[Chuck Zimmerman] Sometimes you meet people
who've been doing very well in life and sometimes they are very young. Sometimes they're people that have graduated
from universities and accomplished good goals of their education. I have two grandsons, two granddaughters and
I'm a little partial to my oldest grandson, Aiden, he was born on my birth date and I've
got his gift ready this year, and sometimes he gives me a gift, good grades. Aiden's mother is very able to help him in
school. My son Clint, Clint III, took a wife who is
just the right wife for him. And Annette does a lot with those two boys
to make sure that they're growing in their education. A year doesn't go by but when I see those
boys, either one of them sometimes both on stage receiving awards for most improved. No tardiness, no miss days, best student of
the year and she thumps those boys every night to get that homework done. And she pushes them and I'm glad she does
she's going to be rewarded some time for two sons that are very, very capable. And it does take a push. We do have an example sometimes of making
sure that there is progress in our land and yet right now there's a lot of dilly-dallying
with education. It's not as strong suit in America anymore,
we're lagging in math, in the sciences, even in literature. You know who got the Literature Award this
year, don't you? If you don't look it up, it will surprise
you. What are you doing about your education? There's some gray hairs out here, you can
still learn. I learn. You young folks what are you doing about your
education? Those of you looking for work what are you
doing about your education? Education using these things in our heads
that work together to make us smarter are very important matters. And here we are as God's people gathered together,
what are we doing about our spiritual education? What are you doing to prepare yourself as
an educator in the coming Millennium? Millions of people will still survive. Heads burn with all kinds of negative things. Scars upon their bodies and scars on their
minds. Nonetheless, they're there and you as a child
of God, hopefully, there have these minds to work with. It's a pitiful thing they're going through
but you are the answer through Christ Jesus, our Lord. It is important that we conceive deeply in
our hearts where we are and where we are going and not just sit on the information we have. Tons of booklets and old articles and magazines
and “I know that.” What are you doing about growing in the Word
of God? And I want to hasten to say I'm not just talking
about reading, I'm talking about studying. Looking at those words, thinking about those
words and asking God to work through your mind. What are you doing about that? In Habakkuk 2:14 somewhat out of context for
the number of woes and tragedies that are mentioned in Habakkuk 2, this one verse stands
out you know it, "For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord,
as the waters covering the sea.” Like waters covering the sea. It is going to happen. I believe the Kingdom of God will come and
be on this earth. And that the throne of God will eventually
be here. And what happens after that is only up to
His imagination. Someone somewhere, will be well enough educated
in the ways of God and in the spiritual matters of this Book we all have with us today. To be teaching the way of life and to those
who receive it it will be a new way of life, but you see there's a problem. I was speaking briefly with a Mr. Goethals
who is in education. He explained that this is the year we're finally
he has to start asking what is the name of the student? Is it Charles or Charlene? Which bathroom are you going to use today? Or it doesn't matter? I can go either way that's how low our country
has sunk at this point. What is next? I don't want to think. But there is a problem today. I spent a little time with a think tank reading
and learning from them in these the last couple of months and I asked them to give me permission
to quote from some of their products. And so I'm going to be quoting from the Higher
Learning Commission. In 2011, they did a study asking 739 students
to provide their own perspective of why students fail courses and drop out of colleges? Why they fail and drop out? Why do people fail and drop out of the Church
of God? There could be some parallels. There premises if there is no better way to
find out than to ask the students directly if something had helped and encouraged them
to learn and to succeed or what had held them back? So they did this study and they found the
results were grouped into seven main categories including “motivation 35%, study habits
17%, academic preparedness 12%” and on it went through the seven different categories. Motivation and study habits were mentioned
most frequently. Now, that's in the educational systems of
our society. And I think it is possible and we may need
to look at ourselves personally here what about us in our study habits of the Word of
God? How are we motivated? Do we motivate ourselves? Are our study habits strong, stable? When you get up each morning what do you do? Is the Word of God, and talking to the Creator,
the first thing that you do every day? I know many people in the Church of God, think
