Thanksgiving P2 – Bob George (11-23-23)
Do Not Be Anxious About Anything for Jesus is Our Thanksgiving
~ Jesus is indeed our thanksgiving. Everything we have to be thankful for is found in Him. So spend this day and all the days of our lives thanking Him for what he has done for us. Share that with others. Trust in Him to lead you in all understanding. Trust in Him to lead you in all Truth. Trust in Him to live His life in and through you. Don’t fret about anything. For He is alive living in each and every true believer today. So give thanks to Jesus our Lord and Savior. Share his Love with others.
~ Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. Colossians 2:6,7
~ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7
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~ “Be devoted to one another and brotherly love devoted to one another. You know, there isn’t anything that irritates me more, and you’ll hear people say, Wow, I don’t like what you’re doing. I’m not gonna come here anymore. I feel like saying Good. Is that brotherly love? No. You know, if there are things that are done it you don’t like discuss it with people, but don’t come up with that stuff. Well I don’t like it here anymore. Because I don’t like which is not brotherly love. You’re not practicing brotherly love. If you’re practicing brotherly love, decide that that’s one thing, but it was just an ego deal. That is no like the way you do things, well talk to us about it might find out you’re wrong or right. I don’t know. Don’t think so. But you may. Honor one another above yourselves. What is it saying? It is said? What it says a little later. Don’t be conceited. Don’t sit around thinking that you’re a know it all. You know, there are some people that have never made a mistake in their lives. They’re a know it all. How many have ever known a know it all? How many have ever been a know it all? Okay, wouldn’t put fewer hands down. But you know, there are people that I don’t care what it is, I know the answer to it. You’re not honoring one another above yourself. You don’t even want to listen to their opinions. I already know the answer. And that is not of God, according these passages of Scripture. Said it’s not an attitude of love, that we should honor one another, above ourselves. In other words, listen to the opinions of others have a willingness to do so without having to shed your own opinion on everything dogmatically. So we have to say, is the attitude that I have of God or it says of Satan, never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Don’t ever get tired of serving the Lord be joyful and hope, be joyful and patient in affliction, and be joyful and faithful in prayer and share with God’s people who are in need, and practice hospitality.” ~ Bob George
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Bob George 0:29
Be devoted to one another and brotherly love devoted to one another. You know, there isn’t anything that irritates me more, and you’ll hear people say, Wow, I don’t like what you’re doing. I’m not gonna come here anymore. I feel like saying Good. Is that brotherly love? No. You know, if there are things that are done it you don’t like discuss it with people, but don’t come up with that stuff. Well I don’t like it here anymore. Because I don’t like which is not brotherly love. You’re not practicing brotherly love. If you’re practicing brotherly love, decide that that’s one thing, but it was just an ego deal. That is no like the way you do things, well talk to us about it might find out you’re wrong or right. I don’t know. Don’t think so. But you may. Honor one another above yourselves. What is it saying? It is said? What it says a little later. Don’t be conceited. Don’t sit around thinking that you’re a know it all. You know, there are some people that have never made a mistake in their lives. They’re a know it all. How many have ever known a know it all? How many have ever been a know it all? Okay, wouldn’t put fewer hands down. But you know, there are people that I don’t care what it is, I know the answer to it. You’re not honoring one another above yourself. You don’t even want to listen to their opinions. I already know the answer. And that is not of God, according these passages of Scripture. Said it’s not an attitude of love, that we should honor one another, above ourselves. In other words, listen to the opinions of others have a willingness to do so without having to shed your own opinion on everything dogmatically. So we have to say, is the attitude that I have of God or it says of Satan, never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Don’t ever get tired of serving the Lord be joyful and hope, be joyful and patient in affliction, and be joyful and faithful in prayer and share with God’s people who are in need, and practice hospitality. This group shared joyfully in the project that we had for the soldiers. Now I personally want to thank those of you that are involved in it with both your money and your time. It. I’ve been in service, I’ve been overseas at Christmas time. And it’s lonely. I wasn’t in combat, thank God. Saved me from going AWOL. But, but I know many of you that were in combat, and you’ll testify to the fact that it is not fun. And these guys and gals need all the encouragement that they can get from us. And I’m just grateful to be able to use our time and treasure and talent in order to help those guys to put a smile on their face. And these gals a smile on their face at Christmas time. And I want to thank each and every one of you for participating in that it was a blessing to me. I think it unifies the assembly to be real honest with you.
