The Spirit of the Law

We'll title today the Spirit of the Law subtitled, Real Sermon on the Mount. As I started really getting down to what I wanted to try to convey today, I started thinking about what are the main words in our church vocabulary, our church speak as it were. What would you say are the top 10 words in your church of God vocabulary? I would say that the four words I hear, perhaps most often, are God, Christ, law, and obedience. We seldom use the word Jesus, however the Gospel writers used it very often. I often hear about humility, service, love, God's Spirit. I hear a lot about Satan and his works. We talk about the kingdom of God, rulership in the kingdom of God. Another refrain that I hear quite often is doing the work, preaching the Gospel. The word grace is sometimes mentioned in tandem with the law and grace. But I would say that you probably heard less than three sermons in your life in the church of God with the word grace in the title. I've never given a sermon, and I'm not proud of it, with grace in the title. That's to me a sad commentary, and I'm not giving one on grace per se today, but I hope to in the near future. No wonder at times how deeply we understand the words we use most often. Do we really understand obedience and how obedience is inextricably linked to faith and love? Of course, we know that obedience is inextricably linked to the law because that's what we strive to obey. But how do we strive to obey it? Just in the letter or in the Spirit as well?

Do we really understand what we're professing when we say that we are members of the body of Christ and that we have the same love, care, and concern for one another? That we are really brothers and sisters in Christ and that we are members one of another because we all have that same essence in us that is in God that is in Christ that is the Holy Spirit, the very essence, the divine nature of God and Christ. So I believe we need to come to a much deeper understanding of all these terms and words.

And one of the reasons why church leaders have called a fast for today has to do with what I believe the failure on the part of leadership and all of the ministry for decades to really teach the brethren what true Christianity is all about, what conversion is really all about, what true obedience is really all about, and what we were professing by stating that we are members of the body of Christ, the church of God.

So today I hope we come to a deeper understanding of obedience. It's so easy to fall into the trap of do's and don'ts when it comes to what it means to obey. First of all, we need to examine the question of whether you can keep the spirit of the law and not keep the letter of the law.

Basically, that's what the Protestant world teaches, is that you can quote, keep the spirit of the law and not keep the letter of the law. In Matthew's account of the teachings of Jesus, there are three chapters devoted to obeying the spiritual intent of the law. I mean just chapter after chapter, these three chapters. There are many other principles in other chapters as well, but these three chapters, if you would turn to Matthew chapter 5. Matthew chapter 5. Most people, even ministers, when they refer to the Sermon on the Mount, they refer only to the first 11 or 12 verses of Matthew 5.

The Beatitudes is their call. They're called Beatitudes because it says, blessed are so and so. So in Matthew 5.1, in seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain and when he was set, his disciples came unto him. He opened his mouth and taught them saying, blessed are the poor in spirit. For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. That goes on to list other, what is called the attitudes through verse 10, well through verse 11.

Then he continues, and I don't know if you've ever really noticed this or not, but all of Matthew 5, all of Matthew 6, all of Matthew 7 is dedicated to the Sermon on the Mount. Let's go down to Matthew 7 verse 28. This is the end, the final words here, and the people's reaction to the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7 verse 28.

And it came to pass when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine, for he taught them as one having authority and not as describes when he was come down from the mountain. See, this ends the Sermon on the Mount, these three chapters. And when he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him, and behold there came a leper and worshiped him, saying, Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.

So, once again, the question, can you obey the Spirit of the Law without obeying the letter of the Law? The letter of the Law may be simply defined as obeying that which is written. Let's notice in Romans chapter 2 verse 28. Romans chapter 2 verse 28. For he is not a Jew which is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh.

But he is a Jew which is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart. Now, as you heard in the sermonette, just because circumcision is of the heart, it doesn't necessarily do away with circumcision in the flesh. I think that scientific studies of the day show that male children are much better off if they are circumcised when it comes to help in many implications that have to do with that member of the body.

