Speaker 1: Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to Wednesday Service, episode forty five.
Speaker 1: I'm your host, Josh Minday. If you know me, I'm
Speaker 1: a Christian rapper, devoted husband, father, and Army veteran and
Speaker 1: this is brought to you by a Cult of Conspiracy Podcasts.
Speaker 1: Thank you so much for joining me today. I was
Speaker 1: just really really tired and it's kind of carrying on
Speaker 1: through tonight. So it's gonna do my best to kind
Speaker 1: of get through this and hopefully have a good study.
Speaker 1: But just like I always do, I like to start
Speaker 1: out by shouting out to everybody that commented on the
Speaker 1: last shows we had MBMP twenty two last week. Thank you,
Speaker 1: b thank you. I really appreciate your comment. Your study
Speaker 1: really has become such an important time in my week.
Speaker 1: I appreciate that and all glory to God. J Con
Speaker 1: forty four to twenty thank you so much. Angela Kelly,
Speaker 1: thank you again, Whiskers White, thank you. And Brad Gillis
Speaker 1: thank you so much for commenting last week on Wednesday Service.
Speaker 1: Let's see what we had for Sunday Service. This week
Speaker 1: Sunday Service, we have two comments. Angela Kelly, thank you.
Speaker 1: I really appreciate you. And MDMP twenty two. Thank you
Speaker 1: appreciate it. Thank you guys so much for the comments.
Speaker 1: Like I said, it means a lot to me, and
Speaker 1: it really boost up the algorithm, like I said, and
Speaker 1: kind of gets the show out there, which is amazing.
Speaker 1: Really appreciate that. So let me without further ado, we're
Speaker 1: going to be starting in Second Corinthians this week. I
Speaker 1: was very close to uploading a different episode because I
Speaker 1: was like, but you know what, I prayed about it.
Speaker 1: I kind of went into the bathroom and kind of
Speaker 1: prayed to God to kind of give me the strength
Speaker 1: and give me the power to push through it and
Speaker 1: do the studies. So I think we're going to be good.
Speaker 1: So let me just go ahead and share the screen
Speaker 1: and let me just go ahead and click here it's
Speaker 1: going to be Second Corinthians. Wow, kem Lei Brody to
Speaker 1: Second Corinthians. That's so amazing. So all right, So, like
Speaker 1: I always like to do, I always like to do
Speaker 1: a good introduction to Second Corinthians. So before we start
Speaker 1: with the introduction, Paul actually wrote four letters to the
Speaker 1: Corinthians and we only have two of them, so two
Speaker 1: of them are lost. But the lost letters are referred
Speaker 1: to in the writings that we do have in our
Speaker 1: New Testament books First and Second Corinthians. Paul spent eighteen
Speaker 1: months ministering to corinth on his second missionary journey. Just
Speaker 1: want to let you guys know that before we get
Speaker 1: into the intro for Second Corinthians. So that's really it's
Speaker 1: incredible that there was four books of Corinthians, our letters
Speaker 1: to the Corinthians, and we're missing too. I wonder where
Speaker 1: those are at. I don't know. I think maybe maybe
Speaker 1: they're buried in the Catholic Church, maybe they're in the
Speaker 1: Catholic Church library, or maybe they're just lost. Maybe the
Speaker 1: letters got lost in you know, maybe the Corinths lost
Speaker 1: them and they never got recorded. I mean, I wonder
Speaker 1: where they're at. Be really interesting to see those other
Speaker 1: two letters and see what they said in him. I
Speaker 1: think that'd be amazing. So let's get into the intro.
Speaker 1: This is for the intro for the whole Second Corinthians.
Speaker 1: This is not just specifically for chapter one. This is
Speaker 1: for the whole Corinthians. Okay. So Second Corinthians is a
Speaker 1: letter written by the apostle Paul to the church in
Speaker 1: Corinth around a d. Fifty five to eighty fifty six,
Speaker 1: primarily to address conflict, defend his apostleship, and encourage the congregation.
Speaker 1: The book is both deeply personal and intensely theological, focusing
Speaker 1: on the paradox of the cross that God's power is
Speaker 1: shown through human weakness and suffering. Key purposes include strengthening
Speaker 1: the faithful, warning against false teachers, and encouraging the church
Speaker 1: to complete their promised contribution to fellow believers in Jerusalem.
Speaker 1: The contexts and purpose a response to conflict, Paul wrote
Speaker 1: this letter admits significant turmoil in the Corinthian Church following
Speaker 1: a severe and painful visit with the congregation. Sorry, dead,
Speaker 1: there's a lot of sall, bug I had to get it. Yeah.
Speaker 1: Sometimes I get bit up my ankles and stuff. So
Speaker 1: I just make sure when I see something that's going
Speaker 1: to be able to get me, I gotta get it. Sorry. Uh.
Speaker 1: Strengthen the Faithful, Paul aimed to encourage the loyal members
Speaker 1: of the church who had responded favor favorably to his
Speaker 1: previous letter financial Encouragement. He exhorted the Corinthians to follow
Speaker 1: through on their promise to contribute to the needs of
Speaker 1: other believers in Jerusalem and a chance for repentance. The
Speaker 1: letter offers a final opportunity for the rebellious faction of
Speaker 1: Corinth to repent and reconcile. What are some of the
Speaker 1: key themes suffering and weakness. Paul emphasizes that true strength
Speaker 1: and power are found in weakness, as God's power is
Speaker 1: made perfect in our limitations. Next is the paradox of
Speaker 1: the Cross. The letter highlights how Christian values are counterintuitive
Speaker 1: to the world, where God's power is revealed not through
Speaker 1: success and wealth, but through humility and suffering. True versus
Speaker 1: false apostles. Paul contract contrasts his own suffering filled ministry
Speaker 1: with the empty boasting of the super apostles who were
Speaker 1: deceiving the Corinthian Church God's comfort and grace. The book
Speaker 1: begins and ends with messages of God's comfort, demonstrating the
Speaker 1: role of the Holy Spirit as a source of hope
Speaker 1: in difficult times and What's the structure So Chapters one
Speaker 1: through seven, Paul responds to news from Titus about the church,
Speaker 1: defends his actions and discussed, discusses the ministry of reconciliation,
Speaker 1: and chapters eight and nine he exhorts the Corinthians to
Speaker 1: be generous and complete their contribution to the Jewish Church.
Speaker 1: Chapters ten through thirteen, Paul defends his authority against the
Speaker 1: false apostles against the Corinthians about the consequences of continued disobedience,
Speaker 1: and he ends with final greetings. There we go. Perfect,
Speaker 1: So we kind of went over that. And let's go
Speaker 1: ahead and check out my intro just for Second Corinthians
Speaker 1: Chapter one. All right, hold on, this thing is Second
Speaker 1: Corinthians Chapter one. Hold on, guys, this is all right.
Speaker 1: I don't want to do that. Why is it doing that? Sorry, guys,
Speaker 1: I do apologize little technical difficulty. Perfect, made it all right?
Speaker 1: Got it? So let's go ahead and start with this introduction.
Speaker 1: It says the God of all comfort. Second Corinthians one
Speaker 1: speaks to the intimate connection between suffering and comfort, affliction
Speaker 1: and consultation. We are reminded that God is our ultimate
Speaker 1: source of comfort and that he can use our trials
Speaker 1: to draw us closer to him. Moreover, the passage inspires
Speaker 1: us to rely on God's faithfulness in the midst of
Speaker 1: life's trials, while encouraging transparency, sincerity, and integrity in our
Speaker 1: dealings with others. Okay, so let's go ahead and start
Speaker 1: tewod Corinthians, Chapter one, greeting Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ,
Speaker 1: by the will of God, and Timothy our brother to
Speaker 1: the Church of God, with which is at Corinth, with
Speaker 1: all the saints who are all in a kia. I
Speaker 1: said a kasha before. I don't think it's a kasha.
Speaker 1: It's a kia, okay. And the saints, well, I thought
Speaker 1: that only Catholics. I thought that the Catholic Church has
Speaker 1: to approve saints, you know. I thought that it's the
Speaker 1: only people that are saints. Now according to Second Corinthians,
Speaker 1: here with all the saints who are in akia. So
Speaker 1: the saints are the believers. That's what they biblically are
Speaker 1: they are. That's what saints are. We are all saints. Okay,
Speaker 1: We're all saints because we are believers in Jesus Christ. Okay.
Speaker 1: It says grace to you and peace from God, our
Speaker 1: Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Like I told you
Speaker 1: guys before, our letters usually start out in America, dear
Speaker 1: John right, and then you'd write the letter and at
Speaker 1: the very bottom, love always or sincerely or whatever you
Speaker 1: want to put Josh Monday right at the bottom, or
Speaker 1: you put your name. So that's the way we do
Speaker 1: it in America. But these are written in scroll form, right,
Speaker 1: so when you got to scroll, you don't want to
Speaker 1: have to open the whole scroll up to go to
Speaker 1: the bottom and say, oh, it's from Paul, Apostle Paul.
Speaker 1: Then it rolls up and then it's all messed up,
Speaker 1: you know. So what they do is put the exactly
Speaker 1: who it's from on top so the person knows it's
Speaker 1: important and it's like, oh, this is from the apostle Paul.
Speaker 1: All right, let's let's do this. Let's read this. You know,
Speaker 1: this is we want to look into this. Okay. So
Speaker 1: Paul begins his letter out here by praising God as
Speaker 1: the Father of compassion and God of all comfort. This
Speaker 1: highlights God's nature and source of solace and strength in
Speaker 1: times of trouble. Okay, And that is in actually First Corinthians,
Speaker 1: chapter verse three, it says comfort and suffering. This is
Speaker 1: a in this is a Second Corinthians one verse three. Okay,
Speaker 1: blessed be the God and Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ,
Speaker 1: the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who
Speaker 1: comforts us in our tribulation that we may be able
Speaker 1: to comfort those who are in any trouble with the
Speaker 1: comfort which we ourselves are comforted by God. Okay, so
Speaker 1: that's what he starts out with. He highlights God's nature
Speaker 1: as a source of solace and strength in times of
Speaker 1: trouble or tribulations. What it said in my in the
Speaker 1: New King James. So the title God of All Comfort
Speaker 1: is derived from the apostle Paul's second letter to the Corinthians,
Speaker 1: where he writes blessed. It's basically what I just quoted
Speaker 1: Tewod Corinthians one, verse three. This designation emphasizes God's role
Speaker 1: as the ultimate source of solace and consolation for believers,
Speaker 1: particularly in times of affliction and distress. And we'll go
Speaker 1: ahead and continue reading here. For as the sufferings of
Speaker 1: Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. Now,
Speaker 1: if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation,
Speaker 1: which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we
Speaker 1: also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for
Speaker 1: our consolation and salvation. And our hope for you is
Speaker 1: steadfast because we know that as you are partakers of sufferings,
Speaker 1: so also you will partake of the consolation. Okay, So
Speaker 1: Paul elaborates on the nature of God's comfort, explaining this
Speaker 1: is in my notes is not only for personal relief,
Speaker 1: but also serves as a communal purpose. He states He
Speaker 1: comforts us in all our troubles or tribulations, so that
Speaker 1: we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort
Speaker 1: of ourselves received from God. This passage highlights the principal
Speaker 1: nature this pass the principal nature of divine comfort, where
Speaker 1: believers are both recipients and conduits of God's compassion. The
Speaker 1: Greek word for comfort in this context is pericleses, which
Speaker 1: conveys a sense of encouragement, consolation, and exhortation. It is
Speaker 1: closely related to the term perikalide perichalide, which is used
Speaker 1: to describe the Holy Spirit as a comforter advocate John fourteen,
Speaker 1: verse sixteen. This connection underscores the trinitarian aspect of divine comfort,
Speaker 1: with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are
Speaker 1: all involved in providing solace to the faithful. Okay, so
Speaker 1: let's go ahead and go back and then in verse
Speaker 1: four Paul explains that our sufferings allow us to experience
Speaker 1: God's comfort, which we can then share with others in
Speaker 1: their affliction. This creates a cycle of comfort and encouragement
Speaker 1: within the body of Christ. And then we haven't got
Speaker 1: to verse nine yet, But let's go ahead and continue.
