It says this, it says, Let your
conversation be without covetousness, and be content with such things
as you have. For he, the Lord, hath said,
I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Conversation, the
word conversation. I actually prepared a whole message
on that last Wednesday, didn't do it. The word conversation
means, we think of our talk, converse with someone, it means
much more than that. In the scriptures it means course
of life, the path you trod, the destination, the goal, the purpose,
your course of life. And verse 7, what made me really
think hard about that, as he said, remember them which have
the rule over you. That is, the pastor who has spoken
unto you the word of God, whose faith follow considering the
end of their conversation. And that started making me consider
my own conversation, strongly consider what is my conversation,
course of life. destination. Well, conversation
is words used over a dozen times. And as I said, it means the course
of life or the direction that you walk, the tenor of your life,
course, path you walk. And it does include the talk
you talk, how the abundance of the heart the mouth speaker.
It does include that. The thoughts we think, the talk
we talk, the direction we're headed, what we're after. That's
conversation. Alright? He says, let your conversation. He's talking to the Holy Brethren. That's who this is written to.
The carnal mind is not subject to the law of God. It can't be. It won't listen. It's not written to them. People
that are dead in trespassing sin. Who can't walk. It's just talking to believers.
Alright? Children of God who do walk with
Him like Enoch. So He says to them, let your
conversation be without covetousness. Turn over to Ephesians 4. Ephesians
4. The word let here. The word let
means allow or give way or give in to it. What he's saying is
don't allow, don't give in to covetousness. That's what he's
saying. Let it be without covetousness. Don't let your life be full of
covetousness. Now why does he... Look at Ephesians
4, the word let's here. He says let and let not. And
again, this is written to believers. Ephesians 4 verse 28 says, let
him that stole steal no more. Rather let him labor, working
with his hands, that which is good. Verse 29, let no corrupt
communication proceed out of your mouth. This tongue we think no man can
tame, and yet we put a watch over our lips. He tells us to
do that, doesn't he? We can bite it anyway. Bite your
tongue. no corrupt communication. Verse
31, let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil
speaking be put away. So this word is used often, let,
let not, let, let not, don't allow, don't give in to speaking
to those that are alive unto God and who hear his word. So he says, let not your conversation
be full of covetousness. Let not Let your conversation be without
covetousness. Why covetousness? Because covetousness
is our greatest temptation. It's our greatest struggle. The
flesh, that which is flesh is flesh, and flesh loves flesh,
and let flesh covet flesh, the things of the flesh. Covetousness
doesn't mean just money. But it's everything that has
to do with the flesh, pleasure and fame and fortune and this
and that and the other. And the Lord calls covetousness
idolatry. Idolatry. Because whatever we
give ourselves to, that's our God. Paul once said, I said,
weeping of some, they're God. is their belly. And that's our
greatest weakness, is this flesh. It's what flesh wants. So let
not. The Lord says things like this
over and over again. Put off the old man. Put off
the old man. Put on him. Don't let the old
man. And you know without him, we
can do nothing. Again, let or let not anything.
So pray without ceasing. Let me give in to it. Don't let
me be given to it. Let not your conversation be
with covetousness. Well, he says, be content, verse
5. Be content with such things as
you have. Be content. Can we make ourselves
content? Be content. That's a command. Be content. Can we make ourselves
content? Well, if by God's grace, we put
ourselves under His Word. This is the only way. The only
way. The only way. If we're under the sound of God's
Word, we put ourselves by His grace, under the sound of His
Word, continually, constantly. Because the only thing that will
keep us from covetousness. The only thing that will show
us the vanity of all that, the only thing that will make us
content is hearing His Word, hearing His truth, seeing Him.
It's the only thing. Out from under, we're easy prey
to temptations, Satan, everything. We fall prey. This is God's power. This is God's truth. This is
what the Lord uses to restrain us, to convince us, to keep us. We're kept by the power of God.
What's the power of God? The Gospel is the power of God.
We're kept from temptation. We're made content. If the Lord,
by His grace, if you come in here, and the Lord, by His grace,
allows you to see Christ, to hear the truth, do you not see
the vanity of everything? Do you not? More clearly than
ever, don't you? Outside, out from under. I don't know. Minds run wild,
don't they? They run wild. Be content. Be
content. Very soon we'll look at Colossians
3. It says, set your affection on things above. Can we set our
affection? How do you do that? Well, we're
going to look at it. I want to know. There is a way.