In the Spirit and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men but of God. Now, of course, the question would then come, do you have to be circumcised in order to keep the Spirit of the Law? Well, no, you don't. Because Timothy was not circumcised. You remember the ministerial conference there, which Paul talks about in Galatians, where he says, I went up to Jerusalem, but they did not compel Timothy to be circumcised.

That word, letter, here in the Greek is grama, G-R-A-M-M-A, and it means basically that which is written, meaning a letter or any writing. But the spiritual intent greatly exceeds that which is written. However, the beginning point is to obey that which is written. For example, we note the words of Jesus. Now we go back to the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. Remember the title, the Spirit of the Law, the real Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon on the Mount does not end with the beatitudes in Matthew 5.11, but it continues, as we have noted, through Matthew 5, 6, and 7. In Matthew 5 and verse 17, think not that I'm come to destroy the law or the prophets. I'm not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men, so he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. But whosoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, and we'll see in a moment from Matthew 23-23, that the scribes and Pharisees were diligent to keep, quote, that which is written more concerned about their tradition than really the commandments of God. But they were diligent to keep that which was written, and they included within that their Talmudic traditions and commandments. So except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter in the kingdom of heaven. Now Christ begins, first of all, He states the law, and then He gives the spiritual intent. You have heard that it was said by them of old, you shall not kill, and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment. Now the letter of the law, as far as the enforcement, and there were at least 10 things or 10 things listed in the Old Testament for which you could be put to death, and of course, killing a person, taking another person's life unlawfully, you could be put to death. But I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment, and whosoever shall say to his brother Rekha shall be in danger of the counsel, but whosoever shall say thou fool shall be in danger of the gihin of fire, losing out on eternal life. And one of the things I've alluded to in the near past is the fact, why is that so important? Because every human is created in the image of God with faculties akin to God, with the ability to think and to reason, with the ability to think about immortality, with the ability to come to discern right and wrong, but more importantly, created for the potential of being the recipients of God's Spirit, and thus to be resurrected to the God plane.

Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has ought against you, leave there your gift before the altar, go your way, be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. We've not learned that one, which ties in with judgment, mercy, and faith, which we will get to in a moment. Remember, we're talking about the Spirit of the Law. These are the words of Jesus Christ, not the words of Ward, not the words of any commentary. It's the words of Jesus Christ.

Agree with your adversary quickly while you are in the way with him, lest at any time the adversary deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you shall be cast into prison. Verily I say unto you, You shall by no means come out from there, till you have paid the uttermost farthing. Verse 27, You have heard that it was said by them of old time, You shall not commit adultery. Be physical act you could be put to death for under the terms of the Old Covenant. Then Christ says, but I'm going another dimension, the Spirit of the Law here is to look upon a woman to lust after her wrongfully. I guess all lust is wrongfully.

That you are guilty of that sin. You begin to get the idea of how far, how much greater the Spirit of the Law is than the letter of the White has written. The spiritual intent. You remember the verse in Isaiah 8 where it says that He shall magnify the Law and make it honorable. In verse 33, again, you have heard it said, that it has been said by them of old time, You shall not foreswear yourself, but you shall perform unto the Lord your oath. But I say unto you, swear not at all. Now swearing in the biblical sense is not what it's like on television. Of course, on television they feel freed who they call cursing swearing. But in the biblical sense, to swear it has to do with, I'm telling you that I'm going to go do X, Y, or Z, and you leave God out of the picture. So you're swearing that you're going to do such and such. The Bible also talks about cursing, which is a big sin within itself. Taking the name of God in vain is one of the main ones. In Matthew 5.38, you've heard it said, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Matthew 5.43, you've heard it said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. Now this hate your enemy, some commentaries take exception to that, but when you read the songs and some of the things that David said about his enemies, Christ comes and He says, I say unto you, love your enemies.

I must confess, it's very difficult to do, and I think all of you would say the same. Now let's note Matthew 23.23, which I've already alluded to at least twice.