that that's what Sabbath is for. And they spend a lot of time on Sabbath, going
through their books reading concordances in these different books. Bible dictionaries, study helps and that Sabbath
study and that's to do them the whole week. What's wrong with doing it every day? Now, you may not be able to take that amount
of time but the first thing on your mind every day should be the Word of God because the
first thing the ultimate thing on the mind of God is the establishment of His Kingdom
here on earth. And you need to participate in that thought. You cannot be lazy about this that you've
been called to. I know it's hard. It's hard for me, but I must do it and you
must do it. It went on to say, "These two factors cause
the most amount of failure at the college level." And I have a sneaky suspicion that that's
what happened to the tens of thousands that have walked in and out of our doors. A survey was done — a proper survey and
some a couple of decades ago about how many people were baptized into the various churches
of God, that we all sprung from. The number will surprise you. One million and here we are maybe a 1,000
up or down from that. You cannot be one of those that walks out
you must put your nose in God's Word and you must put your knees to Him and ask of His
help. As I say this is what's happening in modern
day education and I would say that as the world goes so goes the Church of God. We are susceptible to the strong wrong influences
of Satan. The article went on. “This means they are aware that the reason…
students are aware of the reason why they fail courses most often resides within themselves
and are under their own power and responsibility.” You and I will never be useful to the Kingdom
if we fail. And so I asked you urgently today to put God
first in your life and seeking His Kingdom. Now, I also looked at a product of a research
a coalition of for Youth Justice. And they thought the way to get the students
more active in their education was where we are going in America give them money. They thought 83% of the solution was to give
kids more money so they could spend it on their education. If you give a kid money today he's going to
go get a number seven — i7. iPhone 7 that's what's important. Lock in and tune out. It said “financial incentives 83% for states
and municipalities to invest in alternatives to youth incarceration rather than put them
in jail give the money.” Are financial incentives a reason to really…
the reason, the way we should go? Some of us if we really look at our government
we see that it is an entitlement community, is that the way to go? Financial incentives seem to be the way we
are going to go as a nation is that how you can be bought off by a Satanic situation? There's more money so I'll go do that then
you know. Working and worrying about my existence of
the Millennium wanes. He goes into a valley and they just kind of
walk away. Financial incentives are not the way to improve
you're reading the Word of God and praying to the great Creator. Sometimes it's absolutely nothing, no dollars,
no stuff that presents us the opportunity to be more real with our God. This is predicted in prophecy. 2 Timothy 3 the first five verses. 2 Timothy 3:1, “Know this, that in the last
days grievous times shall come: men shall be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful,
arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection,
unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control…” That's them and you cannot let it become you! “…Fierce, no lovers of good, traitors,
headstrong, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of
godliness…” they go to church they go to the Feast they have the form. A Coca-Cola bottle has form. What do you put in the Coca-Cola bottle? “…But denying its power. From such people turn away.” Don't let yourself be entangled with those
with low vision of where they are going. I ask you to do the best to read the Word
and to study that word and take your paper in as you write a scripture and what does
the mind of God tell you when you have a thought you write that down. It isn't just a list of verses in the text
it isn't that anybody can do that. I could pass out all kinds of notes for you
to say, "Well, this is how to do it." But I didn't give any of you a copy of it
except for the translation people but I could have made copies of my nine pages and let
you all go home. I know that sometimes we have that form of
godliness we have church, we have Sabbath, we have the Holy Days. But really when it comes down to it how many
of our kids in here right now are playing Candy Crush? I don't know, I know it's off right now I
just mentioned it. But more than likely there was one person
in this room playing Candy Crush. That's what's more important. So we do have a problem it's in all of our
society we do not understand any more about how important it is to learn. To study, to take things and really spend
time understanding them. Dr. Ward spent some time in a marvelous way
for us last evening. He went through some things that we can put
together, scriptures that give us a trail. We'll have more and more trails from the other
speakers during this Feast. But when you look at those trails don't just
