[SPEAKER_01]: Revived Fauts is a production of Revived Studios.
[SPEAKER_02]: This is Troy Angel, and you're listening to Revived Fauts.
[SPEAKER_00]: As someone who neither presumed he could accomplish the work alone, Nor sought to monopolize the recognition and respect that would be shown.
[SPEAKER_00]: He urged Barnabas to accompany him,
[SPEAKER_03]: Every episode we bring you a different voice from history in a sermon that they delivered Today we're going to London and 1704, listen to a sermon by Matthew Henry Troy, how you doing today?
[SPEAKER_02]: Pretty good.
[SPEAKER_02]: We have I think this one the first real rains of the rainy season so my I live in Indonesia We're entering the rainy season that can feel it and it's here if you've never yeah I see her and if you never live somewhere with the rainy season in mountains you can kind of like and we'll give you like headaches actually I feel I feel a little bit of one today.
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't think it'll be fine, but
[SPEAKER_02]: it is it is kind of a weird feeling something about the rain coming off of mountains it's not just me as several people in the community will tell me like yeah no it's just the the kind of rainy season migraine such headaches that happened so never fun but a thing how about you Joel?
[SPEAKER_03]: I'm doing well.
[SPEAKER_03]: I'm a little bit nasally getting over a little bit of a cold here.
[SPEAKER_03]: So, you know, you have a headache.
[SPEAKER_03]: I have a little bit of a, of a nasally cold.
[SPEAKER_03]: So, but, nevertheless, we're going to give it peak revive thoughts.
[SPEAKER_03]: This is going to be great.
[SPEAKER_03]: So, I can tell.
[SPEAKER_02]: Look at look at what we are willing to do for you.
[SPEAKER_02]: You're listening to this show and you're wondering, what kind of sacrifices we make well?
[SPEAKER_02]: slight headaches and nasally noses are not enough to pull us back from recording a good old fashion Matthew Henry.
[SPEAKER_02]: Joel, let me ask you, have you ever heard of Matthew Henry before?
[SPEAKER_02]: Like, where have you seen his name?
[SPEAKER_03]: Bro, the amount of footnotes on papers that side is active.
[SPEAKER_03]: Come at you, Henry.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yes.
[SPEAKER_02]: Wood, Bob.
[SPEAKER_02]: So it's really funny.
[SPEAKER_02]: This was like five years ago.
[SPEAKER_02]: Maybe four years ago on social media.
[SPEAKER_02]: There was a Bible college professor of seminary professor.
[SPEAKER_02]: And he, he sent on a message and he goes, what is with students?
[SPEAKER_02]: and Matthew Henry why are they always quoting him why is it always they always go to his commentary and I remember laughing really hard by saw that because I remember using Matthew Henry in all of my Bible papers as well back in Bible College Joel and I went to Bible College together but we didn't cheat off each other's papers but we would stay up way too late writing those papers together through from around
[SPEAKER_02]: And the reason why I, at least I think you see Matthew Henry so often in papers is because if you ever Google like Isaiah six commentary at least back ten years ago, the very first thing you'd see was always Matthew Henry he was always like the first easiest freeest version of every commentary and so when you're writing that paper in the middle of the night, you just need somebody to define something real quick Matthew Henry was your first Google search.
[SPEAKER_02]: That's my theory at least, but it was funny to me because I was like, ah,
[SPEAKER_02]: I guess I wasn't the only one doing that.
[SPEAKER_02]: Apparently it's such a problem that, you know, seminary professors are sitting there scratching their head like what's with all these Matthew Henry fans win in reality.
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm pretty sure we're all just doing the same thing and goes the most to the night.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, it's the most the available resource there.
[SPEAKER_03]: I'm not sure at what point in Matthew Henry's
[SPEAKER_03]: uh... estate did his commentary become free but uh... whatever that happened it uh... it kind of sealed the fate of it being the most uh... most accessed commentary any any it but like bible program i feel like if you have your log ass or your uh... i don't even know what what are what are the bible saffers these days i was blue blue letter by one of the app i like it a lot
[SPEAKER_03]: They have, I mean, you're adding on commentaries to it.
[SPEAKER_03]: That Matthew Henryman is always there and it's always free.
[SPEAKER_03]: It's usually for sometimes easy.
[SPEAKER_03]: It's your only free.
[SPEAKER_03]: Well, you got to pay for the other one.
[SPEAKER_02]: So your culture, you're going to access your free Matthew Henry.
[SPEAKER_02]: And all of the students are writing those papers.
[SPEAKER_02]: Now, here's the thing, he's more than just paper help.
[SPEAKER_02]: So I don't know why this reminded me of you and me, a speed of footnotes in Bible College.
[SPEAKER_02]: You and I tried to do a prank where we,
[SPEAKER_02]: where we made up a source and just had them.
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't even know if you should even say this, but because I don't know, it's not plagiarism.
[SPEAKER_03]: We were more, I would not condone this behavior today.
[SPEAKER_03]: You know, as we did, we knew a lot of dumb kids things when you're a college student, but...
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, when you're, you know, this was already of a process.
[SPEAKER_02]: Some of you are like, I remember in college and I was slay him in Bruce keys and parties.
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, Joel and I created a false reference and he agreed with you.
[SPEAKER_02]: I think it was Johannes Eckert and he agreed with everything every professor set and he was always like the guy like at the end of the paper.
[SPEAKER_02]: You'd be like, you know, I think Johannes Eckert says it best when blah blah.
[SPEAKER_02]: And if you would ever the professor always said in class.
[SPEAKER_02]: And we always were waiting for the moment when a professor discovered that our imagining was a teacher's lounge.
[SPEAKER_02]: It would be like, have you heard of this Johannes Eckert guy?
[SPEAKER_02]: And every person from every department would be like, how is he quoted in every paper?
[SPEAKER_02]: That was what we imagined happening.
[SPEAKER_03]: We wanted to create a legend of a source that all of our professors would.
[SPEAKER_03]: Which we don't do on our TV.
[SPEAKER_03]: We've outgrown this behavior.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's not a great reputation for a show based on his historical documents.
[SPEAKER_02]: I repent, I apologize.
[SPEAKER_02]: I wouldn't do it again.
[SPEAKER_02]: But...
[SPEAKER_02]: We did a fish.
[SPEAKER_02]: I did actually get acknowledged by one professor where he circled that source and he put like a question on our next So it says interesting source dot dot dot.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, no Okay, we were pretty dumb.
[SPEAKER_03]: We know we never really thought we we thought that the professors
[SPEAKER_03]: probably wouldn't investigate too much.
[SPEAKER_02]: But I mean, that might be plagiarism.
[SPEAKER_02]: That could get us in trouble.
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't know what the standard was.
[SPEAKER_02]: It was a standard when you're not copying, pacing, but you're recreating false.
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm sure it was bad.
[SPEAKER_02]: So don't do what we did.
[SPEAKER_02]: That's my only, you know what, learn from us.
[SPEAKER_03]: I, as now, have limitations on our diploma.
[SPEAKER_03]: Are they going to do it?
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, as a teacher now, I am, let me tell you, I'm now getting paid back thrice-fold by having to take every student's paper and running it through an AI source checker and it is, you know what?
[SPEAKER_02]: Even when I said, oh, we had a Google Matthew Henry, I'm sure some of our younger listeners who are now old enough to be teachers themselves are going, I just use chatGPT and call it like, you know what I'm saying there, it's out, but back before chatGPT wrote your papers or wrote your sources, you would have to use Google to find those sources.
[SPEAKER_02]: So it's a little bit of an older type of thing going on there.
[SPEAKER_02]: All right, now that we've ruined our reputation, let's read some positive responses to revive thoughts.
[SPEAKER_02]: Delbert Clement says, Gris Austin raled against the Empress for designing statues of herself, Vanie, and Stravinsky.
[SPEAKER_02]: I did not hear it combination of beautiful churches in the serving, but the vanity of donating wealth for social capital, like a modern day, billionaire, a philanthropist.
[SPEAKER_02]: That was not a seven or all a sermon.
[SPEAKER_02]: I think it was a great sermon, and highly recommend you go listen to it, and I think this Delbert, I think that's the same man,
[SPEAKER_02]: Um, you know, kind of push them back on the idea that hey, you can't have a beautiful church.
[SPEAKER_02]: And you know what?
[SPEAKER_02]: That's sure.
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: Maybe it's having a rala.
[SPEAKER_02]: I do think, I mean, Martin Luther and those guys would push back on the beautiful churches because they were built on the backs of indulgences that were sold at the time.
[SPEAKER_02]: But I'm not in one of those guys who thinks the church has to be an ugly square.
[SPEAKER_02]: I also don't want to sell indulgences to build beautiful churches.
[SPEAKER_02]: And I think you're going to have a beautiful church, you know, in the middle of an island somewhere with a few plastic chairs if it's people of God coming together.
[SPEAKER_02]: agree with your your point that he was aiming at more at some of the vanity and extravagance of Florence.
[SPEAKER_02]: Katie says, well, now I have to get your Patreon.
[SPEAKER_02]: Thank you so much.
[SPEAKER_02]: I've never heard much about this before.
[SPEAKER_02]: I believe this was in reference to our Ethiopia deep dive.
[SPEAKER_02]: It was on Spotify.
[SPEAKER_02]: And I didn't say what episode it was on.
[SPEAKER_02]: But if you've never listened to our three part series on Ethiopia, highly recommend you go do it.
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm pretty sure we are today the only Christian podcast and maybe the only one on the only podcast who've done an
[SPEAKER_02]: fascinating 2000 years or some wild things that happened in Ethiopia, including the bee king, including multiple like attempted genocides of the Ethiopians.
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm not going to spoil it for you, but it's a wild ride.
[SPEAKER_02]: And Jolene, I'm sorry, and Katie, I want to say thank you for joining us on Patreon because Katie, Jolene, Todd, and Eric have been some new Patreon's that came on on
[SPEAKER_02]: Recently and we really appreciate everyone enjoying this on Patreon.
[SPEAKER_02]: Our way of saying thank you as we have a few private deep dives Joan of Art first crusade Salem a child so they're still there that are just up our way of saying thank you some extra listening for you You also get access to new deep dives Before anyone else and we are working actually we just put down a date or maybe a tentative date first for recording night's Templar deep part two
[SPEAKER_02]: So you'll get access to that a little bit earlier than everyone else and you'll also get to add free feed, but most importantly you help us keep our show going because to be honest podcasting has gotten more expensive than when we started it and our funds have not gotten necessarily higher since when we started it.
