Sunday Service -2025-08-17

Welcome to the Lansdale Life Church podcast.

If you're seeking a closer relationship with Jesus Christ, this podcast is for you.

Thank you for joining us today.

So today's message is exercising your senses to discern both good and evil,

which is obviously a verse in this section we're going to be reading.

And as I was thinking about this, you know, discerning good and evil and

suddenly the Lord said, but isn't that how you all got in trouble?

And I said, what do you mean?

Well, remember in the garden of Eden, okay, what did they do?

They ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Right?

And that's where the fall happened.

And yet we're being told today to discern good from evil.

So what's the difference?

The difference is at that time, they were so innocent.

All they could do is just respond to the words of God.

They didn't have any alternative route to their own pleasure or lust or anything

else. They just said, follow what God says.

And everything he told them was great for them too, wasn't it?

They didn't have to toil.

They didn't have to struggle.

They didn't have to by the sweat of their brow, you know, dig into the

barren soil.

Instead, everything was provided.

And and that was all they needed is just to say yes to the Lord and to respond to

him. And yet when the enemy came in and convinced them, then they ate from the

tree of knowledge of good and evil and all of a sudden they saw the whole world

differently. They saw their nakedness differently with a perversion.

Everything they saw was through a perverted lens.

Right.

And yet now we're being told to discern both good and evil.

What's the difference?

Well, the difference is now that the veil and now that the genie came out of

the bottle, I guess you'd say there's a saying that goes like that.

Once once you know something, you can't unknow it.

Right.

What now?

Well, by the power of God, we can discern it through the lens of Christ.

We can discern everything through God's mind.

We have the mind of God.

Amen.

I have another graphic I found just poking around and it shows this tree

of knowledge of good and evil.

But now it's rooted in the words.

And now we can trust what God says about everything.

And now we can have dominion in this fallen world.

Right.

And so that's the idea.

So we're being told to exercise our senses and he's going to show us how

as well.

You know, in this passage, we're going to be talking about how it's

important to keep progressing in the Lord.

You know, you've heard of an analogy of faith being like a muscle.

If you're not working it out, it's falling into atrophy.

You know, there's many people have been bed laden for a long time

through sicknesses.

And when they come out, they can barely walk.

Right.

Because of the muscle atrophy in the same way.

Faith atrophizes.

Is that even a word?

Probably not.

Someone fact check me.

It is now.

Thank you, Ken.

You know, but we atrophy sets in when we're not using things and

exercising it in the same way, our faith and our knowledge of

the word and using the word exercises that us because if we're

not progressing, we're regressing.

Right.

We're falling backwards.

There's no just saying steady.

We have to be advancing or we're reverting, you know, and once

you start reverting, it's a slippery slope to climb back up.

You know, that's why they use the word

backslidden, right, for someone who just starts to slide back

down the hill because they they aren't advancing.

We need to advance and advance.

And this is not any kind of rebuke.

Actually, it's an encouragement because we don't have to look

at yesterday for results.

We look at today and beyond.

We have a destiny, right?

We don't have to look at the past.

Praise the Lord for that.

He makes all things new.

That means we don't have to look backwards.

We can look at the present and forward and say, that's

my future.

Why study something from the past?

So we have to be progressing, you know, in probably all of

you, or if you've been in any kind of field of different

things, you know, you probably had to take continuing

education.

I know I did in banking.

I had to every year take a continuing education course

and all that, you know, stuff.

And yet I, you know, a lot of times you're like, I, when do

I ever use this?

Well, you probably do.

You just don't realize it, but it's, you have to stay fresh.

And in the same way, though, the Lord wants us to stay

sharp and to progress in him so that we could be effective

in this world and not backslide, right?

So that's what this message is about.

So let's, let's dive in.

We're almost finished chapter five, and we're going to

just read three verses in chapter six, not much scripture

here, and, uh, we're going to read right through it and

then talk a little.

So Hebrews chapter five, verse 12.

And if you can recall, the Lord spoke to the, the, those

who received this letter and kind of rebuked them.

You remember, he sort of insulted them.

In fact, in verse 11, it says, you have become dull

of hearing.

Okay.

So in other words, you know, you need to stop being

dull of hearing.