Remember, we're looking at, first of all, can you keep the spirit of the law and not keep the letter of the law? Now when I'm talking about the letter of the law, I'm really talking about God's immutable spiritual law, i.e., the Ten Commandments and that which stems from it. The laws of sacrifice and temple worship have obviously been done away with. We do not approach unto God now through animal sacrifice, washing and oblations, but through the sacrifice of Christ. In Matthew 23 and verse 23, Woe unto you scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites, for you pay tithe of men, anis and coming, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith. These ought you to have done, and not to leave the other undone. So Christ is saying, look, the letter of the law to pay tithes of these things. The law does say that you should tithe.

But I'm going to tell you that there's something that's far greater than that, and that is to exercise judgment, mercy, and faith.

So Jesus tells them, we should obey that which is written, but the weightier matters of the law are more important. They're greater. They far exceed just that which is written here. Now, there's no direct command in the Old Testament that states that exercising judgment, mercy, and faith is a requirement. That's what God requires. And in fact, if judgment, mercy, and faith were exercised in its full completion, then we would be keeping the two great commandments, loving God with all our heart, mind, and soul, loving our neighbor as ourselves, fulfilling the law and the prophets. Go to Micah 5, please. Micah chapter 5. Micah chapter 5 is a lot. These short chapters here, basically short seven chapters in Micah, very similar to certain sections of Isaiah. I said chapter 5. I need chapter... Micah chapter 6 verse 3.

So God then asked them a question. So even under the terms of the Old Covenant, God wanted far more than the offerings of bulls and goats or whatever other offering.

To love, mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. To walk, you could say, to walk in faith. One of the main reasons that Israel and Judah went into captivity was because they refused to exercise judgment, mercy, and faith. And this has basically been the history of the people that God has sought to work with through the ages. It seems so simple on the one hand, but it requires great, great spiritual courage. Notice Zechariah. Forward a few pages. Zechariah toward the end of the Old Covenant, Old Testament. Zechariah chapter 7.

Zechariah chapter 7 verse 7. Shall you not hear the words which the Lord hath cried by the former prophets, those who went before Zechariah? When Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity and the cities thereof round about, when men inhabited the South and the plain, when you had the United Kingdom, David finally united the kingdom and all 12 tribes. And that was the way it was during the days of Solomon. Of course, after Solomon died, the division, 10 tribes to the north and 2 to the south. And the word of the Eternal King of Zechariah is saying, Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment. Now here we do have a direct command. Execute, I'd use the word exercise, true judgment and show mercy and compassion every man to his brother. No exceptions. And oppress not the widow nor the fatherless, the stranger nor the poor, and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. But they refused to hearken. This is why they went into captivity. They refused to hearken and pulled away the shoulder, stopped the ears that they should not hear. Yes, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent in his spirit by the former prophets. Therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts. Therefore it has come to pass that as he cried, and they would not hear, so they cried, and I would not hear, says the Eternal Host. But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned, for they laid the pleasant land desolate. So the northern ten tribes went into captivity, 721-718, under the hands of the Assyrians. And then Judah went into captivity, under the hands of the Babylonians, circa 604-586. The Judah eventually returned because it was promised that the Messiah would come out of the seed of David out of Judah. So the exercising of judgment, mercy, and faith greatly exceeds the written laws of Bathtithing. However, let's go now to Malachi, the last chapter in the Old Testament, in Malachi 3 and verse 7.

In Malachi 3 and verse 7, even from the days of the fathers, you're gone away, we just read about, from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. But the most important, it wasn't the ordinances with regard to the sacrifice of bulls and goats and that kind of methodical thing. No, it was more the spiritual intent of what God wanted from His people.

Remember, it says in the Old Testament, I would have mercy and not sacrifice. So that desire on God's part to do the spiritual intent has always been there.