Speaker 1: Delivered from suffering, for we do not want you to
Speaker 1: be ignorant, brethren of our trouble which came to us
Speaker 1: in Asia, that we were burden beyond measure, above strength,
Speaker 1: so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had
Speaker 1: the sentence of death in ourselves. That we should not
Speaker 1: trust in ourselves, but in God who raised the dead,
Speaker 1: who delivered us from so great a depth and does
Speaker 1: deliver us in whom we trust that we that he's
Speaker 1: still that he will still deliver us. You also help together,
Speaker 1: You also helping together, and prayer for us that thanks
Speaker 1: may be given by many persons on behalf of the
Speaker 1: gift granted to us through many Okay, And that's Second
Speaker 1: Corinthians verse nine, which we read here. Paul shares his
Speaker 1: own experiences of suffering, emphasizes that these trials taught him
Speaker 1: to rely not only on himself, but on God who
Speaker 1: raises the dead, which is right here. It says, yes,
Speaker 1: we had the sentence of death, in ourselves, that we
Speaker 1: should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises
Speaker 1: the dead. So what does that do that that emphasizes
Speaker 1: that he's not He's like raising God to obviously a
Speaker 1: different level. You know, he's letting him know that that
Speaker 1: God who raises the dead. I mean, that's that's powerful stuff, right,
Speaker 1: that's amazing when he says that, it's just like it's
Speaker 1: a really good emphasis on who God is. Right, And
Speaker 1: we haven't gone to chapter eleven yet. So in summary,
Speaker 1: verse three through eleven reveals that God is the source
Speaker 1: of all comfort and he uses our afflicts to equip
Speaker 1: us for comfort for others. The passage are sorry equips
Speaker 1: us to comfort others? The passage explains that those who
Speaker 1: suffer were able to share in Christ's sufferings, and that
Speaker 1: God provides comfort through his sufferings, through this sufferings, so
Speaker 1: that this suffering, so that they can offer this same
Speaker 1: comfort to those in need. Paul uses his own extreme
Speaker 1: suffering as an example of how or to show that
Speaker 1: when people trust in God, even when facing death, they
Speaker 1: will be delivered and can offer thanks for God's help,
Speaker 1: which in turn encourages others. And then some of the
Speaker 1: key themes God is the source of comfort. Paul identifies
Speaker 1: God as the father of compassion and the God of comfort,
Speaker 1: who is present with us in our troubles, a comfort
Speaker 1: for others. The purpose of receiving God's comfort is not
Speaker 1: just for personal belief, but to enable believers to comfort
Speaker 1: others who are also suffering. Okay, we've got to understand
Speaker 1: that sometimes we're just looking for that personal relief, but
Speaker 1: we're not forget We're forgetting that we get that personal
Speaker 1: relief so that we can comfort others who are suffering, right.
Speaker 1: You know an example of that, you know, I've had
Speaker 1: a family member that was down and out, you know,
Speaker 1: and they were down on their luck and they were
Speaker 1: having issues, you know as far in life, you know,
Speaker 1: financial and financial and job and addiction and stuff. And
Speaker 1: so God is comforting me and giving me personal relief.
Speaker 1: And I had, you know, my family member needing help,
Speaker 1: you know. And that's that's a good example. That's kind
Speaker 1: of the same thing. You know, they need relief, they
Speaker 1: need comfort, and they're not getting comfort, right, But I
Speaker 1: can be there for them and comfort them because God
Speaker 1: is comforting me, if that makes sense. And I remember
Speaker 1: sometimes they need financial help and The thing that I
Speaker 1: try to say is that I do a podcast that
Speaker 1: is for God. So whatever money that they make off
Speaker 1: the podcast, it's not meant for you know, always just
Speaker 1: like oh, let's go have fun and take the kids somewhere,
Speaker 1: let's go do this, let's go do that. It's kind
Speaker 1: of there to help people and assist people. Do I
Speaker 1: always use it for that? Only? No, But if somebody
Speaker 1: needs help and I pay them out of that money
Speaker 1: that the podcast money or whatever, then it's kind of
Speaker 1: like almost like a I think it's like money like that,
Speaker 1: you know, like that could be used for that, and
Speaker 1: I think that God provides that, and I think it's
Speaker 1: good to provide it for others, you know, if that
Speaker 1: makes sense. And that's not boasting or anything. That's just
Speaker 1: giving you guys an example of what I think is
Speaker 1: smart to do. Suffering and comfort are intertwined. Suffering is
Speaker 1: not a sign that God has abandoned us, but a
Speaker 1: reality that, when endured with faith, leads to an abundance
Speaker 1: of comfort from God and a deeper trust in Him,
Speaker 1: also trust in God over self. Paul shares his own
Speaker 1: experiences of despairing, even of life, even of life, which
Speaker 1: taught him to rely on God who raises the dead,
Speaker 1: rather than on himself. The power of prayer, the prayers
Speaker 1: of the recipients help in Paul's delivery and from trouble
Speaker 1: and lead many to give thanks to God. And then
Speaker 1: there's also hope and encouragement. Paul's personal story offers encouragement
Speaker 1: to others by showing that even in the most difficult
Speaker 1: times God provides what is needed to endure the ultimately
Speaker 1: and ultimately to bring good out of affliction. Okay, and
Speaker 1: then in verse eleven, let's see what that says. You
Speaker 1: also helping together in prayer for us that thanks may
Speaker 1: be given by many persons on our behalf for the
Speaker 1: gift granted us through many. So the Paul acknowledges the
Speaker 1: importance of prayer here of the Corinthians, which contributed to
Speaker 1: his deliverance from peril. This underscores the power and necessity
Speaker 1: of intercessory prayer. Okay, So before we continue, I kind
Speaker 1: of want to go over the role of prayer real quick.
Speaker 1: I think it's important for people to know prayer holds
Speaker 1: a central place in the life of a believer, serving
Speaker 1: as a vital means of communication with God. It is
Speaker 1: both a privilege, meaning why would it be a privilege. Well,
Speaker 1: i'd have to tell you guys that I told you
Speaker 1: guys back in the Old Testament in Leviticus, the priest
Speaker 1: was the one speaking to God on behalf of the people.
Speaker 1: So you don't just get to go knock on God's door,
Speaker 1: you know, in the temple and just be like, hey,
Speaker 1: it is the right if I talk to you, Lord,
Speaker 1: and to speak to you please, because you didn't have
Speaker 1: Jesus at that time dying on the cross and being
Speaker 1: a representative for you. Right, that's what we have now.
Speaker 1: So now when we say Father, God, in the name
Speaker 1: of Jesus, now you're speaking to God in the name
Speaker 1: of Jesus. It's like similar like I said to a
Speaker 1: king sending his squire to go represent him and in
Speaker 1: the name of King David, and it gives you a message.
Speaker 1: You know that that is just it's similar. It's like
Speaker 1: it's just like it's just like it came from King David,
Speaker 1: because he says in the name of King David. It's
Speaker 1: the same thing when you speak to God, Father, God,
Speaker 1: in the name of Jesus. So now we have a
Speaker 1: bridge between us and God, which is so far away.
Speaker 1: It's very tough, you know, because between our sinfulness and
Speaker 1: His holiness, it's so far away. But Jesus is able
Speaker 1: to bridge that gap. And now you're able to say
Speaker 1: in the name of Jesus, and that gap is bridged,
Speaker 1: and then now you could pray to God no problem.
Speaker 1: So that's why it is a privilege, but it's also
Speaker 1: a responsibility deeply rooted in believers try deeply rooted in
Speaker 1: the teachings of Scripture. Through prayer, believers express adoration, confession, thanksgiving,
Speaker 1: and supplication, aligning with their hearts with the will of
Speaker 1: aligning their hearts with the will of God. I'm sorry,
Speaker 1: I'm messing up with words, but I told you guys,
Speaker 1: I'm very tired. But I did pray before I started,
Speaker 1: and God is definitely helping me have the energy to
Speaker 1: finish this off. So it's really really cool. We're about
Speaker 1: a half an hour in already and I didn't even
Speaker 1: feel I don't even feel like it. So praise God,
Speaker 1: Thank you Lord, thank you, thank you, thank you. Biblical
Speaker 1: foundations for prayer, this is important. That's why I'm going
Speaker 1: over it. Prayer is very important. The Bible presents numerous
Speaker 1: examples of teachings on prayer, emphasizing its importance and efficiency,
Speaker 1: and the Old Testament figures such as Abraham, Moses, and
Speaker 1: David exemplify a life of prayer. Abraham interceded for Sodom,
Speaker 1: Moses sought God's guidance and inn avention for Israel, and
Speaker 1: David's psalms are replete with prayers of praise, lament, and petition.
Speaker 1: Prayer is a act of worship that acknowledges God's sovereignty
Speaker 1: and goodness. It is a means of drawing near to God,
Speaker 1: as James four aid encourages, draw near to God as
Speaker 1: He will draw near to you. Through prayer, believers cultivate
Speaker 1: a personal relationship with God, seeking his presence and guidance.
Speaker 1: And then prayer is also a powerful tool for spiritual
Speaker 1: warfare Ephesian six, verse eight. Are just believers to pray
Speaker 1: in the spirit on all occasions, with all kinds of
Speaker 1: prayers and requests. It is through prayer that believers can
Speaker 1: stand firm against the schemes of the enemy, relying on
Speaker 1: God's strength and protection. All right, very important, and then
Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in the believer's
Speaker 1: prayer life. Romans eight twenty six through twenty seven explains
Speaker 1: in the same way, excuse me, in the same way,
Speaker 1: the Spirit helps us in our weaknesses. We do not
Speaker 1: know what we ought to pray for, for the Spirit
Speaker 1: himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words. Conclusion,
Speaker 1: prayer is an essential aspect of the Christian faith, serving
Speaker 1: as a means of communion with God, a source of
Speaker 1: strength and guidance, and a channel for intercession and spiritual warfare.
Speaker 1: Through prayer, believers experience the presence and power of God,
Speaker 1: growing excuse me, growing in their relationship with Him and
Speaker 1: participating in His redemptive work in the world. Okay, so
Speaker 1: very important, excuse me, all right. Twelve through fourteen, Let's
Speaker 1: go ahead and read Paul's sincerity for our boasting. Is
Speaker 1: this the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves
Speaker 1: in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with
Speaker 1: fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God and more
Speaker 1: abundantly toward you. For we you not, For we are
Speaker 1: not writing any other things to you that you read
Speaker 1: or understand. Now I trust you will understand even to
Speaker 1: the end, as also you have understood us in part
Speaker 1: as that we are your boast as you also are
Speaker 1: ours in the day of the Lord Jesus. Okay. So,
Speaker 1: in these verses, Paul is explaining the sincerity integrity of
Speaker 1: Apostle and the Corinthians, stating that his boast is the
Speaker 1: clear conscience, which testifies to his godly simplicity and sincerity.
Speaker 1: He emphasizes that his actions are not based on fleshly wisdom,
Speaker 1: but on God's grace, and he was honest with them.
Speaker 1: He is confided that they, like him, can be proud
Speaker 1: of their relationship with the final judgment of Lord Jesus Christ.
Speaker 1: So Paul clears his conscience with the clear conscience. Paul's
Speaker 1: confidence comes from a clear conscience, indicating he acted with
Speaker 1: a pure heart and integrity towards the Corinthians godly sincerity.