You need to wake up and listen.

So verse 12, for though, by this time you ought to be

teachers, you need someone to teach you again, the

first principles of the oracles of God, and you have

come to need milk and not solid food for everyone

who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the

word and righteousness, for he is a babe, but solid

food belongs to those who are a full age.

That is those who, by reason of use, have their

senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Chapter six, therefore, leaving the discussion of

elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to

perfection, not laying again the foundation of

repentance from dead works and a faith toward God of

the doctrine of baptisms of laying on of hands of

the resurrection of the dead and of eternal

judgment, and this we will do if God permits.

Let me just pick up this piece of paper because it

fell and it's going to distract me.

So here we're being told to grasp the principles

and oracles of God.

And when you think about it, like the oracles of

God are what is said, but the principles behind

it is why it's said, you know, you ever hear in

the word for logos for the word is actually

comprises not just the words being said, but the

thought behind it.

Have you ever heard that when you study the

Greek word for, for speech or the word and the

logos is actually both the mind and the words.

You know, sometimes I speak before I think.

Okay.

In fact, sometimes up here and thank God the

spirit just starts to say, Hey, where are you

going with that?

You know, get back on track.

Right.

And did you ever just start speaking?

Maybe I had a little too much coffee or something.

You just love that a little, a little, a little,

and you're talking.

You're like, what am I even saying?

Just stop, stop right where you are.

Okay.

And I've learned to just tell myself shut up

and stop.

Okay.

Because I don't even know what I'm about to

say, you know, but really the Lord doesn't know.

He knows and he speaks because he knows fully

what he wants to say.

Right.

And so the words telling us that we should learn

not only what was said, but why it was said the

principles behind it.

Right.

You know, why does God do and say what he

wants to say and do, you know, remember when

you were, um, I don't know if your parents, I

don't recall my parents ever saying this, but

they probably did.

But at some point when you're a child and

you're always saying, why do I need to do this?

Why do I need to do that?

And you're like, just shut up and do it.

What you're told, maybe your parents didn't

say shut up, but yeah, they say, just do it.

Don't ask questions.

Why?

And you know, that's because sometimes when

our minds aren't able to comprehend the why

we just need to listen.

Like, you know, if somebody else is someone

else out in the street, get out of the

street and there's a car coming.

Why?

Well, because there's a car, what kind of

car, what you're making model is it, you

know, get out of, you know, sometimes there's

no time to just like explain to someone the

wise, right?

Okay.

But the Lord wants us to know the wise because

he wants us to fully grasp what he's doing.

Remember when Jesus spoke to his disciples

and he said, I no longer call you servants.

That means like slaves, but I call you

friends because the master of the house

doesn't say to a slave, all right, this

is what I'm doing and this is why I'm doing

it, but I give you the mysteries of what's

going on in heaven, the why, and you know,

it's so much better to know why something

should be done or why something is said,

because if you know why it's so much easier

than to do it, isn't it?

Did you ever notice that?

How do I apply this?

If I don't even understand why I'm doing

it, right?

And a lot of times in academics, we could

just be told things, told things

without the why and then even worse, how to do it.

So it's like the what, the why and the how.

How do I do?

How do I apply what's being said?

But here, the author, I keep wanting to call

him Paul, but whoever the author, it's,

we know it's the Holy Spirit is saying to

us, ask, seek and knock for the why and

then the how, not just to know, remember

the word even says, you know, you can

get puffed up with knowledge, right?

And it's just knowing things, but why are

we knowing them if we're not applying them

in our lives, right?

I've met so many people in so many arenas

that were really like deep and dark into

spiritual darkness, you know, I mean,

like, you know, demonic situations and they

know the word like front words and backwards.

It's scary.

It really is scary.

I don't know if you ever met anyone like

that, but a lot of people, you know, the

devil has used, you know, cause them to

know the principles of the word, to work

against Christ, to be the antiChrist,

you know, so the enemy knows the word,

right?

He knows the devil spoke to Jesus in

the desert with what?

The word.

He knows it, right?

He knows it, but when you embrace the

why and the how and you love the

author of the word, then we can have real

power in our lives, right?