[SPEAKER_02]: So we do appreciate every person who signs up on Patreon, it does help at absolute launch.
[SPEAKER_03]: Okay should we talk about Matthew Henry?
[SPEAKER_02]: Absolutely we should.
[SPEAKER_03]: Matthew Henry born in England in the year 1662 and he was born as a pre-me baby and I was born as a pre-me too, shall I be a pre-me?
[SPEAKER_02]: I was I was not born prematurely, but I did actually almost write that.
[SPEAKER_02]: I was like I almost been in the seas like huge old, but then I was like, I don't know if I want to put that out there.
[SPEAKER_02]: You knew that.
[SPEAKER_03]: We've had this kind of stuff.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, you told me.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, you told me because I remember when I was early as friendship conversations, you said something.
[SPEAKER_02]: The effect of like I was born and put into like a, what are these things called, they put the prematurely.
[SPEAKER_02]: I was born and I was put into like a bowl of glass as a baby.
[SPEAKER_02]: I was like, what?
[SPEAKER_02]: And you had to explain to me what you meant by that.
[SPEAKER_03]: I don't know if they still do that.
[SPEAKER_03]: I don't know that.
[SPEAKER_03]: Maybe technology is progressed over the time, but much like me, Matthew Henry Born as a pre-me, and it kind of affected his health growing up.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, I mean, imagine the technology of the incubator hours and the 90s versus what they had in the 1600s probably probably had a whole lot of you can do.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I don't know.
[SPEAKER_02]: Only the head incubators had all that fence, so he's actually pretty, pretty fortunate to be alive.
[SPEAKER_03]: Right.
[SPEAKER_03]: Well, he's not anymore.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, but he wrestled with fevers a lot as a child growing up thought to be connected with that The same year he was born the active uniformity was passed and Troy We you and I have talked frequently about the active you've active uniformity that took place in England We even did an episode of like what would we do with the active uniformity was past today?
[SPEAKER_02]: And we've I'm we've hit the active uniformity in every direction you can pretty much hit about it
[SPEAKER_03]: we have and so just as reminder the active uniformity required that all churches in England follow quote the common book of prayer in quote in this was an issue for a lot of peoples where we get a lot of our
[SPEAKER_03]: kind of interesting church stories out.
[SPEAKER_03]: We've done episodes on John Flavelle and John Bunyan, the writer of Pilgrim's Progress, both people that were famous pastors during the active uniformity that were ejected because of their beliefs.
[SPEAKER_03]: They wouldn't conform to what the church of England wanted them to do, how they wanted them to be governed and the way that they
[SPEAKER_03]: and a very fascinating era of history to look at both in kind of English history, but also because there's kind of layers to a larger civil war that was happening in England and then this kind of shorter era of active uniformity when that was an effect.
[SPEAKER_03]: Fascinating stuff.
[SPEAKER_02]: Matthew Henry is also living during the time.
[SPEAKER_02]: And not to plug ourselves here again, but if you want to learn more, there's an entire deep dive called the London Fire of 1666, which covers a lot of that in detail as well because the active uniformity and all the things happening in England during that time were a very important part of that fire and that fire that almost, actually, we can truly say completely wrote world history, even though almost nobody knows that fire happened.
[SPEAKER_02]: So just to do, okay, that'll be my last one for a while, but I'm just saying.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, so imagine just living in an era where as a Christian religion, you were only allowed to preach a very specific, very curated type of sermon that was heavily guarded by, or enforced and monitored by the government.
[SPEAKER_03]: That's kind of the era that he is growing up in here.
[SPEAKER_03]: And a lot of people,
[SPEAKER_03]: could not do this in good conscious, like we mentioned, and we got put in a very bad spot because of it.
[SPEAKER_03]: Matthew Henry's family, while they didn't adhere to the active uniformity, they also happen to be, it seems like pretty rich, which helps a lot in situations like this.
[SPEAKER_03]: Matthew Henry's dad was a preacher and he was, I believe, ejected because he didn't conform, but because they were wealthy, they were able to kind of navigate through this era and Matthew was still able to go to school and get a sound education where again,
[SPEAKER_03]: many people in his situation would not be able to do that because of the restrictions and such that was going on with that.
[SPEAKER_03]: So he kind of seemed to slip by that, again, most people around him, weren't able to do.
[SPEAKER_03]: He also had a sister named Sarah Henry.
[SPEAKER_03]: that married and was given the name Sarah Savage, which is a great name, Sarah Savage wrote extensive diaries throughout her entire life, starting in our 20s and going through until she died at the age of 80.
[SPEAKER_03]: And so these are some of the prime sources that we have of this era that we can pull on.
[SPEAKER_03]: And not just for people interested in what the church was doing at
[SPEAKER_03]: accounts that we have of the mid-1600s here in England.
[SPEAKER_03]: She expressed her frustrations and fears about not being able to conceive and have children.
[SPEAKER_03]: She lost a close friend in her middle ages.
[SPEAKER_03]: She was eventually able to have kids and so she documents that experience raising her family.
[SPEAKER_03]: She documents conversations with her husband, convincing her husband to do some nightly
[SPEAKER_03]: And finally, you know, she documents the towards the end of her life.
[SPEAKER_03]: She documents the anticipation she was feeling around her own death as it near, you know?
[SPEAKER_03]: So like, what a neat kind of encompassing journey that took you through an entire person's life.
[SPEAKER_03]: that we have documented, again, that's Matthew Henry's sister that gives us that source of diaries.
[SPEAKER_02]: And by the age of nine, Matthew Henry was reading and writing and Latin, and part of Greek, I also imagine he was probably reading and writing in a medieval English, which a lot of us can't even do today.
[SPEAKER_02]: He learned much of his writing skills by copying his father's sermons down for him.
[SPEAKER_02]: He also began to show some skill at public speaking at a rather young age.
[SPEAKER_02]: Which I'm kind of curious how he did that like did they give him times like do the morning and announcements at church anyway At 18 he was sent to be tutored by a famous non-conformist minister non-conformist one of the guys who was not A part of the church of England reject you know when the ejected guys on this guy's name is Thomas do little He was there for two years before the academy that he was studying that had to be reclote relocated due to persecution so the church of
[SPEAKER_02]: England and England kind of came after this school, and so this guy Thomas do little had to take him on and move somewhere else, and Matthew Henry wasn't able to make the move.
[SPEAKER_02]: So instead he went on to the capital, the study law, a classic, and we said this so many times, between studying medicine and studying law, that's like 80% of our pastors seem to go down that road at some point.
[SPEAKER_02]: But as many of them do, he became far more interested in theology.
[SPEAKER_02]: And although he also enjoyed studying French
[SPEAKER_02]: I was friend invited him to give a sermon at one of the kind of local churches that would have been again under kind of underground, not directly out in the open with the church of England at the time.
[SPEAKER_02]: Received very well.
[SPEAKER_02]: People enjoyed it a lot and he had some other opportunities kind of people heard about him wanting to preach and gave him some more chances to do so.
[SPEAKER_02]: And by the end of summer it was pretty clear that he felt like he had a calling to do preaching.
[SPEAKER_02]: Um, and so he, he's kind of usually the part of the story where you would hear us tell you how we got a pastor at a small church and things quickly started building for him as a lot more people attend the church.
[SPEAKER_02]: And this is true.
[SPEAKER_02]: This is that part of the story.
[SPEAKER_02]: But it also was a part of his life when a severe set of tragedies kind of started to hit him at the young ages of 24 and 25.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, it's a sad story man.
[SPEAKER_03]: He's got a he's got a and I know this is not unsommered to a lot of the people that lived in this era But it's still sad to see and I feel like It hit Henry here particularly hard He got married to a woman named Katherine who was the daughter of a of another family that was relatively well off
[SPEAKER_03]: They were excited to start a family together and they had a small child, but shortly after their child was born, Katherine contracted smallpox, and she passed away, and Matthew was heartbroken by this, so he decided to name his young daughter who was just born, Katherine in her honor to remember his wife.
[SPEAKER_03]: However, after about 15 rough months, the child also would pass away as well leaving him all loan again.
[SPEAKER_03]: Later in his life, he did remarry, but his second child with his new wife Mary also died in infancy and his third child, second child with Mary, went on to die three weeks after
[SPEAKER_03]: affects a person deeply in the in Matthew Henry is consistently in public speaking roles here and you know we have accounts of he's it's it's wearing on his body you know he's he's becoming sick more common and his father has these letters that we can see where he's writing to him saying hey I love the work you're doing a doing a great job don't push yourself too hard you know try to take it easy if you can you're doing great work but
[SPEAKER_03]: try to let your body heal.
[SPEAKER_03]: He was not the type that, you know, would slow down with this type of stuff it seems, you know, he presses on, he even during this time had a prison ministry that he would go to the local castle and have Bible studies with the prisoners that were there.
[SPEAKER_03]: He did go on to have more children in such, but he actually can't imagine having your fourth
[SPEAKER_03]: child be the first one that survives past and infancy.
[SPEAKER_03]: That's just wild threat.
[SPEAKER_03]: Three children in a life pass away.
[SPEAKER_02]: I can't even imagine, I mean, getting up and speaking regularly during that time about God and the goodness of God and all these kind of things faithfulness to the Lord while you're going through all of that, you know, if we had a pastor today, his wife died or his wife and child died, you know, in kind of short succession, I know we wouldn't expect anything from him for quite a while to recover.
[SPEAKER_02]: back in the day was just you got to get back up on it and keep going and kind of a thing and and maybe Henry's no exception but that doesn't mean they're not human and that doesn't mean it probably wasn't very very hard and I imagine that without the help of the Holy Spirit it would have been impossible to keep going.
[SPEAKER_02]: But he was a popular speaker, and he could often lead his audience.
[SPEAKER_02]: He was famous for kind of getting his audience to break down in tears.
[SPEAKER_02]: His philosophy on speaking was, quote, choose for your pulpit subjects that are simple and necessary truths, and attempt to make them even simpler for them.
[SPEAKER_02]: In quote, which I like, because, you know, look, there are all kinds of different pastors and preachers.
[SPEAKER_02]: Some that can become really complex and eloquent, but I do like the guys who just make simple truths even simpler.
