Episode Transcript
Speaker 1 00:00:05 16. One of the most exciting opportunities I had was to take a driver's test. And I remember going with my dad to take that driver's test. And I got into the car to take the driver's test and we drove around a little bit. And then all of a sudden, we came to that place where they had these two posts and you had to do the parallel parking. And I pulled up to do the parallel parking I'm there and I backed the car up. And all of a sudden my rear wheels tapped the curb. I knew it wasn't quite right. So I pulled ahead, but I saw the officer in the car writing something down. I pulled ahead and I backed back up again. And sure enough, I hit the wheels on the curb again, and he wrote something down again. I pulled up the third time, backed in again and still didn't get it right.
Speaker 1 00:00:47 Hit the wheels on the curb. He wrote something down again. I pulled ahead and he said, stop the car, Mike. He says, you're almost ready to fail the test. So just take your time. And let's just, just step on the gas and let's go. So I stepped on the gas. The car was in reverse. I went real fast up and over the curb. He informed me at this point that I had failed the test, go get my dad and go on home. And I failed my driver's test. Now we all have tests at times and we have tests. Sometimes we fail. Sometimes we passed. You give a test in school and you're glad school's over right now. But generally it was like in school during the semester, in the years, you had to take tests and you get those tests on. Sometimes you pass, sometimes you fail, but you have to take tests.
Speaker 1 00:01:30 We take tests all the time. It'd be at working. You take tests, you're competing against other people. There's promotions. You do. And there's tests that are going on. Just see if you can pass. Or if you can fail, we would go online and take tests to see if we can pass or fail. If we can improve our scores. Somehow we're always taking tests. See if we can pass, or if we fail and see if we can learn something from the test, gain some new experience, learn something in our minds, from the tests that we take. But essentially the God works in our lives in a similar way. God comes along and tests our faith as well. When he comes to the children of Israel, he's going to test their faith. But to do that, we need a context for them. When we talk about exes chapter 32, it's going back and realize these are the same people who found themselves in Egypt.
Speaker 1 00:02:18 God did all those plagues, deliver them from the plagues and brought them out of the nation of Egypt, took them through the red sea, parted. It brought them through the red sea, brought him to the other side and destroyed the Egyptians. The same guy when he got them out in the wilderness, started providing food for them on a daily basis with the manna and also with water at times from rocks. And he went to beat the F the birds that flew low, that they could eat provided for them on a daily basis. All those things. This is the same group of people that Moses had gone up on the mountain before, came down from Mount Sinai and informed them of the 10 commands that God wanted them to obey. He talks to those in the Sabbaths and all, and he brought to the people, will you obey as they made a covenant in Exodus chapter 24, we will obey you and do these things.
Speaker 1 00:03:09 And there was that agreement they had with God, or keep in mind. Some of those commandments will have no other gods before them. Won't take the names of Lord's name in vain, their honor, their mother and father, the won't bear, false witness, all these commitments that they made at that time. So now those same children of Israel, they're still at Mount Sinai. Moses goes back up on Mount Sinai while he's up there. God's talking to him again. Now what he's talking to them about as a tabernacle is they're going to build the tabernacle. We're gonna learn later, but just a little heads up the Tabernacles is going to be the place that God's going to meet them on a regular basis. It's a place where there'll be sacrifices. There'll be a place where a priest will go in and make sacrifices. There'll be the holy of Holies, where there's going to the Ark of the covenant.
Speaker 1 00:03:58 And there you're going to find the shed kind of glory. And God's going to be present with the nation of Israel. And there's going to be forgiveness provided for them to be in the presence of God. That's what Moses has learning about up on Mount Sinai. He's even being told about a couple of guys who are going to be empowered by the holy spirit to build this and create this whole thing. He reminds me when they build you, make sure you take the Sabbath rest. You only worked six days. Take a day off when you build this tabernacle. And he goes through this whole process with Moses up on the mountain. Now the children of Israel are down in the valley and the test is going to come and chapter 32 verse one. And here's what we read that when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people are sent assemble around.
Speaker 1 00:04:48 Aaron said to him, come make us a God who will go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him. So Moses is up on the mountain. We know he's going to be there 40 days, 40 nights, somewhere along the process in their minds, he's delayed. They're not sure what's happening. And the test becomes when all of a sudden God's asking us to be people of faith and God delays an answer and responding as quickly as we want. And the children of Israel are delayed. And all of a sudden, where's God what's happening here. What's the uncertainty that faces them. And you almost get the sense that their eyes have not even been on your way, who they worship. They've actually been on Moses because even identify Moses is the one who's been absent.
