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The Five-Fold Podcast
Five-Fold ministry for today. In this podcast we will attempt to determine biblical timelines as they correlate with current events. We will examine the offices of the Five-Fold ministry and gain biblical direction for the world today.
The Five-Fold Podcast
Special Bible Study Episode; “Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth.”
Can your faith stand up to the challenges of modern life? On this episode of the Five Fold Podcast, we unpack the teachings of 2 Timothy 2:14-19, exploring Paul's timeless advice to Timothy on avoiding pointless debates and focusing on actions that transform hearts. We discuss the critical importance of leaders living by example, not just preaching but demonstrating their faith through daily, authentic actions both within the church and in their personal lives.
We'll journey through the foundational moments in the book of Acts, including the day of Pentecost and Saul's conversion, to understand the essence of the gospel and the proper way to divide scripture. This episode delves into the differences in gospel teachings across denominations, stressing the value of teachings that challenge and convict us to grow spiritually. We draw from Jesus’ teachings and the prophetic words of Isaiah to ensure a well-rounded grasp of the gospel, emphasizing the life-changing power of accurate scriptural interpretation.
As we navigate biblical chronology and the unique nature of scripture, we'll also discuss living a purpose-driven life aligned with Christian principles. Reflecting on 2 Peter 3:12-15, we underscore the urgency of living diligently and blamelessly before God. The conversation covers the critical aspects of faith and works, the role of baptism, and the inclusive call to salvation that Jesus extends to everyone. Join us for a comprehensive exploration of the Five Fold Ministry's relevance in today's church and be inspired to engage deeply with the scriptures.
Hey, good evening and welcome to this episode of the Five Fold Podcast. I'm your host, michael Weidman, and I would like to say thank you for taking the time and joining us tonight on the podcast. The Fivefold Podcast focuses on the fivefold ministry and the importance of that ministry in today's society. We believe that there is still a need for apostles, for prophets, for pastors, for teachers, for evangelists. They haven't ceased. There's still an operation today and necessary for the success of today's church. So join with us as we dive into this episode of the Five Fold Podcast.
Speaker 1:2 Timothy, chapter 2, verses 14-19. Go sit down, go sit down, go sit down, amen. 2 Timothy 2, verses 14-19. You there Say amen Of these things, put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord, that they strive not about words to no profit, but the subverting of hearts. Now, who is Paul talking to in second Timothy? Second Timothy, chapter number two Timothy, who is Timothy? Timothy is the pastor of the church established by Paul. Um, he is an overseer of the church established by Paul, of one of the churches established by Paul, and actually Paul refers to him as his son in Christ. So what is Paul saying to Timothy? Is he's telling them? He said I want you to put them into remembrance of these things and I want you to charge them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit. I could preach a whole sermon on that one sentence. Charge them, in other words, instruct them, tell them that they should not be striving about words that have no profit. How many of y'all have seen people striving about things that absolutely 100% have no profit, arguing just for the sake to argue? Y'all seen that? Because I've definitely seen that a lot. We've got to understand what Paul is telling Timothy here, as he's saying listen, don't do that, don't be charged to people that are under you and let them know Don't be striving about things that have no profit. But what you need to focus on is you need to focus on changing people's hearts. Changing people's hearts.
Speaker 1:Verse 15 says this how many of us can quote this one? Can quote this one Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed. Rightly dividing the word of truth. Now, rightly dividing the word of truth is really one of the most important things about this entire scripture. Now, the word study there doesn't mean what we think it means. When we say study, we think, okay, I'm going to get open a book, I'm opening it up, I'm write stuff down, I'm going to learn something. But this word study actually means to put in the work. To put in the work, it doesn't mean just to learn about it, it means to live it. It means to live the word, it means to live the word study, to show yourself approved, put in the work to show the world that you believe what you say. You believe because, remember, a minute ago he said, don't strive over things that make no profit to have no profit. But you need to do what, you need to focus on changing people's hearts, and the only way you're going to do that is if you live the life that shows them that you really believe what you say, you believe and you're putting in the work to do what you're preaching about.
Speaker 1:Let me tell you one thing about leadership. Now, this year is 10 years I've been pastor and we're going to say that before that I had a lot of experience with leadership as well, especially through dad's health issues and things that he went through. The people that you lead now I'm not just talking about right here. I'm not talking about right here, I'm talking about everywhere. I'm talking about on the job. How many of you guys lead people on your job? Lead, lead people. If they never see you putting in the work, will they? Pastoring this church is so much more than me standing up here and telling you guys what the Bible says. Leadership in the Christian community, in the church, is so much more than getting up and preaching a sermon. It's so much more than getting up and telling people how saved you are. So much more than getting up and telling people what they ought to be doing.
