2020-01-26 Wolves and Sheep, Part 4

Ezekiel 3:4–11 (NLT) 4 Then he said, “Son of man, go to the people of Israel and give them my messages. 5 I am not sending you to a foreign people whose language you cannot understand. 6 No, I am not sending you to people with strange and difficult speech. If I did, they would listen! 7 But the people of Israel won’t listen to you any more than they listen to me! For the whole lot of them are hard-hearted and stubborn. 8 But look, I have made you as obstinate and hard-hearted as they are. 9 I have made your forehead as hard as the hardest rock! So don’t be afraid of them or fear their angry looks, even though they are rebels.” 10 Then he added, “Son of man, let all my words sink deep into your own heart first. Listen to them carefully for yourself. 11 Then go to your people in exile and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says!’ Do this whether they listen to you or not.” 1 Ezekiel 3:16–21 (NLT) A Watchman for Israel 16 After seven days the Lord gave me a message. He said, 17 “Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for Israel. Whenever you receive a message from me, warn people immediately. 18 If I warn the wicked, saying, ‘You are under the penalty of death,’ but you fail to deliver the warning, they will die in their sins. And I will hold you responsible for their deaths. 19 If you warn them and they refuse to repent and keep on sinning, they will die in their sins. But you will have saved yourself because you obeyed me. 20 “If righteous people turn away from their righteous behavior and ignore the obstacles I put in their way, they will die. And if you do not warn them, they will die in their sins. None of their righteous acts will be remembered, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths. 21 But if you warn righteous people not to sin and they listen to you and do not sin, they will live, and you will have saved yourself, too.” 2 Revelation 2:1–5 (NKJV) The Loveless Church 2 “To the 1angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says aHe who holds the seven stars in His right hand, bwho walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: 2 c“I know your works, your labor, your 2patience, and that you cannot 3bear those who are evil. And dyou have tested those ewho say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; 3 and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have fnot become weary. 4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, gor else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. 3 1 Corinthians 13:1–3 (NKJV) The Greatest Gift 13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of aprophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, bso that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And cthough I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body 1to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.4 1 Corinthians 1:10–13 (NKJV) Sectarianism is Sin 10 Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, qthat you all 4speak the same thing, and that there be no 5divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are 6contentions among you. 12 Now I say this, that reach of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of sApollos,” or “I am of tCephas,” or “I am of Christ.” 13 uIs Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?5 1 Corinthians 3:1–15 (NKJV) Sectarianism is Carnal 3 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to ababes in Christ. 2 I fed you with bmilk and not with solid food; cfor until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and 1behaving like mere men? 4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal? Watering, Working, Warning 5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but dministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? 6 eI planted, fApollos watered, gbut God gave the increase. 7 So then hneither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, iand each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For jwe are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are kGod’s building. 10 lAccording to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid mthe foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than nthat which is laid, owhich is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day pwill declare it, because qit will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.6 1 Corinthians 4:1–5 (NKJV) Stewards of the Mysteries of God 4 Let a man so consider us, as aservants of Christ band stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human 1court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord. 5 cTherefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to dlight the hidden things of darkness and ereveal the 2counsels of the hearts. fThen each one’s praise will come from God.7 1 John 2:18–19 (NKJV) Deceptions of the Last Hour 18 zLittle children, ait is the last hour; and as you have heard that bthe 4Antichrist is coming, ceven now many antichrists have come, by which we know dthat it is the last hour. 19 eThey went out from us, but they were not of us; for fif they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out gthat they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.8 1 John 2:3–6 (NKJV) The Test of Knowing Him 3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a dliar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But ewhoever keeps His word, truly the love of God 1is perfected fin him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 gHe who says he abides in Him hought himself also to walk just as He walked.9