Speaker 1 00:05:38 They're now all alone. They get to choose how they respond to your way. Now they can choose to be a people of faith, or they can be a people who somehow Moses has gone. And even as they describe Moses here, who is Moses, he's the one that delivered them out of Egypt. When in reality, it was Yahweh who delivered them. Is it the sense that all of a sudden their focus has not been on Yahweh, but even on Moses and he's gone, things are delayed and all of a sudden they're responding. We know how that feels. Haven't there been things that you've prayed to God about. You want them to answer them. And some of the answer just isn't coming. Is there an expectation you've had of God that you thought he would do this or that? And you've been trusting God for that, but it just doesn't happen.
Speaker 1 00:06:26 Do you find yourself where all of a sudden you're waiting for God and there's a delay that occurs and this word delay and identifies. There can be confusion that comes about from it. There's uncertainty that comes with it. It's a long period of time that occurs. And somehow when we're waiting for God to answer prayer, we're waiting for God to do something we think he should do. When we find that delay occurring becomes a test of faith for the Israelites, with this test, they responded in this way. They asked Aaron who's next in command of the nation. When they met with him to make them,
Speaker 2 00:07:10 Oh God for them.
Speaker 1 00:07:16 And they're shifting from a faith that they have faith that where they don't see to have faith that they can see. And now we hear about the idle, the golden calf. Here's what we read starting in verse two. And Aaron said to them, tear off the golden rings, which are in your ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me. Then all the people tore off. The golden rings, which were there in their ears, brought them to Aaron. And he took this from their hand, fashioned it with a graving tool, made it until molten calf. And this is your Gado. Israel who brought you up from the land of Egypt. He said, now, when Aaron had saw, he saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.
Speaker 1 00:08:10 So he asked the people here comes their idol. He says, I want you to take out your golden earrings, all the gold that you have of that kind. Now here's an aside to keep in mind when Moses comes down from the mountain to build the tabernacle, you know what he's going to ask for, again, an offering an offering of gold and things that they have, which they've already given away for this idle that they're going to build. So Aaron takes this gold melted down and makes it molten. And what actually have probably occurred here. He actually crafted out of some wooden, all the shape of a calf. And this is just the overlay of gold over that calf. And he gets it all in. And then it says, when Aaron, after he did that dough, he then put an altar in front of it and talked about we're going to have a festival for the Lord.
Speaker 1 00:09:06 Now, just an aside here, when you read your old Testament Bible, there's three different names for God. In the old Testament, you have your way Elohim and Aero, NEI three great names. Elohim means powerful. Majestic God. Ya'll always the personal name of God. And I don't. I means Lord now in your English Bible, the translators helped you understand the different words that are used. So for example, when you come to the word Yahweh, which is, was used of Erin, here it is spelled capital L capital O capital R capital D. Lord. If you look in your text there at verse five, there, it says, there's going to be a festival to the Lord. That's your way. When it speaks of Elohim, that's the word that speaks to the all powerful God and the children of Israel asks him to build an idol to Elohim, which could imply.
Speaker 1 00:09:57 They're thinking of more than one God, because Elohim is a plural for God or a majestic God. And so the children had to build some for Elohim, but for Aaron to be clear, he understood. This is for Yahweh. In his mind, he was making an altar to Yahweh and they were gonna have a festival to Yar way. And that's the idol that has built this golden calf that we hear about and then comes the idolatry that we read now in verse six. So the next day they rose up early offered, burnt offerings, brought peace offerings, and the people sat down to eat and to drink and rose up to play. So now they make the sacrifices on the altruist. Aaron had asked, they started eating and drinking, keeping in mind, where's the food coming from the food is coming from your hallway. He's provided that manner.
Speaker 1 00:10:52 He's provided that, meet those birds. They're eating the food that God provides for them. And then it says that they play. And it's interesting word in the old Testament. At this point, this word conveys something a little more than playing Frisbee or basketball or volleyball. It comes out to be a word that starts bringing in a sense of sensuality with it. Even sexual sin comes with it in other places that somehow when they start practicing their idolatry of worship this early in their walk with y'all way, there they're somehow shifting from just worshiping him to somehow some interaction with the essential activity that's taking place. And this idolatry and the idolatry takes place. Same people who made a covenant with God back in chapter 24 will have no other gods before us. Moses has gone. The delay is there. They've been waiting for a long period of time as they feel. And out of that delay, they make their plans of do, do something different and they now practice their. Now it occurs. We get good, always response starting in verse seven to verse 10. And here's how y'all way to them.