Speaker 1:You have to put in the work, study to show thyself approved unto God, not unto man. I don't do the things I do because I want men to see me and I don't want them. I don't care whether they recognize me ever. I do the things I do because I want to show myself approved unto God, because he's called me for a purpose. And if he's called me for a purpose and I have an obligation to that calling to live up to that calling. And that's more than just Sunday morning and that's more than just Sunday night and that's more than just Wednesday night. That is every single day of my life. I have to study.
Speaker 1:I have to put in the work to show myself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth, what? What would make a workman ashamed? What would make a workman ashamed Now if I told you I was an electrician and you hired me to do a job and I came up and I didn't know which end was the, which side was the hot, which side was the, the, the uh, negative, the ground? I wouldn't know any of this stuff. Don't you think I ought to be ashamed to call myself an electrician if I didn't know? It might be a shocking experience. So if I call myself a man of God, I ought to know something about it, and I ought to not just know stuff in my head about it. I ought to live it. I ought to show you, I ought to put in the work not just here, everywhere Rightly dividing the word of truth.
Speaker 1:The Bible's a mystery to those that don't know how to rightly divide it. It is a mystery to those that have no clue on how to rightly divide the word of truth. Next scripture, verse 16, says this I'm following you, david, but shun profane and vain babblings. I could preach an hour on that. Probably too. How many of y'all know people that just babble all the time, not that kind, vain and profane, for they will increase unto what More unrighteousness versus our ungodliness. Verse 17. And their word will eat as doth a canker. Ptolemy, hymenaeus and Philetus Now we can go back and we can study on these two individuals that I'm not going to try to pronounce their names again, but in other words, I'll just give you the rundown and you can go back and study on it for yourself.
Speaker 1:These two individuals were well-known, well known, well learned, educated. They had the right stuff, but they argued for the sake of argue. They didn't really know the word of God, they didn't really know how to rightly divide the word of truth, even though they had knowledge on scripture. All they did was profanely and vainly babble about what they thought they knew. Verse number 18.
Speaker 1:Now he says their word ate like a canker, their word ate like a canker. And he's talking about themselves who, concerning the truth, had erred, saying that the resurrection has passed already. They're like oh, it's already happened. How many of you guys have ever heard that the resurrection has already happened? There are people who do not believe in a rapture of a church and they catching away of the saints. They believe that it is already occurred.
Speaker 1:When Jesus rose from the grave, that that was the resurrection that he was talking about. You know, you guys remember the guy named Lazarus, right, the dead guy stinks, the stinky dead guy. Whenever Jesus came to his sisters and they were like, oh, if you would have just been here, he would be alive. And he said don't, you know that I'm the resurrection, that he'll live again. And she said well, I know that he'll live again. In the end, at the, at the resurrection, at the, the, the trumpet when the trumpet blows, I know in Jesus says no, you don't understand what I'm saying. I'm not talking about a distant thing, I'm talking about right now. I am the resurrection, I am the truth, I am the life. That's the thing about Jesus is what he was trying to portray to them. Just like the man at the pool of Bethesda, he was waiting on some event that he heard might happen when the actual power was standing in front of him.
Speaker 1:And we do this in church. We're like one day God's going to pour out revival Revival's here. We're like one day God's going to pour out revival Revival's here. We're just so stuck so far up our own rear ends that we don't realize that Jesus is the resurrection. Jesus is our healing, jesus is our provision. Jesus is our healing, jesus is our provision, jesus is the miracle and all we have to do is believe on him. Yes, yeah, that's a whole nother sermon, for a whole nother time there is a resurrection. Paul said we would all be caught, and actually we'll talk on it in a little bit. Yes, absolutely, and actually I'm. I'm pretty much what the whole scripture, whole sermon, is going to be about tonight.
Speaker 1:Rightly dividing the word of truth. Um, let me finish this one and I'm gonna go to my next scripture, which explains that a little bit. Um, so he said that they have said the resurrection has passed already and overthrow the faith of some, verse 19. Paul warns nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth, sure, in other words, what God has established stands. The word of truth, the word is the word. In the beginning was the word. The word was with god and the word was god. All things were made by him. Without him was not one thing made the expression of god, the word of god, the old testament.
Speaker 1:Y'all believe in the, the first five books of the bible, the, the law. Do y'all believe that was true. We, we all believe that that is true. It's Bible. And then we have after that, we have the writings, right, we have the writings from after the book of Joshua, all the way up until the prophets. We have the writings. Those are true, matter of fact.
Speaker 1:There is historical evidence to support the things like the exodus from Egypt. There are historical evidences to support the things like the exodus from Egypt. There are historical evidences to support the claim that the Israelites came into the land of Egypt and dwelt in the land of Egypt, far beyond the people that are saying they never, never mind. There's historical evidence. We believe that's true, right. And then from there we've got the prophets, all the prophets Daniel, hezekiah, zephaniah, zechariah, all them, ayahs, all the prophets right, they're true. And you know what the cool thing is? You go read Matthew, mark Luke and John and you see a lot of what they prophesied about came true in the books Matthew, mark Luke and John, with the birth of Jesus, with the Messiah May not have happened the way the Jewish people thought it was going to happen then, but it will eventually happen the way that those prophets said it would happen. All the prophets were true.
