The Baptist Bible Hour now comes to you under the direction of Elder Lassaire Bradley Jr. When I get scared. A thousand times to see my grace. Redeemers praise the glories of my god and king, the triumphs of his grace. This is Lesaire Bradley Jr., inviting you to stay tuned for another message of God's sovereign grace.
Lord, help me live from day to day in such a self-forgetful way that even when I kneel to pray, my prayers shall be for others, Lord, yes, others that is my world. Help me to live for others, that I may live like thee. Help me in all the work I do to ever be. Sincere and true, and know that all I do for you must east be done for others, others, Lord Yes, others. Let this my heart hope be help me to live for others, and I may live by thee.
Let self be crucified and slain and buried deep, and all in vain may efforts be to rise again. Bless to live for others, others Lord, yes, others. Let this my mother be help me to live for others that I may live like thee and when my work on earth is done and my new work in heaven's begun, may I forget the race I've run what thing is still above others. Let this my moth over me help me to live for others that I may live by thee. I'm glad you've joined us for the broadcast and pray the message will be a blessing to you.
If it is, let us hear from you. Our address is Baptist Bible Hour, Box 17037, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45217. We do have to have the regular support of our listeners to be able to stay on all of these stations and hope that we can hear from you. Standing by a purpose to be the man. Honor him the faithful give all health to Daniel's band.
Dare to be a Daniel, dare to stand alone, dare to have the purpose done, dare to make it known. Many mighty men from lost, dare you not to stand. Who for God and they know those by joining Daniel's band? Dare to be a Daniel, dare to stand alone, dare to have a purpose done, dare to make it known. Many giants great and tall, song through the land.
Headlong to the earth would fall if death by Daniel's band. Dare to be a Daniel, dare to stand alone, dare to have the purpose come, dare to make it known. Gospel then am I on to victory bread? Satan and his roasting by a shot for Daniel's bed. Dare to be a Daniel, dare to stand alone, dare to have a purpose firm, dare to make it known.
Today we bring you the second part of a message. Defeat at AI.
Now there are a couple of practical lessons that we're drawing from this. first of all, that there was a miserable defeat because there was sin in the camp, and secondly because they had taken bad advice. The spies had gone into the land. They were only supposed to come back and report about the conditions, but they came back with a recommendation. It's not necessary for all the people to go up since we had such a victory earlier.
We don't need everybody to be bothered. And we've drawn from that a lesson. about how sometimes even in a church There can be an attitude, well, we'll let some of our main leaders do the work and the rest of us will just sit back and observe it. Not necessary for all to go up.
So I hope as we continue this message that it will be a blessing to you. And then What about women?
Some would discourage women. As though their realm of service is extremely limited. Thinking, well, they Do a good job of bringing food for lunch. But is that the extent of their involvement? Absolutely not.
Romans chapter 16, verse 1. I commend unto you Phoebe our sister, which is a servant of the church, which is in. Jenkira. that ye receive her in the Lord as becometh saints. and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you, for she hath been a succorer of many, and of myself also.
This is the Apostle Paul. Writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. to the church at Rome, and he says, I commend Phoebe, our sister.
Now there are some restrictions. Scriptures say a woman is not to usurp authority over the man. She's not to teach in public. She's not called to pastor a church, but obviously there are things that she can do and ought to do, and women should not be discouraged in those areas where they can be involved. Assist her.
And whatsoever business she hath need of you, she hath been a succorer, that is, a helper. She has helped many people. And she's helped me, says the Apostle Paul.
So I'm thankful for her. And I want you to assist her. and whatever worked. is before her. And then what about the elderly?
Is there a tendency maybe to? Say, well, person is. Getting older. They can't do what they did when they were young.
So we're not going to encourage their active participation in serving God. 1 Peter chapter 5, verse 5. Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another and be clothed with humility, for God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble. Here is something then.
