Video: You have to obey. Let’s listen as Timothy continues to talk about how true disciples obey. There are two kinds of Christians. Beware of the ordinary Christian. It’s because they persecute this spiritual Christian. At that time, the son born in the ordinary way persecuted the son born by the power of the spirit. It is the same now. It is the same Galatians 4:29.
Intro: Welcome to the Consider Podcast where we turn our minds to consider wisdom, madness and folly. Join the host Timothy and Jacob on a quest to have God enlighten the mind according to verse 25 of Ecclesiastes chapter 7. So, I turned my mind to understand. To investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly. Ecclesiastes 7:25. The Consider Podcast examining today’s events and Paulorrow’s realities at www.consider.info.
Timothy: Paul will write that the only thing that counts is the new creation. So, when I talk about commands or things that we should do I’m only speaking about obeying those by the message of the cross and by the new creation. So, here’s something to actually obey. If you’re going to pick up the message of the cross and survive all the opposition, you’ll have to begin to obey this scripture. It’s found in Romans chapter 16 verse seventeen. “I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you’ve learned. Keep away from them”. I urge you. Again, Jacob you attend a regular church and you think when’s the last time in any situation with any Christian you know where they urged you like took you aside to hey, I urge you to watch out for those who caused divisions.
Jacob: No definitely not.
Timothy: Or I urge you to watch out for people to put obstacles in your way.
Jacob: No.
Timothy: You know where’s the Christian musicians singing this song. “I urge you, brothers, to watch out”. You got to watch out. You have to be awake. You don’t go to church just to get happy or to get yourself fed. You got to watch out and I don’t mean you walk around. This is not one of those commandments where you walk in and go, oh, I can’t associate with you and I can’t associate with you and this and that. Means you just avoid them. You just keep away from them. There are other scriptures that deal with this fellowship when that should be. But there are people that just get in the way. Their lives are an obstacle or what they say is something that gets in the way.
So, you just avoid them. You just keep away from them and move on. But you have to be dead to self to know who these people are no matter who they are. Whether it’s a family member. Remember Jesus said that the members of your family will become your worst enemies.
So, no telling who the people might be. I have an attitude and I think Jacob will testify to it that I live this, that if you’re in my way, you’re out of my way. I’m just going to avoid you and not be around you. Try to get rid of everything that would be contrary to the message of the cross. “I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions”. Let me stop there. That’s one of the biggest tactics the evil one uses. He tries to separate people from fellowship. If he sees two disciples getting together to fellowship. He will hone in on that to try and divide that friendship. Either through gossip or slander or activities or fun things. His tactics are all over the place. He’ll try to divide that love and that fellowship that is there. And it may be just small subtle things.
Just obstacles that are put there that keep you from living what you need to live. It goes on to say “We’re supposed to avoid these people”. Romans 16:18, “For such people are not serving our Lord Christ”. You got to get to a place where the Holy Spirit can tell you that person or that group or those individuals are, “Not serving Jesus Christ. But their own appetites. By smooth talk flattery. They deceive the minds of naive people”. That’s one reason why we have to have some seal moments. It’s time to no longer be naive about the people that are among us and around us and what’s going on in this world. I don’t want to get into it now, but Jacob let’s do another seal a moment and stop right there. Let me read this again. “For such people are not serving our Lord Christ but their own appetites by smooth talk and flattery, they deceive the minds of naive people”.
Selah moment:
Timothy: In Revelation 19:9 I may mention earlier that the testimony of Jesus is a spirit of prophecy at least among true disciples. That is there’s a touch of prophecy in every true disciple. That when they share Jesus Christ when they do so with the Holy Spirit there’s a power there that speaks of and has the sweet aroma of prophecy of power beyond that person’s words or efforts and their human judgments. In Revelation Chapter 19 verse 9 it says, “Then the angel said to me, ‘Write blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the lamb’, and he added, ‘These are the true words of God.’” Clearly, this angel’s trying to emphasize something and we’re going to look at what’s being emphasized here in verse 10. “At this I fell at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “Do not do it”. I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus.”