So, so the word's telling us to not just not

just be satisfied with the articles, but

the principles behind them.

And then he compares really the word to

food, okay, the milk and, and so forth.

And I know this is, you know, this has

been taught, thank God for years in

Christendom about the milk and the meat.

And I'm sure you've heard it.

And even like, even in a message, you

know, when I'm like, you know, just

getting ready for the word, I want to

make sure I have lots of milk and meat,

you know, because you, you really do

need both and not just for this

seasoned Christian milk is good.

Okay.

Every baby that's been born in this

fellowship has started off nursing,

right?

Because they need that milk effect in

the beginning years or months, at

least, you know, there's so many

nutrients, vitamins, autoimmune

buildup and all these chemicals in

this milk that the babies need to be

drinking to be fortified and to be

prepared, right, so that their body

can stay healthy as vulnerable

infants, right?

So everyone starts with milk, even

if you've been converted to a bottle,

you know, it's still about the milk.

We all have to start there.

So milk is great.

And you know, even being reminded

of the milk, that the basics of our

faith is important.

It really is.

I remember sometimes, you know, I've

been saved for years, but sometimes

I'll just come across like Billy

Graham, given the gospel, and I'll

just start tearing up.

Like I heard it like, not for the

first time, but probably the second

time, like, and just like welling

up like, wow, something about this,

this man of God and the voice and,

and the truth, you know, the simple

gospel, if you're a believer, that's

like, that's like rejuvenating, but

it's milk.

It's the basics of our faith.

Yet we always need the milk, right?

But then we can also build up, build

up our cuisine to more meaty things.

And even when I'm preparing these

words, I like to throw in some

stories or tidbits that some of

you have studied before, you're

like, oh, I remember that story.

Or maybe you go home again and

reread it and so forth, because

it's those meaty things sometimes

that like really makes you even

more want to dive into the gospel,

not just to stay with the milk, but

to really build up your knowledge

of the word, because the more you

know, if you're always taking in

the milk also, and always keeping

it about the simplicity of Jesus

Christ, you can use everything you

learn about God for his glory, you

know, so there's nothing wrong

with milk and there's nothing

wrong with meat.

It's really we need both, but

really it's wanting more.

It's wanting more like I even

like when I encourage you, you

know, as far as when you're doing

your daily reading, you know,

move beyond just the daily bread

or one little devotional.

And it's not, again, not a

rebuke, but it's like, if

you're reading one little thing

and what someone says about it,

you're kind of almost getting

regurgitated milk in a sense, no

offense. But if you're just

saying, Lord, your spirit's in

me, I want to, I want to dive

it and really dig in. And

commentaries are great because

they've done even more study

than you're going to do.

Right. And looking at what

they say about it through the

generations, you know, and it's

just, wow, this is such

tremendous meat. So we really

do want to be built up in this.

And then he says, well, let's

look again at verse one to

three in chapter six.

Therefore, leaving the

discussion of elementary

principles of Christ, let us go

on to perfection, not laying

again the foundation of

repentance from dead works and

of faith toward God, of the

doctrine of baptisms, of the

laying on of hands, of the

resurrection of the dead and

of eternal judgment. And this

we will do if God permits. Let

us go on. He says to

perfection. Now, wait a minute.

I'm never going to be perfect

this side of heaven. Right.

Can I get an amen? And you're

talking about me. I know you're,

you might be, but I'm not.

Okay. Jill said an especially

loud amen up here. I don't

know if you heard it. Amen.

Like that kind of thing. But

no, really, we aren't going

to be perfect down here. Okay.

And we just aren't. But

you know, this word

perfection, and I'm not going

to put it up there, but this

Greek word for perfection is

a tele of taste. Aren't you

glad I shared it? To lay out

taste. But it's, it's more

about, it's more about like

keeping a perspective of

maturity. In other words, even

the word tele in the beginning

of it has to do with a

telescope, you know, and like

when you're looking at

something through a

telescope, you could suddenly

see, see it in a way you

haven't been able to see it

before. Because it's a

telescope. Tele means

bringing you to an end or an

object. And so we know that

when we study the Lord, keep

our eyes fixed on Jesus

Christ, the author and

finisher of our faith,

right? We become more like

him, right? The more you

study his word and study

his character and nature and

the way he is operated

throughout the ages with

his people, Israel, and with

his believers, the more you

grasp all that, the more

you become like him. James

talks about that. When you

look in the mirror, don't

look at yourself. Look at

him. And when you step

away from the mirror, you

will look more like him and

you will be blessed in all

you do. So we keep our

eyes fixed on him. That's

the idea. And the more

that happens, the more you

become perfected. I love

in Colossians it says, and

beyond all things put on

love, which is the bond of

perfection. You know, so

we're not going to be

perfect, but the more you

pursue him, the more

perfect you are becoming.