[SPEAKER_02]: And I did have a few more kids that did make it to adulthood, his fourth child and Biden infancy and that one actually really so his fourth it was his third child with Mary I believe he would grow up to be an adult but his fourth child with Mary's fifth child overall she died and that just really that one really hit him hard I think.
[SPEAKER_02]: Now he was constantly requested to speak in London and at one point the travel began to wear him out.
[SPEAKER_02]: In fact, he was so tired one time he actually passed out while speaking, which would be pretty intense to see.
[SPEAKER_02]: He then began to continue to just keep getting regular fevers from all the traveling.
[SPEAKER_02]: And remember back then, traveling is not the way it is today.
[SPEAKER_02]: You're going through the night back and forth across the countryside, whether being whatever it is, rain or snow.
[SPEAKER_02]: Or even just really hot sunny days and the travel wore him out at one point.
[SPEAKER_02]: He returned home and it took him three full weeks to recover from a single speaking engagement in London because he was preaching in this exegetical Explain the text kind of way that he had done for so many years eight people
[SPEAKER_02]: Really enjoyed listening to him.
[SPEAKER_02]: It was kind of unique and it was kind of a good way to do it So he decided to move to London just be a little bit closer to all these engagements.
[SPEAKER_02]: He was having and Leave the church he'd been at but also he got closer to his publisher because with all his sermons and all his preaching He was putting together a commentary the very commentary that Joel and I In so many others have used in their Bible college and seminary papers was coming from his sermons and his walkthroughs of the text
[SPEAKER_02]: He also began to suffer from something called nephritis, which I've never heard of, and I hope to never hear of it, but it's an inflammation of the kidneys and sounds pretty painful.
[SPEAKER_02]: In 1714, Dearing one of his speaking tours, he was on his way to a church to speak when his horse threw him.
[SPEAKER_02]: which is not something we experience a lot of today, but it's very dangerous, and very deadly, and he got photo in the ground, everyone traveling with him for example, they check him, he says, I'm fine, I'm fine, it's okay, it's I'm fine, but they noticed he's kind of tired.
[SPEAKER_02]: He managed to really mean he's traveling a lot though, he's always kind of tired.
[SPEAKER_02]: He managed to preach a sermon, it was on Proverbs 31 18, but it was a lot shorter than his usual sermons were it lacked his usual zeal, his energy, his passion, his fire, people were concerned about him.
[SPEAKER_02]: But hey, maybe to see some rest, they check him into a house, the kind of a hospital house way as they go, not a hospital, but you know, just like an inn where they can take care of people who are sick.
[SPEAKER_02]: When they check on him in the morning, he's passed away already.
[SPEAKER_02]: He it seems that doctors believe he had kind of a brain bleed from hitting his head from being thrown off the horse.
[SPEAKER_03]: So Matthew Henry's most famous work, as I mentioned, would be this commentary that was put together.
[SPEAKER_03]: It was kind of a first of its kind, you know, an exhaustive paragraph by paragraph, look at the Bible.
[SPEAKER_03]: And he didn't completely finish this before he died, but he had lots of notes, again, from his preaching style that would leave these notes behind.
[SPEAKER_03]: And so, uh,
[SPEAKER_03]: After he passed away, his friends and colleagues gathered all of his notes and completed this commentary so that we could have it in its entirety.
[SPEAKER_03]: Whitfield said that he read it four times in his life and loved it so much.
[SPEAKER_03]: The last time he read it, he read it on his knees.
[SPEAKER_03]: Wesley published an edition of it and he gave it high praise in the kind of the opening introductory paragraphs of his edition of it.
[SPEAKER_03]: Spurgeon set of it every minister opt to read it entirely and carefully through once at least and you probably have You know heard lines from the quotes from it throughout your life that you may not even Realize it's it's got a long way to shape a lot of the way that a lot of believers
[SPEAKER_03]: think and communicate not only in today's day and age, but for past several hundred years, I think maybe his most famous quote comes from Genesis where he's talking about Adam and Eve, and he says, quote, the woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam.
[SPEAKER_03]: Not made out of his head to rule over him nor out of his feet to be trampled upon him, but out of his side to be equal with
[SPEAKER_03]: What, what, uh, what a nice quote.
[SPEAKER_03]: What a lovely quote, right?
[SPEAKER_02]: It's the kind of thing you want to put on a, on a wedding ceremony or something, but I have heard that quote for sure, and I, it wasn't until this.
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh, me too.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_02]: Learned it was from Matthew Henry.
[SPEAKER_02]: Technically, Matthew Henry was actually quoting somebody else, but he's the one that got it into the common parlance, for sure.
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, but because of all of the Bible studies and seminaries throughout the years, or people were grabbing Genesis papers late in the night.
[SPEAKER_03]: Alright, so we're going to listen to a sermon by Matthew Henry here.
[SPEAKER_03]: A busy and hardworking Christian who suffered regular fevers and loss of children.
[SPEAKER_03]: He tells us about the importance of friendship and visiting with our friends.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the Word of the Lord, and see how they are doing.
[SPEAKER_00]: Acts chapter 15 verse 36.
[SPEAKER_00]: This was a commendable idea made by St. Paul to Barnabas, his fellow laborer, in tribulation and in the kingdom of Jesus Christ.
[SPEAKER_00]: Paul invited Barnabas to join him in revisiting and strengthening the churches among the Gentiles that they had recently planted.
[SPEAKER_00]: Paul, a devoted servant, and key leader in Christ's kingdom, was not only equipped for every good work, but also eager to take initiative.
[SPEAKER_00]: He was both a chief speaker, see Acts 14 verse 12, and a chief duer embodying action as much as instruction.
[SPEAKER_00]: While many are willing to follow, fewer are prepared to lead, especially in tasks that are challenging or perilous.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yet those who, by God's grace, are inspired to lead in good works, see Titus chapter 2 verse 8, are deserving of special honor.
[SPEAKER_00]: Paul exemplified those, as seen in this instance.
[SPEAKER_00]: Though Paul and Barnabas were initially called by the Holy Spirit to preach the gospel among the Gentiles, specifically set apart for that great work,
[SPEAKER_00]: Acts chapter 13 verse 2, they did not rely on direct divine intervention for every step of their mission.
[SPEAKER_00]: Much of their ongoing work required their own prudence and zeal, providing an example for future generations, especially in the practice of revisiting and supporting the communities they had served.
[SPEAKER_00]: At this time, Antioch was a safe and peaceful haven, where Paul and Barnabas had recently returned after a demanding but fruitful journey.
[SPEAKER_00]: Though they needed some rest, they were not idle, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord even in their brief stay, Acts chapter 15 verse 35.
[SPEAKER_00]: They might have thought it is good to be here, for it was far more comfortable than the cities where hardships and afflictions awaited them.
[SPEAKER_00]: but St. Paul's act of spirit could not be content with rest.
[SPEAKER_00]: Soon he began thinking about setting out on another journey.
[SPEAKER_00]: He remained mindful of end obedient to the heavenly vision that called him to serve among the Gentiles.
[SPEAKER_00]: Acts 22 verse 21.
[SPEAKER_00]: It was for this reason that he planned a second expedition to those distant lands.
[SPEAKER_00]: One could easily object to such a plan.
[SPEAKER_00]: The Gentiles had recently tried to stone Paul, Acts chapter 14 verse 19.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yet, as a courageous soldier of Jesus Christ, determined to fully carry out his ministry, Paul resolved to return despite the risks.
[SPEAKER_00]: He valued Christ's glory and the salvation of souls above any personal king or comfort.
[SPEAKER_00]: Paul said, let us go again.
[SPEAKER_00]: prepared to undertake the same work and confront the same hardships.
[SPEAKER_00]: If we wish to complete our mission with joy, we must persevere like the sun, steady and unwavering, rejoicing as a strong man running a race, doing the work that each day requires and fulfilling the duties laid before us.
[SPEAKER_00]: What Saint Paul planned here was a visit, a circular visit.
[SPEAKER_00]: As someone who neither presumed he could accomplish the work alone, Nor sought to monopolize the recognition and respect that would be shown.
[SPEAKER_00]: He urged Barnabas to accompany him, sharing both the labor and the rewards.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now first, consider who Paul intended to visit.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let us visit our brothers and sisters in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord.
[SPEAKER_00]: Take note, Paul referred to them as our brothers and sisters, not just the believers or the brothers and sisters, but our brothers and sisters.
[SPEAKER_00]: This included not only the ministers and elders, they had appointed in each church.
[SPEAKER_00]: See, Acts chapter 14 verse 23, but also all the believers, despite being an extraordinary apostle, a man uniquely favored by heaven and an immense blessing to the earth, Paul humbly referred to himself as a brother to even the least of Christ's disciples.
[SPEAKER_00]: He exemplified humility and condescension, living by Christ's teaching in Matthew chapter 23 verse 8, do not be called rabbi, for you are all brothers and sisters.
[SPEAKER_00]: If our master is not ashamed to call us his brothers and sisters, we should not hesitate to use the same language with one another, not merely out of formality, but with sincerity and as a genuine expression of brotherly and sisterly love.
[SPEAKER_00]: Hall assumes there were brothers and sisters in every city where they had preached the word of the Lord.
[SPEAKER_00]: Even though the gospel often met fierce opposition in every place, there were always some who received it gladly.
[SPEAKER_00]: While to some it was a fragrance of death leading to death, to others it became a fragrance of life leading to life, second Corinthians chapter 2 verse 16.
[SPEAKER_00]: In every city where the gospel was preached, some good was accomplished, some lost sheep were brought back to the fold, some hidden treasures were discovered.
[SPEAKER_00]: This gave the apostles reason to rejoice and always triumph, as through them Christ spread the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere.
[SPEAKER_00]: Second Corinthians chapter 2 verse 14.
[SPEAKER_00]: They love honor and pray for all who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.
[SPEAKER_00]: First Corinthians chapter 1 verse 2.
[SPEAKER_00]: When the number of devoted Christians in their immediate community seems small, leading to moments of discouragement, they find comfort in knowing there are brothers and sisters in every city.
[SPEAKER_00]: These fellow believers all belong to the same heavenly city, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, which is free and the mother of us all.
[SPEAKER_00]: Third, Paul speaks with particular concern for the brothers and sisters in the cities where he had preached the word of the Lord.
[SPEAKER_00]: Those he had preached to were especially dear to him, even more so than others.