Speaker 1: He claims his conduct was defined by godly sincerity, meaning
Speaker 1: he acted with honesty, genuine intentions, and accordance with God's
Speaker 1: will rather than worldly wisdom. He assures that his words
Speaker 1: are truthful and consistent, contrasting that this with the yes
Speaker 1: and no inconsistency that might have been hearing about him
Speaker 1: from critics. Mutual pride, Paul expresses confidence that both he
Speaker 1: and the Corinthians will be able to feel pride in
Speaker 1: the relationship on the day of the Lord Jesus, which
Speaker 1: will be at the result of their shared faithfulness. Amen
Speaker 1: sparring the church, sparing the church, sparring the church. Now
Speaker 1: I'm thinking of what boxing in m and mmap sparring
Speaker 1: in the church. People are boxing in there now, I'm
Speaker 1: just kidding, sparing the church, all right, Sorry about that,
Speaker 1: all right? Tewod Corinthians one, verse fifteen. And in the
Speaker 1: confidence I intended to come to you before you might
Speaker 1: have a second benefit, to pass by the way of
Speaker 1: you to Macedonia, to come again from Macedonia to you,
Speaker 1: and be helped by you on my way to Judea. Therefore,
Speaker 1: when I was planning this, did it? Do I do
Speaker 1: it lightly? Or the things I planned do I plan
Speaker 1: according to the flesh, that with me there should be yes,
Speaker 1: yes and no no. But as God is faithful, or
Speaker 1: the word to you was not yes and no. For
Speaker 1: the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preaching among
Speaker 1: you by us, by me, Selvanus and Timothy, has not
Speaker 1: yes and no, but in him was yes. From all
Speaker 1: promises of God and him are yes, and in him.
Speaker 1: Amen to the glory of God through us. Now he
Speaker 1: who established us with you in Christ, and has anointed
Speaker 1: us as God, who also has sealed us and given
Speaker 1: us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. Moreover,
Speaker 1: I call God as witness against my soul, that to
Speaker 1: spare you I come no more to Corinth, but that
Speaker 1: we have dominion over your faith, but are fellow workers
Speaker 1: for your joy. For by faith you stand, so as
Speaker 1: you can tell. Paul is defending his integrity after changing
Speaker 1: his travel plans to visit the Corinthians, which led to
Speaker 1: accusations of being unreliable. So he explains that his charge
Speaker 1: of change of plans was not a yes and no,
Speaker 1: but was a wise decision made in the best interests
Speaker 1: of the Corinthians, allowing them to resolve issues so his
Speaker 1: next visit could be a joyful one, not a disciplinary one.
Speaker 1: He affirms that in Christ, God's promise are yes, and
Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit serves as a guarantee and sealing of
Speaker 1: our faith. So as I told you earlier, he's defending
Speaker 1: his integrity. Paul's defending himself against accusations of being inconsistent
Speaker 1: or insincere. He clarifies that his intentions was good and
Speaker 1: his conscience was clear. The change in his travel plans
Speaker 1: was not due to a lack of commitment, but to
Speaker 1: be a more effective minister. He delayed his visit to
Speaker 1: avoid coming to them with the heavy hand of discipline
Speaker 1: and instead hope for a visit of joy and encouragement.
Speaker 1: And then God's faithfulness. Paul uses the change of plans
Speaker 1: to appoint to God's faithfulness just as He's not, just
Speaker 1: as he is not unreliable, unreliable. God's promise in Christ
Speaker 1: are certain, a resounding yes. And then the Holy Spirit
Speaker 1: is the spirit right there as sealed to us, given
Speaker 1: as the spirit in our hearts, as a guarantee. Right
Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit is presented as a seal and a
Speaker 1: guarantee for future glory, affirming that the truth of God's
Speaker 1: promises and giving Christians strength and assurance and their faith.
Speaker 1: And then more of our God is a witnessed of
Speaker 1: my soul. So the last, ultimately, Paul concludes that are
Speaker 1: that for believers in Christ, there's a fundamental yes to
Speaker 1: God God's promises. Their response should be an amen to
Speaker 1: the grace of God and a testament to the reliability
Speaker 1: of Christ and the Gospel. Therefore, I was planning this
Speaker 1: not to do lightly or things that I can do
Speaker 1: plant according to the flesh. So grace to you, what
Speaker 1: does it mean? Grace to you? What does it mean?
Speaker 1: It means may the Lord shower you with blessings you
Speaker 1: do not deserve. So does he start out with grace
Speaker 1: to you? Paul the Apostle, grace to you right here? Yeah,
Speaker 1: that's actually in verse two. So what that means is
Speaker 1: it means, may the Lord shower you with blessings you
Speaker 1: did not deserve. Grace to you and peace from our God. Okay, cool,
Speaker 1: So I got that in my notes. Do not be
Speaker 1: conformed to this world. We know that the goal of
Speaker 1: this world is to be happy apart from God. Okay.
Speaker 1: And what happens is you will chase happiness until you
Speaker 1: get sick of running, and once you can't fulfill that happiness,
Speaker 1: you will hopefully find the humble yourself and understand that
Speaker 1: you won't be fully content until you are doing God's
Speaker 1: will and worshiping God. So most of us that I know,
Speaker 1: most of the people that I know that talk to me,
Speaker 1: they've already chased happiness away from God. You know, like
Speaker 1: there are some people that obviously stayed in the church.
Speaker 1: They were raised in the church, and then they stayed
Speaker 1: a believer and they never went away from it. But
Speaker 1: there's a lot of people that I know, most people
Speaker 1: that are listening to the show right now, that have
Speaker 1: already chase that happiness before without God, and they came
Speaker 1: back to God. Right. So that's what I'm speaking of here,
Speaker 1: because a lot of people, they'll chase the happiness, whether
Speaker 1: it's in drugs, whether it's in alcohol, whether it's in lust,
Speaker 1: whether it's women, men, whatever it is that you thought
Speaker 1: was making you happy, you're empty inside when you when
Speaker 1: you when you think about it, Okay, it'll fill a
Speaker 1: void for a little bit, but then it doesn't last
Speaker 1: for a long time. It's just it feels a void
Speaker 1: for a little bit, and then you think that that
Speaker 1: that void is filled, but then it empties again, right,
Speaker 1: and then you gotta try to fill it again. You
Speaker 1: keep trying to fill that void, and then what happens
Speaker 1: is you're chasing happiness and you're never fully content until
Speaker 1: you're worshiping God. And not everybody humbles himself and comes
Speaker 1: back to God. They continue to chase happiness in other places,
Speaker 1: they say that I can do it. Me, me, me,
Speaker 1: I can do it. I'm the one that can do it,
Speaker 1: and they keep trying and trying and trying, and a
Speaker 1: lot of those people end up depressed, maybe with anxiety.
Speaker 1: But then they take pills and they think that they're
Speaker 1: good and by the time they know it, they pass
Speaker 1: away and they never make it to heaven because they
Speaker 1: never humble themselves, and which is a sad thing, definitely.
Speaker 1: It's a sad thing that some people do that. But
Speaker 1: they'll chase that happiness and then all of a sudden
Speaker 1: they start feeling depressed or they start feeling some type
Speaker 1: of way. Some people will just be happy without God,
Speaker 1: you know, and it's crazy, but they just got a
Speaker 1: heartened heart where they're just they're happy without him. They're
Speaker 1: not going to be fully happy, like full of joy
Speaker 1: and peace, but they feel like they're okay in their
Speaker 1: life without them. And that's what happens. And if you guys, notice,
Speaker 1: the world is trying to keep God out of everything.
Speaker 1: They try to keep God out of the schools, they
Speaker 1: try to keep God out of government, they try to
Speaker 1: keep God off the TV, off of movies, radio, there's
Speaker 1: contracts and music that you have to sign where you're
Speaker 1: not going to say the name of Jesus, nothing about Muhammad,
Speaker 1: nothing about Buddha, okay, nothing about anybody but Jesus, Okay,
Speaker 1: which is crazy. You can't say the name of Jesus
Speaker 1: in your music. There's contracts like that in the music industry,
Speaker 1: all right. Obviously not I wouldn't think it a gospel record,
Speaker 1: but you know, record contract. But you'd be surprised, you know.
Speaker 1: I'm not saying that they're going to tell them that
Speaker 1: they can't say Jesus, but I bet you they you know,
Speaker 1: I've been to Okay, I'll tell you this real quick
Speaker 1: before we I don't want to get sidetracked here. But
Speaker 1: we're finished with the chapters, so I'll look to the thing.
Speaker 1: It's called Gospel to the South. And and I was
Speaker 1: trying out for kind of a competition for a record
Speaker 1: contract as similar to American Idol. But it's like it's
Speaker 1: like gospel music, right, So obviously I'm a rapper, I'm
Speaker 1: not a gospel singer. But I still went. I flew
Speaker 1: all the way to Louisiana. I get there, they put
Speaker 1: us in this room and there's a panel up there
Speaker 1: of these people that are like in the gospel Indo
Speaker 1: and they were explaining to all of us that they're
Speaker 1: looking for that talent, the one that's they can take
Speaker 1: to the top. And I immediately obviously I was older
Speaker 1: than all the people in there because it was a
Speaker 1: lot of young people. I was older. You know when
Speaker 1: I did this, it was like twenty nineteen, so I
Speaker 1: was like like thirty what thirty eight or something or
Speaker 1: thirty seven, And uh, I just got this immediate feeling
Speaker 1: like what am I doing? Man? These people are just
Speaker 1: looking for money, that's it. They're looking for that next
Speaker 1: star they could push to the top so that it
Speaker 1: could become a business, and money is what they wanted
Speaker 1: to generate, right, And I could feel that and I
Speaker 1: was like what am I doing? And this is before
Speaker 1: the performance, So now I got this kind of eerie
Speaker 1: feeling because of the way they're talking. You know that
Speaker 1: we're going to set you up with the manager, we're
Speaker 1: going to get you contract, we're going to get you signed,
Speaker 1: get you in this still studio, make it the next
Speaker 1: big thing. And they're selling you the same type of
Speaker 1: pipe dream that they sell you on American Idol. And
Speaker 1: what they're gonna do. You know, this is what they
Speaker 1: would have done if they would have signed someone like me,
Speaker 1: they would have said, here we go, we got you signed.
Speaker 1: Now since we're bringing you out, we're gonna take like
Speaker 1: this amount off of every record that you put out
Speaker 1: because we're the ones that are giving you the big push.
Speaker 1: Because before you came here, you were obviously nothing. Now
Speaker 1: we can make you something. But we're gonna get a
Speaker 1: big cut off of everything you do. And now we're
Speaker 1: gonna start having creative control over your music because they
Speaker 1: want to make sure that you're gonna be the next
Speaker 1: big thing. So it becomes very business like. And this
Speaker 1: is gospel, right, so this is mixing God with making
Speaker 1: money and not like trying to make you know, five
Speaker 1: hundred dollars a month money. They want to make money,
Speaker 1: you know. So I'm not saying that those people have
Speaker 1: evil hearts or that I have no idea what their
Speaker 1: heart is. I don't know what happens after you get
Speaker 1: signed in there, but I'm just giving you the vibe
Speaker 1: that I felt and what I know about the record industry.
Speaker 1: You know, that's why I say they want to keep
Speaker 1: Jesus out of music. You know, out of the secular music, right,
Speaker 1: but the gospel. I also tasted the gospel scene and
Speaker 1: at the inter musician you probably know what I mean.
Speaker 1: It's just like the secular scene basically. But obviously it's
Speaker 1: like the secular scene, but it's a little different, right.
Speaker 1: So yeah, they're trying to keep God out of everything, right,
Speaker 1: Like I said, politics, government, television, radio, music, they're trying
Speaker 1: to keep God out of school. Took the Bible out
Speaker 1: of school. So that's what the world is doing. So
Speaker 1: that is that's why it says, do not be comforted
Speaker 1: to this world. We know that the goal of this
Speaker 1: world is to be happy apart from God. Yeah, don't
Speaker 1: be conformed to this world. That's why I said it,
Speaker 1: because we know that the goal this world is to
Speaker 1: be happy apart from God. Right. All right, So we're
Speaker 1: going to be now doing our since we're done with
Speaker 1: the chapter, we're going to be doing our practical applications.