So it talks about the fact here that Bless those who persecute you bless and don’t curse. How many of you had somebody in your life that persecuted you? That was not kind to your did something to you that you really didn’t like? How many of you have ever experienced that type of thing? You know what he says to do? He says, Bless them. Now guys, is this normal? I mean, bless him, I want to crucify themn. No, I said, bless them, bless them and bless and do not curse. Why? God says, revenge his mine. It’s not yours is my business to take care of these people. And if somebody has done something to hurt you, it says, Get off of trying to get even, and recognize the fact that if there is justice to be done, believe me, I will do it. So we don’t have to now is that good news? Does that enable you to walk with a thankful spirit to be thankful? What am I thankful for? I’m thankful that God’s gonna take care of this and I don’t have to, but what is the flesh say? Gonna get even, gotta get my revenge, don’t we? In that what our flesh says? God says, No, get out of it. And let me take care of it. Rejoice with those who rejoice. Be happy. In other words, when people are joyful, mourn with those who mourn when someone is sad, be sad with them live in harmony with one another. How many times out where’s one of the best places to test this one living in harmony with one another? Where’s the bliss bliss? Where’s the arena? The best arena? I know for tests this one where would that be guys? Marriage? Yeah. marriage to be in a situation where you are, you are living in harmony with one another. Now what keeps us from living in harmony with one another? All we like sheep have gone astray. Each one of us want to do our own thing. Is that right? I want to be right. I want to do it I want to do, because what I want to do is the right way, there is a right and a wrong. There’s my way and a wrong way. Am I right? Yeah. Now you’re not gonna live in harmony with one another like that, if we realize that, because I’m a man and because Amy is a woman, which is, quite frankly, the way God intended marriages to be.
He didn’t make Adam and Steve, you made Adam and Eve, the way God made it to be. And if people think that’s not politically correct, get a life. Just get a life and start seeing what the Bible has to say, as you hate what is evil, and you grab a hold of what’s good. And I want to tell you, homosexuality is not good in the Bible. And even if you don’t know anything about the Bible, you know, it’s not good. You’re on in your own heart, you know, it’s not good. So don’t call it good. That doesn’t mean you hate a person that’s involved in that anymore that you hate a person that’s involved in lust. If you did, you’d have to hate everybody, just just hate all the guys get rid of em. So I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about the activity. Stealing is not good. Lying is not good. It’s not just a little white one. Lying is not good. Are we right or wrong? And so we must look at what the Bible says is right and wrong and grab a hold of it. I’m not condemning those people, we have no right to condemn, but I’m condemning the practice. Because it’s a perversion. There’s a lot of perversions. That’s not the only one. But I’m just sick and tired of the world trying to call that good. And then trying to get marriages around it. When it’s a little hard to propagate. In case you haven’t figured that out. That’s a tough job. And nothing angers me any more than seeing in the world people just absolutely calling bad, good and good, bad, doesn’t it say in the Scripture, woe to the man who calls bad good and good, bad. And yet, that’s the world we live in today. And it’s acceptable. Now to get back to where I was.