[SPEAKER_00]: He had shared the gospel of Christ with them, and as he wrote elsewhere was ready to give them not only the gospel, but also his very life, for Cecilonians chapter 2 verse 8.
[SPEAKER_00]: Spiritual leaders have a natural concern for the well-being of those who have been spiritually reborn through the message they have preached.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it is unfortunate when this mutual love is ever diminished.
[SPEAKER_00]: He didn't think it was enough to send one of his companions to check on them and bring back a report.
[SPEAKER_00]: Nor did he summon them to come and see him with their updates.
[SPEAKER_00]: Instead, he willingly undertook a dangerous and costly journey to visit them personally.
[SPEAKER_00]: Paul often faced hardship during his travels.
[SPEAKER_00]: but none of that compared to the daily burden he carried, the care for all the churches, 2 Corinthians, chapter 11, verse 28.
[SPEAKER_00]: Secondly, Paul made this journey with a clear purpose.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let us see how they are doing.
[SPEAKER_00]: He didn't undertake the trip merely as a polite gesture, or a simple check-in with a superficial, how are you?
[SPEAKER_00]: His intent was to personally assess their condition and provide them with spiritual support and guidance suited to their needs.
[SPEAKER_00]: Paul visited these believers, much like a doctor visiting a recovering patient, carefully observing their condition to prescribe what would complete their healing and prevent any relapse.
[SPEAKER_00]: He wanted to see what their character and conductor like.
[SPEAKER_00]: how they feel and how they are living.
[SPEAKER_00]: They eagerly received the word of the Lord when we first preached it to them, let us now go and see whether they are holding fast to what they received or whether they have let it slip away.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let us see whether they are standing firm or beginning to waver, whether they are making progress or falling back, whether they bring honor to the name they bear or shame to it.
[SPEAKER_00]: This concern comes from Paul's deep care and godly jealousy for them, as he expressed tenderly and affectionately in many of his letters.
[SPEAKER_00]: He was often anxious about those among whom he had labored, fearing that his efforts might have been in vain, or that the work he and others had done with such dedication could be undermined by Satan's schemes.
[SPEAKER_00]: Paul reflects this concern in passages such as 2 Corinthians chapter 11 verses 2 and 3.
[SPEAKER_00]: I fear that your minds may somehow be let astray, and in verses 1 and chapter 3 verse 5.
[SPEAKER_00]: I was afraid that the temperature had tempted you.
[SPEAKER_00]: These expressions did not stem from a lack of trust, but from a genuine love and care for their spiritual well-being.
[SPEAKER_00]: this godly concern led Paul to take proactive measures.
[SPEAKER_00]: If he found them strange, he sought to guide them back.
[SPEAKER_00]: If he found them uncertain, he worked to strengthen them, and if he found them steadfast, he sought to encourage and comfort them.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let us see what their current condition and circumstances are, are the churches experiencing rest and freedom with opportunities to grow and spread the gospel.
[SPEAKER_00]: or are they enduring hardship and persecution scattered and broken?
[SPEAKER_00]: So then let us visit them, not just to observe but to offer whatever help we can.
[SPEAKER_00]: Beyond the Apostolic Mission, this was also a friendly visit, motivated by love and concern for their brethren.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now I speak to you, who are blessed to hear the word of the Lord preached with clarity and power.
[SPEAKER_00]: You have received teaching, precept upon, precept, line upon, line in all seasons.
[SPEAKER_00]: I urge you to reflect on this critical question.
[SPEAKER_00]: Is the preaching you hear achieving its intended purpose?
[SPEAKER_00]: Is the grace of God working effectively in your life, or is it being received in vain?
[SPEAKER_00]: Every person must carefully examine the state of their own soul under the preaching of the gospel.
[SPEAKER_00]: It is the role of conscience to confront us with this vital question and provide an honest answer.
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, that I could persuade you to deal faithfully with yourselves in this matter.
[SPEAKER_00]: Examine and judge yourselves now, because the day is coming when the righteous God will examine and judge us all.
[SPEAKER_00]: For as long as the word of the Lord has been preached to you, how have you responded to it?
[SPEAKER_00]: Consider this, the word is life, has it awakened you, or are you still spiritually dead in trespasses and sins?
[SPEAKER_00]: The word is light, has it enlightened you, or are you still sitting in darkness?
[SPEAKER_00]: The word is spiritual nourishment, has it fed your soul, or do you remain malnourished?
[SPEAKER_00]: The word is a healing remedy, has it cured your spiritual ailments, or do you
[SPEAKER_00]: What real difference has all the sermons you've heard made in your life?
[SPEAKER_00]: How have you responded to the Scriptures?
[SPEAKER_00]: What is the state of your soul?
[SPEAKER_00]: Are you living in sin or are you in a state of grace?
[SPEAKER_00]: If you find no improvement from the preaching of the word, humbly acknowledge the failure and take responsibility for it.
[SPEAKER_00]: And if, by God's grace, you see evidence of growth and spiritual profit, rejoice and take comfort in it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Every minister has a responsibility to look into the spiritual condition of their heroes.
[SPEAKER_00]: Those who share God's word and sacraments should, like Paul and Barnabas, sometimes visit those to whom they minister and see how they are doing, how their souls are doing.
[SPEAKER_00]: These are the kinds of visits that the text especially encourages us to reflect upon.
[SPEAKER_00]: ministers should not consider it enough to just preach sound doctrine to their congregations as a whole, which is like a shepherd simply leading the entire flock into a good pasture.
[SPEAKER_00]: Instead, they must search out the individual sheep and seek them out as expressed in his ekeal chapter 34 verse 11.
[SPEAKER_00]: So they can strengthen the weak, heal the sick, bind up the broken, and bring back those
[SPEAKER_00]: Just as we should look for answers to our prayers, and back at Chapter 2 verse 1, we must also follow up on our preaching to discern its impact.
[SPEAKER_00]: This allows us to return an answer to Him who sent us, second Samuel chapter 24 verse 13.
[SPEAKER_00]: And, like the servant in the parable, report back to the Lord, here are the things I have found.
[SPEAKER_00]: Luke chapter 14 verse 21.
[SPEAKER_00]: The apostle Paul, a model and leader among preachers, not only top publicly but also went from house to house, warning everyone, night and day with tears, Acts, 2020 vs. 20 and 31.
[SPEAKER_00]: And exhorting, comforting, and urging them as a father does his children, for Cecil Nian's chapter 2 vs. 11.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let us do likewise with genuine care for the spiritual well-being of souls.
[SPEAKER_00]: In the most humble, tender, and gracious way possible, let us visit our brethren to whom we have preached the word of the Lord.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let us also inquire about their progress in practical ladliness, so that what is lacking may be improved, what is good may be encouraged.
[SPEAKER_00]: Doubts may be resolved, and challenges in discouragements may be overcome.
[SPEAKER_00]: In such visits, some minister might say, my friend, you are a faithful hero of the word of the Lord.
[SPEAKER_00]: You seem attentive and mindful of its truths.
[SPEAKER_00]: I have come to ask, how are you truly doing?
[SPEAKER_00]: The soul is the essence of the person.
[SPEAKER_00]: If the soul is well, then the person is well.
[SPEAKER_00]: How is your soul doing?
[SPEAKER_00]: Have you understood all these things?
[SPEAKER_00]: If any of the teachings you've heard are difficult, let me know, and I will do my best to make them clearer.
[SPEAKER_00]: Are you moved by what you hear?
[SPEAKER_00]: Does your heart burn within you as we discuss these truths?
[SPEAKER_00]: Do you savor the goodness of these truths and feel their power and influence in your heart?
[SPEAKER_00]: If so, that is good.
[SPEAKER_00]: Continue on this path and prosper.
[SPEAKER_00]: The Lord is with you as long as you remain with him.
[SPEAKER_00]: A truly effective sermon is one that benefits you, one that can vex you of sin and humbles you for it, one that shows you your duty and inspires you to fulfill it.
[SPEAKER_00]: But if you find yourself cold and unmoved by the things of God, sluggish in his work, and unfamiliar with the life that comes from him, ask yourself why.
[SPEAKER_00]: What is causing the things that remain to wither and die?
[SPEAKER_00]: Perhaps you are harboring some secret sin, maybe the love of the world or a lust of the flesh?
[SPEAKER_00]: This could be the warm at the root of your spiritual life, causing your outward profession to wither and preventing you from bearing fruit.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you care for your soul, whatever that sin may be, you must put it to death, crucify it, and suppress its earliest stirrings.
[SPEAKER_00]: Perhaps you have been inconsistent or neglectful in your private devotions, or you approach them carelessly, and without sincerity.
[SPEAKER_00]: The soul cannot thrive when this sacred duty is neglected or performed deceitfully.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe family worship is not upheld as it should be, and so the doos of God's grace have been withheld from you.
[SPEAKER_00]: Perhaps you neglect the Lord's table and to pride yourself of the blessings of communion.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe you take lightly the fellowship of believers, or worse, prefer the company of those who do evil.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let me urge you as a friend who cares deeply for your soul to walk more carefully and remain closer to God in his will.
[SPEAKER_00]: You will soon feel the comfort of his presence in your heart.
[SPEAKER_00]: Adepting questions and advice to the unique situation of each individual, whether young or old, rich or poor, strong or weak, careless or diligent, requires wisdom, which is always profitable to direct.
[SPEAKER_00]: We are blessed with many excellent resources, both ancient and modern, to guide us in this work.
[SPEAKER_00]: Mr. Baxter's Guildess Salvianas, or the Reformed Pastor, serves as both an inspiration and a call to accountability.
[SPEAKER_00]: I fear we all have reason to feel shame for neglecting this important part of our duty.
[SPEAKER_00]: May God, by His grace, revive this good work in us.
[SPEAKER_00]: If ministers lack the opportunity to visit their brethren as they would wish, the same purpose can be served if their brethren visit them instead.
[SPEAKER_00]: As spiritual doctors, seeking counsel and discussing their spiritual state.
[SPEAKER_00]: If the priests' lips should guard knowledge, then the people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts, Simalka chapter 2 verse 7.
[SPEAKER_00]: This visit can be seen as a friendly visit made to their companions, with a pious intention and for noble purposes.
[SPEAKER_00]: The brothers mentioned here where people Paul and Barnabas knew, cared for, and desired to see thriving.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let us go, says Paul, and visit them.