Speaker 1 00:12:07 Verse nine, I'm sorry. For seven, for seven to 10, it says then the Lord spoke to Moses. So they're up on the mountain, go down at once for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They made for themselves a molten calf and have worshiped it and have sacrificed to it and said, this is your Gado. Israel who brought you up from the land of Egypt. So God heard what they said, understood what they said, told Moses what has all happened? The most of them. And then the Lord said to Moses, I've seen this people and behold, they are obstinate people. Now then let me alone that my anger may burn against them, that I may destroy them. And I will make you a great nation. So God offers to Moses and opportunity here.
Speaker 1 00:13:00 He says, I will destroy these people. And when I destroy them, I will make you Moses a great nation. We'll start all over again. I started with Abraham. This opposite of people are so I'll destroy all of them. We'll start all over with just you Moses. And we'll make a new nation out of that. That has God's anger that comes about now. We hear Moses response and Moses is going to response to Yahweh and take care of all the other things that need to be addressed. Here's how Moses responds. Verse 11, the Moses entreated, the Lord, his God, and said, uh, Lord, why does your anger burn against your people? Whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand, why should the Egyptian speak same with evil intent. Yahweh brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them off the face of the earth.
Speaker 1 00:13:53 Turn away from your anger and change your mind about doing harm to your people. So Moses pauses and says, God, understand what we're doing here. If you destroy these people, here's what the Egyptians are going to think and say, you brought them all the way out here into the wilderness. You brought them all the way to this mountain, to what, to just destroy them. Or you could have left them in Egypt if that's what you want to do. So he brings up almost a testimony of God to the nations and especially to the Egyptians, but he continues. Here's what he adds. Verse 13. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants to whom you did swear by yourself and said to them, I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens and all this land, which I've spoken, I will give to you your descendants.
Speaker 1 00:14:46 And they shall inherit it forever. So it gives a second argument. So you Lord, if all of a sudden you destroy them, the Egyptians are going to say, why did you do this? But God, you made a promise in your scriptures before to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And you said, they're going to have descendants from all eternity. You can't destroy these people. They're the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And then it says this 14. So Lord changed his mind about the harm, which he had said he would do to this people. God knew what was going to happen in this passage. He knew it was Moses. They do now. But I really think it's a test here for Moses here. He's got the children of Israel. Who've made a promise that they would keep his covenant and trust him in the future. All of a sudden things are delayed. Their faith is tested. What do they do? They all of a sudden turn from God and build an idol. Now you have Moses.
Speaker 2 00:15:47 Moses is talking
Speaker 1 00:15:48 With God, who's made a commitment. He knows God's promises to the nation of Israel. And he offers Moses a test. Moses, are you going to trust me with the promises I made before to establish my nation with the children, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, or Moses, would you like me to destroy them? And all of a sudden start with you. And it could be a test that God gives to Moses. See, he's a man of faith who understands the promises of God to which he's a committed to before. And God continues on to keep the children of Israel. Now this has taken place. God is not going to destroy the people as he had talked about doing Moses has a lot to deal with. He's got to come down off the mountain and deal with all the situation there at the camp. So here's what we read happens.
Speaker 1 00:16:40 Next verse 15, the Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimonies in his hand, tablets, which are written on both sides. They're written on one side and the other, the tablets were catches description. Now God's work. And the writing was God's writing and graved on the tablets trying to be clear. This is what God has done. And Joshua heard the sound of the people as they shouted. He said to Moses, there's a sound of war in the cam. So Joshua has been down. He's not up hearing hallway talk. He's been down lower. Now. He just hears a sound. He thinks maybe there's a war going on, but he said, it is not the sound of the cry of triumph, nor is it the sound of the cry of defeat, but the sound of singing I hear.
Speaker 1 00:17:33 And it came about as soon as Moses came near the camp that he saw the calf and the dancing and Moses's anger burned. He threw the tablets from his hands and shattered them at the foot of the mountain. He took the calf, which they had made and burned it in the fire, grounded the powder, scattered it over the surface of the water and made the sons of Israel drink it. So the first thing he deals with is the idol itself. And he takes the golden calf, burns the golden calf, grounds it up into powder, spreads it across the water. And as the children of Israel drink it. And all of a sudden he destroys their idol of what they done. The second thing he wants to do is now talk to Aaron because Aaron is the one who built that idol. Here's what he says to Aaron verse 21.
