Wednesday Night Bible Study

Thank you so much for your giving. Thank you musicians for leading us in worship. Praise the Lord, everyone. Good to hear your voice in the house of the Lord on this Wednesday night. We do welcome each and every one of you to Wednesday night worship in the word. So glad to have you here for Bible study. I would join with all the voices that have preceded me by saying that we're praying for those who are sick in body. I know we have several who have text and called and given us prayer requests on the prayer request line. We're praying for all and we know that you want to be here in the house of the Lord. Those who are tuning in online, hope you can be back in the house of the Lord very soon. I also want to add to our prayer request list. We received a call this afternoon from sister Annweiler and her brother was involved in a serious car accident over in Jackson, Tennessee and we're praying for sister Annweiler sister Annweiler's brother and her family that the Lord would bring a special touch in that situation. And then let me remind everyone we spring forward. Time change. That hour that you have been valuing so much, you're going to lose that hour by springing forward, but you're going to get more sunshine. So at least when you you are awake, so we're looking forward to that. So please remember the time change this coming Sunday, set your clocks ahead 1 hour Saturday night so you can be in service and be here on time to study the word of the Lord. I want us to get back into our Bible study. God's been so good to us and we are blessed beyond measure to have been able to for so many wonderful years I have Bishop McCool teaching us and ministering to us and I honor him tonight and I counted a great responsibility and a great privilege to teach Bible at First Apostolic Church. I once heard it stated we just had prayer revival and we had our communion service what a beautiful time that has been but I once heard it stated that prayer meeting is the time when we talk to God but Bible study is the time that God talks to us and that's important to understand that the word is what ministers to us in fact the psalmist said that thy word have I hidden my heart that I might not sin against thee the word in our memory in our thoughts in our recollections helps prevent us from taking steps that lead us to sin so I'm thankful for the word of the Lord that we'll be studying tonight. I want to get back into our curriculum that we have been using for Bible study and the study tonight is entitled Jesus in the wilderness Jesus in the wilderness. I would call your attention for a an extra verse that I added to our key text that I will use kind of as a foundational verse the book of Hebrews the 14th chapter I want to read three verses there Hebrews 4:14 Hebrews 4:14 seeing then that we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens Jesus the son of God let us hold fast our Now, we use this passage of scripture last week during our communion service, speaking of the symbolism of the death, burial, and rec- the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, talking about the meaning of the Lord's Supper. It states, "For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities." He knows what we feel in our flesh. "But was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." The difference in Christ and us was he did not yield to temptation even though his flesh was tempted. Verse 16 states, "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in times in in time of trouble." Let's pray right now. Father, we love you. God, I pray that you would give us guidance and direction tonight. Lord, I pray that we would study your word and it would go deep down into our hearts, minister to us, and direct us. God, let your word always abide in our hearts. That would give us direction for our lives, that we may be more like you and pleasing to you. For all this we're grateful and thankful. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Jesus in the wilderness. I want to read a few verses of scripture that gives us the setting for our study, and then we're going to go back and kind of dissect this passage a few verses at a time to see how it is applied to us and the direction it gives us and the example it gives us. The book of Luke, the fourth chapter, Luke 4. We're going to begin reading at verse number one, and we'll read through it. And as I said, we'll go back and revisit this a few verses at a time. Luke 4:1 says, "And Jesus, being full of the Holy Ghost, returned from Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. Being 40 days tempted of the devil, and in those days he did eat nothing. And when they were ended, he afterward hungered." And the devil said unto him, "If