Our Walk to the Kingdom Together

Go To Meeting

Tom Fannin—April 30, 2021

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Hello, everyone! It's really good to be here with everyone. Believe it or not, it's been about five weeks since we kept the Passover. Time marches on, and if we reflect back to the Passover, we spent that time—as the Scriptures tell us, as Christ introduced the New Covenant Passover—remembering what Christ did for us.

We also took the time to remember our covenant and what we agreed to in that covenant. So, just as the children of Israel left Egypt out of captivity or bondage, as they were delivered, we ourselves were delivered as God's people out of sin, out of what you could call spiritual Egypt, Babylon or this world! We were rescued from this world.

As the children of Israel were, all of us are on our walk together. Just like the children of Israel were on their way to the 'promised land,' all of us in the Church—the called out ones—are on our walk together to the Kingdom. Have you ever thought of it that way?

Our calling is an individual calling, we know that, but as the body we all desire to help one another enter into God's Kingdom. We know that we do this together as the Church, and Jesus Christ is our Shepherd as the Head of the Church. Let's read a Scripture about who we are:

1-Peter 2:9: "But you are a chosen stock, a royal priesthood, a Holy nation, a people for a possession of God, that you might proclaim His excellent virtues, Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."

We know that God certainly did call all of us out of the darkness. As it talks about in Colossians, we were personally rescued from darkness, and the power of darkness, by God.

Verse 10: "Who once were not a people, but now are the people of God…"

At one time we were not the people of God, but through our calling we became the people of God!

"…who had not received mercy, but now have received mercy" (v 10). That's who we are!

All of us in the Church are the people of God, just as Israel was God's chosen people! All of us have this calling, and we have things that are the same for all of us. But we all died to sin!

Romans 6:6: "Knowing this, that our old man was co-crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be destroyed, so that we might no longer be enslaved to sin; because the one who has died to sin has been justified from sin. Now, if we died together with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more…" (vs 6-9).

That's important for all of us to remember, that Christ "…dies no more…"

All of us under this covenant, entered into this covenant at baptism and this watery grave where we symbolically died. We were rescued from sin because or sins were forgiven after entering into that covenant.

We know that Christ cannot die for us anymore. So, it's very important that all of us, being on this walk together, remember that this covenant that we entered into, this agreement, we need to keep it! Christ died for us the one time, as our personal Savior!

"…death no longer has any dominion over Him. For when He died, He died unto sin once for all; but in that He lives, He lives unto God. In the same way also, you should indeed reckon yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God through Christ Jesus our Lord" (vs 10-11).

Yes, we know that we're all dead to sin! We're all dead to the penalty of sin, which would have been death. We all died to sin, all of us!

IF we entered into the covenant, THEN we agreed to walk as Christ walked. Maybe some of you remember that when you were baptized, some of the things that were asked of you. You were asked to agree to some things, weren't you?

• Do you agree to walk as Christ walked?
• Do you agree to live by the Word of God?
• Do you agree to love God and Jesus Christ with all your heart, mind, soul and strength?

Some of the things that we agreed to before we entered into the watery grave! We all agreed to walk as Jesus Christ walked.

1-John 2:6: "Anyone who claims to dwell in Him is obligating himself also to walk even as He Himself walked."

We know that Christ lived by every Word of God, and our job is also to learn God's Word, as we are also required to live by every Word of God.

John 6:56: "The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood is dwelling in Me, and I in him. As the living Father has sent Me, and I live by the Father; so also the one who eats Me shall live by Me" (vs 56-57).

Those of us who say that we dwell in Christ, and are obligated to walk as Christ walked, we live by Christ, by His flesh, by His blood! That's how we live!

We know this started for all of us after we entered into the covenant and we started our covenant walk with each other.

We know that Jesus Christ leads us as the Head of the Church, as the Head of the Body. Paul talks about that.

Ephesians 5:23: "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the Head of the Church; and He is the Savior of the Body…. [and our personal Savior] …For even as the Church is subject to Christ, in the same way also let wives be subject to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your own wives, in the same way that Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it" (vs 23-25).

There's a lot there that is required of husbands, when you consider what Christ has done for the Church and for all of us, it's pretty plain here that this is a requirement for husbands. They're to love their wives in this manner. Something for us to consider.

Verse 26: "So that He might sanctify it, having cleansed it with the washing of the water by the Word."

We are continually washed as we have God's Spirit working within us. We're repenting and changing as we read God's Word; we learn more. We are continually washed and cleaned. Why do we need this?