let them just turned into a form of godliness. Let's look at the cause of the problem. The cause of the problem you know, education,
whether domestic, formal, informal, biblical or natural whatever form you want that education
to take, so often it does not lead to peace. When I was much younger, I spent some time
reading a small paperback The Greening of America anybody knows about "The Greening
of America?" Any hippies out there old hippies? Oh, I got a couple. The author was Charles Reich. And he wrote it in 1970, he first wrote just
a paper and then he turned it into a book. And the thesis of The Greening of America
is it's always going to grow it is going to get better and better and better. That's the American way, I'm still waiting
for it to happen. In his class that he taught at Yale, he had
two enterprising students. One in 1970, and then another one a girl in
1971. While he was writing this and then working
on it and promoting it in his class, the students were taking note. And then as I mentioned there were two students. In 1970, it was Bill Clinton. His class of 1971, had Hillary, in it. And they learned of these ways that the world
is just going to get better and better and better. And it's going down the tubes and unless Christ,
intervenes soon there will be no flesh saved alive. The cause of the problem is people that think
that there is a solution that mankind can do. Why is it that we don't care to learn? Why is that we don't care to study? Why is studying as hard as it is? Again I return to the Higher Learning Commission. I find it a most interesting website to learn
from. Here their general conclusions at the end
of a long article. “A problem running through almost all the
categories is that too many students come to college without the necessary preparation.” Too many students come to college, too many
Christians could be coming to Sabbath services and Holy Day services without the necessary
preparation. You prepare by bending the knee and talking
to God and reading about what He is saying. “They lack numerous academic skills, such
as critical thinking,” and there is so little of that in the age today, “writing skills,
math and science backgrounds. As one faculty respondent said, ‘Improved
K-12 education in all disciplines would be a big help in student success.’” He says, “'We are preparing students to
pass standardized tests in K-12 but not to think.’ Study skills; communication; core subjects
like math, science, reading, and writing; and the ability to learn are necessary skills
that should be learned in high school.” You should be learned as you prepare for baptism. One faculty member stated strongly, “[Failing]
students were not pushed in high school and, therefore, failed to develop an appetite for
learning and the disciplines and skills required to succeed in academic atmospheres.” You are a student of God's Word, I know that
because you have it on your lap. That statement is made by carrying the Book. Are we pushing ourselves to study the Word
of God? Is the Word of God, so important to us that
we will look at it and think critically about it? Go back and forth you see a word that's kind
of interesting "way of life" that phrase. Find out where it's all listed. How do you put it together? What is that way? Within about three weeks in our congregations
in Florida, actually, I think about 10 days I had questions from three of the four congregations
that went along this line and this might be then a little test that we just think about. Critical thinking, Rahab, lied about the spies
that she hid yet she's mentioned in Hebrews 11. So is lying really wrong? Critical thinking. What is Hebrews 11 about? Law or faith? There's some other people in that chapter. And I think you aim to be in that chapter. Have you ever lied? Will that keep you out of that chapter? Lying is not the way to go. I address this question to members of the
community of God, not K-12, I address you the members of the congregation of God. You are destined to be educators in the world
tomorrow read the Word study the Word look at some phrases and become so well acquainted
with your Bible that you could move back and forth and “Oh, yeah, that's in Isaiah 66.” And go back and forth take notes in your mind
and in paper if necessary for what you learn from the Word of God. There's plenty of books and I've got a lot
of them on my shelf and I find more and more, this is the book I use. Dad gave me this when I was 17. And it's falling apart but I can't afford
to get rid of what's in it. God has talked to me and I've written some
things in the margins. It helps my mind to understand better they're
not the same thoughts you might have we are individuals. You will prepare to teach principles, ethics,
virtues, law. But we must remember it's in the manual. And it requires us to think to concentrate. The Kingdom that is coming is that capstone
of education. It says in Isaiah 26:7-9. Isaiah 26, "The way of the just is uprightness;
You Most Upright, do weigh the path of the just. Yes, in the way of the judgments, O Lord,
have we waited for You; the desire of our very life is to Your name, and to the remembrance
of You. With my whole life have I desired You in the
