Episode 10
His Words First – The Key to True Christian Unity
Takeaways:
- The podcast emphasizes that the teachings of Jesus are paramount for fostering unity among Christians, as divisions often stem from interpretations rather than his actual words.
- Listeners are urged to reflect on the degree to which their beliefs are founded on Jesus's words rather than human interpretations or church traditions.
- The discussion highlights the alarming number of Christian denominations worldwide, questioning whether Jesus would recognize the divisions present in the church today.
- Unity among believers is presented as a reflection of the nature of the Trinity, suggesting that genuine oneness is essential to the Christian faith.
- The episode critiques the tendency of churches to prioritize personal preferences and traditions over the teachings of Jesus, advocating for a return to his message.
- The speakers call for a radical shift towards prioritizing the words of Jesus, asserting that this focus can heal divisions within the church.
For more information and to help us GET THE WORD OUT - visit our website! https://WDJSBOOKPROJECT.COM
Transcript
Welcome to Freedom Through Faith and the Red Letter Crusade where the words of Jesus take center stage.
Speaker A:Join us as we bring healing, unity and clarity to your walk with God by focusing on one thing.
Speaker A:What did Jesus say now?
Speaker A:Now let's join Pastor Robert Thibodeau for the Red Letter Crusade.
Speaker A:Because when it comes to understanding the entire Bible, his words matter.
Speaker B:Hello everyone everywhere.
Speaker B:Pastor Bob Thibodeau here.
Speaker B:Welcome Freedom through faith.
Speaker B:Glory to God.
Speaker B:We are so blessed that you're joining us today.
Speaker B:We got us.
Speaker B:Oh, I've been looking forward to this session all week long.
Speaker B:Praise God.
Speaker B:Let's go to Lord with a word of prayer.
Speaker B:We going to jump right into today's Bible study.
Speaker B:Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus, we come before your throne this day.
Speaker B:Your throne of grace and of mercy.
Speaker B:Thanking you, praising you.
Speaker B:Oh for loving us so much that you gave Jesus to be the sacrifice for our sins.
Speaker B:Father, we thank you that you loved us so much.
Speaker B:You did that for us and then raised him up from the dead so he'd be our king forever.
Speaker B:And we thank you Jesus that you've given us your life that dwells within us.
Speaker B:And now, Lord, we ask for your wisdom and your understanding to be imparted to us through the Holy Spirit during our Bible study this day, Lord, that we can lift up your word and serve you now and forevermore.
Speaker B:And we just give you all honor, all glory, all praise for all things, Father, in Jesus name, Amen and amen.
Speaker B:Praise God.
Speaker B:We have your Bibles.
Speaker B:Turn with me to John chapter 17.
Speaker B:John chapter 17.
Speaker B:I want to start in verse 8.
Speaker B:I'm not going to read the whole thing.
Speaker B:We're going to look at verse eight and then we're going to shift a little bit.
Speaker B:But today we're going to be studying about his words first.
Speaker B:The true key to Christian unity.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:That's what we're going to focus on today.
Speaker B:John 17, verse 8.
Speaker B:For I've given to them.
Speaker B:This is Jesus speaking to the Father.
Speaker B:He's praying to to the Father for us, for his disciples through.
Speaker B:Through them to us, right?
Speaker B:I've given to them the words which you've given me.
Speaker B:And they have received them.
Speaker B:And they know surely that I came out from you and they have believed that you sent me.
Speaker B:Now go over to verse number 20.
Speaker B:And I'm not praying for these alone, but for them also.
Speaker B:What shall believe on me through through their word.
Speaker B:Now he's not equating their words with the authority of his words.
Speaker B:He just said in verse 8.
Speaker B:I've given them your word.
Speaker B:They received it.
Speaker B:Now they're going to go spread the gospel and other people will believe on me because of what they're saying.
Speaker B:That's what they're saying.
Speaker B:That's what he's saying here.
Speaker B:That they all may be one, as you, Father, in me, I in you.
Speaker B:That they also may be one in us.
Speaker B:So that the world may believe that you have sent me, and the glory which you gave me, I've given them that they may be one, even as we are one.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Praise God.
Speaker B:Jesus did not mince words.
Speaker B:He didn't go off on idle, you know, rants and all this.
Speaker B:If he said something, he expected it to come to pass.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:And that's what we're going to focus on today as well.
Speaker B:Amen.
Speaker B:Praise God.
Speaker B:Just as Jesus is in the Father, through him, we're in the Father.
Speaker B:Hallelujah.
Speaker B:Now let me ask you this.
Speaker B:Would Jesus recognize today the church he established?
Speaker B:Would he see a people united in faith, love and a mission, or a body basically torn apart by divisions and doctrinal differences and denominational rivalries?
Speaker B:Here's a sobering fact.
Speaker B:Look it up.
Speaker B:Google it if you want.
Speaker B:As of today.
Speaker B:As of right now, today there's an estimated 45,000 Christian denominations worldwide.
Speaker B:45,000.
Speaker B:There's over 200 different denominations just in the United States of America alone.
Speaker B:And yet every single one of them claims to be following the same Bible and the same Jesus and the same Great Commission.
Speaker B:Praise God.
Speaker B:How is that possible?
Speaker B:Why can't we agree on anything?
Speaker B:Why do some churches emphasize faith alone, while others insist that works play a vital role in salvation?
Speaker B:Then there's some that believe in predestination only of you ain't part of us.
Speaker B:You ain't got nothing right.
Speaker B:Why do some churches believe in baptizing infants, while others say only adult believers should be baptized?
Speaker C:Huh?
Speaker B:Why do.
Speaker B:Why do some churches take communion as the literal body and blood of Christ, while others see it as symbolic remembrance?
Speaker B:Why do some believe in a.
Speaker B:A Her.
Speaker B:Well, almost said.
Speaker B:Never mind.
Speaker B:I won't say what I was going to say.
Speaker B:The hierarchy, level of church authority, while others hold to every believer is really their own priest.
Speaker B:And in almost every single circumstance, they believe they're right.
Speaker B:And if you don't believe the exact same way, you are lost.
Speaker B:And I say again, 45,000 denominations all claiming to be reading the same Bible.
Speaker B:Folks, the differences here are endless.
Speaker B:Just drop my Bible.
Speaker B:The differences here are so numerous.
Speaker B:But here's the bigger question.
Speaker B:And really, if you get right down to brass tacks.
Speaker B:Is this what Jesus wanted?