thou be the Son of God, command these stones that it may be made bread." And Jesus answered him, saying, "It is written that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God." Verse five, "And the devil taking him up into a high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. The devil said unto him, 'All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them, for that is delivered unto me, and to whomsoever I will I whomsoever I will, I give it. If thou therefore will worship me, all shall be thine.' And Jesus answered and said unto him, 'Get thee behind me, Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt not Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.' Verse nine, "And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, 'If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence, for it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee. And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.' And Jesus answering said unto him, 'It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." Verse 13 and the last we'll read for now. And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. As we examine this passage of scripture for our study, I want to make everyone aware that Jesus was purposely placing himself or had purposely placed himself in flesh in a vulnerable position to do as Hebrews said, to be in all wise tempted as we. Jesus obviously had all power and authority in his dual role as humanity and deity. Jesus had all power to rebuke Satan and not experience what he experienced. But for him to be our high priest, he put himself in a vulnerable position to face what we face as humanity. In fact, scripture said that he was led by the spirit. Now, understand, he was filled with the Holy Ghost. Yet he was led by the spirit into the wilderness. So, understand that Jesus was being an example for us to show us that flesh can survive the temptations of the devil and not succumb to all he would place in our way. So, understand the setting. He was tempted in the wilderness. A wilderness defined is an uncultivated, uninhabited, inhospitable region. Jesus was not on a day hike enjoying the outdoors. It said that the devil had been tempting him for 40 days. And he had been fasting. The devil likes to attack when you are in the most vulnerable environment for yourself. Satan does not usually put forth his greatest temptations for you when you're in the middle of an altar service or a worship service or at a camp meeting or a conference and you've got all the saints of God with you and all the worshipers and you're hearing the word and you're all excited and you're feeling good, your flesh is doing great, everything. That's not usually the time that the enemy chooses to attack. But he wanted the flesh isolated. Alone in a wilderness setting. So he felt so vulnerable. And it would be much easier to succumb to the wiles of the enemy and the temptations because he felt alone. That's his flesh was experiencing this. And his fleshly condition was also a factor. For scripture said he had been fasting for 40 days and he said and after that he hungered. I heard somebody say ONE TIME, "I DON'T mind fasting, it's just I hate getting hungry." Well, that's what happens when you fast. Fasting is a discipline of keeping our flesh under subjection. It's a discipline of taking a time set aside to let us know just how strong the flesh can become because I promise you, it doesn't take 40 days of of fasting to get hungry. Some of us, when I say us, I'm including me, you miss breakfast and lunch and temptation will be rampant in your life. You'll pass by Buddy's barbecue and they'll be blowing all those great barbecue smells at the top of the restaurant. You You'll drive on down the street, your favorite Mexican restaurant will have specials, it'll be taco Tuesday and it'll be all you can eat. You get the picture. The enemy will look for you at your most vulnerable moment and in the most vulnerable setting because that's when you are at your weakest moment. Weak flesh and an inhospitable environment are prime factors for the attack of Satan. Scripture tells us that we're in the world but not of the world. That's why many times as we go about the tasks of our daily lives, if we work in an environment that we're not surrounded by Christians, we're vulnerable to the enemy's attack. If we find ourselves in settings constantly because of the things that we must do in life, the enemy will be MORE LIKELY TO TRY TO ATTACK YOUR FLESH to put temptation in your way. So, Satan first began tempting Jesus fleshly hunger. Notice verse 3 of Luke 4. And the devil said unto him, "If thou be the Son of God." The very first word that came out of the devil's mouth was a word of doubt. Now, he's speaking