Christ’s people—imitators of him

Hello and welcome to the Daily Grind podcast a Ministry of Faith Baptist Church the daily podcast Monday through Friday on our daily walk with Christ hosted by Stephen and Andy bits feel myself. Today. We're going to be using the Logos Bible Software as well as the 365 days of Spurgeon. If you don't have a Bible readily available, you can download the Logos Bible Software at lowes.com. It is completely free. However, the 365 days of Spurgeon is not it is totally optional. It is not required says text is on the panels throughout the podcast, but if they don't see the panels, they won't see it. And if you want to read it, you can get the book Andy what Bible version are we reading from? King James version King James version if you want to follow along with us just download that Bible app get the King James version and just follow along with us as we read word forward and we're going to go ahead and we're going to start off at the very first verse for today and the devotion which is April 29th devotion, and we price Charles Spurgeon title. This one has crisis people imitators of him. In 1855 he came up with this title and we're going to use it today in 2020 on April 29th from is Ephesians chapter 4 verse number 11 through 16. I'm going to have Andy here read as y'all listen, go ahead.

In Ephesians chapter 4 and verse number 11 and 316 Lucy and he gave some Apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and some teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the face and have the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man under the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ that we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carry it about with every wind of Doctrine by the spite of men and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. But speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things which is the head even Christ from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every in the measure of every part maketh increase of the body until the edifying of it fell in love.

What do you think of that right there? This is talk about this music versus here for a second. Will you think about that? Almost started off. These are one of my one of my favorite Parts is a passage. Okay, because it stalks your that and he gave some Apostles some prophets the sum of angles and some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the Saints perfecting of the Saints by teaching and by preaching and buy a Define like it says there later on the verse to be able to have them grow for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ to bring that body of Christ to people Till we all come in unity of faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the Statue of the fullness of Christ. That we henceforth be no children talk to afro and carry about with every wind of Doctrine by the sleigh of man in the cunning practice. Whereby they lie and wait to the seat. You got to get excited about this verse here for a second. I want to tell you why if you're a man of God, if you're a preacher God if you're if you're a person that stands in the Pulpit or if you're a teacher that teaches a Sunday school class or if you're a song leader that singing this song Sandy you are standing there charge and appointed by God to be able to stand away from the line and deceitfulness and all the other craziness that goes on this real tender charge to edify the Saints and to also perfect the Saints and to be a Ministry to the Saints we talk a lot. About reaching the lost here. We talked a lot about the sinner. But this verse Springs to the point of people of the church the people the church near the leader the people the church need a person that the preachers that teaches the word of God for our edification for our maturity for our growth. You just have to be thankful to understand to know it to have the pleasure of having a preacher. You know, there's probably churches today that do I have creatures.

Now you got to thank God that God called that man. And I said man called that man to come and stand in from behind a Pulpit and a preach to you the word of God not of his thoughts. But under the holy spirit in the power of God to preach that message to you and I think what I see from this verse is that the end from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth. Oh, I'm not. Yeah. I'm about to give me a sexual working in the measure of every part increase of the body into the edifying of itself in love from

I see that. The whole body Christ joined fitly together and compacted under the edifying of itself in love. So from that I see that God has cycled it to where God Saves us the preachers teachers and then we go out and edify Christ in love and start the whole cycle over again. However, focus on the word fitly Because if you think about it, you know, if you're a healthy normal, you know person if human being your joints work in unison with each other. But at some point you overwork one part and it gets tired and it could sore and it doesn't work fitly and I also think that's something important if the creature is working too much say the priest like in the preacher to a heart at the heart works too much. You could have a heart attack or the body can have a heart attack and the body May recover from the heart attack the body may not recover from the heart attack, but it slows down the entire working of the body. If one part of the body is pushed too far, which means the entire body has to work in measure of every part according to the effectual working in the measure of every part every part has to work effectively which means every part needs to be working towards working with every other part of the body affect. Let me just bring it to a head.