Speaker 1:The gospels are true. There is historical evidence to point out to this man named Jesus. There is historical evidence to point out to this man named Jesus. There's historical evidence to point out and prove. Hey, here's the thing over in Caesarea Marmitei, where there's an actual column that has the word Pilate, that guy named Pilate who washed his hands of Jesus. It proves that he existed. It proves that Cornelius was there, that that's where his palace or his home was. There's historical evidence that has been found that proves these things. No matter what the world tries to do, they cannot disprove what actually happened. I don't care how many statues you want to tear down, history happened, tear down, history happened. And so we get to.
Speaker 1:After those gospels Matthew, mark, luke and John we come to the book of Acts. Now, what is the book of Acts? The book of Acts is the birth of the church, the history of the church. It is the start of the church. You find stories in there like the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Ghost was poured out. You find stories in there like the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, who would become Paul, who would later write two-thirds of the New Testament, which are called what Epistles, not to mention John, james and Peter, jude, right, the writer of Hebrews who is not named. Those are epistles. And then you have the book of Revelation, which is the revelation of Jesus Christ and the coming events that will take place.
Speaker 1:So in order for us to understand the gospel, we must understand how to rightly divide that word. If I want to learn how to become part of the church, I probably shouldn't look at future events. Does that make sense? Does that make sense? If I want to learn how to become part of the church, I probably should. The life of Jesus is important and it's going to teach us a lot of things and it's going to point out the gospel to us, right, but that's not going to tell me how to become a born-again saint of the church.
Speaker 1:And here's something that's going to blow your mind, because this is where a lot of people get rightly dividing the scripture. Wrong is that they go to look in the epistles from Romans all the way through Titus, right, they look at Hebrews, they look at James, they look at John, john, john, they look at Peter and Peter and they look at Jude and they expect to find out how to be saved there. But who were those books? Written to People who were already born again, already in church. So if I want to find out how to be born again, I need to find out where the birth of the church was, which was where the book of Acts, the history of the church, the Acts of the apostles. I'm not saying that the other scriptures are not important, so don't misunderstand me. This is where rightly dividing the word of truth comes into play. Now let me finish this scripture Foundation of God, standing sure, having the seal, this seal that the Lord knoweth them that are his, and let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity Because you prayed. A prayer doesn't make you Christ's, but that's what the mainstream gospel preaches today.
Speaker 1:How do we come to a point in time where there are so many differences in the gospel? And how many of y'all know there are differences in what people preach as gospel? That's why you got Southern Baptist. That's why you got Free Will Baptist. That's why you got Methodist. That's why you got Free Will Baptist. That's why you got Methodist. That's why, right, that's why you got Church of God, church of Christ, apostolic Pentecostal. That's why you got all these different denominations, because somewhere along the line, somebody preached a feel-good message and the American church is the worst one, for it is that we would rather preach what makes us feel better about our own flesh than to preach what makes us feel so convicted in our flesh that we have to change it. So again you go back to what Paul was telling Timothy don't strive over words that profit nothing, but you need to focus on subverting the hearts. Rightly dividing the word of truth is vital to us understanding the gospel, and that's what I'm gonna talk about. The gospel according to who? To Jesus. So let's look at Isaiah real fast. Remember? I said we're going to, we're going to open up the word of God, we're going to rightly divide the word of truth, and this is going to help us to establish that that thing.
Speaker 1:How many of y'all, when you read a book, you open it in the middle and read it from the middle Just doesn't make no sense. And read it from the middle, it just doesn't make no sense. It just don't make no sense, right? You're not going to understand everything that happened before you started reading. That's called chronological writing. That means that it starts at chapter 1. It goes to chapter 2. It goes to chapter 3. I'm going to draw you a timeline real quick. Here's how most people read and study the Bible. I'm going to draw you a timeline real quick. Here's how most people read and study the Bible. I'm going to do 1 through 10,. Okay, how would you guys read and study a book with 10 chapters? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. These are bigger chapters because I was writing too close together. Right, that's how you would read it. Right, you would open it at chapter 1, and then you'd go to chapter 2, then you'd go to chapter 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Well, here's the thing about the word of God. It's not like that.
Speaker 1:Anybody know what the oldest book in the Bible is? Job. Do y'all know that Job was written before Moses penned down any of the law? Who wrote the first five books of the Bible? Moses, all five of them Genesis, exodus, levitodus, leviticus, numbers, deuteronomy, right, leviticus, genesis, exodus, leviticus, numbers, deuteronomy. Yeah, deuteronomy is the last one. Genesis, exodus, leviticus, numbers did run. Those first five books were written by who? Moses? All right, job was written before those were ever pinned down. Does that mean that Job just so happened to be this ultra, um, old man, right? No, it just means that it's not placed where you would think it was placed in a chronological timeline. So if I'm going to study the word of God, I need to understand that.