Speaker B:I mean, it's fascinating when.
Speaker B:When Jesus prayed for his disciples before going to the cross, his final prayer was not about theology, church, government, you know, who's going to be in charge, or doctrines.
Speaker B:It wasn't about denominations, it wasn't about worship styles or the structure of a Sunday service.
Speaker B:No, in my research on this, most authorities on the subject agree that the last words someone shares with you before they pass away are quite literally the last thing they feel they need to convey to you.
Speaker B:So most people, that's why in a court of law, remember, I'm big on that aspect, a dying confession is admissible without cross examination.
Speaker B:That's how serious it's taken.
Speaker B:Okay, so most people will last, use the last energy that they have to only say something they deem to be important.
Speaker B:And this is especially true for people who had important roles in history, like leaders of nations and our example Jesus.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Praise God.
Speaker B:So what was Jesus focus on?
Speaker B:His last discussion with the disciples?
Speaker B:His prayer was for unity, that they may be one as we are one.
Speaker B:Jesus didn't pray for his people to be intellectual theologians.
Speaker B:He didn't pray for them to be rigid traditionalists.
Speaker B:He didn't pray for them to become political warriors in the landscape.
Speaker B:He prayed for oneness, a unity so deep that it would reflect the very nature of the Trinity itself.
Speaker B:But today, really, instead of unity, what do we see?
Speaker B:We see endless debates over doctrine.
Speaker B:Instead of a oneness, what do we see?
Speaker B:We see church splits, denominational rivalries, even in the same denomination, right?
Speaker B:I mean, you got the Independent Baptist and you got the First Baptist and the Southern Baptist and all, you know, even within the same denominations, you got rivalries and division.
Speaker B:We she.
Speaker B:We see church splits and denominational rivalries across the board.
Speaker B:Instead of being one body in one church, what do we see?
Speaker B:The body of Christ fractured into thousands of competing factions and arguing over who's right.
Speaker B:It's not supposed to be that way, folks.
Speaker B:In light of what we just learned, I believe a more correct statement would be arguing over who's wrong the least.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Now here's where it's going to get uncomfortable for you.
Speaker B:Is it possible that we are divided because we've built our churches more on the human interpretations of Jesus rather than on what Jesus himself said?
Speaker B:Think about it.
Speaker B:How much of what you believe comes.
Speaker B:Yes, Lord.
Speaker B:How much of what you believe comes from what you've been taught about Jesus instead of directly from what Jesus said?
Speaker B:The red letter words of Jesus.
Speaker B:Think about it.
Speaker B:How much comes from church tradition, how much comes from the letters of Paul filtered through the lens of theologians over centuries?
Speaker B:If you wanted to know what, let's just say if you want to know, if you wanted to know what Donald Trump was really like, are you going to listen to the news outlets?
Speaker B:Are you going to listen to political experts from either side of the aisle?
Speaker B:Are you going to listen to those who studied him?
Speaker B:I mean, you could do that, and that would be a good starting point.
Speaker B:But who's the ones who really, really, really know him?
Speaker B:That'd be his immediate family, followed by his very close friends.
Speaker B:Outside of that, who else would give you a good inside glimpse into his real life?
Speaker B:Well, outside of those very close sources, you could look at his writings, you could study his speeches, you could study transcripts of his conversations he's had.
Speaker B:These all would be admissible in any court as evidence.
Speaker B:Remember how I keep teaching on the grand jury presentation of evidence?
Speaker B:All of this is direct evidence.
Speaker B:Opinions of friends, pundits, newscasters.
Speaker B:All of that will be declared as hearsay, secondhand evidence, third hand evidence, and not allowed unless it could be backed up by direct evidence.
Speaker B:Things he said himself.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:So let me say this again, let me ask you again.
Speaker B:Think about how much of what you believe comes from what you've been taught about Jesus instead of directly from what Jesus said in the red letter words.
Speaker B:How much of what you've been taught comes from church traditions?
Speaker B:How much comes from the letters of Paul filtered through the lens of the theologians, multiple theologians.
Speaker B:Over the centuries, numerous books and traditions have been built on what people taught about Jesus.
Speaker B:But how many of these groups simply set aside everything else and say, why don't we just focus on what Jesus said?
Speaker B:If there is a division about what we should do, Remember a few years back, the best selling book, what Would Jesus Do?
Speaker B:Well, we finally have the answer, don't we?
Speaker B:It's what did Jesus say?
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:And if you want to know what we should do, just go and find out what Jesus said you should do.
Speaker B:I mean, you know, you know I've been promoting this book, right?
Speaker B:What did Jesus Say?
Speaker B:Because, folks, it has transformed our ministry into what I believe is going to be impacting this world like never before as I focus on bringing clarity and unity to the body of Christ, healing the divisions among churches and denominations, all by bringing our focus back into one thing.
Speaker B:What did Jesus say?
Speaker B:The red letter words of unity that Jesus taught all of us.
Speaker B:Well, now, brother Bob, that, that sounds a little Too simplistic to me.
Speaker B:What if there's an argument about, you know, something that Jesus didn't talk about?
Speaker B:Maybe, you know, what time should we do our church services, huh?
Speaker B:What do you got to say about that?
Speaker B:Jesus didn't start.
Speaker B:He didn't say start at 8:30 or 11, did he?
Speaker B:You're missing the point.
Speaker B:Amen.
Speaker B:All right, let's.
Speaker B:Let's the Holy Spirit drop that question in there.
Speaker B:We're just going to go.
Speaker B:I'm just going to go right into it.
Speaker B:Let's take it head on.
Speaker B:Just to show you that the answer is always, always about what Jesus taught.
Speaker B:Now listen to me now.
Speaker B:When faced with disagreements, even over seemingly small matters like what time to hold church service, the key is to ask, what did Jesus say and how can we apply his words to this situation?
Speaker B:Now, to answer this question, let's see how we should respond to something like that.
Speaker B:Okay?
Speaker B:Since Jesus never directly addressed church service times, you have to look at his red letter words to find principles that guide decision making in areas where Scripture is basically silent.
Speaker B:Jesus cares about the heart over rituals.
Speaker B:Matter of fact, let's turn to John chapter four.
Speaker B:John chapter four.
Speaker B:I believe that's where it's at.
Speaker B:John chapter four.
Speaker B:I believe it's verse 34.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:23.
Speaker B:I'm sorry, 23.
Speaker B:Here it is right here.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker B:And let's read down.