Speaker 1 00:18:34 The Moses said to Aaron, what did this people do to you? That you brought such a great sin upon them. Aaron said, do not let your anger be against me. Your burn against me. Oh Lord. You know the people yourself. And they are prone to evil for. They said to me, make a God for us, who will go before us for this Moses, for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him. And I said to them, whoever has any gold, let them tear it off. So I gave it to them and I threw it in the fire and out came a calf.
Speaker 1 00:19:13 Yeah, mow. Here's what happened. I took all this gold. I melted it down. And we're looking at this pool of Goldens. We're all watching all the sudden, this calf came right out of the gold and who could have imagined that could have ever happened. Right. You know, it makes us excuse. It just came out of nowhere. He makes an excuse of what had happened. So all of a sudden he deals with him. He comes along and Moses verse 25 and Moses said, saw the people were out of control for Aaron. Had let them get out of control to be a derision among their enemies. And all of a sudden he's dealt with the calf. He's dealt with Aaron. Now it comes to the people. And here's what he says to them. Verse 26, the Moses stood at the gate of the camp, said whoever's for the Lord.
Speaker 1 00:20:13 Come to me. And all the sons of Levi gathered together to him. And he said to them, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, every man of you put his sword on a POTUS thigh and go back and forth from gate to gate, to the camp and kill every man, his brother and every man, his friend, and every man, his neighbor. So he asked for the people to stand, who are with him? The tribe of Levi comes forth. They are the priests of Israel and they come forward and they say, we are with you on this. And then they are to bring the judgment upon those who do not affirm. It seems our faith in your way and trust as I do that, they go through and kill those who are not of that faith. And it says they killed her. And so in verse 28, so the sons of Levi did as Moses instructed and about 3000 men of the people fell that day.
Speaker 1 00:21:05 That's the judgment. But following the judgment, Moses says this, the Moses said dedicate yourselves today to the Lord. That's y'all way for every man has been against us son and against his brother in order that he may bestow a blessing upon you today. So what he calls for is after all of a sudden, he brings the judgment upon them. His response now is all of a sudden, listen, you need to rededicate yourself to the Lord. You've done this idolatry. You recognize it's wrong. We've destroyed the calf. We've addressed Aaron. You've seen the judgment come. You now need to rededicate yourself to the faith in your way that you have. And as we go through this, we find this whole issue that God is going to test our face. And the question comes down when God tests our faith, what does he want out of it? What comes out of a, when God tests your faith? When it seems to expose, it reveals our idols. That somehow when God tests your faith, it's going to reveal the idols that we have. There's some new Testament passages for us to look at, turn to first Corinthians 10 with me. First Corinthians 10.
Speaker 1 00:22:27 Paul gives his own exposition of this situation. First Corinthians 10 verses seven to 11. Here's what he says. He says, do not be idolaters. As some of them were, as it is written. The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. That's exactly what we just read. And I was going to give two other examples of the old Testament or what happened to them too. He says, we must not indulgence sexual immorality. As some of them did. And 23,000 felons, a single day, that's another incident. He also says we must not put Christ to the test of some, as they did and were destroyed by serpents. That's another incident, do a grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the destroyer. That's another incident, but he adds this. Now these things happen to them as an example, but they're written down for our instruction on whom the end of the ages has come.
Speaker 1 00:23:45 His point is this. We've just read an Xs. 32 is an example and instruction for us of how we should live. In other words, we should understand when our faith is tested, it will reveal our idols. How do we start associating with that? Let me give you a couple other verses to think about second Corinthians five verses six and seven says this. So we were always of good courage. We know that while we're at home in the body, we're absent from the Lord for, we walk by faith and not by sight because our problem is, you know what? We want to walk by sight, but we're called to walk by faith. I mean, what's the gospel believe have faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ. And you shall be saved. Our salvation begins with faith and we have faith in a God who we cannot see a faith who lived historically in this world, but we cannot see. And we don't live by sight. We live by faith, but somehow in our faith gets tested.