to the flesh. We've talked about the incarnation of Christ and and deity becoming flesh, but he's speaking to the flesh now, and he's trying immediately with the very first word he says to place doubt in Jesus' flesh of who he is. Now, understanding that DUAL NATURE OF CHRIST, WE DON'T HAVE THAT DUAL nature save we have the opportunity to have him living in us, and that's what gives us power. But understand, the enemy immediately STARTED TRYING TO PLACE DOUBT, "IF thou be the Son of God." Understand, when the enemy finds you at your weakest point, before he actually tempts you with what he would try to tempt you with, he wants there to be doubt in your mind. Doubt about serving God, doubt about your commitment, doubt about his blessings, doubt about him being in control. He'll try to place doubt in your mind at every turn. He said, "If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. I want you to put on a show FOR ME, JESUS. PROVE IT." AND HE WAS appealing to Jesus' fleshly hunger. He said, "Make this stone bread." Because the next step was, "If you make this bread, you're hungry, you're going to want to eat." Isn't it amazing how the enemy will use words of doubt to try to discourage and then tempt our flesh. I could give example after example, and you've been who have succumbed to or who have survived his temptations understand completely what I'm talking about. At your weakest moment in a wilderness condition, looking for the hunger of the flesh to tempt. But Jesus gave the example that we must follow. Jesus answered him saying, "It is written that man shall not live by bread alone, but every word of God." Now, again, understanding the situation, in his role as God manifest in flesh, he could have and had all power to rebuke the devil to stay away from him. He could have supernaturally relieved the hunger that was in his flesh. But the example he gave was how we have to deal, not the way deity deals. He said, "Quote word to him." Quote the word to him. Jesus could speak words, but Jesus said, "The word is what you need to hear." YOU SEE, THIS IS WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT, AGAIN, THAT WE have Bible study, that we read the word, we commit it to our hearts. Hey, it has never been easier to read the Bible than it is nowadays. Uh as I tell folks quite often, I've got a smartphone, but it's got a dumb operator. But even I figured out I've got a Bible app on my phone. And did you know I can go down the road and I can put that Bible app and it'll read the Bible to me. And and now that may sound lazy, but it will READ THE WORD TO ME SOMETIMES. SOMETIMES, DID YOU KNOW YOU can go down the road driving and you can pray with your eyes open? SOMETIMES IT WOULD DO GOOD FOR ALL of us to turn the radio off and quit listening to the bad news or to sports TALK OR WHATEVER YOU'RE DWELLING ON AND SAY, "I WANT TO HEAR SOME word and I WANT TO TALK TO HIM. I'M NOT EVEN GOING TO HAVE TO CLOSE MY EYES, BUT I'M GOING TO DRIVE and I'm going to talk TO THE LORD. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A CONVERSATION. THEN I'M GOING TO LET HIM TALK TO ME. I'M GOING TO LET THE WORDS SPEAK TO ME. IT'S NEVER BEEN EASIER BECAUSE WHEN YOU START COMMITTING THE WORD TO YOU AND START GETTING IT IN YOUR HEART." HALLELUJAH. Something happens when the tempter COMES ALONG. THE TEMPTER COMES UP AND SAYS, "AREN'T YOU HUNGRY FOR THIS IN THE FLESH?" YOU CAN SAY, "SATAN, IT'S WRITTEN." AND THERE'LL BE SCRIPTURE AND YOU LET ME LET ME TELL you what will happen. You can be driving listening to the 150th Psalm with worship and praise having a good time and somebody can pull out in front of you. And if you're not careful even then the flesh will rise up in you. Brother road rage will sneak up on you. But if you if you've got the word in your heart you'll say BE YE ANGRY AND sin not. Let not the sun GO DOWN ON THY WRATH. THE WORD WILL START BRINGING SOME THINGS TO YOUR REMEMBRANCE AND REMINDING YOU OF SOME THINGS. JESUS GAVE US THAT EXAMPLE THAT HE HAD TO TELL THE DEVIL, "SATAN, IT'S WRITTEN. DON'T TEMPT THE LORD THY GOD." HE HE FIRST SAID FLESH THINGS AREN'T GOING TO appeal to me, but the word's going to do it. Whatever if scenario the enemy places in your way you can rebuke doubt by having the word in your heart and sending it to Satan. Jesus rebutted the devil's first attempt at temptation with the word. You see hunger for the things of the flesh is a whole lot more than food and drink. Second Peter 2:9 says the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished, but chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, despise governments, presumptuous are they, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. Those who are moved by the lusts of the flesh and the temptations of