Wednesday Night Bible Class - September 15, 2021

blessings [Music] i'm a part of my daily life [Music] because my hands are [Music] walking this christian life i'm so glad i love you [Music] [Laughter] of mine [Music] is [Music] but it has been your grace that has carried me [Music] you see see sometimes [Music] i just have to lift my hands [Laughter] [Music] because you have always been true you have never never never never i'm [Music] we want to give you [Music] [Applause] heavenly father [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] i'm [Music] thank you [Music] [Music] heavenly father [Music] [Applause] oh [Music] [Music] i'm glad you know me thank you [Music] [Music] heavenly [Music] [Applause] [Music] is [Music] hey [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] you [Music] good evening eastside family friends those who are visiting with us we want to say thank you for being a part of our wednesday bible study i'm brother russell clemons and i have the opportunity to share with you tonight we hope to trust and pray that the things we say this evening will be helpful and beneficial for everyone spiritually we want to continue to pray for brother waves as he recovers and he'll be back with us next week so let's uh let's keep him in our prayers let's have a word of prayer heavenly father want to thank you for the time that we have to come together and study your word we're so grateful for the opportunity that you allow us even though it's through technology to be able to come together as a family and look at the word and and study to see ways which which we can follow the lord more perfectly we're grateful for those who made this possible the tech team and those others who are working diligently to see to it that these lessons will go out on the airways we pray love of those who may be visitors with us who are not necessarily in the family of eastside but who will join us to be a part of the study as well we want to pray that all that we do and say will be pleasing and acceptable to you well this is our prayer in jesus christ's name amen i want to share my screen with you tonight we'll be looking at something that um we we looked at this a while back in one of our classes about being epistles this was before we went out on the um because of covet but the study tonight is is entitled declared to be the epistles of christ there are a lot of references and there's some things in the bible that just talks about the epistles and i want to just share a few things that i've come to understand about that the word epistle comes from the greek word epistolae that means letter or message epistles were a primary form of written communication in the ancient world especially during the new testament times an epistle would have been written on scroll on a scroll often it is dedicated and then reviewed it often is dictated and then reviewed by the author before being delivered by a trusted messenger for example timothy was involved in the writing and delivery of several apostles paul's letters colossians he founded the thessalonian and philemon although paul signed each one to verify that he was in fact the author epistles also generally follow a familiar format most of paul's letters began with an introduction that identifies his name and names of any associates mentions his audience and gives a greeting the introduction is usually followed by main the main body of the letter and the epistle will often conclude with general blessings and personal notes to individuals within the recipient church the epistles of the bible are all found in the new testament they include 21 of the 27 new testament books they extend from romans to jude all the known authors of the epistles are either an apostle paul peter or john or a family member of jesus james a jew these letters inspired by the holy spirit were inspired by the holy spirit are preserved as part of the new testament writings today so the scripture the by the new testament is is loaded with these epistles these letters communication from paul to various churches here's a scripture i want to jump out on when it says we'll declare to be epistles of christ in second corinthians chapter 3 verses 1 through 3 we find these words paul says do we begin again to commend ourselves or do we need as some others epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you he said in verse 2 you are our epistles written in our hearts known and read by all men clearly you are an epistle of christ ministered by us written not with ink but by the spirit of the living god not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh that is of the heart so here paul is declaring to the corinthians that you are the epistles of of christ under the law the commandments were written on tablets of stone remember that they were written on tablets of stone in which of course moses got angry and he broke them but they were on tablets but now under grace the commandments are written in our hearts these epistles are not written with ink as he said but with the spirit of the living god and these epistles are not written on tap tables or stones but in the fleshly tables of the heart so paul is letting us know that the epistles that that we're talking about tonight are us as christians because that word is written on our hearts now go a little further uh into that but guess what no sooner did the gospel of god's grace began to spread among um gentiles then counterfeit apost gospels appeared it was a mixture of law and grace so as soon as god's word is gone you can count on some stuff coming up it's gonna be counterfeit it was it was being carried by a zealous group of people that were called the judaizers paul wrote the letter to galatians to refute their doctrine and he also refers