night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek You early; for when Your judgments
are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness." And that's where we are going to a righteous
way of life and it's a brave new world that we're going to be dawning into. The question continues are you preparing then? Are we doing this? Preparing to teach the amazing and simple
keys to the Kingdom. If someone came into the room today that you
had known and said, "Oh, what do you believe?" What would you say? If someone asked you what is the difference
between the Old and New Covenant? What would you say? If someone said, "What do you know Christ
really was buried for three days and three nights," what would you say? Do you rely on the minister to say that for
you or as a part of you? Put it this way can you teach what you believe? Now, you can and don't think that you cannot
maybe you haven't got enough of it but you can you can learn you can educate yourself
to teach what you believe. And I'm not asking you to go do that and take
the Bible down to the high school and get all the students riled up. But know the Word of God, in your mind let
this live within you. It says in Micah 4:1-3. Micah 4. Sometimes this being put to him, "In the last
days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established
in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall
flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, ‘Come,
let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will
teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths.’ For the law shall go out of Zion, and the
word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And He shall teach many people, and rebuke
strong nations afar off; they will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into
pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn
war anymore." People are going to stream into it and these
people that stream into it need to have their educators those that are thoroughly schooled
in the ways of God. And there they will find there are those who
can teach the ways of God. You have an opportunity to look forward to
training someone else that might be a friend, it might be a relative. Brings to mind a couple of examples I think
I could mention the first one is my grandmother she died at 102 my dad's mother Emilia. And my oldest granddaughter bears that name
Emilia. Grandma subscribed to every religious journal
and magazine you could think of and one of them was The Plain Truth. And then 1950, she says, "Here Clint, read
this, you might enjoy this.” He read it was bit. God, opened his mind and the rest is history
he died about three years ago. He learned from these things so that he could
learn or teach others to learn of them as well. On the other, hand, my wife and I Joy and
I had assisted living homes for a number of years. God granted our homes peace. And when people came to visit they would place
their parents often with us. One of the parents that was placed with us
was Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. And for two years her last two years, we took
care of her. She wrote many books. Well, while encompassing the world in lecturing
and so forth. When my dad died I did his funeral. And was there and I had another very close
elder friend Steve Buchanan do most of the reading. It was simple straightforward. When Elisabeth, died she wasn't quite sure
what was going to happen so she had an American Indian, do a powwow over her. She had a Buddhist Monk preach his service
over her and she had a Protestant service. And they were all kind of mingled together
she wanted to cover all the bases. And it was reassuring to me and I... in this
comparison and is I think maybe to you. You see that my dad was there's one man who
knew there was one way and he didn't need all this complication of trying to cover all
the bases. Now, Elisabeth was a wonderful woman I learned
from her every day. Up until the last six weeks or so she taught
would teach me something every day about the matters of life and death she's a brilliant
woman but she was not brilliant in the ways of God. Someday I'm going to be able to talk to Elisabeth,
and she will remember me I know that. And teach her but I've got to make sure I
know it because I knew it with my dad. Dad and I could sit and talk about the Bible. There's a few people in this room with whom
I enjoy that wonderful opportunity. I should hope that it's every one of you that
we could sit and read the Bible and talk about its beauty in its words in its most intimate
ways without having to get a Strong’s Concordance or a Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown or a Bible
dictionary or something in Hebrew or Greek that we could let that Word speak to us and
have God teach us. So I ask again are you equipped to fill the
earth with righteous teachings? Are you pushing yourself? This is where we gather our momentum for the
next year this Feast we put it all together and we go forward with a push. It says in Isaiah 11:9, you know it well,
"They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, the world will be filled with the
knowledge of the Lord like waters covering the sea." You are the ones that can take that message