Speaker 1: We have one, two, three, four of those. First one
Speaker 1: is going to be seek God's comfort in times of distress.
Speaker 1: Turn to God as your primary source of comfort and strength.
Speaker 1: Trust in his ability to provide peace that surpasses understanding. Next,
Speaker 1: share your testimony. Use your experiences of God's comfort to
Speaker 1: encourage and support others who are facing similar challenges. Your
Speaker 1: testimony can be a powerful tool for ministry. Of course,
Speaker 1: it can be a powerful tool. Do you know why,
Speaker 1: because some people are going through the same thing that
Speaker 1: you went through eight years ago and before you got saved,
Speaker 1: you know, seven years ago, ten years ago, fifth, whatever
Speaker 1: it is. Some people are going through that exact thing
Speaker 1: that you're going through, and they haven't committed to God
Speaker 1: yet because they haven't got over that sin that's stopping them.
Speaker 1: And you might have been doing the same sin. So
Speaker 1: if you start sharing your testimony, then it encourages them
Speaker 1: to think, Wow, he did it, and he was in
Speaker 1: the same situation as I am right now, and then
Speaker 1: look where he's at now. Perfect makes them want to
Speaker 1: believe that if they believe the gospel and they start praying,
Speaker 1: and they start having discipline and obedience and all these
Speaker 1: different things, then they'll be able to be in the
Speaker 1: position you're in. So it is great to share your testimony.
Speaker 1: How many times that have I done a show when
Speaker 1: I go over my testimony or I go and I'm
Speaker 1: talking to people on my show and I just bring
Speaker 1: up my pass. How many times does somebody DM me
Speaker 1: and say, you know, hey, I'm going through this right now,
Speaker 1: or Hey, I feel okay to talk to you because
Speaker 1: I know you've been there before. Hey, this is what's happening.
Speaker 1: I got drugs going on, I got alcohol going on,
Speaker 1: I got lust going on. I got this one person.
Speaker 1: I'm not gonna obviously say any names at all, but
Speaker 1: this one person was dealing with. I forgot what it's like,
Speaker 1: you know, like swinger parties and stuff. I never was
Speaker 1: involved in that, but you know, they knew that I'd
Speaker 1: been involved, like you know, like lust, you know, a
Speaker 1: long time ago. And you know, when you just start
Speaker 1: going over things that you're going through, then people will
Speaker 1: be more relatable to talk to you and ask you.
Speaker 1: And it's like a door that opens up for you
Speaker 1: to be able to spread the gospel and minister to them.
Speaker 1: Cultivate dependence on God and every trial practice relying on
Speaker 1: God's strength and rather than your own, acknowledge your weakness
Speaker 1: and invite His power to work through you. That's a
Speaker 1: great point. Invite him to invite his power to work
Speaker 1: through you. That's a great thing to pray for. Encourage
Speaker 1: and an intercessory prayer. Engage see I told you, guys,
Speaker 1: engage in an intercessory prayer. Commit to praying for others
Speaker 1: who are suffering. Recognize that your prayers can have a
Speaker 1: significant impact on their lives and circumstances. So those are
Speaker 1: the practical applications for this chapter. And let's go ahead
Speaker 1: and additional scriptures that connect to this will be James
Speaker 1: one two through four. Consider it pure joy, my brothers,
Speaker 1: when you encounter trials of many kinds, because you know
Speaker 1: that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Yes, the
Speaker 1: testing of your faith develops perseverance. Trials and tribulations, Yes,
Speaker 1: Philippians four six through seven. Be anxious for nothing, but
Speaker 1: in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your
Speaker 1: request to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses
Speaker 1: all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in
Speaker 1: Christ Jesus Amen, Romans eight twenty eight. And we know
Speaker 1: that God works all things together for the good of
Speaker 1: those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. Amen.
Speaker 1: So let's go ahead and go to Second Corinthians chapter two,
Speaker 1: and let's see we have Let's go over the intro.
Speaker 1: This chapter offers a profound message about forgiveness, restoration, and
Speaker 1: love within the Christian community. It also emphasizes the contrasting
Speaker 1: effects of the Gospel being a fragrance of life to
Speaker 1: some and death to others, which encourages us to consider
Speaker 1: our personal responses to the message of Christ. Lastly, Paul's
Speaker 1: dedication and sincerity and spreading the Gospel despite personal difficulties
Speaker 1: inspire us to remain steadfast in our own walk with God.
Speaker 1: All right, let's go ahead and read tewo Corinthians Chapter two,
Speaker 1: Verse one. But I determine this within myself that I
Speaker 1: would not come again on you to you in sorrow.
Speaker 1: For if I make you sorrowful, then who is he
Speaker 1: who makes me glad? But the one who is made
Speaker 1: sorrowful by me? Let's see it says, but I determine
Speaker 1: this with in myself, that I would not come again
Speaker 1: to you in sorrow. For if I make you sorrowful,
Speaker 1: then who is he who makes me glad? But the
Speaker 1: one who is made sorrowful by me? Okay, So Paul
Speaker 1: references a previous painful visit and letter emphasizing the importance
Speaker 1: of addressing sin and conflict within the church. That's going
Speaker 1: to be verses one through four. Let's go and read
Speaker 1: three and four real quick, so we see what he's
Speaker 1: talking about. Forgive the offender. This is tewod Corinthians two,
Speaker 1: chapter or verse three. And I wrote this very thing
Speaker 1: to you less when I came. Should I have sorrow
Speaker 1: over those from whom I ought to have joy? Having
Speaker 1: confidence in you all that my joy is the joy
Speaker 1: of you all. For out of much affliction and anguish
Speaker 1: of heart, I wrote to you with many tears, not
Speaker 1: that you should be greet but that you might know
Speaker 1: the love which I have abundantly for you. So Paul's
Speaker 1: painful Visit and letter, let's go ahead and check out
Speaker 1: what that says. The apostle Paul, a pivotal figure in
Speaker 1: the early Church, had a complex relationship with the Corinthian Church.
Speaker 1: His interactions with them are documented in New Testament, particularly
Speaker 1: in the letters of First Corinthians and Second Corinthians. The
Speaker 1: Painful Visit and subsequent Painful Letter are significant events in
Speaker 1: his relationship, reflecting the challenges of Paul, the challenges that
Speaker 1: Paul faced in guiding and correcting the early Christian communities.
Speaker 1: The Painful Visit, Paul's painful visit to corinth is not
Speaker 1: directly described in the Acts of the Apostles, but is
Speaker 1: inferred from his letters. This visit is believed to have
Speaker 1: occurred between the writing of First Corinthians and Second Corinthians.
Speaker 1: And Second Corinthians two verse one, Paul refers to the visit, stating,
Speaker 1: so I make up to you. So I made a
Speaker 1: my mind that I would not make another painful visit
Speaker 1: to you. This suggests that the visit was marked by
Speaker 1: conflict and distress, likely due to issues within the Corinthian
Speaker 1: church that required Paul's direct intervention. The nature of the
Speaker 1: problems in corinth included moral lapses, divisions, and challenges to
Speaker 1: Paul's apostolic authority. There issues necessitated a visit that was
Speaker 1: confrontational and emotionally taxing for both Paul and the Corinthian believers.
Speaker 1: And then the next thing I'll talk about is the
Speaker 1: pain painful letter. Following the painful visit, Paul wrote a
Speaker 1: letter to the Corinthians, often referred to as the Painful
Speaker 1: Letter or sorrowful Letter. This letter is not extant, but
Speaker 1: is ex but its existence and purpose are mentioned in
Speaker 1: Second Corinthians two verse four. For out of much affliction.
Speaker 1: I'm just going to read it real quick, for out
Speaker 1: of anguish of heart, I wrote to you with many tears,
Speaker 1: that you should not be grieved, but that you might
Speaker 1: know the love which I have so abundantly for you. Okay,
Speaker 1: So it says this letter is intended to address the
Speaker 1: issues that have caused the painful visit and to express
Speaker 1: Paul's deep concern and love for the Corinthian Church. It
Speaker 1: was a letter of rebuke, yet it was also demonstrate
Speaker 1: also a demonstration of Paul's pastoral care and commitment to
Speaker 1: the spiritual well being of the believers. So the impact
Speaker 1: of the painful letter was significant. In Tewod Corinthian seven
Speaker 1: second Sorry Tewod Corinthian seven eight through nine, Paul reflects
Speaker 1: on the letter's effect, saying, even if I cost you
Speaker 1: sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though
Speaker 1: I did regret it. I see that my letter hurts you,
Speaker 1: but only for a little while. Yet now I am happy,
Speaker 1: not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow
Speaker 1: led to repentance. This passes in case that the letter achieved.
Speaker 1: It's a tended purpose leading to repentance and reconciliation. The
Speaker 1: Corinthians response was one of godly sorrow, which brought about
Speaker 1: a change of heart and restore their relationship with Paul. Finally,
Speaker 1: the painful visit and letter revealed the depth of Paul's
Speaker 1: pastoral heart. Despite the challenges and personal costs, Paul remained
Speaker 1: committed to the Corinthians, exemplifying a sacrificial love that is
Speaker 1: essential to the Christian faith. Definitely important for me to
Speaker 1: go over that portion so that you guys understand what's
Speaker 1: going on. Okay, now we're in second Corinthians two verse five.
Speaker 1: But if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me,
Speaker 1: but all of you, to some extent, not to be
Speaker 1: too severe. This punishment which was inflicted by the majority
Speaker 1: is sufficient for such a man, so that, on the contrary,
Speaker 1: you ought rather to forgive and comfort him less. Perhaps
Speaker 1: such a such a one to be swallowed up with
Speaker 1: too many, too much sorrow. Therefore, I urge you to
Speaker 1: reaffirm your love to him. For to this end I
Speaker 1: also wrote that I might put you to the test
Speaker 1: whether you are obedient in all things. Now, whom you
Speaker 1: forgive anything, I also forgive you. If indeed I have
Speaker 1: forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for the sakes
Speaker 1: I have forgiven none that one for your sakes. In
Speaker 1: the presence of Christ, lest Satan should take advantage of us,
Speaker 1: for we are not ignorant of his devices. Okay, So
Speaker 1: forgiveness and comfort. Paul urges the Corinthians to forgive and
Speaker 1: comfort the individual who cause grief, highlighting the necessity for
Speaker 1: restoring a repentant sinner. And then Satan's schemes. Paul warns
Speaker 1: against being outwitted by Satan, who seeks to explore oh wait,
Speaker 1: unforgiveness and division within the Church. So we'll look up
Speaker 1: Satan's schemes here. Satan, also known as the Devil, is
Speaker 1: depicted in the Bible as an adversary of God and humanity.
Speaker 1: His schemes are multifaceted, aiming to deceive, tempt, and lead
Speaker 1: people away from the truth of God. Understanding Satan's tactics
Speaker 1: is crucial for believers to stand firm in their faith
Speaker 1: and resist his influence deception. One of Satan's primary strategies
Speaker 1: is deception. He is described as a liar and the
Speaker 1: father of lies in John eight forty four. From the
Speaker 1: beginning of the Garden of Eden, Satan deceived Eve by
Speaker 1: questioning God's command and twisted the truth. Genesis three one
Speaker 1: through five, the act of deception led to the fall
Speaker 1: of humanity and two Corinthians eleven, verse fourteen. Paul warns
Speaker 1: that Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light, indicating
Speaker 1: his ability to present falsehood as truth. Temptation. Satan also
Speaker 1: employs temptation to lure individuals into sin. The account of
Speaker 1: jesus temptation in the Wilderness illustrates this tactic. Matthew four,
Speaker 1: verses one through eleven. Satan tempted Jesus with physical sustenance, power,
Speaker 1: and testing God's protection, yet Jesus resisted by quoting scripture.
Speaker 1: This highlights the importance of knowing God's word to counteract
Speaker 1: Satan's temptations. Satan's accusations Another scheme of Satan is accusation.