Speaker 1:The book of revelation, the book of Daniel are two prime examples of this book of revelation. The book of Daniel, you start in chapter one. Let's just do revelation. You start in chapter one, you read one, two and three, and those three are good. Those are the here, right, that the things he's writing to the churches that are on the earth at the time that he's writing these things, those are relevant to his time, that he's writing those books. But then he gets to chapter four and it's starting the hereafter, which is everything that is to come.
Speaker 1:And most people, all right, I'm talking and can't type and write and talk Hereafter. Most people when they read this they're like okay, so I'm going to read and I'm going to start with that first set of seven judgments. What are those? Seven seals, right? Seven trumpets, seven vials. There's three sets of judgments that God's going to pour out on the earth and I'm going to read those from one to last. So the seven trumpets, or all seven seals, all start here and then, after those are done, the seven trumpets start and then after that the seven seals start, and then they get confused halfway through, because you know, the sixth seal is explaining pretty much the same thing. The seventh trumpet is explaining and it's the same event that's talked about in the seventh vial. You know, the mountains are moved, the earthquakes, the heavens open up like a scroll. The end how can there be three ends? There's not. It's just understanding how to read those.
Speaker 1:Isaiah says this. He says Whom shall he teach Waiting for that scripture? To whom shall he teach knowledge and whom shall he make to understand? Doctrine right? Them that are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breast. What does that mean? Matured, alright, verse 10. Them that are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breast. What does that mean? Matured, all right, verse 10.
Speaker 1:For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line. Hear a little, and there a little, for with a stammering lip and another tongue will he speak to his people? Now we're talking about an Old Testament prophet prophesying of the Holy Ghost, prophesying of what is to come. So he says precept must be upon precept. The red's precept, right. So precept must be upon precept. Now, this precept may come from the book of Acts, but this precept may come from the book of Deuteronomy. How do they go together? They line on top of each other. They confirm each other.
Speaker 1:So when I'm studying the word of God, I have to understand that I can't just expect it to be as I think it is. I have to know that there may be some things that are a little spread out in the word of God, and I'm going to have to put in the work to find those things. Because once you get past chapter four of Revelation, it doesn't go four, five, six, seven. It goes four, let's say six, seven, this way, that way, this way, this way, this way, this way, this way, this way, this way, this way. And then you wind up back here All the way to chapter 22. That makes sense, right? Absolutely not All the way to chapter 22. That makes sense, right? Absolutely not. That is why you have to have the inspiration of who the Holy Ghost. With a stammering lip and another tongue, will he speak to his people? That is the Holy Ghost.
Speaker 1:Now, what are, since we're talking about the gospel, what are some common things whenever you say how do I get saved? What are some common gospels that you hear when it comes to salvation, somebody name one, for God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son that whosoever doeth. What Is that true? Absolutely 100%. Ding ding ding, you win the prize. That's truth. Give me another one. What? What? Okay? Matthew 28, 19. Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Ghost. Is that it? That's part of the gospel, right? Or it's not? Actually A lot of people? It's just an option. Give me another one. Anybody, anybody. Well, we'll just read it.
Speaker 1:Romans 10. Romans 10. Romans 10. Verse number 8. Romans 10, verse number 8. But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thine heart. That is the word of faith which we preach. Have you ever heard that phrase? The word of faith, it's a whole movement. The word of faith movement we preach. You ever heard that phrase? The word of faith, it's a whole movement. The word of faith movement. All right, it goes on the next scripture, and this is what they base it off of that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Lord, the Lord Jesus, thou shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. This scripture is 100% true, but it's not the end. Verse number 10, for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. So you have this whole sect of Christianity today that preaches that all you have to do is believe in your heart, confess with your mouth, repeat this prayer after me and you're saved. Because, after all, that's what Paul said.
Speaker 1:Let's look at Acts, chapter 2, and verse number 37. Peter just stood up and preached this amazing, anointed sermon, the first ever sermon after the Holy Ghost fell. And here's what he says. When they heard this, the people that heard the sermon, they heard this, they were pricked in their heart. That's conviction.
Speaker 1:And said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, men and brethren what shall we do? The question is what? How do we get saved? How do we rectify this conviction that is in my heart, this feeling that I have, this overwhelming knowing that we are sinners? How do I rectify this? Then Peter said unto them repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost for the promises unto you and to your children and to those who are far off, even as many as the Lord, our God, shall call.