to the whole world. He can do it by Himself but He's chosen you
and you must fill the bill. You must prepare yourself to be a millennial
educator. If you are truly a servant of God you know
that is your destiny. The Kingdom will need teachers. We find in Isaiah 52:7-9, "How beautiful upon
the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings, who proclaims peace,” that's
Jesus Christ, “who brings glad tidings to good things, who proclaims salvation, who
says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” Now, it does talk about someone else in here
a… it talks about “watchmen shall lift up their voices, and with their voices they
shall sing together; for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring back Zion.” Moses couldn't do that. Couldn't look to the face, read the story. But you and I, says we might be able to see
into the eye. “Break forth into joy, sing together, you
waste places of Jerusalem! For the Lord has comforted His people, He
has redeemed Jerusalem.” You and I are looking for that redemption
ourselves. The teachers there will be totally qualified. And let's address that then to you and me,
what qualifications? Turn to Daniel 12. And we see Daniel, as a thoroughly educated
man in the ways of God. And the faithful teachers destined then to
the high seat. Daniel 12:1, "At that time shall Michael stand
up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; and there shall be
a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that same time. And at that time your people shall be delivered,
every one that is found written in the book.” And let's make sure our name is in the book. Verse 2, "And many of those who sleep in the
dust of the earth will awake,” and resurrect “some go to everlasting life, and others
to everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness
of the firmament, and those will then turn many to righteousness…” People need to be turned around in the coming
beginning of the Millennium. They need to be turned around to the ways
of God to seek the ways that are peaceful. Their trust will be absent, no trust whatsoever
and you have to somehow gain their trust and tell them how to live life. And that this is the way and little by little
feed them the truth. Like the stars forever and ever it goes on
to say. In the writings of Ecclesiastics, Ecclesiastics
7. We find in verses 11 and 12, "Wisdom is good
with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun. For wisdom is a defense, and money is a defense:”
with wisdom and financial ability, you can take care of yourself, “but the excellency
of knowledge is, that wisdom gives life to them that have it.” There is knowledge that will provide life. And God has stirred in your mind and you understand
some of that knowledge. I challenge you to promote it in your mind,
take the chance read deeply study God's Word, pray daily, every day start with prayer and
study. I know you need coffee you need a glass of
cold water, make it quick. But get yourself into the realm of God. The room with His book and His mind. And talk to Him as your teacher, it doesn't
take long and I would say another novel approach I don't do it by a watch or time, I do it
until what I'm doing is done. Let the Teacher teach me until the lessons
over. Sometimes it's 15 minutes, sometimes it's
a half hour or sometimes its longer. I get up early enough so that I can still
get my day going, that means you go to bed early. So you can seek your Creator early. But then you will have the excellency of knowledge
which is a sure, sure protection than just wisdom and money. In Acts 28 towards the end of the book of
Acts. Acts 28:23, "And when they had appointed him
a day, there came many of them into his lodging; to whom he expounded many things testifying
of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out
of the prophets, from morning till evening." I turned to this to just give you then we're
going to go through a few scriptures this show about Paul. One of our best Biblical examples of a great
teacher, a wise leader that sets you an example. You and I need examples and I find these words
about Paul, tell me what I should be able to learn to do. Now I can't quite do it as good as Paul. And the life journey isn't yet over but you
see he testified, he talked… he expounded these things. Do you have a little story that you can tell
people when they come into your presence? I've got a neighbor named Winnie. Winnie, has the same house number as me. Joy and I have the same house number as Winnie. And when Winnie comes by once a while and
she waves in our window and we know her. And one day she received a piece of mail is
not uncommon it was addressed to Joy and I and she walked over and delivered it for me
instead of the postman. And it was from the Church and I didn't know
it but that was an open door. And she said, "Well, what do you do Chuck?" I said, "I'm a minister," she said, "Glory,
Hallelujah! What church do you go to?" I said, "I'm a pastor at United Church of
God," "Where is that?" And so I went through the ditty about the
four congregations that I look after and how I got elders, and deacons that marvelously
give of their time and in an experience and they go to these congregations and help me