Speaker B:Okay, we'll read 23 and 20.
Speaker B:John chapter 4, verse 23 and 24.
Speaker B:The hour comes.
Speaker B:Now is when true worshipers.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker B:True worshipers.
Speaker B:Not fake worshipers.
Speaker B:True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth.
Speaker B:For the Father seeks such to worship him.
Speaker B:For God is a spirit.
Speaker B:They that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Speaker B:Now these are the kind of worshipers the Father's looking for.
Speaker B:Amen, Spirit and in truth.
Speaker B:So the takeaway here, Jesus doesn't just emphasize the time or location of worship.
Speaker B:He emphasizes the heart and the spirit in which we worship.
Speaker B: in the morning or: Speaker B:Because Jesus wants unity, not division over logistics.
Speaker B:John, chapter 17.
Speaker B:We've started with the scripture, verse 20.
Speaker B:My prayer.
Speaker B:This is Jesus pray.
Speaker B:My prayer is.
Speaker B:This is.
Speaker B:Jesus's prayer is not for his disciples alone.
Speaker B:My prayer is not for them alone.
Speaker B:But I pray for those who will believe in me through their messages.
Speaker B:What's Brother Bob doing today?
Speaker B:I'm using the red letter words of the Bible to deliver a message.
Speaker B:That's what we need to be doing, right?
Speaker B:Praise God.
Speaker B:He says that they all may be one Father.
Speaker B:Unity in the Father, just as you are in me and I in you.
Speaker B:That's what Jesus is praying for.
Speaker B:Instead of arguing over times, the focus should be how can we serve one another in love.
Speaker B:Church leaders should approach disagreements with a servant's heart, not personal preferences.
Speaker B:So instead of demanding one service time over another, leaders, leaders should serve the needs of the congregation.
Speaker B:You may have a group of people in your church that for whatever.
Speaker B:I can't even think of an example right now because my law enforcement background, I could use that.
Speaker B:Where they have to be to work at a certain time.
Speaker B:Maybe, you know, your ministry is to law enforcement, firefighters, first responders and things like that.
Speaker B:And they work, you know, schedules where, you know, they don't get a chance to negotiate what time they're going to be coming to work.
Speaker B:Put it like that.
Speaker B:All right.
Speaker B:And a good chunk of your church membership may be such that they're working from seven to three.
Speaker B:So for them, a better church service time would be in the evening.
Speaker B:See what I'm saying?
Speaker B:Whatever helps serve your congregation.
Speaker B:Just because the traditional church Services start at 9 o' clock in the morning doesn't mean that you got to do that.
Speaker B:Not when 80% of your congregation and their families are first responders and they on Sundays, they're not going to get off work to three o'.
Speaker B:Clock.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:So for you, you may hold a church service at 9:30 in the morning and then you do another one at five o' clock at night.
Speaker B:There's so different ways.
Speaker B:The point I'm trying to get to is you need to serve the needs of the congregation and seek a solution that benefits the most people.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B: Jesus said in Matthew: Speaker B:All your heart, all your soul, all your mind.
Speaker B:That's the first and greatest commandment.
Speaker B:The second one is love your neighbor as yourself.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:What time a service is?
Speaker B:The time of a service is not a salvation issue.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Thank you, Lord.
Speaker B:The time of the service is not a salvation issue.
Speaker B:It is a logistics issue, a question of logistical preferences.
Speaker B:You could hold a church service at 4 o' clock in the morning if you wanted to hold a service that gets all your first responders in for a quick service and then off to work.
Speaker B:But if choosing 8:30 helps some and 11 helps others, then love should be the guiding decision rather than personal opinions.
Speaker B:Just get away from the traditions.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Jesus taught the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
Speaker B: am versus an: Speaker B:He'd be more concerned about the hearts of those who actually attend.
Speaker B:Ah, don't shut me down.
Speaker B:I'm preaching.
Speaker B:Good now.
Speaker B:Praise God.
Speaker B:We're on a roll, Jesus.
Speaker B:Jesus would like us to prioritize unity over traditions and preferences.
Speaker B:Jesus would tell leaders, serve the people, not demand your own way.
Speaker B:Jesus, remind us that worship is about spirit and truth, not a schedule.
Speaker B:If a church is arguing over what time to hold services, the real issue isn't the time.
Speaker B:The real issue is whether we're putting his words first or letting our personal preferences and traditions cause unnecessary division in the church.
Speaker B:Oh, Amen.
Speaker B:Praise God.
Speaker B:You missed a good spot to shout Amen right there.
Speaker B:Praise God.
Speaker B:Thank you, Jesus, for that, but that's still a good question.
Speaker B:Praise God.
Speaker B:But do you see how just off top of my head, we went on to see what did Jesus say?
Speaker B:And allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us down a path that brought us to a great answer.
Speaker B:Amen.
Speaker B:Glory to God.
Speaker B:Hallelujah.
Speaker B:Jesus said, Matthew 6:33, Seek first his kingdom, his righteousness.
Speaker B:All these other things will be given to us as well.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:So the best solution, seek unity, listen to one another, then make the decision based on what serves the congregation best, not personal opinions.
Speaker B:And if those who don't like the decision refuse to come?
Speaker B:You made the decision on what was best for most of your congregation, the people.
Speaker B:You know, I believe it was President Lincoln.
Speaker B:I remember right.
Speaker B:I think it was.
Speaker B:President Lincoln once said, you can please some of the people all of the time.
Speaker B:You can please all of the people some of the time, but you'll never please all of the people all of the time.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:That pretty well sums it up, doesn't it?
Speaker B:So there.
Speaker B:See, we came to a positive solution to something you don't find in the Bible being addressed directly.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker B:That's just one example.
Speaker B:Have we perhaps, perhaps without even realizing it, built Christianity on interpretations of Christ rather than Christ himself?
Speaker B:It's time to ask a difficult but necessary question.
Speaker B:If we went back to the words of Jesus, his actual teachings, would the church look different today?
Speaker B:Would we still be this divided as we are today?
Speaker B:This sermon is not about tearing down theology, don't get me wrong on it, or questioning the importance of doctrines.
Speaker B:Doctrines matter.
Speaker B:Theology matters.
Speaker B:But Jesus's words matter more.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:So today I invite you to set aside denominational loyalty for a Minute I invite you to lay down preconceived notions of theology and just ask, what did Jesus actually say?