That which is the head even Christ so that body has to work together. But the head is Jesus Christ. Now, let me tell you something and you probably know this as well as the all the other listeners are listening right now what controls the body that had the brains? So if you don't have that head on that body, which is Jesus Christ is not going to work. It's not going to be fitly joined together like you just Illustrated to the audience right now works together, but you have to have that head which is Christ. So if they're looking at other places of other knowledge of other doctrine of other craziness that's out there. And they fill their head up with that. They're not going to be fitly joined together or also, I think that

The body can work without its head for a certain. Of time. When I've seen this when you kill a snake and you chop off its head. You can't go anywhere near the snake's mouth because it's reflexes will still bite you and you'll still get poison. Its body still works. It's still moves without its head for up to 24 hours at snake can still move without its head. It's not living but it is moving which if you again metaphor it to the body of Christ if we take Christ out of the equation and chop off the head of the body of Christ and the church We could in ourselves trick ourselves than in into thinking that we are still working credit when in reality we are dead and I think that is something that's very important or absolute. That's another good analogy right there and knowing that you can only go by your own will for so long until my so unique rice to carry you through and if you are joining this podcast for the very first time, this is my son. Andy is my comment or sidekick in this podcast and he's a folder of your handy 16 16 16 years of men a man. Are you a man yet now they were going on to the next subject. All right. There is Charles Spurgeon there on the left the title. The message is Crisis people imitators of him. It is an excerpt of a sermon that he delivered. On the morning of April 29th 1855. He delivered it and extra Hall and Strand and just want to tell you that this is an excerpt. I know I say this every time because some people say well that's that's got to be the shortest creature I've ever heard no National message anywhere from 7 to 10 pages long. It is really just Justin Exar. So I'm going to go ahead and read begin and read I will ever maintain that by Grace we are saved and not by ourselves, but equally must I testified that where the grace of God it will produce fitting Deeds. To these I am ever bound to exhort you while you are ever expected to have a good works for necessary purposes again, I do not when I do not when I say that a Believer should be a striking likeness of Jesus suppose that anyone Christian will perfectly exhibit all the features of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and yet my brother and the fact that Perfection is beyond our reach should not diminish the Adorn of our desire. The artist when he painted knows exactly knows right? Well that he shall not be able to excel at Pelias, which was for Century painter for Alexander the Great just as a side note, but this does not discourage him. He uses his brush with all the greater pains that he met at least in some humble measure resembled the Great Master. So the sculpture through persuade persuaded that he will not he will not rival practice practice teas. Lea switch was a sculpture in the mid for century. Well who who out the Marvel still and seek to be as near the model as possible? Just so the Christian man through he feels he never can amount to the height of complete excellence and perceives that he never can on Earth become the exact image of Christ still holds it up before him and measures his own deficiencies by the distance between himself and Jesus. Will he do forgetting all he has a stained he will press forward crying Excelsior going upward still Desiring to be conformed more and more to the image of Jesus Christ and Charles Spurgeon use this verse at the beginning of the his his sermon Acts chapter 4 verse number 13 when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men they marveled and they took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus. So it brings us to the point that Charles has is saying that we are not. perfect like Christ

We're not perfect. but every day every step We strive to be better and better and more like price now Christians are few pupils in the master class of the Supreme Master. Meaning that we are in the Supreme classroom. Right now. We have the Supreme class in our teacher is the master which is Jesus Christ.

We get to be able to be at the the pews of the greatest churches in America or wherever you may be listening to the word of God being preached in. This is a moment where we need to realize that sit down and take seriousness of what

Also when we have our devotions by tear or when we read our Bible on our own we need to take note. We need to open our minds and open our hearts and strain to hear what the word of God is telling us. You know before when I my wife and I first got married. What's the common thing where we people in churches had their Bible and they had a notebook and they had a pin and they used to take notes of the pastor giving the sermon. And I remember, you know, taking those notes and coming home and being excited and you know, sometimes the preacher go really fast and I didn't know and I missed a verse and I just scribbled it down on the side of my notebook and I'll go home and I'll look at that verse that's in that chapter in that verse and I'll look it up in the Bible and I'll try to catch up with the sermon.

Because it was important.

To know what God was doing in that church that day that message that God put upon that pastors heart to deliver. And we have the pleasure of being in that master's class with ourselves with him every single day when you open up the word of God and you sit there. You're opening up insane like class begin. Nike Rouge that in your Bible studies and your reading take notes. There's many times I go back to a journal where I would have read another passage of scripture and I'll go into that forced into my journal and then my notebook and I'll see what note I put down your maybe it was a year before a couple years before a decade before but you know, I would not have that Insight if I did not continue to take notes and strive and study to be better to know from the master.