Return unto me, and I will return unto you, says the Lord of hosts. But you said, wherein shall we return? Remember, Malachi is a monologue written in the form of a dialogue. God is doing the speaking and He's giving the part of Himself and the people. I have said, you have said. I have said, you have said. But you have said, you know, why should we return? How shall we return? God says, will a man rob God? So thus, not tithing is equated with robbery. And one of the Ten Commandments says, thou shall not steal. But then we have those who would try to say that there is no commandment in the Bible that a person should tithe. But is that the case? Yet you have robbed me, but you say, wherein have we robbed you? God's enter in tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring you all the tithes in the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now, I hear with says the eternal host. If I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. But on the other hand, the Randy Travis song, on the other hand, there's a golden ring, so I'm not going to do this. But on the other hand, you can pay tithes on everything, men, anise, and coming, as we read in Matthew 23, 23, and be guilty of not exercising judgment, mercy, and faith. Yeah, I kept the letter. I did a first tithe, I did a second tithe, and then deuces, and I did a third tithe, and look at my righteousness. Christ says, unless your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.

You can observe the Sabbath in a very strict manner, and miss one of the main points of observing the Sabbath in the first place. God made the Sabbath for man so man could come to a more complete and deeper understanding of his Father, Creator God, the one who made humankind in his own image. The Creator God, the Sabbath is a time to, we can develop a closer relationship with God and man. For sake, not the assembling of yourselves together, and so much the more so as you see the day approaching. That's from the book of Hebrews written by Paul. The Pharisees of Jesus' day made the Sabbath into a grievous burden that prevented people from doing good on the Sabbath. Let's notice this now in Matthew 12. Matthew 12. I think of all the commandments, probably the Sabbath and tithing are the ones that are like the, have more gray areas, you might say, that people are more apt to take liberties with. But let's notice what Jesus says here in Matthew 12. At that time Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the corn, wheat fields probably, barley, whichever, and his disciples were unhungered and began to pluck the ears of corn and eat. Now could they have waited till sundown, grown men, probably, but they began to pluck the ears of corn and eat. But when the Pharisees saw, as they said unto him, Behold, your disciples do that, which is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath day. Well, of course, they had made a Talmud out of the Sabbath, that is a long list of do's and don'ts. You could walk a certain distance, you could lift a certain weight, you could do this, you could do that. But he said unto them, Have you not read what David did when he was unhungered and they that were with him, how he entered into the house of God and did eat to show bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, it was for the priest and David was not a priest, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priest. Or have you not read in the law how that on the Sabbath days the priests in the temple profaned the Sabbath and are blameless? There's a lot of hard work that goes in to being a priest under the Old Covenant. There's a lot of hard work that a minister does on the Sabbath. Sometimes it has to do with driving from one circuit to another, sometimes up to two or three hours, and in some cases some of our ministers do more. There's a lot, the hardest work that I have ever done, and believe me I've done it up. I grew up on a farm following a mule, starting at the age of 10. I have dug ditches, I worked on the plumbing crew, I've cleaned out the septic tanks, and you could go on and on. I plucked chickens and skin rabbits and squirrels and all of that. Not too proud that I ate them, but anyhow, I've done that.

So verse 5 again, have you not read in the law how that on the Sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are blameless, but I say unto you that in this place is one greater than the temple? But if you have known what that means, I will have mercy and not sacrifice. See, that's a quote from the Old Testament. That desire of God's intent that they would keep the spirit of the law, and I know that scripture is there. It says, all that there was such an heart in them that they would obey me and keep my commandments. But now we don't have that excuse because God's Spirit is in us. You would have not condemned the guiltless, for the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath day. And when He was departed there, He went into the synagogue, and behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked Him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath days that they might accuse Him? And He said unto them, What man shall there be among you that shall have one sheep? And if ye fall into a pit on the Sabbath day, will not lay hold on it and lift it out. How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore, it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days. That answers many of the questions. But on the other hand, you cannot run your business as usual. The Sabbath day is a day of rest. The Sabbath day is a day for assembling together. The Sabbath day is a day for spiritual rejuvenation and to be refreshed. Then said unto the man, Stretch forth your hand, and he stretched it forth, it was a restored whole like as the other. Then the Pharisees went out and held the counsel against Him how they might destroy Him. How could they put Him to death? How could they get Him out of the way? Early on in the Church of God, this debate arose, that is, the debate over law and grace, arose early in the Church, even in the first century. Some few decades after the Church started. Well, it probably wasn't even a few decades. Let's go now to 1 Peter 3, where this is 2 Peter 3 and verse 14.