Speaker B:Because if unity was the final prayer of Jesus before going to the cross, shouldn't it be our priority too?
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Hallelujah.
Speaker B:Now let's dive into why the church is divided today, how we got here, and most importantly, how we get back to the unity Jesus so desperately prayed for.
Speaker B:And it all starts with one simple but radical idea.
Speaker B:How about we put his words first?
Speaker B:Let's look at how did we get here, where we're at right now.
Speaker B:Because the early church folks was not born out of division.
Speaker B:The book of Acts describes one body of believers devoted to the apostles teachings, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer.
Speaker B:They were of one heart and one mind.
Speaker B:That's Acts 4:32.
Speaker B:They had no denominations, they had no competing factions.
Speaker B:They just focused on the words and teachings of Jesus.
Speaker B:So where do we get things so wrong?
Speaker B:Division crept into the church for many reasons, but three key factors stand out.
Speaker B:The elevation of doctrine, right, doctrinal debates over Jesus's teachings, the pursuit of power, control, and the influence of culture and politics on the church.
Speaker B:So let's look at the first one.
Speaker B:Divisions that stem from theological disputes that prioritize interpretations of what Jesus said over the actual words that Jesus said.
Speaker B: ou call it, back in the what,: Speaker B:It wasn't sparked because people were rejecting Jesus, but because they were reacting to doctrinal errors and the corruption of the institutional church itself.
Speaker B:Martin Luther's faith alone doctrine became the defining battle cry against the Catholic emphasis on faith plus works.
Speaker B:While Luther's protest that was justified, the unintended consequence was that different interpretations of Paul's letters became more important than the actual clear teachings of Jesus.
Speaker B:And over time, Paul's writings, his deeply theological and complex ideas became the foundation of entire doctrinal systems, overshadowing and overpowering the simple but powerful commands of Jesus already.
Speaker B:Now I've already taught that Paul did not override any of Jesus's teachings.
Speaker B:He expounded on them.
Speaker B:Okay?
Speaker B:His background, as we said before, was that of a Pharisee.
Speaker B:He was trying to prove to the Jews first, then the Gentiles that Jesus is the Son of God, the long awaited for Messiah.
Speaker B:With his background in the law and the prophets, what we now call the Old Testament, he could use Old Testament scriptures to prove Jesus is who he said he is and was.
Speaker B:Amen.
Speaker B:So why is that important to understand, Brother Bob?
Speaker B:Because Christians did not write The Old Testament.
Speaker B:Oh, you didn't know that?
Speaker B:He didn't realize that the Old Testament was written by and given to the Jewish people.
Speaker B:Christians, for lack of a better word, stole it from the Jews.
Speaker B:They claim it as their own, putting it into their Bible.
Speaker B:Ah, don't shut me down preaching.
Speaker B:Good.
Speaker B:Praise God.
Speaker B:That's exactly what happened.
Speaker B:Again, without going in all the details, basically the Catholic Church said it belonged in the Bible, and in the Bible it goes.
Speaker B:And so it was right, and it should be okay.
Speaker B:I'm not disputing that at all, because that's the foundation.
Speaker B:What's to say the Old Testament is the New Testament concealed and the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:So it should be there.
Speaker B:But what I'm trying to share with you is that Paul was an expert in what?
Speaker B:The law.
Speaker B:The law.
Speaker B:And because Paul was also a Roman citizen by birth, he had unprecedented access to travel wherever he wanted to go.
Speaker B:He could go into Gentile lands and talk to the leaders of society.
Speaker B:He could relate to both sides of the aisle, so to speak.
Speaker B:But notice he first went to the Jewish people who rejected him, so then he went to the Gentiles.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:And because he was an expert at the Jewish law and from the time he spent in Arabia, which, you know, I believe he was clarifying in his own mind over those three years, he was digging into everything he could find and trying to reference and all this to Jesus.
Speaker B:He was just clarifying everything in his own mind of what he knew of the law and the prophets and what he could learn about Jesus and compare him.
Speaker B:I mean, intellectually and theologically.
Speaker B:He was able to now interpret this for the Gentiles and still be able to argue his case before the Jews as well.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:We're getting a little off track here.
Speaker B:So let's bring it back around to the topic for today.
Speaker B:Glory to God.
Speaker B:Which is the topic of healing these divisions in our church today.
Speaker B:And that was the first point all this time.
Speaker B:And I'm on point number one.
Speaker B:Okay, well, division based on theological issues and interpretations.
Speaker B:Now let's go move on to point number two.
Speaker B:That's the pursuit of power and control that created more division than theological disagreements ever could.
Speaker B:In the early centuries of Christianity, church leaders were servants to the people.
Speaker B:But as Christianity spread and became institutionalized under Roman rule, leadership positions became coveted seats of authority.
Speaker B:I mean, the leaders, they try to cozy up to the political leaders of the day.
Speaker B:They were trying to elevate their own status, mainly for protection.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:But also, let's Just call it for the admiration of the people.
Speaker B: The Great schism of the year: Speaker B:It was a political struggle between Rome and Constantinople over the control.
Speaker B:Hear me now, the control of the church.
Speaker B:The Protestant Reformation wasn't just about theology.
Speaker B:It was also about a rebellion against papal authority and church corruption.
Speaker B:Even today, many denominational disputes are more about who gets to be in charge rather than what Jesus actually said.
Speaker B:When leadership becomes about control rather than servanthood, division's inevitable third point.
Speaker B:Praise God.
Speaker B:The culture and politics have shaped the church as much as Scripture has.
Speaker B:Throughout history, governments, kings, political leaders have influenced Christian doctrine and Christian practices.
Speaker B:For example, the Anglican Church was created not because of a theological revelation, but because King Henry VIII wanted a divorce.
Speaker B:So they created a whole new denomination.
Speaker B:American tongue tied here.
Speaker B:American denominationalism exploded after the American Revolution.
Speaker B:Why?
Speaker B:Well, as churches embrace the new freedoms and began forming around personal interpretations of the Bible, today, culture still dictates church divisions.
Speaker B:Whether it's debate over women in ministry, over political affiliation, or modern social issues, you'll find a church bending to the whims of that particular thought processes.
Speaker B:Oh, yeah, I can guarantee it.
Speaker B:If you're honest with yourself, you can look, you can see it too.
Speaker B:If you can't see it right now, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal it to you.
Speaker B:I guarantee that you'll see it.
Speaker B:So how could I say this, Lord, we often.