Speaker 1:So, according to Romans, chapter 10, all I have to do is, number one believe. Number two confess and automatically I am saved, saved, saved. Are any of us actually saved by grace? We're saved Through faith. Scripture says that, doesn't it? But let me ask you this Can any of us walk away from that? Because there's a whole other sect of Christianity that preaches a thing called eternal salvation, that as long as you have prayed this prayer and you have believed in God, that no matter what you do from this point forward, there are no consequences to your actions, because Jesus paid the price for you on Calvary and by his blood you're already saved and it doesn't matter what you do, because you are saved, you'll make it to heaven. Then why did Peter say? Paul say it is better to have never known than to have tasted. So let's look at Acts, chapter 2. It says first we must repent, then be baptized, then receive the Holy Ghost. So let me ask you something Are these two completely different gospels? Did Peter and Paul preach two completely different gospels?
Speaker 1:We have to understand scripture. We have to be willing to put in the work, to look at things not from our feelings, not from our emotions, because, let's be honest, if I said, all you've got to do is pray and all you've got to do is believe, and you're saved man, that makes you feel good. Oh, thank you, jesus. To do is pray and all you've got to do is believe, and you're saved man. That makes you feel good. Oh, thank you, jesus. Because I'm worthless man, I'm a dirty, rotten dog and all I've got to do is believe. That's all I've got to do.
Speaker 1:And then, no matter what I do, from this point I don't ever have to worry about the fact that now let me say this the devil cannot take away your salvation. He cannot take away your salvation, and it's not something you just lose, it's something you can walk away from. But you don't just accidentally slip up and lose it. All right, don't. Don't, don't misconstrue what I'm trying to say. You don't accidentally slip up and drop yourself. Oh no, I just dropped my salvation. That's not how it works, that's not how any of this works. But if I say, you know what, this isn't for me anymore and I throw it away and walk the other way, that's me. No man can pluck you from the hand of God. Yes, the devils can't pluck me from the hand of God. No devil in hell can pull me away from God, but I can walk away.
Speaker 1:We got to get this whole mindset that there's no accountability for our own actions out of us, because God said, or Paul said shall we abide in sin, god forbid. And just as we read what he was talking to Timothy, he said if you name the name of the Lord Christ, then you need to depart from iniquity, quit your sinning. There is always, on salvation, there is God's part. That is already done. We are saved by grace through our own faith in Him. But there is still, and there will always be, an obligation to me to act upon my faith in that holy God. I have to change my life. I have to change the way I believe, the way I act. Subverting the hearts. That means changing the hearts.
Speaker 1:Now let me read you something that Peter said. Y'all remember Peter's the one who preached Acts 2, right, he was the one who preached that first sermon. Let me read you something Now, paul's important right. Paul who was? Peter, the apostle to the Jewish nation, the Jewish people, the Jewish converts. Peter was their apostle. Paul was the apostle to who? The Gentiles, the Gentiles. Peter was apparently the first Catholic Pope, right?
Speaker 1:So let's, let's, let's look at some of Peter's words in second Peter, chapter three, verse number eight or 10,. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. The earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. He's saying the same thing that John saw, verse 11,. Seeing, then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conversation with godliness? He said listen, seeing that this world's going to end, seeing that all this stuff you see is going to come to an end, it's going to dissolve one day, it's going to all melt away, it's all going to fade away, that none of this matters in eternity.
Speaker 1:What kind of person should you be? What kind of man should you be? What kind of woman should you be? What kind of Christian should you be? What kind of businessman should you be? What kind of professional person should you be? What kind of man should you be? What kind of character person should you be? What kind of man should you be? What kind of character should you have?
Speaker 1:Verse 12, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God wherein the heavens, being on fire, shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. He says I'm looking forward to this day. Stop acting like it doesn't matter, because this is what we're going towards. You live your life like you've got everything you need right here. You live your life like you've got all the power and stuff you need down here, but you forget this. All is going to come to an end and it doesn't matter how rich you were on this earth. It doesn't matter how much power you had on this earth. It doesn't matter how rich you were on this earth. It doesn't matter how much power you had on this earth. It doesn't matter how influential you were on this earth. When all this goes away, that's not going to matter. Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. We have a promise beyond. We have a hope beyond this.
Speaker 1:I'm not living for this on earth. Can I enjoy God's blessings on this earth? Absolutely, I believe God wants us to. We shouldn't live like we're under a rock and we have no poor hope. We were just pitiful. It's not what God's called us to. But I'm not living for this down here.