And perfection really

resonates maturity,

spiritual and moral

maturity. Okay. And I know

like, uh, in many ways, I

still think, I'm so immature

in some ways, you know, and

Joe can attest to that. And

but sometimes when I look

back and I'm realized, but

like, I can't believe I

did that 10 years ago, or

five years ago, or even

yesterday. Okay. Like, I

can't believe like, that

was me because we are

being perfected because

Christ is perfect. And

we're becoming more like

the prince of perfection,

right? We become more

like him. And then he's

going to give us things

that are considered basics

of Christianity. And when

I'm reading them, sometimes

I'm thinking it's pretty

amazing because some of

these things aren't basic

in Christianity, what we're

about to read, they really

aren't. They're like, Oh,

we never do that. Or I

sometimes do that, or I've

never even seen that done.

Right? But these are

basics. Like, the word is

telling us, let's move

past this stuff. Because

this is basic. Don't stop

doing it. But keep it in

your quiver and move on

and do even more. Right?

So he's saying like, move

beyond this towards

perfection, because the

things we're about to read

are just the basics, the

elements, you know, the

elements of the basic

breakdown of Christianity.

These are things that you

just do every day and in

and out. So let's take a

look at them. The first

thing he says is

repentance from dead

works, if we could put

that slide up towards faith

in God. Okay. Faith

towards God. So the first

thing is repentance. And

the word metanoia is

really the word met means

to with or to go with. In

fact, meta, you know, where

you get the Facebook is

meta. And all these words

of branding, like goes

way beyond just a word.

They've really researched

them like Nike means

victory in Greek and they

love Greek words. Yeah.

But so we see this, this

is like this idea of

repentance, right? And

what it really means is

changing our mind, right?

And you've heard this

before, I'm sure, but what

are dead works? Dead

works are done not in the

spirit of God, you know,

so the dead works are done

what before you're a

believer. You know, I

remember sharing, I was at

a, I was at a Bible

study and I had just

gotten saved. And they

were talking and they said

the question was, give an

example of when you did

something unusually nice to

someone and you knew that

it was just not something

you would normally do. And

I said, Oh, I have one.

And I shared about how when

I saw this old lady

walking, literally walking

across the street, it's

like a typical, but I

did, I saw her walk across

the sea and I said, where

are you going? You want

to, so I gave her a lift

to this bus stop and it's

like, I went out of my

way and somebody said,

ah, that's great. And I

said, Oh, well, okay,

that's great. And when did

that happen? He goes, Oh,

that was a while ago.

Like, Oh, what were you?

Were you a believer then?

I said, well, no, well,

it's not really what

we're talking about, you

know, because, because

that was, believe it or

not, kind of a dead

work because it was not

done in the spirit of

God, like everything we

do before coming to

Christ, really, because

we're still spiritually

dead as a dead work,

just like, you know,

dead works also have to

do with, remember he's

writing primarily to the

Jews who are now born

again. And he's saying,

you know, all those

dead works of the

sacrifices and all those

things, they were a

picture of Christ, but

they didn't produce

righteousness in you.

They were dead works.

Everything you did up

to this point was

pointing at Christ, but

it didn't make you

righteous. Only Christ

can do that. Right. And

so that's the idea. So

repentance is turning from

our old life and turning

towards faith in God.

It's having a change of

mind. And all of you

hopefully had gone

through that when you

accepted Christ, you

repented. You said, that

is not me anymore. I

have a change of mind.

Right. A total change of

mindset. And that is no

longer who I am any

longer. You know, and

the important thing,

though, is repentance. We

turn to God and we see

his goodness. And that's

really what drives us even

further into his arms.