Speaker 1 00:25:06 It reveals our idols of things. We want to see what happens when your faith is tested. Oh, we may not build golden calves, but what are the things that all of a sudden our eyes get turned from above to find something below that we can see when our faith gets tested, your faith gets tests. Are you somebody who looks towards a person or people somehow? And all of a sudden, you know, God, it's just so long since I prayed this, I needed this. I expected this. It's not working. So I turned to people and they become my source now of encouragement or strength or direction and things. Do I find my face shifting from faith to now at site, it's a person it's people and no longer able to trust God with what that difficulty or tests may be. I'm looking down at people and the circumstances of what they can help and do for me.
Speaker 1 00:26:15 Maybe it's not people, maybe you're one who find yourself going to a place. When all of a sudden your faith gets tested. Notice on your faith gets tested. It's going long. You get frustrated with God. You're a little upset with God. And all of a sudden, you go to your man cave. Or I guess now you go to your, she shed. You know, you're one of those places you go to your basement, you go to the bar, go to there's a place we go when our faith gets tested. And somehow we don't see God. And we're looking for something to see that becomes our idol. That makes us feel better. Some of that gives us focus on ourselves and we'll lose our faith because we're pursued something out of sight. Maybe it's not people. Maybe it's not a place for you. Maybe for you. It's more of a pastime that you have, those things that you just enjoy doing.
Speaker 1 00:27:23 Maybe it'd be that social media. I'm just amazed what I can do on my phone now. And to the point that I've sometimes realized I don't even need my laptop and all that I can do on my phone. But I also realize all the other stuff I can do on my phone, whether it's Facebook, tick-tock Spotify. Maybe it's some games. You play some things as you, but somehow you just get on your phone. And all of a sudden, there's all this social media things that can take your time, or you find yourself engaged in, you know, going through Netflix and bingeing and bingeing with your time.
Speaker 1 00:28:08 Maybe it's a hobby. It's somehow when things would God get delayed, all of a sudden you're turning to your hobbies, these activities that you have, or not bad by themselves, but you know why you turn to them, those hobbies, it can be quilting, you'll be crocheting. Or you can be able to find woodworker that you do. You can collect stamps. You may be a gardener. You know the hobbies I'm talking about where all this time you can invest in these hobbies that you have. That somehow when things get delayed by God, your faith gets tested. You don't turn to God, but to turn something by sight, that takes your time. You can do those past times with sports as well. You be one who actively participates in sports or where can be me, who passively participates in watches sports. But the whole idea of sports can take your time. Whether you participate in running or exercise, golf or soccer, or whether they become a fan of the Cubs of the white Sox, the bears, maybe it's your college team. You follow maybe your high school team, but somehow sports, just take up your time and your activity. And when all of a sudden, God tests your faith, you turn to those past times that take up your time.
Speaker 1 00:29:26 Maybe you're one who has a pattern, a pattern when things get difficult, somehow addictions that take over, maybe somehow it could be alcohol, maybe BA prescription drug that your doctor prescribes, maybe it's illegal drugs, maybe it's food, but somehow you have something that you turn to. When all of a sudden, God is not responding as quickly as you want. And you turn from faith to something that has seen all those patterns that can come out in different ways. They can come out in your words, where somehow when your faith gets tested, that comes out rumbling in your heart. The words you start saying out of anger, frustration, disappointment, the sarcasm, the words you say to people that hurt and wound, and you forget that there's life and death in the tongue. And you're crushing the souls of people around you, because it's a pattern that you have that when things get delayed for you, that frustration, confusion gets pushed out on other people.
Speaker 1 00:30:45 It could be where all of a sudden, it's not just with your language. It could also just come down with your isolation. You're wanting to just quit talking. You quit participating. The one who all of a sudden, when it comes to church, life site, you quit coming to church, could go your community group, quit reading your Bible. You quit doing things of practices. You stop even doing good things. And one final one, I'll call it pace. The whole idea. When all of a sudden God delays on things, you start feeling like, you know, the problem is me. And if I just did more, I can please God better. And I do more and more and more. And my activity increases to somehow to please God, with my behavior. My idol becomes all the activity that I do. Drivenness. That takes me that I can see what I've done in order to please God, with what I do.
Speaker 1 00:31:53 All of us. When God tests us, when God tests, our faith is going to reveal our idols. So how has God testing your faith? Now, what's going on in your life. That tests your faith, what's happening. That just frustrating. And you just wish God would respond. You hope something would change, but just keeps going on and on. And there's that delay. And you turn from walking by faith and you've turned to living by sight. Maybe it's your marriage. There's just been some tensions in your marriage. You know, there's some brokenness in the marriage and there's a need to restore it. And you've prayed. You get frustrated. Maybe it's a family. There's something going on with the family. And all of a sudden the tensions are there. You feel it. And there's that brokenness that you sense. And you may know, but somehow you turn to the idle as opposed to walking by faith.