Verse 27: "That He [Christ] might present it to Himself as the glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it might be Holy and without blame."

As we all walk toward the Kingdom together, this is what we should be focused on; being this way as a church without spot or wrinkle.

Verse 30: "For we are members of His body—of His flesh and of His bones. For this reason shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife; and the two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery; but I am speaking in respect to Christ and the Church" (vs 30-32).

That's how we are with Christ. We are to be at-one with Him as we eat of His flesh and drink of His blood—the Bread of Life—and take it in. We are to be one flesh with God and the Church as we walk together toward the Kingdom.

We'll talk more about the Church, because we know that Jesus Christ is our elder brother, our Savior, the Head of the Church; He's the One we look to and follow as the example. But the Church itself, the called out ones, all of us who were personally rescued:

• How is our walk together going? It's something to consider!
• How are we doing with each other?
• Are we being watched?
• Do God and Jesus Christ continually look upon us to see
• what we're doing?
• what our attitudes are?
• are we being judged by these things?

I would say—and I think all of us would say—that's yes, we are being watched and judged.

John tells us that we are to be walking in the Light!

1-John 1:4: "These things we are also writing to you, so that your joy may be completely full. And this is the message that we have heard from Him and are declaring to you: that God is Light, and there is no darkness at all in Him" (vs 4-5).

There's something for us to consider. There is no darkness in God and Jesus Christ at all! Aren't all of us looking forward to that day when we're changed and these bodies and nature we have is going to be changed. And someday it will be said of us that there is no darkness at all in us.

We all look forward to that day! But we know that right now that's not the case. We still fight this carnal nature. But there's no darkness in God and Jesus Christ at all.

Verse 6: "If we proclaim that we have fellowship with Him, but we are walking in the darkness, we are lying to ourselves, and we are not practicing the Truth. However, if we walk in the Light, as He is in the Light, then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, His own Son, cleanses us from all sin" (vs 6-7).

• Is that how we're all walking together?
• In the Light?
• In the Truth?

That's what we should be doing, all of us! We have to be on guard with that! That we're in the Truth!

What we see today, and this is a common theme sometimes within some of the Churches of God. That they want to meet each other on things that they have in common. Then overlook things in one another that aren't correct, and be accepting of that.

That's not right! That's darkness! That's not fellowshipping in the Light as we're supposed to do. That's what the world does, but in the Church in our walk it shouldn't be that way! But yet we see that where at times in some of the Churches of God they allow this.

Let's see what Paul says about this, and how he explains some of this. Is that how we should fellowship with one another, where we agree on certain things, but the other things we don't agree on, that are in God's Word that God tells us to do things, we accept each other for how we are? We're talking about our walk together to the Kingdom and how it should be!

2-Corinthians 6: 14: "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and lawlessness have in common? And what fellowship does light have with darkness?"

John wrote about that; our fellowship has to be in the Light. But what fellowship is there with light and darkness?

Verse 15: "And what union does Christ have with Belial? Or what part does a believer have with an unbeliever? And what agreement is there between a Temple of God and idols? For you are a temple of the living God, exactly as God said: 'I will dwell in them and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people'" (vs 15-16).

Peter said that we are the people of God! We should have love for one another as God's people. Certainly a love for the Truth, all of us as we walk together.

Christ set the example! Since we've covered this during the Passover season, we'll just quickly look at it again.

On the night of the Passover, we know that Jesus Christ washed the disciples' feet.

John 13:12: "Therefore, when He had washed their feet, and had taken His garments, and had sat down again, He said to them, 'Do you know what I have done to you?'"

Something that can be asked of us during the Passover season. We should think about that. We know that it's been done to us, for us.

Verse 13: "You call Me the Teacher and the Lord, and you speak rightly, because I am. Therefore, if I, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, you also are duty-bound to wash one another's feet; for I have given you an example, to show that you also should do exactly as I have done to you. Truly, truly I tell you, a servant is not greater than his lord, nor a messenger greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them" (vs 13-17).

So, in the Church if we have this attitude toward one another—and we are blessed as God's people—to serve one another and have love for one another. That's why on that very night Christ emphasized that more over in:

Verse 34: "A new commandment I give to you: that you love one another in the same way that I have loved you, that is how you are to love one another. By this shall everyone know that you are My disciples—if you love one another" (vs 34-35).