The Lord wouldn't have said that if He wasn't. Set your affection
on things above. Do we not set our mind on and
set on what we want? If you want something bad enough,
If I want something bad enough, I'm going to get it. Are you? We're all the same. If you're
thinking about something, you've got it on your mind, you'll go
after it and you'll get it. He tells us, set your affections. There is a way. Now that's another. Must be content. Colossians 3
says this in verse 16. Let me just read it to you. Book of Colossians. like Hebrews,
James, Peter, John, Matthew, Mark. Wonderful, wonderful words
of truth. Colossians 3 says this, Let the
Word of Christ dwell in you richly. I was just reading this morning
where the Lord was talking about the sower who went forth to sow. He said some fell on stony ground. ground, thorny ground, and so
on and so forth. And it says, after he said that
parable, he cried, he cried out, he that hath ears to hear, let
him hear. That's how important it is. The sun falls on stony ground,
spring up, receive it, Joy, gladness, but no root. And then there's
thorny ground. And we all have this problem. Thorns, cares of this life, come
with the fowls of the air, thoughts, take it away. Thorns, cares,
choke it out. We forget it. Good ground. before we hear this
Word. And the Lord went on to say,
take heed how you hear in that same chapter. Because this is
life. This is life. It really is. It's not vain, Moses said. This
is life. And so, if we, by the grace of
God, can prepare our hearts, Lord, break up this pile of ground,
Break up his hard heart. Let the words take root. For
I'm a goner. And, you know, my old... I had
my garden plowed up yesterday, Henry. Before, the water was
just rolling off of it. Just rolling off of it. And I
had a guy come by with that big deep disc, you know, and just
a two-bottom plow, Steve, just tear it up. Oh, it's good ground now. It's
good ground. All that water is going to soak
in. It's going to receive all the
nutrients. Lord, would you please tear up my heart right now. Just turn me upside down right
now and let this Word take root. Well, that's where I am. Hebrews
13. This reason I say, this is not
just a Bible study. I hope we hear from God. I hope
we're hearing God's voice. The voice of the Lord is the
only thing that will break the cedar and make the hinds the calves.
I hope our young people down there hear more than a Bible
study. I hope it makes the hinds the calves. New birth. That's what we're hoping for.
Speak to me, Lord. Speak to me. It's been hard too
long. And he says, be content. He hath
said, I'll never leave you. You know, he says, let your conversation
be without covetousness at the things, and this and that and
the other, because he hath said, I'll never leave you, which implies,
which tells us, everything else will. Everything else will. Whatever you covet, whatever
we covet and go after, mark it down. You're going to lose it.
We brought nothing into this world. And it's certain, Scripture
says, we'll take nothing out of it. Naked we can. We're going
to leave out of here naked. So why would we spend our lives
for that which is fleeting? Because we're dumb. Be content. He has said, I'll
never leave you. It's like a husband and wife. This is what we're hoping. Hoping
that the Lord will cause us to fall in love with Him. Like He's
pride. Like He's pride. A husband and
wife getting married early on and they don't have anything.
They don't have anything. They got each other. They got
each other. And they could go through hard
times and lose everything, couldn't they? But if they're in love,
it doesn't matter. They've got each other. Right?
That's what this is all about. Causing us to fall in love with
Him, being content with Him. Happy with Him. Him. Him. He has said, I'll never
leave you. I'll never leave you. Our husband
and wife may, our father and our mother may even do that.
Our Lord said, He said, I'll never leave you. You say, where's
the bill of divorce that I'll give you? He won't give you one.
He will leave me, but I won't leave you. And if He is, He'll
bring you back. This is life. He that hath the
Son has life. Verse 6 says, We may boldly say
the Lord is my Helper. I will not fear what man shall
do unto me. We may boldly say with full confidence,
the Lord is my helper. Brother John read from Psalm
56 in the study Wednesday night, which said that two or three
times. He said, When I am afraid, I
will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word. In God I put my trust. I will
not fear what flesh can do unto me. That's the only way we won't
fear, not only man, but losing things. He said, remember this? The righteous
will never be forsaken or beg and pray. Never. But I might
lose my what? Remember, came in with nothing
and we're going out with nothing. We're going to lose it eventually.
