it's 910-808-9384 stimulus go to your next question are so happy really hurt you out there are now serving.

Thank you very much.

Hi Debbie, thank you so much for calling me with your questions.

Steven and I listened to it.

Just before we came on, Aaron, Stephen, I think we agreed we wish we knew a little bit more about Debbie's story but I think you have some good help for well let's let's just jump in Debbie again, thank you for calling yes were to serve one another. That is the command of Christ for the church for the believer, and there's a there's a heart that's engaged in surveying listening to your question didn't sound like you were unwilling to be a servant.

Let's agree that a servant doesn't decide in the morning. Whether or not they feel happy about it or appreciated because of it, their servants and their will is the will of the master but in this culture you your master is the Lord, and you want to do his will, and I think there's probably something that's overwhelming you in surveying you did ask the question, is it selfish to say no to surveying and the answer is will absolutely have to say no. He's got to say no to something or you'll be saying yes to everything.

There simply no end to the needs so if you're in a church context of this is where the question is coming yes serving can be a burden. There's a responsibility attached to any ministry service opportunity. But if you're serving in the church and ministry. Make sure you're doing it according to your spiritual gifting in your desire, you might be in the wrong role.

I think first of the chapter 3 where Paul is. He's recruiting for that office of elder pastor teacher in the office and he says if anybody desires the office of an elder to good thing weight. He just said if anybody desires that office back. That's a very strong word in the original language up with the media it it's it has to do with passion. If it's your passion to be an elder.

That's a good thing to be a church leader. In other words, it may not be your passion. And that's fine too. So Debbie do an assessment doing assessment of your time demands serving in some way doesn't mean that you have to serve in every way and every need in the church that isn't necessarily God's will for your life so you may need to do an assessment on on the demand. You've got maybe maybe you're being pulled in too many directions.

Let me use the analogy of the family having is a good thing for kids to be involved in sports, but I see parents taking their kids to two and three different sporting activities every week. They can't they can keep enough gas in the car make a decision to do one and say no to others so doing assessment of your time demands doing assessment of the effectiveness of your service isn't bearing fruit doesn't seem to be a blessing to the people doesn't seem to be a blessing in your own life. Are you seeing progress. I don't know Debbie again.

We wish we knew more. But you might be doing too many things or you might be involved in the wrong things or the wrong role. It doesn't it doesn't mean that you don't have a servant's heart, but you can only invest your heart in so many areas.

I think the analogy in the marriage item.

If you're married or not, but you said yes to one guy and no to 100 others story about the hundred others. You said yes to one. So you give your life to that one. I have found is a Pastor Scott and that you have as well.

Will we have people that will come to our church. They moved in from other places of the country and they're just completely wiped out and they feel guilty and we put them through a process of new members where we give them a gift assessment. We know the danger of being pastors and wanting people to do all sorts of things right.

Yeah, absolutely. I am responsible for mobilizing several hundred volunteers every Sunday need. It takes a lot of people it does in the level of people say yes but you have to be careful that you allow people to say no for the right reason, Debbie. We hear a servant's heart even in your question. By the way, so hopefully we nibbled around the edges enough to give you some insight of perhaps why you need to need to make some decisions in the future. As you look at your schedule, your calendar, your energy, your giftedness and be willing to say yes and be willing to say no thanks Stephen and thanks Debbie and Debbie, if we really didn't get to the heart of your question what you call us back at our office number. That number is 866-482-4253 now the Bible question line that Debbie used to ask a question where you could record your question is 910-808-9384 Stephen we have time for just one more today. Florida, I'm just reading Deuteronomy 33 and I'm wondering why you Marty, thank you so much for calling in with your question.

And Stephen, I've never noticed that before. Well it is a great question. I think we have enough time to answer pretty quickly, but Marty go to verse seven and you'll find he does mention Judah and the don't feel badly about that. I read the Bible all the time and in Ms. stuff but Judah is mentioned, but you are right that Simeon is not mentioned and other some good ink spilled on the you know the reason why there's a good debate. It's really not clear. I think Most conservative scholars go to Genesis 49 and verse seven where Jacob prophesied that God would scatter Simeon in Israel. In other words, they they didn't receive a triable portion of land. Only a few cities in Judah whinge Joshua divides the promised land. And it's because the Simeonites became absorbed. They sort of filtered out into other tribes, especially into the tribe of Judah as a matter fact so they didn't retain a distinction and that's probably the best answer.

Although that raises another question and that's the fulfillment of God's promise to reconstitute Israel as a nation and these tribes and so you know it's because it kinda sent me over to Revelation chapter 7 and is encouraging to see their that those Jewish evangelists are representing a portion of them. The tribe of Simeon, and so there seems to be clear evidence that each of the tribes are reconstituted in the millennial kingdom. God does keep his word and by the way, there are no lost tribes you're gonna find them all again as God restores Israel to the land during the millennial kingdom. So thank you Marty for that question. Judah's mention Simeon's and maybe that's exactly why but Simeon is gonna come back on the scene one day. Thank you Steven and thank you to Marty and everyone who called in with the question were so grateful to have heard from all of you today would like to hear from you friends write to us and let us know how God is using wisdom for the heart to bless and encourage you.

Our address is wisdom for the heart PO Box 37297, Raleigh, NC 27627 if you prefer to communicate electronically, you can send an email to info@wisdom online.wisdom for the heart is on Facebook, twitter, Instagram, and we have a YouTube channel you like to see full-length sermons of Stevens teaching find them. Sure hope that you have a great weekend. Make sure you join us on Monday right here on wisdom for the heart