In our walk together, that's how it should be! We should have love for one another. Do people see this in us? If we were to get together as a group of God's people—no matter what Church of God you say you affiliate yourself with—say at a Feast site somewhere. Could someone who doesn't know any of us and they come and visit and walk through us and say:

These people have love for one another? They're one people! Truly this is a people of God. I don't see differences here, some who say that they're of Apollo or of Paul or this or that church. I see a group of people that follow Jesus Christ and have love for one another.

Hopefully that's what anyone would say of us, all of us—the people of God—if they saw us together! Unfortunately, in some cases it's not that way! But we have the same calling!

Ephesians 4:1: "Therefore, I, the prisoner of the Lord, am exhorting you to walk worthily of the calling to which you were called."

Yes, you could say that we were called out of the bondage of sin, but here Paul says that we now are prisoners of the Lord! That's where we want to be!

Verse 2: "With all humility and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, even as you were also called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, Who is over all, and through all, and in you all" (vs 2-6).

To the people of God, it looks like we have a lot of things that are the same for all of us, regardless of who we are in the Church, as God has placed us! A lot of the Churches of God may refute this. I don't know how they do that! But they may say:

• we're the only ones
• we have the Truth
• things were passed on to us
• we're the only ones doing a work

We don't know how some of the churches can do this to God's people, but they do that!

Really, when you think about it, what's happening there is that they're leading people back into what God and Jesus Christ delivered us from. That's not the freedom that we have!

We will later about the freedom that we do have, and we should use it in a proper manner.

Sometimes in the Church we find ourselves not on 'the same page.' You've heard that saying, 'We're in the same book, but we're not on the same page.' Sometimes we see that happen with the brethren in the Church; we're just not on the same page.

A lot of times the biggest answer for that is that it's just where somebody possibly is spiritually in their understanding, growth and development.

I was thinking about this not being on the same page, but we have to be in the same books as God's people. There are a couple of books that we're going to talk about that we have to be in: the first one is the Book of Life!

Daniel 12:1: "And at that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands for the children of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even until that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered—everyone who shall be found written in the book."

The Book of Life that our names are written in at baptism, that Christ talked about, 'our names are written in heaven.' It's His book, the Lamb's Book of Life!

Verse 9: "And he said, 'Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white and refined. But the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand" (vs 9-10).

I make note of that because those of us who are in the Church should be the wise ones, and we do have understanding because of this calling that we have and God's Spirit that dwells within us. We are the wise, the ones who are in the Church.

Philippians 4:1—Paul writes: "Therefore, my brethren, beloved and longed for, my joy and my crown, stand fast in the Lord, beloved. I exhort Euodia, and I exhort Syntyche, to be of the same mind in the Lord" (vs 1-2).

Here Paul is admonishing a couple of the brethren to be of the same mind.

Verse 3: "And I ask you, my true yokefellow, to assist these women, who labored with me in the Gospel, and with Clement, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life."

That's who we are. As Paul said, 'fellow workers with one another' working toward the Kingdom. We know that we're God's 'workmanship' as He works with us. It is important to remember that all of us in the Church—no matter where we are—have to be in the Book of Life!

Revelation 13:6: "And he… [the beast] …opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, and His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven."

You might as well say, 'blasphemes us' because God's name is in us, and our names written there in heaven. So, blasphemy against God's people, also.

Verse 7: And he was given power to make war against the saints, and to overcome them; and he was given authority over every tribe and language and nation. And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (vs 7-8).

That's why we need to be mindful of each other, all the called out ones, all the ones who are in covenant and have their names written in the Book of Life. We need each other as God's people, and this day is coming. As we read in Daniel, the wise shall understand. Don't we have more understanding now than we ever had? Especially in recent times as we see what's going on in this world? Yes, we do have more understanding.

We should hope that everyone whom God calls chooses the call, answers that call and repents so their names can also be written in the Lamb's Book of Life!

All on the earth worship the beast; those "…whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb…"

Revelation 20:4: "And I saw thrones; and they that sat upon them, and judgment was given to them; and I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the Word of God, and those who did not worship the beast or his image, and did not receive the mark in their foreheads or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years."

It's talking about us! At some point there will be those who will have to stand up for the Truth in the Church; that time is coming! We don't know how far off that is, but that time is coming!

Verse 5: "(But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were completed.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and Holy is the one who has part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power. But they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years" (vs 5-6).