Speaker 1: He referred to He's also referred to as the accuser
Speaker 1: of our brothers and Revelation twelve, verse ten. Satan seeks
Speaker 1: to condemn believers, reminding them of their sins and failures
Speaker 1: to undermine their confidence in God's grace and forgiveness. However,
Speaker 1: Romans eight thirty three through thirty four assures believers that
Speaker 1: it is God who justifies and Christ who intercedes for them. Division.
Speaker 1: Satan also often sows discord division among believers. In One
Speaker 1: Corinthians one ten through thirteen, Paul addresses division within the church,
Speaker 1: urging unity in Christ Satan aims. Satan's aim is to
Speaker 1: weaken the Body of Christ by fostering strife and disunity.
Speaker 1: Ephesians four three encourages believers to make every effort to
Speaker 1: keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Persecution.
Speaker 1: Persecution is another tool used by Satan to intimidate and
Speaker 1: discourage believers. And one Peter five eight through nine, Peter
Speaker 1: warrens be sober minded, be alert you adversay. The devil
Speaker 1: prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Speaker 1: Believers are encouraged to resist him, standing firm in their faith,
Speaker 1: knowing that suffering is a part of the Christian experience.
Speaker 1: False teaching. This is definitely a big one. False teaching.
Speaker 1: Satan promotes false teachings to lead people astray from the
Speaker 1: truth of the Gospel. Back in Peter two, verse one,
Speaker 1: it is noted that false prophets arose among the people,
Speaker 1: just as there will be false teachers among you. These
Speaker 1: false teachings can distort the message of the salvation and
Speaker 1: lead believers away from sound doctrine. Spiritual warfare. The Bible
Speaker 1: describes the Christian life as a spiritual battle against the
Speaker 1: forces of evil. Aphesian six eleven through twelve instructs believers.
Speaker 1: Instructs believers to put on the full armor of God
Speaker 1: so that you can make your stand against the devil's
Speaker 1: schemes or the wiles of the devil, it says in
Speaker 1: the New King James. This passage emphasizes the need for
Speaker 1: spiritual preparedness and reliance on God's strength to withstand Satan's attacks.
Speaker 1: What's the conclusion. While Satan's schemes are numerous and varied,
Speaker 1: the Bible provides believers with the tools and knowledge to
Speaker 1: recognize and resist them. Through faith, prayer, and the Word
Speaker 1: of God, Christians are equipped to stand firm against adversary
Speaker 1: adversary's tactics. So now through faith, obviously faith in Jesus,
Speaker 1: but also you faith cometh by hearing and hearing by
Speaker 1: the Word of God. So you build that shield of faith. Right,
Speaker 1: prayer is going to be an offensive weapon, and so
Speaker 1: is the Word of God. That is the sword, right,
Speaker 1: So you also have the breastplate of righteousness, the belt
Speaker 1: of truth. You have the helmet of salvation, and the
Speaker 1: Gospel feet right, the Gospel on your feet. Hopefully I'm
Speaker 1: not missing anything. Breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation,
Speaker 1: the the belt of truth. I think that's it. And
Speaker 1: then you have the shield of faith. Right. I told
Speaker 1: you guys, faith cometh by hearing, hearing by the Word
Speaker 1: of God. That's how you build that faith, that shield.
Speaker 1: You make that that shield huge so you can dodge
Speaker 1: the wiles of the devil. And then your offensive weapon
Speaker 1: to attack is going to be the double ed sword
Speaker 1: is going to be the Word of God. Right, and
Speaker 1: also prayer. Yes amen, So I am going to definitely
Speaker 1: have to keep this because this is very important. The
Speaker 1: whole portion that I just read, it's gonna be what
Speaker 1: Satan's schemes. Yeah, it's very hold on. I'm gonna try
Speaker 1: to Sorry, guys, I need to save this because it's important,
Speaker 1: but it's very hard to do anyways, So hopefully you
Speaker 1: guys enjoyed that little part right there. It kind of
Speaker 1: gives us a good breakdown. Okay, I think I know
Speaker 1: what to do. I can't do like select all. Okay, sorry,
Speaker 1: this took so long. I'm just gonna go to the
Speaker 1: top and hopefully copy. Okay notes. Yeah, I just need
Speaker 1: that for a show that I'm gonna do. So I
Speaker 1: just have those notes saved. Gotta save that. Sorry, Thank
Speaker 1: you for your patients. Took me a little bit. Okay,
Speaker 1: so let's go ahead and continue. Thank you for your
Speaker 1: patients on that for sure. Let's Satan take advance. So
Speaker 1: we already went through that. So so tewod Corinthians two,
Speaker 1: verses three through eleven. We just went through, right, So
Speaker 1: I have some notes on this. So instructs the church
Speaker 1: to forgive and comfort man who had also caused grief
Speaker 1: now that he has repented. Paul explains that he delayed
Speaker 1: his visit because he had to write a painful letter
Speaker 1: to the Corinthians about this man's sin, and he doesn't
Speaker 1: want the situation to become a source of division or
Speaker 1: for Satan to take advantage of their heart heartedness. The
Speaker 1: passage emphasizes that forgiveness and restoration should be quick once
Speaker 1: repentance is confirmed. Key points to the passages Paul positioned.
Speaker 1: Paul's position on forgiveness. Paul shows the Corinthians that he
Speaker 1: forgives the man and the presence of Christ and wants
Speaker 1: them to forgive as well, not out of weakness, but
Speaker 1: to prevent further damage from Satan. And then the reasons
Speaker 1: for the painful letter. Paul had to write the letter
Speaker 1: because the man had caused pain and had challenged Paul's authority,
Speaker 1: potentially dividing the church. The importance of forgiveness. The act
Speaker 1: of forgiveness is crucial for reconciliation within the community of believers.
Speaker 1: By not forgiving, the church could become heard hearted, but
Speaker 1: by forgiving they affirmed their love for the penitent man.
Speaker 1: Restoration and not rejection. The passage encourages restoration rather than rejection.
Speaker 1: After the man's repentance, the church should comfort him and
Speaker 1: reaffirm their love for him. Avoiding Satan's schemes we already
Speaker 1: talked about, we already covered, so we don't need to
Speaker 1: do that, all right, sweet, all right, So let's go
Speaker 1: ahead and let's go back to this second Corinthians two.
Speaker 1: It's the next one that's going to be fifteen sixteen,
Speaker 1: which we're going to read. Triumph in Christ is what
Speaker 1: the title is it's going to be Second Corinthians two,
Speaker 1: verse twelve. Furthermore, when I came to trials to preach
Speaker 1: Christ's gospel and a door was opened to me by
Speaker 1: the Lord, I had no rest in my spirit because
Speaker 1: I had not find Titus, my brother. I did not
Speaker 1: find Titus my brother. But taking my leave of them,
Speaker 1: I departed from Macedonia. Now, thanks be to God, who
Speaker 1: always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us
Speaker 1: diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For
Speaker 1: we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those
Speaker 1: who are being saved, and among those who are perishing.
Speaker 1: To the one, we are the aroma of death leading
Speaker 1: to death, to the other the aroma of life leading
Speaker 1: to life. And who is sufficient to those things. For
Speaker 1: we are not as so many peddling the word of God,
Speaker 1: but as of sincerity, but as from God. We speak
Speaker 1: in the sight of God in Christ. Okay, So if
Speaker 1: focus these verses, they focus on the aroma of Christ's metaphor,
Speaker 1: which compares the spread of the Gospel to a Roman
Speaker 1: victory parade. Paul, like the victorious general, sees God leading
Speaker 1: him and other belie in triumph through this though to
Speaker 1: some this brings the fragrance of death due to the
Speaker 1: rejection of the Gospel. So if you're rejecting the Gospel,
Speaker 1: that is the aroma or fragrance of death, while to
Speaker 1: others it brings the fragrance of life as it is
Speaker 1: the message of salvation. The passage also highlights Paul's sincerity
Speaker 1: as a messenger of God, contrasting with those who peddle
Speaker 1: the word of God for profit. Oh so many pedaling
Speaker 1: the word of God. Hmm wow, Okay, I didn't even
Speaker 1: see that part right there, pedal the word of God
Speaker 1: for profit all right. The triumphant procession metaphor the Roman triumph.
Speaker 1: The passage draws from the imagery of the Roman triumph
Speaker 1: at victory parade led by a conquering general, the general crisis,
Speaker 1: the triumph of General leading believers in the procession across
Speaker 1: the world. The aroma, sweet smelling incense was used in
Speaker 1: these parades. In this metaphor, the incense is also the
Speaker 1: knowledge of Him Christ that believers spread, and the two
Speaker 1: groups the fragrance is perceived differently by those in the procession.
Speaker 1: To the defeated captives, the incense smells of death, while
Speaker 1: to citizens celebrating. It smells of life and victory. And
Speaker 1: then the aroma of death. Like I said, it refers
Speaker 1: to those who reject the gospel. And then the aroma
Speaker 1: of life is the ones that accept the Gospel and
Speaker 1: are being saved. Paul's sincerity. Paul contrasts his own ministry
Speaker 1: that with that of false teachers who peddle the word
Speaker 1: of God for personal gain. He asserts that he and
Speaker 1: his Compassion companions preach with sincerity as those sent from
Speaker 1: God in the sight of God. Okay, and we talked
Speaker 1: about the aroma of Christ already, so I ready to
Speaker 1: go over that. That is the end of chapter two.
Speaker 1: Let's go ahead and go over some practical applications. We
Speaker 1: have one, two, three, four. Practice forgiveness. Actively seek to
Speaker 1: forgive those who have wronged you, understanding that forgiveness is
Speaker 1: a command and a pathway to healing. Yes, it definitely
Speaker 1: is a pathway to healing. Just as an example, if
Speaker 1: my daughter is arguing with my wife, for example, they're
Speaker 1: both very stubborn to say to say sorry, right, and
Speaker 1: I'm watching this unfold and the fight continues because they're
Speaker 1: both not saying sorry, and they're both not forgiving each other.
Speaker 1: So you know, my wife would say, hey, well let's
Speaker 1: make up now to my daughter like she's like saying, hey,
Speaker 1: let's make up. Let's let's make up, and then my
Speaker 1: daughters like hes intended to make up. Because sometimes it's
Speaker 1: hard for her to say sorry out loud. She needs
Speaker 1: to work on that. My other daughters says sorry immediately.
Speaker 1: She did, but she has other ways of saying sorry.
Speaker 1: So what she did is she came downstairs and she
Speaker 1: made my wife like a little heart out of Plato,
Speaker 1: and then she put ariel and then she said, Dad,
Speaker 1: will you write I'm sorry? So I wrote I'm sorry
Speaker 1: on there and then she gives that to my wife
Speaker 1: and then they make up. So practice forgiveness because forgiveness
Speaker 1: is a command and a pathway to healing. Once you forgive, boom,
Speaker 1: that's it. It's over. That's how you need to make it.
Speaker 1: If you forgive, don't bring it up again. I know
Speaker 1: it's hard for some people to not bring things up,
Speaker 1: but you just it's a pathway to healing, for sure.
Speaker 1: And that's just an example of it. Right. Encourage restoration.
Speaker 1: When someone repents, be quick to restore and comfort them,
Speaker 1: fostering unity and love within the community, beware of spiritual warfare.
Speaker 1: Recognize that unforgiveness can be a tool of the enemy
Speaker 1: to create division and strife. That is for sure. If
Speaker 1: you have a family member right now that you're fighting
Speaker 1: and arguing with and you have issues with, I really, really,
Speaker 1: really really encourage you to forgive so that the enemy
Speaker 1: cannot use that as a tool to create division and strife. Okay,
Speaker 1: live as a fragrance of Christ. Strive to live in
Speaker 1: a way that reflects the love and grace of Christ,
Speaker 1: impacting those around you with the Gospel. Okay, that is
Speaker 1: the four practical applications. Now let's go ahead and go
Speaker 1: to additional scriptures. We have Matthew six fourteen through fifteen.