to them the judaizers several times in second corinthians their major emphasis was that salvation was by faith plus the keeping of the law see they began to to mess with the bring that counterfeit gospel and add to it in acts 15 verse 1 we find a certain men and certain men came down from judah and taught the brethren unless you are circumcised according to the cousin of moses the law oh you cannot be saved so the judaizers were trying to mix they couldn't give up their old law their old thinking their old way so they said well the gospel is good but you got to be you got to be um circumcised first you got to follow the law along with the gospel and they also taught that the believer is perfected in his faith by obeying the law of moses you you're not perfected by the grace of god but you have to obey the law of moses to be perfected in the faith the judaized gospel of legalism was very popular since human nature enjoys achieving religious goals instead of allowing the holy spirit to work in our lives you know a lot of times people want to be religious they want to do the things that look outwardly oh he's religious he's he's done the world he's he's going to church and he's but it's about the holy spirit in our lives and those our things would be would be a blessing would come from what's happening with us internally julia just boasted that they carried letters of commendation epistles from other important people you know they were both you know i'm important look here's my credentials i got this from these important people what do you have paul you do you don't have such commendation recommendations do you follow see they they found they're boasting they found their ego in the letters from other people they measured themselves and their spiritual worth by what others said and wrote about them it's like that today you know people you know my work is based on what others are saying about me paul reminded the christians the corinthians that what is important what is important is what not god knows about you as he was trying to get them they'll get caught up in these letters of recommendation and the things that they were saying that paul had to have paul reminded corinthian christians that the only letter of recommendation the only epistle that he needed the only letter he was that they had changed they changed lives his changed lives and his ministry paul's saying you know they're saying i got these written things from all these important people my recommendation and you can see my ministry my seriousness the letter of my epistle is based on your look in the mirror that's my letter of recommendation you see your changed lives my life has changed and i have a ministry of christ so he's getting to look beyond what would have written of him by other people well this even i want to look at four aspects of the epistles of christ the epistles of christ are written on that which is undergone change epistles of christ are to be written so as to be easily read number three we're going to look at how the epistles of christ are written for the good of others and number four we're gonna look at tonight how epistles of christ bears the name of their author now there are others as well but we're gonna look at these for the night time permitting um and preferably this should be a blessing uh to everyone first from epistles of christ are written on that which has undergone a change you know we cannot exert an influence for christ until and unless we have undergone a change we see that with paul paul was busy hunting down uh christians and he could not be an influence for christ until what something had to happen to paul and you know you know that happened on the way don't let the masses wrote so we we cannot exert any influence for christ until we have undergone a change and this change this conversion is extremely important in acts 3 19 it says this repent therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out so the times of refreshing they come from the presence of the lord we're talking about for for an epistle of christ it's written on something that has undergone a change um repent repent so how's this change come about it's important and for us to be living letters for christ a living epistle for it to be written on our hearts there had to be a change from the way we were before we became christians how did that change come about first of all there was some repentance involved we had to turn away from some things you know that we had to turn away from that old lifestyle that changed one's mind for better repentance we had to turn away well converted i like that when we were converted we had to turn two wars where to turn towards god a return to good a human response of faith and repentance issuing forth from a new creation condition creation too condition so for for for the epistles of christ for us to have his word he's written on our hearts we had to repent we had to be converted and the joy comes in but things were being blotted out obliterated wiped out caused to disappear to remove this what freed us from the burden and guilt of sin and allow us to be able to begin to live for christ and paul was so telling the on the corinthians the epistle look in the mirror you'll change life your new life your ministry it's written on your heart and that's what that's the level of accommodation you you should be aware of and know as far as coming from me and then these things bring about the change needed to allow us to exert influence thus we can become epistles for christ we're not just becoming an epistle of the lord to be oh i'm epistle to walk around i'm in the principle i'm going to kill my business look at me now we have to bring about an influence for christ of others and we do that after the repentance