Health is going to be gone in it. Youth is going to be gone,
isn't it? It's going to be gone. The whole thing is going to be
gone. He says this in Psalm 56, he
said, In God I will praise His Word, in the Lord I will praise
His Word, in God I will not be afraid what man can do unto me. We may boldly say, the Lord is
my helper. I will not fear what man shall
do unto me. Come what may. This is faith. Come what may. If God be for me. Or leave what
may. You'll never leave me. I want that, don't you? I don't
have that completely yet. Anybody here? Brother Henry,
you're pretty old. Do you have that fully yet? Completely
over? No. But this is it though. This is it. This is the only
way. Right here. Right here. Hearing this time
and time again, until like the rain, the Lord causes it to sink
in. Dig in our ears. Dig in our ears. The world stops them up. The
world stops them up. They come back in here, He digs
them in. We may boldly say, with confidence,
you're in Christ. He may boldly say, confidently,
not presumptuously, not arrogantly, but boldly with confidence, with
the utmost assurance and confidence, I will not bear. He kept saying
it over and over again. Fear not. Fear not. He said,
I'm going to the cross. They're going to pluck my beard.
They're going to smite my face. They're going to lay them on
pens. Fear not. Why did they do that? Because
God determined it before it would be done. And it's the same with
us in everything. Fear not. You may boldly say. What a message that is, huh?
We may boldly say, I will not fear. Not because I'm fearless,
but because the Lord is my helper. Here's peace. You have peace
right now? I mean, right now. Right now. Will you have it when
you look now? Unless we're in the Word all
the time. Is this vital? We may boldly say, come what
may, leave what may. I'm content. I'm content. I have
all I need. I've got food. I've got raiment.
Verse 7, Remember them which have the rule over you, who have
spoken unto you the Word of God, whose faith follow, considering
the end of their conversation. Oh, people, I am most uncomfortable
in dealing with verses like this. Most uncomfortable. Not only
because of my own feelings of inability and guilt, but in telling
you your responsibility toward me. Most uncomfortable. And I wouldn't even do it if
the Scriptures didn't do it. But this is what it says. He
says it twice in verse 18. Obey them. Submit to them. Obey
them. Listen to them. Heed their advice
and so forth. Counsel them. If God sent them,
it will be from God's Word. They have the rule over you.
Submit yourself. They watch for your souls. That's a true man. He's watching for your soul.
Not for your wallet, your money. admiration, but be a soul. They
must give an account. Greater responsibility lies on
me. I know that. Who is sufficient for these things?
I know that. Our sufficiency is of God. I
know that. They said that they may do it with joy and not with
grief. It's unprofitable for you. Remember
then, you know, if you're the sheep of His pasture, And I am confident that there
are sheep in here. I'm just certain of it. If you
are, then He will not leave you without a pastor after His own
heart. There is no such thing as a sheep without an under shepherd. No such thing. And they're known
three ways. Here in verse 7 says three ways. They've spoken unto you the Word
of God. Faith. They have the faith that
they're preaching to you and trying to build you up in. And
their conversation. Their goal. Their tenor of life. They speak the Word. How do you
know these men that the Lord has put? Men, mind you. There
are no women. Men. And the Lord makes the overseers
or superintendents the guide over, the rule over, not like
lords, but He does put them in charge. Got to be somebody in
charge. Well, they're known these three
ways. They speak the Word. Number one. That's it. That's their principle, primary,
The purpose is to preach the Word. When he sent his apostles
out, he said, go preach the Word. He told young Timothy, preach
the Word in season and out of season. Preach the Word. Preach,
teach, be apt to teach the Word. The Word of God. The Lord is
not the man, his ability, his power, his wisdom, his wit, his
anything, his intellect. It's the Word. It's God's Word. It's His power. That's what He
is. That's how you know Him. They
speak the Word. Secondly, faith. Faith. It's a man who believes what
he's telling you to believe. I love this story. Benjamin Franklin,
who was an unbeliever, But he used to love to go hear
George Whitefield preach. George Whitefield was a great
preacher years ago. The Lord used him greatly. Franklin
used to go hear George Whitefield preach. And one of Franklin's
drinking buddies, you know, Franklin was a wild man. One of his drinking
buddies said to him, why do you go hear that Whitefield preach?