Speaker 1 00:33:08 Maybe it's something at work. Some of the jobs situation, isn't what you aspire for. It isn't exactly what you want. It didn't go the way you wanted this year. And there's a disappointment with what that is. And in the communication with your boss, communication, with other coworkers and things, it's just not going well. You've been waiting on God to work and all the sudden he's not working. And you find yourself turning to your idol. That takes place of that because of the tension you feel there and the need for God to work. But you get frustrated, confused, and go from walking by faith, to walking by sight. Maybe it's a health issue. Somehow you've got a health issue has come up and you really want God to heal. You. You really want him to help you and he's chosen not to.
Speaker 1 00:34:02 And as you wrestle through this, you find yourself getting tired and confused. And all of a sudden, sudden walking by faith, he turned to an idol and you start walking by sight. Maybe you're the caregiver for a loved one. And as you put the time and energy to care for them, there's those days you get frustrated or disappointed. And all of a sudden out of that, you're no longer walking by faith, but your words change, your tone changes. And now the idol has come in because you're not walking by faith. You're walking by sight. Maybe it's your finances. She has been a struggle financially. And you just think you're almost ahead. Almost gotten there.
Speaker 1 00:35:06 And then you get frustrated with God because that wash machine breaks the brakes go out in the car and you finally thought you're going to get a head. And something goes wrong. Instead of walking by faith, find self, turn, turning and walking by sight of how you respond. Everyone else in this room are called to walk by faith. And every of us in this room, our faith will be tested. Here's how James describes it. Count it all joy, my brother. And when you meet trials of various kinds for, you know, that the testing of your faith, the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. Let's stead fast and as habits full effect that you may be perfectly complete and lacking in nothing. And James seems to understand what's going to happen. We're going to get frustrated in that test. We don't want to go that long to see what it produces.
Speaker 1 00:36:12 And he goes to verse five, his solution. When you get pressed hard by God, in a test, what do you do? Here's what he says. And if anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask God who gives generously to all without reproach, it will be given to him. Wisdom is that ability to maintain righteousness and all your circumstances. God gives generously. When you ask for that. And his point is when the test gets hard, don't turn to idols. When the test gets hard, turned to God. When the test gets hard, ask in prayer. When the test gets hard, walk by faith. All of us, all of us will have our faith tested. And we would determine if we walk by faith or if we walk by sight. But that test, that test for every one of us will reveal our idols. If we ended up walking by sight and not by faith and as a church, we practice communion each Sunday, but it seems really important to see how it connects in with this message today.
Speaker 1 00:37:37 Because when we talk about walking by faith, we're talking about when you establish that relationship with the Lord, Jesus Christ for salvation, that's the recognition that we're sinners, that Christ died on the cross for our sins. And he was raised on the third day that we believe or trust in the Lord, Jesus Christ. And we shall be saved that establishes that foundation of faith for us. And it's that faith that James is talking about. It's that faith that Paul talked about, it's that faith that's going to be tested as we walk with Christ, so that faith we placed in him. But as we do that, that means if that faith is tested, we also be aware when all of a sudden we do establish idols and just like the Israelites who had to rededicate themselves, we do the same thing and communion becomes an option to do that.
Speaker 1 00:38:29 Where all of a sudden we recognize in our walk with Christ, how things have gone and becomes this opportunity to review our life. And in the process of necessarily confess our, and first John one nine says, if we confess our sins, he's faithful. And, and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, when we place our faith in Jesus Christ at the outset, all our sins are forgiven, but as we walk with Christ, we sin, he says, confess those sins and they will be forgiven. So as we come to communion this morning, there's going to be that opportunity to take time, to reflect, to confess in silent prayer. As we go to that silent prayer, I want you to consider where your walk is with Christ. If you know Christ as your savior, give, thanks for that. If you don't know Christ share, this is the day you can trust in the Lord, Jesus Christ believe in him and have that eternal life that he promises that forgiveness of sin. But it's also a time of just recognizing is how the idols are in our lives. And if there's a need to examine that as well. So we're going to have a period of silent prayer as we do that silent approach to examine our hearts, prepare our hearts for communion. Okay. So let's go to prayer.