He's often Overlooked in this day and time. That there is to be A respect Shown To the elder. That's not talking about an ordained elder, it's just talking about an elderly person. to show regard for them. and to understand there is a place.
where they can be used. And one of the things that comes to mind backtracking a bit what we're talking about. the work that women can Perform? Not Teaching men, the Titus chapter 2, verse 3 tells us this: the aged women, that they may teach the young women to be sober. To love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the Word of God be not blasphemed.
Yeah.
Sometimes There are older women who will try to teach younger women and they're not well grounded themselves. I've been disappointed through the years at times when a young lady would come to me and say, well, I sought advice from this older sister and here's what she said, and I'm confused.
Well, it wasn't right. wasn't biblical. The lady had just expressed her own personal opinion that she had no support for it.
So a woman needs to apply herself. Prepare herself. Be knowledgeable of what the scriptures teach. But she is given a responsibility of teaching the young women. teaching them to love their husbands, to love their children.
to be obedient to their husbands, and all of this that the word of God be not blasphemed.
So there should be no attempt. to hold others back. And say, no need for all of us to go up. We all. regardless of our age and station in life, need to be actively involved in serving God.
And then furthermore There must be no attempt to excuse ourselves from going up.
Somebody may say well I just don't feel like I know as much as I ought to know and I just Don't know what place I can occupy. How can I be more zealous in the service of God? I just don't know what I could do.
Well, let's start with this. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, Pray without ceasing. That's one thing. All of us can do. If you find yourself at some point on the sickbed and you can't get up and leave the house, you can pray on your sickbed.
You can pray every day when you get up. You can pray when you're on your way to work. You can pray when you are at work. If you're staying home, you can pray when you stay home. You can pray, you mothers, when you're caring for your children.
In every detail, every aspect of life, praying. Are you praying for others? Praying for those that you know have special need. Praying for those names that have been called out of those that are sick. Pray for your pastor that God will lay upon his heart the message that needs to be preached and that he will be blessed with the Spirit of God to deliver it when Sunday comes.
Pray that the gospel will have free course. That's something the apostle requested that the people would pray for. What's that mean? Wanted to flow freely, unobstructed, no hindrance in its path, that it might be glorified. How is it glorified?
It's glorified when people receive it, when they believe it. We ought to pray for conversions. Pray that we may see individuals coming to the place that they've repented of their sin, believing on Jesus Christ, making a public profession, and following Him in baptism. Do you pray for that? We can all pray.
You can't excuse yourself and say, well, there's Nothing I can do. I don't know. How to pray that well?
Well, look at the model prayer that Jesus gave. He says, here's where you start. Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. And you go on and read the details of the example that is given. All of us are to be praying Pray without ceasing.
And that way Talked about being an encourager. To encourage others. Romans chapter 15 and the 14th verse says, You are able to admonish one another. And the word conveys the thought of being able to instruct. or to counsel.
And in the same passage, it's talking about God being the God of hope.
So how are you going to encourage somebody? Get up. Tell somebody when they're down and discouraged, oh, cheer up, it's going to get better.
Well, you don't know that. It may get worse.
So your little trite phrase doesn't help anybody. How are you going to encourage somebody? You're going to encourage them when you talk about the God of hope. that the God in whom we trust is the sovereign God of heaven who has all power, working all things according to the counsel of his own will. And even if it gets worse, he's promised not to leave you nor forsake you.
And you give encouragement from a biblical perspective. And then comes the responsibility to restore. You see somebody going astray. See somebody starting down the wrong path. You hear somebody say things.
that are offensive and troubling. What are you supposed to do about it? You go spread it around and say, guess what I heard so-and-so say. Guess what I heard about them? Guess where they've been going?
Guess what they've been doing? Is that what the scriptures say? No. See, these spies said letting all the people know up. And you may be saying it to yourself.
Not all the people go up. It's not me. I'm not one to try to deal with that. If you're a follower of Jesus Christ and you recognize Him not only as the Savior of your soul, but the Lord of your life, you have an obligation to obey Him. And here's what he tells us.