out. And for some reason, I guess I can't quite
remember I invited her in so we could talk more, and she came into my study and sat on
the blue couch. And she's looked at my bookcases wall to wall
and the ceiling to floor “My! You read a lot." Well, I do and I have but I read mostly in
this nowadays I probably have more translations of the Bible than I'll ever need. I don't need them anymore I just need the
Word of God, I've found. I've got about five different Bible dictionaries
and they'll say the same thing but, you know, you get this collection thing about having
books. I've got another Strong's Concordance, a Cruden's
Concordance, and a Young's Concordance, and I don't need three concordances. Anyhow, as a story go she sits down looking
at all these books as she says, "Well, what do you believe?" There was the door I opened it and said, "I
believe Jesus Christ is going to return and bring peace to this earth," "Hallelujah,"
again. "What do you believe?" "Well, I'm a Baptist and that's what I believe
but we don't really get strong messages about Christ's return." So I got a little preaching in, I got a little
preaching in. Now, she hasn't visited yet but she did say,
"I'll come visit you someday." Now, when I told her it was on Saturday, there
was a stillness, she's used to a Sunday service as you can imagine. But I have to have a way to introduce the
ways of God, to people when they come by. You need to develop something like that. And if you can understand the importance of
ever so many people believe in the Christ, is going to return and bring us peace use
that line and then go from there. Have your little line of scripture, know your
Word, talk to people. You never know what will happen. My grandma Emilia didn't know what would happen
when she told that to my dad. So we see in Acts 28. Not only was he persuaded, we find in verse
28, Acts 28:28, "Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto
the Gentiles, and they will hear it. And when he had said these words, the Jews
departed, and had great reasoning among themselves. And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own
hired house,” he rented the place “and received all that came in unto him." What did he do? Had them in for bananas and a cup of tea and,
you know, “preached the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the
Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him." And that's what you need to have women alike
confidence in the Word of God. Let there be strength in your voice, let the
reasons that God has given you come forward in these times of explanation. Let it be something that people see is something
“You believe that don't you?” You know that that's a challenge to people. In Isaiah 30. We find that wise teachers are needed for
the Millennium. Isaiah 30 and look at the verses 20, 21 and
22. Isaiah 30:20, "And though the Lord give you
the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction,” and sometimes that happens, “yet your teachers
will not be removed into a corner any more, but your eyes shall see your teachers." You know, there's going to be people there
that are destitute. But the teachers will be there and we're not
going to leave them. These teachers that we are becoming will take
us... take our journey with them and we will stay committed to them. Do you know anything about commitment today? Well, today you are learning about God being
committed to you, and what has been put into you that commitment you're going to be able
to give out again, “your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the
way, walk you in it.’” Now, we've read that many times but how do
we do that? If you're committed to them you're going to
be with them shoulder to shoulder, you're going to be working with them. I would encourage you not to see it only as
a strong correctional thing of kind of word behind them, but a kindness and a concern,
“whenever you turn to the right hand, or whenever you turn to the left. You will also defile the covering of your
images of silver, and the ornament of your molten images of gold: you will throw them
away as unclean thing; you will say to them, ‘Get away.’" What do we throw away today as unclean things? We spend so much time thinking about unclean
meats and so we should. But what's unclean in our head? What do we fill with our heads with, the Word
of God, or unclean things? I cannot answer you the question for you,
we each are different to that remark. Teachers will be personal, practical, and
personable. The qualification of a pastor is mentioned
in some of the Scriptures here at the end of the Bible you know of Titus. Titus 1:8-9, "Be hospitable, a lover of what
is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as it has been
taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and to convict those who contradict." Now, that only applies to elders sometimes
to deacons, the rest of you can this doesn't say it’s something for you to worry about,
does it? Oh, it does, this is you. What God has established for His elders also
applies to those elders in training. This is applicable to all of us that we should
always in all of our practices be hospitable, loving what is good, sober-minded. So what we need to throw out that's unclean