When you live in a marriage, you’ve got a guy and you got to go. And when it talks, ones from Mars and the others from Venus, or wherever that is, that is true. We think of things totally different. We’re like looking at the moon. And I’m looking on one side of it, and Amy’s looking on the other. And both of us are looking at the moon, but I’m saying it’s bright. And she says dark, or vice versa, said no it isn’t and it’s bright. No, it’s dark. Well, I’m looking at the moon, what do you think I’m looking at two different thoughts. Normally opposites attract. How many in here are married? How many in your marriage, one of you like to get up early, go to bed early and get up early. And the other one wants likes to get up late and go to bed late, how many in your marriages have marriages like that? Most of them, opposites attract. Now God says I want to create unity in that. You say God, you may be able to split the sea. But we’ll take you’re gonna be able to accomplish that one. He said Yeah, well, if you let me I’ll show you how I can get unity in the midst of this unbelievable diversity of a man and a woman living under the same roof together. But you can’t do it if you both want your own way. That’s why I have to forget about well, this is just a man thing. And Amy has to forget about well, this is just a woman thing. And what we have to do is say what does Jesus have to say about it? It’s not what I as a man say about it? Or what does a woman say about it? The issue is, what does Jesus say about it. And if you’ll center your life in him, instead of hanging on tenaciously to our own desires, to be in control, and to be controlling everything. Let go of that. God didn’t call you to control. He called him to control you, not you to control the world. And let go of that and say what I want to know is what does God want me to do? You’re gonna have a successful marriage. You’ll have some problems, because your man and woman but God said if you’ll let me alone and let me control this thing, I will show you how I can bring unity in the midst of this unbelievable diversity. Can you think of anything more diverse in a man and woman’s in the same house together with Amy and I for 50 years? 50 years, we’ll have our anniversary this year. Not too long from now. 50 years arguing for 50 years. Wanting your own way for 50 years. You talk about tenacious but that’s true. So he says in these passages here that he wants us to to live in harmony with one another. Now, how do you do that?
Take a look at these verses. Don’t be proud. You’re not gonna live in harmony with somebody when you’re proud, I think I know more than they do. I’m more intelligent than they are. I know how to accomplish things better than they do be willing to associate with people of low position. Guys, that is such an important thing. I’m going to talk about that. And don’t be conceited. I’ve seen churches say, how do you get to be a deacon by checking your financial record for make over a couple 100,000 bucks you’re in, especially if you’re tithing. People just associating with people of high financial status is all you associate with, he says, Don’t be that way. You’re not going to experience love when you’re associating with people, just in your financial strata. He said, Learn to love people of all of all stratas. Learn to love the rich, learn to love the poor, learn to love the white learn to love the black. learn that from God’s standpoint, we’re all brothers and sisters in Christ, and learn to love one another. Isn’t it great when you can just love each other not wondering what your financial record is. Don’t be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, and be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. Now, what is that saying? In the eyes of everybody? Well, everybody doesn’t think that the same things are right. But he says be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. In other words, don’t be a stumbling block to people. What he’s talking about the fact that some people as an example, think that it’s sin to eat meat. He said people lose faith or weak because that is really true. But the issue is that if that’s the case, don’t go out and try to share Christ with him chowing down on a pork chop. If somebody thinks that, oh, it’s just total sin to have a glass of wine, don’t go to share Christ with him and drink a glass of wine. In other words, it’s don’t give an appearance of evil may not be evil to you, but but if you know that it gives an appearance of evil to someone else. Don’t do it.