Galatians chapter 6 verse 1, Brethren, if a man be overtaken at a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. That word Restore And the original meaning of the word. Refers to the setting of a broken bone. When we were children at home. One of my sisters broke.
her arm when we were out sled riding one day. And you could see The skin hadn't been broken, but the bone was protruding and sticking out. to the side. This was before the days of 911.
So I went. rushing back to the house. Ask my mother. what we should do. She gave me Some cardboard.
And said, put that under her arm so that when she's being moved, it will give her support in that bone won't be scraping one against the other. And we'll find me. We're able to get her in the car. and take her to the doctor's office.
Now When you're helping somebody with a broken bone, Even though it's Obviously, out of place. You don't go up and hear, let me fix that. Let me jerk that back in place. Nobody wants to be handled roughly if they've got a broken bone.
So if you're going to restore somebody You don't just attack them verbally. You don't just go up and say, What is wrong with you? I can't believe what you did. I can't believe where I see you headed. I can't believe what you said.
No. You go in the spirit of meekness. Considering yourself. That you also might be in this plight at some time. You also might be tempted.
You also might at some point go down the wrong path. You're going to be gentle. Your purpose is not to tell them off. Your purpose is to restore them, to help them, to bring them back to a place of usefulness.
So it says further Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Oh, how many people today have an attitude? You know, I just don't want to be involved. I'm willing to stand at a distance and criticize. I'm willing to talk about what people have said and done that I don't agree with, but oh no, I don't know.
I'm going to get my answer. I'm not going to be involved. God says, if you're going to obey him, you have to be involved. If you hear somebody, gossip. Say something they shouldn't say.
You don't repeat it to other people. You go to the person that said it. And said Brother, sister? I wonder if you've really thought about What you said. and you lovingly admonish them.
Persons turned in the wrong direction. Their life's going downhill. I want shown Great. Interest in the things of God, now they've grown cold. You got it.
How to pick that burden. You're going to try to bear their burden. You're going to bear their burden in prayer, praying for them, and you're going to assist them and trying to labor with them.
So if you or a servant of Jesus Christ, you want to obey and do what He says. What are you doing? In the service of God. You show up? I come to church.
I'm glad you do. I'm glad you're here. I don't want to discourage that. That's important. For sake, not the assembling of yourselves together.
What is that all? Is there anything else you do? What about your prayer life? How often are you earnestly and diligently praying? Praying for those.
that need help. praying for our church that The Lord might Strengthen us. Give us wisdom and guide us and bless us in the way that we should go. What are you doing in trying to help other people? Be an encourager, minister to them.
What are you doing? in the service of God. We're all to be workers. Revelation chapter 2, verse 4. The Lord addressing the letters to the seven churches of Asia, he says, I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love.
Remember, therefore, from which thou art fallen, and repent. What's that mean? and do the first works. You've left your first love, you become idle, you become careless, you become indifferent. I want you to repent.
I want you to change. And the way you do that is to do the first works. Do the things that God's word enjoined you to do. For the church to function as it ought, for the church to move forward in a positive way, every person must be filling their place. The church is described as being a body.
You have hands, you have eyes, you have feet. Paul describes all of this. The function of the hand. Is not identical to the function of the foot. Obviously, each has its place.
You need all of the functional parts of the body. You need that in a spiritual way, with each member filling their place. In the book of Judges chapter 7, we find the account of Gideon. Taking his little band to go up and face the Midianites that were in great numbers camped in the valley. And I started out with 32,000.
And he first said, let everybody that's afraid go home. Boy, they cleared out in a hurry. And then he said we're going to go down and take Drink of water. And by the way in which you drink the water, I'm going to be able to discern whether or not you're thinking about your own thirst or you're thinking about the importance of the battle.
So he eliminated others and he got down, started out with 32,000, he's now down to 300.
So we're going to divide into three bands. You're to take lights covered up with a pitcher and take horns, and at the given signal. Going to blow the horns, break the picture, shine the light. Every man had to be in his own place. Judges chapter 7, verse 20 says, And they cried, the sword of the Lord and Gideon.
and they stood every man in his place round about the camp. They were in three companies of 100 each. They weren't given the option, but one man couldn't say, well, you know, I don't really like it. Like this. Company, I'm with.