Whereas beloved seeing that you look for such things, new heavens, new earth, be diligent that you may be found of Him in peace without spot and blameless, an account that the long-suffering of the Lord is salvation. Even as our beloved brother Paul, also according to the wisdom given unto him, hath written unto you. As also in all his epistles speaking in them of those things, and which are some things, hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable rest as they do also the other scriptures under their own destruction.

So it is easy to twist the scriptures, but on the other hand, I find that the writings of Paul can be made quite plain and simple. Remember back early, I was within the first six months, I think, after I came here that I gave you a handout and had a couple of sermons on mastering the book of Romans. You master the book of Romans. You have mastered to a large degree the writings of Paul because they lay the foundation. Also in Jude, forward a few pages here, in Jude, this controversy law and grace erupted early on in the church. As we've said, Jude the Lord's brother wrote about the heresy of turning God's grace into license in Jude chapter 1 verse 3. Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, at first when he was going to write this letter, he was going to write it for a different purpose. But as he considered the writing, it was needful for me to write unto you and exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares who were before all ordained to this judgment ungodly men, turning the grace of our Lord unto lasciviousness, which means license to sin, and denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. I will therefore put you in remembrance though you once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt afterward, destroyed them that believed not. So Jude was writing to people who had been in the faith evidently for a long time, but even they were beginning to be influenced by this doctrine, a doctrine that came to the church full blast in the early 1990s and culminated in what we have seen in the last 15 years with so many different groups scattered across the face of the earth. You know, it seems that religious people in their zeal seem to fall into one ditch or the other. The law of God is spiritual and should illuminate the spiritual pathway and govern our lives. Let's notice Romans chapter 8 verse 10. Romans chapter 8 verse 10. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, not because of the law. It's dead because of sin, and sin is a transgression of the law, and the wages of sin is dead. So therefore, the body would be dead because of sin, not because of the law. But the Spirit is life because of righteousness. The law doesn't give life, but the law can help sustain life. But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by the Spirit that dwells in you. When I turned, I went to the wrong chapter. I've got to pick it up. In Romans 7, instead of Romans 8, my sticky fingers turned to chapter 8. In Romans 8, I'm sorry, Romans 7, verse 10, And the commandment which was ordained to life I found to be unto death. For sin taking occasion by the commandment deceived me, and by it that his sin slew me. Wherefore, the law is holy, the commandment holy, just and good.

Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid, but sin that it might appear sin working death in me, by that which is good, that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. It points it out. It highlights it. For we know that the law is spiritual. It's not carnal. It's not physical. It's not something that man can repeal, as you heard in the sermonette. You cannot repeal the law of God. So some came along in the 90s and said, Oh well, the Old Covenant is done away, and therefore the basis of the Old Covenant is done away. No finding fault in them. He established a new covenant that was furnished with law. This same immutable spiritual law. We know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. Now, on the other hand, you see here the law of God upheld and defended by the Apostle Paul. Now we go to Ephesians 2. And here's one of the main verses that people twist to their own destruction. In Ephesians 2 and verse 10.

Well, I'm sorry, I want to start earlier.

Verse 7, Ephesians 2.7. That in the ages to come, he might show his exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are you saved through faith, that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Now, it is the gift of God modifies, and it has to do with the rules of grammar and gender in the Greek language, the gift of God modifies that you're saved. That is, salvation is the gift of God. You're saved through faith, that not of yourselves, that is salvation is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. And then some people read this and say, therefore, let's throw the baby out with the bathwater. The law is not away with. It's just, have faith in Christ. They also read Romans 10. Let's go there. Romans 10, the first few verses there. Romans chapter 10. Now, brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved.