Speaker 1: Let's go ahead and check out that. All right, So
Speaker 1: sometimes these study guys have them already written out, but
Speaker 1: sometimes they don't. They just have the little like sentence
Speaker 1: about the verses Matthew six fourteen through fifteen. For if
Speaker 1: you forgive men their truspass or having, the Father will
Speaker 1: also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men
Speaker 1: their truspasses, neither will your Father forgive your trustpasses. Cannot
Speaker 1: get any plainer than that. Wow, very very interesting stuff.
Speaker 1: Next we have it says Jesus teaches about the necessity
Speaker 1: of forgiving others as we have been forgiven by God.
Speaker 1: It's kind of like, you can't forgive. How do you
Speaker 1: expect to forgive you? Yeah, Phesians for verse thirty two.
Speaker 1: Let's check that one out. Ephesians four, verse thirty two.
Speaker 1: And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another.
Speaker 1: Even as God in Christ forgave you, So God in
Speaker 1: Christ forgive you, meaning what Christ did on the cross
Speaker 1: is what got you to be able to be forgiven.
Speaker 1: That's why, even as God in Christ forgave you, basically
Speaker 1: forgave you for all the sins that you've committed in
Speaker 1: your life, because you are now saved. You know that
Speaker 1: is the gospel. Right. Next we have Colossians three thirteen.
Speaker 1: Colossians three thirteen says we'll start at twelve. Therefore, as
Speaker 1: the elect of God, Holy and Beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness,
Speaker 1: long suffering, bearing one another. If anyone has a complain
Speaker 1: against one another, even as Christ forgave you, so also
Speaker 1: you must do you also must do. Okay. So in
Speaker 1: this verse there's a lot going on here. They therefore,
Speaker 1: as the elect of God, meaning the saved, the people
Speaker 1: that are saved, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies.
Speaker 1: We need to be merciful, kindness. We need to be
Speaker 1: kind to others. Humility, okay, meekness. We have to be
Speaker 1: nice to others, long suffering, bearing with one another, and
Speaker 1: forgiving one another. If anyone has to complaint against another,
Speaker 1: even as Christ forgave you, you also must do that.
Speaker 1: Is not even like a oh you should do that,
Speaker 1: because God did that for you, you also must do okay.
Speaker 1: The call to bear with one another and forgive agreements
Speaker 1: is mirroring the forgiveness we have received there. Romans twelve,
Speaker 1: verse eighteen. Let's check that out. This is such an
Speaker 1: important verse right here. Copy Sometimes I just like to
Speaker 1: when I find little nuggets. You just gotta make sure
Speaker 1: you copy him and put them in little notes or
Speaker 1: something so you could resort back to those. Remember them.
Speaker 1: Romans twelve, verse eighteen says, sounds like a verse that
Speaker 1: I've read to you guys before. If it is possible,
Speaker 1: as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
Speaker 1: The exhortation to live at peace with everyone as far
Speaker 1: as it depends on us. How do you live at
Speaker 1: peace with all men or all people? You forgive them,
Speaker 1: you be kind, meet, kind hearted, merciful. You know that's
Speaker 1: that is the way. And then maybe like that back
Speaker 1: to you as well, though you know, it's kind of
Speaker 1: tough if you're not it's tough if you're not receiving
Speaker 1: that back, right, But still we got to make sure
Speaker 1: that we do that, okay, as Christians. So let's go
Speaker 1: ahead and go to chapter three. This is going to
Speaker 1: be the intro to chapter three and Second Corinthians three.
Speaker 1: Paul presents the heart transforming power of the New Covenant
Speaker 1: in ministry, not of the letter, but of the spirit.
Speaker 1: It teaches us that it is not the observance of
Speaker 1: law that brings life and righteousness, but the spirit of
Speaker 1: the living God. As we turn to the Lord behold
Speaker 1: his glory, we experienced transformation, growing evermore in Christ, like
Speaker 1: Christ in glory. Okay, man, I.
Speaker 2: Just did that, and I had there were Second Corinthians. Sorry,
Speaker 2: Second Corinthians chapter.
Speaker 1: One and all the way down. Sorry, guys. Like I said,
Speaker 1: I'm coming on my last limb here. I'm very tired,
Speaker 1: but moving through this and God is helping me. Believe me,
Speaker 1: I do need something to drink though. All right, all right,
Speaker 1: here we go, got there, and let me just pull
Speaker 1: this up real quick. Gotta pull it up on, pull
Speaker 1: it up on the screen. Second Corinthians three, verse one,
Speaker 1: Do we begin again to command ourselves? Or do we
Speaker 1: need as some other's epistles of the commendation to you
Speaker 1: or letters of commendation to you? From you? You are
Speaker 1: epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men.
Speaker 1: Clearly you are an epistle of Christ ministered by us,
Speaker 1: written not with ink, but by the spirit of the
Speaker 1: Living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets
Speaker 1: of flesh, that is, of the heart Christ Minister has written. Yeah,
Speaker 1: so basically he's saying that Christ Minister to our hearts. Okay,
Speaker 1: it's not on ink, but by the spirit of the
Speaker 1: Living God, not on tablets of stone. So it's not
Speaker 1: written in ink or on tablets of stone like the
Speaker 1: Ten Commandments were. But is that on the heart? So
Speaker 1: that is talking about the New Covenant, right, and that's
Speaker 1: going to be Jeremiah thirty four. Let's see, I believe
Speaker 1: Jeremiah thirty four. Let me see if I have it
Speaker 1: off the top of my head. Jeremiah. Yeah, I think
Speaker 1: it's Jeremiah thirty four. Let me see Jeremiah worn by God.
Speaker 1: This is the gentleman the Lord. After the King had
Speaker 1: made a covenant with all the people who are in
Speaker 1: Drews and Brook claimed liberty to them, that every man
Speaker 1: should be free slave. I have to see what it is. Sorry,
Speaker 1: you gotta google it. I's trying to use my memory.
Speaker 1: New Covenant verse Jeremiah. Yes, it is Jeremiah thirty one,
Speaker 1: not thirty four. It's Jeremiah thirty one, thirty one through
Speaker 1: you see my dyslexic biblical brain. All right, let's go
Speaker 1: ahead and check that out. So Jeremiah thirty one Future
Speaker 1: Prosperity of Judah new Covenant. Behold, the days are coming,
Speaker 1: says the Lord. That this is Jeremiah thirty one, verse
Speaker 1: thirty one. Behold the days are coming, says the Lord,
Speaker 1: when I will make a new covenant with the House
Speaker 1: of Israel and with the House of Judah. Not according
Speaker 1: to the covenant that I made with their fathers, and
Speaker 1: the day that I took them by the hand and
Speaker 1: led them out of the land of Egypt. My covenant
Speaker 1: which they broke through I was a husband to them,
Speaker 1: says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I
Speaker 1: will make with the House of Israel. After those days,
Speaker 1: says the Lord. I will put my law in their
Speaker 1: minds and write it on their hearts, and I will
Speaker 1: be their God, and they shall be my people. No
Speaker 1: more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man
Speaker 1: his brother, saying, know the Lord, for they shall know me.
Speaker 1: From the least of them to the greatest of them,
Speaker 1: says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity and
Speaker 1: their sin. I will remember no more. Amen. Okay, So
Speaker 1: that's why I was talking about written on your hearts, right,
Speaker 1: That's the exactly what I was talking about there, So okay,
Speaker 1: all right, so we read that portion. So in Sewod
Speaker 1: Corinthians three, chapter three, verse three, Paul describes the Corinthians
Speaker 1: as a letter from Christ writing not with ink, but
Speaker 1: with the spirit of the living God. This highlights the
Speaker 1: personal and relational nature of the New Covenant, which I
Speaker 1: talked about Jeremiah thirty one, verse thirty one through thirty four.
Speaker 1: Write that down. Write it down. You know where the
Speaker 1: New Covenant is, and I need to write it down too.
Speaker 1: Because I couldn't remember it right. It's not chapter it's
Speaker 1: not chapter thirty four. It's chapter thirty one, thirty one
Speaker 1: through thirty four. Okay, write that down. It is what
Speaker 1: explains the New Covenant. So the living Epistle, the term
Speaker 1: living epistle I'm gonna go over real quick, which is
Speaker 1: talked about right here, epistle written on our hearts. The
Speaker 1: term living epistle is not directly found in the Bible,
Speaker 1: but is derived from the apostle Paul's teaching, particularly in
Speaker 1: his second Letter to the Corinthians. The concept refers to
Speaker 1: the idea that believers in Christ are to be living
Speaker 1: representations of the Gospel, embodying the teachings and character of
Speaker 1: Jesus in their daily lives. This notion emphasizes the transformative
Speaker 1: power of the Holy Spirit and the life of a Christian,
Speaker 1: making them visible, a visible testimony of God's work. Okay, yeah,
Speaker 1: and the epistles found its two Corinthians two three, two
Speaker 1: through three. The concept of the living Epistle underscores the
Speaker 1: work of the Holy Spirit and believer's life. According to
Speaker 1: the New Testament, the Holy Spirit is the agent of transformation,
Speaker 1: sanctifying believers and enabling them to live out the teachings
Speaker 1: of Christ and Galatians five twenty two through twenty three.
Speaker 1: Paul describes the fruit of the spirit as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
Speaker 1: and self control. These attributes are the evidence of a
Speaker 1: life transformed by the Spirit, making the believer a living
Speaker 1: testimony of God's grace and truth. Man, I have to
Speaker 1: make sure that I snap a picture of that, and
Speaker 1: whenever I come home from work very tired like I
Speaker 1: did today, have to remember this so that when my kids,
Speaker 1: you know, my kids are in need, or my kids
Speaker 1: are feeling some type of way, or they're not listening,
Speaker 1: I have to remember that practical all right, community and
Speaker 1: witness challenges and encouragement. Despite the challenges, believers are encouraged
Speaker 1: by the promise of god presence in power. Philippians one
Speaker 1: six assures being confident to this that he who began
Speaker 1: any good work in you will carry it out in
Speaker 1: completing it to the day of Christ Jesus. This assurance
Speaker 1: provides hope and motivation for believers to continue living as
Speaker 1: epistles for Christ, trusting in his faithfulness to complete the
Speaker 1: work he has started it in them. So I have
Speaker 1: this chapstick. It is like a I don't mean a sidetrack.
Speaker 1: But what is this thing called bird's bees? I guess,
Speaker 1: And I think it has some type of mint or something.
Speaker 1: So I took the chaps to put on my lips
Speaker 1: and then I set it down, and then I kind
Speaker 1: of my eye itched. So I started wiping my e
Speaker 1: chapsic on my finger and lit my eye up. I
Speaker 1: was like, oh wow, it felt like getting ben gay
Speaker 1: in my eye or something. All Right, the spirit, not
Speaker 1: the letter. So we're in tewod Christians three, verse four now,
Speaker 1: and we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not
Speaker 1: that we are sufficient ourselves to think of anything as
Speaker 1: being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God. But
Speaker 1: also made us sufficient as ministers of the New Covenant,
Speaker 1: not to the letter, but the spirit. For the letter kills,
Speaker 1: but the spirit gives life. Amen. Okay, let's go ahead
Speaker 1: and continue. Okay, So now we're in the gloria of
Speaker 1: the New Covenant. But if the ministry of death written
Speaker 1: and engraved on stones was glorious, so that the children
Speaker 1: of Israel could not look steadily in the face of
Speaker 1: Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory
Speaker 1: was passing away, he will how will the ministry of
Speaker 1: the Spirit not be more glorious? For if the ministry
Speaker 1: of condonation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much
Speaker 1: more in glory. For even what was made glorious had
Speaker 1: no glory in this respect because of the glory that excels.
Speaker 1: For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains
Speaker 1: is much more glorious. Therefore, since we have hope, we
Speaker 1: use great boldness of speech. Okay, hold on, actually, let
Speaker 1: me see ninth throughly. Yeah, yeah, hold on real quick.