You don't believe what he preaches. And Franklin replied, no. But
he does. And so, you know, there's got
to be a man who believes what he's telling you, Blue. Or who. Right? Convinced? He's experienced
it. Faith is an experience. I don't
mean a one-time thing, you know, emotional, you go through it
and you're baptized and dedicated. No, no. But it's a life. It's an experience of the grace
of God, the mercy of God, the forgiveness of sins, the need,
comfort of the gospel, the peace of the gospel. No man can preach
that unless he himself has felt it. And that's the way it will
come out. That's the way it will come out. whose conversation,
consider their conversation, the end of their conversation.
Hopefully, my goal and tenor of life is to win Christ and
be found in Him. Hopefully, my conversation or
actual talk, when with you, gets around to the Lord Jesus Christ. Hopefully. Hopefully. And hopefully,
I'm pointing you to Him. Remember them, he said, verse
7. Remember them. Remember them. We use the term,
remember us in prayer. No, remember. That's the first
thing. Remember in prayer. Pray for them. Why? Because they're
just men subject to like passions. And if God's going to speak,
isn't it just so? I almost wish it weren't so,
but it is. This is what God has used to
please God by the foolishness of preaching, and He uses men. The Lord said to the people,
if they hear from Me, they want to hear through you. My, my. Lord, can't You use something
else better? I feel like I'm getting away. that the excellence of the power
might be of God. Because if this flesh can get
by the flesh and hear from God, you'll know God did it. God said,
pray for them. Pray for them. My, my, they're
just men. They need more grace than you
do. They need more wisdom than you do. That's right. My, my. Would you want to be an example?
Paul told young Timothy to be an example in word, in deed,
in faith, in conduct, in character. Would you like to be that? Anybody? Lord, pray for them. How many times have I said this? You can't be mad at somebody
you're praying for. And if you're mad at me, you're
not going to hear God's Word. You're not going to do it. If
you find fault in me, and there's lots of it to find, you're not
going to hear God's Word. You're not. That's sad, isn't
it? I wish it weren't so, but it's
so. Pray for us. Paul says this over and over
again. Brethren, pray for us. Pray for us. Pray for us. The
Lord used mightily, attributed everything to the grace of God
and the fact that His men prayed for Him. You know, there were
literally men meeting while He was preaching, meeting underneath
the pulpit. There was a room over there praying
for Him. Just men. If we're praying for
the preacher, I'll tell you this, You'll be blessed. You'll be
blessed. Others will be blessed. That's
true. If not, they won't. Remember means remember to support. They that preach the gospel are
to live by the gospel. They live by the gospel. Be supported
by a turn of things if they minister spiritual things. You know, if
we really believe that Christ is all, if we really believe
and see the infinite value and worth of the things of God, the
spiritual things, that Christ is really all. See our need of
Christ alone. Our children's need to know Christ
only. It doesn't matter if they're
a garbage man or president. It doesn't matter as long as
they know Christ. If we esteem that above all else, then what
I'm doing right now is the most important thing on earth. And we'll do whatever it takes
to ensure that we have it. Isn't that right? It means selling out. The people
in the early church, that's exactly what they did. Sold out. We've
got to have this gospel. We don't have to have the finest
of this and that yet, but we've got to have this gospel. Our
children. My child doesn't know Christ
yet. I've got to have this gospel preached or they won't know Christ.
My husband, my wife. So remember to support. Remember. Remember. And the next verse. Jesus Christ
the same. I said that every verse is a
message by itself. Well, this one is. And we're
going to use that in the next hour. Jesus Christ the same. But look at the connection. Verse
9, don't be carried about with different and strange doctrines.
It's a good thing the heart be established with grace. Jesus
Christ the same. The message is the same. Tell
me, Brother Henry, I started with you and I'm going to end
with you. Is the message the same? When I came here, when
you all asked me to come here 23 years ago, is the message
the same? Is it? Stan? You were there. Charles, Barbara,
you were here. Is the message the same? Christ? Christ? I'm pointing
you to Christ. Good. That's a good thing. It's a good thing the heart is
established with grace. Charles, is the message the same?
Betty, Christ, that's it. The message is the same. Yesterday
and hopefully it will be forever in his blood until he comes. Remember. Remember. Okay.