His countrymen, His kinfolk. For I bear them a record that they have a zeal of God but not according to knowledge. You know, the so-called zeal for God that people in many of these false religions have, oftentimes, to our shame exceeds the zeal that we have for the truth. And no matter how much we say this, it'll go, water off the deck's back. Oh, well.

They say, well, they're influenced by Satan the devil. I thought we were influenced by the Spirit of God, which is greater, which could generate the greatest zeal. The devil in His Spirit or God in His Spirit. Which one is more powerful? Which one rules over the other?

They, being ignorant of God's righteousness, going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. And then they read this verse, For Christ is the end of the law. They don't look at the Greek word, which is T-E-L-O-S, which means outcome or result. For Christ is the outcome or result of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes through Christ your sins can be remitted. And through Christ living in you, you can live the righteousness of the law. But no, we want one ditch or the other. It's all just that which is written or just all sort of spiritualized away. Whereas we have been called to really understand. Notice now Romans 3 and verse 31. I mean, even if people were to read this verse in Romans 3 and verse 31, Paul explains the process of justification in Romans 3. In Romans 3.23, he says, All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. And then he talks about how God has kept His promise that Jesus Christ has come and through His sacrifice, we can be justified. And it is only through faith in that sacrifice that we can be justified. But faith in that sacrifice also includes repentance, as Peter cried out on the day of Pentecost.

When they said, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Acts 2.36 and 7. And Peter said, Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. It was repent and be baptized for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. So Paul explains justification through faith. And then he knew that some people would jump in the ditch. Verse 31, he covers that. Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid. Yes, we establish the law. I mean, if there was no law, I mean, it's the simplest logic. When will they ever be able to understand? When will they ever be preached loud and clear from the house cops? Would it make sense for God to sin his Son to die on the stake, and the preacher will say for the sins of the world, and then turn around and say that the law is done away with? Because if there is no law, there's no sin, there's nothing to repent of. There's no penalty to pay. And so Christ dying on the stake would be a farcical tragedy of the greatest proportions.

That's about as simple as you can get right there. Do we then void the law through faith? God forbid. No. We establish the law. The law of God, the love of God, the love of God are inextricably linked together. We can all quote the great commandments. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and soul. The second is like unto it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two, hang all the law and the prophets. We can all quote 1 John 5, verse 3, where this is the love of God, that we should keep His commandments, and His commandments should not grieve us. We often quote these scriptures. We often expound upon them. But some way, somehow, it seems that we have not connected all the dots. We can get caught up in the mantra of doing the work, preaching the gospel. That is, as if you're involved in some way of doing something like that, then you're spiritual. Now, you're supposed to do that, and that's a part of the commission. But is that in and of itself?

Doing the weightier matters of the law. I could name names of people who gave great sermons, wrote great articles, inspiring articles, that people responded to. And probably, they were convicted because it was the truth. But sadly, some of those who gave those sermons, and some of those who wrote those articles, did not exercise judgment and mercy and faith with God and their fellow men. They were, quote, too busy doing the work, what they considered the work. It was like they were a step above everybody else, and they missed the mark. I don't know. I cannot judge, obviously. I don't know the hearts of any person. Sometimes you don't even know your own heart, the Word of God, or reveal it to you. So they were too important to really teach the people what true conversion is all about. They're doing the work.

I guess you could say that they were doing the work from one point of view, but they were not, in a lot of cases, becoming converted in their own lives, and they fell by the wayside.

They did good works, but did they grow in grace and knowledge? I don't think they probably wouldn't have fallen by the wayside. Now we go back to the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 7, verse 22. You know, we read the last two verses of Matthew 7, where Christ taught them as one having authority in the first verse of chapter 8, where He came down from the Mount after these teachings. In Matthew 7 and verse 22, Remember the Spirit of the Law, the real Sermon on the Mount. And then, In Matthew 7, verse 22, Many will come to Me in that day and say, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name? In Your name have we not cast out devils? And in Your name have done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew You? How could that be?