Speaker 1: I do have some notes on this portion. Okay. So
Speaker 1: the ministry of the Spirit. The chapter contrasts the Old Covenant,
Speaker 1: which was engraved in letters on stone and broad death,
Speaker 1: with the New Covenant of the Spirit what brings life.
Speaker 1: And then in tewod Corinthians three nine through eleven, Paul
Speaker 1: talks about the glory of the New Covenant. Paul explains
Speaker 1: that the glory of the New Covenant surpasses that of
Speaker 1: the old. The old Covenant had glory, but it was fading.
Speaker 1: The New Covenant is a permanent and more glorious. What
Speaker 1: is the glory of the New Covenant. The concept of
Speaker 1: the New Covenant is a central theme in Christian theology,
Speaker 1: representing the fulfillment and surpassing of the Old Covenant established
Speaker 1: between God and the people of Israel. The New Covenant
Speaker 1: is inaugurated through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ,
Speaker 1: bringing about a transformative relationship between God and humanity. This
Speaker 1: covenant is characterized by its glory, which surpasses that of
Speaker 1: the Old Covenant, as described in the New Testament. The
Speaker 1: New Covenant is prophesied in the Old Testament, notably over
Speaker 1: it Jeremiah thirty one thirty one through thirty four, where
Speaker 1: God promises a new covenant with the House of Israel
Speaker 1: and Judah, one that will be written on their hearts.
Speaker 1: This prophecy is fulfilled in the New Testament as articulated
Speaker 1: in Hebrews eight six through thirteen, which quotes Jeremiah and
Speaker 1: emphasizes the superiority of the New Covenant meditated by Christ.
Speaker 1: So let's go ahead and see what he's talking about.
Speaker 1: We already read Jeremiah thirty one thirty one through thirty four.
Speaker 1: Let's go ahead and check out Hebrews eight six to
Speaker 1: thirteen and see how it mirrors that Hebrews eight six
Speaker 1: through thirteen. It says, but now he has obtained a
Speaker 1: more excellent ministry, inasmuch as he has also medical also
Speaker 1: mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises,
Speaker 1: a new covenant. For if that's the title, for if
Speaker 1: the first covenant had been faultless, then no place would
Speaker 1: have been sought for a second, because finding fault with them,
Speaker 1: he says. Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord,
Speaker 1: when I will make a new covenant with the House
Speaker 1: of Israel and with the House of Judah, not according
Speaker 1: to the covenant that I made with their fathers in
Speaker 1: the day when I took them by the hand to
Speaker 1: lead them out of the land of Egypt. Obviously we
Speaker 1: read this in Jeremiah, but he's quoting it here. Because
Speaker 1: they did not continue in my covenant, and I disregarded them,
Speaker 1: says the Lord. For this is the covenant that I
Speaker 1: will make with them the House of Israel. But those days,
Speaker 1: says the Lord, I will put my laws in their
Speaker 1: mind and write them on their hearts, and I will
Speaker 1: be their God, and they shall be my people. None
Speaker 1: of them shall teach his neighbor, and none of this brother, saying,
Speaker 1: know the Lord, for all shall know me. Know the Lord,
Speaker 1: for all shall know me, for the least of them,
Speaker 1: to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful
Speaker 1: to their unrighteousness, and their sins, and their lawless deeds.
Speaker 1: I will remember no more. In that he says, a
Speaker 1: new covenant. He has made the first obsolete. Now what
Speaker 1: is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
Speaker 1: Very very interesting, very interesting, that portion right there, something
Speaker 1: that we should definitely study. Jeremiah thirty one, thirty one
Speaker 1: through thirty four and Hebrews six or eight, six through thirteen.
Speaker 1: It's very important to understand that because some people would
Speaker 1: say that the old Covenant is still active. Some people
Speaker 1: would say that this new Covenant is for believers, and
Speaker 1: the old Covenant is still active with the Jews. And
Speaker 1: then there's you know, these different things that they might say.
Speaker 1: So studying this and knowing this is very important, Okay,
Speaker 1: very important. Okay. The glory, the glory of the New Covenant.
Speaker 1: This is in my notes. Okay. The Apostle Paul provides
Speaker 1: a profound exposition on the glory of the New Covenant
Speaker 1: and Tewod Corinthians three. He contrasts the Old Covenant, which
Speaker 1: was condemnation, with the New Covenant, which is written on
Speaker 1: human hearts and being righteousness. Paul writes, we already read it,
Speaker 1: say Corinthians three seven through eight. The more glory of
Speaker 1: the New Covenant is thus characterized by its pre eminence
Speaker 1: and the transformative power through the Holy Spirit. What is
Speaker 1: the role of Jesus in this? Jesus Christ is the
Speaker 1: central to the New Covenant, serving as the mediator and
Speaker 1: high priests. In the Gospels, Jesus institute's the New Covenant
Speaker 1: during the Last Supper, saying, this cup is the new
Speaker 1: Covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you
Speaker 1: Luke twenty two, verse twenty. His sacrificial death and resurrection
Speaker 1: establishes the Covenant, offering forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God.
Speaker 1: Hebrews nine fifteen further emphasizes, therefore, Christ is the mediator
Speaker 1: of a new Covenant, so that those who are called
Speaker 1: may receive the promised eternal inheritance now that He has
Speaker 1: died to redeem them from the transgressions committed under the
Speaker 1: first Covenant. Is that what that says Hebrews nine fifteen
Speaker 1: Let's see what that says. Because right and for this
Speaker 1: reason he is the mediator. Let me see what it says.
Speaker 1: They'll start at fourteen. How much more shall the blood
Speaker 1: of Christ, through who through the Eternal Spirit, offered himself
Speaker 1: without spot to God, cleanse your conscious from dead works
Speaker 1: to serve the King the Living God. Doesn't say king,
Speaker 1: it says serve the Living God. And for this reason
Speaker 1: he is the mediator of the New Covenant by means
Speaker 1: of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the
Speaker 1: First Covenant, that those who are called may receive the
Speaker 1: promise of the internal inheritance. Okay. Therefore Christ is the media. Okay, cool?
Speaker 1: What's the universal scope? Unlike the Old Covenant, which is
Speaker 1: primarily with the nation of Israel, the New Covenant is
Speaker 1: a universal scope extending to all who believe in Christ.
Speaker 1: This inclusivity is highlighted in Galatians three, verse twenty eight.
Speaker 1: There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave, nor free male
Speaker 1: nor female, For you all are one in Christ Jesus.
Speaker 1: The New Covenant breaks down barriers and unites believers from
Speaker 1: all backgrounds into one body, the Church. The eternal promise.
Speaker 1: The New Covenant is eternal offering believers the promise of
Speaker 1: eternal life and an unbreakable relationship with God. And Bruce
Speaker 1: thirteen twenty through twenty one speaks of the blood of
Speaker 1: the Eternal Covenant, underscoring its everlasting nature. This eternal promise
Speaker 1: assures believers that they're secure standing before God, grounded in
Speaker 1: the finished work of Christ. In summary, the glory of
Speaker 1: the New Covenant is manifested and its surpassing excellence, transformative power,
Speaker 1: and the eternal promise all centered on the person and
Speaker 1: work of Jesus Christ. Through the Covenant, believers experience a
Speaker 1: profound and intimate relationship with God, marked by the indwelling
Speaker 1: presence of the Holy Spirit and the assurance of eternal life. Okay,
Speaker 1: let's go ahead and continue reading. We'll read twelve through
Speaker 1: eighteen here. Therefore, since we have such hope, we use
Speaker 1: great boldness of speech. Unlike Moses, who put a veil
Speaker 1: over his face, so the children of Israel could not
Speaker 1: look steadily at the end of what was passing away,
Speaker 1: but their minds were blinded. For until this day. The
Speaker 1: same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament,
Speaker 1: because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even
Speaker 1: to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies
Speaker 1: on their heart. Nevertheless, when one turns to the Lord,
Speaker 1: the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit,
Speaker 1: and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty.
Speaker 1: But we all, with unveiled face beholding as a mirror
Speaker 1: the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the
Speaker 1: same image of glory to glory, just as by the
Speaker 1: Spirit of the Lord. Okay and Second Corinthians three seven
Speaker 1: through eighteen. It contrasts the fading glory of the Old
Speaker 1: Covenant with the greater, permanent glory of the New Covenant,
Speaker 1: which is mediated by the Holy Spirit. This passage explains
Speaker 1: that the veil over Moses's face represented the temporary nature
Speaker 1: of the Old Law and this spiritual blindness. It caused
Speaker 1: a veil that is now removed for believers through Christ
Speaker 1: and through faith in Christ. With an unveiled face, Christians
Speaker 1: are continually transformed into the image of Christ, reflecting God's
Speaker 1: glory as they're empowered by the Spirit. The old Covenant,
Speaker 1: represented by the Law given to Moses, it had a
Speaker 1: glory that was temporary and ultimately pointed to death. And
Speaker 1: conternation for sin. This is symbolized by Moses's face, which
Speaker 1: he had veiled because its glory was fading. The New
Speaker 1: Covenant established through Jesus, this ministry is for glorious, is
Speaker 1: more glorious because it brings life in righteousiness through the
Speaker 1: power of the Holy Spirit. And then what's the veil represent?
Speaker 1: The veil in the Old Testament, the veil of moses
Speaker 1: face was a symbol of spiritual blindness that came with
Speaker 1: the Old Covenant, preventing people from seeing the full glory
Speaker 1: of God. Paul states that the same veil remains for
Speaker 1: those who read the Old Testament without understanding Christ. Very
Speaker 1: very good point the removal of the veil. When someone
Speaker 1: turns to the Lord, the veil is removed and the
Speaker 1: spiritual understanding is restored. This happens because the Lord is
Speaker 1: the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is
Speaker 1: there is freedom and then transformation through the Holy Spirit
Speaker 1: unveiled faces. Believers freed from the veil now can look
Speaker 1: upon the glory of the Lord with unveiled faces, and
Speaker 1: then reflection of glory. As they behold the Lord's glory,
Speaker 1: they're transformed into his image, changing from glory to glory.
Speaker 1: This means that as Christians spend more time with God,
Speaker 1: their lives increasingly reflect His glory, freedom and life. The
Speaker 1: Holy Spirit provides freedom and life contrasted with the Old
Speaker 1: covenants emphasis on death and condemnation. Practical application, this passage
Speaker 1: calls believers to embrace their freedom found in Christ and
Speaker 1: the continuous transformation that comes from beholding God's glory, and
Speaker 1: encourages believers to spend time with God so that His
Speaker 1: glory can shine more brightly through them, attracting others to him.
Speaker 1: That's what it's about, definitely, is you want to attract
Speaker 1: others to the faith by you shining more brightly through God. Right,
Speaker 1: that makes total sense, total sense, because sometimes you have
Speaker 1: a microscope on you. You don't even know it, because some
Speaker 1: people know that you're Christian and they're trying to see
Speaker 1: how you react to things, because if you react to
Speaker 1: things a certain way that they're they're if they're a
Speaker 1: non believer, they're gonna be like, wow, how does that
Speaker 1: person react so good to things? Or how is it
Speaker 1: that that type of thing doesn't bother them when it
Speaker 1: bothers me so greatly? Because you have God right and
Speaker 1: you're shining through God, right, So, yeah, very good stuff.