I remember Amy and I one time there was there was a couple that was very active in Christian work. And when this lady came came up to us one time her eyes are big as dollars and oh. I saw so and so at a restaurant the other day they were having a glass of wine. Now I guess they’re supposed we’re supposed to say, ooh. Well, you feel like have you heard the passage of scripture that says, lead a quiet life and tend to your own business? Ever read that scripture? What do you care whether somebody was having a glass of wine, I personally don’t want to have a glass of wine don’t particularly like it. And it’s not important to me anymore. And besides that, when I learned that alcohol killed brain cells, I figured I had none to lose or to spare. I’ve had enough wine in my life. That didn’t reason I don’t drink. I don’t drink because I don’t want to. Do I’d look down on you if you do. If you got a problem with it, where you become an alcoholic in your life, and it’s a brother, I’ll tell you don’t touch it. But I’m not gonna look down on you because somebody has a glass of wine, are you? I’m not gonna sit around with you at dinner if I did, like, wine and get drunk, and then talk about Jesus. So there’s, there’s things to think about your being a stumbling block. And he says, Don’t do that. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. And if it’s possible, and look at that, if it’s possible, as far as depends on you, not them, you live at peace with everyone. Now, what’s it saying there? You may desire to live at peace with someone else. But that doesn’t mean that they’re going to desire to live at peace with you, or are we together on that? And don’t think that this scripture is saying that if I live if I if I want to be living in peace with you that that the automatic that is there going on then want to live with peace with me. It doesn’t say that it says as far as you’re concerned, live at peace with all people. But that does not mean all people are going to want to live with peace with you. Are we together on that? Don’t take revenge. Leave room for God’s wrath for it is written, it’s mine to avenge. I will repay says the Lord. On the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him, feed him, give him all the spinach he wants. If he’s thirsty, give him something to drink. And doing this you’re going to be heaping burning coals on his head. In other words, by being good to someone who has treated you in an ill way. It burns. It’s like burning coals on their head. Don’t overcome with evil but overcome evil with good. And so folks, these instructions are all given to us. We look at those I don’t know about you, I look at those and say it’s condemning in some ways. It’s convicting in some ways. I I look at my own attitudes and some of those and say I’m sure not always that way. And I’m sure you’ve done the same. But this is saying this is what God’s righteousness is. This is what God’s truth is. And so this is a goal is they said, Well, I know that I may not Be sincere all the time. But Lord Jesus, I want you to be sincere through me. I want to have a sincere love for people. I want to learn to hate what is evil and to cling to what is good. I want to be devoted to people in brotherly love. I don’t want to be fearful anymore. I want to put that dumb fear away. And that block that I’ve got around me. And I can’t overemphasize that enough, folks, because I’ve counseled enough in this world to realize what happens. People put walls around themselves, they really do, and take them down. Because it just destroys relationships. You cannot live in fear of being hurt or rejected. And if you do, you’re never going to love with a sincere heart.
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Bob George 16:38
But I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone? What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets? What if I flipped through it several times a day? What if we turned around to go get it when we forgot it? What if we use it to receive messages from the text? What if we treated it? Like we couldn’t live without it? What if we gave to our kid what we gave it to our kids as gifts? What if we used it when we traveled? What if we used it in case of emergency? Or one one more thing? Unlike our cell phone, we don’t worry, I have to worry about the Bible being disconnected. Because Jesus already paid the bill. This is something to make you go hmm. Where’s my Bible? It’s pretty good isn’t it. Well, guys, let’s turn together, Mike, again to the book of Romans. And guys, I think that where the difficulty comes in many times in Biblical understanding is we forget that as an example, this whole book of Romans is dealing with the contrast between the law and grace, and showing us the purpose of the law and how we have misused its purpose and made it a means of righteousness instead of a means of showing you your sinfulness. All through the Scripture, second chapter of Romans, I just outlined some things there. If you do like I do, I just cross I circled things. And in this passage in chapter two, you might want to turn to that, beginning in verse 12. It just, I’m just going to go through some of these passages.
