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?
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.