That's what we're being called now to be a part of. We know the righteous dies one time. Just one death and then we'll be raised to be spirit and life into eternity. But we die once. But there is another group of people that dies twice; but the righteous dies once.

Verse 12: "And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God; and the books were opened…"

Apparently, there re books or recordings of the lives of people, and what they did during their lives. Did they do good things? or Did they do things that were against God?

"…and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life…." (v 12)—the one we're talking about here and that we are in!

"…And the dead were judged out of the things written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and the grave gave up the dead that were in them; and they were judged individually, according to their works. And death and the grave were cast into the Lake of Fire. This is the second death. And if anyone was not found written in the Book of Life, he was cast into the Lake of Fire" (vs 12-15).

I don't know if you've ever considered that about the Book of Life, but He continues on even after us. So, there will be someone that's part of the first resurrection that will be the last entry into the Book of Life. That will be a part of this resurrection and a reign with Christ a thousand years.

Then others are also in the Book of Life that are part of the second resurrection. Our part in the Book of Life for the first resurrection—and we're in it and can have confidence in that—is to remain faithful to the end.

We talked about one of the books we have to be in—and sometimes we can say that we're on the 'same page' but we're in the same book. The other book, other than the Book of Life that we all have to be in is God's Word! The Truth!

John 17:13—Christ's prayer to the Father before the crucifixion: "But now I am coming to You; and these things I am speaking while yet in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in them. I have given them Your words, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You would take them out of the world, but that You would keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in Your Truth; Your Word is the Truth" (vs 13-17).

God's Word that has been preserved for us! We know that it's the Truth, and we're sanctified by it! Set apart and Holy through the Word of God! That's why we have to have a good understanding of God's Word! There's no darkness in it and it helps us come toward the Light. We know the words of Christ are Spirit and Life!

We all get this, the Word of God! All of us who are called out, all those who belong to God, and God knows who are His! Paul talks about that to Timothy. We all partake of the Word of God.

1-Corinthians 10:15: "I speak as to those who are wise…"

We just read that in Daniel, the wise shall understand. So, Paul is talking to those who are wise.

"…you judge what I say. The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not the fellowship of the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not the fellowship of the Body of Christ? For we, being many, are one body and one bread, because we are all partakers of the Bread" (vs 15-17).

No matter where we are, we're all partakers of the same Bread: Jesus Christ. We get the same food.

Again, the Churches of God that maybe act like that we're all getting something different, we shouldn't be. All the Churches of God should be teaching from God's Word, because it sanctifies us. There shouldn't be any differences. We all should partake of the same food.

The theme in 2-Tim. is that we're all on our walk together to the Kingdom. Just as the Israelites ate manna, we have the same food also! Here's a verse that we remember admonishes us to be steady. So, I'll tell a quick story; it was a good lesson:

There's social media out there and a lot of the brethren in the Church of God get out there and make comments. You know that in the Church of God we have newer people, and sometimes it's easy for people who give messages—whatever organization they might be in—to maybe say that 'here's a Scripture we all know, or one that we should all be familiar with. This individual pointed out that on one of the social media sites for the Churches of God that he wished that wasn't said so much, because this person was newer to the Church and he said that there's a lot of people who don't know or are not familiar with, because they're learning.

So, it was good to hear that, and I think that all of us who have a chance to give messages need to be mindful that everybody listening in doesn't know or are not familiar with a lot of the Scriptures that maybe some of us have heard for years.

Paul was a great mentor for Timothy. Like a father to a son. A lot of times he referred to Timothy like he was a son.

2-Timothy 2:15: "Diligently study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of the Truth."

All of us need to be in God's Word, knowing God's Word, and we can do it together. I tell you, I really enjoy when I get to talk to God's people about His Word.

• Don't you enjoy those conversations?
• Don't you enjoy the opportunity you have to get together with other people?

Maybe some of you can't do it on a regular basis, but when you have that chance to get together with other brethren, don't you really enjoy talking about God's Word and learning. That's what we should be doing for each other.

We need to be in God's Word, and I think everybody understands the point. God's Word, the book, the Holy Bible, we all need to be in God's Word.

I wanted to talk a little be about, as we walk together to God's Kingdom, our conduct toward one another. We should be special to one another, because this is a very precious calling that we have as the children of God.

Romans 14:1: "Receive the one who is weak in the faith, but not for divisive arguments."