Exclusive, only to those who hold to the message of the cross in terms of actually living it. And then the angel says, “Worship God”. And here’s the scripture that we’re focusing in for the moment. “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy”. It comes with power. Remember they looked at Jesus said how did he get this learning without having studied? It is that spirit of prophecy. Knowing what to say, how to say it, and what to do at the time because you’re dead enough to self that is the new creation. It’s the Holy Spirit it’s speaking. The only people that know what I’m talking about or will experience what I’m talking about are those that are actually picking up the cross, hating their own life, giving up everything, and moving forward as Jesus leads them to move forward.
In verse 11 of Revelation 19, it says, “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called faithful and true”. The angel is trying to open our minds and our hearts and our spirit. It’s really coming with great power here God is trying to say, the testimony of Jesus Christ is the spirit of prophecy. When you watch the televangelist or when you read the current books the best sellers on, I don’t know, the end times are here and things are miserable. That’s not a spirit of prophecy, that’s a repeating of the facts at best. But this is a rider that’s called faithful and true. It comes with power. It says, “With justice he judges and makes war”.
So, God comes with a great deal of power with those that are picking up their cross and following him. You can understand why they’re being persecuted, why they’re opposed, and why nobody wants to endure what they have to say. It has the same insight as Jesus saying you want to kill me. You can see hidden things in the heart. Because it’s not you, It’s the Holy Spirit in you because you’re dead to yourself and to your own judgement. You hate your own judgments. You hate your own opinions and so you’re able to have the mind of Christ and really have it. Not by just tacking on your thoughts and then tacking on the scripture that says, oh I have the mind of Christ. How much harm has been done, because people take their sinful nature that hasn’t been crucified. They don’t hate their opinions and then they’ll tack in a few scriptures to justify what they’re doing and great harm is done to a lot of people.
Let me show you this the power of this, and you tell me in your church or in your walk or in your life when you have seen this take place. Go to first Corinthians chapter 14. He’s talking about spiritual gifts and he’s talking about tongues and all the things that are going on, and he says, “It’s better that everybody prophesy”. And so, we have the spirit of prophecy being spoken. Now look what he says in first Corinthians 14:24, “But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying”. “While everybody is prophesying by the power of God, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all”.
Most churches don’t even want that kind of congregation and look, that’s a safeguard. People that say, well, people are just following you or you’re just trying to get your own little click or sect or call together to follow. That’s not possible. If they do what I tell them to do, they can have the spirit of prophecy, the spirit of Jesus. My heart, if anything’s in there and any sins in there, will be brought out into the open. We’ve seen this many times. He will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and judged by all. Imagine visitors coming to church and I say, okay, I want everybody to church to judge them. Would I be accepted in that church or run out? Jacob, let me ask a rhetorical question. What do you think?
Jacob: You’d be definitely run out.
Timothy: Run out. I’m being judgmental. I’m being unloving. I’m being unkind. No, you know what? It’s the unloving people that people remain in sin. It’s the unkind people, the said there was a stain on their robe and won’t go to them and say, brother or sister, you got a stain there that needs to be cleaned up. First Corinthians 14: 25, look at this, “And the secrets of his heart”. This is a church service. You come walking in, you sit down in the pew and then all of a sudden, everybody, that’s supposed to be the condition. Everybody in the church is prophesying because it’s the spirit of Jesus there. They’re fellowshipping by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Just what Revelation 19:10 said. And what happens? “The secrets of their hearts are laid bare”. They can’t hide. A church in a particular town that has this power. Not too many people are going to go marching in like, oh yeah, I want to have my sins exposed by the power of God. Verse 25. “So, he will fall down and worship God”. Really? Have we ever seen that in a TV telethon or have we ever seen it when they do this foolish stuff? Like everybody come down and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
Now it says, “They will fall down and worship God exclaiming, “God is really among you”. Because why? The secrets of their hearts were judged. They were laid bare. It was brought out in the light. That’s the beginning. Can you imagine if they decide to join that church? They understand really fast really well what it means to walk in the light with one another. There really is a power.