We were singing a song

about surrounded by the

arms of God. You know,

that's the idea is like

when you turn from your

dead works, your old

life and you realize how

wretched that was and

you turn to God and you

say, wow, this is

amazing. Everything.

He's so good. He's

always good. You are

good. He's always good

to us, isn't he? You

know, he just does

everything good for us.

He's he's perfect.

And that's what we're

doing. That's the idea of

repentance. And then the

next thing he shares

about repentance. And you

know, before we get in

that, well, that's right.

Let's move on. So the

next thing is the

doctrine of baptisms.

Now, baptisms, OK,

are, you know, for

normal for us. Right.

As born again,

believers, when you

accept Christ as your

Lord and Savior and

you receive Him, you

could be baptized on the

spot like we saw with

the Ethiopian eunuch.

Right. You could be

baptized right then and

there. And that's what

happened a lot of times

with the jailer.

You know, they just say,

yeah, what do I got to

do? Accept Christ and

let's be baptized. And

it was literal baptism in

water. Right. Well, over

the years, it was kind

of minimalized down to

trickling some water on a

baby's head who has no

idea what they're even

going through. Now, I

don't want to be a that's

not an offense.

OK, but that's not the

picture of baptism in the

Bible. It's someone who

understands I just died

and now I'm alive.

Right. That's baptism.

Right. And you get

engulfed in the water.

Now, I see baptism, baby

baptism if they treat

it like a dedication and

we dedicate children, you

know, because it's like I

am going to raise them up

to know the Lord.

They're not getting saved

right now by this

trickling of water, but

they're being in a sense

Christened to know that

they are in a family who

are going to raise this

child to know the Lord.

So if it's treated as a

dedication, God bless them.

But if they think

somehow this baptism is

saving them or doing

something else, you know,

or casting the belief,

the faith of the parents

onto the child, none of

that happens.

Someone has to receive

Christ and then be

baptized. That's why the

great commission is go

and make disciples and

baptizing them in the name

of the Father, Son, the

Holy Spirit. Right.

But then there's even

another baptism, right, of

the Holy Spirit.

And John the Baptist

even shared that when he

says, you know, right

now I'm baptizing you

in this Jordan River.

OK, I don't know that

you're getting cleaner

when you come out of it,

but you're you're

getting baptized, symbolically

washing away your

sins. But there is one

coming after this.

We have this slide up

that speaks into this

and said, I indeed

baptize you with water

unto repentance.

But he who is coming

after me is mightier

than I who sandals

I am not worthy to carry.

He will baptize you

with the Holy Spirit and fire.

So these are baptisms.

And yet when you speak

to some people, I don't

know about that baptism.

I I don't know if I've

ever been baptized.

In the Holy Spirit.

And if that's you,

come on up after the service.

We're not going to do it

right here right now.

But if that's you,

if you want to know

more about this,

because I know

when I was baptized

in the Holy Spirit

and it was in Tyler State Park

while I was jogging along

and I finally totally surrendered

and I was yelling at God

saying, I thought you saved me.

Why do I feel like

I'm trying to save myself?

And it was at that time

suddenly the Lord

just came upon me

and I was just overwhelmed

and I had to run into the woods

and just ball my eyes out.

I probably shared

that story before with you.

But it was from then on

I was never the same.

And I knew that.

But, you know, there's baptisms.

You know, the Lord baptizes

us sometimes to do great things

on his behalf.

He even did that with

the patriarchs of faith

in the Old Testament.

And he still does that to us today.

So there's this baptism

of the Holy Spirit.

Now, when you get saved,

you are sealed by the Holy Spirit.

A deposit of the Holy Spirit

has been placed into your soul

and you are now sealed,

OK, to the day of your redemption.

But there's also baptisms

upon you of the Holy Spirit

to equip you to do the things

that only Christ can do

through you.

And that's these baptisms.

I just want to share

a couple of examples of this baptism.

First of all,

when the apostles, OK,

were going about and they were

laying hands on people

and baptizing them.

Well, let's move on.

Let's get to the next one.

We're going to incorporate

that with the next.