You know, in the Churches of God, God's people are going to have times when there are those who are newer, or weaker in the faith; but they're in the faith, and that's the key. They're "…weak in the faith, but not for divisive arguments." We have to be mindful of that, because we don't need that in our walk together! We don't need:

• divisiveness
• strife
• bitterness
• anger

Any type of those things among God's people! Be mindful of that, because you do have those in the Church of God.

Paul is talking about that there are those in the letter written to the Romans that had different ideas or thoughts about what they should eat, maybe what day they should eat it on or not. Some of the things at times people can get focused on;  things are not salvational but there are things we need to be paying attention to. Paul goes on to talk about this, and what the Kingdom is about. What we're walking to!

Verse 17: "For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking; rather, it is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." That's what all of us really need to be putting our energy and effort into!

God's Holy Spirit working in us, perfecting us. So, we work toward righteousness; having peace and joy within us!

Verse 18: "Because the one who serves Christ in these things is well pleasing to God and acceptable among men. So then, we should pursue the things of peace and the things that edify one another" (vs 18-19). That should be our focus!

Romans 15:1: "Now, we who are strong in the faith…"

So, there may be some who are weaker in the faith! But now Paul is talking about those who are stronger in the faith.

"…are obligated to support the ones who are weak, and not to please ourselves" (v 1). We are all on our walk together and need to be:

• mindful of one another
• help one another
• serve one another

as Christ gave the example!

Verse 2: "Accordingly, let each one of us please his neighbor for good unto edification; for even Christ did not please Himself; rather, as it is written, 'The reproaches of those who are reproaching You have fallen upon Me.' For all the things that were written before were written for our instruction…" (vs 2-4).

The things that Israel went through as they came out of Egypt and were on their walk to the 'promised land,' we know they spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness. There were a lot of things that went on there with them that were also written for us to learn from in their walk together and apply to ourselves as we walk together spiritually.

Verse 4: "For all the things that were written before were written for our instruction so that through patient endurance and encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."

We talked about that we all need to be in God's Word. We have encouragement and endurance through the Scriptures and hope. That's what we need to continue to present to one another, God's Word, the Scriptures.

Verse 5: "Now, may the God of patience and encouragement grant you to be likeminded toward one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord and one mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (vs 5-6). This is what we need to be doing!

As we read Heb. 10:22-25 I just want to make note of here where it says, "Let us…" referring to the people of God!

Hebrews 10:22: "Let us approach God with a true heart, with full conviction of faith, our hearts having been purified from a wicked conscience, and our bodies having been washed with pure water. Let us hold fast without wavering to the hope that we profess, for He Who promised is faithful; and let us be concerned about one another, and be stirring up one another unto love and good works; not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, even as some are accustomed to do; but rather, encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near" (vs 22-25).

Is this our attitude all the time toward one another?

• stirring up one another
• edifying one another
• building up one another

As we see the day approaching! What is the day approaching? You could probably apply this to a lot of things!

• the Sabbath
• the Holy Days
• the Passover
• the return of Jesus Christ

That day that we look forward to!

There's a lot that we could look forward to that we need to encourage each other in and remind each other of, and hold each other accountable, too. We need to do these things for each other, as it says here, "Let us…" be doing these things!

Earlier we talked about freedom, this freedom we have. We've been rescued! Paul talks about this freedom that we have:

Galatians 5:13: "For you have been called unto freedom, brethren; only do not use this freedom for an occasion to the flesh; rather, serve one another with love." Do we consider:

• the freedom that we've been called to?
• that we have from sin?
• that we have from this world?
• that we have from darkness?

The continued freedom that we have!

Every time we have an opportunity to study and learn, to see things in ourselves that we that we need to repent of and change. Don't we have more freedom? Yes, we do! We're to use that in a certain way. We don't use that freedom to glorify ourselves, or puff ourselves up, or for an occasion of the flesh. We use this freedom to serve one another in love, as we walk together!

Verse 14: "For the whole Law is fulfilled in this commandment: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' But if you bite and devour one another, watch out lest you be consumed by one another" (vs 14-15).

We have to be really careful, all of us! IF we don't we will "…bite and devour one another…" We use this understanding and wisdom we have to serve and love one another, help one another. But if we're not careful and we see this, we can use it to harm one another and hurt one another, and we don't want to be doing that on our walk together. Certainly not consume one another.

Verse 16: "Now this I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh." That's how we're to walk, all of us!