You know, it's kind of sad today. that Are there still people that drop out of? Public school or private school and they never go back. Because I feel that they're defeated. But also you must remember there are still students out there and I say everyone's always a student there are students still out there that go back to school and stay and continue their studies to receive a diploma. One day when we go up to heaven. We're going to receive the best diploma ever and it's going to be from Jesus Christ and good-by faithful servant. And it's going to be a time of rejoicing and if this going to be the biggest graduation party you've ever seen I don't know about whites and smoke and y'all trades, but it'll be the best time. CR&R graduation doesn't end while we're sure on this Earth we continue on in the classroom every single day. You may say well I was tardy yesterday for class with my savior. Just like you're tardy in school. Go back the next day. Tell your teacher Jesus. Sorry I missed yesterday. I put something else before you I had that doctor's appointment. And get back into class again. See, it's not a record-keeping thing. Were you say well I've missed so much class. I'll never make up for forgetting the grace. God gives you that Grace. And he will listen to you. All it takes is for you to step forward and seeing Jesus. I'm sorry I missed it in reading my Bible. I'm sorry. I didn't pray.

And by that Grace you are forgiven.

It is important to realize that every day is a new day for class. Don't be discouraged. Don't lose that motivation. Don't lose that desire because that is a that is something that we need to deal with and turn it all over to the Lord. Through his strength we continue and let me say that again A lot of times people say why I am so disciplined that I just I'm so disciplined. I just wake up and I just read the Bible before my first cup of coffee or before I have my first meal and what happens usually maps of those types of people there.

You see when you go like what Andy was saying that the body is jointly fit together the whole body moves with the head of Christ. And you're realizing that you're not having that Bible time or you're not taking those are you're not going to church that head is is not there moving your body organ diventures Ali.

Die in the sense of you're not going to be motivated to read or to go to church. If you go back into it and get that the head of Jesus back onto your body. All your joints will start moving together once again.

Don't be hard on yourself. Like I mentioned about that disciplined individual. Don't think that you have to be perfect. You can't for none is not righteous. No, not one. But we strive to be more christ-like everyday and I'm close it out with this verse in John chapter number 13 verses 12 through 15. So after he had wash their feet and he had taken his garments and was sat down again. He said unto them know you what I have done to you. You called him master and Lord and you say well for so mi for so I am if I then your Lord and Master have washed your feet. He also ought to wash one another's feet for I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you and that's a beautiful stration of servant leadership right there of itself. you see we're not just for each other, but we're for and we were. Just for ourselves to make sure we continue on our walk with Christ but also for others. When's the last time you had another brother or sister with you? And you discipled them are you helped them and you went over the scriptures with them and you talked to talk to them about the Baptist distinctives or the you know the different? the different meanings within the Bible

have that class or someone comes up to you. And so will your brother or sister? What does tithing mean and you have that time of which is called The Learning points be able to explain to other people what it says from the Bible what it says about tithing what this is about giving what it says about being a husband what it says about being a wife a son or a daughter A Boss a subordinate a follower all those things with our within the Bible. When's the last time you pulled someone else by their hand and help them? You see it's not just us. It's just not our walk with Christ, but it's also with others and helping them and edify the Saints like it said earlier. To be able to give them sometimes the milk and sometimes the meat as they grow and maturity for Christ. I hope you enjoyed today's broadcast. We do encourage you, please please please share this podcast share it to as many other Christians that you know, either by Facebook buy Twitter by texting bye I just whoever you'd believe this message will be a blessing to them. And also comment if you're on one of the meaning or however, you get your podcast, if you don't mind just give a rating and be able to give it some comments down there at the bottom of the page just to let us know how we're doing all so you can ride us directly at are at our church, which is Faith Baptist. El Paso. Org Faith Baptist. El Paso. Org you can emails directly there or you can join our online community, which is a private virtual community at faithlife.com forward slash Faith. El Paso just asked to join our church Community there you can go in there. It's just like a church except it's virtual. Can you get to talk to us directly you get to see what other things are offered. If you don't belong to a church, we have a live streaming. Are we have a virtual Bible studies right now? We have we have a recommended movies. We have radio music. That's that's that is a blessing for your home. You have all those things that are available to you, especially during this time of covid. Also you can find us on Facebook Facebook has a group as Faith, El Paso, and we hope to hear from you. And again, if you have any questions, please contact us and Faith Baptist Church. God bless good day.