I want to read this again because this is so crucial. So, when we talk about obedience, the only we could do right now is a church could pray and fast, because this isn’t there. “But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand”. He’s talking in relationship to tongues. “Comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all”. Where are the judging congregations? The judging congregation. They’re churches and one in particular I’m thinking of the moment and we won’t go into it in a moment but they’re downtown Seattle. How is it that they survived this debauchery into sexual immorality, impurity, lawlessness without ever being persecuted? How’s it possible? There’s no power. There’s no light. They’re nothing. They are dead. They’re less than dead. They’re in a way. Why don’t they just put a sign out that says, we are not Christians come in and just have fun. Just be honest about it but no, I think they’d rather have the wrath of God come down on the end times and actually repent today. “So, he will fall down and worship God exclaiming, “God is really among you”.
Selah moment:
Mid point
Timothy: First Corinthians 14:25. “And the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So, he will fall down and worship God exclaiming “God is really among you”. Let’s look at this in action in the book of Acts chapter 5 verse 1. The first church. The first church that right on the opposite side of the message of the cross. Everyone in that church had been baptized born again in that water baptism, became a disciple of Jesus, knew the cost, had given up everything. They’d heard Jesus preach for three, three and a half years. They understood well what was happening. The Holy Spirit came with deep conviction.
This is the first church. Let’s look at one of the church services. God doesn’t mention the glorious choir. Doesn’t talk about all the good deeds they were doing and all the acceptable things of feeding the poor and by the way we should be feeding the poor before somebody whines that I’m saying we shouldn’t feed the poor. Look at the power. Look at the purity. Look at the holiness in this church because the message of the cross. Peter is dead to his opinions. Peter is dead and being crucified to any self-righteousness. Peter is living by the new creation. He’s been discipled by Jesus. He’s following Jesus. He’s growing in Jesus. Yes, he will stumble later on. Paul will have to rebuke him, but there’s enough of the spirit there. There’s enough of the new life that nobody’s going to well rightly complain against Peter.
Going to read Acts chapter 5 verse 1. “Now a man named “Ananias” together with his wife Saphira also sold a piece of property”. See everybody was giving to the poor. They had all things in common. And Ananias and Saphira wanted to be known as the spiritual people. So, they created rules. They would give some money to the poor and come in and say they gave everything to the poor. How many people that I know come in and say, oh, I’ve given everything to the Lord. Man, they’re not even close. So, they come in, they lie. Acts chapter 5 verse 2. “With his wife’s full knowledge, he kept back part of the money for himself. But brought the rest and put it the apostle’s feet”.
And then in Acts chapter 5 verse 3, “Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you’ve lied to the Holy Spirit and kept some of the money for yourself?”” Peter was able to see the heart of bias. People will also say, only God knows my heart though whine to me. Yes, that’s a true statement. Only God does know your heart but what they fail to remember is that God will reveal your heart in a congregation that is picking up the cross and following Jesus Christ and we see this in Peter. Remember, the visitor comes in, his heart is laid bare, he falls down and says, God is among you.
We’re seeing this lived out right here and this should be for everyone. Otherwise, Paul wouldn’t be writing to the Corinthians to have a spirit of prophecy when it comes to the preaching of the gospel being dead enough to self. “Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you’ve lied to the Holy Spirit and kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?”” Peter is hating money. He’s despising the dollar if it were the dollar. That’s not the point. In fact, he goes on. He says, “Didn’t it belong to you before we’re sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal?” What made you think of doing such a thing?