[SPEAKER_00]: Demonstrating that even though they were far away, they were not forgotten.
[SPEAKER_00]: Although out of sight, they remained in their thoughts.
[SPEAKER_00]: Paul's purpose was to see how they were doing so that they could empathize with their circumstances and contribute to their spiritual growth and comfort.
[SPEAKER_00]: This was the goal Paul had in mind, and what he deemed worth his time and effort in undertaking this journey.
[SPEAKER_00]: From this, we learned that friendly visits and kind inquiries into one another's state are excellent practices, provided they are conducted in the right spirit, and aimed at meaningful, beneficial outcomes.
[SPEAKER_00]: There are two types of commendable visits we should make to our brethren.
[SPEAKER_00]: Charitable visits driven by compassion and deemed it offering assistance, support, and comfort to those in need, whether in sorrow, sickness, or adversity.
[SPEAKER_00]: Few recognize how much emphasis scripture places on this duty.
[SPEAKER_00]: When the Apostle James defines what true religion consists of, this is what he highlights first, pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this.
[SPEAKER_00]: At this point, one might expect him to say it is entirely about withdrawing from the world, engaging in constant devotion, prayer, and pious reflection, or regularly fasting, and attending every public worship service.
[SPEAKER_00]: Surely one would think, this is the essence of pure religion, but no.
[SPEAKER_00]: James says it is this, to visit orphans and widows in their affliction.
[SPEAKER_00]: James chapter 1 verse 27.
[SPEAKER_00]: The goal is to show kindness by acknowledging their struggles, comforting and encouraging them, and understanding how we might provide tangible help.
[SPEAKER_00]: This act of charity is equally prominent in our Savior's description of the final judgment.
[SPEAKER_00]: He emphasizes this as a defining mark of those who will be commended.
[SPEAKER_00]: I was sick and you visited me.
[SPEAKER_00]: I was in prison and you came to me.
[SPEAKER_00]: Matthew chapter 25 verse 36.
[SPEAKER_00]: To these acts of compassion, he declares, come inherit the kingdom prepared for you.
[SPEAKER_00]: Matthew chapter 25 verse 34.
[SPEAKER_00]: It is as though all the joy of heaven is the reward for these visits.
[SPEAKER_00]: Perhaps Paul had this promise of Christ in mind when speaking of Anaciferus and the kind visits he made to him during his imprisonment in Rome, he prayed.
[SPEAKER_00]: The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord on that day.
[SPEAKER_00]: Second Timothy 1 verse 18, the day when such acts of kindness will be remembered generously rewarded and regarded as if they had been done for Christ himself.
[SPEAKER_00]: Among your different types of visits, I urge you not to neglect these charitable ones.
[SPEAKER_00]: The poor, the sick, the prisoners, the widows, and the fatherless are always with us.
[SPEAKER_00]: And whenever you wish, you have the opportunities to do them good, March after 14, verse 7.
[SPEAKER_00]: You don't lack opportunities for such acts of kindness, only the heart to pursue them.
[SPEAKER_00]: Investigate the needs of those who may not openly share their struggles.
[SPEAKER_00]: Deep poverty, as the apostle calls it, in 2 Corinthians 2, is often like deep waters.
[SPEAKER_00]: It makes the least noise.
[SPEAKER_00]: In contrast, counterfeit poverty can often be clamorous and loud.
[SPEAKER_00]: The instruction our Savior gave regarding feasts in Luke chapter 14 verses 12 through 14 can also apply to making visits.
[SPEAKER_00]: Do not focus only on visiting your friends or wealthy neighbors.
[SPEAKER_00]: Those who can return the favor.
[SPEAKER_00]: Instead, visit the poor, the disabled, the lame, and the blind.
[SPEAKER_00]: Those who cannot repay you.
[SPEAKER_00]: In doing so, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.
[SPEAKER_00]: the generous should plan generous acts.
[SPEAKER_00]: By practicing charity, we invest in the best soil, make the wisest use of our resources, and secure the greatest rewards.
[SPEAKER_00]: The most creative and celebrated worldly plans will never yield returns as valuable as the eternal rewards of doing good.
[SPEAKER_00]: God charers us with His blessings before we even ask and reveals Himself to those who are not seeking Him.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you find it burdensome to visit the poor and sick frequently or to be generous during these visits, remember that God visits us every morning, Job 7, verse 18, and that His visitation sustains our spirits, Job 10, verse 12.
[SPEAKER_00]: Our everyday visits, whether family, friends, or neighbors, should be conducted in a way that reflects true Christian values.
[SPEAKER_00]: Whatever we do, even in the most routine aspects of life, should be done for the glory of God.
[SPEAKER_00]: When done with this intention, our actions become sanctified and meaningful.
[SPEAKER_00]: They bear the mark of holiness to the Lord, and contribute to spiritual fruit that enriches our lives.
[SPEAKER_00]: Take for example the simple courtesy of accompanying a friend part of the way on their journey.
[SPEAKER_00]: While many of you this is merely a kind gesture or a way to pass the time, it can be elevated to a godly act when done with the right heart, as mentioned in 3 John V. 6.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you send them on their way in a manner worthy of God, you will do well.
[SPEAKER_00]: Even ordinary acts, when performed with an eye towards God's honor, guided by His word and reliant on His providence, can carry deep spiritual significance.
[SPEAKER_00]: Christians believe this, religion is not confined to church services or private devotions.
[SPEAKER_00]: It should permeate every aspect of life.
[SPEAKER_00]: As Proverbs, chapter 6 verses 21 and 22 reminds us, bind them always on your heart, fasten them around your neck.
[SPEAKER_00]: When you walk, they will guide you.
[SPEAKER_00]: When you sleep, they will watch over you.
[SPEAKER_00]: When you will wake, they will speak to you.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let your faith be present at your table, accompany you to bed, guide your daily work, and bring peace to your moments of rest.
[SPEAKER_00]: let it influence every transaction, every word you write, and every conversation you have.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like a belt clings to a person's waist, let your faith remain close to you, shaping and guiding your life.
[SPEAKER_00]: By living this way, you demonstrate that your heart has been renewed by religion.
[SPEAKER_00]: Among the many everyday actions we perform, let visiting friends be done in a manner that reflects godly purpose.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now for some advice on these visits.
[SPEAKER_00]: First, allow me to offer a word of caution.
[SPEAKER_00]: ensure that your visits to friends and your checks into their well-being are not misshandled in a way that leads to harm.
[SPEAKER_00]: We cannot rely on the standards or customs of a vein and superficial world to guide us in this matter.
[SPEAKER_00]: As our Savior reminded us, there are things highly esteemed among people, considered marks of good manners or sophistication that are detestable in the sight of God.
[SPEAKER_00]: See Luke chapter 16 verse 15.
[SPEAKER_00]: Therefore, we must turn to God's Word and listen to it's wisdom and warnings on this subject.
[SPEAKER_00]: Be careful that your friendly visits do not waste or squander the precious time and trusted to you.
[SPEAKER_00]: Time is a talent given to us to use wisely in preparation for eternity.
[SPEAKER_00]: How we use our time in this life will determine whether our eternity is one of comfort or regret.
[SPEAKER_00]: Every faithful Christian should strive to manage their time well.
[SPEAKER_00]: For good stewardship of time is not only practical wisdom, but also a spiritual duty.
[SPEAKER_00]: Time must not only include moments intentionally set aside for preparing for the life to come, but all of it must be spent with a continual awareness of eternity.
[SPEAKER_00]: Every hour of our day, like a worker's labor and a vineyard, belongs to the one who hired us and entrusted us with this gift of life.
[SPEAKER_00]: Our time is not our own.
[SPEAKER_00]: It is held in the hand of God, and we are to live for Him who sustains us.
[SPEAKER_00]: Heavenly wisdom teaches us how to allocate time appropriately, balancing the various responsibilities of our general and specific callings.
[SPEAKER_00]: This wisdom ensures that our duties and joys do not interfere with one another.
[SPEAKER_00]: However, if we spend time on visits that ought to be devoted to essential duties, whether in daily life or in our walk with God, then these visits cannot be called Christian.
[SPEAKER_00]: If we disguise laziness or the neglect of our responsibilities under the pretense of visiting friends and checking in on them, we will have to give a poor account of the time wasted.
[SPEAKER_00]: We might rightly say to many, as Pharaoh said to Moses, and the Israelites, you are idle, you are idle.
[SPEAKER_00]: That is why you say, let us go and visit our brethren.
[SPEAKER_00]: Perhaps it is even claimed by us, let us go in worship, Exodus chapter 5 verse 17.
[SPEAKER_00]: But these visits, under the guise of friendship or even devotion, often fall short of their stated purpose.
[SPEAKER_00]: The Apostle describes such behavior in 1 Timothy chapter 5 verse 13.
[SPEAKER_00]: They learn to be idle, wandering from house to house.
[SPEAKER_00]: These so-called friendly visits often lead to idleness, and few who are idle remain idle in only one area.
[SPEAKER_00]: When people have nothing productive to do, they often fall into other faults.
[SPEAKER_00]: As the saying goes, idle hands are the devil's workshop.
[SPEAKER_00]: idle visitors may also become gossip sent busy bodies, unproductive in doing good, but quite active in causing harm.
[SPEAKER_00]: What will they do when God rises to judge them, holding them accountable for all their idle visits, frivolous amusements, and every careless word spoken?
[SPEAKER_00]: This is a sobering thought.
[SPEAKER_00]: Therefore, learn to manage your time wisely, and not to squander
[SPEAKER_00]: When you decide to visit a friend, ask yourself, can I truly afford this time?
[SPEAKER_00]: Is there not a greater good I could be doing right now?
[SPEAKER_00]: Something that cannot as easily be postponed.
[SPEAKER_00]: will this visit interfere with my daily responsibilities, my work, or my spiritual duties.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you recognize that a visit is unavoidable and may interfere with more pressing obligations, be intentional in making it worthwhile.
[SPEAKER_00]: Use the opportunity for some truly meaningful purpose, ensuring the time spent is productive and not wasted on trivialities.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let us be careful that our friendly visits do not serve as mere gradifications of pride
[SPEAKER_00]: Those who seek to make an outward show, as the Apostle mentions in Galatians chapter 6 verse 12, often visit others only to flaunt their best attire, or accomplishments, or to observe and judge the appearance and lifestyles of others.