Speaker 1:If I never make a million dollars in my life, I never make a million dollars in my life. It doesn't matter to me. I never make a million dollars in my life. I never make a million dollars in my life. It doesn't matter to me. If this church is ever big enough that I can live on a pastor's salary and never have to work a day in my life, great, I'd be glad for it. But guess what? That doesn't matter to me. I will put on my uniform every day and work to provide for my family so I can stand here and preach the word of God in freedom and not owe a thing to anybody else. Not a hireling that can be hired, and I'm not a hireling that can be fired. I'm going to preach the word of God, whether it makes you happy or makes you mad or makes you somewhere in between. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that you look for such things, be diligent. That Now, who does Peter place the responsibility on Us? He said Be diligent. You be diligent that you may be found in him in peace, being spotless and being blameless. It's not pastor's responsibility to make sure you're spotless. It's not mama's responsibility to make sure you're blameless. It is your responsibility that you live a life that is spotless and blameless before who, before God.
Speaker 1:Verse number 15. Accounting that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation. Now, what does this word longsuffering mean? Let's think about the cross. Let's think about the cross, the longsuffering that Jesus had on the cross. Thank you, appreciate it. Let's talk about that for a minute, because that is salvation. Jesus was beaten, was crucified, died on a cross for you, for me, was buried in a grave and he rose again. That is salvation. Why did Jesus come to this earth? To seek and save that which was lost. Save us from what? Save us from the consequences of our own decisions and our own actions. Sin, sin Even, as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given unto him, hath written unto you. So here's what he's saying. You know, paul wrote two-thirds of the New Testament. Those epistles that Paul wrote. They were important. He said Jesus, the long-suffering of Jesus is salvation. Not Paul's words, not Peter's words, not James' words, not Cletus' words, not Ralph's words, not Pastor Joe over here at the First Baptist Church of Sparta, not anybody else's words. But he said the long-suffering of Jesus is salvation.
Speaker 1:The gospel is in the gospel according to Paul. The gospel is in the gospel according to Peter. The gospel is in the gospel according to the Old Testament, according to Moses, according to David, according to Solomon, according to Peter. The gospel is in the gospel according to the old Testament, according to Moses, according to David, according to Solomon, according to Daniel, according to Ezekiel. The gospel is the gospel According to Jesus Christ. He showed us how to be saved.
Speaker 1:You want to know what you think the gospel is hard. You think just because you can't go out and get drunk and party is hard, that you've got a hard life because you can't do the things you thought were fun when you lived in the world and you have to sacrifice some things and give things up and you're like well, I don't see any scripture that tells me it's a sin. But the Lord convicts you and you're like I need to change this. This is not healthy for me, this is not good for me, this is not conducive of a godly lifestyle. Right? Paul said all things are lawful. I could make an excuse for anything. I could make an excuse to beat up my neighbor if I wanted to you probably could right and justify it. But not all things are expedient, not all things are worth it.
Speaker 1:So listen to what Peter says, as also in his epistles talking about Paul right, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to be understood. Y'all ever been reading the word and been like I just really don't understand that Right Now. This is Peter. This is the guy who walked with Jesus. This is the guy who preached the first sermon on the day of Pentecost. This is the guy. This is the guy who gave up his lifestyle and his business to follow Jesus, was taught by Jesus himself, watched Jesus crucified, was there when he rose from the grave, was found by Jesus on the shore and Jesus said feed my sheep.
Speaker 1:Don't you think if anybody would understand the doctrine and the gospel of Jesus, it would have been Peter? But listen to what he's saying. He's not saying I didn't understand these things. He said these things are hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable, rest as they do also the other scriptures unto their own destruction. In other words, what he's saying.
Speaker 1:They're wrestling with these scriptures so much, they're twisting his words so much that they're preaching something that is bringing them to their own destruction. That's why you get doctrines like just pray this prayer, no reason for you to change, just believe on him. Because they are wrestling with understanding. And in their wrestle with understanding they go after convenience instead of the word of truth. They go after what makes them feel better about themselves, feel better about themselves, because, after all, I mean, if Mama and Meemaw and Pawpaw and Aunt Bethel and I don't know who else I got, I'm running out of names Bertha, aunt Bertha, that's it If they believe this all their life, then it had to be true. How can so many, how can 90% of Christianity, believe in one doctrine that seems to completely contradict what Peter said, but it doesn't contradict it at all at all. It builds each other up. The problem is not the scripture. The problem is our inability to rightly divide and seek God to give us understanding.
Speaker 1:Verse number 17. Verse number 17. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware at least ye also being led away with error of the wicked fall from your own steadfastness. Remember Paul said if I or an angel from heaven or anyone else comes and preaches to you anything other than what is established already, let them be accursed. Paul wasn't just saying if anybody else comes up here and says anything other than what I, paul, have said, then let them be accursed. No, he said if anyone preaches anything other than the gospel, that has already been established, that we've already preached to you. Let them be accursed. He's putting himself in there. He said if I come back to you in a week and tell you and I was wrong, never mind, let me be accursed. He's putting himself in there. He said if I come back to you in a week and tell you and I was wrong, never mind, let me be accursed, but grow in grace and in knowledge of the Lord and Savior, jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever, amen. So what he says, what Peter is saying, is listen.