Speaker B:We oftentimes will filter, I guess.
Speaker B:Yeah, that's a good word.
Speaker B:We oftentimes will filter scripture through our cultural lens instead of filtering our culture through the lens of Jesus's words.
Speaker B:Oh, that's good.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:That brings us to our next point, though.
Speaker B:The tragic results of division.
Speaker B:Because division is not just an inconvenience, it's a direct contradiction to Jesus's commands.
Speaker B:Worse still, it damages the witness of the church to the world.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Praise God.
Speaker B: Jesus said in John: Speaker B:How?
Speaker B:If you have love.
Speaker B:One for another.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:That's pretty simple and straightforward, isn't it?
Speaker B:But what does the world see when they look at the Christian church today?
Speaker B:They see a body that argues with itself.
Speaker B:I know you've seen cartoons or something like that where, you know, hand will be fighting with another hand or slapping the guy's face.
Speaker B:You know, that's what the world sees the church doing.
Speaker B:A body that argues against itself.
Speaker B:That's what we demonstrate to the world, that's what we demonstrate to the lost.
Speaker B:They see churches that refuse to work together.
Speaker B:Oh, Lord have mercy.
Speaker B:I've experienced that so much I don't have time to go into it because it take me off topic, but churches that refuse to work together, you could have a Baptist church holding a revival.
Speaker B:And this Pentecostal church won't have nothing to do with them.
Speaker B:But yet they both believe the same Bible.
Speaker B:And one's just trying to bring a spiritual revival to that section of town, that neighborhood in town, but yet they won't have nothing to do with them.
Speaker B:Another church, they don't believe in drums.
Speaker B:We don't allow drums in the church.
Speaker B:You never heard of that?
Speaker B:That's a real issue.
Speaker B:I've experienced that too.
Speaker B:And because of that, they won't go and participate anywhere where there's a band playing.
Speaker B:They're going to be drums in the worship service.
Speaker B:Well, we're not going to really.
Speaker B:Anyway, I digress.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker B:And they see churches that refuse to work together.
Speaker B:They see, you know, believers that slander one another, denominations that treat each other as the enemy rather than brothers and sisters in Christ.
Speaker B:Oh man, that's awesome.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Ouch.
Speaker B:I just kicked somebody in the kneecaps right there.
Speaker B:Praise God.
Speaker B:But you thank.
Speaker B:Think about it.
Speaker B:It's a hundred percent true, isn't it?
Speaker B:If Jesus said our love for one another is what would prove to the world that we're his disciples, then what does our division prove?
Speaker B:Since he doesn't change, it must prove that we have strayed from his words.
Speaker B:That's the only logical choice, isn't it?
Speaker B:Well, is there a way back to unity?
Speaker B:I believe there is.
Speaker B:Because the good news is unity is not impossible.
Speaker B:It is not too late for the church to return to the simplicity, the simple teachings of Christ.
Speaker B:But it will require a radical shift.
Speaker B:It requires us to put his words first.
Speaker B:Amen.
Speaker B:Imagine if instead of debating Paul's theological arguments before we even talk about Jesus, we started with Jesus words first.
Speaker B:Imagine if church leaders measured every decision they made not by tradition or their denominational rules or church councils, but what Jesus actually commanded.
Speaker B:Imagine if Christians across denominations committed to uniting under the core teachings of Christ rather than dividing over secondary theological issues, despite what their leaders say.
Speaker B:Oh, well, we.
Speaker B:We'd lose our denominational authority there.
Speaker B:Brother Bob.
Speaker B:Is that a bad thing?
Speaker B:Heresy.
Speaker B:Heresy.
Speaker B:How dare you say that?
Speaker B:So you're elevating denominational authority authority over the very words of Jesus himself.
Speaker B:Somebody's wrong here.
Speaker B:Jesus or you?
Speaker B:I pick You.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Praise God.
Speaker B:If we truly believe that Jesus is Lord, then his words must be our highest authority, not our denominational beliefs, not our doctrinal traditions, not even our favorite preachers.
Speaker B:So here's a call to action.
Speaker B:If Jesus said it, we should do it.
Speaker B:We should follow it.
Speaker B:If he prayed for unity, we should start to fight for it.
Speaker B:He told us to love one another.
Speaker B:So what are we supposed to do?
Speaker B:We have to live that way.
Speaker B:The church is not beyond repair, folks, yet.
Speaker B:The mission's not lost yet.
Speaker B:The words of Jesus still have the power to bring unity if we're willing to listen.
Speaker B:Are you listening?
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:And that's what I want to explore in upcoming sessions, how we can return to his words first and strip away all of the distractions of human traditions and rediscover the unity that Jesus so desperately prayed for us to have.
Speaker B:Because at the end of the day, our divisions don't matter.
Speaker B:Our theological debates will not save us.
Speaker B:But his words.
Speaker B:His words what?
Speaker B:Endure forever, right?
Speaker B:Matthew 24, verse 35.
Speaker B:Heaven and earth will pass away.
Speaker B:And with it, all the traditions, the buildings, and all that will all pass away, too.
Speaker B:They said, my words will never pass away.
Speaker B:He's not talking about all of this.
Speaker B:He said what?
Speaker B:My words.
Speaker B:My words plural.
Speaker B:We call this, what?
Speaker B:The word of God.
Speaker B:But he used a plural.
Speaker B:My words.
Speaker B:That's a specific thing he's talking about here.
Speaker B:His words.
Speaker B:His words will never pass away.
Speaker B:Now, before we close the day, I want to bring something to your attention.
Speaker B:I started to say last week, but just ran out of time.
Speaker B:Last time we were talking about how Jesus fed the 5,000 in the wilderness.
Speaker B:Remember that?
Speaker B:If you missed it, go back and listen to it.
Speaker B:Find it on YouTube, Facebook, podcast, whatever.
Speaker B:But listen.
Speaker B:But we ran out of time.
Speaker B:And this, it just flows what I was saying today.
Speaker B:So I figured I'd close out with this today.
Speaker B:Now, just to refresh your memory, we're using John 6, verses 1:14 as the foundation that teaching.
Speaker B:So after these things, Jesus went over to see a Galilee, which sea of Tiberius.
Speaker B:A great multitude followed him because they saw his miracles, which he did I them that were diseased.
Speaker B:And Jesus went up into the mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.
Speaker B:And the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near.
Speaker B:When Jesus then lifted up his eyes and saw a great company coming to him, he said to Philip, are we going to buy these people something to eat?