I like that bunch over there. I'm going to run over there. In the dark. This is at the wee hours of the morning. This wasn't a good time to be changing places.
That's a nice L. You know, I wish I had gone home with that first bunch that left. When they were given an opportunity to leave, they were scared. I'm scared now.
So I think, I know, every man was in his place. And you As a believer in Jesus Christ, As a follower of the Savior. Recognize him as Lord of your life. As a member of the church, you have a place to fill every man, every woman, every boy, every girl in their place. in their place.
Yeah, say not necessary. for everybody to go up. But you know the result. There was a terrible Defeat. Principally because of the fact that there was sin.
And God was not going to prosper the people when sin was in the camp. and at this point had not been addressed and attended to. But coupled with that is this fact that Joshua such a noble, outstanding leader. faltered at this moment. And when the spies came back, and made their recommendation.
I guess now. That sounded reasonable. After this great victory in Jericho, why would you think you needed everybody? Just no need to bother them, just let them rest in their tents. They don't have to be active.
Worse things can happen to somebody who's going to become idol. They're just going to sit around resting in the tent instead of going out to see what God's doing and participating in it. They're going to be miserable. I don't think you'll ever find a lazy person who is happy. God expects That we Labor and work.
Work is good. Work is hard because of the fall, but there was work before Adam sinned. God's in favor of work. And we ought to be workers. And so if we say that we have become indifferent and we adopt this attitude, not everybody needs to go up, and so I'm excusing myself.
You're not going to find the full joy of your salvation if you're not actively. serving on a daily basis. Putting God first in your life. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. How important to get that lesson.
And here it is. Right in this Old Testament book of Joshua. Teaching us something that we need to know about our involvement with the Lord's church in this gospel day. A change was occurring. In spite of all of the rules.
Wonderful blessings that had been previously enjoyed in spite of the victory that they had just enjoyed at Jericho. First word chapter 7, but.
Now the cause of sin. They're going to be defeated. Sin. And they confront it. Had to be rooted out, had to be dealt with.
Before God then Whoosh. Ready. to bless them. and give them victory. once again.
The sin of one man. A sin of Achan. brought about the defeat. of the whole nation. May each of us search our hearts and examine our ways and pray.
That if there's shin that needs to be confessed, the Lord will make us aware of it. and that we confess and forsake our sins. That we might not be guilty. as Aikenwater. of interfering.
with the forward movement. of the kingdom of God. May we Reject. the kind of counsel and advice that was given by the spies. Not necessary that it all go up.
Whether it would be our attempt to discourage somebody else. Or an attempt to make excuses in our own case. I don't need to be involved. We need to be involved. They need to be active.
Okay. Serving. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And what's our motivation for serving him? But think about what he's done for us.
To know that we are violators of his law. We are justly condemned sinners in nature. We would deserve nothing but his wrath and would suffer forever apart from the redemption that there is as to what Jesus Christ accomplished at the cross. He came to save. Setters.
This is a faithful thing in the world of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came to the world to save sinners, said the Apostle Paul of whom I achieved. If you see yourself a sinner, then there's good news for you in the gospel. That's the kind of people Jesus saves. Says Come with me. All ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I'll give you rest.
Have you been laboring under the burden and weight of sin and guilt? You come to him and in him you find forgiveness. He. is the Saviour of sinners. Let us stand to sing.
Jesus was Well, after looking at several practical messages in this portion of Scripture, We concluded with the gospel truth that's always needed. That Jesus Christ is the friend of sinners. He says, Come unto me and I will give you rest. He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. I hope that you will write us, and until next week at this same time, may the Lord richly bless you all.
Amen. The Baptist Bible Hour has come to you under the direction of Elder Lessere Bradley Jr. Address all mail to the Baptist Bible Hour, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45217. That's the Baptist Bible Hour, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45217. Dead.
Bright and sometimes failing him, was ringed by the victory winds. Hallelujah, what a savior Hallelujah, what a friend, saving happy.