Speaker 1:People take the words of Paul, our brother, and they twist them so much that they've created this new doctrine. They've created this new gospel. You know what they've created? The gospel of freedom from the law right, the gospel of grace, the gospel of mercy. It's the gospel according to Jesus. You know what Jesus said about the law. I didn't come to destroy the law, but I came that the law through me might be fulfilled. Jesus said you know what Well we're under grace now. I guess if you cheated on your wife, you can be forgiven. Sure, you can be forgiven, but you're going to have some consequences, ain't that right, honey? She going to kill me. There are going to be two graves. There are going to be three boxes, two underground and one behind bars, right? So Jesus said no, wait, wait, wait, hold on a second, guys, don't get this misconstrued. What is the gospel according to Jesus? According to that right, the gospel is.
Speaker 1:You've heard that it said that you shall not commit adultery. But I say unto you that if you look at a woman with those thoughts in your mind now I'm paraphrasing y'all know that you've already committed adultery. Jesus didn't say well, I've come to just get rid of the law so you can be happy and free and just live your life however you want to. After all, it's going to be grace and mercy. He said no, guess what? I'm going to make it harder for you.
Speaker 1:You know why Jesus made the gospel harder? Because he took away our excuse. We can't. We can't use the excuse of not knowing. We can't use the excuse of not having been born a Jew. We can't use the excuse of not hearing it from Moses. Jesus said you know what I'm going to do. I'm going to take what I gave to Moses in the wilderness and I'm going to make it hard Because I'm going to hold you accountable more than you were before, because now that I've come and I've lived a sinless life and I've died on a cross this was before he died, but he said I'm going to die on a cross, right, I'm taking away all your excuses, because I came so you could be led to seek and save that which was lost.
Speaker 1:I came, jesus came as an example, led to seek and save that which was lost. I came, jesus came as an example. And when he came and he lived that sinless life as a man, he was tempted in all parts, as you are tempted, and yet he sinned not. He took away every excuse you had. He said you've heard it said thou shalt not commit adultery. I'll make it harder for you. If you even look at somebody else with those thoughts, you've already committed adultery. You'll make it harder for you If you even look at somebody else with those thoughts, you've already committed adultery. You've heard it said thou shalt not murder. But I tell you, if you hate your brother in your heart. You've already committed murder. How many of us are guilty of that? So the gospel according to Jesus is not easier than the gospel of the Old Testament.
Speaker 1:The gospel according to Jesus holds me more accountable because the gospel of the Old Testament, the gospel according to Jesus, holds me more accountable because the gospel in the Old Testament was easy. The gospel in the Old Testament. All I had to do was live according to those laws. All I had to do was bring an animal. If I broke the laws, guess what? I brought an animal to the temple, the priest sacrificed that animal and I was forgiven. Those sins were rolled back another year. But now Jesus said I came and I died for those sins. I took those sins away and I told you to straighten up and I told you to walk and live a life that was sin free, that you would abstain from iniquity. Now all of your excuses are gone. The gospel according to Jesus holds me accountable to that gospel. The gospel according to Jesus holds me accountable to that gospel.
Speaker 1:Now again, let's look at this. Let's look at this. Does this look like two different doctrines? Does this sound like two completely different ways to be saved? You know what the modern church will tell you these are works. You know what else is a will tell you these are works. You know what else is a work. If that's a work, praying, I don't know. It's just too much effort, I don't know if I can do that. It's not a work. Baptism is not a work. Let's look at this Again. We're preaching the gospel. According to who? Jesus? Not according to Paul, not according to Peter.
Speaker 1:Acts 2 and 38 is important, right. Hold on one second. I didn't give you this scripture, david, but throw this up there. This just I need to bring this one out. Luke 24 and 45. Jesus brings the disciples right. Jesus brings the disciples.
Speaker 1:In Luke 24, he says this the Bible says that he opened up their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures. Who is he opening their understanding? To Whose understanding? Is he opening understanding to Whose understanding? Is he opening the disciples Peter right. Matthew 28 and 19,. Jesus said go ye into all the world, preach the gospel to every creature, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy ghost. And then he said what teach them to do? What? Observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. So what Jesus did at that point is he gave them the gospel. He said this is, this is the gospel that I taught to you. I opened up your understanding. This is it. I want you to take it and I want you to give it to them.
Speaker 1:When Peter stood on the day of Pentecost, peter was not preaching Peter's gospel. When Paul wrote the epistles to the churches, he was not. When Paul went and contended with them in the synagogues, paul did not come preaching the gospel of Paul the churches, he was not. When paul went and contended with them in the synagogues, paul did not come preaching the gospel of paul. Paul went and preached the gospel that jesus handed to the disciples and said take this, teach them. So if peter was wrong in acts, chapter 2, then you're telling me you have better understanding of what Jesus said than the man that Jesus himself opened up his understanding of the scripture.