So the next thing he says

is, you know, after baptisms,

another principle

is the laying on of hands.

Now, if you're new here

and have never experienced that,

they're a touchy-feely group here.

What's that all about?

OK, if you're not used to that,

I feel for you because I wasn't either.

OK, when I started going to church

and people were saying,

here, let me touch you.

You know, it's like,

you know, it's kind of gives me

the cringes, you know,

like people just,

I don't even know you

and you're touching me.

You know, get your hand off me.

It's hot and moist.

You know, but anyway.

But no, like we're not

we're and if you're not used to that,

you come in and say,

well, why are they laying hands

and touching?

Well, it's very biblical.

OK, it's very biblical.

OK, in fact, lift up holy hands

everywhere we're told to do.

Right. Because we are we have

we are equipped with an anointing

and we're told to lay hands

on people for a variety of reasons.

OK, and I'm going to share

just some of them as we go along.

And the first is,

do you remember when Philip

went to Samaritan was after

they're in?

Well, I want to get all the deals.

But anyway,

Philip goes to Samaria

and he's preaching to the Samaritans

and they're all getting saved.

And it's like, whoa, what's going on?

You know, this is amazing.

They're Samaritans

and they're coming to Christ.

We didn't know that this was,

you know, possible.

And they're surprised

even if they saw it,

the woman at the well with Jesus,

but they're still like shocked, you know.

And so all of a sudden

Peter and John went down

and before they knew it,

they were dispensing the Holy Spirit,

laying hands on people

who were receiving the Holy Spirit.

And we see this in

in Acts chapter eight, verse 17.

They laid hands on them

and they received the Holy Spirit.

So this was like a purpose

of laying hands and still is

is to receiving the

impartation of the Holy Spirit.

Another reason to lay hands

is for healing.

And we lay hands

and Jesus said to do this.

And these are the signs

that will follow those who believe

they will lay hands on the sick

and they will recover.

We do that constantly.

If you ever watch people come forward

and people are laying hands on them

and praying sometimes

even putting oil on them,

because that's all biblical,

because we believe that this

that the Lord will heal them.

Well, what if he doesn't?

Well, what if he doesn't?

And that's between God and God.

OK, he is greater than any other

spirit or force

that can prevent someone

from being healed.

So I'm not going to try to discern

why he's healing and why he's not.

You know, I just spoke

about

what last week to Steve Simpson.

And, you know,

you know, about my long issue

that I've been having for a while

and going in and out of

prednisone, I think I can't

just take it every day.

And I know you can't.

Right. So finally, you know,

I reached out to my buddy Steve

because he had been on

prednisone a ton.

I hope he didn't mind me sharing

his humda or whatever.

Anyway, but but he would share

because so he had major issues.

Right. And with sinus

infection since he was a child,

a little kid.

And the things they would have to

do to release this,

I don't even want to discuss

because it's pretty

nasty.

So and so he had always

been on this and not to mention

also on top of that,

he had asbestos

issues because of where he worked,

you know.

And so anyway,

and I remember him sharing this

and, you know, and just you just

ever sense that this is

a time that God's

going to do something.

I remember just like tearing up

and just feeling really connected.

And I said, you know, let's pray.

And and I laid hands

on I prayed for him.

And so anyway, this was about

12, 15 years ago.

Well, I called him because I knew

he had been on prednisone all the

time because of this issue.

And I said, all right, listen, so

how long were you on it?

Did you ever have any bad side

effects, all this stuff?

He used used.

Well, I haven't had any episodes

since you prayed for me.

No, I'm not kidding.

I mean, like, and that's not me.

And just like, it's so humbling.

He had shared that before,

but I didn't know if it was still

the case, but I share.

And I'm like, like, wow.

Right. Why doesn't he always do that?

Like, I just want to be bam, bam,

bam, bam, bam, bam.

You're healed.

You're I wish so much.

Wouldn't you love that?

Wouldn't you love if you could

just go into the hospitals

and clear the house?

All right, everybody go home.

Nurses, you're all fired.

Doctors, go heal somewhere else

because this is a house of healing.

I don't understand why these things.

I'm not going to try to pretend that I do,

but we're just told to keep on going.

Assuming what God wants to do is to heal.