In other words, it was your money. You can do what you want with it. The problem was you lied saying you gave everything to God but you didn’t and just imagine right for a moment that God struck dead. Everybody who said, oh I’ve given everything to God. I’ve surrendered everything but kept back something from themselves. Acts chapter 5 verse 5 says, “When Ananias heard this he fell down and died”. This is a holy church where God is working the holiness. And it says, and great fear seized all who heard what had happened. How many pastors, elders, and lead would be highly indignant if the Holy Spirit actually begin to judge people who came to church to visit? Even more so if he killed a few of them for lying.
There’s no room for the Holy Spirit in these churches and you can tell by how fast they run out anybody who would bring anything that might demand holiness or purity in their church. We don’t want our congregations to be known for being afraid to join. Everybody’s trying to bribe everybody in. And great ceased all who heard what had happened. Then in Acts chapter 5 verse 6.
Jacob: Can you scroll down a little bit?
Timothy: Says, “Then the young men came forward”. It’s very important to note there that it’s the young men who came forward. Why weren’t the old men? Because God’s trying to emphasize to the young men. This is what it means to really worship me. They’re the future leaders. They’re the future individuals that will be leading the church who may become preachers and elders and deacons. Then the young men came forward wrapped up his body and carried him out and buried him. I don’t want to go over this too fast because think about it. They had to come in. They looked at this body one on one. They’re seeing the face or seeing the death. They have to wrap the body up. They have to carry it out. They have to dig the grave. They have to put the body in the grave and then they have to put the dirt back on the body. There’s a real thinking process.
In fact, it says in Acts chapter 5 verse 7, “About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.” And Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias God for the land?” Okay. Let me pause here this is Godly leadership. Correct, Jacob?
Jacob: Yes, that’s correct.
Timothy: He would be accused today if we even got this far of being unloving and unkind, or this congregate or the congregations they would run out. Hey, tell the truth when you go in there, because there’s like the power of God is really moving. They would warn her to tell the truth and they would and Peter doesn’t turn and go, your husband came in there he lied, he’s dead, these guys just went out and buried her. So, what did you do for the land. He doesn’t. By appearance it looks like if you have a bad attitude. If you have a bitter rude, you’re going to say Peter set her up. Not at all. He’s giving her opportunity to reveal what’s in her heart.
“Peter asked her, “Tell me is this the price you and Ananias got for the land”. “Yes”, she said “that is the price”. Peter said to her, “How could you agree to test the spirit of the Lord? Look! the feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door and they will carry you out also”. “At that moment she fell down at his feet and died”. Then here we repeated again. “Then the young men came in”. So, the young men didn’t come and warn her as they see her walking to church and she’s just all happy thinking I’m going to get patted on the back here and the next thing you know they’re carrying her out. “Then the young men came in, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband”.
So, what kind of church did they become? Acts chapter 5 verse 11. This is the New Testament Church. This is the church of love. This is the church with the message of the cross. This is the church with the truth. This is the church with power. This is what it really means to have a holy and I’m metallicizing the word “Holy Spirit” in a church. Not this whitewash, not this compromise, not this just coming in and talking. This is power. The message of the cross I’m talking about is power. We have plenty of people come in. Nobody died to my chagrin. I wish God would come in and deal with people’s hearts, but their hearts were revealed. Many things were brought to the top and it was brought out in the open. We walked in the light with one another. Sins were revealed.
Acts chapter 5 verse 11 says, “Great fear sees the whole church”. Great fear, not just fear. So, you could have thought this is the first church of fear. This is the first church of great fear.
Imagine if I was starting a church, had a building, put a sign up and it said, this is the great fear church. Come and join. This this is so contrary to the church around us today that markets the gospel. “Great fear sees the whole church and all who heard about these events”. People are afraid to join the first church. And that’s what we need to see in our churches again where people are actually afraid to join.