the conversion and realizing that our sins have been blotted out of course this change is also produced by the word of god all scripture all scripture is given by inspiration of god and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction of righteousness why that the man of god may be complete thoroughly equipped for every good work the scriptures being holy refers to the their established authority whose purpose among other things is to produce holiness remember we're talking about written on things something that's under going to change well an episcopal if you're an epistle you you've undergone a change of hope you've become unholy and that's you you get that through the scriptures through the word of god and you no one can long read the scriptures without a change taking place in their life you know you know what happened you either change in a supernatural spiritual way not not just you know weird but a supernatural by god's word being in you and you studying and reading the word you'll change or the scriptures will not be read long you show me someone who is is not trying to live right who who who's not trying to live a right life of holiness um who that episcopal is not the scriptures are not affected then you i'll show you someone who's not in the word of god because the scriptures that said early being holy and established by the authority of god if you read those scriptures it will it will make the profitable for teaching the reproof for correction for instruction and righteousness so this change that we're talking about that that epistles are written the change it undergoes by the use or reading of god's word god's word will help us do that and it's a threefold change we looked at that we see that in acts of jonah and uh galatians well the epistles when they start and they will enable christ to write on our hearts for that letter of accommodation to go about there has to be a change in our heart it's produced by faith being absolutely persuaded god knows the heart acknowledge them by giving them the holy spirit just as he did to us and made no distinction between us and them what purifying their hearts unto faith so when we look at the epistles of christ being written or undergoing a change to do that it means there's a change in our hearts there's a change of our life which is produced by repentance and regret and remorse jonah um then god saw their works that they turned from their evil way and god relented from the disaster that he had said he would bring them upon them and he did not do it why there was a change in their life and the third change is the change of our state to be an epistle of christ we we we can have we cannot have an influence unless there's been a change of state produced by baptism immersed submerged plunge for as many of you as a baptized antichrist have put on christ we can never under underplay underestimate the importance of obeying god's word completely and through obedience and faith you know baptism submerged immersed there's a change of state that takes place and that allows to be epistles of christ because we have undergone a change in this change results lord have mercy in a new life that's why paul said you want you want a lot of recommendations i i don't have nothing to hand you to look at your life look at my life that's the letter of recommendation that you need to know and that you can see and understand he said therefore we were buried with him through baptism into death that just as christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the father even so we also walk in newness of life believers have a new relationship with sin we do you have a new life well we have a new relationship with sin they are dead to sin that's the type of thing we're dead to sin when we were baptized into christ we are dead to sin and alive in christ the bible says in second corinthians five verse seventeen verse first part of seventeen if anyone anyone is in christ he is a new creation a building in the process of being erected that's what i mean you you'll be you you're growing and god is is working through you and now you as an epistle of christ he can use you as a letter for him you're an ambassador for christ because you've undergone the change that's needed to be an ambassador for our lord and savior jesus christ because our new relationship in christ has brought about a new relationship to the world and to people epistles of christ are written on that which have undergone a change that can't that change comes through our script reading scriptures through obedience in the lord and and being able to to through faith and baptism bring about a new life a new relationship to sin which is not dead or a new relationship to the world and a new relationship to other people epistles of christ are written on that which is undergoing a change why because we cannot exert influence for christ until each one of us as christians have undergone a change second one epistles of christ are written so as to be easily read listen just as people read letters people read us christians whether we like it or not now i'm not talking about you know i'm gonna read i'm gonna read now no no brother we're not talking about reading somebody in that in that sense as his epistles people should be able to tell easily that we are christ's disciples see we we we can't have it does no good to have a letter for someone and to hide it out and bury it away i mean put in a drawer what it's not being read it can't be read so it's not doing anybody any good as epistles of christ people have to be able to understand us and know without a doubt that we're christ's disciple that's what paul says to the corinthians you know you are your life is a recommendation that i need so somehow between um what paul