[SPEAKER_00]: Their visits are driven by the desire to learn the latest trends gossip or news, resembling the Athenians who, spent their time doing nothing but talking about or listening to the latest ideas.
[SPEAKER_00]: Acts chapter 17 verse 21.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's concerning to think how many of our visits may be driven by similar motives.
[SPEAKER_00]: While social decency and respect are important, politeness and good manners are a kind of social currency that should be exchanged freely.
[SPEAKER_00]: For our faith was never meant to strip away courtesy or make people impolite or out of touch.
[SPEAKER_00]: Instead, religion offers guidance for how to conduct ourselves properly in all areas of life, including our conversations and social engagements.
[SPEAKER_00]: But as we conform to the customer's practices of our community, we must carefully guard our hearts and motives.
[SPEAKER_00]: Even actions that are inherently harmless or even commendable can become sinful if they spring from impure intentions.
[SPEAKER_00]: Hezekiah's act of showing his house treasures, armory, and jewels to the ambassadors of Babylon might have seemed like a simple gesture of hospitality and respect.
[SPEAKER_00]: Something commonly done among friends.
[SPEAKER_00]: However, because he acted out of pride, it brought God's displeasure, resulting in wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem.
[SPEAKER_00]: See second chronicles chapter 32 verse 25.
[SPEAKER_00]: Even to those who have avoided the more obvious corruption of the world, to be cautious of pride, a root of bitterness that can corrupt even our seemingly innocent actions, such as social visits, fashion, or polite compliments.
[SPEAKER_00]: Pride is a subtle and pervasive sin.
[SPEAKER_00]: As followers of Christ, we are not to conform to the world's ways or walk according to its patterns.
[SPEAKER_00]: While we may adapt to the customs and practices of our culture and station, we should do so with a sense of detachment, as people seeking a better, heavenly country.
[SPEAKER_00]: This mindset allows us to participate in the same activities as others, but with a different purpose and spirit.
[SPEAKER_00]: Above all, let us prioritize the daily visits we make to God in prayer.
[SPEAKER_00]: These should be our greatest care and delight for exceeding any social visit we make to friends.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let us ensure that our friendly visits are not a mask for hypocrisy.
[SPEAKER_00]: They must not resemble the visits described in Psalm 41 verse 6.
[SPEAKER_00]: When David's enemy is would come under the guise of concern.
[SPEAKER_00]: When one of them comes to see me, he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander, then he goes out and spreads it around.
[SPEAKER_00]: Such behavior, where words of sympathy and kindness are mere pretence, he's both dishonest and dishonorable.
[SPEAKER_00]: It is a practice that anyone with a sense of virtue and integrity would rightly condemn.
[SPEAKER_00]: Next to hypocrisy in matters of faith, hypocrisy in friendship is among the worst offenses.
[SPEAKER_00]: It is bad enough if our visits like genuine goodwill or respect for those we claim to care for, since true love must be without hypocrisy.
[SPEAKER_00]: See Romans chapter 12 verse 9, but it is far worse if our visits are driven by malice.
[SPEAKER_00]: To visit someone with the intent of finding fault, or gathering material for gossip in the next group we encounter is a double sin, a lack of both love and sincerity.
[SPEAKER_00]: This does not mean, however, that when we feel displeasure toward someone, whether a family member, a neighbor, or a former friend, we should immediately sever all contact or refuse them basic courtesy for fear of being hypocritical.
[SPEAKER_00]: On the contrary, such behavior only compounds the issue.
[SPEAKER_00]: Instead, we should confront and subdue the negative emotions within us.
[SPEAKER_00]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.
[SPEAKER_00]: Ephesians chapter 4 verse 26.
[SPEAKER_00]: Forgive the events, whether it is real or imagined, reconciles sincerely with the person, and only then approach God in worship or extend your respect to your friend.
[SPEAKER_00]: We should actively seek ways to nurture true friendship where it exists and restore it
[SPEAKER_00]: Let us ensure that our friendly visits do not become opportunities for slander and gossip.
[SPEAKER_00]: The rule is simple, speak evil of no one.
[SPEAKER_00]: This does not only apply to false accusations or baseless claims, but also to speak negatively about others, even when the criticisms are true, if sharing them would cause harm rather than good.
[SPEAKER_00]: If we cannot speak well of someone, it is often better to remain silent than to speak ill of them.
[SPEAKER_00]: The general principle of justice requires us to do to others as we would have them do to us.
[SPEAKER_00]: None of us would want our faults, mistakes, or poor decisions broadcast in every conversation and criticized in every circle.
[SPEAKER_00]: Therefore, we must treat the reputation of others with the same care and respect we wish for our own.
[SPEAKER_00]: when speaking of wrongs that cannot be hidden, we should do so with sorrow, not pride, seeking to see the best in people and hoping for their redemption, rather than seeking to amplify their faults as though we were prosecutors eager for a conviction.
[SPEAKER_00]: Gossip is among the most destructive forces to love and friendship.
[SPEAKER_00]: Scripture is clear on this.
[SPEAKER_00]: In Leviticus, chapter 19 verse 16, we are commanded, you shall not go about as a slenderer among your people.
[SPEAKER_00]: The Hebrew term for slanderer here implies someone like a peddler, who buys goods, often stolen, in one place, and sells them in another.
[SPEAKER_00]: Similarly, a gossip collects damaging stories in one location, only to spread them elsewhere, hoping to diminish other's reputation while elevating their own.
[SPEAKER_00]: A related command in Exodus 23 verse 1 says,
[SPEAKER_00]: The margin even reads, you shall not receive a false report, because those who listen to gossip and give it a platform are often as guilty as those who spread it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Proverbs also warns us against this behavior.
[SPEAKER_00]: He who goes about as a slenderer reveals secrets, Proverbs 20 verse 19, and without gossip,
[SPEAKER_00]: The words of a gossip, as Proverbs 26 verse 22 states, are like wounds.
[SPEAKER_00]: Those who use their visits to spread hurtful stories, foster suspicion, or so discord among others are doing the devil's work, often unknowingly serving his purposes.
[SPEAKER_00]: St. Augustin, a great and wise man, said a rule in his household.
[SPEAKER_00]: He forbade all tailbearers from having any place at his table.
[SPEAKER_00]: Whoever delights in speaking ill of the absent should know this table is forbidden to them.
[SPEAKER_00]: As one greater than Augustan once declared, whoever secretly slanders their neighbor, then I will cut off someone 101 birthed five.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let me assure you, dear friends, that these cautions are not intended as an accusation against anyone here.
[SPEAKER_00]: Rather, my intention is to admonish us all to guard against sins that so easily entangles, for, as in water, face reflects face, so the heart of one person reflects another.
[SPEAKER_00]: Proverbs chapter 27 verse 19.
[SPEAKER_00]: The weaknesses that tempt one of us are often the same that tempt us all.
[SPEAKER_00]: permit me now to offer some positive guidance.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let us strive to ensure that our visits to friends and our inquiries into their well-being serve a good purpose.
[SPEAKER_00]: Not only should they be innocent and free from wrongdoing, but they should also be sanctified and purposeful.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let us make these moments productive, rescuing them from becoming wasted time, which we all know we have too often squandered.
[SPEAKER_00]: And instead, turning them into time well-spent.
[SPEAKER_00]: Even acts of supple courtesy can be elevated into acts of devotion when performed with the right intention.
[SPEAKER_00]: The common greeting of how are you, may with a good and sincere motive, ascend to the level of the sacred words, God be with you, or God bless you, which the Lord himself hears is and records in his book of remembrance, Simalkai chapter 3 verse 16.
[SPEAKER_00]: Conversely, when such words are spoken carelessly or thoughtlessly,
[SPEAKER_00]: They risk degenerating into mere vanity, even bordering on taking the Lord's name in vain.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let us consecrate these everyday interactions by bringing a spirit of Christian friendship into them, thereby glorifying God, even in the most ordinary exchanges.
[SPEAKER_00]: What I say about personal visits also applies to paper visits or letters.
[SPEAKER_00]: maintaining friendly correspondence, often the primary purpose of letters written by those who are not heavily engaged in business, should stem from a good and sincere heart.
[SPEAKER_00]: These written communications should reflect the character of Christians, ensuring we are not guilty of wasting both paper and time.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let our friendly visit stem and straight and sustain brotherly love.
[SPEAKER_00]: Brotherly love is the cornerstone of Christ's kingdom, the hallmark of his family and the
[SPEAKER_00]: Nothing adorns the Christian Church more beautifully, or strengthens it more effectively than this kind of love.
[SPEAKER_00]: It serves as a radiant testimony to the faith we profess.
[SPEAKER_00]: Brotherly love is nurtured through acts of mutual kindness, particularly by visiting one another.
[SPEAKER_00]: Therefore, we should approach both giving and receiving visits with the aim of showing genuine affection to those we are bound to by nature, providence, or faith.
[SPEAKER_00]: As the Apostle Paul encourages in 2 Corinthians chapter 8 verse 24, show the proof of your love.
[SPEAKER_00]: Through these acts, we foster and strengthen the unity in which brethren are called to live together.
[SPEAKER_00]: A lack of connection or intentional distance between friends and neighbors leads to a decline in love.
[SPEAKER_00]: It reflects that love has grown cold and further cools it, potentially extinguishing it all together.
[SPEAKER_00]: Such a strangement provides an opportunity for discord and division to take root.
[SPEAKER_00]: When those bound by a relationship, community, or friendship act as though they are strangers, distant and reserved.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's an unfortunate sign of Love's absence.
[SPEAKER_00]: This stands in stark contrast to what was once said of the early Christians.
[SPEAKER_00]: See how they love one another.
[SPEAKER_00]: Since we live in these later days, where it has been foretold that sin will abound and the love of many will grow cold, Matthew chapter 24 verse 12, and in these perilous times when people will be lovers of themselves above all else.
[SPEAKER_00]: Second Timothy chapter 3 verses 1 and 2.
[SPEAKER_00]: It is a valuable service to society to cultivate genuine and heartfelt friendship and to promote its worth.
[SPEAKER_00]: Why should we remain distant from one another when we hope to spend eternity together with the Lord?
[SPEAKER_00]: If the melody is of selfishness and deceit, persist and prove resistant to any remedy in most people, we can still take comfort in knowing we have fulfilled our duty by showing true warmth and love.
[SPEAKER_00]: This ensures that our souls are delivered from guilt.