Speaker 1:I am not that arrogant to think I know what Jesus said more than the man who stood next to him when he said it. So we get, we get caught up on on this. People get caught up on this because I'm saved by grace through faith. Yes, absolutely saved by grace through faith. But james tells us three times in the in the book of james, chapter two, that faith without what is dead works.
Speaker 1:Now that doesn't mean that I can build my hospital and get into heaven because I built a hospital. That's not what that means. But what that means is when I, when I believe the gospel, I obey the gospel, I walk according to the gospel, I do what the gospel told me to do. I died to my sins, just as Jesus died. Remember, the long suffering of Jesus is salvation. I died to my sins just as Jesus died. I buried them in a grave of baptism, because Paul told us that's what baptism was. It wasn't just getting wet, it wasn't just getting in some water and thinking, man, this is great. No, baptism is a burial of that old man. Here's water. What does hinder you? And I'm risen to life in the newness of life, just as Jesus was resurrected from the grave. If the long suffering of Jesus is salvation, then why would I think my salvation comes from anywhere else? Any other gospel than the gospel according to Jesus Christ, who said he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved?
Speaker 1:So rightly dividing the word of truth requires me to open up my understanding of the scriptures through the Holy Ghost, not through my own understanding, not through my own skill, not through my own belief, not through my own feeling, but through the word of God, rightly dividing the word of truth. I got one more scripture for you, romans, chapter 10. We're going to read some of these again and then we're going to go further and we're going to expound because this is that, romans, chapter 10, doctrine right Believe, confess, you're saved. What sayeth that the word is nigh to thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart. That is the word of faith which we preach. What does he say? Believe, thou shalt confess with your mouth that the Lord Jesus and thou shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead. Thou shalt be saved.
Speaker 1:Verse 10 says For with the heart, man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. It's easy to cut it off there and say you know what there that proves that Paul is telling us that all we have to do is confess and believe and we're saved. Read further For the scripture saith, whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. Verse 12. For there is no difference between Jew, the Jew and the Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him, for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. There we go. It tells it again All I got to do is call on him. What is Paul talking about? He's saying look, you don't have to be a Jew to be saved. There's no difference between Jew and Greek. Thank God, because none of us are Jewish. He said all you got to do is believe.
Speaker 1:And in your belief, in your faith, when you truly believe and when you truly have faith and you truly call on the name of the Lord, it changes your heart. And if it changes your heart, it changes who you are, it changes what you do, it changes how you act and you have no choice but to obey the gospel according to Jesus Christ, the death, the burial and the resurrection. According to Jesus Christ, the death, the burial and the resurrection, and if you call on that, the name of the Lord, you shall be saved. Peter said later in 1 Peter 3, verse 20, talking about the flood, and that how, because Noah and his family believed on God got into the ark, the family was saved. And he said the like figure where unto even doth baptism now save you, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscious towards God. So, in other words, what Peter was saying is no, baptism is not a work.
Speaker 1:Baptism is so much more than just getting in water and getting wet, washing away the filth of your flesh, taking a bath. It's so much more than that. Baptism is obeying and answering the gospel. So what is the gospel according to Jesus? The gospel according to Jesus is that this he didn't just come to save a certain select few of people, but he came to seek and save all that were lost. He said whosoever will come unto me. The gospel according to Jesus is that you don't have to be born in the right family to have salvation, that you don't have to be born in the right nation to have salvation, that there's no difference between Jew or Greek.
Speaker 1:Stop focusing so much on one man's words that you miss everything else the Bible has to offer, because you have to take from here a little, from there a little. Not every scripture talks about the other scripture, but every scripture is confirmed somewhere in the Bible out of the mouths of two or three witnesses. They are established. That's from the book of Genesis all the way to the book of Revelation. They don't contradict each other. They support and they establish each other. The problem is we have to rightly divide that and understand that.
Speaker 1:Stand with me tonight. Here's my challenge to you. My challenge to you is this Take and I want you to read the books of 1 and 2 Peter and then I want you to read the book of Acts. Actually, you know what? Read the book of Acts first, then read the books of 1 and 2 Peter. Then I want you to read the epistles of Paul and I want you to show me I want you to show me, I want you to honestly pray and I want you to show me, I want you to show me, I want you to honestly pray and I want you to show me any of that that contradicts or preaches another gospel than what Jesus himself established, because it ain't there.
Speaker 1:Our problem is we got to rightly divide it, we got to know it, we got to believe it. It we got to know it, we got to believe it and we got to live it. Amen, amen, brother George, pray and dismiss him. Hey, I want to say thank you for joining us tonight on the Five Fold Podcast. I pray that you've been blessed and that you have enjoyed what you've heard. Join us every week as we release new content concerning the Five Fold Ministry and their place in today's church. You don't want to miss this the Five Fold Podcast. God bless.