the flesh find themselves looking for satisfaction in an unclean life. Despising government, that doesn't mean you're against the mayor or the president or the Congress. That means you despise a governing authority of the word and of God. Presumptuous are they and self-willed. It's all about me. I presume everything that takes place is about me. Many hunger for that. They may be full. They just left Cracker Barrel. But there's a hunger for fulfilling the lusts of the flesh. They're not afraid to speak evil of dignities. They have no respect for authority of God's word and God's will and the leadership of the Lord. Galatians referred to it as the works of the flesh. Galatians 5:19 says, "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness." That's a That's a desire to cause others to lust. "Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, WRATH, STRIFE, SEDITIONS, HERESIES." Emulation defined is a sinful intense jealousy with self-ambition and envious rivalry at heart. "Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings." "Revelings." I looked up one definition for reveling. It said, "Uncontrolled and excessive carousing often accompanied by drunkenness, gluttony, and immoral, lustful behavior. And such like, of which I tell you you before, as I have also told you in times past. Now, understand. Apostle Paul was speaking to the church at Galatia. He's talking about this in the church. He said, "I've told you in times past that that that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." The lusts of the flesh. This is what Satan first tempted Jesus with, but Jesus rebated it with the word. But I also make you this promise, the devil usually does not stop with one defeat. For he continued probing the flesh, Jesus, with a desire to tempt him, and for him to succumb to temptation. So, in Luke 4, we read in the devil taking him up into a high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment's time. Now, what How impressive was that? He influenced the flesh, took him up into the mountain, said, "I'm going to show you the whole world, all existence." And this is what the devil said unto him, "All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them, for that is delivered unto me, and to whomsoever I will, I give it. If therefore will If thou therefore will worship me, all shall be thine." How many so-called famous and powerful, talented and successful people, when you start looking into their background, they'll tell that they started out in church. Uh it would be an inordinate amount was the way I would describe it. When you see so many {quote} stars and successful and famous people in the world, if you really start digging into their background, you'll find out so many of them started in the disciplines of serving God. But somewhere along the way, the temptation for power, the temptation for fame, the temptation for notoriety suddenly caused them to succumb to the lusts that the world had placed in their way. So many, even successful churches, ministries, and ministers that have fallen started out with noble intentions, only to fall and fail at the feet of the devil because of a lust for power, notoriety, and prosperity. If we ever get to thinking that we're so good as a church, if we ever get to thinking it's our abilities, our management qualities, our talent, our notoriety, our fame, or we just GET TO THINK WE SURE look good, we will succumb to the temptation of the enemy just as he tried to take Jesus. HE SAID, "I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU ALL POWER. I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU ALL OF THE KINGDOMS OF THE WORLD. IF YOU'LL JUST COMPROMISE YOURSELF AND BOW DOWN TO ME, you can have power over all of this." You know, sadly, I have witnessed in my lifetime folks in ministry that have laid their ministry aside for what appeared to be, {quote} a better deal in the world. And frankly, I've heard them even talk about, "Well, look, I understand I'm not doing what I was doing and I That might not have been what my calling is, but I know the way back." I've heard that statement made. "I know the way back." First of all, I see very few of them that make the way back. And secondly, that selfish statement does not take into account another generation and another generation and another generation. And sadly, I've seen the result of multiple generations who they do not know the way back. They have no idea their family was once worshipers, praisers, leaders in the ways of God in the oneness movement. Suddenly, they have NO CHURCH AFFILIATION. THEY are even unchurched. How sad to sell out for power and your 15 minutes of fame and notoriety. But how did Jesus deal with that temptation? Jesus answered and said to him, "Get thee behind