[SPEAKER_00]: Furthermore, those who demonstrate greater love towards others may find themselves more deeply loved in return.
[SPEAKER_00]: For He who waters, Himself will be watered.
[SPEAKER_00]: But our friendly visits encourage Christian sympathy.
[SPEAKER_00]: Christian sympathy is an essential expression of Christian love, just as in the natural body, so it should be in the spiritual body of Christ.
[SPEAKER_00]: If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it.
[SPEAKER_00]: If one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
[SPEAKER_00]: First Corinthians chapter 12 verse 26.
[SPEAKER_00]: Love unites souls and intertwines their interests, and from this unity arises sympathy.
[SPEAKER_00]: We should therefore visit our friends and check on their well-being so that we can share in their joys and provide support during their trials.
[SPEAKER_00]: When we find them and their families in good health and at peace, their endeavors flourishing, their resources increasing, and their relationships harmonious, let us celebrate their blessings.
[SPEAKER_00]: As the Psalmist describes, their vines grow fruitful beside the house, and their all-of-plants thrive around the table, Psalm 128 verse 3.
[SPEAKER_00]: In these moments, we can take comfort in their comfort, just as the Apostle Paul wrote, we were comforted in your comfort, second Corinthians 7, verse 13.
[SPEAKER_00]: God takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servants, Psalm 35, verse 27, and so should we.
[SPEAKER_00]: We ought to show genuine joy in the success and well-being of our friends, especially since so many people are self-centered and few truly seek the good of others.
[SPEAKER_00]: But if the hand of the Lord has brought trials upon them, or their comforts have been diminished, we can provide some measure of relief by showing them respect in their time of suffering.
[SPEAKER_00]: Such gestures assure them of our steadfast friendship at a time when they might feel discouraged or neglected.
[SPEAKER_00]: Furthermore, by giving them the opportunity to share their struggles with someone who listens with patience, tenderness, and compassion, we can ease the burden of their troubled spirit.
[SPEAKER_00]: This was the intention of Job's friends when they came to visit him after hearing his misfortunes, to mourn with him, and comfort him, Job chapter 2 verse 11.
[SPEAKER_00]: Sharing in the grief of others can itself bring some solace to those who are mourning.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let us learn to bear one another's burdens.
[SPEAKER_00]: Galatians chapter 6 verse 2, by sharing in the Greece of others with compassion at sorrow.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let our friendly visits provide material for prayer and thanksgiving.
[SPEAKER_00]: Along with teaching us to address God as our Father, Jesus instructs us to pray for one another, James chapter 5 verse 16.
[SPEAKER_00]: This also implies our duty to give thanks for one another.
[SPEAKER_00]: For any mercy we ask of God should be followed by gratitude when it is received.
[SPEAKER_00]: The Apostle Paul often mentions in his letters both to churches and individuals that he prayed for them and gave thanks to God on their behalf.
[SPEAKER_00]: This must have been an immense comfort to them, knowing they were remembered in the prayers of such a devoted intercessor.
[SPEAKER_00]: To pray more specifically, and with greater love, it is beneficial to visit our friends and learn how they are doing.
[SPEAKER_00]: Whatever brings them joy and causes us to rejoice with them, should be a matter of thanksgiving to God.
[SPEAKER_00]: And when we visit our friends, we also have the opportunity to pray with them.
[SPEAKER_00]: I earnestly wish this practice were more common, especially among ministers.
[SPEAKER_00]: Such prayers would sanctify our visits and make them truly meaningful.
[SPEAKER_00]: when you are sick or in trouble, you ask us to pray with you.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, when I'd ask us to pray with you in times of health and peace, praying for continued prosperity, sanctification, and protection from temptation is just as important.
[SPEAKER_00]: Similarly, helping one another in giving thanks isn't as valuable as helping in prayer.
[SPEAKER_00]: Those who truly appreciate the privilege of communion with God will find this kind of spiritual fellowship to be one of the greatest blessings of
[SPEAKER_00]: But besides the opportunity our visits provide for praying together, they also greatly help us pray more meaningfully for one another when we are alone.
[SPEAKER_00]: When we have seen our friends, spoken with them, or even received a letter from them, we can pray for them with greater affection and understanding.
[SPEAKER_00]: It may be helpful to adopt a personal rule.
[SPEAKER_00]: not a strict obligation, but as a mindful habit, to pray specifically for those friends we visited, those who visited us, or those we communicated with by letter or message during the day.
[SPEAKER_00]: At night, in our private prayers, we can present their needs before God and give thanks for them as the occasion requires.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's no reason we cannot spread a letter from our friend before the Lord in prayer, just as Hezekiahs read the letter of an enemy before him,
[SPEAKER_00]: see as Aetepter 37 vs 14.
[SPEAKER_00]: Some have observed that they have found the most joy and comfort in the relationships and friendships that have prayed for the most.
[SPEAKER_00]: Even if we find ourselves disappointed in our efforts, as David was when those he prayed for proved unkind to him, we can rest in the assurance that our prayers will return to bless us.
[SPEAKER_00]: see Psalm 35 or 13.
[SPEAKER_00]: The comfort and peace of knowing we have sought the Lord on behalf of others are blessings in themselves.
[SPEAKER_00]: It is a common and highest request among serious Christians to say, either in person or by letter, please remember me in your prayers.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is a meaningful request if it stems from a genuine awareness of our own needs, a deeper perciation for the power of prayer, and a respect for our friends and their spiritual intercession.
[SPEAKER_00]: As we live in a world where we are often separated by distance and circumstances, a world in which we cannot always remain together, these mutual requests for prayer create opportunities to meet frequently at the throne of grace, even when apart.
[SPEAKER_00]: They remind us of the hope we share of meeting together one day at the throne of glory where we will never part again.
[SPEAKER_00]: let our friendly visits service opportunities to nurture the spiritual well-being of our friends.
[SPEAKER_00]: Spiritual charity begins at home with our own hearts and families, but it should not stop there.
[SPEAKER_00]: We are called to contribute to the growth of others in knowledge, faith, holiness, and joy.
[SPEAKER_00]: This mutual edification is our duty during visits, just as Proverbs chapter 27 verse 17 reminds us, as iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
[SPEAKER_00]: Scripture commands us repeatedly to exhort, and monash, teach, comfort, and encourage one another.
[SPEAKER_00]: See Hebrews chapter 3 verse 13 and chapter 10 verse 25, and for Cecilani's chapter 5 verse 11.
[SPEAKER_00]: What better time to fulfill these commands
[SPEAKER_00]: Much has been written and spoken about the importance of fostering spiritual conversations among Christians.
[SPEAKER_00]: But sadly, it often seems to have little effect.
[SPEAKER_00]: We have every reason to lament how much corrupt communication comes out of our mouths, and how little is truly edifying.
[SPEAKER_00]: Words that could either reflect grace in the speaker or impart grace to the listener.
[SPEAKER_00]: will vain and empty words never cease, Job chapter 16 verse 3.
[SPEAKER_00]: Why do we not learn the art of engaging in meaningful and uplifting conversations with our friends?
[SPEAKER_00]: Conversations that we can reflect on with comfort when we stand before God, knowing that by our words we will be justified or condemned.
[SPEAKER_00]: Matthew 12,37.
[SPEAKER_00]: A visit used in this way will bear fruit to a good account.
[SPEAKER_00]: What if, through such discourse, you save a soul from eternal death or help guide a soul closer to eternal life?
[SPEAKER_00]: This is how we confess Christ to you for others, showing that we are unashamed of him or his words.
[SPEAKER_00]: In fact, we need not be afraid.
[SPEAKER_00]: For even among those whose criticism we may anticipate, if we approach the conversation with humility, weakness, and sincerity, free of pretence, we may earn respect instead of ridicule.
[SPEAKER_00]: Serious godliness is a powerful thing.
[SPEAKER_00]: It often commands admiration, even from those who might initially market.
[SPEAKER_00]: Of course, our conversations with friends cannot always be entirely spiritual in nature.
[SPEAKER_00]: There is room for every day, casual talk, however, even in such conversations, there should be an underlying tone of religion and godliness.
[SPEAKER_00]: Just as a foreigner speaking English often retains an accent that reveals their origins, so too should a devout Christian, those speaking often of earthly matters, carry themselves
[SPEAKER_00]: Those who converse with us should notice that we have been with Jesus.
[SPEAKER_00]: See, Acts chapter 4 verse 13.
[SPEAKER_00]: And might even say, you are a Christian, your speech reveals it.
[SPEAKER_00]: If we discuss everyday matters in a godly manner, speaking as those accustomed to the language of the faithful, rather than the language of the irreverent, God will be honored.
[SPEAKER_00]: Even if our conversations are not always explicitly about spiritual matters, they should always carry grace, being seasoned with it like salt that gives flavor and distinction.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let our friendly visits also be opportunities to enrich our own souls.
[SPEAKER_00]: by doing good to others, we inevitably do good to ourselves.
[SPEAKER_00]: Our own light shines brighter as we help to eliminate others.
[SPEAKER_00]: However, even if we are not able to contribute much to conversations that edify, we can still listen and learn things that will build us up.
[SPEAKER_00]: Those who cannot teach should be eager to learn and seek out the company of those who are wise and godly, with the intention of growing in knowledge and grace.
[SPEAKER_00]: by walking with wise people, we too can become wiser.
[SPEAKER_00]: When the apostle Paul planned his visit to the believers in Rome, he aimed for mutual benefit, both theirs and his, as he said in Romans 1 verses 11 and 12.
[SPEAKER_00]: I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, and that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith.
[SPEAKER_00]: By engaging with those who are wise and good, we should strive to become wiser and better
[SPEAKER_00]: We should take away practical lessons, whether of wisdom, faith, or both, from every visit we make, ensuring that in all things our conversations are conducted thoughtfully.
[SPEAKER_00]: Just as frivolous people visit others primarily to observe trends or fashions, serious minded individuals should visit others to gain insight and grow in wisdom.
[SPEAKER_00]: As Proverbs 1 verse 5 says, a wise person will hear and increase in learning, and a person
[SPEAKER_00]: Even from observing foolish or improper behavior, we can learn valuable lessons.
[SPEAKER_00]: Solomon gained wisdom from the neglected field of the lazy man and the vineyard of the one lacking understanding.