It goes on to say in Acts chapter 5 verse 12. There we go. “The apostles perform many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s colonnade”. I have another rhetorical question, and I could put you on the spot I might as well Jacob. Whenever you see churches with miraculous signs and wonders, have you ever seen them in any way where people are afraid to join that church?
Jacob: No, it’s always a yee-haa, woo-hoo, come on in.
Timothy: Have you ever seen the secrets of someone’s heart being revealed out in the open? The secrets of their heart or the secret things they’re doing revealed out in the open so that people go I’m going to think twice before I joined that church.
Jacob: No, it’s always the Lord knows your heart, right? And pretty much it’s between you and him.
Timothy: All that happens is the church explodes in sin. I mean, overwhelming types in or things happen in leadership, but there too many different things to mention and then everybody just kind of fizzles out. There’s nothing there. There’s no purity. There’s no holiness. So, the apostles performed many miracles and signs and wonders among the people. The backdrop was Ananias and Saphira. In fact, we read in verse 13 just to prove that point. Miraculous signs, wonders, Ananias and Sapphire. Acts chapter 5 verse 13. Look at this. “No one else dared join them”. Really? All the churches you can think of, everybody’s staying home. I got to go join that group because my heart will be revealed.
There’s real power there to deal with sin. There’s overwhelming conviction of sin. I’m not going to go join that church. Oh, we bribe people in. Come to our potluck. Come to our fun day. Come to our vacation Bible study. Everything’s fun, fun, fun, fun. Come on in. Eat and be happy. “No one else there join them”. How would they begin their Christian walk? If these people wanted to join, would they not begin by working out their salvation with fear and trembling? Would they not clean up their life before they went to the ten o’clock worship service?
“No one else dare join them”. Even though they were highly regarded by the people. Now you know why the churches today are not highly regarded. The purity is not there. Why should they highly regarded church? People can wear the Christian cross on their shirts and they be the most pagan of people in the world. The Christian fish symbol is everywhere. It’s meaningless. Nobody’s afraid to put it on their car or wear the jewelry. “No one else dare join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people”. God’s power is made perfect in weakness. And it’s when no one else will join them that God’s spirit can come in and add numbers to the church. And it’s not done by marketing. It’s not done by going after numbers and seeing how many people you can bring in and calling that result.
Acts 5:14. “Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number”. Oh Lord, bring a church a group of people everywhere where people are afraid to join and the only way, they’re brought in is by the power of your Holy Spirit. You can’t market them in. You can’t bribe them in. Literally okay let’s just say we try that. I come to them and go, yeah, why don’t you come to the first church? We got plenty to eat. We give to widows. You can come be happy and all those things. They go, I don’t think so. Because my heart’s going to be exposed or didn’t that go on? I don’t know if I really want to become part of that.
It’s one of the reasons God allows and brings persecution. It weeds out people that would just show up for the flesh that they can get from Jesus.
Jesus had that problem. That’s why many turn back and no longer followed him and he had to rebuke them saying, you’re only looking for me because why? You ate the loaves and had your fill. So that’s a real problem anyway. Let us pray. More importantly, more importantly, let us repent so the people are afraid to join the church.
Outro: This has been the Consider Podcast at www.consider.info where yesterday’s folly is today’s madness. In the beginning, the unrepentant sinners words are folly. At the end, they are wicked madness. Ecclesiastes 10:13. Judgement begins with the house of God. Therefore, let everyone who loves the Lord with an undying love pick up their cross and walk the talk. As Peter the wrote. “Therefore, prepare your minds for action. Be self-controlled”. First Peter 1:13-14. The Considered Podcast, examining today’s events and Paulorrow’s realities. www.consider.info.
Disclaimer: The Consider Podcast assumes the listener has accepted the full gospel message. Individual application of the discussed materials is the sole responsibility of the listener. Nothing should be understood to be legal advice. The listener assumes full responsibility for being offended. The Consider Podcast, today’s events, Paulorrow’s realities at www.consider.info.
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