Worship Call 0644 Compatable environment

Robert, there's are always a way to return! Isaiah 55:6-7 Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. It was a bright Sunday morning in 18th century London, but Robert Robinson’s mood was anything but sunny. All along the street, there were people hurrying to church, but in the midst of the crowd, Robinson was a lonely man. The sound of church bells reminded him of years past when his faith in God was strong and the church was an integral part of his life. It had been years since he set foot in a church -- years of wandering, disillusionment, and gradual defection from the God he once loved. That love for God -- once fiery and passionate -- had slowly burned out within him, leaving him dark and cold inside. Robinson heard the clip-clop, clip-clop of a horse-drawn cab approaching behind him. Turning, he lifted his hand to hail the driver. But then he saw that the cab was occupied by a young woman dressed in finery for the Lord’s Day. He waved the driver on, but the woman in the carriage ordered the carriage to be stopped. "Sir, I’d be happy to share this carriage with you," she said to Robinson. "Are you going to church?" Robinson was about to decline, then he paused. "Yes," he said at last. "I am going to church." He stepped into the carriage and sat down beside the young woman. As the carriage rolled forward Robert Robinson and the woman exchanged introductions. There was a flash of recognition in her eyes when he stated his name. "That’s an interesting coincidence," she said, reaching into her purse. She withdrew a small book of inspirational verse, opened it to a ribbon bookmark, and handed the book to him. "I was just reading a verse by a poet named Robert Robinson. Could it be…?" He took the book, nodding. "Yes, I wrote these words years ago." "Oh, how wonderful!" she exclaimed. "Imagine! I’m sharing a carriage with the author of these very lines!" But Robinson barely heard her. He was absorbed in the words he was reading. They were words that would one day be set to music and become a great hymn of the faith, familiar to generations of Christians: Come, Thou Fount of every blessing, Tune my heart to sing Thy grace’ Streams of mercy, never ceasing, Call for songs of loudest praise. His eyes slipped to the bottom of the page where he read: Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it— Prone to leave the God I love; Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it for Thy courts above. He could barely read the last few lines through the tears that brimmed in his eyes. "I wrote these words—and I’ve lived these words. ’Prone to wander…prone to leave the God I love.’" The woman suddenly understood. "You also wrote, ’Here’s my heart, O take and seal it.’ You can offer your heart again to God, Mr. Robinson. It’s not too late." And it wasn’t too late for Robert Robinson. At that moment he turned his heart back to God and walked with him for the rest of his days. [Ron Lee Davis, Courage to Begin Again, (Harvest House, Eugene, OR; 1978), pp. 145-147] Robert, does this remind you of someone? Share this word ... perhaps our loving Father will use this message to bring a wayward soul back to Himself! Your family in the Lord with much agape love, George, Baht Rivka, Elianna & Obadiah Edgewater, Florida

And this is another fine day in the Lord

Adam and Esha was in perfect harmony with their Creator God. They lived in perfect environment. The Garden of God. IN the near eastern mindset Gardens and mountains were the places where the gods resided.

Adam was created from the dust of the earth. and when God breathed into his nostrils, he breathed the breath of lives. That his God gave life to the body, to the living soul, and to the living spirit. and then placed Adam into an environment that was compatible to his being.

When in Genesis 2 we find that they were both naked and not ashamed it suggests their perfection that they were indeed right with God. and Both were placed in an environment that was compatible to their spiritual condition.

After Man sinned against God, He died in spirit that very day. Man died spiritually. No longer was man a functional human being in regard to His relationship with the Lord God.

Man could longer remain in the garden with God. God being a loving father Provided the couple with clothing made of skins of animals and expelled the two from the garden. To add to it he placed Cherubim at the gate which prevented reentry into the garden.

So goes man, so goes his environment. where as man was to cultivate the earth and it was yield to the dominion ruler as man was to bring the earth to the place where it resembled Eden, now man would cultivate an environment that mirror his own depravity.

The ground would be cursed. The earth would produce thorns and thistles. And though there would come the splendor of kingdoms, Great kingdoms would be brought down by the total depravity of man.

No great nation has ever survived its prosperity.

why?

Because man is depraved destined to live only in an environment that is compatible to his depraved heart.

Point of Doctrine:

The environment is the product of the depraved heart of man.

As goes man’s relationship with God so goes his environment

Man longs to once again to live in perfect environment but such is impossible unless first the Spirit of Man can commune with Its creator.

there can be perfect environment without a relationship with God.

As God purposed the condition where He and man could commune in perfect harmony in the environment of God, God is actively engaged of bringing that which was ruined by the fall of man back into proper order.

God begins with the reestablishment of the man’s spiritual condition. that which was once dead is made alive through regeneration.

By grace God is free to accomplish for the guilty salvation. Salvation not only for man’s soul, but the environment by which that soul can once again enjoy God for every.

Jesus paid the ransom on Calvary. He took the payment for our sins. and when one through faith in the person and the work of Jesus Christ on his behalf believes in this risen Savior, this one becomes a child of light.

2 Corinthians 5:17–18 (NASB95) — 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,

We are now children of Light

1 Thessalonians 5:5 (NASB95) — 5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness;

Luke 16:8 (NASB95) — 8 “And his master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light.

John 17:15–19 (NASB95) — 15 “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. 16 “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. 18 “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.

We may have to come back to this verse when we come to talk about the truth.

We live in a world on earth now which is ruled by the evil one. And those who are apart from the children of light are the children of disobedience. Thus we live in the world which is not compatible to our position with our creator. But we do live in a spiritual environment that is.

1 John 1:5–7 (NASB95) — 5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

At the moment what we are born again, born as new Creatures in Christ we enter into this new environment. the Children of light lives and walks in an environment of light.

Like Eden, it has boundaries. Like Eden in obedience we are in Peace and harmony with our Lord. IN the Light we are in the Lord rest.

Hebrews 4:10–11 (NASB95) — 10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. 11 Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.

Our carnal nature with its lusts however seeks the good ole’ days when the inhibitions were set aside outside of the Authority of God. and this is the struggle.

Galatians 5:16–17 (NASB95) — 16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.

Romans 7:14–25 (NASB95) — 14 For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. 15 For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. 16 But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. 17 So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. 21 I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. 22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.

One is under one of two authorities

One is either walking in the light as children of light. within that light one is actively engaged under the empowerment of God the Holy Spirit in advancing forward to a place of Spiritual maturity.

Spiritual Maturity is the place where the believer in Christ Maximizes his life for Christ. It is in that environment that all that who you are brings glory to God’s holy name. Taking on the image of the Christ, your very person reflects the very spirit. Your productivity (good works) are maximized. Your discernment level for the truth is maximized. You walk in faith rest. and you are ready as Paul said he was ready to depart the body and be face to face with the Lord.

The other environment is that which we depart to when as believers we commit personal sin.

No, we do not lose our salvation.

we are still children of light, but now that light is being covered up.

Matthew 5:14–16 (NASB95) — 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.