And maybe he will someday.

Maybe he will today.

Maybe he will that very second.

But assume it.

I love when he healed,

when he said, go to the lepers, he says,

go and show yourselves to the high priest.

And they all left.

Assuming, you know, that they've been healed,

I guess, you know, he's telling me

it's going to be pretty embarrassing

if I get there and they tell me

to get out, you're unclean.

But anyway, they're going all of a sudden.

Whoa, I haven't seen skin

like this in years, right?

Like, wow, they left just assuming.

And then the one ran back

to Samaritan to Jesus

and just humbled himself.

And he received the full package

being made whole in salvation.

Right. And, you know,

maybe we just need to assume

that we've been healed

and continue on serving God.

And in the midst of serving,

we will be healed.

Right. You know, so I can't discern that.

And I don't want to get trapped into

pessimism because the last

10 people I prayed for weren't healed.

That's up to God.

Right. I can't figure him out.

You know, I can figure some things out.

But he, you know, I have the mind of Christ,

but I don't know everything

he's saying and doing.

And if he wants to heal, he can heal.

And so this is the idea

of just laying hands and assuming.

Right now.

And then I, as he was told

to go to Saul and lay hands on him

for healing and to receive

the Holy Spirit, you remember that?

So we're called to lay hands

for a lot of reasons.

I love when Paul wrote to Timothy

and he said, don't neglect

the gift that was given you

when I laid hands on you.

So we see this idea

of the gift of the spirit

are also imparted

through the laying on of hands.

Now, I know I can get out

of the practice of this.

I can. I'm being honest with you

because I get more and more

into other areas of Christianity

and I could suddenly forget.

Wait, you got to be laying hands

and like, you know, imparting things,

imparting the Holy Spirit,

imparting what God wants to impart

because that's what

the Lord is calling us to do.

That's a basic thing.

That's an elemental teacher

teaching in Christianity.

And yet how often are we

actually moving in it?

Right. And what we're learning

is if you're not moving in it,

you're moving away from it.

Right. And so this is the idea.

Now, a little bit more

about this laying on of hands.

There's something even represented

in the Old Testament

because, you know, when the high priest, OK.

He would cast the sins of the people

upon the innocent sacrifice.

Do you remember that?

OK, so this innocent animal did nothing.

He was just chewing the

cut a minute ago.

OK, and now guess what?

He's about to be slaughtered.

Right. And the sins

of the sacrifice are being laid.

I mean, I'm sorry, the sins

of the people are being laid

on the sacrifice.

OK, does that make sense?

And now that animal was killed

and the blood that flows out

is to atone for the sins

of the people, the nation Israel.

Well, we are called royal priesthood.

OK, we are the priests

on the earth today

on behalf of Christ, right?

And we are the royal priesthood.

Right. And so now we lay hands

on the sinner.

With the grace of the sacrifice,

Jesus Christ,

that's why we lay hands.

In fact, I have a little picture

of just laying hands.

And that's why we do it,

because now the sacrifice

was already paid for in Jesus Christ.

Now we're anointing people

and laying hands on them

with the grace of the sacrifice.

The sinlessness of the sacrifice

is now being laid upon

someone who is a sinner.

Now, I do not call myself

a sinner any longer

because I'm not identified

by my sins, but I will sin.

I'll never be sinless

this side of heaven.

I just would attest to that, right?

But I have the sinless sacrifices

grace that was laid upon me.

And so do you.

And so this is why we lay hands.

But you know, we are also warned.

OK, because Paul also warned Timothy.

Don't be so hasty to lay hands

on people because in a sense

you are sharing in their sins

because if you don't know their story,

like if someone just says, you know,

I have this I have this issue, OK,

and I need prayer for it

and you don't know any of this story,

you can pray for them and so forth.

But you have to realize that they're

whatever they're involved in

may be perpetuating those sins.

So just be careful.

It also has to do with

laying hands on people

for the recruitment

or the assignment of offices

in the church.

So those are some of the reasons

that we lay hands

and they're all considered

basic elemental things in Christianity.

All right, we're almost done.

The next thing is

the resurrection of the dead.

OK, this is elemental, you know,

that that everyone is going to die.