in our mind? What has been invested in you needs to be
useful and come out of you. It comes into you and you are a conduit. You are a vessel that carries it to new people. Over in 1 Timothy. I have a couple of comments from
Timothy 1 and 2. 1 Timothy 4:11-16. I've interjected these verses in my notes
from the God's Word Translation for some additional clarity. Here it talks about teachers study and teach
the truth they are informed. It says, "Insist on these things and teach
them. Don't let anyone look down on you for being
young. Instead, make your speech, behavior, love,
faith, and purity an example to other believers.” Teach by example then, and we have to…what's
our example? “Until I get there, concentrate on reading
Scripture in worship, giving encouraging messages, and teaching people.” This is where we’re going. Now, you might have a Winnie in your neighborhood
maybe that's where you start to groom your opportunities. 14, "Don't neglect the gift which you received
through prophecy when the spiritual leaders placed their hands on you [to ordain you]. Practice these things. Devote your life to them so that everyone
can see your progress. Focus on your life and your teaching. Continue to do what I've told you. If you do this, you will save yourself and
those who hear you." Well, today we've got this marvelous invention
our vice president gave us the internet. And you can go on the internet and you can
find anything you want, and you can prove so much about what you believe isn't right. And it will introduce you to a new topic. But please remember because it's on the internet
doesn't mean it's gospel. There's a lot maybe a lot a lot of junk out
there and for some reason, we are babes when it comes to reading all this stuff on the
Internet and we get hooked on it. The people of God right now are tested on
two major things in my opinion. The name of God and the calendar. And all these ideas come to us from the internet
and what does this scripture say does it say something useful in that regard? “Continue to do what I've told you.” What has been delivered to us we maintain
we don't go off looking for new stuff. There's all kinds of new stuff. When I was growing up in the Church very young
the test in the congregations then was health food. And we had all kinds of ideas of what was
health food and we didn't shop anywhere except if it was health's food store kind of stuff. Well, there's some good things about health
food; there's some good things just about food that's natural. But it seems that the Church of God goes through
these periods of testing and all over sudden in that time in age health food became God. And we cannot let the internet become God
to us telling us what His name is or how to come to understand His time. Simply for the sake of unity, it's important
for us to remember what we believe. As I said in Timothy let's turn now to 2 [1]
Timothy 2 where we have teachers are equipped and able to be practical and tactful. 2 [1] Timothy 2:1, "First of all, I encourage
you to be make petitions, prayers, intercessions, and prayers of thanks for all people, do this
for rulers, and for everyone who has authority over us. Pray for those people so that they can have
a quiet and peaceful life that always lives in a godly and reverent way." We're on the dawn of a new age for our nation. Pray that God tells us how to deal with whatever
happens. You need a quiet and peaceful life, I'm sure. And then it says in 1 Timothy 3, the first
five verses. Qualifications for a teacher or a leader are
mentioned. And again I want you to see this is where
you're going this doesn't just apply to ordained ministers to elders that's where all of you
are going to become elders in the Kingdom of God. So look at it in an all-encompassing way. “This is a statement that can be trusted:
If anyone sets his heart on being a bishop, he desires something excellent.” You desire to be a leader in the world tomorrow? That's good. You “must have a good reputation. You must have only one wife, be sober, use
good judgment, be respectable, be hospitable, and be able to teach.” And that's what you need to practice learning
how to do. And learn what you then should teach by becoming
acquainted with the Word, and you think that you might know it but you'll continue to learn
more and more as every one of us elders have. 3, "He must not drink excessively or be a
violent person, but he must be gentle. He must not be quarrelsome or love money. He must manage his own family well. His children should respectfully obey him. (For if a man doesn't know how to manage his
own family, how can he take care of God's church?)” How can he take care of a town in the Kingdom? How can he look after a city in the Kingdom? How can you look after the waterworks of Jerusalem? If you are having to go home all the time
to get the kids in order. Over in 2 Timothy 2. Some more things that Paul, mentions to Timothy,
about the importance of being a servant and leader that are applicable to all of us. 2 Timothy 2 and again from God's Word I'm
reading verses 22 through 26, "Stay away from lusts which tempt young people.” “Stay away from lusts which tempt young
people." Yeah, that's in the Bible. You parents need to make sure that you are