me, Satan." Sometimes you ought to put the devil in his place. The devil's place is behind you. Not in front of you, not tempting you. He said, "Get Get behind me, Satan." And what did he do? He went right back to the book. He said, "FOR IT IS WRITTEN, THOU SHALT WORSHIP the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." Let me tell you, IF YOU'LL GET YOUR WORSHIP AND YOUR SERVICE IN ORDER, YOU CAN DEFEAT THE TEMPTATIONS OF THE ENEMY. IF YOU WORSHIP ANYTHING MORE THAN YOU WORSHIP GOD, IT'S OUT OF PLACE. IF YOU SERVE ANYTHING MORE THAN YOU SERVE GOD, YOU'RE SERVING THE WRONG THING. GOD WILL NOT SETTLE FOR SECOND PLACE. GOD WILL OH, Brother McCool, I I I I I think he requires a reasonable service. That's what scripture says. It's unreasonable to do anything above serving God. For if you serve God, he'll put everything in order. He will give you the desires of your heart. You will find the opportunity to love your family and care for your family. It is wrong to neglect your family in the name of serving God. Let me say that again. It is wrong to neglect your family in the name of serving God. He does not require that of us. But if you serve him properly, you will also find the opportunity to love your family. It's wrong to put your work above serving God. But if you will serve God properly, you will have the disciplines to be the best employer or best employee that anybody can have. This is JUST GOOD COMMON SENSICAL UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE ENEMY DOES not want to happen in our lives. He wants us to totally reject serving God, or he wants US TO BE SO FANATICAL THAT WE CAN'T WALK THE WALK THAT WE'RE CLAIMING we're going to walk. >> He said, "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." He quoted him book. Once again, he's given an example how the offers of power and fame should not blind our eyes. I've heard Bishop tell of the infancy really of his and my Uncle Bob's ministry. Understanding the day in which he talked about the greatest media of that day was radio ministry. There were radio stations that were called clear channel radio stations that literally after it got dark, they reached all across the United States. And FCC regulations were much different then, and there were powerful people who would purchase these radio stations, and many of those radio stations had religious broadcasting on late at night, and you could gain great influence nationwide through some of these. In addition, there were folks that uh they begin making Christianity and serving God quote big business. Uh long before there was what we have commonly started to refer to as the non-denom charismatic movement, there was a a movement that that swept through the the country and through the land, uh and and these folks they wanted uh to have these great crusades and events, and they wanted to to it to be a a almost a, um, uh, an entertainment venue versus a service of God. And Bishop and his twin brother, Brother Bobby, they were very talented bluegrass musicians, uh, playing and singing, and uh, had gained much fame and notoriety in the oneness apostolic movement. And there was a particular gentleman approached them, and he, uh, had been following them around and hearing about them and hearing of their success in ministry. And, uh, he took them to the side, and he said, "Gentlemen, he said, 'I want to be your manager. I want to start managing your ministry.' And, uh, he said, 'I I want to take you to large cities. We'll rent out large venues. We'll have crusades, and y'all will sing.' And he quoted them for that day a very lucrative financial salary for two young single boys to travel and sing and preach a little bit in these crusades. But he said, "There's just one thing. He said, 'It has to be with no strings attached.' He said, and I hope I can quote it right, Bishop. He said, you've got to stop going to these little one-horse Oneness Pentecostal churches. Now, I don't even have to try to create any drama of what the answer was. But suffice to say, Bishop told him, "Sir, there are strings attached. We are Jesus Name Apostolic Oneness. We will be going to the churches, and we will be preaching the Jesus Name Apostolic message." I remember them telling later on when they went to Johnson City, Tennessee, and they set up a tent. They set up a tent, and they started having large crowds show up in Johnson City, Tennessee, coming to hear them sing and preach. And uh after a couple of nights with these large crowds showing up to the tent meeting, somebody sent a note up because folks had been making their claims. Folks were claiming, "You know, these guys are Baptist." Folks were claiming, "These guys are Pentecostal." Folks were claiming they're this denomination and they're that