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker B:And then he said this to prove him, for he knew what he was about to do.
Speaker B:Philip said, 200 penny worth of bread's not enough for everyone.
Speaker B:These just even take a little.
Speaker B:Then one of the disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, hey, there's a boy here that has five barley loaves and two small fish.
Speaker B:But what's that among so many?
Speaker B:And Jesus said, make the men sit down now.
Speaker B:There's much grass in the place.
Speaker B:So the men sat down in number about 5,000.
Speaker B:And the later other scriptures plus women and children.
Speaker B:And Jesus took the loaves, and when he'd given thanks, he distributed to the disciples.
Speaker B:Disciples to them that sat down.
Speaker B:Likewise, the fishes, as much as they want, wanted.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:As much as they needed, as much as they wanted.
Speaker B:And when they were full, he said to his disciples, now gather up.
Speaker B:The fragments remain, so nothing's lost.
Speaker B:Therefore they gathered them together and filled 12 baskets.
Speaker B:And we studied the size of the basket.
Speaker B:It's like an old school kids lunchbox, about that size.
Speaker B:12 baskets full of fragments of the five barley loaves which remained, over and above that were eaten.
Speaker B:Verse 14.
Speaker B:Then those men, when they'd seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, this is a truth.
Speaker B:This is a prophet that should be coming into the world.
Speaker B:So what does all that mean?
Speaker B:Basically, the spiritual meaning is Jesus is the bread of life.
Speaker B:John 6:35, Jesus is the bread that gives life.
Speaker B:Now here's where Jesus takes this miracle and turns it into a message.
Speaker B:Here's a lesson that the people were not ready to hear.
Speaker B:After feeding the 5,000, Jesus didn't stop at filling their stomachs.
Speaker B:He wanted to fill their souls, right?
Speaker B:So this says, if you continue to read, it says, the next day the crowd came looking for him again.
Speaker B:But this time Jesus saw right through their intentions.
Speaker B:He said, verily, verily or truly.
Speaker B:I'm telling you, you don't seek me because you saw the miracles, but because you ate from the loaves and were filled.
Speaker B:In other words, what he was saying here is you're not here because you want me.
Speaker B:You're here because you want another free meal.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:That happens a lot today, doesn't it?
Speaker B:Then Jesus, he shifts the conversation at that point.
Speaker B:Instead of talking about physical bread, he talks about spiritual, spiritual bread.
Speaker B:He tells them, do not labor for the meat that perishes, but for the meat which endures unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man, him will give to you.
Speaker B:Right there he's telling them, you are focused on the wrong things.
Speaker B:Stop chasing after temporary provision.
Speaker B:Start seeking eternal provision.
Speaker B:Then comes the game changer.
Speaker B:Amen.
Speaker B:The people bring Up.
Speaker B:Well, God gave manna to their ancestors in the wilderness through Moses.
Speaker B:That's, that's basically what they're telling him.
Speaker B:Moses gave us bread from heaven.
Speaker B:What can you do?
Speaker B:Boy, that's basically the.
Speaker B:Put it in common grammatical today.
Speaker B:That's basically, Moses gave us bread from heaven.
Speaker B:What can you do?
Speaker B:But Jesus corrects their thought process, said, moses didn't give you that bread from heaven.
Speaker B:My Father gave it to you and he gives you the true bread from heaven right now.
Speaker B:Then he drops that truth they were not expecting.
Speaker B:I am.
Speaker B:That's God's name, by the way, in case you didn't know.
Speaker B:I am the bread of life.
Speaker B:He that comes to me shall never hunger.
Speaker B:He that believes on me shall never thirst.
Speaker B:Now, Jesus talked about their spiritual well being.
Speaker B:They're still thinking in their physical well being because that was too much for them.
Speaker B:That was too much for them.
Speaker B:They wanted a messiah who would keep their bellies full, not a savior who had changed their hearts.
Speaker B:That happens a lot in churches today, doesn't it?
Speaker B:Because Jesus here, he wasn't just talking about feeding people food physically.
Speaker B:He was talking about satisfying the deepest hunger of the human soul.
Speaker B:But they didn't want that.
Speaker B:They just wanted another free meal.
Speaker B:Do you see how this is relating back to what we're talking about today?
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:It isn't still the, that's still the case today.
Speaker B:People chase after God's hand, what he can give them, but they ignore God's heart of who he truly is.
Speaker B:You know, you ever break open, I can't even think of.
Speaker B:You're getting a snack out of the refrigerator as you turn around and go take a bite.
Speaker B:Your dog sitting there looking at you in the tail wagging.
Speaker B:Hello, I would like some of that too, please.
Speaker C:Right?
Speaker B:Is he there?
Speaker B:Because he's man's best friend.
Speaker B:Is he there?
Speaker B:I got your back.
Speaker B:Nobody getting near you with.
Speaker B:While you're eating here, buddy.
Speaker B:No.
Speaker B:What is there?
Speaker B:Hey, can you give me some of that?
Speaker B:That's what the dog's saying.
Speaker B:That's what people are doing.
Speaker B:That's what they're doing here.
Speaker B:That's, you know, and if, using that dog analogy, if you go walking over and you know, you're, you're doing something and you're.
Speaker B:And the dog's watching your hand.
Speaker B:He's watching that hand.
Speaker B:You can stand still now.
Speaker B:Move your arm out this way.
Speaker B:His head's going to turn.
Speaker B:He's not watching you.
Speaker B:He's watching what's in your hand.
Speaker B:That's what people are Doing to God.
Speaker B:That's what people are doing to God.
Speaker B:What can God give me?
Speaker B:They ignore his heart.
Speaker B:They ignore the teachings.
Speaker B:They ignore what he wants them to do.
Speaker B:He might God by saying, I need you to go over here and witness.
Speaker B:And people, instead of hearing, God needs me to go over here and witness.
Speaker B:What do they do?
Speaker B:They're watching his hand.
Speaker B:Well, what's in your hand for me?
Speaker B:Don't worry about that.
Speaker B:What's in your hand for me?
Speaker B:They're watching God's hand and ignoring his heart.
Speaker B:That's happening today still.
Speaker B:But Jesus made it clear man should not live by bread alone, but by every word.
Speaker B:That what proceeds out of the mouth of God.
Speaker B:Matthew 4:4.
Speaker B:He wasn't saying that food doesn't matter.