Depart from Me You that work iniquity, lawlessness. Therefore, whosoever hears these sayings of Mine and does them, I will liken Him unto a wise man which built his house upon a rock. It's like with some that I've known, their lives were compartmentalized. They had to put on your preaching clothes and your church clothes, and you quote, do the work. And then you live your life over here like you're a member of the jet set. Well, that's not what Christianity is all about. It's laying down your life for one another. As I mentioned in the announcement session that we begin to see more and more evidence of you doing that. That's where we want to go. That's what we want to do. And we never want Jesus to say this to us. Verse 24, Therefore whosoever hears these sayings of Mine and does them, I will liken them unto a wise man who built his house upon a rock. The rain descended, the floods came, the winds blew, beat upon the house, it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock. And everyone that hears these sayings of Mine and does them, does them not, should be like another foolish man who built his house upon the sand. The rain descended, the floods came, the winds blew, beat upon that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it. And you can see why they said what they said in the last two verses. And it came to pass when Jesus had ended this saying, the people were astonished at his doctrine. He taught them as one having authority.

Some people might say that these people that Christ is talking about here are out in the world. But I don't think so. Are they casting out demons and doing all those great works? Well, some say they can exorcise demons. I know that in the case of the five foolish virgins, they had God's Spirit, it seems to say. It says their lamps were going out.

So at one time, they must have had some spark of God's Spirit, but they had quenched God's Spirit. You see, in many cases, obedience to the Spirit of the law goes far beyond just what is written. So much of the teaching, especially in the 20th century Church of God, focused on rulership, being kings and priests, being in charge, authority, being out front. For some, growing in grace and knowledge was equated with climbing the ladder. But they didn't understand growing in grace and knowledge. But these two concepts, that is, growing in grace and knowledge and climbing the ladder, are poles apart as far as the North Pole is and south from the South Pole, and the North and the South Pole have opposite polarities. So these are opposite concepts, growing in grace and knowledge, and on the other hand, quote, climbing the ladder. So God says, do what you do to please Him, not to impress others, so that you can, quote, climb the ladder. There is only one ladder to climb, and that one leads to God. Again, from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6, verse 1. In Matthew 6 and verse 1, Take heed that you do not your alms before men to be seen of them, otherwise you have no reward of your Father who is in heaven. Therefore, when you do your alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues, and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But when you do your alms, let not your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your alms may be in secret, your Father which sees in secret Himself, shall reward you openly. And when you pray, go into the closet and pray, not like the hypocrites do.

So many of the troubles we have had in the church over the years stem from not teaching the true path to greatness, and the true path that Jesus Christ laid out for us. In fact, as I alluded to earlier, I believe that one of the reasons why we have church leaders calling for a fast this weekend has to do with problems concerning leadership and ministry through the years that we have not learned the lessons I'm talking about today. And I wonder if we ever will. We're still plagued by the same affliction that the apostles were plagued with. What was that affliction that they were plagued with? And that's the apostles. This is before the day of Pentecost. Hopefully after Pentecost, these things changed. But even on the night before Jesus Christ was betrayed and then crucified the next daylight, they were arguing among themselves of who would be the greatest. Let's notice Matthew 20 and verse 20. Matthew 20, 20. Matthew 20, 20.

Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshiping him and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, What will you? She said unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit on your right hand and the other on the left in the kingdom. They need first and second place or second, third, whatever it is. But Jesus answered and said, You don't know what you're asking. Are you able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of and be baptized with the baptism that I'm baptized with? They said unto him, We are able.

He was speaking of the manner in which he would die that was crucifixion. And he said unto them, You shall drink of my cup, be baptized for the baptism that I'm baptized with. And according to tradition, they were all martyred. But to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.

And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two. They wouldn't do that. Oh, really? But Jesus called them unto him and said, You know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you, but whosoever will be great among you. Let him be your minister. That word minister has to do with really being a servant. In fact, one of the meanings given in commentary is to run through the dust for others.