was saying and what people are doing people people had lives had to be recognized as being different they weren't just secret christians he says in acts 14 13 let me let me share with you now when they saw the boldness of peter and john and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men they marveled and they realized that those men that they had been with jesus so there was such a a testimony of the lives of peter and john that there there was no doubt that there were letters epistles of christ look it's okay they've they saw the people look closely the the word for song they look closely closely at they gaze to see and to comprehend as an epistle of christ do you want people to look closely at you look closely at your life look closely at what you're doing how you're living where you're going the things that you say so that they saw that they were looking closely at these men and what they did see without a doubt was their boldness that they were speaking with freedom frankness fearless confidence they were speaking without restraint or hesitation and paul and john peter and john were sharing with the crowd the wonderful works of jesus christ and what he had done for them and they were bold they saw it and they read those epistles and they knew without a doubt that they were letters from christ they saw the boldness and what happened they were able to perceive that that's such a strike a strong language there it's like they they they took hold and seized with ignorance and suddenness they all of a sudden they understood without a shadow of a doubt that these men were of christ and when we were out and about and when we situations in our lives come maybe death in the family maybe a struggle financially maybe it's a sickness an illness maybe a family matter maybe it's a job-related incident someone there there comes a time if any if you're around for any amount of time there's gonna be a crisis and a struggle and something's going to happen and people are going to look at you and say that what are you going to do what is she going to do they saw they looked and what they saw was boldness with you it may be faith it may be whatever the situation is and what they did was they grabbed they understood yeah without a doubt that they knew that and they could comprehend and understood what was going on see as people read letters and people read us and we have to be easily read the second part of that scripture as we we continue with verse 13 of acts um that they marveled it says they they saw the boldness of jesus peter and john they perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men and whether they marveled they were struck with admiration and admonishment there was a reverence and respect as an epistle of christ when people truly understand when we stand up in adverse times when he's when we stand for christ we may feel like we're doing a disservice we may feel like we're failing but when our heart and when our life and when our commitment is unyielding and true and we stand on god's mercy and god's grace people will respect that they will they they may never come out and say it but they will respect it and and that's and we're not just doing it for their respect we're doing it because god has done so much for us they marveled and then they realized they became fully aware they had comprehended and acknowledged without a doubt that what that those men have been with jesus they've been in the presence of god and that and it we it's not just about walking next to jesus but it's about us understanding and knowing that they understand we've been with jesus in our prayer in our study and without faith without obedience and that we have the holy spirit within us to bring about the changes that we need and when they look at us when they really look at us they'll see our faith without a doubt and they'll marvel and they'll realize that we have been with jesus you see that epistles of christ are written so as to be easily read we we ought to be these mythical you know uncertain who are these christians you know they they're like they just we know that christians but we don't know we have to be willing to be read because people are going to read us anyway when we finally and that's why i think a lot of people keep the secret keep it a secret in the face that i'm a christian because once we say that then you i don't want way i'm living i you know i don't know if i want to put that out there because so i'm just keep that to my myself uh but no when you're really a witness for the lord and work at school with your family wherever it might be and people know that you're christians and they're gonna look at you and and they they're gonna a lot of times they're looking for something wrong i don't know maybe but you do what's right as epistles as letters as dispatchers as communications written of god by god as people observe us they must be able to easily and readily read us and know that we are in fact children of god as it says in on scripture we read and as they read us christ ambassadors we're living letters living epistles so that's what we're they must read and understand about a loving god who loves us and sent his son to save us so what what do when when you open up your life your letter your epistle and people read it what do they come to know and understand about jesus christ do they understand that he loves us he he he died for us he wants us to be free from the burden of sin what what do they read what what what is your epistle saying because it's being read and that's the ques that's the question that's the challenge that we must understand and face third one epistles are written for the good of others as an as an epistle as a letter an ambassador as communication with christ we are written