Speaker B:He's saying there's a greater hunger on the inside of you that only God can fill.
Speaker B:That's the real point of the miracle.
Speaker B:It was about feeding a crowd.
Speaker B:It's about revealing the true source of life.
Speaker B:In other words, bread sustains for a moment, but Jesus sustains for eternity.
Speaker B:The people were hungry again the very next day.
Speaker B:They just seen God provide.
Speaker B:Why couldn't they believe for their own provision?
Speaker B:Instead, what do they do?
Speaker B:They come back and find Jesus.
Speaker B:We will.
Speaker B:Hey, are you open yet?
Speaker B:Jesus.
Speaker C:Huh?
Speaker B:If they had received Jesus as the bread of life, their souls would have been eternally satisfied.
Speaker B:Oh, glory to God.
Speaker B:Amen.
Speaker B:You missed a great place to shout Amen right there.
Speaker B:Praise God.
Speaker B:So what does this mean for us today?
Speaker B:Now that we've seen how God's provision has been consistent, from manna in the wilderness to Elisha's miracle, from the feeding of the five thousand, to Jesus declaring himself as himself, as the bread of life.
Speaker B:The question is, what does this mean for us today?
Speaker B:Because here's the real let's be real here.
Speaker B:Most of us are not sitting on a hillside in Galilee waiting for a meal.
Speaker B:We are not physically chasing Jesus around hoping for free bread, but spiritually, that's another story.
Speaker B:First we have to trust God to provide.
Speaker B:Jesus made it clear we're not supposed to spend our lives worrying about provision.
Speaker B:Matthew 6, 31, 33.
Speaker B:He said, Therefore take no thought saying, what shall we eat?
Speaker B:What shall we drink?
Speaker B:How will we be clothed?
Speaker B:For after all, these things are what the Gentiles seek.
Speaker B:Says, your Heavenly Father knows you need all of these things, so seek ye first the key kingdom of God, his righteousness.
Speaker B:All these things will be added to you.
Speaker B:Let that sink in.
Speaker B:God already knows what you need.
Speaker B:He's not sitting in heaven Waiting for you to remind him you have bills due.
Speaker B:He already sees the struggle.
Speaker B:He sees the stress.
Speaker B:He sees the anxiety.
Speaker B:It tries to creep in.
Speaker B:But Jesus says what?
Speaker B:Seek first the kingdom, put God first.
Speaker B:Trust him, watch him, take care of everything else.
Speaker B:The Israelites had to trust God every single day.
Speaker B:For Manna, the widow had to trust God with her last bit of oil and flour.
Speaker B:The disciple, the the disciples, disciples had to trust Jesus to multiply what wasn't, wasn't nowhere near enough.
Speaker B:But what happened every single case, God the Father came through.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:That's why Jesus said, give us today daily our daily bread.
Speaker B:Daily bread.
Speaker B:Not weekly, not monthly provisions daily.
Speaker B:God wants us to depend on him every single day.
Speaker B:If he could rain down manna from heaven for 40 years on a daily basis, if he could sustain a widow and her son in a famine on a daily basis, if he could feed thousands with one kids, two piece fish meal, he could take care of you.
Speaker B:So the point of the story is to offer what you have, no matter how small it may seem in the natural.
Speaker B:Offer what you have.
Speaker B:Because here's the thing.
Speaker B:The miracle always starts with what you already have in your hand.
Speaker B:The widow already had a little oil.
Speaker B:It wasn't enough to last through the famine, but she sold what she had and God blessed it bountifully.
Speaker B:The disciples had five loaves and two fish.
Speaker B:It wasn't much.
Speaker B:God doesn't need much.
Speaker B:He just needs you to surrender what you have to his will.
Speaker B:Too many times people think, I don't have enough money for God to use or I need this money right now more than God does.
Speaker B:And you are absolutely right.
Speaker B:But Jesus never asked for what you didn't have.
Speaker B:He only asks.
Speaker B:He only asked for, what do you have?
Speaker B:Remember he asked the disciples, what do you have?
Speaker B:Five loaves and two small fish?
Speaker B:That ain't much.
Speaker B:He said, it's enough, right?
Speaker B:You don't need millions of dollars to get started with this, folks.
Speaker B:When they put it into his hands, the little bit they had when they put it in his hand, it was more than enough.
Speaker B:They gathered up leftovers.
Speaker B:If your light bill is 200 and you only got 25 in your bank account, are you going to be able to pay your light bill with that 25?
Speaker B:No.
Speaker B:Jerry Savelle had a saying that encapsulated it like this.
Speaker B:He said, if what's in your hand doesn't meet your need, then it must be a seed.
Speaker B:Praise God.
Speaker B:So you're right.
Speaker B:That $25 is not going to do you any Good.
Speaker B:But God wants you to trust him to meet your need.
Speaker B:How can you show him you trust him?
Speaker B:Give from what you have.
Speaker B:The widow woman didn't have enough oil for a even one good meal, just one biscuit.
Speaker B:The prophet said, make me a little biscuit first.
Speaker B:Now she could have got all Mother Bear on them and you know, that had ended that.
Speaker B:But when she obeyed by giving to God's man first just the little bit that she had.
Speaker B:Scripture says the oil and the flour continued to multiply until the famine was over.
Speaker B:Glory to God.
Speaker B:Shout Amen.
Speaker B:Somebody, somewhere.
Speaker B:What do you have?
Speaker B:Maybe it's a small business idea that doesn't seem like it could work.
Speaker B:Maybe it's a ministry calling that feels out of reach.
Speaker B:Maybe it's just a few dollars left in your bank account and you and you don't see how you're going to make it.
Speaker B:I'm telling you folks, put it into Jesus's hands.
Speaker B:If he could multiply a boy's lunch, he could multiply your resources, your influence and your opportunities as well.
Speaker B:Seek Jesus not just for the blessing.
Speaker B:This is the biggest lesson of all I want you to take from this.
Speaker B:The crowd followed Jesus because they wanted another meal.
Speaker B:They weren't interested in who he was.
Speaker B:They weren't.
Speaker B:They just wanted what he could give them.
Speaker B:Jesus told them, don't work for the meat which perishes, but for the meat which endures into everlasting life.
Speaker B:We live in a world where everyone's chasing after something.
Speaker B:Money, success, security.
Speaker B:Jesus said, I'm the bread of life that you need.
Speaker B:If you have him, you got everything.
Speaker B:If you chase after material things, without him, you'll never be satisfied of what you find.