You know what it's like to eat dust. It's a pretty gritty affair. And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant. Even as the Son of Man came not to be minister unto you, but to minister and give his life as a ransom for many. And I would say that to some degree, the ministry has failed in this. I would put myself among those. We have all come short of what we really should do. And we need to repent and apologize and go do the right thing.

Back in the late 90s, about the time that the first president was no longer president, at that time I was chairing the ministerial committee and education committee. And this went on into the 2000s. We developed a program called Christ-Centered Servant Leadership. Now, some of the people that are crying out today are some of the people who torpedoed that Christ-Centered Servant Leadership. I chaired the meeting in which it was officially adopted by the council. I think it was adopted, and there are some proceedings in which you have adoption without resolution.

Of course, don't fall into that trap, because oftentimes that's not properly recorded. But anyhow, we shouldn't have to be governed by the do's and don'ts of that anyhow. We should be Christ-Centered Servant Leaders. Paul writes in Ephesians 2 and 5, Let this mind be also in you, which was in Christ Jesus our Lord, who, and then it goes on to talk about, who humbled himself even to the ignominious death on the stake. Now, on the other hand, there are many who understand the way your matters of the law and do them.

So you do exercise judgment, mercy, and faith with God and your neighbor. You go before God, you judge yourself, say, I have sinned, you cry out for His mercy. If you repent, He's faithful and just to forgive you of all unrighteousness, and He says, Go walk in faith. Go walk humbly before Me. If there is disagreement between you and your brother, if you think he has ought against you, or if he has sinned against you, either way, the Scriptures say, Go be reconciled to your brother.

Say whatever you have to say. Judge the matter. Ask for mercy, forgiveness. Go walk in a reconciled position. So that's how God wants His children to be. Reconcile with Him and reconcile with one another. So there are a lot of people that understand what giving up self and becoming a living sacrifice means. The majority of these people are what some would call the little people. The widows, the widowers, the brothers and sisters who esteem others better than themselves.

They are the ones who, regardless of the action of others, have not strayed from the straight and narrow. They are the simians and annas of today. They are the simian and anna class who lived in the days of the scribes and the Pharisees. Let's notice Luke 2, verse 26. You know, I know some simians and annas. I would not place myself in that category. I believe I have a ways to go.

But I've known some and know some now who are in that class. The simian and the anna class. In Luke 2, verse 26.

And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Spirit that his simian, that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord Jesus. And he came by the Spirit in the temple, and when the parents sought him, the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, then took he up in his arms, he him up in his arm, and blessed God and said, Lord, now your servant, let him depart in peace. In other words, I'm ready to die. My mission here, the reason why I was living was to live to see this day, the Messiah. From mine eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared before the face of all people, the light to lighten the nations, and the glory of your people Israel. And Joseph and his mother marveled at these things which were spoken of him, and simian blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rise again of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be spoken against. Yes, a sword shall pierce through his very soul, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. And of course, Hebrews 4.12, the Word of God. And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of great age, had lived with her husband seven years, and from her virginity. And she was a widow for eighty-four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spoke of him to all that look for redemption in Jerusalem. So, what about us? Are we going to be in the Simeon and Anna class? You know, these are the men and women who silently serve in the shadows. They took heart to the meaning of pure religion and undefiled, visiting the widows and orphans and those in their affliction. So, brethren, may we all be of the Simeon and Anna class, and trod the path that our Savior trod. He forsook all after his Father sent him. As we trod that path, the world doesn't really know who we are. As the Apostle John writes in 1 John 3, 1 and 2, Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called the sons of God. Therefore, the world knows us not because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God. It does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him. See, God knows our hearts, our minds, as they say, inside out. He will turn us inside out for all the world to see if we don't humble ourselves and learn what true obedience is all about. I hope that we will really consider and meditate on what we discuss here today. So, Christ will say to us in that day, well done, good, faithful servant. You've been faithful over a few things. I will make you ruler over many things. Enter you into the joy of your Lord.