Speaker 1: Let's see if I have Yeah. So in chapter eighteen
Speaker 1: or verse eighteen, it says, but we all with unveiled
Speaker 1: face beholding as a mirror the glory of the Lord,
Speaker 1: are being transformed into the same image, from glory to glory,
Speaker 1: just as by the Spirit of the Lord. So how
Speaker 1: do how do we have transformation through the spirit? Transformation
Speaker 1: through the Spirit is a central theme in Christian theology,
Speaker 1: emphasizing the profound change that occurs in a believer's life
Speaker 1: through the work of the Holy Spirit. This transformation is
Speaker 1: not merely a moral or ethical improvement, but a fundamental
Speaker 1: change in nature and identity, aligning the believer with the
Speaker 1: character and purposes of God. Biblical foundation, the concept of
Speaker 1: transformation through the Spirit is rooted in several key passages
Speaker 1: of Scripture and Romans twelve to two. The apostle Paul
Speaker 1: exhorts believers, do not be conformed to this world, but
Speaker 1: be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you
Speaker 1: will be able to test and approve what is good, pleasing,
Speaker 1: and perfect will of God. This words highlights this verse
Speaker 1: highlights the transformative process as a renewal of the mind,
Speaker 1: distinguishing believers from worldly patterns and aligning them with God's will.
Speaker 1: And two Corinthians three, verse sixteen, Paul further elaborates, and
Speaker 1: we who with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of
Speaker 1: the Lord or being transformed into His image of intensifying glory,
Speaker 1: which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. Here,
Speaker 1: transformation is depicted as a progressive journey toward christ likeness
Speaker 1: facilitated by the Holy Spirit, and the role of the
Speaker 1: Holy Spirit is also The Holy Spirit is the divine
Speaker 1: agent of the transformation. In John three five through six,
Speaker 1: Jesus explains to Nicodemus, Truly, Truly, I tell you, no
Speaker 1: one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is
Speaker 1: born of water and the spirit. Flesh is born of flesh,
Speaker 1: but spirit is born of the Spirit. This new birth
Speaker 1: or regeneration is the initial act of transformation, making the
Speaker 1: beginning of a believer's spiritual journey. The Spirit works. Spirit's
Speaker 1: work continues as he in dwells believers, empowering them to
Speaker 1: live according to God's will. Oh Galatians five twenty two
Speaker 1: through twenty three describes the fruit of the Spirit as
Speaker 1: evidence of transformation. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
Speaker 1: and self control. We talked about that earlier. Implications of
Speaker 1: Christian living transform Transformation through the Spirit has It has
Speaker 1: is how Christians live and interact with the world. It
Speaker 1: calls for a life of holiness uh distinct from It
Speaker 1: calls for a life of holiness distinct from the values
Speaker 1: and practices of the secular world. As believers are transformed,
Speaker 1: they become ambassadors to Christ, reflecting his love and truth
Speaker 1: of others. Moreover, the transformation fosters unity within the body
Speaker 1: of Christ. The Phesians four three through four or his
Speaker 1: believers to make every effort to keep the unity of
Speaker 1: Spirit through the bond of peace. What is the conclusion?
Speaker 1: See what that is? The conclusion is, while transformation through
Speaker 1: the Spirit is a lifelong journey, it is marked by
Speaker 1: assurance of God's faithfulness and the hope of ultimate glorification.
Speaker 1: As believers submit to the Spirit's work, they experience the
Speaker 1: joy and fulfillment of living in accordance with God's design.
Speaker 1: Bearing witness to is transformative power in a broken world.
Speaker 1: Just wanted to go over that. It's very important for
Speaker 1: that last verse being transformed in the same vage the
Speaker 1: glory of God by the spirit of the Lord. Kind
Speaker 1: of why I went over that. So we went over
Speaker 1: we are done with chapter three. Let's go over some
Speaker 1: practical applications. Reflect in your life. Consider how your actions
Speaker 1: and words serve as a letter to those around you.
Speaker 1: Are you reflecting the love and truth of Christ? Consider
Speaker 1: how your actions and words serve as a letter to
Speaker 1: those around you. Are you reflecting the love and truth
Speaker 1: of Christ? Yes, So we got to make sure that
Speaker 1: around our families, around our co workers, around our friends,
Speaker 1: we have to be like that, you know. And tonight
Speaker 1: I was for some reason, I'm telling you guys, I
Speaker 1: was just out of it tonight. It didn't feel didn't
Speaker 1: feel good when I go from work because I stayed late,
Speaker 1: and I was super tired, and I knew how to
Speaker 1: do this show, and I was having everything compound on me.
Speaker 1: So when I got home from work, I was not
Speaker 1: happy because I said to stay late, which is, you know,
Speaker 1: it's normal as part of the job. Just sometimes working
Speaker 1: you know, twelve hours and then knowing that you got
Speaker 1: to do a two hour podcast. It compounds. So I
Speaker 1: got home, had to you know, the kids were eating,
Speaker 1: and I was like, all right, so I got to
Speaker 1: make sure I get them in bed as quick as possible,
Speaker 1: you know, after they get done eating, because I got
Speaker 1: to do this show and I want to start to
Speaker 1: show at eight, and the kids would take it forever
Speaker 1: to get ready and to brush their teeth and to
Speaker 1: put on their diapers, and you know, I was, I
Speaker 1: was just like, man, my daughters are like three, five
Speaker 1: and six, okay, so it's not like they're they're little ones.
Speaker 1: But you know, I was just like, I started losing
Speaker 1: my patients, right, It's which happens. But I don't really
Speaker 1: lose my patients at often because I'm pretty nice and
Speaker 1: always happy, happy, go lucky. But today, for some reason,
Speaker 1: I was not reflecting Christ in my life. So I
Speaker 1: personally need to consider my actions and my words serve
Speaker 1: as a letter that is around you. I need to
Speaker 1: reflect love and the truth through Christ. Whenever I come
Speaker 1: home and I'm tired, I have to remember that. Remind me, guys,
Speaker 1: remind me in the comment section or DM me and
Speaker 1: say hey, just as a reminder, remember you said that
Speaker 1: reflect Christ in your life. I usually do. Just today,
Speaker 1: you know, once in a while we just have one
Speaker 1: of those days and I don't know why today was
Speaker 1: that day, but I definitely want to ask for the
Speaker 1: Lord's forgiveness, and I'll ask for my daughter's forgiveness. My kids, uh,
Speaker 1: I kind of told them sorry before before they went
Speaker 1: to sleep. I gave them all kisses and sold them Sorry.
Speaker 1: Data was a little bit impatient today. Embrace the Spirit's work.
Speaker 1: Acknowledge the Holy Spirit's role and transforming your heart and mind.
Speaker 1: Seek to be open to his guidance and conviction. Yes,
Speaker 1: we definitely have to be open to his guidance and conviction.
Speaker 1: Live in the freedom of the New Covenant. Understand that
Speaker 1: you are no longer bound by the law, but are
Speaker 1: free to live in the spirit. Let this freedom motivate
Speaker 1: you to pursue holiness and righteousness. Yeah, yeah, that's very important.
Speaker 1: Is to understand that you're no longer bound by the law. Yeah,
Speaker 1: we just have to make sure we're not taking advantage
Speaker 1: of the grace that we're given right. Seek God's glory.
Speaker 1: Make it a daily practice to contemplate the Lord's glory
Speaker 1: and allow his presence to transform you into His likeness. Okay,
Speaker 1: that is the last one. Let's let's explain it. Make
Speaker 1: it a daily practice to contemplate the Lord's glory and
Speaker 1: allow his presence to transform you into his likeness. Yeah,
Speaker 1: so his presence, holy spirit, presence to transform you into
Speaker 1: his likeness, make him like you, make you like him,
Speaker 1: all right, and then unct the additional scriptures that connect
Speaker 1: would be Jeremiah thirty one thirty one through thirty four,
Speaker 1: Romans eight verse two. For in Christ, Jesus the law
Speaker 1: of the spirit of life set you free from the
Speaker 1: law of sin and death Hebrews eight six. But now
Speaker 1: Jesus has received a more excellent ministry, just as the
Speaker 1: covenant he meditates, he mediates is better and is founded
Speaker 1: on behalf of promises. Let's see what Hebrews eight six
Speaker 1: even says. I don't know if i'd read that earlier.
Speaker 1: I think I might have Hebrews eight verse six. Yep.
Speaker 1: But as now as he obtained a more excellent ministry,
Speaker 1: and as much he is also a mediator of a
Speaker 1: better covenant which has established was established on better promises. Okay, Yeah,
Speaker 1: we got to break down that new covenant and everything.
Speaker 1: That's that's some stuff that I need to get into
Speaker 1: maybe on my my other podcast. I need to break
Speaker 1: that down, get into it. Yes, perfect. So we are
Speaker 1: done with chapter three and I'm just gonna let you
Speaker 1: guys know, I am tired, so I'm gonna have to
Speaker 1: stop the podcast a little bit early. So next week
Speaker 1: we're going to be in Tewod Corinthians chapter four, Blessings
Speaker 1: and then and for Sunday Service we're going to be
Speaker 1: in and the First Kings chapter four as well. So
Speaker 1: we were moving right along here. Let me just go
Speaker 1: ahead and stop the screen share. So, yes, thank you
Speaker 1: guys so much for your patience with me. I know
Speaker 1: that when I get tired, I'm trying to read all
Speaker 1: these notes about these notes, and I got this on
Speaker 1: the screen. I do my best to read the everything
Speaker 1: as best as possible. So but everybody, thank you. You know,
Speaker 1: like I said, I'm a little bit exhausted tonight, but
Speaker 1: Sunday Service, I'll give you my full energy. I do
Speaker 1: Sunday Service on my days off, so it's a lot
Speaker 1: easier for me when I kind of have to stay after,
Speaker 1: you know, for a couple hours after work, after already
Speaker 1: working ten hours. Then I get this is how I
Speaker 1: get it. Get it makes you really tired, So thank
Speaker 1: you guys so much for tuning in. Like I always do,
Speaker 1: I like to end this in prayer, so let me
Speaker 1: do that. So Father God, in the name of Jesus,
Speaker 1: thank you so much for everything. Lord, Please assist me
Speaker 1: in showing the love of Christ to my children. No
Speaker 1: matter what kind of day I have, don't allow me
Speaker 1: to bring my day home. Lord, Please, and everybody that's
Speaker 1: listening as well, assist them on not bringing there if
Speaker 1: they have a you know, a tough day at work,
Speaker 1: bringing it home because they're you know, our family don't
Speaker 1: deserve that, because they're not even part of any of
Speaker 1: the stresses that happen during the day. So please assist
Speaker 1: everybody out there. Also spiritual battles and spiritual warfare and
Speaker 1: Satan's tactics and everything that we talked about. Lord, assist
Speaker 1: everybody to fight against those the schemes of the devil
Speaker 1: and Satan. Right, So, it's just life, you know, sometimes
Speaker 1: it kicks our butt and sometimes we kick life's butt,
Speaker 1: you know, So assist us Lord and being strong. Lord.
Speaker 1: Please thank you. We love you so much and appreciate you,
Speaker 1: and we also appreciate this study and we appreciate every
Speaker 1: single ear that is listening to this show. Everybody that's
Speaker 1: listening to the show, Lord please bless their lives and
Speaker 1: assist them in their spiritual life. Lord, please thank you.
Speaker 1: We love you in Jesus' name. Amen, thank you so
Speaker 1: much for listening. I really appreciate you on my show.
Speaker 1: If you guys want to check out, it's Josh Monday
Speaker 1: Christian Conspiracy Podcast you don't know yet and I have
Speaker 1: interviews and I also am slowly releasing these episodes on there,
Speaker 1: so if you want to catch those older episodes, you know,
Speaker 1: just in case. If you want to subscribe to my
Speaker 1: YouTube is Josh Monday Music and Podcast. Everybody that's listening
Speaker 1: on Patreon for could the Conspiracy. Thank you for your
Speaker 1: comments and thank you so much for listening as well.
Speaker 1: And everybody that's listening on my Patreon when I do
Speaker 1: put this out, thank you so much and God bless you.
Speaker 1: Everybody that's listening on my YouTube. I really appreciate you
Speaker 1: so much, and I really I love you guys and
Speaker 1: everybody that listens to the show. Much love to you.
Speaker 1: I appreciate you. Jonathan and Jacob, thank you so much
Speaker 1: for this show. I appreciate it. All Glory to God.
Speaker 1: God bless you.