Speaker B:That's why Jesus said, for what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his own soul?
Speaker B:If we all want.
Speaker B:If all we want from Jesus is temporary provision and we're missing out on the point, the real blessing isn't the bread.
Speaker B:It's the bread of life, the heart of everything we've talked about.
Speaker B:Man in the wilderness.
Speaker B:The widow's flower and oil, Elisha's leftovers.
Speaker B:Jesus feeding the 5,000.
Speaker B:There's one, one unshakable foundational truth.
Speaker B:God the Father is our provider and Jesus is the ultimate provision.
Speaker B:The Israelites ate manna, didn't they?
Speaker B:But they got hungry again.
Speaker B:5000 ate the multiplied bread and fish.
Speaker B:They got hungry again.
Speaker B:Every earthly provision, no matter how miraculous, is temporary.
Speaker B:Jesus said, I'm the bread of life.
Speaker B:He that comes to me shall never hunger.
Speaker B:He was saying, he was telling us that he alone is the source of true and lasting satisfaction.
Speaker B:So just trust God to provide for you.
Speaker B:He said, take no thought for your life.
Speaker B:What are you going to eat?
Speaker B:What are you going to drink?
Speaker B:Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things be added to you.
Speaker B:Stop worrying about provision.
Speaker B:Start trusting in the provider.
Speaker B:If God fed an entire nation in the wilderness, if God kept a widow and her son alive through famine, multiplied a boy's, you know, two piece fish dinner and fed thousands with it, he can take care of you.
Speaker B:So seek Jesus.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Seek Jesus.
Speaker B:Not just a blessing.
Speaker B:Praise God.
Speaker B:Hallelujah.
Speaker B:We're about out of time again today.
Speaker B:Oh, praise God.
Speaker B:I want to offer you, as we get ready to close, I want to offer you an opportunity to be part of a world changing mission.
Speaker B:If today's message has satisfied your faith or shifted your faith, or revealed a deeper faith.
Speaker B:Have you seen how God multiplies what we place in his hands?
Speaker B:I want to invite you to be part of something truly historic.
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker B:Usually when you're asked to give an offering, you do.
Speaker B:And then you trust God to bring it back to you someday multiplied into an abundance.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And that's true.
Speaker B:Okay, but what if I could show you a way to become a partner?
Speaker B:Not just an offering partner like you hear.
Speaker B:You know, when people talk about partner with our ministry, they talk about those who give an offering.
Speaker B:I'm talking about an actual partner with a ministry.
Speaker B:And reap part of the supernatural increase because you are a partner with a ministry.
Speaker C:Right?
Speaker B:Right now, as I said, I'm involved in a kingdom project that's focused on taking these red letter words of Jesus to the world.
Speaker B:We're in the middle of promoting a book launch for another ministry, one that I believe has the potential to impact this world with the gospel in a way that we haven't seen since, you know, the Gutenberg Bible revolutionized Bible printing, you know, with the inventing of the printing press and all that.
Speaker B:This isn't just another book.
Speaker B:This book right up here on the bookshelf, a movement to ensure that the very words of Jesus, the very words of Jesus are placed into the hands of people around the world, cutting through distractions and pointing them directly to what Jesus said.
Speaker B:And here's where you can come in.
Speaker B:We're calling on believers just like you to sow into this mission.
Speaker B:Just as Jesus multiplied the loaves and fish to feed the multitude, we believe God will multiply every single seed sown into this project to impact millions.
Speaker B:So how can you be part of this?
Speaker B:First, any offering you provide will help make a difference.
Speaker B:No amounts too small.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Just like the boys.
Speaker B:Two piece, fish, dinner, lunch.
Speaker B:God can take what you give and multiply for his kingdom.
Speaker B:But for those who are able, and I said no offer is too small.
Speaker B:But if you're able to sow at least $250, there's an opportunity to not only impact the world with the red letter words of Jesus, but also be part of the the benefits of becoming a partner in this project.
Speaker B:Because you'll receive back your initial offering plus two times more once the book sales are all up and running, which we're hoping praying for.
Speaker B:Our target date is the Easter Resurrection Sunday time frame coming up very soon at the time of this recording.
Speaker B:All right.
Speaker B:It's about being a conduit for God's provision, just like Jesus demonstrated in today's message.
Speaker B:That's the true definition of partnership, isn't it?
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:And we're moving fast.
Speaker B:Like I said, we want to get this done by easter.
Speaker B: Resurrection Sunday: Speaker B:At the time of this recording, that's just a few days away.
Speaker B:So the time to sow is.
Speaker B:Is now.
Speaker B:Just like the traditional sewing and harvest time, if you miss the ideal time to plant a seed, your harvest is not going to be as bountiful as it could have been and you may miss out on the harvest altogether.
Speaker B:So this is your time to sow.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Jesus said, what?
Speaker B:Give and it'll be given back to you again.
Speaker B:A good measure.
Speaker B:Pressed down, shaken together and running over men shall give into your bosom.
Speaker B:Running over men will chase you down to give into your bosom.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Let's put this kingdom principle into action today.
Speaker B:Let's see how God takes what we offer and multiplies it beyond anything we could even imagine as we sow the words of Jesus, the red words of Jesus into the world.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Jesus said, take my gospel to the world.
Speaker B:What's his gospel?
Speaker B:His words.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Unlike any other book out there, this book is only the red letter words of Jesus.
Speaker B:I'm going to put the links down below in the show notes because we're all out of time for today.
Speaker B:I want to pray with you right now.
Speaker B:Father, in Jesus name, we pray that those that have received your message today will be kingdom workers.
Speaker B:Lord, if you touch the hearts of anyone today, we pray that you'd reveal yourself to them as their provider.
Speaker B:And if they don't know you as their Savior, we pray that they would receive you as such.
Speaker B:Father, we give you all honor, glory and praise for all that you accomplish in Jesus mighty name.
Speaker C:Amen and Amen.
Speaker B:Till next time.
Speaker B:Pastor Powell reminding you.
Speaker B:Be blessed.
Speaker A:Thank you for joining us for this session of the Red Letter Crusade.
Speaker A:Remember, in a world full of noise, only one voice still speaks with eternal truth.
Speaker A:That's the voice of Jesus through the the red letter words in the Bible.
Speaker A:Please hit that like and subscribe button and share this episode with others until next time.
Speaker A:Remember, in a world where clarity is needed now more than ever, his words matter.