to be a blessing and encouragement for others christ lived for the good of others in matthew 20 28 that that of 20 verse 20 through 28 there's a lot in there but we're going to focus on verse 28 he says just as the son of man did not come to be served but to serve and give his life a ransom for many as children of god we're meant to be good for the good of others you know there's enough hatred and evilness meanness and bitterness in the world there's plenty of that plenty to go around but when you live your life when you are as an epistle of christ i think god the word teaches us that we are meant to do good um and not not evil sorry i lost my spot there but to serve look at the scripture just as the son of man did not come to be served but what but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many we'll look at those two those two points when it says to serve is to wait upon with emphasis on the work to be done and not the relationship between the lord and servant when he said we came to serve it's talking about the relate the work that we need to do for one another you know some people hear that word serve and they say yeah he he's the lord there's a master he's there to serve him no no no it's it's it's the relationship the emphasis on the relationship that needs to be done so when we serve one another we need to understand that it's about out of the heart it's about out of the goodness it's not about yeah he's serving me because i'm superior he's serving me because i need to be served it's about the relationship that they're trying to fulfill in christ um in the in the right aspect of that to give his life as a ransom christ is paying the price for free and capitalists to pay the cost to redeem to recover so when we see the son of man he not only came to serve but he came to give his life as a ransom epistles of christ we are written for the good of others it's not a selfish thing it's not an epistle of christ you yeah look at me and he not only came to the right of ransom gave his life as a ransom but he gave his life as a ransom for many for the great multitude for all for everyone that's telling me i just can't just pick and choose you know but we strive to be an epistle to do good for others as well paul was controlled by christ's spirit and he to live for the good of others we find this in second corinthians 12 15 he says this so i will gladly very glad to spend for you everything i have and extend myself as well if i love you more will you love me less sometimes paul felt like the more i love these folks the greatest the less they love me but you know tough love can do that you know you when you share you share with friends what they need to do and what they were doing wrong and how they need to get it right spiritually sometimes people pull away but but you're not doing to hurt people you're doing it for the good of others you share you you reach out you the things that need to be said paul did something he said them in love he said wow tonight the more i try to love you and being honest with you uh saying the less you love me christ's spirit enable paul to live for the good of others though often he felt it was unappreciated so you see we we can't be in this thing of you i'm gonna love whoever for what i can get out of it because i know they're gonna appreciate it and we're picking true we we do but as as episcopal the epistle we said that earlier we read the early scripture he did for many christ didn't die okay i'm just gonna die for for this group of people i'm just gonna die for for for my nation the jews i'm going to just die for for those who who who are nice to me now he died for many for for many and this as christians christ said he had to do good for others although they might not he didn't feel often it was appreciated why should we do it well as epistles of christ why should we do good for others we should do it because it is a right thing to do and not for appreciation or to be reciprocated as an epistle we're written we're ready to be we're to be a blessing and encouragement for others he says uh in first thessalonians 3 12 may the lord make your love increase and overflow for each other you hear that not only should my love for you and should your love for me increase it should overflow for each other and for everyone else just as ours does for you that's why for this to happen it goes back to the first one to be an epistle it has to be written on something that has changed and human nature is to not be this way in first thessalonians 3 and 12. human nature is to be selfish it's to be greedy it's to be manipulative it's to to show appreciation only to those who show you appreciation so that's why the very first thing we talked about an epistle was it must be written on something that is changed because that old nature is not going to allow this to happen may the lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else just as ours does for you paul said my left the letter of recommendations these folks saying i need to have is my life my ministry my sacrifice my love that i've shown to you corinthians so that's why having walking around with a letter and saying here that's not going to cut it for a christian for an epistle of christ it has to be written on our hearts and their hearts it must manifest itself through our love for others the scripture almost also reminds on us that as epistles we must be concerned i say that about the welfare of others man there's there's about 30 35 scriptures on others one another in this in the um in god's word i just did a few of them he says in first corinthians 10 24 let no one seek his own but each one but others well-being in romans 15 1 we then who are strong ought to bear the struggles the feelings the infirmities the struggles