There's a lot written in the book of Jude about things we are to be watching out for and being careful not to be a part of. Jude finishes off his book:

Jude 20: "But you, beloved, be building up yourselves on your most Holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, so that you keep yourselves in the love of God while you are personally awaiting… [all of us] …the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life" (vs 20-21). That's what we're all doing together!

In the next few verses we're going to talk about our conduct toward one another and what we should be doing for one another.

Verse 22: "Now on the one hand, show mercy to those individuals who are doubting."

• Do we see that in the Church sometimes with brethren?
• Do we see those that may be doubting?
• Do we see, at times, those who are double-minded? Somewhat unstable!

Yes, we do see that from time to time, and we show mercy to each other when we see that! We have the desire to help one another and work some of these things out.

But there's another part of this, too, that we need to be mindful of:

Verse 23: "But on the other hand, save others with fear, snatching them out of the fire, hating even the garment that has been defiled by the flesh." Sometimes we need to do that for one another, too!

It takes someone who is spiritually mature and has a lot of understanding at times to be able to do this; to snatch somebody out of the fire to save them! We don't want to see anybody's name to be blotted out of the Book of Life!

But at times, even in the Church, we find people doing things they shouldn't be doing that are salvational! That could lead to someone losing their reward. We should be very concerned when we see this happen. That means that sometimes we may have to go to someone, and with fear because of God's Word and what God's Word says and snatch them out of the fire, because we're on this walk together!

Particularly the elders and ministers in the Church who should be doing this when they have the opportunity to see that presented to them. It's part of what we all should be doing, though.

Shouldn't we have mercy and love for one another? And we're able to do this for each other. At times we have a right relationship, or we can even go to our brothers and sisters and do this for one another to pull them out of the fire!

If we can do that for one another and somebody can repent and change, and see that what they were doing, what a wonderful thing that we have done! Hopefully that person has come out of that situation and has repents, and can look at the brother or sister that helped them and say:

Thank you! Thank you that you are a brother or sister in Christ and you saw me in this condition, and you helped me.

On our walk that's what need to do for one another!

This is just some of the things that I wanted to cover there with our conduct toward one another, and how we should be. We're all in the Body of Christ together! I guess you could say that 'we're stuck with each other.' We know that God doesn't call the highborn, the great, the powerful or elite! He calls the lowborn! The poor! People like us!That's who we are, God's people on our walk to the Kingdom together. We're all 'stuck' with each other!

You may remember when you were back in school and they were picking teams and you're like, 'Oh no! I stuck with so and so on my team,' or maybe they said, 'Oh, we got stuck with Tom on our team.' But nonetheless, we all on the same team together! It's very important that we be mindful of who we are as God's people!

Colossians 3:1: "Therefore, if you have been raised together with Christ… [which we have, all of us] …seek the things that are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Set your affection on the things that are above, and not on the things that are on the earth" (vs 1-2).

If we all, as God's people, continue to do this, we are going to really help ourselves on this walk. We will have our minds in the right place continually, all of us.

Verse 3: "For you have died, and your life has been hid together with Christ in God."

Verse 12: "Put on then, as the elect of God, Holy and beloved, deep inner affections, kindness, humility, meekness and long-suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so also you should forgive" (vs 12-13).

We're talking about we're all heading toward the Kingdom together, and all the things that we should be doing.

Verse 14: "And above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which you were called into one body, and be thankful. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord" (vs 14-16).

We've talked about how important it is that we are all in God's Word, and we're sharing that with one another continually.

Verse 17: "And in everything—whatever you do in word or in deed—do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him."

As we close, these are good things for all of us to think about as God's people. We don't know what's coming! Brethren, we need each other.

God is our Father, Jesus Christ is our Savior, the Head of the Church, and we follow Him! And we also need to be mindful of one another in what we do for each other!

Scriptural References:

• 1 Peter 2:9-10
• Romans 6:6-11
• 1 John 2:6
• John 6:56-57
• Ephesians 5:23-27, 30-32
• 1 John 1:4-7
• 2 Corinthians 6:14-16
• John 13:12-17, 34-35
• Ephesians 4:1-6
• Daniel 12:1, 9-10
• Philippians 4:1-3
• Revelation 13:6-8
• Revelation 20:4-6, 12-15
• John 17:13-17
• 1 Corinthians 10:15
• 2 Timothy 2:15
• Romans 14:1, 17-19
• Romans 15:1-6
• Hebrews 10:22-25
• Galatians 5:13-16
• Jude 20-23
• Colossians 3:1-3, 12-17

TF:bo
Transcribed: 8-16-21

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