denomination. So, somebody sent up a note and said, "We'd like to know what you folks believe." So, Bishop stepped to the platform that night. I don't guess you were 20 years old yet, were you? Probably about about 17, 18, 19, something like that. He stepped to the pulpit, and he started preaching the Jesus Name Apostolic message. He said, "After that service, they kept trying to claim them. So the Baptist tried to claim they were Pentecostal and they they those folks THAT DIDN'T BELIEVE WHAT THEY BELIEVED suddenly said, "No, that's not what we want TO BE." YOU SEE, the enemy will tempt you with fame, fortune, notoriety. Now, I'm not talking about we have to take a VOW OF POVERTY. I'M BLESSED beyond measure, BUT WE WILL NOT COMPROMISE who we are or whose we are or the Jesus name Apostolic message TO TRY TO YOU SEE, WHEN YOU WHEN YOU GROW A CHURCH BY COMPROMISE, you're not really growing, you're swelling. And swelling usually takes place because of an injury. We're not here to build a church on injured folks from other churches. We're here to win the lost. We're here to minister to our community and everybody that will receive the Apostolic Jesus name message. That's who we are. Say I've jumped the rabbit if you WANT TO, BUT I WILL NOT BE TEMPTED BY THE world's fame and the world's ideas of POWER TO COMPROMISE WHO I AM. THIS MUST BE OUR GOAL THAT WE TELL SATAN IT'S WRITTEN when he asks us to compromise who we are. Well, let me hasten for the enemy would once again try a different angle to tempt Satan. Luke 4:9 it says, "And he brought him to Jerusalem." And he set him on the pinnacle of the temple. And he said unto him, "If Here's that doubter again. If thou be the son of God cast thyself down from hence. For it is written, he shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee. And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou shall dash thy foot against a stone. And Jesus answering and said unto him, It is said, again, he's quoting what the word had said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. This time, I want you to notice, cuz this is important for every believer to realize. The devil knows how to quote word as well as we do. The difference is, the devil quotes word and takes it out of context to deceive. That's why it's important that we have the word in our heart, so the devil can't misuse and misquote the word. SEE, THE DEVIL SAID, It is written. I mean, JESUS HAD TWICE called him out and said, It's written. So, the devil said, Well, let's try a new strategy. I'm going to try to tempt him with the word out of context. For the devil was trying to appeal to his flesh to say, WHY DON'T YOU ACCEPT some pseudo spiritual attempt to show that you have spiritual invincibility and faith. If I can say it that way. In other words, perform some amazing act that you fall from the pinnacle of the temple, yet the angels rush in and they save you miraculously. Now, I'm I'm I'm attempting to appeal to your fleshly ego. That all the angels are looking after you. You see, there will be those who will rise up with different doctrines about Jesus. There will be those who will rise up with false doctrines about Jesus. There will be those that will try to have complicated, out of context, scripturally personal doctrines to try and draw disciples to them and to them only. Colossians 2:16 said this, "Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of a holy day or of the new moon or of the Sabbath day, which are a shadow of things to come, but the body IS OF CHRIST. LET NO MAN BEGUILE YOU." To beguile define means to CHARM YOU OR ENCHANT you in some deceptive way. "Let no man beguile you of your reward in the voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen." "VAINLY PUFFED UP by his fleshly mind." Anything that starts preaching authority and spirit spiritual power above the simplicity of the salvation message IS TRYING TO DRAW AWAY DISCIPLES INTO FALSE DOCTRINE. Hear me, ANY MAN THAT HAS SCRIPTURE TO TRY TO GET UH DISCIPLES FOLLOWING HIM AND A PERSONAL PET DOCTRINE. NOW, I realize folks have convictions about certain things and I I do not cross swords with you about that. Yes, some would even question certain ways that we, quote, celebrate Chris- Christmas. And And please, I I do not want to offend anybody uh for let me make the public statement. I doubt very seriously that December 25th is the actual day that Jesus was born. Scripture doesn't say and we don't know. But I do know he was born. And if this whole world chooses that they're going to celebrate, I think we ought to get in on it and celebrate it the best way WE CAN CUZ THAT'S MY SAVIOR. THAT'S WHEN HE WAS BORN. THERE'S STUFF THAT DON'T LET SOMEBODY DRAW YOU AWAY TO SOME LITTLE PET DOCTRINE TO TRY TO SEPARATE AND