doing this now can you do it with a hardness but you can also do with love. Teach them that they should not be around
things that are lustful that are going to take them away from the house that you are
building. The spiritual house that you and your wife
are building. “Pursue what has God's approval.” Think about what you do is this godly or not? “Pursue faith, love, peace together with
those who worship the Lord with a pure heart. Don't have anything to do with foolish and
stupid arguments.” And if you're not careful in the names of
God in the discussions of such topics and calendar become just quarrelsome things that
don't have an end. “Be kind to everyone. He must be a good teacher.” And that's why I rail on this to some degree
today it is in the Bible that this is where we are going all of us as teachers. “Be willing to suffer wrong. He must be gentle in correcting those who
oppose the Good News. Maybe God will allow them to change the way
they think and act and lead them to know the truth. Then they might come back to their senses
and God will free them from the devil's snare so that they can do His will.” And as I say I think there is topics on the
internet that are nothing more than the devil's snare. A teacher must live the truth and be faithful
in all things. He must have outstanding character. He must have discernment and be decisive. Know about morality and the highest standards. And be high minded in everything he does even
high minded in your dress. As you say we invite God by prayer into our
presence when we are with each other in our families in our home or in these meetings
for sure. We invite the Creator, to be with us. God the Father, to look after us, and Jesus
Christ, to accept us before His soon coming throne. So how do we prepare ourselves and present
ourselves? When we come here do we wear things on our
body? Do we wear thoughts in our head that we would
want to wear before the throne of God at Jerusalem. There should be no difference this is practice,
this is our practice time, this is our boot camp. You must know the purpose for human existence
and learn to practice good communication skills. The concluding scripture in 2 Peter 2 [3]:14-18. And I ask the question then again the question
for us today are we preparing to be teachers in the soon coming Millennium in the qualifying
Kingdom of God? Are you prepared to be involved with the millennial
education? “Therefore, beloved, looking forward to
those things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and
consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation — as also our beloved brother
Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also all of his epistles,”
or letters “speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand,
which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction…” We lived through that in ’94 and ’95. We have lived through it in other ages as
well. Because they do violence to the Scriptures,
"You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from
your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in grace
and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever." One be steadfast. Two grow, that simple, stand your ground and
know more, you grow. It isn't difficult. It isn't rocket science. What is God provided to you and your congregation
so that you can grow to be a leader in the coming Kingdom of God? Well, He's given us all a copy of His inspired
Word. You have a Bible, maybe more. Most of you attend a congregation and in that
congregation, you have hopefully an elder sometimes deacons that will give you answers
to questions. You might be able to meet in a building that
your congregation has outright or 24/7. A blessing for some few but nonetheless a
great blessing. You might have Bible studies, you might have
a group study in your home. These are the things God is given to you He's
given to you fellowship. Some are blessed to have speaking clubs in
their congregation's areas where you can grow where you can be steadfast and grow. Some few have gone to Ambassador Bible College,
more of us have attended the samplers as they go around the nation. We have youth and young adult programs, we've
got all kinds of resources, so we can be qualifying to be teachers in the Millennium. So we can be the educators along with our
Elder Brother Jesus Christ. So when you look at the Bible and all the
programs are you getting your money's worth? Are you growing? Are you getting your money's worth? I'm going to twist it, is Jesus Christ, who
owns you and me getting His money’s worth? His bought and paid for us and He's given
us this and a mind to understand it in His Holy Spirit, have we just been baptized, our
sins forgiven, and then we stopped? Did we do nothing with the Spirit from then
forward? We must grow. You are the people of God. If you hesitate today, you hesitate on the
on the realm of eternity right there at the very edge you're going to be bouncing back
and forth I'm I going to go in to eternity or do I step back? If you hesitate today you might not be there
tomorrow. All of you are capable of doing what I've
talked of today, you are the people of God. Let's get about our Father's business and
move forward being millennial educators.