of the weak and do not please and do not and not to just please ourselves again it's getting out of ourselves and looking out to help others he says in philippians 2 23 we're familiar with these scriptures let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit wow that that that that is it's gonna be written on something that's changed because that's what most of the world is they're selfish ambition and conceited he says what but in loneliness of mine let each esteem others better than himself the epistles are written for the good of others that's that's the letters that we are let each of you look not only to your own interests but also for the interests of others philippians 2 2 and 3. that's why we have to continually study with the scriptures because why god's word helps us it helps us to become more like christ it convicts us it challenges us it helps us look in the mirror and see i need to look more like christ and less like myself and for that to happen for for as an epistle of christ if we were to to to do good for others then there has to be a fundamental change in our very nature in our very character he says in uh romans 10 12 10 be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love in honor giving preference what giving preference to one another what does that look like that look like being concerned for one another that looks like calling your brother and sister and and making sure that they're okay that looks like you know this brother or sister needs help i'm gonna help them see a preference to one another this brother is down and out i'm going to try to offer a word of encouragement this is a loss of love and i'm going to try to say something that'll help them feel better this person this family is struggling with their children i'm going to try to share my experience with them this individual has lost his job i'm going to share the faith that i had that it took for me when i was in that same position how god was able to work through me and make things better this person is struggling with his prayer life i'm going to pray with them and help them to try to help them overcome that this person is sick and ill and is depressed i'm going to i'm going to reach out to them and see if i can make them feel better be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love in honor in honor in honor giving preference to one another see as epistles of christ we have to give honor to one another to love one another and to to to prefer one another and that's why it goes all the way back to the because it's written on something somewhat a heart that has changed and you can write this down on a tablet all day long but unless it's a part of a person's heart that's why i said these epistles are written it's from our hearts that this happens and not something on the sheet of paper or nowadays you know on the computer we we we don't do much writing these days at all we type it in and send it and that's well and good for what that's worth but as an epistle of christ those changes have to be in our hearts and as an epistle we are written to be a blessing and encouragement for others and finally the epistles of christ they bear the signature of their author in the old testament god's people were called by god's name israelites and god gave them that name and israelite was one who descended from jacob who he was later called israel in genesis 32 28 and he said your name shall no longer be called jacob but israel for you have struggled with god and with men and have prevailed god god names his people he he has a name for his children israelites indeed meant that they were not merely an outward physical connection by name only but also by a moral and spiritual characteristic one who is a true believer so when someone was called an israelite it went more it was more than just a name it meant something it meant that they had a moral and spiritual character it was a true believer jesus saw nathanael and for in john 147 he saw nathaniel coming towards him and he said of him behold an israelite indeed in whom is no deceit so when we talk about the the the epistles of christ bears was the signature and the name of the of the author these the israelites were named of god and they they bore the name that god wanted them to have so what does that mean for us today in the new testament christ's followers were called by christ's name christian christianes the word christian appears three times in the new testament acts 11 26 acts 26 28 and first peter 4 16. it is the the the latin suffix ian means belonging to a the party of christians were called by divine utterance or call he said in first peter 4 16 1 the scriptures are i mentioned if anyone suffers as a christian let him be ashamed let him not be ashamed excuse me and let him glorify god in this matters as epistles for christ we wear his name remember a lot of times at the end of each epistle lovely pencils paul would sign his name he said i this this is an epistle that i have written when we were the name of christ we are the epistle for christ and we bear the signature of of the of the author there is no salvation there is salvation in no other name than christ acts 4 12 says nor is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved we are epistles of christ not some man not some group not some organization and we wear christ's name as christians he died for us and he set us free and as a result we were his name i'm a christian i'm a child of god i belong to jesus christ so when when we're read as epistles they should be seen and reading about jesus christ he is the one who died for our salvation in in conclusion these are the four areas that we looked at now i pray that this has been helpful to someone the epistles of christ christians are