All who sin apart from the law, and I just circled the law will also perish apart from the law. And all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight. But those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. Indeed, when Gentiles who do not have the law, do by nature, the things required by the law. They are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. Since they show the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing them and even defending them. So he’s talking about the law. Now but he said and you you call yourself a Hebrew, verse 17. If you rely upon the law, look, here is the definition of people who have never escaped from the law. Now, whether you are in Graceland over here or law land over here, if you are truly born again, as we described last week, you have been taken out of this realm over here all together. And you have been transferred over here into the kingdom of his Son that we love and whom we have redemption and the for Goodness of sin, you have been removed from the demands of the law, folks, if you’re in law land, you are miserable. As Paul said, the things you want to do, you don’t do the things you don’t want to do, you do them anyway. It’s a miserable existence, you’re in slavery. It says you are absolutely enslaved by the demands of the law. Because if you are under the law, then you are under the penalty of the law, which is spiritual death. It is not a desirable condition to be in. And yet people will hang on to what kills them tenaciously, just like our cell phones, hang on tenaciously, to what kills you. And come over here in Graceland and say you people are nuts, it’s too good to be true. But the issue is that you’re in bondage. You’re miserable. You make people around you miserable, because you’re in bondage. And that’s what it says about the law. Now, he says, these kinds of people, what’s interesting about these kinds of people is they like to make people think they’re under the law and doing good under it. Otherwise, why would you call on the air as I’ve had for over 20 years? People say, You mean, tell me your daughter, why you’re under the law? Well, I have to say, you must believe that you are obedient to God, why would you be calling? Why would you be calling to defend the law unless you thought that you were doing good under it? You’re dead. You’re lost. Because if you were saved, you wouldn’t be under that law. But here’s how people act. You who call yourself a Hebrew, if you rely upon the law, to brag about your relationship with God. And that’s what people do. I’m our law. Boy, I’m one. I am one holy dude. You tell me that God loves you. And I just said, No wonder I love me too. I’m so good. I say let me interview your wife. And if you know that, his his will and approve of what is superior, because you are instructed by the law. If you’re convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light to those are in the dark, we’re gonna tell everybody what to do. We’re gonna tell everybody how to obey the law, because we are law abiding. Anybody in here law abiding? Anybody in here want to stand before God with absolutely no sin in your life, because that’s what it takes. If you’re under the law, Paul said, you’re under all of it. And James said, if you’ve kept the whole law in your life and violated just one point, you violate all of it, and want to stand before God like that. That’s his requirements, not yours, because you got self righteous requirements, but his, bragging about how good you are. If you’re convinced that you’re a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in the dark, and instructor of the foolish of the foolish teacher of influence, because you have the law, the embodiment of knowledge and truth. Then you who teach others do not teach yourself? Look what he’s doing here, guys. He is just bearing this. If you’re able to be buried, you who preach against stealing, do you steal? You steal people’s time? If you show up late all the time, you’re a time stealer. Anybody in here a time stealer? You say that people should not commit adultery? Do you commit adultery? Do you ever last in your whole life to ever list? No need to raise up hands? Well then if you’ve lust you committed adultery in the God’s sight read talking about this from God. That’s how God looks at you not not how we’ve watched it and watered it down. But how God looks at it. Are you free from guilt? I don’t think so. You who abhor idols. Do you rob temples you who brag about the law? Do you dishonor God by breaking his law? I mean, if you’re gonna uphold something and brag on it, then brother you better keep it. Otherwise, what are we called? Hypocrites, and that’s what most Christians are called hypocrites. You know why they’re hypocrites because they’re saying I’m under the law and I’m obeying it when they’re not. And people see that. If you’re truly teaching the grace of God, nobody’s gonna ever call you a hypocrite. Because you’re not teaching that you’re good anyway, you’re teaching he’s good. Talks about something like circumcision. It could be bad to his church attendance. It could be tithing record all those kinds of things as circumcision. If it has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law you become as though you have not been circumcised or have you not been baptized. You’re not been a churchgoer, or whatever it might be. It talks about the fact a man is not a Hebrew if he’s one outwardly nor is circumcision barely outward or physical. No man is a Hebrew if he is one inwardly and circumcision is the circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not By the written code, that’s just one passage, one, one group of passages in there about the law. We go over into the chapter five. And we talk about the peace of God that passes understanding. And it talks about how that we have been justified. When we were God’s enemies lost, and talks about being saved by His life.
Well, let’s pray together. Father, we want to thank you for the truth of the Word of God. We read these things. And really, it’s a definition of your attitude toward us. And saying, If I live in you, then I can produce those same attitudes in you. And for that, we say thank you. So Lord, help us to become loving people. Put bitterness away, forgive one another, just as you forgave us. Many times we’ve had almost a lifestyle and many times in our marriages, to being angry and bitter. Put that away. It doesn’t do any good. Say, Lord Jesus. I’m tired of trying to protect myself. I’m tired of having this wall around me. I want to be able to love with your love just like you did. You were not fearful of loving us. You knew full well that in so doing some would accept and others would reject. But you loved us anyway. Father, free us from the fears that keep us away from the perfect love of God. And let us learn to walk in that newness of life refreshed by God’s Word. In Christ’s name we pray and for his sake. Amen
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