[SPEAKER_00]: What we find improper in others should serve as a caution to us, teaching us what to avoid and offering warnings through the experiences of others.
[SPEAKER_00]: From difficult or unexpected sources, we may draw lessons that benefit us, much like finding
[SPEAKER_00]: out of the eater came something to eat and out of the strong came sweetness.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now it is time to conclude with a final word of encouragement on this topic.
[SPEAKER_00]: One, let us reflect on our shortcomings today and humble ourselves before God, for the ways we may have fallen short in how we have handled our visits to friends.
[SPEAKER_00]: In our everyday interactions, as in our daily work, it is difficult to remain pure and without fault.
[SPEAKER_00]: Think about how much time we have wasted on unnecessary or unproductive visits.
[SPEAKER_00]: Time that could have been used better, but can never be reclaimed.
[SPEAKER_00]: Reflect on the shallow and worldly motivations we may have had for visiting others, and how we have too often conformed to the ways of a vain and foolish world, rather than being guided by the spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
[SPEAKER_00]: As the Apostle Paul writes in verse Corinthians chapter 3 verse 3, Are you not acting like mere humans?
[SPEAKER_00]: Falling short of the higher, holy calling of Christianity.
[SPEAKER_00]: How many people have truly been bettered by our company?
[SPEAKER_00]: In some cases, it may even be that others have been worse off for having interacted with us because of our unguarded and careless speech.
[SPEAKER_00]: When conversations turn to frivolous or inappropriate topics, foolish talk or crude joking, which God's word explicitly condemns, see Ephesians chapter 5 verse 4.
[SPEAKER_00]: Were we not just as eager as anyone else to participate, encourage, or sustain such talk?
[SPEAKER_00]: Have we not provoked one another's sinful desires or stirred up negative emotions instead of spurring one another on to love and good deeds, Hebrews chapter 10 verse 24?
[SPEAKER_00]: Have we caused a fence by speaking recklessly or taking too much liberty in our words?
[SPEAKER_00]: Have we encouraged irreverence in those who are careless or grieved those who are serious mind it and expect us to be the same?
[SPEAKER_00]: let us examine ourselves in these matters today, and repent, so that we may not be judged by the Lord.
[SPEAKER_00]: Two, let us choose wisely our close friends as those who will join us in seriously striving to improve in this area.
[SPEAKER_00]: The reality is that, much like in any partnership, we can only control our own contributions.
[SPEAKER_00]: We can do little to correct what is commonly wrong in conversations, or to make them more meaningful,
[SPEAKER_00]: Therefore, we should seek to associate with people who will either build us up or allow us to build them up, or ideally both.
[SPEAKER_00]: It is wise to avoid the company of those who lead our minds astray, making them frivolous and unfit for serious reflection.
[SPEAKER_00]: The good in us is already fragile and prone to fade on its own.
[SPEAKER_00]: We don't need the influence of others to extinguish it entirely.
[SPEAKER_00]: take Solomon's advice, and leave the presence of a fool when you do not discern in them the lips of knowledge.
[SPEAKER_00]: Proverbs 14.7 Since the fellowship of believers is meant to support our growth in holiness and joy, and serves as a foretaste of future blessings, we should, like the early church described in Acts chapter 2 verse 42, remain committed not only to sound doctrine, but also to meaningful fellowship.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let such people be your closest companions, and say to them, as neighboring nations said to God's people, in Zachariah chapter 8 verse 23, we will go with you for we have heard that God is with you.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let God's people be our people, echoing David's declaration in Psalm 119 verse 63, I am a friend to all who fear you, to all who follow your precepts.
[SPEAKER_00]: three, let us resolve by God's grace to guard our own hearts and minds in both giving and receiving visits.
[SPEAKER_00]: While we may not be able to reform the world, we can work on reforming our own lives and spirits.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let it to us examine and focus on our own conduct and intentions.
[SPEAKER_00]: In doing so, we can find joy in knowing we are living faithfully, even if others do not recognize or celebrated.
[SPEAKER_00]: Our ultimate praise comes from God, not from people.
[SPEAKER_00]: Christians, I am not urging you toward anything rude, unpleasant, or that appears to be an unnecessary show of uniqueness.
[SPEAKER_00]: Nor am I speaking against the innocent pleasures and lighthearted conversations that bring joy to you and your friends, providing a much needed break from the stresses of daily work.
[SPEAKER_00]: Rather, I urge you to be cautious not to lose sight of your faith during these moments.
[SPEAKER_00]: Remember, you are Christians and everything you say and do should align with what is fitting for those called to be saints.
[SPEAKER_00]: See if you didn't step your five verse three.
[SPEAKER_00]: keep in mind that you are moving swiftly toward eternity.
[SPEAKER_00]: The time you are here on earth is limited and will soon come to an end.
[SPEAKER_00]: Therefore, you should live as people were pairing for heaven ensuring that you don't fall short of its promise.
[SPEAKER_00]: Engage with the physical world around you as those who understand they will soon transition to the spiritual realm.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let this awareness curb anything vain or meaningless.
[SPEAKER_00]: Urging you instead to consider, as Peter writes, what kind of people ought you to be in holy contact and godliness.
[SPEAKER_00]: Second Peter chapter 3 verse 11, said before you the example of our Lord Jesus, as he was, so should we be in this world, walking as he walked, not just in some ways, but in all ways, including how we interact with others.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let us approach visits as he did, with a heart to bring good into the lives of others, in accordance with our ability and influence.
[SPEAKER_00]: His words were like a honeycomb, feeding and uplifting many.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let our words have the same impact as much as we are able.
[SPEAKER_00]: Wherever he went, he was about his father's business.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let us, though undeserving of such an honor, strive to do the same.
[SPEAKER_00]: When Jesus visited his friends, he empathized with their sorrows, comforted them in their hardships, corrected them when they were in error.
[SPEAKER_00]: and spoke to them in ways that encouraged and instructed them.
[SPEAKER_00]: To be thoroughly equipped, like the wise householder who brings out treasures, both new and old, let us pray daily to God for the wisdom needed to understand his way in every situation.
[SPEAKER_00]: Of all the graces we are encouraged and directed to pray for, wisdom stands out the most.
[SPEAKER_00]: as James chapter 1 verse 5 reminds us, if any of you lacks wisdom, and who among us does not, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him.
[SPEAKER_00]: God will not reproach us for our past mistakes, our current need, or even for how often we come to him for help.
[SPEAKER_00]: Remember Solomon, who as a young man made wisdom his request and priority.
[SPEAKER_00]: God granted him that wisdom, along with an abundance of other blessings.
[SPEAKER_00]: When we pray for wisdom, let our prayers be not only consistent and heartfelt, but also specific.
[SPEAKER_00]: For the occasion, let us pray this.
[SPEAKER_00]: Lord, grant me wisdom to guide me through this challenging and uncertain situation.
[SPEAKER_00]: Lord, help me to act wisely and walk in integrity with my interactions with my family, friends, and neighbors during visits.
[SPEAKER_00]: Teach me to walk in wisdom with those outside the faith, so that my profession of Christianity and my relationship with Christ are never tarnished by any lack of judgment or discretion in the visits I give or receive.
[SPEAKER_02]: I really enjoyed this servant.
[SPEAKER_02]: I think in all of our sermons we've done and I've looked for other sermons that aren't that many
[SPEAKER_02]: on the subject of friendship.
[SPEAKER_02]: In fact, I remember, I think it was a year to go.
[SPEAKER_02]: We had a sermon on the friendship of Christ and I was excited.
[SPEAKER_02]: I was like, oh, it's going to be about a sermon on friendship.
[SPEAKER_02]: But it was really just more about how Jesus is your friend, which is great, good, but it wasn't.
[SPEAKER_02]: I was excited to see an actual person talking about just friendship itself because I feel like it's a subject that's so often overlooked, it's such an important part of our lives.
[SPEAKER_02]: So many people, especially in the modern day, undervalue friendship, they don't, in fact, a lot of people don't even really know how to keep friendship going.
[SPEAKER_02]: And yet Matt, you're hitting me this extremely busy guy, traveling, traveling, all this kind of stuff going on.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's been an entire sermon talking about the importance of friendship, how to visit with your friends, what you're supposed to do.
[SPEAKER_02]: And I just seem to myself, a guy that busy has time to make this in time and make this an important part of his life.
[SPEAKER_02]: I think it's a good reminder for us in the modern world that we also need to make.
[SPEAKER_02]: Friendship and important part of what we do and important part of our lives and then important part of being the bride of Christ, being the church, people should be able to see friendships and people who are friends in that.
[SPEAKER_02]: And I think it's something that the world is severely lacking in examples of good friendships.
[SPEAKER_02]: And I think that it's definitely a way we can be a light to the world is showing that.
[SPEAKER_02]: And so I really enjoyed this.
[SPEAKER_02]: I thought it was great to see a sermon on this subject by, you know, an old Puritan type of person.
[SPEAKER_02]: It also kind of, because something as a viewer tends to be seen as stuffy, here we have an entire sermon.
[SPEAKER_02]: Given an in a very pure, tennis way, the importance of friendship.
[SPEAKER_03]: Thank you for listening to today's episode of Revive.
[SPEAKER_03]: That said, a sermon was inherited by David K. Martin, big things to David as always for contributing to it.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yes.
[SPEAKER_03]: Another Revive Thoughts episode.
[SPEAKER_03]: We really appreciate it.
[SPEAKER_02]: And I David has done several episodes for us.
[SPEAKER_02]: He's a fantastic, very grateful for him.
[SPEAKER_02]: And I gave him the choice of a couple different Matthew Henry summons.
[SPEAKER_02]: And he himself also chose this one because of the subject of friendship.
[SPEAKER_02]: Interested him as well.
[SPEAKER_02]: So I appreciate his input on that.
[SPEAKER_02]: And the many episodes he has done for us.
[SPEAKER_02]: He's a great speaker.
[SPEAKER_02]: We also would love for you guys to check out our Patreon mentioned at the top.
[SPEAKER_02]: We have new Patrons coming in.
[SPEAKER_02]: It is extremely helpful when people sign up for us on Patreon.
[SPEAKER_02]: So we would encourage you and ask you if you can check it out.
[SPEAKER_02]: Look at it.
[SPEAKER_02]: Join it if you are able to.
[SPEAKER_02]: It's a big help for us to run the show.
[SPEAKER_02]: This is Troy and Joel and this is Revive Thoughts.