OK, and we are all going to rise again.

And even the people of the Old Testament,

well, the Sadducees, they didn't believe it,

but the Pharisees did.

And they they understood

there is going to be a resurrection.

And it was spoken of in Isaiah.

It was spoken of in in Daniel

that we will rise again.

OK, because when we

everyone rises from the dead,

they will be then be judged.

OK, and we will be judged

according to our salvation

and the works we did in the spirit.

But those who do not come to Christ

will be judged in their dead works.

And unfortunately, it's not going to be

a joy filled destiny for them.

And that's the truth.

And that's a basic.

But you know how many

how many churches are not preaching that?

Because it's uncomfortable.

It's uncomfortable.

You know, in fact,

a lot of Christianity is

moving towards universalism.

Do you know what I mean by that?

In other words,

everyone is somehow saved

through the grace of God.

Everyone, even people that never believe.

Well, that's not biblical at all.

It's it's it's it's

that's false teaching, you know,

but people don't want to talk about hell

as a real place, a real destiny.

And then the final thing

is eternal judgment.

Everyone will be judged someday.

As the worship team comes forward

and we close out.

I just want to say like if you

if you have never just fallen.

To the mercies of Jesus Christ,

if you've never surrendered

your life to Jesus.

I just want to

implore you to do that today.

Like if you sense the spirit

is working on your heart.

Right now, he's calling you,

he's he's drawing you in.

And you've heard his voice before,

you've probably heard his call before.

And yet something happens,

you just start to resist it.

You start to say, well,

I'm not ready yet.

I have a few things

I have to take care of,

like the rich young ruler, like

get rid of all the things

that are keeping you bound.

And he walked away sorrowful.

And Jesus loved him.

He was sad to see him.

No, and turn away

because he wanted him to be saved, too.

If that's you, if you know

the Lord is calling you today,

don't walk out of here right now

with surrendering,

without surrendering to the Lord.

It's time.

In fact, we read weeks ago.

Today, if you hear his voice,

do not harden your heart.

Don't rebel any longer.

Say yes, Lord.

Today, I want to be saved.

I want to be delivered from myself.

This is the basics of Christianity.

If no one ever told you that before,

it's time.

It's time to just say,

I need salvation.

My life is running out.

I don't have forever.

This life is but a mist,

regardless of how old you are,

the time will fly.

It's time to just come to Jesus.

It's time to give your life to Jesus.

And if that's you,

I'm not going to ask you to raise your hand,

but just in the quietness of your heart

with all of our heads bowed and eyes closed,

you could just pray something like this.

Father God, I know I'm a sinner.

And I cannot save myself.

I want to be saved.

I want a new life.

I want a new identity.

I want to restart.

I need forgiveness.

Today, I give you my life.

I surrender it to you.

Because you died on the cross for my sins.

You became my sin on the cross.

And today, I want to receive that gift

that you did through your sacrifice

on the cross.

Today, I receive that from you.

And Lord, I ask you to forgive me

of all my sins, past, present and future.

And I ask you to fill me with your Holy Spirit.

In Jesus' name, amen.

If you did that, the word says that you are born again.

That means you have a new life,

regardless of how you feel.

Sometimes the feelings come later.

For me, they did.

For me, they took like a year later

to finally be baptized in the Holy Spirit.

You know, this is a short life that we're living here.

We want to live it to the fullest.

We want to run that race without regret,

without stumbling.

We just want to live it for Him.

So we need to be able to exercise our senses

to know good and evil

and to overcome evil with good, with love.

Amen, amen.

Let's all stand up and give the Lord a round of applause.

Hallelujah.

Father God, we thank you

that you are mighty and powerful, Lord.

And you've called us to be your priests, Lord God.

We thank you for that.

And you know what?

I'm gonna ask something unusual right now.

Let me finish praying first.

Father God, we thank you that you've chosen us

for such a time as this

to do mighty things in the power of the Holy Spirit.

We thank you in Jesus' name, amen.

Thanks for joining us at Lansdale Life Church

as we praise God and discuss His word.

Don't forget to join us for worship lives Sunday mornings

at 10 a.m. Eastern on YouTube.

Be blessed and have a great day.