written on that which is undergone change you've undergone a change in your life and because of your your conversion because of your repentance and you converted and your sins have been blotted out you are a new person and now christ can write his his love his his command not on some stone somewhere but in your heart and you're a walking living breathing epistle a letter of commendation from jesus christ epistles of christ christians ought to be written so as to be easily understood there there can't be a lot of confusion about who we are we can't be um have there can be duplicity you know one day i'm a nice person i'm a christian i'm loving everybody and the next day you're on a tear it's like whoa who's going to show up tomorrow you have to be consistent and easily read and they saw and they perceived without a doubt without a doubt that these men those men had been a christian with christ when someone get to know you can they perceive and understand without a doubt that you've been with jesus christ that he's your lord and master and the savior of your life can they see that it's written as so as to be easily read epistles of christ christians are written for the good of others are you mean spirited or or do people know and understand you you're a good person it doesn't mean you given a lot of money or buying a lot of stuff but for the good of others me you help them i share those examples with you you pray with them you give them a word of encouragement you let them know that you're thinking about them you you offer them some some some peace or some so of some advice that'll help them get through whatever storm is going through your life and not get good form you know i i like them no way so they they deserve what they get no no no the epistles of christ were written for the good of others epistles of christ bears the name of their author jesus christ is the author and finisher of our faith and i bear the name as a christian and i don't i don't just walk around being there but i i we have to live in such a way that it can be clear and people can deeply and truly understand that jesus christ is the son of god and i'm a letter a written living letter an ambassador for jesus christ i i pray that this has been helpful to someone that we can realize and understand of true value as christians and as paul told them in corinth second corinthians those judaizers were saying well paul you what your letter you know real real good men real spiritual people they have a letter who's your letter from is it from some big wig is it from from what paul said my love accommodation is the life of the christians who i've shared with my letter of accommodation is the life the new life that i now live my letter of accommodation is the ministry that i'm striving to do for jesus christ please understand and realize that brothers and sisters we are epistles for the lord and we should live that every day and as a letter that represents our lord and savior jesus christ for this to happen you have to be a child of god you have to be obedient to the word you have to obey god's word and how does that come it comes from hearing the word i've shared some scriptures tonight that i hope were helpful for you it's from the word of god if you've heard those words then it's a matter of whether or not you believe that jesus christ is the son of god belief is more than just saying that belief is is really beginning to to want to obey and go in that direction are you willing to repent of your sins that that's that's we we talked about that early remember when we look repent we turn away he says repent and be converted and when you convert you turn towards you turn towards god to his word and to the life that he will have in you are you willing to repent of your sins then there's a man of confession being able to confess that jesus christ is the son of god it seems so easy but you know a lot of people struggle with that their confession that jesus is the son of god because when you make that confession you're saying since he's god's son i'm going to obey his will i'm going to study his word i want to live for him i'm going to follow his example jesus christ is the son of god and then are you willing to be baptized baptizo to go down submerged to be plunged into that water and grave what's in there the holy spirit will have faith in obedience but that's that's where that comes from so are you willing to be be baptized into christ and rise up to walk in newness of life he said repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of jesus christ and you receive the gift of the holy spirit that's the gospel then you go on to live a faithful christian life you become that epistle that written letter so if people can see you and and hear you and understand that this brother is a sister is a letter from god and and i'm gonna read it and what i'm reading is great it helps me to believe and understand that we serve he serve a loving and powerful savior i pray that if you're outside of christ and you you need to to study and to be fully obedient to the word you'll contact one of the leaders of eastside or any brother or sister that you might know and we'll see to it that that happens ah god's word is good and as epistles of christ i pray that each day of your life you will live in such a way to be an open recommendation of the letter for jesus christ thank you for listening tonight i pray that it's been a blessing and i pray that everyone will be well and will be safe and god bless you take care and have a good rest of your week god bless you

Channel: Church of Christ at East Side

Views: 708

Rating: 4.818182 out of 5

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Id: 2BV45MwH9Uw

Length: 75min 58sec (4558 seconds)

Published: Wed Sep 15 2021